Tiny

Recently I watched a documentary called Tiny: A Story About Living Small (available on Netflix Instant View, ITunes, and Amazon). Merete Mueller (one of the individuals in the film and it's co-director) sums it up on IMDB like this:

What is home? And how do we find it? TINY follows one couple's attempt to build a Tiny House from scratch with no building experience, and profiles other families who have downsized their lives into houses smaller than the average parking space. Through homes stripped down to their essentials, the film raises questions about sustainability, good design, and the changing American Dream.

Sounds interesting, right? Well, it was. I recommend this movie to anyone who is feeling cramped in their current quarters. I can almost guarantee that you will feel like you live in a veritable mansion after 66 minutes of viewing houses 300 square feet and smaller (often much smaller). It will probably also give you the urge to purge, a desire to run madly through the house, filling a large receptacle destined for Goodwill as you go. And long after that fervor passes, it will leave you with much food for thought.

via

While the synopsis says "couple," the tiny house highlighted in the documentary is primarily the brainchild of Christopher Smith. Though his girlfriend, Merete, grows more and more attached to the project, her future relationship with the tiny house (and Christopher) remains ambiguous at the end of the film. So there's the first thing about tiny houses: they're tiny. So small that one wonders if that, by necessity, they are isolating. Are they big enough to hold even two lives, two wills, two egos?

Yet, despite my doubts, some do it. In addition to Christopher and Merete, the film also introduces other individuals and couples who live in tiny houses. In their interviews, some of the tiny householders focus on the amount of time and money that is saved over a traditional home. Some mention the peace that one finds in simplifying one's life, the freedom of not being forced to work constantly to buy goods that are unnecessary. Some even mention the newfound ability to focus on relationships rather than things.

As a minimalist myself, I found myself nodding along in agreement. Yes. Yes! That rat race. I want out of that rat race. I don't want my junk. I want relationship. I want intimacy. I want freedom. Freedom.

Even though each person spoke about the topic differently, it all came down to this one thing: freedom.  I do want freedom, and a freedom not just from things, but for things. Good things. But that's where I have to part ways with the movement (and yes, it is a growing movement). My good things involve a spouse, and unfortunately, he's not as much of a minimalist as I am (though I don't think it's so unfortunate when one of his "random" purchases turns out to be just what I need).

And we like children. Our first one. Our second one. Our third one. Even our fourth one. And even other ones. More ones. Future ones, so to speak. And that may not be tiny, but it sure is good.

Laura Recommends

Since today is Friday, I thought it would be appropriate to share this guest post from our good friend Laura. If spring is the time of love, then surely weekends are the time of movies. Said no poet ever. But you catch my drift.

I don’t know if it’s something to do with summertime or what, but these days all I want from a movie is a good laugh. I want to be entertained, I want to feel good, I want to be distracted from the stresses of everyday life. But I don’t find myself laughing if a movie is dumb or too slapsticky, or too too vulgar. So, if you feel like some lighthearted cinema, here are some suggestions spanning the last three decades:

1. Green Card

“In order to retain her beautiful rent-controlled Manhattan apartment, a beautiful, socially-conscious American woman (Andie MacDowell) has to be married, so she decides to marry a burly French composer (Gerard Depardieu), who is eager to earn a green card so he can stay and work in America.” 

Why don’t they make romantic comedies like this anymore? Maybe it’s just my massive girl crush on Andie MacDowell, but I found this a charming little story. (Also, early 1990s cinema is an interesting history-of-fashion lesson. Shapeless, ankle-length jumpers—did you know they actually were fashionable at one time?)

2. Girl Most Likely
One of many in the painful-reunion-of-dysfunctional-family-members genre, this one is much better than most of its peers. The film is guilty of some casting sins that are my pet peeves: the actress who plays the mom is only fifteen years older than the actress playing her daughter, and the same “mom” is only six years older than the “younger man” she is dating. Nevertheless, Kristen Wiig, Matt Dillon, and Annette Bening all are perfect in their roles, I think. The ending is goofy and implausible but hilarious and perfect and warmed my heart.

