I try very hard to avoid becoming emotional when it comes to heart-pulling, tear-inducing provocation from movies, songs, Hallmark commercials, etc…The moment I feel the tickle in my nose or the pressure in my throat, I fight it at all costs! Why do I do this? I don’t know. Maybe I just prefer to avoid it. Doesn’t matter. The point is, is that this feeling came over me last Saturday when the credits began rolling at the end of the new movie The Secret World of Arrietty that I enjoyed ever so much, wow!

The whole film was a delight!  A sweet and innocent story filled with gorgeous colors on hand drawn animation, beautiful music and even a simple, but meaningful message of simplicity and friendship to take away with me. I never had even a single stirring of tearful emotion – even in the last scene. But then this song began, as I mentioned, during the credits…have a listen, would you? I suspect you won’t regret it. Read the rest of this entry »

Have I mentioned what I’m doing three weeks from today? I don’t think I have. I know I haven’t on here…I’m not that tired! Ha! Do you want to guess what I’m doing? It involves me; an airplane; a suitcase; LAX; my sister…YES! I’m going to L.A. to visit my sister for a long weekend. AND, if you are a fanatic of The Hunger Games, like most of the people around these days, then you might be saying to yourself something like this: “Self? Isn’t three weeks from now the opening of The Hunger Games? The film that has been for so long in anxious anticipation?” This wonderment of your’s might be followed up with a second query sounding something like this, “Could Jen possibly be going to L.A. to see the film on opening night with her sister? No! It couldn’t be!?”   Read the rest of this entry »

Two new shows premiered last night. On CBS we had The Amazing Race and on NBC there was The Celebrity Apprentice. Did you happen to catch either one of them? Do you care about either one of them? Read the rest of this entry »

Chris and I did something a little out of the norm for us on Saturday night last weekend. We went with some friends to a local comedy club to see a man known for his comedy hypnosis. He is very awarded for his performance nation-wide and highly regarded for his Bob Hope Award for entertaining  the troops over seas. His name is Don Barnhart and you can check him out if you want to see what he’s all about. Read the rest of this entry »

I would have surely completed The Weekend Refresher yesterday – on Saturday as usual. However, I found myself tied up in the making of Sinful Cinnamon Rolls from my new The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook. That’s right-there’s a cookbook! I didn’t remember there being a whole cookbook’s worth of food noted in the series…but the proof is in the pages! Read the rest of this entry »

A couple weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure of watching one of my most favorite movies. And no, it wasn’t When Harry Met Sally, but good guess. Oh! No…it wasn’t The Breakfast Club, either…another good guess…and normally you’d be right by naming either one of those two first. This time, it was a film that I actually kind of forgot about for a while, but one that brings me just as much joy as Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan or Judd Nelson and Molly Ringwald. Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday was a banner day for us. Logan agreed to watch Star Wars Episode IV for the very first time! You see, we have been gently working on him to watch it with us for quite some time. Logan is self-educated when it comes to the intricacies of the whole Star Wars experience. He reads books, researches the stories provided by Lego Star Wars online at Lego.com, and asks Chris and I question after question…sometimes even stumping us with topics involving The Clone Wars and characters that we’ve actually learned from him!

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Oh man. I’m conflicted. I really wish I had a feeling one way or the other about Madonna’s upcoming Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show performance. I only just found out that it’s her yesterday! Normally I think I have been way more excited in previous years: Aerosmith (2001); Prince (2007); Tom Petty (2008) Bruce Springsteen (2009); The Who (2010).

And, you know, it’s always hit or miss whether the perfomance will be a memorable and/or successful one at that. Who can forget the 2001 mishap between Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson (Ahem!)? Case in point.

But Madonna!! I grew up loving her! She’s undoubtedly one of the largest music icons of our time! This is why I am pained about not having very many feelings one way or the other! Perhaps if I knew she would pull out some of her old gems like Papa Don’t Preach; Vogue; or Like a Prayer I might just have a shred more excitement for the whole thing. But, enough about me and my Super Bowl Halftime demons….I want to know how YOU feel about it! Will you tell me? You can by casting your vote in this week’s poll question! Thank you to you and you and you!

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Well football fans, it has come down to this. Last night’s game results pin The New York Giants against the New England Patriots in this year’s Super Bowl XLVI. I think we could call it a lot of things…Manning vs. Brady…NY vs. NE…Giants vs. Patriots…Not Green Bay vs. Not Denver… Read the rest of this entry »

It’s a good thing I love the weekend so much because it is coming up faster and faster each week, it seems! See? Look!  Here we are again, at The Weekend Refresher. If you happened to miss something here last week, you don’t have to go searching for it, because its all right down there! Read the rest of this entry »