May the 4th be with you – In a Vase on Monday

“Stay afraid,  but do it anyway.  What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it, and eventually the confidence will follow”. Carrie Fisher (1956-2016).

This week in Manchester we had rain.  Rain! It filled my water butts up and soaked the garden.    We didn’t have any rain in my part of Manchester for the whole of April.  We had to water the garden!  In these strange times, the weather has been strange too.

I couldn’t let this important day pass without saying  ‘May the fourth be with you’ – or have a good Star Wars day.  The memes are everywhere, the new generations getting to know this space western/opera in all its glory is one of the positives in these tough times.  There’s many aspects to these stories that help me reflect on my life and what to do next.  Love yoda, R2D2,  Princess Leia/General Organa and the rest.

R2D2 money box tin and pink Thierry azalea flower

Star wars and me

I first watched Star Wars in 1977 when I was 11 – General Leia Organa was the first female protagonist I saw in a film, who was in charge, led from the front and kept going! (even in a bronze bikini).  I loved Star Wars from the first moment I saw it.  I think I watched it two or three times that summer and yes, we had the lightsabre toys later (Christmas?) and they were wrecked from playing out every big scene.  We waited in anticipation for the sequals, by the time they arrived it was ‘an event’.  My wonderful Uncle Fred, took my brother and I to see the films at the Odeon Leicester Square, London with full surround sound.

I’ve written about star wars and yoda a few times on my blog. Have a look:

• Yoda – www.viewsfrommygardenbench.com/yoda

Carrie Fisher

Carrie Fisher was gifted actress, writer, mental health champaigner and dog lover. She’s missed.  It was good to see her back in the last trilogy which I enjoyed, although I think there were wasted opportunities with the plots especially in The Rise of Skywalker. 

I read her books Postcards from the Edge (1987) and Surrender the Pink, (1990) when they were published.  I really must read re-read them, along with The Princess Diarist (2016) about her time on the Star Wars sets.

Have you read them?

In A Vase on Monday – R2D2, Yoda and Azalea

This week I am joining Cathy from Rambling in the Garden for In a Vase on Monday – she has a gorgeous collection of purple flowers, accompanied by a Caithness Glass vase.  This link-up is very simple, pick flowers or plants from your garden or locality and put them in ‘vase’.
I joined this link-up ably run by Cathy not long after I started my blog over five years ago, as a way of helping me document the growth around my garden, sometimes connecting to what has been happening in my life.

I’ve been thinking about picking and putting this azalea in a vase for a couple of weeks.  It was electric pink when it first flowered – it was a huge pop of colour in the ‘afternoon’ shady part of my garden.  The colour was so bright; it was difficult to get any definition on the flowers when I shot close up.   It’s called Thierry, a dwarf plant, that’s about four years old and lives in a pot.  It needs ericaceous (acid) soil and definitely wouldn’t cope with the rubble-filled soil we have in the garden.

Sci-fi

For me, during the lockdown, I am struggling with any TV or films that are too gritty or complex stories. so I’ve been deep in science fiction or fantasy.  So far in lockdown, we have watched or are watching:

• Tales from the Loop (2019) – inter-connected stories about the people who live above the mysterious Loop scientific base investigating the Universe and time. The acting and cinematography are stunning.
• Firefly – a space western from 2003 (Produced and some episodes. My pal recommended it because I loved The Mandalorian when I watched it earlier in the year (and my love of Star Wars)
• Watching the Marvel films in order – we are up to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. When we started this in January, I’d only seen a couple of Iron Man films and Guardians of the Galaxy.  I loved the Captain Marvel film which is what set me off on watching them in the correct order.

I am contemplating starting at the beginning of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I loved it back in the day and I hope it stands up just as well now.  Another strong female character! Cheerleaders saving the world 😉 Has anyone watched it recently? Will I be disappointed?   P.S. I thoroughly enjoyed Heroes at the time too.

*****

The quote at the beginning – I’ve been planning something for a while, I just need to be brave and do it.

*****

Are you a Star Wars fan? Or Marvel?  Have you been watching Sci-Fi? Any recommendations

Or have you been gardening? What are you enjoying at the moment?

Let me know in the comments

I hope you’re having as good a week, as you can in lockdown, in these strange times,

Carpe Diem

Love Bec xx

Remembering Carrie Fisher – died far too soon. 

Remembering Steve – who had a soft spot for Star Wars and the tribulations of Chewie – died far too soon