I’ve always found it interesting to watch my dogs while they sleep.   They take sleep very seriously – painstakingly fluffing the dog bed, blanket, pillows, or whatever they are preparing to nap on – circling and patting down the area so that it is just the way they like it, nice and cozy!   Sometimes they sleep so soundly that they are totally oblivious to everything going on around them – sprawled out on their backs in the most awkward looking poses in total trust that nothing is going to happen to them!  Their world is safe and good!  Sometimes they are just catching a few winks, but are really sleeping with one ear open to be sure they know if I move or do something they think they need to be involved in!  Then there are the doggie dreams…..the times when they are obviously dreaming about running in a field or confronting some bully or chasing after squirrels!

Katie and Megan rarely have active dreams — once in a while they will twitch a little or make some growling or whimpering sounds.  Amy, on the other hand, acts out her dreams quite often!  She gets so animated and noisy!  Maybe it is because she is the timid one, for the most part, when she’s awake.  She gets to act out all her fantasies in her dreams.

Just a bit ago, she had one of her more active dreams!  I can only imagine what she must have been dreaming about — I really wish she could wake up and tell me all about her adventures in dreamland, but she can’t!  She was making a lot of little “woofs” that puffed out her cheeks, so I sat and watched for a while.  Soon, she was totally involved in whatever was going on — her entire body twitched and jerked, her legs flailed around like she was running, her face twitched and wrinkled up in weird contortions, and she was barking, growling, and moaning loudly and excitedly.  It didn’t last terribly long – just a minute or so - and she was back to a relaxed sleep and all was done!  All the time, Katie and Megan slept peacefully near by – not at all disturbed by the noises and actions Amy was exhibiting.

This looked like a fun dream — of course, I have no way of knowing that, but it seems obvious to me when it is a good or bad dream.  This one had excited sounding noises – like when she’s playing.  Bad dreams have more scared or aggressive sounding noises.  I try to not wake her from her dreams, but if it appears to be a bad one and seems to be lasting a long time, I will usually call her name or move the bedding or touch her to gently wake her from it.  If I do, I hug her and tell her that it was just a dream and she’s safe and OK — she usually leans into me to snuggle and gives gentle kisses of thanks!

My girls — what joy they add to my life!!!

The previews looked intriguing, the cast was a sure bet (Cameron Diaz – love her in just about everything she does, Frank Langella - one of my favorite character actors, James Marsden – such a cutie), and I was all geared up to see a movie!  So, I went to my hair appointment this morning and then to meet a friend for lunch at Elizabeth’s.  The movie didn’t start until 1:35, so I went back home to let the girls out, check email, and do a couple things.  I almost got wrapped up in something and realized almost too late that I needed to leave to make it to the movie on time.  I got there with about 10 minutes to spare, got my small popcorn and bottle of water, and went in to grab a seat!  There were only two previews that came on while we waited for the movie to start — a REALLY good-looking new Mel Gibson movie called “Edge of Darkness” due out in January and a futuristic looking movie with Denzel Washington that I’m sure I’ll not bother with.

And the interesting parts of my day, so far, came to an end!!!  What happened next can only be described as the worse waste of 2 hours I’ve ever experienced in my life!!!  I am not going to waste more time by going into a lot of details about the plot – you’ve seen it on the trailers – woman is given a box with two choices:  push the button and become an instant millionaire while someone she doesn’t know dies OR don’t push the button and her life will remain as it is!  She chooses to push the button — the rest of the movie takes us on a very painful journey through the consequences of her decision!  And I do mean painful!!!

This movie made no sense what-so-ever……the acting was so low quality, I wouldn’t even call it acting (everyone sounded and looked like they were reading cue cards being held just off the set and read them with no emotion at all)……Cameron’s southern accent was horrible……it was hard to follow……and it was just plain stupid!!!   There were all these characters wandering around like zombies in a deep trance with their mouths gaped open ”watching” Diaz and Marsden to make sure they do what they are expected to do — whatever that is!  They don’t really seem to have a purpose at all!!! 

I loved Twilight Zone and Outer Limits — this had that feel, but was sooooo much more hokey and no where near the level of entertainment of those classic shows!

