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 Call the Midwife, series 3
1 Christmas special + 8 episodes

Jenny Lee = Jessica Raine
Trixie Franklin = Helen George
Cynthia Miller = Bryony Hannah
Chummy (Camilla Fortescue-Cholmondeley-Browne) = Miranda Hart
Sister Julienne = Jenny Agutter
Sister Monica Joan = Judy Parfitt
Sister Evangelina = Pam Ferris
Shelagh Turner = Laura Main
Dr. Patrick Turner = Stephen McGann
Timothy Turner = Max Macmillan
PC Peter Noakes = Ben Caplan
Fred Buckle = Cliff Parisi
Alec Jesmond = Leo Staar
Tom Hereward = Jack Ashton
Patsy Mount = Emerald Fennell
Sister Winifred = Victoria Yeates

Season three is the last season with Jenny Lee. That may be one of the more notable things about this season in retrospect. (We also see a lot less Chummy after this season. I know she makes no appearance at all in series 5, and, I'm not sure how much she's around in series 4. But I think she is some at least.) 

Shelagh. Last season's finale saw Shelagh become engaged in Dr. Turner. In the Christmas Special, these two were due to be married near Christmas. But DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA. This episode has so much drama. Much of it being caused by the discover of an unexploded German bomb left over from the war. And then there's POLIO. This is such a heart-felt episode. How is it possible to care so much about fictional characters on a TV show?

Episode one. New Nonnatus House. New Sister midwife. I really, really like Sister Winifred although it takes a few episodes to come into her own and feel like she BELONGS. In this episode, Chummy helps deliver a baby in an emergency, and is asked to come back to work part-time as a midwife.

Episode two. Cynthia and Sister Evangelina are in conflict over "new" methods to help mothers during childbirth...Jenny gets a promotion....and viewers meet Doris a pregnant woman who is between a rock and a hard place.

Episode three. Trixie and Sister Julienne temporarily take on prison duties and serve pregnant prisoners. Sister Julienne becomes especially close to one of the young girls, and, becomes a character witness of sorts. The young woman desperately wants to keep her baby and not be forced to give it up for adoption. Trixie--well, good news, she meets Tom...and the bad news, well, she gets LICE. Shelagh and Dr. Turner learn that she cannot have children. Already several episodes this season are about adoption. So it's easy to see where this might be heading.

Episode four. The beginning of the end for Jenny's time at Nonnatus House. Alec Jesmond is in a horrible accident. PC Peter Noakes is one of the first responders, also, I believe Dr. Turner is as well. They know him as Jenny's boyfriend, making it even more difficult. They KNOW it is really bad. Bad news, the two had been fighting that day. Good news, they do get the chance to make up.

Episode five, Shelagh is back working in an administrative role at least. And sister Julianne and Jenny are both away. Nurse Patsy Mount, now a midwife, joins Nonnatus House full-time. Sister Evangelina has a jubilee party. But she has to be tricked into attending. This celebration is all the more meaningful the second time around. (If you've seen season five, you know exactly why). The pregnancy case is very troubling in this episode.

Episode six, Trixie goes on her first date with Tom. But it does not go according to plan. Shelagh and Dr. Turner begin to look into what it would take to adopt a child...and viewers get to know a little more about the newest midwife, Nurse Mount.

Episode seven, this one has DRAMA and then some. Chummy's mother comes to town. Chummy, at first, thinks this is a visit. But several things soon come to light. Her parents are separated now, her mother doesn't have much money, and she is in a LOT OF PAIN, as she has terminal cancer. Chummy has about a hundred emotions at any given moment. And it's up to Peter to know what to do. His strength in this episode and the next are AMAZING. He is such a good, good guy. Sister Julienne and Cynthia, not to be left out, deal with a VERY VERY VERY mentally troubled woman after delivery.

Episode eight, Shelagh and Dr. Turner get GREAT news during this episode. But poor Chummy spends this episode in turmoil and angst. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Sister Monica Joan in this episode. And Jenny is supportive as well. These two cluster around Chummy and her mother and it's just beautiful to watch. Painful but beautiful. Jenny--who came back in episode seven--decides to stop being a midwife and switch to what we would now call hospice care. She does help deliver a baby in this episode, I believe, and her patient's cousin, I believe, is PHILIP WORTH, her future husband. This is young Jenny's last appearance in the show.

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Downton Abbey, season 1
7 episodes

Upstairs
Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham = Hugh Bonneville
Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham = Elizabeth McGovern
Lady Mary Crawley = Michelle Dockery
Lady Edith Crawley = Laura Carmichael
Lady Sybil Crawley = Jessica Brown Findlay
Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham = Maggie Smith

Downstairs
Mr. (Charles) Carson = Jim Carter
Mrs. Hughes = Phyllis Logan
Mr. (John) Bates = Brendan Coyle
Anna = Joanne Froggatt
Gwen = Rose Leslie
Thomas Barrow = Rob James-Collier
Miss (Sarah) O'Brien = Siobhan Finneran
Mrs. Patmore = Lesley Nicol
Daisy = Sophie McShera
William Mason = Thomas Howes
Tom Branson = Allen Leech

Other Households
Isobel Crawley = Penelope Wilton
Matthew Crawley = Dan Stevens
Josephy Molesley = Kevin Doyle
Mrs. Bird = Christine Lohr

So, in the spring I was quite happy with the final season of Downton Abbey. I have never rewatched this series, so I thought this summer might be a good time. (Especially now that I've rewatched all of Call the Midwife, and there is a void in shows to binge-watch).

So, this is a rewatch. I am assuming that most people who have any interest in this one, have already seen this season, at least once. I will not purposefully come out and spoil things unnecessarily. But. I will talk freely about this season.

Equal time is spent between the upstairs and the downstairs.

People I loved downstairs = Mr. Bates, Anna, Mrs. Hughes, Mr. Carson. Now by the end of the sixth season, I can easily say that I've come to love more characters.

People I liked downstairs = William, Tom, Gwen, Daisy, Miss Patmore.

People I really DISLIKE downstairs = O'Brien and Thomas. I really LOATHE both characters. Now, O'Brien never, ever, ever redeems herself in my opinion. Thomas, on the other hand, as the series progresses, there are moments where I actually don't hate him.

People I loved upstairs: Dowager Countess and Sybil. I love the Dowager Countess!!!! Of the three sisters, Sybil is the one you'd actually want to know in real life and be friends with.

