Macy's

So I had to stop by the mall today. I parked by Macy's and walked through the store to get to Modbe. I was shocked at what I saw as I walked toward the exit. A whole corner full of Christmas trees and ornaments. Seriously!!

I love Christmas but today is August 30th. Its not even September for one more day. This is too early.

hula

So I took a quick trip to Colorado (48 hours-literally friday night to sunday), I learned a few things in those 2 short days

First, I hate the Wiggles.

Second, is from Jane Eyre. Even a dark, gloomy, and Gothic story can have a happy ending.

Lastly, Jack taught me how to Hula Hoop sans the hoop

MB

Michael is doing a Christmas Album. . and look how handsome he is on the cover. This video is supposed to be a teaser for the album.

This is cute and creative, but its horrible "sneek peek." We don't even know exactly what we're listening to. That being said I can't wait for this album to come out!! I love it already. I've found in my research he is doing a duet with Shania Twain-I believe its White Christmas. Some might hate this but he has also recorded a version of All I Want For Christmas (yes. .the Mariah Carey one.) I can't wait to hear it.

For anyone interested he is doing a Christmas special on NBC and he is going to be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live Dec. 17th

My favorite TV characters.

These are t.v. characters that I wish could come to life. I would love to hang out with them. . they are funny, witty, sometimes crazy. They make laugh every time I see them in their shows.

Tony Dinozzo

Gloria-Modern Family

Corey and Shawn-Boy meets World
Sheldon Cooper-Big Bang Theory

Shawn and Gus-Psych
Booth and Bones-Bones

Seriously

Okay. I have heard of so many remakes being done lately. I was a little excited about Footloose, in case you couldn't tell. I was nervous about casting, only because I love the original so much, I didn't want it ruined. The preview for the new one, minus Julianne Hough, looks fun and I am going to go see it. I don't care what all the haters say.

Anyway I got to thinking about how much I adore the movie Clue. It is probably one of the best scripts written in a long time, and it was made 25 years ago. I was excited to hear they were remaking it and I begin pondering and thinking in great detail who I would want to be cast in the new movie. Yes, this is what I do with my free time. Nothing productive at all.

So here are my suggestions. I would love to hear yours!!

Wadsworth

Hugh Laurie (in his original British, yay!) or

Michael Sheen (he's British and he can be hilarious)

Mrs. Peacock

Marcia Gay Harden or

Christine Baranski

Somebody else suggested Katherine O'Hara. I love her.

Colonel Mustard

John C Reilly (He can even pull off a mustache, think Talladega Nights) or

Thomas Lennon

Mrs. White

Marion Cotillard (she's a little young but you could make her look the part. She's a great actress but I don't know if she can do comedy.

Elizabeth Banks (she can be hilarious)

or even Cate Blanchett

Professor Plum (this is the hardest one by far)

Steve Coogan

Jeff Goldblum

If you want somebody younger -Sam Rockwell. He does slimy and sleezy well!

Miss Scarlett

Evangeline Lilly

Rachel McAdams

Mr. Green

Jude Law (he played a similarly up tight character in Sherlock Holmes and proved his comedic chops.

Jason Bateman (who doesn't love him)

Yvette

Annalynn Mccord

Christina Hendricks

So Those are my choices.

After all this I hear that they are remaking Dirty Dancing. I am all for remakes. The same story can take on different meaning in a different place or a different time, but as excited as I am for Footloose, I feel like redoing Dirty Dancing is going to far. Maybe it is out of respect for Patrick Swayze, but I am really scared for this movie. They've already done 2 sequels. Havana Nights and whatever the other one is called. If they redo the first original Dirty Dancing they better have Chris Hemsworth playing Johnny. You need a big strong burly guy, and he was on Dancing with the Stars. Maybe Emma Stone could be Baby. . .What do you think

The Help

Okay I am using actual movie reviews, but only because they say it so much better than I ever could.

Set in Mississippi during the violent Civil Rights era, “The Help” uses lots of crisp humor and sharply drawn, well-cast characters to empathize with the plight of black women working as house servants for self-centered, racist white women.

Tate Taylor's movie, based on Kathryn Stockett's best-selling novel, focuses on a white, wannabe journalist named Skeeter (played by Emma Stone) who interviews these black women and records their revealing, personal stories in an anonymously written book titled “The Help.”

It doesn't actually change anything, but it apparently makes everyone feel better.

Adopting a light, comic approach laced with serious turns (“Steel Magnolias” comes to mind). I think that is exactly why I enjoyed it so much.

