I stole this image from my cousin’s Facebook page.
She was encouraging her children not to feel the need to follow what everyone else is doing — to strike out on their own.
I couldn’t agree more.
But here’s another thing to keep in mind — not only do we see the lone bird first, it’s far easier to take a shot at him. So if you take a different route, be prepared to defend your choice.
(Don’t worry — it’s totally worth it.)
Posted in Animals, Children, Commentary, Family, Humor, Life, Relationships
Tagged animals, birds, children, commentary, defend your choices, do your own thing, Facebook, family, follow your own path, Humor, individuality, life, philosophy, Relationships
Did you know the Internet was international? Seems obvious, right?
Apparently not to some.
Today several UK-based celebs have been wishing their mums Happy Mother’s Day.
Dan Stevens, who played the recently deceased Matthew Crawley on Downton Abbey. Chris O’Dowd of Bridesmaid and Girls fame. But they were quickly corrected by pushy, ethnocentric Americans that “Mother’s Day is still a couple of months away.”
I was at once embarrassed and entertained.
Cable television and the Internet may make programming and actors from other countries available to us here in America, but it doesn’t mean we’re necessarily going learn anything.
Well…at least we’re predictable.
Posted in Commentary, Family, Holiday, Humor, Internet, Relationships
Tagged Bridesmaids, cable television, Chris O'Dowd, Dan Stevens, Downton Abbey, England, enthocentric, family, Girls tv show, holidays, Humor, Internet, Matthew Crawley, mother's day, mothering day, mothers, mums, mums the word, Relationships, Twitter, UK
Celebrate ‘em today!
Posted in Family, Friends, History, Holiday, Life, Relationships
Tagged family, friends, history, Holiday, International Women's Day, life, March 8, Relationships
My sister and her husband stayed home last night — on a Friday night, no less — to watch the sci-fi classic Serenity starring Nathan Fillion.
It was a gift from me.
Not the movie itself — I’m sure they caught the film on Netflix or Hulu. No, their fascination with ‘all things Fillion’ started during their Christmas vacation with me here in New York City.
I took them to a Broadway show. To Jazz at Lincoln Center. To movies and restaurants and shops. Santa even visited my apartment.
But the gift that has continued to ‘keep on giving?’ An impromptu Castle marathon on the last day of their trip, when we all agreed that lying on the couch sounded like fun.
The day Lou and Chuck discovered the charms of Nathan Fillion.
Now they are catching up on episodes of Castle and learning all about his past as Captain Mal in Firefly and Serenity.
I love to watch an obsession come together!
Posted in Celebrities, Entertainment, Family, Holiday, Humor, Life, Television, TV
Tagged Broadway show, Captain Mal, Castle marathon, Castle tv show, celebrities, Christmas, entertainment, family, Firefly tv show, gift that keeps on giving, Holiday, Hulu, Humor, I really am ruggedly handsome, Jazz at Lincoln Center, life, Nathan Fillion, Netflix, New York City, obsession, sci-fi, Serenity movie, Television, TV
Happy Downton Day!
Matthew and I invite you to watch the premiere of Season Three of Downton Abbey in the USA at 9pm ET.
Enjoy it alone, with friends…or with your entire family.
I know I will.
Did someone ring for tea?
Posted in Entertainment, Family, Friends, Humor, Television, TV
Tagged Downton Abbey, Downton Day, entertainment, family, friends, Humor, Matthew Crawley, ring for tea, Television, TV, USA premiere
Exhibit A: 2013 Sock Monkey Calendar
Purchased December 30, 2012. Brand new. Twelve month-themed sock monkey images contained within imaginative and in excellent condition.
Fun year ahead — check.
Exhibit B: Rory with Sock Monkey
Given to Rory on Christmas Eve 2012. Brand new. Ball on Santa hat chewed off within moments of gifting.
Hat destroyed — check.
Relationship with sock monkey secured — double check.
Posted in Animals, Christmas, Dogs, Family, Holiday, Humor, Life, Relationships, Toys
Tagged 2013, animals, checking it twice, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Dogs, family, gifting, holidays, Humor, life, Relationships, santa, Santa hat, sock monkey, sock monkey calendar, toys
I thought I was prepared for The Impossible.
I knew the movie was based on a true story. I knew the director had used real water — not CGI — to recreate the 2004 tsunami. I knew the fate of the family portrayed by Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor and three child actors.
It wasn’t enough.
The Impossible is brutal — as realistic a retelling as I can imagine. Watching Naomi Watts and Tom Holland, who plays her oldest son Lucas, being swept away in the tsunami waters is harrowing. I don’t know how they could have shot those scenes and escaped real injury.
But while it is difficult to watch such personal and physical devastation, the movie is uplifted by the family’s will to live and determination to find each other, despite incredible odds.
Is it the obvious holiday film? No. But it does make you realize how lucky you are to be at home, surrounded by family and friends, safe and sound.
Posted in Celebrities, Commentary, Entertainment, Family, Life, Movies
Tagged actors, celebrities, CGI, child actors, commentary, devastation, entertainment, Ewan McGregor, family, film, life, Movies, Naomi Watts, safe and sound, The Impossible movie, Tom Holland, tsunami, tsunami waters
Emma, I have seen your future, and you are a success!
Let me explain.
My brother recently posted this picture of his granddaughter Emma sporting reindeer antlers at her school’s Christmas concert. Her holiday headgear and mischievous smile reveal a lot — a fun-loving, entertaining youngest child.
Sound familiar?
No, I’m not talking about me (although as the baby of the family, I have been known to grab the spotlight from time to time). I mean Emma’s actual doppelganger.
I’ve met her.
This is Stacey.
She’s an MBA candidate at the Boston University School of Management. And when I showed her Emma’s photo, she was quick to agree that the two were kindred spirits.
Emma, you are in excellent company.
Posted in Children, College, dreams, Education, Family, Friends, Holiday, Humor, Life, Relationships
Tagged baby of the family, back to the future, children, Christmas concert, college, doppelganger, education, good company, grab the spotlight, holiday headgear, holidays, Humor, kindred spirits, life, reindeer antlers, relationship, youngest child
I spent my Saturday morning in the dentist chair.
I lost a filling. My dentist had a replacement.
This is notable only because my dog Rory is scheduled for dental surgery on Friday. He has an abscess, and has been dealing with it for a few weeks because the doggy dental surgeon was booked.
I felt bad for him before, and after having a sore, sensitive mouth for only three days, now I feel worse.
My dog is a much better person than I am. This isn’t the first time I have been painfully aware of the fact.
We’ll make it all better soon, bubba.
Just dog it
Rory and I were passed by a jogging dog and his human this morning in Central Park and, as always, I tried to read the dog’s mind.
(Not that yoga’s competitive…yeah, right.)
Did he scorn my dog’s meandering pace? His aimless sniffing and peeing?
Or was that really a look of longing? Did Rory’s relaxing walk spark a memory from his puppy days, when mornings didn’t include a mandatory three-mile run?
Perhaps he was just in the zone. Focused. Wired in. Didn’t see me or Rory at all……
Good boy..
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Posted in Commentary, Dogs, Exercise, Family, Humor, Life, Walking
Tagged Central Park, commentary, dog athlete, Dogs, exercise, Humor, in the zone, jogging, life, meandering pace, newbie, puppy, sniffing and peeing, three-mile run, walking, wired in, yoga