The Dig is an exceptional film about a wealthy widow who hires an amateur archaeologist to excavate burial mounds in East Anglia, England. The movie is based on the book The Dig by John Preston whose aunt, Peggy Piggott, partook in the dig.
Although the story is based on a real event, Preston took artistic liberties with some events and characters.
The acting is superb and the cinematography is outstanding. The pace isn’t fast, but the film never drags. It takes place the summer of 1939, right before England enters World War II, providing a tense background to the main story. The theme explores the uncertainty of England’s future while uncovering their past.
Another theme revolves around death. Many died in World War I and now England is faced with entering another world war. Moreover, the two main characters also both face death, each in their own unique way.
The center of the story is the friendship that develops between the ailing widow, Edith Pretty (played by Carey Mulligan) and the archaeologist, Basil Brown, (played by Ralph Fiennes). Both characters have a fascination with evacuation.
Edith’s young son shares his mother’s enthusiasm and spends his free time helping in the dig. He and Brown form a strong bond as the story unfolds. Edith’s cousin also comes to help with the dig and becomes part of a love story subplot.
When Brown’s excavation reveals an amazing find, word spreads about the site’s great significance. Then museums step in and hire a Cambridge University archeologist to oversee the dig. Tensions mount when Brown finds his discovery is no longer under his control.
One of the best parts of a movie like this is that it’s based on a true event. A person can travel to the British museum and see what was found on this archeology dig. The movie makes history come alive through this insightful, uplifting story.
It was heart opening, uplifting and a little sad. When I finished I even went back and reread parts of it so I could appreciate it better in the context of the whole book.
I just finished reading The Travelling Cat Chronicles and found the ending quite moving. All the pieces of the stories and characters came together and I understood in a deeper way what the story was about.
The author, Hiro Arikawa, is Japanese and I read the English translation. The story begins in Tokyo and continues (as the title suggests) with the main characters (Satoru and his cat, Nana) traveling through Japan. In the course of the story the reader learns about the Japanese people and their culture.
The novel is told from the viewpoint of Nana, Satoru, three friends and his aunt. The story premise is simple: Satoru can’t keep Nana anymore so he visits three friends, attempting to find a new home for his beloved cat. The mystery that draws the reader forward is why Satoru can’t keep Nana.
On Nana and Satoru’s journey, we learn about Satoru’s three friends and his youthful adventures. We also learn that Satoru is a good person and loyal friend.
The book is written in simple language in the Japanese tradition of folkloric tales with illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. Although it has special appeal to cat lovers and others who love animals, the message is much deeper. It’s about love, friendship, courage, heartache, self-sacrifice and the challenges of life and death.
I found the book a little slow at first—pleasant, but not a page-turner. I could easily set it down. Later I was sorry I read it in pieces. It was such a beautiful book I realized I’d missed some of the treasures, which is why I went back and reread parts.
I don’t want to say more and spoil it for you, except to say read the book as you would poetry or a fable. Savor each character’s story and reflect upon them as you read. How does it relate to your own life experience, friendships and experiences with animals?
Let me know what you think of the book after you read it. I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts and insights into its deeper meaning.
Years ago I heard about Your Body’s Many Cries for Water. At the time I thought, “What’s to learn, other than it’s important to drink lots of water?” So I didn’t buy the book.
Years later my husband listened to a two-hour talk on YouTube by Dr. Batmanghelidj and told me more about the doctor’s background and medical research.
He was born in Iran and educated in Scotland and England. He was working in Iran when the Iranian Revolution broke out in 1979 and placed in the Evin Prison as a political prisoner for over two and a half years. While he was incarcerated, many people were ill and the only thing he had to treat them with was water and salt. So he used these to treat many painful ailments.
For example, he successfully used water to treat 3,000 people who had stress-induced peptic ulcer disease. The prison turned out to be an ideal “stress laboratory” to do research on water and salt to prevent and relieve many painful degenerative diseases.
After his release, he escaped Iran and came to the United States where he continued to research the effect of chronic dehydration on the human body. This led to an understanding of how the human body works, and to the realization that dehydration causes pain and many degenerative diseases, such as asthma, arthritis, adult-onset diabetes, lupus and multiple sclerosis. His message to the world was, “You are not sick, you are thirsty. Don’t treat thirst with medication.”
