Ready, Set, Watch!

  Winter is my favorite season of the year, not just because the weather gets cooler (I can’t stand being hot! Sweating is so gross!), but also because it’s Christmastime. I love everything about Christmas: hanging ornaments, eating cookies, eating pie, just eating period, wrapping presents, unwrapping presents (!!), shopping for gifts, listening to carols, taking a trip down to the neighborhood ‘Christmas Street’ to look at all the pretty decorated houses, Hallmark movie marathons, sitting by the beautifully scented tree as the lights twinkle, spending time with my family, and of course, the fact that people are generally nicer at this time of year! All that said, I am not so Christmas-minded that I am unaware that there are other holidays to celebrate. I know a bit about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, and, of course, New Year’s, but I still have a lot to learn about those holidays, as well as others that are celebrated around the world at this time of year. What do you say we d...

Title: A Royal Christmas Ballet Summary: A retired ballerina is pressed into service working with a visiting team of royal ambassadors to put on the season's performance of "The Nutcracker" and finds herself center stage in an unexpected Christmas romance. Stars: Brittany Underwood, Jonathan Stoddard, Daniela Couso, Allen Guy Wilcox Platform: Tubi Rating: 2.5/5 My Review: Take one bright-eyed and bushy-tailed young heroine, a middle-aged prince from an ambiguous European country, add in a scheming temptress, some ballet dancing, a dash of humor, and set it amidst a small-town production of “The Nutcracker”, and you’ve got the basic premise for this cheesy Christmas movie. This definitely is not Shakespeare, but then none of the sappy Hallmark and Hallmark-esque movies I love to watch are ever going to win any Academy Awards. And I don’t need them to. I am honestly just looking for a sappy love story, two cute leads with halfway decent chemistry and some acting skills...

Like sands through the hourglass So are the days of our lives It feels right that this inaugural post on my blog is about  Days of Our Lives  since we just celebrated the 60th anniversary of the many triumphs and travails of a little town called Salem. I have loved the venerable soap opera ever since I was in high school, sneaking clandestine peeks at episodes with my fellow classmates on the big clunky TV set whenever our lackadaisical teacher wandered off for a coffee break (or to do God only knows what). Even during the times when I've lapsed in my viewing for whatever reason, something always brings me back to Salem because it's home. I can't imagine my days without Days. This legacy soap is best known for its larger-than-life plotlines (Marlena possessed twice, anyone?), iconic characters (Bo Brady, where you at?), and beloved supercouples (Steve & Kayla and Jack & Jen get my votes). Days has built up a large and loyal fanbase over the years. The dedication ...