Saturday, December 31, 2011

Fun Friday

I rarely post movie reviews here.  (OK, it's been a while since I've even posted a book review but I am feel confident in saying that this is the first time I've posted a movie review.)

You don't even need my review:  it is hard to go wrong with a film produced by Steven Spielberg.  If you have kids, especially bored kids at home over Christmas break--check this one out.

If you have a teenaged daughter who will not get out of bed if the clock has not yet flipped to "p.m" and two boys who are UP and READY to do SOMETHING in the morning, even if it is a cold, rainy day (especially if it is a cold, rainy day) you might consider going to the movies and you might consider "Tin Tin."

I'd never heard of Tin Tin until I was in my twenties.  I am not a big comic book aficionado but an old friend was shocked that I'd never even heard of the comic and presented me with a copy of "Tin Tin and the Red Sea Sharks."  I read it.  It was good, as far as comics go but again, I'm not a huge comic book fan.  

The movie trailer excited my boys and reminded me of good friends and a good comic book I had...somewhere.  So this morning, the boys and I headed off for a Spielberg/Herge adventure.  We had the (11:30 showing) theater to ourselves and it was great!  The boys loved the movie and it reminded me of an animated Indiana Jones movie.  Not a bad way to spend a rainy Friday morning.  Not bad at all.

As a bonus, I found that lone comic book and my son was reading it in bed before falling asleep a few minutes ago!

Monday, December 12, 2011

Food for thought

I just logged on to begin a post about inspiration at this time of year and found this one--still sitting in my drafts from the week after Thanksgiving.  It appears that I have been working on the same idea for a month now.  (I'll post the new one tomorrow).  Happy Monday!

I pray; I attend church; I find the Bible fascinating though I'll admit I don't open it on a regular basis.  I have taken enough women's bible study classes to know that I would not care to attempt what this woman did.  Sure--I could try but it would be like trying to sit through algebra class again.  You know, it would be HARD.

During a recent homily, a priest suggested we treat Advent more like Lent.  (He admitted he did not expect anyone to find this Homily popular.)  Rather than enjoying the Christmas season now, he suggested we use it as a time of preparation, contemplation and repentance.  Then, on Christmas Day we would be ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus and continue to celebrate for the following eight days.  (His suggestion to the children that they request presents for eight days in a row DID seem a bit more popular!)

Finishing my book is important--to me.  The universe has bigger issues to worry about.  You have bigger concerns.  The book is important to me but not as important as family.  More interesting but not as important as getting dinner on the table tonight.

I knew completing a NaNo novel this year would be nearly impossible but absolutely impossible if I did not try.  I quickly decided to use NaNo as a way to get many more needed words into the WIP I am revising and watch the little blue bar move to the right, at the same time.  Even with that cheating mentality, I did not get enough words into the WIP let alone start a new project.

This time of year is busy enough.  Every year I say I need to let something go but end up doing everything halfway.  So I took the laptop with me on a trip to Florida for Thanksgiving with my kids.  (I had a fantasy about leaving my kids with their cousins and finding a Starbucks in my hometown.)  Instead, I let my son play games on the computer (the one computer he is never allowed to touch) and watched my youngest play in the dirt.  Aside from my son's time on the laptop, it was a mostly unplugged, unscheduled weekend with family.  It wasn't perfect but it was perfectly good.  Twenty years from now, my son won't remember if I finished my book this year or not but he might remember playing football with his cousins in the yard.  He will remember the pie.  Sweet Mercy, there were so many different delicious pies!

I have worked on the WIP.  It still isn't done.  It is not ready but it is better.  I am learning to slow down and listen more (and if a main character in the book learns that lesson along the way as well, that's just gravy).