First Wives Club

When I first saw this movie in the theater, I was still married and didn't become the "first wife" until much later, but I liked is as much then as I do now.

I watched this on my computer over the weekend. Obviously, it wasn't the first time and was probably closer to being the seventh or eighth or even tenth time. Yes, I like this movie and each time I watch it I find something new I like or didn't notice before. Maybe it was because I was so close to the screen this time that I paid more attention to the music and noticed someone at the party in the last scene that I'd never noticed before. I ended up downloading two songs and gasping when I recognized Gloria Steinem. I'd already recognized Ed Koch, Ivana Trump, and Kathie Lee Gifford, the first or second time I saw the movie, but somehow GS had escaped my notice.

The movie is upbeat. Although the first wives are filled with the need for revenge on their ex husbands, the humor keeps it from being dark. The character growth of these women is astounding and eventually leads them to deep friendship. The bond they'd formed in college obviously wasn't as deep as they'd thought. They'd each gone their separate ways over that period of time. That's very normal. But when the tragedy of Cynthia's suicide brings them back together, we see that those college friendships weren't nearly as strong as maybe the former classmates (and roommates?) thought they were. Brenda (played by Bette Midler) obviously has a problem with Elise (Goldie Hawn) and always has. It plays out as jealousy, but I'm not completely convinced that's all it is. In the beginning, Elise deserves a little razzing. (THOSE LIPS!!) I relate most to Annie (Diane Keaton), and anyone who knows me knows why. In the beginning, these three women had nothing in common except being or soon-to-become first wives and having once known each other. Throughout the course of the movie, we see them moving closer and closer emotionally, until, when the end comes, we know nothing will separate them, no matter whether they agree on everything or not. That's true friendship.

The husband casting was good. (I love Stephen Collins in just about anything and especially when paired with Diane Keaton--see the movie BECAUSE I SAID SO.) Getting revenge was the hook for the story, but the growth of the characters was really what it was all about. In the end, even though they went through with getting even with the exes, they used the funds for the good of many, not just themselves.

If you haven't seen it, you're missing a classic. If you have seen it, but it's been a while, watch it again. You'll feel good if you do.

Hump Day

Next to Friday, Wednesday is my favorite day of the week. Once I get past lunch time, it's all downhill. Only 3 more hours to lunch!

I had every intention of blogging yesterday. I even had a topic for a topic-less day. And then I forgot what it was. My short-term memory is getting worse. Could it be because there are just too many things that need to be remembered? I do write myself notes on the most important things. It's the only way to stay sane and get anything at all done. But too many things are falling between the cracks, so it appears I'll need a new system.

NEWS FROM FRIENDS IN SAN FRANCISCO--
Friend Kristi called last night, laughing about being lost in the hotel. I wondered how they'd managed to get lost in the hotel. Was it that big? Later, I called her back and learned they were actually trying to get directions to Fisherman's Wharf, but she and the others--Vicky Dreiling, Leigh Riker, and Lisa Childs--had been relaxing in the Executive Conference Room, before deciding on the trip to Fisherman's Wharf, so that explained it. (Check out the photos at DitzyChix.com for a definition of the ECR.) They were having a wonderful time, and I wished I could be there with them, but their antics and giggles made me smile, so envy, such as it is, is manageable. :) They did take a trip to the aquarium and had a nice time there. Kristi said the temperature in SF is more like Texas in the winter, around 55, and they were all scrambling to find suitable jackets, even though most had brought something. While 55 degrees isn't exactly cold, when coming from 100 degree summer temps in Texas, it certainly can seem like it! I'm happy to know they're having fun, not that I thought they wouldn't. Being with friends is always fun, no matter what we're doing, and I consider myself blessed to have the wonderful friends I have, even if I don't get to spend a lot of face-to-face time with them. When that does happen, it makes for some really special times and memories.

Monday Madness

First, a quick note. Due to Blogger/BlogSpot's decision to change their format, this blog may be undergoing a change in the next week or so. I'm disappointed, but because I'm unable to use the enhanced features and widgets, I'll have to make some changes. Hopefully, that will only mean that the appearance will change only slightly and old posts will not vanish into cyberspace. Until I dig into it, though, I won't know for sure.

