Combined Top Ten Movies on Repeat (and A Guest Blogger!)

Have you ever been flipping through the channels on a lazy Saturday afternoon when you come across a movie that you have seen 100 times, yet you stop and watch it again for the 101st time? Maybe it is the witty screenplay or the beautiful cinematography that draws you in each time. Or maybe it is because it is filmed in an era that intrigues you. Or perhaps it is simply because you have a good memory attached to when you first saw the film (first date, a fun night out with friends, being snowed in one winter afternoon, etc..).

Mike and I both love movies. Well, I love movies and Mike LOVES movies. He studies them, and would someday love to direct one. It's more than his hobby, it's sort of a passion of his. With this in mind, he and I were discussing our lists of the top ten movies we could watch over and over again. No matter what time of day, no matter how many times we've seen them, these are our combined top ten movies we could put on repeat and not get tired of them.

EMILY

1. The Sound of Music: How could you not get tired of this film? I love the story, I love the songs, and I really love Julie Andrews. Back before the days of Netflix and DVR's, I couldn't wait for it to air on television once a year. My mom would let me stay up late to watch the entire thing.

2. You've Got Mail: Mike and I both love just about any movie filmed in New York City, but this one is special. I like the chemistry between Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. I think it is cleverly written, and have seen this movie so many times that I can just about quote the entire thing. I want to own the Shop Around the Corner bookstore.

3. The Shawshank Redemption: My very favorite movie ever. Who wouldn't love a story about freedom, friendship, hope, and enduring through difficult circumstances. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are perfect for the lead roles. And it produced the line, "Get busy living, or get busy dying." Love it, love it, love it.

4. The Wedding Singer: I think Adam Sandler movies are usually just OK, and I am not a huge fan of Drew Barrymore either, but for some reason I LOVE this one. I laugh every single time I watch it. I think it is the combination of the 1980's cheesiness along with the humor that I love. Oh it's ladies night, oh what a night!

5. Dan in Real Life: I want to go live in Dan's family. Seriously, does it not look like a lot of fun to go stay in their family home in Rhode Island? I think this is both a funny and poignant film. Even though some of the lines are completely silly and overwritten, I still like it. I think it is a sweet love story. And the soundtrack by Sondre Lerche really makes this film for me too.

And now for my guest blogger of the day, please give a lovely, cyber welcome to my husband, Mike Galloway.....

MIKE

1. Alien: I love the production design of Alien. Whenever I watch it, I feel like I'm watching a movie that was made way ahead of it's time. It's storytelling at its best. Genuinely scary and sophisticated. For the most part, I think the special effects could pass for today's standards. There is just something cool about seeing what the future looked like using the design aesthetics of the 60's and 70's. I also love 2001. Fast Forward through the monkey scene and start when Dr. Heywood is traveling in the Pan-Am Space Concorde to the space station. Look at the design of the food containers, the flatware, the space station chairs. I love that stuff.

2. The Aviator / Catch Me If You Can: I love movies about airplane culture from a historical aspect. I love these movies because of the time periods. The early 20's into the late 40's as well as the early 60's. The attention to detail in both of these movies is astounding. I love the design in both movies but particularly in CMIYC. Set in the 60's, the production design just comes to life. I like the fact that we used to get dressed up to fly on an airplane, and airplane food was at one time really, really good. I also love the use of the old TWA terminal at JFK. Besides, it's Scorcese and Spielberg.

3. You've Got Mail: I have to agree with Em on this one. I went to art school in NYC and lived on the upper west side, where most of the film takes place. The best time to watch this film is in late October. It makes me want to go home every time I see it.

4. No Country For Old Men: Sound and Cinematography. The Coen Brothers are great storytellers. I could watch their films over and over. Especially Fargo. Usually, I would say that their biggest strength is their characters but in No Country, I would say it's cinematography and sound. My favorite shot is the reflection of Javier Bardem on the TV in the trailer home. To this day, I still wonder if that shot was planned or just a happy accident that someone noticed while on set. The sound of the wind blowing out on the Texas prairie truly fits the photography. You are in West Texas. I also love The Wrestler for a lot of the same reasons: the sound and cinematography. The documentary camera wrangling is incredible. I grew up in Elizabeth, NJ, where most of the film was shot. I could smell it, when I watched this film. My favorite scene is when The Ram is sitting in the VFW, signing autographs. I entered an art show once in 11th grade. I won and went to accept the award at the local VFW. That scene... I can't describe it, it just felt like Jersey. Everything feels dirty in this movie. It's as if there was no set dressing, they just picked an actual trailer home and gave them a $100 and asked if they could film in it.

5. Band Of Brothers: While not technically a movie - I could watch it over and over. Purely story driven. Due to it's length, 10 hours, you really get to know these characters. In a way you understand the power of brotherhood and realize, that it's only because of that connection, that these guys could make it through such a terrible event. If you have not watched this mini-series, you need to call out of work tomorrow and go buy it.