People I liked upstairs: Lady Cora, Robert Crawley, Lady Edith. Of those three, Lady Edith may be the most controversial for 'liking.' I do like Edith, however. I think Lady Mary has spent years and years and years tormenting her, without her parents ever correcting Lady Mary's behavior. I think she has dealt with a lot, not just from Mary, but from her own parents. There is a conversation in which it is revealed that neither parent thinks that anyone will ever, ever, ever want to marry Edith. Both parents assume that Edith with be the one daughter whom no one marries because no one wants, she will be the one to 'nurse' them in their old age, and, then they joke about how awful that will be to still have her around. I just CRINGED. Still, I think Robert and Cora have their redeemable moments.

People I really DISLIKE upstairs: Lady Mary. Mr. Carson may be the only person in the entire world that Mary is ever kind and respectful to. In every battle with Edith, Lady Mary seems to be the instigator. She also seems to be the one to keep adding fuel to the fire. Lady Mary is rude, hateful, spiteful, inconsiderate. Not just in private, when the two are alone, but in front of the entire family--why does her family think her rudeness is acceptable????--and as if that wasn't bad enough, in front of dinner guests as well. Lady Mary seems to exist to humiliate Lady Edith whenever, wherever possible. Now, that being said, Lady Edith, does not stand back and let Lady Mary say and do whatever without reacting and responding. I think Lady Edith was PROVOKED into doing what she did. I don't think it was inevitable. I think Mary's own actions--in more than one way--led to the gossip that 'ruined' her.

Other characters I loved: Matthew Crawley and his mother, Isobel. I honestly don't know why Matthew falls for Mary. I don't know what he sees in her, and continues to see in her, that keeps him coming around?! Mary's natural inclinations are to hurt and inflict pain at her whim. That being said, do I like Matthew in spite of his liking or loving Mary. Yes, for the most part. I do think Matthew is unnecessarily RUDE at times. For example, even though he's not interested--in that way--in Edith. He didn't have to rebuff her when she was making small talk. It wasn't as if she was saying, MATTHEW, I LOVE YOU TRULY, MADLY; FORGET ABOUT MARY, LET'S RUN AWAY THE TWO OF US, AND LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER. She was just trying to avoid an awkward situation and make the best of it. And he would have none of her small talk. Now, Edith is used to people treating her rudely, as if she is "less than." After all, her own flesh and blood treat her that way day in and day out. I think Matthew's standout moment comes when he rescues Lady Sybil, takes her to his own home, has his mother nurse her, sends for Mary, etc. When Mary seems Matthew as a HERO, that's when Mary decides that she likes Matthew after all. More than a "toy" an actual human being. Now that I think about, Lady Mary reminds me of Scarlett O'Hara.

Isobel. I really love to see her interact with the Dowager Countess. And also with Dr. Carson. She is a genuine person, and one you can't help loving.

Season 1 Highlights:

• The family learns about the sinking of the Titanic, learns about the two next-in-line heirs being killed.
• Lady Mary is upset not that her 'future husband' is killed but that she might lose what she's come to think of as her rightful inheritance.
• Lady Mary invites someone to ride/hunt at Downton Abbey, and, then ignores the guest she invited to flirt with the guest her guest invited.
• Lady Mary is NOT responsible for Mr. Kemal Pamuk coming into her bedroom--that would be Thomas who led him to her door and left him, knowing Mr. Pamuk's intentions--but she is at least partially responsible for not doing everything in her power to stop him. She was not exactly forced. She protested at first. Which makes me think that she's only partially responsible. He clearly was not a 'no' means 'no' guy. But she stopped protesting and became welcoming. To her credit, she never claims she was unwilling. Though she very well could have told her mother that he showed up in her room uninvited, and forced his attentions. Her mother might have been more sympathetic. 
• Lady Mary's secret is voluntarily kept by Anna and her mother. It is held as ammunition by Thomas and O'Brien. Daisy also witnesses something of the aftermath.
• The family accepts Matthew as the next heir, but, Mary is contrary and hates him except when she's flirting with him. But she only flirts with him a third of the time. The other times she leaves him confused and hurt.
• Miss Patmore has a health crisis.
• Daisy has an attack of conscience. And changes her mind about which footman is for her.
• Thomas and O'Brien are set on destroying Bates. In many, many episodes, they plot and scheme. Carson seems to stay a step or two ahead of them.
• Anna and Mr. Bates fall for each other, though, he likes to keep a little distance between them because his past is problematic.
• Tom starts falling in love with Sybil....but she is so busy helping out Gwen that I don't think she's really noticed the swoon-worthiness of Tom just yet.
• O'Brien reveals her evilness. And a family mourns as a result. 
• The family learns that war has been declared.  (World War I)

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Call the Midwife, series 2
1 Christmas special + 8 episodes

Jenny Lee = Jessica Raine
Trixie Franklin = Helen George
Cynthia Miller = Bryony Hannah
Chummy (Camilla Fortescue-Cholmondeley-Browne) = Miranda Hart
Sister Julienne = Jenny Agutter
Sister Monica Joan = Judy Parfitt
Sister Evangelina = Pam Ferris
Sister Bernadette (aka Shelagh) = Laura Main
Dr. Patrick Turner = Stephen McGann
Timothy Turner = Max Macmillan
PC Peter Noakes = Ben Caplan
Fred Buckle = Cliff Parisi
Jane Sutton = Dorothy Atkinson
Alec Jesmond = Leo Staar
Patsy Mount = Emerald Fennell

I LOVE and ADORE this show so much. This second series is great fun. The whole reason I'm rewatching the show in the first place, is while I had no trouble at all checking out the first two discs of season five from the library, there was a longer hold for the third disc. So I decided, well, why not use this "waiting time" to rewatch series two through four!

What you should know--there is no going slowly with Call the Midwife. I have found this is one to binge-watch.

The Christmas Special. It is Jenny's first Christmas at Nonnatus House. The episode focuses on the community and upcoming Christmas preparations--specifically a nativity play. The pregnant mother in this one is a teenager keeping her pregnancy secret from everyone....

Episode 1. Is the show issue-driven or character-driven? I think the answer is a bit of both. Both stories in this episode have their tragic side. In one story, we've got a girl literally brought up captive on her father's cargo ship--she being brought up to "service" all the men on board, including dear old dad. Trixie and Sister Evangelina are called to respond to this emergency call. This is one of the stories from the Call the Midwife memoir. In the other story, we've got spousal abuse. A pregnant mother (she's pregnant with her second child) is being abused by a horrid husband, and, Jenny can do little about it....

Episode 2. More than two stories in this one! Several stories last multiple episodes. So the show is becoming more like a soap opera. Only an actually good one. Cynthia (I was almost tempted to call her SISTER) has a rough time in this episode. Jenny thinks she's falling in love with Jimmy...only to find out that one of her new patients knows Jimmy much TOO WELL. Chummy decides to fulfill her dream to be a missionary in Africa with Peter's full support.

