The Man Who Invented Christmas Review

Movie About Charles Dickens

Christmas Carol Illustration

One might think that a review of the movie The Man Who Invented Christmas would be about the Christmas holiday, but one would be incorrect in their assumption. Certainly Christmas plays a part in the story, but it really isn't the main gist of this wonderful movie that I am about to recommend that you watch. 

I hazard to guess that if you have not read the book A Christmas Carol; you have at least seen one of the many movie renditions of the the tale by Charles Dickens. The story became an instant success when it was first published on December 19, 1843. It remains after 175 years to be a favorite of many adults and children a like. 

The premise of this movie is about how Charles Dickens wrote the novella, his struggles and a snippet of his life in the early years of the Victorian era. Charles was trying to cope with dwindling finances after having written three flops in a row (at least they were flops then but are not looked at that way now). In 1843, he had already had success with The Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist. He had toured the United States and Canada; he was an international success. He needed to write something new and one that would be well received. The trouble was he did not have a clue what that story might be. 

The Man Who Invented Christmas

Dan Stevens, of Downton Abbey fame, plays the young Dickens superbly! Christopher Plummer haunts Dickens as the character of Ebenezer Scrooge and Jonathan Pryce portrays the father of Charles who can be most infuriating to his son. The set designs, costume designs and cast of characters are magnificent. All of these combined make this movie a treasure to watch.

What I loved the most about this movie was how the author is portrayed in the writing process of his much needed prose. I think that anyone who has tried to write a short story, novella, novel or play can identify with the inner battle a writer has while trying to form the story in his or her head and then to transfer those ideas to paper or the keyboard. The story shows how Dickens needed to name Scrooge before he could come to life in his head and the story could begin to form. Once Scrooge was alive in his mind; Ebenezer would haunt the author in his office and around London. There were times that Dickens small office was crowded with the characters (seen only by Dickens) arguing points of the story. It is a process that I think any writer of fiction can identify with. I know my characters follow me around as I write and sometimes even wake me up telling me that I need to add something before I forget it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and highly recommend it to you all. Actually, I think that I want to watch it again. Oh, who am I kidding? I don't think, I know I want to watch it again. I enjoyed it that much! Now, if you will excuse me one of my characters is insisting that I re-write a scene because she says that I have made her say something that she wouldn't say. I think I just heard Scrooge shout, "Bah, Humbug!"

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3 Refreshing Pea Recipes for Summer

It is very hot outside and I'm feeling particularly lazy. Yet I'm hungry. It's too hot to eat a full, heavy meal but I'm really hungry. After seeing my gardening friends posting their magazine quality photos of their pea harvests, I'm having a pea craving. I think the following three recipes are the three best pea recipes. 

7 Layer Salad

I love 7 layer salads. I tend to make them only occasionally in the summer and have not yet made one this year. There are a variety of 7 layer salad recipes to be found, but I always use the recipe that uses peas. I love the flavor that peas add to this salad.

While looking for that recipe, so I could give you the amounts of the ingredients, I found this version of a Layered Salad by The Pioneer Woman. I like her version even better! She adds spinach and tomatoes - in addition to the 7 ingredients I add: lettuce, eggs, peas, green onions, bacon, cheese, and mayo. 

Layered Salad by The Pioneer Woman

Her salad is like a beautiful BLT in a bowl, with the added oomph of the peas and other ingredients. What a fresh and beautiful layer salad. YUM! My mouth is watering. 

I need to stop at the farmer's stand and buy some fresh, ripe 'maters - instead of those cardboard flavored tomatoes at the grocery. 

Pea Soup

Pea Soup recipe by Eating Well

Pea soup!  How easy and flavorful can you get?  This Pea Soup recipe by Eating Well is right up my alley - only 12 ingredients; all of which I have in my kitchen right now with the exception of fresh thyme or parsley. The recipe claims that it only takes 35 minutes until ready to eat.

