Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
Memories of Beatles
It doesn’t take much to connect The Beatles to a significant memory. They played a HUGE part in my life. So, when I read Billy Liggett’s editorial in Sunday’s Sanford Herald, I found myself running through the many, many Strawberry Fields in my mind. I could relate to Billy’s comments about how his Dad grew up with The Beatles because I, too, grew up with them.
Billy mentioned two things in this editorial that made me stop and think — 1) that it has been 40 years since their last public appearance and album together! and 2) that their reign as rock sensations only lasted seven years! Both of these seemed odd to me because they have been such icons for almost my entire life! To realize that they were only together for such a short time so many years ago took me by surprise — not that I didn’t know this, but that I never really put it into context like that before. In my mind, The Beatles never ended and never will.
My Mom and I became Beatles fans together. I was eight when we sat together and watched The Beatles take America by storm – first as we watched the news reports on February 7, 1964 when they got off the plane at JFK Airport among a mob of screaming girls for their first American tour and then two days later we watched The Ed Sullivan Show to witness their first US appearance. It was magical – the beginning of a lifetime of wonderful experiences and memories!
I remember sitting in our living room watching the Fab Four on Ed Sullivan, but the strongest early memory of The Beatles was actually a little later in 1964. The Beatles’ first movie – A Hard Days Night – came to the theater that used to be on Main Street in my home town. Mom and I went to the first matinee showing on the first day it opened! We sat in the center of the front row in the balcony so that there was no way anyone could stand up in front of us and block our view! The theater was packed – sold out! There was so much screaming going on that we didn’t hear any of the movie, but I remember sitting there crying because I was actually seeing The Beatles bigger than life on that huge movie screen with no one between me and them! I didn’t scream with the others – I sat there frozen, in tears, and in awe! We stayed for the second matinee (back then, you could stay and watch a movie as often as you wanted on one admission price) and watched it again!
I knew every Beatles song by heart and would sing along with the radio or whenever we would put one of their albums on the record player. I had a miniature silver poodle named Mimi and I would sing “Michelle” to her all the time – “Michelle, my belle, these are words that go together well, my Michelle”.
Of course, I had a major crush on Paul — what girl didn’t? But I also thought Ringo was a sweetheart and he was my favorite Beatle. Paul was the cute one; John was the serious one; George was the quiet one; and Ringo was the funny one — that is probably why I liked him so much! Also — I have always had a thing about drummers — not sure if that is why I liked Ringo or if Ringo was the reason I fixated on drummers! But, whichever fascination came first, I was a big Ringo fan and a big drummer fan!
In 1965, Mom piled me, my brother, and several other of our friends in the station wagon and we drove to the Transit Drive-In to see “Help!” on the very first weekend it was released. It was such fun!
Fast forward to the 1973-74 school year – my senior year: The Senior chorus chose “The Long and Winding Road” as one of our songs to perform for our parents at Senior Tea. It became the anthem of my high school years because every time I hear that song, it instantly takes me back to that day and all the wonderful things that happened in my senior year. This song always brings a tear to my eyes whenever I hear it — definitely my very favorite Beatles song of all time!
Then, to show how much influence The Beatles have had on me and my Mom – we are still making new memories to share that are Beatles based! In June 2006, I attended a seminar in Las Vegas and talked Mom into joining me there. We had a great trip, but the highlight by far was when we went to see The Beatles’ LOVE at the Mirage. LOVE is a Cirque du Soleil show featuring all Beatles songs and it was FABULOUS!!! And as with “A Hard Days Night” and “Help!”, we saw it along with one of the very first crowds to get to attend – we got tickets for the few shows that were scheduled prior to the official opening – the dress rehearsal shows that were shown to test the audience reactions. As I watched the show and thought about it afterwards, I compared us sitting in the massive theater at the Las Vegas Mirage with the time we sat in the front row balcony seats in the little home town movie theater 42 years earlier watching The Beatles in “A Hard Days Night”! The same feeling of awe, the same tears, the same wonderful experience shared with my Mom, and the same level of importance in my memory bank!
