Let's talk pop culture

First, have you seen The Martian?  Travis surprised me by rounding up five of his NHS students, getting them to come over to babysit in exchange for volunteer hours, and taking me to see the movie. I think it's one of the best movies I've seen in a long time and is definitely one of the best sci-fi type movies I've ever seen. The acting - across the board - was outstanding, the pace of the movie was perfect, the characters were wonderful.

I loved the disco jokes, and Watney's humor, and the Council of Elrond reference. I cried a little, I had to brace myself and grab Travis because I was so invested during the tense parts, and I laughed. It was brilliant. Matt Damon + Ridley Scott 4ever.



Second, I want to talk The Walking Dead. A friend with some kind of subscription to something brings his laptop to our home on Sunday nights, attaches it to the tv, logs in, and so Travis and I are finally able to watch the current season during the current season.

SO, let's talk about what happened last week. So SPOILER ALERT! Jump down to the songs if you don't want to know what I'm going to say!

First, I loved the conversation Michonne had with that married Alexandria guy who had gotten bit. Loved it. And all I could think was, "Rick! Rick is your Betsy!" Does anyone else think they are maybe in love? I mean, I know there's that dumbness with the hairdresser... but Rick, seriously, Michonne!

Then, if you haven't read what Cari Donaldson said about Nicholas and Glenn go read it. Her thoughts on Glenn are so wonderful. I'm going to put my favorite lines here, but there are some more great considerations so please go over and read everything she had to say.

You can read it clearly in Glen’s face- it’s not Nicholas he doesn’t want along, it’s the giant PTSD monkey riding on Nick’s back that’s not welcome. ... This was the real nature of Glen’s sacrifice- he knew that the chances were good of he, alone, getting to the feed store, setting it on fire, and meeting back up with the group; he used to be a pizza delivery guy, after all! ... Nicholas was a time bomb, and Glen deftly, so deftly Michonne didn’t even realize what he was doing, took that time bomb away from the group, and shackled himself to it.

And what happened next: All I could do for the rest of the episode, after stupid Nicholas stupidly killed himself was say "nuh-uh." I am holding out hope that Maggie is not a widow because I loved Glenn so much and I will be so mad at the show if they killed him. Seriously, there has to be a way that while the zombies were eating Nicholas Glenn scootched under the dumpster and then someone comes along and saves the day. Right?

Right?





Let's move on to music. 
Have you heard Downtown by Macklemore? I love the way they sing that word, "Downtown!" and the music in the chorus is so great. Too bad the lyrics are stupid and the verses and so poorly done. Ugh. Don't listen to it if you haven't heard it - there's some pretty dirty lyrics there and that catchy, so-much-potential-it's-even-more-disappointing chorus is pretty infectious.

But Ryan Adams' cover of Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" is just about perfect. My 7 year old daughter said she prefers T Swift's version better, and I do like the original a lot, but this one is so beautiful. And I never would have called Swift's version "beautiful."



Then if you like something a little more pop-punk, listen to Tear in My Heart by twenty one pilots. I am a fan of this song (and their song House of Gold) and just wanted to throw it out there, see if anyone else was jamming in the mini van to this one.



Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - I love this song. There is language, and not just a little bit, and I know there's a chance I will scandalizing some with this choice. But that humming and clapping, and those powerful vocals, and that fabulous, old-time rock n' roll chorus is just too good. So darn good.



Then this song, which our local indie station has been playing a lot, totally fits the grey, rainy weather with the golden maple leaves blowing down, which is what Autumn is currently looking like in my neck of the woods. And that cello! Don't you just love the beauty of a deep, rich cello?




And what about you? What music are you loving right now? And is there anything I should be checking out on tv or movie trailers? Give me the scoop!

iTunes, Zombies, and 27 weeks: 7QT

1 - Let's start things off with a little Matt Maher, shall we? I love me some Matt Maher music and this song is a really powerful one for me. It's true that I'm a sucker for a good crescendo-ing bridge but this song is more than that, too.


2 - So the big news at my house is that The Visitation Project is now available on iTunes. This is kinda crazy to me because... it's iTunes, which is like legit and it's where people go for podcasts and now I'm there with Heather and Rebecca.  You can search for us and everything! Isn't that crazy? Here's what we look like when you find us:

3 - In other news around the house, we are getting really pumped because Marie Miller is coming to town!  She'll be performing at a couple of local schools and hold a family friendly concert in the evening. I know I have some local readers so if you're in the area and want to come, well you should because I promise you she is an amazing performer.

