Movie Critic Time

I am thinking about starting a weekly or monthly "movie criticism" post. This was spawned by two movies that Peter and I saw this week - The Secret and No Country for Old Men.

I would LOVE to hear what anyone thinks of either, so please comment away!

The Secret - it is about the Law of Attraction - very interesting movie. I was told 3 times in one week to watch it, so I took it as a sign that maybe I should. We had Matt and Jeanette over for dinner and then watched it together and to be honest, I thought it was an actual movie. In reality, it was an infomercial with some pretty kooky philosophers, counselors, physicists, and authors, BUT it was very thought provoking.
It says that we attract everything in our lives to us. Whether that be health, relationships, wealth, circumstances (or the opposite - bad health, no $, unhappiness etc.). As easily as we can be healthy and happy, we can be sick and miserable. Essentially, our thoughts and visions of how we see ourselves in the present and the future are how it will be. If we visualize (and keep visualizing it) a successful business, with great clients, happy marriage, excellent health . . . we will get it. We just have to make a conscious effort to be grateful, believe it, and receive it.
The message is no different really than messages I have heard through the Church or other places my entire life and I do believe that our attitude and our expectations and our faith in what our future will look like is largely what we choose to let it be.
So, interesting "movie" with some really funny and weird moments, but worth watching.
Peter and I are experimenting for 1 month on some "visualizations" and really trying to remain all positive. It does feel good to stop, be grateful and put yourself in a positive place regardless of what is coming to you... But is is also fun to visualize our success, health and happiness too!

Second movie, No Country for Old Men - disturbingly violent, creepy, and really great acting. Not the best movie to watch on Easter Sunday. Javier Bardem's character is the meanest, scariest villain I have ever seen on screen (second to Silence of the Lambs). He deserved his Oscar for that one. The entire movie was desolate to me. From the literal desert to the characters emptiness and hopelessness. We noticed there wasn't a moment of music in it. Not even instrumental sounds in the background. It was all simple dialogue and some desert sounds (and of course LOTS of gunfire and death). It was a bit hard for me to say "I enjoyed" this one although I do appreciate it's artistic quality and the exceptional acting. We were left thinking about it later. Peter actually woke up and was thinking about it as his head was still on his pillow. The animal (dog) killing that seemed to be threaded through the entire movie was NOT cool to me. And, I really don't want to live in that part of Texas - ever.

Thoughts, opinions? I'd love to hear them.

Hi ho the television's dead

We did it. We killed the satellite cable. The little black box that can suck the living life out of you (literally) is gone. Peter and I packed it into it's little brown box this morning. It will soon be on a bus back to Texas and the dish network place.

I feel more free already. Peter and I are not extensive TV watchers by any means. It wasn't even turned on for days at a time and when it did it was for an hour or so. We liked about 3 shows, would DVR them and watch them when we had extra time. It is on in the evenings that we are home (rarely) after we have done most of the things that need to get done.

But like any disease, it creeps in on you and grows. Even those few hours a week were like wasted moments. Time I couldn't take back and make richer or more meaningful. I had a moment that I realized that I was watching television (even if for one hour) INSTEAD of doing some other things that would have made my life more interesting, engaging. I would turn it on when I clearly had things to do around the house, was 1/2 finished with a good book, when I could have called up a friend and talked about a REAL life scenario.

Instead the TV would be on and I was sucked into a pretend world of people I didn't know while my laundry was dirty, my house needed a vacuum, I hadn't returned a voice-mail from a friend, and there was still daylight in the beautiful Montana sky!

While, it was NEVER a priority for us or something that was put before each other or our friends,iIt was not longer a "fun and innocent tool to have around" anymore but "something that was keeping me from my really great and full life."

I have been in households and seen the people that are constantly watching something, anything, even if they don't like it- just to have the thing on! It seems to me our society has evolved to the point where we need the noise to drown things out.

What are we drowning out? Is it to avoid doing chores, working on something, having silence, avoiding conversation with others in the home, are we bored, is it easier to stare and be passively entertained than to engage or make your own activity, are we not creative enough to fill our time and be productive, are we over stimulated or over worked all day and need a break, are we just a lazier society?

I am sure it is a combination of all. For us, TV is not the end all be all of Evils. Just something we personally don't want anymore in our lives. We still LOVE to have American Idol Night with our friends b/c it is a fun activity that we are doing together... We are talking, laughing, sharing our opinions and ideas ... We are together, engaging with others. That is important to us. We love cuddling up to a good movie on those nights when we are tired and need some alone time.

But, those things can be done without the little black box of horrible reality shows about playboy bunnies, mind blowing violence, pretend celebrities, spoiled heiresses or reality shows that ruin marriages.

