We're on day two of bad weather here in Florida - last night there were huge thunderstorms outside our window all through the night. Reminded me how much I love sleeping to the sounds of raindrops falling and thunder clapping. Today the palm trees outside are blowing so hard they look as though they might topple over from the force.
When I was a kid, we once took a summer vacation with another family to Myrtle Beach the week that Hurricane Bob rolled through. Mr. and Mrs. Krover were the kind of people who were never underdressed - they were always impeccably styled in that Southern way - think polos with sweaters perfectly draped over the shoulder and tassle loafers. I'll never forget standing out on the balcony in the midst of all that wind, and seeing that Mrs. Krover's hair, forever styled in a helmut like flip, didn't move an inch while the rest of us felt like we were going to be blown right over. I cannot look at a wind-blown palm tree without seeing her in my head.
Since it's too gray for a photo, I've put one up from the film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, whose soundtrack has kept me peacefully entertained during the storms. If you haven't already seen this film, I cannot recommend it enough. Don't let the somber subject matter deter you (it's based on the true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, the former editor of French Elle, who at the age of 43 became the victim of a devastating cerebro-vascular accident that left him in a state of total paralysis, incapable of any verbal communication, in what is known in the medical community as "locked-in syndrome.") - it is truly a beautiful and inspiring film and is incredibly moving. Definitely one of my favorites of the year. The soundtrack is equally amazing - worth if for the French version of Bobby Darin's "Under the Sea" alone.
