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It's glorious summer and we're in the one super hot week that we get every year, and our neighbors are having work done on their house which is stepping up into the noisy phase, and now it's been stormy and rainy. In other words, time to hit the movie theater. Two days is all it's taken for the weather to clear up, but the two movies were so good, I could almost have seen them on a sunny day.
The 100 Foot Journey - Thanks to Sue for the recommendation. It's an Indian story, a food story, a french story, a family story and a love story. I don't know who wouldn't love this movie, so just go and enjoy it on the big big screen.
I usually like the third row in the upper section of the movie theater because the screen is straight ahead and all around me, but I've been getting there a couple of minutes late during the previews, and not getting my center seat. I sat in the first row of the upper area, and it's great because you can put your feet up on the railing. I think it's the way to go from now on.
Boyhood - Boyhood is a coming of age story that was filmed in real time about a boy. So it's a movie about a boy and his sister, but different actors don't play them at different ages, instead, the movie was made as the boy and girl actors grew up. It starts when he and his sister are about 8 and 9 years old, and takes them through to the boy's starting college. The mom is played by Roseanna Arquette, and the dad by Ethan Hawke, and they age in real time as well. It's a good movie made better because it's the same kids playing the roles, and they know who they were when they first started playing these characters. It definitely adds a dimension that wouldn't otherwise be there. It's an Ethan Hawke thing to revisit characters, but for me it didn't work in the third installment in his Before trilogy, but this slightly different concept works great in this individual piece. Thanks to Valerie for telling me about it.
Last Night at the Blue Angel by Rebecca Rotert - The best thing about Last Night at the Blue Angel is that it's not formulaic in any way. For me it is a fresh story, resembling a story in an old movie more than a story in a novel. It takes place in Chicago in the 1960s, and is written in the present tense by a 10 year old girl whose single mother is hoping to hit it big as a singer. Sophia is quite precocious, but not treated that way by the adults in her life, who we know only as she knows them. Except there's a back story told by her mom that tells us who everyone is as it leads the reader to the present time. It's excellent.
The Illusion of Separateness by Simon Van Booy - I read these short stories with a connection in one morning. They read backward and forward in time, and although you think you know how they connect, you really don't know how Martin and Mr. Hugo connect until the very end when it all comes full circle just as you'd hoped it would. It's existential and powerful in its simplicity and thoughtfulness.
China Dolls by Lisa See - This novel about three "Oriental" women coming of age in the 1930s and 40s is narrated by Grace, Helen and Ruby. They are American, but even in those modern times they were often judged by their appearance. Set during the depression and World War II, the girls are modern, yet guided by their ethnic backgrounds and traditions. And none of what I just wrote even begins to describe this wonderful story of friendship and love and the entertainment business. Read it next.
This
past weekend, my friend Gia and I drove to Detroit, and we made our
road trip part of the fun. Gia is up for anything, so we decided to stop
for donuts at the place my mom and I discovered in June, only we would
stop at one of the other locations. I looked up the name of the place
and stumbled upon a list of the top 12 donut bakeries in Michigan.
Sweetwater's Mill Donuts was one of the places, so we stopped in
Kalamazoo and treated ourselves to glazed and double chocolate frosted.
It was too early for me to be eating, let alone something so rich, but
they were so so good! I dropped Gia off at the Greek Monestery in
Jackson, then made my way to the number one rated donut shop, Hinkley
Bakery in Jackson. It's on a back street in a nondescript brick building
with a window sign. One step inside, and the smell was intoxicating,
and people were lined up. I ordered glazed, cake, a dunker and a frosted
donut for Brenda. Took some pictures, chatted with the friendly women
behind the counter, was treated to a complimentary warm glazed donut
hole (melted in my mouth and, as recommended, was just ever so slightly
better than Sweetwater's). They are only open Wednesday - Saturday 5:15
am to 1:00 pm, so the chance of me getting there ever again is slim. So
glad that Sweetwater's is open 24/7. Went to Brenda's had another
donut and was not feeling great for the next few days. As a matter of
fact, my poor stomach is still not all the way comfortable. The mouth
loves these rich confections, but the stomach is screaming for Kale and
Farro, Tomatos and Cottage Cheese, Cherries and Greek Yogurt. 
So,
on the way home to Chicago, two days later, Gia says we are going to
stop and have breakfast with her cousin. I have a difficult time with
the breakfast diners, too - they give you way too much food, so I had a
grilled cheese with tomato. Have you noticed that they've supersized
grilled cheese nowadays, too? What happened to a couple of slices of
wonder bread and a slice of american cheese? After our four hour
breakfast, Gia asked if I'd want to stop for ice cream for dessert.
Jackson again. Who knew? Figured out that it was called The Parlour and
that they'd been serving ice cream since 1926. The Double Fudge Brownie
ice cream on a sugar cone won out. So good. That got us talking about
ice cream, and Gia asked if I'd ever had a Rainbow Cone. Well. I've
always WANTED to have a Rainbow Cone, and that evening, Gia detoured us
to the most wonderful little pink ice cream palace of a shop on Western
Ave. in Beverly, and I finally had a famous Chicago Rainbow Cone. It was
really really good. Rainbow Cone gives you your cone in this plastic sleeve which catches the drips from the ice cream hanging over the edge of the cone, too, which is brilliant. I wish all the over-scooped cones would come in one of those!
