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Friday, October 14, 2016

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Movie Review

A suburb movie! In true Tim Burton style, there is no crude language, no lewd actions or even innuendoes. Only pure excellence in the making of the movie.

To be completely honest, I did not expect to like the movie, "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children". My husband raved over the book when he read it a few years ago, but it just didn't sound like a story I would enjoy, so I passed on reading it myself. Now, I am very sorry I didn't read the book!

Because my husband loved the book, of course we went to see the Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children movie. Again, I fully expected to simply be tolerating a movie for my husband's sake. However, from the very beginning, I was spellbound.

After seeing the movie, I can hardly wait to read the book.

Yes, this is indeed one of those times when I should have listened to my husband. Can you hear him snickering in the background?

Synopsis of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar ChildrenLet me warn you, the story has a heart-wrenching beginning. Jake's grandfather is murdered and Jake arrives too late to help him. Abe is still alive when Jake finds him, but only long enough to give him a mission. While Jake is holding his dying grandfather, he sees a huge monster in the woods approaching them. In fear, his friend shoots blindly into the woods, not seeing anything. She is simply responding to Jake's warning. Later, we find out the monster is a hallowgast and we learn why only Jake could see the creature.

Jake is clearly traumatized by these events. His parents send him to a psychiatrist who subsequently recommends a trip to Wales and the orphanage where his grandfather was raised. The doctor suggests that Jake can find closure and say goodbye, in a way, to his grandfather there. This is exactly what Jake wants. He needs to visit Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children himself. He has a mission to accomplish. However, until he is there and surrounded by the children his grandfather has always told him about, he has no idea that he, himself, belongs with the peculiar children.

Each peculiar child has an unusual ability or power. One girl can light fires by simply touching something. One boy is invisible. Another girl can float and actually has to wear special weighted shoes to hold her to the ground. Some have unbelievable strength, but they all have a "peculiar" skill.

The most remarkable is truly Miss Peregrine herself. She possesses several special abilities. One, she can turn herself into a beautiful peregrine falcon. A very suitable metamorphosis for a caregiver of "peculiar" children. However, her most valuable talent is her ability to create time loops, which is why neither she nor the children ever age. They are protected by staying in a certain place in time.

But, Miss Peregrine and the children are in danger of being found by the hallowgasts who feed on peculiar children. It is Jake's mission to save them, but he is just a teenager himself and this is all very new to him in reality.

Conclusion and Recommendation

This synopsis really is just touching the surface of the plot. It is a very in depth story which is quite unique. I don't believe I have ever seen a more fantastic fantasy. There are elements of that seem familiar to us all, like unseen monsters, shape-shifting humans, or individuals with supernatural strength. Even time manipulation. However, this plot is so unique and original, I felt like it was all new and unknown. Plus, I adored the quirky personality and fabulous style of Miss Peregrine. She was truly perfect.

I can highly recommend the movie Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children to anyone 13 or older. In true Tim Burton style, there is no crude language, no lewd actions or even innuendoes. Only pure excellence in the making of the movie.

I also highly applaud the writer of the book & story, Ransom Riggs, for his creativity and ability to entertain without disgusting his readers.

Now that I have seen the movie, I will be reading the book!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (BD) [Blu-ray] Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children)

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Photographing Boothbay Harbor Maine

Review of Harbor Area

Boothbay Harbor is a beautiful and very picturesque little harbor on the coast of Maine. It sits on the edge of Boothbay Peninsula that juts out into the Gulf of Maine. We visited on a clear September monrning when the sky was so blue that it cast a blue tint to everything around it. It was a great area to take photographs and I stood at various spots along the harbor and took in all the sights. The scene below is Boothbay Inn as seen from across the harbor.

If I turned a bit right of the Inn I captured this white church on the edge of the harbor. There were lots of boats big and small

Fishing Boats in Boothbay Harbor Maine photo by mbgphoto

Cuckolds Lighthouse

I love to photograph lighthouses and the Boothbay Harbor area gave me the opportunity to photograph several. They were all offshore on islands so getting good photographs required a longer lens. The closest to shore was Cuckolds lighthouse. We drove past Boothbay Harbor a few miles to South Point Island and I was able to capture this historic lighthouse. This lighthouses started as a signal house in 1892 and then in 1907 a light tower was added atop the signal house. This lighthouse was automated in 1975. This lighthouse and grounds has been recently restored and is now open for overnight stays, weddings, lobster bakes and other events. I took the following photos from a dock off South Point island.

