Top 5 favorite Christmas movies

Now that Thanksgiving is officially over, it's now time to focus our attentions to Christmas and all that entails. One of the things I love to do during this time is to watch some movies that are only acceptable to watch during the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here are the top 5 (I know, there are many other movies that are classics) that I always make a point of watching.

1. Elf
2. How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Jim Carry version)
3. White Christmas
4. The Santa Clause Trilogy
5. It's A Wonderful Life

What are some of your favorite Christmas movies to watch?

The Rookie

Guess what happened this week?!?!? The newest episode of The Rookie came out!!!

I can't stop encouraging people to watch this show when they ask me for recommendations for shows to watch! If you don't want a spoiler for the show, then don't read the rest of this post. If you DO want some info about the show, read on.


This show is about a 40ish year old, recently divorced man who goes through a mid-life crisis after his divorce. The crisis he's chosen for himself? Leave his well-paying construction job, sell his house, move to LA, enter the police academy, and join the police department. Thus begins the first season of The Rookie, where we follow the life of police rookie David Nolan (played by Nathan Fillion) as he learns on the job how difficult becoming a police officer is, and the added difficulty of being the oldest rookie in the departments history (if not ever).

The second season has started out with the probation/training period coming to a close and Nolan is going through the last round of tests before becoming a full-fledged police officer.


I CANNOT WAIT for the rest of the season!! I can already tell that there'll be more exciting discoveries David Nolan will have to go through as he learns how to be an actual cop without any sort of crutch (i.e. a T.O. or anything like that).


I highly encourage anyone who loves cop shows to start watching this series. I have found it to be semi educational (if the procedures they use on the show are accurate for the LA police department) and wildly entertaining (as I do with any of Nathan Fillion's shows/movies).

What Do I Do To Keep Organized?

How do I keep my life organized? That's a question I ask myself all the time. It all comes from my upbringing. My parents (aka, my mother) taught me to always keep a list/checklist to keep myself focused.

As most of my readers know, I was homeschooled my whole life. This means that my mother was my teacher for about 95-98% of my schooling. Because she was my teacher, and the fact that I come from a large family, she made a weekly checklist for each of us so we would know what was expected of us when it came time for school.

In my senior year of high school, she trusted me enough to create my own checklist of things to get done for school. That's when I started my current checklist of things to get done. How do I do it? Let me tell you.

I take a yellow legal pad and go day-by-day for a week, listing what I have to do each day. When in school, I would start with Monday. I'd put the date after the day of the week and then put down what I needed to accomplish for each subject that day. Then, I'd move to Tuesday, eventually making my way through the week through Friday. Usually, my Saturdays and Sundays were extremely free and therefore didn't need to be written out. I'd also put in my work schedule for the week. While in high school, I babysat every Wednesday night and every other Thursday morning. I'd also babysit randomly for people from church, so it was always a good idea to keep a record of what I needed to get done each week so I didn't over book myself.

When I went to college, this became an invaluable habit/skill. Since I had anywhere from four to six classes (some with a lab) that happened at different times on different days, it was good to have a pre-set system for keeping up with what was due when. Unlike high school, college was a bit more strenuous. So, to help myself see the bigger picture for each semester, I bought a monthly planner for each year I was in college and wrote down the assignments for each class on each day that they were due. Each class was written in a different colored pen to help with how much was needed to be done for each day. This is where I got the information to fill out my yellow legal pad checklist. Also, I worked anywhere from 2 to 5 part time jobs during college. So, knowing when I was working a particular job, on top of what homework I needed to get done, meant that I NEEDED to keep a detailed checklist to stay sane.

Now, after being out of school for several years, I don't use the same checklist system that I did. Yes, I'll make checklists if I need it, but since I don't have so many variables in my day-to-day life like I did when in school, I can just use a calendar on the fridge or on my phone to know when I have the rare day that's different.

One Thing To Do Today

Today, I don't have to go into work, so I have several things to get done around the house. It's mainly the usual suspects: laundry, dishes, sweeping, dusting, washing windows, and mowing the yard just to name a few.

So far, the one thing I've gotten marked off that list is to mow the yard. If you are familiar with my current lawn mower situation, you'll know that my mower was out of commission for a few weeks. To make a long story short, the spark plug was unhooked due to either a stick or rock that hit it.

When I went out, it took me quite a bit of time to finish the main portion of mowing due to the grass growing freakishly fast and thick in areas. My back yard backs up to a fenced in area that I'm sure has housed cows or some other animal at one point in time because there's still a barbed wire fence up and the grass along the fence line is the area that caused the longest time to get through. Between working and the rain, I've not had the time to mow the back yard like I should, causing the grass to grow up to m knees.

That's one thing I've accomplished today, but I still have many things to get to before I can call today a done deal. What have you accomplished today?

What's My Must See Show This Fall

September 29, 2019.

That's the air date for a T.V. show that I'm most looking forward to. I've been looking forward to the next season since the end of April.

Of course, by now, you might be asking yourself: "What T.V. show is she talking about?" Let me tell you about this show.

The show I've found that I've fallen in love with is "The Rookie" starring Nathan Fillion. It's a story about a Las Angeles Police Department (LAPD) rookie who just happens to be the oldest one in the departments history. He has to prove himself as not being just another middle-aged man going through a mid-life crisis, but as an officer to be taken seriously.

I started watching this show for two reasons. 1) The show stars Nathan Fillion. For any and all of the sci-fi geeks out there, like me, you know what I mean. For those who don't, let me fill you in. Nathan Fillion is the star of a T.V. Show called "Firefly." I recommend that you go watch that show, just to get an appreciation of what #1 really means. 2) I like to watch cop shows, and this show seemed to have a different perspective from the plethora of cop shows that I've seen before. This show goes through what it takes to be a police officer out on the streets. It shows all of the different sides these officers go through: physically, emotionally, and mentally.

What About Fall Am I Looking Most Forward To?

Most people have a favorite season of the year. Also, there are certain things about each season that most people like more than others aspects.

For me, there are some things about fall that I like better than others. How many of these things do you like as well?