4 - So there's a couple of things I would love to see, one of them in theatres now and others coming soon enough.
The Martian
Sherlock Special
Mockingjay Part 2
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

What's looking good to you? Anything I'm missing on this list?


5 - And speaking of zombies, Travis and I are finishing up the latest season of The Walking Dead on Netflix. (Like literally, I'm watching the season finale as I type) I've always followed Cari's recap posts on the current season for two reasons:
#1 so I stay up to date on what's happening.
#2 I need all the surprises taken away so I don't have nightmares.
Don't you just love it when Morgan says, "Because all life is precious, Daryl." Love.


6 - I'm 27 weeks pregnant, you guys. Twenty-seven weeks. That's almost 30 weeks, and 30 weeks is almost 40 weeks, and 40 weeks is baby-birthing time. This kind of math is making me nervous.


7 - In case you didn't know, Kelly has some great stuff going on to celebrate Seven Quick Takes. There's a few gift packages you could win (and one of them includes a Basic blog consultation from me). Since Kelly is the one who is keeping this 7QT party going do stop on over and give her some love: comment, link-up, you know. :)

7QT - Lord Huron, Little House, & my name in 1930

Happy Friday, all! Thank you, Kelly, for hosting Seven Quick Takes each week.


1 - Lord Huron is my latest kick. Their whole Strange Trails album sounds great to me, and maybe will to you, too. If you like The Head and the Heart or The Mavericks then I think you will. :)


2 - David L won the American Sniper giveaway. Congrats to you, David! :)


3 - If you missed the first two episodes of The Visitation Project you can find them in the archives here. If there's something you'd like to hear us discuss on the show please let us know! Our next episode airs Sunday night at 9:30 CST. You can listen live here or you can tune in at 88.3 FM.

And let's just take a moment to say: Isn't it funny that I have a legit radio show? I'm still wrapping my mind around it and waiting for Heather and Rebecca to approach me and say, "Thanks for giving it a go. Here's your consultation prize."


4 - I took the little quiz from Time "Find Our What Your Name Would Be if You Were Born Today."

According to Time, Bonnie was the ranked the 169th most popular name in the US the year I was born (early '80s). Therefore, if I were born today my name would be Gabrielle.

In 2000s my name would be Ashleigh, in the 1990s it would be Rachelle, and in the 1980s it would not be Bonnie but Maribel. What?

My 1940s name is the lovely "Sybil" and my 1930s name deserves a huge WTH because its "John." My 1920s name was almost a fabulous "Alice" but they spelled it with a 'y' so I think it's dumb instead. Sorry if you're name is Alyce.


5 -  I finished the last two Little House books in the last two days. I had never before read them and really, really enjoyed them. Reading about Laura and Almanzo's courtship was so interesting to me and I was so excited every time he'd pop up at her home. But the books ended sadly, even though I know they went on to live happily in Missouri. The loss of their son, poor Mr. and Mrs. Boast wanting their baby because they couldn't have their own, the debt, the illnesses, the house with that suh-weet pantry burning down...

The stories have actually really impacted me and I have spent a lot of time thinking about how the family and I can live more simply. I'm pretty sure the answers are: Get Rid of the Internet and Purge the House. However, I could be wrong (my family hopes I am, and really so do I!) but it's something for me to continue to think on. I'm wondering if anyone else feels the same.


6 -  The Little House books were for my own pleasure but now I'm reading Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan with my book club. I'm bringing it on the plane with me today and will probably be awkwardly laughing on an otherwise silent plane. :)


7 - I'll be speaking in Rochester, MN tonight at the Brew-Ha-Ha gala for St. James Coffee. My old friend Brian works for the Catholic coffee shop and I'm so excited to visit the location and see what it's like. So far what I've heard has sounded great! Good coffee, speakers and Bible studies, open to the public, an Adoration chapel - I'd like one in my neck of the woods, please.



PS - I'm really excited to be part of a special initiative called The Credo Project. The bloggers who are part of it love our Catholic faith and want to share it with our readers. We are therefore putting buttons in our sidebars that link to the website Catholics Come Home. If you have a blog and want to join us in sharing what we believe as Catholics, please grab a button and join us! You'll see mine is already sitting pretty to the right. :)

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<a href="http://www.catholicscomehome.org/discover-a-beautiful-faith/"><img border="0" src="../../albums/u394/mollymakesdo1/Credo 125_zps1hqqgd4w.jpg"/></a><br/>



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<a href="http://www.catholicscomehome.org/discover-a-beautiful-faith/"><img border="0" src="../../albums/u394/mollymakesdo1/Credo 200_zpsxwqrjnzu.jpg"/></a><br/>

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<a href="http://www.catholicscomehome.org/discover-a-beautiful-faith/"><img border="0" src="../../albums/u394/mollymakesdo1/Credo 300_zpsuk8tac7y.jpg"/></a><br/>

(With many thanks to Molly from Molly Makes Do and Kendra from Catholic All Year for creating the buttons for The Credo Project!)