My favorite Beatles songs? Hard to say, exactly — I already mentioned that “The Long and Winding Road” is by far my all time favorite for various reasons. But, here are a few more that always seem to stop me in my tracks to take time to listen and sing along when I hear them (in no particular order and I’m sure NOT all inclusive of my favorites):
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The Long and Winding Road
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Revolution
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Hey, Jude
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Eleanor Rigby
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Here Comes the Sun
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If I Fell
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And I Love Her
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I’ll Follow The Sun
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Let It Be
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Michelle
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Nowhere Man
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Penny Lane
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Rock and Roll Music
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Strawberry Fields Forever
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Tell Me Why
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This Boy
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Twist and Shout
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Yesterday
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When I’m Sixty Four
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Just about anything from Abbey Road – favorite album
So, thank you, Billy – I don’t really need an excuse to think about all the wonderful memories that are tied in some way to Beatles songs, but it was nice to get a trigger, anyway!
Reflections
I have noticed that I tend to sit and reflect a lot more lately than I ever have in the past. I’m not sure why this has increased or if it isn’t that I am doing it more – just maybe that I am noticing it more. Maybe it just comes with age! I don’t know… But, whatever the reason, reflection has been a noticeable part of my activities lately. So, why, at the same time, has a blog about my thoughts been less active and less creative than it ever has been?
I have never been one to rehash the past — what has happened, has happened — you can’t change it, even if you wanted to — everything happens for a reason and something good usually comes out of it, eventually — all the events and decisions of the past are what got me to where I am, so right-wrong-or-indifferent at the time, they made me what I am today! So – why rethink what should have happened or regret actions or decisions? It only serves to make you sad or bitter! I say that because, obviously, the only actions/decisions one would spend time rethinking are those that they feel didn’t go quite the way they had hoped! You don’t rethink the good things – you only cherish those memories and try to relive them in your thoughts!
I am still of that belief and my reflections don’t turn into “what ifs” or “shoulda-couldas”. My reflections are more about thinking through my life to make the connections of how I got here and what am I doing now to be more conscious of what will get me to where I want to be later in life. How can I ensure the actions and decisions I am making now will support getting me to a good place later?
Thinking through things thoroughly is NOT a new concept for me. I have always been a “planner” – someone who gives a LOT of thought before making decisions about everything from whether or not to spend a few dollars on a new pair of shoes and which pair of shoes are worthy of those few dollars to what color to paint the walls in my house (if you read this blog at all, you know that took several years and 27 cans of sample paint colors once I decided to move forward) to major life altering decisions. I am rarely impulsive – although there have been some major decisions that were made impulsively that turned out pretty good for me!
So, what have my thoughts been about lately? After all – that is the title of this blog and what my original plan for it was – to capture my thoughts! That, specifically, is what got me thinking and writing today’s post! I noticed on my dashboard this morning that someone linked to my very first post dated August 13, 2007. So, I took some time to go back and read the first several. I realized that my blog has switched gears over the two years and 515 posts (counting this one). It started out just getting my thoughts out! I added movie reviews, which I really enjoy doing and are my thoughts – so, that is good! But, I also added a lot of what I’m doing and what happened during the day. Yeah, those are also my thoughts about the day, but I don’t think those kinds of posts lend themselves to be as creative as what I intended for this blog! So – that got me thinking about what, exactly, have I been thinking about lately……which brought me to the realization that I seem to have been reflecting a lot lately — the question then was, why haven’t I been putting those thoughts down? Well, some are more private than I would want to put in a blog for the world to see. But, a lot are just the kind of thing I started this blog for! So, why am I not using it for that more?
I’m going to go out on a limb here and commit to doing less “what did I do today” – I can use Facebook for that – and more “what did I think about today” — which may very well include what I did, but only if it was significant enough to cause me to think back and cherish it OR put it in my pet peeve file! I want to get back to capturing my reflections – when appropriate….;)
Life is good — let’s enjoy it, reflect on it, and celebrate it more!
My Daily Tickle
I turned the wall calendar in my office to September this morning (yeah, I know – I’m a day late) and it made me smile and then laugh out loud!! My calendar has a different motivational statement and a pretty scene of some kind each month.
This month, the motivational statement is:
“Every morning before arising, lie relaxed in bed and deliberately drop happy thoughts into your conscious mind.”
Hahahahahahaha
Obviously, this is NOT a necessary suggestion for me! Having three dogs who wake up early and sit in an anxious vigil awaiting for any hint of a sign that I am awake so they can pounce on me for the chance to show me just how absolutely thrilled they are that I opened my eyes!!!! The kisses and excited whining makes it impossible to wake up without happy thoughts!!
