Tonight on Masterpiece Theatre was the start of a Jane Austen Marathon. Persuasion was the first movie played. I must admit to be a little disappointed by this version. It did seem to go a little too quickly and skip over much. I would like to read the book again and watch this again afterwards to better compare. There were several things that bothered me and I feel I must go back and see how well this follows the book. I believe that I will have to watch it again to even attempt to be an impartial judge on the movie by itself (or at least as impartial as I can be). I found myself too many times thinking to myself how I did not recall the book ever following some of these scenes. Some things were scrambled about and seemed to throw the timing off by coming in too early. Perhaps I will think differently after rereading and rewatching Persuasion, but who knows. My first impression might just be correct!
Sunday, January 13, 2008
The New Persuasion
Tonight on Masterpiece Theatre was the start of a Jane Austen Marathon. Persuasion was the first movie played. I must admit to be a little disappointed by this version. It did seem to go a little too quickly and skip over much. I would like to read the book again and watch this again afterwards to better compare. There were several things that bothered me and I feel I must go back and see how well this follows the book. I believe that I will have to watch it again to even attempt to be an impartial judge on the movie by itself (or at least as impartial as I can be). I found myself too many times thinking to myself how I did not recall the book ever following some of these scenes. Some things were scrambled about and seemed to throw the timing off by coming in too early. Perhaps I will think differently after rereading and rewatching Persuasion, but who knows. My first impression might just be correct!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Weird Workings Of The Young Mind
I was in the store the last week when my older son pointed out something he thought I needed. It was a woman's vitamin for 50+. Wow, does he really think I am I that old? I explained that I did not need that and further explained that I was not 50+. His reply... Oh, is that what that means? I just notice women's and advantage. I had no idea what the 50 meant."
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Friday, January 04, 2008
New Year
Another year has begun when the last seems to have barely passed. We look forward to another year and all the blessings to come. It is also time to reflect on the past year and it's blessings. My biggest blessing in 2007 has been Otter. I cannot begin to describe how much I love my little girl. I have had a busy first week of the new year as I have had a little girl who has been under the weather. It is so hard on me as a Mom when my children are sick, especially one so young as Otter. I am blessed that I have such a little trooper, though. She will still smile and play with us even while feeling poorly. Here is a toast to you all that you will have a blessed new year!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas
Well, today has been a good day. We celebrated at home together then went to see Joe's family. It was a very relaxing day and we had fun seeing everyone. My wish is that you all had a wonderful day with loved ones while celebrating the birth of our Savior!(The print is called the Knaffl Madonna. This was taken by Joseph Knaffl. The woman is the wife of my great-grandmother's cousin.)
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Bright Lights
Wow. Last night I said something I never thought I would hear. "Honey, can you turn the tree back on so I can see to sweep?" Last night we put up our new pre-lit Christmas tree. Well, needless to say it is bright when turned on. I went outside and noticed that I could read what movies and books we have on the bookcases in the living room. That is amazing seeing as the Christmas tree was the only light!
Friday, December 14, 2007
Naturally Powered Tree
I am not sure if you have heard about this, but I heard about it yesterday and knew I had to share. In Japan an aquarium has placed an eel in a tank with two aluminum panels which collects the power and uses it to power their Christmas tree (link). It is quite humorous to think about, but I am now flooded with ideas! I think that Joe and I should create a large pool under the house where we store our eels. How much better for the environment would this be than relying on other ways to create power. This could be the ultimate going green! Of course it is also a great source of food as well! In the summer we could eat a few eels and that way their population is regulated. We would not want an overflow of eels coming from underneath our house.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Christmas pics
Earlier this week I mailed out some Christmas cards with pictures of the kids. It is really hard to get three children to look at the camera as well as smile. Anyway, I picked one that was the best and made cards. I had originally planned to have them wearing casual clothing in red (Bubba), blue (Butch) and green (Otter), but I had taken some pictures of Otter by herself in a red dress and it looked so cute I decided to use it and go more formal when they were together. I also thought I might share pictures of two little girls wearing this same dress. My mom has yet to call and tell me what she thought of the picture on her card (I am wondering if she recognizes the dress?). So here are the pictures I took and one that has a few decades on it.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Friday, December 07, 2007
How Things Change When You Are A Mother
I was watching an episode of Little House on the Prairie this morning that had me laughing. In this episode Charles and Caroline are going to Mancado (sp?) without the girls on a little holiday while Charles traveled there on business. The original idea was to have a local lady watch the girls, but on the day they planned to leave she got sick. So instead they (by a great accident) left the girls with Mr. Edwards. Oh, that is where the fun began!
