One of my New Year's resolutions is to rekindle my artistic fire and create some beautiful artwork. My first project is to paint a picture for my living room. It will be a large painting of poppies. Poppies are my favorite flower to paint; they are delicate, colorful and full of whimsy and magic. Just what I need right now.
In my research I've found some lovely pieces of art for inspiration:
My entry for the Doritos Crash the Superbowl commercial is now on my YouTube channel. It's an Alice in Wonderland theme and my darling hubby is the White Rabbit.
The rules limit the commercial to 30 seconds which was very difficult because I had some great footage that I couldn't use. Oh well.
I shot the commercial at the Historic Hynds building in downtown Cheyenne, Wyoming.
It's perfect and beautiful! My Kindle and sketch book fit just right and it holds all my stuff. Thank you everyone for your support and encouragement in the Great American Purse Search!
It's time to buy a new purse, aka Handbag, Tote, European Carry All, or whatever. So what am I looking for?
Not This
Something large, but not enormous. Something stylish, but not prissy. Something colorful, but not garish.
Too Scarlet O'Hara
Too Jack Sparrow
Too Samsonite Luggage
Too Cindy Lauper
Too Margaret Thatcher
So what features do I need? A front pouch for my keys. Separated compartments so I can quickly find what I need without digging through a pile of rubble. Dual purpose straps that I can carry in my hand or slip over my shoulder.
You might be wondering what I keep in my purse. Glad you asked:
Cell phone
Pens
Gum
Wallet
Business cards
Tweezers
Nail clippers
Nail file
Lipstick
Mirror
Band-Aids
Keys
I also want a purse that can hold my new Kindle Fire and a small sketch book and pencil case so I can sketch or draw at the drop of a hat.
Well, that's about it. Wish me luck. The great purse search begins!
Okay, I'll admit it. My bathroom scale has become my nemesis.
I've never had a weight problem in my life. Until now.
For me, the weight I am now is UNACCEPTABLE! I don't even have the courage to post it. Let's just say I weigh more now than I did when I was nine months pregnant.
I have never been on a diet in my life. And I don't ever intend to go on a diet. Until a few years ago, I chose to eat whatever I wanted but exercised it off. I was a runner and that kept my weight under control for decades. Things started to change in 2007 when I couldn't run due to a knee injury.
It was all downhill from there.
Reasons why I gained:
1) Portion sizes (I would eat large portions of food and go for seconds, sometimes thirds)
2) Wrong food choices (high fat, high calorie foods, high sugar)
3) Less exercise
4) Not really paying attention to what I eat (read or watch TV while eating)
5) Ignorance about how much fat and calories are in my favorite foods
6) Age (does peri-menopause cause weight gain?)
Last week I decided it was time to STOP THE INSANITY!
I put an app on my Kindle to help me lose weight. I logged in my weight goal and how many pounds I want to lose each week. It calculated that I will reach my goal weight on May 30.
I've never been a calorie counter, but I'm desperate. I keep track of my calories now. The app tracks my calories and my exercise for each day. If I stay under the daily amount, I will reach my goal. The best thing is that the more I exercise, the more calories I can consume. For example, my daily calorie intake is 1225. This amount was calculated based on my age, gender, height and how many pounds I want to lose per week. Today I worked out on the elliptical and burned 420 calories. This is added to my calorie total making it 1645.
Running = 557 per hour at 12-minute miles
This is great because it keeps me active. I count the calories lost in all my favorite activities: running, bowling, tennis, yoga, walking, etc.
Bowling = 159 calories per hour
Tennis = 557 per hour
Yoga = 119 per hour
Walking = 223 per hour - brisk
I also like this app because you can create recipes and it calculates how many calories per serving!
Guess what? It's working! I lost three pounds the first week. I think it's because I was under in my calorie total because of exercise. It's not an exact science. I'm probably burning calories right now typing this post, but I won't add it to my daily total.
So what does all this mean? It means I have more awareness of what I'm eating and of my body in general. I feel stronger and healthier and I know that I will reach and maintain my goal.
One of my favorite Harrison Ford flicks, The Fugitive (1993) is non stop action. The story tells of Dr. Richard Kimble who was convicted of his wife's murder. He is innocent and becomes a fugitive on the run, tyring to find the real killer (the one-armed man).
Tommy Lee Jones is the Federal Marshall who is trying to track him down. It's the best man-hunt movie in Hollywood history.
The train crash scene is spectacular! If you have the DVD, you know from watching the special features how crazy it was to shoot that scene.
I'm looking forward to a great year. My Word for the Year is FREEDOM. I believe that God gave me this word as my focus for the next 12 months. Freedom to be do what I need to be doing; freedom to grow, mature and persevere in various problems and trials; freedom to pursue my dreams; freedom to enjoy life, family and friends; freedom to help people in whatever way I can.
Ironically, the last day of 2011 I was watching the TV series "Roots" on DVD (a Christmas gift I received that was on my wish list). It's all about Freedom.
My goal this year is be more creative. I want to write stories and create works of art. These projects have been on the back burner far too long. It's time to get cooking. But they can't happen unless I prune the dead branches in my life which are time-consuming activities that were once a joy but have now become a burden. As I type this, the pruning shears are chopping away. I feel FREE!
The Perfect Gift (2009) is part of the "Perfect Stranger" series of Christian movies, written and directed by Jefferson Moore. They ask a "what if?" question: What if Jesus was here today in modern America? What would he do? How would he interact with people and what would be his take on the social issues we all face today?
