Day Fourteen -- Post your favorite movies that you never get tired of watching.

Well, after being stuck in the house recently due to the ice storm that hit central North Carolina, it should’ve given me plenty of time to re-watch some of my favorite movies.  But, alas, due to power outages and debris clean-up, I really didn’t have time to watch any.  But it is times like that when you do typically find yourself with a little more spare time to watch some of your favorite movies.  Today’s topic to post some movies that I never get tired of watching is challenging.  I am one who typically will be more prone to watching TV shows or sports over movies.  I honestly don’t go to the theater but maybe once or twice a year (if that), but I will watch some movies on TV.  So, my selection of movies that I never tire of watching will be a mixed bag and some are ones I have watched non-stop my entire life.  I’ll choose five to keep it short and sweet, ha!

The Sound of Music

I would be remiss if I did not add this to my list, not to mention it should be exactly where it is placed on the list – at number one!   I have watched this movie my entire life and NEVER get tired of watching it.  Last year was the 50^th Anniversary of the movie, and I was so excited when they decided to show it in the movie theaters.  Having never seen The Sound of Music on the ‘big screen’, it was an overwhelming experience, and yes, I did cry a few times.  I also saw it at an outdoor showing under the stars.  Last year alone, I probably watched The Sound of Music more than I ever did in my entire life.  I make sure to watch it always at Christmastime and occasionally at other times throughout the year.  Julie Andrews is just flat-out phenomenal in the movie.  Her chemistry with Christopher Plummer is exquisite.  The Sound of Music is such a family-friendly movie filled with spectacular music and sights.  It is something I will continue to watch and enjoy for many more years to come! 

Mary Poppins

As you can tell, Julie Andrews is definitely one of my favorite actresses/singers.  From The Sound of Music to Mary Poppins, she is absolutely refreshing in both.  Mary Poppins always fascinated me as a child, and I often found myself trying to leap off the deck stairs with my umbrella with high aspirations of soaring in to the sky just like she did.  Needless to say, that always ended up in an utter fail for me!  Mary Poppins is another movie that when I need to have my spirits lifted, I can easily pop it in to the DVD player and be transported into another realm of the happy universe. 

9 to 5 

Isn’t this movie sometimes realistic?  Don’t we often all have moments when we feel the way that Violet, Judy and DoraLee do about their job and their boss?  9 to 5 is not only an amazing movie, but it is an amazing song written by the incredibly talented Dolly Parton.  Say what you want about the movie and the actors, but the combination of Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton is delightful.  I love the way the three of their characters bond and work together to transform their office.  This movie often had me rolling in laughter.  If you need to get some laughs out, grab a copy of this hit, sing along to the great hit song and enjoy the antics these three play on their boss. 

Gone With The Wind

You knew I couldn’t not add this movie to my list.  I don’t watch it as often as I used to, but it is always a good fallback.  The history within the movie may not be completely accurate (as one of my history professors in college pointed out rather bluntly), but the movie itself is still one of Hollywood’s best.  Vivien Leigh is absolutely stunning and her portrayal of Southern belle, Scarlett O’Hara, was splendid.  And who just couldn’t love Clark Gable as the dashing Rhett Butler?  I still stay Scarlett was stupid for chasing after Ashley (blah, blah, boring!) when she should’ve stayed with Rhett the entire time.  But nonetheless, I still enjoy the movie. However, please don’t waste your time watching the sequel, Scarlett, that’s six hours of my life that I wish I could get back!

The American President

My last choice was tough because it was a toss-up of two Presidential themed movies: The American President and Dave.  I adore both movies, but decided to stick with the one I chose.  The American President is a movie with a star-studded cast including Annette Bening, Michael Douglas and Martin Sheen to name a few.  It is one of those movies that I probably memorized most of the lines and repeated them often.  Maybe my former enjoyment of the political realm is what caused me to love this movie so much, I am not sure.  But nonetheless, it remains one movie that I do enjoy watching. 