Seven Shows to Watch on Netflix

Travis and I are always tired at the end of the day and the one thing we want to do after the kids are in bed is to sit and barely think about anything.

So of course we watch tv.

A couple weeks ago I suggested the movie Chef, which I really enjoyed, but I've actually been compiling a list for a few months of shows and movies I have enjoyed and wanted to suggest to you. These aren't reviews and I obviously don't know exactly what you are sensitive to and how sensitive you are to it, and keep as a frame of reference that a short list of my favorite movies / shows are:

3:10 to Yuma
Sherlock
Jane Austen novel adaptations
Doctor Who
Life
Friday Night Lights
Silver Linings Playbook
The Walking Dead

So westerns, period pieces, zombies, crazy people, BBC stuff, Riggins, and a zen guy who loves fruit.

Not your cup of tea? Then you can probably safely pass these all up.

Sound good?  Then let's get started!

I didn't like the novel Jane Eyre when I read it in high school and I've never cared about any of the film adaptations I've watched before but this one was perfect. The spooky parts were spooky, the writing was fabulous, the locales were perfect, and the acting was superb. Michael Fassbender's portrayal of Mr. Rochester made me finally understand the character. Mia Wasikowska was perfectly perfect. And the moors were great. (I've watched it about three times in as many months.)

I am a sucker for a good Jane Austen period piece movie and this baby delivered. Death Comes to Pemberley was better than the novel, I thought. Matthew Rhys was an excellent Mr. Darcy. Clara, I mean Jenna Coleman was perfect as Lydia. And I love Anna Maxwell Martin and she did a wonderful job as Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy. (She's also really great in The Bletchley Circle, which is also on Netflix, fyi.) The story is a great who-dunnit but is even better because I love the Darcys and good manners.

Turn. Oh dang. We just plowed through the first season of this AMC show and we loved it. It takes place during the American Revolutionary War and it's really cleverly written and very interesting. The character Anna Strong drives me crazy, but I love Caleb Brewster so it kind of balances out. The main character in the show is Abraham Woodhull and he's not perfect though he is very well acted by Jamie Bell (who plays St. John Rivers in Jane Eyre). I also really like how they use a lot of music in the show - songs that are appropriate to the period are often sung or performed, but the theme song sounds a lot like The Walking Dead, as a complete aside.

Broadchurch is probably not for everyone. It takes place in a small coastal town in Britain and centers around the death of a boy and the investigation that follows. I didn't predict any of the twists and I found it to be well written and well acted. It was a bit suspenseful, but not too much so (too much suspense gives me nightmares), and another great who-dunnit. Also, David Tennant is the lead so a big yay for Doctor Who fans everywhere. If you have watched The Bletchley Circle and you enjoyed it I do think you'll enjoy this one.

If you liked Broadchurch then you'll like Hinterland. This show a lot like Wallander or even Sherlock at its more intense moments, except this show is a bit creepy and makes Wales seems really, really creepy. I loved it. It's intense, smart, edgy, and its characters have a lot of back-story and dimension. Great writing and wonderful acting.

(Okay, totally cheating and throwing this in here. If you like mysteries / detective shows that aren't as flashy as Law & Order and you like westerns, but not so much these Brit shows I'm telling you about then you should watch Longmire. Travis and I both enjoyed it. A lot.)

And now for something totally different: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. For very different reasons than Hinterland  this show is not going to be for everybody but I thought it was hilarious. The theme song has been stuck in my head for over a week now. The show is almost silly, the characters are kooky, and the cultural jokes are often spot-on and really funny. The show pokes fun at everyone, which I appreciated, so no one can feel like they're being ganged up on, and overall I think the show just exists to make us laugh. If you liked 30 Rock you will enjoy this.

I love Good Eats because it combines useful information, delicious food and drink, and campy humor. This is a show I think the whole family can watch and everyone will enjoy - science, humor, recipes, history - it's all there!



Okay, another cheat:

Begin Again was on Netflix for awhile but is no longer so you'll have to go to your local video store to find this one, which is what we did because I was binging my way through Doctor Who for the third time while it was online. Travis picked this one up and brought it home to me after a long rough day, thinking it looked like a movie I would like. He was right.

