So, you know I had to run out to see Jersey Boysas soon after its release as I could, right? Well, it was released on June 20th, but with so much going on, I didn’t get time and opportunity to see it until the 27th! I saw the stage show at Shea’s in Buffalo in May of last year with a friend and LOVED IT! As soon as we started hearing that they made it into a movie, Cathy and I agreed we HAD to go see it! But, we were both concerned that we might be disappointed……after all, the stage show was so fabulous and emotional and energizing and alive…….how could a movie leave you with that same feeling???!!! But, there was no way we weren’t going to go see it – even if only to confirm that the stage show still ruled the universe! So, we did…….and we were NOT disappointed!!!
Yes, the stage show does still rule the universe – I still like it best of the two versions – and Cathy agrees with me! But, the movie held its own and was very good! I thought it had a very different “feel” to it – no comparison to the feeling I got sitting fourth row center in a live show, feeling free to sing along and dance in my seat just like at a concert! That didn’t make the movie inferior, just different – it just isn’t the same in a movie theater with the characters on the big screen, just like it wouldn’t be the same watching the movie on a TV instead of in a theater. Just different!
What the movie had going for it was the freedom of adding little details that they really couldn’t pull off on stage and playing up the story more (although, the stage show did a great job of infusing dialogue to tell the story). The downfall of playing up the story and adding details was that I thought the movie tended to drag on in a couple of spots – the 134 minutes run time seemed a little long because of that – not bad, just felt like I was thinking it was time to move on in a few spots. They carried on an important aspect that I really enjoyed from the stage show – each character had spots throughout where they stepped out of a scene to talk directly to the camera to tell their side of the story. That gave me the feeling that they were standing in front of me explaining their lives to me on a personal level – I liked that! They also kept the grand finale scene where all the characters came out to perform “December 1963, Oh What A Night” together – in the stage show they were all together on stage and in the movie they all danced down a street in Jersey at night with the street lights all lit – it made for a really amazing ending to the movie!
I somehow forgot that I would need a box of tissues……I was caught off guard at the stage show and didn’t have any tissues and REALLY needed them for the sad scenes and all the emotion the songs and just being there generated inside me! Luckily, this time I had napkins for my popcorn, which I had crumbled up and tossed in the bag when the popcorn was gone – I dug them out and used them when the emotions started to flow…….I got tears AND chills in the scene where they first perform “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” with the full horn section – WOW!!!
The cast was amazing! I love Christopher Walken in anything he does – what an incredible actor he is – and he was perfect as mob boss Gyp DeCarlo. John Lloyd Young portrayed Frankie Valli, reprising his Tony Award winning performance from the Broadway stage show for which he won Best Actor in a Musical in 2006. Young sounded and acted so much like the real Frankie Valli – he did a really good job! Vincent Piazza not only portrayed Tommy DeVito to perfection, he was the poster boy for all Italian Jersey boys – you could just see the “I’m trouble” warning stamped all over his face! 🙂 Rounding out the stellar Four Seasons members were Michael Lomenda as Nick Massi and Erich Bergen as Bob Gaudio. Other noteworthy cast members were Mike Doyle as music producer Bob Crewe and Renee Marino as Frankie’s first wife, the spicy Mary Delgado.
The only big negative I think I have is the make up job on the guys when they gathered for the 1990 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony! They were obviously supposed to be made up to look older, but I think they should have found a better make up artist – in my never to be humble opinion! It was so phony looking – it was bad!
So, no I wasn’t disappointed and yes I enjoyed it!!! I highly recommend it! If you’ve never seen the stage show, you won’t have anything to compare it to and you’ll enjoy it with a fresh set of eyes — but, definitely go see the stage show sometime when you have a chance (after you see the movie) to see why it is a much better experience! If you HAVE seen the stage show, don’t worry about being disappointed…..but, go without the expectation of that same feeling you got when you saw the stage show and you’ll enjoy it for different reasons!
