Give Thanks

A couple turkey day cards to share today. I really had to dig to find out what set these little turkeys are from -- it's a retired set from Stampin' Up that a friend owns, and when I stamped these a couple years ago I didn't note the set's name. After scouring the SCS gallery, I have surmised that it is from "Year Round Fun 2." The greeting on the top one, "give thanks," is from the recent "Gobble, Gobble" single turkey stamp. The leaves on the second card are from "Thanksgiving Blessings." I had originally intended to use a vertical "Happy Thanksgiving" stamp in that space, but that stamp is currently MIA. You know I'll find it about a week after Christmas.

Have a fun weekend!

Stamps: Gobble, Gobble; Thanksgiving Blessings; Year Round Fun 2 (All from SU)
Paper: Leaf Paper from Current, Inc; all other from DCWV
Ink: Basic Black, Fall Kaleidecolor
Accessories: Grosgrain Ribbon, Circle punches, La Plume markers (Joann's)

Thursday Thirteen 134: More Randomness

I've a headache that is turning my mind to mush tonight (hush!), but here's a bit more randomness for the month...


~ Don't you hate it when you wake up with a headache you did not have when you went to bed? No, that wasn't the case today -- I felt fine up until the last half hour of work -- but has happened a couple times this past week. And no, there was no drinking involved the night before. I've never seen the point in getting drunk.

~ Why is it, in a parking lot of more than 100 vehicles, the loudest car will always park in front of my bedroom window? Seriously--if your car is loud enough to wake the dead, it's time for a tune-up or new muffler.

~ Speaking of parking, and I know my friends to the south won't completely understand this, but alternate-side parking rules went into affect Sunday, Nov 15, and last until March 15. Failure to know the date can cost you between $20 and $60 for each memory lapse.

~ No snow yet, but that did not deter organizers from illuminating the 21st annual Holiday Festival in Lights Monday evening. All displays were converted to energy-saving LEDs and the event includes several new ones, including a train and Capitol. The drive-through display is lit every night now through New Year's Eve.

~ Also under construction has been the "world's tallest gingerbread man" over at Hilldale Mall. The 25-foot cookie can be found in front of Macy's and is the centerpiece of Gingerbread Casas for CASA, a benefit for CASA of Dane County, being held this Saturday.

~ And while we're on the subject of holiday charity events, the Marine Corps Toys For Tots campaign is also now in progress. See their website for a toy drop-off site near you, or to make an online monetary donation.

~ Just in time for the opening of New Moon this Friday -- a Jeopardy category last Thursday, 12 November: "Twilight: The Novel." I swept the category. Too bad I didn't get any of the money earned. I could have used it.

~ From what I heard on the radio this evening, so could actor Nicholas Cage, who is "broke." I frame the word with quotes as broke to Cage is definitely not broke to you or me. Apparently, Mr. Cage (who easily commands $20 mil a movie) has a nasty spending habit and went on quite a spree in 2007, which he is now blaming on his business manager. Among his assets: 4 yachts, 15 residences in various parts of the world (incl. castles in England and Germany), 22 cars (9 of them Rolls-Royces), and copious amounts of art and jewelry. Yeah, I'd like to have his problem. Do you know how many books a million dollars would buy?!

~ Line from the book I am currently reading: Why was it that the female gender was so quick to cast each other aside for the sake of a man? Why indeed... To quote a character on Greek this past season: Sisters before misters!

~ NASA has confirmed that there is a significant amount of water on the moon. The search for cheese, however, continues.

~ Though I've only heard it once a few weeks ago on the radio, I have had the song Ain't No Rest for The Wicked by Cage the Elephant in my head quite frequently lately. Guess it really resonated with me.

~ Also invading my mind the past week: It's a Marshmallow World in the Winter. I have no idea why. We have not seen snow since October 10 (and that was only a brief snow shower), it has not been cold enough to snow (we've gone from below normal temps in Oct to above normal in Nov), and I have not heard the song since last winter. I love Bing Crosby as much as anyone, but really... Get out of my head until December. Or at least until the first snowfall, whichever comes first.

~ According to the state Department of Health Services, Bing was not among the top ten baby names of 2008. The top three names for girls were Ava, Olivia and Emma. The top three for boys were Ethan, Mason and Jacob. It's nice to see a return to more traditional (that is, normal) names. You can view the complete top ten here.

Whew! It took me a while, but I finally made it to thirteen. Thank you for suffering along with me. *wink*


LINKS TO OTHER THURSDAY THIRTEENS:
(Please leave your link if this is your first visit!)