Episode 3. Jenny takes some time off from midwifery, conveniently just in time to save Jimmy's life. Jane comes to Nonnatus House. I really, truly LOVE Jane even though she doesn't stick around for the whole series. I can relate to her completely. And the fact that in the memoir she gets a good, happy ending makes me very pleased indeed. This episode also briefly introduces us to Nurse Mount. I thought nothing of it the first time around, it was only in rewatching I was like HEY, I DIDN'T KNOW SHE SHOWED UP IN THIS SEASON. The pregnancy case in this episode is STRANGE.

Episode 4. This episode mainly focuses on JANE and introduces the character of Reverend Applebee-Thornton. I LOVE LOVE LOVE parts of this one. A baby with special needs is born, and, the mother has a hard time accepting that her baby is not perfect. Can Jenny help? And how much help is too much help? I really love the husband/father in this one.

Episode 5. This episode is PAINFUL. Not because it's bad, but, because it is so very INTENSE. A woman is DETERMINED to end her pregnancy no matter what. And Jenny knows the woman is upset, but, can't really interfere and fix anything. Trixie gets in and out of a predicament when she starts dating a celebrity of sorts. Also SISTER BERNADETTE starts to show she has FEELINGS for Dr. Turner...and viewers see that he returns them!

Episode 6. Oh this episode gets to me. We're introduced to a single, pregnant woman estranged from her father. The woman is trying to keep her pregnancy secret from everyone--but Jenny knows what she knows. The woman is nine months along, and there's no fooling Jenny! The dying father is played by an actor I failed to recognize before...a familiar face from LARK RISE to CANDLEFORD. (He's not the only familiar face from that show we'll end up seeing....) Dr. Turner is able to get an X-Ray programme to come to Poplar, and Sister Bernadette is tested to show a little girl how easy and safe it is. SISTER MONICA JOAN has a fit in this one, if I remember rightly. And it's Fred to the rescue!

Episode 7. Chummy and Peter return from Africa!!! And their family is about to grow! Sister Bernadette is in a sanatorium undergoing treatment. Her crisis isn't just physical, but, spiritual as well. There are several cases in this one...but my interest was all on Dr. Turner and Sister Bernadette.

Episode 8. Jimmy introduces Jenny to his friend, Alec. Chummy has her baby, and, it's OH-SO-DRAMATIC. Fred gets a lot of attention in this one. His pregnant daughter visits, and, when her pregnancy becomes a bit complicated, it is up to Fred to babysit his grandson. Fred also gives Chummy some much-needed cheering up. Sister Bernadette makes a life-changing decision, and, reveals her name: SHELAGH. I love, love, love, love how Dr. Turner and Shelagh meet one another. Swoon!!!

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Call the Midwife (2012)
Series 1 = 6 episodes

Jenny Lee = Jessica Raine
Trixie Franklin = Helen George
Cynthia Miller = Bryony Hannah
Chummy (Camilla Fortescue-Cholmondeley-Browne) = Miranda Hart
Sister Julienne = Jenny Agutter
Sister Monica Joan = Judy Parfitt
Sister Evangelina = Pam Ferris
Sister Bernadette (aka Shelagh) = Laura Main
Dr. Patrick Turner = Stephen McGann
Timothy Turner = Max Macmillan
PC Peter Noakes = Ben Caplan
Fred Buckle = Cliff Parisi

I love, love, love Call the Midwife. The way some people gush on and on about Downton Abbey is how I feel about this show. I just truly LOVE and ADORE it. The first series opens in 1957.

Episode one introduces us to Jenny Lee a nurse and midwife newly assigned to Nonnatus House, a nursing convent in East London. The first person she meets is Sister Monica Joan, the eldest and most eccentric resident at Nonnatus House. She's no longer an active midwife. But she has plenty of stories to tell. And some of them even make sense. Jenny meets most of the others as well: Trixie, Cynthia, Sister Julienne, Sister Evangelina, Sister Bernadette. Viewers meet Conchita Warren and her family. She is about to have her twenty-fifth child!!! She doesn't speak a word of English, her husband doesn't speak a word of Spanish.

Episode two introduces us to Chummy. Chummy just may be one of my FAVORITE, FAVORITE characters. When she arrives, she has some difficulties to say the least. She "barely" passed her test and still has some studying to do before feeling confident to work (deliver) on her own. She does NOT know how to ride a bicycle, and bicycles are how all the midwives get around the district. It's a must, but, it won't come easy! Also she has to sew her own uniforms since the largest size doesn't fit her. (She's VERY tall.) On one of her learning to ride excursions she literally runs into PC Peter Noakes, and, with a little help from Sister Evangelina (either in this episode or the next?) she finds herself with a boyfriend! Meanwhile, Jenny's case has her involved with a teen prostitute who desperately wants to keep her baby.

Episode three, Jenny's case is a NURSING one. She tends the leg wounds of an elderly soldier named Joe. This is another eye-opener for Jenny who still knows so little about poverty. Meanwhile, Trixie and Cynthia have a very interesting midwife case! I love the husband in this one. His reaction to the 'surprise' is so sweet.

Episode four, this episode may be the most DRAMATIC so far. A newborn baby--that Jenny delivered--is KIDNAPPED. Cynthia's case is equally dramatic in many ways. I think it provides a real clue into her character as well....

Episode five is a good, strong episode. Chummy and Peter's romance continues. He wants her to meet his mother. And she, I believe, sews a special dress for the occasion. But Fred's big scheme to get rich from raising a pig for bacon may just interfere. His pig is pregnant... And the midwives may just have to get involved. I just realized I haven't mentioned Fred yet. He's a HOOT and then some. He always has one scheme or another--whether raising pigs or quail or selling toffee apples--but technically he is the convent's handyman. Peggy is the cleaning woman at the convent. Her brother has cancer...and in seeking to nurse him, Jenny realizes that Peggy and her brother are more than brother and sister.

Episode six focuses on Sister Monica Joan...and her mental health. (She ends up on trial for theft). But Chummy also gets a lot of time in this episode. Her MOTHER comes to visit. And her mother is a CHARACTER and then some. Peter does not meet her mother's approval, and, so her romance is threatened. But Chummy's case may just inspire her to BE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY brave. This episode ends the season really WELL. (Chummy's case is super-super-dramatic. Delivering a set of triplets (when only one was expected!!!) in an apartment with no electricity at the moment.)


© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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This was a tag from Bella back in the beginning of January, which I'm not finally getting to. (Congratulate me, friend! Two blog posts in March!) It was supposed to be a New Year's Tag, but since I'm so late, it's going to be a "2015: A Summary" tag. So whatever.


