Gratitude

My enthusiasm for blogging about Richard Armitage's work has taken a back seat to

my enthusiasm for staring at another person lately. No, not someone on @Rob's replacement list...

this person is 8 pounds of cuteness, has my husband's nose and smells of baby lotion. 

She has stolen my heart... and any extra time I used to have! :)

Thank you, blog readers and RA buddies, for all of the lovely

thoughts and congratulations during this time. :)

I'd like to share a poem I love:

Song for a Fifth Child

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,

Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,

Hang out the washing and butter the bread,

Sew on a button and make up a bed.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue

(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

(Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew

And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo

But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.

Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?

(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,

For children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.

I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

Between "blissfully rocking" and guarding the Christmas tree from my 2 1/2-year-old, I've been rather busy.
Therefore, I send another THANK YOU to our gracious guest bloggers! I loved receiving and reading

each post.  It reminded me of my excitement for the FanstRAvaganza in a way, due to different

people contributing their own flare on the topic of Richard Armitage.  Anyway, here's

a reward for the guest bloggers who had the courage to try something new:

Applause, plus this:

No, not the trophy...

your prize is seeing Richard in a tux. :)

Although I'll be blogging once again
(when time allows, which will mean not as often as before),
I plan to leave the invitation open for guest posts and encourage any who are
interested to contribute an entry.  Just email me your RA-related post
with any pictures/videos/links to be included.

RA Co-star Highlights

A few of Richard's co-stars have followed
in his footsteps and recently appeared in episodes of Miss Marple.

As you remember, Richard played Philip in "Ordeal by Innocence" in 2007:

Jonas Armstrong, aka: Robin Hood...

can be seen in "The Secret of the Chimneys."

Look at Jonas all cleaned up without a bow or arrow in sight:

Toby Stephens, aka: Prince John...

and Arlington in "Strike Back"...

can be seen in "The Blue Geranium."

Look at that nifty mustache.

After I published my last post, I realized I was a big liar-liar-pants-on-fire,

because I DID have a few Armitage-related thoughts over the weekend,

thanks to watching an episode of "Lark Rise to Candleford,"since two of

my favorite RA co-stars appear in it.  I'm sure most of my fellow costume drama addicts have heard

of this show, but I just discovered it last fall and have seen only a handful of episodes here or there.

(PBS shows it Sunday evenings, by the way.)  I happened to catch this weekend's episode and

there was Dawn French, aka: Geraldine Granger...

who plays the adorably funny and irresponsible Caroline Arless:

So of course, when I saw Dawn I couldn't help but think of
"The Vicar of Dibley" and that handsome Harry Kennedy.

Brendan Coyle, aka: Nicholas Higgins in "North & South"...

also stars in "Lark Rise to Candleford" as Robert Timmins,

a husband, father and stonemason who is considered a pillar of Lark Rise's simple community

and often stands up for the rights of his fellow working men. (Does that last part sound familiar?)

So of course, when I saw Brendan, I immediately thought of "North & South"
and the handsome and often-pouting, John Thornton.

After finishing "Spooks" Season 7, I plan to watch each

available season of "Lark Rise to Candleford" (thanks to Netflix)
so that I can actually see them all and in order.  I wish RA were in it too. :)

Side note: since I'm admitting things I spaced

(such as those RA-related thoughts over the weekend), I also realized

I forgot to mention in "The Gizzy's Guide to Guyliner and Man Makeup" post that
Rudolph Valentino fits into the category of those who can wear guyliner without looking creepy.
Just thought I'd clear that up.  Since I'm sure you were wondering.  Not really.

Two brooding, makeup-wearing tough guys.

 

 

Those lazy hazy cRAzy days of summer

Isn't this time of year great?

(Well, I guess not if you're wearing black leather from head to toe

in the middle of the sweltering desert...)

Yesterday, the boys and I went swimming and

I did not see one of these...

which is good because I looked like one of these:

Probably because I've been doing a lot of this:

and some of this:

and watching too much of this:

but not doing any of this:

Not even the cutest personal trainer could change my ways at the moment. :)
(And growing belly + spandex = not a lovely sight.  At least it's temporary.  I hope.)

