The Monuments Men

 

For a while now I've been watching old films that I remember loving the first time around.  Surprisingly, I didn't care for some and even found a couple to be unwatchable. 

This week I watched The Monuments Men and I loved every minute of it, just like I did the first time around in 2014. If you cherish historic art and enjoy World War II history, you will like this film.

 

Hitler was making the greatest treasure heist in history.  And what his men couldn't confiscate, they were ordered to destroy... this thousand years of culture. 

President Roosevelt tasked a group of seven middle-aged art experts with rescuing artistic masterpieces from these Nazi thieves and returning them to their rightful owners.  These men, led by Frank Stokes (portrayed by George Clooney who also directed the movie) were museum directors, curators, and art historians.  They had difficulty with the "real" G.I.s  who could not grasp the importance of this endeavor.  

They split up into several European cities to chase down the art.  One item, Michelangelo's Madonna and Child statue in Bruges, Belgium, exchanged hands several times.  Bruges is one of my favorite cities in Europe.

At the end of the film, decades after the war, an elderly Frank Stokes takes his grandson to see the statue in Bruges.  However, this time he is portrayed, not by George Clooney, but by his dad in real life dad, Nick Clooney.  

By the way, another of my favorite movies is In Bruges.  It's about a couple of hit men who are sent to Bruges to kill a guy but, instead, they fall so in love with the city that their lives and changed.  

I might watch it next.  

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I Love Bill Pullman

  

I just finished watching the 4th  season of "The Sinner"  on Netflix. It was such a relief to finish it.  I've suffered through all four seasons, each a totally different story with different actors, except for Detective Harry Ambrose, as portrayed by Bill Pullman. 

Ambrose appears to me to be clinically depressed in every scene.  He's sad, awkward and can barely get his words out.  Each episode of "The Sinner" is painstakingly slow.  The camera lingers on Ambrose as he appears to be struggling to answer even a simple question.  He looks disheveled and very, very sad at all times. 

He seems to me to be a person who is deeply flawed and unhappy but dedicated to unraveling these complicated mysteries.  

I wonder how they've been able to get away with four seasons but "The Sinner" has a strong following. Jessica Beal is the executive producer and was in the first one.  Like all of the seasons, it's very dark and depressing. I doubt that her husband, Justin Timberlake will ever be a character on "The Sinner" because he likes to smile and have fun on stage.  

Bill Pullman has said this is the last season.  I hope he's right because if there are more I'll have to watch them. 

And I don't want to.

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Wire Coat Hangers

 Jobs Partnership is a great program that helps folks who are unemployed or underemployed by providing skills training in various areas.  One service they provide is appropriate clothing for interviews and positions.  

A few weeks ago a friend, who is part of the leadership in this program was asking for wire coat hangers.  She said they're in need because "no one uses wire hangers anymore."

This was big news to me!  I had no idea how I could be so out of step.  

Yes, I'm well aware of the wire hanger's bad reputation for being used for things other than clothing.  Actress Joan Crawford's daughter, in her book, Mommy Dearest, tells a chilling tale of Joan's outrage at her daughter using wire coat hangers while beating her with one. The term "No wire coat hangers ever!" became famous.  

And every person my age knows that coat hangers were used by desperate women to bring about  abortions.  Many of them died and others required hysterectomies. Decades ago the hangers became the symbol of dangerous, illegal abortions.  

But I don't think that the misuse of the hanger is what's causing it's current bad reputation.  I think it's fashion.  

I came home and looked in my closets to find a mishmash of wire, wooden, plastic and combos of all.  I decided to get rid of all the weird, different shaped hangers and keep only the uniform wire hangers with that little cardboard roll on the bottom for hanging pants.  

I donated the others to Jobs Partnerships.

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Restoration

 

Yesterday morning, in church, we finished up a sermon series titled Restoration based on the Old Testament book of Amos.  Wowzers, it was hard.  Amos has almost nothing but bad news for us.  

Some Sundays these last few weeks, I would have been happier to just see videos of puppies and kittens. But I fully understand why we need to study Amos.  Many of his dire warnings apply to our situation here in the US of A.  

