Author: Erin @ Cracker Crumb Life

I try to create a culture of celebration in our home. For life, for the little things, for wonder and for whimsy. I try to find the beauty around us and teach my son Wyatt to find it, and appreciate it and love it as well. We are a homeschool family, and we love it. We love the freedom it gives us to explore a topic or idea more deeply, and I like that I can adjust our schedule around Wyatt’s other needs. Wyatt has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, and his week often has therapy, doctor’s appointments, naps peppered throughout which would make a traditional school schedule difficult. He is also an asynchronous learner, and I love that I can tailor learning to where Wyatt is at that moment. We have a house full of animals and will probably add more because we like a zoo. We have one cat, Miso, who is a rescue. She is 14 years old and my little floofy girl. We also have one leopard gecko, Luna, a pictus gecko named Harlow, a pacman frog named Freddy, and two crested geckos, Applejack and Oliver. We love all of our little friends! My husband Billy, Wyatt, and I are all curious, creative, stubborn humans which makes for some fun times around here. We love the outdoors, except we are not made for high temps so we retreat inside when the temps start to soar. We are nature lovers through and through. We are trying to downsize our lives too, to live more simply, to buy things that last and eat real food from small local farmers. (and of course Goldfish crackers) We live seasonally and are always up for adventure. We love books and reading, and can be found at the library at least once a week!

Book Review: Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review13 Comments

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Summary:

Down a narrow alley in the small coastal town of Mallow Island, South Carolina, lies a stunning cobblestone building comprised of five apartments. It’s called The Dellawisp and it is named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy.

When Zoey Hennessey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment at The Dellawisp, she meets her quirky, enigmatic neighbors including a girl on the run, a grieving chef whose comfort food does not comfort him, two estranged middle-aged sisters, and three ghosts. Each with their own story. Each with their own longings. Each whose ending isn’t yet written.

When one of her new neighbors dies under odd circumstances the night Zoey arrives, she is thrust into the mystery of The Dellawisp, which involves missing pages from a legendary writer whose work might be hidden there. She soon discovers that many unfinished stories permeate the place, and the people around her are in as much need of healing from wrongs of the past as she is. To find their way they have to learn how to trust each other, confront their deepest fears, and let go of what haunts them.

Delightful and atmospheric, Other Birds is filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won’t let you go. Sarah Addison Allen shows us that between the real and the imaginary, there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways.

My Thoughts:

Sigh. This book was beautifully fantastic. I loved it so much! Just everything about it, every detail, every character, every surprise revealed, was perfect.

Zoey is filled with youthful enthusiasm, dreams, and gumption. She moves into The Dellawisp hoping to learn more about her deceased mother, but is also looking for community, for a sense of belonging, friendship, and she is determined that the residents of The Dellawisp will become that for her. Her character’s life was not all roses all the time, but she is filled with optimism and fun that is hard to deny.

Her neighbors are a quirky lot. There is Charlotte, a bohemian spirit and henna artist, Mac, a James Beard award winning chef who is known for his use of cornmeal, the Lime sisters who maintain separate apartments and don’t interact, and Frasier, the caretaker. They each have their own stories, the stories that have defined them up until now, full of love and love lost, full of shadows with rays of light.

The Dellawisp itself is a magical place. It has been a sheltering comfort for those that live there, hidden behind the main street that smells of sugar, with its special birds that exist only there, in that one place. Until Zoey arrives, and shakes things up in her own sweet way.

I don’t want to delve too much further into this story here, because I don’t want to give anything away. But this book made me smile and and cry and I was under the spell of its beauty the entire time I read it. When it ended, I wanted more and I sincerely hope that Allen visits this world and these characters again in a future book.

