A Day to Remember

La La Land…

is a phrase I said to my children on many occasions. It came into heavy use when they thought I was being too strict, or had given them too many jobs to do in a certain time period, or day. Basically, they were living in La La Land if they thought they would spend the day reading, or watching movies, or eating three pieces of cake for dessert.

And now, La La Land is a movie! I don’t claim to be a movie critic. Yes, I am critical of many movies. Too much language, too much violence, too much showing of actions that should be kept intimate, really turn me off. I do understand that when making certain movies, you need to be realistic. A gangster covering his mouth and saying, “Oh sugar!” or slapping his adversary’s hand, probably isn’t going to cut it. But sometimes it seems a bit over the top.

I also don’t act, and I don’t know a lot about that profession. But it seems as though the talents of many actors had become more about what stunts they could do, rather than the dancing, singing, etc. that was once more about glamorous Hollywood. Don’t get me wrong. The training some of the actors go through to play a character is phenomenal, and I wouldn’t want to do it. But millions of dollars of phenomenal? I think it’s a bit over-the-top in my opinion. But let’s get back to La La Land!

My husband and I rarely go to movies. We have streaming and can watch pretty much anything. So to go to a movie and spend that much money doesn’t happen usually. And last night, I went with our second oldest while our oldest daughter took care of five children. Thank you, oldest daughter! My husband would not have enjoyed the movie. War, crime, etc. are more his genre. But he would have loved the theater. It would have made for a terrific nap. Speaking of the theater, you can check it out here: http://www.ovationcinemagrill.com/#locations It’s pretty fantastic if entertainment in the movie and eating area are for you.

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La La Land was a surprise for me. As a writer, I loved the little twist at the end. Just the kind of romantic, sentimental gesture I adore. The actors, Emma Stone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Stone and Ryan Gosling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Gosling didn’t show the typical singing and dancing moves that the old Hollywood was so terrific at, but that could have been intentional. It made it more sweet, in my opinion. Ryan Gosling’s piano playing was a treat, and John Legend…well he is John Legend after all! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Legend. All of this combined with a nice story line made for a really enjoyable couple of hours.

And as I said, that was a surprise to me. I haven’t read any reviews for the movie. A really quick search on Ryan Gosling’s piano playing said that he had actually played the piano in the movie. I hope that is true, my sentimental heart wants to believe that’s true. It was wonderful to see pretty dresses and suits, beautiful scenery, and that song will be in my head forever!

La La Land! It was really special to spend a couple hours there.

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A Quick Thought

Many Thanks!

Have you heard of ‘while I was sleeping’? Well, ‘while I was working’, this blog crossed over more than 6,000 hits! I now have 80 followers. That’s a big thing to me!

I travel to other blogs, looking at their amazing numbers. Literally thousands and thousands of hits, and thousands of followers. And I think, what am I doing wrong? I’ve been at this for a year and a half now. But it’s alright…really.

I’m so very thankful for each and every person that chooses to read a post by me. I love when people comment and share their lives for a moment. It still amazes me that people have actually read my books! And a few have written lovely reviews. Reaching out to others, sharing my life and who I am is where it’s at. And I’m continually amazed that anyone cares.

So thank you to all my precious followers! Many thanks for those of you that comment. Even a few words connects me to who you are. And that’s fascinating! Have a lovely weekend!

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Just For Fun!

Someday

A couple of weeks ago, our second oldest shared this song with me. I not only really love the song, but as our daughter pointed out, it is Orin and Annabella’s story…and that part was really neat. If you haven’t read, A Place of Refuge yet, this is a spoiler alert! But give it a listen anyway because it’s a fun song. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR4YE7htLgI

Thank you Michael Buble and Meghan Trainor for a great song!

Just For Fun!

For Women Only!

That got your attention, didn’t it?! I’ll have more men readers today than ever before! 😉 This post may get a couple people in my family upset. My husband because he thinks I have too many shoes, my daughters because they think I should give them away…to them, of course!

Shoes!!! I love them. Pretty strange for someone that prefers going barefoot, and once did most of the time. Not so much anymore, need a bit more padding in the foot area these days. But just think of the shoe options! Pumps, platforms, flats, chunky heels, spikes or kitten heels. Beaded, sequined, ruched, leather or satin. And the lists just go on and on.

Each time we have moved, my husband has commented on the amount of shoes I have, the boxes I needed for them. To be fair, I don’t really have as many as I have seen some women. I don’t have a huge walk-in closet lined with shelves of shoes. I keep mine in their original boxes, stacked in neat rows on the bottom of my closet.

