MOVIE MONDAY -- FROZEN

2013 Film

Fearless optimist Anna sets off on an epic journey -- teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven -- to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.

Release date: November 27, 2013 (USA)

Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee

Running time: 108 minutes

Initial DVD release: March 18, 2014 (USA)

 

MPAA rating: PG, G

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This movie was much better than I expected it to be.  I love animation.  I always have.  And I love Disney movies.  So this was a real treat for me.  I am amazed at the computer generated animation that is out there today as opposed to the line drawings that I saw growing up.  They are so real that sometimes it's hard to believe that you aren't watching real live people.

The music was just wonderful.  I understand why the one song was up for an Oscar.  To me this movie was reminiscent of an old Broadway musical.  The parts where people burst into song was worthy of Rodgers and Hammerstein.

There are always some amusing characters in a Disney movie and the snowman Olaf and reindeer Sven did not disappoint me.  They were the comic relief in an otherwise rather suspenseful story.

If you want to see a fun movie, this is the one for you. 


Kathy

RAINY DAYS

First of all, thank you for all the comments and caring that I was so tired the other day.  It must have been that I was just tired because yesterday I had energy to spare.  I worked all day and then went food shopping, made dinner, did a load of dishes, a load of wash, and some cleaning.  Wow.  Wish I felt like that all the time.

I had plans to go out in the yard today and take lots of pictures of what's going on out there but....  rain.  Lots of rain.  In fact there was so much rain that our church parking lot turned to mud and Joe and two other guys had to push the car out because it was stuck in the mud.  Thank God for people that help you.

I got to see the daughter of our pastor and his wife (little Miss A) today.  They said they don't mind me sharing pictures of her, just not personal information so that's why I use Miss A for her name.  She is a sweet baby, slept through the whole service, and at the end woke up, stretched, looked at everyone and gave us a big grin.  She is so absolutely adorable!  She is 2 1/2 months old now.

 

Joe and I are having some guys from Sears give us an estimate on fixing our kitchen tomorrow.  We had our kitchen redone about 5 years ago.  A year later things started breaking in it.  Now it's in really bad shape.  We paid a lot of money and got taken in because not long after it was finished the people went out of business.  It seems we weren't the only ones because there were a lot of Better Business Bureau complaints against them.  We tried to get someone from there to fix things or get some money back, but to no avail.  So Joe has called for an estimate to get some things fixed.  Hopefully it will not be too expensive.  It's always something when you own a house.

Last night I was cleaning out a closet and found all my decorative soaps that I had forgotten I had.  Years ago I used to decorate my bathroom with soaps for every holiday.  What else would you decorate the bathroom with?  So I put out my Easter soap.  I think it's so cute.

 

I plan on decorating a little bit each day and be completely done by the end of the week.  Lots of pictures coming up.

Since there is so much rain and I can't work outside, I think I will straighten up the kitchen for the guys coming tomorrow.  Then I will start dinner -- pork chops, acorn squash, zucchini.

Have a good evening everyone!

 Kathy

FRIDAY VIEWS

I had off from work today.  I had so many plans of things to do.  And I ended up sleeping the entire day.  I feel the way I did before I started on my thyroid medicine a couple of months ago.  If this keeps up I will have to talk to my doctor.  But...  maybe I'm just tired.  There is always that possibility.

I think the rain had something to do with it too.  You know how rainy days make you feel.  At least it was rain today and not snow.  And it rained only a few hours.

We went to Staples this morning to pick up Joe's computer.  It had been hacked (long story) and he had to have the hard drive erased and the programs reinstalled.  But that's about all I did today.  I have to get myself together and get some stuff done tonight!

For your Friday view I wanted to show you the cute little figure I got at Rite Aid.

Isn't this cute, with the cardinals and the little lady bug and mushroom down at the bottom?  It just screams Spring to me.  I have it on top of my heater stove in the living room and I think it is going to be my go-to Spring decoration each year.  It was in the half price sale and I just love it.  That's my little solar light behind it.

Time to go get dinner on.  I think I am making fried rice for dinner.  I've been craving Chinese.


Kathy
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Friday's weather:
Showers earlier, then cloudy
High:  65 degrees
Low:  47 degrees 
What a change from the wicked winter we've had!
Sunrise:  6:51 a.m.
Sunset:  7:21 p.m.
12 hours and 30 minutes of daylight  

IT IS SPRING, ISN'T IT?

Even though the calendar says Spring, the weather says otherwise.  We had more snow on Tuesday.  It was about 1/2 inch and since Wednesday was warm, there was none left on the ground.  That's nice.  Light snow one day and gone the next.

I was looking at my pictures from last March 25th to see what it was like.  Here's what was happening.