In this heat, I believe I would serve this chilled (as many pea soup recipes are) but I can also imagine this would be a great soup to prepare and serve either warm or chilled - depending on my mood that day.

Smashed Peas with Mint Butter

All my life, I've smashed my peas in my potatoes and made smashed peas. Mom served them separately but they ended up mashed together on my plate. Who knew that would become "a thing" ?!  Well, it is. 

Including the water, this Smashed Pea with Mint Butter recipe by Genius Kitchen has a whopping 7 ingredients! Again, everything I have in my kitchen already with the exception of fresh parsley. No, I don't intentionally boycott parsley, I apparently just don't really use it.

The idea of adding my own fresh mint (from the balcony) to my smashed peas excites me.

Smashed Peas with Mint Butter by Genius Kitchen

*  *  *  *  *  

Whether you prefer using fresh peas for a garden to table cooking or frozen peas (because frozen peas keep their flavor for a garden-fresh taste even when the gardens aren't producing) I hope you find one of these recipes to be useful. 

Summer is a wonderful time for trying new recipes and re-visiting family favorites because the seasonal vegetables are at their freshest and most flavorful. I always feel more adventurous in the kitchen when gardens are in full swing.

Related Link:

Do you think you hate eating peas? For me it was beets. I despised beets for decades. But I changed my mind recently. Here is my article about how I came to love (and crave) beets. Even if you think you don't want to eat peas, one of the above recipes may change your mind.

Looking for vegetable recipes other than peas?  I've included some recommended cookbooks below. And yes, I've included a kid-friendly cookbook (being released in October) because, frankly, kid-friendly recipes are more my style.


Photo Credit: Intro photo courtesy of Pixaby - CC0 creative commons

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A Terrific Upbeat Country Song that Makes You Feel Happy

Listen to "Long Live the Night" by the Reklaws

Great Song! - Available on iTunes

Canada Loves Country Music

To honor Canada Day I wanted to take a minute and introduce you to this brother and sister duo, Jenna and Stuart Walker, known in the Canadian Country Music scene as 'The Reklaws'.

We music fans switch up our favorite songs from time to time, and at the moment this brother and sister duo from Cambridge, Ontario, Canada have me blasting their latest song Long Live the Night.

With the world dishing out stress like skittles right now, sometimes we need a song that makes us jump around and dance like fools.

Long Live the Night by the Reklaws is therapeutic for me; it's that 'release song'.

When the local radio station plays this tune, ask my kids just how nuts their mom gets. Yep, bat*hit bouncing looney. The volume dial gets turned up to 40 and everything else in the world stops. The only thing I hear (and of course the neighbors) is this song. For 3:32 nothing else matters.

We all need a song that reminds us to take a breath and have fun. With all the serious issues that fill our days sometimes the only solution is upbeat, positive music.

The Lyrics Remind Us of the Important Things - These Particular Lyrics Hit Me Like a Ton of Bricks:

Full moon rising
We ain't there yet
Every minute's a memory so drink it in
Before you know it's over, man it flies by fast
Make it last

For those of us who have lived a little longer and who have grown kids, words like 'before you know it's over, man it flies by fast' have an especially poignant meaning.

Oh the power of a song! This young talented duo takes me back to the days when my husband and I were building memories.

The song's upbeat energy reflects my overall happy nature, but most of all it brings me through all those wonderful moments we've lived: Young people dating, fun parties, professional careers that had wonderful moments, weddings, babies, toddlers, new homes, family gatherings, and just loving the journey.

Of course, like everyone else, we've had our share of problems, but when I'm listening to Long Live the Night, it's the good part of our life that surfaces.

That's why I love this song! It brings out the good. It reminds us "Every minute's a memory so drink it in".

Be sure to listen to it - You can find More about The Reklaws at their Website

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Reviewing 3 Natural Ways to Relieve a Headache

Headaches are no fun, but did you know that you don't have to reach for your bottle of asprin or paracetamol/tylenol when you feel one coming on. 

