The Summer Road Less Traveled: Books to inspire creative vacations
May 8 2013
This is the time of year when my family starts to plan our summer vacations. I say vacations because we never take an extended tour of any place, but focus our exploits on long weekends that usually involve a road trip. Road trips remind me of my childhood in the station wagon with the fold-up jump...
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Fuel for Your Space Dreams
May 2 2013
If you could travel to space, would you?
Many people, including myself, have dreamed about becoming an astronaut and visiting outer space. This past Monday, Virgin Galactic, the world's first commercial spaceline, brought that dream one step closer to reality. VG's SpaceShipTwo successfully...
Plain and Simple
Apr 30 2013
I have noticed a growing fascination with all things Amish and I'm wondering why. What is it? Is it the simplistic lifestyle of the Amish that fascinates so many people who are running around, constantly on the go from here to there? Are some people perhaps a little envious of the slower-paced,...
Wide Open Spaces
Apr 22 2013
As I started to plan my side-yard garden this season, the lyrics from the Dixie Chicks song Cowboy Take Me Away came to my mind: “I said I wanna touch the earth / I...
Best Television-Inspired Movies: The Film Guide
Apr 22 2013
Best Television-Inspired Movies:
Television shows often end too early or not early enough. Movies based on television shows can be retreads of old materials or new spins on old classic themes. When thinking about movies based on television shows, there are many more groan-inducing experiences and a...
Up, Up, and Away! Superhero Movies Galore
Apr 18 2013
Love them or hate them, superheroes have become a huge part of our movie culture. Blockbusters like Marvel's The Avengers and The Dark Knight series have...
Anythink & the Opera
Apr 12 2013
In the fall, after being encouraged by Anythink to spend a day creatively outside of my comfort zone, I attended the Met Opera's Live in HD performance of...
Good Literary Friends, Old and New
Apr 3 2013
On any given day I find myself falling into the make-believe world of my favorite stories. Losing myself in the wonder of what my literary friends are doing. Is Elizabeth Bennet reading or out for a walk? Is Daenerys Targaryen on the way to Kings Landing with her dragons? And what awaits her when...
And The Award Goes To...
Mar 29 2013
And the award goes to...Argo?
Though it was the number one choice by the majority of the 6,000 Academy members, I was disappointed. I was sure that...
BRAINS! (or I love Zombies): The Film Guide
Mar 28 2013
I love zombie movies. There is nothing more ridiculous and entertaining than a horde of the living undead surging towards a group of survivors. Zombie movies come in all different types and here are a few of my favorite zombie films....
Still Immortal: Henrietta Lacks
Mar 27 2013
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is one of the most popular books of the last few years. Part biography, part scientific tale, this mulitple-award-winning non-fiction book (soon to be...
Dark and Dreary Comedies: The Film Guide
Mar 21 2013
Comedies do not always have to be shiny and light to be enjoyable. Some of my favorite comedies are dark and dreary. These movies all have oddball characters and situations that are hilarious and depressing. The absurdity of these movies takes a backseat to the truths found within their subjects....
Playground for the Senses - SXSWi
Mar 19 2013
In the airport heading back from Austin, there are remnants of the week's conference scattered throughout the gate. Gadgets out everywhere, users looking a little haggard from the week's festivities, vendor T-shirts collected from the thousands represented in the exhibit hall, and conversations...
One great experience
Mar 13 2013
I just finished a great children's chapter book recently about a young girl who was quite the crackerjack rascal of her community. She was quick to think, quick to act and quick to get the job (any job) done. I liked her straight away. Her name was Moses (Mo for short) and she told her story in the...
Reminiscing on 2012: The Surprising Film Guide
Mar 11 2013
As I look back at 2012, there are many films that were enjoyable, but only a few stood above the rest. Interesting performances and genre-bending styles made these movies capture my attention. While you gear up for new releases in 2013, consider checking out one of the following films, even if it...
Stay Awake: Stories for Horror Fans
Mar 7 2013
When I was a little girl, I was afraid of everything. And I mean everything. It took years for me to sleep without a TV on, and even longer to see scary movies with my friends.
Then something changed.
The older I've gotten, the more fascinated I've become with concepts in the macabre. With the...
Life After Downton Abbey
Mar 5 2013
The end of season three of Masterpiece Theater's Downton Abbey has left a hole in my life. I miss all the drama between and within the classes and the reminders every week that life is made up of love and heartbreak, birth and death -- predicaments that can usually be explained by a witty one-liner...
Celebrate Black History Month with these authors, musicians and activists
Feb 13 2013
When is the last time you picked up a copy of The Color Purple or sang along with the First Lady of Song? February is Black History Month, and what better way to observe than by celebrating African-American authors, poets, musicians and activists? We’ve highlighted some of the most iconic African-...
Documentaries for a New Year: The Film Guide
Feb 5 2013
The quirkier and more unusual a documentary, the more likely I am to enjoy it. There are stories of all types whether they are serious or silly. Adventure through different worlds and experience these unique films.
My first film suggestion is directed by the graffiti artist, and sometimes director...
Start a samurai journey: the film guide
Jan 31 2013
Samurai films show different codes and ethics than what you see in many other films. A sense of honor and duty, along with the portrayal of Japanese culture and other eras, make these enthralling films. Try the following as first forays into the samurai genre....