portraits of rambling thought

While on the aforementioned journey through Kentucky, etc, I missed two weeks of So You Think You Can Dance. Therefore, I binged on the DVR on Friday.

So, from the past two weeks of the show, here are my favorite routines.

Brandon and Janette – Cha Cha – Hush Hush; Hush Hush by the Pussycat Dolls

Kupono and Kayla – Contemporary – Eyes on Fire by Blue Foundation

Phillip and Janine – Hip-Hop – Love Lockdown by Kanye West

Melissa and Ade – Ballet – Romeo & Juliet Prokofiev’s Suite No. 1 Op. 64b, 6th Movement

Janette and Brandon – Hip-Hop – What A World

Randi and Evan – Contemporary – Koop Island Blues

***

I really think that Ade and Melissa are going to continue to surprise us all and be in the top five. Right now – I think joining them will be Janette, Janine, and Brandon.

I just returned from a two-week tour through my Asbury self and her memories. I had a lot of excellent conversations, lots of rest and a lot of time for laughter. Amidst those things, I also had a lot of time to read. As I prepare to head back to Africa this week, I wanted to share a few of my recomendations for you – things that I have loved this summer.

Television Shows

If you haven’t ever watched How I Met Your Mother, do so immediately. Not kidding. Also, Burn Notice and Royal Pains. And clearly, if you’re not watching So You Think You Can Dance, you have no idea what you’re missing.

Movies

As far as those playing in theaters, I’d heartily recommend Star Trek, The Proposal and Away We Go. I’m also positive that the newest journey to Hogwarts will blow us all away. Thanks to various blogs, I’ve stumbled upon a few gems that I think you should watch as well. Pheobe in Wonderland, Kids in America and Driving Lessons are three of my favorite independents. Felicity Huffman and Patricia Clarkson are revelations in Pheobe in Wonderland and the ways in which we discover Pheobe’s compulsions and how her brain compensates for them are truly interesting.

Books

I brought a few books with me for the journey as I am a compulsive literary overpacker – Walking on Water by Madeline L’Engle, The Yiddish Policeman’s Union by Michael Chabon, The Handmaiden’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and From Outrage to Courage by Anne Firth Murray. Of those, I ended up reading two and starting in on a third – but I read three other books that I borrowed from Bethany or bought in Lousiville – Enna Burning and The Goose Girl both by Shannon Hale and then The Book Theif by Markus Slezak.

I wasn’t prepared to find as much truth and beauty in young adult fiction as I have. The Goose Girl and Book Theif were both creative and intense. The Book Theif – a story of a German family in the Holocaust told from Death’s perspective – was one that I read at Bethany’s insistence. She told me that I would learn things and be caught up in the language and she was correct. I have given my copy to Mama J, so I cannot quote it here – but know that the author forms words in ways that I have never seen another author do. Trust me when I tell you that it’s a read that’s worth your time.

Any recomendations for me?