OK, so my rating for this movie: A- I stopped myself from giving it a solid A or A+ only because there were a few short spots where I thought it was dragging a bit AND because I just can’t help comparing it to the stage show, which really isn’t fair, but it’s the truth!
It was a beautiful Memorial Day and I ended it in peaceful reflection……just as it should be……at one of my most favorite places on Earth – Point Breeze! It was the perfect ending to a lovely day. Well, “perfect” is actually a slight exaggeration – it was just the tiniest sliver shy of perfect, but it was amazing! Read on to find out why it was such a wonderful evening and why I stop ever so short of calling it “perfect“.
On Sunday night, I was sitting in my den at the computer and looked out at the most incredible red glow over the tree tops to the north. I was suddenly kicking myself for not putting two and two together to know it would be an incredible night to be at the lake for the sunset! It was a beautiful day with a clear, cloudless sky and the forecast was predicting an even more beautiful day on Monday – the ideal ingredients for a “red sky at night, sailor’s delight” sunset over the lake! For a split second, I thought of getting in my car and heading down to see it, but it was already 8:30-ish and, even though it is only about a 15 minute drive to Point Breeze, I knew it would be pretty much over by the time I got there! I was so disappointed that I was missing it, but enjoyed what I did get to see over the tree tops from my den window!
Then, came Monday – Memorial Day – it was a great day! The weather was perfect – sunny, warm, breezy – just a great day to be outside! I promised myself I was going to end the day at Point Breeze – even though I was fairly certain the sunset wouldn’t be as impressive as I’m sure it was on Sunday night. The sky was clouding up and the weather man said Tuesday would bring us scattered thunderstorms. So, I didn’t have a lot of hope for a “red sky at night, sailor’s delight” kind of sunset, but went anyway…….and I was so very glad I did! It may not have been the spectacular light show that I envision the previous night had, but it was beautiful in its own way……and the peaceful experience made my first sunset visit to the Point for the season very special. Can’t wait for many more evenings to come!
I got to The Point about 7:30. It was still in the 70s with a wonderful breeze blowing through my hair. The river and the lake were calm – just a slight ripple – and very calming to watch. I sat on the bench overlooking Oak Orchard River as it flows into Lake Ontario. I hoped to watch some boaters coming in from a day on the lake, but there weren’t any to watch – must be they all got tired and hungry and came in earlier in the evening. There were only a few people out fishing and walking, so it was calm and quiet as I sat there enjoying the breeze and waiting for the sun to set. After a while, more people started to come by to walk around the lighthouse and out onto the break wall that lines the mouth of the river as it extends out into the lake. I watched a man teaching his lady friend how to fish – he would cast the line out for her and then let her hold the pole and talk to her about how to reel the line in and how to tell if she caught something – they seemed to be having a fun time together. There was a couple who looked to be in their 50s walking hand in hand around the lighthouse and along the shore – then, they headed out for a walk along the break wall one on each side of the chain that runs down the center, still holding hands that they had to raise up to clear the chain – I smiled and thought how cute they were. There were others strolling around chatting while enjoying the evening. Then, there was a teenaged girl who obviously didn’t want to be there with her parents – instead of walking with them and enjoying the view, she sat on the bench beside me on her cell phone…..what a shame!!!
I sat there just watching the water ripple, watching the people, and taking some photos of the sun reflecting on the river and the clouds as they began to close in and form. Then, about 8:15, I walked out onto the break wall and stood there as the sun hid itself behind the clouds and came closer and closer to the horizon. I watched a large school of small fish – maybe 4-6 inches long swimming and playing and dancing around in the water – some would even leap up out of the water to show off to their friends. I stood there taking photos of the sky and watching the fish play for quite a while before I decided to stroll back to the benches just after 8:30 or so.
