Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
Movie Review – Christopher Robin
I like to go to movies that just plain make me feel good……and today I did just that! It was a rainy morning – we needed it, so this is not a complaint by any means – so, seeing the characters in this movie was a welcome warm tug at the old heart strings! Christopher Robin brought all the Pooh characters to life – literally – for a wonderful adventure and valuable life lesson.
As the movie opens, we see Pooh and all his friends saying goodbye to young Christopher Robin, who is being sent to boarding school by his parents and he won’t be able to visit 100-acre woods any more. Ewan McGregor was amazing as the adult Christopher Robin. Married with a young daughter, Christopher has gotten wrapped up in work and being an adult with adult responsibilities and lost touch with his family and his inner child…….until one day, Pooh comes looking for him to get him to help him find his lost friends!
The movie is heart warming, funny, fun, and sends a powerful message – don’t ever forget what and who is most important in our life! It is meant to be a children’s story presented by Disney…….but, I think every adult needs to see it and take heed to the underlining lesson for us all!
I do love movies like this and this one didn’t disappoint, one bit! I rate it a solid A++ and highly recommend it!
Some of my favorite quotes”
Winnie The Pooh: People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.
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Christopher Robin: I wonder which way.
Winnie The Pooh: I always get to where I’m going by walking away from where I’ve been.
Christopher Robin: Do you?
Winnie The Pooh: That’s the way I do it.
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Winnie The Pooh: Doing nothing often leads to the very best kind of something.
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Winnie The Pooh: It’s always a sunny day, when Christopher Robin comes to play.
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And, my very favorite:
The Trailer:
You silly ole bear…….. 😀
A Daring Visitor
So, I had to move my desk and computer to make room to convert my den into my Boutique for my Lula Roe business…….which means I thought I wasn’t going to get anymore great photos of birds and squirrels at the Bird Buffet while sitting at my desk! I did put a feeding station outside the window that I now look out from my desk – which is now in my dining room – but, it just hasn’t been the same!!! I get birds, but they prefer the feeding stations in my back yard. There are trade offs in life…..sadly, this has been one of them!
Then, a couple weeks ago, I was sitting at my computer and suddenly the very tall double shepherds hook outside my window – literally two feet from the window – started to jerk back and forth causing the bird feeders to sway!!! I thought, what the heck…….and then I saw it……a squirrel had leaped onto the post and made his way up the shaft to where the seed cakes were hanging to steal himself a treat!!! He went through a series of daring feats to get the morsels and then balance himself on the top to eat and back and forth till he had his fill and left. He absolutely saw me watching him and taking his picture – we made definite eye contact on multiple occasions – but didn’t seem to mind at all! Although he was close enough to get great photos, I still zoomed in to get even better ones!!!
My new friend has been back at least once that I was there to witness! He’s been fun to watch……
Daily Photos – Catch Up!
What happens when I don’t make time to tend to my blog? I have to cram a lot in to catch up! So…..here are a few of my favorites from my Daily Photo Challenge since the last time I posted any of them……since, like mid-June!!! Oh, I’ve written some blog posts since then and I’ve taken many, many more photos since then…..I just haven’t posted any of the Daily Photo Challenge photos on here since then!!!
WHEW! OK, all caught up……hehehe
Ganondagan 2018
I participated in a Bible Study at the Albion First United Methodist Church led by Kae Wilbert on Native American history and the connection with the United Methodist faith….and Christianity in general. It was a fascinating study and Kae did an amazing job presenting the information. We ended the study with a day trip to the Ganondagan Music and Dance Festival in Victor, NY. I was in awe of everything we learned, saw, and participated in during the study and our day at Ganondagan! Visit the Ganondagan web site by clicking here. Please visit the site and at least read the information on the home page, as it will give much better information than I can, here!
