Delightfully Free to Liebster Away

It was perfectly delightful timing to receive a Liebster nomination from Erin at Seven Little Australians and Counting.  Russ is out of town, the kids are in bed, I have a pumpkin beer in hand (well, obviously not right now, because I'm tapping it out on the QWERTY two-handed, but it's near by...) and I have the evening free to tell you a little more about me.  Thanks, Erin!

Now, along with Erin, you'll be in-the-know about...

1. How do you express yourself creatively?  Wow.  Stumped by the first question is never a good thing...  I'm fairly creative, but I haven't thought of it much as expressing myself.  I get an enormous amount of satisfaction from being crafty - especially when the end result is something lovely and functional.  I love to sew and crochet most of all.  But in terms of expressing myself, I think it may be singing as prayer - in Church or alone.  I love to sing, but have a mediocre voice, so when I'm singing to pray I pretend like no one is listening and find it expressive.  

2. What is your favourite genre of books?  I currently read mostly non-fiction, but I love a good mystery, especially set in the past (like the Jane Austen Mysteries I've mentioned before.)  I also enjoy historical fiction, and popular historical non-fiction (like Shadow Divers, Endurance, and Unbroken, etc...)

3. What is a favourite childhood book?  Very difficult to just choose one, but I *think* I can narrow it down to two: The Riddle of the Drum, a tale from Tizapan, Mexico .  I received this book as an award when I was in Kindergarten or first grade, and I still have it and read it my kids!  The second is from high school:   His Enemy, His Friend, by John Tunis.   Read it.  (note: link is to Kindle Edition.)

4. If you had a whole day to 'yourself' what would you choose to do?  Go to Mass, then sew.

5. Would you consider yourself an introvert, extrovert or somewhere in the middle?  Introvert.  A dyed in the wool introvert.  

6. What is your preferred method of exercise?  none, unless it's done with a companion :)

7. Share a quote that has 'spoken' to you:

"A married woman must often leave God at the altar to find Him in her household care."

St. Frances of Rome

8. What is your favourite genre of movies?  British TV.  Some favorites (that's how we spell if over here, Erin ;) ) that are not as obvious as Downton Abbey include the  Horatio Hornblower Series and To Serve Them All My Days.  You MUST watch these.  Put them on your Christmas list because they are the best two series ever.  Right now, I'm also enjoying Foyle's War and The Paradise on Netflix.  

9. Share one blog you 'must read' regularly?  Someday (Hopefully) They'll Be Saints, by the fabulous Gina, is my new must-read spot, but I'm afraid that she'll be scared of me if I look too enthusiastic, so don't tell her it was me that sent you in her direction!  But do go there!  You'll enjoy getting to know her

10. How many bloggers and whom have you met irl?  In my little corner of the world, I know and see regularly the lovely Mary from Better Than Eden, and the hysterical Heather from Mama Knows, Honeychild, and among those I wish I saw more regularly is the indomitable Nella from Is There a McDonalds in Heaven?    Most recently, my sister, Sarah, has started blogging (yay!) at Too Wonderful, where she's written about books, our phenomenal parents, and... thongs :)   
I think that's it.  Hope I'm not missing anybody!

*   *   *   *   *   *

So remember when I told you I'm an introvert??  I'm also a little shy and self conscious when it comes to stuff like "tagging" other people for posts.  This is a huge (and not a little uncomfortable) step for me... but I'm going to do it and ask if a handful of you want to join in...  If you don't, no hard feelings!  At all!  

Tagging...

Sarah at Too Wonderful
Amanda at Erring on the Side of Love
Gina at Someday (Hopefully) They'll be Saints
Christine at Splendor in the Home 
Ann-Maria at Ulczynski Update
Kathy at 9Peas

Asking... (I gave you a couple of my answers for fun!)

1. Have you ever had something stolen from you?  (me: yes, a beaded turtle coin purse :(  )

2. Show us your favorite internet meme or cartoon.

3. Can you show us a picture that tells us something about you (no words)?

4. What's one of your guilty pleasures?  (me: scented candles and watching Professional Bull Riding)
5. Is there a hobby/sport you'd like to learn?  
6. How do you see yourself spending your retirement (or golden years, as it were!)  (me: being alone with my husband!)
7. What was one of the most thoughtful gifts you've received? 
8. What's your biggest pet peeve (me: stepping in water with clean socks)
9. Have you started your Christmas shopping or crafting?  (send your awesome ideas my way!)
10. Blogger's Choice: You pick that awesome question that I'm forgetting to ask - the one you've been dying to answer!  (sorry!)

and then... pass it on!


