DID YOU WEAR YOUR REFORMATION RED THIS MORNING?

Gentle Readers,

If you wore your Reformation red to church this morning, then you must be a Lutheran.

And I think all us Lutherans should dress as Martin Luther for trick-or-treating and we can nail 95 feces  theses on 95 neighbors' doors. One per neighbor. I hope you don't have to travel too far to find 95 neighbors, but I suppose you could give extras to your favorite neighbors and cut down on the total number of neighbors required.

With all the dogs I have I don't think I'll have any trouble finding theses in my back yard.

I remember one Reformation when my Favorite Young Woman was the acolyte at church. A teacher from a private school, not the school F.Y.W. attended, gave the sermon. It was on the history of Reformation and it lasted at least an hour and felt like four.

If you're a Lutheran or if you listen to A Prairie Home Companion on NPR, then you know Lutherans don't go for hour-long sermons. We like our sermons quick and snappy. Get to the point, Pastor Inqvist.

F.Y.W. was sitting next to our young assistant pastor, who kept nudging her and teasing, Isn't this the most interesting sermon you've ever heard? Don't you just love this sermon?

She managed not to break out laughing. Shame on that naughty pastor, trying to corrupt an innocent young girl. You woulda thought he was a Catholic priest.

Oh, no, excuse me, they go for corrupting innocent young boys.

Lutherans, in general, have a pretty darn good sense of humor considering we eat mournful oatmeal and always expect the worst.

So, if you don't have a Martin Luther costume for tonight, borrow an acolyte's robe from your church and glue on a little beard and you're pretty much set.

Happy Halloween, you Reformationers!

Infinities of love,

Lola

LOLA FEELS DECIDEDLY UNFRABJIEU ABOUT ONE MOVIE BUT FRABJIEU ABOUT ANOTHER

Gentle Readers,

I decided to discuss movies again today because I don't know when your monsters are going out and if they're old enough to go out alone or if you can con some friend into taking all the kids, you might get a movie night.

When I was growing up during Medieval times, our city declared a trick-or-treat night. This night was not necessarily Halloween. It was usually on a weekend, preferably Saturday night. Then the kids had a nice sugar buzz for church the following morning.

Where I live now, the kids seem to trick-or-treat on the actual Halloween, which is fine. It just take me a while to become accustomed to a custom.

First, the decidedly unfrabjieu movie (by the way, frabjieu is the French spelling of frabjous and sometimes I go with the French because I'm pretentious and proud of it). The movie winning this award is Phoebe In Wonderland. Sorry little Elle Fanning, it's nothing against you, I'm sure you're a lovely child and I'm very glad you're not as bug-eyed as your older sister, I just don't care for this movie.

Felicity Huffman has the most awful black hair in this movie. I don't know if she dyed it or if it's a wig, but it looks simply unfrabjieu. When her daughter Phoebe is picked on in school, at first Mom (weird black-haired Felicity) fights for her daughter's right to stand up for herself. She complains that children should not be labeled and medicated. But then it all kind of falls apart when Phoebe is labeled and, I suppose, medicated.

Patricia Clarkson, who is so lovely in every movie she's in (love The Station Agent and Lars and The Real Girl), plays the theater teacher who brings out the best in Phoebe and other children, but she disappears when she's fired.

I wanted a happier ending. I wanted the parents to fight to get the good teacher back. I wanted Mom to stand up for Phoebe and demand that the kids who pick on her daughter get in trouble instead of Phoebe being punished.

Decidedly unfrabjieu.

Now frabjieu: Greenfingers, starring Clive Owen and Helen Mirren and based on the true story of an open prison in England where everyone must have a job. Gardening becomes one of the tasks when a prisoner shows a talent for it.

The gradual transformation of this self-isolating prisoner who seems doomed to be a prisoner forever in his own mind to a man who sees he can have a future in life is very nice and uplifting without being sickeningly sweet. Helen Mirren is lovely as always, and Clive Owen is very good as the prisoner, who appropriately does not show a great deal of emotion.

Happy Movie Watching Ghouls!

Infinities of love,

Lola

TWO VERY WELL WRITTEN MOVIES

Gentle Readers,

Recently I mentioned a couple of movies that I was watching and I now want to give them the Super-Sized Lola Seal of Approval.

First, 84 Charing Cross Road. I got this from Netflix and then realized Ah hell's bells, I've seen this before. I thought it had been good though, so I watched it and it was better than good. It was lovely and delightful. Anne Bancroft was so good in this story based on fact by Henelen Hanff.

Helene Hanff used to order books from a shop at 84, Charing Cross Road. She had a long-term epistolary friendship with the employees of the shop, especially the gentleman who found the books she wanted.

The movie is simply excellent. Here's a little example:

Helene Hanff: [typing] WHAT KIND OF A BLACK PROTESTANT BIBLE IS THIS! Kindly inform the Church of England they have loused up the most beautiful prose even written. Who ever taught Dr. Tindall the Vulgate Latin. They'll burn for it, mark my words. It's nothing to me, I'm Jewish myself, but I have a Catholic sister-in-law, a Methodist sister-in-law, a whole raft of Presbyterian cousins, through my late Uncle Abraham who was converted, and an aunt who's a Christian Science healer. And I'd like to think none of them would countenance an Anglican Latin Bible if they knew it existed. As it happens, they don't know Latin existed. 


Ms. Hanff then breaks the fourth wall and remarks sweetly to the camera about sending some food to the folks at the shop, who continue to suffer from post World War II rationing.




And then we have the previously remarked upon British mini-series Lost in Austen, which comes complete on one disc from Netflix but would be well-worth purchasing because you will want to watch it over and over and over. 


