Wednesday, November 27, 2013

This post is a thing...Respect the thing!

Hey there, everyone! How's it going? I've been AWOL and quite enjoying it. It's nice to go AWOL sometimes, when you know there wont be a firing squad waiting for you when you get back.

Er...None of you are armed, right?

Because that would be awkward.

So today you're getting some randomness as I settle back into blogging again more frequently. Aren't you excited?

Random fact number one:
My friend was able to come up for a long-ish weekend visit which was simply marvelous. I hadn't seen her in over a year and that's a sad thing. So we had loads of fun, eating, talking and watching TV shows. It was relaxing and awesome. Everything is a lot more fun when  she's around. The weirdness gets doubled.



Random fact number two:
I am making chicken soup right now and it smells amazing. Seriously amazing. *Drools* Um...you probably don't really care about my soup...

Random fact number three:
I've been watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and I am really enjoying it thus far. Coulson is so cool and the whole team is pretty awesome. It took a few episodes before I decided that I liked them all. But I do. I like them all.


If you haven't seen the trailer yet, here ya go. :)



Random fact number four:
I am super excited about Thanksgiving. Who doesn't love a holiday? Especially one that involves turkey and mashed potatoes and cranberries. :) I know a lot of people don't like all the cooking and baking that goes into the Thanksgiving dinner, but I actually do. It's fun.

What are you all doing for Thanksgiving? 

Random fact number five.
My Uncle, who happens to be a priest, told me this quote and it keeps popping into my head. I love it.

"God loves man so much, the angles are amazed."

Now I'm off to stir my simmering soup and add the finishing touches to it. *Drools* 

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! 
God Bless
Amy


Tuesday, November 19, 2013

The Sherwood Ring

"Ah, yes, I see," she remarked softly. "The dashing young hero who is going to save the whole cause of independence singlehanded." 




So, The Sherwood Ring. If all historical fiction was this well done, I would read very little else. It's brilliant. Unfortunately, really well done historical fiction is a pain to find and the good ones I've read have spoiled me.

The Sherwood Ring is what got me started on the history of the American Revolution in the first place. I read it when I was fourteen or fifteen and fell in love with everything about it. (But mostely with Peaceable Sherwood) I was rather desperate to read more like it, but have yet to find a book that equals it. It's very frustrating.

The plot of this book is a little strange, when you stop and think about it. But while you're reading it, nothing could feel more natural.

Peggy Grahame is rather miserable. He father has just passed away, leaving her orphaned, and she finds herself living with her rather eccentric Uncle at the family estate, Rest-and-Be-Thankful. The estate dates away back to the early 1700's and is full of antiques and history.

"The first Enos Grahame came to Orange Country in New York and built the place in 1749, I think it was. He named it after that resting place on the hill at Edinburgh. The Grahames have been there ever since, accumulating family traditions."

Peggy is terribly lonely in the big, empty place. Her Uncle pays almost no attention to her, and the one fellow she met and became friends has been forbidden to visit Rest-and-be-Thankful by her Uncle and she doesn't know why.

That's when things get interesting. The ancestors of this old house began to visit to help her pass the time. Sure, they're ghosts, but they really do tell the most wonderful stories--all from the American Revolution. (I told you, the plot sounds really weird, but I promise it works!:)

'"Well, Peggy," said the young man, with a sudden delightful smile that changed his arrogant face completely. "Do you know who I am?"
I thought for a moment. I had, as a matter of fact, recognized him at once, but it seemed rude to use the actual word 'ghost.'"

I'm always impressed with the easy the author tells this story. It's actually a fairly complex idea and the stories of the past get woven in to Peggy's story in a brilliant way.
I am in complete awe of Elizabeth Marie-Pope's mastery of history. When she's writing about the Revolution, she is so comfortable with it that it is vivid and real. Something I find lacking in most historical fiction. She tells the story as if that were the only time frame she'd ever known and there's no need to explain aspects of it to you. That's just how it was.

