Yesterday while I sat home enjoying my day off from work (hooray for having a job) I watched a lot of TV. Then something hit me, in a small way, I've inherited a part of my maternal grandpa, Chris. I love my grandpa in many ways including all the time when I was little and I would sit watching TV with him. Mostly I remember watching a lot of M*A*S*H but I'm sure there were other shows.
The first TV I remember my grandpa having was the kind with bunny ears and a manual dial. It looked kind of like this one. I would jump up and change the channel when he asked but most the time he was doing the changing of the channel and then adjusting the antennae to make the picture come in better. It was better then what I'm sure he had when he was little and it was cutting edge when I was a kid. But like everything else, new technology came and changed how people would watch TV. This technology would be, in my opinion, the greatest invention for my grandpa Chris.
Before I tell you about this great, ground breaking invention, you have to understand something about grandpa. From a young age I remember him watching TV and always telling certain commercials to be quiet or simply he would say shut up. It wasn't every commercial but there was one very specific one I remember. Do you remember when there was a supermarket called Lucky? Stephanie Edwards did those commercials, and if you don't remember or have never heard of the chain, Edwards also has done commentary for the Rose Parade for I don't know how many years. My grandpa couldn't stand her or her voice.
The ground breaking invention that I think was the greatest thing for my grandpa . . . the remote control.
One button alone is what I think saved my grandpa's sanity anytime Stephanie Edwards came on the TV, the mute button. Once he got his first TV with a remote he could shut the Lucky's lady up anytime he wanted to. Of course he always added a good shut up to her as he would push the mute button.
Yesterday, I realized that I have taken up the mantel and continue his legacy. My remote control might be more advanced and have way too many buttons, but it still has a mute button. I used it a lot yesterday to quiet many annoying ads that I just can't tolerate anymore. The first time I did it I realized that grandpa had left his mark on me and taught me how to use the mute button really well.
I picked up this book because I enjoy Christopher Moore, but this was unlike any other book of his I have read. I found myself lost in the world he created, enjoying a small part of France that felt so real (and probably is if I knew anything about French geography).
The characters were interesting and kept evolving once you thought you knew them. Even more interesting was his use of real painters as characters in this novel. Supplemented with pictures of actual artwork, it sparked my curiosity to look for more. I cared about Lucien, Juliette, and everyone else, finding out what was happening to them was just as important to me as them. There's a love story even buried within the words that is truly magical.
Then there's the blue. In the author's notes at the back of the book Moore states that he set out to write a book about the color blue. In my opinion he did that and more. The fascination with the Colorman's specific blue is what leads all these painters to him, with the assistance of the muse Bleu (to tell you about the muse would give too much away).
The color blue comes to life and carries its own life force. It dates back in the novel to the times of the cave paintings, to the Picts using it for battle, the glassworkers using it for stained glass in the beautiful cathedrals that are known for such work, and finally to the painters that give it new life in their artwork. Blue is a living character in Moore's book with such an interesting past it delves you into finding out about its future.
This is a book I would read again. Having read it once, reading it again would allow me to look at things that happen differently and see the little bits of information I missed along the away originally. It is a well-crafted story with a fury of emotions running through it. Yes, I definitely will be reading it again in the future.
Yes! I have accomplished one of my goals for 2014. It came in January and will start in February. I got a job. I am super excited about it. I can't tell much at this point, but I have a job, finally. I know this will be a great experience for me and I will grow a lot from the opportunity.
January is over and we are four days into February. Seems crazy that one month of the year is already gone. I've been posting as much as I can in my blog, and I feel really good about it. I enjoy doing this even if I don't do it everyday.
I did see a movie recently, Movie 43, I was visiting a friend and they wanted to show me just one scene and we ended up watching the whole thing. The movie is full of well known celebrities. It is a movie of comedic sketches but mange to mold together to form a story as well. Greg Kinnear was fun to watch, so were Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, and Dennis Quaid. I enjoyed a few of the sketches more than others but I laughed through the whole movie. I will say that the sketch involving Hugh Jackman and Kate Winslet, the one that my friend wanted to show me was the best one. Yes, that was by far my favorite of the entire film. So I appreciate that I was able to watch this movie.
What else is happening . . . I have started the 2014 Month of Letters Challenge and I'm off to a strong start. I have tried to get ahead since I'm going to be in San Diego for a class the next few days and may not have a chance to mail anything. I have mailed a couple postcards to a friend's children and think I will do a few more of those. I wrote my first letter to another participant and I'm excited to try and make some new friends that I converse with by mail.
I am almost done with my third book of the year too! That will be a post for another time. I can tell you it has been an interesting read and I have enjoyed it very much. I'm also trying to figure what I want to read next, I have so many choices. This personal challenge has been good for me. It has rekindle my love for reading which was just waiting to burst forward again.
I think that is everything so far. I'm off to my first CIC class of the year, but second one towards my designation. I'll be in San Diego for a few days but not outside much of a hotel ballroom. I am excited and nervous but know that I will pass. I have to think positive. So send me your positive thoughts too.