Other Lights Seen from Harbor

The other lighthouses that are offshore of Boothbay Harbor are hard to see with the naked eye. I was told one was 10 miles offshore and the other 15 miles and I could only capture them if I took a boat. None of the boat tours were running at the time we were there so I got some use out of my new 600mm lens. The first photo below is Burnt Island Lighthouse, you see it on the island on the right hand side of the photo. I believe the second photo to be Monhegan Island light. It is the one I was told was 15 miles away so it is very small in my photo. I find it fascinating to read about and photograph all of these lighthouses. The coast of Maine and the island around it are dotted with many lighthouses. Many of the lighthouses are now longer in service, however the Coast Guard still keeps watch over 56 of Maine's historic lighthouses.

Burnt Island Lighthouse photo by mbgphoto

Zazzle Products from my Photographs

Boothbay Harbor Maine Poster
by mbgphoto

Here is the guidebook I used to find my way around Maine.

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Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Review this: Take a Teddy Bear to Work Day!

Mark this date on your calendar, it happens every year on the 12th of October! It's take your Teddy Bear to Work Day.

Now all of you who are in the younger years of their lives will find, taking your teddy bear to work day is really easy. I know my Granddaughter has taken hers to school (her version of work) for the last 4 or 5 years. How does she do this? Very easily, after all the school books are packed into her back pack, Alfie (the wonder bear) gets the best seat on top with his head poking up and out of the top.

If you are too old to do that, maybe a seating arrangement like this one above would be a good choice. (picture from Pixabay)

Teddy Bears Make the Perfect Gift!

Teddy Bears have been a long time favorite gift for children and adults for years. They evoke a return to childhood and all this is good. I can remember getting little bears from my boyfriends and girl friends, as tokens of friendship. Their faces just seemed to say, "you are special to me!"

When you need some stress relief, grab your Teddy Bear and have a good talk, he won't tell anyone your secrets.

Teddy Bears are used to bring smiles to faces of children, when they are sick, tired, stressed (yes kids can stress), or just for no reason at all. Some children will latch onto their teddy bears without any prompting from mom or dad, while others will only grab onto theirs when it's bed time. No one is sure why that happens, but, I can tell you that when it does, it can be the cutest thing ever. My Granddaughter is so attached to her bear, that her parents went out and bought a second one exactly like the first one, just in case she lost hers. The problem here is that my granddaughter is quite aware that there is a second one in the closet, but it's not her Alfie! The closet bear has a name, "Hugo", but he will never be and will never replace Alfie!

Adult Fun in the form of taking your Teddy Bear to Work Day!

Take your Teddy Bear to work day, I'm sure was born of the need to relax a little bit in the workplace. I know from my own experience, that our jobs have become much more stressful in the last 10 years. Everyone expects more work with the same hours to accomplish the days events. You just can't do that without adding stress. Put a teddy bear into the mix and maybe while you are working away, you can take a moment to smile and laugh about the bears who are gracing everyone's desks that day. I am sure you will find bears that look like they have never been held and others that have bald spots on them (much like their owners). Teddy bears that have been "loved to death" have that special look to them, they are flat where they used to be pudgy, their fur has become a matted mess and the arms and legs are probably resewn a few times over the years. There is no doubt at all when you see them, that these bears have been through as much as their owners have over their life time.

My uncle has a bear, that is only about 6 inches high, that he thoroughly loved. While he was fleeing his country during the War, this was the only toy he was allowed to bring. I think his bear became his confident, best friend and his reassurance, while they walked at night making their way out of Germany and into Switzerland. He has his own "Sound of Music" story and the bear had a starring role in his life. Today, he owns over 50 little bears and they are his pride and joy. He doesn't worry about anything else he owns, but always reminds me that when he is gone, the bears are all mine and he knows that I will take care of them.

It always amazes me that this one toy, that really doesn't do anything at all, like some of the fancy things available today, has lasted and won the test of time.

Did you know?

Teddy Bears got their name from President Theodore Roosevelt. He was invited in the early 1900's(1902 to be exact) on a bear hunt in Louisiana. Being a naturalist and a sportsman, he eagerly went on this trip. When they found the bear, it had been tied to a tree in order to make the kill easier. Totally in disgust at how this bear came to be trapped, Roosevelt refused to kill it. Many a political cartoon came out of that encounter, but the Teddy Bear was the most important.

Since 1902, the Teddy Bear has been a favored toy of generations of children and continues to be one of the first gifts that a new baby receives.

