I ordered the cutest book for my niece and my nephew. One arrived in the mail yesterday and I really like it. If either of them finds it interesting I will probably buy more of her books.
What REALLY Happened to Humpty? (from the files of a hard-boiled detective)
It's Mother Goose meets old school mystery and reads like a film noir short story that I think the kids will enjoy. Joe Dumpty, Humpty's brother, who was never Mother's favorite is the detective. He goes through questioning various nursery rhyme characters garnering clues and establishing a timeline. There are no muffins to be found because the muffin man is missing, every one felt the wind huff and puff, the 3 pigs newest house blew down etc etc. I think it's a wonderful story to introduce them to the mystery genre in a non-scary way. It even sets you up for future mysteries as Joe hunts that Mary keeps him busy finding her sheep.
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Monday, May 04, 2009
Movie Review
This weekend our Netflix movie was There Will Be Blood. Let me start by saying that Daniel Day Lewis' portrayal of the turn of the century self-made oil man was tremendous. That's about the only nice thing I can say about the movie. It was terrible. It was 2 hours and 38 minutes that I could have spent doing something productive like sleeping or cleaning behind my refrigerator.
Let me try to elaborate. I hated the ending. The acting was good. The look and feel of the movie was good. I mean visually and not just the country scenery but even at the beginning when he is in the well digging and climbing in and out. I don't know how many minutes go by with not a word spoken just the sights and sounds of his daily work. Excellent, they've hooked me but honestly, I felt the story was lacking. It didn't flow. It was too disjointed for me. Not enough information was given. I actually turned to hubby twice and said I was confused and asked him a question and he would just answer I don't know making me frustrated with the film. I what I knew had to be towards the end there's a major scene and I am expecting more out of it as the camera starts to pan away and I exclaim - it CANNOT end like this!- right as the screen goes black. OMG! I totally hated the ending! Totally!
Don't spend any money on this, it will be on cable soon enough.
Next in the queue is: Quantum of Solace, the newest James Bond movie. What can I do? I have boys.
Let me try to elaborate. I hated the ending. The acting was good. The look and feel of the movie was good. I mean visually and not just the country scenery but even at the beginning when he is in the well digging and climbing in and out. I don't know how many minutes go by with not a word spoken just the sights and sounds of his daily work. Excellent, they've hooked me but honestly, I felt the story was lacking. It didn't flow. It was too disjointed for me. Not enough information was given. I actually turned to hubby twice and said I was confused and asked him a question and he would just answer I don't know making me frustrated with the film. I what I knew had to be towards the end there's a major scene and I am expecting more out of it as the camera starts to pan away and I exclaim - it CANNOT end like this!- right as the screen goes black. OMG! I totally hated the ending! Totally!
Don't spend any money on this, it will be on cable soon enough.
Next in the queue is: Quantum of Solace, the newest James Bond movie. What can I do? I have boys.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
A Raisin in the Sun
I read this play last summer. Why? Because I never had but I knew about it. As I read it I recalled the story I still couldn't remember from where or if I had read it in school. No matter. It was worth a reread.
A remake of the movie was on TV last night. It was excellent. Phylicia Rashad, Sean Combs, Audra McDonald and Sanaa Lathan were all perfectly cast. The story is 1959 but it's today too. Unfortunately, you still see the racism - at least I do. The story is about family, family bonds, family ties, family dreams. Each member of the family has their dreams, everyone supports one another at the same time pushing and pulling and dreams get broken and sacrificed for the family. 1959 and it covers everything from poverty, race discrimination, civil rights, women's rights, protest, social assimilation, abortion, religion. So many heavy topics in such a short glimpse of the family - the story only covers a few days.
This group of actors is the same one that performed the revival of the play on Broadway. I would love to see them live. It was 3 hours last night with all the commercials and I probably cried for 2 of them as I watched them all stumble and fall and get up again. It was excellent....everyone should see/read this story. Kudos Ms. Lorraine Hansbery. I can't imagine writing this and publishing it in 1959. Now I want to see the original movie with Sydney Poitier.