When I got back to the benches, there were two gentlemen sitting there – each on their own bench, but at the side closest to each other. I stood on the corner of the overlook stand where the man was teaching his lady friend how to fish earlier – I wasn’t ready to leave this peaceful adventure just yet. I stood there listening to the two gentlemen talk about their time in Vietnam – two veterans who were in the thick of things in the 60s in different battles at different times who ran into each other there at The Point for a chat – they didn’t come together and it was unclear from their conversation whether or not they actually knew each other before meeting there on those benches. After comparing their stories, they moved their conversation on to classic cars, car shows they attend, and their health concerns. A classic sports car pulled up with an older couple and asked the gentlemen about the Haines family place – they wondered if it was a residence, which got one of the gentlemen up and engaged in a conversation with them – first to tell them all about the history and current status of the Haines place and then both gentlemen continued their conversation about classic cars with their new-found friends. I should have felt guilty about eavesdropping on the two gentlemen, but I was enjoying their conversation too much! The fact that they were talking about their experiences in Vietnam and then moved right on with other interests they shared made for a very poignant end to my Memorial Day evening……a day to remember those who serve our country…..and a reminder that life does go on! I quietly left with my photos and my memories of the evening to head back home.
Here are a few of the almost 100 photos I took between about 7:30 and 8:45 or so…….just a little over an hour packed full of awesomeness!!! No boats to watch and no spectacularly colorful sunset, but an awesome evening, just the same!!!
I watched a movie on Pay-Per-View yesterday that really touched me. I hadn’t heard much about it, except that Dame Judy Dench was nominated for an Oscar for her lead role. I knew a few people who had seen it and said it was very good, but no real hype over it. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the synopsis intrigued me, so I watched it and liked it very much.
It is based on the true story of Philomena Lee as told by journalist Martin Sixsmith. Philomena is an elderly Irish lady who had a baby out of wedlock when she was a teenager. Given the times when this occurred and her Irish-Catholic upbringing, her family sent her away to a convent to have the baby. To repay the nuns for the care she and her baby received, they required the young women who were sent there to stay for a number of years to work. They worked long, hard days and were only allowed to see their children for one hour per day. The children resided in the orphanage and were adopted out without any notice to the young mothers. When Philomena’s son, Anthony, was taken away at about the age or 2 or 3, she was devastated. She never forgot the day she watched from an upstairs window as the car with his new parents drove away with Anthony in the rear window. She wasn’t given a chance to say good bye and only knew he was being taken because one of the other young girls saw the nuns take him from the orphanage. Over the years, she tried to find him many times, but the nuns told her they didn’t have any way of knowing where he was and reminded her of a contract she signed under duress that stipulated she was never to try to contact her child. She went through her life thinking she was being punished for her sins, but never forgot her little boy.
In comes Martin Sixsmith – a down on his luck journalist who was recently fired from his job. Philomena’s daughter connected with him at a party and asked him to write about her mother’s story. Although he was initially reluctant to lower his standards and do a “human interest” piece, he did agree to meet with her and do her story. After receiving no help from the nuns…..they said all the records were lost years prior in a fire, but he discovered the “fire” was a deliberate bon fire meant to destroy all the records from the old convent/orphanage…….he decided to help Philomena find her long lost son. They develop a bond and travel to America in search of Anthony. Their emotional journey resulted in Sixsmith’s book, “The Lost Child of Philomena Lee”.
Dame Judy Dench portrays Philomena brilliantly. It is easy to see into Philomena’s soul through Judy Dench’s performance – her torment, her joys, her faith, and her child-like, yet very wise, character. Steve Coogan wrote the screenplay that was adapted from the book and starred as Martin Sixsmith. Coogan shows how Sixsmith was compelled to help Philomena, even through his frustrations with her faith and naïve look at life. The two actors played well off each other and had a relaxed comfort with each other that demonstrated the bond, friendship, and mutual respect that Martin and Philomena shared in real life. They make you fall in love with them and believe them.
This is an emotional film. It is heart wrenching to watch Philomena lose her child as a young girl and then watch her journey as she searches for him. It is also an inspiring story of relentless dedication and profound love. I’m very glad I decided to watch it. I rate this movie a solid A- (only because it was a bit slow, otherwise I’d rate it an A+).