It is also NOT a necessary suggestion for someone who dances around every morning singing Broadway show tunes with three happy, excited dogs!
What I really need is a suggestion for how to keep that happy, singing, dancing, attitude all day long! Haha
Roxanne
This morning’s front page article in the Sanford Herald about the Lee County Wildlife Rescue Center brought back some fond and sad memories for me. Before we moved to Sanford in June of 1985, we adopted an unlikely addition to our family – Roxanne! She came to us as a newborn – her eyes weren’t even open, yet! We cared for her and grew to love her dearly!
Roxanne was a raccoon! Unfortunately, the reason we ended up adopting her was because my, then fiance, Ronald killed her mother! You see, Roxanne’s mother had gotten up into the roof of the house and was running around in there and making all kinds of racket and probably doing a lot of damage! So, he took care of it! Then, he discovered that she had a litter of pups up there! If I remember right, there were 6 of them! We decided to help them along until they were strong enough to be let loose. We kept one to nurse – Roxanne – and we found friends willing to take on the others. Our intent was to just get her to where she could survive on her own and let her loose. Well — she wormed her way into our hearts and that was it!!! Roxanne became a member of the family!
I fed her with a baby bottle and she would nuzzle up to my neck and sleep – I became her Mommie! She was very loving, cuddly, and sweet! She became very devoted to us. And she was welcomed into our home by all of our other animals! It was so funny watching her play with our dogs and even a cat we had at that time. She grew and adapted well – she was so well behaved and we trained her to follow a routine and use a litter box.
When it came time for us to move to Sanford, we didn’t think twice about what we would do with Roxanne! We packed up all of our belongings on a flat bed truck and loaded two cars with the essentials — clothes and things we would need while we settled in, provisions for the trip, our son Robby, our Beagle Easy, a cat, and Roxanne! Yes, Roxanne was a Yankee transplant, just like us!
Here is Roxanne drinking from a cup at the Steele Street home we bought when we first moved to Sanford.
Here is Roxanne playing in the yard at my Mom’s with her dogs – Brandy and Mindy.
Here is Roxanne swinging on a hanging plant stand with Ronald at our Steele Street house — she loved to swing on that thing!!!!
She adjusted well to her new home in NC. She pretty much had free run of the house – like the other animals – and she loved it! Knowing that raccoons like to wash their food, we always fed her on the ledge of the kitchen sink. We would turn the faucet on and she would sit there and wash herself and her food and eat. It was so cute to watch! Her favorite food was hot dogs! We would cut a hot dog up in small pieces and she would take each piece in her little hands and wash it under the running water, then she would peel off the outer skin and wash it again, and then, finally, she would eat the piece by rolling it around in her hands while she nibbled all around it – then she’d move on to the next piece! She had other foods she loved – like popcorn, but that is the one that sticks out in my mind the most!
She would run around the house and play and have a ball with the other animals. But when it was time to sleep, she would come to one of us and curl up on our laps – she loved to be cuddled and held!
But — when she became an adult raccoon, it became obvious that we needed to let her go. She still loved us and we weren’t concerned at all that she was turning wild, but she was starting to get rough when she played and drew blood a couple of times. She also stopped using the litter pan and was going pretty much wherever she wanted to — not good! And the dogs she loved to play with were starting to act funny around her and she would hiss at them! So — yes, sad as it was for us to decide, we had to find a way to let her loose. But — you can’t just let a domesticated animal, like that, out in the wild – they could become a victim of another wild animal before they could adjust! So we asked around to find out where we could take her.
Our vet suggested we take her to SanLee Park. They had a wildlife rescue center there and they would teach her to be a wild animal and then let her loose. We visited a few times – they wanted us to visit on a set schedule that would wean her from us so she wouldn’t suffer because she missed us! We would take her popcorn and she would get so excited to see us! We slowly stopped going to visit and on the last visit, I cried my eyes out!!!! We knew we were doing the right thing, but it was so sad to say good bye to her!! We kept in touch by phone for a while so we knew how she was progressing. They succeeded in their mission and she was let loose! I only hope she survived and enjoyed her new life in the woods at SanLee Park.
So — when I read this morning’s Herald article about the Lee County Wildlife Rescue Center, I thought of Roxanne and how they helped us with her many years ago! They are a wonderful organization that does some great things for the wildlife (and not so wildlife) in our community! I will always be grateful for their kind treatment of Roxanne!