Who would have thought that it would be the same weather exactly one year later?  Strange.  Very strange.

Kathy

MOVIE MONDAY -- 12 YEARS A SLAVE

2013 Film

In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty at the hands of a malevolent slave owner, as well as unexpected kindnesses, Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelf… Moreth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon's chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.

Release date: October 18, 2013 (USA)

Director: Steve McQueen 
Running time: 134 minutes 
MPAA rating: R 
Initial DVD release: March 4, 2014 (USA)

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This was a hard movie to watch.  My heart was pounding through most of it.  It is hard for me to understand how someone can look at another human being and not see them for who they are.

I was impressed by the dignity and bravery of Solomon Northup.  It would have been easy to be like all the others, but he never forgot that he was not "Platt the slave" but "Mr. Solomon Northup of Saratoga Springs, NY".  A gentleman.  With a wife and two children whom he adored.

The acting was superb.  Even though 12 years was eclipsed into 2 hours, you could feel the passing of time.  The movie was based on a true story and I would love to know more about him.  So if you know me, you know what that means.  I am getting internet and hard copy books about him and reading to my heart's content.

There is some nudity and bad language in this movie, so that is why it is rated R.  I would not allow children to see it.  Too cruel.  But for everyone else, I highly recommend it.

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This is a new series I am starting called Movie Monday.  I have been seeing such good ones that I will occasionally be sharing them with you.

Kathy

FRIDAY VIEW -- THE EASTER CACTUS

Remember a few weeks ago I showed you a picture of the bud on my Easter Cactus?

It got bigger.

And bigger.

Until finally the other day it bloomed.

I have had Christmas cacti in the past which were pink and bloomed around Christmas.  I have even had pink Easter cacti which bloomed around Easter.  But this is the first yellow one I have ever encountered.  And it blooms toward the end of March each year.  I love it.

Kathy

FIRST DAY OF SPRING

Today was beautiful!  Warm, sunny, and everything you would think of spring.  I even wore a short-sleeved top for the first time this season and I wasn't cold.  The next three days are supposed to be beautiful and then on Monday we are scheduled for more snow.  I don't think it can last too long at this time of year.

Enjoy the nice weather, everyone!

 

A RANDOM ACT OF CULTURE

Yesterday around 3 p.m. the Richmond Library was struck with a Library Random Act of Culture.

We knew something was coming.  We had gotten a phone call saying there would be a flash mob of sorts hitting us.  But we didn't know what to expect.

All of a sudden these two stilt walkers come in the handicapped entrance.  Guess they couldn't do steps and had to use the ramp.

And we heard music from a tuba, drum and accordian.

There was a man dressed as a woman and a woman dressed as a man.

They told jokes.

 

They sang.

 

They danced.

They had us singing along with them.

 

It was great!

 

 At the end they said, "This has been a random act of culture.  You've all been culturized."  And as quickly as they came, they went.

 

A lot of us took pictures, but not one of us thought to take a video until after they had left.  Oh well!

Congratulations.  Now you've been culturized too.

Kathy 

 

ST PATRICK'S DAY

 

 Hope you all had a happy St. Patrick's Day.  Here's how my day started.

Yes, more snow.  And it snowed most of the day.  BUT...  it was a light snow.  Fluffy.  And the temperatures were rising.  So by the end of the day almost all of it was gone.

I got Bob to take a picture of Diane and me in our Irish shirts.  Diane grabbed an Irish mug she had on her desk for one of the shots.  Even if you aren't Irish, you are on St. Patrick's Day.  Right?

Joe bought me the shirt a few days ago at Wal-mart.  It says "The Leprechauns Made Me Do It."  So cute.

We heard the Country Club was having an Irish dinner, so I picked up Joe after work and we headed out there.  Once we got there, neither of us wanted the corned beef and cabbage so Joe got a seafood combo and I got fried chicken.  They have seafood and chicken in Ireland, don't they?  The waiter said our salads were Irish colors because they had lettuce and carrots on white plates and that counted.  He was so funny.

On the way out we got cupcakes to have later.  I ate mine before bed and it was so good.

Even though it was a super busy day at work, it was a great day.

Kathy

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Monday's weather

Snow

High:  34 degrees

Low:  23 degrees

(No wonder everyone is sick with the temps going up and down!)

Sunrise:  7:09 a.m.

Sunset:  7:09 p.m.

12 hours of daylight!!!! 

A LAZY SUNDAY

I'm still not 100% well, but wanted to get to church today since I've missed church for the last two weeks.  But I'll tell you it was hit or miss for awhile.  Coughing, choking and running to the bathroom was not a good sign.  But after taking lots of medicine and laying down for awhile I got myself together and we went.  I even wore my St. Patrick's Day shirt from last year.

