"The old-fashioned English dictate "milk in first," or "MIF" - supposedly a sign of good breeding - was simply a way to prevent thin porcelain in typically cold English houses from cracking at the touch of hot tea."~ from "What to put in tea," from Joy of Cooking
In Gosford Park, Lady McCordle (played by Kristen Scott Thomas) requests to Inspector Thompson (played by Stephen Fry: Jeeves!) that he put her milk in the teacup first. Know I know why. And now I know what I'm watching again next chance I get. I love that film. On a side note, do you ever have a film that you watch over and over, and it takes forever to get tired of it? I first heard of this back when Benny & Joon came out, and I knew someone who knew someone who watched it 35 times. And it was a rental.
But then I started doing it: watching a movie multiple times, enjoying every nuance. I've done it with Gosford Park, for example. Also, The Mummy, for reasons unknown to me, because Brendan Fraser is not my fave. But Rachel Weisz is, which leads me to another serially watched film: Stealing Beauty. I've at different times been taken with Under the Tuscan Sun, Le Divorce, and Jurassic Park. There's no rhyme or reason. I've also gone through my foreign language phases with Pane e Tulpani, Bella Martha, Manon des sources, Respiro, Volver, and Habla con ella. I've watched each of these films over twenty times. Each. At least. I play them in the studio while I'm working like most people put on a cd. The funny thing is, I can't watch them for years after I do that. I put them aside till my brain regains interest. And feeling.
But, I think...I think I'm ready for Gosford Park again.
9 comments:
That is so interesting! Thanks for sharing that lovely tea tidbit.
And yes, I watch certain movies multiple times too, most recently Elizabethtown. It makes me want to go on a road trip to the South...
You have me intruiged about Gosford Park!
"Stealing Beauty" is one of my all time favorites! Also love "Gosford Park." Watched a movie just yesterday called "The Price of Milk," it's got a little magical realism in it and will be watched over and over again by me!
Loved your idea of dipping the papers into different colors for a tie dye look. Great idea and we will be trying that soon. we have also dyed cardstock with Pokeberries which made pretty pink paper. Want to try purple cabbage and blackberries next (blueberries would be good too).
Love your blog and thanks for your comment.
lisa
dutchbritishlove: Gosford Park is just the best: so many wonderful British actors in it, and the commentary is really interesting too: in the making of, they say how they consulted maids and butlers from old times (now elderly) and learned all the details. I love that stuff. :)
Lisa: I'll have to check out The Price of Milk. Thanks for the recommendation!
I remember having tie-dye parties when I was younger, with my girlfriends. I was a pro at all the ways to tie for different effects, but it's been a while ~ So cool how there are so many different natural dyes. I've heard of onionskin giving a nice neutral tan, and seen beautiful things done with silk.
One more thing I thought of that you might have fun with: drawing through leaves: take a large leaf, place it on a piece of paper (or your journal) and draw/write on it: lift up and see your drawing in green leaf juice! I'll do this sometimes as a souvenir in foreign places. :)
What a neat little factoid!
Oh yes, I enjoy watching certain movies over and over again. I've seen The Princess and the Warrior, oh at least 15 times--I've even watched it with the director's comments on which made it a completely different experience :) Also, movies based on Andre Dubus novels tend to be ones I get more out of each time I watch... In the Bedroom, House of Sand and Fog, We Don't Live Here Anymore. All richly complex stories.
Wow ~ In the Bedroom was so intense I can't watch it again. I really like We Don't Live Here Anymore. I like Laura Dern (ahem, Jurassic Park.) :) I also thought of another: The Thomas Crown Affair (the more recent one.) It is what it is, I guess. I never know what will enthrall me.
Hi there Brooke, thanks for your comment on my post the other day. Too bad you couldn't help me out, but your shoulder is more than execpted. Just wanna rest and push the button on my head so it'll will fade a away for a while,....just I can't find that button...darn.
So I'll keep thinking about photo's and photoshop all all all the time....
CU around. Dagmar
Thank you for sharing the origins of this bit of etiquette. I always take my tea plain, but I occasionally put cream in my coffee. And I hate pouring the cream in first, because it's difficult to get the quantity right. Now I won't feel so badly about being undignified. ;)
Dagmar: I too, wish I knew how to turn my brain off sometimes! I do hope you figure out the computer problems soon!
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