Before I wind this up though, lets talk about the food in this book. I love when food and memory and love are intertwined through the pages of a book. I think so many of us have food based memories – I know that I do. I think of my grandmother and my uncle when I make coconut tarts and Empire biscuits; hot cocoa on snowy days, the chicken and stars soup and Vernors that my mom would make me when I was sick – I could seriously go on and on. And in this book food is wound up here and there and everywhere, but most of all with Mac, whom I adored. I was so inspired by this book that I actually spent five hours the other day cooking and baking, standing in the kitchen barefoot and cooking up Carolina Chicken Bog and Plum Berry Cornmeal Cake. And dang, was everything so delicious! We will be eating the chicken bog for days and I have been eating the cornmeal cake for breakfast and it tastes amazing paired with my cup of coffee.

I absolutely adored and loved this book! I actually can’t wait to read it all over again.

New Additions and a Road Trip

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Michigan14 Comments

So a few weeks ago we had to say goodbye to our fluffy family member Marlow, which was very hard. I am not planning on adopting anymore cats as my dad is super allergic and it makes it impossible for him to visit. But Wyatt and I were feeling sad, and circumstances aligned to allow us to purchase new little pictus geckos from Josh’s Frogs in Owosso, MI. My friend had given Wyatt money for his birthday for a new little critter which we hadn’t used yet, and I had a $40.00 credit. So I ordered two little new friends and instead of choosing to have them shipped, I thought it would be fun to take a road trip to pick them up.

We were out the door early Friday morning! We had to be in Owosso by 10:30 to pick up the geckos and my GPS said that the drive would take an hour and half. Kind of far, but not terrible? First though, we were picking my mom up to go with us for the ride – it was so far and I was unfamiliar so I wanted another adult with me since it was just me and Wyatt. Plus, someone needed to hold the geckos on the way home.

I didn’t take into account that the drive would be farther from my mom’s house, as she lives farther south and we were heading north. So, new directions stated the drive would now be two hours. Not great, but doable. I could drive four hours almost round trip. No problemo. So off we went!

The drive through Detroit during rush hour was horrible. I have been out of the work force for long enough that I have forgotten what a nightmare that is. People were flying, darting in and out, there was tons of construction, accidents, traffic jams. And it didn’t stop until we were well clear of the metro area even north of Detroit. I am pretty sure I only relaxed after we were through and past Troy. I let out a breath I didn’t even know I was holding and calmed down enough to realize we were at least now almost halfway there. Then we just kept going and going. We kept joking about how we felt like we were on an adventure, or heading up north for vacation. The city fell away and we were left with beautiful tall trees on either side of the highway. Eventually, my phone directions directed me off the expressway and through what seemed like miles and miles of driving on random roads and back alleys. Then finally we reached Owosso! The directions took us a strange way to our destination, through what seemed like a warehouse area with large trucks, and then boom all of a sudden we were there.

My directions from Josh’s Frogs said to park and find the orange door near the back. I was to go to that door and ring the buzzer and someone would help me. They are not allowing people in the building right now due to COVID so they are only doing curbside pickups, which is fine. I excitedly spotted the orange door and found a parking spot around the corner. My mom was dubious about this situation. She was not keen on me disappearing around the building out of her sight – I guess a mom is always a mom.

I approached the door, wondering if I was supposed to know a secret word or phrase as well. I rang the buzzer and a very pleasant not creepy woman answered. I told her my name and that I was there for a pickup, she shut the door, and a few minutes later emerged with our geckos. I had a little conversation with her for a second, as I needed to find a gas station, said goodbye, and headed back to the car, practically giddy with happiness.

The building they are located in was gorgeous. But I was glad my mom hadn’t noticed what it said.

I am now curious about the history of this building! Why so big? I meant to look it up but haven’t had a chance.

My mom looking positively thrilled with her important job.

We had hoped to stop somewhere, do something or see something, but everyone just wanted to head home. Since we were heading back to my house with the babies, the ride was at least shorter. And this time the directions routed us a much easier way.

By the time we go home, we were all happy to be there. Especially the geckos! Meet Harlow (for Marlow) who I named, and Wyatt’s gecko, Honey Hallelujah. I gave him a bunch of possible H names to avoid naming this poor gecko Toot or something else equally 7 year old boyish. He opted for two of the names. Harlow in the gecko on the log in the last picture, Honey is the one standing up.