Teddy Bears are quite collectible. Many companies made bears that were numbered and tracked. There is a whole lot of people who can tell you where a certain bear was made, what year it was made and how long production of a certain bear lasted. People dress their bears and many a stories have been written all about bears.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Paddington Bear Tales, Teddy Ruxpin, Winnie the Pooh, and the more modern of the bunch the Care Bears, are all examples of how the much loved Teddy bears have been used in children's lives. There are TV shows, Movies, Operas, and lots and lots of books all featuring Teddy Bears.

So just for fun this year, will you take your Teddy Bear to Work? I know that I will!

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Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Reviewing Ponchos For Women

Ponchos: A Practical Choice In Fashion

Public Domain Image

The Poncho, it is an article of clothing that ebbs and wanes in the fashion industry from season to season. It will be really hot and found in every shopping outlet you can imagine or it may be hard to find depending on where it sits in the popularity of the designers for the year.

There are many styles of ponchos for women. Some follow the traditional style of being a garment which almost looks like a blanket with a hole for the head. Historically the poncho was made of a wool fabric and was meant to keep the body warm. It is still meant to keep the body warm but is not necessarily made from wool anymore.

Many ponchos of today are found in a less than traditional style with an open front which wraps around the shoulders more like a cape or shawl. It just boils down to a matter of preference as to whether you want your poncho to go over your head or just wrap around your shoulders.

Ponchos are a really practical choice for the fall season when the temperatures have started to dip but it isn't cold enough for a winter coat. They are comfortable and fun to wear. They team up well with jeans but also look nice with slacks and skirts.

This very practical garment has been in use since before the Spanish came to the Americas. Originally found predominately in the Andes region of South America now known as Peru the poncho is considered a South American garment. No matter its origin, it has proven to be quite the versatile piece of clothing for our wardrobes.

You can also opt for a poncho for your rain gear. Of course a rain poncho will be made of a water-proof fabric. I have a rain poncho in my closet that is older than my grandchildren but I still pull it out on those rainy days when I have to venture outdoors.

Currently, I am in the process of crocheting a fun little poncho for this fall season. At a later date, I'll show you the finished piece with a link to the pattern.

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Monday, October 10, 2016

Bubba Tumbler Review: Saves Money and the Environment

In 2014, I purchased a Bubba brand Envy Tumbler in an attempt to save money, avoid coffee spills, and reduce the amount of unnecessary plastic cups being sent to the landfill each day. I had no way of knowing how much money and stress that one rugged, insulated tumbler really would save. If you are looking for a durable travel mug for hot or cold drinks, Bubba brand is for you.

The Durability of Bubba Envy Tumblers

As I mentioned, I purchased my Bubba brand tumbler years ago. I've used that one single cup for my iced coffee nearly every day since. I am only just now looking to replace it because I drove off with it on my Jeep bumper a few months ago. As I turned out of my parking lot, I heard a "clunk" and saw iced coffee and ice skittering across the road. With the intent of removing a potential plastic shard road hazard, I stopped and retrieved my Bubba Envy Tumbler. Stunned, I found that my Bubba was intact and was only slightly loose at the top mold seam connecting the double walls. I've used it every day since that mishap and am only now looking to order a replacement.

If that isn't a testimonial for durability, I don't know what is.

Financial Savings of a Bubba Tumbler

When I purchased that first Tumbler, I began making my own iced coffee at home instead of stopping at a local coffee shop each day. I had realized that if I spent a mere $5 at that coffee shop each day, for 365 days a year, I was spending $1,825 a year. I invested less than $20 for the first Bubba. With the exception for travel and when I'm away from home, I have made my own coffee to fill it.

If you saved over a thousand dollars in a year, what could you do with that extra money?

Bubba Envy Insulated Tumbler

Travel Mugs: Environmental and Emotional Savings

Commercial iced coffee is served in plastic cups with lids and straws. I cringe when I think about having added one of those cups each day into the landfill before I began using my reusable travel tumbler.

If you are clumsy as I am, you'll understand when I mention the level of stress that those plastic cups caused me. The lids would pop off and the coffee would splash onto my clothes. And wow, have you ever knocked over one of those cups and watched helplessly as the lid pops off and the coffee washes across your desk like a miniature tidal wave? I have. But not since I have begun using this wonderful version of an adult sippie cup.

With a straw inserted, the Bubba Envy Tumbler isn't absolutely leak-proof. But only dribbles escape from the straw and straw opening, which is much better than the alternative mess.

Whether you drink hot coffee, iced coffee, or other drinks you will find a Bubba brand mug to suit your needs. And it is a bonus that in the long run you will save money and help protect the environment.

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