Dinner And A Move Monday – The Painted Veil

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review, romance, The Painted Veil

The Painted Veil is based on the 1926 play by W. Somerset Vaughn. On a brief trip back to London, earnest doctor Walter Fane, played by Edward Norton is dazzled by Kitty Garstin, played by Naomi Watts, a vivacious and vain London socialite. He proposes; she accepts but only to get away from her mother, and the couple travel on to Walter’s medical post in Shanghai, where he is stationed in a government lab studying infectious diseases. They find themselves ill-suited. Kitty is much more interested in parties and social life

She has an affair a married British diplomat. When Walter finds out, he threatens to divorce her unless she accompanies him to a small village in remote China, where he’s volunteered to treat victims of cholera. Kitty begs to be allowed to divorce him quietly, but he refuses. He’s determined to make Kitty as unhappy and uncomfortable as possible. They will be living in near squalor, far removed from everyone except their cheerful neighbor Waddington, a British deputy commissioner living with a young Chinese woman in relative opulence.

Walter and Kitty barely speak to each other and, except for a cook and a Chinese soldier assigned to guard her, she is alone for long hours. Out of boredom she goes to the orphanage and begins to work in order to pass the time. It is then that she begins to truly value and admire her husband for the first time. While seeing his wife with the children of the orphanage he recalls when he first met her and he falls in love with her again. As Walter’s anger and Kitty’s unhappiness subside, their marriage begins to blossom in the midst of the epidemic crisis.

I love the way Kitty’s character evolves. She finds happiness when she finally sees her worth and that of her husband and realizes what they can have together.

Chinese Chicken

This is one of my go to meals. It’s quick. It’s easy and hubby loves it.

Brown 1 lb chicken tenders in 3 T olive oil. Add seasoning (salt, pepper Soy sauce). Stir in 1 package frozen Asian vegetables. Cook until slightly tender. Add 1/2 to 1 can water chestnuts. Serve over rice or dry noodles. Serves 4

IT’S HERE!

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Autumn Trails, fall, Football

My favorite time of the year. The end of September brings a subtle change in the weather and by the time October rolls around, we may have already had our first cold front.  I can’t wait.  Early morning and late evening I begin to notice a chill in the air.  The sun goes down earlier. I’m ready to start wearing fall colors and begin to think about digging out our winter clothes and changing to heavier bedding.

My husband is always thrilled because after a summer of not wanting to cook, I’m finally back in the mood. I’ll have to admit there is nothing better than the aroma of a hearty pot of soup bubbling on the back of the stove, unless it’s bread rising or something sweet baking in the oven. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

The month is gearing up, and as always it’s a busy one. Our anniversary was the third. There are five birthdays this month (three on one day). We’ve been watching one of the grandsons play soccer, one of the granddaughters play in the high school band at football games. There’s Autumn Trails activities and Halloween to come. In a couple of weeks we plan a trip south to Texas hill country to see another grandson play football and another granddaughter play volleyball. Go Grandkids!!

Every year in October the little town in northeast Texas where I live holds a month long celebration with activities every weekend. People from all over east Texas attend. Families arrive early to spend the day and visit, just like they did at county fairs years ago. The entire town is decorated.  Pumpkins and gourds, all shapes and sizes, gorgeous mums in every autumn color imaginable perch on hay bales beside scarecrows or in wheelbarrows or wagons. They grace porches, yards and even storefronts downtown. 

Last weekend was our annual Arts and Crafts Show in City Park and downtown.  For those not used to life in a small town, it’s an experience.  People parked their cars at the old train depot (which now houses the Chamber of Commerce) and walked across the street to vendors’ exhibits. The weather was great and my daughter and I snagged some goodies.

Doesn’t my little pumpkin figure look like something from The Nightmare Before Christmas? And I love the clock face. The silver keychain made from a silver-plate fork is for my granddaughter who will be getting her license soon.

 

 

 

Good Girls Don’t Become Best-Sellers—Channeling Your Inner “Bad Girl” to Reach Your Dreams

Kristen Lamb's Blog

I am currently reading Kate White’s I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This: Success Secrets Every Gutsy Girl Should Know. There are bad books, okay books, good books and great books. But there is another kind of book and it’s the rarest.

The game-changer.

White has a witty, sassy style. She is seamlessly intelligent and down-to-earth in her fiction. And guess what? Her nonfiction delivers more of the same.

I’ve never recommended a book I haven’t finished, but this one has me far too excited. Even if Ms. White devolves into dirty limericks for the rest of the book? I still feel I have spent my money well. There are some points she makes which I feel are especially poignant and applicable to writers.

Part of the reason I’m referring to her book in this blog (even though I’m not yet finished) is that I might just chicken out unless I…

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Dinner And A Movie Monday – OUTLANDER

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action, adventure, Dinner and Movie Monday, Mead, Outlander, romance

A spacecraft crashes in a lake in ancient Norway. On board is an alien monster, the Moorwen, and Kainan, played by Jim Cavizel, who activates a distress signal and sets out to trace the monster which had stowed away on his ship and caused the crash.

Kainan is captured and held prisoner by king Hrothgar, who goes hunting for the bear he thinks attacked his village. Kainan saves his life. When his daughter, played by Sophia Myles, realizes the kind of man he is, she falls in love with him.

The Moorwen goes on a rampage. Neighboring king Gunnar is forced to seek alliance with Hrothgar. In an attempt to trap Moorwen and its newly born offspring, many of the Norsemen are killed, including both kings.

The survivors retreat, with Kainan and Wulfric staying behind the Moorwen, eventually defeating it in a cave. Fatally injured, Wulfric transfers the kingship to Kainan. Just as the rescue ship approaches for Kainan, he deactivates his distress signal, opting to remain on earth with Freya.

The movie didn’t do very well at the box office, but I think it was a good story for someone who likes had a lot of action, along with just enough romance. Jim Cavizel portrayed a believable character. As did Sophia Myles.

Mead

This week I’m not sharing a recipe. For one thing, I don’t know if any of us would appreciate sampling a true Viking meal. Instead I opted for something else. In just about every movie I’ve ever watched, the Vikings are always guzzling mead out of horns or flagons. As a writer, I was curious about the beverage, so I looked it up.

Mead is an alcoholic drink created by fermenting honey with water. It sometimes contains other fruits, spices, grains, or hops. The hops act as a preservative and lend it a bitter flavor…something like beer. Alcoholic content can be anywhere from 8 to 20%. It is carbonated or naturally sparkling and it can be dry, semi-sweet or sweet. The beverage is known from many sources of ancient history throughout Europe, Africa and Asia.

And there you have it!