The only bright side is that it did send a powerful message — you ALWAYS have a choice and there are ALWAYS consequences to whatever choice you make – good or bad!!!

Usually, if I don’t particularly like a movie, I recommend you wait until it comes out on rental or cable if you have a strong urge to see it — not this time!!  I wouldn’t recommend spending a penny on it, I wouldn’t recommend wasting a spot on your Netflix list, and even if you get to see it for free, I wouldn’t waste the time!  Go to the dentist and have a few teeth extracted, instead – you’ll find that more enjoyable!!!

I give this one the lowest rating I have ever given any movie, regardless of how much I disliked it (there is usually “something” worth a medium-ish rating) — I rate this one a HUGE F- and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone!!!

WOW – what an intense experience this movie was!  I actually wasn’t looking for this particular movie when I decided to go to a matinee yesterday.  I haven’t seen any trailers on it and wasn’t aware of any details.  I logged onto Yahoo Movies to see what was playing in the area yesterday to see if there was anything that caught my eye.  I noticed this title, but the poster didn’t do anything for me.  So, I opened it up to see what the write-up was about – and I was instantly intrigued!!!  Then, I saw the cast list – Jamie Fox, Gerard Butler (that one, alone, was enough to convince me), and Colm Meaney.  OK, sounded like it would definitely be worth the price of a matinee ticket, so I decided to give it a try!

The story opens with Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) enjoying an evening with his family – wife and young daughter.  While the wife is fixing dinner and the daughter is washing up, he goes to answer the door.  The minute he opens the door, two thugs push their way in and bash him in the head with a baseball bat.  They proceed to beat him, tie him up, and duct tape his mouth.  Then, his wife comes out of the kitchen and starts to scream, so one of the thugs goes after her.   While he is beating and raping her with Shelton and the other thug looking on, the little girl appears in the doorway.  To Shelton’s horror, the thug grabs the girl and disappears into another room saying, “don’t worry, children love me”!  Shelton survives the invasion/attack, but his wife and daughter don’t!   His nightmare doesn’t end there, though!  Jamie Fox plays the prosecutor on the case.  He ends up making a deal with the one who did the actual violent parts of the crime – he would plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for his testimony against the other guy!  So – he only served about 5 years and the one who was only there to rob the place ended up charged directly with the murders and was sentenced to death!  How’s that for justice????  Shelton was, of course, in shock and appalled at how the system failed him and his slain family!

Fast forward 10 years……beginning with a horrifying mix up at the execution of the one who got the death sentence that resulted in an agonizing death and then the ingenious, yet sickening, brutal slaughter of the one that got away with murder, the story starts to blossom!  I won’t go into any more detail — all this happens very quickly in the beginning!  But, suffice it to say that it is an intense psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat and made me jump and gasp more than once!!!   Shelton spends the rest of the movie cunningly and brilliantly getting his revenge and staying one step ahead of Fox and Meaney as they try to figure out what he’ll do next and how in the world he is doing it!!!! 

On the down side – it was way too gory for me!  I don’t particularly care for that much graphic violence and blood!!!  But, there were only a couple really bad scenes and I was able to turn away and not watch the sickening parts without spoiling any of the story and intensity!  And the ending actually surprised me!!!  That rarely EVER happens!!!

Even with what I would define as unnecessarily extreme graphic violence, I still rate this one an A+ — very intense, very good story, exceptional acting (particularly by Gerard Butler), and not even the slightest second of slow or boring moments!   I highly recommend it for anyone really into psychological thrillers — I seriously doubt anyone will be disappointed!  If you are, I’d love to hear why!!!  CAUTION:  Definitely NOT for kids — if you usually allow your kids to see movies like this, you may want to see it first OR wait until it comes out on DVD so you can skip the really graphic scenes!

I know…I’m behind on my reviews!  But, not too far behind – I just saw Amelia last Sunday, so I’m only a week late!  Last weekend was my birthday and my dear friends, Ron and Lisa, took me out for a great day to commemorate it!  We went to Cary and did some shopping at BJ’s, went to see the movie Amelia, and had dinner at Olive Garden!  It was a great day!

