Movie and gratitude

 Thankful Thursday

I watched a Netflix movie the other night, Song Sung Blue. Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson playing a musical couple who sing tributes to Neil Diamond. It is full of music which I love, and a story that is long and gripping. I felt really good having watched it. I've never seen a Diamond concert, besides in videos. And I listened to his music since the 70s. 

There are also underlying themes in the movie, to keep on having hope, to work out problems (if possible) and to show love to the best of your abilities. At least that's what I took from it. I may watch it again!!

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It sort of inspired me to stay up way past my bedtime and to start something new. I got creative again. Blogging at least. Life in Durango has started as my new blog this week.

I've felt lots of connection with other bloggers lately, probably as I told of my life moving to a new town. There sure have been supportive comments as I dealt with all the details. But I've also been ignoring the issues that matter most to my life.

Have those things become less important? Goddesses, climate change, women's issues, the environment, politics? Perhaps they had to take a back seat as I "settled into a new place." But I still was aware of them. So I'm going to be posting more here again (already started) while shifting the Durango life to a new blog!

It feels good as of now. Oh and I had to name a new blogspot address, I'm now durangobarb.blogspot.com. I've been blackmtnbarb for 19 yars or so. And before that boardwalkbarb! Now I can try to belong here. It will take a while, I suspect! I love how the syllables look different, like dur-an-gob-arb!

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Thankful Thursday

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The pulmonary test was yesterday, I didn't do that well. This morning I meet the new pulmonologist. I am feeling pretty down about my prospects of beating the breathing limitations. Wish me luck and everything else that might influence my health.

Peace to be considered

Feeling very grateful to have this life that I have today.

I've been focusing on home upkeep for the last day or so. Lots of chores that I have yet to get into a routine for...so I dusted/washed all the counters and appliances after doing dishes. The hot water hasn't been hot enough for me to feel I could get the dishes clean until today. (more will be coming about this situation - on the new Durango blog!)

I may have mentioned watching the movie "All the Light We Cannot See" the other day. The shots above are from Saint Malo, France, where the movie took place...the real ruins following WW II. I copied them from the epilogue of shots because it brought home the reality of what those people faced in France's occupation by the Nazis. Our autocratic political situations these days make me very aware of how close we are to this stupid kind of violence.  Ask the survivors in Gaza, The Ukraine, and Lebanon, and now Iran. 

The movie followed the book very well, and it had excellent acting. I give it 5 stars. But it's sobering, and somewhat scary, so the way Netflix has it with commercials interjected whenever a climax is about to happen, sort of brings one back to reality. Plus it's in 3 parts in the first place. 

The book was outstanding, and the movie is also.

Now may there be an end to wars. So mote it be.

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I'm starting a new blog today, Life in Durango. You all have been such a supportive community as I've made this big move from North Carolina to Colorado. I hope you don't mind that I'm going to focus the adventures of my new environment over there, while keeping some of the same fun things going here. after all When I was 69 was 15 years ago now. That's a lifetime to the kids to whom my son teaches art in high school!

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I'm celebrating my 84th birth anniversary by going out to dinner with Tai and Kendra, here in Durango. So it will be included in the new blog! 

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When I Was 69 will have my political/environmental/women's issues and personal interests more, while hopefully finding something to share on some of my favorite memes weekly...Tuesday's Treasures, Wordless Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, Sepia Saturday (sometimes on Friday), and Saturday's Critters.

Inner Workings will continue to have my deep ponderings (when they strike)

The other blogs are kind of on hiatus at this time...waiting for me to do more ancestry work, or share important people or events.  

Lily Gladstone "In the Making" interview

 

I haven't seen the movie yet, but do intend to. The Killers of the Flower Moon.  Lily Gladstone is one of the stars.

Today's quote:

If there is a God, I don't think He would demand that anyone bow down or stand up to him. -Rebecca West, author and journalist (1892-1983)

Recent feast making brings serious questions about table setting.

Sharing with The Good, The Random, The Fun

Streaming movie based on real life

 A movie I watched this week... and came away affirmed in pride as an American. Of course I have always loved astronomy, math, NASA, the space program, and stories about an underdog!