Water has many life-giving properties. “It is the solvent—the water content—that regulates all functions of the body.” (p. 11)
In the talk, Dr. Batmanghelidj also discussed the importance of adding sea salt to the water we drink. After hearing more about Dr. Batmanghelidj’s research, I purchased the book as a Christmas gift for my husband, wrapped it up and put it under the tree.
One difficulty I sometimes have is waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to go back to sleep. The two weeks before Christmas it was especially bad. I was waking up at 4:00 or 5:00 a.m., feeling wide-awake and unable to get back to sleep. I tried various remedies to help me sleep longer and none seemed to work.
On Christmas, Jim opened his present, Your Body’s Many Cries for Water. Soon afterward I started reading the book. In it Dr. Batmanghelidj explained that modern medicine treats diseases with drugs rather than understanding the damaging effect of dehydration. Many drugs can cause more dehydration and harmful side effects. He also explained how important it was to add sea salt to the water we drink.
Since my problem was with sleep, I looked in the index to see if he addressed sleep problems. Batmanghelidj says, “Salt is vital for sleep regulation.” (p. 157)
He recommended half a teaspoon of sea salt for every ten glasses of water, or a quarter teaspoon per quart of water. The recommended amount of water to drink half your body weight in ounces.
For instance, a 200-pound person would drink 3.13 quarts of water or 10 to 12 glasses of water a day. A 100-pound person would need to drink 4 twelve-ounce glasses of water per day. As an indication of whether a person is getting enough water, he says, “A well-hydrated person produces colorless urine…” (p. 135)
So I started drinking two quarts of water a day with a quarter teaspoon of salt in each quart. I also drank plain water and herbal tea.
On the first two nights, I woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep. On the third night, I woke up at 4:00 a.m. to go the bathroom. But the difference this time was I was still tired and easily fell back to sleep afterward. I didn’t feel the rush of adrenaline that usually kept me awake. I was pleased and cautiously hopeful.
In the weeks since then, I’ve faithfully drank two quarts of water with sea salt and am getting a good night’s rest. Once in a while I wake up a little earlier than I’d like, but I’m not concerned about missing an hour of sleep once in a while. I attribute being able to get a better night’s sleep to having the right amount of water with unrefined sea salt in it.
Not putting salt in my water was the missing ingredient for me.
Why is salt so important? Here are a few things Batmanghelidj mentioned: it regulates the water content in the body; it’s a strong natural antihistamine; it’s an anti-stress element for the body; it’s vital for the kidneys to clear excess acidity and pass acidity into the urine; and it’s essential to treat emotional disorders, such as depression. (p. 154)
A word of caution: this blog post is not intended to replace medical advice from your doctor. I’m just sharing my understanding of Dr. Batmanghelidj’s research and my own personal experience.
In the book Dr. Batmanghelidj stated that the best choice of salt is unrefined sea salt, which has 80 mineral elements the body needs. Adding sea salt to your water isn’t the same as having more table salt on your food. It works best if the salt is in the water.
Also, don’t substitute soda pop (regular or sugar-free), coffee or tea for water. He has a whole section on the bad effects of caffeine and soda pop on the body. Soft drinks are especially bad for children as their bodies have a hard time with the chemicals in them.
The importance of water to the entire body was explained in detail in the book. I highly recommended reading the book and deciding for yourself if you need to drink more water with a dash of unrefined sea salt in it.
My husband and I went to see Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles last week. This new documentary takes a look at the original Broadway musical, Fiddler on the Roof, and all that went into creating and getting it produced.
The original writer, Joseph Stein, based the story on the works of Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem. The story takes place in 1905 Czarist Russia. It’s about a Jewish milkman Tevye, his wife and five daughters, three of whom are approaching marriage age. Conflict occurs because the parents want to preserve their Jewish traditions in a changing world while the daughters want to break away from the old custom of their father picking a husband for them.
The documentary talks about Sheldon Hamick, the lyricist, and Jerry Bock, the composer. They believed in this musical and fought to overcome all the obstacles they faced while trying to get it produced. Producers thought no one would be interested in an old Jewish story, but eventually someone agreed to produce it.
Jerome Robbins was hired as the choreographer. He’d previously done choreography for West Side Story and was considered a genius. Still the pre-Broadway run in Detroit had bad reviews and the team had to take out a musical piece and rethink the show. The New York Times said there were “no memorable songs.”
After revisions, the Broadway musical went on to perform over 3,000 performances and was made into a successful movie. As it turned out, the story had universal appeal because all cultures and people go through upheavals. This musical has a timeless quality and has been popular for 55 years worldwide. It is currently being performed someplace in the world every day.
