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I have been in a blue funk lately and trying to deal with my own kind of June gloom. I don't know what's been wrong with me for most of this month, but I think I'm finally coming out of it. It's not as if I haven't had things to do. I'm busy enough these days, but for some reason I've been feeling like my feet are set in concrete. I've got a lot on my mind these days, but unfortunately, I am not at liberty to share most of it. Don't worry. Most of it is good stuff and I will eventually be able to talk about it.

In the meantime, I have been going to my yoga class twice a week, hanging out with Viliamu on Wednesdays, going to the movies on the weekends and today we had brunch with a friend. Great distractions and mood enhancers! So, we've seen several movies but I haven't written a word about them. Here is a very quick re-cap and a very few words on each...

Fast and Furious 6 (PG-13) - I was convinced by a certain 6 year old that we had to see this movie. All I can say is that those are 2 hours of my life I will never get back. No, it wasn't as bad as all that. It was just silly and far fetched, but hey, who doesn't love a good car chase sequence and a bunch of muscle bound bad boys?! It's not my type of movie, but if you are a fan of the series you should see it before it gets bumped out of the theaters if it hasn't been already.

The Internship (PG-13) - Ron and I went to see this movie because it's about Google and we thought it would be fun to see a movie that was filmed around our area. Besides that, Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson can be pretty funny together as they were in Wedding Crashers. This movie wasn't as funny but it did have it's own charm. You get an inside look at Google in this film, but who knows how accurate it really is? So, if you missed this one at the theater, it's ok - this one is perfect  to wait for on DVD.

Frances Ha (R) - How about a quirky little independent film about a twentysomething young woman trying to live and follow her dreams in New York? It stars Greta Gerwig who I believe had a hand in the writing of this movie. It's a small film that made me wonder if my twentysomethings were having such a hard time. We took Beckie to see this one and she liked it. Ron didn't say much one way or another and I thought it was ok.

Man of Steel (PG-13) - I've already seen this movie twice - once with Ron and once with Viliamu. I loved it! This film gives more back story on Krypton and Superman's two sets of parents. Plenty of action, too. The fight sequences between Superman and General Zod were a bit much, but few movies are perfect. I have to tell you that whoever decided to make Henry Cavill the next Superman chose VERY wisely. If there is such a thing as a perfect man - this Superman is completely swoon-worthy. He is absolutely beautiful (I don't often say that about men). Anyway, I thought the cast was great; I loved the story; Superman made me swoon - it was the perfect summer movie and I may just see it a third time!

This is the End (R) - I don't know what possessed us to go see this movie especially since we don't care that much for Seth Rogen or James Franco. This movie is about The Rapture and the End of Days. The actors in it play shallow versions themselves in this incredibly crude movie. Much of the humor is juvenile and would definitely appeal to teenage boys. I am embarrassed to say that it did make me laugh a couple points. When the movie was over and we walked out of the theater, I told the people waiting to get in to the next showing how awful the movie was...silly and stupid! Unless you really love Seth Rogen, James Franco and Jonah Hill - skip it!

World War Z (PG-13) - Finally, we saw this movie yesterday not really knowing what to expect. I am NOT a fan of zombies in general, but the trailers made me want to see what it was all about. I have had this book sitting on my nightstand for a couple weeks, but of course, I haven't read it. This movie was incredibly suspenseful, scary, but not too "gooey," you know how I hate blood and guts. Although this is not a movie I would see again, I thought it was good and I did like it.

Ok, that was a very quick run down on what we've seen lately. I've been watching other movies on pay per view, too, but I'll save that for another day. I just looked outside and see that the June gloom is persisting...sigh...

Summer Reading

Happy First Day of Summer!

I love to read and as usual, I have big plans for which books I intend to cross off my "to do" reading list this summer. I would have started sooner, but I have been knitting...knitting...sewing...knitting...oh, and going to movies. Now I think it's time to readjust my priorities for my spare time. There are SOOOOOO many unread books on my nightstand and bookshelves (and even some lying dormant in my Kindle) that I have to do something about it. There are new books coming out every day that I won't allow myself to buy because I know that they will end up on the shelves collecting dust. That stops TODAY!

A couple months ago, my friend Eileen gave me The Bean Trees (1988) by Barbara Kingsolver. It was supposed to be a quick read (only 232 pages), but I kept getting distracted by my other projects. I read the first chapter, put the book down and then got immersed in another knitting project. I forced myself to put my knitting needles down a couple days ago, picked up the book and started on page 1 again. It was well worth the effort!

The Bean Trees was Ms. Kingsolver's first novel. She has since written many other well known books like The Poisonwood Bible (1998). This book is full of interesting, quirky characters - my favorite kind! The story really gets started when the main character, Taylor, leaves Kentucky to find a new life out west. Her only limitations are a window-less car that she has to push start and very limited funds. She is tough and resourceful and entirely capable of finding her way. Her plans are upset when driving through Oklahoma. On a stop to rest and get something to eat, she is given a baby girl by the baby's aunt. The funny thing is how easy it is to convince Taylor to take the little girl that she eventually names "Turtle". The unlikely pair end up in Tucson, Arizona when Taylor's car gets two flat tires. As she gets to know Turtle, Taylor discovers some heartbreaking truths about the little girl. This strengthens Taylor's resolve to protect this little girl.