1. The colors of the trees when they change
2. Thanksgiving
3. Pumpkin flavored coffee
4. Candy Corn
5. The smell of a pile of leaves
6. The slight chill in the air on a slightly foggy morning
7. Knee-high boots and scarves

A Must For School

How many of you are getting ready for high school this month? How many of you know someone who is going into high school?

You may be going into your senior year, or getting ready to start your high school career, but that doesn't mean you still can't use some tips on how to survive the school year.

As an English major, I've always loved to write. As a high school English teacher, I've always loved to share any tips or tricks I've learned along the way to those who need them the most.

This book, High School Study Tips, is an eBook that I've written to help high school students swim through the jungle called high school. Some of these tips and tricks lend themselves to middle school students, but most of the information is geared towards high school.

If there is anything that I've missed in the eBook, let me know, and I will make adjustments as needed.

National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

Today is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day. There aren't many of these types of "holidays" that I pay much attention to, but this one is very special to me and my family.

One of my grandfather's loved ice cream sandwiches. August 2 also happens to be his birthday. Unfortunately for me and my family, he passed away about fifteen years ago. Ever since his passing, my family and I always eat an ice cream sandwich in memory of him, not because it's some fun national holiday.

A Tiny Step Towards My Dream

I've listed a link to my bucket list. The items listed there are what I've dreamed of doing my whole life. Today, I've decided that I want to share what I'm doing to help get me closer to one of those dreams.

The last item listed on the page Bucket List deals with my writing. This is the thing that I've been working towards most in that I'm actively working on it.

I've talked about this topic several times within the last year. The first time I talked about it, it was to share the topic of what each novel/story was about. The second time I talked about it, it was to ask for accountability. The third time I talked about it, it was about what it would take to go from creation of the story to publication. Today, I'd like to talk about how I've taken the step closer towards getting my dream of finishing a story and one day getting it published.

I've been focusing on three stories currently. The story about Peter Pan is one of them, if you go back to September from last year, the post from the 7th will detail what that one is about. The second story is about the trials I talked about in the post from March 20th. The third one I've been focusing on is in the form of an anthology of short stories that I'm going to write.

The anthology is about a man who finds a typewriter in his great uncles attic that allows a person to time travel into history. These stories are going to focus on American History for this anthology. I have an idea to possibly do an anthology of British History, but we'll see what happens with the American one first.

I'm still in the manuscript step of the process of writing. If anyone would like to become a beta reader for any of the three stories I've mentioned in this post, please leave a comment below and I will get into contact with you about how to help out.

New Addition

If you keep up with my blog on a regular basis, you'll notice a new addition to the side bar. I've just recently started recording a podcast that deals with my love: English.

My hopes for this podcast is to use it as an outlet for what I like to, but don't have the time to do in the classroom. Don't get me wrong, being in a classroom is great, but there are some things I can't do in a public school. Having a podcast that deals with what I do in an English classroom will hopefully give me an avenue to explore why things were written without fear of dismissal due to what is said. Please don't read into that last sentence as my being a terrorist or anything, but when a teacher teaches in the public schools, there are certain things that can and cannot be said, mainly to do with religious views and beliefs.

If you'd like to start listening to my podcast, follow the link here to listen to the pilot episode (and any other episodes that have been uploaded since this blog post).

The link takes you to the site that I've been creating the podcast episodes on, Anchor, but you will find it on five other sites as well: Spotify, RadioPublic, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts, and Breaker. If you usually listen to podcasts, or other music, on any of these other sites, you can look them up on there as well.

Please leave a comment and/or a review if you feel lead to it.

10 Things Everyone Should Have

Everyone has been given advice about items they should keep around the house. All of these items are items that I have found to be the best investments and necessities since I've moved out of my parents house. Plus, most of these things will allow you to be less dependent upon your phone or comuter.

• Calendars/planners
• I've found that placing these strategically around my house/apartment has helped me keep track of what's going on in my life and to be able to see multiple months at a time.
• Notepads
• I use notepads, or just a piece of paper, to write down my lists of things I need at the store or to get done for the day or week. I keep a bunch of them in a drawer in my kitchen with a few pens in there to be able to quickly make these lists.
• Pens
• In order to be able to write on the two items above, you're going to need something to write with. That's where pens come into play. I like to use pens when writing on a calendar or my grocery list, just so I can see what I originally wrote and what it was fixed to. Also, if I have multiple things going on in one day, I'll use different colored pens for each individual thing, just so I don't have to worry about missing each individual thing.
• Tissues
• Placing boxes of tissues around the house is great! It helps you from having a big mess when you unexpectedly go into a sneezing fit or when you get a cold/allergies. I keep one in my bedroom one in my living room, and one in the kitchen on my table.
• Flashlights
• These are good to use when the power goes out due to storms or down power lines or in the middle of the night when you want to got to the bathroom without having to turn on every light on the way there.
• Clocks
• Strategic placing of clocks around your house will help you keep the battery on your phone from dying quicker from constantly checking it.
• Batteries
• Having enough batteries for your flashlights and clocks is just good housekeeping. You never know when your clocks are going to stop working due to the battery dying or your flashlight not turning on when the lights go out due to down power lines.
• Chargers
• Having enough chargers around the house for all of your devices is a good idea for when one charger decides that it wants to stop working. Also, if you have enough chargers to go around, try having one in each room so you don't have to constantly move the charger from room to room and then have to start searching frantically for it when you forget where you put it last.
• Earbuds
• This one's a given, especially for those of us who use earbuds on a regular basis. Having several pairs around the house will help with the stress of having to worry about when to go into town to buy a new pair.
• Games you can play that don't require the internet
• This is a great idea because there will be times when your internet is out due to lines being down or the power causing your modem to do weird things. Having games (or books) on hand to help those of us who use the internet on a regular basis is a great way to pass the time.

These are the 10 things I recommend everyone have in their homes no matter where you live. I have found these things to be a hindrance to my everyday life when they were absent or out.