The movie is about a singer-songwriter (Kiera Knightley) whose musician boyfriend (Adam Levine) breaks up with her, leaving her stranded and alone in New York City. She finds her friend (James Corden) which leads to a washed-up producer (Mark Ruffalo) hearing her perform. And in between it all some really wonderful things are said and the right people end up with the right people and I just really enjoyed it.


Okay. Enough. Thank you so much to Kelly for hosting the link-up. Have a great weekend, everyone!

7QT: I'm talking movies, music, and gardening

Many thanks to Kelly for hosting! And if any of you are still in need of a good planner, Kelly's is on sale this week for 15% off! Click on over and grab a copy of The Best Laid Plans.


1 - This isn't the first time Walk the Moon has provided my 7QT song. This one is so catchy and poppy and happy. The campy video reminds of the ones MTV showed in my childhood, like Aha and Peter Gabriel and I don't know who else. Who else? Who am I missing?


2 - If you are a godparent, mom, dad, grandparent, hospital employee, NICU and PICU graduate, uncle, aunt, music lover, all around nice person: LISTEN UP!

JJ Heller is a really, really wonderful musician and she's doing something awesome. This month she is giving away digital copies of her lullaby album, I Dream of You. Her hope is that NICU and PICU parents and employees with download the album and then distribute it to all the moms and dads who are watching their babies fight the good fight in the neonatal and pediatric intensive care units.

This is especially powerful to me since it was JJ's song My Savior's Love Endures that I sang over JF during his NICU stay. I've written about it before, but that song helped me love on my son, keep hope in my heart, and  pray when words failed me. One of my awesome readers even arranged for JJ and Dave to perform it when they were in my area for a concert.

The music is really beautiful and even if you're not a NICU family your kids will love it. Hey! You could even tuck the cd in their Easter baskets. When you buy it please give what you can to support JJ and her generosity, but if you are doing this for a NICU please know that this is for free for you!


3 - Speaking of Easter baskets... I've got a little giveaway going on. I was able to review the new Veggie Tales Noah's Ark movie with the bonus of getting a dvd and some toys to give to a lucky A Knotted Life reader. The movie was super cute and my kids loved it. If your family loves Veggie Tales then you should definitely give it a go and enter for a chance to win.

After a couple of viewings I asked my kids, "What's your favorite part of the movie?" to which they said, "When it rains." I thought that was really cute, but I think that's their way of saying it's their favorite song.


4 - Last year of St. Joseph's feast day Travis grilled out and we all drank beer - you know, things St. Joseph would probably enjoy doing if he were alive today. This year was cold and Travis had to work so instead I made chocolate chip cookies for the feast day. Our JP enjoyed a few, Travis - whose confirmation name is Joseph - enjoyed a few, and Ben took a bunch in to his class to celebrate. The kids and I also dropped some off for my dad.

Okay, I ate one, too.


5 - Any readers who live in Missouri? I'll be sharing JF's story this weekend at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Pilot Grove, MO following the 4pm Vigil Mass. There will be a light supper and the whole event is donation only, but it's a fundraiser for the parish school so you can be generous.

Will any readers be there? I'd love to meet you if you come! Please come up and introduce yourself and let me know in the combox if you're planning on it!


6 - If you're looking for a movie to watch this weekend do yourself two favors:
#1 don't watch Exodus: Gods and Kings.
#2 do watch Chef.

Chef stars Jon Favreau, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman, Sofia Vergara, Robert Downey Jr. and a few other recognizable faces and it's streaming on Netflix. There's some language and a couple of innuendos but overall I thought it did a great job of being a really sweet movie while still being fun and about real stuff.

(And that recommendation is why Netflix did not seek me out to write endorsements and reviews for them in exchange for a free subscription. ahem.)


7 - Spring is in the air so let's talk gardens.

The older I get the more I grow from just liking the idea of having a garden and pretty flowerbeds to actually enjoying the work of having a garden and pretty flowerbeds. I am itching to get outside, clear out the dead, lay down fresh mulch, and plant some annuals!

This year I'm hoping to till up some earth and plant some veggies and turn one of the flowerbeds into a sort of garden, maybe with some oregano and basil. It's on the side of the house where the garden will be and it's not really visible to anyone so it doesn't have to look gorgeous, just nice enough.

I didn't get any bulbs planted last fall and so I'm not going to have any pretty daffodils, tulips, hyacinth, crocuses, or the the like which is bumming me out, but I'm hoping my butterfly bush and hydrangea will come back this year and make up for the lack of spring flowers.

