updates!!!!!

Movies
Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief- redbox

The book was alot better. I was excited to see this movie and though they did a good job w/it...they did leave some parts of the book out that I would've liked to seen in the movie, but all in all...I'm glad I saw it.

Valentines Day-dvd
there was alot of hype over this movie. It has a huge cast and a semi cute storyline. It's an ok movie. One of the endings of a storyline was really stupid and if you do or have watched I'm sure you know which one I'm talking about.












Stepfather-netflix

A total remake of an old film and it was really dumb. Not a must see!!!! I love how in these movies the kids try to tell the mom that man she moved into their home is not good but she doesnt believe them and all sorts of mayhem and murder happens and she's still none the wiser. I know its just a movie but...come on.

Familiar Strangers-netflix
(description courtesy of imdb.com) this is an off beat funny heartfelt story of family negotiating the changing relationships between parents and children, especially as those children grow into adulthood.
I liked this movie. It has Nikki Reed (Rosalie from Twilight) in it and that helped!





Drop Dead Fred- netflix

This is very funny movie staring  Phoebe Cates, Rik Mayall, Marsha Mason, Tim Matheson, & Carrie Fisher and its about a girl who's childhood imagainary friend comes back during a crisis even tho she's grown up now. It's a quirky and cute and I watched it many many years ago and it was fun watching it again. Rik Mayall is a member of the
YOUNG ONES

a british comedy I loved in the 80's,  so w/him in it, it's going to be funny.

Bedtime Stories-netflix

We saw this in the theater when it came out and we enjoyed it then. So we were bored one Sunday and watched it again. It was still good. I love Sandler movies, but this was nice watching one of his movies that didnt have any raunchy humor or language. A good family movie. And the Guinea Pig w/the huge eyes is so adorable.






To Gillian on her 37th Birthday-netflix

Peter Gallager, Claire Daines, Michelle Pfeiffer, Wendy Crewson, Kathy Baker, Freddie Prince Jr.  It's another star studded movie. Peter's character is a widower and he sees his wife on the beach and so he doesnt want to leave their beach house and get on w/life.
I remember watching this several times when it came out and I loved it. It was still good another time around.




Ponyo- netflix

This is Hayao Miyazaki's latest.(description courtesy of imdb.com) An animated adventure centered on a 5-year-old boy and his relationship with a goldfish princess who longs to become human. I love Miyazaki films so much and this one did not disappoint. It's a must see.






Buccaneers- netflix

This is a 1995 BBC mini-series from the book by Elizabeth Wharton. The story revolves around four wealthy and ambitious American girls, their guardians, and the titled, land-rich but cash-poor Englishmen who marry them as the girls participate in the London Season in search of a titled English gentleman for matrimonial purposes. It was worth watching!!!!





2012- netfllix

I have nothing good to say about this movie. It makes me mad just thinking about it. Several sources I found said the budget for this movie was around 200 million dollars. It's stated that the film grossed 160 mill in the US and 600mill internationally and it was ranked as the 5th highest ranking grossing film of 2009 and 33rd worldwide. I'm sure this all comes from one time sees at the theaters. I dont expect anyone would've gone back again and again to see this movie. Maybe little kids who dont know better. It was absolutely horrible. I couldnt even finish it. It was 2.5 hrs long and by hr 1 I was done. I just skipped to the very end to see how they ended it. The effects were horrible...the storyline horrible.....it's amazing how these people, with the earth is crumbling around them and buildings falling over, can manage to miss everything coming at them. I'm sorry but I thought it was just horrible.

TV
Summer is full of reruns and if it wasnt for a couple of shows it would so boring.

The newest show we like to watch is Seinfeld. It runs everyday and we DVR it to watch that night. I guess w/my Larry David kick right now....Seinfeld has become an interest again. and Dylan finds them funny too.  It's interesting to see how it has evolved from the earlier days when it had alot of Jerry's stage act in the show to the later where it's only mentioned that he's a comedian. In the beginning George is kind of the smarter one, giving Jerry advice on women but later shows have him a big bumbling buffoon. The show is an icon in pop culture and after watching them again....I can see why!