So – on with the review!  Amelia is, of course, the story of Amelia Earhart.  Hilary Swank stars as Amelia and Richard Gere portrays her husband, publishing mogul George Putnam.  Ewan McGregor also stars in the movie as Gene Vidal, father of Gore Vital and long time friend and lover of Amelia’s. 

The acting is top notch!  I usually don’t care a lot for Hilary Swank, but she is perfect as Amelia Earhart – she even looks like her! 

The story chronicles Amelia’s love of flying and her inherent knowledge of aircraft and what can make a flight efficient and successful against the odds.  The story admits she may not have been the best pilot, but she was smart and had great instincts, as well as an intense passion.  It also focuses on her personal life and her relationships.  The world fell in love with her and so did everyone she came into personal contact with.  She was a charismatic woman who was able to use her celebrity to raise the funds she needed to finance her flying desires. 

One thing I really liked was that it stuck to the facts about her last flight.  It used written journal entries that were among the things she sent to her husband on one of her stops to lighten the weight in the plane, as well as radio logs, phone conversations, and other records.  It didn’t take liberties to assume things that must have happened or romanticize an alleged ending.

All in all, it was a good movie — very interesting and endearing.  I would have liked for it to go into more about her life by focusing more heavily on specific parts, rather than just touching on so many aspects of it.  But, that probably would have made for a very lengthy film – this is a difficult balance for most movies to make.  I think they did a nice job of giving just enough to keep the audience interested and perhaps wanting to go research the more in depth details.

I rate this movie a solid B+ and recommend it for anyone who likes historic stories, aviation themes, and real life romance.

Last Friday evening, I went to see the latest production at the Temple Theatre - Stones in His Pockets, starring Michael Brocki and Derrick Ivey.  It is the story of the extras, crew, and main star in a movie being shot in Ireland.  The primary story is of the relationships of the extras and a young man who has fallen on hard times, was rejected in his attempt to obtain a job as an extra on the movie, and subsequently kills himself by putting stones in his pockets and walking into the lake.  But, it isn’t all that gloomy – although the suicide is an important aspect, it doesn’t put a damper on the feel of the story.  It is funny, touching, and emotional.

The hook and amazing part of this production is that there are over a dozen characters who are both male and female, but only TWO actors who are both men!  And the real kicker?  They never leave the stage or change costumes (except for a few minor accessories or props) at any time during the production!!!  Sound confusing?  Well, you’d think so, but it really wasn’t!!!  I admit, it took me about 5 minutes or so to “get it”.  At first, I thought it was hard to follow and I was working way too hard to figure out what in the world was going on.  But, once they made it through the characters and started to go back and forth between them, it all came together and was so obvious!

Brocki and Ivey did an amazing job of making sure we knew exactly which character they were portraying at any given time.  They would be one character and then spin around or change positions and suddenly they were another character!  The expressions, mannerisms, voices, and even dialects of each character were so distinctive, you knew the second they “transformed” who they were!  It takes a special talent to be able to pull this off and make it totally believable and Brocki and Ivey both have that talent – BIG TIME!!!  They were absolutely successful in making me “see” each distinct character and visualize exactly what they look like!  I was mesmerized!

 I always enjoy being at the Temple Theatre and am rarely disappointed.  Granted, some shows are better than others, but that’s natural.  This was definitely among the better shows I’ve seen.  I really enjoyed it.  Today is the last show of this run.  If you haven’t already seen it and are looking for something to do this afternoon, I recommend you give this a try! 

I heard a crunching, tearing sound coming from the living room, so I went to investigate – it couldn’t be good!  When I got in there, Amy very guiltily (is that a word) jumped off the love seat and sneaked behind the chair with her head down…..funny how they know when they are about to get scolded!  There on the love seat were two pictures – one with a couple bite marks and one torn in several pieces!  BOTH were of Megan as a puppy the day we found them! 

I said “Amy, those are pictures of Megan when she was a baby — you’ve ruined them!”  (no huge loss, I have them on the computer and other hard copies)  Then I went to find out where she got them from.  In the bedroom, I found several pictures spread out on the bed.  Three were of Amy as a puppy on that same day – none were damaged at all – not a single bite mark on them – just spread out neatly!  And one more of Megan taken that day – that one had a couple bite marks on it!  I also found the album that she got them from — it was pulled off a stack by my Grandfather’s old trunk — it was opened and none of the other loose photos that were inside the cover were disturbed!!!