Paige Tyler * Adelle Laudan * Stephanie Adkins
Mary Quast * Alice Audrey * Tracie * A. Catherine NoonHazel * Shelley Munro * Ms Menozzi * Betty * Kristen Hootin' Anni * Colleen * Brenda ND * Elise Logan
Sophia Parkwood * Jennifer McKenzie

You can find more Thursday Thirteen participants HERE

Teaser Tuesday: The Old Man and the Sea

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


More than two sentences, but bear with me. :wink:


The line rose slowly and steadily and then the surface of the ocean bulged ahead of the boat and the fish came out. He came out unendingly and water poured from his sides. He was bright in the sun and his head and back were dark purple and in the sun the stripes on his sides showed wide and a light lavender. His sword was as long as a baseball bat and tapered like a rapier and he rose his full length from the water and then re-entered it, smoothly, like a diver and the old man saw the great scythe-blade of his tail go under and the line commenced to race out.

Monday Movie Meme: To Die For

Last week we talked about movies that changed our life (yeah, I missed that one--it was a long and busy day at work). So this week we're doing a 180 and talking about death. No -- not movies that scared us to death or about mourning. We mean those memorable death scenes. If you've ever seen HBO's Six Feet Under (I haven't), you know that each episode opened with the death scene of a person soon to be taken care of at the family's funeral home. The writers got pretty creative, coming up with interesting ways for characters to die each week. Movies of all kinds provide death scenes of all shapes and sizes. Humorous, horrifying, tear jearking, realistic and ridiculous. Here are a few that stood out for us. WARNING!!! It is impossible for [some of] these not to be spoiler-free. Share on your blog scenes depicting death and link back at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants to find their recommendations!


I was surprised at how many movies came to mind for this topic, maybe not for the unusual ways in which people die as The Bumbles did, but movies that had some memorable deaths all the same. I'll be kind and limit this to the top five on my list, and try to keep it spoiler-free.

* Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) -- Sure, a heart attack at a wedding isn't the greatest way to go, but how dry were your eyes when the beloved scoundrel, Gareth, died living life as he did every day--to the fullest? That part of the movie gets me every time. *Sniff*

* The Untouchables (1987) -- Not just one great death scene, but a couple. Men going down fighting, guns blazing, for what they believed in.

* Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) -- This is one of my all-time favorite movies. Two elderly spinsters poison their gentlemen callers. Just how many bodies are there? This is screwball comedy at its best!

* Phenomenon (1996) -- I dare you not to reach for the Kleenex before it's over.

* Dead Again (1991) -- Scissors can be lethal, especially for Kenneth Branagh. Having just taken a film crit class before seeing this probably made a huge difference in how I viewed it -- I was blown away by the writing, directing and use of motif. Excellent film!

Friday 5: Shapes

Welcome to this week’s Friday 5. Please copy these questions to your webspace and answer them there. This week's topic is shapes.

1. What is your favorite shape of pasta?
I love tortellini with a meat sauce, so I guess I'll go with that, though I also like rotini.

2. Which of the Lucky Charms marshmallows is (or was) your favorite? [link provided for our non-U.S. friends]
I can't eat this stuff anymore, but used to love the green clover.

3. Of people you know who are older than forty, who’s in the best shape?
My neighbor Janet.

4. What shape is one of the more interesting scars on your body?
I only have two scars, but can't say either is a particular interesting shape. The one by my eye is just a small line near the corner, the one on my ankle a small splotch. Both are hardly noticeable.

5. Of a human’s internal organs, which do you think has the most interesting shape?
Not being a medical examiner, I can't say I've ever thought about this. However, if refering to the game of Operation, I was always kind of partial to the funny bone. ; )

The Games

I don't know about you, but I love the Olympics. Winter, Summer, makes no difference to me, I just love to watch. With the 2010 Vancouver games looming on the horizon, author Patricia McLinn is running a new promo for her 2006 release, THE GAMES. Check out her fun new Facebook site or read below for more information.


THE GAMES

Medals can be won, careers can be made and hearts can be lost in the sixteen days of the Winter Olympics.

Tess Rutledge, once an Olympic champion figure skater, returns to the Games as a coach, encountering her first love -- and only heartbreak – and testing her ability to forgive. Alpine skier Kyle Armstrong has made a terrible mistake that could cost her a shot at Olympic gold as well as any hope of reconciling with the man she loves. Biathlete Rikki Lodge thinks she's just happy to be at the Games, until she meets a hockey player who demands that she do what she’s never done before: put it all on the line.

