The Man Who Came To Dinner is a witty, comedic play-turned-film that reminds us that "guests like fish, begin to smell after three days." Sheridan Whiteside is critic and radio commenter that comes to a town for a lecture only to injure himself on the front steps of a house he was entering for a dinner party. The visit which was supposed to last only the span of a meal stretches on for several weeks and Whiteside brings a menagerie of madness upon his hapless hosts. His faithful secretary Maggie (played brilliantly by Bette Davis) does an admirable job of managing the madness until she begins to fall for local newspaper reporter (boringly portrayed by Richard Travis). Whiteside isn't content to rest up and merely welcome penguins and socialites into his borrowed living room, but quickly begins to utilize his free time by interfering with the lives around him. While the characters were originally moulded after contemporaries of the stage, it remains a fun romp that still entertains today.
The Man Who Came To Dinner

It's interesting living in a city--a small city, I know but one regardless. When I was younger I wanted nothing more than to settle in a city; I thought New York sounded wonderful: public transportation, walking everywhere, so many stories, libraries, bakeries, etc. I enjoyed living in Sapporo and Athens in equal measure, but some time after college my interest in city-living began to wane. Now, I'm quite convinced that I should live somewhere secluded. I don't mind the long drives to a grocery store or movie theater and I do enjoy the quietness, the scenery, and seclusion of the countryside. But part of me thinks I'm too young to become a hermit, living in a tiny cabin with an enormous wolfhound and a pile of books. So, for now I'm trying the city thing and driving out frequently to drink in the rolling hills and scenic farmland of Pennsylvania.

There's a wonderful sense of calm in libraries; I never really tire of lingering between the tall rows of books. I'm much more at home surrounded by novels than people--I've found more comfort in written words thann those that have been spoken to me. With re-reads upon re-reads the personal histories of certain characters seem more vivid than my own. Oh, I've talked about it numerous times before but it bares repeating with today's post featuring this old library. I wonder what the future can hold for people who always found more satisfaction in stories than reality...

I'm a summer person at heart. Fall has me grasping for space heaters and wearing every conceivable knit around my house let alone out of doors--although with old houses being the way they are, I'm often surprised to find the temperature in the sun on the street warmer than my bedroom. Anyway, this sweater has been worn enormously around my house; I tend to throw it on top of whatever I was already wearing when I start to get cold regardless of whether or not it fits. It was the perfect match for my wellies on a cool walk around this rather muddy lake near my home. Stormy weather has turned most of the paths in this area to puddles. I'm sort of in luck as I have just escaped to Florida for a brief visit to my sister, so I shall miss the hurricane. I'm sort of out of luck, as my return flight has already been cancelled...so I don't really know when I'll be getting back home...

It's sweater weather again and who doesn't like cozy sweaters? One of my personal favorites is this PJ by Peter Jensen I snagged on sale a couple of years ago. They've released some cute new styles since then that I'm tempted to buy, but for now this sweater is serving me well. It's lightweight enough to be worn on warmer days, but still cozy enough to seek for comfort when the temperatures start to drop.

I wish that the leaves would catch up with the Fall temperatures. I wish that the trees would flame red and gold and you could warm your chilled fingers in their color. At the moment it feels as if we have the worst of the season--shorter days, colder nights, and so little of autumn's crowning glory. Still, some leaves are passing on despite the green that lingers and more will follow in their wake. And there's something very satisfying about the crunch of them underfoot when you're out walking--I saw a young man verge from his straight path to intentionally stomp through a small pile of leaves someone had raked up. His smile was exactly like a child's when they jump into an autumnal pile. It's funny how we take so much pleasure in the death of something; laughing and jumping on tiny corpses.

This isn't the most timely posting of a fall collection seeing as this one dates from 2011, but I only recently discovered Jennifer Chun. Her collection from a couple of seasons back features the preppy-quirky style I'd love to wear this autumn. Mixed prints are used in the best possible way and I love those powerful pops of red.