So — she opened this particular photo album, pulled out JUST the 6 loose photos that were taken of them three years ago out at Ronald’s on the day we found them, arranged her own pictures neatly on the bed, and proceeded to tear up and eat the ones of Megan!!!

How’s that for a smart cookie????

Here are the photos she was reminiscing with and taking out her revenge on!  The first 3 are Megan – the first one is the one she tore into pieces!  The last 3 are Amy – the ones she laid out on the bed for perfect viewing!  At the time these were taken, they were just known as “Brindle Puppy” and “Tan Puppy”! 

I was sitting at the computer, relaxing, sipping a cup of Blueberry Tea, thinking about what I want to wear today, when I started hearing some strange noises coming from the bedroom across the hall……snorting, grunting, muffled whining, scratching……(get your minds out of the gutter, now)!  So, I got up and went in to see what was going on!

There was Megan, on her belly, trying her darndest to stretch as far as she could to reach something under the bed (the frame is too low for her to get under it).  Her little arm and head were as far in as they would go and her back feet were digging in to gain traction and leverage!  She was working so hard to get “something”! 

When she heard me in the doorway, she slipped out and ran to me, whining, to plead for help!  So, I got down on the floor to see what she was after……there it was……about half way to the other side……..her favorite ball!!!!   But, alas, I couldn’t reach it, either!  So, I got up, got the dust mop, got back down on the floor, and used it to pull the ball close enough so I could get it!!  Success!!  I saved the day!!

Megan grabbed the ball from my hand and ran excitedly out of the room, squeaking the ball all the way down the hallway!!!!  I got up off the floor and called after her……”that’s OK, no thanks required, but a kiss might have been nice, since I saved the day for you…..but, that’s OK!”  ha-ha-ha

By the way, she did come back after I got comfortable back in the den with my cup of tea…..she was all wiggles with her ball in her mouth to show me how happy and proud she was……so, I got a big “thank you”, afterall!

Every time I get in the shower, Katie and Amy lay patiently on the bed – taking the opportunity for a little relaxation!  But, Megan stands just outside the shower door - standing vigil – waiting anxiously for me to get done and step out!  Not because she misses me or doesn’t like to have me out of her sight!  No – she stands there waiting for her turn to get IN the shower!

As soon as I am done and out, she gets in and starts licking up the water off the floor of the shower, off the seat that usually catches a puddle, and the walls!  She works diligently until all the water that she can reach is gone!  (good thing I make sure all the soap is rinsed down before I get out!)

It would be really cool to have the shower cleaned by such a dedicated worker — if only it ended up clean when she was done!  The problem is, she has usually already been outside and has dirty little feet…….so, this usually results in muddy footprints in the shower AND on the tile floor heading out of the bathroom when she’s done!

Here is the result of Megan’s shower cleaning efforts this morning — I affectionately call it “footprints in the shower”:

And it isn’t just my shower, either — when Mom was here and using the tub/shower combo in the guest bathroom, Megan hopped into the tub to clean up after her, too!

I haven’t devoted a post to the girls in a while.  Not because they stopped giving me cool things to write about, but more because they stopped doing those ”I can laugh now, but man, it wasn’t funny at the time” type of things!  But they are still amazing and a joy to have in my life!

So – what have they been up to now that they no longer eat furniture and destroy everything they come into contact with?

Katie turned 5 years old in April.  Megan and Amy both turned 3 in August.  They still go berserk when company comes over – it is like they never saw another human being before and they have to get all the attention they can get just in case they never see another one again!  But other than that, they are settled and moving nicely into adulthood!  Wow – that is a strange word to use when talking about them – they will always be babies! 

