Yet another LOVELY weekend! :)

Friday night, Dana & I had dinner at Gainsbourg and then saw Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming at Taproot Theatre. What a fun & lively show! It’s a musical and was conceived by Alan Bailey, written by Connie Ray & directed by Scott Notle. I guess this is the third in a series, although I haven’t seen any of the others. It takes place in 1945, just after the end of WWII, and features the Sanders family as they gather at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in North Carolina to share gospel & bluegrass music and inspirational storytelling. The characters are charming and many parts are really laugh-out-loud funny. All of the actors are perfectly cast and incredibly talented — they each play multiple instruments, sing, and act.

Saturday, G3 and I escaped the afternoon heat by going to see The Hurt Locker at Lincoln Square, masterfully directed by Kathryn Bigelow. I’ve been putting off seeing this because of it being a “war film,” but now I am so glad we went! I feel the same way about this film that I felt about Food, Inc. — EVERYONE should see it! It tells the story of three soldiers who are part of an elite bomb squad in Iraq. Jeremy Renner gives a powerful performance in the lead role, and the brief cameos by Guy Pearce, David Morse and Ralph Fiennes are superb. I love how character-driven the film is and it’s captured brilliantly by cinematographer Barry Ackroyd. Let me know what you think if you see it!

In the evening, I met up with Dustin in Wallingford to see (500) Days of Summer at the Guild 45th. With the exception of the voiceover & the wise-beyond-her-years little sister (these parts kind of irritated me), I liked the film. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are adorable. The opening disclaimer is funny and I liked how the scenes jumped back and forth. I also liked how the final scenes are filled with so much truth, it made my heart break with understanding.

Ocho

Sunday, Concert Boy, M&G and I went to the Ballard Farmers Market and then had a leisurely brunch at Ocho. We shared one of everything on the menu and it was fabulous!

Also visited my g’pa this weekend and had a lovely evening with Tanja. Weekend, happy weekend! :)