1. What was the single best thing that happened last year?

2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened?


4. What did you get really, really excited about?

5. What song/album will always remind you of 2015?
Josh Groban's STAGES CD. Especially "What I Did For Love" and "Dulcinea."


6. How did you spend your Christmas?
Epicly! (Epically?) We had Midnight Mass privately up near where we live, and we got some pretty awesome snow Christmas Eve, so we had these huge soft drifts everywhere, and there was a full moon that night, so I wished on it.
Christmas is always glorious in our house. We light the Christ Candle first thing and sing Joy to the World, and put Baby Jesus in the manger. My dad always gets a fire going and makes sausage rolls and puts down a pot of coffee, and we open stockings and eat food and drink mimosa and/or orange juice and coffee and pass out gifts and get really, really loud. We had a lot of people over that day, too. We have a friend who moved to Tahoe from Wyoming, and her brothers came for dinner, which was our traditional gnocchi and ham. We also had a snowball fight later that night, and it was pretty freakishly cold out there, which probably wasn't good for all of us with our wicked chest colds. We were all:


8. What were the best movies you saw in 2015?


9.What were the best books you read in 2015?
What Came From The Stars by Gary Schmidt; The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski.

I was briefly hooked on Person Of Interest, then a female character was introduced who sort of usurped my boys, Reese and Finch, and I later discovered she was having a relationship with another female and I lost interest. I restarted 24, though. (Still adore Jack.)

11. Did you discover any new musicals?

12. Did you write any new books?
I am mostly revising books I've already written - namely, DragonFire and Fulcrum. I had been kicking around an idea concerning nightmares, and that one has really taken off this month. I've been actively writing it a few hours each night. I'm pretty excited about it. :-)

13. Did you make any new friends?

14. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year?

15. Is there some change you will have to go through in 2016?
Gosh, I hope not. Well, I'd like to move. But otherwise... Gosh, I hope not.

16. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?

17. What was biggest thing you learned this past year?
Life is hard, but trust in God. Worry gives you insomnia.


18. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"He will always hate me / No matter what I say / And there is no mistaking the love is gone."
(This is actually a man's song, so I had to change the "she" in the original lyrics to "he".)


19. What are five things you want to do in 2016?
a.) Land an agent. (That makes me sound like I'm hooking a fish. Sorry, agents!)
b.) Buy a piano and start composing music again.
c.) Go to one of the two SCBWI Annual Conferences in either LA or New York (though since I didn't get tax returns this year, that's probably not going to happen this year).
d.) Get a better job.
e.) Move.

20. Describe 2015 in your own words.


Truly, not the best year I've ever had. It had it's ups and downs, and I was mostly very worried and stressed during it. I concentrated on trying to be a bit more trusting and take it one day at a time. I sometimes felt like I was doing good with that, but then someone would say, "Are you okay? You seem sad," and I so I guess I wasn't being as brave as I'd thought I was being.

2015 did have some epic moments - Carmel and WordWave and Christmas were three incredible highlights to the year and I want to go back to check out more of the missions in the very near future. That's a definite To-Do. I also got myself submitting to agents, which is an A+ for me in regards to my courage. (Submitting to agents is scary!)

However, I seem to have grown more antisocial. The best thing in my life is going to my little home and being alone, with no people other than my sisters. And Netflix. (Seriously, guys. NETFLIX.)

And this was my relationship with last year

HERE'S TO A BETTER THIS YEAR!!! :-) 

God bless. 

The Cat

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Phantom and Front Sight and Edged-Weapons Training;

POTO

Winter Soldier

Anthony Warlow in Jekyll and Hyde

Visiting B&N, going to Scheels;

Donna and Bucky - FANS get this! :-)

Awesome place

Looking for knives, testing how each one feels...

Team Avatar

Team Crossing Lines

Team Jack Bauer

LOL

All the things. I will pin. All. The things!

Polishing queries and drawing a king...

Daredevil

THE Hug

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

GOD BLESS!

~Cat

Possessed LOLcat

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Last night's episode was a real downer. My first reaction was, "Well, that was depressing," but as I think about and process it, I have some different thoughts. There will spoilers here, so if you haven't watched the episode yet, I recommend you leave now.

As a clarification, I've only read the first two books in A Song of Ice and Fire, so I can't discuss this episode in relation to the books. However, since the showrunners have made it clear that they aren't strictly following the books anymore, I don't think it's overly relevant.

I think the key to understanding this episode is the title, "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken." While of course that's the motto of House Martell, I think the producers are also telling us something. (And often the GoT episode titles seem to have more than one meaning.)

As I said to my husband immediately afterwards, "For an episode called Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken, there sure were a lot of bowed, bent, and broken people." However, on further consideration, I'm not sure that's true.

Tyrion and Ser Jorah are captured by slavers. However, Tyrion works his magic with a little help from Ser Jorah in the right places, and the two of them are now headed where they wanted to go anyway. Jaime and Bronn end up captured, but Bronn takes it in stride with usual Bronn-ness: "You fight pretty good for a little girl." And I hope that Jaime learned his lesson from the last time he was a prisoner and won't lose another hand.

A quick aside on the sand snakes: I haven't got far enough in the books to read about the sand snakes, but I had heard about them, and as a former martial artists and a fan of women warriors, I was very much looking forward to seeing them. So far, though, I have to say I'm disappointed. Although it's clear they can fight, they've been pretty ineffective so far, and there's not even enough character development for me to tell them apart.

I think that Ser Loras and Queen Margaery fared the worst in this episode. You might say Sansa fared worst, but more on that in a minute. Lady Olenna will use her considerable personal and House resources do what she can (although it is somewhat worrisome that Cercei sent Mace off right before implementing this plot) and while Tommen may be the Most Ineffective King Ever, he's pretty besotted with Margaery, so maybe this will wake him up. However, I fear for Loras. As the show's token gay character, he's been treated pretty poorly by the showrunners.  I fear that Loras won't survive this, but even if he does, will the showrunners let him become, as the article I linked above says, “a knight and a son of House Tyrell, who happens to be gay" or will he continue to just be "the gay character"?

Finally, I want to talk about the most talked about scene of the episode: Ramsey Bolton's wedding night rape of Sansa. The scene was vile and repulsive, and like everyone else, I was hoping that Stannis would arrive in time to stop the travesty. Viscerally and emotionally I hate it. But on thinking about it, I don't believe that Sansa was as much a victim as she appeared to be. As awful as it was, Sansa made the choice to go through with this wedding.  While Littlefinger may be using her for his own ends, his talk with her about using the situation to regain her birthright seems to have resonated with her.