What about you? Do you have a green (or green-ish) thumb? What are your plans?

Happy Halloween

First and foremost, Happy All Hallow's Eve! I hope you have a warm, dry, fun night. 

We've been enjoying our Midwestern Autumn. It's all the things that Pinterest tells you it is: apples, hoodies, boots, pumpkins, football, bonfires, s'mores, falling leaves. 

We've been doing fun fall things too. Like roasting hotdogs and marshmallows at my parents' home and going to Wildlife Scary Park for some trick-or-treating, hayrack rides, and spooky fun with the kids. 

Captain Orangebeard the Pirate, Elsa, Jake the Neverland Pirate, and Rapunzel - acting like trolls.

Jake and Grandma on the train.

Captain Orangebeard and Rapunzel, afraid of the spooky sounds in the woods. 

I loved all the fires throughout the park, many of them with straw bales so families could sit, warm up, and rest. 

Tonight we'll have a hearty potato soup and then head out for some trick-or-treating. We always visit my grandparents and parents, and this year my mother-in-law will be joining us, which will be a lot of fun. 

Then, at the end of the night, when the kids are in bed, I think I'm going to poor myself a drink (maybe a hot chocolate with a taste of something. I'll snuggle down under my blanket and probably watch the second Hunger Games movie on Netflix. Tomorrow will be a big day with our parish's All Saints' Day party and I'll want to relax. What about you? 

Happy Hallowtide, everyone!

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7QT - to lighten the mood

1 - The Bob Dylan and the Eddie Veddar are the best.


2 - I got a wonderful surprise this week when the nice people at PartyPail contacted me and said they'd seen JP's first birthday party, which had a Red, White, & Blue theme. They thought it looked pretty good and gave me this:

So yay!


3 - JF's and Ben's birthday party is this weekend. It's pirate themed and they're really excited. When I made the invitations I posted a picture of my progress on IG and Facebook and all these people started telling me to dye them with tea bags or burn the edges.

Now, I get that people were probably thinking, "Bonnie has hand drawn 15 birthday invitations on crumpled, torn paper so it looks like a treasure map. Obviously she will want to take it one step further and make them look really awesome instead of just pretty great, as they are now. I'll tell her about tea and charred edges."

But people were wrong.

I do not have time to soak a bunch of paper in tea, lay it out to dry, touch up any of the print (it was Crayola markers - I'd probably have to do it all again), and then carefully burn the edges of them all when they were good and dry.

Okay, actually, I could have made the time for all that.

But I am lazy. I used some brown ink to "dirty" them up and called it a day.


4 - Who draws a bottle of rum on a 4 year old's birthday invitation?

Whatever, we have plenty if anyone needs some to make it through the afternoon. JP has taken to getting into the liquor cabinet and carrying bottles around the house so I'm sure he'll probably bring you some Captain Morgan anyways.


5 - Today's goals:
Make English muffins.
Clean and declutter the kitchen.
Finish putting away laundry in our bedroom (there's 3 baskets).


6 -You guys! I was on Instagram last night and crainemom had the cutest pic of an autumnal banner she'd made out of newspaper and leaves. I begged her to blog about it so it could be pinned! She obliged, I pinned, and I cannot wait to make a similar one. It is so cute, so simple, so clever, so pretty. Love.


7 - This movie looks really good. Girls night out anyone?

I saw Noah and I liked it

When I walked out of the movie theater yesterday I wasn't sure what I thought about Noah.

Warning: there are a few spoilers below, perhaps the biggest one is in the following paragraph.

I liked the beginning, I liked the end, but the middle bit - once the rain came and all the time on the ark -well, it seemed long to me. If one describes a movie as "long" that's not a good thing. The more I think on it the more I've realized that the subplot of Tubal-Cain being a stowaway on the ark is what felt long and boring in this part of the movie. It just didn't work for me.

Yet the longer I think of the entire film, and I have been thinking on it ever since the credits began to roll, the more I like it. 

For me these are some of the highlights:

- The way that the fatherly blessing had great significance and is something Very Good, something that comes from Eden.

- The nod to the Tower of Babel. 

- How beautifully the story of Creation is told. How it was illustrated as Noah narrates it is visually stunning but I also love that Noah is telling it to his family in words similar to the ones in Scripture but not exact. It felt organic, like the way I tell a Bible story to my kids. Since watching the film I have often thought of how that story was finally written down, using precise words that were inspired by God.  

