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Movie Wednesday – Annie

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This is one of those surprising movies that my son and daughter both like. Usually, they’re at each other’s throats disagreeing over the week’s movie. There are only a handful that they both love and request with equal fervor.

I know there was some controversy with the casting of this reboot, but I personally happen to think the cast is perfect. I remember glancing at the comic strip as a child, but I don’t remember the original Broadway show or movie with Victor Garber.

What I found in this modern take were the small tributes to the original story, and how easily this story was adapted for the modern viewer. I loved Annie commenting on how big her hair was. I looked at my kids and told them that the original Annie also had big hair.

She is a sweet, optimistic girl who likes everyone and believes the best of them. She’s certain that her parents are coming back, and she waits outside the restaurant where they left her.

She infects Will Starks with her bubblyness and it changes him for the better. He reminisces with her about how he grew up, and he really cares about her.

It’s a heartwarming, hopeful movie with a great and familiar soundtrack. I love that I had enough musicals in my childhood that their bursting into song was normal. My son wasn’t used to it and he asked why no one in the backround noticed that they were suddenly singing and dancing in the middle of the city street. I think I’ll introduce him to some old classics like The Sound of Music and West Side Story.

I’ve seen this version of Annie twice and we’re rewatching it this afternoon before we have to return it to Redbox. I don’t find it tiresome at all.

Jamie Foxx and Quevenzhane Wallis made a fantastic pair. The supporting cast was also superb. I especially liked Adewale Akinnuoyep-Agbaje as Mr. Stark’s driver who has a good sense of humor and a fondness for Annie. In fact, everyone has a fondness for Annie except for the bad guys, which should give you a clue that they are bad guys. How can anyone have a bad thing to say about her?

This is one of my favorite movies that I’ve seen this year.

Talyn’s Heroic Journey in #Farscape Is Now Available on Kindle

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The writer is the friend of a friend. This caught my eye because Farscape was one of those shows that I missed along the way. My husband’s friend sent us his DVD set of the series when he finished with it, and it still took us a few years to get to it.

I felt that the show had its issues, but that was my nitpickyness of being a longtime science fiction in space fan. It felt like a cross between Star Trek and Babylon 5. There was a good ensemble cast, unusual characters who didn’t fit their stereotypes, a home on the ship, friendship, and a good story.It was futuristic and modern.

One of the arcs that I found interesting was Talyn’s story. For those who are unfamiliar with the show, Talyn is a ship. He is a living ship and the hybrid offspring of the living ship, Moya, that the crew travels on. His story is unusual, and I was so excited to see Natacha’s book about his journey.

It is now available on Kindle, and I’m looking forward to reading it and seeing how close my own thoughts mesh with hers.

Enjoy!

Natacha Guyot's avatarNatacha Guyot

Do you like Farscape? Do unlikely heroes interest you? Are redemption stories compelling to you? Then, you’ll probably want to check out my eBook, Talyn’s Heroic Journey in Farscape:

Created in 1999 by Rockne S. O’Bannon, the Science Fiction television series Farscape focuses on the eclectic crew of a living ship called Moya. One of the supporting characters, Talyn, is Moya’s hybrid offspring, is born at the end of the first season and also experiences his own heroic journey.

Since the show belongs to the Science Fiction genre, it is interesting to study how a non-human character that isn’t even humanoid might become a hero. While cyborg and alien heroes have existed in Science Fiction narratives of many kinds, it remains rather rare that a space ship, even alive and sentient, is given significant character development.

Three elements are of particular significance in the analysis of hybrid’s heroic…

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Stuff and Things – Green Glass Lamp

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I’ve seen lamps like this growing up. I think my grandmother may have had one in her basement. She had a weird, spooky basement that had shelves and books and a round table in the room. I used to read Nancy Drew down there. Maybe that’s why I remember it as spooky.

Other than that flash, I hadn’t remembered which family member had the green glass lamp, but I hated them. I don’t even know why I hated them.

And then I forgot about them.

Last year, we were staying with my mother-in-law over the Thanksgiving holiday and I noticed this lamp in the bedroom where we were sleeping.

I wanted it!

It’s not a bedroom lamp; it’s a desk lamp.

It’s like the lamp on the desk of a great detective or private eye, two of my dream jobs as a child. It reminds me of the table lamps in the bunker on Supernatural, and I was immediately drawn to it.