Remember that this isn't Sansa's first experience with a sadist. This is not the young Sansa with dreams of a fairy tale wedding. This is an older, wiser, more experienced Sansa who has survived Joffrey and Cercei and knows the worst that humans are capable of. This Sansa is a survivor. And thanks to Myranda's attempts at manipulation, she has some idea of what she's getting into. She has options - she knows she could have lit a candle at the top of the broken tower. But she chooses to go through with it for the sake of her birthright, her people, and hopefully for a chance to avenge her family. And Sansa knows as well as anyone that an unconsummated marriage can be annulled, so she endures the rape - with a witness even - to cement her place at Winterfell. When Sansa tells Myranda, "I'm Sansa Stark of Winterfell and you don't frighten me," I have to think that in her mind she was saying that to Ramsey as well. I hope that somewhere not to far down the road, Sansa will stick a dagger in Ramsey. I also think that alternating Sansa's scenes with Arya's was intentional. Even though their roads are very different, they are both in the process of becoming someone else.

Was the scene gratuitous and unnecessary? Maybe, I'm not sure. It does seem like GoT has a disturbing pattern of violence against women, but then GoT has plenty of disturbing violence overall, and yet I still watch it. I'm not sure if this scene was any worse than what the rest of Sansa's family has been subjected to, not to mention many other characters. You want to talk about horrifying? One of the most horrifying things to me was Theon's killing and burning the miller's sons as stand-ins for Bran and Rickon. Theon in turn was the victim of horrifying violence by Ramsey. It broke Theon, but I don't think that Ramsey will break Sansa in the same way.

Personally, I hate the prison that most women in Westeros are forced into. For most, with some notable exceptions, marriage is their only option, most likely a marriage not of their own choosing. As much as we hate Cersei, Queen of Manipulators, we also have to remember that as a young woman she was forced into marriage with Robert Baratheon. But although I hate it, it's also a reflection of the life that many, if not most, women throughout history have been forced to lead. Violence against women is a reality; should we pretend that it doesn't exist?

When we talk about strong female characters in books and movies, we're usually talking about women warriors or leaders of some type. But I think it takes a particular strength to endure rape, forced marriage, or other violences perpetrated against women and to survive, to live, and to move forward. In our outrage and our disgust, in characterizing Sansa merely as a victim, I fear that we are missing the point that Sansa Stark is one of the strongest characters on the show.

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Jared

I haz discovered a new favorite fruit.  They are called Asian pears, apple pears (or maybe it's pear apples...) Japanese pears, Chinese pears and a plethora of things in between, but I call them Prapples.  They are a combo of the best part of the two fruits.  They are crispy like apples, but have the taste of pear.

Cook's Thesaurus

They are AMAZING in salad, with some fab apple cider vinegar!  True story!!  (The gif below does NOT reveal my true feelings about prapples - I simply found it while browsing da Google, cracked up, and felt compelled to share it with all you all.  Prapples are GOOD!  :-)
 

Castle

 I have been very busy making things these day.  It's LOVELY making things.


 


Some of the "new" stuff in my shoppe.  It's nice having new stuff.  For a long time it was sort of just languishing with old stuff, but I have been a bit craftier and doubled my inventory.  HooRAH! :-)

J2 Dancing

 
Since I apparently cannot live my life without delving into new (for me) TV shows, I would like to introduce you, yet again, to a new TV show!

Flashpoint

This one is really good.  It's about a police team, Team One of the SRU (Strategic Response Unit) who tends to answer the "hot calls" of a crime gone wrong or going wrong.

Greg Parker

First, there's Sergeant Greg Parker.  He's the "Boss" and the team's lead negotiator.  During a situation he's the one to make contact and try to "talk" the subject down so they can resolve the situation peacefully and non-lethally.

Ed Lane

Then there's Ed Lane.  He's the team leader, tactical operator and a crack sniper.  He is often the person in charge of taking down the subject if the situation escalates and there is no other option other than lethal.

Spike

Michelangelo "Spike" Scarlatti is demolitions and tactical.  He is often to be found in the van doing fabulous things with a computer, figuring out info on both subjects and victims for the Team to use to de-escalate a subject.

Wordy

Kevin "Wordy" Wordsworth specializes in entry and hand-to-hand.  He is the "family man" on the show and an overall sweetheart.

Sam

Sam Braddock is ex-military.  He tends to take over as team leader and tactical whenever Ed can't, and is usually lead sniper.

Jules

Julianna "Jules" Callaghan is the team's only female member, and she is awesome sauce.  She tends to be the one to do negotiating if Greg can't, and she is also often called upon to be the sniper.

Lew

Lewis "Lou" Young is the less lethal weapons specialist on Team One, often backing up Spike when it comes to bombs and research.






This show is crazy, because not only is it a GREAT show, but all the team members are like a family.  They have each others' backs all the time, and their one goal is to "keep the peace."  It also does backstory on the members, so you grow fonder and fonder of them as the seasons go.  I tend to shed a lot of tears at the end of each episode.  They do a great job of finishing up the story and having this song playing in the background that totally depicts the whole episode perfectly.

At the moment I've just started Season Four, and I have a TERRIBLE feeling about one of my favourite members on the team.  I'm not going to say anything, in case I end up being right, and if I am I'll probably cry even harder.  :-)

Okay, my life is boring.  I'll leave you and love you and post again sometime in December.  Probably just in time for Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Advent, Happy St. Nicholas Day in case I don't pop on long enough to commemorate those holidays with their own special posts.

God bless!!

Cat

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So how are you?

Good?

Isn't that grand?!

I have been... not here, as you may have noticed.  But that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about all you all!!  I haz been.  I just haz kept it to myself.

Nick Burkhardt - Grimm

Yes, trusted followers, you see this gif?  This gif, here? That means I am watching/watched a new show!!  At the moment only the first three seasons are out, but the fourth is airing/going to air soon.  It is called GRIMM and that guy there, the smugly smiling one with the epic book, is my fav'rite character.  Dat's Nick.  I likes him muchly.

Epic Detective Nick with Gun

I haz made some new Etsy things, in time for Halloween...





I have also made these little butteflies, which will eventually join my Etsy shop and will be my first Origami Jewelry featured on my shop, but right now they're just paper.  Not lacquered and beautiful yet.


I am going to be attempting more jewelry stuff during the week, and I'm doing my bestest to post the new things on Instagram, so I now has an Instagram you can follow!

Le Instagram:

All righty, I came, I saw, I posted...

Dat Smile, Do'

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Interview with Jason Dolley from Good Luck Charlie

Are you a Good Luck Charlie fan? I am! Jason Dolley, who is 22 in real life, plays PJ Duncan on the show. We’ve interviewed him before along with Bradley Steven Perry who plays Gabe, but I’m super-psyched that we got to catch up again with Jason. He talked to us about his favorite book, his character PJ, and the Muppets. And in case you missed it, read our interview with Bridgit Mendler

Q: What do you want most in the world?

