Gratitude Friday

5 good things in my life...
1. We leave for our trip on Sunday and I am so excited. I can't wait to write about it when we get back.
2. dyed my hair so I don't feel so frumpy
3. The project Michael has been working on turned out so beautiful.
4. That the pharmacy filled my prescription even though they usually require 72 hours notice - I gave them 24....very nice of them! (didn't realize all my allergy meds were so low - I hadn't taken any in a while but with being around dogs plus my allergies just seem to always be worse in Denver.)
5. I am thankful for the crystal that Jeni sent me. Thank you Thank you! You know I will put it to good use!

Busyness

We leave this coming weekend for Denver. So we are really really busy this week and of course on Sunday morning I woke up with a bright idea/project that will need to be done before we leave. Throw in I have never done anything like it so it a learning curve for me even though I software I am using is very easy. I have been working on that in all my spare time.

To add to the busyness of our lives - I had a migraine yesterday. It hit right out the blue no warning like there usually is and it was just a very odd feeling migraine. I get dizzy and have an upset stomach normally with a migraine but this was a different feeling brought on with the dizziness and the upset stomach. So that wasn't fun...and of course I don't need that this week.

Movie Triva

When I posted that movies list yesterday, I remembered the game Michael and I play. We play it while I make dinner. I can hear the TV from the kitchen but can't see it. So he will often change channels and then I guess the movie. Often with in moments - just a few words of dialog or even just music in the movie, I can guess what it is and some I haven't even seen. I just know enough about the movie to guess. He always says he should get me on a game show about movies but I remind him how I hate to speak in front of crowds and just the pressure of it would make me freeze up just like in school with speeches or even tests/quizes I froze up often even if I knew what I needed to know.

100 Best Movies

The American Film Institute has updated their list of the 100 best American movies. I bolded the ones. I underlined movies too because I have watched some movies but not all the way through.

1. Citizen Kane

2. The Godfather

3. Casablanca

4. Raging Bull

5. Singin In The Rain

6. Gone With The Wind

7. Lawrence of Arabia

?

8. Schindler's List

9. Vertigo

10. The Wizard of Oz

11. City Lights
12. The Searchers

13. Star Wars

14. Psycho

15. 2001: A Space Odyssey

16. Sunset Blvd.

17. The Graduate

18. The General

19. On The Waterfront

20. It's A Wonderful Life

21. Chinatown

22. Some Like It Hot

23. The Grapes of Wrath

24. E.T., The Extra-Terrestrial

25. To Kill A Mockingbird

26. Mr. Smith Goes To Washington

27. High Noon

28. All About Eve

29. Double Indemnity
30.

Apocalypse Now

31. The Maltese Falcon
32. The Godfather, Part II

33. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

35. Annie Hall

36. The Bridge on the River Kwai

37. The Best Years of Our Lives
38. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
39.

Dr. Strangelove

40. The Sound of Music
41. King Kong (1933)

42. Bonnie and Clyde

43. Midnight Cowboy

44.

The Philadelphia Story

45. Shane
46.

It Happened One Night

47. A Streetcar Named Desire

48.

Rear Window

49. Intolerance

50. Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
51. West Side Story

52. Taxi Driver

53. The Deer Hunter

54. M*A*S*H
55. North by Northwest
56. Jaws

57. Rocky

58. The Gold Rush
59. Nashville

60. Duck Soup

61. Sullivan's Travels
62. American Graffiti

63. Cabaret
64. Network

65. The African Queen
66. Raiders of the Lost Ark

67. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

68. Unforgiven
69. Tootsie
70. A Clockwork Orange

71. Saving Private Ryan (haven't ever seen this one because war movies often make me very emotional for days and days after)

72. The Shawshank Redemption

73. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

74. The Silence of the Lambs
75. In The Heat of the Night
76. Forrest Gump
77. All The President's Me

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78. Modern Times

79. The Wild Bunch

80. The Apartment

81. Spartacus

82. Sunrise

83. Titanic
84. Easy Rider

85. A Night At The Opera
86. Platoon (again never seen because it is a war movie)

87. 12 Angry Men
88. Bringing Up Baby

89. The Sixth Sense

(never finished as I thought it was going to give me nightmares)