They are super itsy bitsy teeny tiny babies!

We are all super happy about our new little friends! They are totally worth the drive, even if it makes us crazy people to drive four hours for geckos. Josh’s Frogs is a very responsible company to get reptiles and amphibians from as well. They focus on captive bred, which keeps the wild animals in the wild where they belong, and they also give money to organizations who are dedicated to preserving the wild areas that are being lost. I would always highly recommend Josh’s Frogs! My first gecko, Harry, is from PetSmart, and nothing against PetSmart but they just aren’t as vigilant about where they get their animals from. My poor Harry has many health issues that stem from poor breeding practices and requires lots of extra care, which I don’t mind doing of course but in another house he may not have survived. (Anyone remember when I took him to the vet in January for surgery?)

Since we visited Owosso so briefly, it keeps coming up in other searches for me. I was looking for a steam train to take Wyatt on next week or so if possible, and wouldn’t you know? There is one in Owosso. However, I am not up to that drive quite yet again. It did however look like a pleasant and cute little town, and I wouldn’t mind visiting again one day.

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized26 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Last week was pretty much consumed with our first week back to school, which was a very good first week. And when we weren’t working, we were avoiding the outdoors due to the high ragweed pollen count, which we are both allergic to. Today looks to be rainy, which will be better for our allergies but not as good for playing outside. I guess we can’t win them all! However, the rainy day will be nice to get cozy and relax, which all of us need to do.

Read Last Week:

So, My Best Friend’s Exorcism. Hmm. This book was..weird. I did enjoy the friendship and the 80s references though. Full review coming soon. However, I am really enjoying This Poison Heart! I am almost finished and it is delightful!

Reading Next:

I’m apparently stuck in YA land and honestly that is ok. As an Agatha fan myself, I am looking forward to this one.

Reading With Wyatt:

We are starting our new read aloud this week! This is a new to me book too so we will see how it goes!

Posted Last Week:

Homeschool Journey: The First Week Back

Spooky Season Cinema: Clue!

The Wednesday Hodgepodge

Book Review: A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons

Watching and Listening:

We finished up Only Murders in the Building, which was fantastic and I wish the seasons were longer! We moved on to some Murdoch, then last night we watched Locke and Key Season 3. I heard this is going to be the last season, which bums me out. Tonight we are planning on watching our next spooky cinema movie, The Addams Family. I have seen it before, but it was ages ago. I am looking forward to it!

As for listening, hmm. This week I couldn’t really settle on any podcasts for some reason. My brother did recommend one though that I think I will start this week, called The Prancing Pony, which is about – you guessed it- the world of Tolkien.

And this short and sweet post is it for today! How are you doing?

Homeschool Journey: The First Week Back

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn homeschooling18 Comments

Well, we made it through our first week back! Wyatt had a fantastic week. We had our moments where we struggled, both of us, but overall this was a great first few days back!

The first day I got up way too early and got started. I tried to make a special back to school breakfast of french toast but, I totally screwed it up somehow. Lol. I wasn’t awake enough maybe? So we had just a breakfast of buttered toast and we were happy because Wyatt and I are superfans of toast, which I know sounds funny. I gave him his little bin of supplies, some that he had chosen and some that were surprises, and he ate breakfast while exploring them.

After breakfast, we got ready and took back to school photos. He opted for his new lizard shirt – and told me that he was looking forward to learning about geckos. I guess I need to get a unit study together!

I can’t get over how much he has grown since even last year. Where did my baby go?

Then we headed in and got straight to work. I had a week that was structured to let us ease back in. We only tackled reading and language arts, social studies, music, and art last week. Next week we will add math and science back in. We need to form our new routine, get used to the new schedule, figure out how to work around therapy, all that good stuff.