Ganondagan State Historic Site, located in Victor, NY is registered as a National Historic Landmark. Here are some photos from the festival:
Historically, the site was the home of many Long Houses – long bark huts that housed entire families of Seneca Indians. When a Native American man married, he would move into his wife’s family long house and, if he was of a different clan, he would become a member of the wife’s clan. It was a strong matriarch society. There is a full size Seneca Bark Long House on the property that depicts the typical living quarters of a Seneca family in the 1600s.
The welcome message and prayer, explained in English and presented in its entirety in the Seneca language:
We were treated to a very entertaining story telling session – complete with the ancient story of why dogs sniff each other’s butts – by the wonderful Story Teller, Tonia Loran:
And, then there were songs and dances! This was just amazing!!!! The performers of the Iroquois Social Dancing were Bill Crouse and the Allegany River Indian Dancers – most of whom were Bill Crouse’s daughters, grandchildren, and son-in-laws. I absolutely LOVED this part!!!
This 4-year-old (on the right) was incredible…..and so cute!!! He took is participation very seriously and was so good – he also looked like he absolutely loved doing it!
In addition to singing and dancing, they explained the meaning and purpose of their various clothing and regalia.
This dance was performed by the youngest and the oldest in the group!
And…..there was food!!! Attendees could choose from Indian Tacos, Buffalo Burgers, Venison Sausage, Bear Sausage, Corn Soup, and some more typical festival foods…….I chickened out and had a hot dog!
The property is also home to the Seneca Art and Culture Center that was recently built in 2015.
This one is titled: Mother Earth Waking Up After Winter……it was simply stunning!!! My favorite!
There were also craft booths with some of the most beautiful artistry I’ve ever seen! But, as I was taking a photo of something that caught my eye, I was asked politely to not photograph the artists work. I respected that request and assumed the others likely felt similarly, so no photos of the arts and crafts that were for sale.
This is an annual festival……I highly recommend you go, if you ever get the chance! I just may go again in the future!
Movie Review – Mamma Mia, Here We Go Again!
A couple weeks ago (yeah, I know – better late than never, right?), my friend, Cathy, and I went to the early bird matinee at Tinseltown to see the much anticipated sequel/prequel to the amazing Mamma Mia! – Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again! The first one was so enjoyable, I’ve seen it…..oh, I don’t know…..a zillion times or so! From the first hint of a second one, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for a release date! We waited and waited and waited and the anticipation built higher and higher…….till, finally, we knew when it was going to be out – July 20th – just in time for Cathy’s birthday! Then, the excitement built even further……I was so afraid that I was building it up so high in my expectations that I was going to be disappointed……that happens – I get so worked up anticipating something I know is going to be amazing and then…..let down!!! Oh, it usually is amazing, but my heightened expectations keep me from just sitting back and enjoying it for what it is – not what I expect it to be! But, not this time…..OMG……it was even BETTER than I expected AND, even better than the first one!!! How is that possible? Well, they added Cher, for one! LOL
So……this is the story, told through the use of ABBA songs, of Sophie – played by Amanda Seyfried – who is continuing on her mother, Donna’s legacy. In the first one, we learn that Donna – played by Meryl Streep – ended up on a remote island in a broken down building that she dreamed of turning into a hotel. Donna was a free spirit who raised Sophie alone……but, there was a twist – Sophie finds out while preparing for her wedding that she has THREE possible “Dads”!!! Now……as we go into the new one, we find Sophie missing her mother, who has passed away, as she prepares to open the newly and beautifully renovated hotel! This sequel/prequel does an awesome job of going back and forth between Sophie’s struggles to open the hotel and the past to tell the story of how Donna got there from graduating from college and going off to explore an island she read about to how she met the three “Dads” and many other interesting characters who became life long friends along her journey! And, though both journeys, viewers are treated to the wonderful music of ABBA!
