Malefangelina

In my soul, I want to boycott the movie Maleficient. The truth is I am getting irritated with the Disney franchise. It's all about their newscasts. Back in the day, I was a regular Good Morning America, ABC World News, and This Week watcher... I just love some George Stephanopolous. But I hate what they've done to their morning news format, and I switched my Sunday AM favorite long ago to Fareed Zakaria's GPS on CNN. Frankly, ABC (aka Disney News) feels a little too canned.

Will I actually be able to stay away from the aforementioned movie? I doubt it. But if I go see the movie, and that is a huge if, I am not going because of Angelina. I'm honestly not that big a fan. Nope. If I go at all, it will be to see the newest American sweetheart in the US, Elle Fanning. She is Dakota Fanning's younger sister, and she can act. Elle won me over back in 2011 with her performance in the movie, Super 8. I remember watching her zombie scene from my easy chair at least a couple of times. Even as I write this I want to go back and review it again. No such luck, it's not on Netflix any longer.

I realize if I don't see the 2014 Disney blockbuster, I will be in the minority. I am sure it will be a smash hit. Then again, it takes a lot to get me to go to a movie these days, and the Elle Fanning performance might make it worth the trip. 

Movies of late are insipid from my perspective. Disney movies in particular. I wonder what sort of agenda they will be spoon feeding me this time. I have a feeling the screen play will follow the same story line as Wicked. Somehow the plot will weave around how a person can become evil and hard hearted on the inside.

I have a soft spot for this type of  storyline. I like to believe that everyone is good on the inside until life smacks them down enough times that they simply can't pick themselves up again. Then again, being mean always feels lousy on the inside. It feels wrong to justify people who are mean. At the same time, I guess that's where forgiveness comes from, and it feels good every time we reach a place of forgiveness. 

Love Never Dies

We took a trip to wine country just before  Hardy passed. I didn't know it at the time, but it would be less than a month before my final goodbye to him. That goodbye would be weak too. It was so far from the way I had imagined. I don't think it was fair that he had to get killed by a pit bull. I will never let that go, I guess. 

 It's been four years later, and I still think he was the best dog ever. I still think about the way he left this world and how it changed  my life. Forever. I still believe he is someplace in the afterlife waiting for me to join him. Even though it will be a very long time from now.

Today was really fun though. I've become accustomed to making day trips without him - without any dogs for that matter. The replacements are home dogs. They don't like going anyplace with us. But I still love them. I can appreciate going places without the pets. It's fun too. 

It's fun to remember the good times with Hardy too.  I guess it's true that love really never dies.  

May

The wild pink clover is in bloom

The breeze kicks in and branches sway

Honeysuckle wafts her sweet perfume

Goslings swim and look for room

And sunshine keeps her vow to stay

Remembering Corinne, "...with one R, and two Ns."

"Do we have any of that mocha coffee stuff?" Brad asked.

I was just about to spread the frosting onto the triple chocolate cake I had baked the night before. I had made the decision to bake myself a cake for Mother's Day when I realized that I am always making this family recipe for people other than myself. I had also decided that I would make it with mocha frosting in honor of Brad's mom, since that was the way she would bake it. At least, that's the frosting she put in her personal family cookbook she gave to him back when we were in our 20s.

As I followed her hand typed instructions, and handed Brad the instant mocha, I thought about how mothers pass down family recipes. I remembered a time when we were younger, and she was still alive. She and my father-in-law had recently returned from a trip and we were making dinner for them at our home in Tacoma. I remember serving her ranch style veggie dip with an array of crisp, freshly sliced carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, and celery, when she spontaneously commented, "This tastes like home." 

It made me feel loved, that she felt at home before she was physically there. It was as if she was saying you are family, and I'm glad to be at your house. I had only been married to her son at that time for about a year, but I felt a part of the family that day. As daughters, we are always waiting for signs of approval from our moms, and she validated for me that above all, I had made her veggie dip as tasty as she would. And she was a great cook.

My fondest memory of her is at their country cottage in North Eastern Washington, at a place they called Skoog. It was Thanksgiving Day, and she had baked a turkey in the wood stove. I still marvel that she could bake with a wood stove! In any case, it was a storybook holiday, complete with a horse ride in the snow around their property. Brad's father took us out for about two hours riding over the frosted hills and through an icy creek before we got back inside to the scent of a perfectly baked turkey with all the fixins. 

I am so grateful that I moved away from my own family and close to her, back when she was in remission. I was really lucky to share that time near her home during her short life, as no one knew when the cancer would eventually win, which turned out to be about four years after that special Thanksgiving. Her life was too short! I only knew her for about 6 years. Today I pray that she continues to rest in peace, and that she feels the love and gratitude I feel today to have known and loved her.

Love Never Felt So Good

All the Michael Jackson fans will be excited to learn that there will be a new album titled Xscape, which will have 8 songs he recorded back in the day. The first song released from the album debuted this week on an MTV music award show. The song is titled, Love Never Felt So Good. It featured Usher and seemed to be received well. You be the judge...

http://youtu.be/GJNzKu_uLMs