whales and squids

To "The Old Man and the Sea" and "Island of Blue Dolphins," I now add "Grayson" to my list of favorite books about the ocean. This is an improbable, incredible (almost the same word, but not...) memoir by the woman (Lynne Cox) who swam the English Channel at 15-years-old. "Grayson" is a story of a morning swim at 17, during which Cox interacts with a host of sea creatures... and I'll leave it at that.

We're on something of a Spring Break (those of you with toddlers will know that there's no such thing, unless you have babysitters), so we've been watching movies. The last two nights we watched two films that were striking in their difference of tone and similarity of setting. The first film was "Margot at the Wedding," about an awkward reunion between grown siblings at a seaside family home. And the second was "Dan in Real Life," a film about an awkward reunion between grown siblings at a seaside family home. "Margot" was NOT recommended by friends, but my husband and I liked the preview, and, it turns out, we liked the film, too. It was an art house film, in that it didn't carry the type of resolve that you associate with Hollywood pictures. Instead, it was a subtly acted and beautifully filmed snapshot of a complex and wounded family. Like so many families that we find ourselves in, the rights and wrongs are terribly muddied by good-intentions and self-preservation and familial love and all sorts of deeply carved social dynamics. "Dan," on the other hand, was a picture of an enviably big rambling house and loud affectionate family, involved in all sorts of heart-warming vacation activities , despite the (comedic) tensions that make up the plot. I have to say that I loved it, too, in more of an escapist vein. No TV or video games there... talent shows and guys vs. girls crossword puzzles and lawn football. All set against the backdrop of the rolling waves.