Scribble and Scrambles - Flying Toasters

You know how it is...you wake up early in the morning planning on going about your business and getting your ducks in a row. Only one more step before you slip out the door and head to work.

You slide two Pop-tarts into the slots.

The LAST Pop-tarts.

Now this particular toaster has maybe been in the family for a few years. Occasionally there is a little flare-up within the workings of the toaster.

One could consider it temperamental, others might just call it acting up.

A new toaster rests in a cupboard awaiting the iffy toaster's imminent demise.

But certain family members can't quite bring it upon themselves to get rid of a perfectly good toaster. The issues are rare, really, and what's a burnt piece of toast in the scheme of things? Especially when there are two hounds who would consider overly browned bread a treat.

Enter the Pop-tarts. Did I mention they were strawberry?

So, have you ever seen a toaster fly?

The new one is working great.

Hope you have a perfect Pop-tart day.

Super Cinema Saturday ~ The Jane Austen Book Club

The Jane Austen Book Club - 4 of 5 stars or a B.

Jane Austen's books overwhelm me with the number of characters. I have to be exposed to her stories more than once to fully feel like I get her world. "Book Club" is a movie not unlike Jane's books in that way. It's a movie that needs to be watched more than once to begin to see the inner workings within the characters.

I read several reviews before renting Book Club and decided I needed to see it for myself. I understand what the issues are with the folks who didn't care for the movie. For starters, this isn't a G-rated historical romance like Austen's beloved novels. It's set in modern day and the movie actually opens with scenes of chaos in the busyness of daily living. Ringing cellphones, automated transactions and traffic. Then it moves into a funeral scene. The characters begin to plan something to help the bereaved and suddenly there is another crisis -- a death of a marriage. The characters, a group of old and new friends, need something good to focus on.

So they choose to meet for six months and cover a different Jane Austen title each month, hoping to bring romance and genteelity back into some hurting lives.

These are the complaints I picked up in other reviews.

The sexuality aspects of the movie are moderately strong. If you are a concerned parent, by all means watch it first. The major sexual themes -- a teacher with an emotionally, borderline physically inappropriate relationship with a student, a marriage suffering from an affair, another marriage on the verge, a young lesbian with more than one partner throughout the film, a woman married six times and still looking for lucky number seven.

The second complaint about the movie seems to be the lack of Jane Austen's works in the film. Yes and no. The "book" discussions are short and there is very little actual Jane Austen prose shared with the audience. Instead you are given glimpses of each character devouring a different book each month. Interestingly the book club members' and their relationships end up looking like little slivers of Austen's characters. For example, Emma surfaces in 3-D when Jocelyn tries to fix her broken friend's life by finding the perfect man. Jocelyn doesn't need a man, of course, until he seems to be looking elsewhere. Young Allegra who gives her heart away and receives it back crushed and yet enters rapidly into another relationship not unlike Marianne and Willoughby. Or maybe Allegra and Corrine are the modern version of Mr. Wickham and Lydia Bennet.

The third issue with the negative reviews was the lack of character development and/or the miracle changes of heart. Two marriages, one with an affair, another with an emotional affair that could ruin a career as well, a woman in her forties who has never been in love, a young man in love with a woman a decade or so older, a lesbian who loves with all her heart one day and hates her lover the next.

True, these are huge issues, but this movie takes place over months as they meet to discuss the books and we are given only glimpses of time throughout that month. So what seems fast, unbelievable and overnight is not fully the case. And having been married for twenty-six years, I can completely believe that one person who begins to think differently can change the whole flavor of the marriage overnight, if the thinking truly changes. That's what crisis does, changes people. And there are plenty of crises.

Overall, I really enjoyed the movie. The characters were rich and interesting and I ended up caring about them. It encouraged me that both marriages seemed to flourish once they got beyond the pain and made better choices. I think "Book Club" could be a great girls night movie, or a date movie if you have realistic expectations.

Next week I'm hoping to be able to review Lars and the Real Girl. Of all the movies I want to see this year...Lars is at the top of the pile.

Serials and Scenarios - Nicole Seitz's Trouble the Waters

Click on the beautiful book cover to visit the Amazon page. Nicole's website is here, and her Dregs interview, here.



My Review:


Nicole Seitz is an artist. Literary fiction lovers might want to check into her further.

Through a group of Gullah women, Seitz reveals the fascinating spirit, superstitions and cultural richness as she revisits the Low Country once again. Though Trouble the Water is not a sequel to Spirit of Sweetgrass Seitz revisits settings that are obviously as fascinating to her as to her readers.

This is the type of novel I love to curl up with and savor. Seitz brought three first-person point of view characters to life as they relived sorrow and shame, choices and consequences. Honor, Alice, Duchess and The Nannies live and breath through Seitz's words. And what stories they tell.

This is not an easy read. Christian fiction, yes, traditional, no. Seitz writes with realism including sin and consequences, hypocrisy and the damage done through it. There is no salvation prayer at the end and very subtle gospel sharing, so those who expect a strong gospel message within their Christian fiction may be disappointed. In addition, the superstitions and beliefs of the characters may stomp on some toes. However, those who are hungry for honest, transparent stories about tragedy and sorrow, and hope and restoration need to look further into Seitz's novels.

Serials and Scenarios - Brandilyn Collins' Amber Morn

Click on the book cover to visit Amazon. Click here to read Brandilyn's previous Dregs interview and here to visit her place.