He was late in waking up the girls for school the first morning, so they were late. He lost Carrie while doing the laundry, so he tied her to a post with the rope tied around her waist. Then later he and Carrie were walking around and they got close to a rattlesnake. Mr. Edwards shot the snake and as he held it up said, "This looks like enough for four!" That night he cooked snake stew! The older girls did not like it and Laura even tried to feed some of her's to the dog. The dog wouldn't take it! Then that night the girls remember that they forgot to gather eggs, so they head out in the middle of the night (in their gowns in a thunderstorm) to get the eggs. Mr Edwards wakes up with all the chickens clucking and thinks they are chicken thieves so he gets his shotgun. They come in the door and hit him and the gun goes off and blows a hole in the roof. So the next day he is on the roof to repair it when he noticed Carrie gone again. He searches all around and can not find her. He goes inside the house and sits down to try to think where she could be while trying to stay calm. She then peaks out from under the bed and says boo. Next thing you see is the two older girls coming home from school and they see Carrie on the roof with Mr Edwards. They are so frightened and they go running and tell him that Carrie is too young to be up there because she might fall. He said it was alright since he nailed her dress to the roof!
Meanwhile Caroline is in town trying to not worry and talk about the children. She keeps hearing things that make that impossible. First a woman comes in the store where they are shopping. She is looking for her family. Caroline tells the shopkeeper she hopes she finds them, but the lady said she won't. She tells the story about how the woman lost her family. The children died in a fire from an electrical storm. She was immediately upset and they left without making their purchases. Then that evening they go to see a show at the theater. It was about abandoned daughters. Their mother said that she was leaving them because she wanted a life, she did not love them, etc. Caroline was bawling so they had to leave early. She and Charles were talking on the way home (a day early, too) about how they never had these problems on their first honeymoon.
It just reminds me how different things are now than before the children came along. Now our discussions are more along the lines of what is happening at school, the new things the baby is doing, household things. Sometimes I wonder if we would have anything to talk about if it weren't for the children. I guess that we are sometimes led to believe that that is wrong. As parents they are our first concern. Their welfare is our first responsibility. I know that there are times that we need to think about our relationship and keeping it alive and healthy. I think that I just learned not to think badly of myself for thinking of three of the biggest parts of our life together. Joe and I have had many things change in our life together in the time we have been together. We are older and hopefully wiser. We now have three children, a home, and many more responsibilities. How can I imagine that trying to separate three of the biggest parts of that life from our time alone as a couple is damaging to our relationship. That can also be a way to build a stronger relationship. All aspects of our relationship together are what we need to work on to build a stronger relationship. Leaving one area alone is like letting one part of the body wither away while helping the rest of the body grow strong. It will only weaken the body as a whole no matter how strong the rest of the body is. I encourage you all to ignore the common thoughts that we have learned and remember to embrace all the blessings in your life because they make you who you are. All the good and bad are what have shaped you into who you are today. We learn from the bad, laugh during the good, but most importantly we should always praise the Lord in everything!
He was late in waking up the girls for school the first morning, so they were late. He lost Carrie while doing the laundry, so he tied her to a post with the rope tied around her waist. Then later he and Carrie were walking around and they got close to a rattlesnake. Mr. Edwards shot the snake and as he held it up said, "This looks like enough for four!" That night he cooked snake stew! The older girls did not like it and Laura even tried to feed some of her's to the dog. The dog wouldn't take it! Then that night the girls remember that they forgot to gather eggs, so they head out in the middle of the night (in their gowns in a thunderstorm) to get the eggs. Mr Edwards wakes up with all the chickens clucking and thinks they are chicken thieves so he gets his shotgun. They come in the door and hit him and the gun goes off and blows a hole in the roof. So the next day he is on the roof to repair it when he noticed Carrie gone again. He searches all around and can not find her. He goes inside the house and sits down to try to think where she could be while trying to stay calm. She then peaks out from under the bed and says boo. Next thing you see is the two older girls coming home from school and they see Carrie on the roof with Mr Edwards. They are so frightened and they go running and tell him that Carrie is too young to be up there because she might fall. He said it was alright since he nailed her dress to the roof!
