Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Childhood Summers

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a semi-tongue-in-cheek and rather snarky piece about hating summer ("Why a Woman of a Certain Age Hates Summer").  Though I am not going to take any of it back, I thought I should mitigate that view a bit by sharing another side of me that has some fond memories of summer.

Childhood.

Summer for a woman of a certain age is one thing, but I was also once a little girl and have some fond memories of summers past.




My birthday was in June and it was usually right when school ended, so my birthday heralded the beginning of summer for me, and though I liked school and was a good student, I liked having the summer off. I mean, who wouldn't? (Kind of like retirement except now I have an endless summer).

I am just back from my 50th High School Reunion and a family reunion which took me back to my hometown.  I will write more about that next week, but that trip back to Michigan also included a circle tour of Lake Michigan that included towns and sights that I saw over 60 years ago with my family.  I particularly remembered Charlevoix, Petoskey and Mackinac Island so seeing those places again after so many years brought back many happy memories.



This year I sat on the porch of the Grand Hotel and thought of that trip with my parents so many years ago.




My family didn't vacation very much - in fact I only remember three or four road trips that we ever took together - so those trips are vivid and happy summer memories from my childhood.




As a little girl, I was madly in love with horses. 

I subscribed to horse magazines and would spend hours thinking up really cool names for horses.  I read "Black Beauty" and all of the ponies of Chincoteague books by Marguerite Henry, reveled in movies like "National Velvet" and went horseback riding at the local horse rental place with my brother whenever I could.  I never made it past riding western and hanging on for dear life to the saddle pommel but my dream was to have a horse of my own one day. 



Alas, the closest I ever got was owning and driving a Mustang.






I grew up in a beach town and believe it or not never learned to swim.  I also had freckles and freakishly pale skin so I risked third degree burns every time I ventured to the beach.  But despite those shortcomings, I have many happy memories of beach outings.




My Dad always wore a hat and a tie - even at the beach!


When talking with my son who has young children and comparing notes about the differences in my, his and their childhoods, we get a laugh out of what was OK back in the day and frowned upon today.  For example, I had a worry wart of a mother but I ran all over the neighborhood during the summer and didn't come home until she rang a big bell and called out my name.  Likewise, everybody ate peanut butter and dogs roamed free. 

And remember sandboxes?

When I was young, there was always a sandbox in the park and almost all kids had sandboxes in their back yards. We never thought about cats soiling our play areas or whatever else modern parents worry about.  Sandboxes used to be a fun source of summer fun when you couldn't get to the real thing - the beach.  Having a sandbox was a thing.  Now not so much.




Like most towns of 80,000 people we had a robust Fourth of July Parade in our downtown and all kinds of summer celebrations.  


My recent trip back home was jarring when I discovered there was no longer a downtown (more on that next week), so seeing this picture was a happy reminder that we actually had one once.  My Dad played trumpet with the Veterans of Foreign Wars, even though he was not a veteran.  I guess they needed trumpet players. and here my sister was the flag bearer.  I always liked parades when I was little. Now not so much.



I guess the point of all of this is a bit of nostalgia.  I am back from my 50th High School Reunion after all.  Did you hear me?  I am back from my 50TH High School Reunion.  That means it's been 50 YEARS SINCE I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL!!!

So I am still in a bit of shock about that. But being back there in my old hometown in the middle of summer, my childhood summer memories returned and reminded me that I was once a young girl who enjoyed all that summer had to offer...and not a bitchy old lady writing snarky blog posts about hating summer.

I have decided to be grateful for every summer that I live through!



Enjoy the rest of your summer everyone!

Thanks for Reading!

 
See you Friday

for my review of


  
"Florence Foster Jenkins"
and 
  
The Week in Reviews
(What to See or Read and What to Avoid)
  
and the latest on
"My 1001 Movies I Must See Before  
 I Die Project."

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Friday, August 12, 2016

The Best Movies and DVDs of 2016 (So Far)!

As I went back through all of the movie reviews I have written so far in 2016 to prepare for this post, I was struck by how many stinkers I actually paid money to go see.  Good thing you have me around to save you from that same fate!

But this post is not about the stinkers. 

This post is about movies I have seen in the theatre or on DVD in 2016 and that you should not miss. 

This post will also serve as a handy dandy list of must sees so that you don't have to go back and read all of my reviews for the year, though you are welcome to if you would like!

So let's get to it.

Here is a list of movies you will really enjoy or that will at least stretch your brain a bit  -- with my usual pithy and sometimes humorous comments.  Click on the title link and it will take you back to my original, full-length review.

Let me know what you think.





The Danish Girl (2016)


Haunting.

Rosy the Reviewer says...Ring, ring.  Is this Mr. Eddie Redmayne?  Oscar calling...again (He was nominated).






Carol (2016)


Rosy the Reviewer says...See it to be transported back to another time and for two great performances.







The Big Short (2016)



Rosy the Reviewer says...an important film that should be required viewing for all Americans.






Truth (2015)



Rosy the Reviewer says...a powerful docudrama every bit as good as "Spotlight."  It's enough to make you stop watching "60 Minutes!"









Room (2015)


Rosy the Reviewer says...Brie Larson's Best Actress Oscar was well-deserved, but this film is also Oscar worthy and needs to be seen.







Bridge of Spies (2015)

 
It's the quiet brilliance of Mark Rylance in his portrayal of Abel that is riveting.  No histrionics, no crying, no screaming, but you can't take your eyes off of him.  His Best Supporting Actor Oscar was well-deserved. 
Rosy the Reviewer says...This film's Oscar nomination for "Best Picture" was also well-deserved because it certainly was one of the best films of the year.