A remake of the movie was on TV last night. It was excellent. Phylicia Rashad, Sean Combs, Audra McDonald and Sanaa Lathan were all perfectly cast. The story is 1959 but it's today too. Unfortunately, you still see the racism - at least I do. The story is about family, family bonds, family ties, family dreams. Each member of the family has their dreams, everyone supports one another at the same time pushing and pulling and dreams get broken and sacrificed for the family. 1959 and it covers everything from poverty, race discrimination, civil rights, women's rights, protest, social assimilation, abortion, religion. So many heavy topics in such a short glimpse of the family - the story only covers a few days.
This group of actors is the same one that performed the revival of the play on Broadway. I would love to see them live. It was 3 hours last night with all the commercials and I probably cried for 2 of them as I watched them all stumble and fall and get up again. It was excellent....everyone should see/read this story. Kudos Ms. Lorraine Hansbery. I can't imagine writing this and publishing it in 1959. Now I want to see the original movie with Sydney Poitier.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Looking back and ahead
So what else happened this week? Hmmmm, here ya go:
* Status on reducing the double-wide.I stopped buying breakfast at Starbucks. I haven't had any ice cream. I am drinking way more water. I made Jello to have as dessert on the nights when I just need a little something else. I have had salad as a side at every single dinner. I didn't eat any french fries the 2 nights I made them this week. Yeah, me!
* I got my hair but last weekend. I forgot to tell you. It was just a trim. I have it on the short side now so that it gets curly. They are big curls. It's better that just hanging straight down.
* The manager of my GM's ALF called that they were shutting down and were trying to find her a new place but that she was refusing to go. Mind you I was updated that she had moved twice since June and not told me. Granted they were houses owned by the same owner as he was downsizing trying to hold on to a house or 2 but now they are shutting down. When I told her that I had no idea because I hadn't been able to speak to her since the beginning of the summer, she was shocked because GM had told her that we speak every week. She lied. Big surprise there.
* You know those little strips they advertise to put on your nose to stop snoring. They look like butterfly band-aids. Well, THEY WORK! If you have a snorer that wakes you up, RUN don't walk to the nearest store and buy some. You need to understand I have lots of sleep issues. I don't sleep well as it is and hubby's snoring doesn't help. He snores so loud that it jolts me awake. I try to get him to roll over but he doesn't then it takes me forever to fall asleep again and repeat cycle. I think I may have to buy stock in the company because we will be buying it in bulk. He has been wearing the strips for 3 nights and OMG if he's snoring, I don't hear him. It's a godsend! Who woulda thunk it!
* I ordered more online stuff. Some scrapbook papers and a necklace. Actually I ordered a couple because I think it would make a great Xmas gift and it was on sale. I need to start thinking about Christmas cards. I was thinking about making them this year since I'm scrapping now, I should be able to make the cards. We'll see.
Weekend plans: (in no particular order)
Visit GM, now that I know where she is and take her some of her favs: chocolate covered cherries, shortbread cookies etc.
Mail some packages to a few people.
Make some color copies of newspaper articles for the football scrapbooks.
Get my mammos grammed on Saturday.
Go to son's football game Saturday night.
Clean kid's bathroom.
Go to dinner with my culinary girlfriends on Sunday!
Have a good one everyone! TGIF!
* Status on reducing the double-wide.I stopped buying breakfast at Starbucks. I haven't had any ice cream. I am drinking way more water. I made Jello to have as dessert on the nights when I just need a little something else. I have had salad as a side at every single dinner. I didn't eat any french fries the 2 nights I made them this week. Yeah, me!
* I got my hair but last weekend. I forgot to tell you. It was just a trim. I have it on the short side now so that it gets curly. They are big curls. It's better that just hanging straight down.
* The manager of my GM's ALF called that they were shutting down and were trying to find her a new place but that she was refusing to go. Mind you I was updated that she had moved twice since June and not told me. Granted they were houses owned by the same owner as he was downsizing trying to hold on to a house or 2 but now they are shutting down. When I told her that I had no idea because I hadn't been able to speak to her since the beginning of the summer, she was shocked because GM had told her that we speak every week. She lied. Big surprise there.
