I know I’m a bit late in posting about the wondrous Miss Nora Ephron, but, honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what to say. It’s been a few weeks and as I’ve read the tributes online and elsewhere, I can’t help but want to add a few of my own thoughts about her legacy.
Nora Ephron wrote movies that I knew were fantasy. Yes, going to the top of the Empire State Building to find a man you’ve never met, but have sort of stalked via the radio, is insane. I know. But I didn’t care. It wasn’t about a pure reality for me, it was about all the parts and pieces in between. I loved that all the women in Nora Ephron’s movies were working women. I loved that it was never really brought up that they were working women. They just were, and no one ever questioned or challenged them about it. I loved that they were pretty, but not unattainably so. I mean, of course Meg Ryan is a beautiful woman, but she looked like someone I could be friends with. I loved that the men were funny and good at heart, even if they made stupid mistakes and acted like jackasses sometimes. I adored the emphasis on friendships and how important they were to her characters.
I loved how Nora’s movies made me feel. I am a rom-com sucker, and let’s face it, the genre has been in a pretty sad state for awhile now (I blame J. Lo). Nora’s movies are somehow timeless, even when they are based on ten or twenty year old technology. That’s pretty incredible.
Also, Nora made me fall in love with New York. Every time I’m there, I quietly imagine myself walking through a Nora Ephron movie. “Oh, don’t you love New York in the fall? If I knew your address, I’d send you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils.”
Thank you, Nora.
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Here are a few great Nora reads and tributes I’ve seen in the past week or so….
A lovely list Nora wrote about the things she would and wouldn’t miss after she died. (via A Cup of Jo)
This great interview she did for NPR’s Fresh Air a while ago.
It’s about leaning on your friends: Meg Ryan and Rosie O’Donnell have a quick phone call where, at the end of it, they say, “I love you,” and “I love you, too.” I was so struck by that, I remember – that in most movies, you’re lucky if people say goodbye before they hang up, but this one knew that with your best friend, when it’s important, you say, “I love you,” and “I love you, too.”
This post by Natalie is just perfection. (via Nat the Fat Rat)
i think the thing about nora is, she was not afraid to be a woman. her strengths as a writer, her characters’ strengths, all come from the fact that they are unapologetically girls. sally with the hair spray in the car in the parking lot of the diner, annie and her over-watched copy of an affair to remember, marie and her rolodex full of dateable men, tabbed in the corner if married. kathleen and her daisies. nora’s women are soft but that doesn’t mean they aren’t strong. why don’t more people see femininity the way she did? nora’s girls aren’t like men and they don’t care to be. it’s refreshing. it’s inspiring. i’m so sad to see that brilliant spark of feminism missing now that she’s gone.
The most recent book she wrote and this one from a few years back, which are now patiently waiting in my Nook queue.
And for you trivia lovers out there, Pioneer Woman is having a Nora Ephron movie quiz tonight, so go enter!
If you’re in Kansas City this week, you’ve probably heard the All Star game is in town. It’s the first time the game has been played here in quite some time, and the whole city has shined itself up for the occasion. Our dear, sweet Royals haven’t been a winning team in ages, but Kauffman Stadium has great attendance, and that’s partly due to the fab renovations that were completed a few years back. Of course going to the game as an adult is fun, but now, even when the game sucks, there is TONS to do with the kids. They have made the entire outfield area in to a carnival of sorts for little ones, with a mini home run derby, games, a carousel, a splash area (which is great since summer in KC can reach 110 degrees), a putt putt golf course and lots more. Of course you can always, you know, watch the game or hang out by the famous outfield fountains as well.
One of our favorite things is to buy the cheapest tickets we can get, and then spend the entire game in the carnival area instead of in our nosebleed seats. It’s a great way to spend a day in the city! And for all you Royals fans out there, don’t let our losing record get you down. Just listen to Lulu (circa 2009)….
It has been a week of firsts here at Crazybananas headquarters, especially for our number one gal, Miss Lulu. It’s funny, because with an 18 month old in the house, it can sometimes be easy to miss out in the changes in Lu. I mean, her brother becomes a completely different person every few days, but her personality and demeanor are pretty well set. However, the last few weeks have just been one big thing after another and I find myself looking at her and wondering where my baby/toddler/preschooler/kindergartener went?!
