OSCAR time

Before I list my picks for the big awards tonight, I have to confess that I did not see all the nominated films or performances. I know, that's just not like me. Nothing I can do about it now, though. Ron and I did manage to sneak in one last movie before the awards. We could have skipped it.

The Artist is a throw back to the age of silent films that should be thrown back! I am quoting Ron there. I have not seen him that vehement about a film in a long time. He went on to say that he would be really upset if The Artist or either of the nominated actors win awards. Personally, I found the movie charming. The actors were good and Berenice Bejo is a real cutie. Even so, it was impossible for me to get completely lost in it because of the man behind us who had to read the dialog screens out loud and the lady next to me that was unwrapping her candy all through the movie (both very distracting). It was a cute film. Certainly not worthy of a nomination for best picture or for best actor or best supporting actress, but it was cute. It's nice because there is no swearing or nudity or violence (maybe that's why Ron couldn't relate to it!) My favorite actor in the film was Uggie the dog - a real scene stealer. The big surprise was seeing John Goodman as a movie executive - not that he was in the movie, but that he has lost an enormous amount of weight - looking good, John!

 Bottom line for me - it was sweet, but not best picture material. I also will be disappointed if this movie or the actors in it are chosen over more deserving films. Wait til it comes out on Netflix.

Having said that, here are my choices for the Oscars keeping in mind once again that I didn't see all the movies nominated.

LAURA'S OSCAR PICKS - 2012

Supporting Actor - Can't choose - only saw one performance
Supporting Actress - OCTAVIA SPENCER in THE HELP
Best Actress - VIOLA DAVIS in THE HELP
Best Actor - GEORGE CLOONEY in THE DESCENDANTS
Best Picture - THE HELP

It's hard for me to choose just one movie or performance because I also loved The Descendants or just one actress because I thought Meryl was amazing as Margaret Thatcher in IRON LADY.  My vote doesn't count anyway. What I wouldn't give to be a member of the Academy!

birthday party

Even though the timing isn’t quite right, it appears that we are going to celebrate my 50^th birthday in Las Vegas after all. I am trying to figure out how I feel about hurtling toward my 50^th birthday… Fifty…50...The Big Five – Oh. How did that happen? I guess I’d better try to muster up some enthusiasm.

I am excited by the prospect of seeing family and friends. So here is the deal – if you happen to be in the Las Vegas area on Saturday, April 14^th please do drop by. It’s going to be at Ginger’s (my sister) restaurant. All the details are on facebook.  Let me know if you are interested in coming, and I will give you some hotel recommendations. I know that this is not an inexpensive prospect, so please don’t feel badly if you can’t make it. I do question our wisdom, but we are going for it! You only turn 50 once, right?

Now I have to put together just the right outfit to wear for the party – shall I wear purple with a red hat that doesn’t go?

Warning

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple 

With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me. 

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves 

And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter. 

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired 

And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells 

And run my stick along the public railings 

And make up for the sobriety of my youth. 

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain 

And pick flowers in other people's gardens 

And learn to spit. 

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat 

And eat three pounds of sausages at a go 

Or only bread and pickle for a week 

And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes. 

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry 

And pay our rent and not swear in the street 

And set a good example for the children. 

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers. 

But maybe I ought to practice a little now? 

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised 

When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Jenny Joseph

catching up

The 84th Annual Academy Awards show is just one week away. Those of you who know me know that the Oscars are sacred to me. At this time last year, Ron and I were spending every minute we could watching the nominated movies and performances so that we could knowingly watch the show and make our picks. Kinda silly when you think about it since neither one of us are members of the Academy. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have not been able to keep up with the movies this year. We have also been less than enthusiastic about seeing some of the nominated films.

In the meantime, we have seen a few movies that have come and gone and are now on pay per view or on HBO or Showtime. For instance...