But it's Monday, so why expect less than one more thing to add to a long list of things that need to be done. :)

School starts in 2 1/2 weeks. After a summer of caring for 4 grandkids, ages 6, 5, 4, and currently 11 months, I'm like a lot of moms out there and ready for school to start. Not that I don't love my kidlets, but the 3 older ones are as ready for school to start as I am. If you have more than one child, I'm sure you understand how the bickering and fighting, whining and complaining, and ignoring stated rules tends to escalate, the longer summer drags on. I'm feeling especially grouchy, too, with higher temperatures and more humid conditions. I won't even mention the higher gas prices. Somehow, we'll all make it to August 14, but it isn't going to be pretty. *grin* And once everyone but the little one is back in school, there will be a new set of things to deal with. But right now, even those seem like nothing compared to what the next 2 1/2 weeks will be like.

Hope you're getting your back-to-school shopping done, even if there are no children in your household. I've always loved browsing the school supplies, along with the office supplies, and even take advantages of good deals on notebooks, pens and pencils when I find them.

Have a great rest-of-the-summer!

This 'n That Fab Friends Movie Mania

I guess the title is testament to the fact that I've been busy and haven't posted for a few days. I've been mired in work and decided to get caught up with other things today, if possible. But because I have been able to cross a couple of things off my To Do list (the one in my head, not on my desktop), I have that little extra time.

That was the This 'n That for Monday.

One of my very good friends, Kristi Gold, will be leaving early next week to attend RWA's annual conference, this year being held in San Francisco. Although I would have loved to have gone, it wasn't in the cards for me, and I'll miss Kristi while she's gone. She and I and Kathie DeNosky have a weekly phone conversation, utilizing the three-way calling option, but next week, we'll have to skip it. We talk to each other throughout the week, too, but it's nice when we can all be "together" with the one phone call, too. Our fingers are tightly crossed for Kristi. She's a RITA finalist for her fabulous book, Fall from Grace, so it's extra hard for Kathie and me to not be there to cheer her on at the awards ceremony and calm her nerves before it.

And that was Fab Friends and Fun...fun that will be sorely missed by Kathie and me, but we'll survive.

Movie mania? Who has time? Yes, I'd planned to set aside during the week for at least one movie, if not more, but the best laid plans and all that... A couple of weeks ago, my youngest and I watched Little Women. This was the version with Winona Ryder as Jo and not a terribly bad one. My oldest memory of LW was one in 1933 which starred Katherine Hepburn. No, I wasn't born then, but I've seen it. Then there was the 1949 version, starring June Allyson as Jo, Janet Leigh as Meg, and my strongest memory of Margaret O'Brien as Beth and Elizabeth Taylor as Amy. Of course, casting those two was a reach, since Amy was the youngest of the March girls, not Beth. I noticed on IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base...the absolute BEST source for all movie and TV info) that there were also two silent versions, the first released in 1917 and the second a year later in 1918. Not being a silent movie fan, I didn't recognize any of the actors listed, but I thought it was interesting.

My daughter is always disappointed when Jo turns down Laurie's marriage proposal. I can remember feeling the same. And said daughter is sorely disappointed in Jo's choice of Professor Baer, just as I was when I was young. Now that I'm older, I understand both so much more. Jo could never have made Laurie the wife he would need in the future. She would have hated it and so would he, no matter that she understood his music. Amy would understand his music later, just as Jo had. And the professor was the perfect man for Jo, calm and stable, while Jo tended to be wildly emotional at times. Too, he would understand her writing, which was not something Laurie ever would have done, even though he would have accepted her need to write.

I reminded my daughter that Little Women was not the only book Louisa May Alcott had written about her family. My daughter was surprised. I'm not. While women my age were encouraged to read the classics, the next generation didn't fare so well.

And because that brings me up to tomorrow's "Latest Reads", of which there are none, I'll stop for today and call it done.

Birthdays

'Tis the season for birthdays in our family.

Although most of our family birthdays used to be scattered throughout the year, beginning the end of March and ending in early October, since adding another generation (the grandkids), we now have more to the middle of those months and a couple later dates in the year. And I'm not counting the sons-in-law!