One day many months later, there was a raccoon in our back yard – when we went out to shoosh it away, it just sat there looking at us – it sat up and rubbed it’s eyes with it’s little hands and then turned to run off……….I wonder – was that Roxanne returning home for a visit???? It gave me warm fuzzies to think so!
Sunday – Here, There, and Everywhere!
I got up early this morning and headed out on a beautiful top down drive around town! I had a couple errands to run, but mainly just tooled around and snapped some pictures of a lazy, sleepy Sunday in Sanford!
First up — I had breakfast at the Dairy Bar. It was still early, so it wasn’t too crowded, but it was starting to fill in.
Horner Blvd was even quiet — almost NO traffic at all.
The fairgrounds are quiet now……but, just wait until September 15th – they’ll be all lit up and brimming with excitement for the Lee Regional Fair Sept 15-20!!!
Then, I started on my errands — I had to go to Lowes for more renovation supplies, so I decided to drive by the much anticipated Cracker Barrel to see if there were any signs about the upcoming opening! I found the front porch full of their signature rocking chairs just waiting for all the Sanford customers to come buy them and a sign that says they aren’t open, yet, but to come back on September 7th!!! Yippee — just one more week! I love Cracker Barrel……but, I do have some serious mixed feelings about it, though — if I have one right here in Sanford that I can go to any time I want, what will I have to look forward to when I drive up home? I plan my stops for meals around what exits have a Cracker Barrel……will having one here change that? Then, again, I did say on my last driving trip up that it would likely be the LAST time I drive – it is a tough trip by myself! So — guess it doesn’t matter after all……
The rest of my day was spent helping (er, um, watching) Ronald work on the garage — he switched out the water heater…..good bye old leaking 40 gallon water heater…..
Hello new 50 gallon water heater……all snug as a bug in a rug…..
I have a new bush along the back fence — the elves put it in this spring to replace one that had died and left an open spot in the landscaping. It started blooming this weekend – I don’t know what it is and didn’t know it was a bloomer, but it is so pretty! Does anyone know what it is?
That’s all…..
Life is back to normal
WHEW! My life is back to normal – sorta – whatever “normal” means! So, what do I do with my time, now? Do I sit on my laurels and twiddle my thumbs while I enjoy some peace, quiet, and relaxation? Um – NO! I’m not the “sit and do nothing” type!
I admit, this past week was filled with a lot of nothing during my non-work hours, but that stops now!
I just realized that it is the 29th and I almost forgot about the CARA event – “Run For Their Lives” – happening in Kiwanis Park this morning. It started at 8:00, so we will be a little late, but Katie and I will be heading that way in a little bit to take part in whatever activities are left when we get there — or just to check out all the other dogs! Katie loves going on adventures and I am always happy to support CARA! Megan and Amy would love to go, too, but I can’t handle all 3 in situations like this — they get WAY too excited! Katie is the calmest, so is best to take to something like this – Megan and Amy will get their turns at something fun!
If you haven’t heard, “Run For Their Lives” is a fun run and walk with lots of other great activities with proceeds benefiting CARA – Carolina Animal Rescue and Adoption. It is from 8:00-12:00 TODAY at Kiwanis Park. If you read this in time, come on out!!!
Ronald started on the renovations to the garage this week! My garage was in BAD need of organization! A few years ago, my Mom and I put up some plastic shelving units around the perimeter so that I could get stuff off the floor. But they ended up being junk collectors with no organization what-so-ever! They also started to buckle under the weight of some of the things I was storing on them! (one was about ready to collapse at the slightest bump and crash the contents onto my precious pony — uugghh!!!) So, I sold some of the shelving units at my yard sale a couple months ago. I kept 2 for the garage and 1 to put out in the shed so I can also organize that (another story for another time)! I decided I wanted to put up peg board on some of the wall space so that I could hang things up and have them take up less space than being on the floor or on shelves that took up a lot of space, as well. I also wanted an overhead shelf to put seasonal stuff up out of the way. The shelves will now only be used for anything that can’t be hung up and that I don’t want to stash up high (not gonna put anything up there I need to get to very often – I am short and scared of ladders/heights)! We’re also going to paint all the walls and peg board the same color – LaFonda Boulder, which is a slightly darker beige than what I used in the living room, but not a lot darker – and put that pretty garage floor sealer that has speckles in it on the floor! It is going to look so good when we’re (and by “we”, I mean “Ronald”) done! A perfect home for my beloved pony! Here is what the garage looked like when I first moved in and some “in progress” shots – so far, he’s only got the peg board up. It is on the entire end wall and on about 10 feet of the left side wall. I think that’s enough! The overhead shelf will be the entire length of the end wall up over the peg board.