Meanwhile Caroline is in town trying to not worry and talk about the children. She keeps hearing things that make that impossible. First a woman comes in the store where they are shopping. She is looking for her family. Caroline tells the shopkeeper she hopes she finds them, but the lady said she won't. She tells the story about how the woman lost her family. The children died in a fire from an electrical storm. She was immediately upset and they left without making their purchases. Then that evening they go to see a show at the theater. It was about abandoned daughters. Their mother said that she was leaving them because she wanted a life, she did not love them, etc. Caroline was bawling so they had to leave early. She and Charles were talking on the way home (a day early, too) about how they never had these problems on their first honeymoon.
It just reminds me how different things are now than before the children came along. Now our discussions are more along the lines of what is happening at school, the new things the baby is doing, household things. Sometimes I wonder if we would have anything to talk about if it weren't for the children. I guess that we are sometimes led to believe that that is wrong. As parents they are our first concern. Their welfare is our first responsibility. I know that there are times that we need to think about our relationship and keeping it alive and healthy. I think that I just learned not to think badly of myself for thinking of three of the biggest parts of our life together. Joe and I have had many things change in our life together in the time we have been together. We are older and hopefully wiser. We now have three children, a home, and many more responsibilities. How can I imagine that trying to separate three of the biggest parts of that life from our time alone as a couple is damaging to our relationship. That can also be a way to build a stronger relationship. All aspects of our relationship together are what we need to work on to build a stronger relationship. Leaving one area alone is like letting one part of the body wither away while helping the rest of the body grow strong. It will only weaken the body as a whole no matter how strong the rest of the body is. I encourage you all to ignore the common thoughts that we have learned and remember to embrace all the blessings in your life because they make you who you are. All the good and bad are what have shaped you into who you are today. We learn from the bad, laugh during the good, but most importantly we should always praise the Lord in everything!
Friday, November 30, 2007
Movie Date With Butch
Yesterday I was treated to a movie date with Butch, as well as all the other 2nd and 3rd graders and Otter, too! We went to a special showing of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. I was at first rather disappointed because at first we were scheduled to see the stage presentation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at the Bijou Theater in Downtown. I was so excited about that, but the tickets had sold out, so we went to a movie instead. I was greatly surprised (after getting over the shock of having to watch a preview of the new Chipmunk movie! Ughhh!) that it was a really cute movie. No bad language, no sexual references or potty humor, which is as it should be for a G rated kids film. Tuesday, November 27, 2007
My Word Of The Day
Snuggle:
v. tr.
To draw close or hold closely, as for comfort or in affection; hug.
–verb (used without object)
–verb (used with object)
For those of us who find themselves needing to snuggle, but find there is no one there for us...
The Boyfriend's Arm.
You know I had contemplated making a pillow somewhat like this when Joe was sent overseas, but I assumed it was just me who would think of something like this.
v. tr.
To draw close or hold closely, as for comfort or in affection; hug.
–verb (used without object)
| 1. | to lie or press closely, as for comfort or from affection; nestle; cuddle. |
–verb (used with object)
| 2. | to draw or press closely against, as for comfort or from affection. |
For those of us who find themselves needing to snuggle, but find there is no one there for us...
The Boyfriend's Arm.
You know I had contemplated making a pillow somewhat like this when Joe was sent overseas, but I assumed it was just me who would think of something like this.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Thanksgiving Football
Thursday we had a wonderful time together with family and friends. With the forecast showing rain I was unsure about the football game. Well, the rain cleared away to give the family time to play the annual flag football game. It was a fun time as we had several internationals there that needed to learn the rules of the game (but that is nothing new for us). It turned out to be a really fun time of football. One of the funniest plays was when Butch got the ball. If you look in the picture he has Joe's coat on and it covers his flags! Joe picked him up to get his flags! They then made him take off his flags and put them on top of the coat. Monday, November 19, 2007
Favorite Dates
I have no idea why this came to mind this morning, but I was thinking about past dates I have had and my favorites. I know that most people have a typical date night consisting of dinner and a movie. With the lack of good movies in theaters, though, this has personally not been an exciting thought for how to spend a date night. A lot of people are now stumped as what to do and sometimes do not even try. I thought of a couple of my favorite dates:
1. I went with Joe to Cades Cove and we had a picnic lunch together, looked around at all the buildings, just walked, talked, and laughed.
