Paris 2010

Paris 2010
Garden at Versailles

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Quotes for the Day

Here are some quotes I like...

Every day, even for a moment, find your own sense of calm.

May this day bring you peace, tranquility and harmony.

Love what is ahead by loving what has come before.

When the mind is backed by will, miracles happen.

May you have faith in your worth and act with wisdom.

Have wisdom in your actions and faith in your merits.

True understanding is found through compassion.

Life is a chance.  Love is infinity.  Grace is reality.

To learn, read.  To know, write.  To master, teach.


Awww...
 


Monday, February 25, 2013

Joy's Oscar Review

Joy's Review of the 85th Academy Awards
It's getting late and I haven't written my thoughts on last night's Oscar telecast! I'd better get going while it's still fresh in my mind. First of all, this year I am on Twitter and I tweeted my comments as the stars made their way down the red carpet. That was fun! Here is my list of the best dressed actresses and actors -
1) Charlize Theron
2) Jennifer Lawrence
3) Channing Tatum and his wife Jenna Dewan-Tatum
4) Anne Hathaway
5) Barbra Streisand (who sang "The Way We Were" so beautifully in tribute to the late Marvin Hamlisch)
6) Naomi Watts
7) Quvenzhane Wallis (so adorable in blue - the youngest person ever nominated for Best Actress)
8) Daniel Day-Lewis
9) Salma Hayek
10) Ben Affleck
11) Halle Berry
12) Joseph Gordon-Levitt
13) Jennifer Hudson (whose rendition of "And I am telling you, I'm not going" from "Dreamgirls" gave me goosebumps and wowed the audience)
14) Jennifer Garner
15) Seth MacFarlane
 
There has been a lot of talk on Twitter about Seth MacFarlane's turn as the host. I have to say that I was very impressed by him. I've only seen him once on TV when Piers Morgan interviewed him and I didn't know he could sing so well. I suppose a few of his jokes were tasteless, but on the whole I thought he did a great job and wouldn't mind seeing him host again. It's a tough job and no one does it perfectly. 
 
Check out this article from www.parade.com for more on Seth -
 
I haven't seen all of the big movies that were nominated and won this year, but eventually I will get to them all. I filled out my own Oscar ballot with my choices for the winners and I got 16 out of 24 correct. That's pretty good, if I do say so myself! I usually get Best Supporting Actor wrong and this year was no exception. I was sure that Tommy Lee Jones would win but I'm sure Christoph Waltz was great in "Django Unchained" (which I haven't seen yet). I think Quentin Tarantino is brilliant and I was sure he would receive the Oscar for Original Screenplay.
 
I was confident that Daniel Day-Lewis would win and he gave his usual witty, gracious accectance speech. He is the only actor to win three best Actor Oscars (for "My Left Foot", "There Will Be Blood" and now "Lincoln"). It was also easy to pick Anne Hathaway for Supporting Actress and I was happy that Jennifer Lawrence (my pick) won for Best Actress since she had some tough competition. I can't wait to see "Silver Linings Playbook" and I'm going to read the book as well.
 
I was very happy that "Argo" won for Best Picture and if Ben Affleck couldn't win Best Director, I'm glad Ang Lee did. I'm looking forward to seeing "Life of Pi." It was great that the first lady Michelle Obama, (looking beautiful as usual) could present the award for Best Picture. It's true that the show was pretty long but I didn't think it was boring at all. I watched the Independent Spirit Awards the night before on IFC and enjoyed that as well. That's about all I can think of for now. Sadly, another award season has come and gone. I look forward to the Oscars so much every year and never miss it. I'll see you at the movies!
 
 
I forgot to mention the wonderful tribute to the James Bond franchise.  My husband and I loved seeing Shirley Bassey sing the title song from "Goldfinger."  We thought that song should have won the Oscar that year but it did not. 
 
Also, it was sad to be reminded that the great Nora Ephron passed away last year (in the In Memoriam portion of the show).  But they forgot to include Andy Griffith, who also appeared in movies as well as "The Andy Griffith Show" which is still shown on TV Land.  They usually always forget someone.
 
 

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Some Good Quotes

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

- Margaret Mead

"One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries."

- A.A. Milne

"I think that if women and children were in charge, we would get somewhere."

- James Thurber

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Oscars are on Sunday, February 24th!

Just a friendly reminder not to forget that the 85th Academy Awards are on this Sunday night!  I haven't missed the Oscars since I was about 9 years old (I think!) and this looks like a great year.  I'm lucky that I live on the west coast because I get to see the show live at 4:00 pm. :-)

Check this out -

http://oscar.go.com/

Here are the major nominations -

Best Picture:Amour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Misérables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty
Best Actor:Bradley Cooper, Daniel Day-Lewis, Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix, Denzel Washington
Best Actress:Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Emmanuelle Riva, Quvenzhané Wallis, Naomi Watts
Best Director:Amour (Michael Haneke), Beasts of the Southern Wild (Benh Zeitlin), Life of Pi (Ang Lee), Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell), Lincoln (Steven Spielberg)

Richard Gere, a presenter this year


 

 

Monday, February 18, 2013

"Women Working Words"

I read an article in the Seattle Times today about a new art exhibit at the Facere Jewelry Art Gallery in Seattle.  I hadn't heard of this art gallery before but the exhibit looks interesting.