So there you have it, my short list of movies that I never tire of watching.  I am sure I could list countless others, but I’ll stop for now.  Next time you are stuck indoors, grab you a good movie and watch!  Oh, but don’t forget the most important thing – the popcorn!!

Day Thirteen -- What are you excited about?

Isn’t it so amazing to sit back and watch the things that excite people?  Sometimes it is the little things, while other times it is the much larger scale actions that bring excitement and enjoyment in to people’s lives.  Kids are often the most excitable of all – getting a good grade in school, receiving a new toy, scoring a goal in their game, so many things bring so much joy in to their lives.  For adults, it is sometimes a little harder to see the excitement that is so evident upon a child’s excited face.  For me personally both a mixture of small and large things can bring excitement in to my life.  I can be as easily excited if someone likes/comments a post on my social media accounts, just as much as receiving some nice item as a gift.  Sometimes it is the smaller things that even hold more long term excitement and enjoyment in our lives. 

For me to choose one single thing or event that I am most excited about, will nearly be impossible, but I will strive to narrow it down.  Of course, I’m excited about our yearly State Fair, but since that is not coming until October, I’ll hold off on choosing that.  I am 100% excited about the revival of The X-Files, which comes back on FOX this Sunday, January 24^th (provided my local FOX station gets their act together and renegotiates with DirectTV so I can even watch it -- I am NOT happy about that!), but since I just recently wrote a prior blog on The X-Files, I won’t even choose that.  Sooooooo…, where shall I go from here?  Easy – BASKETBALL!!!

It is just a little over a month until the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament in Greensboro, and that is one event I absolutely, hands-down always look forward to attending yearly.  In my personal opinion, the ACC has the BEST women’s basketball teams as a collective of all the conferences in the NCAA.  When you have the caliber of teams and coaches that the ACC has to offer, you just cannot go wrong.  In my case, it is nearly impossible to choose a favorite team.  I live in Raleigh, North Carolina, surrounded by four of the ACC schools, and yes, while I am a season ticketholder at NC State, it does not mean I won’t support my other ACC schools like Florida State, Notre Dame, Miami, Georgia Tech and all the others, well except the TarHeels, I just can’t do that!  

While I am looking forward to the ACC Tournament in early March, there are several key games that I am as equally excited about attending during the regular conference season.  Most notably, I am excited about three key match-ups in particular:  Notre Dame at Duke, Florida State at Duke and Florida State at NC State.  Both Notre Dame and Florida State have become fast favorites for me.  I’ve always been longtime supporters of both schools, but with the quality of their athletes and the tremendous leadership of ACC and National Coaches of the Year, Muffet McGraw and Sue Semrau, you can’t possibly go wrong cheering for either of those schools.  If I could only take a road-trip to Tallahassee for the ultimate match-up between those two teams, I might just be on cloud nine!

Additionally, one of the most exciting basketball events that I attend regularly is Hoops for Hope that was created by legendary coach Kay Yow as a way to raise awareness for breast cancer that plagues so many women today.  Coach Yow was one of my all-time role models and heroes.  I loved the ground she walked on and loved how she was not afraid to stand-strong in her faith in God.  She has influenced so many lives world-wide. At times, it is still hard for me to believe she is no longer physically here coaching games at NC State, but it never fails that when I attend an NC State game, I can feel her presence at the game.  She would be so proud of the accomplishments not only of the Wolfpack Women, but of all the ACC coaches and their teams.  I encourage each of you to try to either attend Hoops for Hope or a Play4Kay game during the month of February in your local area.  Let’s keep Coach Yow’s memory going not only through basketball, but also by raising awareness through the Kay Yow Cancer Fund of the various cancers that can hopefully one day be cured. 