The Big Year A movie with Steve Martin, Owen Wilson and Jack Black about bird watching? Really? Yes, really! What a charming little film about 3 guys that are absolutely passionate about birds! Each of them decide to do a "big year" which means a bird watcher tries to see and identify more bird species than any other bird watcher in the span of a single year. At the end of the year the winner is announced in Bird Watcher Magazine. The film follows these 3 men and everything they go through to achieve this goal. The actors are all very good in this movie – even Owen Wilson (I’m not a fan of his). Definitely put this in your queue on Netflix.

Win Win Who doesn’t love Paul Giamati? He is so good in anything he does. Recently he has been acknowledged for his work in John Adams and Too Big to Fail among many others. This time around he plays a lawyer whose practice in a small town in New Jersey is barely surviving. He is also the coach of a winless local high school wrestling team. He’s a nice guy, but does some dishonest maneuvers with an elderly client and his law practice to keep from financially going under. The troubled grandson of this elderly client shows up and changes everyone’s lives around him. Another great little film to put in your queue – I loved it.

Bottle Shock Alan Rickman is so much more than Severus Snape. He was one of my favorite actors long before he starred in the Harry Potter movies. I have to admit that part of it has to do with the accent – yes, I love English actors for their accents. Anyway, this little film is the true story of a British wine snob who decides to hold a blind tasting between French wines and the emerging California wines of Napa Valley in 1976. The outcome is obvious, but it’s a good history lesson and reality check for people that think French wines are superior to American Wines.

The Vow It’s been a long time since we had seen a movie in the theater – well, a long time by our standards. Instead of seeing something that we should have in preparation for the Oscars, we opted to see The Vow starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum. Here is another movie inspired by real events. The actors are young and beautiful and the story is sad and touching, but ultimately hopeful. It’s definitely romantic and could be considered a “chick flick” although I did see quite a few guys in the theater without girlfriends. The story is about a young married couple who suffer the loss of their relationship after a car accident robs the wife of her memory of her husband. It’s a story worth telling, but I was hoping for a little more romance or drama or something. My bottom line – go see it if nothing else in theaters appeals to you, but you can wait til it comes out as a DVD or it hits Netflix.

That's all for now -  maybe we'll see a couple more movies before next Sunday. 

nectar of the gods

Every once in a while, Ron and I enjoy drinking a nice glass of wine. This is something we learned to do after moving to California. Since living here we visit Napa about 3 times a year on average – much more when people come to visit us. We love to share wine country with friends and family.

We just spent another lovely day up north among the vines. This time we concentrated on wineries in the Russian River Valley. We took Beckie and a friend to sample some Pinot Noirs and to try out some new wineries. Napa and Sonoma Valleys are two of my favorite things about living in California.

The other day Mandi called from New York to say that a friend from there was coming to California and wanted some recommendations for wineries to go to while she was here. Mandi wanted my recommendation for my top 5 favorite vineyards. First of all, I was surprised that she asked me and not Ron. He is more of a connoisseur than I am, but I do know what I like. I thought it would be very difficult to come up with such a limited list…my top 5 favorite wineries….hmmmm….and then I immediately came up with this list - for whatever it’s worth!

#5. Dutton – Goldfield, Sebastopol – We found this winery when we took Beckie to Sonoma for her 24^th birthday. The gentleman that supervised our tasting and poured for us was incredibly hospitable and knowledgeable. He poured a variety of wines for us, but we were especially impressed with the Pinot Noirs.

#4. Markham, Napa – We have made several trips to this tasting room. Besides the incredible quality of the Merlots they pour, I enjoy the ambiance of this tasting room and its rock and roll sensibility. The wine bar is roomy and welcoming. Photos of rock artists decorate the walls and the music playing is classic rock and roll.

#3. Kendall - Jackson, Healdsburg – Talk about a total experience! We have been to this winery several times to experience the wine and food pairing they offer. The food is prepared by a seasoned chef that knows exactly how to showcase the wines being poured. Depending on the weather, the tasting is conducted either outdoors on the patio overlooking the vines or in one of the beautiful banquet rooms. It’s probably the second most commercial winery we go to, but it’s a great place to take out of state visitors for an impressive tasting adventure.