This was a quick read once I decided not to be distracted by other things. I liked the book very much partly because of the Tucson setting. Ms. Kingsolver has a wonderful narrative style and she does a great job describing the desert and Arizona sunsets...made me a little homesick for Arizona. This book gets a thumbs up from me...so, thanks, Eileen!

Now I have to decide what to read next. Believe me, I have plenty to choose from just on my shelves. Is it time to start reading the Game of Thrones books? Hmmmmm...

Happy Father's Day!

I may have mentioned this before, but just in case I haven't, I want to tell you that I REALLY like my husband. He's a good man, a loving and supportive husband and a GREAT DAD! He's not without quirks or faults, but over the years, he has been a wonderful partner in the parenting process. He may have trouble saying the words sometimes, but he loves our girls with all his heart and does all he can to help them even now as adults. Here are some of my favorite photos of a loving daddy with his girls...

A brand new daddy with jb

he certainly had his hands full!

Sharing a joke with Beckie

at White Sands

Right before the Father/Daughter dance 1994

with jb on the beach in So Cal

Twin love

Christmas in NYC!

Dancing at a friend's wedding

Homecoming at SLHS 2005

with Mandi

in Maui

Here's to all the daddies out there who have made the world a better place for their kids - Happy Father's Day!

3 Movies!!!

We are definitely getting back in the swing of things! Ron and I saw 3 movies this weekend - we are doing our best to keep up for the summer. 

First up for us on Saturday was Now You See Me. I had heard that it was being compared to Oceans 11, 12 & 13. While it was a lot of fun, I wouldn't say that it was as good as the Oceans movies. There are a couple of interesting twists and you are never sure who the good guys are, but it was fun. The grand magic tricks are good, but they give some of the magic secrets away. The actors are good - Jesse Eisenberg plays Danny Atlas, but all I could think of was Mark Zuckerberg when he was onscreen (the characters are similarly arrogant!). Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Mark Ruffalo are all fun to watch. I don't recommend this movie for kids because I think there is too much dialog and it will bore them - the magic tricks are good but few and far between and not enough to keep kids engaged in the movie. It's good light entertainment, but if you want to see it in the theater I'd go soon - I don't think it will be around too much longer because I don't think it can compete with the blockbusters coming out. It's ok for you to wait until it hits Netflix or DVD. 

I haven't read The Great Gatsby since high school, but I did remember that it would end tragically. I think that's what drew Baz Luhrman to make this movie. He just loves a tragic love story. Truth be told, I was expecting something bigger and over the top from this movie - like Moulin Rouge or Romeo and Juliet. The party scenes were extravagant and beautiful, but a little subdued for Baz. I will say that Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan were the most beautiful things on the screen - the camera loves them both! Their costumes were absolutely stunning - think of Leo in a pink suit! The onscreen chemistry between Gatsby and Daisy was sizzling. Very intense. I do recommend this film - but just be warned that it's not a "feel good" movie.

Finally, we took Viliamu to see After Earth yesterday. It stars Will Smith and his son, Jaden. The movie was directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It was very suspenseful and somewhat scary in parts  - maybe a little too much for a 6 year old. The normally goofy Will Smith was so serious and stern - I don't think he cracked a smile through the entire movie. Jaden, on the other hand, showed a much wider range of facial expressions and emotions. I guess that the Smiths are well off enough to select movies as family projects - that's what this felt like - a family project with pretty impressive special effects. Viliamu loved it, but he did say he would never watch that movie again! It was probably a little more intense than the video games he is allowed to play at his dad's house. Anyway, I'm not sure that this will be in theaters very long. I have a feeling that it will replaced with the likes of Man of Steel and World War Z.  If you want to see a good movie with Will and Jaden in it, watch The Pursuit of Happyness (2006). It's much better and based on a true story.

Whew! That was a lot of theater time - now it's time to buckle down during the week and get some things done.

off to the doctor

This was a week of dentist and doctor appointments. I had not one but two temporary crowns put in this week. Yes, TWO!!! This is what happens when you have two very big, very old fillings that need to be replaced. In a couple weeks I will have two new gold crowns "installed" in my mouth. I probably shouldn't let anyone see how much gold I have in there - I might get knocked out for the wealth in my smile!

Otherwise, I also went to see my rheumatologist. I am happy to say that my lupus is still in remission. The doctor thoroughly examined me and ordered another round of lab tests. All in all, she is very content with my recovery and progress. Since she was the one who prescribed yoga for me, she was very happy to know that I am still going to yoga classes and encouraged me to add Zumba or something like it to my exercise routine. I am definitely looking into it.

It just occurred to me that it was the day after Memorial Day last year that I went to work and was sent home never to return...it's hard to believe that it's been a whole year..