What I'm Most Grateful For

Yes, I know what all of you might be thinking, "why don't you ask this question in November during Thanksgiving?" That's a valid question and I don't blame you for asking it, I did as well. But just think about it a bit further. Why do we only have to talk about being grateful for things during a time when everyone else is? Why can't we talk about this every day, whenever we feel like it?

I know what I'm grateful for. My family, my job, my education, and most importantly God.

What are you grateful for in your life?

Where I Consider Home

This is a question that most people ask each other in order to get to know someone. In order to know how to answer this question, I've decided to put my thoughts down here in order to be prepared.

The place I consider to be home would be the house where I grew up and where my parents still live. My parents built their house, we moved in when I was 3 1/2, and my parents have been living there ever since. I spent my entire school career there, had every birthday since my fourth birthday there, and have made so many memories there.

Would you be able to answer this question easily?

A Few Books I'm Reading Right Now

In one of my recent posts, I made a list of books that I'm going to focus on reading this year. It's safe to say that I've started on that list.

The first book I've started reading is called The Shannara Chronicles: The Elfstones of Shannara. My interest was peaked when I started watching the TV show that I found one day on Netflix. While perusing through the book section on Amazon one day last summer, I came across this book and decided that I needed to read the book that sparked the show. Little did I know how many books came with this one. What I mean is that this book is part of a series and has another series that explains some of the history that may or may not be well explained in this series.

Although I've only read the first six chapters of the fifty-three chapter book, it's starting out a little different than they started the story out in the show. I'm not going to give away any other details due to the fact that a) I've not finished the book yet and b) I don't want to give away any details in the show if you haven't watched it yet (which I highly recommend you do if you like anything related to Lord of the Rings).

The second book I'm reading (I can't remember if I put this one on the earlier list or not) is The Count of Monte Cristo. I've loved watching this movie for years. One day, while at a book store with my family, I found quite a few classics that I've had on my classics reading list. I decided that it would be a good idea to go ahead and grab this one, along with a few others.

It's safe to say that the movie has taken a few liberties in how it structured the plot and what it decided to keep and what to toss out. I'm about halfway through this HUGE book and I've barely gotten halfway through what's in the movie. If you're wanting to read this book, I recommend that you watch the movie prior to reading the book (I know, shocker that an English major is recommending you watch the movie BEFORE reading the book) but you won't be able to keep up, especially if you have a hard time keeping up with difficult texts, if you don't watch the movie first. 

A Movie I Can Quote By Heart

How many of you have a favorite movie that you can quote by heart? I know I do! If I'm honest, I have more than one movie that I can rattle off from beginning to end.

My whole family speaks in fluent movie quotes. It's part of our communication system. Most of the movies we use include, but are not limited to: Disney, Pixar, musicals, and Marvel. We take the parts that suit the situation or point we're trying to make.

The sad thing is, we don't limit ourselves to just movies. We also use songs, T.V. shows, YouTube videos, and situations from our childhood. And this is just one of the things that makes my family the way it is, in a good way.

How many movies can you quote by heart?

What Is A Hero?

Within the last few weeks, my parents have been watching Marvel's Superhero movies. If you haven't heard of these movies, they are movies that deal with the Marvel comic book hero's. This has gotten me into a thinking mood, thinking about one question: What is a hero?

According to Merriam-Webster, a hero is defined in one of the following three ways:

1. A mythological or legendary figure often of divine decent endowed with great strength or ability
2. The principal character in a literary or dramatic work - used specifically of a principal male character especially when contrasted with heroine.
3. An object of extreme admiration and devotion

What does it take to be a hero? Does it take the great strength or ability that's been given to a figure of divine decent in the myths and legends like it's defined in the first definition? Does a hero just mean that they're the main character in a story? Or is a hero only something, or someone, who receives admiration and devotion?

In the Marvel movies, some of the characters fit into all three definitions, others in a combo of just two, or the ones who just fit into one definition. When it comes to real life though, how many of our "heros" actually fit into one, or more, of these definitions? Do they actually deserve to be called a hero for that reason we label them as such?

These are all things that I've been thinking about as I, along with those who are waiting for the last Avengers movie, should be thinking about and keeping in mind.

The Must-Have Checklist for the Beginner Knitter

If you read my post on Friday, I talked about one of my current hobbies: crocheting. Another hobbie that my grandmother taught me was how to knit. Just like crocheting, there have been many a summer, Christmas and Spring Break, and long weekend where knitting has helped me fill the free time I've experienced. How many of you have wanted to learn how to knit? Well, if you answered yes to that question, continue reading. If it was no, you'd save time by not reading on.

If you need direction as to where to begin, here is a checklist of items you need to begin your adventure into the world of knitting.

• An easy pattern
• If you've NEVER crocheted before, then you should look for a pattern that is small and relatively easy. If you don't know how to tell if it's easy, make sure to put beginner or easy in the search parameters when looking for the pattern.
• The yarn needed for the pattern
• Just like a recipe, each pattern tells you what you need in order to complete the project. The pattern tells you how much, what size, and what quality of yarn. Yes, I did say how much, what size, and what quality. You see, yarn comes in different thicknesses and quality. Each type of yarn is meant for different projects and feelings. The yarn one uses for socks may not be the best type of yarn for a thick cowl. Once you've gotten your yarn, you need to get your crochet hook. Read on to the next point to figure that out.
• The knitting needles needed for the pattern
• Once the pattern and the yarn has been picked out, you're going to need the proper pair of knitting needles. Just like you need a specific yarn for your project, you're going to need a specific pair of knitting needles that works with they yarn and how tightly you knit. This is where the next point comes into play.
• Someone to walk you through what you need to know for that pattern
• If you've never tried your hand at knitting, then you need to find someone who knows what to do and how to teach you properly. They would be more than happy to walk you through the basics and help you learn how to develop this new skill.

If you need any more help or tips, feel free to comment below and I will address any and all questions I can. Happy Knitting!

The Must-Have Checklist for the Beginner Crocheter

If any of you haven't picked up on the hints I've laid down, one of my current hobbies is crocheting. When I was six years old, my grandmother taught me how to crochet and I've never looked back! There have been many a summer, Christmas and Spring Break, and long weekend where crocheting has helped me fill the free time I've experienced. How many of you have wanted to learn how to crochet? Well, if you answered yes to that question, continue reading. If it was no, you'd save time by not reading on.

