So, it seems a lot of people are dusting off their ljs - be it nostalgia or whatever. So I may do the same. Most of what's on here will be crossposted to dw (same journal) so take your pick as to whatever is easier to read. As for me, I read my lj flist a lot more than dw or ij. There will still be rp ramblings and perhaps some real life rambling over on ij, but this & dw will be more real life stuff. Because unlike fb, here the filters actually work so there's a bit more control.


Anyway, roll call? Who still reads this?

Last night we managed to get passes to a screening of the new Anna Karenina. I was 14 or 15 when I first read Anna Karenina (I was on a Russian classics kick) and loved it at the time. It's a problematic story and I enjoyed it more without a feminist & queer theory brain, so I'm loathe to reread it because I don't know if it'll capture me the same way. But I still remember most of the story so I didn't bother doing a reread before the movie. Movie adaptations of books, especially 800 page books with multiple subplots, often leave something to be desired. After all, the 1997 movie was pretty because of actors & being shot on location in Russia, but that was about it. It didn't do the story justice and I feel it didn't hold together enough as a movie. So I went into this movie with low expectations - if I got pretty costumes and pretty faces, I'd be happy.



Well, I was more than happy. The cinematography, art direction, choreography, score, and costumes were fantastic. I didn't realize Tom Stoppard had written the screenplay until the end credits rolled and then it made so much sense but it was also such a fitting choice. The screenplay in and of itself didn't blow me away, but the screenplay + the direction were a great fit.( possible spoilers withinCollapse )


Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. No, it's not a faithful page by page adaptation of the book - to do that, you'd need a 20+ hour BBC miniseries. But it maintains the spirit and story of the book in a two hour movie and for that reason is a successful adaptation. You don't have to read the book to enjoy the movie, but as a lover of the book, I still enjoyed the movie.

Bold the ones you have and use at least once a year, italicize the ones you have and don’t use, strike through the ones you have had but got rid of.

I wonder how many pasta machines, breadmakers, juicers, blenders, deep fat fryers, egg boilers, melon ballers, sandwich makers, pastry brushes, cheese knives, electric woks, miniature salad spinners, griddle pans, jam funnels, meat thermometers, filleting knives, egg poachers, cake stands, garlic presses, margarita glasses, tea strainers, bamboo steamers, pizza stones, coffee grinders, milk frothers, piping bags, banana stands, fluted pastry wheels, tagine dishes, conical strainers, rice cookers, steam cookers, pressure cookers, slow cookers, spaetzle makers, cookie presses, gravy strainers, double boilers (bains marie), sukiyaki stoves, food processors, ice cream makers, takoyaki makers, and fondue sets languish dustily at the back of the nation’s cupboards.



  If I have it, I try to use it. Sometimes a concerted effort needs to be made. 

This one actually required a bit of thought. There's so many options - hunger, war, economic inequality, etc. Things that I want to work for an end towards in my life.

I think solving the problem of hunger would be where I would want to start, though.

-St. Nicholas Day / Sw. Mikolaja - St. Nick's day was always more important to me than CHristmas as a kid, because you were guaranteed chocolate, oranges, some socks / long underwear and a toy. It was a day about the children. And I still celebrate it by giving out chocolate / treats
-Barburki (The Namesday of Saint Barbara - Dec 4) This is names day my mother celebrates (even though she's Bronislawa, not Barbara) so it's family tradition
-Christmas Eve (Wigilia), Christmas Day (Boze Narodzenia), St. Stephen's Day/Boxing Day (Szczepana) [Christmas festivities in my family tend to involve celebrations for all twelve days of Christmas up through Epiphany / Feast of the Three Kings

Christmas Eve is a 12 course vegetarian meal, full of traditions - hay under the white tablecloth, you sit down to eat when someone spots the first star, etc. followed by midnight mass and then Reveillon afterwards when you bring out the Kielbasa, kabanosy, bigos, and cognac and celebrate joyfully the birth of Christ (observed). Christmas Day and St. Stephen's are days to share Christmas festivities with more extended family. And generally there is some social family event on each of the 12 days.

-My sister in law to have a healthy delivery of her baby.
-A full time job in ministry. (Ideally that allows me to pay the bills and save up a bit). Alternately, not to have to worry about money / paying bills would be nice.

It use to be the old Miracle on 34th St or A Christmas Story but lately it's been Love Actually and The Polar Express

I suppose it just proves I'm strange that I'm really missing Chicago during their blizzard right now. Chicago Public Schools are closed for the first time in 12 years. Even administrators (principals, vps, janitors, etc) have been told not to come in.

Update from my mom (who lives near O'Hare):

There are 4 foot drifts around the house, the stairs on both sides are snowed in. I am not sure how we will be able to dig out to the garage. The driveway has tall drifts than the snow plow can muster. The street is snowed in. Nothing is moving. They closed schools and told principals, assistant principals, engineers and lunchroom. I am unable to get out of the house. It is supposed to be snowing until 3 pm this afternoon. The city had plenty of warning, but some did not take it seriously. I think we all in Chicago forgot what a blizzard is. Babcia & Dziadzio called, they are snowed in, Tadek came last night and took the snow blower. Staszek called, they closed his factory for the day.

Actually, looking out the window, it is a white out at this moment, I cannot see the garage.

At least my mom has power even though she's a ComEd customer.

Here we don't have anything yet but some ice on the road. Most of the Harvard schools are closed. Seems everyone saw the midwest and panicked, even though the storm is fizzling.

Ah well.