Becky's Greatest Hits Vol. II

I didn't watch the Oscars, but I was happy to hear that Colin and Natalie both won. I haven't yet gotten to see "The King's Speech" but I've never been unhappy with a Colin Firth flick. And yes, I did love "Black Swan". My love of Colin goes back over a few movies, but I have one very fond memory of him from the Bridget Jones 2 movie. It wasn't the best of the B.J. series, but I had to see it since I loved the first movie and loved the books. There is a character in the film named Rebecca and in one scene he says to her when she answers the door, "who is it Becky?" I remember turning to my friend beside me in the theater, Barbara, and saying "Colin said my name!" He will never know, but Colin and I will always have that moment.....

Had a good weekend despite starting off a little bit under the weather and coping with some emotional issues from the past that keep popping up repeatedly. I'm trying to decide how visible I want to continue to be with blogging, FB and other social media. I will need to think on this for a bit..... The rest of the weekend was good though......time with E-Roc, time with Little Boy, a dinner date out, managed to see some local bands, do some yoga, went to Crowder's Mountain and even pulled out some spring clothes.....whew! No wonder I'm so sleepy today......that and the fact that I can't stay out until midnight on a school night anymore!!!!!

Whenever I finish a Ken Follett book, I'm both happy and sad.....sad to see the end of it but happy (and accomplished!) for finishing these massive stories. After The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End I felt like I had a pretty good understanding of the Middle Ages. And with Fall of Giants I know I have learned more about WWI than I ever picked up in school. I don't remember barely studying WWI at all now that I think of it.....and kind of a shame too now that I see how The Great War impacted many wars to come and the fall-out for European countries for generations. With cooperation from Little Boy I expect to put this book to bed this weekend......and then I'll have to wait for the second book of the trilogy.....how will I survive??? Actually I also have Twilight waiting on my shelf. Yes, I appear to be one of the last grown women in the world to not get into this sparkly vampire series. But now I HAVE TO read it since my sister gave me a copy for my bi

I've always loved decorating magazines, but finally there's a site for peeps like me in small spaces.

I think I might be a little obsessed with looking at this site . But how can I help it when I've always liked looking in people's windows when their curtains are pulled back???

Days like today remind me that...... spring is just around the corner winter won't last forever all wounds eventually heal life goes on all things work themselves out one way or another life is what you make it and it's never as bad as you think. I got all that just from walking out to the mailbox in the industrial office park.........

In the cute little flick You've Got Mail , Meg Ryan's delightful children's bookstore owner character recommends the famous "Shoe Books" by Noel Streatfeild in addition to many other great reads for her wee customers. Well.....I may not own a bookstore, but I can do that! I realized I have quite a few mothers in my life right now with daughters aged 5 to 9 or so, and while I may not always know what is hip to the girls these days I do know some books that truly endure. First off, you can't ever beat Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. It's all about friendship, being different and even touches on death. And while that's a hard subject to ever get into with your kid, sometimes a book about animals may be the best way to get started. Striped Ice Cream by Joan Lexau may have flown under your radar but it so worth the time to find. Set in the late 1960's it follows Becky, the youngest daughter of a family struggling in Chicago. Even though i

I had a great birthday.....got out of the office for a while....had fun lunch with coworkers.....received cute gifts and cards.....spent time with Little Boy, Big Sis and E-Roc......went out to dinner and even did a little shopping. But even with all that, I still like to always get a little birthday gift from myself to myself and this is what I chose this year. So far, 36 doesn't look at all bad.......

Weekend........

E-Roc and I are having so much fun on our new vinyl-hounding hobby! Over the weekend we visited one of our fave used record/CD/DVD shops and found a few great items. I got a Mamas and the Papas album that my mom had when I was a kid and also got this Grease soundtrack for my Big Sis. Making great finds at great prices is fun, but the real treat is in the search. We left with our fingers all blackened and memories of all the great 45's and albums we used to have. Visit Manifest in Charlotte to get your own record collection back on track! It's so fun to get home and put these on the record player......such a walk back in time! Next stop on the record hunt: Lunchbox Records also in Charlotte. We'll keep you posted........

Dear New Downstairs Neighbor: Leaving your dog outside on the deck from midnight until 1 am to yap his fool head off does nothing to create a good first impression on your neighbors. Especially on your first night in the complex. Oh, and moving furniture and yelling loudly while normal people are sleeping doesn't make us want to invite you to the next cocktail party. I'm just sayin. Might want to think about all that before midnight tonight. Sincerely, Your Upstairs Neighbors With a Very Long Lease Who Always Pay Their Rent Ahead of Time

After I wrote my first post, I floated around and read some pieces about how sexist, violent and misogynistic the entire culture of football is. As a woman myself, I felt compelled to respond. First off, I know all about the accusations against Big Ben. Who doesn't? Of course it's not okay. And yes, I have my doubts about his innocence when he's been accused more than once. There are also accusations against several Green Bay guys including Clay Matthews. Secondly, I am aware of the statistic that Super Bowl Sunday sees more domestic violence attacks on women by their partners than any other day of the year. Third, I also read about all of the prostitutes and "sex slaves" trafficked into the Dallas area expressly for the many horny men sure to be in town for the Super Bowl. Fourth, the vary aura of football is one of violence and aggression. It is an intense game that often involves a great deal of violent plays that can cause injury, sometimes fights between

I'm not a person who cares terribly about football, but I do think Super Bowl Sunday is always exciting. What's better than making a party out of watching a sports event? My take on the evening: 1) A very good game.....could not be considered any kind of blow-out....both teams were really great. 2) I don't care what any sports commentator or blog says today.....Troy played a great game.....he is my MVP all the way. 3) Christina Aguillera was okay. Like a lot of people, I don't need a lot of fancy-pants trills in my National Anthem. 4) The NFL-sponsored commercial that featured all of the different sitcom characters wearing NFL gear was the best of the night. Roseanne Barr getting knocked on her ass was pretty good too. 5) The Black-Eyed Peas are perfect for that kind of show, but the surprise appearance of Slash made it all worthwhile. 6) The player who was captured shedding a tear during the National Anthem touched my heart......why shouldn't he get choked up...

If you know and understand as little as I did (and I think most people) about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, then you need to see Restrepo . It's not the kind of movie that really makes you feel good, but I felt like it was something I should have seen a long time ago once I did. And no matter what your politics are or feelings about U.S. deployment may be, this is the kind of reality programming you should be watching.