Becky's Greatest Hits Vol. II

Again, about 5 years behind on anything cool, I recently binged Season 1 of How to Get Away With Murder.  Crime and investigative shows aren't usually my thing......okay, I call them "murder shows" but this one is pretty good and fairly addictive.  Even watching it on a binge over about 5 or so days, I was still shocked at the end, so I can imagine how weekly watchers must have felt at the season's end.  And even though the ongoing mystery is still not solved by the end of the 1st season, I don't think I'll continue.  The overarching icky feeling that I get from "murder shows" isn't worth it to me.  However, one cannot overlook the beautiful and talented cast, the smart and quick writing, the plot twists and the magical goddess-like being that is Viola Davis.  Those reasons alone might pull me back to another season the next time I have some spare time on my hands. 

Being the scaredy cat that I am, I am much more inclined to watch a well-crafted documentary than a horror movie.  This is just such a documentary following events that occurred in Point Pleasant, West Virginia in 1966-67.  Or actually, events reaching back to the 1700's that seem to culminate with the collapse of the Silver Bridge in 1967 .  Do some reading and give this doc a look....you'll be as intrigued as I was! Also, apparently there is still  all kinds of interest in the story which includes festivals, a statue and other special events.  Check out the ongoing fascination over here .

"Honey, you know it makes you mad Why is everybody telling everybody what you have done? Baby, I know it makes you sad But when they're handing out the heartaches You know you got to have you some......."

(In continuance of posts on my wistful 1980's childhood, I now present the arcade games I most enjoyed.  And remember, back then, these games were a quarter a play!  If you ever feel nostalgic for old arcade games, I suggest you frequent an adult arcade in your area.  With all of us Gen Xers longing for our roots, they tend to crop up all over the place!)        If you go to an arcade as an adult, you may find yourself saying things like "it actually smells like an old arcade." Dig-Dug Frogger Donkey Kong. Tried to play this as an adult and couldn't get ANYWHERE!   Centipede  My sis and I always preferred Ms. Pac-Man to plain old Pac-Man. Not sure why.  My sis was a friggin genius on this! Pole Position The only driving game I ever tried and still couldn't play!

Sometimes life hurts.  But sometimes that's supposed to happen. My grandmother fell and broke her hip a few years ago.  Ever since then, she has been in a nursing home near where I live.  To see my ever-industrious and independent Mam-Maw so needy and dependent on others has been hard.  And humbling. I've been hesitant to talk about my feelings about my grandmother's health with anyone besides my husband.  It's just too hard.  And brings up feelings from the past that I'd rather not think about.  Maybe here is as good a place as any to purge. When I was growing up, I only had one set of grandparents.  My mother's father had died before I was born and her mother was fairly estranged from our family.  So growing up and all through my life, I've had essentially one grandmother.  My Mam-Maw, as I have always known her, has always been a sturdy and strong woman in my eyes.  She has always worked hard, been very self-reliant and ver...

Hands down one of the best memoirs I've read in a while for it's utter truth and honesty.  I think a lot of amateur readers go for celebrity memoirs looking for dirt and scandal.  Mature readers go for insight and character, and sheesh, does Sally bring it here.  From her early childhood in the "house of women", to abuse by a stepfather, to a summer of folly and teenage stardom, to honing her craft and finding her voice.....every step is a building block to becoming.  And look at what she became.  The romance with Burt Reynolds didn't shock me, but it did disappoint me.  Reminded me a lot of the romance of Linda Thompson with the ailing Elvis .  As a lifetime lover of all things Sally , reading this book was a no-brainer.  Often when I read books, I want to reach out to the author personally (and sometimes do) to thank them for their contribution and what it meant to me.  This is memoir is no exception.  So thank you, Ms. Field....

I've always admired Willie Nelson as more of a poet and songwriter than an actual singer himself.  Kinda the same way I feel about the great Bob Dylan.  But sadly, this memoir fell a little flat.  I expected a little more excitement from one of the original heathens of country music.  He definitely pays his homage to the great cowboys and singers that influenced him, gives great due respect to his family and even to his wives, but something was still missing.  Maybe he's just too much of a gentleman to give too much away.  Or maybe it's all already out there!  Everybody knows he loves pot, used to love to chase women and had problems with the IRS.  Throw in a couple of anecdotal stories with famous people, and you're pretty much done here.  Easy summer read though, so there's that. I did appreciate that he made clear that artists today need to get behind something he has always known: you make your money on the road.  That old-schoo...

I never had strong feelings one way or another about Katey Sagal, but this book made me a fan!  With a bit of an unusual (or maybe pretty typical actually) Hollywood childhood, Katey grew up strong, determined and full of grit.  Maybe that's how she came to be known for such solid characters: Peg Bundy and Gemma Teller Morrow .  I think her stories of parenting spoke to me the most though.  When she said she had a daughter that didn't call home every day and she knew that was part of her raising her to be strong and independent, I thought of my own parents.  It doesn't mean there's no love....it means there's confidence and boundaries.  And those things go both ways.  I also loved the way she admitted she wasn't ready to get older and still felt young and sexual.  It's like a woman isn't allowed to admit that these days, and I really respected that kind of honesty.  This is a great memoir for a strong woman.  And sorry to say, w...

(A post brought to readers in an effort to keep this world light and fanciful in light of all the darkness around us at times.  Join me and stepping away from our current reality from time to time.)   This was all the rage when it came out!  My whole family would play it together.  I loved building toys! My big sis always won. To me, it was a very frustrating game with all the skips and draw 4's and such! I loved creative toys!  Dolls from the She-Ra Princess of Power series.  I didn't have them all, but I had a few. More building toys! My sis and I were scared of the buzz! My dad is the only person I knew who could complete a Rubik's Cube. I didn't actually own this toy, but I always played with it at my neighbor's house! My sister and I played quite a bit. I really, really liked creative toys. My sister, cousin and I all had one of these floppy-headed Snoopy dolls.  I think I...

  Event takes place at 7 pm this evening at BOA Stadium in Downtown Charlotte

(Y'all will have to excuse me while I write a love letter to this memoir and to Tommy Tomlinson and drop the word "love" more than I ever have in a blog post ever.) The best thing about reading this book is that I could hear it in my head in Tommy Tomlinson's voice.  As a regular contributor to the local WFAE station, I would know that soft, raspy voice in my sleep. The next best thing about reading this book?  READING THIS BOOK!  Honestly, it was just so relatable in its complete Southerness, its humility and its honesty.  I only THOUGHT I loved Tommy before!  There's so much to love in this book: the quest for health, the love of family, the big local stories that so many of us lived through.....even a short REM anecdote from his college days in Athens!  But at its heart is a humble man bearing his soul and his foibles.  In this day of brash exuberance and "we the best" mentality, isn't that a tad refreshing?  But there's mo...