90. Swing Time

91. Sophie's Choice

92. Goodfellas
93. The French Connection
94. Pulp Fiction

95. The Last Picture Show

96. Do The Right Thing
97. Blade Runner

98. Yankee Doodle Dandy

99. Toy Story

100. Ben Hur

Laurell K. Hamilton

I am reading quite a bit lately. Last year I don't think I got through one book. My concentration sucked from the depression and stress of everything going on. So this year I made a little goal with myself that I wanted to just get through 25 books. Not a huge goal but I knew it would get me back into reading like I did once upon a time.

I decided to read Laurell K. Hamilton Anita Blake series again. I have read the series several times but not been happy with the last 3 books because there hasn't been any plot and page after page of sex. I don't mind sex in a book but when that is all it is...and there is no plot - then it might as well marked porn instead fiction. So I am now to Bloody Bones in the series. If I recall correctly Bloody Bones isn't one of my favorites in the series. Still better then the last 3 books in the series but I didn't like it because it was made to be a stand alone if I recall correctly. When I watch the commentaries on Buffy or Alias - Joss and J.J. always talk about how th networks want stand alone episodes. Those episodes that don't have to do with the over all season objective. Such as nothing to do with Rambalidi in Alias or whatever villain of the season for Buffy - like the Mayor or Glory. And I wonder if Hamilton's publishers said the same thing - that they needed a book that doesn't need to go with the others...or if she wanted to make a stand alone book.

Anyway, I am enjoying those early Hamilton books again. Edward is always good to see in the books. I am really liking too that early interaction between Anita and Richard. I had forgot about Larry too - the budding animator/vampire executioner. I heard Edward is back in the new one along with Malcom so I really am looking forward to The Harlequin but I still feel I will wait to get it on paper back.

So it nice to be reading again and getting so much enjoyment from it.

Eight

We went to In the Garden Art Show & Sale. A friend had this piece in her house that I gushed over. She said she did a trade with him...a piece of his for one of hers. The piece she has was a fairly large assemblage. Anyway we have since seen his not only the assemblages but collage photography. Every time I see work by him - I say how much I like his work. It is just really interesting to me. So we are walking around the show and we come upon his stuff. I know my eyes just lite up. We were leaving the area and Michael asked if I wanted one of the assemblages. I said yes and went straight for the one with the 8. I love numbers in art (maybe some people have noticed that on my art lol)

The artist doesn't have a website - I think he should though!

John Anglim's...Eight...



(He does have a website for his band --- Flat Top Reed)

Friday Gratitude

5 Good Things...
1. I did lots of work on graphics and coding this week including creating a website for our friend's memorial.
2. Relaxed and had fun this week as well as getting quite a lot of work done.
3. Had breakfast at our new favorite breakfast place and had chinese this week at my favorite chinese resturant here.
4. found some pictures I was looking for a while back...finding other pictures that I want to frame
5. reading the Anita Blake series again (from the beginning) and remembering why I like(d) Laurell K. Hamilton (and happy to see some positive reviews for her new book.)

Weekend is HERE!

We went to Ocean's 13 yesterday. We both really enjoyed it but Ocean's is I would say one of Michael's favorites. Thursday's tend to be the day Michael tries not to do any work. When owning your own business you know how it can become a 24/7 thing as I remember all too well. So I am glad he makes an effort to take at least one day with no business.

I designed Michael a new work website last night and I really like it...now I just need my code to play nice with firefox so I can upload it and make it live! ugghh! But the image is a preview until I can get it coded right.

Tomorrow will be busy. Making a pie in the morning. Then we are going to the Art show and sale at the Gallery B&B. They will have their resident artists and also quite a few other artist and some other handmade goods. On the postcard we got for it there was a bracelet that looks so neat..like a weaving. After that we will be going to friends for dinner. They are always fun to hang out.

North by Northwest

This months updates/posts and actually next months too will probably be very limited. We will be leaving the last week of June for Denver and might not be back until July 12th. But we have lots to do before we leave so I feel like I might be a little frazzled.

