MOVIE to WATCH: Educating Rita (1983) with Michael Caine

This is one of my favorite movies! I watched it on YouTube last night and thoroughly enjoyed it once again. I have always loved Michael Caine. Julie Walters is the other star.

If you want to go directly to YouTube to watch this free film, click on the link provided below. Enjoy. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeDf0dHBhBI

Have a fabulous long Memorial Day weekend. xo

The JOHN THAW STORY on YouTube

John Thaw 1942-2002 

Missed but not forgotten.

I watched his life story and now I love him even more. 

It's 50 minutes long. Be sure and watch if you are a fan.

If you want to go directly to YouTube, here's the link:

The Unforgettable John Thaw Story 

Enjoy!

xo

UPDATE: I found a link for his body of work. He was a very prolific actor/producer and he signed a contract for another film project the day before he died.

John Thaw

Every film or tv series 

in which he appeared or produced. 

Click the link for the list.

Good Night Mr. Tom - Movie with John Thaw

This is a must watch film if you love John Thaw. When I finished all 5 seasons of Kavanaugh QC on Tubi I researched films starring him and I knew immediately this was a movie I would love and I did. It's heartbreakingly beautiful. Click on the link for the film on YouTube: GOODNIGHT MR. TOM 

So Many Bird Feeders

A Winter Garden in Sweden

Winters are long in Sweden so why not design your garden to be beautiful in the snow?

Read the article about how Maria Dremo Sundström achieved this look with hers.

I wonder if she was inspired by Dutch Landscape Designer. Piet Oudolf? See a video about his Dutch gardens and a film documentary below:

2020 Bedtime Story

I saw this today on Instagram and loved it. Hope you do too. xo
Read more about this Kiwi Poet here.

Billy Collins Reading his Poems

The Poems of Billy Collins -- Point Loma Writer’s Symposium By the Sea 2013. He was the Poet Laureate of the US 2001-2003. If you cannot see the video above, click here for YouTube. View full screen if on a computer. I love him, the way he reads his own poems, and his humor. Enjoy. xo

UPDATE: I found another line for those of you who enjoyed the video above. Here is Billy Collins doing a lengthy performance before a creative writing crowd at Cornell University. It's 1 hour 26 minutes long. I watched the whole thing in bed instead of a movie, including the Q&A at the end, and loved it. https://www.cornell.edu/video/reading-by-us-poet-laureate-billy-collins Hope you enjoy it too. xo

SGN SomeGoodNews Episode 2

Episode 2 is wonderful. The surprise at the end has all the original cast members. If you can't see video above, click on this link. You might want to do this anyway so you can watch full screen on a computer or laptop. xo

Garden #2 and SOME GOOD NEWS

Looking left inside red circle is the first garden I put in over the winter on mild days. The daffodils from my mother's garden are in bud and should be blooming soon. I am excited about the red poppies later too. Wish me luck. The daffodils that are completely dried up and crispy on my windowsill came from the garden on the right. 

I'm not sure how I found SGN (SOME GOOD NEWS) on youtube, but I did and it is very enjoyable.

Click here to watch if you cannot see the video above. I love John Krasinski and look forward to watching all the episodes I have missed.

Jumping Rope is My New Exercise

I picked up this jump rope a week ago yesterday at a rummage sale. It's far from perfect but it has gotten me into jumping in my kitchen with the high ceiling. I have ordered a better one that is on the way and should arrive on Monday. I have been looking for a way to exercise without buying a machine or going to a gym. 

I did a lot of research before ordering my new rope and this is the best article I found. Here's the link: https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/12/building-up-bones-with-a-little-bashing/
Be sure to read the comments too. They have as much information as the article.

Jumping rope is NOT bad for your knees. It's actually good for them. From everything I've read, it's the best exercise for your bones you can do. A really long time ago there was a program on PBS called "Bones for Life by Ruthy Alon". It was so interesting and informative. I wish I had recorded it because the DVD set sells for a whopping $300.00 and it is currently out of stock. She has her own channel on YouTube and you can watch her sessions free of charge. The one thing I remember from the PBS program was something you are supposed to do when you first get up in the morning to stimulate new bone growth. In bare feet, you are supposed to go up on your toes and go down hard on your heels. Do this at least five (5) times.

I started doing my situps again too. I don't do crunches. I just lie flat on the floor with my hands to my sides and go up to a sitting position and then down to touch my toes. I use nothing but my abdominal muscles and this made-up method works best for me. I am doing 25 repeats before retiring at night. I am not good at all with the rope I got last week but I am doing 100 jumps. So far, 22 consecutive jumps is the best I've done. I just keep counting (even my misses) until I reach 100. I am feeling so good and so much stronger, especially in my lower back. Will keep you posted on my progress. Time to jump now!!!! xo

UPDATE: Here's another great article written by a 91 year old woman who jumps rope.

Video: Nordic Skating on Thin Black Ice in Sweden

This small lake outside Stockholm, Sweden, emits otherworldly sounds as Mårten Ajne skates over its precariously thin, black ice. “Wild ice skating” or “Nordic skating” is both an art and a science. A skater seeks out the thinnest, most pristine black ice possible -- both for its special smoothness, and for its high-pitched sounds of cracking. This is so exhilarating to watch!!!!!

View full screen if you are watching this video on a computer. It is truly amazing and don't forget to turn on the sound. If you cannot see the video, here is the link for a National Geographic feature on YouTube.

French Choir Boys

Dreaming of Home. I found this wonderful video on Donna Baker's Blog called Gather. She posted the lyrics and the history of this beautiful song too. Choir boys always make me cry. This old Scottish hymn is from the movie JOYEUX NOEL and it's not on my must see list. Thanks, Donna.