I love the movie Fiddler on the Roof and have seen it several times, as well as viewing live performances. What I enjoyed about the documentary was realizing all the people who worked tirelessly to make it a successful show. I enjoyed learning about the history of the Jewish people in 1905 Russia, and the historical events at the time the musical was made (in the 1960s). The show is as relevant today as it was in the past.
At the end of Fiddler on the Roof, the government forces the Jewish people to leave their village. Today in many parts of the world people are leaving their homeland. The August 2019 issue of National Geographic has an article on this entitled “A World on the Move.”
I recommend Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles for those who have seen the musical either as a play or movie. It would be less meaningful for people who don’t know the story, but they still might find the documentary inspiring.
Becoming Jane is a delightful movie, especially for those who love Jane Austen’s books (Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility). In the movie you see that Jane Austen’s characters and ideas stem from her life experiences. Jane’s life was filled with loving family and some heartache.
The movie covers Jane’s (Ann Hathaway) young adult years. Her father is a minister who encourages her learning and ideas. Her family lives a modest life on a farm with the children sharing the chores. Jane has a close relationship with Cassandra, her sister who is engaged.
Jane is full of life: She’s intelligent, an independent thinker and loves to write stories. She receives an offer of marriage from Mr. Wisley, a wealthy man who could help her family live comfortably. However, Jane doesn’t want to be forced into marriage, even to help her family. She declares she wants “affection” in a marriage.
Jane does a reading of her latest manuscript for her family. Thomas Lefory (Jame McAvoy) attends and makes a poor impression by not taking interest in her story. Gradually they come to know one another and fall in love. Unfortunately, Tom is a young Irish man without money. He and his family are dependent on his rich uncle.
It’s an enjoyable movie made by BBC in Ireland. It’s well-acted and has a great plot drawn from the book Becoming Jane and the letters Jane wrote. Some of the situations, witty dialogue and characters remind the viewer of Austen’s books.
After seeing the movie, I was curious about how close it represented Jane Austen’s life. It turns out the movie is a blend of fact and fiction. Jane was born in 1775 in Hampshire, England. She was the youngest child in seven siblings. In the movie her relationship with her sister Cassandra and her parents is the main focus with regards to her family life. As in the movie, Jane received a marriage proposal from a wealthy man that she accepted, then turned down the next day.
She did know Thomas Lefory when he was on break from his legal studies in England. She enjoyed his company at dances while he was in Hampshire, but there is no evidence that they fell in love and wanted to marry.
Jane’s life was fairly private. Her sister destroyed many of Jane’s letters after she died, so there is much that isn’t known about her.
During her life, Jane wrote many short pieces and six novels. All were published with the author being anonymous. Jane Austen’s name didn’t come out until after she died of Addison’s disease at forty-two years old. At that time, women weren’t supposed to be authors, since they weren’t thought of as independent thinkers, and the idea of novels was a new concept.
Jane Austen is considered a romance writer, yet she never had a serious romance or married. Over the years people have wondered how she could write about experiences she never had. However, she did attended many dances, received a marriage proposal and witnessed the heartache her sister suffered when her fiancé died of a fever in the West Indies. From her writing, it’s apparent that these experiences and her keen insight into human nature were enough for her to become an extraordinary writer.
Though Jane Austen had only modest success during her life, she became popular in the 20th century. Today she’s considered one of the top one hundred English writers.
If you’re a Sci-fi fan, you won’t want to miss Ex Machina, a 2015 movie that’s available on Netflix right now. In this story, a computer coder Caleb (Domhnall Glesson) spends a week at his employer’s extraordinary mountain home to evaluate the intelligence and consciousness of a lovely AI robot Ava (Alicia Vikander). It’s a thought-provoking, eerie movie that brings up many questions about AIs (AI stands for Artificial Intelligence).
The story opens with Caleb being congratulated at work after he wins a contest to go to the remote home of his employer, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). He’s flown in by helicopter, dropped off in the middle of nowhere and told which direction to walk. He heads through the woods and finally reaches a house that could pass for a fortress. He knocks on the door, his photo is taken, and then he’s issued an ID tag. The door opens and he walks down the hallway until he comes to the kitchen, where outside the patio window he sees Nathan working out.
This opening scene gives the viewer the uncomfortable feeling that something isn’t quite right and we’re a little on edge, as is Caleb.
