Thursday, December 30, 2010

Favorite Movies I saw in 2010

At the cinema:
Up in the Air” much preferred it to the book, which was completely different and quite depressing actually.
Inception” reminded me of several movies, but quite clever all the same.
Never Let Me Go” sad, but great plot!
Nowhere Boy” found it quite interesting, esp. about how John Lennon met Paul when they were teens.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” getting a bit dark, but still a must see; favorite scene was when Harry & Hermione danced in the tent one night.
The King’s Speech” definitely favorite movie of the year, so much so that I’d quite like to own it on dvd.

On dvd:
Departures” (dvd) Japanese movie about a man who becomes an undertaker and how he comes to grips with the somberness of the job; excellent film, and very moving, a real tear-jerker.
Roman Holiday” (dvd) an old film by today’s standards, but hasn’t lost any of its charm, and it’s nice as a travelogue back to 1950’s Rome.
Dan in Real Life” (dvd) I enjoyed the family camaraderie in this film.
Angels and Demons” (dvd) I liked all the Roman scenery and many plot twists, but it is quite disturbing in parts.
Mid August Lunch” (dvd) A sweet, funny little film about a man who takes care of a bunch of old ladies for the August Bank Holiday – some of the ladies don’t particularly want to be taken care of.
The Bucket List” (dvd) This is a fun movie because it makes one ponder their own Bucket List.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Kids Say the Darndest Things...

I am one of those people who actually take delight in reading peoples' Christmas letters, and I enjoy sending one of my own. Those who know me will know it wasn't filled with all good news this year (we had a rather expensive autumn).

I'd like to share some of the gems I've come across in a couple letters we received this year:

"R. has just learned where meat comes from, and keeps asking for 'killed pig sandwich.'"

"Before we know it, we will be teaching them to drive...Although J. has already had to launch a pre-emptive strike on that front after M. (4 years old) asked if he could "go out and start the car" as we were getting ready to go to the store. What followed was a very serious conversation about only grown-ups with the "special card with their picture on it" are ever allowed to put the keys in the car and start it. We are praying that the threat of "the Police Man catching him" has scared him to the point that we will not have to broach the topic again until the teen years... just in case we put the keys out of reach."

Thanks for those contributions and keep them coming!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Hats off to Local Theatre Groups

This weekend I had the pleasure of taking in two excellent, albeit brief, theatre productions in my current hometown of Hilliard, Ohio.

The first was a very much abridged version of "A Christmas Carol." Because it was such a small group of actors, many played more than one role (i.e. some were carolers as well as characters in the play). Not only was the caliber of acting and singing quite excellent (particularly the difficult British accents - nailed them!), the set and costume design was top notch as well. Kudos to the Hilliard Arts Council for a very enjoyable 40 minute production.

Later that evening I went to my first ever production of "James and the Giant Peach" by the Bread and Circus Theatre Company, which was held in the Harmony Arts Center. Due to the small size of the room, one could call it "intimate theatre." Being on a tight budget, the theatre group relied on miming actions where sets and props weren't available. It requires a little imagination on the part of the audience, but seems to work nonetheless. These actors seemed to be cut from the same cloth as the previous group in that all were excellent with almost flawless performances. The boy who played James was particularly precocious and I look forward to seeing him in more performances in the future. The centipede, who probably had more lines than just about everyone, managed to get them all out without a single flub. At $12 for an hour long performance, it was perhaps a bit pricey, but considering there was no cost (other than either a cash, food or toy donation) for "A Christmas Carol," I felt I got my money's worth for both performances.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Pros and Cons of Winter

For lack of any better ideas, you can never go wrong with a list, so here goes my list of the Pros and Cons of Winter:

Pros:

hot baths feel soooo good!
hot chocolate helps warm me up
Christmas light displays are pretty to look at
nothing like snuggling up under the covers (or a Snuggie!) and
getting a good night's sleep
comfort food tastes absolutely delicious
I never have to worry about there not being enough room in the fridge or freezer when putting stuff outside or in our Florida room will suffice
you can also go grocery shopping without having to worry about coming straight home to put it all away

Cons:

I stop feeling my toes for several months
Jack Frost also likes to nip at my nose
driving in snowy conditions
getting undressed and redressed becomes a lot more laborious
craving comfort food and then putting on the same winter pounds
having to shovel snow (esp. when it starts getting heavy)