Pastor Philip started by saying "We made it through the hurricane and (sigh) we made it through the book of Amos!"  But Pastor Philip reminded us that this did not result in instant restoration .  And he then preached an excellent sermon on restoring our ruined cities and living in them. There were strong leaders of the Israelite community who butted heads on how to go forward. Just like us.  

However, I want to share Amos' words in this last chapter with you.  It's a message I need to hear and I was kind of shocked with how it speaks, right after the devastating Hurricane Ian, to us Floridans at this particular time. 

Amos 9:11 I will restore David's fallen shelter - I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins - and will rebuild it as it used to be.

Amos 9:15  They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them.  They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. 

Thanks Amos and thanks Pastor Philip.

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Paul Was In The Slammer

 

This afternoon I, and everyone else in Florida, am waiting for Hurricane Ian to come - and go.  

In Vanessa Echols' book, We're in Heaven, and I Have Some Questions, she profiles the Apostle Paul.

She reminds him, You were beaten, stoned, sent to prison, and shipwrecked at least three times.  And Paul was arrested (or as Vanessa says), You were thrown in the slammer.

Paul wrote several of his books while he was in prison.  This got me to thinking about many of the people who've written great words of wisdom while in prison, how their words have deeply affected my life.  People like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King, Jr.  

But the first person to help me get to the bottom of the question "Why am I here?" was Viktor Frankl.  His book, Man's Search for Meaning, was not written in prison but a short time after he was released from Auschwitz, the Nazi Concentration Camp.

He described why some men and women lived through this atrocity.  They found meaning and purpose.  We, including me,  still chase after material, temporary things, But my search for meaning continues. 

I agree with Dr. Frankl's words:  Our deepest desire is the find meaning and purpose. And I think we here in Florida will have plenty of opportunities to rediscover our our purpose.

***

I Wish I'd Written This Book

 

Vanessa Echols was a well loved and respected television newscaster for Channel 9 here in Central Florida for 30 years, prior to her recent retirement.  

I've just finished reading her book, We're in Heaven, and I Have Some Questions. Have you ever been in Bible studies where no questions were asked, where you were required to accept someone else's interputation of The Word?  "No questions allowed."

It's clear from the beginning that Vanessa is a strong believer but she uses her own cultural colloquialisms to tell the stories.  The book is very funny and entertaining.

Vanessa Echos

Vanessa has profiled 41 characters in the Bible.  They are presented alphabetically. (Since I'm a little OCD, I appreciate this.  Also, each chapter is no more than one or two pages long.  However, she leaves room for our own comments.  

Writers need structure and encouragement to let our words flow.  Vanessa Echols has provided this for me.  She begins by saying "If you don't have a sense of humor, don't read this book."

She asks David, when he was dancing before the Lord, if he was doing the Electric Slide.

There are many stories in the Bible - and in all of history - where folks experience a reversal of fortune.  Jacob in the Old Testament was a trickster.  But then he was tricked by his father-in-law, Laben.  In the book of Esther, the evil Hamon experiences this reversal of fortune. 

But Vanessa says it this way:  "The playa got played."  And she describes Esther  doing "a total boss move."

Thank you Vanessa Echols.  In a way I did write a little of your book but only because you invited me to do so.  

See Ya!

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Working Babies

 Netflix  now has new episodes of "Call the Midwife," the wildly popular British series.  I love this show.  It deals with hard issues, but the characters; nuns, nurses and others,  are extremely kind and calm throughout.  They are excellent examples of how we should all behave in times of crisis. 

Because it's about bicycle riding midwives, from right after World War II up through the sixties,  we get to watch multiple babies being born in every episode.

I've often wondered about where they get these babies.  They come in all sizes and colors.  Do they hire them?  What do they pay the babies?  

A couple of days ago the Orlando Sentinel published an article on babies and toddlers working in a nursing home.  The director, when taking her own wee one to work with her, was surprised at how the patients enjoyed her child.  So she's now arranged regular visits from babies and toddlers. 

The article said they're paid in formula and diapers. 

I have a fantastic little great-grand baby.  She's now a toddler and even more adorable.  Relatives line up to get to spend time with her.  So my question now is:  should she get a job?

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