It Wouldn't Be Summer Without:

1) A summer blockbuster—make it Super 8 so you can relive the magic of the first time you sat through E.T. or Close Encounters of the Third Kind. When you put the creator of Lost with Spielberg's genius, the result is a film that's as charming as it is suspenseful. Props to both for presenting an alien we haven't seen in theaters yet (as a total alien-movie nerd, I was pretty sure I'd seen them all). Definitely see it in the theater to maximize the suspenseful jumps and nostalgia that will ensue (preferably with a fantastic date to hang on to for the scary parts).




2) Peter and I will be hitting up the farmer's market this weekend with coffee in hand. In the age of bazillions of recipes available online, I can easily justify buying green tomatoes (to be made into fried green tomatoes, of course), jalapeno jam (for glazing salmon), and Japanese eggplant (um...jury's still out). It's actually tradition that I bring home a full Greek meal of soup, spanakopita, dolmadakia, and baklava whenever I go so we'll be reliving that.
The downtown one is getting almost completely outta control—if I want to buy candles, barrettes for a small child, and baked doggie treats I'll go there but Peter and I prefer the low-key, dogs-allowed, granola-eater's market on Sunday morning off of Old Cheney. God love the hippies!
I love to haul home big bouquets of mustard greens, fresh feta from the dairy, multi-colored peppers (purple's my favorite), and spicy radishes. Peter and I always try to out shop the other by finding the most exotic food and though he usually wins, I put up a pretty good fight.

3) Curling up on the couch with an ice-cold limeade(I made up my own concoction by squeezing a pile of fresh limes, making a muddle of basil and sugar water, and adding cucumber slices) and starting a summer read while it's storming outside. This year it's Moby Dick.

4) An art project. I haven't decided what this will be but I'm open to ideas. I have a few possibilities but so far lack the weekend during which to execute them. Last year it was learning how to knit once and for all.





























5) Weddings! I luuuuurv weddings, what's not to love? You get to watch two people in love commit to one another forever, followed by food and dancing. The dancing is obviously the best part, but still. I can't get enough of weddings and I'm proud to tell you that it's not b/c I'm taking notes for my own. I'd be very okay if that were a long while off. The only thing I know about my someday wedding is that it will be comfortable, easy going, with the best food ever and lots and lots of dancing. I took this shot during the lovely Leslie Davila's wedding last summer (GREAT wedding) of The Test Nest.


6) Long morning jogs/walk with lots of sweat, long cool shower, and lunch outside with a friend is the perfect way to start any day.





9) Fresh flowers from Daddy's garden (they smell best when they're just brought inside all warm from the sun).




8) Summer music is absolutely one of the sweetest things about summer. Most of these are old, some are new, some are "what's old is new again":

Mumford and Sons — "The Cave"

I can't believe it, Fleet Foxes did it again with — "Helplessness Blues"

Sorry for no video, but this song is the sound of my first summer in San Diego. Totally under celebrated is Jacob Miller's — "Charlie Brown's Lament"

Not sure how new this is, but it's new to me as of this week and I can NOT sit still when that guitar gets goin'! The Wooden Birds — "Two Matchsticks" The vocalist sounds identical to that of Death Cab for Cutie, any relation?

Oh Animal Collective led by Panda Bear's Noah Lennox, you have my heart —"Summertime Clothes" (don't miss "My Girls" and "Brother Sport")

This was summer 2009 for me, The Temper Trap's — "Sweet Disposition" thanks to the movie 500 Days of Summer

Hey Rosetta! — "The New Goodbye"

If you haven't heard of Karmin yet, you have now. I'm a little obsessed with her rendition of "Look at me Now" originally by Chris Brown ft. Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes

Long Time No Post

I tell others that successful blogs are like pets; if you don't feed them, they die.

The good news is, I don't have a "successful" blog by anyone's standards, I just have a lovely parking spot on the internet for all the books, artists, projects, and ideas that inspire me.

The next project is on hold; I was trying to create some blocks of time that haven't been and continue to be unavailable to me that I need to make it happen but I'm still stoked about it and it will happen, just not right now.

Until then, I'm back and will be posting regularly (at least as regularly as I used to).

Here are some items since I last posted:

1) Read Hunger Games, it's fine, not spectacular but a really easy summer romp. The movie next year should be entertaining though they picked a really odd director for such an action-packed story—Gary Ross, the guy who did Pleasantville (great movie), Big (yeah, the one from the '80s), Seabiscuit, and Dave...we shall see.