May you all find something in your life that you are passionate about and something that brings excitement to you – big or small, be on the lookout because there is always something that can keep us excited.  And just as a kind courtesy, what may not be exciting to you, could very easily be monumental to someone else.  I appreciate my friends who tolerate me when I get excited over something so small, so I always try to respect them when something excites them, as well.  Enjoy life and go to a basketball game and cheer on a team!

Day Twelve -- Write about five blessings in your life.

While it may not always seem that way, we are truly blessed in many more ways than we can even comprehend.  Each day, we can easily find something to be thankful for, even if it is something simple.  I was actually challenged at a ladies retreat to start a “thankful” journal, where you make a list of things you are thankful for and you continue to build upon it.  I started doing that alongside of my regular daily devotions, and it is truly amazing the things we often overlook that we should be thankful for.  So, today, for my writing challenge, I must choose five blessings in my life to write about.  As I mentioned, there’s so many things I’ve been blessed with, so my selections will be purely random and I will just choose the top five that pop in to my head.

My Parents – How often do we fail to realize how much of a blessing our parents are to us?  It always upsets me to hear people say how they hate their parents or treat them so poorly.  Sure, I’ll get in spats with my parents where we’ll fuss over things, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still love them and appreciate all they’ve given to me.  As I’ve gotten older, I realize how truly important they are in my life.  As a child, I think we take them for granted because we just want them to give us food and toys, but as we get older, we come to realize their true value, the loyalty, support and love that they show to us.  My parents are the best, and I truly don’t know what I would do without them.  They provide for me, they support me, and in many ways they do too much for me.  Sometimes, I often find myself thinking that I surely hope I don’t disappoint them in any way.  I’m so blessed to have good Christian parents who have instilled in my life the true core values that are foundational to our true humanity.  Thank you, Mom and Dad for all that you’ve done for me and will continue to do for me.  I love you both!

The Bible – We are truly blessed to be able to have the freedom to read God’s Holy Word.  It is such a blessing to my life because it is amazing how in doing my daily devotions that often times the devotion is on a subject matter that I am currently being plagued with.  God’s Word can serve as a true source of hope and encouragement to all of us.  I keep a daily journal to coincide with my devotions to make note of things I’ve learned or how certain Scriptures speak to me.  Read and study the Word, meditate on it and memorize as many verses as you can.  God gave us His Word as a tool and a resource, but we should be blessed to have such a cherished book.

ACC Women’s Basketball – I’ve previously written numerous blogs on the impact that basketball has had on my life.  From meeting coaches to attending many games in countless arenas, basketball is an avenue where I just let my hair down, relax and enjoy the game!  I’ve been very blessed to get to know two people through being a season ticket holder at NC State, two ladies who have become close friends to me.  I’m so grateful that God allowed me to meet Kim and Linda.  They are diehard basketball fans, and it is just so wonderful to have found kindred spirits who are as crazy over basketball as I am.  They make me laugh and keep me going.  They help cheer me up when I am not having a good day and encourage me in many other avenues of life.  So, while both the game of basketball and meeting so many great coaches and players has been a blessing, so has the people you meet by going to so many games.  Memories that will last a lifetime!

Good Health – In a time of ever increasing health problems that seem to be growing at a super-fast pace, I have been blessed to have relatively good health.  Yes, I do have some health conditions, but in comparison to what so many others face, I have nothing to complain about.  It is a true blessing that I am able to walk, talk, laugh and enjoy life even battling a few ailments.  I look at people who are dying of cancer or some other horrible disease, and while I feel so sad for them and their families for the struggle that they are facing, I also realize how blessed I am as that could easily be me.  We don’t know what we may face as we continue to age here on this Earth, but whatever comes your way, we have to embrace it and be strong.  Rely on God to give you the strength to get through the hardship, and He will.  God is good, and I’m so thankful that as of to date, I am still a fairly healthy person. 