2. Walks on the beach in the evening. This was a somewhat tradition that my Dad and I did when we went to the beach. I guess this is not really a date, but it was a special time between me and my Daddy. You see the beach was our annual vacation and he and I would just walk and talk (or some times in silence) down the beach after dinner. Usually he and I were the only ones that wanted to do this. I guess that is how it became a tradition for us.
3. My Father/ Daughter "dates" to UT football games. Many years of happy memories!
4. Going to a Smokies baseball game. What could be better than baseball, peanuts, soda and... oh yeah, Joe. too. ;)
5. Frank Sinatra, Jr and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. This was nice because I am a big fan of Frank Sinatra and that was why Joe got the tickets for us. I really enjoyed the KSO when I went as a field trip in school. I am not sure I have ever been disappointed with their music.
Other times of hockey games, hikes, etc. are right behind these.
1. I went with Joe to Cades Cove and we had a picnic lunch together, looked around at all the buildings, just walked, talked, and laughed.
2. Walks on the beach in the evening. This was a somewhat tradition that my Dad and I did when we went to the beach. I guess this is not really a date, but it was a special time between me and my Daddy. You see the beach was our annual vacation and he and I would just walk and talk (or some times in silence) down the beach after dinner. Usually he and I were the only ones that wanted to do this. I guess that is how it became a tradition for us.
3. My Father/ Daughter "dates" to UT football games. Many years of happy memories!
4. Going to a Smokies baseball game. What could be better than baseball, peanuts, soda and... oh yeah, Joe. too. ;)
5. Frank Sinatra, Jr and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. This was nice because I am a big fan of Frank Sinatra and that was why Joe got the tickets for us. I really enjoyed the KSO when I went as a field trip in school. I am not sure I have ever been disappointed with their music.Other times of hockey games, hikes, etc. are right behind these.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Thanksgiving Feast
Yesterday was Butch's Thanksgiving Feast at school. It was a SPREAD! A real turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mash potatoes, gravy, rolls, and several desserts. It was great! We also had entertainment from the kids. They had a little play, some poems, and some songs to show the parents. It was so cute and they did a great job!
Christmas Wish List
I have a new item to add to my Christmas Wish List. Family Tree Maker has a new version out: Family Tree Maker 2008. This version is different from the older version (by several editions) that I own. I am hoping to get the Deluxe version, which includes 3 months access to Ancestry.com. I love my subscription to Ancestry that was a Christmas gift last year. Ancestry.com has been a great help in my research for my family tree.Saturday, November 10, 2007
I Am A Hypocrite
What can I say... I am a hypocrite. I am not proud of this but it is true.
Hypocrite: person given to hypocrisy (pretense of virtue, piety, etc.)
I wonder at people who are shocked by the fact that "most" Christians are hypocrites. We all are. I am not perfect and I will never be as I walk on this earth. There has only been one to walk this earth that can truly claim perfection: Jesus. Although I know what is right and wrong (according to God's word) I still cannot become pure. I sin. I know you must all be shocked, but it is true I assure you. We all sin. Period. It is not just the unsaved that sin. Christians alike sin. We are all born with a sin nature. I, though, have become aware of my sin and realized that I need to have forgiveness for said sin. That is where Jesus comes into my life and makes me clean in God's eyes. Jesus became the glasses that God sees me through. Jesus came to our sin infested world to make a way for me, a poor hopeless sinner, to be able to stand before God without blemish. I am blemished with every day I live, but because I have given my heart and life over to Jesus He covers those sins and I appear without them before God. God is forgiving when we come to Him in repentance. How amazing is that?! I cannot do anything to become perfect or sinless, but through my acceptance of Jesus as my Savior I can become as white as snow by His blood that was spilt for me.