With the murder of the Dish, I have been doing a lot of thinking about the ways I want to mindfully enhance my free time and life. I want to really have my house in order... Not be reacting to messes here and there, but get it in a real organized state. I want to do all the little tiny projects that don't cost money but sit there, nagging at me. I want to not have "celebrities" and movie star bodies in front of my face everyday and get back to some realistic expectations of my own body. I want to have a conversation with Peter with NOTHING else in the background, I want to just be outside, piddling in the yard - it's spring - it's beautiful! I want to start our evening walks up again. The ones where we just walk - to no particular place - share about our day and watch the kids (dogs) frolic and sniff everything. I want to never have mounds of laundry in the laundry room. I don't want ANY of my garden veggies to be overripe, forgotten or not tended to this year. I want to purge all other "clutter" and useless things from my life - minimize and get rid of anything that I have not used or needed in this last year. I want to get through a good book in less than 2 months.

I guess these are all goals that I could do even with the black box, but its a good time to profess them and put them out in the Universe... It's Spring... Time to get things done and start FRESH!

I am We are

This is my version of the "tag" that has been going around. I asked Peter if he wanted to do a "fun writing exercise the other night... " He looked at me like I was crazy. I think I need to re-word my "pitch" one this one if I want success in convincing him to write about himself...

Here is me... Peter's will come later...



I am a daughter
I am a wife
I am a sister
I am a neighbor
I am a best friend
I ... am many more things I am sure.

I love salty things
I am right handed
I have a birthmark on my right wrist and it's how I learned my rt hand from my left
I miss Oklahoma nights and the mugginess of it all
I am named after my mother
I go by my middle name, Brooke, first name is Kerri
I like my new last name
My eyes are blue
My hair is light brown and blond
I like my eyebrows
I am 5'4"
I will not tell you how much I weigh

I like being creative
I enjoy working with my hands and manual labor
I enjoy running with friends, but not alone
I have life long friends, many I have had since pre-school
I love to keep in touch
I rearrange my house about 1/month
I want to take dance lessons
I am not much of a phone talker, most days

I need to be around people
I need my alone "down" time even more
I experiment with painting and it looks very childlike
I don't like to shower everyday
I love photography and pictures
I hate washing my face before bed (but love it when I do)
I want to change the color of my house

I wish I could make a living from blogging
I look forward to being a stay at home mom someday
I want two kids
I want my kids to look like their father - especially have his legs

I would have a monthly facial if I could afford it
I love to play cribbage and solitaire (with real cards, not on the computer)
I love yoga, but don't go often enough
I enjoy cooking new things
I make a huge mess when I cook
I have to have milk duds at the movie theater
I don't like waking to alarm clocks
I enjoy the anticipation of traveling and packing my bags

I wanted to be a scientist, teacher and a veterinarian when I was a child
I think I would be a good teacher
I love to babysit my friends kids

Girly books / beach reads are my favorite
It takes me an average of 1 month to read a book - even if it's 30 pages
Politics and the news depress me
Celebrity gossip is addicting and I shamelessly love it
Lying in bed with Peter and the dogs is one of my favorite things
Netflix might be the best invention ever
My garden gets better every year

When I clean the house I bang things around and find it therapeutic
Dishes are my least favorite thing to do
Actually folding laundry is my least favorite
I don't mind mopping the floors

I talk alot to my co-workers at work
I talk alot in general
I miss my family in Oklahoma and love to talk about them
I miss porches and Coors light and talking with my best friend Micca

Micca and I have:
the same middle name (Brooke)
the same comforters in college
practically the same wardrobe (without trying)
same taste in food and just about anything
mom's who served us on "the red special plate" growing up
blue eyes
used to have the same car (Explorer)
the same sense of humor
the need to talk about everything
married men who are practically identical
travel extremely well together
always get along

I want to travel to Europe with Peter
I want to travel to South America with Peter
I want us to take a honeymoon in the next 5 years
I love Pete's scar on his face
I love his high pitched laugh

Our dogs bring me more joy than I can describe
I hate being cold in my own house
I want to eventually have a well designed and landscaped yard
I can't wait to hang our new hanging chair from the tree in our front yard

Girls nights are my salvation
I am in a much better mood when I am exercising regularly
I love lunch dates with friends
I prefer to not have my weekends "pre-scheduled" but plan as it goes

I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up
I'd like to develop a marketable "skill"
I am good at planning events and parties
I get really excited for other people's joys and accomplishments
I say that most things are "the best ____ ever!" and mean it every time
I love my down coat
I still haven't found "the perfect pair of jeans" that everyone talks about

I am a blend of my mother and father - in looks and personality
I miss my brother everyday and always enjoy his company
I am not competitive at all
I love a cold Coke with ice
I enjoy making homemade breads
I like looking for spelling errors
I enjoy writing - technical and creative

I have no regrets in life
I get anxious about my future
I look forward to the future
I really like my life.