#2. Buena Vista, Sonoma – There is so much history at this winery. Buena Vista is the oldest winery in California. The first time we went there, we were fortunate to get a very chatty tour guide who also poured the wines at our first sit down food pairing and tasting. He was such a character, but really knew his way around the grapes. He told us all about Count Haraszthy and his love of the vine and how his work helped to save the European wine industry.

#1. Domaine Chandon, Napa – Easily my favorite for many reasons. First of all – it’s on absolutely beautiful grounds. Secondly, is there anyone who doesn’t enjoy a really good sparkling wine? This is also a great place to take someone for a tasting if they are visiting from out of town. They give a lovely guided tour and thoroughly explain the process of bottling sparkling wines versus still wines. It’s very interesting. Finally, you can purchase a bottle and drink it right on the grounds while overlooking the fountains or koi ponds. It’s quite idyllic.

When I told Ron what I was writing about, you can believe that he wanted to put in his 2 cents about his favorite wineries…I told him that he should start blogging so that he can write his own list! These are my favorites. If you ever decide to visit California, please come see us. We would both be very happy to take you to wine country and show you around.

love

Happy Valentine’s Day

The older I get, the more I recognize that this day has been inflated by department stores, greeting card companies and florists. I didn’t used to feel that way and Ron and I have a rocky history with Valentine’s Day. It’s been much better since I grew up and realized that roses, candy or cards are not the measure of how much my husband loves me. The proof is in all the little things he does for me every day…like making coffee while I’m in the shower and bringing me a cup while I get ready for the day…or that he drives me to work and picks me up every day even though he doesn’t have to…or that he loads the dishwasher without me asking him…or that he carries things up or down the stairs for me…or that he happily does the grocery shopping (he knows how much I don’t like doing it)…or that he will give me a foot rub whenever I ask. Truly, I know how much he loves me because he puts up with all my crazy – that is saying a lot!

So today I wish you a day filled with the things that really matter…good health, friendship and love. Never mind the heart shaped box of chocolates…

Happy 26th, Moon-Pie!

4 months old

The baby that I had waited for all my life arrived on February 12th, 1986. Today Jennifer Leigh Beeson aka jb is 26 years old! She is an amazing beautiful soul and I am so glad to have her in my life. It is and has been a joy to watch her grow and change and become the woman she is today. Hopefully she won't mind if I share some photos of her journey.

Ah, the joys of Spaghetti - O's! 14 months old

4 years old - yes, really!

Dressed for Western Day - 6 years old

(A big jump from 6 to 17  because of some technical difficulties of the blogger.)

Starring as Timoune on "Once on This Island" at 17

Dolled up for Senior Prom -18

High School Graduation - 18

Graduation from UCSB - 22

Engaged at 25

26 years old...hard to believe that my "baby" is a grown up and living so far away. She has already accomplished a great deal in her young life and it's so much fun watching her "do her thing."  I hope you have a wonderful day, Moon! I love you!

i hate my hair

Little Laura in 2nd grade

When I was a little girl I had long thick hair. I wore it in pigtails or braids and for special occasions pulled back and tamed into a bun. I loved everything about it except for one thing – having the tangles brushed out of it.  I was a fairly active young’un - climbing trees, riding my bike, roller skating – all activities that would make my hair a knotty mess.  My mom was not particularly patient when brushing my hair or sympathetic with me as the tears streamed down my face when she was trying to smooth my “rat’s nest.”

 

Eventually she came up with a solution to the problem. She took me and my sister Ginger to get our hair cut. This was in the late sixties and the new style was a “pixie” cut.

Twiggy in the 60's

Mind you, she didn't ask if I wanted a haircut – she told me I was getting a haircut. The first time I saw myself in the mirror, I was horrified. I looked like a buck-toothed little boy – oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I was buck-toothed. It was awful.  My hair was thick and fuzzy so it didn't lie smooth and straight like Twiggy's. I was so upset with my mom. Look what she did to me...

There I am - the eldest sister looking like a brother

So began the torturous relationship with my hair. When we moved to Indiana, the humidity in the Midwest turned my hair into something like a Brillo pad. So there I was - the new girl in the 6th grade with awful hair. It affected everything about me - I had zero self confidence and always felt ugly. 

