Love Train

Photo by Box of Badgers - click link for a fabulous set of pics!

I've been visiting some bloggy friends lately. I went over to Miss Healthypants' place and read a funny post about her husband, Iwanski, and his obsession with a television program about trains. They are both wonderful writers and have a most lovely relationship.

Then I went over to The Jason Show and read a great post entitled Love Yourself. He makes the point that - well, let's let him tell you himself:

I fully subscribe the the notion that you must make your own happiness, one way or another. You're in charge. If you're not happy, then get happy. Happiness takes work. If you're not willing to do the work to get happy, then don't complain about your misery!

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that you have to love yourself. My mom often observes that ultimately, you have to be able to look yourself in the mirror and like what you see. She also claims that the most satisfying way to find a mate is not to look for one. Instead, she believes that pursuing the things you enjoy and finding fun leads to meeting someone special to love.

So, oddly enough, my final romantic movie couple isn't really a couple. It's a woman who comes into her own, who thinks she needs a man, but learns to relax and enjoy life and love others without worrying about pairing up.

Diane Lane is outstanding as writer Frances Mayes, whose book Under the Tuscan Sun was made into a movie. There were several liberties taken with the truth of Mayes' memoir in developing the screenplay, but who cares? The message is lovely.

Warning: This clip includes plot revelations at the end of the movie, so if you haven't seen it and want to be surprised, don't watch it. Just go out and rent it. Immediately!



Don't you just love the words in this? And aren't they unbelievably true?

They say they built the train tracks over the Alps between Vienna and Venice before there was a train that could make the trip. They built it anyway; they knew one day the train would come.

Any arbitrary turning along the way, and I would be elsewhere, I would be different.

Unthinkably good things can happen, even late in the game; it's such a surprise.