Sometimes you just start digging

Sophia Loren should have been nominated

Apr 27, 2021

The Front Page

Morning Update

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

By Ken Tingley

I was running the final bit of gas out of the snowblower this weekend and had a few minutes, so I grabbed the shovel.

I went out to what was left of my horseshoe court and pushed the shovel into the sand.

Inspiration can come from unusual places.

Last week, I wrote about the horseshoe court that had laid dormant in my backyard for too long. Twenty-five years ago, it was an attempt to keep a tradition alive - and maybe reduce the size of my lawn. But the court went mostly unused. I imagined the picnics and get-togethers of the future would eventually gravitate toward throwing some shoes to cap a day of camaraderie.

But that rarely came to pass and this spring, the court had disappeared into the earth.

So last week when I wrote about the “Death of a horseshoe court,” what I was really lamenting was another era when big families gathered in the dusk to pitch shoes, drink lemonade and have a few laughs. And I guess I was a little sorry that had not come to pass at my house.

So, I was being pragmatic.

Then, Gary commented, “Don’t bury it. Renew the tradition.”

It was nice to hear from a reader, and I answered I was “torn.”

“What do you have to lose,” Gary wrote back.

And I guess it stuck with me over the next few days as I looked at the rotting boards and the overgrown pit.

My horseshoe pit is looking presentable again.

So I plunged the shovel into the weeds and started digging. I turned over shovel-full of sand after shovel-full of sand. I pulled out the boards and repositioned them neatly in their original square outline to the pit. I raked it all smooth, then rummaged around in the garage until I found the stakes and pounded them into the ground. Then, I retrieved the rusted shoes.

And for the first time in a decade, I pitched a horse shoe.

What did I have to lose?

The second shoe hit the stake. It was a leaner. I was as rusty as the shoes, but it felt good to be letting them fly again. I started thinking about Memorial Day and Fourth of July horse shoes like the old days.

Renew the tradition.

What a concept.

Even if it does not come to pass, there is still the possibility.

Thanks Gary.

Nomadland - No way!

Like any type of art, film is terrible subjective.

What you like, I might hate. So when Nomadland won Best Picture Sunday night, I was left shaking my head. Of the eight movies nominated, I ranked it eighth.

I was terribly excited about the premise for Nomadland, but I didn’t think it delivered. I’m sure others feel differently.

Obviously, those at the Academy did.

Movie I forgot

Watching the Best Song nominees performed, I was reminded of a movie that was Best Picture caliber - The Life Ahead. It starred the legend Sophia Loren and she was better than any of the Best Actress nominees. The song was pretty good, too.

Feeling good

If you want a feel good movie to recover from all the serious message movies, you might want to consider Eurovision Song Contest. It starred Will Ferrell, but it is a sweet story with lot of music. And it was filmed in Iceland. Another great son, too.

New format

I thought the pandemic-forced changes made to the Academy Award ceremonies were refreshing. The songs were performed before the ceremony and that freed up time for acceptance speeches and background on the nominees. The new ceremony seemed much more intimate.

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