- That Methuselah finally got a berry, right before he died. Maybe some will see this as cheesy but I saw it as a nod to the fact that God indeed wants to give us good things. I like that before his death, God gave Methuselah a special treat so he could die a satisfied man. 

- The acting was wonderful, especially by Emma Watson and Jennifer Connelly. There are a couple of scenes on the ark where Connelly, who plays Noah's wife, confronts Noah and her incredibly emotional performances were perfect. After one of the interactions I thought, "Oscar." Watson, too, has several emotional scenes that were excellently done. And together, their portrayal of home birth (or ark birth?) was the best I've ever seen on film. 

- Repeatedly the descendants of Cain will talk about how they are made in the "image and likeness of God" and how, for them, that means that they have the power and privilege to make, use, and take life as they see fit. I found that twisting of the good to be very thought-provoking. How often I have taken that very blessing of being made in His image and likeness and twisted it to make myself my own god! To be made in the image and likeness of God is certainly a beautiful gift and a great blessing and over and over again we are shown in Noah that humans and their sins have ruined the Beautiful that God created and gave to us.

I also want to address some of the complaints I've heard about Noah.

- Rock people. I liked the rock people. Do they jive with Catholic teaching on angels and fallen angels? No. Are you going to find them in the Bible? Sorta, kinda, but Fr. Barron and deacon-in-training Steve Greydanus both say that they are based on biblical beings. I believe the rock people are just one of the many elements of the movie that will have people reaching for their Bibles and having conversations. Plus, they reminded me of the Ents from Lord of the Rings and that's a good thing.

- God is not called "God" but "the Creator." This one makes me want to bang my head against the wall. This is Old Testament, before God has told Abraham just Who He Is! Noah's got nothing else to call God but "the Creator" because that's the only way He's revealed Himself. It's not some heavy-handed anti-God, pro-environment thing, it's a thoughtful decision and one that, I believe, points out how truly blessed we are to know God as much more than Creator but as Father, Lord, and Redeemer. 

- Noah's plan for his unborn grandchilden. I've heard some say there's no way the righteous Noah would think of such a thing but it seems to me that they are overlooking Abraham and Isaac. Please do not misunderstand me, I was troubled with this part of the plot, too, but I also empathized with Noah at this point. I have also had surprise pregnancies that have left me confused and worried about the will of God. I have also misunderstood God and made the wrong decision. In the very act of sincerely trying to do God's will I have hurt people and overlooked mercy for justice.

 

I acknowledge that Noah will not be for everyone: it doesn't get the biblical story right, it takes some liberties, it has a touch of a sci-fi feel that some will just not like.

But if you enjoy blockbusters and sci-fi; if you're a big fan of Russel Crowe, Emma Watson, or Jennifer Connelly; if you're looking for a movie that can start some interesting conversations amongst your family and friends then I definitely recommend it for you.

Finally, who knew that the rainbow Noah saw after the flood was actually one of Rainbow Dash's sonic rainbooms? Who knew?!

7QT: I Noah guy with a brilliant idea regarding resurrection rolls

1 - There's a really funny story for how I found this song. Someone, somewhere commented about the singing nun from the Italian version of The Voice, referencing "The Singing Nun" who sang the song "Dominique." My mom would sometimes sing that song because she remembered it from her childhood and so when the commenter mentioned that The Singing Nun committed suicide my curiosity got the best of me. While searching for her Wikipedia page I first read the Wikipedia page for the song "Dominique" where I saw a note about Spike Jones recording a version of the song with "When the Saints." So the whole story about Sister was pretty sad and I said a couple of prayers for her soul.
But I'm really loving this new song.


2 - I am still really hoping to see the movie Noah. I know there's a lot of people up in arms about it  but I reeeeealllly appreciated Steven Greydanus' review and commentary on the film. If you're thinking about seeing the movie but wondering if it's worth your time and money do read his article.


3 - I think the Peeps company should make little marshmallow Jesuses for the sole purpose of Resurrection rolls. I guess that's actually a bad idea because all kinds of horrible things could happen but they would be GREAT for Easter morning.


4 - I have a new post up at Ignitum Today: Music you should be listening to: an interview with the lead singer of The Hope and Justin Band.


5 -  Does anyone else find this hilarious?

6 - I should be working on something else right now. Oops. Time to be responsible.


7 - Jennifer, thank you for hosting!

7QT: love song playlist, Valentine's Day, and a double date with Matt and Ben

1 - Happy Valentine's Day! My gift to you is a love song playlist.  It's a little all over the place: the Old 97's, Ricky Nelson, Sara Groves, The Civil Wars, just to name a few. I hope you like it.