Speaking of the garage, we discovered a leak in the water heater! It definitely wasn’t leaking a few days ago when I was out there getting a screwdriver! And each day, it looks like it is leaking a little heavier! So – before it lets loose and floods the garage, we will be replacing it! I imagine it is about time for it to decide to die on me! I’ve lived here 5 1/2 years and I don’t know how old it was when I moved in – it could be as much as almost 10 years old, if it is the original one! At least water heaters are fairly inexpensive appliances and Ronald can easily install it for me – especially since it is right out in the open in the garage! (we had to replace one in my mobile home that was inside the wall between two closets in the guest bedroom – that was NOT a fun replacement when it let loose and flooded the carpeted room and soaked the wall it was behind up several feet!!!) So, working on the garage and replacing the water heater are on the agenda for this weekend!
We still have the master bedroom and bathroom to paint and put back together, but that will be on the agenda NEXT week!
I’m also gearing up for a two week visit from my Mom in a few weeks! WOO HOO! It will be great to have her here! My brother and his wife are coming for a long weekend during the time she’ll be here, too! I can’t wait! We’re all planning to go see “Bingo” at the Temple Theatre while they are here!
So — resting on my laurels? Yeah, right, I wish (actually, no I don’t wish that)! ha-ha-ha
So – Katie and I are off to Kiwanis Park for the “Run For Their Lives” event for CARA!!!! Hope to see you there!!!
Huge Hit!
It is all over – the night Lee County has been looking forward to has passed – Dancing with the Lee County Stars was a huge success! As I stood watching the volunteers finish with the clean up efforts in the near empty hall at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center, my thought was “we did it! we saved CIS”! By “we”, I did not just mean those of us who rallied to hold the fundraiser in an effort to avoid having to close the doors on an important organization for Lee County. I mean the entire community…….Lee County saved Communities In Schools of Lee County and for that I am totally overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude. The incredible amount of generosity in Lee County never ceases to amaze me!
Deciding to change from our signature fundraiser – an elegant Gala at a prominent Lee County home – to a new type of fundraiser that we had no experience organizing and has not been tried in Sanford was risky on it’s own. But to hang all our hopes of staying alive on it in the current economic environment was insane! The skeptics told us it would never work. But, we had to try – we just had to! CIS has come too far to just give up because the economy was bad and we were struggling. But, we were also realistic – we had heard of other counties in NC that did a DWTS themed fundraiser that raised over $100,000 – we knew that was not going to be likely. So, we cut our operating expenses to the bare bones, planned our budget with a very conservative approach, and set a stretch goal that we hoped we just might come close to. And we began to plan the event that was critical to our future. And it worked! We not only met our budget and even hit our stretch goal — we blew it out of the water!!!
Along came the dancers — most of them reluctantly signed on to help a good cause, but wondered how they were going to learn to dance and not make fools of themselves with such a short time to prepare!!! They all worked hard and the end result was AMAZING! Each and every one of them looked great and had the crowd cheering and voting like crazy!!! They are our heroes!! Yes, there were a lot of people who worked hard and made this happen and they all deserve a ton of credit……but, it was the couples who put their reputations on the line to perform a choreographed dance routine in front of about 800 people that really made the show! They are the reason people will be lining up to buy tickets next year as soon as we start announcing the date in fear that we will sell out much earlier! They are the reason everyone had such a good time! They are the reason we were successful – their creative and competitive efforts soliciting pre-votes and ticket sales to be the winner by raising the most funds skyrocketed us over our goals for the event! Yes – they are the heroes and deserve the most credit!
Congratulations to all the couples – you’re all winners in my heart! The top fundraisers and winners of the coveted mirror ball trophy were Wing Man Tam and Karla Koballa! The Artistic Winners (the judge’s choice) of the night were Dana Slate and Carl Bryan. Congratulations!
To see how wonderful it was, Click here to see the photos that are posted on WRAL.com – they got some great shots – and check out Sunday’s Sanford Herald for local coverage of the event!
