Instrumental Work

I have always been rather fond of a good instrumental piece.  I basically grew up with an orchestra in church.  I've taken music lessons off and on throughout the years, although I needed to practice a lot more than I did, frankly.  And I still have a desire to play the piano again.  Guitar, too, for that matter.  Rather, learn how to play the guitar.

So, that being said, there are some instrumental pieces from films that I've grown to love.  

"Bella's Lullaby"- by now it's no secret that I love Twilight.  "Bella's Lullaby" is a very sweet, relaxing piece with a lovely piano solo.  I do wish it was longer, though. "Bella Reborn" (from "Breaking Dawn part 1") has a selection from that piano solo.  And the unique thing is, just before the solo, the strings section sounds like something from a sweeping Western.  (YouTube it, and you'll get what I mean.)

"Soul Inside"- this is from the film "The Host." It's a very lovely acoustic guitar-driven piece.  I've been meaning to get the rest of the score. You might like this if you're partial to the acoustic guitar. 

"Father Christmas"- this is my favorite selection from "The Chronicles of Narnia," and I would still love to hear this live.  This is going on my Christmas playlist.  The only thing is, it segues into a darker part where the Pevensies are being chased by wolves; but it's all one track.

"Nessun Dorma"- technically, this is from an opera, sung by Luciano Pavarotti.  I love it.  One place you can hear it is in "The Sum of All Fears."

"Theme from Schindler's List"- very moving, and thoughtful.  

"Deep Shadows"-  This is a piece, strangely enough, that is not found in any film at all.  It was used in a trailer for "The Hunger Games."  And as it turns out, apparently a bunch of people liked it, and subsequently were disappointed that it wasn't in the film.  Myself included.  (But the artist made it available to purchase online.).  There's another good piece the artist did for the "Catching Fire" trailer.

Do you have a favorite?  Happy listening! 

Two New Arrivals

This previous weekend was pretty busy. Comic-Con was wrapping up, and so we got the new trailer for "Catching Fire." It was really neat; there was a lot of great tidbits in it.... Katniss and Peeta... The new tributes, more of the Capitol, and even a bit of the Games. You could tell the special effects are greater. It was just a great trailer, overall.

And the second arrival... A little baby named George Alexander Louis.

Sent from my iPad 2

Sprouts

I have gone to my fair share of concerts, and attended DVD release parties for Twilight and Hunger Games.... I'm used to waiting in line. (And yes, I'm wishing I could be at Comic-Con...) 

But today was the first time I'd ever waited in line for the opening of a grocery store.  I'd heard interesting things about Sprouts, and this morning I was able to go to the grand opening.  

I got up very early....

5:11am
"I got here about 10 minutes ago and there's about 15- or so people in line. Most of them brought their camping chairs. Weather isn't too bad. I got about 4 hours of sleep."

5:45am
"There's about 15 more people behind me now.  I've been sitting on the ground. Leaning against the row of grocery carts.  Someone near me brought a blanket to sit on and is watching a DVD.  We're lucky it's not raining. Listening to my "Twilight" playlist and have tried to get a little shuteye. Enjoyed part of my PB bagel 'sandwich.'"

6:05a -- 

They are giving out muffins and coffee. Got the muffin [I don't drink coffee, really....] Employees gave out bands for the free goody bag, and there were about 20 or so more people in line. And a local high school band arrived. They started playing early. ** I wondered if they got paid, or at least got free food. **

At around 6:30, people stood up and "officially" got into line, which now stretched to Panera.  

The store opened on time, and the employees welcomed everyone inside, giving high fives.  I went to the bulk section.  It was very neat.  12 flavors of gummi bears? Yes, please.  I eventually made it to the outer aisles, where I found my favorite Annie Chun's seaweed snacks.  Buy one, get one free? Of course!  In all reality, I should have bought more (only bought 4, total).  

It was very crowded, but still fun.  And I swear I ended up in one of their pictures on Facebook.    :-). I'm looking forward to going back.  