So...

** This morning Michael and I got up early to get to a doctors appointment. We got there and their office was locked. Pretty soon we saw the receptionist on her cell phone she was walking on the side of the building. We talked to her she didn't have me down even though she was the one that made the appointment - last time I was there. She remembered making an appointment but it wasn't on the book. And the doctor wasn't in this morning so she apologized and asked when we could come back and she would get us in. They had an available appointment for this afternoon so we took that. I went had a very quick appointment. I went to pay and they said no charge - because they screwed the appointment up. That was very nice...and unexpected. But I guess I shouldn't be so surprised they have all been so nice in this office. It is my foot doctor and I HATE having my feet touched and they all have been so good about it.

** Okay I must be in a sappy mood right now because I love The Holiday with Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law and Jack Black. I have watched it 3 times. I got it via netflix so I think I will need to be sending it back sometime. :) But Kate Winslet and Jack Black...yummy! And then the part with the kid and the tent makes me tear up every time! Because I am a weeper...major weeper! (if you have seen the movie you will understand that)

** Cooking lately has been quick and easy because of everything going on. And I feel that trend isn't going to let up. Nachos, salads, pasta and sauce, fried rice...all quick and easy for me. But I do need to bake a pie on Saturday morning as we are going to dinner at friends on Saturday night. Making a chocolate buttermilk pie but really it is an easy pie so that I don't have to stress over what to bring.

** Michael bought one of my FAVORITE movies...North by Northwest. He had not seen it until I DVR'd it one day so that he could watch it and then he was hooked too.

Cleaning Day

While cleaning this morning it came back to me...the smell that will bring me back home to my childhood quicker then anything -- even baked good and that does bring me back as my family has a line of really wonderful cooks. But the smell that brings me back quickly....is vinegar. I clean with vinegar and as soon as I do a spray of vinegar water solution on a rag I go back to when I was little girl. My Mom cleaned with vinegar so it is a clean smell for me. It smells like spring cleaning. It smells like Saturday mornings. My Mom would clean on Saturdays because she worked during the week, so Saturdays were the cleaning days. I would wake up on Saturday mornings to the smell vinegar. My Mom would open the windows, have a stack of records on the stereos turntable playing all sorts of music from Anne Murry to Elvis to ELO....and floating through the house was the smell of vinegar and my Mom singing to the music. It is a good memory for me. And now when I clean I think of those mornings waking up to Mom cleaning.

Recreated

Just thought it was an interesting Note from the Universe....

"Fear always goes away once two things are realized: First, you're a spiritual being. Second, nothing can ever be lost or taken from a spiritual being that cannot be recreated. Not pride, not money, not love."

My Soul to Keep

I found some more books that I hadn't read. We have books all over and I forgot that I had found a few a while back when reorganizing some things. I also added with the 3 books I had never read - 2 old books that I read in college both of them by Jack Kerouac as I hardly remember reading them.

One of the books I found on Saturday night before bed and I finished it this morning. It was really suspenseful. And different....it wasn't a vampire story but I know when I initially picked it up years and years ago was because it had that feel when I read the bookcover.

The book My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due. From the bookcover: "What would people be like if they never aged, never got sick and never died? Jessica is about to find out. She is a Miami investigative reporter with a beautiful daughter, Kira, and a husband David so long, brilliant and attentive that she calls him Mr. Perfect. Suddenly however, her life takes a terrifying turn. Her best friend is brutally murdered and Jessica discovers an ancient, unimaginable danger that will shatter her life and family - forever. Dawit is an immortal. More then four hundred years ago he and a sect of Ethiopian scholars traded their souls for eternal life. Obeying a vow of secrecy. Dawit has traveled the world as a solider, a slave, a jazz musician -- never staying anywhere long enough for others to notice he does not age. As further insurance with barely a though he kills any mortal who dares to be come too curious about him. For the first time, though, it is Dawit who threatens to break his vow and defy his brothers by keeping his beloved mortal wife and child with him -- forever."

