Mignonne, allons voir si la rose

A Cassandre

Mignonne, allons voir si la rose
Qui ce matin avoit desclose
Sa robe de pourpre au Soleil,
A point perdu ceste vesprée
Les plis de sa robe pourprée,
Et son teint au vostre pareil.

Las ! voyez comme en peu d'espace,
Mignonne, elle a dessus la place
Las ! las ses beautez laissé cheoir !
Ô vrayment marastre Nature,
Puis qu'une telle fleur ne dure
Que du matin jusques au soir !

Donc, si vous me croyez, mignonne,
Tandis que vostre âge fleuronne
En sa plus verte nouveauté,
Cueillez, cueillez vostre jeunesse :
Comme à ceste fleur la vieillesse
Fera ternir vostre beauté.

Letters to Juliet

There was something heartening and hilarious to read this film critic's review of Letters to Juliet on NPR. (This one from the Washington Post is also quite amusing). Ms. Taylor tore the film to pieces as she explained the plot in three disastrous acts. True, the film was entertaining if one didn't think about it too much, but it lacked a satisfying introduction and conclusion. It was full of awkward pauses, chopped up sentences and meaningful glances. However the scenery was beautiful and the film had a pleasant warm, Tuscan yellow glow that radiated from Amanda Seyfried herself. All of this to say that it is highly advised to wait for this movie when it comes out on DVD.

Out of the Past (1947)

A film directed by Jacques Tourneur, based on Geoffrey Homes's novel  Build My Gallows High. The film noir is about detective Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum), a dame that's up to no good (Jane Greer) and the grinning-mobster (Kirk Douglas). It's a gripping tale set near Lake Tahoe, California where Jeff Bailey leads an easy life in a small town until an acquaintance from his past brings him back to the troubles he's left behind. And you'll have to see the movie to find out how Jane Greer seduces everyone in her path and then leaves them lying flat.

It is a rainy bliss of northwestern winds with raindrops of love floating from the sky descending to the earthy grounds of bainbridge-Arielle

Howard's End

N.B: This post is supposed to be read in a British accent...
I didn't think I was going to like E.M. Forster's Howard's End. I don't think I was in the mood when I started, but I was captivated by the time my plane took off. Howard's End according to my back cover is "this rich, deeply moving novel, which masterfully reveals the English character...Howard's End, a house in the Hertfordshire county-side, becomes the symbol of the conflict within English society." The book was first published in 1910 and understandably rivaled his previous novels. The novel weaves a great tale about social classes and personal struggles. The book left you with the same feeling that one has after watching A Room with A View; contentment that the characters have found peace with their place in the world, the earth and each other. I intend to touch upon this subject again once I have seen the film.

Racing

When a race begins, there is a cacophony of noises: coxswains yelling calls, the sound of blades locking into the water, the slides coming up and the boat moving along. It's very hectic, but one doesn't hear all of it when your in the boat. You are focused on pushing and staying in time with your fellow rowers.
            Rowing is a difficult sport; mentally and physically challenging. Mostly it's all mental because you have to trick your body to keep pushing through the pain. Why do we do this sport in the first place? I ask myself that question a lot, but I always find a way to get up early in the morning to go row as the sun rises. It's peaceful and fulfilling. It's the only time where I spend a solid amount of time out in nature every day. I don't think I would have that opportunity if I did not row. The people are (for the most part) a bunch of fantastic women and it's great having this connection, solidarity with friends. Rowing is an art and it's the constant strive for perfection. That's why it continues to attract me, though some days I wish I could live a normal life. Perfection, challenge, camaraderie and sense of accomplishment all come together when you row on a team.