My mother-in-law gave it to me and it’s been a centerpiece of my office ever since. It makes me feel like a real writer. I try to surround myself in my writing space with things that inspire me, and this lamp has definitely fit the bill.

It’s a writer’s lamp!

I kind of love that as a young person I hated this type of lamp because I think it can stand as a symbol of life’s changes. It shows how far I’ve come. It’s not just growing up; it’s growing out.

Stuff and Things – Transistor Radio

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This is my Jimmy Carter peanut radio. It’s just one of those things that I can’t remember getting, but I’ve always had. I imagine that it was given to me early on in the Carter Administration or while he was campaigning for President. I know that my brother and sister also had one.

The battery cover is missing, and I think one of the wires has come out, so if I put a new 9 volt battery in it, it wouldn’t work, which is sad. I have some good memories listening to this radio.

No antennas, no plugs. The radio stations broadcast. If I recall correctly, it got FM. Not all of the radios that we had could pick up FM, so this was a big deal. FM had the cool music.

He’s also missing a top hat. He must have been modeling after Mr. Peanut. There were so many ways that politicians were good naturedly parodied and teased, but I kind of think that President Carter would like this. It shows his friendly, if toothy grin, the twinkle in his eyes, and of course, a homage to his peanut farming and farm life and family ancestry.

This is one of my childhood treasures along with a stuffed astronaut doll from the Kennedy Space Center. I will look for that later in the year, and share it with you when I find it. We discovered it again when we were cleaning my mother’s house out several years ago. It was a bit moldy, but I know we have it either in the garage or the basement.

Stuff and Things – Tea Things

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I’ve decided to pick up a project this week that I’ve mentioned before. A few seasons ago in my memoir workshop we wrote on the theme of stuff; our stuff. I thought that I would choose a few of my things that I’ve collected and write a little about them as a writing exercise.

Today, I’m starting with my tea things. These are a few of my favorite tea things

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Despite how it looks in the picture, I really don’t collect a lot of things related to tea. I picked those up at Cracker Barrel; they’re little salt shakers. The tin holds loose tea – Lady Londonderry. It’s wonderful with milk and sugar. For birthdays and Christmas, my friend and I exchange teas that we like so the other one can try them. This was one of those teas. I think I sent him Mexican Chocolate, which was a really lovely blend. We have a local store that has dozens of varieties and tea accessories, like that tin and my unpictured strainer.

The mug in the center is from a fundraiser at my kids’ school. The kids do artwork specifically for this project, and in the spring, parents can order their art on a variety of things. This particular one is from my daughter. I just loved how it was put together with the colors and the birds visiting the bird feeder, blue sky and sunshine. I feel happies when I have my morning tea and this is the mug that I use almost exclusively.

Drink.

Rinse.

Repeat.

I’ve just begun using that travel tumbler. I use it for both loose tea and bagged tea, and I’m always amazed when I pour the boiling water in that the cup doesn’t crack. It keeps it hot all morning when I’m at my workshop. It’s the perfect size for library and workshop writing.

For today’s project, and the picture, I’ve included only three varieties of tea that I love.

Stash’s Ginger Breakfast Black Tea was my first “exotic” tea that I really enjoyed. Most gingers are tisanes, no actual tea leaves in it, but herbals and other flowery “teas” steeped in hot water. I prefer a black tea. This is perfect with milk and sugar. I use the word exotic to distinguish between black and orange pekoe tea (the kind you would find in Lipton) and some of the more unusual varieties. Tea, coming from the Far East, is already exotic for want of a better word.

Prince of Wales is a black tea, but it’s a bit lighter than the typical tea that Americans tend to drink. This is similar to PG Tips and reminds me of the tea that I had when I visited Wales.

My new find is Twining’s Honeybush, Mandarin and Orange tea. At first glance it sounds like a tisane or herbal tea, but it is in fact, black tea. One of the reasons that I hadn’t often had citrus teas is because I put milk in all of my tea, not realizing that citrus isn’t really made for that. Once I stuck to sugar, this was a very relaxing cuppa. One of the surprises of this tea is that if you let it sit too long (which I am guilty of on occasion), and let it get cold, it still retains a very rich and flavorful taste.

Not pictured are PG Tips, Chai Spice, Moroccan Mint (black tea), and Scottish Breakfast. I tend to lean towards Stash and Twining’s if I’m not getting the teas from my friend or from my local tea shop.