I won’t say that it went off without any hitches, but somehow, everything worked out. We even overcame the biggies that could have been disastrous – everything fell into place! We sold out our approximately 550 tickets a week before the big night. But, before we could shut down the on-line ticket sales and contact board members and dancers to stop selling tickets, we over sold by more than 200 additional attendees! We ended up with just about 800 people, including volunteers! So we had to scramble to accommodate the larger crowd with just one week to go! Then, the day before the event, we found out that the company in Raleigh that agreed to donate the wine, backed out on us!!! A huge thank you to City Councilman Mike Stone for saving the day by making some very fast calls and, within about 1/2 an hour, arranging for us to buy the wine from another source at cost – it resulted in an unexpected expense, but we had wine and we ended up with a donation that covered the expense – so it all worked out. Due to the very large # of people arriving all at the same time, we had some confusion and logistical issues around finding seats and getting the food – definitely some lessons learned to keep in mind for next year – but, by the time the show started, it was all good! We have a lot of lessons learned that we will keep in mind as we plan next year’s event!
But, we did it – we saved CIS! And we have the most wonderful community in the world to thank for it!
Watch for an announcement of the date for next year — get your tickets early — we’re sure to sell out again!
Hang on to your hats, boys!
This is going to be a WILD week — seat belts and helmets required!!! We’re down to the wire with the CIS Dancing with the Lee County Stars event. Friday is the big nite! So — the week ahead will be wild, rough, and fun…fun…fun!!! Here’s what the universe has in store for me:
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Of course, I will be working every day at my day job — you know, the one that pays the bills….
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Monday evening: Dress rehearsal, meeting with the restaurants, and final detail discussions all at the Civic Center!
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Tuesday lunch time: Wing Man Tam – the dancer that is representing the company I work for – and I will be outside the Cafe at work collecting cash for votes from the employees and keeping the excitement going!
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Tuesday evening: CIS Board meeting to review the event details and what everyone needs to know!
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Wednesday evening: Create the restaurant menu tent cards, finalize the design and details on the sponsor boards, and any other preparation details!
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Thursday evening: Drop off supplies and start preparing the Civic Center!
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Friday: Get off work at noon, run by the Civic Center to set up the Taste of Lee County and other decorations, run home to get changed into my fancy duds, and be back to the Civic Center by 5:00 to get ready for the doors to open for the event at 6:00!
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Friday night – late: CRASH!!!!
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Saturday morning: I actually have a 9:00 am hair appt — what was I thinking when I made THAT appt??? I knew that the morning of the 22nd would be the morning after the event and that I would likely still be in a coma from a week FULL TO THE RAFTERS with late nights, stress, and excitement!!! But — if I reschedule now, I won’t get in for weeks and my hair soooooo needs a trim and a root job!!!
WHEW!!!! I’m tired already — just writing it all down has totally exhausted me! But, it is going to be GREAT — I can’t wait to take in every wild and crazy second of this week!
Hope you already have your tickets to the show — it’s sold out!!!
Movie Review – The Time Traveler’s Wife
The Time Traveler’s Wife stars Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana. Bana portrays Henry, a time traveler who randomly, and without any warning, shifts around through various times during his lifespan. It starts with a young Henry, I think about age 6, in a car with his mother on what appears to be Christmas Eve. They are singing and having a great time, when they are suddenly involved in a horrible accident that kills his mother. Henry is time shifted out of the car just prior to impact – he travels back to two weeks prior and then shifts back where he is standing in the street watching the accident. An older Henry shifts to the same spot and tells him to not be afraid and he’ll understand it all when he gets older. I wasn’t crazy about Bana in this role – he seemed……well……”weird”, but then, his character was strange and did suffer from a rare genetic disorder…….
Henry continues to shift in and out of times in his life with no apparent reason for when and why he travels to the times and places he does. Each time, he leaves his clothes behind, so he arrives at his new destination naked and vulnerable. He steals the first set of clothes he can find and ends up having to get himself out of a very uncomfortable situation. This part made no sense to me at all — I had a difficult time figuring out what the point was! I would have preferred it if there was a purpose for him traveling or if he had to accomplish something when he got there. In fact, some of the travels lasted no more than a few minutes – he would shift in, get dressed, and shift out! I understand the book explains all this, so I guess I need to go read it – but, they really should have filled in those gaps in the movie, as much as possible! There were some time travels that seemed to have a purpose, like when he traveled out of the car accident, when he traveled there to comfort his younger self, and when he traveled to spend time with a young Clare. He also had brief interactions with various family members and friends – past, present, and future – that help him through his senseless travels.