I always get excited when I crack open an egg and find a double yolk! It is like a little surprise gift that brings an immediate smile and usually a little oohing and aahing, too. When I was little, I remember my Grandma telling me that if you get a double yolk egg, you will have good luck, so all the more reason to be happy to find one! Finding a double yolk egg isn’t really RARE, but it isn’t all that common, either……according to this article on Better Hens and Gardens (click here to read), they occur about one in every one thousand eggs. But, the article goes on to say that you typically won’t find them in store bought eggs, anymore, because of the process of candling the eggs and removing any that have double yolks for other uses.
BUT……I have found a way to increase my odds!!! I most usually buy jumbo sized eggs – I like a bigger yolk – it is my favorite part of the egg. So, one time month or two ago, I picked up a carton of jumbo eggs from TOPS (our local grocery store chain). The first egg I cracked from the carton had a double yolk! I was excited, but didn’t think too much of it. The next time I grabbed a couple eggs from the same carton, I found another double yolk!!! This about sent me over the edge of more excitement than I could take!!! This could NOT have been a coincidence, so I looked at the carton and discovered that they were not only jumbo eggs, but they were also “super” eggs and there was a note printed on the carton that said “may contain double yolks”! Oh, boy! That carton ended up having a total of THREE double yolk eggs out of the dozen that was in the carton. So, the next time I needed eggs, I bought the same kind…….this carton had TWO double yolk eggs in it!!! And……every carton I’ve purchased since then has had at least two double yolk eggs in it!
This morning was a little disappointing, though……I discovered that the word “MAY” on the carton indicates that there are no guarantees! To date, this current carton hadn’t provided me with any double yolks. When I pulled the carton from the refrigerator to crack the last two eggs for my breakfast of poached eggs on toast, I had high hopes that one (or maybe both) would be double yolkers! But, much to my dismay, the last two eggs were the same as the rest of the dozen……single yolks!!! Oh, they were very good and nice large yolks, but I have had such a great track record with these eggs over the last 4 or 5 dozen I’ve purchased that I was so sure one of those last two would bring that smile to my face…….but, they didn’t!!! boo hoo!!!
I will continue to make this brand my eggs of choice and will continue to build high expectations and excitement every time I crack one…….and will hope that at least one or two from each carton will be the coveted double yolker!!! But, I now know to not be too disappointed if a carton is just full of nice jumbo singles!!!
It was a lovely day, today…..rather breezy, but the sun was out, the sky was bright blue, the clouds were fluffy and white, and it was fairly warm. So, it was a nice day to be out and about wasting time and enjoying the first day of May! The canal was finally filled a couple weeks ago……love it when it is full…….and it was supposed to open for boat traffic today, but the recent heavy rains caused them to decide to push the opening back to next week. But, that didn’t stop me from looking for a good spot to take some photos (different than the usual spots I capture downtown)…….and it didn’t stop the people I saw out enjoying the tow path!!!
I went to Lowes (in the pouring rain) on Tuesday to get some things and one of them was the wrong part, so I had to go take it back. When I was driving home from Brockport on Tuesday, I slipped up Canal Road off of Redman Rd, instead of going all the way to Route 31. I hadn’t taken Canal Rd in years and forgot how close to the canal it is — you could literally slip off the road just a few inches and fall right into the canal – if it weren’t for the guard rails!!! Like I said, it was pouring rain on Tuesday and I was drenched and tired, so I promised myself to go back through there on a nicer day to snap some photos. Today was the day!!!
These are shots of the canal along Canal Rd between Holley and Brockport right near where Redman Rd goes over the canal – that is the bridge you will see in the first photo:
That gray strip along the left of the canal is Canal Rd – gets really close to the edge of the canal
I can’t believe I used to zip down this road in the wee hours – not thinking I might end up swimming
Not sure why, but I just loved the way this power pole looked against the sky
Same with this white log — just looked too cool to not photograph it
I took the Canal Rd photos on the way to Brockport. On the way back, I went right to Route 31 and didn’t cut up Canal Rd. There is a nice little canal side park on Route 31 just across the canal and down a little ways from where I took the earlier photos on Canal Rd (just before you get to Holley on the right coming from Brockport). The park is right where Route 31 goes over the canal – the bridge you see in some of the following photos. They have a nice little pavilion with picnic tables, a boat launch and dock, and what looked like a hiking trail through the woods. I saw a couple walking their dog on the tow path and there were other cars there that probably belonged to people who were out on the tow path (or maybe that hiking trail). It is very pretty and peaceful there…..nice spot!!!