If you need direction as to where to begin, here is a checklist of items you need to begin your adventure into the world of crocheting.

• An easy pattern
• If you've NEVER crocheted before, then you should look for a pattern that is small and relatively easy. If you don't know how to tell if it's easy, make sure to put beginner or easy in the search parameters when looking for the pattern.
• The yarn needed for the pattern
• Just like a recipe, each pattern tells you what you need in order to complete the project. The pattern tells you how much, what size, and what quality of yarn. Yes, I did say how much, what size, and what quality. You see, yarn comes in different thicknesses and quality. Each type of yarn is meant for different projects and feelings. The yarn one uses for socks may not be the best type of yarn for a thick cowl. Once you've gotten your yarn, you need to get your crochet hook. Read on to the next point to figure that out.
• The crochet hook needed for the pattern
• Once the pattern and the yarn has been picked out, you're going to need a crochet hook. Just like you need a specific yarn for your project, you're going to need a specific hook that works with they yarn and how tightly you crochet. This is where the next point comes into play.
• Someone to walk you through what you need to know for that pattern
• If you've never tried your hand at crocheting, then you need to find someone who knows what to do and how to teach you properly. They would be more than happy to walk you through the basics and help you learn how to develop this new skill.

If you need any more help or tips, feel free to comment below and I will address any and all questions I can. Happy Crocheting!

Teachable Thursday

Teachable Thursday is a new idea I had about being able to teach something about what I've been talking about in the most recent posts. Since I've been talking about goals and a story idea about trials, that made me think of a well-known book (shocker, I know. An English teacher thinking about a book that fits an occasion? *insert fake shocked face here*).

That book is called To Kill a Mockingbird. If you think back to your English class sophomore year of high school, this is one of the books you were most likely exposed to as it's usually required classroom reading. For those of you who may not be as familiar with it, this is a novel written back in the early 1960's with a film that came out soon after that.

If you're not as familiar with the content of the book, or just need a refresher, go here to get the basic summary of anything from the book.

In this novel, the town goes through a period of what could be called a series of trials. The town of Maycomb has to deal with several of the biggest "sins" of all time: racism/social inequality, prejudice, morals, and the coexistence of good and evil. The story takes place in Alabama in the 1930's. A time when those who were not white, especially those of African-American decent, were seen as lesser human beings, even though slavery was abolished by this time.

Now, some of you may be thinking, "why do we need another discussion about any of these topics?" The reason I find these topics necessary, is due to the fact that they don't need to be repeated to the extent that they were in the past. The best way to keep the past from being repeated is to study and understand what happened.

This book is a great example of the times and I highly recommend you read the book yourself and develop a healthy respect for how much society may or may not have progressed.

Newest Story Idea

On Tuesday, I promised that I would talk about the newest story idea I had started writing since my original post about the stories I've been working on in the post from September 7th. In that post, I gave very brief summations of about seven different stories I've been working on for the last few years off and on. Back in January, I added one more to the list of stories.

In order to get a full story, I have to go back to the very beginning of the story.

I started using Pinterest back in college. If you don't know what Pinterest is, follow this link to get a brief glimpse and a description of the website. If you already know, then keep reading. I have an entire board dedicated to what a writer could ever possibly need. One of the sections on that board is filled with just writing prompts. This is where I put prompts I think could make great stories, whether they be short stories, novellas, or full on books.

One day, about two months ago, I was looking through this section of my writing Pinterest board when I came across one pin that was about trials. Being a rather long picture, I kept reading what was written on it. It talked about how the protagonist (the hero) is put through a trial. This trial is one of three types that takes place in one of six places. While there, the protagonist is able to take certain gifts with them to help, but with each gift comes certain drawbacks that make the trial harder.

Feeling the writer's itch, I instantly started blueprinting an outline for a book based upon that pin. As I did, I figured out that it would be a good idea to see if I could make a series out of it, seeing that there are six places that they protagonist could go through a trial. From there, I started writing. If all works out, it'll be one of the greatest books I've written yet.

Three Steps Towards My Goal

If you read my post from yesterday, you know that I have one goal that I've been working on for quite some time and that I've asked you all to keep me accountable to write once or twice a week. Now, these writing times are not to be dedicated to writing posts here on the blog.

As my title suggests, I want to take three steps to accomplishing my goal of getting at least one story published. These are steps that I see as being important to getting to the final goal: publication. Again, please keep me to these steps and feel free to comment on any post (including this one) to ask for updates about how I'm doing.

• The first step is to actually get one of my manuscripts finished.
• This step is going to not cost any money, but is most likely going to be the hardest hurdle for me to overcome at this point in time. As I mentioned yesterday, there are a few things that are getting in my way, keeping me from getting this step done.
• When I say finished, I mean the story is told from start to finish and I've done one or two personal edits myself.
• The second step is to get the manuscript edited and proofread.
• This step is going to cost money if I'm going to get it professionally done. I've looked briefly into ways to get this done, but I figured I need to get step one closer to being done before I start on this step. If I were to go this route, I'm not sure when I would need to start raising the money to do this.
• I might have a friend or two read it as well. This really wouldn't cost me anything monetarily, but I would most likely give them a free copy of my book in exchange.
• The third and final step is to get a book cover, reviews, and any other items that are needed to get the book published.
• This is another step that could be costly if I get it done professionally. This would be another account of money I'd need to raise or save for.
• Or, I could try to do it myself. I haven't done much research on how I can get this done, but I see that this is for further down the road when I'm not having to worry about getting the actual writing done. Why would I need a book cover if I don't have a book to put inside of it?

Once all three of the goals above have been met, it's off to be published! This is going to be a long and tiring road of potential heartache and hard work. I know it can be done, as long as I can stay focused and get work done.