There are a number of natural remedies that you can try first.

I'm going to review 3 different ways to help relieve a headache that I have tried myself and have found successful. 

I have studied aromatherapy and herbology in the past, but I am not a doctor so if you have persistent headaches please consult your medical practitioner.

Using Aromatherapy to Ease a Headache

A very effective way to ease a headache is with lavender oil.   Now if you headache is caused by stress then relieving your stress levels is a great idea so check out this article -

Reviewing How Aromatherapy Can Help Relieve Stress
If stress is getting you down then you need to use a little aromatherapy magic. Let me show you what essential oils you need to use and exactly how to use them to effectively ease stress.

Now back to lavender oil.  This is one of the few pure, essential oils that you can use undiluted.  Simply tip the bottle upside down onto your index finger on one hand and then do the same on the other.  You should end up with a drop on each finger.

You massage your fingers into your temple like the photo below -

Photo courtesy of Lou's Designs

I used to try this for migraines (which I used to get every month before I had my daughter), it used to reduce the severity of the headache, although it didn't help with the lack of balance and light sensitivity (but you can't have everything!).

When it comes to just a standard headache, if I'm at home with lavender on hand this works really well.

Eating Almonds, Not Asprin for a Headache!

Now when I was told last year that merely eating almonds could help a headache I was a little skeptical, but then I tried it with success.  Initially I wondered if it was just a coincidence, but I have tried it a few times now and it has worked.

I have also looked into why this works and when I saw that almonds are a good source of magnesium I realized that's why they're effective.  Magnesium actually helps to relax your blood vessels and it's often when your blood vessels are tight that you get headaches.

How many almonds to take?  The recommendation is 10-12 almonds, but when I've tried them I've only taken 6-8 each time, then again when I have resorted to taking paracetamol/tylenol I only take 1 not 2.

Hydration is Vital for Keeping Headaches at Bay!

I read somewhere that dehydration is one of the leading causes of headaches, now I don't know exactly how factual that statement is, but it wouldn't surprise me.  Most people I know just do not drink enough water and by consuming more processed foods we are also digesting less water through our meals as well.

When my daughter complains of a headache the first thing I ask her is 'have you drunk much today?' the reply is usually no!  Now when you're dehydrated just drinking water sometimes isn't enough to ease the headache quickly as you need to get electrolytes into your system too.

If you have any watermelon on hand this is an excellent source of natural electrolytes and it has the added bonus that most kids who don't want to drink water will happily consume a slice or two of watermelon!

Another option is to have an electrolyte drink (often marketed as sports drinks).  This will work, but the side effect with most of the ones on the market is that they tend to be really high in sugar.  This is one of the reasons (I believe) that after drinking them you are sometimes left feeling even thirstier.

One drink that I use and also give my teenager is Arbonne's Complete Hydration as it's much lower in sugar and is formulated to hydrate on a cellular level.   This means that it doesn't leave you feeling thirsty.

Have You Tried Natural Ways to Ease A Headache?

I'd love to know if you've tried any of these three ways to ease a headache or if you have a different natural method to help your headaches.

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Avengers: Infinity War Movie Review

Marvel fans love this movie!  All of our favorites join the battle to save the world from evil domination. 

The Avengers team up with The Guardians of the Galaxy to battle Thanos who is collecting the 6 infinity stones with the ultimate goal of taking over the universe.   With each infinity stone, Thanos becomes more powerful and harder to defeat.  He ruthlessly murders the keepers of each stone using whatever means is necessary for him to add to his collection and ultimate, unstoppable power.

Thanos' plan is to rule the universe and eliminate 50% of the population.  He claims the resources of the world are finite, therefore he wishes to decrease the surplus population so those who are left will be sustainable.  His claims that he can eliminate hunger may sound noble and benevolent until you realize mass murder is necessary.   