Real life has been less lazy and VERY crazy lately (I'm sure most of you can relate.)

This month is jam-packed with plans, so the blogging will be hit-and-miss

over the next several weeks.

In fact, I've been so busy these days that I rarely (if ever) had an Armitage-related

thought over the long (holiday) weekend!  Can you believe it!?

I know what you're thinking...

but seriously, it can happen, people!!!

Has it ever happened to you?

Tangent about having a life outside of something:

When I was little and would run into one of my elementary teachers in the grocery store

(or somewhere else in public) I was always surprised to realize that they had a life outside of

the classroom.  I don't know why the idea was so weird... after all, it's not like I thought they lived

at school (although I think the principal did) and my mother was/is a kindergarten teacher with a life

and family of her own.  Seeing my teachers out and about with their families or buying produce 

made them more... human, I guess, and it was so strange for my young mind to process

that being "teacher" was only a small part of who they really were.

I thought of those experiences recently because:

A- Blogging is only a sliver of what I do with my time on a weekly basis, though I really enjoy it.

B- Although my favorite actor and subject to blog about (not including my children on the family blog)
is Richard Armitage, some may be surprised to discover I have MANY other interests. 'Tis true.

C- Whenever I think I have a lot to balance in life, I remember those working

mothers (like my teachers) and realize my load isn't so big at all!

So here's to you, other busy ladies (and gents?)

who probably  have way more on your plates than I do.

Hopefully we can all squeeze some fun in there too and continue to enjoy the summer!

(Pretend Harry is wearing a t-shirt and shorts rather than his winter clothes.)

What have you been doing this summer?

Bill and Phil

We've seen shadows of Richard's characters in other characters.
A prime example of this is "Spooks" which threw a few at us in season 8.

Care for a stroll, anyone?

How about some glove porn?

   

When I saw Richard as Philip Durrant in Ordeal by Innoncence last week,
I was reminded of Bill Chatford in Malice Aforethought.

After all, Philip and Bill are supporting roles in murder mysteries, based on novels.
These echoes of familiarity have more to do with personality,
rather than a specific scene, however.  So let's compare and contrast.

Similarity:
Bill and Philip are both grouchy.
 

Similarity and Difference:

Bill has an evil mustache, Philip doesn't.
However, they both part their hair on the side and lack sideburns.
 

Similarity:
Old man hats!
 

Similarity and Difference:

They each have marriage problems.

Bill's wife cheats on him, Philip cheats on his wife.

  

Similarity:

Bill and Philip both threaten others.
There are shadows of Gisborne in them.

 

So there you go.  Two peas in a pod.

If I had to chose between the two, I'm not sure who I'd pick.
Phil is cuter, but a playboy, so I'd probably have to go with Bill.

Forget it... this is all make believe, so I pick Thornton!!!

Ah... there we go... much better!

Review~ Miss Marple: Ordeal by Innocence (2007)

Move over, Jessica Fletcher!
There's another crime-solving old lady in town...
and this one is wearing a cute hat.

Seeing "Miss Marple: Ordeal by Innocence" reminded me of watching "Murder, She Wrote"
with my grandma as a kid.  [Side note: I later found out that "Murder, She Wrote" is loosely based
on Agatha Christie's Miss Marple series and that Angela Lansbury (who plays Jessica Fletcher) also
played Miss Marple in "The Mirror Crack'd."]  For that grandma-bonding sentimental memory alone,
I would have enjoyed this movie, but there were many other things I liked as well.

First of all, seeing Richard Armitage in another role was great!
This year I want to view the RA films I haven't seen yet and this movie was a great way to start.
The plot revolves around the Argyle family.  Richard portrays Philip Durrant, who is married
to their oldest daughter, Mary.  Philip may look good in a tux, but he's a gold digger and cheater.
 

I loved getting caught up in the story and guessing game.
It takes an interesting plot to distract me from Richard's screen presence,
but I became engrossed in the storyline of this movie.