The tow path along the canal is a popular place to walk or ride bikes
Many years ago, before tug boats and other ways to tow barges, the tow path was used by mules and ox to tow barges transporting goods from the Hudson River to the Great Lakes
Another cool looking log….or should I say small tree, roots and all
Pipes from the canal allow overflow to run into this stream
I have decided to no longer do a separate blog for my Wordless Wednesday photos and to no longer keep up the challenge – it quickly stopped being what my blog is all about and started being something I felt I HAD to do! Case in point: yesterday was Wednesday and I got half way through the day and realized I didn’t have an inspiration and didn’t have time to go out to get inspired and take some photos – I felt like I had failed in something I set out to do!!! But, I reminded myself that blogging is something I enjoy……just for me……if others read my posts and enjoy my writings, adventures, photos, and reviews, GREAT – if not, oh well…..I’m really doing it mostly for ME!!! Doing Wordless Wednesday for the past month sounded like it would be a fun idea……so, I gave it a shot……it wasn’t that much fun, so I’m done! 🙂 So, I’m ending the Kim’s Wordless Wednesday blog and just going back to writing and sharing on my own personal blog – if and when I want to! Hehehe…….BUT – I didn’t want to lose the WW posts that I liked the most, so I’m copying them onto this blog so they are preserved (“Alleys and Arches” and “Quirky Cemetery Shots” – the third one, “Look Up!”, is already here). At some point, the Wordless Wednesday blog will be deactivated, but for now, it will remain, but not maintained.
Week of April 16, 2014
Here are some Quirky Cemetery Shots…..
First up – an ancestor of mine – Anthony Miles, August 11, 1784 – June 6, 1883. What makes this grave site odd and interesting is that the tree has grown around the stone….literally hugging the stone for all eternity! Anthony Miles’ grave site can be found in Carlton Cemetery in Carlton, NY.
Next are shots taken during the 2013 Mount Albion Ghost Walk in Mount Albion Cemetery in Albion, NY. High School students dressed up like notable historic Albion citizens to tell their stories.
And, finally…..shots taken at the Colonial Park Cemetery in Savannah, GA – one of a wall where broken head stones have been placed to preserve them and a couple of eerie views through the cemetery
I have decided to no longer do a separate blog for my Wordless Wednesday photos and to no longer keep up the challenge – it quickly stopped being what my blog is all about and started being something I felt I HAD to do! Case in point: yesterday was Wednesday and I got half way through the day and realized I didn’t have an inspiration and didn’t have time to go out to get inspired and take some photos – I felt like I had failed in something I set out to do!!! But, I reminded myself that blogging is something I enjoy……just for me……if others read my posts and enjoy my writings, adventures, photos, and reviews, GREAT – if not, oh well…..I’m really doing it mostly for ME!!! Doing Wordless Wednesday for the past month sounded like it would be a fun idea……so, I gave it a shot……it wasn’t that much fun, so I’m done! 🙂 So, I’m ending the Kim’s Wordless Wednesday blog and just going back to writing and sharing on my own personal blog – if and when I want to! Hehehe…….BUT – I didn’t want to lose the WW posts that I liked the most, so I’m copying them onto this blog so they are preserved (“Alleys and Arches” and “Quirky Cemetery Shots” – the third one, “Look Up!”, is already here). At some point, the Wordless Wednesday blog will be deactivated, but for now, it will remain, but not maintained.
Week of April 9, 2014
Here are some photos of Arches and Alleys — the inspiration started out just being Arches, but I found arch framed alleys that looked so cool I decided to add alleys to the mix! I was out and about in the rain on Tuesday and these caught my eye…..enjoy!