What I didn't expect was to see several of my beloved heroes die at the hand of powerful evil.

Avengers: Infinity War Cast of Magnificent Characters

Who is there: 

 Avengers: Infinity WarCheck Price

Loki - Tom Huddleston

Doctor Strange - Benedict Cumberbatch

Iron Man - Robert Downey, Jr

Starlord - Chris Pratt

Hulk - Mark Ruffalo

Rocket Raccoon - Bradley Cooper

Mantis - Pom Klementieff

Groot - Van Diesel

Drax - Dave Bautista

Gamora - Zoe Saldana

Nebula (Gamora's sister) - Karen Gillan

Captain America - Chris Evans

Spiderman - Tom Holland

Black Panther - Chadwick Boseman

Black Widow - Scarlett Johansson

Scarlet Witch - Elizabeth Olsen

Vision - Paul Bettany

Falcon - Anthony Mackie

The Winter Soldier - Sebastian Stan

War Machine - Don Cheadle

List of the Infinity Stones, Their Colors and Their Current Protectors

INFINITY STONE	GEM COLOR	PROTECTOR / POSSESSOR
REALITY	Red	Taneleer Tivan, The Collector
SOUL	Orange	Red Skull
MIND	Yellow	Vision (Avenger)
TIME	Green	Doctor Strange
SPACE	Blue	Loki (Thor's brother)
POWER	Purple	Nova Corps on Xandar

The Infinity War Begins

 Trends International Avengers Infinity War
Thanos Wall PosterCheck PriceAsgard, Thor's homeland, has been previously destroyed in the movie Thor:  Ragnarok.  For viewers, the Infinity War begins when Thanos (Josh Brolin) attacks Thor's refugee ship.  Thor has been taken captive and Loki subsequently surrenders the Space infinity stone in his possession in exchange for Thor's life.  In a heart-sickening turn of events, Thanos murders both Loki and Heimdall (Idris Elba).  But, Thor is left alive and is rescued by The Guardians of the Galaxy.

The battle moves into the streets of New York where Doctor Strange, who possesses the Time infinity stone, is attacked.   Iron Man, Hulk and Spiderman all try to protect Doctor Strange to prevent the theft of the Time stone.

In Scotland, Vision, who possesses the Mind stone, also finds himself under attack with Scarlett Witch being his only defender at first.  However, Captain America, Black Widow & Falcon show up just in time to save both Scarlett Witch and Vision from certain death.

The final battle takes place in Wakanda, home of the Black Panther, where Vision was taken to be protected.  All of the remaining Avengers and Guardians arrive to defend Vision and the universe, but all do not survive.  The end is shocking!  

I couldn't move from my seat when the movie was over.  I kept wanting more.  I needed there to be more, but clearly that will have to wait for the next movie. 

 

Do I Recommend Avengers: Infinity War

Absolutely!  However, I plan to buy the DVD as soon as it is released and I would recommend Marvel fans should do the same.  I want to be able to watch it again right before I go to the theater when the sequel is released.

One final note: Be sure you sit through the credits at the end of the movie. You will want to see the teaser with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and who he summons for help. A new avenger is clearly on the horizon!

Avengers: Infinity War and Movies You Should See BEFORE You Watch Avengers: Infinity War

Doctor Strange Movie Review
The movie Doctor Strange is based on the Marvel comics character. A fabulous fantasy fiction movie that is quite accurate with the depiction.

Guardians of the Galaxy I & II Movies Reviewed
Guardians of the Galaxy is a truly fabulous Marvel movie that I would recommend for anyone! The movie is a mix of sci-fi, great animation, engaging stories, & witty dialog.

Dr. Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy I & II, and ........

