It's a gray drizzly Monday (on top of snow - bad conditions), and I have a head cold. Not too bad, luckily, but I am staying home today.
(Hadn't I just been marveling that I haven't caught a virus? This one's mild, at least. I feel really lucky.)
Any Room with a Bed Is a Bedroom
Because my bedroom abuts my neighbor's, and the wall between us is insulated but not soundproof, I moved my mattress into the living room, on the floor, so the neighbor didn't have to listen to me sneezing and snorting all night.
I like this arrangement--I'm thinking I might leave it and make the bedroom into a studio/study.
BELOW: If I take out the table against the wall, (you can just see the corner, far right), the bed could go there without losing useful living space. I don't use that table much anyway because the corner is not very bright--better for sleeping.
BELOW: The bedroom is sunny on winter days (tho' not today)--the sun is wasted on a sleeping room. Wouldn't this be nice filled with supplies for making stuff and Dolls and Bears? A Toy Room!
(I don't stay up late, so I'm not likely to disturb the neighbor.)
Ms. Moon has been blogging about perception recently, and I was thinking it's fun to catch myself in Automatic Thinking Mode, such as, "The bedroom is for the bed."
There's no objective reason that should be so.
I mentioned the neighbor. He moved in Jan. 1, and I'm lucky again--so far, anyway: this guy has either been silent, or I hear him chatting and laughing on the phone. It is so, so nice to hear someone laughing!
Did you hear about that study that said if you're around happy people, you're [x] percent happier yourself--and that includes being around happy strangers, like neighbors?
I feel that in this case. I like hearing him laugh, and more since I met him, briefly, and got a good vibe. I'd brought a package that was delivered to his door into my apartment, for safe keeping. Our doors open directly onto the sidewalk, so packages sit right there for the taking, and I'd heard someone in a neighboring building say a package had been stolen off their doorstep.
The neighbor--a young man--was friendly, open, and nice.
Niceness. It may not be the most profound quality, but for sure, “nice things are nicer than nasty ones.” (Kingsley Amis, Lucky Jim).
Yup. I liked my auntie's neighbors even though they had Trump signs in their yards because they were nice to her, and to me, and they helped her in her last week--staying overnight with her while she was dying at home.
Well, that last goes beyond "nice"...
Room swap around makes sense.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear of a nice neighbour.
Thanks for the heads up about the film. Some books should stay books. Right?
Good walk in the snow, nicer than car spoilt slush!!
As you know, Ove was written about a man in Sweden, Sweden and the temperament of the swedes being the primary character. Without Sweden the story does not make much sense. Typical of Americans to steal the story, star Tom Hanks as the lead- and make a cartoon out of it. Suicide is understandable in Ove. Ove's grumpiness is understandable. My grandmother was Swedish- I get it.
ReplyDeleteAs for your room, that also makes sense! A space to create is what living in a box should be. I can not do that because I have to consider others living here. But living in a studio is my desire! Good thinking , San Fransisco! Very good!
GZ & LINDA SUE: Sometimes books are better, yes.
ReplyDeleteI actually did read A Man Called Ove when it came out in English, and I don't remember it well, but the suicide scenes didn't bother me--or I wouldn't have gone to the movie.
So, yes, maybe it was the Americanization of it that went wrong?
Maybe if it'd had a believably dark lead--Joaquin Phoenix?!--no--someone from Ingmar Bergman movies!--instead of the always affable Mr. Hanks, I wouldn't have minded the suicide scenes?
(Though I am touchy about depictions of suicide, they don't always bother me--or, they always bother me, as they should, but they're worth it if they are good.)
Yes for making studio space! When I feel well enough to move furniture and wrangle dolls and bears. They are being evasive right now---"we don't want a VIRUS" they say. (I'm not sure what they think a virus is...)
Thanks Linda Sue for reminding me more about the book...I think that I might read that
ReplyDeleteYou know, the suicide scenes did bother me but that is not a trigger for me although as a human being, it should be. Perhaps I liked the movie because Tom Hanks IS so generally affable and so that made this movie more interesting to me whereas I did not enjoy him in the Mr. Rogers film. Too, too, sweet.
ReplyDeleteAh well, each to his or her own and you made some excellent points about Marisol's age. Forty would have fit the character better. I think my favorite part of the movie was when Otto listed her accomplishments, too.
And you are so right about moving your bed into the living room. Yes! You can do whatever you want with your space and what makes sense is what you should do! I love the idea.
MS MOON: No, no you're right--the suicide scenes aren't meant to disturb--u know he'll fail, and there's lots of comic relief. It's only that they triggered me.
ReplyDeleteI related to the journalist's pain in "A Beautiful Day"--it was his story--so didn't find it too sweet. And it intrigued me to see some of the darkness & complexity in Mister Rogers. But yeah, I LOVE the sweet, sweet scene
in a restaurant when Mister Rogers tells the journalist,
"I don't think you're broken."
I am going to move furniture when I have energy after the dregs of this cold leaves--thanks for the up vote!
love the idea of switching rooms and to have a room just for creating without having to clean the spread 0f stuff all the time. a bed is far easier to make.
ReplyDeletei read ove some years ago as part of a book club. but really have no interest in seeing the movie. when i think of tom hanks i think of bosom buddies and how he has basically been a comedic actor.
with a german background i probably have much in common with the swedes in that we tend to be fatalistic and dark.
without the darkness of sweden or denmark how can that movie translate. i was in denmark back in the mid-90s in december.
kirsten
KIRSTEN: "A bed is far easier to make"--that's it!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think you and Linda Sue are onto something--making Ove American is a little weird. Americans--exemplified by many Tom Hanks characters--are not fatalistic and dark.
We are obligatorily optimists!
So it's not an easy story to translate, and it was hard for me to take Otto's pain seriously, nor was it presented all that seriously--it was a cypher:
"Oh, you know what we mean. Sometimes you feel down because your life has come to nothing. But you'll cheer up! Have a cookie!"
P.S. My father took us all when he taught in Copenhagen winter semester Jan-May, 1973, so I sure do know what you mean about dark. And damp.
ReplyDelete