Header image

New Year’s

December 29th, 2015 | Posted by Sara in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

I will start blogging again after the new year.

Have a wonderful holiday.  See you Jan. 4!

 

Star Wars Films!

December 28th, 2015 | Posted by Sara in Uncategorized - (Comments Off on Star Wars Films!)

Check out the first three Star Wars films!

Star Wars

December 28th, 2015 | Posted by Sara in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Happy New Year’s week!

I hope everyone is having a great time this holiday season.  One of the best parts of the season is seeing new movies!

We saw the new Star Wars movie yesterday and it was very entertaining.   Director JJ Abrams did a great job at taking the series to the next step.  I did not think the new movie was very original.  It seems to follow the same themes as the first Star Wars films.

I give it 3 1/2 stars out of five.

Some 2015 movies I still want to see are:

Man from UNCLE

Mr. Holmes

Jurassic World

The Martian

and Bridge of Spies

Have a great new year!

 

December 23rd, 2015 | Posted by Sara in Uncategorized - (Comments Off on )

Recommendation: If you listen to any album before the end of the year it has to be Traveller. Stapleton is a mix of Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash. Genius!

Happy Holidays!

December 18th, 2015 | Posted by Sara in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Have a wonderful holiday!

I won’t be blogging next week but will return Dec. 28 with more useful pop culture news!

Sara

Happy Holidays from James Patterson

December 17th, 2015 | Posted by Sara in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

This is the time of year to give and James Patterson is making no exceptions.

It was announced that as a part of his $2 million dollar holiday gift program, the author gave grants and bonuses ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to schools and libraries as well as bookstores. 340 libraries and 87 bookstore employees received money.

He said he is trying to draw attention to books and bookstores as well as libraries.

Some benefactors of Patterson’s program include Pittsfield’s Conte Community School.  They promised to spent their $6,000 on new books.  Also, an employee at the Brazos bookstore in Houston received a $5,000 bonus.

Go to www.JamesPatterson.com for more information.

My Favorite Books of the Year

December 11th, 2015 | Posted by Sara in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

It is that time of year again.  End-of-the-Year Lists will be everywhere in a few weeks.

Here are my favorite books of the year.

1. Lone Star by Paullina Simons:  She is the wonderful author of the Bronze Horseman.  This is her forlay in to YA books.  The book has a wonderful quality of leaving childhood and finding true love.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lone-star-paullina-simons/1120611984?ean=9780062098153

2. Stress-less coloring books.  I was going to a very stressful time this fall and I picked up a coloring book.  My stress and anxiety went away!  I highly recommend them.  I had not colored since kindergarten and I love it again.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secret-garden-johanna-basford/1115869898?ean=9781780671062

3. The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King. I love anything by King.

4. The Martian by Andy Weir.  What a wonderful fairy tale.  Weir self-publishes his book and Hollywood makes it a hit movie.  All new author should read about Weir’s publishing journey and take heed.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-martian-andy-weir/1114993828?ean=9780553418026

5. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.  I read this series years ago and loved it.  Now I’m watching Outlander on Amazon and falling in love with Jamie again.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/outlander-diana-gabaldon/1100171677?ean=9780440212560

Happy Holidays!

Award Season Has Started!

December 10th, 2015 | Posted by Sara in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Yes, it happens every year!  Award nominations are announced and the Hollywood PR machine starts to create stars and award-winning films.

This week the Grammy nominations, Screen Actor Guild and Golden Globe nominations were announced.

The Grammys is one of the best award shows of the year.  Artists seem to pull out all the stops and perform well.

This year Record of the Year nominees are:

Really Love by D’Angelo and the Vanguard

Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson

Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran

Blank Space by Taylor Swift

Can’t Feel My Face by The Weeknd

There are many categories and something for everyone.

The Golden Globe nominations for best motion picture dranma are: Mad Max, Room, Spotlight, The Revenant, and Carol.

The Grammys air on CBS on Feb. 15 at 8 EST

The Golden Globes air on NBC January 10 at 8EST.

Zahi Wawass

December 4th, 2015 | Posted by Sara in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Today was exciting as I bought tickets to a lecture by Zahi Wawass at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.

He is arguably the most famous archaeologist working today.  Even if you don’t know the name, you will recognize the face.  He has appeared on numerous History Channel programs talking about Egypt, pharaohs and archaeology in general.

On January 12, he is coming to the museum to cap off their King Tut exhibit.

He will discuss his new book as well as current issues like finding Nefertiti’s tomb.

The lecture should be informative and exciting for an archaeology lover like me.

Go to http://www.grpm.org/ for more info.

http://www.drhawass.com/wp/

001_G3SS0810

California

December 3rd, 2015 | Posted by Sara in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

We are all mourning for the shooting that took place yesterday in California.

Amid the media coverage yesterday, I just kept asking myself why is this happening here?  Is it gun laws?  Something about our culture?  Something about our mental health?

I do know one thing:  kindness and love is the best way to help others.

It has been the most noticeable change in our lives since we moved to Michigan.  I’ve always been a person who talked to others openly but the last few years in Minneapolis, there was a change in the city.  In the state know for it’s “Minnesota Nice,” I found the people were often aloof and sometimes very rude.  So rude that my husband and I have been shocked at the kindness and local support from this town called Grand Rapids.

Here are the differences:

1. Strangers talk to you without being prompted.

2.  People are truly interested in you as a person.

3. Service is easy and people seem happy.

4. No one seems angry.

Of course there are exceptions, but I think the reason is this is a smaller town but they are very focused on improving the community!  If more areas can be like Grand Rapids, I think we would all get a long more.

Everyone wants to feel appreciated and in my opinion, if this occurs, no one would even think about a mass shooting.

So in the end, we need to stop focusing on the outside.  It’s not about beauty, what kind of clothes you wear, perfect makeup and hair and if you are famous or not.  It is about showing love and kindness.