2) Reading The Remains of the Day a poor choice to read simultaneously because Ishiguro's prose can easily outsing any other contemporary voice in writing as it is, let alone a tween author. It's a beautiful novel and I'm savoring it but will have to finish it by book club on Monday. I'm hosting and because the book's all about a butler I'm having everyone dress in black and white and I'll be serving a traditional English meal at Meg Manor.

3) I've decided to never buy wrapping paper ever again. I'm just going to buy huge rolls of brown paper and dress them up in creative ways so I can save money and customize each package for the recipient. "Brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things..."





4) I plan to photograph Lincoln more this summer than ever before and how can I help myself? The city is dressed up for farmers market, Jazz in June, First Fridays, and all the doors to all my favorite local haunts stand propped open and inviting. I hate the humidity but I love love love summer.

5) I've been cooking a lot more lately and I'm going to be cooking some delectibles from my wonderful friend's blog, The Test Nest. I've also been commissioned to make a new logo for the blog so I'll be working on that very soon—I'm pretty excited. Recent forays into cooking include a white chocolate bread pudding with fresh berry sauce, down-home beef stew with thyme and a whole bottle of shiraz, and strawberry rhubarb pie from scratch.

More later but for now that's what I've got. If, and I don't flatter myself that there are probably more than two of you, you followed my blog up until I stopped posting there for a while, my apologies and thanks for hangin' tight!

Black Swan—Movie Review

I wasn't going to go see this movie because I heard it was a little naughty (which it is) but it was getting so many award nods that I couldn't resist the pull of feathers, tulle, and promising performances. I wasn't disappointed.

The lovely Leslie Davila and I went last night. We dressed up for each other, each got red slushies, and went to the ballerina movie—a consummate girl's night out.

The movie begins much like any ballet movie; Nina (Natalie Portman) wakes up in a pretty pink nightgown, surrounded herself with her stuffed animal collection, and is sing-songed awake by her overly affectionate though somewhat unbalanced mother. Nina buzzes with anticipation knowing that auditions for Swan Lake are coming soon pending the retirement of the prima ballerina, Beth (played well by Winona Ryder). Here's my first spoiler—Beth retires and Nina gets the part (shocking, I know).

That her technique is impeccable and she embodies the virginal, delicate white swan, the director knows; his concern is that Nina won't be able to play the sensual, powerful black swan too.

If you don't know the story of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, it's about a princess, Odette who gets turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer. One day, Prince Siegfried goes hunting at dusk, sees and takes aim at a lovely white swan for his collection when the swan transforms into a beautiful woman. He learns that until she receives a promise of love from a virgin prince she will ever remain a swan by day and woman by night. The prince falls in love with Odette but by a trick of the evil sorcerer he is seduced and accidentally proposes to another woman at a party (the black swan in human form). Odette, devastated, kills herself and the prince feeling so regretful follows her so they can be reunited in death.

Nina's professional training to become the black swan becomes a destructive transformation of herself: her mommy issues, pressure for perfection, and, most prevalently, her sexuality.

All in all, the film is visually stunning, the plot edgy, and Portman's performance is perfectly en pointe. One can see that she has shed blood, sweat, and tears to become a dancer for this film (one entire year of training) and her acting gave me goosebumps. I will also submit that this movie has the feel of a classic film—it was the subtle suspense that carefully avoided cheesiness and the perfectly packaged storyline.
Things you should know before you see this film:
1) It's naughty—there's about every variety of sexuality in this film but I strongly feel that it was necessary to tell the story
2) It's graphic—dancers already have enough cracks, snaps, and bloodied feet but this film takes it to the enth degree by adding an element of fantasy and horror, and
3) If you're easily spooked, you might want to rent or skip this movie altogether.

All that said, if you think you'll like this movie at all then definitely see it in the theater. Natalie Portman shimmers, the costumes wow, and I just don't think a television will give the same feeling of there being a stage before you as the big screen will.

Fall Flicks

Long ago, I did a post on Essential Summer Movies, well this time I have a list of fall films. Autumn is when I gear up (i.e., buy up a ton of used books) for winter reading season and since it's such a busy time of year, my impatient mind demands more movies than it does novels so I grab a blanket, warm up cider, and curl up with Daisy to watch a good movie.