The Perfect Gift depicts what it might be like if Jesus arrived in a town during Christmas.
1: Jesus Birthday -- The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
2: Christmas cards -- I love giving them and I love receiving them. I like the ones with beautiful designs.
3: Christmas movies -- The Homecoming: A Christmas Story, Charlie Brown Christmas, The Perfect Gift, A Christmas Carol, How the Grinch Stole Christmas...
4: Christmas candy and cookies -- I miss my grandma's Bourbon Balls and Million Dollar Fudge, and my mom's Butterscotch Yule Log.
5: Christmas carols -- God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen; Angels We Have Heard on High; Carol of the Bells; Good King Wenceslas, Do You Hear What I Hear?, We Three Kings...
6: Christmas tree -- I love the smell of the pine, the beautiful lights and decorative ornaments. I put little white doves on my tree.
7: Spirit of Love -- This time of year people show more kindness that usual to others; helping at food kitchens, donating toys to needy children, donating clothes and food, giving gifts to each other.
8: Turkey dinner -- With all the fixin's!
9: Poinsettias -- The red leaves are breathtaking! I see God's amazing handiwork in these lovely plants!
10: Children -- Their joy and excitement thrills my heart.
One more:
11: Wrapping gifts -- I love to create beautiful packages for my loved ones with pretty paper, ribbons and bows.
This song is so much fun to sing. I love the story of the Good King who helps the poor. A wonderful Christmas message of ministering to others in need.
Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even.
Brightly shone the moon that night, though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight, gathering winter fuel.
“Hither, page, and stand by me, if you know it, telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?”
“Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain,
Right against the forest fence, by Saint Agnes’ fountain.”
“Bring me food and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither,
You and I will see him dine, when we bear them thither.”
Page and monarch, forth they went, forth they went together,
Through the cold wind’s wild lament and the bitter weather.
“Sire, the night is darker now, and the wind blows stronger,
Fails my heart, I know not how; I can go no longer.”
“Mark my footsteps, my good page, tread now in them boldly,
You shall find the winter’s rage freeze your blood less coldly.”
In his master’s steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing,
You who now will bless the poor shall yourselves find blessing.
I am currently in the throes of writing comedy sketches for our Valentine's Day Dessert Theatre. I'm talking about fast and furious one-liners, short jokes and short sketches. All comedy, all the time.
I enjoy writing humor and have done it for years. In fact, one of my humor pieces is in an actual book called "Laugh Your Shorts Off" - a collection of humor compiled by my good friend and humorist Margie Culbertson.
For years I've written comedy sketches for our drama troupe, the Sunnyside Players. And I own an arsenal of books on comedy writing, as well as books by comedy writers (Steve Martin, Woody Allen, etc.) I guess you could say I take comedy writing very seriously.
One of the fun things I've learned over the years is the Comedy Rule of Three. This rule works both on stage and in print (humor columnists use it all the time). In a typical gag you have the set up and the punch line. But the rule of three includes three elements. The first two set the pattern, and the third line breaks the pattern with an unexpected twist.
Examples:
My son is a gifted athlete. He plays football, basketball and checkers.
Coffee, tea, or me?
So what's for dinner? Braised salmon, beef Wellington, or Mrs. Paul's Fish Sticks.
Professor Hinkleman has assigned the reading list for this semester: War and Peace, The Grapes of Wrath and Poetry for Dummies.
I was in high school when The Waltons were on TV - this show was one of our family favorites. John Boy played a part in encouraging me to pursue my own dream of being a writer. The scene where he explains to Mama about what writing means to him always brings tears to my eyes.
Funny scenes:
Hawthorne Dooley (Cleavon Little) with John Boy at Miss Mamie's and Miss Emily's trying to borrow a car.
Charlie Snead (William Windom) - the turkey thief.
The missionary giving away toys to children who can recite a Bible verse ("Thy two breasts are like two young rows that are twins which feed among the lilies. Solomon Song Chapter 4:5")
Hubby is a bowler. He loves the game and has been bowling for decades. He's very good at it, too.
Well, last year, he talked me into getting my own bowling ball and bowling shoes. I agreed and my game improved quite a bit. I used to search around for a house ball and could never find one that felt right. Now I have a custom made ball and it's great! Of course, hubby has been coaching me for years, showing me how to stand and where to aim for the strikes and spares.
But yesterday something happened that has never happened in the history of the universe: I won a game against hubby! I've NEVER beaten him in bowling. This was a first and it was so strange. Hubby was conflicted. Part of him was proud of me for doing so well, and the other part was upset for losing! He's very competitive and he had to deal with losing to his wife. C'est la vie!
He's a good sport, though. All through the game he was showing me what to do and how to throw the ball. He was teaching me a new technique involving throwing a curve ball. I won, but if he hadn't helped me, I don't think I would have.
I learned about the Killer Shot and I got three! Yay, me.
I was eight years in 1965 when A Charlie Brown Christmas first aired on TV. This show was one of my best childhood memories. I loved Linus the best! He was the voice of reason, kindness and compassion.
For the past several years, I've begun a tradition of reading Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" during the month of December. It's my favorite Christmas story and from the amount of movies based on this Victorian tale, it's inspired others as well. My favorite film version features Patrick Stewart as Scrooge. What are your Christmas traditions?
CHAPTER 1:
Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.
