Song of the Sea

It is getting late... well, late for me anyway, my loves. It is almost nine o'clock, past my bedtime, and I am up trying to watch the last half of this soulful little film- Song of the Sea.

This animation is by the same people that did The Secret of Kells, a film by Tom Moore. It seems so long ago that I reviewed that film. .....  but I remember it like yesterday... It was a warm spring day, the window was open to let a breeze in, and my laptop was resting on my stomach...... I remember it felt so melancholy... It felt like one of those lemon yellow days of spring that seem frozen in time, that never seem to end, that feel as if a week worth of time was spread in the space of eight hours of daylight.

So much has changed since then.... with me... and I can tell with the production studio as well... I remember the Secret of Kells had beautiful animation, but I yearned for a meatier plot and script. ....

well, This Song of the Sea proves the studio has matured and blossomed, and created a, not only beautiful gallery of animation, but put forth a satisfactory offering of story and characters.

The story takes place in Ireland.

It is about a brother and sister on an adventure, and about selkies... If you don't know what a selkie is, it's like the irish myth version of mermaids. [Another popular story of selkies is Ondine- an old classic recently made into a film with Colin Ferrell.]

I really don't  want to delve much more into the plot, it is rather simple, but it is compelling and worth the attention, and if you have the time, this is a pleasant way to spend an hour and half enjoying this children's film. Simply perfect.

I am sleepy and dozing off, I wish you all a good night, and to all..... (of course) a good night<3




with sweet dreams,

Read Riding Hood

Penelope

Good Sunday afternoon everyone! It is a pleasant enough day, and I am just bursting to tell you about this movie I watched yesterday. It is a glorious and wonderful and sweet and .... odd... and of course cheesy.
 It is called Penelope.

It is about a girl born into a family that is cursed. Any girl born into the family will be born with a pig nose until the curse can be broken by marrying into high society.
For many generations, only male heirs were born... But down the line just about the time everyone has forgotten about the curse, Penelope arrives.. and of course, with the pig snout. Her mother does everything in her power to protect her from the paparazzi and keeps her locked away from any nosy reporters. By the time Penelope is of age, her mother arranges for suitable male suitors to be interviewed to be engaged with Penelope in hopes to end the curse. The boys are not allowed to see Penelope right away, until they have been briefed on how much they will inherit upon becoming engaged. But... "unfortunately" upon seeing Penelope's snout, they all run as far from her as they can. ....

Until one day, due to circumstances, one suitor does not run away.

So begins the venturing out into the world for Penelope.
and brace yourself, I am about to supply spoilers.

She asks the suitor who doesn't run away to marry her and break the curse.... But you see,  unbeknownst to Penelope, he knows he isn't of suitable lineage to break the curse and tells her he can't... "marry her," is the assumption. So, Penelope heartbroken runs away from home to explore the world, and in turn, when he realizes she is chasing her dreams, he is inspired himself to find his place in the world, as well.

They end up finding their places in the world, and they find their ways back to each other.

And I love it most because she realizes, she doesn't need someone to marry her to break the curse, she likes herself just the way she is.

*sigh*  I love that. I wish every girl, every woman to realize, they don't need a man to "save" them.

Every person is capable of finding their place in the world, finding themselves. And also finding love. Because, as everyone knows, finding themselves and finding love are two different things. Sometimes the timing of love is off... and has to be put on the back burner while busy getting oneself in order.... but true love finds its' way, in it's own time.

So have faith my darlings.  Love will find its' way. I know it. I promise it will. I would never promise something I don't believe in. Everything will be ok. I know it.

Have a good night my dears.

Sincerely,
Read Riding Hood

The Princess and the Frog

Good afternoon my dears, I have been so overwhelmed the last week... weeks... I have lost track of the days. I always seem to feel one day ahead too many, and by the time I land on the right day, I start second guessing myself. I'm exhausted; but I will say there is satisfaction in hard work. The satisfaction for me comes from working a hard day, and the following day learning from my mistakes and doing it better the next time. It truly is a luxury to go to work and know that if you make a mistake once, you are given the chance to learn from it. Life is not s
o forgiving. *sigh* But I digress.

