The Russian Novel

Today is a perfect snow day. If only it weren't Saturday, because I have the day off already. If only I didn't have a 6" stack of papers to grade. I'm serious, I do!

Last night and this morning, I sat down and watched a movie that's been on my Netflix instant queue since I subscribed: Tolstoy's War and Peace. It was the perfect accompaniment to a cup of hot chocolate, a warm fuzzy puppy snuggled up in my blankets and the quietness of a new blanket of fallen snow.

I've always had the best intentions to read melodramatic and complicated Russian novels, but I haven't had the motivation to make it past the first chapter. Hence, watching the 1956 production of War and Peace has succeeded in giving me an appetizing taste for the real, yet much more convoluted novel by Tolstoy.

Auburn and Fonda

I liked the movie more than I imagined I would. Hepburn sometimes annoys me - I think she's far too overrated an actress at times, but her style is iconic, I'll give her (or her costumers) that credit. What really inspired me were the deep characters of the male protagonists. Prince Andrei Bolkonsky played by Mel Ferrer, was so serious, sensitive and sad, yet honorable. One couldn't help but want the best for him. Pierre Bezukhov, played by Henry Fonda, was a little more complicated in that he would switch his idealistic outlook on an off throughout the film. I can only imagine how much more intense these characters would be in the novel itself.

Auburn and Ferrer

It was a long movie, comparable to GWTW, also another excellent classic that I've enjoyed time and time again.

So now I've added War and Peace to my summer reading list... I have 2 months to read 5 books. Piece of cake! (No seriously, I read Vanity Fair in 2 weeks. It is entirely possible for me to do this. I am a reading fiend!)

Summer 2012 Reading List

1. The Hunger Games (because everyone else seems so excited for the movie coming out soon)

2. War and Peace, Tolstoy

3. Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand

4. The Guns of August, Barbara Tuchman

5. TBD

Have a happy & snowy weekend!

Creature Comforts

Had a great day off today. Made some productive steps in networking for my wine career pursuits which has been incredibly inspiring. (Something I've needed a bit more of lately) The rest of the evening has been a pleasant night off so far. Here are some fun things I stumbled upon tonight:

Check out this claymation series, "Creature Comforts" It's a hilarious adaptation of real life interviews into claymation characters.

Finished book one of my summer goals. Into the Heart of the Sea was a great narrative of the sinking of the whale ship Essex. The additional research on psychological stages during starvation, dehydration and other survival sciences gave an interesting perspective to history and the interpretation of Philbrick's research.

I'm looking out for a couple of quirky old cafe type chairs to outfit my porch with - something like these, but more original than a PB product. I was pointed in the direction of Antique Row off Broadway. Defs a trip on my next day off.

Went to a really fun "Denver Wine Geeks" meetup the other night at this really neat Wine Bar. I must go back some other time and try their menu items as well.

Finally, I am so so so so excited for this to come out!!!!! Only 1 month away! I get goosebumps every time. Disclaimer: if you don't understand the extreme anticipation we all feel, you probably never read the books. And you should. They offer so much more than the movies can.

Anniversary

Today is the 67th anniversary of D-Day; a day that is sadly often forgotten by the general public. I never cease to be amazed by the humility, patience and bravery these men showed the world. Seven years ago, I traveled to Normandy, visiting many of the beaches, battle sites and museums. Here are a couple of pictures from my trip those many years ago...

But if you can't fly away to France anytime soon, you can always take an imaginary trip with a great WWII movie. Some of my top picks are listed below for your viewing pleasure:

1. The Gathering Storm (2002) - A BBC drama about Winston Churchill and the political upheaval in Britain leading to WWII

2. Enemy at the Gates (2001) - A fairly accurate portrayal of the Battle of Stalingrad between the Russians and Nazis. A stellar cast including Jude Law, Rachel Weiz, Joseph Fiennes, Ed Harris, Bob Hoskins and Ron Perlman make this even more engaging.

3. Patton (1970) - George C. Scott gives a tantalizing performance as the great but controversial American General Patton

4. Band of Brothers (2001) - My favorite out of this entire list. This HBO miniseries gives you a gripping and realistic portrayal of men in the 101st Easy Company on the front lines in Europe, from the D-Day paratrooper landings to the conquest of Germany.

5. Saving Private Ryan (1998) - The first 20 minutes of this movie is one of the most detailed and realistic portrayals of Omaha Beach, the most disastrous of the allied landing points.

6. The Longest Day (1962) - My number two pick. With a great cast including John Wayne, Robert Ryan, Richard Burton and a young Sean Connery, this is a long and detailed movie but it gives you a good idea of all the pieces of the puzzle needed for this allied victory. It has great moments of humor as well to alleviate the gravity of the whole story.

7. The Pacific (2010) - The counterpart to Band of Brothers, this miniseries presents the stories of our heroic Marines fighting in the worst conditions possible in the Pacific Theater, against the most relentless enemy imaginable. I would highly suggest reading either A Helmet for My Pillow or With the Old Breed if you can before watching. It will help you understand the inhumanity of it so much more.

8. Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) - The inspiring story of a determined British colonel and his men in a Japanese POW camp who must cooperate in building a bridge to stay alive.

9. U-571 (2000) - This movie brings to life the little known history of U-boat warfare in the Atlantic. One can only imagine the different fears and expectations these sailors faced compared to the rest of the navy and our men fighting on land. Plus, who doesn't like seeing Matthew McConaughey in navy whites?

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On the lighter side, I decided to ditch the Swordfish recipe. I'd love to try it out but a) there was none in regular grocery stores, only specialty ones and b) way too expensive for my small budget right now. So I picked up a cedar plank and will grill some Ahi Tuna and veggies to go with the Muscadet wine. Guess I'm going to do it on the fly with soy sauce, pantry spices and a little creativity - wish me luck!

This and That

If you like Colin Firth, Julie Andrews, Stephen Fry, William Baldwin and others, you'll like this little known 2000 film, Relative Values. It's 1950's British society meets West Coast Hollywood!

This adorable little old lady did a special arrangement of flowers for our parish's Arts & Music festival this last week. She called it traditional Dutch style and is especially reminiscent of many early 17th century Dutch still lifes. I'm bookmarking this for my wedding someday! So gorgeous!

I'm thinking of trying something bold and new like this Grilled Swordfish Nicoise Salad to go with a bottle of Manzoni Bianco I brought home after a tasting at work. The wine is very acidic and reminds me of Muscadet, so I think the swordfishs' saltiness will contrast nicely. The extreme saltiness of saltwater fish makes the bitter wine actually taste sweeter than it is!

Also looking forward to this movie coming out soon. The Michael Caine imitation scene is hilarious. Can you tell I like British flicks??

Daydreaming of a lovely vintage bar cart like this, only I would add an extra finesse with a whiskey decanter or two.

I've been contemplating buying a set of basic dinnerware set from Crate & Barrel (yay for employee discounts!) I'm thinking a little contemporary with these white square plates would be my choice. Do you think it's too modern looking?? Oooohhhh I'm so tempted to buy so many other things when I go to work!!