And in the middle of our first day, I discovered we had a runaway caterpillar! I was crawling around the office looking for it everywhere! I finally found it on the baseboard behind my desk. (This is a giant swallowtail caterpillar)

When we finished up our work for the first day, we went outside for a much needed break. Wyatt played and played while I sat in my new yard chairs by the zinnias, enjoying the cool of the day and listening to Wyatt playing. It was a tiring but wonderful day.

What We Learned:

Our week was all about Johnny Appleseed, the state of Michigan, and the artist Thomas Cole.

Our Language Arts curriculum is one that I designed so I was excited to try it out! I need to fluff it out more with some projects that correlate with the book, etc but the actual work and how it went made me very happy.

We are learning about the states this year using a program from The Waldock Way, and we had a blast with it last week! I added in some Motown music, of course, and I had found the book Voices Across the Lakes on Amazon for $6, when other copies are selling for $40! It is described as “Beautifully told and illustrated stories about the Great Lakes region. Historical content, written around 10 authentic songs.” It is really cool, and we are probably going to use it with music class for a few more weeks.

I was also really excited to start our art program. I am not using anything formal, but I have a list of artists I want us to learn about this year and I am sort of making it up as we go along. This week we learned about Thomas Cole. I found an awesome picture book called Picturing America: Thomas Cole and the Birth of American Art, which we read together. I also visited the Thomas Cole National Historic Site website and they had some wonderful free downloads available to use. It would be an excellent field trip for anyone living in that area too, with free outdoor explore kits for students to use while visiting. Plus that view from the porch!! We are going to complete our art project later this afternoon as a family, by sketching the view from our porch. Not quite as scenic, not by a long shot, but it will be fun to do.

What We Used:

(contains Amazon Affiliate Links)

S is for Sleeping Bear Dunes // M is for Mitten // Voices Across the Lakes // Picturing America // Seed by Seed

For a look at what we are using for our curriculum this year, check out my post here.

We ended the week with a crazy road trip – but that is a story for another day!

Spooky Season Cinema: Clue

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized7 Comments

September marks the beginning of spooky season, my favorite!! If you read here regularly, you know that Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I have been trading classic movies all summer. Well, we have temporarily changed it up – instead of classic movies, we will be watching movies that are more themed for September and October, and with more of a nostalgic rather than classic feel. We had a great time chatting and making our list – our husbands were even in on it! We are starting out more mild, then working our way up to the creepier, scarier flicks. And for our very first movie, we went with Clue!

I am going to be 100% honest with you all – this is one of my favorite movies of all time and I can recite practically the whole movie. I have loved it since I first watched it at home, on VHS.

If anyone is unfamiliar, this movie is based off the Parker Brothers board game of the same name. All the principal characters are summoned to a party thrown by the mysterious Mr. Body. Who is he? Why is he gathering them all together? They all arrive, some together, most one by one, and are let in by Wadsworth, the butler who is played by Tim Curry. Once everyone has arrived, the “game” begins, and people start dying. But who is the murderer? And why?

I was just introduced to the genre of screwball comedies this summer – or rather, I had watched them before not realizing that is what I was watching. As I sat through Clue this time around, I began to wonder if it is a screwball comedy. My research indicates, that yes, maybe, it is, or definitely contains many characteristics and elements found in a screwball comedy. The fast, witty repartee, the bits of slapstick, social satire, although other elements seem to be missing, mainly the romantic aspect. And this ensemble cast was absolutely brilliant at their portrayal of each of their deeply flawed characters. It is hard to pinpoint the standout performance, when all of them were so quick and funny. I had the feeling that had such a good time making this movie!

One thing I always loved about this movie is the three different possible endings. When it was released into theaters, moviegoers had no idea which ending they were going to end up with, and the film companies released the different versions in different areas even, so if you wanted to see all three you had to do some detective work of your own, although hopefully detective work minus a body count. Luckily, I saw it first on video and all three endings are presented together. I love that I could see them all but it would have been a fun novelty to see it in the original way and know that other people were watching a movie with an entirely different ending.