Zombies Wear Prada

So I finally finished reading "Revenge Wears Prada."  It was nice.  You get all of your favorite characters, and Andy's in a good place: she gets married, has a baby, and a cool career.  What was surprising was *who* she has that career with.  The only thing I didn't really like was the "smash cuts"- one chapter, she's about ready to have a baby; in the next, the baby's already several weeks old.  I suppose the pacing would have been a lot slower had the author take us through every single important event. 

[SPOILER ALERT]

What I had a hard time with was "discerning" who the "Revenge" part was with.  It's not from who you would think.... at first....  I think it actually comes from a few different people, and it's more along the lines of betrayal. 

However, overall, it's a bittersweet yet satisfying ending.  I would love to see this as a movie, but I don't think it would happen.

***

I went to see "World War Z" on the day it opened.  You may remember one of my posts a few months ago about us fans of the book unsure of what the film would be like, to say the least. 

Here's my verdict: it wasn't that bad.  The worldwide feel that you get from the book's "interviews" is still here.  Brad Pitt's character goes around the world to places that haven't quite been extensively explored in other films: South Korea, Israel, and WHO headquarters.  There are some very cool action sequences involving an airplane, and Israel.  The zombies are fast.  Almost too fast.

How the zombies are finally conquered was quite an interesting twist that I wouldn't have foreseen.  (Yeah, I do need to reread the book.)

Book Find

So... "Revenge Wears Prada" comes out today; it's the sequel to "Devil Wears Prada."  I was just shopping in my area.  I found that Twilight-themed scrapbook paper that I'd previously only seen online, and a store near me got it in stock.

Later on I stopped at Target (more Twilight trading cards!) where I went to the books, and they had one copy of "Revenge." Signed.  Could not pass it up.

 

So now I'm thinking I'll have to get another copy to read, and Mom bursts that bubble, going "Just read it." 

Sigh.  

Until paperback.  

The Hope Bracelet

I finally made this bracelet about a week ago, having been in the planning stage for forever, it seemed like. I had been wanting a blue bracelet for a long time. The blue beads and charms I got from Hobby Lobby, and I still had clear beads left over from previous projects.

Those "gray" beads are actually supposed to be bluish, but they pick up colors from what's around them. I got those from Walmart; really happy with that choice. I've nicknamed them "blue jean beads."

This is a personal piece for me. What inspired this, in part, was a quote: "Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly." (A proverb) I discovered this quote a few years ago when, well, let me just say, this was what I needed.

My History of Cooking

Apparently, when I was little, I could crack an egg with one hand.

That's what my mom tells me.

I suppose I got it from my grandmother.  Nan had a long history of cooking and baking.  She passed away when I was eight, and my memories associated with her are baking and being my only babysitter.  Years later, people would still remember things she made, such as a lemon chiffon cake.

The recipe that I most connect her with is Divinity.  Ah, the elusive Divinity.  See how it prowls across the barren landscape... Ok. It doesn't prowl.  But it is very elusive and temperamental. Made from mainly eggs whites, powdered sugar, and (traditionally) pecans.  We did walnuts.  You have to do this recipe exactly right.  Under the right conditions, or else it turns out like rubber cement.  It did, one out of the two times Mom and I made it.

When I was a little older, I would sometimes watch cooking shows with Mom on PBS on Saturdays.  Our favorites were the ones with Julia Child, especially the series with Jaques Pepin. (Those were the best ones.)

Several years ago, Mom found a box of Nan's recipes and took it upon herself to organize and type them up.  That was easier said than done.  Some were newspaper clippings, but most of them were in Nan's handwriting.  Furthermore, the recipes were often in shorthand and sometimes didn't have exact measurements, and Mom had to figure them out.  Mom collects recipes, and I have too, for a while.  Just look at my Pinterest board.

In getting me to try new foods as a toddler, Mom would hide her judgements/distaste of them.  It worked.  I loved sometimes-considered unconventional foods (shrimp pizza, anyone?).  I absolutely love Brussels Sprouts and cauliflower.  I am rather proud, and shocked, that I got her liking seaweed salad at the Japanese restaurant.