It’s Friday, time to look back over the blessings of the week
with Susanne and other friends at Living to Tell the Story .
Here we are more than a week into August already. Everyone’s posting first day of school photos on Facebook. It’s still hot and humid. But fall is in sight! And we’ve got some fun family doings coming up before summer’s over.
Meanwhile, I’m grateful for a moment to stop and recount some of the best moments of the last week:
1. Good movies.
- We were getting ready for pizza-and-movie night, and I wondered aloud whether Lady and the Tramp was available anywhere. Jim said he thought we had taped it, so he went looking and found it on an old home VHS! Thankfully we still have a VHS player! It must have come on TV at some time, and I am glad we caught it when we did! Timothy seemed to enjoy it–normally he loses interest in movies before they’re over, but he sat and watched this almost til the end. It was nostalgic for me: I loved it as a child and loved watching it with my children.
- Then, while riding my exercise bike last week, I watched Saving Mr. Banks, about Walt Disney trying to persuade P. L. Travers to sell him the rights to her Mary Poppins book. She resisted for 20 years, not wanting him to turn it into one of his “silly cartoons.” But she finally gave in, as long as she was the creative consultant. Most of the movie is her objecting to most of they wanted to do (especially the animated dancing penguins–and I have to admit, that’s my least favorite part of Mary Poppins, too). But interspersed with that are flashbacks to her growing up with a creative, loving, but alcoholic father who couldn’t hold a job and how all of that made her into the somewhat uptight woman she grew up to be. I love when her armor starts to crack, especially in her relationship with her driver. (Warning: this film does contain a couple of bad words and one instance of taking God’s name in vain. There’s also an brief unsuccessful suicide attempt, for those for whom that might be a hard trigger).
- The movie I’ve been watching while exercising this week is The Case for Christ about Lee Strobel. I had read one or two of his books and knew his story: he was an award-winning investigative journalist and an atheist. When his wife became a Christian, he set out disprove Christianity, particularly the resurrection of Christ, with the drive and resources of a journalist. But the evidence he found convinced him it was all real, and he became a believer who has now written several books about his research. The movie only contains a fraction of his research, but it weaves it in such a way that it does not sound like a documentary.
2. My son and daughter-in-law’s 10th anniversary!
3. Shaping up flowers. I am neither an outdoorsy person nor much of a gardener, but I do enjoy occasionally deadheading and shaping up the roses, hydrangeas, and flower pots and keeping the ivy from taking over. It looks much better out there.
4. A root beer float is my treat after getting all hot and sweaty working outside. I don’t allow myself to have them that often, making them even more special.
5. A successful first dentist’s visit for Timothy. Everything went well, and he told me he was “very brave.” I loved that he wanted to come tell us all about it afterward.
Happy Friday, folks! Have a great weekend!
Stray Thoughts 
I’ve watched “Saving Mr. Banks” as well. Good movie. I’m not much of a gardener either. I have a marigold plant and petunia plant that is hanging on for dear life!
That’s neat about the movie with Timothy. I’m gratified that we’re not the only ones who still have a VCR 🙂 Interesting too about Saving Mr. Banks. I enjoyed that movie too, and found the story about Travers fascinating. Recently my mom was watching Mary Poppins here, and I was reminded that I really don’t like that movie all that much — the dumb animated penguin stuff is a big part of it. I don’t blame Travers for being annoyed with that. Root beer floats: yum!
always enjoy reading your friday fives! and i LOVE that you included your childrens’ 10 year anniversary. they are blessed to have you as a mom.
Dave and i saw Saving Mr Banks via Netflix and loved it! We thought it was very well done minus the swearing.
Happy anniversary to your son!
Yay for T having a good dental check up!!
I love working with my flowers. This year though some are not doing so well. My morning glories are very late!!
Ooohhhh. I just love root beer floats. Been a long time, i need to fix that!, good for you for rewarding your self!
Happy weekend!
I’ve always loved Lady and the Tramp. The spaghetti scene is a work of art!! 🙂 –Ann
I’ve now lost count of how many times this makes that I’ve tried to post this comment. I’ve reset my password, so perhaps what I type this time can actually go through. I hope so. Anyway, my original comment was that I totally get how you feel when Timothy wants to come and share things with you like his dentist appointment. That is so sweet and it does warm a grandparent’s heart when things like that happen. I’m really glad that they live close by so that you can enjoy him so much.
I love root beer floats, and going to A&W is one of my summer bucket list items that I have yet to check off! The first Disney movie I remember is Lady and the Tramp. I haven’t watched it in years. Saving Mr. Banks was such a wonderful film, I could watch it again. Happy anniversary to your son and DIL!
Have watched Saving Mr Banks.Lovely movie Wishing your son and daughter in law a very happy wedding anniversary dear.
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I like to sit in a yard but hate garden work ! Fortunately our garden is not too difficult I replaced the real flowers by fake once ! Nobody has noticed it so far, lol ! Ah the teeth ! first you suffer to get them and then comes the visit to the dentist and at the end you suffer when you loose them !
I really enjoyed the movie Saving Mr. Banks and Fox and the Hound is one of my favorites but I can’t watch it without tissue close by. Happy Anniversary to your son and daughter in law. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years already! I haven’t had a root beer float in forever. Now I’m craving one. LOL.
I will have to put Saving Mr. Banks on our list of movies to watch. Thanks for the recommendation.
And Lady and the Tramp was one of my youngest girl’s favorites to watch with her grandma.
Happy Anniversary x 10 to your son and daughter-in-law!