In the Bible there were certain people who followed God's word to the letter and considered themselves better than others. Jesus came and told them that it is not just physically killing, but the thoughts in your heart of murder, that cause you to become a murderer, therefore sin. I can "act" like I have never sinned, but if you could see my thoughts and know my heart you could see the truth. Can you judge a person by their exterior? No. I can have all the appearance of good but be not in the possession of a good heart. Man can be fooled, but God cannot. There is no place that we can go that God cannot find us. We are never out of His sight. He sees our hearts and knows our true motives. He is constantly disappointed in our sins, but is eager to forgive and FORGET as soon as we ask it of Him. Praise God for His mercy, grace and forgiveness and giving me the ability to have a personal relationship with Him!
In the Bible there were certain people who followed God's word to the letter and considered themselves better than others. Jesus came and told them that it is not just physically killing, but the thoughts in your heart of murder, that cause you to become a murderer, therefore sin. I can "act" like I have never sinned, but if you could see my thoughts and know my heart you could see the truth. Can you judge a person by their exterior? No. I can have all the appearance of good but be not in the possession of a good heart. Man can be fooled, but God cannot. There is no place that we can go that God cannot find us. We are never out of His sight. He sees our hearts and knows our true motives. He is constantly disappointed in our sins, but is eager to forgive and FORGET as soon as we ask it of Him. Praise God for His mercy, grace and forgiveness and giving me the ability to have a personal relationship with Him!
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Things Boys Never Outgrow
Today I learned of two things that my boys have not outgrown. First was Bubba.
About four years ago I got a phone call from Granddad asking if I could ask Bubba where he hid his remote control for the TV. This stemmed from an ongoing battle between the two of them for the TV rights on Sundays. This was funny when Bubba learned that he could hide the remote after changing the channel to the one of his choice. Well, now there are two TVs at Granddad's house so that is not much of a problem anymore, but I got another call on Saturday evening. This time it was Papaw asking if Bubba could tell me where he put the remote. He had hid it from his brother this time. How funny to get calls like this from both the grandfathers!
Now to Butch. In 2003 I took a picture of him with our cousin playing in the leaves. He pretended that he was fighting the leaves with his light saber. Well, today he was fighting the leaves with a stick while Joe blew the leaves. This time we were smart and got out the safety glasses to keep the leaves out of his eyes!
About four years ago I got a phone call from Granddad asking if I could ask Bubba where he hid his remote control for the TV. This stemmed from an ongoing battle between the two of them for the TV rights on Sundays. This was funny when Bubba learned that he could hide the remote after changing the channel to the one of his choice. Well, now there are two TVs at Granddad's house so that is not much of a problem anymore, but I got another call on Saturday evening. This time it was Papaw asking if Bubba could tell me where he put the remote. He had hid it from his brother this time. How funny to get calls like this from both the grandfathers!
Now to Butch. In 2003 I took a picture of him with our cousin playing in the leaves. He pretended that he was fighting the leaves with his light saber. Well, today he was fighting the leaves with a stick while Joe blew the leaves. This time we were smart and got out the safety glasses to keep the leaves out of his eyes!
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Another Tale From The Pumpkin Patch
At the trip to the corn maze there was a funny event that I forgot to add to my earlier post. So here it goes...Before we entered the corn maze one of the leaders went over the short list of rules that the owners have for the maze. Well, we made it 7/8ths of the way through the maze before trouble struck. Being near the back of our group I was slightly farther from the happenings, but I did see parts. The boys were in the lead and at the moment we were stopped at the last point (there were 12 points where you punched holes in your cards and also found the trivia questions). As the boys waited on the slower adults in the group they started playing around the corner. That is when it happened! I saw a corn cob go flying by the others in front. Of course the male leader with us immediately called the boys down reminding them that throwing corn was one of the rules. He then made the comment that it should not be that hard for them to remember as there were only 5. Never underestimate a eight year old boy! One of the other boys that was standing with the other adults stated, "Actually, there are 6 rules!" His mother was horrified and put her head in her hand while shaking said head. I tried to help her by saying that if it had not been her's I was sure mine would have said the same thing!
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