The Hunger Games

Hunger Games is one of the most intense movies I have watched in a long time. Every riveting moment is packed with adventure and suspense. It also struck something deep inside me, being the mother of an almost twelve year old. I couldn't imagine the horror of watching your child go through something like that, let alone the horror of it being televised all over the nation for others enjoyment. Collins wraps you up and pulls you in. Hang on, it is an intense and bumpy ride...Author Vicky Renee Johnson..

Synopsis: The Hunger Games takes place in a nation known as Panem, after the destruction of North America by some unknown apocalyptic event. Panem consists of a wealthy Capitol and twelve surrounding, poorer districts under the Capitol's hegemony. District 12, where the book begins, is located in the coal-rich region that was formerly Appalachia.

As punishment for a previous rebellion against the Capitol in which a 13th district was destroyed, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by annual lottery to participate in the Hunger Games. This is an event in which the participants (or "tributes") must fight in an outdoor arena controlled by the Capitol, until only one individual remains. The story is narrated by 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a girl from District 12 who volunteers for the 74th annual Hunger Games in place of her younger sister, Primrose. Also selected from District 12 is Peeta Mellark, a baker's son whom Katniss knows from school, and who once gave her bread when her family was starving.

Katniss and Peeta are taken to the Capitol where their drunken mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, victor of the 50th Hunger Games, instructs them to watch and learn the talents of the other tributes. They are then publicly displayed to the Capitol audience in a televised session with interviewer Caesar Flickerman. During this time, Peeta reveals on-air his longtime unrequited love for Katniss. Katniss believes this to be a ploy to gain audience support for the Games, which can be crucial for survival, as audience members are encouraged to send gifts like food, medicine, and tools to favored tributes during the Games. Katniss relies on her well-practiced hunting and outdoor skills to survive. A few days into the games, Katniss develops an alliance with Rue, a 12-year-old girl from the agricultural District 11 who reminds Katniss of her sister, Primrose. The alliance is short-lived; Rue is killed by another tribute. At Rue's request Katniss sings to her, then spreads flowers over her body as a sign of respect—and of disgust towards the Capitol.

Supposedly due to Katniss and Peeta's beloved image in the minds of the audience as "star-crossed lovers", a rule change is announced midway through the Games, stating that two tributes from the same district can win the Hunger Games as a pair. Upon hearing this, Katniss searches for Peeta and eventually finds him wounded. As she nurses him back to health, she acts the part of a young girl falling in love to gain more favor with the audience and, consequently, gifts from her sponsors. When the couple is finally the last two tributes, the Gamemakers reverse the rule change in an attempt to force them into a dramatic finale, where one must kill the other to win. Katniss, knowing that the Gamemakers would rather have two victors than none, retrieves highly poisonous berries known as "nightlock" from her pouch and offers some to Peeta. Thinking that Katniss and Peeta intend to commit suicide, the Gamemakers announce that both will be the victors of the 74th Hunger Games.

Although she survives the ordeal in the arena and is treated to a hero's welcome in the Capitol, Katniss is warned by Haymitch that she has now become a political target after defying her society's authoritarian leaders so publicly. Afterwards, Peeta is heartbroken when he learns that Katniss's actions in the arena were part of a calculated ploy to earn sympathy from the audience. However, Katniss is unsure of her own feelings and realizes that she is dreading the moment when she and Peeta will go their separate ways.

 Hunger games is the captivating creation of Suzanne Collins.

THE AUTHOR- Suzanne Collins currently lives in Connecticut with her family and a pair of feral kittens they adopted from their backyard.

Collins says that the inspiration to write The Hunger Games came from channel surfing on television. On one channel she observed people competing on a reality show and on another she saw footage of the invasion of Iraq. The two "began to blur in this very unsettling way" and the idea for the book was formed.

Dirty Dancing

Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romance film that has become a favorite in the hearts of many. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, the film features Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the lead roles, as well as Cynthia Rhodes and Jerry Orbach. The story documents a teenage girl's coming of age through a relationship with a dance instructor during the family's summer vacation. Patrick Swayze dances into our hearts as Johnny Castle.

Synopsis

Baby develops a crush on the resort's dance instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze), part of the working-class entertainment staff.

When she, while carrying a watermelon, is invited to one of their secret after-hours parties, she observes the "dirty dancing" for the first time. She is intrigued by the sexy dancing, and receives a brief, impromptu lesson from Johnny.