Caleb has to sign an agreement never to disclose what he is about to see. He wants to have a lawyer look at the agreement, but Nathan tells him he can either sign it or spend the week just hanging out. Caleb wants to see Nathan’s project, so he signs. The room he’s given is more of a windowless cell than a guest room. When he asks Nathan about it, Nathan explains his home is a research center that has high security.
As the viewer, we feel we’re trapped in this cell with Caleb. He is trying to figure out what’s going on, but Nathan only lets him know what he wants him to know.
Caleb finally gets to meet Ava, the AI robot. Her body reveals she is a robot, but her face is that of a beautiful woman. As Caleb meets with her, he begins to see her as a conscious being and is attracted to her, especially when she puts on clothes so she looks human. After interviewing Ava several times, the difference between a human and a machine begins to break down in Caleb’s mind. He even wonders if he is a machine.
The world inside the house is filmed in muted colors while outside colors are bright with a river, rocks and trees. Ava has never been outside and can only see it through the glass in her room. To Nathan she’s just one machine in a series of machines that keep evolving. But to Caleb, who has formed an emotional attachment to her, she is a being with consciousness. He wants to help her escape from Nathan.
The title Ex Machina is a play on the Greek phrase Deus Ex Machina—“God from a machine.” A machine refers to the machine that held a god over the stage in Greek drama. In the title, Deus (meaning God or deity) is left out. The movie examines the theme of humanity as it relates to God. Ava reminds of us the name Eve, for the first two humans, Adam and Eve.
Writer and director Alex Garland also uses mirrors and reflections as a device. Ava and Caleb only see each other through glass. What is real and what is a reflection?
Caleb begins to see that Nathan is manipulating him. He didn’t win a contest at all. Nathan picked him and created an AI female he would find sexually attractive. Ava also has the ability to be seductive, and she tempts Caleb as Eve tempted Adam.
Other sci-fi movies exist with AIs that are so intelligent they become dangerous to the men who invented them. 2001 One Space Odyssey was probably the first with HAL, the computer that ran the ship, eventually taking it over. Other well-known movies with AIs include the Terminator and Matrix series.
This movie is different in that the AI looks like a beautiful, innocent woman who is trapped in a glass room and serves only as part of Nathan’s research. She will be destroyed when he’s through with her for the development of a new, improved model.
The question the movie asks isn’t only: Can AIs destroy us as they become more and more advanced? (and more intelligent than us), but If AIs have consciousness, should they have rights? Or, should they be kept as slaves for their owner’s use, subject to being destroyed when their owner gets a new model? We think nothing of replacing our computer with a newer, faster, more powerful one, but what if that computer looks like a person, complete with intelligence and consciousness?
In this movie, the line between man and machine is blurred. To Caleb, Ava becomes real and his belief in Nathan (as a God-like figure who created this amazing AI) is shaken.
Ex Machina is a brilliant movie with good acting and excellent photography that will leave you thinking long after the movie is over.
Knowing of my interest in the Vikings, my sister gifted me a copy of The Half-Drowned King. My interest in the tale piqued when my husband told me he was related to one character, King Harald, who was the first king to rule all of Norway.
The main character in the book, Ragvald Eysteinsson, pledges his sword to Harald Fairhair after he has a vision while nearly drowning. The vision is of a great wolf with golden fur and blue eyes with sparks flying from its fur. Ragvald understands the wolf is symbolic of the legendary king Harald.
Ragvald’s father died when he was a child. His mother remarried with the understanding that his stepfather Olaf would hold the family land until Ragvald grew up. Instead his stepfather betrays Ragvald and he’s nearly killed by Solvi.
Ragvald wants revenge on his stepfather, in order to reclaim his family land and marry the woman he loves, but hasn’t the means. He signs up to serve King Hakon in hopes of eventually being able to achieve his goals.
Ragvald also wants to find a good husband for his beloved sister, Svanhild. She stays with the family of the woman he wants to marry when he leaves with King Hakon.
When King Hakon joins forces with young King Harald, Ragvald’s fate becomes swept up with the prophesied King of all Norway.
Meanwhile back home, Svanhild runs away rather than marry an old man she’s pledged to by her stepfather. She ends up falling into the hands of Solvi, the man who tried to kill her brother.
Both Ragvald and Svanhild must make many hard decisions as they navigate the violent world of the Vikings.