Disclaimer: many of these films are not for the faint of heart—I'm not proud of my penchant for scary movies, but these are relatively tame compared to the vast majority of scary movies—these picks are plucked perimeter of the horror genre but be aware that they will make you jump.

1) Diabolique (or Les Diaboliques)—1954
My first choice comes from The Criterion Collection and was acknowledged as influencing Hitchcock's Psycho. This classic thriller is not as overacted as some of its 1950's constituents and more than most foreign films, this French piece has real "je na se qua" that soon makes you forget you're reading subtitles.

2) The Ghost and Mrs. Muir—1947
In terms of scares, this movie is positively child's play but I love it because it's a sweet little love story set by the sea and done in all the cheesiness and predictability as one could hope. However, Gene Tierney is absolutely gorgeous and would be as coveted an actress today as she was then for her flawless beauty and ease on camera. Probably not one for the boys, but if you loved old romances as a little girl, try it out.

3) The Haunting—1963
Director Martin Scorsese placed The Haunting first on his list of the 11 scariest horror films of all time and for good reason. This film pioneered some scare tactics no one had seen before which I will not enumerate so as not to spoil them.

4)Fargo—1996
"You doin' okeey there, Marge?"
"Yep, I just think I'm goin-a barf!"












The Coen Brothers added "based on a true story" at the beginning of the film despite the fact that the crimes detailed in the film are a very loose adaptation of two, unrelated Minnesota crimes (neither of which involved a certain piece of heavy machinery). Why a film taking place in North Dakota that comprises over 75 uses of the f-word and has a body count of seven works I don't know. It just does.

5) When Harry Met Sally—1989
A break from scary films, this makes the list because any script written by Nora Ephron is exquisite—it's autumnal and one of the best romantic films of all time. Fun fact: in the museum scene, Harry ad libs, "But, I would be proud to partake of your pecan pie." Sally laughs and looks to her right where Rob Reiner silently prompts her to go with it.

6) The Village—2004
In my humble opinion, this is last good movie M. Night Shyamalan did. I know many were disappointed by the explanation of the monsters but I thought that there was enough psychological depth to make it work. There's something that really works about Shyamalan's idyllic, homey setting being disrupted by unpredictable monsters; this dystopia piece just works. Fun fact: the movie was rated PG-13 when it came out into theaters only after Shyamalan agreed to omit a single sound effect that had taken the film to an R-rating right before release (wouldn't you love to know what the sound was?).

7) School Ties—1992
Not a scary movie either, this one's for the girls starring Matt Damon, Brandon Fraiser, Ben Affleck, and Chris O'Donnell. 'Nough said.

8) El Orfanato—2007
Guillermo del Toro is a genius and this thriller proves it. There are so many little details and elements this Spanish director includes that reward the observant viewer. It's kind of scary, not going to lie, but it's not over-the-top frightening and unlike so many other scary movies, this one actually has a plot. The thing I love about Spanish films is that you're guaranteed to see something you've never seen before on screen.

9) The Birds—1963
First, Tippi Hedren, one of Hitchock's famous icy blond leads, is absolutely stunning. I love the scenes she's in opposite Suzanne Pleshette, a feisty, warm-blooded brunette, as they make a perfect foil. Maybe that's why Hitchcock used the famous split-focus technique to capture both beauties in the scene where Mitch is on the phone with Melanie and Annie's character listens in. Tell me what you think about the musical score of the film when you finish it, I'd like to hear your thoughts (veterans to the film know what I'm talking about).

10) Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?—1962
Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, only two of the most powerhouse women ever to grace the silver screen star in this thriller about the two reclusive sisters. The very best part of this movie? Crawford and Davis hated each other with a passion that made their onscreen tension so fabulous. For example, during production, Bette Davis had a Coca-Cola machine installed on the set to anger Joan Crawford, whose late husband had been CEO of rival Pepsi-Cola and who herself was on the board of directors of that company. During the kicking scene, Bette Davis kicked Joan Crawford in the head, and the resulting wound required stitches. In retaliation, Crawford put weights in her pockets so that when Davis had to drag Crawford's near-lifeless body, she strained her back.

Stop What You're Doing

And go see (500) Days of Summer.



The best movie I've seen since Stranger Than Fiction. Note: this is an "unlove" story and I would definitely encourage you to see it on the big screen rather than rent because its collage-style aestheics and the way it engages the audience are much more enjoyable in the theater.