In The Games, longtime sports journalist and best-selling novelist Patricia McLinn takes you inside the Winter Olympics. Patricia’s award-winning books have gained fans around the world. Of her most recent releases, Booklist said: “beautifully written, richly emotional love stories that are a joy to read.”

Let The Games begin!

THE GAMES
Patricia McLinn
ISBN: 0-9765185-1-1
Delphi Books / trade paperback
Publication date: December 2005
Read an Excerpt

Order a copy today

Thursday Thirteen 133: A Bit of Randomness

I'm feeling totally uninspired again this week, so thought I'd try a bit of randomness. Here are some observations made, things that have been on my mind or that have annoyed me over the past week.

~ While walking one day last week I happened upon a lawn crew raking leaves. Nothing out of the ordinary this time of year, but does anyone else think that smoking while raking -- especially while doing someone else's yard -- is a really bad idea? Honestly!

~ Speaking of leaves, you'd be hard-pressed to find any around here these days. The trees all dropped their colorful garments seemingly overnight, and they have all been raked and collected for composting. Only a few tenacious leaves cling to branches here and there.

~ People who don't use the shift key annoy me. It's basic grade-school grammer, folks: proper nouns should be capitalized. Always. People who use all caps also annoy me.

~ Something else that annoys me, as long-time followers know, is bad editing, and never more than during a recent read. I was anxious to read this book, intrigued by both the cover blurb and prologue, but then you couldn't go five pages without an editing gaffe slapping you upside the head and drawing you out of the story. The truly sad part is that this is a popular, top-selling author with a leading publisher. There is no excuse for this sort of sloppiness, and as a consumer I not only felt disappointed but cheated.

~ While we're on the subject of annoyances, this post at The Bumbles blog last week asked what annoys you about other peoples' blogs. I was pleased to see many share my peeve in auto-music on blogs. You know--the loud, jarring music that starts almost as soon as you click on their link. Just. Don't. Do. It. Offer a playlist if you like, but please remember that people not only access web content from the comfort of their homes, but from the library, bookstore, cafe, work and other venues, and that unexpected blast of music will quickly earn your visitors the evil eye and turn them off your blog/website.

~ Two other blog annoyances: headers that take up the entire screen, forcing you to scroll down forever and ever to get to actual content -- do these people realize how long those monster headers take to load? -- and "snap" views. I cannot tell you how often those snap views prevent a clicked link from opening, or freeze a screen.

~ Things that make me smile: finding a real honest to goodness card or letter in the mailbox. I've had two so far this week. *VBG*

~ It's hard to believe that it has been 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. I was in college, and remember it being bitter cold for early November. A friend and I had stopped in at The PIT for a late lunch. The TV, normally tunes to soaps that time of day, had been pre-empted, and we watched in awe as students the other side of the world clambored atop the stone wall, dancing and singing and battering it with hammers and anything else they could get their hands on. Truly an amazing moment!

~ In contrast of that happy day, flags have been at half mast here as several soldiers involved in last week's shooting at Ft. Hood (three of whom were killed) were part of the Madison-based 467th Medical Detachment. There's a sad bit of irony in the fact that this unit is trained to help those deploying and returning deal with stressful (combat) experiences.

~ When placing a call and reaching voice mail or an answering machine, LEAVE A MESSAGE! Seriously. If you don't want to leave a message, hang up during the outgoing message instead of letting it play all the way through. There's nothing so annoying as the click of someone hanging up--not to mention the time wasted listening to your non-existant message.

~ What's with the Christmas music and TV programming already? The other day I discovered that a local radio station has already switched to an all-Christmas music program. Then last night while checking the TV guide I noted that ABCFAM channel is already starting the holiday movies. Can't we at least get through Thanksgiving before being inundated with Christmas fare??

~ Speaking of Christmas... I suddenly realized this week that the big day is only two months away--and I haven't finished any of my Christmas presents yet. Oops. Time to start stitching projects lined up for this year. Thankfully, most should not take too long to complete. I hope.

~ And speaking of stitched projects...don't you hate it when you misplace one? I did a small, round cross-stitch intended for a friend two years ago. Unable to find a frame that had a round opening in it, I set it aside. Wouldn't you know, now that I've actually seen a frame that might work I can't find this cross-stitch. I have looked everywhere. I've torn my project bag apart countless times and searched through supply drawers. Nada. Rien. It has completely disappeared.