Later, she discovers that his dance partner Penny Johnson (Cynthia Rhodes) is pregnant by Robbie Gould (Max Cantor), the womanizing waiter who is dating and cheating on Baby's sister Lisa. Baby learns that Robbie plans to do nothing about the pregnancy—as he says, "some people count, some people don't." So Baby secures the money from her father to pay for Penny's illegal abortion. Jake agrees to give the money to Baby despite her secrecy regarding what it will be used for, because of the trust Jake has always held in her.

In her efforts to help, Baby also becomes Penny's substitute dancer for a performance at the Sheldrake, a nearby resort where Johnny and Penny perform annually. The upcoming show requires Johnny to train Baby to become a better dancer and learn the required routine.

As Baby becomes Johnny's pupil in dancing, tempers flare and a romance begins to develop in the process. Their performance at the Sheldrake goes reasonably well, though she is too nervous to accomplish the dance's climactic lift. When they return to Kellerman's, they learn that Penny's backstreet abortion was botched, leaving her in agonizing pain. Baby brings her father to help, but he assumes that the pregnancy was caused by Johnny, and he therefore forbids Baby to have anything to do with Johnny or his friends. Jake is furious at Baby for lying to him and betraying his trust. Baby, however, defies him and sneaks out to visit Johnny in his room that same night, where they consummate their blossoming romance.

I admit shamelessly that I have watched this movie at least a hundred times. Its nice to have on just to listen to the wonderful music.

My favorite line in the movie, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner” by Johnny Castle.

Unfortunately the beautiful resort, Mountain Lake Hotel , that the movie was filmed in recently burned to the ground.

“The Funky Lady.”

LINDA LINDALE

“THE FUNKY LADY”

Imagine a world full of color, a world of creativity, a world full of visions. Imagine that and you imagine the world of Linda Lindale.

"LISA MARIE"



This Mississippi artist received a calling in life to share her love of fabric art with the world. As a young child, she began crocheting at the knee of her aunt. Working from visions inspired by nature, movies, photographs, and everyday life, she would quickly sketch what the vision revealed or she would immediately begin working on her pieces.

THE SCARLET LETTER

Linda’s work is very unique. In fact, it has been described as “offbeat, unusual, and trend-setting.” It’s not exactly Grandma’s knitted scarf; hence the nickname, “The Funky Lady.” Her free-form creations include scarves, collars, hats, shawls, vests, kimonos, and shrugs. She look for odd and unusual things, using different yarns, colors, and textures. She also incorporate metals into her textiles.

BEAUTIFUL JEWELERY

I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Linda many years ago. She has always been an inspiration to me and her artwork is not the only thing that is colorful so is her personality and her soul. If I had one word to describe this little lady it would be, “SPUNKY”. Because that is exactly what she is. 8-)

 ELEGANT SCARFS

 SHAWLS

BABY CLOTHES

AND MANY MORE COLORFUL CREATIONS

You can find Linda Lindale and her Funky Ladies Studio at:

http://www.FunkyLadiesStudio.com

Did you know the Titanic had sisters?

Everyone knows about the Titanic, a passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912 after colliding with an iceberg. The sinking of Titanic caused the deaths of 1,514 people in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. The Titanic carried 2,223 people. The Titanic was one of three Olympic class ocean liners operated by the White Star Line, the Titanic was built between 1909–11 by the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast

Did you know that the Titanic had a sisters? The Titanic belonged to the  White Star trio, Olympic, Titanic and Britannic.

The Olympic was the first of the trio of White Star Liners. Launched on October 20th,1910 Under the command of Captain E.J. Smith (who was later to command the Titanic) she sailed on June 14th 1911 on her Maiden voyage to New York.

On 1st September 1915 the Olympic was requisitioned by the British Government for war service as a troopship. Later she received a coat of dazzle paint designed to confuse enemy observers. The Olympic found its place in history when it struck and sank a German submarine, U103.

After the war the ship returned to commercial service, and despite her early mishaps, she gained an affectionate following and earned the nickname "Old Reliable". On May 15th, 1934 the Olympic collided with the Nantucket lightship with the loss of 7 lives.

Britannic was launched on 26 February 1914 at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast. On August 1914 the First World War broke out. On 13th November 1915 the Britannic was requisitioned as a hospital ship becoming HMHS (His Majesty's Hospital Ship) Britannic.

On 8:12am on 21st November 1916 Britannic struck a mine, some say it was a torpedo, in the Kea Channel, Aegean Sea. The Britannic began to sink in a much like her sister's end in 1912.

The Ships were famous for their grandure, with delicate attention to detail.

Three beautiful Sister ships, three very similar tragedic endings.