Within a one week time span, Lulu rode her first two wheeler with assistance (see photo above for the cute dude providing said assistance) and….
1. Rode on her first merry go round! Remember when merry go rounds were at every playground? Well, they are pretty much outlawed now since they tend to lead to injury. Lu, Tate and I went to an old playground in my hometown and lo and behold, they still had a merry go round! In fact, it was the same merry go round from when I was a kid. Lu promptly ran over and jumped on with three little boys who were spinning it at fast as they could, and then jumping on. Lu was in heaven! That is, until, one of the little boys ran over to me and said, “Um, your daughter is bleeding.” Oh, that cursed merry go round! It was just a small scrape, and she got right back on. She’s big now, after all.
2. Made her first dinner! For her birthday last month, one of Lulu’s awesome great-aunts gave her a chef’s hat and apron, which she has been dying to try out. I finally (and nervously) let her work the stove, and she made Tate and I a lovely dinner of pasta with marinara sauce. It was quite yummy and there were no major injuries.
3. Cried at her first breakup scene in a movie! I won’t spoil you with the movie we were watching (it rhymes with Mice Cool Fusical Blue), but at one point the main couple break up and sing a super sad song about it. I looked over and Lulu’s eyes were filled with tears. I caught her glance and she immediately hid under the blankets, embarrassed about crying. I, of course, then started crying too and told her that I cry in movies all the time and I would never, ever make fun of her for that. Then we snuggled and stuffed ourselves with popcorn. I see many a rom-com movie night in my future!
4. She lost her first tooth! Not only did she lose her tooth, but she helped pull it out. Lu and her crazy dad pulled it out together, and Lu insisted on watching in the mirror. She’s a six year old sadist! There was a lot of blood, which freaked her out, but she quickly got amped up with excitement and the prospect of ice cream after the deed was done. She wrapped her her tooth in her new box for the tooth fairy (bought on Etsy, here) and hid it under a pillow on the middle of her floor, so it would be easier for the tooth fairy to find. The tooth fairy was very grateful, I hear.
http://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.png00Meganhttp://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.pngMegan2012-07-09 13:10:052012-07-09 13:10:05A Week of Firsts
Don’t Cry, Shopgirl
/1 Comment/in Blond, World /by MeganI know I’m a bit late in posting about the wondrous Miss Nora Ephron, but, honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what to say. It’s been a few weeks and as I’ve read the tributes online and elsewhere, I can’t help but want to add a few of my own thoughts about her legacy.
Nora Ephron wrote movies that I knew were fantasy. Yes, going to the top of the Empire State Building to find a man you’ve never met, but have sort of stalked via the radio, is insane. I know. But I didn’t care. It wasn’t about a pure reality for me, it was about all the parts and pieces in between. I loved that all the women in Nora Ephron’s movies were working women. I loved that it was never really brought up that they were working women. They just were, and no one ever questioned or challenged them about it. I loved that they were pretty, but not unattainably so. I mean, of course Meg Ryan is a beautiful woman, but she looked like someone I could be friends with. I loved that the men were funny and good at heart, even if they made stupid mistakes and acted like jackasses sometimes. I adored the emphasis on friendships and how important they were to her characters.
I loved how Nora’s movies made me feel. I am a rom-com sucker, and let’s face it, the genre has been in a pretty sad state for awhile now (I blame J. Lo). Nora’s movies are somehow timeless, even when they are based on ten or twenty year old technology. That’s pretty incredible.
Also, Nora made me fall in love with New York. Every time I’m there, I quietly imagine myself walking through a Nora Ephron movie. “Oh, don’t you love New York in the fall? If I knew your address, I’d send you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils.”
Thank you, Nora.
Here are a few great Nora reads and tributes I’ve seen in the past week or so….
A lovely list Nora wrote about the things she would and wouldn’t miss after she died. (via A Cup of Jo)
This great interview she did for NPR’s Fresh Air a while ago.