A Goal I'm Working Towards Now

If you've read my Bucket List page (located in the side bar of this blog), one of the things I have listed there is to finish up at least one of my writing projects. For those of you who've known me for quite a bit of time, you know that I have been writing stories off and on since high school.

It's always been a goal of mine to actually finish up at least one, if not all, of these stories and get it/them published. If you read my post from September 7th of last year, you'll have a good sense of all but one of the stories I've been working on over the last year. Since that post, I've added a new story to the bunch. If you'd like to get a summation of the newest story to my list, come back on Thursday for the full tale.

But, to get back to today's topic, I know that it's going to be hard to keep going and actually get this goal accomplished. For one, I know that my schedule is hectic and there are days where I do not have the time to dedicate to writing. Two, I'll have days where I'm free to write, but never intentionally set aside the time necessary to write. And finally, third, the days I actually set down to write, I'm lucky to get a few good paragraphs, maybe a few pages, done before I have to get up and go to the next thing.

So, I'm here to ask you all to help keep me accountable and make progress at least one or two times a week on my writing projects.

The Lion King

Last week, I attended a performance of Disney's The Lion King. If you haven't seen the performance, I highly suggest you find a time when they are performing in your area to go see it.

Here are some highlights of when I went:

1. The music was spectacular!
2. The characters of Rafiki, Timon, and Pumbaa have always been favorites of mine from the movies, but in the play, they were even better.
3. The Entr'acte was AMAZING!!! All I can say is that you need to go and see it for yourself in order to absorb how awesome this part was!!
4. The costumes and bright colors of the sets, lighting, and costumes themselves. If you've never looked into African traditional dress, you're missing out on how beautiful they are! I recommend that you go look up some of the pictures available online to get a glimpse of the wonder of the culture in the form of their outfits.

If I Could Spend $1,000

If I could spend $1,000 on anything in life, I would start out with a good massage. I had my first Swedish massage last summer and it was amazing! After that, I'd head to the closest book store and grab more books to add to my ever growing library. As you very well know, I have a tendency to buy books that take me years to get to. If (and that's a big if) I had any money left after that, I'd head to the closest yarn store and buy enough yarn to keep me busy for a long time.

What would you do if you had $1,000?

Spring Break Staycation Ideas

March is the time of year when schools go on spring break. This is usually either a long weekend or an entire week that students and teachers are given off from the daily grind of school. This also means that parents may be at their wits end as to what to do with their kids once they're home during this time.

Many people use this time to go on a mini vacation somewhere. They spend X amount of money on travel, hotel, food, gas, and other items. Just imagine it: you stress and plan this mini vaca for weeks, or even months, and it turns out that the whole thing was a complete flop and no one enjoyed themselves. Think about all of the time, energy, and money that was wasted on the whole trip?

If you don't want to go through the heartache once again, perhaps you should think about taking what's called a Staycation. This is when you stay at home for the entire duration of your time off of work and or school.

If this whole stay at home vacation sounds like a good idea, I've listed some of the things I enjoy doing when I have any time off of work. I've spent many a Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break, and Summer vacations on these options, so I know that they help me pass the time.

• Movie Marathon
• This is perfect for the movie junky. I, for one, have quite the movie collection that I've been adding to over the years. (just look at blog post entitled "Favorite Places to Binge Watch Movies and TV Shows")
• TV Show Marathon
• Look above, the same applies here fore me too.
• Catch up on Book List
• I've developed a love of reading when I was in middle school. Ever since then, I've been gathering up all of the books I can to create my own personal library. Unfortunately, I've not been able to keep up with my reading, so my bookshelf has become a pit stop for all of the books that I have yet to read. This upcoming spring break would be a good time for me to catch up on these books.
• Try new recipes
• There are many sites that you can sign up for that will deliver chef created meals to your door. These services give you recipes that are tailor made for your desires and diet. Pinterest is also a good place to go to if you don't want to pay money for the recipes.
• Explore your neighborhood/town
• Depending upon where you live, you may or may not be able to do both of these options. If you're like me, you live in a small rural town that would be easy to go for a quick drive one day and possibly discover the new little hideaways that I haven't found before now. But if you live in more of a metropolitan, then this might not be a good choice
• Try a new craft with the kids (if you have them and they are young enough to benefit from this)
• Pinterest is a great resource to find crafts for kids if you don't have the ability to go outside and play. 
• Finish up a craft or two you've been putting off
• If you're anything like me, you love to crochet and knit. I have so many projects that I've started, but never finished due to one thing or another. With spring break coming up, it would be a good time to try and finish one or two of them up. Perhaps when I am going through my movie or tv marathons I'll work on them.

There are many other things you can do during spring break that won't break the bank. Hopefully, one or more of them will be enough to keep you so busy that the entire break will fly by in a flash before your eyes.

New Addition to Blog

If you've been keeping up with this blog, then you'll notice a new picture on the side. There's a good reason for its presence there.

As an education major, I've been looking into the different online schools that are available. One of the ones I've signed up for (that's free), is Thinkific. So far, everything seems straightforward and easy to use. Also, I do not have to pay to have three courses on their site.

So, I have decided to see if I can get enough interest from students for classes to make this possible endeavor worth the work. If you click on the button "Click to buy", you will be directed to the landing page for the pre-sale of this course. It will help me to see if I am on the right track with selling courses.

Also, please share this information with friends and family who could benefit from having courses built around books and English (things typically taught in English classes in schools). This could be families that homeschool and need additional help with the planning of curriculum or homeschool groups who are looking for enrichment for their students.

At the moment, the course only has a few lessons that make up a waitlist. This is to see, as I said earlier, if my idea to start in this direction of my life is a good one.

Favorite Song Lyrics

If you've been paying attention over the last two weeks, I've been posting about my favorites. Well, the theme of my favorites continue with music. I am a music lover, much like many of people my age.

To start out, I have to give you a disclaimer. I am a Christian, so I will only be giving music that promotes positive messages and don't have annoying beats.

Also, I can't choose just one genre of music that's my favorite. There are many genre's of music out there, but only a few of them have a place in my heart as my favorite.

To start out, we'll look at Christian music. My favorite song lyric from the Christian genre is Natalie Grants "I Believe". This is one of her songs from her Christmas album Believe.