I hope you all are having a much more relaxed and enjoyable afternoon. I am now, plopped on my bed, lying like broccoli........ vegged out to my hearts content. Lately I have been zoning out to the children's Disney movie The Princess and the Frog (which I will commence after chatting briefly with you lovies.)

The title says the summary of the classic fairy tale of the prince turned into a frog and only the kiss of a princess can change him back into a human. Disney chose the setting of New Orleans, and the prince is a playboy visiting to marry a rich daughter of a millionaire because his wealthy parents cut him off for being a leach. So, he either marries into wealth or finds a job.... He decides to marry into wealth... Unfortunately for him he runs into a voodoo charlatan who in seeking his own riches, turns the prince into a frog....
Meanwhile! There is a waitress, who loves cooking ever since she was a girl. She has worked two jobs her whole life saving to buy a restaurant, and one night while catering a masquerade ball put on for the visiting prince, she dresses in a princess gown and happens to meet a frog who happens to be the prince.... The prince mistakes her for a princess and makes a deal to help her buy her restaurant if she will kiss him and turn him back human..... So, she kisses him, but instead of turning him human, it just turns her into a frog too.... and so the mayhem begins.

It is a cute movie with catchy tunes and something I am totally too old to be watching, but do I look like I care?... Well, no... I do not. It is a sweet and funny movie with a firefly in love with a star he mistakes for another firefly who he "only sees at night, and she don't say much..."

I know I am like the waitress, I am used to working so much, but I don't know how to have fun, to go out and be social. The people that know the waitress, her name is Tiana, tell her, "girl, all you do is work!".....I feel like that's me. But that's just how I am, I have a goal and I know what I want. And it really is true that when you know what you want, everything is just bumps in the road.

And I wish the same for you all. I hope that you know what makes you happy, and you go for it... And even if you find out later, it isn't what you thought it'd be or maybe your dream just needs a little tweaking, don't be afraid to go with the flow of it. Find what makes you happy, I hope you do. Have a beautiful rest of your day darlings

Sincerely,
Read Riding Hood

Elf

Well, my dears, it is the same day, only later. It feels like just a minute ago I was getting up early, watching Warm Bodies and heading off to work. And now I am getting myself tucked into bed, getting ready to get to bed and wake up early again. (oooo and fun fact about Warm Bodies: I didn't know that Jonathan Levine is dating Jennifer Lawrence… that's kinda cool=)  And what am I doing?… Watching a movie..=)

We are having a cold front here in Texas, and going outside tonight, the air smells like "snow…" It won't snow (at least I don't think it will) however, it smells like what it smells like in Colorado right before it snows. I'm sure there is a scientific reason for it, but I only know it as, "smells like snow."

I used to watch so many newer and recent movies, and/or just more variety of movies. I was all over the board, trying everything it seemed. But anymore, I am much more picky and I stick to favorites. I venture out of my comfort zone when I start to feel the stagnant waters of boredom pooling too close for comfort, but that isn't too often. I ventured out to try Elf a few days ago, a Christmas movie with Will Ferrell. It is gloriously cheesy, stupid, and gooberish and full of christmas tinsel, What is Not to Love? I mean Will Ferrell smiles cheesy/creepy smiles and says, "smiling is his favorite…" AND he makes spaghetti and pours maple syrup on it… and then m&m's… then chocolate pop tarts… and then mashes it all up and stuffs it in his mouth because elves focus on the four main food groups, "candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup…" That's ridiculous. The whole thing is ridiculous, but it's great ridiculous. And it's about finding what's important in your life, and singing out loud (not just lip syncing…) And that's all I have to say. I also have been working on not giving plots of movies away, because I probably am ruining them for people, but *sigh* we'll see… 

Anyhoo…. I hope you all have a beautiful and safe evening, stay warm if you are dealing with a cold front like me, and I will talk to you soon as the holidays roll in. Sweet dreams all

sincerely,
Read Riding Hood

From Up On Poppy Hill: true love is always young love

 Good early afternoon all my dears, it is a cloudy day here, and the threat of rain is hanging over us all.  I am actually off of work and just arrived home from the river. I enjoyed quiet time at the river and I ate my early lunch before coming home and tucking myself up to maybe write, watch some movies, and thumb through some books.








