Gone with the Wind

Gone with The Wind was on last night. I love it. Not only do I own it but I watch it every single opportunity I have to see it on tv. (TCM runs it without commercials.) I also read the book once a year or so.

Every viewing or reading brings something different. For the most part, I fall in love with Rhett again (he reminds me so much of my soon-to-be ex-husband) and I relish the stories of family, the South, Scarlett, and of course, the pageantry of the whole thing.

Last night I was bizarrely frustrated with mealy-mouth Melanie. Would she please just take her drab self and go away? Not that I wanted Scarlett to end up with Ashley. Would he please just figure out that he's gay?

The most quoted line from the movie is:

"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."

But one of my favorites is the exchange between Rhett and Scarlett:

""You sir are no gentleman."
"And you miss are no lady."

I Love You Philip Gulley

Did I ever mention my obsession with Philip Gulley? I admire him. I read his books -- even the ones he receives death threats about. I identify with him. His Indiana childhood seems to be my Indiana childhood although in moments of clarity I realize both of us are doing a lot of editing. If he is speaking nearby, I go. I once introduced myself to him as, "Hello, I don't mean to keep stalking you."

That's his latest book in the photo above. Please read it, although he does not need my endorsement. It will be a best seller along with the others.

The other day a car pulled into the driveway. My father-in-law stepped out with arms stretched -- reaching for a hug at the sight of me.

(Ok, technically he has not been my father-in-law for 23 years since I was stupid enough to divorce his son and cause great pain all around. Whatever. I still think of him as Dad.)

In the midst of the bear hug and wonderful feelings and the tugging of tears, he handed me this book. Not only does he know how much I love Phillip Gulley -- he is friends with him. Not only does he forgive me for being an impetuous, self-centered human being -- he still bothers to love the woman I want to be and try to be.

So, he handed me this book and said, "Happy Birthday."

I try not to use names on this blog. I figure if you out yourself in a comment or by sending me an email, I have still kept some weirdo blogger-journalist code of ethics. But I am making an exception.

I love Philip Gulley. I also am truly blessed because I love Bob Friedly.

Sisterhood

In the media blitz and subsequent judgement of Elizabeth Edwards' choice to write and speak of her husband's betrayal, an important point was lost in the criticism: women should not do that to other women.I've watched a couple of interviews and I've read an excerpt of the book, Resilience. We can all debate whether she should have left him -- probably not considering her health situation and their young children. We can argue about this possibly being a public flogging of him -- probably so; it is her story to tell.The puzzler (among many) is why would a woman intentionally do this to another woman? If she wanted a meaningless sexual encounter with a public figure, she could've targeted a single man. If she was longing for a husband, hearth and children, why seek that by destroying what another woman has spent decades building and nurturing?
A lot of the content is too sappy for me. The affair part is a stabbing reminder that a man she thought she knew took his clothes off for a woman with no respect for herself or the sisterhood of women.