In a land far away time stood still

Long ago there were shepherds in fields

Or at least this is how the story goes

The story goes woman with child

And a man with no room

Born in a manger for telling it too

This is how the story goes

But it is more than a fable

And it's more than a fairytale

And more than my mind can conceive

I believe the Wise man saw the baby born

The angels called the son of God, Heaven's child, the great I am

Born to take away my sins through nailed pierced hands

Emmanuel has come

I believe two thousand years still the story lives on

God's gift to us sent to earth wrapped in flesh

His only son, His only son

And the heartbeat of heaven

Confounded our wisdom

But it's still the simple truth

That sets me free

I believe the Wise man saw the baby born

That the angels called the son of God, Heaven's child, the great I am

Born to take away my sins through nailed pierced hands

Emmanuel has come

And I believe precious child how can it be

That God's great plan for His story

Would send you to the lonely tree

That you would come for one like me

I believe in a cross, I believe He came for one, he came for all

Heavens child became a plan, gave his life for me

In spite of all I am, I believe, I believe, oh I believe

Christmas lives in me

I believe

The next genre I'm going to share from is Disney. I grew up watching Disney movies and loved all of the music in those movies. Over the years, many of the songs and story lines have helped me through tough times. The one song that has stuck it out with me is from the movie Beauty and the Beast. The song just happens to me titled the same.

Tale as old as time

True as it can be

Barely even friends

Then somebody bends

Unexpectedly

Just a little change

Small, to say the least

Both a little scared

Neither one prepared

Beauty and the Beast

Ever just the same

Ever a surprise

Ever as before

Ever just as sure

As the sun will rise

Oh, oh, oh, oh

Ever just the same

Ever a surprise

Ever as before

Ever just as sure

As the sun will rise

Oh, oh, oh

Tale as old as time

Tune as old as song

Bittersweet and strange

Finding you can change

Learning you were wrong

Certain as the sun

Rising in the east

Tale as old as time

Song as old as rhyme

Beauty and the Beast

Tale as old as time

Song as old as rhyme

Beauty and the Beast

The third genre is Broadway music. I've developed a love for the theater since I was in middle school and high school. Since then, I've been to several shows. My favorite song is from Wicked. The song is called "For Good".

                                                                   ELPHABA

I'm limited:

Just look at me - I'm limited

And just look at you -

You can do all I couldn't do, Glinda

So now it's up to you

(spoken) For both of us

(sung) Now it's up to you:

GLINDA

I've heard it said 

That people come into our lives for a reason

Bringing something we must learn

And we are led

To those who help us most to grow 

If we let them

And we help them in return

Well, I don't know if I believe that's true

But I know I'm who I am today

Because I knew you:

Like a comet pulled from orbit

As it passes a sun

Like a stream that meets a boulder

Halfway through the wood

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

But because I knew you

I have been changed for good

ELPHABA

It well may be

That we will never meet again

In this lifetime

So let me say before we part

So much of me

Is made of what I learned from you

You'll be with me

Like a handprint on my heart

And now whatever way our stories end

I know you have re-written mine

By being my friend:

Like a ship blown from its mooring

By a wind off the sea

Like a seed dropped by a skybird

In a distant wood

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

But because I knew you:

GLINDA

Because I knew you:

BOTH

I have been changed for good

ELPHABA

And just to clear the air

I ask forgiveness

For the things I've done you blame me for

GLINDA

But then, I guess we know

There's blame to share

BOTH

And none of it seems to matter anymore

GLINDA ELPHABA

Like a comet pulled Like a ship blown

From orbit as it Off it's mooring

Passes a sun, like By a wind off the

A stream that meets Sea, like a seed

A boulder, half-way Dropped by a 

Through the wood Bird in the wood

BOTH

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

I do believe I have been changed for the better?

GLINDA

And because I knew you:

ELPHABA

Because I knew you:

BOTH

Because I knew you:

I have been changed for good.

The fourth is Country. I live in an area of the country where country music is big and it's frowned upon if you don't listen to it at least a few times a week. My favorite song is from Lonestar and it's called "Amazed"

Every time our eyes meet

This feeling inside me

Is almost more than I can take

Baby when you touch me

I can feel how much you love me

And it just blows me away

I've never been this close to anyone or anything

I can hear your thoughts

I can see your dreams

I don't know how you do what you do

I'm so in love with you

It just keeps getting better

I wanna spend the rest of my life

With you by my side

Forever and ever

Every little thing that you do

Baby I'm amazed by you

The smell of your skin

The taste of your kiss

The way you whisper in the dark

Your hair all around me

Baby you surround me

You touch every place in my heart

Oh it feels like the first time every time

I wanna spend the whole night in your arms

I don't know how you do what you do

I'm so in love with you

It just keeps getting better

I wanna spend the rest of my life

With you by my side

Forever and ever

Every little thing that you do

Baby I'm amazed by you

With that, these are the songs that have shaped my life in one way or another. What song/songs shaped your life?

Three Favorite TV Show Characters

Yesterday, I made a list of TV shows for when I need a pick me up. There's a reason these shows made the list as some of my favorites. The plot lines of each episode, and the over arching plot lines, are defiantly factors, but another reason is the character development throughout the series. Here are three of my favorite characters, the show they're from, and why they're my favorite.

