Sunday, October 28, 2018

Autumn Deepens


Here's our fall garden, with the birdbath full of leaves and all the colors slowly running to yellow and gold. We haven't tried to clean it up much -- it still looks too nice, and supposedly, leaving some plants to go to seed (like the teasel, the tall brown plant to the right of Olga) is good for the birds. I haven't seen a bird on that teasel, but maybe I'm just not looking at the right time. We have one bright pink rose, still standing out like a stoplight.

"Who, me?"
British Summer Time ended this morning, so our clocks have fallen back. As I told Dave last night, "That just means I'll wake up at 4:30 rather than 5:30," and I was pretty much correct. But at least I could lie in bed and not worry about having to be anywhere.

It's also COLD. It's 40º F this morning! (That's 5º for you Celsius people.)

Yesterday Dave and I went to see "A Star Is Born" with my free cinema ticket from my health insurance. (I'm realizing that until I get Dave exercising and earning his own cinema tickets, this benefit is actually going to cost us money, because although I get in free he has to pay, and if I didn't have a free ticket we might not be going to the movies at all.) Anyway, I thought it was so-so. It seemed a bit long (never a good sign) and somehow the characters and the relationships never quite took flight. Also, while I like Lady Gaga as a person and I think she did a great job as an actress, I'm not crazy about her voice. It seems too high up in her head. Obviously I'm no expert on this and a lot of people love how she sings, but I just kept thinking, she's not Streisand.

I think Dave and I are going to rent the 1976 version today and watch it for comparison's sake. I've never seen the Judy Garland version, or the even earlier one, so maybe when Dave goes out of town later this week I'll watch those. (I think Dave will be done with "A Star Is Born" after today!)

We went to dinner last night at a vegan restaurant in Primrose Hill called Manna. It was an early birthday dinner for me, because Dave will be gone on my actual birthday, this coming Friday. He's got a school trip. Lousy timing, but oh well!

12 comments:

  1. "Manna" is a great name for a restaurant - vegan or otherwise. "The house of Israel named it manna, and it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey..." - Exodus

    ReplyDelete
  2. I’m smiling because that is exactly what we did, we rented the older version of a star is born to compare lol, I do like them both but prefer the older version, could be my age? 62 ,, I’m an oldie lol

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ah- you've reminded me that besides planting my entire winter garden I have things that need trimming back badly. One climbing rose (and these roses NEVER bloom very much due to not getting enough light) that has stretched out naked but for thorns vines that are ten feet long. I'm not kidding. And so forth.
    Another blog friend (Beth Coyote) went to see A Star Is Born and her take on it was so depressing that I now have no desire to see it.
    Too bad you can't fly to Florida for your birthday. We would take you to Japanica and then we could all go to the Goodwill bookstore. Wouldn't that be fun?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Our flower garden is still blooming like crazy, but all the trees on our neighborhood street have already dropped all their blazing red and golden leaves. I love when the sidewalks are covered with color like that. Not planning on seeing A Star is Born. My sister went to see it and it really bummed her out (she lost her partner to suicide a few years ago).

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy birthday! The celebration doesn't have to be on the actual day. It's the thought that counts.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I never clean up the gardens until spring for several reasons...letting things go to seed, food and nesting material for birds, and just because it is the natural order of nature. I don't find it ugly.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The garden does look autumnal and Olga looks like she loves it all the same.

    Not tempted to go see movies at all, unless they are at the little indie film theater, usually great films there. Star is born is tired. But good job that you went anyway, thanks for your review!

    I thought of you so frequently while in Palm Springs! Wished that you guys had been along- it was everything we love!

    ReplyDelete
  8. As I said in my blog today, it's a confusing autumn over here. The trees are turning red and golden but the daytime temperature hovers near 80.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I like the way the garden looks. It has a very rural look to it. I haven't seen A Star is Born yet but it's on my list. I've been hearing good things so we'll see how I like it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. That is a very nice end of the season garden picture. I can't help but wonder what you ordered for dinner at the vegan restaurant. I wish we had one in my little town.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Jobs don't care when our birthdays are. Or our significant others' birthdays. Dang it.

    Our temperatures have been really cold at night but the plus side is that the leaves are brilliant. Our burning bush, which hasn't been really red for many years, is beautifully scarlet, along with everyone else's. It brightens up this time of year so much.

    ReplyDelete