Jason: I don’t even think I know! Literally, that is the broadest and most interesting interview question I’ve ever been asked, and I know that because I don’t know how to answer that. But I love that you asked!

Q: What do you think is the most important issue for kids your age?

Jason: The biggest thing I see is substance abuse. I know a lot of people that have been affected by that. So that’s an issue.

Q: What’s up with your character for this season?

Jason: He is going to cooking school this year. He’s a really gifted cook, but I think he is struggling a little more than he expected, which is good, as he is learning well under pressure! His chef is super-hard on him, so that progress for him is good.

Q: You had an episode with the Muppets. How was working with the Muppets?

Jason: I was not there that week and I was so sad that I missed it. I worked with them once before on a Disney Channel special a while ago, so I was super bummed I couldn’t be there. They are awesome. I was super-glad that they were on our show!

— En-Szu, STACKS Staffer

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I'll be the first to admit that the TV in our house is tuned in close to 15 hours a day, either to The Weather Channel (my husband farms and weather dictates his daily routine) or a news network.

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In five months, I'll be 35 years old. I keep thinking, "Gah! Already?" Twenty year ago, at 15, I thought I had a loooong time before my 35th birthday. Ha! It's here and it arrived faster than I thought it would. But I'm not tripping though. I look forward to 35 and beyond. So, in honor of my approaching 35, I've decided to take a walk down memory lane...reminisce about some of my favorite things as a child and teen. It would take forever for me to post all of my favorite things, so I only posted some. Care to join me?

During the 80s, I went from 4yrs old - 13yrs old. I had a wonderful childhood, so thankfully, I can look back at the 80s with a smile. Well, besides the fashion. I can't smile too much on the fashion. I was so into Cyndi Lauper and Punky Brewster, that I wanted to dress like them. Problem was, I didn't have their money nor their stylists to make my outfits look as good as theirs. I don't even wanna think about my fashion sense in middle school. *shudder*

During the 90s, I went from 14yrs old - 23yrs old. I have to say. My teen/early adulthood years were pretty good, but I wouldn't wanna go back. I love being an adult, despite the bills/real life thing I have to deal with. In the 90s, Will Smith came into his own. I loved his show, Fresh Prince of Bel Air - watched it faithfully - but I didn't think he had cutie status til towards the end of the show...during his box office reign (Independence Day, Bad Boys, Men in Black, etc). Other shows I watched faithfully were Saved By The Bell (I mean, come on...SLATER with those dimples), Martin (HILARIOUS show I still love), and Caliente, a show that introduced me to Puerto Rican cutie, Ricky Martin and Spanish musica.

Here are a few of my favorite things of the 80s and 90s...

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Katsaridaphobia. I finally found out the name of my fear of roaches. It's actually a phobia! Katsaridaphobia. YAY! Not that I'm celebrating my irrational fear of cockroaches...just that I'm not the only one with that irrational fear.

Rae's Ultimate Career Dream. My ultimate career dream is to be a successful business owner who doesn't have to go in to work everyday (I'll have people who'll run things while I'm gone cos I'll be the boss chick); write books for children and teens full time; continue to research in reading and education...become an expert of some sort that people come to; and travel the world doing conferences and motivational speeches for girls and youth.

Fall Lineup. Shows I look forward to this fall:

Old Favorites. Dancing With the Stars, Castle, NCIS, NCIS Los Angeles, The Good Wife, Glee (OF COURSE), Criminal Minds, Law & Order SVU, CSI, CSI NY, CSI Miami (OF COURSE), Desperate Housewives (only cos Vanessa Williams will be on it), and Grey's Anatomy (only cos cutie pie, Jesse Williams is on it).

New Must Sees. The Event, The Defenders, Law & Order Los Angeles, Undercovers, Blue Bloods, Melissa and Joey (um, 2 words...Joey Lawrence).

Of course some of these shows are on at the same time, so I'd have to choose. I so can't wait til the fall!

Rock Star Dad. My dad was a member of the group, Merge, popular in the late 70s/early 80s. He's the one at the top of the pyramid. This is one of their popular songs, Take it to the Top. Cool, huh?

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Here's a recent conversation between me and a nine year-old about our love for Disney channel:

Nine year-old: I like Sonny With a Chance and Good Luck Charlie. Do you like those shows?
Me: Well, I like Sonny With a Chance, but I haven't seen Good Luck Charlie. I don't have cable.
Nine year-old: *Gasp* You don't have cable? Well, what do you watch? You watch movies all day? (she says this like it's a fate worse than death)
Me: Nope. I sometimes watch regular channels.
Nine year-old: What's regular channels? (she says this with a perplexed look)
Me: You know. NBC...CBS...
Nine year-old: *Blank Stare*
Me: ABC...UPN...Fox
Nine year-old: *Blank Stare*
Me: Channels 2...11...13... (now I've got the perplexed look)
Nine year-old: *Blank Stare*
Me: Ay, forget it.

I guess not having cable/satellite is a sin this day and age. smh

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Brrr!!! It's cold here in Houston! It's like 36 degrees here, but with the wind, it feels like less. My goodness, the whole freakin country is experiencing this cold weather. Crazy

I saw this on twitter:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6946257/Mans-penis-removed-from-pipe.html (not sure how to hide the link where it says click here or something).

I only have one thing to say about this: How in the h*ll did he get his private part stuck in the pipe!!! What was he doing (I can only imagine)? SMH

Yay Glee for winning People's Choice Award for fave new TV comedy! I LOVE that show, despite the fact that it comes on at the same time as Criminal Minds and Law & Order SVU. It's easily one of my faves now.

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America's Best Dance Crew. Sad to see Massive Monkeys go, but at least We Are Heroes are in the finals. They had the best performance of the night last Sunday. They are America's Best Dance Crew. Afroborike shouldn't have gone this far, imho, but whatever. I mean, they're good, but not the best. If you watch most (if not all) of their performances, you'd see that their routines are very sexual (proof that sex sells). Whatever. I'm hoping Sunday night will find We Are Heroes as the winners. They've been one of the best groups this whole season (besides Rhythm City).

Dancing With the Stars. Oooh! Another dance show. America's Best Dance Crew, So You Think You Can Dance, AND Dancing With the Stars? I'm in heaven! I missed most of the men's performances Monday cos it came on at the same time as Heroes. Out of the women, I think Mya and Joanna will be the ones to beat. Lyn was so wrong for giving Mya a five on her waltz, but who am I? I did think Kelly did good on her waltz. It was kinda cool seeing her all dolled up and graceful. She just might surprise us. I have to see the men dance again to see who I'd think would make it. I missed yesterday's show. I'm not surprised Macy Gray left first. Did you see her relay dance? At least she tried...

