Music Monday

Good Morning everyone, and happy Memorial Day. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do for Music Monday- I didn’t want to ignore Memorial Day- but I also don’t have much to say, and so many have posted such eloquent and heartfelt blogs that my little Thank you to those who serve seems inadequate.

So I asked my husband, who is ex- Army Ranger, what I should do. My husband who spent most of his time in the military causing as much trouble as possible suggested ‘Blood On Risers’.

I rolled my eyes, as I do frequently then he smiled and suggested the Dixie Chicks ‘Soldier’.  Which makes me cry- and he knows it, but it is a great song.

Finally hubby said ‘Bellou Woods’ by Garth Brooks. Because what we fought for, and what our soldiers now are fighting for is peace. And it is possible, if only for a few minutes.

Thank you to all the soldiers sacrificing to protect those they love and the strangers they have never met.

Alica

PS- I will work on trying to put the videos into my blog.  I don’t know why it won’t work- I’ve tried three different computers.

Foreign Film Friday

Friday

This is my first installment of Foreign Film Friday. My family and I enjoy watching foreign films. They give us a glimpse into other cultures, unique plot lines, and you don’t know how they will end as their ‘movie formulas’ are different.
For my first movie I’m reviewing “Dhoom 2”. This is a Bollywood movie- so there is singing and dancing, beautiful outfits, many costumes changes, and the sudden use of English slang in the middle of the Hindi.
This movie is full of action and music. The actors are fabulous Hirithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachan, Aishwarya Rai, Uday Chopra, and Bipasha Basu.  The songs are great- my daughter bought the CD, and the dancing amazing.
I had ten kids- most of who can’t read well enough to keep up with the subtitles- sit with me and watch this three-hour movie. This is a really fun and lighthearted way to introduce yourself to Bollywood.

Dhoom 2 is about a man ‘A’ who is a master thief and described by the police as ‘cool’. In fact he is so cool that he makes an aluminum can magnetic! A is a master of disguise and the police are stumped so they have Sunehri, a lovely thief who always refer to herself in the third person, gain A’s confidence. Our cops Jai- the bad ass and Ali- the goof ball, follow A and Sunehri to Brazil in order to try to catch him. Amazing escapes, perfect abs, extraordinary costumes, and  beautiful landscapes frame the plot and unique songs and dances which are a blend of traditional Indian and new hip-hop styles. Prepare to dance in your seat and laugh your ass off at this campy fun Bollywood romantic action adventure.
This movie is safe for the whole family (there is one weird scene with a gun but no one gets hurt.) I don’t remember any cussing, and of course there is no sex. I think they kiss once, maybe twice.

Sorry- my computer is acting up again and I can’t get it to post the link as a video- but go and check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLkHTl_Ct4E&feature=relmfu

Alica

Wise, Witty and Wacky Wednesday

Today I have a quote for you. I love quotes in my YA novel each chapter starts with a  quote. My plan is to posts quotes here that are simply too long to work for my novel, but moved me.

“There are very few human beings who receive the truth, complete and staggering, by instant illumination. Most of them acquire it fragment by fragment, on a small-scale, by successive developments, cellularly, like a laborious mosaic.”

-Anais Nin

I am in the middle of a period of rediscovery of who I am. Not only am I working on seeing myself as a writer, I am also a mom of kids who go to school- after homeschooling for years. If these weren’t enough changes I have come to realize that my mom who did the best she could with what she had was an emotionally and mentally abusive person. I was good at staying on her good side and was shocked after talking to my family at how she had treated them. I didn’t really know my mom.

I have chosen to do a 100 day meditation on my mom to try and discover who I am, what I’m holding onto and how that relates back to her. I have been shocked at the discoveries, and I’ve only done it for 35 days. What else will I discover about myself as I go through this process?

At 37 I didn’t expect to still be figuring out who I am. But that’s okay. Life is a journey and a process, and a constant balancing act and re-invention of ones self.

What discoveries have you made about yourself recently? Do you search for yourself or do hidden truths seem to sneak up on you in dark alleys and jump you when you least expect it?

Alica

Hello everyone! Here is a crazy song I found back in 2007 when I found out about the Eurovison Song Contest.  It’s odd, but makes me happy. I hope it brightens your day.

Alica

Wise, Witty, and Wacky Wednesday

Wednesday is my day to share odd bits of wisdom, quotes, videos, etc that made me laugh, or ponder my life, or ask questions. Today I am sharing one of my daughters favorite GoCheeksGo videos.- Work It Like It’s Fluffy.

I have two areas in my life where I try to ‘work it likes it’s fluffy’.

I have a difficult time calling myself an author because I haven’t published anything yet. I have written a book (120,00 words) and it is being edited. I have plans for this book.  I’ve even sent out query letters. I know that to succeed I need to see myself as an author. Some days that is very difficult.

I weight more than I want to, and more than is healthy for me. But I still need to love and appreciate my body. It is amazing and I’m working on making myself more amazing, and healthy, and strong, and flexible. If I start hating myself and how I look I get depressed, and  I eat, and then I start lots of negative self talk. So I work it like it’s fluffy and I pick out clothes that look good on me as I am right now. I wear things I like, and I flirt with my husband, and I feel better.

So the questions today How do you work it like it’s fluffy?

Music Monday

I love music, and I adore music from other countries. One of the first foreign songs that I listened to over and over is Kiss Kiss by Tarkan. You might have heard an English version, but it’s more fun in Turkish, and Tarkan is so pretty – those green eyes- although I like him better with long hair.

Welcome

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