My two middle daughters were born 2 years less 3 days apart. The birthday of the oldest of the two is today, while her sister (2 years younger) was born on the 18th. The doctor had suggested scheduling the 21st when it was time for the younger to appear, but I insisted on scheduling it for the 23rd. She decided to make her appearance the next day and definitely not scheduled. It could have been worse. She could have decided to arrive on her sister's birthday!

From May to August, we have 5 birthdays, one in May, one in June, two in July (the ones mentioned above), and one in August. That's a lot of cake!

So here's to my middle girls, may the coming year bring blessings and happiness...and some quiet times of joy.

Happy Birthday, Lyndsay & Chelsea!

It Doesn't Have to Be New to Be Good

A couple of years ago, on a whim, I picked up a copy of Kristin Hannah's Comfort and Joy. It was a beautiful and strange story, set in one of the most magnificent parts of the country, the Pacific Northwest. I don't remember why I bought it, except it was a smaller book and took place at Christmastime. I'm a sucker for Christmas stories. And somewhere amongst all my books, I have a copy of Angel Falls, although I've never read it. I also especially enjoyed Magic Hour and passed it along to family and friends after reading it a couple of months ago.

On Mystic Lake, which I finished reading today, is a beautifully sad but empowering novel of a woman who realizes she has lived the life others expected her to live and believed for twenty years that she was happy, until her husband tells her he wants a divorce. There were several aspects of the story I could relate to personally and others that went beyond anything similar to my life, but I find that happens with many books and makes the read more interesting. On Mystic Lake is one of Kristin's older books, but it's worth getting, and I expect I'll read it again someday.

If My Life Today Were a Movie...

There appears to be some technical difficulty with my blog. Backgrounds and graphics on recent activity are not showing up. Whether it's me (and it probably is) or blogger or just the alignment of the planets, I'm not in the mood to fix it.

If my life today were a movie, it would be an adaption of a Stephen King horror novel. When things start to go wrong, the domino effect comes into play, with one thing after the other falling down.

But enough feeling bad and onto some real movie mania. I've had a copy of Chicago for quite some time, but never took the time to watch it, so the other night, I popped it in the player. It was...different. Entertaining, with good music and some amazing footwork by Richard Gere. I wouldn't list it among my favorite musicals, nor do I plan to watch it again soon, but I won't NOT watch it sometime in the far future.

The opening song, All That Jazz, was wonderful and really set the scene for what was to come. Catherine Zeta-Jones did the number to perfection and was a joy to watch and hear. Although Renee Zellweger isn't among my favorite actresses, she did a superb job in this movie. A little more weight would have made her more attractive, which I find odd in saying about her. Again, Gere did some great hoofing.

It's worth a watch, and I especially liked the song, Cell Block Tango. It was a hoot! All in all, it's worth one watch, if you tend to like musicals, but I'm still trying to figure out how it won so many Academy Awards.

Bear with me on the blog formatting. A weekend of working on it may do the trick...nor not.

Friends: The Real Gold

My friend Gail sent me a link to the following, and in many ways it defines our friendship.

1. When you are sad --I will jump on the person who made
you sad like a spider monkey jacked up on Mountain Dew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever
is choking you.

3. When you smile -- I will know you are plotting
something that I must be involved in.

4. When you're scared -- we will high tail it out of
here.

5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible
stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining, ya big
baby!!!!

6. When you are confused -- I will use little words.

7. When you are sick --Stay away from me until you are
well again. I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall -- I'll pick you up and dust you off.

9. This is my oath...I pledge it to the end. 'Why?' you
may ask -- because you are my FRIEND!

Gail and I have been friends since we were 12. It person years, we've been friends for over 45 years. And not just friends, but "best friends".

The way we met was a little strange. When I was in seventh grade, my family moved to a small town where my mother's family was from. I knew a few people. I have TONS of cousins, and I ended up going to school with many of them for six years, so I wasn't a complete "new kid" in school. Before we moved, a friend from grade school visited the town with me one weekend. She knew Gail from Campfire Girls, and we stopped by Gail's house so Pam could say hi. It wasn't long that the final made the move was made and, because we'd met each other earlier, Gail and I became friends.

