Rain = Brunch, Shopping & Movie!

Hi Blog!  Today is Thursday, September 5, 2013.  Hard to believe we've been in Bend, Oregon for over a week now.  The time is just flying by.  Today, Leslie was going to take us hiking.  However, the weather started getting rough and our tiny rig was tossed.  It is true what they say, when the weather gets tough, the tough go shopping!  But before we could begin the arduous task of finding something for Kathy to wear to T.O. and Michelle's wedding in November, we had to fortify ourselves with a hearty brunch!  Probably not the best idea to eat a big meal before trying on clothes. On the other hand, if it fits now, then she won't have to undo any buttons after the wedding feast. :)

We made short work of finding an outfit for Kathy and then rewarded ourselves with a movie matinee.  For those of you who have not seen "The Butler," you need to.  We loved it.  The story is loosely based on the life of Eugene Allen, who worked for the White House from 1952 to 1986, rising from "pantry man" to head butler.  Much like the movie, "Forest Gump," this film looks at his personal story and at the times in which he lived, showing the Civil Rights movement through the lens of his and his family's experience.

Forest Whitaker deserves an Oscar!  He plays, Cecil Gaines, a butler at the White House who served eight presidents and bore witness to the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and other major events that affected his life, family, and American society.  It is so much more than a movie about a butler.  It really brings the whole Civil Rights movement up close and personal.  You can't help but be touched by it.

The cast is all-star, with Oprah Winfrey (who herself should get an Oscar for her performance as Gaines's wife, Liev Schrieber as President Johnson, Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan, Alan Rickman as President Reagan, Robin Williams as President Eisenhower, John Cusack as President Nixon, Vanessa Redgrave, Clarence Williams III and Cuba Gooding, Jr.  The young actor who played John Kennedy, James Marsden, did a spot-on job of portraying Kennedy, but just seemed too young.  Two young actors that were really, really good are also unknowns:  David Oyelowo played Cecil's son Louis and Yaya Alafia as his girlfriend Carol.  A REAL SURPRISE is Mariah Carey in an unexpected role.

The movie brought us to tears in not a few spots, and for many different reasons.  It was truly a very personal look at one family and the meaning the Civil Rights movement and segregation and prejudice had on the family.  It also is a very touching look at family relationships.

After the movie, we spent the rest of the afternoon just chatting and catching up on life.  It is so great to have the time to spend with Leslie and her family.  While we miss the East Coast clan, we are very excited to get to know better the extended family out West.  

The thunderstorms seem to have passed. Tomorrow, we are hoping to visit the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.