Sherlock Holmes, JOhn Amos and the Good Wife.

I never cease to be amazed at how my life instantly changes when my wife leaves town. Yesterday she left for a brief visit at my mom's before going home to visit with her parents and siblings for weekend [Thursday night included] - the whole weekend!! ........ so I tucked a 'Mothers-Wives-Day' card in her luggage. The house is so quiet. I don't mind cooking for myself, but is sure better to have someone to share it with. So rather than continue the routine we're in when she's here, I went out and rented a few movies, one for each night she's gone. My reasoning is that at least for 2hrs. the movie will distract me from the quietness of her absence; and besides there are no buttons to push. Last nights movie was Sherlock Holmes. Having always been a Holmes fan, it was a delightful movie. Wilson, unwisely introduces his girlfriend to Holmes, that was a disaster, although remarkably she doesn't desert Wilson. I won't tell you how that relationship develops throughout the movie, but its good. A former girlfriend/antagonist, which I didn't know Holmes had shows up at just the wrong times,and in the end Holmes has to make a difficult choice. This movie is full of action yet it does not fail to deliver on Holmes' brilliant deductive powers and Watson always timeless interventions. At the end of the movie, HOlmes is again confronted with another case, only this one with his eternal antagonist Professor Moriarity, who unbeknown to HOlmes has been in the background of the whole present case. Except for a couple brief nude scenes in which only a backside is shown, and absolutely no swear words, this was an excellent movie. The movie stars Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law, Rachel McAdams and Mark Strong. Its rated PG-13. ENJOY

On Monday I finished the book 'GILEAD'by Marilynne Robinson, and it was every bit as good as Sage said it was - matter of fact it was even better. I really enjoyed this book as John Ames writes the story of his life to his young son whom he will never see grow into a young man because of his rapidly decreasing health. Perhaps loving family history also is a reason why I find the story so delightful; and I have a book on work desk called 'A Father's Legacy,' which from time to time I fill in so that my kids/grandkids can have answers to some questions that have never been told or asked ... although I am hoping that this blog will also fill that gap. The congregationalist preacher John Ames still struggles with spiritual issues that one might have thought a life-time in ministry would have long ago solved; and perhaps this is also a reason why I loved the book so much. For as I grow older, way toooo fast, I am beginning to have more spiritual questions that I've never had before, not questions like most at the beginning of life's journey have: 'is there a God?' 'what is my purpose in life?' 'If God loves then why is there so much suffering,' etc. .. questions of that sort, my faith is stronger today than ever before. And I am learning that the strength of my faith is also the peace that allows me to face spiritual issues many long ago many would have thought I'd worked through. I think they are questions of 'settledness;' perhaps not unlike those emotional questions one can only face when you realize your tenure here on earth is fading a lot quicker than you ever before imagined. In the book John Ames talkes a lot about his closest friend, next door neighbor the Presbyterian Rev. Robert Boughton. Robert appears to have his feet a lot closer to the grave than John; but is very often in John's thoughts when he contemplates those spiritual issues. Robert named his one son after his friend, John Ames Boughton. Robert's son is nicknamed Jack, and is the black sheep in the family, and his every appearance with the Rev. Ames causes the old preacher to make a choice between being graceful or judgemental. It's such a difficult choice for the Rev. Ames because he dearly loves Jack. The author has written a book, 'HOME', that takes a look into the dwindling health of Rev. Boughton and the reappearance of Jack to his father's house. I am eagerly awaiting a used copy from Amazon.com so that I can continue reading about these two families, who at times are so intertwined its easy to forget there are two families involved. ENJOY
GILEAD, by Marilynne Robinson, Picador Publishers, ISBN; 0312424404. Thanks again Sage for the excellent recommendation.