What are your favorite movies that you could watch over and over? I'd love to hear about it! Or better yet, blog about it and let me know!

Back to the Grind

Today all of us are getting back into the daily grind. The girls are back at school. Lucas is at Mother's Day Out. Mike is back to setting up "normal" business hours in his home office, and I head back to work this afternoon. In some ways I have missed the routine, but I really liked having a break too. It was nice not to rush around in the mornings making sure everyone is dressed, fed, lunches packed, backpacks ready to go. I think I've discovered that I am officially not a morning person. My mom wakes up every day at 6:00 with a smile on her face, ready to tackle the new day bright with possibility. I did not inherit this trait. I look at my bedside clock and want to cry when it is time to wake up. Not because I don't enjoy my days with my kids or family, but because I wish I could sleep for just a few more hours. Once I am up and have had a glass of orange juice and a hot shower, I'm good to go. Although going to bed earlier these last few nights certainly has helped my mornings go a little smoother too!

Leah Bee and Hannah Banana acting silly the night before school started back.

Yesterday, I made a trip to Target to pick up a few things to help me with some of my new year's resolutions.

I scored a coupon organizer from the $1 section (to help with my organization in meal planning)! Also I picked up a women's multi-vitamin, a calcium supplement, and a big, honking water bottle to carry around with me. It has a cool part in the middle that you can stick in the freezer to keep the water extra chilly. Now if you see me running to the bathroom all the time, you will know why. As much as I know I need to drink more water, I have the world's smallest bladder! Too much information? Sorry about that.

Do you enjoy having a routine?

**Cool side note from yesterday: Mike went to Starbucks to pick up some coffee for us. When he got up to the drive-thru window to pay, he was told the car ahead of him paid for our coffee! Wow! What a great act of kindness. My mocha tasted even better because of it. :)

The Little Man's Haircut

This little guy was in need of a haircut yesterday. Actually, he has needed one for a few weeks, but yesterday I couldn't take it any longer. Mike and I thought that perhaps we'd save the $10 it costs at our nearby barber shop and just do it ourselves. I mean, we own a pair of clippers, how hard could it be to cut a little boy's hair anyway?

Lucas yesterday pre-haircut

Now I admit that in the above photo his hair does not look that bad, but I promise if you were to get a full 360 view, you would see uneven parts and crazy sideburns. We set up our bathroom as if it were a salon, carefully laying out the clippers and attachments, bringing in a chair and towel and a broom to sweep up the hair from the floor. When all was said and done, I sat in the chair with Lucas on my lap, trying to hold his arms down while Mike came at him with the buzzing clippers. After all of the setup, it took about 30 seconds to realize that this was not going to work at home. The buzzing noise scared him and he started squirming and crying like a crazy man. Mike tried to make a pass, but in fear just clipped the air. Oh well. It was a valiant effort.

Lucas standing on the counter in what he thought was a victory over the clippers. (Don't worry, Mike is just outside the photo frame keeping a close eye on him so he wouldn't fall.)

Instead of accepting defeat, we loaded up the car and took everyone down to the nearest walk-in salon. Lucas took it like a man and got his hair cut just fine. I think it is actually a little too short, but I won't complain. We will be able to go a lot longer between cuts this way. And I do admit that I love to rub his head now, just like a Buddha's belly.

New hairdo

Sunday Traditions

Papa, Hannah and Leah reading the paper. 1.2.11

Sundays have always been a day of tradition for us.  When I was a wee little lass, my dad and I would always read the Sunday Comics together.  I called them the "funnies".  My mom would make a yummy breakfast, then afterwards we would snuggle up on the couch to read Blondie, Beetle Bailey, Hagar, B.C., and Family Circus.  

Once we were done, I would have to go get ready for church, and then I could watch one of my favorite TV shows Davy and Goliath.  Please tell me someone else remembers Davy and his dog Goliath?  They were stop motion at its best!  "Oh, Davvvvyy," Goliath would say.  And there would always be a moral or lesson to learn at the end of the show.  After we went to church, my mom would cook a large meal and we would spend the rest of the day relaxing at home.

Sundays have changed over the years.  But my dad still makes a point to try to stop by to read the "funnies" (now called "sillies" by my girls) with the kids.  And I just might need to order a DVD of some old Davy and Goliath episodes.   I think that would be just right.

Resolutions

For Christmas this year, I received a beautiful mustard yellow scarf, a NOOK, a coffee grinder, a Corinne Bailey Rae CD, some new mixing bowls, and this beautiful journal (big shout out to my sister-in-law, Tracy!).

I was waiting to start writing in it until yesterday.  There was just something very "clean slate"-like about my first entry being dated 1-1-11.  And my first entry?  Well, it was to make a list of new year's resolutions of course.  I decided to list eleven resolutions in honor of 2011.  Some of my resolutions are more general while others are quite specific. 