I got to see little Miss A for the first time.  She is just the sweetest baby and so good.  She hardly cries at all and sat through the whole service smiling and cooing.  Can you believe she is 2 months old already?

I didn't get too near her because of still having this cold, but I can't wait until I can hold her.

We ran to the store after church and got a quick lunch.  I was still feeling "punky" so I laid down to take a nap.  Well, 6 hours later I woke up.  It's heading toward 9 p.m. and we haven't even eaten yet.  I think I will make something quick and easy and wake Joe up (I hear him snoring).  I know he was up while I was asleep because he was using the computer (he left it on) and some things are moved.

Too bad I slept because it was a beautiful day and I wanted to get some yard work done.  But I must have needed the sleep more.

Have a great night everyone.  St. Patrick's Day post tomorrow!

Kathy
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Sunday's weather
Clear (snow predicted for tonight)
High:  47 degrees
Low:  25 degrees
Sunrise:  7:10 a.m.
Sunset:  7:08 p.m.
11 hours and 58 minutes of daylight  

PAT'S STEAKS

We had to go to South Philly today to take Jenny to the vet.  She has been losing weight and has been having trouble using the litter box.  The vet found she was healthy, but ended up giving her a laxative.  Hopefully that will help.  He didn't seem concerned about her weight loss and said that older cats often lose weight.  Jenny is 11 years old.

By the time we got out it was a little after noon.  I asked Joe what he wanted to do for lunch.  He suggested going somewhere to eat after we took Jenny home.  As we were driving we came up to Pat's Steaks and Geno's Steaks.  There is a thriving rivalry between these two famous steak sandwiches.  People in Philadelphia like either one or the other.  They are across the street from each other and both are always packed.  I asked Joe if he wanted to stop and he said yes.  I asked him which one and he said he was a Pat's person.  It must have been meant to be because as we reached the intersection a car drove away and we drove right into the spot.  Parking is at a premium in South Philly and it's almost impossible to find a spot near either restaurant.  This was right in front of it!

We each got a steak sandwich with fried onions, french fries and iced tea.  It was expensive, but oh, so good!

We sat in the car to eat since we had Jenny with us.  It was a beautiful day, the food was good, and it was a great treat.

Kathy

JULEP

I am not much of a makeup person.  I like to look natural, not look like a clown (like some people I know).  But I do like to fix myself up some.  And let's face it, at my age I need some fixing!  So I was interested when I read a post by Hollie at Blog-o-Holl*ic about this great company that she is getting things from.

I went online and looked over the site.  They give you a quiz to find out what kind of person you are colorwise.  Then they suggest certain products for you.  I came up with "It Girl".  I looked at their suggestions, but they just weren't me.  You can change to another category so I looked through them and found I liked the colors in "Modern Beauty" so that's what I ordered.  My first box was free.  I was also able to order two additional products.

So I was excited when I saw this when I got home from work yesterday.

I opened it and saw all of these things!

Here's what I got:

In the "Modern Beauty" package there was an eyeliner pencil, brown on one end and black on the other, with a sharpener, and a really beautiful lip gloss called "Charming".  Joe said it was charming on me. I also ordered two nail creams.  One is called Alaina and is sort of a gray/brown.  The other was a "mystery" color and turned out to be Isla, a silvery color.  They also always send an additional free gift and I got some makeup sponges and a 50% off coupon for my next box.  It's always guaranteed to be worth at least $40 and you pay $20 or less.

The good thing is you can cancel whenever you want with no penalty.  It's fun for now.  I know eventually I will get enough and want out so that's OK too.

Thanks, Hollie, for introducing me to this.  If you want to check them out their site is www.julep.com.  If you order, put "freebox" in the checkout code to get your first box free.

 Kathy
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Wednesday's weather
Mostly cloudy/heavy rain in the evening (I was caught in it!)
High:  70 degrees
Low:  30 degrees (40 degree difference!)
Sunrise:  7:17 a.m.
Sunset:  7:04 p.m.
11 hours and 47 minutes of daylight

FLOWERS

I've been so hungry for a taste of springtime.  So when I went to the supermarket this week I splurged on a bouquet of Gerbera Daisies.

They are one of my favorite flowers because they are so colorful.  I got five flowers, all different colors.

Yellow

Red

Orange

White

Pink

 They are just gorgeous.  I look at them all day and enjoy their beauty.  Pretty soon I will be able to go into my yard and cut some flowers to bring in whenever I want.  I'm so looking forward to that.

Kathy
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Monday's weather
Fair
High:  55 degrees
Low:  42 degrees
Sunrise:  7:20 a.m.
Sunset:  7:02 p.m.
11 hours and 42 minutes of daylight
Such a beautiful day!