Although I said that I don’t think there was a standout performance, I guess I do have favorite characters. Wadsworth, of course, because Tim Curry, and Madeline Kahn as Mrs. White. When I was younger I thought she was oh so glamorous and beautiful. And maybe I still think that as an adult too, now that I think about it.

I still love this movie to bits. And I can still quote along with it, although I do so mostly internally so I don’t make other people (Billy) crazy when watching it together.

Next up is The Addams Family, if you feel like watching and posting along. Or just watching along even!

What about you all? Have you seen this? Like it or hate it? Do you have a favorite character?

To read Lisa’s post, check it out here!

The Wednesday Hodgepodge

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn the wednesday hodgepodge21 Comments

The Wednesday Hodgepodge is hosted by Joyce From This Side of the Pond.

Happy Wednesday, Happy Hodgepodge!

1. Tell us a little bit about the best birthday you’ve ever had. 

I am sure I had some fantastic birthdays as a child, thanks mom and dad. But I have two standout birthdays. My 25th birthday was crazy awesome. I was on my honeymoon at Disney World for my 25th, and we spent the day at Epcot, my favorite park, and had dinner at the Rose and Crown Pub. The staff there sang to me and wished me a happy 21st birthday, so now I like to sometimes shave four years off of my age, and call it my Disney age.

The other stand out birthday was in 2017. I won four tickets to the opera, La Boheme, free valet parking, and passes to the VIP Lounge. It was an amazing experience! We took my brother and sister-in-law with us, of course. We went out to eat at the Roma Cafe beforehand, then headed over to the Detroit Opera House. We were shocked when we learned that our tickets were for the best box seat in the house! They even paid homage before the opera began to a woman sitting in the box with us. We felt very fancy. Then the lounge was spectacular as well. Chrissy and I were very underdressed and we literally sat and just soaked in the sights, while sipping our champagne.

2.  In what way(s) have you changed in the last five years? 

The last five years have been all about growth for me! I had a baby seven years ago, and over the years we have reshaped our lives and we love it so much. That is pretty vague I apologize, but we are so much more … just really so much more, honestly.

3. What’s your favorite thing about the street on which you live? 

The neighbors!

4. The Hodgepodge lands on National Beer Day…are you a beer drinker? What’s a recipe you make that lists beer as one of the ingredients? If not beer, how about yeast?

I am not much of a beer drinker. I am not sure I make anything with beer! I do like to make bread though.

5. As I grow older I would like to be a woman (or man, if there are any men in the HP today) who…

…continues to be curious and explores and reads and is surrounded by family.

6. Random thought..

My son and I had a wonderful day back to school yesterday.

Book Review: A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized11 Comments

Goodreads Summary:

Saffron Everleigh is in a race against time to free her wrongly accused professor before he goes behind bars forever. Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Anna Lee Huber, Kate Khavari’s debut historical mystery is a fast-paced, fearless adventure.

London, 1923. Newly minted research assistant Saffron Everleigh attends a dinner party for the University College of London. While she expects to engage in conversations about the university’s large expedition to the Amazon, she doesn’t expect Mrs. Henry, one of the professors’ wives to drop to the floor, poisoned by an unknown toxin.

Dr. Maxwell, Saffron’s mentor, is the main suspect, having had an explosive argument with Dr. Henry a few days prior. As evidence mounts against Dr. Maxwell and the expedition’s departure draws nearer, Saffron realizes if she wants her mentor’s name cleared, she’ll have to do it herself.

Joined by enigmatic Alexander Ashton, a fellow researcher, Saffron uses her knowledge of botany as she explores steamy greenhouses, dark gardens, and deadly poisons. Will she be able to uncover the truth or will her investigation land her on the murderer’s list?

My Thoughts:

Saffron Everleigh is the first female research assistant at University College in London, following in her professor father’s footsteps. She is very focused on her work and greatly admires Dr. Maxwell, a professor and mentor. When is accused of murder, she resolves to clear his name and free him – no matter what she needs to do, including her own research on the deadly plant that is believed to have been the deadly poison and murder weapon.