2 - I am reading The Help right now and I can barely put it down. I've even seen the movie and I am still completely engaged. I know I'm waaaaay behind the curve on this, but if you haven't read it yet either, get a copy. It's wonderful.


3 - My kids have requested heart-shaped waffles for breakfast today. Alas we do not have a waffle maker that can do that trick so we'll all just have to settle for pancakes. For supper. Because I do not have time to make pancakes in the morning. Probably. I'm writing this Thursday night so we can still see what the morning brings.

(Molly made a bunch of great Jane Austen Valentines, including the one above.)

4 - A lot of kind people have been asking how JF is doing, and I'm really happy to say that he's doing really super well. We don't know why the seizure happened and he hasn't had one since, praise God. We'll continue to monitor him and hope for the best.


5 - Sooooooo, The Edel Gathering. A couple things about it:
- I'm going and I'm so excited. And terrified. Both. At the same time.
- I was caught up in how I was going to "know" or even know so many of the women attending and then I realized that I actually won't know most people. I realize that is obvious, but I just overlooked it.
- I'm hoping that there will be name tags and they will say something like

Bonnie Engstrom

A Knotted Life

(aka Sheenazing Award and miracle baby lady) 

6 - This is what happens every day when JF gets off the bus. Resa greets him at the door and helps him take off his mittens, hat, backpack, coat, and even shoes. She is so happy to have him home and as she pulls off each item she says, "Dare yah go!" So cute!

7 - Watch this video and then enter to win a double date with Ben and Matt. How cool would that be?!

movies I want to see

What about you? What's on your "to watch" list?

Seven Quick Takes

1 - So there was this period in my life when I listened to the Maccabeats' cover of Matisyahu's "Miracle" just about every day, over and over again. It just makes me happy. I don't know what I was looking for when I found the above video but I thought it was really clever.

2 - Here's some highlights from conversations we had with the doctors and nurses who cared for JP in the hospital:

Nurse: "You're the mom who delivered intact! You're famous around here! We are in awe."

Me: It's nice to be famous somewhere.

Me: We're former NICU parents.

Doctor: Oh crap. I mean, that's too bad.

Nurse: You know just enough to be dangerous.

Nurse: JP's been waiting for you. You're the only one who can truly make him happy.

Me: Well, you probably don't lactate.

Nurse: He doesn't like being under the billi lights. He wants to be swaddled and if he's not he just screams and flails his arms.

Me: You should bind him with Syran Wrap.

Nurses: That's just what the doctor said!

Me: We could call it the Engstrom-Cusack Wrap. It'll become a thing that all the nurseries do.

Doctor: This is how change happens: intelligent people sharing ideas.

Nurse: He'd be a sweaty mess!

Me: He's been in water for nine months, maybe he'll like it.

3 - I have a new post up over at Ignitum Today called "It's okay to enjoy pop culture. I promise." It's a response to Bad Catholic Marc Barnes' ardent desire for us to not like "Call Me Maybe".  Go read it and tell me what you think.

4 - Yesterday Katie and her sister came over. Her sister is building up her photography portfolio and asked if she could do some newborn and family pictures. Because it's super hot we didn't go outside (because I'm a wuss) so we were set up in the dining room. I'm super excited to see the pics, especially based on this sneak peek:

5 - Our lawn mower is having issues. I'm hoping one day a neighbor will walk over with his push mower and tell Travis, "Here. You can use this, just fill it back up with gas when you're done."

6 - Travis and I recently rented the movie Robot & Frank. It was really quite sweet and has a wonderful twist at the end - neither one of us saw it coming! There's some language, and the whole film is about a cat burglar, but nothing too bad and I think it's PG-13 rating is appropriate. All that to say, if you're looking for a light movie for tonight I suggest it.

7 - Best part of the day.

Five Favorites

- 1 - 

My favorite one week old:

I went in to have a baby last Tuesday, he was born on Wednesday, and then jaundice kept us at the hospital until Sunday. But now we're home and happy.

- 2 -

My favorite blogger meet-up:

I was trying to explain to Travis' uncle why we were leaving the 4th of July family camp out early so a family of people I've never met before could hang out at our house for a couple of hours. 

"She's from New Jersey?"

"You've never met her?"

"You only know her from online?"

"What will you do if she's weird? Fake labor?"

