film reels and umbilical cords

two birth congratulations are in order... 

the first is still underway and has had a long gestation...
dunno if it's my computer, my server, or a glitch on blogger but several attempts to send good wishes to Mike and Rose Riddell over at The Interminable Moon have failed so i'm doing it here instead.

Gareth posted an update on the film version of Mike's novel, The Insatiable Moon over at The Film Talk dot com and Mike is posting regular updates from the set on his blog.

that these folks have stuck it out this far and this long is a testament to their determination, hope and creative tenacity. where others would have lost hope, they didn't. for that they have my respect. Mike and Rose are as downright lovely folks as one could ever hope to meet. and that makes being pleased for them all the more lovely.
i reckon the chances that there's another judge (as in the makes-sure-you-are-presumed-innocent-until-proven-guilty kind, not the can-make-you-an-overnight-star-on-the-X-factor kind) turned film director out there is pretty slim. when it comes to female judges turned film directors... well, i've got to guess Rose is a first.

you can follow their progress on facebook and on twitter and even donate a little to the production of the film here.

well done and love to them both and their crew.

::

big love also to dear Aaron, Autumn and Tyler on the safe and healthy arrival of Jackson on Sunday. very proud of you. especially Autumn, for delivering an eye-watering 9lbs2 worth of baby.

right, back to my essays...

"Cut!"

LB

Post-script:
wanted to highlight a worthy cause for those in the US: there's only a couple of days left, but you can still support HFASS in Denver's Operation Turkey Sandwich here. it'll ease your conscience when you find yourself lying bloated on the sofa on Thursday after eating your own body weight in pumpkin pie.

no news is good news

i've got my head stuck in a paper right now so there's not much to report. my days are currently split between ploughing through texts on the second wave sex war, trying to think of something intelligent to say about same and skyping with the Dr of Darkness. but all is good. actually, it's all great. Christmas holidays start 3 weeks tomorrow. can't wait. but for now i need the days to slow a little.

3 things:

1) apologies to those i owe mails to. the list is steadily growing. i'll try and catch up this week.

2) Thanksgiving greetings to all in the US of Stateside. safe journey to all who are travelling this week and a happy time to all. for what it's worth, i still believe you're an exceptional country.

3) congratulations to Shirley on becoming an auntie today. nice one. :)

oh, one more:
4) i'll be up North on the 5th/6th. hope to catch up with folks then. note to self: remember to collect Christmas decorations from the Fry's. note to Joel: get a tree.

LB

Havelocity

new week. new post.

this past week has had some emotionally rocky moments, mostly thanks to this next month being an intense one with a lot of work needed for school. a LOT. it's been hard not to feel overwhelmed. firefox has been plagued by the rainbow wheel of death and i got frustrated with myself for feeling anything other than complete joy.
the deadline of 14 december is swiftly followed by a totally different kind of month. i'd love to jump ahead and already be enjoying time in the US and Canada with Joel and family. but there's much to do and i have to pull myself back to the present. but holiday plans are already well underway and it's shaping up to be nothing short of magical.

for as much as i have a policy of, "This is our present reality and i want to consider not the glass half full, let alone half empty, but brimming over with goodness even while being 3905 miles from my soul mate and he from his", distance is always an amplifier and one's anxieties know that they have an opportunity to rattle the cage a bit louder. i guess this week they decided to clang on the bars and see what they could get away with...
on those days when life seems more challenging than others and one knows that a strong hug shared would be enough to make troubles melt like lemon drops, one has to contend with not being able to experience that contact. and thus distance (dis)embodied risks becoming its own stressor.
but i'm so thankful for Skype and for the gift of someone so committed to transcending and subverting the virtualness of our current reality with constancy and imagination. of surprising my monsters with the very thing they least expect, leaving them to skulk off befuddled and confused and wondering why their stratagems don't seem to be working.
as Michael Banks said to his sister Jane of Mary Poppins, "Better keep an eye on this one. [s]he's tricky." i am being truly blessed as i am deeply loved.

so. new week. new post. new energy.

here's a mixed bag of stuff to start off the week and then i'm going to knuckle down, knowing that once i start, this isn't going to stop 'til i hand in my work.

::

this one's for my beloved, aka, "the person least likely to ever join Facebook, MySpace and Twitter" - a little bit of amusement from Step-hen Free. i'm pretty sure Joel hasn't seen this, because if he had he would have almost certainly sent it to me.



glad to learn Step-hen shares my love of the Sharpie. the king of marker pens.

::

congratulations to The Film Talk for reaching 100 episodes. please consider supporting The Film Talk with a donation of $3 a month. if they can't make it pay for itself, then they close up shop at the end of the year. and that would be a shame. there's a special offer for US based listeners this week to tempt you.

::

this past weekend Willow made two trips to dublin. one to stay over with me and much great chat ensued. she then headed back to Belfast and made a well-worth-hearing contribution to Sunday Sequence in a discussion about For The Bible Tells Me So which gets a special free showing in Belfast this week. then she and Jonny drove down to meet up Rachel and Karen from Minnesota who were on a brief visit. Rachel and i have crossed paths online and so it was wonderful to join them for lunch and have conversation in person. they are good people.

::

a quote from Joel i woke to this morning, which means a lot...

Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out. 

- Vaclav Havel 

okay. let this month of busyness begin. with Hope.

LB