Hollywood, with its frenzied pursuit of men, teenage boys and kids, relies almost exclusively on romantic comedies and adaptations of the works of Jane Austen and Stephenie Meyer to satisfy the moviegoing needs of women.

So it's particularly refreshing to report that "The Help," an unapologetically non-romantic drama about women, female friendships and the courage to do the right thing, is heartfelt, generally levelheaded and brightly entertaining, with nary a glimpse of a shirtless teen wolf or scornful British gentleman, and barely a moment's fretful consideration of what thoughts might be percolating inside the thick head of some handsome lug.

Viola Davis as steady Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as volatile Minny are excellent, with Davis continually grounding the movie while Spencer launches its most inflammatory flights of fancy, including the deftly handled revelation of Minny's most defiant act, the aptly name "Terrible Awful."

Emma Stone, as Skeeter, is also warmly convincing, while Jessica Chastain winningly walks a tricky line as spurned "white trash" socialite Celia Foote. One of the movie's most delightful outcomes is the convergence of the arcs followed by Celia and Minny, with Spencer and Chastain creating a genuinely warmhearted friendship.

"The Help" has a great warmth of feeling for its trio of protagonists, and generally tells their story with deep affection and appropriate humor. Even male viewers, if they can be pried away from their giant talking robots and sword-wielding barbarian warriors, may appreciate that.

More Movies

Soul Surfer

This is a movie about Bethany Hamilton, a Hawaiian surfer who loses an arm in a shark attack and still find it within herself to compete professionally. The number one reason I really liked this movie is that it is PG and it is totally clean. It is something the whole family can watch.

This movie promotes so many good and interesting things.

Family Unity

Working to Develop Your Talents (I don't need easy, I just need possible)

Being Grateful for Everything That You Have

Having the Proper Perspective on Life

(Surfing isn't the most important thing in life. Love is. I've had the chance to embrace more people with one arm than I ever could with two.)

I've adopted this as part of my Life Mantra

I don't know why bad things happen to good people but I have to believe something good will come out of it.

Crazy Stupid Love

This movie surprised me. There were a few parts I didn't care for and that I thought were unnecessary. I wouldn't take a younger person to see it but as a whole I really thought it was good. So the back story is Cal (Steve Carell) and Emily (Julianne Moore) have the perfect life together living the American dream... until Emily asks for a divorce. Now Cal, Mr Husband, has to navigate the single scene with a little help from his professional bachelor friend Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling). Make that a lot of help...

There were parts that were funny, there were really sweet and touching parts, and there were pleasant surprises as well. This movie has a real genuine quality and lots of heart. You really feel for each of the individual characters even though you might not know everything about them. It definitely is not the predictable romantic comedy formula. Here are just a few of the reasons you should see it.

3) Shout out to Dirty Dancing

2) Wardrobe (Steve and Ryan look very sleek and suave in their suits and designer clothes)

1) Josh Groban makes his acting debut.

Pondering

Elder Orson F. Whitney said: “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. … All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable. … It is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire.”

In the midst of problems, it is nearly impossible to see that the coming blessings far outweigh the pain, humiliation, or heartbreak we may be experiencing at the time. “No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”¹³ The Apostle Paul taught, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

We don't always know why the Lord allows our challenges, or why He doesn't take them away when we pray sincerely and often. But we can be assured that He is in control and "that all things shall give [us] experience, and shall be for our good."

Summer Summit- A New Heart

This weekend was full of fun activities for our local young single adults in Alpine.

~Food and Activities (karaoke, car demolition, mechanical bull)

(So at registration the lady asked if I had pre paid and asked for my name. I bought a ticket for me and my brother at the same time, so I answered her "Hillary and Jordan Crook." She gave me the funniest look. Apparently she thought we were married and didn't really want to let us in. ha ha)

~Divine Comedy (love!!!They never disappoint)

Paul Cardell Spoke (he is a musician who had a heart transplant)

Dating Work Shop (of course!) the best part was the title (It's Not You, Its Your Technique)

We went to this other workshop that was supposed to be titled Preparing For Healthy Relationships. When we got to the classroom the real title was Preparing for Healthy intimate relationships. Discussion about morality and pornography. Not in and of itself a bad lesson but They lied to us on purpose.

Meg Johnson (if you haven't heard her speak you need to). She is cute lady with a great story. I have written about her in my blog http://abbaqueen.blogspot.com/2011/02/gratitude-on-thursdays.html.

She talked about keeping yourself from spiritual paralysis though Gratitude, and (Eternal) Attitude, Prayer, Service

We also were able to see Jason Hewlett perform. I didn't know what to expect but his guy was seriously pretty funny. I am glad I went to the show. http://www.jasonhewlett.com/