There's no doubt the war felt harder around the holidays. Not only were people missing their loved ones, but there were shortages of many materials so everyone had to get creative. Handmade gifts were big, and children's toys were often made out of paper and wood instead of plastic and metal. However, stuff wasn't always … Continue reading During World War Two: Five Wartime Holiday Songs
Shamedown #12: Saleslady
It's hard to believe this is our last Shamedown of 2022...this year went quick and slow at the same time, didn't it? If anyone would like to know what a Shamedown is the details can be found here and past Shamedowns can be found here. And now, on with the show... Mistaken identity is a … Continue reading Shamedown #12: Saleslady
Meg and the Amazing Bouncing Snow Globe
It seems everyone is getting in on the Christmas movie racket these days. It works for Hallmark and Lifetime, so why not? Amazon's got its holiday films, as does Netflix, and to a lesser degree, HBO Max. Even The Asylum has jumped on the bandwagon. Yep. The studio that brought us Transmorphers, Blood Lake, and the Sharknado series … Continue reading Meg and the Amazing Bouncing Snow Globe
Anywhere I Hang My Hat
Us Americans have always been famous for adapting to our surroundings but some things are a little beyond the pale. Like squatting. Obviously, it's usually not nice. Obviously, it's illegal depending on where the squatting happens. In California and other states, for instance, it's what's called a wobbler, which means a squatter can be charged … Continue reading Anywhere I Hang My Hat
Eve and Lacey Save Christmas
Ah, Christmas movies. They're so cozy we can almost taste the roast turkey and smell the chocolate. It would be nice to disappear into one of those romps, wouldn't it? 2019's A Christmas Movie Christmas does just that with a wink and a nod. Eve (Lana McKissack) loves Christmas and Christmas movies. Like, she really loves … Continue reading Eve and Lacey Save Christmas
Go West, Young Canadian
Janette Oke is one of the premier contemporary authors of Christian literature, and as her novels are mostly set on the Canadian prairies Laura Ingalls Wilder would be her closest comparison. Oke's eight-book Love Comes Softly series has sold millions of copies and continues to be discovered and re-discovered by enthusiastic readers. Six of the … Continue reading Go West, Young Canadian
Give Us the Pen, Clark
Hallmark might not agree, but holiday movies can be more than bounteous feasts, warm sweaters, and old friendships renewed. 2018's Santa Jaws is proof positive that anything can be Christmas movie fodder, even vicious man-eating sharks. Cody (Reid Miller) is a fantastic comic book artist who has come up with a new comic strip, Santa Jaws, about … Continue reading Give Us the Pen, Clark
Five Unusual Christmas Movies
OK, last year in my "Christmas Movies Are All the Same (And I'm Still Here For It)" post, I said that every Christmas movie ends idyllically. All i's are neatly dotted and all t's neatly crossed, with everyone holding a cup of cider or hot chocolate and smiling prettily while Grandma hands out cookies. Heh, … Continue reading Five Unusual Christmas Movies
Keep It Simple, Shakespeare
Hello, Mr. Plummer... I LOVE a good Shakespeare reading, It just makes me smile all over. The setting doesn't have to be fancy, either, because the language is so vivid and powerful that it creates its own scene. Even a black background (such as in this clip of Damian Lewis reciting the "Friends, Romans, Countrymen" … Continue reading Keep It Simple, Shakespeare
Page To Screen: The Sarah, Plain and Tall Trilogy
Remember the Hallmark Hall of Fame movies? I used to watch those with my parents all the time, and I don't know about anyone else, but my favorites next to Harvest of Fire was the Sarah, Plain and Tall trilogy. Based on Patricia MacLachlan's novels of the same name, they are prime examples of how to … Continue reading Page To Screen: The Sarah, Plain and Tall Trilogy
Seven Years Later
Taking Up Room is seven years old...zoikes, that's scary. I can't believe how much time has gone by already and how much has happened in the past year. Does anyone else think 2022 felt like a long year? Yet here we are in December, and WordPress very kindly sent me this: Some of you later … Continue reading Seven Years Later
Taking Up Room 