Faith, Hope, and Love

From this bunch, there were only one I hadn't seen: The Many Adventures of Winne the Pooh.  The rest I had seen at least once, although for some I was so young that I really only had vague memories and couldn't really have retold the plot in great detail. But vague or vivid, rewatching them brought me back to happier/simpler times and days... something sorely needed as we continue to navigate these uncertain times. Anyway... let's get to my quick recaps/reviews: Cinderella (1950): " Cinderelly, Cinderelly, night and day-a, Cinderelly... " I love this movie and had actually seen it on the big screen in January. It's the first Disney movie I ever saw and considering that this fairytale is probably one of the most re-told and re-imagined, Disney's version is a classic. Cinderella has a lot more spunk and wit than I remembered. And how can you not love the mice and the King and Grand Duke! Alice in Wonderland (1951): The version we had as kids had ...

I've gotten through about a decade of Disney movies and thought it'd be a good time to share my thoughts! From this set, I was unfamiliar with most of them and so had no nostalgic feelings or memories that I feared would be crushed. Anyway... here we go: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937) : For Disney's first movie, this one actually holds up. I like the songs, the Evil Queen is delightfully evil. I forgot she had a crow for a pet (and seems to set off the trend of villains always having some animal as a pet, often a bird). I also forgot that she dies by falling from a cliff. The dwarves were ridiculous and silly. Snow White was kind and compassionate, and somewhat dopey. But overall, for 1937... it's not a bad movie. It's a classic I'd share with my kids one day. Pinnochio (1940): So we all know the classic song, When You Wish Upon a Star  and I also had memories of I've Got No Strings to Hold Me Down , but other than that I didn't really...

So unless you've been living under a rock, you know that the world kind of got shut down by a little virus known as COVID-19. It seemed to come out of nowhere, and one minute we were toasting to 2020 and talking about "20/20 vision" and other puns, and the next minute we're holed up in our homes social distancing. I am single and live alone. And while I am thankful to be able to work remotely and also have a well-stocked library of books to keep me company, I also needed a little bit of levity and magic injected into my life. So equipped with a friend's Disney+ password, I decided to watch all the Disney Animated Studio films. Some basic guidelines about my list and viewing choices: The movie had to be produced by Disney Animation Studios. So this did not include sequels or A Goofy Movie (which are Disney Toon Studios) nor did it include a lot of live-action or hybrid movies (like Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks ). I would include Pixa...

School got out at the end of May and the first chance I got I started my vacation off in style with a trip to CALIFORNIA! I had been to California once before. I was four and all I remember is going to Disneyland. And all I remember about Disneyland was a yellow submarine ride and being upset that Mary Poppins looked nothing like Julie Andrews (I mean, what four-year-old likes impostors?). So when I won a free ticket last year and had to use in by this June, I figured I'd squeeze in a trip to see some friends and explore the West Coast. First Stop: Carlsbad/San Deigo, CA When planning my trip to Cali, I decided on the location because of my good childhood friend, Valerie. Val is an absolute doll. She moved to Nigeria in '95/'96 and I remember down the long driveway to her house, knocking on the screen door and introducing myself within days of her family's arrival. We became fast friends and even when we both moved back to the States and lived in different state...

One of my high school BFFs is a GENIUS. As you know from previous posts, Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite Disney movies . Todrick made a parody of the opening number. Watch it. Be amazed. And laugh your butt off. I did.   Besides Todrick 's many costume changes, there are just so many great one-liners! I think one of my favorite lines is the "Look... isn't this a hot mess. Who would name their first child Blu Ivy?" Hehe. P.S. I know it's like 6 months early, but if you're looking for a new Christmas album to buy. You should check out Tod's :)

This week, I impulsively decided to listen to NPR. Although people assume that I listen to this radio station all the time (must be the journalist thing or something), I actually have only tuned in when my dad is in the car (in his world, only the news, classical music, and the occasional hymn or sermon is worth listening to). But this week, I was sick of listening to KLTY with their horrible commercials and over-the-top promotions, not to mention the same songs playing over and over and over again. And I thought, "why don't  I listen to NPR?" Without a good reason, I promptly switched the station. And I loved listening to the radio so much more this week. I'll be honest and say that sometimes the news and politics talk make me want to snooze, but for the most part the programming has engaged my mind during the generally mindless commute I make at various times during the day. I think my favorite show is A Way With Words , a language show. The English language i...

Anyone who knows me, knows I have a slight obsession with Disney. Anyone who knows me also knows I have an obsession with fairy tales. My obsession with both is probably what makes "Beauty & the Beast" one of my favorite movies (and definitely my favorite Disney animation). It's being re-released on DVD on October 5th, and I can't wait!!! Won't be buying it, unless I land a second job (then it'll be my celebratory gift to myself), but... in honor of this release, theaters across the U.S. are doing sing-a-longs . A friend and I went to the one yesterday, and on Saturday (Oct 2nd) at noon will be the second day they do this. Can I just saying a sing-a-long in a theater is sooo much fun! I sing a long at home all the time, but something about a group of people watching a movie on the big screen, with the words being highlighted for you, and everyone singing and quoting the lines without anyone shushing... COMPLETE AWESOMENESS!!! I took pictures... and...