I had the pleasure of watching the latest Ghibli film, From Up On Poppy Hill. I first found out about it a while ago from a trailer on YouTube. Since the poppy is my favorite flower, the title alone drew me in. It is about two school kids in post World War II Japan that fall in love with each other.

I think Studio Ghibli enjoys sharing stories about love, and more specifically, about young love, or love found by people young in heart, people new and fresh to finding true love. Like Howl's Moving Castle, the characters aren't necessarily young, but upon falling in love with each other, the love they share isn't messy, it is pure and adulterated, it is a love that children often find and lose and that adults are lucky to ever find again. The love I am talking about is a love that doesn't stem from lust or loneliness, but a love that sparks between two individuals over a connection. Two people can be a perfect match for each other, but if they don't have that "love" for each other, it's like that saying, "who cares for all the crinkling of a pie, if at the bottom some sweetness doth not lie?." It basically is saying even if a pie looks perfect, if it doesn't taste sweet, no one will care  for it. And just like two people, even if they look "picture perfect" together, if there is no love, what's the point?


As we become adults, we go through experiences that jade us and we begin to look at all our childhood dreams as "childish notions" that should be set aside to "grow up." As little girls we want our prince charming, and as little boys we want our princess, but sometimes growing up, life and circumstance gets in the way and over time we convince ourself that the notion of finding "prince charming" and finding "our princess" is ridiculous and foolish. This is where we are wrong. It is not wrong to hope for our prince, or our princess's, we just have to grow smarter about seeing things for what they are. It is not wrong to love, but it is wrong to stay with someone just because you love them, when all they do is hurt you and never give back the same love you gave them. As young people too often we fall in love with someone that we "see" as our prince/princess, when really love has blinded us and what we mistake as royalty is really just the opposite.
So, what am I trying to say?....
Never stop believing in love.
Never stop hoping for your fairy tale.
Women, We should want a prince charming!
Men, You should want a princess!
But don't go looking for a princess in a slut
and don't go looking for a prince in a player.
And if you want a prince, don't present yourself as anything less than a princess.
And if you want a princess, don't present yourself as anything less than a prince.
AND never settle for less than Exactly what makes you happy.
Learn to recognize what's in front of you, and don't beat yourself up for loving people, you can't help who you love. But you can help what you do and who you get involved with.

Watching From Up On Poppy Hill, I enjoy the belief that true love is always young love, no matter what age it finds us; whether it is like the little children in Ponyo, or these young adults in Poppy Hill.







  ...........

The Fox and The Hound

Good morning my dears, it has been far too long, per the norm, since my last blurb about anything. Even now, I don't particularly have much to say. I still wish all the same positive things for you all, and I still just motor along.

I recently just purchased the blu-ray 30th anniversary edition of the original The Fox and The Hound. I truly loved and still love the original. For being a children's film, there is something so peaceful, and in moments, melancholy about it. Every time I watch it, I always end up pondering the phrase, "there are always much bigger enemies out there to battle than wasting our time fighting amongst ourselves." And then I can't help but think that as much as that is true, in the end, the fox ends up remaining in his new environment, and the hound remains in his separate environment. That is what is melancholy to me, is that, friends can remain friends, but they drift away to different places, different circles; they co-exist peacefully mainly due to remaining apart. In this story they are capable of uniting together to fight the bear in the wild despite their differences. Some stories, some lives, aren't so lucky, and end more tragically. I think there is much to be said about friends learning to "agree to disagree" and friends knowing when staying apart will save both parties heartache and hurt feelings over misunderstandings. But, what I most want to leave you with is,

"There are much larger enemies to be fought, than to waste our time fighting amongst ourselves."

There are people I've met that I've been friends with, and then we've gone our separate ways, but some of those friends I know that despite time and distance, if the need arose, we would work together to help each other. Not every friendship ends that way, but some do, and I hope you have been lucky enough to find that in your life. Have a beautiful last day to your weekend and may it not be completely tainted by the forthcoming Monday.

The Flintstones Christmas Carrol

Good early morning my dears, it is still night out and admitably too early.. or late (depending on your point of view) to be properly blogging, but here I am regardless of any and all those factoids. Here I am a quarter gallon of ice cream down, two movies played twice over back to back, and just thinking. ...

