Projects

Since we are behind, or missing (ahem) topics for Project Say Something, and I have not done a favorite five this week, I am combining them into the top 5 projects that I need or want to do while I am off work.

1. Read, Read, Read - I have a stack of books on my nightstand that is only getting larger. Of the ones that are there is The Art of War (again), Just After Sunset, Ireland, An Incomplete Education, two HR books, 1 management book, and on and on. I am not even going to talk about the stack in front of the nightstand or the other two stacks next to and as tall as the nightstand. (Lord help me!)
2. Go to the Museum - I will say several of them, on my own or with the kids and my mom
3. Organize the pictures and put them in the album - I have the photo album updated to last June, and I cannot let it go a full year
4. Spring Clean - Wash windows, clean out closets, donate clothes, toys, etc.
5. Volunteer - YCC, St. Annes, my church.

Playing Hookey

When I was working at my previous hell...I mean job...there was a woman there who had never, and I mean never, taken a day to herself from work just for the fun of it. I couldn't believe it, so we talked about the things that I do when I do have a "cough" sick "cough" day.

1. Go to a movie in the middle of the afternoon, by myself - preferably some English type chick flick.
2. Go to the park with a Jamba Juice and a good book.
3. Shop, shop, shop
4. Go to the Spa
5. Take my daughter from school and go to the zoo, museum, dinosaur park, etc.

For those of you who have never taken a "me" day...I highly recommend it. It does wonder for your soul and sense of life/work balance.

Places to See

I read the "Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch this past week and it has caused me to do a lot of reflecting and thinking. One of the things that it has made me focus on is taking the time out to travel. This week I am doing a list on the five places/things I would like to see in person in my lifetime (these are in no order)

1. New Zealand

2. Paris and The Louvre

3. Greece

4. Egypt

5. Independence Hall, Gettysburg, Monticello (famous American landmarks)

And the winner is........

Favorite Oscar Moments

Jack Black and Will Ferrell
Roberto Benigni winning for "It's a Beautiful Life"
Falling Slowly winning best original song
Russell Crowe acceptance speech (first time)
Kevin Spacey's impressions of Christopher Walken and others

There are many more, but those stand out right now the most.

What's In A Title? Highly Overrated

Favorite things this week (and last week since I am behind):

1. This (so good, so good, so good)
2. My oldest starting Irish Dance Lessons. She has been begging for over a year and a place finally opened in Clearfield that is certified. Best part is one of her best friends from school is doing it with her.
3. Halfway through a book I have tried to read 3 times....a new record!
4. Woke up to beautiful snow this morning.
5. My baby crawled for real, is pulling to a standing position, and is laughing hysterically at everything!

Little Known Facts about Me

1. I have a hereditary birthmark on the small of my back. My great grandmother, grandmother, mother, me, and my youngest daughter all have the same one..in the same spot. It is either a sign of royalty, alien intervention, or the devil.
2. I HATE facebook...with a passion. I swear to God if there is one thing I could undo that I have done lately it is remove myself from that site. But, I am there now...so WTF?!
3. Every night I watch British comedies before I go to bed, unless there are reruns of House or a CSI/CSI NY. Then it is anyone's guess.
4. I have watched the Godfather 1 and 2 about 30 times - seriously, we cannot be friends if you have not seen them (and like them).
5. I was a witness for the prosecution in a murder trial when I was 13. He killed his estranged wife, a good friend of mine who I babysat for the night before her murder. He is out now and I am terrified I will run into him in town one day.

Bionic Woman

Most of the time I am comfortable in my own skin and confident in who I am. I am not a big believer in plastic surgery (not judging, just stating), so I live with what I have, work out from time to time or watch what I eat (like right now I am watching myself eat some peanut brittle...yum). However, if I could change things about me, the way I look, this is what I would change~

1. I want these legs. Now I have some seriously trunk like legs thanks to the Austrian/German ancestory I was blessed with on my dads side. Fortunately for me I have an awesome mom who will say to me anytime I complain about them "at least they get you where you need to be". What more is there to say to that really?

2. I would want full lips like these. My upper lip is pretty thin, so it all but disappears when I smile. So it would be nice to have them stay there!

3. A flat tummy like this. Now I could get that on my own, no doubt. But, that would require work, not eating the things I like, and work. Have I mentioned I am a Libra? Yeah, lazy.

