Thinking and healing with movies. . . . .

Sometimes I think I think too much. Even Bob tells me "stop thinking and worrying so much, it's too stressful for you." I'm healing now from the miserable cold. Coughing still but feeling much better. I've passed the cold along to Bob, sorry dear.  I went grocery shopping yesterday as it was the first day I really felt I could handle public scrutiny - less coughing and nose wiping, more clean and shiny, blown-out hair, red lipstick, earrings and sandals. . . . . as it's back in the nineties here. It rained cats and dogs last evening.

I'm in green and pleasant Ireland in my mind. 
I'm still in slow motion.

I've viewed two amazing movies whilst housebound.  Second time around for the now old, but still wonderful, full of raw Italian post-World War II life. . . . . . Cinema Paradiso. The sub-titles keep you on your toes, eyes wide open, the actors hardly appear to be acting, it's all so captivating, funny, and often so sad.

The textures of life, rough, smooth, coarse, delicate and sturdy, all at once - Irish daisies on the train tracks.

The other movie was The City of Your Final Destination from 2009.  A wonderful James Ivory directed film full of beauty, longing, family, and breathtaking scenery of places not all of us are familiar with. Let's face it, families are different. I don''t think any are perfect. Observing them helps makes one understand more about one's own. Anthony Hopkins, Laura Linney, Omar Metwally, Charlotte Gainsbourg and supporting cast were excellent.  After the first half hour Bob commented it was "slow moving" . . . . I didn't reply because I was loving it so much and did not want my bubble burst. At the end, his first surprising words as the credits rolled were, "that was really great." Yes, he actually loved it.
I said we should do that . . . . . . . pack up, sell up, move to a beautiful place totally distant and new, enjoy the remaining years without ties and tribulations. Ridiculous I know, but escapism is something film has always given us - it makes us see life differently. 
Makes us think!

Pumpkin country . . . . .

This post will wow you with color! Autumn IS on its way, 

and here's proof from the fields of our beautiful 

North Carolina Piedmont area.

My partial stack of beauties - and Jasmin still had to add 

her picks . . .

I love taking country drives away from the hustle and bustle 

of the city.

On Friday we headed south to Harnett County. Partly sunny 

skies, very warm temperatures, and yet a feeling of Autumn 

was definitely apparent as we got farther away from town.

Tobacco fields were starting to be picked, hay was baled, 

corn was gone, fields already being ploughed under and new 

Winter crops were being planted.

When we arrived at our destination, Johnson's Pumpkins 

were waiting, plentiful and pretty, every color, every 

size and, as always, hard to pick favorites from such 

an array.

Perhaps even more enjoyable than choosing pumpkins, 

was spending time with not only farmer Doug - Bob loves 

'shooting the breeze' with him, and his welcoming wife 

Freda who always gives me great recipe tips for cooking 

the pumpkins - but a lot more of the Johnson farm 

family including their children and grandchildren.

Their grandson Easton above, permitted us to watch his 

efforts at hill rolling, posed for me with the horses in 

the nearby pasture, and talked us into playing ball with 

him in the farmhouse driveway. I assure you this was no 

quick stop to grab pumpkins and drive off, it was a truly 

wonderful afternoon visit with the nicest people imaginable.

 

This was granddaughter Jasmin's first visit with us 

to the farm - I think she'll enjoy going again. 

She took some awesome photos, nice to be young, 

able to crouch and get up again! 

Perhaps she'll share them with you later.

If you're close by I think you'd truly enjoy a visit to 

Johnson's Pumpkins as we do. It has become an annual 

happening we look forward to in September. In fact we 

even stopped by in July just to have a chat - Doug 

introduced us to his cows, and took us on a stroll 

around his pond, from there we could see the fields 

where Freda had planted her pumpkin seeds. We know

the hard work involved to grow from seed to harvest

on a family farm is huge, so much of a successful 

harvest depends on the weather. This was an usually 

wet Summer here in this area of North Carolina so

there were problems - quite honestly though I still 

think the Johnsons pumpkins are magnificent as always. 

I also purchased baking pumpkins and butternut 

squash, more on those in another post.