Sister took me to a special (and pricey) Ghibli double bill/ event, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle. Have seen the first five or six times, in theatres for choice; saw the second a dozen years ago on a Chinese-subbed bootleg tape with terrible sound and so never could make sense of it.

Discover that in my old age I'd rather see films with someone I know; it combats my depressive 'why should I bother?' reflex with 'I'm socializing with Whoever, thus I am Accomplishing.' Also, my sister has the same seasonal affliction I do, the dry spasming cough and convulsive sneeze, and I was there to pass her cough drops at need.

Ghibli's Howl is something of a mess, plot-wise. Since I can never remember the plot of any DWJ book I couldn't say how much it differed from hers, just that it did massively. (No wars and no king's female sorcerors IIRC.) Went to reread it when I got home and discovered that by some oversight I seem not to have it, though I've read it twice.

Spirited Away, however, grows more wonderful with age. (And benefits from not being seen at the Bell Lightbox like the last two times.) Can now concentrate on the Japanese dialogue and the backgrounds, the landscapes and the clouds. Feels like something long ago and far away and so much better than it is today.