Which is why I’m posting this today. Every year, usually the first of April and the first of October, I get ready for the new season. I have posted on the cleaning aspect of this a couple of times on here, so you can go check that out if you’re interested. But I also rotate my shoes. My closet is small…sigh…and I move those stacks every six months. And yes, I’m a bit late this year. But the flip-flops just don’t work in December…really people. Unless you live in the tropics. So put them away until warmer days arrive!

When I had all those boxes pulled out, I took some pictures to share. And now you can see that I really don’t have that many. Of course these pictures show only a few of my shoes. I thought I should add that disclaimer.

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You always need a dressy shoe for that special occasion. The black ones don’t show well in this picture, but they’ve had a lot of use. The silver ones are really comfy!

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I love the turquoise flats and they are SO comfortable. The pump in the back has a lovely tweed look to it and I haven’t even worn the other platform sandal yet. That is one that could show up missing if my daughters have their say.

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Again, more shoes that I haven’t worn yet! The navy blue and white pump is really pretty and great for summer. The slingback goes perfectly with a dress I have. The red, cute, cute shoe in the back was bought for my daughter and I have a blue pair that I have worn a lot. Again, a dress that goes perfectly with them!

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And of course, boots!!! I adore boots and I wear them a lot in the winter. The burgundy pair in the background was a really nice surprise today. I had purchased them in the summer and I had completely forgot about them! Happy Birthday to me! The black ones in the front go over my knees and they are really comfortable and warm. Purchased for my daughter, but she gave them to me after a season.

Do I have a problem? Should I seek shoe therapy? I think not. Every pair of shoes I have are purchased at extreme sale prices, almost always under $20. I wear my shoes for years, wash them after each use and pack them in their little box. I don’t spend my life shopping for shoes and I don’t keep them on display. But I do enjoy what I have! Now I just need to wear them more!shoes-619529_1920

This is a little bonus for you. Aren’t they adorable? Yes, we start women to thinking about shoes very early on in their lives.These cute, cute little shoes made me think of our newest grand-daughter, due to arrive on December 23rd. And no, the white pumps at the very top are not mine, but they are gorgeous! I wonder if they come in my size? 😉

Just For Fun!

A Concert for One

Sometimes you just have to share. This video was taken a couple of months ago now. It has taken me this long to find a way to put it on here! Can you get anymore cute?! Oh, our son did a pretty good job with the guitar and singing too! 😉

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eowI9QWsT-g&feature=youtu.be

Just For Fun!

The Christmas Village 🎅🏻🎄🎁☃️

Okay…Halloween is over. So I can tolerate seeing Christmas advertising. I wanted to share this post because it just put me in the frame of mind to start thinking about Christmas. It just looked happy…and we need a bit of happy right now. Enjoy!

A Day to Remember

America

Yes, I voted on November 8, 2016. Who I voted for is not the purpose or topic of this post. I am always disgusted by bad behavior, no matter where it comes from, or who does it. It’s not about your gender, color, background or education. It’s all about your actions in this life.

I am a Christian, and I believe in the Sovereignty of God. And as a Believer I abide by the laws of the land and respect my leaders, no matter who they are. I may disagree, be angry, want to fight, but I can still show respect. Christians are in the world, but not of it. That means you take part in what is going on…vote, pay your taxes, abide by the laws, and train your children to do the same. Yes, there are isolated situations where you may need to take a stand for your beliefs, but you can do it with respect and love toward others, shining as a light in this world.

As a citizen of the United States of America, it is my responsibility to uphold the laws of this land. This country was founded on a great value system, which included God. No, all the founders didn’t live an ideal life, no they weren’t perfect and yes they made mistakes…but we all do. I sincerely believe they were in prayer about establishing this country and they did the very best they were led to do. Now it is our responsibility to do the same.

Elections in the United States of America are not about and shouldn’t be about the candidates color, gender or most of the ‘stuff’ mainstream media has made it . It should be about the very best man/woman for the job. The person that can lead our country and uphold the values we were founded on. It has become almost a popularity contest like we all would have seen in high school.

America was great, is great and I pray it remains so. We are a country like no other. We do have equality in gender, color and background, and if you disagree, check out the news in other places. And we are still striving to be better in all those areas. People in America are standing in the streets protesting the new president-elect. Other places that I can think of, this would not be tolerated. Generally, here in America, we have the right to live our lives as we choose. That is not so in many, many places here on this earth.