I don't know how the writers managed to take Amanda Price from present-day London and not make Jane Austen's style seem ridiculous when Amanda joins the Bennett family of Pride and Prejudice, one of my favorite books, but somehow this little series is a rousing success. It's hilarious and sweet and has such a happy ending. Who could ask for anything more?


Here's a little taste of Lost in Austen:


Mr. Bingley: Darcy regards all forms of sudden locomotion as emblematic of ill-breeding. Hunting, tennis, rising precipitately from a chair...
Mr. Darcy: When Miss Price and I dance, sir, there shall be nothing sudden.
Amanda Price: I can't dance this sort of dance.
Mr. Darcy: Nor I. Together we shall make a shambles. But we shall do it with such authority that everyone will stare at us to learn the step. 


And a little more:


Amanda Price: I try not to judge people I've never met
Mr. Darcy: You are a philosopher, Miss Price. I would I could be like you.
Amanda Price: Certainly you would benefit an occupation of some kind. You have no function, Mr. Darcy. No purpose.
Mr. Darcy: Of course not. What a disgusting idea. That is the raison d'etre of society. We must be seen to be unoccupied. 


I'd like to go on and on, but I should give you the chance to watch and listen for yourself.


Happy Movie Viewing Gentle Readers! Send the monsters out turning tricks if they don't get their treats and put a good movie in the player. Then after they're in bed, steal your favorite candies from the Halloweenie goodies.


Infinities of love,


Lola

HEEEEEEEERE'S FRANKLIN

Here’s the story

Of a dog named Franklin

Who was living with some very lovely folks

But Franklin was too much for these older people

And he felt all alone.

Then on Sunday Franklin’s daddy met a doggie mommy

And Mommy knew that it was much more than a hunch

That Franklin should join her doggie family

And that’s the way we all became The Franklin Bunch!

The Franklin Bunch

The Franklin Bunch

That’s the way we became The Franklin Bunch!

And now together again for the first time on any blog, we present the stars of 

The Doggie Show

Our Cast

Lola as 




Mama

Scout as 








Scout

Harper Lee as








Harper






And Introducing

                           FRANKLIN


Back Story: Someone breaks into a woman's home. She has seen two stray dogs hanging out in a field, so she takes them home. She keeps one to be her watch dog and gives the other, a border collie mix, to her parents. They name him Franklin Jr. But Franklin Jr., who is only two years old, proves too much for this older couple to handle. Franklin Jr.'s dad announces at church that he's looking for a home for the dog. Mama raises her hand and says, "I"ve always wanted a border collie." And here's where our story begins.


Pilot Episode: Mama and her Favorite Young Man arrive at the home of Franklin Jr.'s parents. They go to the back yard to meet Franklin, who is so frightened that he flies over the fence. His dad has to go after him and bring him home, where Mama approaches him slowly and cautiously. Soon she and Franklin are acquainted, and he agrees to go home with her. F.Y.M., who serves as the show's Dog Wrangler, gets a nervous Franklin into the car, drives him to Mama's house, and carries him to the back yard. Franklin takes off faster than a speeding bullet to find a place where he can leap the tall fence in a single bound, but returns quickly when he discovers that Mama's entire fence is seven feet tall. Franklin is afraid to go up the steps to the deck, so Mama lets Scout and Harper outside. They encourage Franklin to join them on the deck and then in the house.


That evening, Franklin and Harper become fast friends as they run in and out of the house together. Soon, a Bromance develops between them.

Scout, who is a little jealous but accepting of the new guy in town, lets loose with an occasional growl (Scout secretly believes he is a grizzly bear cub).

Franklin is afraid of Mama. He starts every time she moves. Mama knows that Franklin had a hard life as a stray, so she speaks to him in a soft voice and moves slowly. She tells him how much she admires his rather large paws.

Before long, Franklin begins to relax. By the end of the evening, he has reciprocated by licking Mama's toes. Franklin goes to bed in his own comfortable crate on a soft bed with a bowl of kibble and a bowl of water. His new life has begun.

Good night, Franklin. 

FAVORITE YOUNG MAN

Sorry, Gentle Readers, no purposeful post today. My favorite young man had a car accident last night. He will be o.k. in a few days, but he's a pitiful sight right now. I hope to return tomorrow with some photos and the story of Franklin Jr.

Love,
Lola

WHO NEEDS A BABYSITTER?

REVOLUTIONARY WRITING

Gentle Readers,

When the movie Revolutionary Road came out, I thought it was excellent. I didn't even realize it was based on a novel.

Well, now I've read Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates so I am qualified to tell you that it is much better than the movie, and remember I said the movie was excellent. I'm not sure what adjective I can use that's superior to excellent, so let's say the novel is superior in its use of detail, realistic dialog, and characterization. And because it's from 1961 it makes me think that Mad Men is spot-on accurate.

Now, down to some details without revealing the wrenching conclusion.

Frank and April Wheeler are a relatively young married couple with two relatively young children. They have an extra-marital affair -- with each other. April encourages Frank to toss aside their boring domesticity and suddenly they're having late-night talks that go on for hours, the sex is fabulous, they change the way they think and act and look at life, and they become two different people who are passionately in love and filled with new ideas.

But the problem is that they are still Frank and April and they still have to face real life. Humpty Dumpty falls off the wall and can't be put back together again.

Worst of all, Frank is Frank. As Yates writes, "his self-absorption was so complete" that eventually he doesn't hesitate to destroy his wife.

Oh Frank Wheeler. Frank the Wheeler Dealer. I know you. You can't keep your pants zipped up. You're a liar. You're vicious, just plain vicious.

Now that I've made these people and their situation sound terrible, please allow me to remind you that this novel is superior, excellent, outstanding, well-worth reading.

I'd never heard of Yates before, and I believe I shall seek him out in the future.

Infinities of love,

Lola