Season Premieres. They're baaaaack! I'm so glad my shows are back, despite the changes. I think I enjoyed CSI Miami the most. Did you see Horatio? He finally showed emotion. Like real emotion. He didn't show that kind of emotion when his wife, Marisol, died. Oh, but when Eric was touch and go, Horatio broke down. Very emotional episode. It doesn't help knowing that Adam Rodriguez is leaving the show. And The Great Sunglass Mystery of CSI Miami has been solved. Those sunglasses that Horatio wears in, like, every episode? Yeah, that was Eric's doing.

Sadly, I missed the season premieres of Law & Order SVU and Criminal Minds (I had a class to go to at church...more important than TV, I know, but still), but I can catch them online. New shows that I may like: NCIS Los Angeles and Flash Forward. Season Premiere I'm still looking forward to: Ugly Betty, which will premiere in about 2 weeks.

Happy Times. Well, Monday is my 33rd birthday! Thank God for letting me live to see another one (assuming I don't die within the next 3 days). And to celebrate, I'm going to Chicago, my birthplace and home for the first 8 years of my life. I leave tomorrow, which reminds me, I have to finish packing. Of course, I'm bringing my camera, so pics and stories will be posted when I get back. Two things I'm seriously looking forward to? White Castle and KarmelKorn. My mouth is watering at the thought of being able to eat these. Here in Houston, we have White Castle freezer food, but it is NOT the same as the real thing. And KarmelKorn...let me stop before I start drooling, which would be gross and unladylike, but given the fact that it's KARMELKORN I'm thinking about, I'd say I have a good excuse.

So, I'm off to pack now. I'm so excited about this trip!

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Fall TV Season. In less than one week, the season premieres of most of my fave shows will come on. I'm SO excited (yeah, I have no life...so what). CSI Miami, Heroes, Ugly Betty, CSI New York, Criminal Minds, and Law & Order SVU. Add Glee to that and you've got a happy Rae. There are slight changes that can mess me up, though. Law & Order has been moved to Wednesdays. Why is that a problem, you may ask? IT COMES ON AT THE SAME TIME AS BOTH CRIMINAL MINDS AND GLEE!!! Why, oh why, did they move it to Wednesdays? I was perfectly fine with it being on Tuesdays. See, last year, I had Mon-Thurs set. Mon = Heroes & CSI Miami; Tues = Law & Order SVU (& occasionally, NCIS); Wed = Criminal Minds & CSI New York; and Thurs = Ugly Betty. Now, Mon stays the same, Tues = ?...maybe NCIS & NCIS Los Angeles; Wednesday = Glee, Criminal Minds, Law & Order SVU then CSI New York; Thur = ?; Fri = Ugly Betty. Now, I have to decide what to do about 8 pm on Wednesday nights. *sigh* Tragedy, I tell you...Tragedy!

Adam Rodriguez. So, about 2 months ago, I heard that Tyler Perry had a new movie coming out. Now, I love TP's work, so I knew I wanted to see it, but when I heard that Adam Rodriguez was going to be in it, I knew I had to see it. I've had a 'grown up' crush on AR since watching CSI Miami for the first time years ago. In fact, he was the reason I first got hooked on CSI Miami. I needed my weekly dose of Eric Delko. Now, of course, it's not about Eric, I actually like the show. So yeah, I had to go see I Can Do Bad All By Myself. I'm so glad I did. To me, it was one of TP's best movies. And Taraji Henson is such a talented actress.

Okay, back to AR. I've found out that, after this season, my beloved Delko, will be no more. *sigh* I knew it, when I saw the season finale. It's a good thing I actually like CSI Miami, cos clearly if I didn't, I'd stop watching it (but I do, so no worries). On an awesome note, AR will be on 5 episodes of Ugly Betty with the possibility of staying longer. Ugly Betty is, of course, another one of my must-see shows, so I'm good. He moved from one fave show to another.

Mission Statements. So, I'm reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.

I'm on Habit #2: Begin With the End in Mind. One of the things we're supposed to do is come up with a mission statement. I've finally come up with mine (after about 2 weeks). I wanted to add scriptures to my statement to know where I got the idea from. Like me, this state is a work in progress.

My mission in life is...

• To serve God, glorify Him in all I do, and love Him with all my heart, soul, and mind (Deuteronomy 6:5; Deuteronomy 6:13; Romans 15:6)
• To let God, my family, my friends, and the kids I work with know I love them through, not only my words, but also my actions (1 John 3:18)
• To use every gift, talent, and ability God has given me to fulfill His purpose for me (1 Peter 4:10)
• To educate, enrich, and inspire youth and help them realize their full potential in God (Mark 9:37; Mark 10:14)
• To live a bold and abundant life through Christ (John 10:10; 2 Corinthians 3:12)
• To take good care of my temporary home, Earth, just as God has commanded us (Genesis 1:28)
• To use my words and actions to build people up instead of tear them down (Proverbs 20:11; Romans 12:18)
• To let my 'Jesus' light shine for the world to see (Proverbs 13:9; Matthew 5:16)

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Lila jumped me on this post, but if you haven't seen Fox's new series, Glee, run, don't walk! As a matter of fact, you can watch the whole episode ON LILA's BLOG!! Go see! It is totally adorbs.

What other new shows are you looking forward to?

Oh! And if you are our Twitter friends, bear with us, we like to IM each other during Project Runway :) which means you might see a lot of fried pickles on your home page.

Katie

P.S. Anything with her, I heart.

And SF, you are WIPping me on your WIP durn it!

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America's Best Dance Crew. Yay! Another dance reality show that I'm addicted to! Although this season hasn't proven to be as good as the previous seasons, I'm determined to see it through. Now, it's only been on for two weeks, so, maybe it's too early to judge. A salsa/hip hop group, a group of gay men & a transgender, groups with "thick" women, group of country hip hoppers...this season definitely has the diversity it was looking for.

I don't agree with who went home, though. The first week, Fr3sh ended up going home, but they were better than the other 2 groups who did battle with them (Beat Ya Feet Kings and Southern Movement). The ONLY reason why they went home, IMO, is because they didn't break it during the battle. Last Sunday, the groups did dances from Beyonce songs. The group that went home was Artistry in Motion. I think they had one of the harder tasks, but they did well with what they were given. All the members had to hold on to the chain throughout most of the routine...and they did it, while still dancing well. The group they did battle with, Afroborike, the salsa/hip hop group, had an easier task. They performed to Beyonce & Shakira's Beautiful Liar. Their task? The belly dance routine in the video. Come on! While I love salsa, I think they should've went home. Which group(s) do I like? I think I'd choose Rhythm City or We Are Heroes. Guess we'll see...