• Jake Green from Jericho
• This tv show is from CBS back in 2002-2009. This show is about a small town in rural Kansas right after a nuclear attack on America. A certain group of people within the U.S. are behind the attacks and it causes problems for the people in town with the newest members of the community who moved there just before the attacks happened.
• The character that is my favorite from this show is Jake Green. Jake is the "main" character and is one of the leaders in the small community. The characters in this show are well created, but Jake is the picture of perfection when compared with the others. His history and broken relationships due to that history make him the perfect hero for any story. Through having to solve his problems from the past, he's able to solve the problems of the times during the show.
• This show was originally canceled towards the end of the second season due to a small following that didn't warrant the writers and backers of the show to give the show the time it required to adequately wrap up the story line in a more conclusive way that didn't seem rushed.
• Branch Connally from Longmire
• Branch has always been my favorite character on this show. He constantly tried to rise above his background of being the son of one of the richest men in Wyoming. He took the job of being a deputy over working with his father. Yes, he is a little brash and in your face about somethings but everyone has flaws, it's what makes us human.
• Also, he stuck to his guns when no one else believed him about how one case was going, even though that's what caused a whole lot of trouble to happen in his life.
• Merlin and Arthur from Merlin
• I know, I know, I originally said I was only going to chose three characters. Picking two from this show goes over that three limit. But, I couldn't in all fairness not pick both characters. If you've seen the show, you already know why I couldn't choose just one or the other.
• For those of you who haven't seen the show, I'll explain my reasoning here. This show is, of course, about the legends of King Arthur and all those included in the legends with him. What's special about this show is that they tell all of these stories/legends while the two characters mentioned were young men and the ten years after that first meeting. The reason I chose both men is because you can't have one without the other. Their relationship throughout the show is a bromance that everyone can enjoy witnessing. I won't spoil anymore of the show, but I highly recommend this show to anyone who loves fantasy.

Favorite TV Shows

The other day, I made a list of movies I go to when I need a pick me up. When movies don't cut it, I go to certain TV shows to help. Here is that list of shows that do just that.

1. Longmire
2. White Collar
3. Jericho
4. Fuller House
5. Full House
6. Home Improvement
7. Psych
8. Chuck
9. The Cosby Show
10. I Love Lucy
11. Merlin
12. Family Ties

Three Favorite Movie Characters

Yesterday, I made a list of my go to movies when I need a pick me up. There's a reason these shows made the list as some of my favorites. The plot lines of each movie is defiantly a factor, but another reason is the character development throughout the movie. Here are three of my favorite characters, the movie they're from, and why they're my favorite.

• Garrett from Quest for Camelot
• Garrett is the blind companion that Kayley meets on her quest to save her mother and the kingdom from the evil Ruber. Garrett was blinded by horses who were escaping from a fire at the royal stables in Camelot. After that, he went to live in the forest as a hermit. That's how and where Kayley met him. Despite having been scared in more ways than one by the people in Camelot when he was a child, he went back to save the same people. He also showed Kayley how to believe in herself, which helped her to save the day in the end.
• Millie from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
• Millie is the woman that the eldest brother, Adam, married when he went to town looking for a wife. She did this knowing nothing other than the mans name and that he lives up in the mountains above the town where she is working. The reason she's one of my favorites is because she stuck it out and practically civilized seven men single handed. Yes, she has the help of six other girls for the younger guys, but the only reason the younger guys got their girls was because Millie made them behave and act like gentlemen instead of like the juvenile adolescence the were acting like.
• Jack "Cowboy" Kelly from Newsies
• Anyone who knows of this movie knows that the original movie wasn't the best movie. BUT, if you watch the Broadway movie, you will find that it is much better than the original. All in all, the character of Cowboy is one to be admired. He has quite the long list of boys who depend on him to lead them. When the price for their papers rises, he leads the boys in a strike and has to keep the moral up when one of their own is kidnapped and hidden away. Through all of that, he figures out why Pulitzer is out to get him and confronts him. Jack's character is shown to be a young scared boy who is doing the best he can in the situation he's been thrown into.

Favorite Movies

Yesterday, I gave you a rather long list of movies and TV shows I watch on a regular basis. But did I mention which movies are my favorite to watch? Here is a list of movies that I tend to go to whenever I need a pick me up.

1. Polly
2. Polly Comin' Home
3. Balto
4. Newsies. The Broadway Musical
5. The Prince of Egypt
6. Fiddler on the Roof
7. West Side Story
8. Tuck Everlasting
9. The Great Race
10. Quest for Camelot
11. The Phantom of the Opera. The 25th Anniversary Performance.
12. On the Town
13. Anchors Aweigh
14. Brigadoon
15. Singing in the Rain
16. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Favorite Places to Binge Watch Movies and TV Shows

In this day and age, many people have at least one online video streaming account. I am no exception to that stereo type. Not only do I have an account on one, but three separate accounts. For each site, I have certain shows and movies that I watch exclusively on that site. When the site no longer has a certain movie or show, I buy it on DVD and watch it.

Here is a list of what I watch and on what site I watch it. I've also included a list of my DVD collection just so you have a reference as to my likes. These lists are not complete, but this gives you a good indication of my movie and tv show knowledge. Keep in mind, these are the shows and movies that I have watched at least one time all the way through from beginning to end.

Netflix

1. Movies
1. Beauty and the Beast (2017)
2. Outlaw King
3. The Flintstones (1994)
4. Becoming Jane
5. Shrek
6. A Cinderella Story
7. Despicable Me 1, 2, and 3
8. Sing
9. Pocahontas
10. Hercules
11. Tarzan
12. Baby Boss
13. Guardians of the Galaxy VOL. 1 & 2
14. Balto
15. Atlantis
16. Newsies. The Broadway Musical
17. All of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies
18. The Grinch
19. Hoodwinked
2. TV Shows
1. The 100
2. Cheers
3. Friends
4. Arrow
5. The Flash
6. Supergirl
7. Legends of Tomorrow
8. The Last Kingdom
9. Doc Martin
10. Frontier
11. The Shannara Chronicles
12. Hawaii Five-O (Newer series)
13. Longmire
14. White Collar
15. Once Upon a Time
16. Fuller House
17. Stranger Things
18. Jericho
19. The Mysteries of Laura
20. Heart of Dixie
21. Dark Matter
22. Beauty and the Beast (2016)

Hulu

1. Movies
1. The Swan Princess
2. Holiday in Handcuffs
3. Centurion
4. The Prince of Egypt
2. TV Shows
1. Full House
2. Home Improvement
3. Timeless
4. The Librarians
5. Boy Meets World
6. The Rookie
7. Manifest
8. Quantum Leap
9. Seinfeld
10. The Golden Girls