Wow, who knew I would hit thirteen that fast? And I wasn't even done emptying my mind yet (Hey! No comments from the gallery!). So...anything on your mind this week?

LINKS TO OTHER THURSDAY THIRTEENS:
(Please leave your link if this is your first visit!)

Adelle Laudan * Alice Audrey * Tracie * Journeywoman
chubskulit * Gel * Jana * K * Shelley MunroJill Conyers * Ms Menozzi * Hootin' Anni * Ella DrakeInez Kelley * Sandy * Elise Logan * Miss AnigieA. Catherine Noon * Paige Tyler * Miriam * CM Torrens
Storyteller * Jennifer McKenzie * Janice Seagraves
Jeanne St James
You can find more Thursday Thirteen participants HERE

Teaser Tuesday: I Scream, You Scream

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

For an instant, I sat by the window in my Grandma Peachy's kitchen, perched on a wooden stool, its seat worn concave from generations of ample bottoms. A warm breeze blew through the fly screen, fluttering the flour-sack curtains and caressing my face as a I grated the zest of lemons for homemade lemon ice cream. The astringent scent clung to my fingers like my own personal sunshine.

This paragraph from the last quarter of I Scream, You Scream may not be representative of the plot, but it's such a great descriptive passage I couldn't resist sharing.

November Leaves

I took advantage of the sunshine Saturday and walked the two-mile trek around my neighborhood (that's the shortest route around my "block"). The weather was an uncanny 71F — a good 20 degrees above normal. Just more weird weather in a year of unusual temps. August was cold and wet. September warmed up a little, but dipped down to freezing in October. Now November is roasting.

Not that anyone is complaining. Quite the contrary in fact. I opened my front window during the afternoon while finishing Thanksgiving cards and, for the third time this week, got out for a walk. The trees have all dropped their leaves, and most of those piled along the curb have already been collected, but — now a week after Halloween — many houses still sport pumpkins and other fall decorations, making for an enjoyable outing. I did take my camera along with me, but you know it will be a while before I get anything uploaded. Maybe before the snow flies. If not, there's always nextautumn. *wink*

Not much on the agenda for today. A trip to the grocery store, some reading, maybe watch the football game...not much else. Sometimes you just need a day or a long afternoon to kick back and do nothing.

CAS39

A card made for this week's "clean and simple" challenge, which was a sketch challenge. It was a great excuse to use my new turkey stamp! I have been looking for a decent turkey stamp for years, but everything was either two cartoonish, or more detailed than I wanted. You can imagine how ecstatic I was this fall when Stampin' Up issued not one, but two decent turkeys--this single stamp, and a 4-piece set that includes a turkey. Since some of the images in the 4-piece set are similar to others I have, I opted for the single bird. This is a simple card on white cardstock, with only a splash of color in harvest colors (ink and patterned paper).

Stamps: Gobble, Gobble (Stampin' Up)
Paper: White, Orange (Wausau Paper Co); Indian Summer Fall Stack (DCWV)
Ink: "Autumn Leaves" Kaleidacolor
Acccessories: Grosgrain ribbon (Joann's), Oval Punches (Marvy)

Friday 5: Grand Slam

Copy these questions to your webspace and answer them there. Don’t forget to link us from your website!


This week’s 5 honors the World Series (ack!).


1. According to the cliche, if you “spare the rod,” you “spoil the child.” Who in your life was probably spared A Rod while growing up? Definitely baby sis, and her youngest (spoiled ROTTEN by her paternal g'father) is just as bad.

2. In how many directions this week did you feel you were being Yanked? At least twenty.

3. On whom have you depended for relief this week? I guess we'll count the maintenance man here, who relieved me of a major leak under the kitchen sink.

4. Who deserves a standing ovation this week (or even a hip-hip Jorge)? Thing 2, who went to bat for me Wednesday when I got caught in the middle of a power struggle between Thing 1 and Thing 3. They turned a bad day to worse, so the pep talk was much appreciated.

5. When did you last have a taste of Champagne? New Year's Eve.

Thursday Thirteen 132: Really Old Classics

Yesterday's blog talked about the three book challenges to which I've committed myself, one of which is the Really Old Classics Challenge (pre-1600 A.D.). Here are thirteen "really old" classics taken from the suggested reading list that I have either read previously and might be interested in reading again (in bold), or am interested in reading for the challenge.