3. What to Expect When You’re Expecting
I wasn’t going to bother this one because it got horrible reviews. But then a very smart friend of mine recommended it, pointing out how it touched on huge life events she had been through—pregnancy, birth, infertility, adoption, miscarriage . . . . It’s all very lighthearted but still sensitive. It’s pretty goofy at times, but man, Chris Rock is so so funny (and, in this movie, you won’t have to wash your ears out with soap after watching him).


4. Mean Girls
This has become a quasi-classic but I only recently saw it. High school movies are kind of like sci fi to little, home-schooled me. Thrilling and terrifying and intriguing at the same time. All those cliques! Where would I have fit in? I like to think I would have been at least a band geek, but I’d probably be one of the Girls Who Eat Their Feelings. I’m making this sound depressing, but really, it’s funny and clever and ends on an upbeat note. Plus: Tina Fey wrote the screenplay, and co-starred along with Amy Poehler. What’s not to love?

5. Sixteen Candles
Speaking of high school flicks, can you belief this one came out thirty years ago? Thirty years??!! Was I the last one on earth to watch this? If not, I recommend it. It is filled with teenagers obsessing about sex. Still, there’s something innocent about it compared to more recent high-school themed movies (for instance, Easy A and Brick). It’s a fun blast from the past with a classic, oft-imitated romantic ending with Hollywood’s most perfect hunk.

6. It’s Complicated
Meryl Streep is so classy and wonderful and funny, playing a woman who finds herself in an affair with the loser she divorced long ago. Alec Baldwin is . . . well, his character brings several words to the tip of my tongue but I shan’t write them on Mary’s classy blog. Anyway, he plays a guy you love to hate. It made me gasp and cringe but mostly it made me laugh.

And with that, I wish you many laugh-filled evenings!

Laura is a Catholic Christian, a mother, a part-time lawyer, and a recovering overthinker. She writes monthly here at Atelier on books and culture, and blogs regularly at This Felicitous Life.

Guest Post: Ana Jorda on Lincoln and Les Mis

Today we have a guest with us, a certain Ana Jorda. I have known Ana at a distance for years; she is the mother of one of my dearest friends. Recently, I happened upon her new blog, sunsettling, and I immediately fell in love with her writing style. Terse and poetic, slightly reminiscent of Nicole Krauss, it's the style I would choose to write myself, if such things were left up to the individual and not to God. Without further ado:

Hadn't been in a movie theatre for a year. Just saw two films in one week. Lincoln and Les Miserables. Two different impacts.

{source}

Lincoln. Coolest intensity. Different shades of grays. Plus lots of white and black. Tremendous acting. Main and secondary actors surpassing one another. Close ups. Unapologetic ageing faces. Ode to Age. To Wrinkles. Life's maps. Some might say a man's movie. Mostly male actors. War plus the politics of war. Although Lincoln's wife made herself noticed. Yelling, crying. Strong, bossy witty. Force of nature. This a film for men and women. Abolition of slavery linked to the end of civil war a story for all. Lots of dialogue. Chaos, battles on the field and off. Surprise, humor, intelligence, stength, frailty, tenderness. Someone knows what to do with a camera, script, actors. With a team that put together a story fit to be told. Century's spiritual state of the country. Hollywood still able to deliver. When it wants to.

{source}

Les Miserables a.k.a as Les Mis. Americans abbreviate French word that only French can pronounce to catchy cool nickname. Les Mis another impact. Different. Explosion. Of color. Passion. Heart wrenching intensity. More close ups. Top actors. Young, beautiful. But miserable. Ode to Misery. To the Poor. And they can sing. Captivating song after song. Telling compelling story. Bravo to all. Lovestruck girl with tiniest waist. Fantines's devastating disillusionment. Inspector's inner torture. Bravo to actors-singers. No easy feat. Brutal aesthetics in more ways than one. Not for the faint of heart. Last but not least, a spiritual film. No fear here calling God by name. Portraying priest compassionate imitator of Christ. Setting tone for storyline. Thief turned mayor main spiritual character throughout - good looking man of God. Bravo Hollywood for being true to V. Hugo.

Thought most films today not worth seeing.
These two proved me wrong.
New Year surprise.
Still the right stuff out there.

Happy New Year. Go see them!

About Ana: Spanish/English teacher interpreter-translator, author, poet, mom, nana as in Ananana, daughter, friend, occasional piano player and photographer, early bird who lived in different countries-cultures, traveled, learned four languages and can't wait to see what happens next.

Not An Inspirational Quote

So my youngest sister has been having a pretty rough week of it. I won't go into too many details. It will suffice to say that the situation involves an indoor sprinkler system, 45 minutes worth of water, and a (warning: here comes a pun, or something like it) material portion of her earthly possessions, and those of the Ohio library system.  I was about to find some inspirational quote about perseverance or patience or how suffering can make you so awesome (which I do believe), and then relate some of my own hard times, etc, etc... But then I thought about what really cheers me up, and I'm going to write about that instead. This one's for you Gin!

Nothing can bring me out of the blues like a little comedy. Some of the most difficult and stressful times of my life have been made lighter by an episode (or five) of The Office. In the last couple of years I have also realized that when I am down, down, down, nothing quite does it like a bad comedy. A movie not so bad that it's unbearable, but those that err on the side of the ridiculous, plots that are a bit over the top, that may or may not have actors who are also singers... I've selected four such gems to suggest to you for your viewing pleasure.

The first is Barbershop. Rated a lean 6.1 out of 10 by the users of IMDB (internet movie data base), it is probably the least bad of the bad movies I am recommending. Hailing from the mean streets of 2002, this comedy features Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, and Eve. It centers around a Chicago barbershop and the people whose lives intersect there. Much of the free speaking dialogue is refreshingly void of political correctness and is both pointed and hilarious.

{source}

The second is My Life in Ruins. This 2009 comedy stars Nia Vardalos, who plays a Greek American woman working as a tour guide in Greece. A predictable and corny romance springs up between her and the heavily bearded tour bus driver, who, surprise, surprise, turns out to be a veritable "Greek god" under all that face fuzz.

{source}
Hmm... Too bad the bus driver is so homely.

The third is Madea's Big Happy Family. If you have seen any of Tyler Perry's Madea movies, I don't need to do too much explaining. In short, Tyler Perry (a man) plays a larger than life elderly woman named Madea. Madea is surrounded by family members in distress (with very real life problems); she dispenses her straight shooting advice and tough love with biting wit and many an uncouth jibe. Singer celebrity bonus - not so lil' anymore Bow Wow.

{source}

And the finale, Wild Hogs. The most star heavy of the movies to hit the list, this 2007 comedy follows characters played by John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy, and Tim Allen as they defy midlife mediocrity via Harley road trip. Their trip climaxes in a biker style throw down with a tatted up Ray Liotta. Over the top situational comedy is the name of the game on this one.

{source}

7 Quick Takes

1

I decided to try my hand at "7 Quick Takes." For those who don't know, 7 Quick Takes is literally that (is it cheating to count this as number one?).

2 

My sister is spending the weekend in one of my favorite places in the world, Poland.  In honor of that I'm going to give a weekend beer suggestion. Okocim (oh-ko-cheem) Porter, a perfect rich, dark beer to enjoy as temperatures start to drop. Sip one after dinner as you cosy up to your special someone. Make sure your bed is near, because it weighs in at a luxurious 8% ABV.

3 

And a quote from my favorite Pole, "Not all are called to be artists in the specific sense of the term. Yet, as Genesis has it, all men and women are entrusted with the task of crafting their own life: in a certain sense, they are to make of it a work of art, a masterpiece" (Pope John Paul II, Letter to artists, 4 April 1999). Is your life going to be a masterpiece?

4 

If you enjoy seeing what other people in other places are wearing (I do), check out The Sartorialist and The Urban Spotter. 

5

If you haven't entered the giveaway yet... Scroll down to the bottom of this page and get it done!

6

If you like sushi, a good documentary, or both I suggest that you check out Jiro Dreams of Sushi. This new film is about a Japanese sushi chef named Jiro, a living legend to those in the [sushi] know. It documents his rise to culinary stardom, his philosophy on life, work, and family, and the unique restaurant he continues to run at 85. A fascinating example of the application of human intelligence to material reality, with an aim at perfection. Watch it and you'll know what I mean. Here's the trailer:

7

Thanks for reading! Enjoy your weekend!

Friday for Fifteen

Some weeks seem to fly by, while others couldn't go any slower.  Though busy, this week is crawling. I find that such a week deserves a little special something at the end, a little celebration, a little homage to the fact that it is Friday, and one's work is well done. Now, I know that many of you good readers are students, and you indulge in something of the sort on Thursday. I also know that some of you are busy with work and children, and Saturday night is more the night of celebration. Whatever your week end, here's a suggestion to make it a bit special - a theme.

I'm a sucker for a theme. I don't mean that I had a Star Trek wedding or that Thanksgiving at my house this year will be the Hunger Games, not that at all. What I mean is using overlapping and complementary elements to create a specific ambiance, a sense of specialness and occasion. So, the idea is to pair a food, a drink, and a movie to create a cosy and pleasurable evening for two. Could be your husband (as in my case), your boyfriend, or your best friend. Whatever the case,  the food, drink, and movie should be something special, either because they are old favorites, long awaited, or off the beaten path. Furthermore .... I suggest that this is possible to do with only $15 for food and drink. Here is my drink, food, movie combo for your weekend pleasure:

The Drink: Lindemans Framboise lambic style beer (around $10 for 750ml bottle), served in a champagne flute, if you have it. This raspberry beer is from a farmhouse brewery in Belgium. Unlike most beer styles, a lambic is created using wild yeast. The windows are thrown open and the fermenting liquid is exposed to the wild yeast and bacteria in the air, which is said to give the lambic its characteristic sour bite. The effervescence, sweetness, and acidity provide a nice complement and balance to the richness of...

The Food: Flourless Chocolate Cake (around $4 for the chocolate, you probably already have the other ingredients). This flourless chocolate cake is decadent and has a surprising depth of flavor for such a simple, easy dessert. I usually use a Ghirardelli Bittersweet Baking Bar, which is available in most grocery stores and is good flavor/value combination. I hear that Callebaut baking chocolate is also a good choice. Find the cake recipe here. The chocolate ties into this movie...

The Movie: Les émotifs anonymes (Romantics Anonymous). This romantic comedy is about chocolate, awkward people, and love (just when you thought my movie descriptions couldn't get any more vague). And, for your viewing pleasure I have included the movie trailer. This movie is not graphic or obscene in the least, but before you write a letter to the editor (it won't do any good, one woman staff here), I give the disclaimer that I do not approve of or encourage premarital relations. Enough said. One more thing, this movie is available on Netflix instant view if you have a subscription. If you don't, you can try the free one month trial by clicking here. Enjoy!

P.S. Lindemans is widely available wherever beer is sold. The label looks like this:

{Source}

Let's Talk About Love: La Tigre e La Neve

Fuad: He was a real poet. He was young, fell in love with a woman and married her. A few years later, while he was fighting in some war, he heard his wife had contracted smallpox and had been disfigured. So Al-Giumeili said, "My eyes hurt." And then: "I've gone blind." When his wife died, 12 years later, he opened his eyes again. 

Attilio de Giovanni: So as not to upset his wife, he pretended to be blind for 12 years? 

Fuad: Every person is a chasm. It makes you dizzy to look down. (La Tigre e La Neve / The Tiger and the Snow)

My intention for this blog is to curate topics, inspiration, and ideas that I am interested in personally, and that I think my sisters would find both fun and practical. I also want to share what moves me, what causes me to pause, to transcend the daily grind and think of things deeper and higher.  You know that sweet ache in the deep recesses of the soul that awakes unexpectedly in the face of some truth, of some goodness, of some beauty? The ache that reminds you that you (and every other person) want more, need more, than daily bread or that new pair of shoes.  The catalysts for such moments make life beautiful and should be shared. Without further ado (and narrowly avoiding a maudlin spectacle), I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite movies of all time, Roberto Benigni's The Tiger and the Snow. To avoid spoiling the plot, I will just say that it is a love story in the truest sense of the word and should not be missed. Okay, maybe I will also say that it takes place in Rome and Baghdad, circa 2003, and involves a passionate poet, unrequited love, and second chances. It is currently available on Netflix instant view (if you are a subscriber), Blockbuster On Demand rental, and I originally viewed it from the public library, so get out there and find this flick!