I told him, and the rest of the family who was all listening in by this time, that Kelly wanting to meet me was like having one of the popular girls in high school invite me to sit at her lunch table. Trav's uncle blinked and probably felt bad for Travis and this Kelly woman I was about to host. Travis' cousin said, "We can understand why this would be important for you."

Let me tell ya: Kelly was a delight. She was funny and kind and interesting. Her husband was kind and is obviously a good man. Her kids were well behaved, smart, and didn't complain that I had accidentally watered down the lemonade. They didn't complain that we have no toys for older kids - they just made the best and were sweet and kind.

So the running theme in Kelly and her family is that they're kind. And to further prove it, they brought me a gift basket full of beer. Good house guests indeed! 

- 3 -

My favorite stairs:  

After a good four years of being carpet-less and unfinished and, ya know, ugly, we finally have thick, lush carpet to comfort our feet on the way to our bedrooms.

- 4 -

My favorite Hulu discovery:

Stephen Fry in America

It turns out that Fry's father was offered a job at Princeton when Mrs. Fry was pregnant with Stephen. Mr. Fry turned the offer down but Stephen has always been wondered what his life would have been like as Steve, a man who grew up in the USA instead of GB. 

I think Stephen Fry is charming (in the best way), funny, kind, and warm. In the BBC mini-series he travels through all 50 states and samples little bits of American life: coal mining, Ford vs. Chevy, trolleys, plantations, Vegas, the humidity of the south and the freakin' cold of the north. There were several parts that Travis and I especially liked but I think my favorite was his reaction to Truck Nutz.

- 5 -

My favorite thing about the internet:

When it works, which it stopped doing at some point yesterday but has begun doing again today. 

7 Quick Takes

1 - How beautiful this song is... I listened to a Jars of Clay version of this song frequently when JF was in the NICU - the lyrics are so soothing.


2 - Last Saturday two of my oldest friends came to visit. Heather and I were in the same kindergarten class and we lived in the same neighborhood. Emily I remember from my second grade and we spent a ridiculous amount of time driving around in her family's old Thunderbird in high school. We rarely see one another any more. We've all three grown into different women pursuing slightly different things at slightly different rates but being with them is instant comfort. I know that they will support and love me no matter what and I enjoy their humor, perspectives, and stories. Anyways, Heather brought her boyfriend - who was a delight - and the morning was so wonderful, even if I talked for most of the time and dictated how they cut the watermelon.


3 - Yesterday Katie's little sister got married. Emily, a teacher and farm girl, married Luke, a soldier and a boy from the burbs. They are a young, solid Catholic couple beginning a life together that will certainly honor God. Please say a prayer for them and their marriage and join me in congratulating them.

Luke (the second from the Left) and his friends singing You've Lost that Loving Feeling to Emily, just like Maverick in Top Gun. Because they're fun like that. 

4 - Our 4th of July was super fun. We headed to Travis' hometown of good ole Galva, IL for a family reunion. His whole family - all the cousins and all the cousins' kids - gathered at his grandparents home for a whole week of camping, eating, drinking, and hanging out. One of my favorite parts was when my brother-in-law took one of these

and loaded it in the back of his truck. He took it to the water works in town and filled all 350 gallons of it for $.50. Yes, that's right fifty cents!  (Okay, the tank did cost like $250 but still...)
Then, he parked his truck at the top a small hill near our camp site, hooked up a hose, and we kept it running on a great big

and the kids and I had a giant slip and slide and splash pad. It was so great.


5 - Just a head's up: Strictly Ballroom can be streamed on Netflix. If you've never seen that quirky, quirky movie I do suggest it. It's lovely... if you like quirky.


6 - I feel like I'm walking around with a bowling ball nestled in my pelvis. Tuesday cannot come soon enough.


7 - Happy rest of your weekend, everyone! And go get 'em, Jen!

saw it, liked it, thought I'd share it

This:

(But I don't really think Emma Stone is eating too many red velvet cupcakes.) 

Fairy Doors. Travis says I cannot do this to the tree in our backyard. Meanie.

I feel an obligation to make sure my daughter believes in fairies. I don't want her to believe in ghosts, monsters, and dragons because - quite frankly - satan is scary enough. But fairies, elves, mermaids and the rest - believing in them added such charm to my childhood.

Recently I said something to L about looking for fairies outside and she told me they only exist in the World of Imagination. Honestly, it felt like a parenting fail.

Cari's post on fatherhood as portrayed in the great zombie short Cargo.

Pretty much everything that is done at Mary Is My Homegirl. I love that tumblr.

This parody:

This Doctor Who t-shirt:

 (Travis: my birthday is July 25th. Take note.)