Moonlight Hollow: August 2010

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Drops Faster Than A Dress On Prom Night

I'm assuming you've heard the saying,

"drops faster than a dress on prom night"

Well, I have found the perfect

dress for those special occasions...

Who said I had no fashion sense?

Guess I showed you!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Movies With Malisa

Do you read Too Many Mornings?

Well, you should.

Mike from Too Many Mornings is the

best writer in the blogosphere.

I'm serious. He's damn good.

What does Mike have to do with

"Movies With Malisa"?

Mike recently completed a series of posts

on his pick of Top 21 Movies of all time.

Sounds like an easy task, doesn't it?

It isn't. Try it. Try to pick your top 21.

I couldn't do it.

So I picked my Top 26.

I was a little surprised to review my list

and find two reoccurring themes...

LUST and DESPAIR .

What can I say?

I was also struck by the fact that certain

movies made such impressions on me

because of what was going on in my life

that particular year.

So I decided to put my favorite movies

in chronological order.

There are some definite patterns here,

but only I will know what those patterns are!

What? Did you think I was gonna tell

you about my illustrious past?

Not yet.

However, for the right amount...

So here we go...

my Top 26 Movies:

1. The Bad Seed…1956

2. Giant…1956

3. Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet…1968

4. The Last Picture Show…1971

5. Young Frankenstein…1974

6. An Unmarried Woman…1978

7. Elephant Man…1980

8. The French Lieutenant’s Woman…1981

9. Body Heat…1981

10. Sophie’s Choice…1982

11. The World According to Garp…1982

12. The Big Chill…1983

13. Terms of Endearment…1983

14. Amadeus…1984

15. Belizaire the Cajun…1986

16. The Unbearable Lightness of Being…1988

17. The Milagro Beanfield War…1988

18. Prince of Tides…1991

19. Dazed and Confused…1993

20. The Piano…1993

21. Philadelphia…1993

22. Forrest Gump…1994

23. Fargo…1996

24. Shakespeare in Love…1998

25. Milk…2008

26. Crazy Heart…2009

No, I don't remember watching

the first two movies in 1956,

thank you very much...

but I was alive...

and I have watched both movies

many times since then.

Looks like the 80's movies made

the biggest impact on me.

See the big gap between 1998-2008?

I was a campus principal those ten years.

I wasn't easily impressed.

I guess I cheated a bit by not ranking

the movies in my "favorite order",

but I will give you the top five in order.

1. Body Heat

2. Amadeus

3. The Last Picture Show

4. The Milagro Beanfield War

5. Belizaire The Cajun

So how about you?

What are your favorite movies?

Want to read Mike's favorite movies?

Just go to Too Many Mornings!

He's damn good.

Really.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

What I Did Over My Summer Vacation

Gosh, Jenny is pushy!

Pushy, pushy, pushy!

Just when we get used to

one format for Saturday Centus,

Jenny decides to push us

out of our comfort zone.

Pushy...

in a good way, of course!

So here is the "fast one"

she "pushed" on us this week...

this week's "prompt".

Exactly 100 words, first person, fact or fiction...What I did over my Summer Vacation. AND What I did over my Summer Vacation is the title of your essay not to be included in the 100 words! !

Oh, did I mention that you can

participate in Saturday Centus

anytime until next Saturday?

So here is my contribution

to Saturday Centus...

________________________________________________________

It was my summer of travel, food and fine living.

We started out in Italy. It was absolutely gorgeous! My favorite part of Italy was watching local chefs create the most delectable dishes!

After Italy, there was Paris. I have never seen a more romantic setting in my entire life! It was just me, my husband, Lurch, and the Eiffel Tower. The food was so rich and the wines were …

“Lurch, please change the channel. If I have to watch the Travel Channel, Fine Living Channel or Food TV one more day this summer, I am going to scream!”

Saturday, August 21, 2010

The Ten Worst Things About Getting Older

The Ten Worst Things

About Getting Older

1. Things fall out of holes that shouldn’t fall out. Let your imagination run wild. If you can imagine it, it has probably happened.

2. You sweat under your boobs. WTF is that about and how did that happen? One day you can pass the famous “pencil” test and the next day, the entire household is hiding their favorite pens, pencils, crayons and highlighters under your left breast!

3. Your doctor tells you to quit smoking. Then he tells you to quit drinking. Then he tells you to quit eating fat foods. Then he tells you to quit eating sugar. Then he tells you to quit eating carbohydrates. Eventually, he will tell you to quit
breathing

4. Got a rip in your pants? You have no shame and wear the peek-a-boo pants to do your bargain shopping at the thrift store.

5. You used to have to repeat everything to your husband twice because he didn’t listen. Now you repeat things three times because he can’t hear.

6. You used to be the life of every party, but now you are just invited to “sit”…baby sit , house sit, dog sit and “sit down and shut the s*it up“.

7. When you undress, your grandchild points at you and laughs.

8. You have a pair of glasses to read, a pair of glasses to drive and a pair of glasses to watch tv, because you are too vain to get bifocals much less trifocals.

9. Your favorite clerk at Victoria‘s Secret no longer remembers your name, but that loud manager over at the Plus Size Panty Store thinks you are her best friend.

10. The only use you have for K-Y is to lube the wheels on your walker. No, this one hasn’t happened yet, but it is just a matter of time.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

The Swing In The Tree Of Life...

I would like to dedicate my contribution to

Saturday Census this week to the memory of

Lisa of Bumpkin On A Swing.

Lisa fought a hard battle with a very

aggressive ovarian cancer which took

her life in less than three weeks.

