The Spell of 'Amélie'

I'm a huge fan of French films. This is a slightly guilty pleasure because no one else in this household shares my addiction. Thus I can sit undisturbed without sticky children bouncing all over me or blonde ones rummaging through my dressing table. I've now discovered an exception and it's one I shall encourage - Ellie and 'Amélie'. 'Amélie' is one of my all-time favourite films and when watching it for the three thousand & seventh time the other day, the music lured Miss Ellie into my room and, draping herself along the end of my bed, she watched motionless & transfixed. I noted this in my diary - my children don't do motionless & transfixed so a diary entry was definitely called for!

If you haven't seen 'Amélie', I urge you to snatch up the first copy you come across & watch this funny/poignant/beautiful film. If you have art bones buried in your body, then you are in for a visual feast. Inspiration from 'Amélie' creeps up on me in strange & unusual ways - this blog's vista is a very good example!

( Postscript: I love the BBC!! It's nine o'clock in the morning and whilst I've been writing this, I've also been listening to a reading of 'Portrait of a Lady' by Henry James & in a moment, I'm promised a short story by Evelyn Waugh. Do have a rummage for broadcasts in http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/. For large chunks of time during the day and overnight, the priniciple background noises of my life emanate from Radio 4 & Radio 7 so these qualify for a 'Dangerfield Recommends' nudge as indeed does 'Amélie')

Next time I reappear, I have a Lulaism for you & it's quite a swell one because it involves Emily Dickinson & the school bus. Miss Über Sticky strikes again!!

Dipping a toe in the water!

This isn't a picture of a younger me - I was never cute. I was always too grimy to be cute.

BUT this is quite a sweetly appropriate photo as I'm dipping my toe in Blog Pond for the first time in eons. Look how shallow & safe the water is - it looks cool too! Water wings are handy if you're not sure what you're doing - I guess the bipolar equivalent is diazepam. Well it is for me ;-) I'm going to try paddling for a while until I can swim again.

What have I learnt about life recently? Grab what you can, when you can & whilst you're still able. I'm talking about opportunities. My experience of bipolar is that bad 'episodes' usually teach me something. This episode's homily could have taken the form of 'I wish I'd done such and such when I was younger", but instead it appears to be following the route of, 'whilst there is still breath in your body, try to grab what you can, when you can.' I somehow managed to get close to death a couple of times recently and I'm guessing that this is why Madame Bipolar is trying to proffer a whole life lesson.

As my son is still having problems with troubles, I've been teaching him a poem that I know off by heart. I know that you will know it too - I think everyone should have a copy of 'Still I Rise' by Maya Angelou lodged in their brains.