Amory Railroad Festival 2012

The Amory Railroad Festival began during 1979 and attracts nearly 60,000 visitors each year. I remember going to the festival the first year it started with my classmates.

I remember dressing up like a Hobo on Hobo day. I remember what a big treat it was to see Buddy and Kay from the morning show at the park. They were the biggest stars I had ever met off of TV.

The innocence of the railroad festival is now in the eyes of my son. He waits anxiously every year to go to the park and see the rides. He is eleven this year and has been counting down the days since we left the park last year. I look forward to The Amory Railroad Festival 2012. Hope to see you there.

A MIX OF SUN AND CLOUDS by TAMIE RAINEY GATHINGS

A MIX OF SUN AND CLOUDS

 BY

TAMIE RAINEY GATHINGS

A gift beyond measure…

This short but powerful book tells the story of two women bound by blood and their parallel struggles to survive. Jessie Mae Loyd was born into poverty in the Deep South a year before the Great Depression; she faced numerous challenges meant to break her body and spirit. Decades later, she watched her granddaughter repeating much of that same life. Using her life as a roadmap Jessie Mae makes it her mission to steer the young girl around the dangerous potholes she encountered. By sharing her love and wisdom she gives the girl a gift beyond measure—hope for a better life.

I devoured this book in less than one day! It's beautifully written and inspiring, penned by a Mississippi Author from humble beginnings. Tammie Rainey Gathings reflections on healing and forgiveness are astounding and a highlight of this hard-to-put-down tearjerker. She brings home the point that having faith in yourself and learning how to love yourself is a key element in surviving. I was always told, you should never judge someone until you have walked in their shoes. I feel as if I at least tried Tammie's on. This inspirational story of courage and perseverance makes us appreciate the ones in our lives that we so often take for granted. I had two wonderful grandmothers and my son has been blessed with a wonderful grandmother. I was raised to believe in 'mawmaw power'. This story is full of ‘Mawmaw power’. I love this book.

Jessie Mae

Tammie's Grandmother

Tammie as a child!

Thanks for stopping by, Now, go grab a cup of coffee or a tall glass of ice tea, crawl out on the front porch swing with a good book and enjoy.

The reason behind Easter Eggs

I love Easter. I remember Dylans first Easter. We got him a basket four times bigger than him. We hid over a hundred eggs. We were still finding eggs in July. I was thinking about why the egg became so popular at Easter so I decided to do some research.

The custom of giving eggs at Easter celebrates new life. Christians remember that Jesus, after dying on the cross, rose from the dead. This miracle showed that life could win over death.
For Christians the egg is a symbol of Jesus' resurrection, as when they are cracked open they stand for the empty tomb. No-one actually knows when eggs were first used as symbols at festival times but it was long before Jesus' time. Eggs were always thought to be special because although they do not seem alive, they have life within them especially at springtime when chicks hatch out.
Long ago people gave gifts of eggs carved from wood or precious stones. The first sweet eggs that were eaten were made in the last 100 years from sugar or marzipan. Since then chocolate eggs have become popular and these are given on Easter Sunday.

HAPPY EASTER AND GOD BLESS FROM SOUTHERN GURL'S BOOKS AND SUCH.

Thanks for stopping by, Now, go grab a cup of coffee or a tall glass of ice tea, crawl out on the front porch swing with a good book and enjoy.

Mississippi Vampires by Vicky Renee Johnson

Synopsis for 'MISSISSIPPI VAMPIRES'

Jonathan's human life had not amounted to much. He began his days in Amory, Mississippi, the eldest and only son of Robert and Judith Garland, born April 26, 1905. Even though he was a child of the great depression, his childhood had been a privileged one. Jonathan's future was bright until he met the Beautiful and Enchanting... Ruby Leigh.

Once turned he was accepted by his new brothers, Dylan, Garret, Randy and Patch. Together they would not only have to face Ruby Leigh,their mysterious maker, but also Stefan, A Blues playing Vampire who had gone down to the Crossroads and sold his soul.

I really enjoyed writing this book. As I got into the book each character came to life and took on their own personality. My favorite characters are Dr. Edith, she is like the mother-hen to my group of Vampires, Daisy and Petunia, they are suspected to be the daughters of a Barrymore you know,  Margo, my favorite Vampire FBI detective,   Mary Jo, the care-taker of the Demon-possessed vampire Stefan,  and of course, Dylan, named after my son Dylan.

I hope you enjoy this book.

Now, go grab a cup of coffee or a tall glass of ice tea, crawl out on the front porch swing with a good book and enjoy.