 Avengers: Infinity War (Bonus Content)Check Price Marvel Studios' Black PantherCheck Price Thor: Ragnarok (Bonus Content)Check Price Captain America: Civil War (Bonus Content)Check Price

 

Check Out More Movie Reviews at
ReviewThisMovies.com

 Avengers: Infinity War Movie Review Written by:

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Jan Arden's Feeding My Mother Book Review

I do it too often. That is, pick up a book without a true appreciate of what I am about to read. Jann Arden's Feeding My Mother: Comfort and Laughter in the Kitchen as My Mom Lives with Memory Loss definitely fits that bill. I picked it up because it was written by a wonderful Canadian music artist and because my mother is experiencing some memory issues right now.

Feeding My Mother turned out to be a series of diary or journal-style entries written over a period of a few years while Arden tried to continue working in the music industry and care for her ailing parents. What I expected was information about memory loss; what I did not expect was the diary style of writing or the recipes. I did expect and receive heartbreak, which is definitely on the menu when a loved one disappears in this manner. It is not really a book to turn to for information about Alzheimer's disease but rather one to read to understand one family's struggles to deal with their situation.

It is a nicely put together book with pictures; caring and sharing; family, pets and lots of love; tears but also much laughter; and with a few simple recipes, some of which I may return to. This book was crafted from (apparently) popular Facebook and Instagram posts that Arden wrote during her journey. I believe that she handled her parental situation as best as she could, something we can all aspire to do if and when we become caregivers for our parents. As Arden says, it is not easy becoming a mother to your mother.

Jann Arden

Arden is an accomplished Canadian singer songwriter who has won eight Juno awards and been nominated for a total of eighteen. She has also written three books. This one plus If I Knew, Don't You Think I'd Tell You and Falling Backwards: A Memoir. Another couple of books for our reading lists.

You can hear Arden discuss Feeding My Mother on CBC Radio by clicking right here. They call the book a cookbook, which I disagree with though it does have a few recipes. If you picked this book up thinking it was a cookbook, you would be disappointed. It is more correctly categorized as a biographical book about Alzheimer's disease and patient care.

Do I Recommend Feeding My Mother? 

Yes, I do recommend Feeding My Mother. It is definitely of interest to someone who is dealing with a family member with memory loss or who sees that coming in the future, as I do. However, I am uncertain if it is a book that my mother should read. I know she would appreciate the humour and the love that is found within the covers but not sure that she needs to really think and worry about all of the situations found in this book. What do you think? Should I give my mother this book to read or not?  Have you read Feeding My Mother? Have you been a caregiver for someone with memory loss?

You can get your hands on a copy of Jann Arden's Feeding My Mother by ordering it from Amazon here.

See you
at the book store!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Order your copy of Feeding My Mother from Amazon.

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Save Money with Powerextra Camera Batteries: A Review

Don't Miss That Perfect Shot Because of a Dead Camera Battery

Most of the time my photo walks take less than an hour. But sometimes I venture farther or stop to take more pictures than usual. That's when it really pays to have extra camera batteries. Here's why I bought my set of Powerextra batteries with chargers included.

Powerextra 2 Pack Replacement Canon NB-11L/NB-11LH Battery and Charger for Canon PowerShot A2300 IS, A2500, A2600, A4000 IS, ELPH 110 HS, ELPH 130 HS, ELPH 135 IS, ELPH 160, SX400 IS, SX410 IS

It was a perfect day to walk by the Salinas River.  It was rainy season and the river was full. I decided to walk all the way to a bridge at least half a mile away. I knew that the river would be wider there and I could get a unique shot. It was a fairly warm day for spring, and the walk was longer than I usually take. (You can see highlights of the walk here.)

There I encountered many scenes I wanted to photograph as I walked toward the bridge. I got distracted by wildlife, signs of human activity, trees, shrubs, and, of course, the river itself. I had taken over a hundred photos, and I hadn't started with a fully charged camera. I hadn't expected to take so many photos.

I  was pretty hot and tired by the time I got to the bridge. I walked from the trail to street level to get on the bridge. Here's where my path approached the bridge.