United We Stand, Divided We Fall. It’s simple. I do understand disappointment, fear, anger and hostility. But our actions are what makes the difference. I can disagree with someone’s religious views, abortion, homosexuality, being a vegan and whether they don flip-flops in the winter. But once it leaves my thinking process and enters my actions in a negative way, it’s wrong. Having respect for another person in any decision they make, from whether they voted for Trump or Clinton, to how many body piercings they have is what it’s about. God looks on the heart/soul. Man looks on the outward appearance.

Let’s stand united! Let’s look toward the next four years and what we can do as a nation. Let us respect and love one another, building up and not tearing down.

A Day to Remember

Have Fun…Shop Local

I had the pleasure of attending another event in our little town on Saturday night. It’s called Candlelight Charm and it’s held every year on the first Saturday in November. The purpose is to get everyone in the Christmas shopping mode. The stores all stay open late and they have specials, drawings and refreshments for the shoppers. It’s just another neat tradition our little town has.

Of course I was there with my books! Our oldest daughter was chained to our booth, so she didn’t get a chance to walk around like she loves to do. But it was great to have her there for moral support and to talk to people. I’m a much better writer than ‘speaker-to-people’ person. If I have a speaking event, then I’m good with that. But small talk is not my forte! I usually end up babbling, talking in circles, until my face turns red and I just smile.

But when a grandchild enters, I have no problem babbling.

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As you can see, when it comes to grandchildren, I can be a pretty scary person. Poor Ava, if she could walk, she probably would have jumped from the stroller and run very, very far away.

We had a good time, sold a few books, ate some fudge and met lots of people. All in all a great evening. Until next year…

Here’s the rest of the family, minus a couple working sons-in-law, and of course the picture taker, our second oldest. I think they had a good time too.

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A Quick Thought

Expression of Who You Are

Do writers feel more than other people?

Do they have more pain, more emotional trauma, more joy or excitement in life?

Do they have more difficult lives, or easier ones?

No, to all of the above! Writers just have to express it more than other people.  It is a need within them, almost as much as eating or sleeping. Although when I have a story in my head, sleep takes a back seat as well.

Some writers may also be great talkers, sharing everything. Other writes may be quiet, having the need to express only on paper/computer.

I definitely communicate better on paper/computer, and always have. When I was a child, I always had a pen pal, or someone I was writing letters to. I could be who I wanted to be, who I felt I was in those letters. Meet me in person, the two might not mesh so well!

Don’t be afraid to express yourself or let others see who you really are. Writers, photographers, artists, musicians…anything you can think of with creativity is a way of expressing yourself. We all need that outlet. I personally believe it makes you a more well-rounded person. God gave us the ability to communicate, and it isn’t only through our lips.

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A Quick Thought

Part One Rabbit Trail

It’s hard to let go. This applies to so many areas in our lives. New jobs, moving, adding children to your family, losing someone close to you, and even the change of season. Change takes a certain amount of flexibility, and some are better at it than others. One person may be a real fighter and survivor. Rushing in, doing whatever it takes to live life. Another may just want to sleep it off, or bury their head in the deepest sand hill. And whatever route we choose to take, we never really understand the other side of the coin.

I’m usually a survivor. I’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done. I’m afraid I don’t have a lot of patience for other people that just want to curl up and sleep it off. My thinking is that if you are going to be here, you might as well live it to the fullest, doing the best job possible with what you have. I don’t understand the other way of thinking, the ‘branch bouncing down a rushing stream’ way of dealing with things. I’m going to swim to shore, fighting the current, and then I’m going to shake off the water and decide best how to handle the situation.

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Is one way better than the other? Well of course I believe my way is the best way! It’s the one I’m comfortable with.

But my way also pushes people aside, just worrying about getting the job done, and not about how people are feeling or adjusting. Yes, I get the job accomplished, but I may not have many supporters when I’m through!

Am I envious of the slow-thinking, lovable, patient person that cares more about having a great time than if the chore is finished? Yes!!! And they drive me crazy! But there are many of their attributes that I wish I had.

My prayer is that I will keep changing as I grow older. I have already, just a little bit. I live with things around my house that I would never have looked at everyday a few years ago. Some of it just doesn’t seem to be as important as it used to be.

So thanks for reading my rambling thoughts for today. This is part one of this post because as you see from the first sentence, I didn’t really follow up on it. Sometimes, other stuff just needs to be said. Today is one of those days. So tune in tomorrow to find out the real reason I started this post with the first sentence!