I wont lie. The ghosts are my main reason for loving this book. They are fantastic. There are four of them, two men and two women, and their stories are all linked.

I'm going to attempt to 'cast' them for you. That's always fun. I know everyone has their own ideas of how book characters look, so these pictures are just my opinion. 

Richard Grahame
If he were dark haired, he would be a really good Richard Grahame.

He starts out as a rather conceited young Colonel in the American army. He is under special orders from General Washington himself to put a stop to a very organized group of marauders causing all sorts of trouble in Orange County. Dick is delighted and doesn't think the job will be that difficult. But as time goes on and the groups exploits get stronger and better, Dick begins to realized just how wrong he was.

"It was the first time in my life that I had tasted real failure or shame, and I found them both uncommonly hard to swallow."


Eleanor Shipley

She's known Dick since they were children and they've never gotten along. As fate would have it, Dick is ordered to set up his headquarters at the Shipley farm. And Dick is just as hard to get along with as Eleanor remembered. She can't help herself, she teases and mocks mercilessly when really she'd do anything to help him. If only he'd pay the tiniest bit of attention to her!

"That's very good of you," I murmured civilly. "Please don't hesitate to help yourself to that bunch of grapes just because I've come into the room."

"He must be very different from you, Colonel Van Spurter," I could not help remarking in the sweet, humble manner I used only when I was feeling my deadliest.

Peaceable Sherwood

Of all of the character, Peaceable is the hardest on for me to cast. I went through every male actor I could think of, trying to come up with someone that would nail the role. Honestly, most of they actors I like are too old for the role. And even the ones I do like, aren't really Peaceable. But I couldn't leave him the only won without a picture. So you get to see a young Tom Hiddleston. I think he could play Peaceable to perfection. Whether he looks exactly like him or not. 

Clever, self-assured and older than he looks--and very British. That's pretty much Peaceable Sherwood. Also, he always get what he wants. Oh yes, and he's happens to be the leader of the 'group of marauders' that Dick is suppose to catch.  He's impossible not to like, but he could also use a good set-down from time to time.

"But Peaceable had risen already--to this day I do not know how he did it--swaying dizzily, with one hand clenched over the back of his chair, yet insanely, unbelievably, erect and unruffled."

Barbara Grahame
 She has the misfortune (or good fortune, however you want to look at it) of meeting Peaceable Sherwood. She is, perhaps, one of the only people that could ever really outwit the fellow. It's unfortunate for her since she'd really rather not have to do that to him. But he does sort of bring it upon himself.

"I am very grateful to you, Captain Sherwood," I said with calm politeness, "for saving my life."


There. That's the best review I can manage. Though I really feel it doesn't do the book justice.

 I mentioned once that I don't have very many fictional crushes--well. Peaceable Sherwood is one of them. Though Dick definitely has his moments too. :)

It's a satisfying book, with a cozy sort of ending. There's plenty of excitement and clever plot development. I think I re-read this book almost one a year. I should really try and leave it be for a while. It's just such a lovely story, I can't help myself.

Now you should go find yourself a copy of the book and see for yourself just how fun it is.

Let me know if you ever get a chance to read it. I'd love to hear what you think of it.

God Bless!
Amy


Tuesday, November 12, 2013

"Every 5000 years the worlds align, allowing an ancient darkness to strike..."

Thor: The Dark World.

Hello, all!

I did something fun last night. I went with some of my family to see Thor in theaters!

I was very impressed with it.

Over the last 3-ish years, I've become a superhero geek. I think I can in all honesty blame Captain America for this problem.


How could you not love Steve Rodgers?

I really enjoy the first Thor movie. It's fun, the characters are great and there was some really good character building in it.

But it wasn't my favorite.

Thor: The Dark World was brilliant. It reminded me a lot of the Avengers (Go figure:) with lots of humor and that crazy, fun action. I felt like Asgard was portrayed much better in this one and the plot was just over-all more exciting than the first Thor movie.