Here's an overview:
(there may be a few spoilers, although I've tried to avoid too many)

Rachel Argyle (Jane Seymour) is the wealthy matriarch of the Argyle family, who adopted
6 underprivileged children with her husband, Leo.  She meant well, but showed her children little love.
She is found murdered one evening, a few hours after arguing with her son Jacko (Burn Gorman)
who had attacked and threatened to kill her after she refused to give him money for his debts.

Jacko is arrested and executed for the murder of his mother.
The Argyle family is saddened by both losses, but eventually move on with life.

Two years later...

Most of the Argyle family members are happy and making plans for the future.
Philip, however, has been disabled due to polio and everyone mentions his grumpiness. 
I guess I'd be grumpy too if I were aged prematurely by being dependant on a wheelchair,
donning an old man hat and being wrapped up in blankets and an ugly gray sweater. 

Miss Marple comes into the picture when she's invited to the Argyle residence for a wedding.

While the family is enjoying an evening together, a stranger appears and reveals there is proof  that Jacko
had been innocent.  They're all shocked to discover that he'd been wrongly accused and executed.

"How dare you interrupt our awesome game of charades with such bad news!"

The news is a blow to the Argyle family, who were the only ones home on the night of the murder.

Immediately, suspicions are raised and everyone is now a suspect.

Sadly, every person in the family had something to gain by Rachel Argyle's death.

The viewer is left guessing, who did it???

Was it Leo Argyle?

~Author and patriarch of the family,
who had been under his wife's disapproving thumb for years.

Was it Gwenda?

~Friend of Miss Marple and Leo's secretary,
who has secretly been in love with him all along.

Was it Bobby Argyle?

~Twin brother of Jacko, who acts a bit fishy.

Was it Philip or Mary Durrant?

~Both want the inheritance money.

Before her death, Rachel Argyle discovered Philip has things to hide.

Was it Mrs. Lindstrom?

~The bossy housekeeper and eyes/ears of the household.

Was it Mickey, Tina or Hester?

~Youngest children in the Argyle family who all show odd behavior
and are bitter about their adoptions.

Miss Marple immediately starts digging around, finding clues on her own to solve the mystery.

Why leave it up to Inspector Huish when he got it wrong the first time?

With the help of Dr. Arthur Calgary, Miss Marple is able to put the pieces of the
puzzle together and announces the true identity of the killer.

It may be unfair to compare two productions, but I was reminded of "Malice Aforethought"

which I also viewed for the first time recently. Malice and Ordeal are both murder mysteries
based on novels, and Philip shares some similarities with Bill Chatford, which I may focus on later.

However, unlike Malice, "Ordeal by Innocence" doesn't reveal the murder until the very end,

leaving the viewer constantly guessing who committed the crime.  There are all sorts of
twists and turns... and as soon as I thought I knew who the killer was, I'd change my mind
and begin suspecting someone else.  I have to say I enjoyed Ordeal much more than Malice.
I highly recommend watching this one, and not just to see the handsome Richard Armitage.

My favorite characters were the intelligent Miss Marple (Geraldine McEwan)
and the nerdy, sputtering Dr. Calgary (Julian Rhind-Tutt.)

 

They were both adorable.

Sorry, Philip.  You're just too much of a jerk to like...
despite your Gisborne smirk and disability that should urge sympathy.
If you had sideburns, I may reconsider.
I did like seeing you in a tux, so I'll give you points there.

(Richard should take that as a compliment
due to his fine portrayal of another baddie.)

By the way, Americans, Durrant is pronounced
Dur-"int" not "ant" like I'd always thought.

One last thing: I was shocked to find out our little Miss Marple
at one time was the scary witch lady on "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves!"
To avoid giving you nightmares and tainting your view of the sweet old lady,
I won't display a picture here.  What an awesome actress!

Thanks to Richard Armitage Net, Richard Armitage Online and Richard Armitage Central
for supplying wonderful screen caps, as well as other various online sources.