The Help and Super 8

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Busy's Fiber Blog

I just finished listening to "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett.  It was a over 18 hours.  I got through it rather fast.  This wasn't your average book read in a droning fashion, this was a production.  Some of the characters that will star in the movie, lent their voices to this fantastic audiobook.


This is now my 2nd favorite book, the first is "To Kill a Mockingbird", which is mentioned several times within this book.


It is hard to imagine how life was for a black female in Mississippi in 1962.  I've had domestic workers in my family, but they worked in New York and New Jersey which I hope was slightly less degrading.


I did not expect the ending, but was glad it ended the way it did.  There is a message in this book that slaps you in the face, but the ending is subtle and anyone, male or female, black or white can relate.


I am recommending this book to all of my friends.  I do plan to see the movie, even though the trailers do not follow the descriptions in the book exactly. I will be willing to overlook those small things if the movie does justice to the book. I'll have to wait until August.

Today we saw "Super 8".  It was a good movie.  Part coming of age, part thriller, part sci-fi.  The kids liked it.  It is hard to find anything new or fresh now a days, but this was different enough to hold my interest.


This movie takes place in 1979 in the Midwest.  The did a great job at going back to that era, which doesn't seem like that long ago, but it has been 32 years!!


Well done and well told story the whole family will enjoy.

Catch up

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Originally uploaded by kelsokraft

I have not abandoned my blog, really I haven’t. It is just I am working on a long term temp job and my hours are 7:30 – 5:00, and when I get home, I don’t want to think, let alone type something meaningful. I also cannot sit at my desk and surf around like I used to because I am on the trading floor in the middle of the hall, and I sit next to the Business Manager. Wouldn’t look too good posting a blog post when I should be working, therefore, I am doing this through FLICKR, which is quicker and less obvious.

I went to a craft festival this weekend. It was at Lincoln Center in New York City, we had a nice day for it, and looked at a lot of different craft booths. I posted about it some in my fiber blog, but they had crafts from fiber to glass. There are a lot of people that do loom work. They make the material and then make clothing. It was lovely. I would love to learn how to do loom work, but I don’t have the room or money for a loom right now. Maybe I’ll invest in a small one and make scarves.

This weekend I watched “The Rite” with Sir Anthony Hopkins. I wanted to see this in the theater, but never made it there. I’m glad I missed it now. I thought it would be interesting, but it ended up being the same old thing. The Exorcist was better. I don’t know why I think any possession movies that come out of Hollywood now-a-days will live up to that standard. Who would think one of the better eras for cinema was the 1970s??

This Sunday was the season finale of “Game of Thrones”. It was a very good start to the series. Having just read the book, I can say they did a good job at adapting it. It is a rather large book, and I know it is impossible to fit everything in, but they managed to touch on the most important points that one needed to now to follow the story and set it up for the future seasons. The cliff hanger of Book #1 is amazing; I will have to read Book #2 shortly. I wanted to wait until Season #2 got closer, but I just need to know!!

I read Pride and Prejudice…finally. Not much to say about it. It is P&P after all.

Choir is ending for the summer.
In July I am taking my Beginner Blues class. I have finished all the Basic Beginner courses. Five courses in a little over one year. Now I can take electives, and I am excited. Blues is my first choice; there are three Blues classes (Beg, Int and Adv). I hope to be able to take all of them.

I also had a birthday last week. My friends from the old job took me out. We went to a nice Mexican restaurant called Dos Caminos. The food was good, I partook in some Sangria and the girls sang Happy Birthday to me. My co-worker at this job is planning to take me out to a French Restaurant for my birthday. It was supposed to happen last week, but schedules didn’t allow. Maybe this week.

Books and May Movies

I've not had time to post.  My temp job is keeping me busy, but I'm not complaining.


I've been reading more now that I'm traveling.

I've finally read this book. For years I've been looking at it. It isn't a very long book but for some reason it didn't appeal to me. I was highly disgusted by the treatment of David as a child. And I suppose I need to read the rest of his books to find out what was up with his mother. I am thinking she had mental issues, but he never confirmed that, just that she was a drunk.


I haven't read many books about child abuse, but out of those I've read, this was by far, the most graphic.


I am currently reading Pride and Prejudice...FINALLY.  I've seen all the movie adaptations and love the story.  I've never read anything by Jane Austen, I don't know why. I've read the Bronte Sisters, Edith Wharton, George Elliot, but never Jane.


I have no review for it, because the story is so well known.  I do like it and it is surprisingly an easy read.  I'll get to her other books soon. I have Emma and Sense and Sensibility on my Nook, so they will be read soon.

I am listening to this on audio.  18 hours of it.  Very entertaining.  Each character reads a chapter.  We get to hear different voices every few chapters which keeps the book from getting monotonous.  I have it in paperback too, but I really wanted to listen as I heard it was really great. So far I agree.


 
Some Movies I've watched in May worth noting were:


Thor - I've heard mixed reviews. Some liked it, some thought it was lame. I was in the first group. I liked the guy who played Thor (very handsome) and a very good choice. However, I thought the story was 'sweet'. Yes that is the word I would use. It was fun. I didn't see it in 3D, but I can't see why it needed to be in 3D anyway.


A Perfect Getaway - This was out in 2009 I believe. I had it on my DVR since October last year. I couldn't watch it when my daughter was home, because she doesn't like horror/thrillers. And I read that Chris Hemsworth (THOR) was in it. But I didn't realize Timothy Olyphant was also in it, and had a main role. Well, needless to say, I enjoyed it!


That's What I Am - I never heard of this 2011 movie. I watched it on instant watch (Netflix). It is a coming of age movies that took place in the early 60s in some small American town. A 12 year old boy is paired to do a project with an unpopular classmate. Will a friendship develop? And the sub-plot surrounds a popular male teacher who learns a rumor that he is a homosexual is flying around the school. Will this jeopardize his career? (remember 1960s). Oh yeah, and there is a pretty and popular young girl. This was a very good film. I think it was straight to video and starred Ed Harris.