I'd actually love if anyone else wanted to participate too.  Link your blog post back to here or answer some or all of the questions in the comments!  It's always fun to get to know each other on a little more informal level :)

One of My Favorite Books is Being Made Into a Movie (and Why I Don't Go to the Movies)

I read the book Unbroken (Laura Hillenbrand) about two years ago.  It is an astounding story.  It was exceptionally written.  It easily earned a spot on my top five non-fiction favorite list.  Unbroken is the phenomenal and disturbing true story of Louis Zamperini - delinquent Italian youth, Olympic runner, Second World War air force bombardier.  The book recounts one unbelievable turn of events after another, covering the time he spent drifting on the Pacific ocean in a life raft after his plane was shot down and then his rescue... by the Japanese, and then consequently, the time he spent as a Japanese prisoner of war.  It is hard to read.  But it is worth it. Because it is truly triumphant.

And they're making it into a movie.  From the trailer, it looks like they have done a fine job...

                          

And I'm actually considering going to see it when it comes out in December.  Except...

I don' t go to the movies.  I just don't.  It hardly has anything to do with the fact that I have five unruly children that I'm hesitant to spring on an unsuspecting babysitter.  

(We interrupt this regularly scheduled broadcast to announce that just a few weeks ago, I got up the nerve to ask a high school student from our parish Vacation Bible School if she'd be interested in babysitting.  I was so nervous, I felt like I was asking someone on a first date to the eighth grade dance...  Anyway, she said yes!  Not only did she say yes, but she said she loves my kids, would love to babysit, and in fact is taking a child care refresher course this summer and is being re-certified in child CPR.   I've never taken a child care class or kept my CPR credentials up to date.......   So she's in!)

Back to my movie theater dilemma.  It's not because we can't land a babysitter or because I can't bear to have my precious angels out of my sight.  That's not it at all.  

Here are the reasons why I don't got to the movie theater and opt for DVD's at home:

1. Headaches.  The last movie I saw in the theater was King Kong.  Lame is the only word I can find for it, though I'm sure there are much more severe adjectives that will come to mind after I publish this.  Not only was it a bad movie, it was a LOUD movie and I got one of the worst headaches of my life watching that thing.  Movie headaches are wretched, but I'd almost be able to overlook it if they movie had been amazing - had been worth getting a headache for.  But no.  King Kong was not that kind of movie.  After that debacle, I vowed to never go to the movies again.

2. Volume Control.  (See above.)  I want to be able to turn the volume down on 30 minute car chases and turn it up when folks are quietly plotting their next heist or whispering sweet nothings to their lover.  At the theater, you are a prisoner of ear-drum destroying Dolby Digital Surround Sound.  

3. Bathroom breaks.  I want to be able to go to the bathroom when I want to go to the bathroom.  And I don't want to miss any of the movie while in the bathroom.  And I want to feel comfortable (and clean) sitting on the toilet in the bathroom and have a rug under my feet and not have to use foul-smelling public rest-room soap.  (Have you ever felt, as I have, that you're actually dirtier after washing your hands in a public restroom??)  

4. Snack breaks.  I want to eat reasonably priced snacks whenever I want to without missing any of the movie.  I want to be able to "pause" a movie and refill my drink six or seven times (and then go the bathroom six or seven times as the size of my drink warrants...)

5. Subtitles.  I never used subtitles until I met my husband.  He's not hard of hearing, but he does like to catch all the dialogue of a movie.  I used to despise the subtitles, but now I'm a fan.  Now I know what people are muttering in the background, and I even know when "Ominous Music" is playing.  The screen tells me.

6. Crochet.  It's too dark in a theater to work on crochet projects, and they generally frown on your wearing miners head gear in there so you can read your pattern.  At home, I can have all the yarn and hooks I want lying all over the living room floor and couch (as Russ reminds me daily...)  And if I miss a critical part of the movie because I was counting stitches, I can "rewind" or loudly ask Russ what I missed without disturbing the people in front of us (or behind us, or to the side of us).

7.  Romance.  If I'm not crocheting, I like to snuggle up next to Russ while watching a movie.  (For this purpose, we had the hard plastic arm rests removed from the middle of our couch.)

8.  Commentary.  You can't be a vocal critic in a theater...

                            

9.  Expense.  We go out occasionally and spend money on a date night.  I like when we spend 30 dollars on Indian food (and date night conversation).  Once in a while, I may consent to spending a dollar on a Red Box movie.    

10.  Because homebodies *heart* home.  And we don't need an excuse to not go out.  We just need you to know, we love to stay home :)  


So, do you enjoy going to the movies?  What was the last great movie you saw?  And... do you think you'll be going to see Unbroken?  (read it first if you haven't!!)