Forty-five years is a long time. We know each other well. Sometimes, too well. :) We've shared giggles and tears and everything in between, making more memories than can fit in my head. Her youngest son is the same age as my next-to-oldest daughter and were in the same class in school. There was a time when we weren't in contact much with each other, when we both had young children and spent most of our time raising them, but when we did talk on the phone, it was as if only a day or two had passed by, instead of several months.

We're not alike. We each have our own strengths and weaknesses, our own dreams and fears. But we're always there for each other, no matter what. I suspect we always will be. It's too late to change friends now. :)

I've included the only photo I can find of the two of us together. How very strange, after all this time. The picture was taken almost 15 years ago at our 25-year Class Reunion, when we still had some youth left in us. I'll be sharing some stories here on our past and present. I'd love to hear about your friends too!

Mood Music

I've been downloading a lot of music lately. Yes, legally downloading, as I feel artists should be paid for their work. Oh, all right, I've bought books at used bookstores, even recently, but I don't make a habit of it. To be honest, I've been getting my music free. Yes, legally free. I use Pepsi points, and for 5 points a song, I can get downloads from Amazon. I can even get a DVD movie for 90 points! I haven't done that yet, I'm still gathering music.

Coming to the point where I thought I'd gotten most of the music I wanted and that was available (not everything out there is available for downloading), I haven't gotten any new songs lately. But late last night (make that very early this a.m.), I needed to know one small phrase from a movie/Broadway song. I found it, grabbed the song, and realized just how much I've always liked it. It's the theme song from Camelot, sung by Richard Harris.

And then I went craaaaazy listening to Broadway tunes. Old ones, new ones, some I remember singing in glee club in high school. (That would be "chorus" now, I think.) Songs that made me smile, like "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair". Songs that made me cry, such as "Climb Every Mountain". So many songs that I had to make a list, but "Camelot" was the only one I downloaded.

Listening to music when I write has become a habit. I have a long list in my player for just that, and another for when I go walking, although I haven't done that. Fun, bouncing tunes, some that I used to dance to back in the Stone Age. Music can lift my soul or quiet it.

There's one other way I listen to music. Pandora is online and free, and a program that lets you choose the type of music you like to hear and make "stations" of your favorites. I've recommended it to several people and haven't found anyone yet who doesn't like it. Check it out. It's worth it! Pandora.

Monday, Monday

The start to another week, which is okay. It means we're that much closer to the start of school in mid-August. I seems some school systems are shortening the summer, little by little, maybe leaning more toward year-round school? I'm not sure I'd mind that. A week or two break for some R&R doesn't sound so bad.

Summer vacation is more than half-way over, and school supplies are beginning to appear in stores. Can it really be that back-to-school is not far off?

It's obvious things have changed since I was in school. For instance, I was 50 when I had my first ride in a limo. My youngest granddaughter was 5. Her pre-K class held two fundraisers this year, and she was the biggest seller for both. Prizes were given to everyone, and for the first, she picked a nice "boom box". At 5, mind you. But it was the second one that blew some of us away. The highest sellers--8 of them--took a ride in a white limo to McDonalds. Now that's what I call class!

Allie's first limo ride!

2008

Well, yes, of course I was there to take pictures!!

What a wonderful memory for a little girl.

I wonder if I should try going back to school? After all, if rides in limos to McDonalds are the going thing...

Natural Born Charmer

Once upon a time, I read several books a week. Now, I'm lucky to read one book in a few months. One of my favorite authors is Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and except for her two or three earliest books, I've read them all, at least once.

SEP books are an incentive for me to get things done. No matter what it is, her newest book always becomes a reward for finishing something, making the reading of them even more special.

I was introduced to SEP by my best friend of over forty years, who has always been a voracious reader, and although our reading tastes don't always match (she doesn't read category), they often do, and we share our favorites. I still remember the phone call when she read the opening of Kiss An Angel to me, describing the hero as the Marlboro Man. It was a great book and a very different story, and I've always felt it's one of the darker of SEP's. The next introduction my friend gave me was the opening of my all-time favorite SEP book, It Had to Be You. I adore Phoebe Sommerville and have read my many copies of it countless times. Phoebe is perfectly imperfect.