Grab a copy of The Half-Drowned King and prepare to read an exciting Viking saga set in ninth-century Norway during the birth of the nation.
Star Rider and the Golden Threads has gotten some great reviews. Here are two of them from Amazon.
Star Rider and the Golden Threads
“The honeymoon’s over. The stakes could not be higher. The newlyweds are poised to confront the very face of evil, intent on conquering their universe. This is Heidi Skarie’s most intriguing work to date. Surprising twists and insightful peeks into the ongoing battle between the human and spiritual natures within each of us.” by D. E. Munson, Author
“I love this book! I read the first of the Star Rider series and was looking forward to the next installment. It kept me up too late reading because I didn’t want to put to down! If you like a book with action, danger, mystical insight and characters you care about, this fantasy series is for you.” by Laura E.
If you’re looking for unique gifts, check out the Holiday Gift Show at the Art Center in Victoria, Minnesota. The ACCC Arts Center (recently opened in 2018) features visual art, jewelry, sculpture, pottery, photography, CDs and books by local authors.
I’m featuring books and photo cards at this show. Forty percent of the profits goes to support the Art Center, so when you’re shopping for holiday gifts be sure to stop in. The event runs from November 15 to December 24. The Art Center is open Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 5:00 pm and Saturday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. It’s located at 7924 Victoria Drive (studio level), Victoria, MN.
If you’re looking for a good movie at the theaters this holiday season, check out Instant Family. It’s a fun movie about a couple Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) who decide to check into the world of foster care adoption.
They take a six-week class with other potential foster parents with the intent of adopting a younger child. Instead they decide to take in a 15-year-old girl (Isabela Moner), but when they find out she has two younger siblings they become an instant “family” with three children.
The movie is full of humor and multiple challenges, including the possibility of losing their fledgling family when the children’s biological mother decides she’s ready to take them back. Underneath all the hilarious situations are Pete and Ellie’s joy when the younger children call them Daddy and Mommy. It’s a great testament to the great need for loving homes for so many children in the world. The movie is rated PG-13.
If you have younger kids or grandkids, try The Grinch based on Dr. Seuss’ beloved holiday classic. The story is about the Grinch, who wants to steal Christmas from the town of Whoville and a little girl, Cindy Lou, who opens his heart. It’s currently playing at the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis and at local theaters.
Heaven’s Sweet Embrace by Sheri Kramer is a beautifully written novel about our journey as we wander through time and space learning through our experiences about wisdom, compassion and love.
In the Prologue the opening lines are:
“In a blink of an eye time can collapse and the curtain between lives blow open before settling back in place… Who are you? Where are you? Imagine your many selves in that moment all aware of you, as you are aware of them.”
The novel interweaves four different stories from different times periods and places. The main one is about Shin Seo in 13th century Korea who has bought his freedom from the ruling class and is about to enter a new life. After sharing a meal at a tavern with two companions, he goes with them into the forest and finds a cave that is already inhabited by a family of runaway slaves.
The second story is of Rivka and Hannah, a Jewish mother and daughter who are trying to escape from the Ukraine to join Rivka’s husband in America.
The third and shortest story is about Mongke who is twelve and wants to join the troops in battle, but first has to pass tests to see if he is ready.
The fourth story is about two Korean comfort women, Shin Ae and Jinju, who are freed after the Russians drive off the defeated Japanese in Manchuria at the end of World War 2.
In each story the main characters are at a transition point in their life and their stories are told with such vivid details and poetic language that the reader is drawn into their world. The scenes are often told as the character wakes up and remembers bits of dreams that weave into the other stories being told. Gradually we come to realize the characters are the same set of souls reincarnated in other lives.
Here is an example: “Mongke wakes with a disturbing memory of enemy soldiers in strange uniforms, defeated and strewn about. And then it is gone. The dream is replaced with the excitement of the coming day.” P. 71
The scenes are often peaceful such as walking through the woods, swimming in the lake, eating a simple meal, learning to read, or a mother taking care of her baby. But underneath is tension: fear that the run away slaves will get caught, or the Jewish woman and daughter won’t be able to escape the Ukraine, and or that the two comfort woman will be rejected by their family when they return to Korea.
The book begins and end in the middle of these four stories just as life doesn’t have an abrupt beginning and end. Yet each of the four stories ends on a hopeful note that the characters will be able to make a good life for themselves.
I highly recommend this book for people who like visionary fiction and are interested in reincarnation. Or to those who just want to open their minds to possibilities.
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