I love reading books set in academia and universities, I love plants and steamy greenhouses, I love parties, and well, murder mysteries. So this book was pretty perfect for me!

I really enjoyed Saffron as a character! She was smart, quirky, brave, determined, and stubborn. She knew that in her position she needed to work hard just to be taken seriously, and did her best to put up with the sexism and sexual harassment she encountered. She had earned a “bad reputation” thanks to one influential staff member, but persevered on, holding her head up high.

Then, Alexander Ashton enters her world. He is a veteran with PTSD, and works at the university as well, but in the field of bacteria (not as fun as botany in my opinion). He is also very handsome, and very charming – and genuinely a good man. Things start to heat up between these two, and I have to admit I started reading this book more for the romance than the mystery, which became secondary to me. I just really liked these two characters and their interactions.

That ending though! How could Khavari leave us like that?! I guess probably to keep us reading the series, which I am definitely going to do! I am looking forward to the next in the series, A Botanist’s Guide to Flowers and Fatality – even though I do have to wait a very long time!

My Sunday-Monday Post!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized24 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hey all! Last week was a bit of a rough week for me (I won’t get into it again here but you can read about it in this post if you want) Reading was definitely a refuge for me!

School begins for us on Tuesday!! I am super excited to dig into our new material and watch Wyatt grow and learn even more.

Read Last Week:

Without a doubt, the best book I have read all year. I LOVED this book so much. I hope to have a review up in a week or two, but for now know that this was beautiful fantastic.

Reading This Week:

After I finished Other Birds and was waiting for This Poison Heart to arrive at the library for me, I picked up My Best Friend’s Exorcism. I was drawn in by the cheesy 80s style cover, and the little blurb saying that this book is like if Tina Fey had written The Exorcist. I love Tina Fey! We just finished watching Stranger Things and I apparently need more dark nostalgia in my life. However, this delves into territory that I usually stay away from: possession and exorcisms. Movies and books about it usually scare the heck out of me! So if this stays sort of comedic and lighthearted I’ll be ok, but if it goes too deep, I’ll have to abandon it. I also finally got This Poison Heart so I am looking forward to that one as well!

Posted Last Week:

Goodbye August, Hello September

Classic Movie Impressions: The Philadelphia Story

The Wednesday Hodgepodge

Tuesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

Watching and Listening:

Billy and I have been watching either Murdoch Mysteries or Only Murders in the Building – we are getting so close to finishing Only Murders and I am not ready!

And that is about it from our little corner of the world! How are things for you?

Goodbye August, Hello September

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn autumn22 Comments

Before we move on to September, I want to talk about this guy, my Marlow Meepers. I had to say goodbye to him this week, the last day of August, and I’m not going to lie, it was hard and it was awful and I miss his face and his cuddles and soft soft fur. But he was not doing well, and at 18, there really wasn’t going to be much we could do for him. So we made the very hard decision to let him go, as we knew he was suffering. He was diminished in size, his fur was no longer shiny, he had lost his shine, his vibrance, and spent all night every night just crying. He came to shelter I volunteered at when he was a few years old, after having been abandoned in an apartment when his owners just left him there when they moved. My brother-in-law actually adopted him, but was stationed overseas for a long stint and wasn’t sure when he was coming back – so Marlow came to us. By the time my brother-in-law returned, Marlow was mine. He had attached to me and it was obvious I was his person and he was my cat. He was a shy, hidey cat for a long time, but eventually became our most bold and bossy. My favorite Marlow story: Years ago before Wyatt, Billy was on a camping trip for the weekend. It was late and I was reading on the couch, drinking a glass of wine, Marlow laying next to me. All of a sudden we heard a scuffing noise outside, and we both sort of sat up straighter – and Marlow started growling like he was some sort of fierce guard dog. I got up and made sure the door was locked and flipped on the outside lights, and ran back to my cat. Nothing happened thank goodness, but I thought it was so funny and cute that apparently Marlow was going to fight to protect me. After Wyatt was born, he was always by Wyatt’s side, and so very patient with him. We miss him so much.