* Gilgamesh
* Homer: The Iliad, The Odyssey
* Aeschylus: Oresteia, Seven Against Thebes, Prometheus Bound
* Sophocles: Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone; Electra
(I have read these four in both French and English, and two different versions of Antigone--the original and a "contemporary" version by Jean Anouilh. Also read "The Flies," a modernization of "Electra" by Sartre.)
* Euripides: Orestes
* Plato: Dialogues
* Aristotle: Poetics, Ethics
* Aesop: Fables
* Dante: The Divine Comedy
* Leonardo da Vinci: Notebooks
* Sir Thomas Malory: Le Morte D’Arthur
* Sir Thomas More: Utopia
* Edmund Spenser: The Faerie Queene

BONUS:

* Michel de Montaigne: Essays
* Confucius: The Analects

What about you? Are there any "really old" classics you liked and would recommend?

LINKS TO OTHER THURSDAY THIRTEENS:

(Please leave your link if this is your first visit!)

Marcia * Adelle Laudan * Alice Audrey * Tracie
CM Torrens * Stephanie Adkins * Ella Drake
Journeywoman * Desi * Shelley Munro * Ms Menozzi

Jill Conyers * Chubskulit * Brenda ND * Inez Kelley
Jennifer McKenzie * A Catherine Noon * Paige Tyler
Elise Logan * Vixen * Marice * Sophia Parkwood
Amy * Book Pusher

You can find more Thursday Thirteen participants HERE.

Book Challenges

So, I've been lured into three new book challenges. Granted, I haven't quite fulfilled the Casual Classics challenge set at beginning of the year, but I am working on it. Slowly. Three down, one more to go, and the title I have slotted for book four will also fill one of the new challenges below. Feel free to take the plunge and join me!


First up is the Really Old Classics Challenge. Yes, I know, I just said I still haven't completed the current classics challenge, and now I've gone and joined another. This one requires that you read no more than ONE classic written before 1600 AD between November 2009 and February 2010. Looking over the list of suggested readings, I discovered that I have in fact already read a few that qualify (some in both French and English), and realized that, aside from these works, I also have one not yet read in my TBR pile: Homer's The Odyssey. There you go, a book I can slide into January. And, since I intend to set myself the goal of reading at least four classics again in 2010, it will fulfill two challenges at once. Nice!


Next up is the Christmas Challenge — read at least three Christmas-themed books from 26 November 2009 through 31 December 2009. YA counts, children’s books do not. I had already gone through my TBR pile and pulled out a mess of Christmas titles before stumbling across this challenge, so this one should be easy to complete (and then some). Umm...yeah. You don't want to know how long that list is. There are books that have been languising in the TBR a decade or more. Sad, I know. And while I know I will not get through that entire list this year, at least I will make a healthy dint in it.


Last but not least is the Year of the Historical: A 2010 Reading Challenge. This challenge has no set book requirements, only asks that you read as many historicals as you can fit into your regular reading during the next year. Looking over the TBR, I realized that, if I read only one Johanna Lindsey a month, I will (finally) be caught up on her books. I used to devour her books, but realize the reason I fell behind wasn't because I tired of her writing, but because they switched from printing them in mass market pb to hardcover. A coup for her, but not for the reader. So, while I've continued to automatically buy each book, I haven't been so good at keeping up. This will be the year to do so!

There was a fourth challenge that intrigued me, but I have decided not to commit to it, feeling three are enough for the time being, but I will mention it in case anyone else wants to join. It's the Shelf-Discovery Challenge. This challenge asks that you look through the book by Lizzie Skurnick, then choose any six YA books mentioned in the book, whether it be one you want to reread as an adult, or one you missed as a teen, to read between 1 Nov 2009 – 30 April 2010. If you can't get your hands on a physical copy of the book, go to amazon.com and browse the book's table of contents; you can amass quite a reading list from that alone!


Let me know if you decide to join any of these. If these aren't your cuppa, but you like the idea of a reading challenge, check out A Novel Challenge. You're sure to find something that will suit you and your reading tastes!

Teaser Tuesday: Unhallowed Ground

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

She saw and felt the essence of evil, heard the rasp of its fetid breath, smelled flesh and blood and bone and the pungence of the earth as her fate stepped closer and closer still, drawing pleasure from her terror and her newfound knowledge...

She had not come to make a sacrifice.

She had come to be the sacrifice.

Monday Movie Meme: Mobsters

Share on your blog mafia movies that left their mark with you and link back to The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants to find their recommendations!

Here's my list, featuring one of my all-time favorite movies, followed by a couple of comedies featuring the mob. Hey, these guys beg to be laughed at, don't they?