Next movie I intend to see:

Watching the trailer with Lindsey P.:
Lindsey: I feel like this is pretty much every guy I've dated.
Meg: Yeah, and nooooo syndrome. Huh.

Gone Writing

(this photo is entitled Meg Pontificates)

Hello Dahlings,
To all my faithful (and tolerant) readers, thank you very much for visiting my blog. I wanted you to know that until further notice, my posts will be more sparse than usual as I am working on writing an actual story. I am collaborating with my mother to develop a story she made up for Michael and I when we were little. She'd started this wonderful story and never concluded it so it's time these characters and plot were put to paper. Wish us luck and I offer the following recommendations for much better reading than you'll find here:

The Tao of Pooh is my most recent read, it's a well-thought-out argument that Winnie the Pooh is the West's version of a taoist. It's an academic argument with none of the pompousness and lofty reasonings. Though I, myself don't subscribe to the teachings of taoism, I thorougly enjoyed this short, fun read.

Bleak House, I'm not reading it; I'm watching it. This is a FANTASTIC BBC production of Dicken's book and I haven't finished it yet but I've seen enough to recommend it. I'm hopelessly hooked and thrilled by the film and the language found therein. Rent it from your library, they'll probably have it or order it for you if you ask.

For fantastic tips on everything (and even better recipes), visit the RealSimple Web site by Martha Stewart.

Go to BBC's news site for the very best of the best journalism, in my opinion.

As a former employee of and a current fan, I must tell you that for me, every Autumn's sweater shopping begins and ends with a visit to the GAP, you'll have these sweaters forever.

If you haven't igoogled yet, you must. It's basically a personalized homepage for you to add whatever you'd like (sort of like Mac's widgets, for my fellow Apple mates). I have a banner across the top featuring art by Jeff Koons, a crossword that renews itself every day, places one must travel to, BBC headlines, How-to tips, and more. Now go make your own.

Finally, to the right of my blog you'll see a list of other bloggers. Feel free to peruse their prose and enjoy their thoughts. Mama Mullen is, truly, queen of the kitchen so go there for some yummo recipes, Tiffany is brilliant and sees the world through an imperfect-Christian lens we all need a prescription for, Heather loves life more than most, and Gina is a modern-day Diana goddess of the hunt/fish/climb/camp, just to detail a few.

I'm off to write, cheers!

The Essential Summer Flicks

Summertime should be spent outdoors. Period. But once our energy and the day are spent and biting bugs force us indoors, balmy summer nights are best spent with a great film, some friends and/or family, and wine. Here are my picks for summer flicks:

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
This movie is spectacular, a character-based drama that all takes place on a sultery southern plantation. Elizabeth Taylor sizzles and, I'm convinced, is the only woman whose looks could compete with the delicious Paul Newman. This film makes me want a mint julep, a drawl, and a brass-frame bed. (movie based on play by Tennessee Williams who won the pulitzer for it in 1955)

Summer Magic
Speaking of Burl Ives, he stars alongside Hayley Mills in this adorable Disney picture. I grew up on this movie with it's cheesy musical numbers, but it's overall a very sweet movie and it's my favorite starring Hayley Mills who's just on the cusp of becoming a woman when this was made. If you've ever heard the Disney song "Ugly Bug Ball," this is where it originated. The story goes that Disney didn't like the song at all when songwriter Bob Sherman presented it. Sherman explained to Disney that to bugs, other bugs weren't ugly, even if they are to us. Disney was sold and it because one of the most popular Disney songs of that time (1960s).

Benny and Joon A brand new favorite, I saw this for the first time just last night. Depp is splendid, Quinn's eyes are fathomlessly blue (Benny), and Masterson's (Joon) inquisitivness about Depp's character is what makes their little love story sing. Now all I want is a dozen perfect pink roses and to play "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers on repeat.

Mystic Pizza My all-time favorite Julia Roberts film, it's original tagline was "A romantic comedy with the works," and it is. You really do have to see it to understand, but it's sort of a coming-of-age, clash of socieites, East coast, essential '80s movie. Guys, not gonna like it so much. Girls, rent it. I know you'll love it.

