myka krystianna gary

Happy Birthday Myka!  We love you.  You are an amazing nine-year-old; a one-of-a-kind girl.

Can you see how quickly she dropped the expensive ice cream cake for her new Warriors book?  I don't want to say 'Nerd Alert' about my own child, but geez!  We have got an avid reader here!

anna karenina

 I have been re-reading this lovely, epic novel by Tolstoy; a new film version starring Keira Knightly and Aaron Johnson comes out in November.  And it strikes, me as I read, that it is very masterfully written.  The characters are each intricately described so that the reader has a clear psychological profile of why they do and say the things they do.

At times I identify with Anna, in the way that she longs for her freedom in love with Vronsky and also in her tender feelings for her son.  But I actually best identify with Konstantin Levin; in his constant over thinking of situations and meanings of what people say and mostly with his longing to find meaning in life and for personal inner-peace.  

 So, I am wondering what this new movie will be rated-?  I would really like to see it- it looks to be filmed a little more theatrically than a straight forward story.  Keira Knightly can totally handle Anna, I think, and Aaron Johnson ... well he looks spectacular- so- heh, heh- I can't wait!

(Although----Anna is described in the novel as having a beautifully curvacious figure with round arms and a full hourglass stature, and Miss Keira, try and she might, can't fill out any corset.  But, she is good at what she does, so I will let that slide...!!)

 (Sophie Marceau actually has more the figure that I imagined from Tolstoy's description of Anna-)

('oh Keira--it's OK, we still like you, but that figure isn't going to turn any heads!')

girls, girls, girls!

 I wonder if Aaron, in his younger years, ever pictured himself surrounded by so many girls...

(This group shot will have to be tried again- we got half of Josy's face, a pouty Haily and Aaron is not looking at the camera----lovely)