Sunday 5 January 2014

Waste Not, Les Miserables

Well, if one has a park on one's doorstep, a park full of trees that have been buffeted by the recent inclement weather to the extent where bits of their branches have dropped off, then is it wrong, dear frugal readers, to take a bag into the park and select bits of woody debris to use as kindling in one's woodburner? 

Andy is concerned that I shall get a name for myself e.g  'The Stick Lady', and I said I did not give a hoot, because free kindling is better than bags of kindling you pay for especially from one well known DIY store who wanted £4 for a bag that would last us less than a week! So this morning I collected a bag full of nicely sized twigs which will last us a while, and all I need to do is pop them somewhere to dry out. I mean, it's not like I am dragging great tree trunks home with me, is it? That would earn me some funny looks. 

Yesterday evening Andy decided to pop on the DVD of Les Miserables he got for Christmas (or Les Mis as it seems to be known by people who are very keen and knowledgeable about musicals in general.) Now, Andy knows a lot about musicals. He often sings songs from musicals which entertains me no end. I have never seen Les Miserables. Everyone I know who has seen it says what a fantastic show it is and I really MUST see it, darling. 

Since we've been together we have seen several musicals. We have seen:
1) Miss Saigon
2) Chicago
3) The Lion King
4) Shrek
5) Wicked
6) Guys and Dolls
7) The Producers
8) Blood Brothers
9) The Pajama Game
10) Spamalot
11) The Little Shop of Horrors
12) We Will Rock You
13) The Phantom of the Opera

 I have also seen Matilda. Which was very funny and very entertaining. Unlike Les Miserables. Which was not. Good grief, how depressing is that story? I heard a radio adaptation last year some time and that was bad enough, but add in the visual element and make the actors sing their misery at each other (and in Russell Crowe's case, very bad singing) and I was ready to start comfort-eating less than 20 minutes in. In the space of a verse and a chorus one of the characters, Fantine, had lost her job, all her hair, two teeth and was earning pitiful money as a prostitute. Well, by that time I'd picked up my knitting and was trying to sing happy songs in my head tra-la-la-la.

'I won't inflict any more of this on you,' said Andy switching off the DVD, and he went off into the kitchen to make some proper English muffins which he inflicted on me for breakfast this morning which, as you can imagine, was a bit of a hardship (!) And I watched a re-run of Dad's Army which was much more cheerful. And the tail-end of Casualty which I haven't seen for well over a year, and even THAT was more cheerful. And I got three more throw squares knitted. 

P'raps I'll give Les Mis another chance during the Summer. When it isn't quite so grim outside and I've tanked my brain up with some serotonin.

8 comments:

  1. Collecting kindling is a must do activity, and if that means recycling what is left lying around in the park, then that is an alright occupation. We could give you a barrow load as well, although you would have to come and collect it as might be a bit unwieldy to post. Big oak came down this morning and smashed part of the fence in the side field. Been out all morning cutting it up. Lots of wood, lots of kindling. The offers there.....Vx

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wouldn't bother. Am not a fan of musicals and refuse now to watch anything that annoys me/ frightens me/ makes me feel sad/ fed up etc etc. Happy things all the way for us here!

    We cut our kindling from the ash firewood we get delivered (tres satisfying job), but I would collect sticks if we didn't. Ma's garden is stuffed fulls of trees and she's forever collecting.

    Good job Mrs D I say! x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, to have land with trees on that we could cut for our own wood, Vera! P'raps if Lester could hollow out the oak tree into a kind of canoe-shape one of us could come down and then paddle it back up the Atlantic! Now, that would be an adventure!!!

    CT, I have always rejected Les Miserables on account of its title, and I think you are wise to avoid all things annoying, scary and sad. We try and avoid those things in real life, so why watch them on screen? Crazy! I have never watched horror films because I don't like the feeling of being frightened. I don't mind a sad film as long as it has a happy ending.

    On the advice off two very wise countryside pals, I shall continue to work on my name of 'The Crazy Stick Lady of Mote Park' by collecting kindling!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love Les Miserables, I've seen the stage show three times - but I didn't want to see the film in case it didn't match my expectations. The show is brilliant and quite uplifting in the end.

    I use pallet wood for kindling, easy to find and splitting it is very satisfying if you've had a bad day!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love musicals but have never had any ambition to see The Miserable. Good grief the name is off putting for a start and the advertising always looks so mournful and depressing. No thanks.
    Keep on collecting your kindling from the park, you're really only collecting driftwood before it's had time to drift.

    Diana

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am beginning to think that Les Miserables is the musical equivalent of Marmite, Olly! It pans out in our household - Andy loves Les Mis and hates Marmite, and it is t'other way round for me. Pallet word is a good idea. I imagine it does split beautifully.

    Diana, my sentiments exactly. 'The Miserables' doesn't exactly sell it, does it? I love the idea of wood from the park being driftwood before it has had chance to drift. Sounds very philosophical! And very close to the literal truth too - the lake in the park is on the rise again with all this rain.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Of you struggled with les mis you might enjoy this. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IBYfA3zTxFE&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DIBYfA3zTxFE

    Hope the link works. ,


    Sadie

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sorry the link didn't work. I was trying to link to Honest Trailers. Les Miserababables. Very accurate and amusing in my opinion having sat through the entire two and a half hours at the IMAX !

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting, reading and hopefully enjoying. I love receiving comments and will do my best to reply.