Travelling – You may think, travelling, huh?!, how is that a blessing?  Well, I have been fortunate to be able to travel to a number of states within the United States and to two countries.  I’ve practically covered every inch of North Carolina (well, not quite but almost), and have been able to go to many festivals, games, concerts, etc., all over.  Many times, I think I take for granted how blessed I am to be able to travel and go places.  Some people are not able to travel for various reasons or just choose not to explore the great beyond.  It is amazing to see all that awaits us, so I feel travelling has been a blessing because it opens you up to see how others live and how other societies differ totally from yours (even within your own home state!).

So, there is my short list of things that I feel have been a blessing in my life.  Continue to look for things in your own life to see what all you’ve been blessed with – big or small.  I think you’ll be surprised at the many things we don’t even consider as blessings in our lives.  Enjoy life and be blessed!

Day Eleven -- Something you always think "What if..." about.

In this ever-changing society, we often find ourselves in varying predicaments where we are always pondering “what if” such and such may or may not happen.  Sometimes, I think we may even come close to wearing out the “what-if” phrase.  People are often asked “what if” you had a specific amount of time left to live what would you do and all sorts of questions like that.  Sure, I’ve pondered that question myself, but in reality, that’s not something I really worry about.  If it’s my time to go, then it’s my time to go.  There’s nothing I can really do to stop that.  To be honest, I don’t know of one particular thing that I am constantly thinking “what if” about.  There are a lot of varying scenarios that run throughout my head on any given basis that are possible “what if” situations, so I’ll share a few of these, but again, they are not things that I dwell on.

“What if someone comes in to this building shooting, what will I do?” – Sure, that’s a rather morbid “what if” but sadly, these days, it is something we all ponder.  Working for a very large school system, it is something that is a very plausible scenario.  I pray it never happens, but with more and more shootings breaking out each and every day, it is something that we all do ponder whether it could happen.  All the “what if” scenarios fly through your head when thinking of something like that.  You start pondering where to hide, how to escape and all sorts of things.  We never know what may happen, but just don’t let that become the sole thing you think about it.  Sure, it very well could happen at my job, your job or anyone else’s job, and if it happens, is there much we can do to stop it?  We just have to pray it doesn’t happen and keep going forward with our lives. 

“What if Jesus comes back today?” – Maybe it shouldn’t be a real “what if” question, but it is another one of those that could happen at any moment.  If He does return today, hallelujah!  We won’t have to live on this Earth anymore with all the wickedness and sinfulness that’s ongoing.  The real question that must be address is if Jesus comes back today, are you ready?  Are you ready to go to Heaven? Will you be going to Heaven? I hope and pray you who read this will be ready.  It’s an easy process.  You just simply have to confess your sins, ask Him to come in to your heart and forgive you for those sins and accept Him as your Lord and Savior.  He died a brutal death to take the punishment for our sins!  And I can guarantee that none of us really want to spend our eternity in the alternative location of Heaven.  Be ready!  We don’t know when He may return, but I hope you’ll be joining me in Heaven!

“What if my pants fall down in front of my coworkers?” – Okay, I seriously have never pondered that until I just typed it.  I was merely trying to think of a funny or abnormal one compared to my other two more serious “what ifs”.  We are all likely to encounter some type of embarrassing situation out in the public.  Just try to laugh it off and go on.  Hey! Everyone needs a good laugh for the day, so what may be an embarrassment to you, might be just what someone else needed to let loose for the day.

Yes, we’ll all encounter “what ifs” in our lives, even on a daily basis, but how we respond to those moments is what is key.  Sure, it’s okay to ponder the “what if” situation, but just ponder it and move on.  That situation may not ever even come to fruition, and if it doesn’t, then you’ve basically wasted time even pondering it.  That’s why it’s so important to not get your mind wrapped up in the “what if” spider web because you can get so easily sucked in to spinning and spinning and spinning until that’s all you are consumed with.  Try to enjoy life as much as you can, and always try to find something to laugh about as it does lift your spirits!

