Unspeakable Joy

Do you remember in the "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" there is the part where his heart grows, so much so that it might grow bigger than his icky green body can contain? Well that's how I felt yesterday for a brief moment and I wanted to capture it here forever.

My 15 yo son and I were running some errands in our small little town and getting him some driving time on icy roads. We were at our last stop the Dollar Store, the parking lot was icy except for by the front of the stores, there it was slushy with puddles. As we leave the store and are on the curb, I am looking at the slush trying to find the least wet spot when my son reaches over takes my hand and says "OK on the count of three!" and we jump the slush. He doesn't let go of my hand right a way and in that moment I know that I love him. Not the he's my kid or he was a cute baby kind of love but the love that expands your heart and you know beyond a shadow of a doubt this love will last forever not matter what might come in the future.

The Future Looks Bright I Oughta Wear Shades

I just got done reading the Hunger Games series because, a) my kid was readying it b) my teaching class suggested them since they are high on the young adult novel list. Here is what I think or though after I finished.

1.  The books are entertaining and easy to read.

2.  Young adults will not (most of them) understand or grasp the truth and sadness in the books. The idea that another human would treat someone so cruelly and cause so much pain seems unreal or unlikely to a young adult. That a government would destroy another country filled with innocent people is unfathomable.

Today I read about North and South Korea shooting missiles at each other and the rest of the world is sitting back doing nothing or passing judgement on who's right and who's wrong. In the books that is what the Districts (mini countries) do. They have become complacent and accept all that is told to them without thought or checking it out for themselves. It is the teens in the book, the children who cause a rebellion to stop the madness, will it be the same for us?

Writing

I haven't actually blogged in a while, partially because with school and family I've been very busy. However the other reason is that this semester I've had to do some writing, duh English major, and it hasn't been very good. Well OK not all of it and I suppose a "B" is good for some but I wanted to do better.

The one comment I keep getting is I don't have enough voice and my transitions suck. These comments led me to start thinking about how I would teach kids to put voice in their work. Like blogging when I write I tend to hold back, worried about what the person might think when they read the piece. While I know that a writer should not be so worried about this, as long as they are writing to their attended audience, it is still something I struggle with. (So are run-on sentences, but one thing at a time).

This idea of not censuring yourself to cater to others made me think about blogging and who I admire in the blog world who write to please themselves and two blogs stand out to me for two very different reasons. First up WaystationOne aka Brian. Here is a man who can write about anything, in any format. In the three years of college and the half dozen writing classes and a lot of books, he is one of my favorite writers. As far as I can tell there isn't a subject he can't write about and no format is to hard. I laugh, cry and sometimes just sit back and think about what he's written. to me he is what a writer is meant to be and say.

The second blogger is a little different but just as powerful. Over at Life Accourding To Candice you will always be surprised, sometimes shock and other times down right embarrassed that you like reading her blog so much, though to caution those with sensitive eyes it should sometimes come in a brown wrapper. Candice writes with the most extreme honesty, I've never read anything like it, is it shocking, R rated and even X rated at times? YEP. But she writes what she feels and regardless of what people might think she says what's on her mind. Her words are witty and metaphors and similes are priceless. I hope before I leave this earth I am able to capture a little bit of her in all that I say and do.

Sunday Movies

It's Thanksgiving break and  I can read what I want for fun and get caught up on movies! Yeah Me!

First up - The Karate Kid

I liked it, though it was predictable because of course I've seen the original. My boys who I don't think have seen the original loved the Kung-fu moves at the competition. Actually I was a little worried that afterwards they were going to try them in my living room by common sense prevailed. It gets a little cheesy with scenes between the boy and girl but roll your eyes through those and the rest will slightly entertain you older people and younger guys will really like this.

The Last Airbender -

I have a son who loves this series on TV and he was so mad that he left watching the movie to come tell me how bad it was. The characters are portrayed incorrectly, even down to their names being said wrong. The story lines have been changed, etc. I asked him if he hadn't been a fan would he have liked it and he said no. I thought perhaps he was biased so I asked my other son who doesn't watch it on TV and he thought it was lame. So if you're a fan don't watch it because you'll be knit-picking it apart and if you haven't well it sounds like it would be a waste of your time.

Letters to Juliet -

This is a beautiful movie to watch but then so is any movie shot in Italy. The story line is cute and predictable. I don't know I can't really tell you much because it didn't say or do much. The acting was fine but there were moments where it felt more like cue card reading? It's rated PG so young girls can watch it, my boys thought it was dumb. I liked it because it entertained me but when I was writing this I thought that it was the scenery that kept me going not the story line.

PEOPLE ARE AWESOME

Are they talented or crazy?

Christina Perri - Jar of Hearts Official Video

Woodchucks - GEICO Commercial