“A Million Miles Away,” an Amazon Prime Video release, is rated PG for “thematic elements and language.” Running time: 120 minutes.

And this story is based on the actual Jose' Hernandez...and the incredibly hard road from being a migrant field worker to ...well we know what it's about from the cover photo.

I give it a 5 stars rating.

One I can watch before going to bed and not have bad dreams!!

Springs of yesterday

 Happy Ostara...the day the earth stands on it's poles directly vertical to it's orbit, and  equal days of sunshine and dark.

The Brandford Pear in the bank parking lot.

These Lenten Roses bloomed throughout wintertime.

Another blog published this lovely video of streets of yesteryear, with beautiful music, and then just to make a threefold presentation, a Rumi poem being recited over it all. I had to watch it twice in a row, it was such an enjoyable experience.

Sharing this with Sepia Saturday this week...the video is definitely sepia!

Last day in Brandon FL

Saying goodbye to my grands, Will and Cayenne.  She's going back to college, he's continuing work in Temple Terrace. My other grandson, Michael, is busy working or playing computer games.

My favorite Florida sky view!

Neighbors got into decorating!

Another neighbor also decorated their yard.

We joined a bunch of other folks parking near a movie theatre.

We had already purchased our tickets...to Star Wars! I noted that the previews didn't include Little Women...what's going on? Many mothers and sisters of all the SW guys might have wanted to go to it, (like me.) I liked the movie, but came home pretty confused. Will have to watch it again sometime to straighten out who is on who's side.

I love this little Roman guy!

Here comes my son, Marty after parking the car!

We could smell the delightful popcorn, and walked right by it, saving our money!

What another culture says to ours.

From the Heart of the World, The Elder Brother's Warning

Entire Film Here

I was given a DVD of this film to look at and pass along...and took some time with a friend to watch it yesterday.  I'm so glad I did.

Why?  I could have been doing something else, with that hour and a half.  I could have learned how to knit some pattern I like.  I could have thrown about 6 mugs or bowls (I'm a slow potter actually).  I could have done lots of other things...

But I thought I needed to hear about a culture that has barely been touched by Western Civilization...where only one person was encouraged to learn another language so that he could translate for "outsiders" what needed to be told.  The Elder Brothers, the Mummers, spend a lot of serious time meditating on the conditions of the earth.  They devote their lives to spiritual pursuits, and are trained in ways that are unimaginable to outsiders.  We outsiders are known as Younger Brothers.  We were contacted in order to help save the world, according to their knowledge of it.

I found it intriguing to learn about the myths and stories of the Kigo of Columbia, who live in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain hinterlands.  They are the surviving indigenous peoples who retreated into mountains when the Spaniards conquered the Americas.  They remind me of the indigenous peoples here in North Carolina who survived the United States government when the Trail of Tears happened not too long ago.  But the Kigo have remained isolated and uncommicative with the conquerors.

The film was produced for BBC TV in 1990.  Amazon has a 1968 VHS version listed.  But the movie I watched came to a close with 1990 as it's date.  There are several other publications about these people.  Why hadn't I run into them sooner?  Have you heard of the Kogi already?  Well, I did hear of a film about South American Indians who hadn't been in communication with "outsiders."  Guess these must be they...and I wasn't ready to watch it before now.

I came away with a few questions that were not answered by the film.  They used to have all these little figures made of gold that honored the spirits.  But the Kogi Elder Brothers confront the Younger Brothers for raping the earth and mining minerals.  Question: how did they make the gold figures?

They don't look like a culture that has mined and done intricate metal craft. I would guess when their culture was larger and was using the well paved roads through the mountains, there was mineral work.  Yes the gold is gone now...apparently by Columbian grave robbers as the film would lead us to think.  Some gold figures were buried in the graves in areas accessible to civilization.  These figures end up in museums or private collections.  The grave robbers are free to do as they wish, without any policing. Nor do they have any training in archeology which is shown by how they mistreat artifacts.

If you can watch the film with an anthropological interest, you may come away knowing how a civilization that has existed for thousands of years survives, has developed it's own world stories, and has decided to contact us to solve a problem we share.  The earth is our mother, and she is dying.