Good Stuff
TV. Thanks to Netflix, we just finished watching the BBC series, "Planet Earth." What a fab program. My favorite part of the many hours was seeing the male bird of paradise show off his stuff for the female. The photographer had to log more than 100 hours in a blind to get the shots, and they were clearly worth the wait. Just magnificent. (That's the bird's back side with feathers fanned in the photo.) The DVDs left us marveling at the handiwork displayed on our little blue dot slung in outer space and handled with Care.
Also, our daughter has discovered the first black-and-white show she will actually watch--My Favorite Martian. When I was her age, I loved watching Bill Bixby, the earthling who constantly tried to cover over the powers (and antics) of his "Uncle Martin." It's fun to see our girl enjoying the series. I love that nobody has an "attitude" in this oldie but goodie.
Movie. Today my sis treated my girl and me to a matinee showing of "Mamma Mia." Ohmygoodness. I loved it! It's the sort of flick you want to see with a group of your girlfriends. The older the better. The critics gave lousy reviews. What do they know?
Now, it's rated PG-13 for good reason. So don't go looking for a Focus on the Family approval rating. Still, I loved it. And we howled. Especially during the credits, so don't leave too early. And can Meryl Streep ever sing. The woman has serious talent. But the best part is when the entire village of real-looking people (as opposed to size-four beauty-queen models) breaks into singing and dancing. The choreography of "Dancing Queen" rocks. Hard. Run don't walk to see this one. And take a pack of tissues with you. Especially if you have a daughter.
Book. Back in May shortly after we decided to go to Africa, I flew to Portland for a week of meetings and workshops. And on the flight home I met a woman who spent some of her college years in Kenya. She had just minutes earlier finished reading a book on the NY Times list, Three Cups of Tea. So she asked if I'd like to have it. It's a true story about an American raised in Africa who has to abort his K2 climb, but ends up going back to build a school for the village that nursed him back to health after his mishap. I can hardly put it down.
What are you reading? Watching? Renting?