* You know those little strips they advertise to put on your nose to stop snoring. They look like butterfly band-aids. Well, THEY WORK! If you have a snorer that wakes you up, RUN don't walk to the nearest store and buy some. You need to understand I have lots of sleep issues. I don't sleep well as it is and hubby's snoring doesn't help. He snores so loud that it jolts me awake. I try to get him to roll over but he doesn't then it takes me forever to fall asleep again and repeat cycle. I think I may have to buy stock in the company because we will be buying it in bulk. He has been wearing the strips for 3 nights and OMG if he's snoring, I don't hear him. It's a godsend! Who woulda thunk it!
* I ordered more online stuff. Some scrapbook papers and a necklace. Actually I ordered a couple because I think it would make a great Xmas gift and it was on sale. I need to start thinking about Christmas cards. I was thinking about making them this year since I'm scrapping now, I should be able to make the cards. We'll see.
Weekend plans: (in no particular order)
Visit GM, now that I know where she is and take her some of her favs: chocolate covered cherries, shortbread cookies etc.
Mail some packages to a few people.
Make some color copies of newspaper articles for the football scrapbooks.
Get my mammos grammed on Saturday.
Go to son's football game Saturday night.
Clean kid's bathroom.
Go to dinner with my culinary girlfriends on Sunday!
Have a good one everyone! TGIF!
Friday, October 05, 2007
Week in review
Here's a look back and things that happened that I haven't mentioned...
* One of the things I decided after the trip was to seriously trim down this double wide body of mine. I'm no radical here. I didn't run out and join a gym or buy any exercise equipment. Why, you may ask. Quite frankly because I've done those things before and failed miserably each time. Now you need to understand I have done every diet there is. I have the knowledge, I know how to loose weight. It's quite simple: take in less calories than you burn. The problem here is will power. So, I decided. I'm gonna do it. I'll start slow, making simple lifestyle changes. First, let's start drinking the water I'm supposed to be drinking. Sounds easy enough. I can do that. Second, stop going to Starbucks and getting a latte and a donut for breakfast. Just have coffee in the office. Again, easy. Bonus here is I'll save $ too. I can do this. SO, Tuesday when hubby goes to the grocery store to buy Milk and cold cuts for the kids. I tell him bring home a surprise, something good. I do this all the time and he usually brings me back whatever veggie or fruit is on sale. A few weeks ago he brought back a beautiful eggplant and more recently a pack of zucchini- delish! So, he came home all excited. Look, I brought home something yummy and he pulls out a quart of Hagen Das Butter Pecan ice cream. We can eat it while we watch TV later! - I guess we're keeping the double wide this week!
* 15 got a brochure from Northwestern University. He got himself on their mailing list because he fell in love with the school 2 years ago when we visited Chicago and he wants to study Journalism and Broadcasting and found out they were famous for it. The kicker here isn't that he GOT the brochure, 17 gets tons of them. The kicker is he read it from cover to cover, he came out of his room explaining to us out of touch parents that he could double major, that they have work internships with out local newspapers, that they have mentor programs etc. I just sat there dumbfounded at the table while he told me all about it. I have a child who is researching, interested in and motivated all by himself to going to college. WOW! I just took in the moment and sent up a little prayer to raise his grades so that he actually have a shot at getting into the school.
* The vacuum cleaner died. It just stopped in mid-vacuum. There is only carpeting in one room but I have, I mean had one of those floor/carpet vacuums and instead of sweeping and having to pick up the dust, I vacuum the floor. I had to sweep this week- oh the agony!
* I have been ordering things online and all the boxes have been coming in. I've ordered scrapbook supplies and clothes. There was a reason I didn't order clothes online before, now I have to return half of it. It didn't fit right or I didn't like the color- it didn't look that bright on the computer. Returning the stuff is a pain in the butt!
