Thursday, December 31, 2009

Auld Lang Syne

It is bittersweet saying farewell to this decade. Looking back I can most readily agree that life has been good to me and mine.
In the beginning we welcomed our first precious little life into this world and our hearts.
In the middle we welcomed our second precious little life and it has been a wonderful and wild ride ever since! I also made some incredible self discoveries that have changed my life and allowed me to be a more free and open person and a better wife and mom as a result.
Now at the closing of this decade I look around, humbly filled with joy and awe at the beautiful friends and loved ones that surround me.
I am so thankful that I have eyes that can see all of the good and a heart that can hold all of the love.
By the time I see the end of the next decade my life will be completely different than it is now. My young sons will be men. This fills me with both sadness and eager anticipation.
Bring on the hours and months and years because I will relish every second.
Cheers to 2010!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

A Twist on Pride and Prejudice: Lost in Austen



One of my favorite movies of all time is the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. That being said I am a bit of a critic when it comes to other versions. For instance the 2005 version directed by Joe Wright, starring Keira Knightley was absolutely terrible in my opinion.
Well let me clarify…the filming was beautiful and I cannot complain about the dialogue, it was more specifically the casting of Keira Knightley. She failed to capture and portray Elizabeth Bennet completely, thus ruining what could have been a fantastic re-creation of a classic. On a side note, I did however enjoy Donald Sutherland as her father and most everything else about the film was fabulous. It just proves how casting can make or break a film.
All of this to say that last night I watched a fantastic "version" of Pride and Prejudice, called Lost in Austen (2008). Like my favorite version of Pride and Prejudice, it is a BBC TV mini-series.
It first takes to extreme the concept that every Pride and Prejudice fan can be “submerged” in the story…only in this instance, it is quite literally. It secondly and more importantly holds firmly to the feel of the legacy that is the classic love story and yet contains an obvious modernism, with the addition of a modern day character; enter our heroine, Amanda Price.
It was a treat to get to see more from each and every character than I had ever seen before and it was believable…if not unexpected and sometimes outrageous but yet certainly how things could have turned out if all the stars hadn’t aligned, or perhaps aligned in a slightly different pattern.
So if you are looking for more from you favorite book and movie, look no further than Lost in Austen. It is currently on Netflix for instant streaming.



Side-note:
I would give Lost in Austen a rating of PG-13 and 5 stars and also state that it is not for a conservative person.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

The Aftermath

It's December 26th. The flurry of activity, flying wrapping paper, driving to and fro and the uncomfortably full tummy has ceased. My house looks like Lego Land at this moment, an impressive Pirate Ship that perfectly matches the box has laid anchor on my kitchen table in addition to piles of Lego's waiting to be built and more waiting in their boxes.
My back aches a little from bending over the tiny designs. As I make my way to the office I expertly dodge remote controlled cars, books, games, giant peppermint sticks and multiple Nerf guns with their ammunition.
I have spent the morning building the Drawbridge Defense along-side my much adored sons and I must heartily admit that all of the frenzied preparation lends itself to total satisfaction in the aftermath of this holiday called Christmas.

Christmas 2009









Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Fiery Flames

Taking a moment to cozy up and listen to the crackle of the flickery flames and let the pyromaniac in me be mesmerized. Merry Christmas to me indeed.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Blue Sky



See artist's page.
David Bowers

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Jägermeister

For years I have heard people raving about, Jägermeister they would say to me, "Do you like black licorice?" I would say, "No, ew!" and thus ending anything that might have been between me and Jäger.
However last night at the Crazy Christmas Sweater party, something happened.
I don't know exactly how it started but there was a bottle of Jägermeister in the freezer and a tall silver shot glass...oh and I can't forget the circle of trust.
In the end I came out of the circle loving Jägermeister. It doesn't taste like licorice to me though, it tasted of sweet, delicious herbs that danced on my tongue and then swam in my belly.
I love that Jägermeister was originally used as a medicinal product aiding in digestion and curing coughs...in Germany it is still used as such and carries the nickname Leberkleister (liver glue).

I will gladly take my medicine!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Imprinting.

I recently read a Q/A with Stephanie Meyer and someone asked where she got the idea for imprinting and she said she watched a documentary about chicks and ducklings and went from there. That of course made me do a little google-research. It is a very interesting subject. 'The first scientific studies of this phenomenon were carried out by Austrian naturalist Konrad Lorenz (1903 - 1989), one of the founders of ethology (the study of animal behavior).'



Excerpt from Learning Who is Your Mother, The Behavior of Imprinting
by Silvia Helena Cardoso, PhD and Renato M.E. Sabbatini, PhD

"In the natural environment, behavioral imprinting acts as an instinct for survival in newborns. The offspring must immediately recognize its parent, because threatening events, such as the attack by a predator or by other adults could occur just after hatching. Thus, imprinting is very reliable to induce the formation of a strong social bond between offspring and parent, even if it is the wrong one.

This is only one of the many forms of imprinting which have been studied, and its called filial imprinting. Another form is sexual imprinting, in which birds learn the characteristics of their siblings, which later on will influence their mating preferences as adults. In greylag geese, filial and sexual imprinting occur almost simultaneously, but in other animals there is a clear interval between the two processes.

Imprinting in mammals is more rare. Primates are altricial animals, that is, they are born in a very "incomplete" state, with an exceedingly immature brain that will take many months to become fully operational, alert and active with all its senses and actions. Therefore the mother is the supreme caretaker and protector, and mother-child bonding takes place via other processes than imprinting. There is no hurry, so to say."

It made me think about my own mother and how I am glad that I have more sense than a duckling.

"Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you."
-Frank Lloyd Wright



Friday, December 4, 2009

Buffalo Gal - It's a Wonderful Life

One of my favorite movies, the scene, the song, Jimmy Stewart! Its a good thing, as Martha says.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

R&J


Two households, both alike in dignity, / In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, / From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, / Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009