PainterinTexas' and FalconinTexas' Pets

~ Sometimes Art imitates Life ~
My takes on some of the best movies and books:

"The Glass Castle", a book by Jeannette Walls, is a biography of the author's childhood. It is remarkable how she and her siblings survived. Was it the strength of the children, or the ties of a very different sort of family.

I just finished reading it - there's a lot to ponder. Live your own life, but never give up on your family? - I think that's what Ms. Walls is saying.

The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer.

All I can say is you've got to read them. They're addictive! Even if you've never lived in Forks, WA. (or especially if you've lived in Forks, WA!)

The only faux pas that Ms. Meyer made is not referring to Port Angeles as "P.A.".

The movie, "Bonneville", starring Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, and Joan Allen was about a journey that each of these 3 women were on; a journey that we're all on in life....endings that lead to beginnings, that lead to oftentimes bumpy transitions.

There were many memorable quotes, but one stood out in my mind. Two of the characters' dialogue went like this: "What do you think you're going to do?" The other answered, "I don't know, and that's okay."

The book, "Late Night Talking", by Leslie Schnur, was an enjoyable and enlightening read. I could definitely relate to, enjoy, and learn from this book. The universal life-lesson which was the defining theme was about "the fragility of friendship and family, and how we cannot choose who we love".

"Without A Backward Glance" - I won't give away the plot of this book, but the author has portrayed characters with very real personalities, problems, and reactions. It captures each siblings' different take on family history. And it shows how forgiveness happens.

It's an amazing window to family (dys)functions.

The movie, Martian Child, deals with the love a parent has for their kids, no matter how their kids are. People are not perfect, but love is. The constant theme was, be yourself and allow people you love to be who they are. Love them no matter what and let them know it.

The quote from the movie that stuck with me the most went something like this: "When you don't get to talk to people you love, you miss them really, really bad".

A fun movie that just makes you smile was "I Could Never Be Your Woman" starring Michelle Pfeiffer. What I got out of it was, you want to be there for your kids and you love being there for them, but you've got to be there for yourself as well. It's kinda what Mama told me 10 years ago. (I really miss her).

The movie "Georgia Rule", was good, but a sleeper called "Seraphim Falls" drove the point home...There is no good or bad, there are only people doing the best they can with the hand they've been dealt, the things they've been taught, the information they've been given, and the principles they believe in.

It pretty much boils down to life is too short to hate or hold grudges. The people you waste negative energy on are going through pain just like you. The movie was intense! Just like life.

If you want to know what family is all about, the movie "Relative Strangers" with Kathy Bates and Danny DeVito is also timely. It's a comedy, but it has a strong message that rings true:

Loving someone means accepting them as they are.

Sometimes cartoons can be just as inciteful as books!:

There are some times when a family member captures a sentiment so perfectly that it needs to be shared.

My sister, Vickie, sent the following story to me on being a Mother. It says it all:

After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, "I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would Love to spend some time with you." The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my Mother, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.

That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. "What's wrong, are you well," she asked? My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. "I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you," I responded "just
the two of us." She thought about it for a moment, and then said, "I would like that very much."

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's.
"I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed," she said, as she got into the car. "They can't wait to hear about our meeting."

We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half-way through the entrees, I lifted my eyes and saw Mother sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips.
"It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small," she said. "Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor," I responded. During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other's life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, "I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you." I agreed.

"How was your dinner date?" asked my wife when I got home. "Very nice, much more so than I could have imagined," I answered.

A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her. Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place Mother and I had dined. An attached note said: "I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but, nevertheless, I paid for two plates - one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me.
"I love you, son"

At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: "I love YOU" and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till some 'other' time.

Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby... somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, "normal" is history.
Somebody said you can't love the second child as much as you love the first... somebody doesn't have two or more children.
Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery....somebody never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten... or on a plane headed for military "boot camp."
Somebody said a Mother can stop worrying after her child gets married... somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.
Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home... somebody never had grandchildren.
Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her... somebody isn't a mother.

This isn't just about being a mother; it's about appreciating the people in your lives while you have them... no matter who that person is!

Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes...
your destiny.

"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle".