Day #40 of year 2 of the Pandemic

I made flatbread.



It was from Simple Mills Almond Flour Flatbread mix. I'm not clever enough to do it completely from scratch - also gluten-free breads are really hard to do from scratch - you need more space in your kitchen than I currently have. Put Tumeric and red pepper in it, sprinkled rosemary and Parmesene on top, we'll see if it's any good. Plan on having it with the left over filet mignon and green beans tonight. Also for breakfast tomorrow morning.

I was going to make a quiche, but I decided too much cholestrol and too rich. Also they give me heartburn. Plus, I think I can put wild main jam on the flatbread with butter.

Me: Today the Minister got on my nerves again. She was going on and on about the apathy and languishing we were all feeling wasn't psychological but spiritual -
Mother: Not everyone defines spiritual the same way.
ME: Yep, she defines it as seeing something outside of us, and connecting to nature, etc. And she went on about finding the awe in the world around us.
The woman has a nice home, two kids, a lovely husband, a job, and is able to get away - also got a paid sabbatical.
Mother: She was telling everyone what to do.
ME: Kind of the whole nature of sermonizing, I guess. I just miss the music. Last year they had more music, less talking. Music is more universally relatable, talking not so much. Talking tends to be about oneself.
Mother: But you are finding the awe in things...I mean you are finding it in flowers, and small moments - that's a rare gift. And you share it. You've found it in a tulip you see in the yard of a neighboring building - in the middle of a city.
Me: True. My granny taught me that - to see the miracles in the smallest things, and the wonder in them. At church they were all talking about the big moments..
Mother: Its a gift to see that. A true gift. Not everyone does. You stop and look at the little flowers - not only that you take pictures of them for yourself. Whether it be flowers on a branch or a lone bud in a yard. Many people never notice them.



I find flowers awe-inspiring, so delicate and beautiful. And each one is unique. Different from the rest. They also have such a short life-span. Here today, gone tomorrow - lifting their little heads to the sun. Smiling or shyly looking up at me in wonder. (I don't, however, have any difficulty with cut flowers - they can survive in water for up to a week - about as long as they survived outside. It's fine. The Minister has issues with cut flowers.)



It was raining and overcast most of today, now, however it is bright and sunny making me kind of wish for a balcony, but I don't like heights and balcony's are work. So just as well I don't have one. My windows have a nice view all on their own.

Saw a movie, Monday starring Sebastan Stan and some female actress who I've never heard of, but have seen before. She had no boobs. My mother commented on another actress in the Baker and the Beauty who also had no chest. I mean she was boyish looking. It's so odd to see - when my chest is well ..definitely present. I wear a D cup, and my breasts are huge. I've never had tiny boobs. My neice does - but she also barely eats. I envy people who have no boobs. My back would hurt a lot less without the additional weight. Anyhow it was hard not to notice this - since she spent a good portion of the film naked. The actress did not have a gorgeous body.

It's a hyper-realism style film, neither of the actors were filmed to look attractive, although I think Stan has to really work at it. They did it with clothing, and cinematography.

Definitely an indie film, the sound or voice dubbing was off in places and I had to re-wind to get it back on track. Also it's very choppy. Is it good? Eh. I got bored, and I didn't like either character that much, and there were a lot of cringe-inducing scenes. But, on the other hand, if you are single or want to watch an anti-romance flick - this one is rather comforting. It made me happy I was single. And not falling for some hot guy on a Greek Island. It also made me glad that I didn't live in Greece.
So kind of a weird satire/character study of the cliche romantic Grecian romance trope. I recommend watching this back-to-back with Mamma Mia.

The Oscars are tonight. I've seen five of the films, I tried to watch seven of them - but two did not hold my interest. Also, I can't find Minbari for anything less than $19.99, and I'm not willing to spend $19.99 on a movie at the moment.

What did I see?

* Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
*Sound of Metal
*Promising Young Woman
* Nomadland
* Trial of the Chicago

of the five? Toss up on which I'd hand awards to. They are all vastly different films with different intents. It's hard to care about the Oscars, I honestly find awards shows to be a waste of time. We're not comparing apples, we're comparing grapes, oranges, bananas, apples, and raspberries. It's too subjective for words. Also you've no idea what will stand the test of time or be popular ten years from now. I mean the person who loves The Trial of the Chicago 7 probably will hate Sound of Metal. Or vice versa.

Also, all you have to do is look at past winners. There's some odd ones. Why Gandhi and Out of Africa won is beyond me. Or Rocky for that matter.

Anyhow, it's been a quiet Sunday. I should take a walk, but I'll most likely make dinner, and watch the last episode of the fourth season of The Great Pottery Throwdown instead.

Oscars..

Well so far so good.

It's very different. They did best original screenplay, and best adapted screenplay first.

*Emerald Fennel - Promising Young Woman, as I expected, won best original screenplay. I'd have given it to her. [I saw the movie - the dialogue is biting and the script is rather good.]

[What's interesting is how Regina King is introducing each person - telling us who these people are. And showing them from across the world, if they aren't in LA.]

* The screenwriters for the Father won. (I can't watch the Father - it's about Althzheimers through the point of view of those suffering it. And that's my Dad, so I can't. Too painful.}

The Oscars are kind of an abbreviated version, with no major performances or hosts, no real fanfare. Instead of red carpet, they did a spotlight - with the songs performed then.

Mother: Are you watching the Oscars?
ME: Uh no.
Mother: Instead of the red carpet they are doing the musical numbers.
ME: Damn. I missed it
Mother: Sorry, should have called you earlier. Oh I watched Sound of Metal today.
ME: What did you think?
Mother: It was extremely good. I enjoyed it.
Me: I loved it.
Mother: So did your brother. He couldn't get into Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.
Me: Yeah, I struggled with Trial of Chicago 7 which he loved. Has he seen Promising Young Woman?
Mother: no. But he troubles finding the same one you were looking for, Minari.
Me: Yeah - that I couldn't find it either.

[See? My family is into discussing movies.]

Now they are doing Best Foreign Film...

*Another Round - the film with the guy from Hannibal (Mads Mikleson - if you are a fan, you should watch Another Round for him), that everyone loves? I predicted it probably would, so not surprised. It's the Denmark film. It's about letting go of control - and features four men who just stay drunk.

[Most thought Que Vadis would get it.]

Ah finally, Best Supporting Actor.

[This is interesting - it has the most black men nominated for Best Supporting Actor in history. 3 people.]

* Daniel Kaluuya won - for Judas and the Black Messiah. I love this actor. He's so powerful. (Although I could not get into the movie at all.)

Ooooh...The West Side Story - Steven Spielberg version looks really cool. They released the trailer just now. It looks good. (Although, it's going to be hard to beat George Chakris, Rita Morena, and Russ Tambolyn from the original.)

Best Makeup and Hair Styling

* Ma Rainey's Black Bottom got best hair and makeup (well deserved)

Best Costume

* Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - Ann Roth (who figures out the costumes by what people do with the clothes when they go to bed at night.)

Best Director

*Chloe Zhao won for Nomadland - history making, first Asian female director to win. "Everywhere I've gone, I've looked and found the goodness in people and the place." That was Nomadland...actually.


Best Sound

* YAY - Sound of Metal won - which it should, that movie did things with sound that amazed me.

[So far I'm agreeing with who is winning these awards, that's kind of rare. I usually don't agree for 3/4 of the awards. In fact I groaned through the last four or five awards...with few exceptions. ]

Best Live Action Short

[I've not seen them. I'm not a fan of short films. But the Oscars do draw attention to them.]

* Two Distant Strangers

Speech: "Yesterday, three people were killed by police, today three people have been killed by police, and tomorrow three people will be killed by police. James Baldwin once said the worst thing people can do is to be indifferent to other people's pain. So we ask you please, don't be indifferent."

Movies, television shows, art, music and books - stop us from being indifferent - they take us inside the pain, the joy, another's mind, another's views, often different than our own... and if well done? Make us feel it.

Animated Short

*If Anything Happens, I love You

[I wish they'd show the films, they used to - it's hard to know without seeing them.]

Animated Feature Film

* Soul - (YAY)

...

Okay I'm losing interest. It's and I'm not up to staying up until 11.