Alas...

...our success could not last. My sister and I once again attempted to get my mom to watch a movie with us, but she fell asleep less than five minutes in. But in other news, I found Brave to be quite a lovely film.

I have a challenge for you today, based on how my good friend and I spent our afternoon. Go to a bookstore. Proceed to the children's section. Pick out a book (or ten), sit on the floor, and commence reading. We can all do with a small taste of childhood every now and again.

Plus, you're not going to find an Avengers movie picture book in the adult fiction section, are you now?

A Momentous Occasion

Well, momentous for my family. My sister and I got my mom to stay awake for an entire movie! I have only seen that happen two other times in the last five years: when I got her to watch Slumdog Millionare...and The Hangover. The movie in question was The Hunger Games, which my mom seemed to enjoy quite a bit--even if she did ask a lot of questions.

Anyway, here's a nice shot of sunrise at the shore to cheer up anyone who has been suffering from the cold winter weather. You know, both sand and snow are beautiful, but they are certainly frustrating in large quantities. For example:

This is snow.

This is sand.

This is snow.

This is sand.

Thank you Google images. And with that, goodnight!

A Very Productive Day

Today, I purged my room. No, not "cleaned." Purged. I am an abominable pack-rat, so I forced myself to toss out many things that had been sitting, dusty and unused, in my room for years.

I feel so much better now.

I also rearranged and redecorated, which really freshened up the space. I think that I can finally use my room as a workspace. It sounds a bit paradoxical, but cleaning really relieves stress.

So, for any of you out there reading this, I have two movie suggestions. I am sure that you have seen them advertised dozens of times on the television, but The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Les Miserables are certainly worth your time and money. I happen to be a big fan of the source material for both films, so I may be a little biased in my reviews of the movies. I'll try to keep these brief.

First, The Hobbit. It was released on December 14th, but as I had a final that day and the next, I saw it on Sunday the 16th with my father and siblings. A bit of back-story here: my dad took me to see The Fellowship of the Ring when it came out in 2001. I was nine at the time, and I felt like the coolest kid in the world because my dad took me to a PG-13 movie (the only stipulation was that I had to read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy beforehand, which is a tad difficult in the fourth grade). My dad got me a large Hi-C--the best drink for a "grownup" kid--which resulted in both of us having to run to the bathroom in the middle of the Mines of Moria. We were better prepared for the next two, longer movies in the trilogy.

Anyway, back to The Hobbit. I will not attempt to hash out the plot for you or anything like that. According to my father, I did not stop smiling for the entire movie. Could it be that I was watching my favorite book of all time playing out on the big screen? Could it be that the casting was spot on? Or that the detailed work of Weta Workshop never ceases to amaze me? The music, the sets, the panoramic views of New Zealand...it was a fest for the ears and eyes. Of course, not everything was perfect. Parts of the plot were altered or omitted. But that is just how it has to be with film adaptations of books, and I would rather see a lovingly-crafted, if a bit imperfect, movie than nothing at all.

Les Miserables. No written words can express the deep connection that I have to this musical. I have seen it five times on the stage, and my mother raised me on the soundtrack and the 10th Anniversary Performance VHS tape. The music, plot, and characters have somehow twisted with my DNA and become a part of me. My entire family saw the film last night as part of our Christmas celebrations. My brother shifted uncomfortably in his seat the whole time (he's not a musical fan), and my mom was very stoic, but my sister and dad and I shed tears during the whole three hours. If you do not like musicals at all, then you should probably avoid this movie. But if you are a fan, or if you are open to trying something new, please please please see this movie. Once again, it is imperfect, with changed lyrics and plot points and a few awkward camera shots, but it carried the feel of the musical perfectly.

And if Anne Hathaway singing "I Dreamed a Dream" does not shake you to your emotional core, then you are probably not human. Like my brother.

I will leave you with two beautiful quotes from two beautiful movies.

"Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love."

"And remember the truth that once was spoken: to love another person is to see the face of God."

Merry Christmas!

I hope that you all have had a beautiful Christmas.

Christmas Eve is come again...

I hope that you all are having a wonderful Christmas Eve. For those of us living in the Northeast, let's keep our fingers crossed for a white Christmas morning tomorrow.

My message tonight is simple: within the next day or two, watch It's a Wonderful Life. I'm serious. You will not regret it. (And if you cry...well, that's normal.)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I apologize for not posting yesterday: I had to bake cookies, work, and attend a rather long (but fun!) Christmas party. So instead of just giving you one picture to make you smile today, I'll give you two.

This is my roommate's Christmas tree this year - and her mother, according to my friend, is now regretting her decision to let her daughter decorate.

                                             Second: smile for grumpy Santa Claws :]

See what I did there? I made a pun...

...alright, I'm going to bed. Have beautiful dreams, everyone.

In Memoriam

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/26-random-acts-of-kindness

I am just going to leave this right here, as I cannot find the correct words with which to discuss this tragedy. Have a beautiful non-apocalypse.

Starting out on the wrong foot...

I apologize: I had a long day, being bounced back and forth between various relatives and events. I did have the pleasure of attending the Christmas concert at my brother's high school, though, and their finale reminded me of a video that might make you smile. Please enjoy, and have a beautiful night.

Day Two - A Short Little Story

Well, I am glad that I did not forget to do this today, and that the post will be published before midnight. I know that "short" and "little" may sound a little redundant, but nevertheless, here is a short little story I heard on the radio this evening:

I was driving to a Christmas concert with my mom, listening to the radio, when a young woman called into Delilah's show. When Delilah asked the girl who she was thinking of this Christmas, the girl said "myself." She went on to say that her life has been in a bit of turmoil lately. Her car "blew up," and had to go to the shop, and when it got out and she went to fill it up with gas, both her credit card and debit card were denied. She began to get frantic, not knowing how to pay for her gas, when the man behind her handed the cashier his card and told him to charge it for the girl's gasoline. The girl called Delilah because, while she did not know the name of her "guardian angel," she wanted to send out a thank you to all people who engage in random acts of kindness. 

I'll briefly reiterate what Delilah said in response. It is very important to engage in random acts of kindness - and if you happen to be the recipient, pay it forward. You'll never know how you may affect somebody's life. 

Have a beautiful evening! 

I almost forgot!

So, silly me, I promised to start posting on this blog daily, and I forgot already. Anyway, for today, I would like to present to you my favorite Christmas song as performed by one of the most talented singers around. Have a beautiful night!

Shall we try this again?

Salutations! So, I did a bad thing. I promised myself that I would keep up with this blog during the summer...and then I forgot. Well, perhaps "forgot" is not the most accurate term. It would be better to say that I was distracted. You see, I had just barely gotten home from school when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, which sent my family on a quite a wild ride.

Six months later, my mother is doing fine, thanks to love, support, and the blessing of early detection. Our lives and outlooks have changed, to be sure. It is important to use events such as these to strengthen, rather than weaken, ourselves. But enough of this for the moment. I would like to make another promise, to whoever out there may be reading this. I promise that I will post, for at least every day that I am home for Christmas break, something to help you have a beautiful day.