4. Green eyes this these would be awesome. Not just because they are so beautiful, but they are so unique.

5. Lastly, I would like to be taller. Maybe by 4 inches or so is all.

But I Know What I Like

Some of you may know that I am an art lover and had aspirations of being a museum curator. Those dreams did not die, but my life changed, so somewhere in some alternate universe, I feel I must be living that life. In this one, I just get to appreciate it. There is a saying in the art world "I don't know if it's art, but I know what I like". I find that to be very true. In my opinion it does not matter if you think it is art or not, only that you like it. I consider most everything that causes a reaction in me (good or bad) and forces me to think to be art. This week, I am giving you a glimpse of my favorite pieces, for one reason or another. (This is really hard for me to narrow down, but I kept it to 5...extra points for me and triple word score!)

1. Van Gogh's - Teraase de Cafe' la Nuit

2. Unknown - The Venus of Willendorf (she is thought to be a symbol of fertility and feminine beauty. Some would say that because she has no face, hands, or feet, that it is objectifying women. In my opinion, it was made by a woman for the glory of that which makes us incredible life forces. No matter why it was created, I have always found it beautiful).

3. Michelangelo's Pieta (This has always moved me in ways that I can hardly put in words. First there is Michelangelo's talent that was nothing short of miraculous. If you look, really look, it is as if the marble breathes. It is alive, a living stone if you will. Then there is what it represents - Mary holding Jesus after he died on the cross...I am overcome with emotion. His sacrifice, her sacrifice, the pain, the suffering, it is beyond description.)

4. Frank Lloyd Wright - Guggenheim Museum (Come on, be honest, how many of you thought some guy named Guggenheim did this? Come on, tell the truth).

5. Edward Hopper - Chop Suey (It is only in the past 5 years that I have come to love, deeply and truly love Edward Hopper. He is the greatest overlooked American painter in my opinion. Granted, some of his work is very well known, like this one. But for the most part, people may know his work, but do not know who did it. He captures melancholy, the light of the perfect time of day, the ordinary lives of everyday people, and human emotion better than almost anyone I have ever seen. And the color that he gets from his works, is vivid, and so true, that it hurts the eyes, but awakens the soul at the same time. I especially like this one because I am reminded of all my girlfriends and our conversations that I treasure.)

Quirky

This week I am picking my five favorite quirky movies that I enjoy. These are in no particular order as that is just to tough.

Magnolia
Blue Velvet
The 5th Element
Raising Arizona/Fargo
Lost in Translation

Resolutions

I am not doing favorites this week, but am instead doing my resolutions for the coming year...in all their bloody gore for the world to see and consequently make fun of when I fail miserably two months from now! Ah, but that is the fun of making resolutions....to see how quickly I fail. Perhaps I should resolve to not make resolutions, kind of like when for Lent I give up giving things up.

1. Eat less - exercise more = stay the same weight. OK, seriously. I got this cool new stepper for Christmas, which I am going to try to use each day and at the very least increase my stamina and fitness level.
2. Drink more wine.
3. Read more - I did not come anywhere close to finishing my list and it just continued to grow
4. Learn to say "What the hell" and "For the love of God" in 10 different languages because English is just not enough
5. Laugh often and Love more

Christmas Movies

This weeks Christmas theme is Christmas movies ~

1. It's a Wonderful Life
2. Srooged - Totally hysterical, very quotable - besides the great message.
3. A Christmas Story - I just love this movie, I laugh and laugh at all the funny bits and the whole feeling of it is classic.
4. A Muppets Christmas Carol - Life would be empty without the Muppets...nuff said.
5. Sound of Music

Honorable mentions to Charlie Brown Christmas, the orignial Grinch, and the original Rudolph.

Christmas PopRocks

This week the five favorites are the non-traditional or secular Christmas songs. And for your viewing pleasure I even added a video!

1. Last Christmas - It had better be by Wham!...anything else is awful drivel.
2. Do They Know it's Christmas - by BandAid 1984. It is not Christmas for me till I hear this on the radio.




3. Good King Wenceslas
4. Baby it's Cold Outside - again I like the original version best.
5. Blue Christmas by Elvis tied with Hard Candy Christmas by Dolly Parton

A Caroling We Go

For the month of December I am going to do all Christmas themed favorites for my five favorite lists.

To start things off right I am going to list my all time favorite religious Christmas hymns.