*We have a football game tonight and we supposed to beat the pants off of this team. With any luck 17 should play well and make some fabulous plays and have something for the highlight film he has to make for Furman U. My in-laws are coming to my house so that we can drive them to the game. It should be fun.
*I balanced my checkbook. This may be normal and customary for your checkbook but for mine it was a treat. I have never spent so much time with it. I actually discovered that I had too much money. Can that be for real? But then I realized that I owed someone some $ that I hadn't paid them and poof! there it went. Ahhh, there's the low balance I know and love. The world is right again.
*I have been trying to post on blogs that I read and not be a lurker. I'm not good at that and want to do better. I will keep working on this.
So that was my week. The weekend is pretty packed but if I tell you about that now, then what will I blog about on Monday? So, I will keep you in suspense. HINT: There is a pile on the floor in front of a machine.
* One of the things I decided after the trip was to seriously trim down this double wide body of mine. I'm no radical here. I didn't run out and join a gym or buy any exercise equipment. Why, you may ask. Quite frankly because I've done those things before and failed miserably each time. Now you need to understand I have done every diet there is. I have the knowledge, I know how to loose weight. It's quite simple: take in less calories than you burn. The problem here is will power. So, I decided. I'm gonna do it. I'll start slow, making simple lifestyle changes. First, let's start drinking the water I'm supposed to be drinking. Sounds easy enough. I can do that. Second, stop going to Starbucks and getting a latte and a donut for breakfast. Just have coffee in the office. Again, easy. Bonus here is I'll save $ too. I can do this. SO, Tuesday when hubby goes to the grocery store to buy Milk and cold cuts for the kids. I tell him bring home a surprise, something good. I do this all the time and he usually brings me back whatever veggie or fruit is on sale. A few weeks ago he brought back a beautiful eggplant and more recently a pack of zucchini- delish! So, he came home all excited. Look, I brought home something yummy and he pulls out a quart of Hagen Das Butter Pecan ice cream. We can eat it while we watch TV later! - I guess we're keeping the double wide this week!
* 15 got a brochure from Northwestern University. He got himself on their mailing list because he fell in love with the school 2 years ago when we visited Chicago and he wants to study Journalism and Broadcasting and found out they were famous for it. The kicker here isn't that he GOT the brochure, 17 gets tons of them. The kicker is he read it from cover to cover, he came out of his room explaining to us out of touch parents that he could double major, that they have work internships with out local newspapers, that they have mentor programs etc. I just sat there dumbfounded at the table while he told me all about it. I have a child who is researching, interested in and motivated all by himself to going to college. WOW! I just took in the moment and sent up a little prayer to raise his grades so that he actually have a shot at getting into the school.
* The vacuum cleaner died. It just stopped in mid-vacuum. There is only carpeting in one room but I have, I mean had one of those floor/carpet vacuums and instead of sweeping and having to pick up the dust, I vacuum the floor. I had to sweep this week- oh the agony!
* I have been ordering things online and all the boxes have been coming in. I've ordered scrapbook supplies and clothes. There was a reason I didn't order clothes online before, now I have to return half of it. It didn't fit right or I didn't like the color- it didn't look that bright on the computer. Returning the stuff is a pain in the butt!
*We have a football game tonight and we supposed to beat the pants off of this team. With any luck 17 should play well and make some fabulous plays and have something for the highlight film he has to make for Furman U. My in-laws are coming to my house so that we can drive them to the game. It should be fun.
*I balanced my checkbook. This may be normal and customary for your checkbook but for mine it was a treat. I have never spent so much time with it. I actually discovered that I had too much money. Can that be for real? But then I realized that I owed someone some $ that I hadn't paid them and poof! there it went. Ahhh, there's the low balance I know and love. The world is right again.
*I have been trying to post on blogs that I read and not be a lurker. I'm not good at that and want to do better. I will keep working on this.
So that was my week. The weekend is pretty packed but if I tell you about that now, then what will I blog about on Monday? So, I will keep you in suspense. HINT: There is a pile on the floor in front of a machine.
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