Lisa was 40.

I discovered Lisa's blog shortly after

the Gulf oil spill.

I followed the events in the Gulf

through the words of Lisa and

her husband, the Captain.

From their words,I learned the truth

about what was happening in the Gulf.

I learned truths about life and love too.

Please stop by Bumpkin On A Swing

to leave your words of kindness

for her Captain, family and friends.

____________________________________________

For those of you who are joining us

for the first time, you may be wondering

about Saturday Centus.

What is Saturday Centus?

It is a themed writing meme.

Each Saturday, Ms. Matlock will give

a writing prompt.

Your assignment...

if you choose to accept it...

is to write a 100 word story.

Yes, 100 words or less...

not including the "prompt words".

Oh, and the prompt words can

be used anywhere in your story!

Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

The writing prompt is good for the entire week,

so you can join in at any time!

THIS WEEK'S PROMPT:

I listened to them from my perch on the top step

and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry...

So here is my contribution

to Saturday Centus...

_________________________________________________________

The old, wooden swing hung amongst the Spanish moss in the branches of the tree which was rooted in the rich Mississippi soil.

She lived her life in that swing. Her future with her love, her Captain, never seemed brighter than when she viewed it in midair.

The swing and she survived winds, water, hurricanes and the disastrous oil spill. That swing became the symbol of their survival.

Three weeks ago, she discovered that cancer had invaded her body. Now only the swing survives.

We buried her yesterday . I sat on the porch and watched children scramble for her swing. I listened to them from my perch on the top step and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Teecher Is Checking Attendance Right Now!

Sorry, kids!

It is time to come

back to school!

Yep, Teechur is ready!

Come on in!

I've got your places ready for you!

Don't be grumpy...

you know you don't want

to grow up to be a dummy!

Have you bought your new crayons?

Teechur thinks coloring is a good

stress reliever!

How about #2 pencils?

You know we have lots of pop tests!

Got your new lunch box?

Teechur has a new one too!

Like it?

Hope you found some cool

back to school shoes...

and some Day-of-the Week undies!

I'm sure everyone has their new

school hair cuts!

I even splurged and got a new

back to school bike!

I had to get some new glasses

to grade all the pop tests this year!

They go well with my hair...

don't you think?

I surely did not forget the most important

back to school item...

yeah, kids...

Teechur is packing!

There won't be any discipline problems

in this blog classroom!

So don't be a dunce!

Be sure and join us every Friday

for Pop Test!

Do I need to remind you that

you have a naughty teechur?

I give extra points for saucy answers!

And if you do really well...

Teechur will let you go to recess!

Since school is just starting,

Teechur would not consider giving you

a pop test!

No!

That would not be fair!

Just consider this a pre-test...

to see how much you have

learned over the summer!

All you have to do is leave a caption

for the picture below.

Who knows? You might be my Star Pupil

for the first week of school!

The Star Pupil will be announced Monday!

Fingers on your keyboard?

Ready?

Set?

Go!

Caption this photo.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Sentence Prey

"Three of them, hard men carrying nylon bags, wearing work jackets, Carhartts and Levi's, all of them with facial hair."

That is the first sentence of this book,

John Sanford's Storm Prey.

So why am I sharing this with you?

Because this opening "sentence"

drives me crazy!

I can't leave it alone!

Why would John Sanford begin his new

novel with this jumble of a sentence?

No, I am not the grammar police.

No, I do not always follow grammar rules

when I am writing.

In fact, I am not a rule follower in general.

I don't like rules.

Surprised?

Maybe it is just me.

Perhaps this opening sentence did not

capture the attention of other readers.

I just think Sanford should have paid

more attention to his first sentence.

Just saying...

You know John Sanford, don't you?

Sanford also wrote:

Rules of Prey

Shadow Prey

Eyes of Prey

Silent Prey

Winter Prey

Night Prey

Mind Prey

Sudden Prey

Secret Prey

Certain Prey

Easy Prey

Chosen Prey

Mortal Prey

Naked Prey

Hidden Prey

Broken Prey

Invisible Prey

Phantom Prey

Wicked Prey

See?

Sanford is a very religious man!

He writes a lot about praying!

What?

His books aren't about that kind of praying?

Oh...PREY!

Prey, as in an animal which is hunted,

or a person who is a victim of an enemy?

Well, whatever.

All I know is that after I read one of his novels,

I usually say a prayer.

I pray that I won't ever meet one of his twisted villains!

I also pray that Lucas Davenport

or Virgil Flowers

might just drop by my house for a few minutes...

or hours...

or days.

These two sexy cops can check out

my crime scene at any time...

if you know what I mean!

What?

Lucas and Virgil aren't real?

Well, thanks, John Sanford for almost

messing up my happy home with Lurch!

Did you have to create your characters

to be so dang real?

Wow! How did we end up here?

Sanford, just check out your first sentence

in your next novel.

Okay?

Virgil, Lucas...call me!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Her Visit

When I woke up Thursday morning, she was there. I never know when she is coming, but I definitely know when she is there.

Her spirit is like a light weight on my shoulders. I always think of it as an antique, fox shoulder wrap. Despite its beauty, it is not always pleasant to wear.

We were best friends for thirty years. The brain cancer won the battle eight years ago. I wasn’t there for the end. She kept me from it. Protected me. Things were left unsaid.

She doesn’t visit often. Once or twice a year. Some years, she doesn’t visit at all. Her visits are different than those of others. Her weight on my shoulders is heavier.

One day, maybe I will understand.