Anytime I watch these children's movies, I love the cozy and comfortable feeling they possess. I don't know what it is so much that strikes me at my core when I watch them, but the best way to describe it I guess is I love the feeling of "home" I get when I watch children's movies or any holiday flicks I particularly enjoy (example Fred Claus.)

I spend time with family, but I realize I don't hold it in a place in my heart that when I reminisce about fun times, family get togethers pop up to mind. Why? Why don't I, I sincerely ask myself?... I do love my family, and I don't Not like spending time with my family.. So why don't family memories hold higher regard in my inner affections more?...

My aunt asked me if holidays when I was younger were fun, and I replied honestly no. I didn't have much of a social life, I was home schooled (not to say that automatically means I did no social activities) and I really had no lasting friends or typical social grouping with a consistent bunch of people my age, until I was about sixteen years old. So, any family shin dig was painful for me: I was shy, I knew nothing of pop culture or any similar activities to talk about or really do with any of my cousins, I was very self conscience about eating in front of people (not to mention growing up I was raised according to certain religious views not to eat ham/pork, which of course was inevitably the main/second main course of any holiday dinner.) So, summed up, family get togethers as a kid only seemed to confirm to me more so every year how isolated and different from everyone else I was, and I would spend the day rotating between living rooms and bathrooms, trying to sneak out to pet the dogs, and avoiding the kitchen unless I became so hungry I just had to at least pass through for something to drink. Now that I am older, I think how sad that is, I know that for many, the kitchen is a place of warmth and safety, a place of comfort and for family; and, the fact I felt I had to avoid it, makes me realize how blatantly now I see those were the things I was missing. I am not trying to wallow in self-pity nor am I angry at the way I was raised; yes, I recognize now, childhood holidays spent with holidays should not be spent that way, but.. it is what it is, and what it was... And to pull a paragraph from a book I am reading,
           "Of course, as a child, I couldn't see it that way. It was just embarrassing and painful to me- ... I can't tell you how much I hated it..... But now, at least to some extent, I can understand...I'm not saying that it was right. It left me with scars. It was hard for a child. But what's done is done. Don't let it bother you. One good thing it did was to make me tougher. I learned firsthand that it's not easy making your way through this world. ... I'm going to go on living one way or another. I think I can do a better job of it from now on, without such pointless detours.... I don't know what you want to do. Maybe you just want to go on sleeping quietly, without ever waking up again. That's what you should do if you want to. I can't stand in your way if that's what you are hoping for. All I can do is let you go on sleeping. In any case, I wanted to say all this to you- to tell you what I have done so far in life and what I am thinking. Maybe you would have preferred not to hear of this, and if that's the case, I'm sorry to have inflicted it on you. Anyhow, I have nothing more to tell you. I've pretty much said everything I thought I ought to say. I won't bother you anymore. Now you can sleep as much as you want."

Taken from the novel 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami.

So... trying to organize all my thoughts and put them together in a nice, neat package....

I remember not too long ago, I was spending time with the man I fell in love with, the man I am still in love with.. and he was heartbroken he had to spend a holiday from his  family.... And at the time, I didn't understand... My life never had experienced any reason to be hurt and sad to be away from family on a holiday: that was my reality, and like with most "realities" every individual is mistaken in believing their is the true reality... So, what am I saying?....

I told my aunt yesterday, well... more like asked her, "Wow.... I never thought about it that way... What must it be like to feel heartbroken over such a thing?... what must it be like to be torn up about Not being with family for a holiday?...."

And then I answered my own question:  I really do know what that feels like, because that's what it feels like to be away from the one you love.

So, my loves, I hope that whatever family you have or whomever is closest to you, you are granted the wonderful gift to be with them. Some just pray for their dream to happen, and for good to happen, but I hope that you are wise enough to Make it happen: happiness is worked for... and where there is hope there is trial. No, happiness is earned without trial.

All those seemingly simple things like home, warmth, and love that children's movies revolve around may Seem basic, but they are the hardest things to accomplish, and maybe nowadays everyone is too busy grasping at a bigger picture someone handed down to them, they've lost sight of what makes us all tick and why.....

Never forget, I won't, I can't. With much love and sincerity my darlings,

Read Riding Hood