There were some moments there were rather heartbreakingly beautiful. I love moments like that. And like I said before, the humor was perfect. Whoever writes the scripts for the Avengers movies are brilliant at it.


Thor and Loki...awesome.

The character development was fantastic for these two. Both Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston are really good actors and their chemistry was perfect.


I think, for me, Thor was the most likable in this movie. And I loved him in the Avengers so that just means that he keeps getting better. He seems wiser and gentler and I love that.


Loki is...well, he's Tom Hiddleston. Only someone that is as talented as Tom Hiddleston could play such a bad person and make him likable. And trust me, he was very likable in this movie. Sure, there were a few times when you'd really like to pull a Jane Foster and give him a swift right hook...

But mostly you just want him to be a good guy. 
You really want him to be a good guy.

Jane Foster. Not my favorite character, but still, she did a really good job with her roll and I definitely liked her more in this movie than the first one. I can't put my finger on why, but I did. 

A character I wasn't expecting to care about was Frigga--Thor and Loki's mother. I loved her. She was amazing.  Seriously. Prepare yourselves for loving Frigga. :)


And Because I don't want to give away and spoilers, (It's been hard not to!) and because I have to finish making dinner now, I'm going to leave it at this and say no more.

Only that you should go and see it. And stay all the way through the credits. You know why. You should know why. *Grin*

It was pretty clean as far as I can remember. There was one little thing with a fellow not wearing pants. And another little thing with same fellow not wearing clothes. But you don't see anything there. One of those things where it sounds a lot worse than it was. Think Avengers when the Hulk falls from the sky and is in the warehouse. Similar thing. But please check the rating for yourself and do your own research on it. You all know the drill. :)

God Bless~
Amy

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Today...

You must understand.
He does the duty of two sons now.
For himself; and for the one
who will not return.

I really want to watch Lord of the Rings again. 
I'm currently listening to the soundtrack for the Fellowship of the Rings (I just finished listening to the Return of the King) and am wishing I could stay up all night and just do a Lord of the Rings marathon. But that's not going to happen. At least, not tonight. ;)


I put on this outfit this morning and felt very much like John Watson. If John Watson were me. Which sounds sort of creepy. Maybe I should say, if John Watson were female. Or...Erm...
It's the shirt.
Or close enough.



I love this hairstyle and wish I could figure out how to do it on myself. It doesn't look like it would be that hard, but all my attempts turn out like a like a rather hairy bird's nest. Not cool.


This is hilarious. You should totally watch it.


Today was was rounded off with popcorn and m&ms. Our friends came over for a movie night and we watched Bachelor Mother. It was so much fun!


This movie is one of the cutest Ginger Rodgers movies out there. I love it. 


Now it is very late and I need to go and sleep. 
Goodnight and God Bless!
Amy

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Random stuff

After the whole challenge thing I felt very done with blogging and didn't have it in me write anything, or comment on blogs.

Still, here I am and without the prompts! And I have nothing to say.

What did I blog about before the challenge?

I'm going to settle for random stuff. Random is good.

It's downright chilly here now. I've started pulling out my winter clothes in earnest. I like this part--it's like have a new wardrobe again.

This year I'm really in the mood for this kind of clothing.


I'm waiting for my banana's to go all dark-side on me so that I can make banana bread. *Eyeballs bananas* They are very yellow right now. They might all be devoured before they have a chance to go dark-side. It's like eating a Minion.




I absolutely love Circus roses. They're my favorite. 
Working at a florist shop definitively has its good points.
Aren't they lovely?


I can't wait for season 7 of Psych to hit netflix. I'm not sure when it will, but when it does I'm going to makes sure my netflix account is up for a month. *Grin*



I've had this song stuck in my head for three days now. At least it's a song that like. 
John Denver wrote some lovely music.


I love this. It's so true. 

The lyrics to Josh Groban's Brave song are pretty much my favorite right now. 



That's all I've got! 
God Bless
Amy