Inkheart

I enjoyed this movie which opened this weekend.  It  had action, great special effects, and little romance. Even more fantastic it is a  fantasy about reading and the power of words !  What’s not to like?

I have been following the reviews on the Internet Movie Database . What I particularly like about this site is that I can look at the gender and age of the people who are reviewing it.  In this instance it is scoring very high with the audience for which it was made – TEENS.   This definetly is NOT a movie for very young children- but 12+ will probably enjoy- and adults will probably enjoy it, too.

Surprised by a Christian Novel

For Christmas my brother sent me a copy of The Shack by William P. Young. I am surprised by how much I enjoyed it.  I could tell that it was engaging me when I found myself slowing down as I read it.  When I don’t want a book to end that is what I do.  I won’t ruin the story for those of you who haven’t read it.  Basically it involves a husband and father who,  three years after a very traumatic event, is invited to spend the weekend with God.  Lots of food for thought with this one- and I imagine it drives many a “churchy” Christian nuts.

Mount Vernon

On the second to the last day of our trip,  Ryan and I enjoyed visiting was Mount Vernon. We went via public transportation- which was very easy to do.  We spent five hour on the estate which is owned by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association of the Union who paid over $200,000 for the house and part of the property in 1858. According to Wikipedia- the estate was neutral ground during the Civil War.  We spent 4 1/2 hours doing a self guided tour of the grounds and taking the formal tour of the house.  We paid our respects and the tomb of George and Martha Washington.  Ryan spoke to some archaeologists in the garden who are trying to determine what plans were growing there in Washington’s time.  they are employees of the MVL Association.  This beautiful estate is open every day of the year.  If ever you are in the area on Christmas Day- this is a place you can visit and enjoy!

The U.S.S. Nevada Log for December 7, 1941

When Ryan and I visited the National Archives in Washington, D.C. the item that gave me the chills. was the log book of the USS Nevada. A sign near the display indicated that ever since early sailing days, ships logs are kept every four hours and indicate what has gone on for that period and any important information. This log was open to the page being kept while the ship was being bombed at Pearl Harbor.  It gave me chills ! To think that there was an officer whose job it was to record history as it was happening!

In Arizona, of course, we have a memorial to the USS Arizona which was sunk during the attack.

Julia Child’s Kitchen and “The Zone”

At Christmas my nephew, Ryan, and I paid a six day visit to Washington, D. C. We saw so many wonderful places. However, we were both surprised by our interest in the Julia Child display at the Smithsonian American History Museum. Ryan, after watching her in action on a black and white TV, turned to me and asked, “Who is this woman.” I wasn’t quick enough to think and say, “She is the reason we have decent food in America.”  What I really think he was getting at though, was the incredible fascination she had for those watching the progam.  Unlike most displays we saw, people  lingered a long time to watch her (5-10 minutes rather than 1-2 minutes).  Later, discussing it, we decided that when she cooked Julia was in “the zone”.  By this we mean totally herself and totally focused on the task at hand.  If you have never seen her, look at the omlette program on youtube.com. Bon appetite !