Enter, Clare — Rachel McAdams! Clare is first visited by a 40-ish Henry when she is about 6 years old. He comes back often and they meet and become friends in the meadow near her home. She leaves clothes in the woods for him to wear when he comes to visit. She falls madly in love with him (childhood crush and teen age attraction, at first). They meet later in life when they are both in the same time and get married. Their life is interesting, to say the least, as they never know when he will leave and how long he will be gone.
The movie is funny and touching — a very good love story and story line. I only wish they had filled in the blanks about his time travel better – it left me wondering what the point was. I think I need to get the book because I did find the story to be very endearing!
I deducted a little for all the things they should have included, but didn’t, for the fact that I didn’t really like Bana in this role, and for the lack of good chemistry between Bana and McAdams. But the story and concept were so good, I ended up rating this one a B+ overall. I recommend seeing it, but I think you’re probably better off if you read the book first – which is not usually something I recommend, because it tends to leave you disappointed about the differences – but, in this case, might be a good idea…….not sure…….just saying……
Dancing with the Lee County Stars
NOTICE: This event has SOLD OUT!!! We’re sorry, but there are no more tickets available for sale or sponsorships! Online voting is still available – so please visit the event web site at www.dancingwiththeleecountystars.com to continue to cast your votes for your favorite dancing couple!
Who will get your vote and
be named the FIRST Lee County Dancing Star?
WHAT:
Dancing with the Lee County Stars
WHEN:
Friday, August 21st beginning at 6:00 pm
WHERE:
Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center
HOW IT WORKS:
The dancers collect votes and sell tickets/sponsorships. All funds raised by each dancer will go towards their vote total. The couple who raises the most money will be declared the first Lee County Dancing Star! There will also be an Artistic Winner based on the judges votes!
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
Visit the event web site at www.dancingwiththeleecountystars.com
Tickets are $50.00 each and include food and entertainment
Vote for your favorite couple – $10.00 each – vote early and often!
Sponsorships are available at three levels:
Salsa Level – $3,500 – includes 16 tickets and other amenities
Tango Level – $1,000 – includes 8 tickets and other amenities
Waltz Level – $400 – includes 8 tickets and other amenities
Tables can also be reserved for groups who purchase 8 tickets together
THE DANCERS:
Bud Hunter and Jan Stewart
Karla Koballa and Wing Man Tam
Dana Slate and Carl Bryan
Cortney McCullough and Billy Liggett
Dana Atkins and Chef Gregg Hamm
Carolyn Schaeffer and Mike Neal
Courtney Smith and Jeff Smith
Scott Schaeffer and Jo Jarrett
Audrey Stone and Bill Stone
David Morse and Toni Davenport
Kenneth Neilson and Paige Cabe
Janel Livingston and Tracy Carter
John Mangum and Ellen Mangum
Joni Pavlik and Dwight Hollingsworth
Matt LaSasso and Katherine Southard (Miss NC 2009)
FEATURING:
A Taste of Lee County – local specialties from some of the area’s finest chefs, including:
Amy’s Confection Company
Bella Bistro
Cafe 121
Fresh Choice Cafe
Java Cafe Express
Myra’s Kitchen
Smith’s Coffee
Harris Wholesale
SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS and COOL NOTES:
Special opening performance by Sanford Area Society of Shaggers
Miss NC 2009 will be competing as one of the “Stars”
We have a husband and wife team competing
We have a father and daughter team competing
We have a husband and wife who are competing against each other
Chef Gregg Hamm is pulling double duty – Dancer and Taste of Lee Co
Yes, Wing Man is his real name!!!
WHY:
Fundraising event for Communities In Schools of Lee County! CIS is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping kids stay in school and prepare for life. We depend on the support of the community and local businesses to fund our programs, including Adopt-A-School, BackPack Pals, School Stuff Campaign, the Teacher Resource Room, Lunch Buddies, Lego Robotics, eMentoring, and much more! As with most non-profits, CIS is struggling to stay alive in the economic down trend. The proceeds of this event represent over 50% of our annual operating budget. Your support of Communities In Schools of Lee County will help make a difference in the children of Lee County!
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