happy 79th, Mama

Dearest Mama,

I began my day with my version of the seafood dish you frequently gave us as children.
You called yours salmon chowder, but I call mine tuna chowder.
Both recipes are little more than canned fish, milk, butter, and pepper.
I have it fairly often, as it comforts me when the loss of you becomes overwhelming.
One week, I dined on it four days out of seven!
Of course, that was after the hurricane.
This morning, after I had returned home from Christina's, I wanted something that would fill me up, warm me up, start my day on a positive swing... Tuna chowder!
And it did all of those things and more...
it helped me start my day with you.
(smile)

Of course, that encouraged me to decorate the house for Christmas.
Heretofore, I had placed my flamingo wreath on the front door and called myself done.
I probably should have worked on decor during the Thanksgiving break, but there was so much else to do!
My left hand cannot hold anything heavier than five pounds, so that simplified what items would be used. Into the "gift closet" I gingerly went, pulling out only the plastic tote with my "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" critters. I had already cleared off the entertainment center for Yukon Cornelius and the "Bominable, Hermey and Tall Elf and Boss Elf, the little train with the square wheels and the polka-dotted elephant and the cowboy astride the ostrich!
Oh, and King Moonracer to carefully tend for them all.
Beside the television are the pistol that shoots jelly and the little blue plane that can only fly in the water.
(smile)

Granny White's door hanger is up, too.
(smith)
Odd, that always makes me smile!
As many years as it has been, I can remember making that for her and how much fun I had creating it.
I was just a teen then!

The rest of the day was spent trying to straighten up a bit.
Then it was suddenly 5 o'clock!
Time for Barbara and Sandy to fetch me to the JavaFlix Savannah meeting!
Honestly, I had wondered what to do with my time today, how best to celebrate your birthday...
a birthday film fest seemed best!
Watching two enjoyable movies with folks who loved me felt like a winner!
These were movies I know you would have enjoyed, too.
The first one, chosen last month for today's screening for JavaFlix, was "Kubo And The Two Strings".
I had so enjoyed it when I saw it this summer!
No, not part of SKFF... this was brand new and debuted in August!
I had loved it then, even though it made me cry.
In some ways, it reminded me of the Day of The Dead customs in the Hispanic community and in Japanese culture.
I very much enjoyed sharing the experience of the movie with Barbara and Sandy, as well as the huge group we had present today. More than twenty people!!!
Newlyweds Bonnie and Don were there, as well as our host Patrick and his sweetie, Sara, and long-time JF-Ser Kimberly.
My new friend San was, too, and had even brought a new first-timer to the group.
There was even a couple who were visiting town and had joined us for the evening!
And such a great discussion!
Only four or five of us had seen the movie before and all of us had been eager to see it again.
I may have been the only one who cried when Kubo realized the true identity of Monkey and Beetle, but you know my sappy self and my over-reactive tear ducts...
(smile)
I really liked the reference to genetics combining traits of the parents into the child. It was done subtly, when the boy used his mother's hair and his father's antenna to restring his instrument...then added a lock of his own to dramatically increase the power of the struck chords.
Amazingly done!
One of the newcomers pointed out an interesting tidbit at the end.
We see Kubo with his parents in human form...and his dad looked like...
George Harrison!!!
I wonder why?
But that certainly explains the use of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" over the closing credits!

After all was said and done, we Tres Amigas still had time to jet over to the Royal for the latest Bollywood.
Hooray!
Set in Paris, it was not the traditional fare...
oh, no!
Lots of ooh la la!!!
"Befikre", which translates as "Carefree", was just what we all needed!
Dancing! Singing! Romance!
Honestly, it may as well have been a Harlequin love story set to music!
Plus, it starred that young man who had certainly stirred our loins about this time lat year!
Ranveer Singh may not be as much a star as SRK yet...
but give him time....
and give him room to dance!!!
Oh, yes!

I do believe you would have enjoyed the little film festival.
I certainly felt your arms around me during the first one.
(smile)

with my love always