Day Ten -- When you were little, what occupation did you want to have when you "grew up"?

What a unique topic for today’s writing challenge.  It is so amazing to talk to children and ask them what they want to be when they grow up and listen to all the variety of occupations they come up with.  If they are like me, their list of occupational aspirations likely changes quite often.  I recall that my Mom had this school days book where you would list information about each school year (ie: teacher’s name, grade, field trips, etc.), but the neat thing to me about the book is that each year you selected what occupation you wanted to be.  Flipping back through that book a few of my entries remained continual, but then some years, I chose some off-the-wall occupation (ie: an artist – yeah, right!  I struggle to even draw a stick figure!)  The two selections that remained over the years are the two that I have chosen to use for this entry – a pilot and a news anchor. 

For whatever reason, I have always had a fascination with airplanes and flying.  So from a very early age, I decided that I either wanted to be a pilot or a flight attendant.  Prior to the security changes implemented after September 11^th, my Granddad would take me to the airport where we would walk the terminals and sit for hours watching planes.  When relatives would travel to see us, I always wanted to go to the airport to pick them up or drop them off.  One of the highlights of my life occurred on one of those airport visits when we were taking my Aunt Ruth to see her off to Massachusetts.  We went with her to the gate, and as I was sitting there with her, I was spying out the window at the plane before me.  Unbeknownst to me, one of the airline employees spotted me doing this and once they finished boarding the plane, she had a flight attendant escort me on to the plane for a tour.  The pilot and co-pilot invited me to come in the cockpit and have a look around, which ultimately meant I was awarded with “pilot wings” upon my departure from the aircraft.  That moment forever stayed with me and increased my desire to fly!   As I got older, it was mentioned to me that I would likely not be able to be a pilot due to my poor eyesight.  Needless to say, I was crushed, but it didn’t stop me from dreaming.  The funniest about all of my childhood aspirations of being a pilot was that I had never actually flown in a plane!!  I didn’t take my first commercial airline trip until after I had graduated from high school.  Nevertheless to this day when I step foot on to a plane, I still wish I had pursued that dream of being a pilot or a flight attendant.  There’s just something about soaring above it all!  (And, yes, somewhere in my collection of trinkets, I am sure I still have my numerous sets of pilot wings in addition to the awesome Mickey Mouse ears flight pin from Delta!)

In addition to being fascinated with flying the friendly skies, I was also fascinated by the friendly faces that invaded our homes nightly via the television screen – those faces of the local television news anchors.  I’m honestly not sure where the passion to become a broadcast journalist came from.  I assume just watching the news so much, it popped in to my little brain that I could do that.  I even did a career research paper in school on being a broadcast journalist. My ultimate career goal was to replace Katie Couric as the anchor of NBC’s Today Show.  Well this, Meredith didn’t, but another Meredith did! Ultimately, I wanted to be a local political correspondent, but back then, there wasn’t a lot that was politically motivating in the region of the country I grew up in, so the need was not necessary.  I ended up changing my major in college from Communications back to Government, and subsequently chose not to pursue that career path. As fate would have it, now, there is a whole branch in our region that is dedicated to following the General Assembly and local politics all the way up to the national level.   We just never know how time will change the need for varying items within our locale.

Throughout our life, we are going to have many different career goals and ambitions.  We may not ultimately pursue our goals and passions, and we may end up on a totally different path (kind of like I ended up!). But sometimes even as grown-ups, I think we still find ourselves asking “what do we want to be when we grow up?”  It seems to be a question that sticks with us and one that we can’t really shed.  May you continue to pursue the options that interest you, and if you find down the road, that you need to change the direction of your sails, then do so, what can it hurt to give something a new shot?   (Maybe I’m ultimately talking to myself at that!)  Who knows, maybe one day, I’ll decide to totally change career paths and maybe you will see me serving you something high in the sky!  Dream high, the sky is the limit!