In the last year or so I’ve started to get the feeling that my age is kind of catching up with me.  I keep finding myself being more and more interested in things that I used to never care about, decorating my house in less of a dorm room style and more like a home, and, the big one, I’ve become much more of a homebody.  I don’t know how I feel about that last one but I find that when I’m offered the opportunity to go out and do something, especially something that could be even remotely classified as “partying”, I tend to say yes to the invite and then at the last minute decide to stay home and spend the night watching reality TV while writing, painting, or surfing the web.  What gives!?!

But then it really hit me last year…I like movies that middle aged divorced women like.  Or at least middle aged women.  Now, I’ve always liked Diane Keaton.  When I was in college I saw Annie Hall for the first time and, while I’m still not a Woody Allen fan {though I do appreciate his brand of humor, it’s just not me}, I loved Diane Keaton in that movie.  And the Steve Martin remake of Father of the Bride with her as the Mom is one of my all time favorite movies {even though I recognize that it’s not a really “good” movie}.

But this was the thing that made me realize something was up.

I like Meryl Streep.

I don’t know why exactly, but I’ve always kind of felt like enjoying Meryl Streep, genuinely enjoying Meryl Streep, was sort of a mark of age.

I’ve never seen The Devil Wears Prada. It is on my short list of movies to see currently, but when it comes to Meryl Streep I am absolutely in love with her movie It’s Complicated.  It has truly become one of my absolute favorite movies.  Another one of favorites of her’s is Julie and Julia, but how can you not love that movie!  It’s fantastic and so funny!

I have a triple feature that has come into heavy rotation for me:
You’ve Got Mail
It’s Complicated
Something’s Gotta Give

My former triple feature was:
Pulp Fiction
Fight Club
Reservoir Dogs {and occasionally this would get swapped with American History X}

So basically I’ve gone from watching movies about people doing drugs, kicking ass, and acting crazy to middle aged women, often divorced, finding love.  And I really, really like these movies!

Here’s one of the reasons that I really love both It’s Complicated and Something’s Gotta Give.

The Houses!!!

Seriously, I would do almost anything to have Diane Keaton’s bedroom/workspace in Something’s Gotta Give.  And Meryl Streep has the most fabulous kitchen in It’s Complicated.

I think this is more the mark of age.  I care about interior design.

Did you know I once lived in an illegal attic apartment that didn’t have heat or a stove?  I paid $250 a month in rent and could walk to the beach.  Eventually I moved out, but not because of the very ghetto apartment, but because of my often absent and often drugged up roommate who was a bit of a dirt bag {and that’s a nice description}.

Now I’ve gotten really picky about where I live and the more that the years pass the more I keep looking for a “grown up house”.  My current house filled that role really well, and I like to think that my husband and I have done a decent job keeping it as a mostly grown up house.  This was all part of what made me decide to get on with my scaling down my stuff and getting into the minimalist zone.

So as I start having to prepare to move yet again I’ve started looking at houses and condos out in San Diego and I’m being pretty specific about what I want.  I can see it in my head but I just have to find it out there somewhere.

I just feel like my age is starting to show and it’s all creeping up on me.  Which becomes even more evident when I go through my boxes and piles of crap and see some of the things I’ve been holding on to and carrying around coast to coast for year, realizing now that these things don’t have a place in my life any more {like the giant box of rave gear that I haven’t had a reason to touch in years}.

It’s just an interesting moment when you realize that your life priorities have actually shifted and it wasn’t just your imagination.  And it’s an even more interesting moment when you find it all delivered to you through Meryl Streep.