*** The Untouchables (1987; Kevin Kostner, Sean Connery, Andy Garcia) -- Federal Agent Elliot Ness sets out to take out Al Capone; because of rampant corruption, he assembles a small, hand-picked team.

*** Married to the Mob (1988; Michelle Pfeiffer, Alec Baldwin) -- An undercover FBI agent falls in love with a recently widowed mafia wife seeking to start her life over after her husband's murder and who is also pursued by a libidinous mafia kingpin seeking to claim her for himself.

*** The Freshman (1990; Marlon Brando, Matthew Broderick) -- Clark Kellogg is a young man starting his first year at film school in New York City. After a small time crook steals all his belongings, Clark meets Carmine "Jimmy the Toucan" Sabatini, an "importer" bearing a startling resemblance to a certain cinematic godfather. When Sabatini makes Clark an offer he can't refuse, he finds himself caught up in a caper involving endangered species and fine dining.

*** Mickey Blue Eyes (1999; Hugh Grant, James Caan, Jeanne Tripplehorn) -- An English auctioneer proposes to the daughter of a mafia kingpin, only to realize that certain "favors" would be asked of him.

*** Johnny Dangerously (1984, Michael Keaton) -- Set in the 1930's, an honest, goodhearted man is forced to turn to a life of crime to finance his neurotic mother's skyrocketing medical bills.

Happy Halloween

Witching you a spooktacular holiday!

Don't forget to turn your clocks back
before you go to bed tonight!

Friday 5: At the Movies

Hello, and welcome to this week’s Friday 5!

1. What’s your favorite sports movie?
Oooh...tough one. So many great movies I could name -- Miracle, Eight Men Out, Field of Dreams...but I think my favorite is A League of Their Own.


2. What’s your favorite romantic comedy film?
Again, so many titles come to mind. Speechless, Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally... I think at top of the heap, though, would be While You Were Sleeping.


3. What’s your favorite animated Disney movie?
That's a tie between Mulan and Cinderella. I love them both!


4. What’s your favorite non-Disney movie musical?
Non-Disney? There is such a thing?? Just... Kidding! Umm...lemme think a second... Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Carousel. The Music Man. No... Let's go with The Sound of Music.


5. What’s your favorite stranger-in-a-strange-land / fish-out-of-water movie?
This is the easiest question yet: French Kiss. The soundtrack is awesome, too!




Thanks for participating and have a celluloid weekend!

Thursday Thirteen 131: Eplegaarden

As mentioned last week here and here, my sister, niece (aka The Bug) and I made our third annual trek to Eplegaarden, an apple orchard and pumpkin patch close to me, on 17 October. It was a little windy, overcast and a bit chilly, but we still had a good time. This was one of the best years for pumpkins and apples. Pumpkins are large with a deep orange color, and the apple trees so heavy with fruit their limbs scrape the ground, making it easy for little ones to help in the plucking. Here are thirteen pictures from our day (and you'll note I cleverly slipped in a fourteenth in the header above).



It was a really good year for pumpkins, apples...


and squash. They had wagons full of gourds in assorted shapes, colors and sizes.


The annual measuring


Eagerly traipsing up the hill to the orchard (sure, she volunteered to pull it when it was empty!).


Look how plentiful this red delicious tree is--and this is a small tree!


Concentrating on those golden delicious...


This looks like a good one!


Look how the boughs of this golden delicious tree droop to the ground!


Shh...don't tell my sister I snuck this one in! And yes, she is indeed eating one apple while plucking another (tasting is allowed, within reason).


One more Gala, I think...




There were still plenty of grapes clinging to the vines, too!





LINKS TO OTHER THURSDAY THIRTEENS:
(Please leave your link if this is your first visit!)

Adelle Laudan * Elise Logan * Stephanie Adkins * Tracie
Ella Drake * Marcia * Sarah at His Unfailing Love
Bacolad * Alice Audrey * Shelley Munro * Ms Menozzi
Betty * Barbara * Harriet * Janice Seagraves
Mary Quast * Jennifer McKenzie * Paige Tyler
Mariposa * Yvette Davis

You can find more Thursday Thirteen participants HERE

Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere!

Autumn display outside my grocery store.

Teaser Tuesday:

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

He bent over his trunk again, but almost immediately stood up once more, his hand clenched on his wand. He had sensed rather than heard it: Someone or something was standing in the narrow gap between the garage and the fence behind him. Harry squinted at the bleak alleyway. If only it would move, then he'd know whether it was just a stray cat—or something else.
~Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
By J.K. Rowling