The cast is STELLAR……..Besides Amanda Seyfried, we have Andy Garcia – Fernando, Lily James – young Donna, Julie Walters – Rosie, Christine Baranski – Tanya……the “Dads”: Pierce Brosnan – Sam, Colin Firth – Harry, and Stellan Skarsgard……..and that only scratches the surface! Then…….the icing on the cake was CHER!!! I am not at all dissing the actors who played the younger versions of all of these characters and the many, many supporting roles……everyone who had any part whatsoever was amazing!!! And, what about Meryl Streep??? I wondered how they could do a sequel without Meryl Streep……well, let’s not have any spoilers, here……I’ll just say that they handled it PERFECTLY!!!!
AND, THE FINALE!!! OMG……BEST FINALE EVER!!!!
This is a fun, entertaining, and joyful movie! One that will leave you singing ABBA songs in your head for days (heck, I’m STILL singing them in my head and out loud as I dance around the house)! Take tissues, though……I sobbed during several scenes!!!
GO SEE IT!!! But…..if you haven’t seen the first one, yet, be sure to stream it and watch it before you go — the whole “three Dads” thing and some other back stories are not explained in the second one, so you may find yourself a bit confused……besides, it is just plain fun to see! I rate this one so far off the scale that I’m not even going to attempt a rating! Just go……I probably don’t have to say that I highly recommend it…….but, I will anyway – I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE!!! LOL
Here’s the trailer:
Witnessing History
On Friday, my friend, Cathy, and I made a day trip to Old Fort Niagara – located in Youngstown, NY on the bank of the Niagara River where it meets Lake Ontario. The fort was originally built by the French in 1726 to protect the interests of New France (Canada) in North America. It served various troops during the French and Indian Ware, the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and the Civil War, as well as various other uses and historic events between wars. It was known as the “Portal to the West”, “Gateway of the Five Nations”, and “Guardhouse of the Great Lakes”. Some of the oldest buildings still in use anywhere along the Great Lakes are located in Fort Niagara.
This weekend, there was a French and Indian War Encampment and Friday was the first day of the three day event. We saw a re-enactment, a military music demonstration, a French Castle, a lighthouse, and various participants in period dress doing the things that would be common place in the days of that war inside the fort.
The particular reenactment we witnessed recreates the historic siege of 1759 when British and New York troops, along with Native American allies, captured Fort Niagara from the French after a 19 day siege. Part of the reenactment includes three major battles over the three days (we saw only one of them) and British Captain Walter Rutherford being escorted into the Fort by French troops – he is there to demand the French – under the leadership of Captain Pierre Pouchot – surrender. I wasn’t clear why he was blindfolded and escorted into the Fort to make his demands, but that is what occurred.
If you’re interested, there will be a War of 1812 Encampment the weekend of July 28-29.
Here are some links that may be of interest to you:
The Official Web Site of Fort Niagara
And….of course, I took photos! I only had my iPhone and the sun made it difficult to see what I was getting in the shots, but they came out pretty good…..considering!
It was a very interesting day……I was happy we went and learned a lot!
Just because….
Just some of the photos I have taken since last posted for the Daily Photo Challenge and other reasons…..
I posted this one with the parade post, but I especially like it — Festival on Courthouse Square
The topic that day was “Where I Work”…..I’m retired, but I do have a successful LulaRoe business!
I met some new friends……
I added all the what-nots around my gardens, yesterday — flamingos, peacocks, stepping stones, and what-not!
That’s all, folks……
I Love A Parade
It’s that time of year when festivals, carnivals, fairs, and……parades will begin to pop up all across the country! This weekend was Albion’s annual Strawberry Festival and Saturday morning was the parade!
The Hitmen stopped to play “How Much Is That Doggie In The Window” to my brother’s dogs! 😀
Orleans County’s Sheriff, Randy Bower
Parade Royalty
Even the library had a Drill Team, promoting their Summer Reading Program
And, of course, there was Santa and Mrs. Claus!!!
And….the grand finale…..our very own Albion Purple Eagles Marching Band!!!