Stand By Me LOVE this movie, warning, language from young mouths...it bothers many mothers. But I borrowed this movie from a coworker (thanks Blake!)this Spring and loved it. Of course, you stick Richard Dreyfus on anything and I'll eat it up, non-Dreyfus fans don't be deterred, he's just the narrator. River Phoenix, rest in peace my friend, you rocked this film. (Bonus: The movie is based on the novella, The Body by Stephen King)

Jaws Based on Peter Benchley's novel and set off by John William's unforgettable cello score, little needs to be said about this fantastic summer suspense that's enough to make you afraid of the kiddy pool in your own backyard.

A Streetcar Named Desire If you thought Vivien Leigh left us with only her stunning performance in Gone with the Wind, you're dead wrong; and if you thought that she was maltreated in that film, Scarlett's got nothing on Blanche. Not a happy film, but worth it just to watch the fabulous Marlon Brando storm and brood. Great performances, great scene settings, and oh so sultry. So once again, one of Tennessee William's screenplays makes the list.

Runners up:
Swiss Family Robinson (another cheesy but great Disney flick--and it has pirates!!)
Pirates of the Carribean, we all know it's best enjoyed with a huge pina colada (extra rum). And for Pete's sake, only watch the first one, the other two are a waste of rump time.
Finding Nemo, I shouldn't have to even list it
American Graffiti
The Sandlot
The Blue Lagoon

I think there will have to be a part II to this post, but for now, these should help you beat the heat. Enjoy!

The Red Shoes: A Movie Review

I just watched a movie worthy of its very own blog post, The Red Shoes, a British film made in 1948 directed and produced by "The Archers" is a wonderfully artistic film. It certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea, and at a little over two hours, it may seem tedious to some; but for me, it was like watching moving art.
It's about a woman (Moira Shearer) who goes from extra to prima ballerina in her company and stars in a ballet commissioned for her by the company's director called "The Red Shoes," based on Hans Christian Andersen's story in which a pair of red shoes cause its wearer to dance without stopping.

Some don't realize, but Hans Christian Andersen's stories are unique; they are often macabre usually without even delivering a moral lesson.
Anyway, Moira's character lives to dance and falls in love with the composer of "The Red Shoes," and it seems all's well that ends well until she's forced to choose between the role she was born to perform or the love of her life. I won't tell you how it ends (obviously), but overall I thought it was a wonderful piece. It's a relatively simple story, and depends equally on the actors' abilities to pull of a character-based yet plot-driven performance. Moira is certainly not the most beautiful actress to grace the screen especially in this era of bombshells and buxom leading ladies in movie history, but I couldn't take my eyes off her especially given her talent for acting besides her effortless movements as a dancer; a rare combination in hollywood portrayals of ballet.

Note: if you happen to be in the mood for a ballet movie that isn't so dated, try The Company for worthy acting and admirable dancing.

Nuit por Leslie, tres bon, no?

Okay, don't think I'm crazy, but when one spends enough time on one's own, one gets ideas.
Tonight, I had a Leslie Night. Leslie Dickey is my good friend living in York, NE--though she is the kind of person one would imagine living in New York. To describe her, I would begin with words like edgy, creative, epicurious, aesthetic, funny, and intriguing. She is off-beat enough to test the limits of my life inside the box, but never so presumptuous to push me outside of it without my consent. There are certain small things Leslie had made me appreciate that, were it not for her, I would've passed up without a thought. So it was the least I could do when I decided to dedicate an entire evening to her. My agenda was as follows:
Come home and take off all the accessories that made my outfit fabulous, yet a little less than comfortable during my workday, made a real meal, poured a glass of chardonnay and turned on "Paris, je T'aime", at her recommendation that I rent it. I proceeded to cry through most of the middle, baked three chocolate chip cookies for myself, then ate them warm out of the oven and began to feel better immediately. Finally, after the movie was over, I made a mixed-CD to be proud of and flipped through Blueprint magazine she'd loaned to me before I left Lincoln. I wasn't reading it though, I mostly just flipped through looking at the pictures and imagining what motif she would decide on when she finally got her own place. If I had read the magazine, I imagine all the funky fonts would've read, over and over, "I miss Leslie". When she reads this, she will probably make some girly-cooing noise, then come to her senses and realize how hideously corny that last sentence was.
I'll put on my newly-mixed CD before I go to bed and let it run until it runs out or I fall asleep, whichever comes first, and include Leslie in my prayers because I am thankful for her and God deserves to know it.