Movies, a Book and Uitwaaien
Well, I’m emotionally exhausted once again, because my son and I just finished re-watching all the Harry Potter movies, and then we watched the 20th anniversary special on HBO Max, where the cast members returned to talk about filming the movies. What is it about Harry Potter? Just like when I finished the books, at the end of the last movie I felt like there’s nothing left to say or do, or experience, or learn, ever again in life. It’s all been done… that was the official end. Luckily, I finally recovered from that after reading the books (although it took a month) and just finished reading Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher. This book has been on my TBR list for years, because it takes place in Scotland during Christmas. I kind of wish I had read this a month earlier, because the story leads up to December 25th, and it would have been fun to read it before Christmas. But I enjoyed it now. One thing I liked about it was the detailed descriptions- when a character went to buy Christmas presents, we’re told exactly what she got for each person. And instead of saying merely “they bought food for the party” we know exactly what they bought, including how many bottles of wine and whiskey. I love details like that in a book. Overall the writing was beautiful, and the story tied up neatly and happily. Towards the end my eyes were tempted to roll slightly upward at just HOW neatly everything tied up. The story ends very happily, and even though the characters experienced some adversity, everyone behaved admirably and kindly throughout. I would describe this as a kind, gentle book- which was soothing to read. I’m a little scared to start my next one- I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh. I have a feeling it’s going to be the polar opposite of “kind and gentle.” But I’m ready for a page-turner. I’m also ready for some uitwaaien! What in the world, you may be asking, is that? Well, this article explains that “uitwaaien” is a Dutch word that means “to walk in the wind.” It describes the act of undertaking some sort of outdoor physical activity in windy conditions. “Wind, as local wisdom goes, refreshes and recalibrates you.” The article describes our relationship to the wind and the health benefits it provides. Wim Hof, who developed a breathing program designed to bring the wind into our bodies, says the wind “is inextricably linked to how we connect with our physiology and achieve optimal health.” Well! I never thought much about the wind except as an annoyance- most of us don’t like running on windy days. But now I have a whole new way of thinking about it, and I’m kind of looking forward to the next windy run. I’m ready to be refreshed and recalibrated! Did anyone else watch the Harry Potter 20th anniversary special? Have you ever heard of “uitwaaien?” –I’m going to change my attitude towards the wind after reading this!