The movie thing

I got this from a friend. You’re supposed to bold the movies you’ve seen, and then add 3 more to the list when you’re done, and pass it on to the next person. I’m more of a reader than a movie watcher, so it will be interesting to see how this compares. I recently did the BBC book list and I’d read 56 of the 100.

Anyway, on to the subject at hand.

1. CITIZEN KANE (1941)
2. CASABLANCA (1942)
3. THE GODFATHER (1972)
4. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
5. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)
6. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) – only part – I leave when she hits munchkinland.
7. THE GRADUATE (1967)
8. ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)
9. SCHINDLER’S LIST (1993)
10. SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1952)

11. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
12. SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)
13. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)
14. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)
15. STAR WARS (1977)
16. ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)
17. THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951)
18. PSYCHO (1960)
19. CHINATOWN (1974)
20. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (1975)
21. THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)
22. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
23. THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)
24. RAGING BULL (1980)
25. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)
26. DR. STRANGELOVE (1964)
27. BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)
28. APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)
29. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)
30. THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948)
31. ANNIE HALL (1977)
32. THE GODFATHER PART II (1974)
33. HIGH NOON (1952)
34. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)
35. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
36. MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969)
37. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946)
38. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
39. DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965)
40. NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
41. WEST SIDE STORY (1961)
42. REAR WINDOW (1954)
43. KING KONG (1933)
44. THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915)
45. A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951)
46. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971)
47. TAXI DRIVER (1976)
48. JAWS (1975)
49. SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)
50. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)
51. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)
52. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953)
53. AMADEUS (1984)
54. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930)
55. THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)
56. M*A*S*H (1970)
57. THE THIRD MAN (1949)
58. FANTASIA (1940)
59. REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955)
60. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)
61. VERTIGO (1958)
62. TOOTSIE (1982)
63. STAGECOACH (1939)
64. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977)
65. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)
66. NETWORK (1976)
67. THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962)
68. AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)
69. SHANE (1953)
70. THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)
71. FORREST GUMP (1994)
72. BEN-HUR (1959)
73. WUTHERING HEIGHTS (1939)
74. THE GOLD RUSH (1925)
75. DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990)
76. CITY LIGHTS (1931)
77. AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973)
78. ROCKY (1976)
79. THE DEER HUNTER (1978)
80. THE WILD BUNCH (1969)
81. MODERN TIMES (1936)
82. GIANT (1956)
83. PLATOON (1986)
84. FARGO (1996)
85. DUCK SOUP (1933)
86. MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935)
87. FRANKENSTEIN (1931)
88. EASY RIDER (1969)
89. PATTON (1970)
90. THE JAZZ SINGER (1927)
91. MY FAIR LADY (1964)
92. A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951)
93. THE APARTMENT (1960)
94. GOODFELLAS (1990)
95. PULP FICTION (1994)
96. THE SEARCHERS (1956)
97. BRINGING UP BABY (1938)
98. UNFORGIVEN (1992)
99. GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER (1967)
100. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942)
101. THE CAINE MUTINY (1954)
102. METROPOLIS (1927)
103. PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE (1959)

If I’m counting correctly, that’s 24. And I’ll add…

104. THE STORY OF US
105. SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER
106. BEING JOHN MALKOVICH

Play along, won’t you please? Give me a link when you do – I’d love to see how my list compares to others!

The Oscars

I didn’t see all of them, but I very much enjoyed Hugh Jackman as host, and I liked the new 5-person presentations.

I did NOT like having to listen to Bill Maher mock religion, or Sean Penn sharing his politics. I had to point out to him, via tv, that the very same President he was praising is on record opposed to the law Penn was lecturing us about.

I like celebs a lot more when they keep their lectures and condescension and politics to themselves, thankyouverymuch.

Oh, and his explanation about not having enough time to thank his wife – please. I don’t buy that. It would take half a second to say, ‘Thanks Robin.’ What a jerk.

That’s about it. Your thoughts?

Now THIS is the Christmas spirit

Richard Paul Evans is one of my favorite authors, and if you haven’t read any of his books you definitely should, ASAP. You won’t be sorry. But besides being a great writer, he is a great example of the American Dream.

About fifteen years ago he sat down and wrote a story for his young daughters. A simple, heartfelt gift to capture his love for them. He finished the piece in six weeks, and was so pleased with the result that he printed off 20 copies of it to give to family members and their closest friends. He touched their hearts, and they were inspired to pass the story along to others, who passed it along, who passed it along…you get the idea. Encouraged by his small success, in 1993 he was inspired to seek out an agent and a publisher for his little story. He failed. Not to be discouraged, he went the route of a vanity press and produced the books himself, distributing them to local bookstores where they flew off the shelves.

Once again encouraged by the book’s success, Evans published the book nationally. Again on his own dime. And the book flew to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. The publishing houses who had rejected him before were suddenly very interested in this budding author, and a bidding war ensued. Simon & Schuster eventually won out, giving Mr. Evans a $4.2 million dollar advance. For the book they didn’t want before. Evans had only published it in paperback before, but now that the publishers had it they released it in hardcover, and in 1995 that Christmas gift for two little girls became the first ever book to be #1 on the New York Times bestseller list for both hardcover and paperback editions.

