Movies, Etc.

Just a quick happy tonight (apologies for being silent for a few days). We hosted Easter for both sides of the family...so that took up the weekend! It was equally enjoyable and exhausting. But suddenly it's Monday, and the routine starts again.

Tonight we watched the first hour of Cranford. You may not be familiar with it. It's based on a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell. Still not ringing a bell? She was a nineteenth century author, and her books are really quite hilarious. We love period movies, and there are always a shortage of quality pieces. This one looks really promising. I do NOT recommend Anthony Trolloppe's "He Knew He Was Right." We watched that a few weeks ago--four hours of watching a jealous husband go slowly mad. I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't. But I'm definitely enjoying Cranford so far. One funny thing, though...for any of you that love BBC/Austenesque movies like I do...have you noticed the shortage of actors? The same twenty or so people keep showing up in all my favorite period movies. It's become a game for us to pause the movie when a new character comes on and remember what movie we last saw her or him in. There are at least four actors in Cranford that were also in Wives and Daughters, Gaskell's other book (movie). It's funny to see people who might be siblings in one movie suddenly be romantically involved in another. But it's also comforting to curl up and watch the same old friends in another lovely period piece. A nice treat for a gloomy Monday!

Here's a trailer for Cranford...if you liked Pride and Prejudice and Emma, you should enjoy this...
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3082748185/

Sorry, I know this was boring for anyone not into these types of movies. So here's a little Easter laugh for everyone else...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoyeQD9ztAE

Almost Friday Funnies

Today I'll just pass along a few funnies...

Easter warning! If you plan to have an egg hunt, beware of the notorious Easter egg snatcher...he may be in your neighborhood...
http://www.youtube.com/

I love my job. I feel lucky to be able to say that. But I've gotta admit, this place looks pretty fun, too! ;)
http://www.gnn.com/

And finally...watch this trailer for the next 007...
http://www.youtube.com/

Happiness, Come Find Me

Today was a good day and a bad day. It's my hubby's birthday, but he also found today out he has to have a pretty serious surgery in a few weeks. So that shadow is hanging over right now. But we're prayin' that it all goes well. And we're keepin' it positive. And keepin' it real. And keepin' laughin'. We're just keepin' it. And apparently we're usin' an excessive amount of apostrophes while we're keepin' it.

A few bits and pieces...

I was bummed driving home today to notice that most of the spring trees I love so much are starting to fade. I just love those dramatic blooms. There are some right by our parking lot at work I especially love.
Check out these gorgeous trees still blooming in Washington State, at this lovely little blog.

We had Chinese takeout tonight, and I had to laugh when I saw my fortune. It said "Happiness will find you today." I immediately thought of this blog. This little time every day really is my own personal happy.

For all you readers out there, these photos and excerpts from The Secret Garden are simply perfect.

If you're still up reading this tonight, step outside and drink in the full moon before you go to bed. It's lovely. If there's not a full moon where you are, you can always take in the stars. If it's cloudy tonight, I'm sorry. But there's always tomorrow!

Happy for Me, Happy for You

My happy moment for the day: buying our first trees for our yard! We bought two serviceberry trees on sale at the nursery. I also fell in love with a bush. (Sometimes I develop an unreasonable attachment to a plant when I go to the nursery. When I do, it's usually not just a type of plant, but one particular one, and I feel very protective of the little thing, and have to take it home.) This one was a viburnum bush that has blooms that turn from pink to white as they open. This particular one was covered in buds, none quite open yet, small and sweetly shaped. It was perfect. And of course, I took it home.

If you haven't had a happy yet today, here's one for you. (And no, it's not a plant. But it is silly, I warn you.) Pick your clip based on your snack preference:

If you like raisins, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPP_sGuqNhI&feature=PlayList&p=E725B29ECCA1C8A7&index=4&playnext=2&playnext_from=PL

If you like popcorn, click here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfqNXADl3kU&feature=related

Silly Bits & Pieces

Here are a few funnies...

Life: The Musical. I used to have dreams that people would just break out into song or dance around me...too bad I missed out on this one...

http://www.gnn.com/article/viral-video-that-makes-us-smile/413323

For Pet Lovers...
(and don't miss the great "good news photos" on this page. My favorites in there are the woman who walks on water, the 9,000 egg easter tree, and the where's waldo moment.)

http://www.gnn.com/article/dog-survives-four-months-on-island/415623

2008 in Review (Dave Barry): I'm warning you: whatever political side you're on, this article mocks it. But it's an equal mockery on all sides. It's long, but even skimming it will make you laugh.

http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/dave-barry/v-fullstory/story/826965.html

Mission NICE

I've got to share a bit more about Operation NICE. This is a great blog for lifting your mood. They frequently share stories about people reaching out and doing something, well, nice. There's also a nice link with tips on interesting ways you can spread the NICE:

http://www.operationnice.com/2008/09/nice-tips-readers-suggestions.html

And a seasonal NICE tip...help out the Easter Bunny!