I was almost to my goal. Once on the bridge, I took my first shot, the first of many I had planned, but not the special shot I had really wanted. And that's when my camera battery died. Along with my hopes of getting not only the other shots from the bridge, but also more shots I'd  been planning to get on the walk back to my car.

Choosing Extra Batteries

That night I decided it was time to buy some extra battery packs.  I can never predict how many photos I will want to take. Obviously I didn't correctly predict it for this walk. So I went right to Amazon as soon as I had time. My camera is a Canon PowerShot SX410 IS. See how I tested it when it was new.

When I looked up the replacement battery Canon made for my camera, the price blew me away. At $42.25 as I write this, it still blows me away. For just one battery! So I checked for alternatives. I discovered the Powerextra battery for my camera. And not just the battery, but a whole battery kit with two batteries and an extra charger for the house, as well as a car charger. For about one fourth of the price of one Canon battery!

Naturally I was suspicious! How could I get so much more for so much less? Oh! The Powerextra is made in China. But so is the camera and the Canon battery. Frugal as I am, I decided to buy the Powerextra kit and try it. I'd only lose about twelve dollars if the batteries didn't work. I could still purchase the Canon batteries if necessary. It was worth the risk. It paid off for me.

I have been using both the house charger and the batteries for over four months. They all work well. I can now have one battery charging and one extra in my camera bag so that I will always have a charged battery when I need one. I don't have to skimp on pictures for fear of losing power. And I won't have to miss the shot I want most.

 I have not yet tested the car charger because I haven't been on any drives long enough to try it out. I will add the results here after I do have the chance to test it.

I highly recommend the Powerextra batteries if you want to save money. They are available for most major brands and models of digital cameras. I think they offer great value for the price.

Powerextra 2 Pack Replacement Sony NP-FW50 Battery and Smart LCD Display Dual Channel Charger for Sony Alpha a6500, a6300, a6000, a7s, a7, a7s ii, a7s, a5100, a5000, a7r, a7 ii Digital CameraPowerextra 2 Pack Replacment Canon LP-E12 Battery and Charger for Canon EOS M EOS Rebel SL1 EOS 100DPowerextra 2 Pack Replacement Battery and Dual Battery Charger for Nikon EN-EL14, EN-EL14a, and Nikon P7000, P7100, P7700, P7800, D3100, D3200, D3300, D5100, D5200, D5300, Df

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Island Coconut Coffee K-Cups Reviewed

Coconut Flavored Coffee

Delightful flavor of coffee for any time of day

Recently, I tried Island Coconut coffee as something different to drink. I was not disappointed! Normally, I drink a stronger bolder cup of coffee but I decided to give this variety of k-cup a try because I do love coconut. 

When I brewed my first cup, I was pleasantly surprised at the aroma of coconut wafting through the kitchen. What a lovely scent to be greeted with along with that wonderful smell of coffee brewing! 

Island Coconut coffee is a light roast which means that the beans were not roasted beyond that first crack in the roasting process. This gives the coffee a light body with more of the bean flavor since it hasn't been roasted away from a longer process. The result in this flavor is incredibly good! You really do taste coconut. The box states that the k-cups have natural and artificial flavors so the coconut must be added. It sure tastes like they used real coconut but I can't guarantee that because I can't find any information to validate my assumption. I am going by the taste which is delightful!

Island Coconut Coffee

So, if you enjoy a flavored coffee once in a while or every day; I can recommend this as one to try especially if you love coconut. I find it very enjoyable as a break away from my usual coffee selections. Since it is a limited edition, I plan to order more to keep on hand for an occasional treat. Something that I might try; although I don't know if it would work is to add some chocolate to the cup...chocolate and coconut go really well together! Yum!

What about you? Do you have a flavored coffee that you prefer? I would love to hear your favorites. It often gives me ideas on new things to try for myself and my husband.  

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