That was the year that I found Richard Paul Evans, and the year that I opened for myself The Christmas Box. I was so moved by the story that I cried – hard – while I read. I devoured that book in one night, and read it three more times that holiday season. And now, 13 years later, I still read it a couple of times a year.

In 1999 I was delighted to be able to meet Mr. Evans at a book signing in Birmingham, Alabama. Of course he is now a renowned author with numerous titles under his belt – all worth reading. He is the most successful self-published author of all time. And I was thrilled to learn a few weeks ago that he is coming to Louisville next week, not only for a book signing but to speak. In my excitement to gather the details, I visited his website where I was blessed yet again by this great man, and I wanted to share that with you.
He is very kindly, very generously offering a bit of Christmas cheer to all of us, and I am so touched. I’ve never seen another offer like it, which is further proof of his character.

For FREE, Richard Paul Evans is offering you a case of his paperback bestseller, The Christmas Box, just to make your own holiday gift-giving a little bit easier. An entire case, 25 copies, that you can share with your family and friends, and all he asks is that you not resell the books for profit. I was so moved, and very happy to pay the nominal shipping charge to get these books. I intend to tuck them in with teacher gifts, our Angel Tree presents for the elderly, and perhaps for a few friends and family members who haven’t read it yet.

If you’d like to share this inspirational story with your nearest and dearest, just visit the free book page on his website to place your own order. The offer is valid through December 1st or while supplies last.

Let’s talk serious literature

my current favorite kind, that is. Namely children’s books. LOL

In reading to the girls each night I often think of things I mean to blog about later. And then of course I forget to do so. So tonight, after reading 2 stories, saying our prayers, and tucking three sweet little angels into bed, I raided their library. I have beside me a stack of things I’ve been meaning to mention for some time now. So in no particular order…

-My favorite page from Kevin Henkes Julius, The Baby of the World:
“JULIUS, THE GERM OF THE WORLD. BY ME,”said Lilly. “Once upon a time there was a baby. His name was Julius. Julius was really a germ. Julius was like dust under your bed. If he was a number, he would be zero. If he was a food, he would be a raisin. Zero is nothing. A raisin tastes like dirt. The End,” said Lilly. The story earned her ten minutes in the uncooperative chair.

If you haven’t read this book, please do. It’s really quite funny and not as mean as it sounds – there is a happy ending. For that matter, all of Kevin Henkes books are worthwhile. My personal favorite is another book about Lilly, Lilly and the Purple Plastic Purse. I’d say his books are good for the 2-5 year old range.

-Seasonally appropriate, I love Jerry Seinfeld’s Halloween book! It’s probably designed for slightly older kids – say in the 30+ range. LOL It could be read to little ones (5-10), but honestly they won’t appreciate it like you will. They won’t be able to wax poetic with you about the costumes of yore. Trust me. Buy this book. Pretend it’s for your kids. And then love it up. And if you can find it, definitely buy the coveted collector’s edition which includes a CD of Seinfeld himself reading the book. It’s classic.

So the first time you hear the concept of Halloween when you’re a kid, your brain can’t even process the idea. You’re like, “What is this? What did you say? Someone’s giving out candy? EVERYONE WE KNOW is just GIVING OUT candy?…I’ll wear anything I have to wear. I’ll do anything I have to do to get the candy away from those FOOLS who are so stupidly GIVING IT AWAY!”

-Probably my favorite children’s author ever is Shel Silverstein. And I ask you, is he really a children’s author? Is the man really writing to little kids, or just to the kid in all of us?

Listen to the MUSTN’TS, child,
Listen to the DON’TS
Listen to the SHOULDN’TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON’TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me –
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be.

(from Where the Sidewalk Ends)

-And speaking of Mr. Silverstein…as much as I adore his poetry books (the above, plus Falling Up, A Light in the Attic…) I’ve always been troubled by a few of his books. Namely, The Missing Piece and The Giving Tree. I find myself thinking of this often, since as luck would have it, Annie loves both stories. They seem so…metaphorical. So what do you think – are they about marriage? Looking at Shel’s personal life one might well believe that they are. And if that’s true, it makes me sad. So while these stories may be great, once I looked at them in this light I’ve never been able to read them the same way again. And on the nights Annie selects either book, I have to choose another one to follow so we can end the evening on a more positive note. Have you ever felt this, or is this just another example of my insanity?

And in closing, another mini book giveaway. Do you or your child like Junie B. Jones? (I do like the stories, but don’t like that I have to edit them to remove the ‘hates’ and the ‘stupids’) I have a shiny new copy of Junie B. Jones has a Peep in her Pocket that’s just waiting for a lucky reader. If you’d like to enter, just leave me a comment here. Tell me what you think of my over-analyzing children’s authors, or recommend to me another great book or author for little ones. I’d love the inspiration! I will draw a winner at midnight on Thursday, October 16th.

Good luck!