I head into this resolution making process with a lot of grace.  I am probably not going to achieve all of these all of the time.  But they are goals.  Things to strive for. And putting them out there for all to see holds me accountable to meet them.  Over the last 33 years, I've learned I need  a little accountability in my life.  

2011 Resolutions

1.  Have a more consistent time in God's Word

2.  Devote time to writing projects: family recipe/vignette/photo book & children's book collaboration with Mike

3.  Blog/Journal more consistently

4.  Exercise 3 times a week: twice doing cardio/strength training, once walking/running

5.  Drink more water

6. Take vitamins daily

7.  Be more organized in meal planning and our weekday morning routine

8.  Pour into my friendships with encouragement; serve others

9. Stick to a budget

10.  Complete one cross-stitch project

11. Go to bed earlier

So there you have it.  My personal goals and resolutions for 2011.  I am looking forward to a great year!

Good-bye 2010

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a fun New Year's Eve celebration last night.  We had some friends and their kids over to eat pizza, stay up until midnight, and play Dance Central on our Kinect.  Watching six very white people try to follow some tricky hip hop moves was quite entertaining! 

My mom's health is improving which is such a relief! On the 29th she was moved to a different hospital's rehabilitation facility.  Hopefully she will be there for about two weeks working hard at physical, occupational, and speech therapy.  The next step is HOME! 

One of many resolutions I have for 2011 is to be more consistent with blogging.  So to start off the year, let's take a look back at 2010.....

Happy Baby in April:  Lucas, 9 months old

Learning to crawl, Spring 2010

Last Day of Gymnastics:  May 2010

Hannah, June 2010

Leah, June 2010

Lucas, June 2010

Festive Fourth of July!

Vacation to Robber's Cave, July 2010

This guy turned one!  7.24.10

NY Rooftop, August 2010

Me and My Beach Baby

Kindergarten!!

Starting Soccer:  September 2010

Our Favorite Pumpkin Patch, October 2010

Lake Trip:  October 2010

November 2010:  cooler weather, Mom's surgery, and very few photos....

December 16th, 2010:  Happy 6th Birthday Sweet Girls!!

Biting Spidey's Head Off on Christmas Morning!

Packing the Ornaments Away for Next Year!

May Your New Year Be Filled With Health, Happiness, Family, Friends, and New Adventures!!

A Bit of This and That

1.  Hannah was "Star of the Week" in her classroom a few weeks back.  She and I worked on her poster that she got to display in her classroom.  It was supposed to show all about her life and her favorite things.  She included her siblings, parents, grandparents, pets and house.  Those are some of my favorite things too!  Leah has her turn to be Star of the Week in January.

2.  Today is the 43rd day of my mom's hospital stay.  Update:  Her chest xrays show that the pneumonia is still there, but is getting better.  She had a tracheotomy done last week that is connected to a ventilator which helps her breathe.  She cannot talk with the trach, but her lungs are getting a break from working so hard and she doesn't have the bipap mask on her face all of the time.  In addition, she had a peg tube inserted in her stomach so she can receive nutrition/medicine directly into her stomach.  This gets the feeding tube out of her nose which we are all so grateful for.  She is doing physical therapy every day, but is very, very weak.  She can barely stand on her own without support.  All in all, she is making progress, but we recognize the long road still ahead.  At some point she will probably move out of the hospital and into a rehabilitation center before eventually coming home. 

3.  This is a weird Christmas season for us.  With my mom not around as she usually is, it just seems like a dark cloud is hanging over us.  Just a little bit.  I am determined to not let is ruin the holiday, though.  We have our tree up, the stockings are hanging over the fireplace, and we've taken the kids to go look at Christmas lights.  So we will open a few presents at the hospital this year-- it's not the end of the world. 

4.  Speaking of Christmas, our church has embraced something called "Advent Conspiracy".  The theme of advent conspiracy is

Worship Fully

Spend Less

Give More

Love Freely

With this in mind, we have been rethinking how we "do" Christmas.  We've cut back on the amount of gifts we are giving our kids.  And instead are looking at things like adopting a Compassion International Child or looking through the World Vision catalog to purchase a year's worth of medical care for a child in a third world country.  I want our girls to know that in order to help others, we sometimes cut back on what we do for ourselves.  And that everyone is VALUABLE!   For more on Advent Conspiracy, go to http://www.adventconspiracy.org/.

5. Hannah and Leah turn 6 this coming Thursday.  SIX!!!!  Oh my.  We actually celebrated their birthday back on the weekend of December 3-5 when we took them to Great Wolf Lodge in Dallas for the weekend.  We went with Mike's parents and our good friend,s and we had such a great time.  Sometimes when I see Lucas running around looking at everything with awe, I can picture two little girls with thick, black hair toddling around with the same expression.  They continue to be such a joy!  

That's it for now!  Have a wonderful Tuesday!