6th grade - my awkward phase lasted for a VERY LONG TIME

Eventually, I figured out how to make do and although I never felt pretty, I escaped feeling hideous. However, I also envied those girls with with the straight and shiny blonde hair...sigh....

At 20 years old - less than hideous

I have worn my hair at a variety of lengths and degrees of texture from wavy to curly and frizzy. I have used every type of gel and mousse and hairspray imaginable. I have tried to straighten it, curl it or style it but have never been terribly adept at it. I should never have complained about it because now it's falling out. I should have been happy with what I had! Anyway, I am fed up with it. I have decided that I can't wear it at the length I have been.  Believe me when I tell you that when I am giving Ron his haircuts, I am always tempted to turn the clippers on myself, but I'm not sure that I can rock the bald look!

I am hoping for a haircut and a new style this weekend - we'll see if I can convince Denise to cut it as short as I really want it. Not so short that I look like a buck-toothed boy, but short enough that I don't feel like a middle-aged woman who is trying to hold onto her youth by holding onto her hair. We shall just see, won't we? If it doesn't work out, I've been thinking about investing in a couple of wigs....

the man in the moon

 

I am a lover of children's literature. I came to love these stories as the mother of three children who loved to be read to and then loved to read. Ron and I became very good friends with Dr. Seuss, Mercer Mayer, Maurice Sendak, Shel Silverstein and Stan and Jan Berenstain to name a few.

A good story is important to hold a child's attention, but in the early years, illustrations are essential. I have to admit that the more beautifully or uniquely illustrated a book is, the more inclined I am to read it over and over again. This is just one of the reasons that I will read Where the Wild Things Are to Viliamu whenever he asks even if it's 3 times in a row - wonderful story and amazing illustrations.

A children's author that we met along the way was William Joyce. His stories are sweet and funny, but his illustrations are like buttah! His books include George Shrinks, Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo, A Day with Wilbur Robinson, Santa Calls, and Bentley and Egg. One of the reasons that Ron loves A Day with Wilbur Robinson was because of the illustrations - one is a painting of a frog wearing Grandpa's dentures - it's priceless! Disney thought so too and made a full length animated feature film out of that book called Meet the Robinsons.

As the girls grew up and moved on to chapter books and reading to themselves, we lost touch with our friend, William Joyce. He has kept busy though. He created Rolie Polie Olie , a digitally animated cartoon for the Disney Channel and helped to create some of the characters in Toy Story - one of my FAVORITES.

He is now working on a series called The Guardians of Childhood. The first book in the series is called The Man in the Moon - it's a book for children aged 4 to 8. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is an imaginative fairy tale that tells the story of how the moon became a protective nightlight for the children of Earth. I found it when I was just browsing in Barnes and Noble one day and I bought it because I couldn't resist. I read it to Viliamu the first chance I got and he loved it. I give it my most heartfelt recommendation as well.

The next book in the Guardians series is Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King. I believe it will give us a good story about the origin of Santa Claus! This book is written for children aged 7 - 11 - a chapter book with much more text and less drawings. I just bought this book and will let you know what I think of it. The word is that it will be made into a movie! If so, I can't wait! It's been very nice to get reacquainted with my old friend, Mr. Joyce.

After I read this book, I think I will switch gears and try to read a grown up book for a change, but it's nice to get lost in children's fantasy books every now and then.

!!NEWSFLASH!!

I have been given permission to give you an update on Mandi’s big decision. After applying to the DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy) programs and being accepted at New York University, University of Southern California, University of California San Francisco and Samuel Merritt University and very carefully considering her options, she has made her decision….

Mandi is going to UCSF!!!! 

My daughter is going to be a physical therapist!

Ron and I are so proud of her! Going to UCSF  has been her dream for a very long time. She will be starting this new chapter of her life in June. Plenty of time between now and then to find a place to live in San Fran close to the university and get herself situated before she starts three years of the most intensive educational experience of her life.

We would have been just as excited for her no matter what school she chose, but now we can be excited for us, too! It will be very nice to have her back on the west coast.

Congratulations, Mandi! You did it!!