I'll occasionally share interesting stories from NICE. :)

Spreading the Happy

Two posts in one day...I'm making up for missing most of the weekend. ;)

You know, there are really no shortage of blogs like this on the web. Every few days I run across another one. Each has their own little spin. Operation NICE is an especially great blog, for example. Seeing these various blogs remind me of a couple of things. First, that we're all truly hungry for some hope, especially right now. We're bombarded every day with what's wrong with the world. But also, I think it shows how rewarding it is to do this, as a blogger. To spread the happy. It's not just some kind of public service--it's personally fulfilling. It uplifts my spirit to find these little tidbits of silliness or hope, and it's just icing on the cake to get to pass them on.

Here's a story (which I first saw on Operation Nice), that is another inspiring example what an impact we can have, just by trying to do some small gesture for someone else.

http://lovely-little-things.blogspot.com/2009/03/random-acts-of-kindness.html

Really, I should be thanking all of you who read this blog...it gives me a reason to focus on these happy little things every day. You all are making my day better, too. :)

Lovely Little Things

This weekend was all about enjoying the little things. I didn't get far from home, but it was one of those weekends that felt long, because it was a series of simple, enjoyable moments. People ask us on Mondays what we did over the weekend, and we usually just list the one or two "big" things we did. (It's just a hallway conversation, after all.) But this weekend what I want to remember are the little things. Here are a few of my favorites:

--Watching a favorite movie that I've seen with people who haven't. (This time is was Twilight, big surprise.)
--The intense look of concentration on the face of my little 16 month old niece as she pushed an empty laundry basket up and down the hall (over and over again).
--The crunch of crisp bread-and-butter pickles on my turkey sandwich. (This was an all-time-top-10 sandwich, people.)
--Finding out that a pair of hawks are building a nest in our treeline. (Though I don't think it will make the bluebirds incredibly happy.)
--Sitting on the floor with my niece, playing with her fisher price farm set.
--The satisfaction of hitting "print" on the tax program once all the fields have finally been filled in. (Yes, major procrastination here.)

Hope your weekend was just as full of lovely little things, too!

Do You Believe in Magic

I love a good fantasy or fairy tale. Any story with a dusting of magic and suspended reality. I remember the moment when I became especially fascinated with magic. It was watching the movie Labyrinth for the first time when I was a little girl. It had it all--magic, a maze, muppets, David Bowie, but most of all it was a "through the looking glass" story where an ordinary girl can feel like a princess, even if just for a time. It was just one of many fantasy stories I became passionate about through the years, but it was one of the first. And I must admit, that fascination may have softened, but I find myself wandering to the young adult fantasy section of the bookstore more often than I'd want to admit.

Whenever a fantasy is on TV I have to stop and watch, even if just for a minute or two. Tonight it was Harry Potter--the scene where he's teaching his friends how to conjure their own Patronus charms. Have you ever wished you had your own magical charm? Something so strong that it can blow away the darkness? Something that's personal to you...representing your own special power. (Or, you're one of the three people on the planet who's not read or seen Harry Potter, and you have no idea what I'm talking about.)

I think my Patronus would be a dachshund. Or maybe a woodpecker. It's probably scary what that says about me.

Sleepy now...maybe I'll dream up a good fantasy tonight.

Fool's Day Funnies

So, I couldn't even fool my mom this year. I came limping into the house, saying I fell and hurt my leg getting out of the car (given my track record, this is believable for me). But my mom didn't buy it for a minute. She did get me pretty good, though, earlier in the day. She had a meeting with the gas company seeing if they had made a mistake on her bill, and she called me to say they had made a mistake, but it was in their favor, and they were going to back-bill her for a year. She had me going for a while, anyway.

But since these stories were rather lame, and it didn't seem like my friends were into pranking today, I've got to share my personal 2009 favorite prank. The J. Peterman company launched six very unique products on their site today, including bottle unfiltered water and baseball glove pants. You've got to look at the descriptions for each of these...it's all great. The prices are funny, too.

http://jpeterman.com/april1~src~APRIL1.asp

I also enjoyed the April Fool's show on tonight, "I Get That A Lot." This link talks about the show--and lists some other great celebrity pranks. George Clooney and Mel Gibson were my faves.

http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/best-celebrity-pranks--215