Dancing With The Stars. Seriously? Tom Delay? Shouldn't he like, be in jail or something? And where is the eye candy for women?

Michelle Obama's Shorts. So, I've heard little rumblings about our First Lady wearing shorts to a family trip to the Grand Canyon. WTH! Do we have nothing else newsworthy that we have to report (and whine) about the fact that she's showing her (awesome) legs? I swear, this country (that I LOVE so much)...My reaction to her wearing shorts? SO WHAT?!! So she's showing a little leg. Arizona is probably hot as hell right now. What do you expect her to wear, pants? This is just another reason why I love and admire Michelle Obama. She's not worried about y'all and your reaction to what she's wearing. She's fist-pounded her hubby, worn sleeveless dresses, and, now, she's wearing shorts. From the looks of it, what she has on is still tasteful. To anyone whining about what she's wearing (Oh, the scandal! She's showing skin!) I say: IT'S THE SUMMER PEOPLE! GET A LIFE! Now, if this 'outrage' is fake and just journalists attempt to report news, I say to those journalists: GET A LIFE!

Jordin Sparks' Nose Ring. It's amazing what you notice when you're really paying attention to a video. I'd always admired Jordin Sparks' nose ring. I thought it was cute and small...the kind of ring I'd want. Well, last year, while watching Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown's No Air my sister noticed that, on some of the scenes, Jordin's nose ring was on while it was gone in other scenes. Oh the horror! Her nose ring - the one I'd previously been admiring - was fake. *sigh* Oh well, it's still cute.

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El Rostro de Analia. My show, El Rostro de Analia, is leaving me! Just when I've discovered it. I've only been it watching for about 2 months. If I'm not mistaken - and I could be - Friday will be the series finale, so to speak. I know etapas final basically means final stage or final chapter, so I'm assuming that it's the same as a series finale as opposed to a season finale. Which means, after Friday, no more Analia. Now I have to find another novela to watch. Maybe Mas Sabe el Diablo, with cutie pie, Jencarlos Canela. Seriously, watching the Spanish channels has helped me TREMENDOUSLY with my espanol. No matter how cheesy the novelas may be - and some of them are really cheesy - I'm getting much better with my Spanish. I also buy the Latino mags like People En Espanol to read.

NBA Finals. Rashard Lewis is a Houstonian and an Alief Elsik High School (my Alma Mater) graduate, so GO MAGIC! If it can't be the Rockets (who, btw, passed up a chance to have Lewis on the team like, 10 years ago), I'll take a fellow Houstonian getting the ring/trophy.

Rae's List. So, last year, I came up with a list of things I'd like to do. It was originally for before I turn 35, but, clearly I'll be 35 in 2 years. Anyway, the list ended up having about 60 things on it. Now, ask me how many I've actually done? Go on. Ask. One! That's it. I've managed to cross of one thing off my list (wear shorts - I haven't worn shorts since about 1995 because I didn't like m legs and I did it last year). The good thing is, by the end of this year, I will have crossed off about 14 more things, including skydiving, getting my 3rd tattoo, and learn salsa (all this summer). I also get to cross of travel to Puerto Rico when we go in December. My sister and I are going to get our 3rd tattoo to celebrate her 27th birthday in July. I want an angel, but the ones I've seen have been too detailed (and painful looking). I'm still searching for the perfect angel. I LOVE angels. Like, really. I collect anything that has to do with angels. I actually have a creepy, yet cool story that goes with why I collect angels (besides the fact that the Bible tells us that God sends His angels to protect us). It's a blog post in itself that I'll tell another time - soon, though.

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My Next Reality Show Obsession. Well, this season of Dancing With The Stars has ended (yay, Shawn Johnson). Lucky for me, the end of one good thing brings the beginning of another. Can you guess what reality show I'll be watching faithfully this summer? Hint: It's the same kind of reality show as DWTS. Give up? So You Think You Can Dance. I guess you can tell I love dance reality shows (which explains why the main character of my current work in progress, Who's Got Tha Moves, is competing in one). I mentioned in an earlier blog post that, when I was younger, I just knew I'd be a dancer. While I didn't fulfill that dream, I still love dancing, hence my obsession with dance reality shows. I'm going to have SO much fun when I get to writing the actual competition part. And I'm going to have SO much fun researching (watching my dance reality shows).

New Writing Challenge. This summer, Karen Strong, a fellow writer is holding a summer challenge that I plan to join (http://www.karen-strong.com/2009/05/28/do-you-have-to-write-every-day/). From June 1, 2009 to August 31, 2009, we'll be attempting to write 500 words every day (3500 words/week). It sounds easy, but add the stresses of everyday life, and it can be difficult to find writing time. I think I can do it, though. So, starting Monday, I'll be posting my progress once a week. Wish me luck! Or join if you like.

WTF! So, I read the story about the 29 year-old Tennessee man who has 21 kids. 21 kids! WTF? That's not all though. He has at least 11 baby mamas. AT LEAST! Which means there's a possibility of more. And, in the interview (he was on the local news in Knoxville, Tennessee), he mentioned that the mothers knew about the other kids. I mean, really? http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/45871127.html

Summer Writing Plans. Between finishing my 2nd work in progress and re-strategizing my 1st, I'm thinking maybe, probably, possibly...I MIGHT add a Writing Wednesday to my blog. I'm not quite sure yet. It's still in the plans. I guess I'd have to make up my mind soon, 'cause summer's starting soon, right? More information later...

Technological Needs. Hi, my name is Raenice, and I have an serious addiction. It's called BlackBerry Curve. I LOVE my BlackBerry. I got it in February and haven't looked back since. It's something serious, y'all. Like, I put important days in there so I can remember. I can check my email/Facebook/Myspace from the phone (which cuts down on my computer time). The screen is bigger than my other phone, so looking at pictures and watching videos is awesome. And those times when I have a burst of writing brilliance (when I'm sleep), all I have to do is reach for my BlackBerry and type what's on my mind. I save it, go back to sleep and don't think about it, 'til the next day. If I need to look up something quick, instead of having to wait until the computer is on, I can search the internet on my phone. And I'm still learning about the greatness that is BlackBerry. Did I say I love my BlackBerry? Am I the only addicted to this phone? This is an example of what my phone looks like...except I'm a bit clumsy, so mine has a few nicks on it from my dropping it (I know) and I have a pic of my handsome nephews on the screen.
Til next time...

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