Sunset on Christmas Day
Christmas is finally over, but we're still ensconced in the maddening limbo of the holiday season. New Year's Eve is our next hurdle.
I've decided to curtail my complaints, rants, grievances, and general misery - and try to concentrate on all good things. At least for a few minutes. As a hardcore pessimist it won't be easy, but it's my holiday gift to you.
I finally replied to your comments on my previous post. I generally love comments (as long as they're not death threats), but I don't always acknowledge them simply because I'm lazy - and often because I have nothing interesting to contribute.
Christmas Eve was remarkably pleasant and I savored the persistent fog and dreary weather. I ate supper at midnight and watched the 2002 Hallmark movie Silent Night - which was remarkably good. It was based on a true story about a group of American and German soldiers who were unwittingly brought together by fate on Christmas Eve in 1944.
It's available on YouTube, in case anyone cares.
On Christmas day the fog and rain cleared out and the temperature rose to 65 balmy degrees (that's Fahrenheit, for those of you in Stockholm). The day was marred by four (yes, four) power outages. They were consistently annoying but mercifully brief.
Today - which I'm assuming is Monday - is still unseasonably mild and windy. It's a clean wind here (not tainted with west Texas dirt), and it inspires the treetops to sing as a great haunting chorus.
This was my back yard in west Texas during a windstorm (no, I am not kidding)
This is my Tennessee back yard today during a windstorm. I rest my case.
I watched another movie recently, the 2012 German film Ludwig II starring Sabin Tambrea as the ill-fated Bavarian King (directed by Peter Sehr). Despite taking many liberties with historical accuracy, I thought it was a wonderful film. It certainly held my interest for the two and a half hour duration.
It's difficult to compare this recent film with the 1973 film about Ludwig II directed by Visconti - - both efforts are good in their own right.
Sabin Tambrea as King Ludwig II
I've always had a strong penchant for Ludwig II, the "mad" Bavarian king, because in many ways we were alike. I never held the belief that he was insane, but rather feel that he was an extreme eccentric who chose to avoid the harsh realities of life and kingship by escaping into the safe and soothing fantasy of music, art, and literature.
This is the real King Ludwig II
When I was a child, I escaped from the brutal reality of my father's violence and abuse by reading books, writing, and delving into music. This chimerical safe zone of artistic delusion has followed me throughout life.
Two more things: just for the record, I never agreed with the general theory that Ludwig committed suicide. I believe that he was murdered by his (many) enemies.
The 2012 film Ludwig II is available on YouTube, if you want to see it. It's definitely not a movie that will appeal to everyone - and it's in German. Be sure to enable the English subtitles (I can understand German, but the subtitles help immensely).
I never initially intended this post to be a movie review but, hopefully this transgression will be forgiven.
Now I'm off to feed my cats, feed the 'possums, and make dinner (for myself).