BOOKS
Due to time restraints, I havent had very much reading time. Busy at work....sleepy at night, etc. I even had to take back library books that were way overdue without reading them. SO not me. Anyway.....

I mentioned in the last update I was starting to read Adriana Trigiani "Valentine" series.
Very Valentine and Brava Valentine.

 Well, I got both of them read and LOVED IT!!!  Another set that couldnt put down at night. Such a great story with family and love and best friends and travel and finding oneself. SOOO GOOOD!!!

Dead until Dark by Charlaine Harris

This is a vampire book which was published in 2001 and it's the Sookie Stackhouse series. It was pretty good. It's a world where vampires are accepted (sort of, there are those few of course who dont agree) but they walk around free, not hiding, some trying to be productive in society and Sookie, who can read human minds but not vamp minds, falls in love w/Bill the vampire. But murders afoot and people are blaming Bill. It's a love story w/an ending that I didnt see coming and I love it when that happens. There are more books in the series and it's also what the HBO series

TRUE BLOOD is based on.   I've never seen it....but netflix has it. Might have to check it out.

Princess Academy

This is a Shannon Hale book which has been used in our bookclub before so I decided to try another one of hers. She writes probably for the age range of 10-15yr olds but of course I enjoy any range of books and I did enjoy this too. She writes really well and keeps you interested in her stories. It's worth a read.






Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray

The main character is Ruth who loves to bake cakes and her idea of stress relief is to imagine herself in the middle of a bundt cake. She has to take on the stresses of not only her life but the other family members that come her way. It's a very cute book and as soon as I was finished...I passed it off to my coworker/carpool friend that I've been sharing books with. I also think it would make a great bookclub book!!!




Music
Backstreet Boys

Well the Backstreet Boys were in concert in Wenatchee this past week and it brought back soooo many memories. Dylan started liking this band when he was about 6 and the song "Backstreets Back 'alright'. I remember going to a Circuit City in Irving looking for the cd single to that song and he listened to it over and over. He liked them for a couple of yrs. and then it died away like so many other things but everytime I hear them it takes me back to the time of that little boy.



Duran Duran

When I was in my late teen years I was very much obsessed w/them. I loved John Taylor and my sister loved Nick Rhodes. I had everything Duran Duran. I even made my own earrings and necklace w/Johns face!! I was so sure that if only I could meet him, he would fall madly in love w/me and we'd get married.  I even had our kids names picked out. My sister and I actually saw them in concert I think it was in 84' in Austin. It was very,very surreal. Sometimes I think I imagined it but no....it was real. Anyway...My brother got me the cd of their greatest hits a few years ago and to this day I still love to listen to them.


 New Moon-Eclipse Soundtracks

Ive been wanting to get these soundtracks to go along w/my Twilight soundtrack but as Dylan can attest to...I'll put it in my shopping cart and then by the time I'm done shopping I've put it back.( I know...I am worth it but.......) So, a very good and dear and kind and wonderful friend of mine (who will remain nameless for now so that the copyright people can do no harm...haha) burned me copies and as I'm sitting here working on updating these blogs of mine, I have enjoyed listening to them. I'm loving what I'm hearing.
So many many thanks to....YOU!!!!

July bookclub

Once again I let the month go by w/out talking about the past months bookclub. And this one was very important cause July's book was MINE!!!!! We met at Jody's house and the book I chose was The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.

I really enjoyed this book when I read it. So what did the others think? There were only a few that read it all the way through, some read most of it and several that didnt even attempt it. In hind sight......it is a rather long book and I've realized that a summer bookclub is hard cause everyone (but me) takes vacations and has lots of  kid things going on. There was good feedback on the book. We had a great discussion and I was happy cause they were happy w/the book. For August....we are reading Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, 2nd to the Hunger Games. Jody picked this book because our next bookclub is on Tues. 8-24 and it coincides w/the release of the 3rd book...Mockingjay which will be chosen as Septembers book. Cant Wait!!!!