This sweet tribute via the Monkey See blog really hit the nail on the head for me. When talking about Sleepless in Seattle, she writes:
This post by Natalie is just perfection. (via Nat the Fat Rat)
The most recent book she wrote and this one from a few years back, which are now patiently waiting in my Nook queue.
And for you trivia lovers out there, Pioneer Woman is having a Nora Ephron movie quiz tonight, so go enter!
I Heart KC: Kauffman Stadium
/1 Comment/in Kansas City /by MeganIf you’re in Kansas City this week, you’ve probably heard the All Star game is in town. It’s the first time the game has been played here in quite some time, and the whole city has shined itself up for the occasion. Our dear, sweet Royals haven’t been a winning team in ages, but Kauffman Stadium has great attendance, and that’s partly due to the fab renovations that were completed a few years back. Of course going to the game as an adult is fun, but now, even when the game sucks, there is TONS to do with the kids. They have made the entire outfield area in to a carnival of sorts for little ones, with a mini home run derby, games, a carousel, a splash area (which is great since summer in KC can reach 110 degrees), a putt putt golf course and lots more. Of course you can always, you know, watch the game or hang out by the famous outfield fountains as well.
One of our favorite things is to buy the cheapest tickets we can get, and then spend the entire game in the carnival area instead of in our nosebleed seats. It’s a great way to spend a day in the city! And for all you Royals fans out there, don’t let our losing record get you down. Just listen to Lulu (circa 2009)….
Let’s go Royals!
If you’re in town for the All-Star Game, check out Ink’s baseball fan guide to KC!
A Week of Firsts
/1 Comment/in Lucy /by MeganIt has been a week of firsts here at Crazybananas headquarters, especially for our number one gal, Miss Lulu. It’s funny, because with an 18 month old in the house, it can sometimes be easy to miss out in the changes in Lu. I mean, her brother becomes a completely different person every few days, but her personality and demeanor are pretty well set. However, the last few weeks have just been one big thing after another and I find myself looking at her and wondering where my baby/toddler/preschooler/kindergartener went?!
Within a one week time span, Lulu rode her first two wheeler with assistance (see photo above for the cute dude providing said assistance) and….
1. Rode on her first merry go round! Remember when merry go rounds were at every playground? Well, they are pretty much outlawed now since they tend to lead to injury. Lu, Tate and I went to an old playground in my hometown and lo and behold, they still had a merry go round! In fact, it was the same merry go round from when I was a kid. Lu promptly ran over and jumped on with three little boys who were spinning it at fast as they could, and then jumping on. Lu was in heaven! That is, until, one of the little boys ran over to me and said, “Um, your daughter is bleeding.” Oh, that cursed merry go round! It was just a small scrape, and she got right back on. She’s big now, after all.
2. Made her first dinner! For her birthday last month, one of Lulu’s awesome great-aunts gave her a chef’s hat and apron, which she has been dying to try out. I finally (and nervously) let her work the stove, and she made Tate and I a lovely dinner of pasta with marinara sauce. It was quite yummy and there were no major injuries.
3. Cried at her first breakup scene in a movie! I won’t spoil you with the movie we were watching (it rhymes with Mice Cool Fusical Blue), but at one point the main couple break up and sing a super sad song about it. I looked over and Lulu’s eyes were filled with tears. I caught her glance and she immediately hid under the blankets, embarrassed about crying. I, of course, then started crying too and told her that I cry in movies all the time and I would never, ever make fun of her for that. Then we snuggled and stuffed ourselves with popcorn. I see many a rom-com movie night in my future!
4. She lost her first tooth! Not only did she lose her tooth, but she helped pull it out. Lu and her crazy dad pulled it out together, and Lu insisted on watching in the mirror. She’s a six year old sadist! There was a lot of blood, which freaked her out, but she quickly got amped up with excitement and the prospect of ice cream after the deed was done. She wrapped her her tooth in her new box for the tooth fairy (bought on Etsy, here) and hid it under a pillow on the middle of her floor, so it would be easier for the tooth fairy to find. The tooth fairy was very grateful, I hear.