It is so cool to see Megan start to enjoy plush toys – the right way!  She always did enjoy them, but they rarely lasted more than a few minutes before all the stuffing and the squeaker was removed!  Now, she totes them around and throws them in the air and falls asleep with her arm around them — so cute!!!!  If she is anywhere near a toy when I say “whatch got there, Megan?”, she proudly picks it up and comes over to wiggle around and show it off!  Then she plays the fade out game — she acts like she wants me to take it to play with her, but then she suddenly turns her head so I can’t reach it!  That can go on for what seems like hours!  ha-ha

Katie and Amy are the sweethearts — they just want to be sweet and lovable!

The big thing right now is all three are constantly digging their way to China to find the moles that are tunneling under my back yard eating grubs!  Every year at this time, I end up with a grub problem, which brings moles to my yard, which results in the dogs going nuts trying to dig them up!!!  The recent rain really made the problem worse!  So — the elves came last week and spread out grub control!  Once that works, the moles should go away to look for food somewhere else – at least I hope they will – they usually do – and the digging will stop – again, I hope it will – it usually does!  The girls don’t typically dig – unless they hear/smell moles invading their territory – then they go on the hunt!  It is so funny to see the perfect trenches they dig and how deep they go to find the mole tunnels!  But, the worst part is that when they find one, they try to bring it in the house!!!  I have to check to see if they have any gifts before I let them in — uugghh!

So — there are parts of my back yard that are a mess right now and one of the new trees that were planted this spring is uprooted and on its side (a perfect tunnel was dug under and all around it) — but, once we know the moles are gone and the digging stops, the elves will bring a load of dirt and fill in all the lovely trenches that the girls have created!  I know the grub control is working – there are dead grubs all over the edge of my patio, sidewalk, and driveway!  Eeewww!

I LOVE OCTOBER!  It is no secret that I grew up in Western New York, so I have experienced all the wonderful things that October has to offer.   Nowhere else can compare to October in NY – it is amazing!   I miss home for a lot of reasons – but October ALWAYS makes me homesick!!

Here are some of the reasons:

• October is the defining month for the Autumn season – it is the start of the 4th quarter of the year – it is just an amazing month, filled with fun and joy!
• Autumn lasts much longer in NY than it does in NC.  The height of the season is October, but it truly lasts the entire time the calendar gives it!  September begins the cooler days and the start of the beauty and it continues straight through November and the Thanksgiving holiday!
• The beauty of the colors changing to signify the transition from summer to winter is a joy to behold!  You don’t have to drive to the mountains to enjoy the changing of the leaves – it is everywhere AND it is so much more breathtaking there!  I took a day drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway in mid-October a few years back to get a taste of what I have missed over the years in NC.  While it was beautiful — it just didn’t compare to the beauty in NY!
• The smells of October are amazing — burning leaves, the cool air — it alerts your sense of smell and screams out the wonderfulness of the season!
• The sounds of leaves rustling and crackling under your feet as you walk through the yard!  I used to love playing in the piles of leaves – kicking and throwing them around, laying and rolling around in them!  Just walking through ankle deep (or deeper) leaves can put a smile on my face!
• APPLES — apple orchards are EVERYWHERE!  We lived out in the country and there were several apple orchards within walking distance and we’d go for a walk to town or to a friend’s house and pick a couple apples fresh off the trees to eat on the way and again on the way back!  Not to mention the homemade apple pies that were so plentiful due to the abundance of fresh apples!!!
• Butternut Squash — I love having fresh butternut squash on the table!  Whether it is whipped with lots of butter and a touch of cinnamon or baked and eaten right out of the shell, the taste is rich and defines the Autumn season!
• Pumpkin pie…..enough said!!!
• Barn parties — hay rides — pumpkin fests — Indian Corn — etc….
• Oktoberfests…….

Those are just a few of the reasons October is so wonderful and makes me miss my home and my family!  There are other more personal reasons, too – it is a month of family days and holidays:

• My Grandparents had three grandchildren and we were ALL born in October:  My cousin’s birthday is Oct 2nd, my brother’s birthday is Oct 7th, and mine is Oct 24th!  I even had a sister-in-law who’s birthday was in Oct – the 17th!
• My Grandparent’s wedding anniversary was Oct 14th
• And then there is Halloween – the second best holiday of the year (of course, Christmas is the very best!)

Join me in celebrating October — what a great month!