She’s just a Broadway Baby…

Last weekend was Annie’s dance recital and I finally uploaded the pictures today. The theme this year was ‘At The Movies’.

Annie did two numbers; her ballet was the Fairy Song from Sleeping Beauty, and her tap was Stupid Cupid from The Princess Diaries. I preferred the tutu costume, but the tap dance was much cuter and she really boogied down!

A few pics:

From the dress rehearsal, with her partner Gracie:

Annie’s got her groove on (You’ve got me jumping like a crazy clown):

Stupid Cupid, stop picking on me:

After the recital with her BFF Rebecca:

Our little starlet, striking a pose:

We are fortunate enough to have an awesome dance school and a great teacher. She’s very FUN and there’s none of that overdone pressure on the kids. No stage mamas allowed! So anyone in the Louisville, KY area check out Jennifer (Fehder) Viers and her Elite Academy of Dance and Performing Arts. The website could use some work I admit, but the instruction is top notch!

Indulge me

As you may know I’ve been sick for about 6 months now. The doctors finally think they have an answer, so I’m on a mega dose of meds (8 pills twice a day for weeks-gag) and they’re making me even more sick than I had been. I think this is giving me a better appreciaton for what chemo might feel like, though I’m certain to a much lesser degree. Anyway, today has been an especially sick day so I’ve laid around watching silly TV. So I’m confessing to having watched the Laguna Beach prom episode. Yes, I know how old I am. I have no explanation.

Anyway, I was struck by how different their prom was from my own. Is that an east coast-west coast thing? Theirs was so casual! 2 weeks before prom they didn’t even have their dates arranged, and the dresses they wore looked like something I’d wear to church. Back in my day (yeah, I’m a tad bit older than them) we had dates 6 weeks in advance and we had serious GOWNS. Like, hoop skirt type gowns. Now that has changed of course and they aren’t wearing the big hoops, but the girls still wear floor length beaded numbers, not the sundresses I saw on that show.

And the boys didn’t pick them up! They hopped in a limo and got everyone individually. No parent picture sessions, no date greeting you with flowers, no pinning of the boutonniere. So am I just ancient and out of the times, or that a coastal thing? What was your prom like?

Smarties and a lobotomy, apparently

I have a confession. I’m not sure exactly when or how it happened, but I’ve turned into one of those women that I used to find very annoying. I think it has some tie to when I became a stay at home mom. A polite way of saying ‘when I became starved for some adult conversation or contact with the outside grown-up world’. And I really hate having to admit that.

I mean, I am living my dream right now. I have always wanted to be a mother, and here I am, with the three most fabulous little girls a Momma could ask for. I am blessed to have a husband who provides for us so well that I can be home with these darlings, fulfilling yet another dream. And every moment I spend with them I am reminded how grateful I am to God and to Chris for this opportunity. And yet…there are days when I want to scream “SHUT UP!” Because God bless their angelic little hearts – they never stop talking.

I am a quiet person. I could go for days without leaving my house, without talking to anyone. They have to get this from their father. So as they tell me their jokes (Anita Bath!) and show me their dances and ask me umpteen gazillion questions (even worse than the ‘Why?’ questions, I’ve learned, are the ‘What if?’ questions. What if we’re late? Well then we’ll miss a few minutes. What if we miss a few minutes? Then we’ll have to catch up. What if we catch up? Well then we’ll be fine. What if we don’t catch up? I don’t know. Why don’t you know? Because you’ve talked in circles and confused me. What does talking in circles mean? It means you’ve confused me. Why are you confused? Because you asked me ‘what if’ so many times. What if I don’t stop asking you what if? Then Mommy’s ears will bleed. Please go read a book. Why? (sound of mommy whimpering) Because I said so. No more talking.) so as they do all of that, I long for silence. I don’t want to talk to anyone at all.

I’m a reader, so naturally I’d retreat to a good book. But being as I have three young children I rarely have time to read a book. Sure, I could wait until they go to bed, but by then I’m usually exhausted. Not the kind of tired where you need to go to bed – the kind of tired where you need a glass of wine or some chocolate. So for a lady who is neither a big drinker nor a chocolate fan, the natural solution is magazines. Quick, easy little bites of info that I can pick up and put down on a whim. Really there are lots of intellectual choices, but instead my head is tired and I turn to the brain candy. People, US Weekly, the occasional Parents if I’m feeling particularly scholarly. Yeah. Impressive I know.

Then the natural evolution is to move on to more brain candy in the form of mindless television. I watch shows that I am actually embarrassed to admit that I watch. (See previous post for specific examples) What is that about? The morality on these shows is, well, about as far as one can get from my own. The plot lines are far-fetched. The pseudo-reality shows are actually rather boring if you actually dissect one, but of course I don’t dissect, I just let my brain turn to mush and rot. But they allow me to unwind. So now I am one of those women I always thought silly and superficial. I am a silly celebrity following, chick tv watching ninny. Which brings me to my point.

What in the world is happening on Wisteria Lane? 5 years? Seriously? Seriously?

Apparently the answer is yes.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2008-05-18-desperate-housewives_N.htm

Hmmph.

It’s sad how much I care about this. I need to get out of the house more.