So we start September with heavy hearts this year, and we will let that grief settle, as summer will soon settle into fall. The leaves here are already changing, the evenings are cooler, and autumn is on the way. I love this season so much, the slow down we always experience and embrace. Quiet nights around a crackling fire, school starting up again, comfort food, warm tea in sturdy mugs, reading books under soft cozy quilts, and of course spooky season!

We will be laying low and sticking close to home this September, finding our new rhythm. Hiking in the woods with crunchy leaves, spotting mushrooms, collecting acorns and and black walnuts and chestnuts, putting the garden to bed. The month of the full harvest moon, the autumn equinox. The monarchs that are born now are the super monarchs that will be making the long journey south to Texas and Mexico. Life changes this time of year, shifts, adjusts, and we change and shift and adjust as well. Sometimes we say hello, and sometimes we have to say goodbye.

Classic Movie Impressions: The Philadelphia Story

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn classic movie impressions13 Comments

All summer Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I have been trading old movie suggestions back and forth – this time around I suggested Breakfast at Tiffany’s for Lisa, and she suggested The Philadelphia Story for me. Two different Hepburns for us, and not even related which was always weird to me. Also, my third Cary Grant movie in a row!

You can find Lisa’s review here!

This one was a bit of a slow starter for me, but once it all got rolling I was chuckling and laughing at the smart remarks and sitting forward in my seat, just totally 100% engaged.

Katharine Hepburn stars as Tracy Lords, former wife of C. K. Dexter Haven (Grant). Lord is engaged to remarry, this time to a man named George Kitteredge, who didn’t come from money as Lord did, but was instead a self-made businessman. Throughout this movie there is a whole theme of class distinctions, underlying the romantic comedy, which I found very interesting.

Enter the “common man, the working man” James Stewart as McCauley (Mike) Connor, a writer, and photographer Liz Imbrie. They are asked to do the impossible – get a tabloid style inside scoop on the marriage and wedding. The haughty Lord family is notoriously difficult to pin down for interviews and stories, and anyone who grabs this story will be pulling off something big. However, of course there is a scheme to get Connor and Imbrie inside the walls of the Lord mansion – they must pose as friends of Tracy’s brother, Junius, who is in South America. They hide their true purpose which is to report to Spy Magazine. Connor is not super enthused about this job, as he considers himself a serious writer and doesn’t want to be involved in such a junky piece. However, Imbrie reminds him he probably wants to eat and pay his bills, so he takes the job. Also apparently, Imbrie and Connor are something of a couple as well.

Ok, phew the gang is now all in the house, at the center of the action. Connor, Imbrie, Kitteredge, Lord and her family, and Haven as well, who informs the Lord family that if they don’t play along with the story, a scandalous story about the infidelities of Lord’s father will be published instead. And from here the story takes off, with Lord being accused/compared to no less than a goddess, a queen, a statue, made of bronze – all implying that she believes she is above everyone, and unfeeling. All she wants is to be loved, really loved for herself.

I can picture Hepburn as a queen or a goddess, to be fair. Her presence is so regal, and she has a bearing that makes one sit up and pay attention. She is absolutely gorgeous, but there is something about her as well, a vibe that makes you not want to cross her.

Stewart was hands down my favorite in this movie – sorry, C.G. His performance rocked. He made me laugh with his little comments, and then surprised me with how his character truly transformed, falling under the spell of the self-assured, outspoken, beautiful Lord.

We see the facade of Lord begin to fall as well, and see the woman underneath on the night before the wedding. She intentionally sets out to get soused, and an equally soused Stewart sees her home. They dance and sing and canoodle in the garden in the wee morning hours, and well…things get a little crazy! I will leave it at that.

I completely loved this movie – although, To Catch a Thief still holds the crown for my favorite classic so far this summer!