The first three are of what inspired me to make it a dual theme – a church in our neighboring town, Medina, has an archway that opens into an alley between two buildings from Main Street to a parking lot behind the buildings. So cool!
The next arched alley is also in Medina:
This is the arched entrance into the beautiful and historic Mount Albion Cemetery in Albion. Made from Medina Sandstone, the arch is capped with a peak stone that reads “Mount Albion 1843″:
And, finally, Beaver Alley in downtown Albion with a street paved in Medina Sandstone:
It is that time of year, again…..the weather is starting to improve and be somewhat dependable (as dependable as spring weather can be) and thoughts of getting out and about and enjoying life abound! After the brutal winter we had, it is all the more exciting to start thinking about putting together my “2014 Grand Adventure Bucket List” (formerly called my “Things to Do and Places to Go” list)! I can’t wait to get started checking things off!
So, what will I put on my list this year? There are so many things to see and do that can be done on short day trips or even just taking an afternoon to enjoy! I also have a couple things that will likely be longer, 2-3 day trips. There are a few things I’ve had on my list since I moved back, but just haven’t gotten to them, yet – this year just might be the year they get checked off! Here’s what I’m thinking, so far……of course, as opportunities arise or I discover something new and interesting, the list will likely evolve as I go!
In no particular order:
The Original Kazoo Company in Eden, NY – located just south of Buffalo a little over an hour drive from here. This is a factory that still actively makes kazoos on the same equipment it has manufactured with since it began almost 100 years ago in 1916! You can watch the process and even make your own kazoo. Of course, there is also a gift shop and museum.
The Herschell Carousel Factory Museum in North Tonawanda, NY – located near Buffalo just about an hour drive from here. I LOVE CAROUSELS…..and I am hoping to share this trip with my great neice and nephew sometime this summer! The Allan Herschell Company was established in 1915 and was in operation producing beautiful carousels until 1970. Many of Allan Herschell’s hand carved carousels are still putting smiles on peoples faces across the country today! The factory museum incudes a 1916 carousel that visitors can ride, as well as kiddie rides, a room full of original Wurlitzer music rolls, and a wood carving shop.
The Genesee Country Museum in Mumford, NY – located near Leroy, NY about a 30-40 minute drive from here. I have been to this museum before — many, many years ago — and really want to go see it, again. It is a historic 19th century country village that features people in period costume doing chores and running businesses that would be found in an actual village in the 19th century. Cool!
The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY – this will likely be an over-nighter because it is located about 4-5 hours from here near the New York / Pennsylvania border. You can watch beautiful works of art being created by master glass workers and even make your own masterpiece! This trip can include other cool things on the way and near the museum, as well as a possible stay in a quaint bed and breakfast inn.
Niagara Falls, Canada – a little over an hour drive from here, the Canadian side of the falls was always a favorite place to go for me! I haven’t been in a very long time and really want to do it this year.
Canada – there are a lot of wonderful things to do just over the border or not far from the border that can be fun day trips or perhaps an over-nighter!
The Niagara Wine Trail – there are many fabulous wineries along the Niagara Wine Trail. I’d love to just take a day trip and drive along the trail to visit a few (or several) of them. I’m also considering doing a guided bus tour, which might be a better option!
I think this is a good start……more to add, I’m sure! AND….of course, there will be repeats of some of my favorite places along the shores of Lake Ontario!
This week’s Sunday Stills Challenge is all about International Food – click here and check out the comments on the Sunday Stills Challenge page to see photos of some amazing looking food!
For my entry…….which just happens to be my dinner, tonight…….Guinness Stew at O’Lacy’s Irish Pub in Batavia, NY – YUMMO!!!
So, you know I had to run out to see 
I watched a movie on Pay-Per-View yesterday that really touched me. I hadn’t heard much about it, except that Dame Judy Dench was nominated for an Oscar for her lead role. I knew a few people who had seen it and said it was very good, but no real hype over it. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the synopsis intrigued me, so I watched it and liked it very much.
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