Nothing Left Unsaid (2016)


Anderson Cooper and his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, share their lives with each other.

Rosy the Reviewer says...every mother and child should see this film and then make sure that "nothing is left unsaid."





Legend (2015)


Tom Hardy plays both Krays, the notorious twin brothers who ruled the London gangster scene in the 1960's.

Rosy the Reviewer says...any movie starring Tom Hardy is and adventure and worth seeing.







Jane Got a Gun (2016)


Rosy the Reviewer says...this one is a MUST SEE!  You will thank me.








Where to Invade Next (2015)

Rosy the Reviewer says...a brilliant, thought-provoking (and fun) film.  I loved it so much that I cried.  I can't believe it was not nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary.







Remember (2015)


Rosy the Reviewer says...Christopher Plummer's performance as an elderly man seeking revenge on the guard at Auschwitz who killed his family is astonishing. A movie that is a must-see and one you will never forget.







Son of Saul (2015)


Rosy the Reviewer says...this film is not only one of the best movies I have seen this year, but it's one of the best movies I HAVE EVER SEEN!  It won the Oscar last year for Best Foreign Language Film, which was well-deserved, but it could very well have won Best Picture.  An absolute Must-See!



 
That's it for this week!



 
Thanks for reading!

   
See you Tuesday for




 "Childhood Summers"
  





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Check your local library for DVDs and books mentioned.

Next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). 

Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Once there, click on the link that says "Explore More" on the right side of the screen.  Scroll down to External Reviews and when you get to that page, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list.
NOTE:  On some entries, this has changed.  If you don't see "Explore More" on the right side of the screen, scroll down just below the description of the film in the middle of the page. Click where it says "Critics." Look for "Rosy the Reviewer" on the list.
Or if you are using a mobile device, look for "Critics Reviews." Click on that and you will find me alphabetically under "Rosy the Reviewer."





Tuesday, August 9, 2016

The Best of Rosy the Reviewer's Tuesday Blog Posts

Here is a recap of Rosy the Reviewer's most popular Tuesday posts.




A Baby Boomer's Fashion Show: A Short History of the Last 65 Years and the Clothes We Wore 
(August 13, 2013)




Baby Boomers will be able to relate! And for the rest of you? You will better understand those Boomers!



The Sturm und Drang of Writing a Blog (July 4, 2014)



Writing helps you remember.






Parisian Chic (October 25, 2013)


I debunk the myth that all French women know more about fashion than we do!






Why the Beatles Matter (July 23, 2013)


The title says it all!







Cooking in an Empty Nest (February 4, 2014)


What it's like when the kids leave home along with some of my mother's best recipes.





20 Books and Films that Helped Shaped this Baby Boomer's Life (September 3, 2013)


Some food for thought.  What books and films influenced YOU?




Librarian Fashion (January 13, 2015)

No the title is NOT an oxymoron!





Retirement:  Do Dogs Ever Retire? (July 30, 2013)


According to my dogs, the answer is no!

(Update:  This is by far my most popular and most-viewed post.  People love dogs in costumes, I guess)!






Why I Love England: An American Anglophile's A-Z (February 11, 2014)


I think I was a Brit in my past life!




My Favorite Summer Vacation: A Narrow-Boat Cruising Adventure in England (March 26, 2014)


The best vacation ever.  You should try it!




The Mother Daughter Connection (February 18, 2014)


Experts say that the mother daughter bond is one of the most intense relationships a woman experiences. A Baby Boomer mother talks about her Millennial daughter.





Some of my posts that readers have reported have affected them deeply:




Why Long Distance Relationships Don't Work (July 5, 2016)



The difficulty of staying close to family members when you live far away from each other and what to do about it.




Sisters (November 2, 2018)



In honor of my sister and all sisters everywhere!




O Brother Where Are Thou? (October 4, 2016)



The pain of family estrangement and its possible causes.





Make Someone Happy (September 8, 2015)




It takes so little to do so much.  And you know what?  You discover that you have made yourself happy too.






Why Movies Matter (November 1, 2015)



They do!




And here are some of my own favorites:


How Would I Do On "Naked and Afraid?"  (July 14, 2014)



Not well!


Things Librarians Hate (November 19, 2013)



You would be surprised!



What is a True Friend? (May 31,2016)



Are you a true friend?



Why is "Feminist" Such a Dirty Word?  (November 10, 2015)


Yes, why is that?




My Colonoscopy (September 26, 2014)


A colonoscopy can be fun!  Well, kind of...





A Little Meditation on a Little Meditation by an Unlikely Meditator (May 13, 2014)

Who knew?  But it has changed my life.  Why not give it a try? These are down-to-earth tips from someone who never thought she would ever get into meditating.  



Why Have a Husband? (May 19, 2015)

There is also "Why Have a Wife?" "Why Have a Child?" and "Why Have a Dog?"  It's called my "Why?" Quartet.


I get down to the nitty gritty!




How to Say Married Forever (May 24, 2016)



Tips from someone who has been married forever (or it seems like it)!





Grounds for Divorce (November 8, 2015)


But sometimes things don't work out!






My Menopause (November 18, 2014)



You will get through it!


Fashion Essentials for a Woman of a Certain Age (September 6, 2016)



You may be old but you can still look good!



A Woman of a Certain Age Flying Solo (March 22, 2016)


It's not just flying on a plane but navigating life on your own when you are a women of a certain age.






Thanks for Reading!



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