All The Pretty Colors
I love this time of year……all of nature is waking up from their long winter nap and showing off their amazing colors to prove that there is more to the world than just white!!! Yes, there is a rotating flow of color throughout the summer and autumn months, but spring is the first burst of amazing color, so it definitely is my favorite! My yard has been coming alive – some colors have reached their peak and left, already, while others are just coming into their full beauty, and even more are just starting to perk up!
Before we get to the colorful photos, here are a couple Daily Photos that I particularly liked so far in June:
The first topic in June was “round” and it happened to fall on National Donut Day!!!
My Sunday Morning seat……at Albion First Baptist Church
Now – on with the color:
Aaahhh, Spring…..I do love you so!!!
Fun at the Lake…..
What do you do when you have out of state guests visiting and the weather is amazing? You take them to Lake Ontario……multiple times!!!
We went to Point Breeze to have dinner at the Black North Inn on Friday and watched some swans coming in off Lake Ontario and making their way down the Oak Orchard River:
And, then, today, we took a nice drive to Olcott Beach……we had breakfast and then shopped on the boardwalk, enjoyed the view of Lake Ontario, and stopped at the Winery at Marjim Manor for some wine tasting…..
I love to be near the lake…….it makes me happy and calm!
Hidden Valley Animal Adventure
I went to the most amazing animal park with some friends that were visiting from NC this week!!! Hidden Valley Animal Adventure is located in Varysburg, NY – near Attica – and is a wonderful place to spend a few hours! You take a trolley ride through the park and so many super cool animals come right up to the trolley when it stops to beg for treats…..and they get lots of them!!! ❤ There is also a small animal area where you can pet and feed some and others you can see through a barrier. I very much enjoyed ALL the animals we saw, but I particularly loved the camels – what wonderful, gentle giants they are!!! And…..I was amazed that I went all over the mid-west hoping to see Buffalo / Bison up close, but only saw them off in the distance and here right in my own back yard (so to speak), I was not only able to get up close to some, but I was able to FEED them!!! WOW!!!
Here are some of the photos:
Another wonderful adventure in the history books……this one I will surely repeat over and over and over, again!!! LOVED IT!!!!
Thursday Photos….
Always so much going on…..here are some photos from the last week or so:
Last Saturday, I joined six other local LulaRoe retailers from my team to do a fundraiser for Albion First United Methodist Church. It was fun……we had a lull in the customers coming through, so we went across the street to St. Joe’s and outside the Christ Church to do a photo shoot of us wearing different outfits to post on our group pages against some awesome backdrops….here are some of the shots:
My 2018 landscaping projects are just about done……each year over the past six summers I have done a little more toward my vision for my yard…..this year, I finally finished by adding the last section!!! We still have a few bushes to add that weren’t available the day the bulk of the work was done…..and, of course, there will be annual upkeep and add a little here and there and replace this and that and touch up now and then for all eternity, but it is essentially done!!! Woo Hoo!!!
The last section is along the east fence line and in front of the shed
Two years ago, a friend gave me a red peony tree in honor of my Mom just after she passed. I was so excited to get that thoughtful gift…..but, it did not survive the horribly hot, dry summer and then the winter we had that year! I was so sad……so, I asked my landscapers to find another one for me and they did!!! They put it in last year and this year it has its first bud!
And, yesterday, it popped open!!!!
Mom would have LOVED this!!!
My pink dogwood didn’t have as many blossoms this year as it usually does……maybe because of that ice storm right that happened right when things were starting to bud out!
My crown jewel in my front yard is my weeping Japanese crab apple tree!!!
But, alas…….it doesn’t last long…….the blossoms fell and covered the ground like a snowfall after a hard rain!
And, finally……some of my favorite Daily Photo Challenge photos since the last time I posted some:
These were my very first tap shoes – I was about 4 years old – thought I’d put them to good use, since I’m obviously never going to wear them, again! hahaha I may swap out the succulents cause these are bigger than I thought they’d be in the shoes……but, we’ll see how I like them after looking at them for a few days!
Until next time……..enjoy the season!!!
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