Let me know in the comments what your favorite tea is or any other favorite drink.

Happy Tea-ing!

Make Your Own Sand and/or Water Table

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It’s easy and inexpensive to make your own Water and/or Sand Table for the summer months for those sensory moments we all need, but especially children. This is especially convenient if you live in an apartment or have a small outdoor space and can’t buy a full size table.

Start off with a container that has a good lid. I’d recommend brand names and Tupperware, Rubbermaid, and Sterlite are the best ones in my opinion.

I would recommend that you get one about the size of a fast food tray and about 12″ or more deep.

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I've used this one. It's a Sterlite 15 quart latch box

For either sand or water you will need a secure lid, especially if you’re storing it indoors.

For water:

Empty the bucket before storing, try and let the bucket and toys dry out before securing the lid to avoid mildew. If you’re storing it outside, you don’t want to leave standing water or you’ll get mosquitos. You also might get a stray animal tumble in and then you’ll have that mess to clean up.

For sand:

Take out the toys and store them in a mesh bag (you can store the toys this way for the water as well.)

Secure the lid. If you leave sand open, it will very quickly become a litter box for the neighborhood cats.

Toys should be durable plastic and should fit inside the bucket for long-term storage, but the mesh bag is good for the summertime when you’ll be using it regularly.

You can find toys at dollar stores or other thrift stores.

Look for toys that are durable and plastic. They can usually be sanitized in the dishwasher or by hand. You can use measuring cups and spoons from your kitchen including beakers that have had the measurements worn off from use. Strainers and colanders are fun as well as spoons and plastic bowls if you don’t want to buy anything new.

The dollar store will usually have small shovels and waterwheels. If you buy the toys/tools they are also very colorful.

SAFETY TIP: DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CHILD UNATTENDED. Young children have no sense of balance and can easily tumble and drown in as little water as this bucket will hold.

Don’t forget the sunscreen and a sun-hat to protect their fair skin. (This includes children of all races. Everyone needs sun protection.)

Have fun!

Opening Day at Saratoga Race Track

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Took this photo at my local grocery store. It is a reusable bag that they sell.

Considered to be the oldest sports venue in the US (there was racing there as early as 1847), the Saratoga Race Track was officially opened in 1863 and has been in continuous operation since.*

The original meet was four days. Now the season goes from the last week in July through Labor Day. This year’s meet begins today and ends on September 7th. There is no racing on Tuesdays, and the Travers Stakes will be held August 29th.

There is an opportunity to watch the horses work out in the mornings at Breakfast at Saratoga, a buffet held from 7 – 9:30am. The cost is $17.95 for adults, $9.95 for kids, 3-12. Follow the link for detailed information and about seeing the workouts without the buffet breakfast.

There is a dress code for certain areas of the track. Click here for more information on attire.
No pets are allowed. Coolers are allowed (no grills) in certain areas but there is a size restriction during Travers Day.

Start here to get to know the track and to plan your outing in the Saratoga Springs area.

*Exceptions to this are: in 1896 when it wasn’t viable to hold the meet because of other thoroughbred racing; in 1911 and 1912 because of a ban on gambling in aNew York state; a ban on travel during World War II caused them to close in 1943-1945 and races were held at Belmont instead.

Movie Wednesday – Noah

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I was finally able to watch Noah on Netflix. About halfway through the movie, a thunderstorm and tornado warning hit my area so there was that sense-around experience. I paused the movie and hesitated briefly to look out the window at the dark sky, hoping my car windows were up, but I still pushed on through to the end of the movie.
It was still a little frightening despite knowing the end of the story, and the lasting covenant that floods would never cover the entire earth again, but in the moment it can be very anxiety inducing.

When the movie ended, so did the storm.

Coincidence? I don’t think so.

I initially hadn’t seen this movie version because I’ve avoided Biblical reinterpretations, especially of a story so well known throughout my life. I also have a terrible fear of water (among other things depicted here) and this story hits all those buttons.

I also have a dual mindset where I do believe the Biblical stories in a literal way, but I also have a scientific mind. I’m not sure that it’s possible to believe in both (I thought there was a word for that, but both my husband and I couldn’t think of what it could be) but for myself I hold those two both up as separate entities, each one held in each hand so to speak. Maybe one day I’ll figure it all out, but I imagine that’s a long time away.

MOVIE SPOILERS FOLLOW

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