Good Luck to you Leo Grande

For as long as I can remember, I shut my eyes and plug my ears whenever there’s violence in a play or movie I’m watching. That, I reckon, is a common response to film violence. But I do the same when there’s any sort of intimacy on film. I loathe sex scenes—even passionate kissing. So, for me to love Good Luck to You Leo Grande so much, is really saying something about this film. As I wrote: they are forever talking. They’re not having sex. 

The movie stars Emma Thompson, whom I absolutely adore, and Daryl McCormack who’s just brilliant in it—and very handsome. It’d make a great, great play, this movie, because it’s just two people talking in one set. I loved every single second of it. I highly recommend it. It’s on Prime.

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I’m quite excited about this week coming. Neil is here for two days, and Wednesday night we are going to Kris and Steve’s. Neil has known them for ages, just as he has me. And on Thursday night, we’re going to the golf course to eat with Eoin, Fançois and Jay.

Also, the weather is likely to be grand every day except tomorrow, so I expect to finish up the annual Spring yard clean up this week. IT’s been going on for months because the weather’s been so nasty. (And because I love Martin Walker’s novels very much. I think I like them even more than Louise Penny’s, but Ms. Penny is Canadian so she’s at the pinnacle with Mr. Walker.

He's American, but he lives half the year in southern France. He’s clearly a Francophile like me. His books are full of food like Ms. Penny, everyone is French, and it’s full of little things that take me back to when I lived in France. He’s an eye and an ear for detail. I love these books.

Bruno, the protagonist, is Bruno to the author and all the characters in the novels. His real name is Bennoît. And he’s the only policeman in his village of St. Denis. He loves food and wine, he never carries a gun, and he hates arresting people. He is a diplomat extraordinare! Ms. Penny’s Gamache is too perfect for me. The stories are fabulous, but he’s just too ethical, his marriage is too perfect, his knowledge of poetry is too extensive, etcetera. Bruno is real and I love him.

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Today is cloudy but dry. I plan on working in the garden and on getting a lot done. The more I do, the better the place will look when Neil comes to visit on Wednesday. It’s his first visit here. And Leo, who lives next door but does long shifts in the city and then has long breaks here at home, is home right now. I hope he’ll move a couple of my heavy planters for me.

During my visit with Di and our friends, my arms got quite the workout. My arms stretch backwards and do some heavy jerking when I try to speak. It’s as though the signals that should be going to the muscles that I use for speech are moving my arms instead. So, my upper arms, upper back and chest muscles get very sore from the workout—especially my biceps.

I shake when I lift a glass to my mouth to drink, and I am very weak in both arms. Ever since FND overcame me, I’ve had trouble with both arms, but it’s become much, much worse over the past few months. It may get better, it may not. But that’s why I need Leo to help me today.