My Review:

Amber Morn is a big departure from the previous books in the series. Far more of a character compilation and focused heavily at the Java Joint. When I cracked the cover and read the first few pages I was uncertain how I'd end up feeling when it was all said and done. A group of gunmen and a public place full of innocents is ripped from way too many newspapers in way too many cities. I was far more horrified than if a minor character had shown up dead and I got to watch the mystery and horror unfold. This time I was forced to walk through the unfolding horror with no clue who might come out alive and who might not. Chickens beware, Amber Morn is intense.

Nearing the end I began to think there was no way this could turn out pretty or even be resolved. Collins is a masterful writer. She pulled it off and it was believable. Interestingly, I'm glad she has closed the Kanner Lake series. I care enough about the characters that I want Collins to leave them alone and let them get on with the activities of living, in all meanings of the word. I'm glad a sneak peek at her next series shows up at the end of the book. I'm ready to follow her where she's headed next. If you are a Collins fan, you will be, too.

Scribble and Scrambles - A Mother's Sigh

I find the picture of baby porcupines to be the perfect accompaniment to a post about mother pain.

A mother sees the tiny exposed tender underbelly of her child and does what she can to protect it. While the child, especially when reaching a certain age, embraces the quills and doesn't hesitate to use them.

One mother I know struggles with a child who is ill. Very ill. Tender underbelly. The same mom is fending off quills from another child who doesn't quite know how to express fear and sorrow appropriately.

Another mother has raised her family and has opened her home to foster children. After three not-so-wonderful situations she is the unpaid babysitter for a child who was returned to an unhealthy home environment. Did I mention my friend got the baby at mere days of age and had to return the child the day before the first birthday. Now, my friend is willing to do what she can to give this baby a glimpse of love and hope. The few words the child knows are crass and four letter.

Another mother just let go of a little birdie, er...porcupine, who really has no business leaving the nest. This mom envisions a whole season of hard-earned lessons for her baby.

I see this in my own set of two parents. Good grief, I have gray hair (yes, X-ta, more than 25%) yet my parents, and my husband's parents have come to our rescue, given us advice, bandaged us up and sent us out the door again. More often than not, they've nursed a quill wound before the crisis is over.

Sigh.

I want my children to grow up and become the potential that lurks inside of them, begging to get out. But I know that they have to find their own way to that place of wisdom and contentment.

My respect level towards the generation before mine has grown by leaps and bounds. I hope my parents can see a glimpse of wisdom and grace within me.

Pass me the bandages and quill snippers, would ya?

Super Cinema Saturday ~ Juno

I'm going to drop by with some movie reviews now and again. I think I'll pick Saturdays so I can call them Super Cinema Saturday. How's that for clever. And speaking of clever...here is the first offical SCS review.

click on the picture to visit Amazon's Juno page.

Description: Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) is a cool, confident teenager who takes a nine-month detour into adulthood when she's faced with an unplanned pregnancy-and sets out to find the perfect parents for her baby. With the help of her charmingly unassuming boyfriend (Michael Cera), supportive dad (J.K Simmons) and no-nonsense stepmom (Allison Janney), Juno sets her sights on an affluent couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) longing to adopt their first child.

My Review:

Juno is one of the most talked about movies of the year, hailed by some, scorned by others. I had the chance to watch it a couple of days ago. Sometimes I feel the need to write a review right away, other experiences compel me to stew over what I read or watched. Juno is a stew movie.

For starters, I'm going to warn cautious parents of young teenagers and tweens to view it before letting their kids loose with Juno. This film is a typical coming of age movie in that sexuality is a very strong theme. Several sexual comments, body part comments and situations that feel inappropriate and seem headed toward a creepy place, pepper the film. There is no overt sexual activity, but there are scenes with clothing being removed and obviously naked, strategically placed persons. Though the cussing is less than I expected, some coarse comments are made in some unexpected scenes. I believe the f-bomb appeared once as a non-verbal and once as a verbal. There are other smatterings of language that are pretty low-key. The screenwriters apparently believe the statement..."cussing shows you lack creativity."

That said, I can now tell you what I loved about the film. The characters are quirky, engaging and people I would likely grow to call friends. Juno plays fragile/tough/transparent and naive all in the typical adolescent roller coaster. She's creative, cynical and fresh. I loved Juno's sarcastic, dry dad and her off-the-wall stepmother. The family, dysfunctional in a loving and bizarrely respectful way, works and radiates a borderline healthy relationship. Juno's confidence and convictions are innocent and sweet and make her character multi-dimensional in all the right ways. Her support system is a delight to watch as they help her through things that are, as stated by Juno, way beyond her maturity level.

Juno's opening credits are creative, a blend of reality and animation that gives a hint that the filmmakers will deliver a visually satisfying film. They do. The dialogue is fabulous. Fans of Napoleon Dynamite might want to check out this meatier, edgier slice of cinema. Fans of Dan in Real Life will probably find much to like in the characters interactions. If you like to laugh and tear up within the same movie, check out Juno.

Scribbles and Scrambles - A Year of Forwards in Review

I'm hard at work cleaning out my e-mail. I have saved some frightening things. I alternate between scratching my head in confusion and laughing out loud at the stuff I've forgotten.

Here are some highlights.




Yeah, hook this clumsy chick up with some of those bad boys.









Very creative. Hey, is that my van?

Happy Spring!!!!!









I'm sure there will be more of these little gems...stay tuned.