Here is the link to the gallery -

http://www.facerejewelryart.com/

And here is the article from the paper -

http://seattletimes.com/html/thearts/2020365672_facerereviewxml.html

 
Marina Marioni's "Cloud 9" brooch
 

Sunday, February 17, 2013

La Boheme

Never thought I'd become an opera buff, but after seeing "Cinderella" at McCaw Hall in Seattle last month, I am officially hooked!  We are going to see "La Boheme" in March.  Here is more information on this beautiful opera by Giacomo Puccini -

http://seattleopera.org/tickets/production.aspx?productionID=122

And here is the review by the Seattle Times theater critic, Misha Berson -

http://seattletimes.com/html/thearts/2020352556_labohemepreviewxml.html

 
 


Thursday, February 14, 2013

Over the Moon Cafe

My sweetheart is taking me out to lunch today at the Over the Moon Cafe in Tacoma.  Here is the link to that restaurant -

http://overthemooncafe.net/

We've never been there before.  It's my treat for Valentine's Day. 

 
 

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Famous Valentine's Day quotes

I found these quotes in the Parade magazine that came with the newspaper today -

"Look to the great romantics for inspiration!

My blind eyes are desperately waiting for the sight of you. You don't realise of course, E.B., how fascinatingly beautiful you have always been, and how strangely you have acquired an added and special and dangerous loveliness.
Richard Burton to wife Elizabeth Taylor, excerpted from Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger.

I shall see you in three hours. Until then, mio dolce amor, a thousand kisses; but give me none in return, for they set my blood on fire.
Napoleon Bonaparte to Josephine, two months before their wedding

I cannot better explain to you what I felt than by saying that your unknown heart seemed to pass into my bosom—there to dwell forever—while mine, I thought, was translated into your own. From that hour I loved you.
Edgar Allan Poe to poet Sarah Whitman

You are more wonderful and lovely in my eyes than you ever were before; and my pride and joy and gratitude that you should love me with such a perfect love are beyond all expression, except in some great poem which I cannot write.
Woodrow Wilson to wife Edith


[W]ith an indescribable pleasure, I have seen near a score of years roll over our heads with an affection heightened and improved by time, nor have the dreary years of absence in the smallest degree effaced from my mind the image of the dear untitled man to whom I gave my heart.
Abigail Adams to husband John"

                                                        
 Sweet Peas

                                                 Happy Valentine's Day!

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Today's Quote

Finish each day and be done with it...
You have done what you could;
Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in

Forget them as soon as you can
Tomorrow is a new day;
You shall begin it well and serenely.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

 
 

Garden

Garden
Versailles

The Louvre

The Louvre
Paris

Paris

Paris
The Seine

Arc de Triomphe

Arc de Triomphe
Paris

Paris in May

Paris in May
Paris

The Louvre

The Louvre
Paris

Chihuly glass sculpture

Chihuly glass sculpture
Victoria & Albert Museum, London

Monet's Water Lilies

Monet's Water Lilies
Orangerie Museum, Paris

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey
London

Bruges

Bruges
View from our hotel window

Amsterdam

Amsterdam
canal

Arc de Triomphe

Arc de Triomphe
Paris

Lilacs in London

Lilacs in London
St. Paul's Cathedral

The Royal Guard

The Royal Guard
London

Music man

Music man
Bruges

Joy at the Palace

Joy at the Palace
London

Guard

Guard
Tower of London

Jackson in Bruges

Jackson in Bruges
Belgium

Canal bridge

Canal bridge
Amsterdam

Houseboat

Houseboat
Amsterdam

British police

British police
London

Oscar Wilde's Grave

Oscar Wilde's Grave
Paris

Rhododendrons in the park

Rhododendrons in the park
Amsterdam

Versailles

Versailles
Joy in the palace

Winter scene

Winter scene
wow!

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year
dragon

Sweet peas

Sweet peas
love 'em

Pretty bouquet

Pretty bouquet

Princess Diana Fountain

Princess Diana Fountain
Hyde Park

Gardens

Gardens
Versailles

End of summer daisies

End of summer daisies
Our yard

Cool art

Cool art
Tate Modern, London

Penguin party

Penguin party
penguins

Pretty kitty

Pretty kitty
My sister's cat

Jon Hamm

Jon Hamm
Is he a great looking guy or what?

Mad about Don

Mad about Don
Mad Men

Love Monk!!

Love Monk!!
Love To Tony

January and Jon

January and Jon
Beautiful people

Jon and January

Jon and January
Mad Men actors

Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa
The Louvre

Royal Crescent

Royal Crescent
Bath

British phone booth

British phone booth
London

Harrod's Department Store

Harrod's Department Store
London

Versailles

Versailles
bedroom

Trafalger Square

Trafalger Square
London

Tower of London

Tower of London
London

Seattle Public Library

Seattle Public Library
Seattle

Lavender

Lavender

Lighthouse

Lighthouse

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas
beautiful

Coffee love

Coffee love
yummy