After reading Ain't She Sweet? for the third time, it comes in as my second favorite. After that, I'm at a loss as to what's next. Or was, until I read Natural Born Charmer. It really is a charmer. SEP is a master at great openings, and NBC has a terrific one. I really liked the flawed hero and heroine. Stubborn, secretive, but both full of sass and humor. The verbal sparring between the two of them is fabulous. It's a story that's both fun and thought provoking. A definite will-read-again for me.

What's up next? I haven't decided. I may take a trip to buy some new books this weekend. Not that I don't have any, but I like to have a nice, tall stack of TBRs to keep things interesting.

Harlequin American Romance - July

The July Harlequin American Romance books are available now!

Don't forget to visit the HAR Author Blog and get to know the authors.

Movie Mania--Debut!

For the past 10 days I've been dealing with an asthma attack. I don't normally have a problem with asthma. In fact, there's only been one other time I've been "attacked" by it, and that was 9 years ago! But something triggered it again, and even knowing that it could be controlled only by going to the doctor, I put it off again. Luckily this time it wasn't so bad that I couldn't even drive. I saw the doctor this morning, and by noon was on meds and feeling much, much better.

The reason for the above is because it explains a new topic, aka a label. (Look at the bottom of each post, and you'll see a label describing what topic the post falls under.) Because I found I couldn't do much of anything while trying to breathe under this new attack, I dove into my movie collection and watched a few.

I love movies. Old movies, new movies, action/adventure movies, romantic comedy movies, musical movies... Yes, the list is endless. I've been watching movies since I could sit down in front of a screen (TV in most cases) and not fall asleep. And because I love movies so much, it's impossible to pick one favorite. I have groups of favorites.

I started collecting movies during the advent of the VCR. I never counted how many movies we bought during that time, but there were bunches. And bunches. I've now moved on to DVD, although I can't say I was among the first to do so. I tend to drag my feet when it comes to new technology. That could be why I never had a Beta VCR or movies on laser disks, so maybe "caution" is a good thing after all.

Last count, we (my youngest daughter and I) have 266 movies on DVD, and that isn't a completely accurate count. The 7 seasons of Buffy that belong to my daughter are not among those 266 (and not really "movies"), and there may be one or two others that are missing, not to mention that most of the kidlets movies are not listed either. We now keep a database of movies, and I've lost count of how many times I've had to call home to ask if we have this movie or that movie so I don't buy something I already have.

My birthday present to myself this year was to splurge on movies. I bought 16 within a little over a week. I did find some great bargains, though. And because I have so many and lots of people love movies as much as I do, I decided to share some of my thoughts on the movies I now own. No, not all 266, but the best (and maybe worst, in my opinion) of the lot. It's also an excellent way to make myself WATCH some of the movies I haven't even opened yet!

Here's the list of those newest ones, but I'll decide later which 2 or 3 to post about next week.
TWISTER (Because Gavin, the oldest of my two grandsons, begged to see it.)
THE MIRACLE WORKER (The original with Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, of course.)
FANTASTIC FOUR
FANTASTIC FOUR - Rise of the Silver Bullet (Both of these because I liked them and thought Gavin would, too.)
INHERIT THE WIND (One can't go wrong with this excellent classic, and I've seen it on stage)
INDEPENDENCE DAY (I have it on tape, but it was a must-have on DVD)
JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG (A classic must-have that I've only seen once on the late, late show.)
DAREDEVIL (Well, gee, I have ELEKTRA, and who can resist Ben Affleck! yum, yum)
PARENTHOOD (I cry at the end of this because it's a happy ending and Steve Martin does such a great job as the dad...and more reasons later.)
12 ANGRY MEN (I read the play before I saw the movie. Another great classic.)
ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (Hey, I missed it on TV too many times, so had to have it.)
BLAZING SADDLES (The first Mel Brooks movie I remember seeing.)
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (More Mel and company and requested by my daughter. We have 3 others.)
AND THE BAND PLAYED ON (Already owned on tape, but this couldn't be passed up.)
JFK (Another owned on tape and one of the few Kevin Costner movies I like. please don't boo me. :) )
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST

Eclectic mix, isn't it? Next week, movie mania (and this movie maniac) will begin in earnest.

And hugs to everyone out there who has to deal with asthma day to day. My heart goes out to you.