I couldn't put it down. I kept thinking just a few more pages and then 50 pages later I would finally decide okay I need to get to bed but I really wanted to just keep reading. It is really a great story with romance but also with supernatural suspense. When I went to look for it on amazon just now to see what people said about it, I found out there is a sequel...I want to read it too! So adding that to my list of need to read book.

In the Garden

....at The Gallery B&B

Saturday, June 16, 2007 - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Art Show and Sale

There will a variety of fine art and crafts offered plus Maddie Mae will have brats and fresh salads available. The event itself is free but there will be a wonderful collection of art and crafts for sale!

Busy Busy Saturday

Today has been a VERY busy, productive day but a very good day too. In a nutshell...painted the deck, cleaned up, lunch, shopping where Michael spoiled me, picking up lots of wine, went to Sam's, coming home putting things away and then collapsing on the couch, watching The Departed, enjoying a glass of wine and having sandwiches for dinner. We had a fun day just doing things together all day. Even painting the deck. :)

The Departed was really good! We had not seen it and got it as a blockbuster 3 for $20 on previously rented movies. Might be watching Pursuit of Happiness in a little bit. But not sure I will be able to stay awake for it.

Well I started to read a book that I found buried in my bookshelf that I hadn't read...Waking Beauty...I am so annoyed with the book that I don't think I will even finish it. I think I got it at a used bookstore years ago. So I picked it up the other night and within the first page and even after a few pages it is losing me. It is talking about all these places, people, and things that have no meaning to me because the author is not explaining them....at first. He begins to but not complete enough to make me -get it- at all and become a part of the book. The book is divided not only into chapters but parts. So I am reading part 1 and trying to be patient hoping they explain what all the names of their gods, legends and so forth mean. The title of the book

Waking Beauty

comes from a legend of their community/world/whatever....and the men get strapped down at night, nose plugged and tubes put in their throat - because otherwise they will be intoxicated by the call of Beauty. The men's wives/mothers look after them while they sleep. Men can smell Beauty and basically be so intoxicated by her smell that they follow her anywhere. She from the sounds of it kills them to gain power. I really can't tell you if that is for certain as the book just was so confusing to me.

But I do kind of get caught up into what seems like the 2 main characters Cy and Rose. They are about to married. Where they live - men are in charge (despite them being tied down at night). Cy at one point says that Rose is so pretty that all the men seem to give into her so he was going to have to take a firm hand to her. So as I said I got caught up in seeing where Cy and Rose go in the story...well that lasted 1 night. I am doing a spoiler....

Rose didn't strap Cy down on their wedding night and Beauty came and got him. So the town calls for her to be taken away and banished from their sight as she no long exists because she failed her husband. They have a man come in shave her hair off (something she was known for) and then chain her up leading her out of town. And from what I could tell she was being taken to another town where she would be a prostitute. Okay there ends part 1. I started reading part 2 and ALL NEW NAMES, ALL new legends, all new stories and no where am I finding Rose. I finally figure out Rose basically has a new name/title ((Cat - that is what they call prositutes in the book)) but I can't follow what the heck is going on so I gave up I have closed the book and I really don't think I am picking it up again.

I actually think now I am out of books again too.

Michael is scaring me....he is looking at Jeff Gordon merchandise....saying I need a Jeff Gordon sleep shirt --- I told him I thought it would give me nightmares. He then sent another link and said we need to redecorate the living room....a Jeff Gordon recliner. He sent that to me via im and I used every negative emoticon (pulling hair out, sick, crying, nailbiting and so on).

I think I am going to post this and then clean off my work table and work on the altered book finally.

Friday Gratitude

1. Clean sheets on the bed. I love the smell of clean sheets.
2. Vanilla White Russian - yummy!
3. It is Friday!
4. Air conditioning.....it has been a little warm here!
5. Michael's phone ringing off the hook today. Now that might not seem like a great thing because it takes him away from me...but when you own your own business...it is really good! This week we celebrate a year of when he gave his notice and so I am just happy that things have went so well....and although I knew he is amazing I know it is always a scary process to venture out there on your own. I am very proud of him and happy for him. I know that with knowledge and talent he will keep moving forward.