Amazon Prime Video

1. Movies
1. Regarding Henry
2. Fiddler on the Roof
3. Return to Me
4. Dancers
5. The Last Samurai
6. Tuck Everlasting
7. Gnomeo and Juliet
2. TV Shows
1. Poldark
2. Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman
3. Psych
4. Grimm
5. The Cosby Show
6. Monk
7. Bones
8. ABC's Beauty and the Beast
9. I Love Lucy
10. Defiance
11. Chuck
12. House

DVD

1. Movies
1. The Moon-Spinners
2. Mighty Joe Young
3. Picture Perfect
4. The Great Race
5. It Takes Two (Olsen Twins)
6. Behind the Waterfall
7. The Giant of Thunder Mountain
8. An American Tail Trilogy
9. Cinderella - 2015
10. The Mighty
11. Honey, I shrunk the Kids
12. Honey, I Blew Up the Kid
13. Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves
14. That Darn Cat
15. Now you see him, Now you don't (Kirt Russell)
16. The Strongest Man in the World
17. The computer Who Wore Tennis Shoes
18. The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit
19. Coyote Summer
20. Barbie as the Nutcracker
21. Barbie as Rapunzel
22. Fairytopia
23. Barbie as the 12 Dancing Princesses
24. Barbie as the Island Princess
25. Magic of the Rainbow
26. Barbie and the Diamond Castle
27. Mariposa
28. Barbie in a Christmas Carol
29. Mariposa and the Fairy Princess
30. All 14 Land Before Time Movies
31. Polly
32. Polly Comin' Home
33. Quest for Camelot
34. Les Mis
35. The Phantom of the Opera, the 25th Anniversary Performance
36. Cinderella (with Brandy, Whitney Huston, and Whoopi Goldberg)
37. The Unsinkable Molly Brown
38. Cathy Rigsby's Peter Pan
39. West Side Story
40. Ester and the King
41. David and Goliath
42. Annie (Victor Garber)
43. Cats
44. On the Town
45. Brigadoon
46. An American in Paris
47. Anchors Aweigh
48. The Harvey Girls
49. For Me and My Gal
50. Summer Stock
51. In the Good Old Summertime
52. The Band Wagon
53. Meet Me in St. Louis
54. Singin' in the Rain
55. Easter Parade
56. Show Boat
57. Annie Get Your Gun
58. Kiss Me Kate
59. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
60. Australia
61. The Librarian Trilogy
62. The Mummy Trilogy
63. Back to the Future Trilogy
64. All Four of the Indiana Jones Movies
65. Jurassic Park #1
66. The Count of Monte Cristo
67. The Man in the Iron Mask
68. Me Before You
69. The Young Victoria
70. Gigi
71. Mrs. Miniver
72. Casablanca
73. Planet of the Apes Legacy (the original movie series)
2. TV Shows
1. Family Ties
2. Merlin
3. Spartacus
4. Fraiser
5. Numbers
6. Robin Hood
7. The Mentalist
8. BBC Sherlock
9. The Young Riders
10. Around the World in 80 Days (Pierce Brosnan)

My "To Read" List

This week, I've been talking about books. All of those books I've read multiple times and have fallen in love with. It's great to talk about books I love and have read multiple times, but what am I doing about expanding my list of books read? Here is my list of books I'm either currently reading or want to read in the near future.

1. The Shadow Throne. This is book #3 of The Ascendance Trilogy.
2. Robin and the King. This is the sequal to Sherwood.
3. The Count of Monte Cristo
4. The Shannara Chronicles: The Elfstones of Shannara
5. The Shannara Chronicles: The Wishsong of Shannara
6. The Sword of Shannara
7. The First King of Shannara
8. The Fall of Shannara: The Black Elfstone
9. Extraordinary
10. The Necklace
11. Chiveis Trilogy
12. Hunting Prince Dracula
13. Stalking Jack the Ripper

Five Books Everyone Should Read

Over the last few days, I've listed several books that have made my list of favorites for the plot and other books for the characters who've made my favorites list. I decided that it's probably a good idea to give a list of books I'd recommend that I haven't mentioned within the last few days.

• The Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer Nielsen
• I mentioned this trilogy in my post about my favorite characters. I just started the third book in the series and I am loving it so far! I defiantly recommend this series to young men who probably don't enjoy reading very much. This trilogy deals with a 14 year-old boy, Sage, who is trying to figure out why he was chosen to become a replacement prince in one of the nearby kingdoms.
• Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
• There are many different adventure stories out there, but this one is a classic. This story is about a British gentleman who makes a wager with other British gentlemen about how long it will take him to circumnavigate the globe. The bet he made was that he could do it in 80 days. He employs his new French butler to join him and they go on an adventure of a lifetime! People who would best enjoy this book would be those who can keep up with writing that consists of many complex sentences with a large vocabulary. Regardless of whether or not you read the abridged or unabridged version of this book, you will enjoy the adventure.
• Sherwood by Parke Godwin
• How many people love the story of Robin Hood? I certainly fall into that category. This book retells how Robin became Robin Hood. His relationships with the people on his land, Marian, and his arch enemy are all told here in this book. I highly recommend this to people who are looking for more detail into the story. (Hint, it also has a sequal that I am looking forward to reading)
• Love Come Softly Series by Janette Oak
• This is a Christian series of a family who lives in the Wild West in the 1800's. It starts with a woman who's husband is killed when he fell off a horse and hit his head on a rock. She marries a widower to help him raise his daughter over the winter. In return, he'll pay for her way back east to her family. In the end of the first book, she ends up staying because she found out that love comes softly. The rest of the series follows this new couple and their children throughout the years.
• Echoes From The Edge Trilogy by Bryan Davis
• This is a trilogy that will satisfy anyone's sci-fi itch. These three books follow a young musical prodigy as he tries to figure why his parents, an investigator and a world renown violinist, are murdered. He thinks it has something to do with his fathers last case. He's left with a mirror and the notes his father had collected, from there he goes on an adventure of a lifetime to find out exactly what's going on.
• This trilogy held my attention until the end. I've never read books like this, which made my curiosity spike all the more as to how the story would end.