1. Silent Night
2. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
3. Away in a Manger
4. O Holy Night
5. What Child is This/We Three Kings

Thankful

The 5 favorites this week is more of a 5 things I am thankful for list. We have a tradition at my house that on Thanksgiving we have to go around the table and all say what we are thankful for. It has always been interesting to me what people say, particularly my girls as they get older. This is my 5 for this year (and everyday of every year really) ~

1. A roof over my head
2. Our health, praticularly that of my children
3. My freedom, that I live in a country that allows me to go to school, work, and worship how I choose
4. Food on our table and clean water
5. Money in the bank, no worries about house or car payments.

Well I'll be Damned

With all this insanity over the Twilight series, which I admit I have not read and have no interest in reading, I am doing the 5 favorites this week on my favorite vampire books. I really do not understand the craziness and obsession, particularly in light of basic religious beliefs, but whatever. (I want it known that I think it is great that this woman wrote these books and made a ton of money off of it and it got people reading. I have just read bits of the books and spoken to others with similar literature tastes which has lead me to the conclusion that books are not something I would enjoy).

1. Dracula - Bram Stoker
2. The Vampire Lestat - Anne Rice - Out of the series, this one was by far the best.
3. Interview with the Vampire - Anne Rice
4. Salem's Lot - Stephen King
5. Queen of the Damned - Anne Rice

You May Think it's Punny

This week the 5 Favorites continues the bond theme from last week. I could do my favorite bonds in order, but everyone knows that Sean Connery was the best. So, this week is my favorite movies.

1. Thunderball
2. Casino Royale
3. Goldeneye
4. Dr. No
5. Live and Let Die

Shaken, Not Stirred

In eager anticipation for the next James Bond movie, this week and next weeks 5 Favorites will be Bond, James Bond, themed.

1. Urusla Andress as Honey Ryder in Dr. No - She is a beautiful, statuesqe blond with a great accent. What I really liked about her was her toughness. That scene with her coming out of the water in the coolest bikini is timeless.
2. Jane Seymour as Solitaire in Live and Let Die - To me she is one of the most graceful Bond girls. Elegant, sweet, with an air of innocence.
3. Carole Bouquet as Melina Havelock in For Your Eyes Only - She has the prettiest eyes and an air of mystery about her. She is D's favorite Bond girl also.
4. Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore in Goldfiner - Sexy, sassy, smart - all that and a bag of chips!
5. Barbara Carrera as Fatima Blush in Never Say Never Again - Fiesty, evil, beautiful and the way she dies was something else. I always liked her more than Kim Bassinger in this movie, just because Bassinger is too weak.

Runner ups that deserve and honorable mention are Diana Rigg, Barbara Bach, Famke Janssen, Grace Jones, Michelle Yeoh, and Halle Berry.

Worst Bond girl ever - Denise Richards as Christmas Jones in The World is Not Enough. She completely ruined that film for me!

If I were a bond girl I would be an Irish double agent named Sassya O'Plenty.

'Allo, 'allo

My 5 Favorite British Movies

The Full Monty ~ By far one of the funniest movies, but heartwarming at the same time. I am sure that this movie re-inspired my love for garden gnomes.
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover ~ Deliciously funny, Helen Mirren is so sexy, the way this is filmed is amazing.
Room with a View ~ Sweet story and just so British
Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels - Great plot, funny as hell, completely madcap, Sting is in it...what more do you want?
A Clockwork Orange - This took me three tries of watching it to really like it and "get it" completely. Now, I think it is brilliant. Not something I want to watch all the time, but brilliant.

Moments in Time

This week I am posting my 5 favorite moments in time. It is funny to me that D was there for all of them.

First goodnight kiss w/ D at my apartment
Wedding kiss with D touching my cheek/neck and the small of my back
First time I looked at all three kids
First time I rode a 4-wheeler
Carriage ride in New Orleans

AmyGras

This week, for my five favorite, I am going to just mention my five favorite things about this week.

1. Sunday is my birthday....can I get a woot, woot?!!
2. Sunday is also the day we are baptizing the baby, which is very cool as it is one year to the date that we got the results of our CVS test and determined that she was SMA free...Hallelujah!
3. My dad is in town for several days.
4. Back to a warm Indian summer (fall).
5. Going to Dave Sedaris on Monday night with my mom.

So why "AmyGras" you ask? D gave the week of my birthday that name because I celebrate it for about a week. My response is why wouldn't I? Hell, I would celebrate if for a year if I could!