It’s that time of year again. Time to make a list and check it twice. Or more.
This year I’m doing a list of Christmas movies. Not necessarily the best ones nor ones that everyone raves about. Some may be classics. Some may be new. Some may be obscure. But they are all films I have seen and enjoyed in some way. I must have enjoyed them, right? Otherwise I wouldn’t mention them on here. I will go in order from 25 to 1, with 1 being my absolute favorite Christmas movie.
Starts tomorrow. So stay tuned. Maybe you’ll find a new Christmas movie to check out.
Now that Halloween is over, there seems to be a question among many as to whether it’s okay to put up Christmas decorations. My question is, why the hell wouldn’t it be okay?
People, there is no law or rule that says you can’t decorate for Christmas or put your Christmas tree up before a certain time. Just as there is no law or rule that says you can only listen to Christmas music starting on a certain date or that you can only watch holiday movies during the month of December.
So why are you wasting your time asking all over social media if it’s okay? If it makes you happy, do it. Shit, even if it doesn’t make you happy, do it. Who gives a flying fuck what the hell others think? Even if it’s someone you have to live with.
I listen to Christmas music 365 days a year. Seriously. Every single day I make sure I listen to some kind of Christmas music. All. Year. Long. And I’ve been known to watch “White Christmas” in the middle of July, or any other time of the year, for that matter. Along with numerous other holiday films.
For the record, my house has been decorated for Christmas since before Halloween. And the tree will remain up well into February. And I had my Halloween decorations up at the end of August. Because there’s no rules or laws that say I couldn’t.
So what are you waiting for? Get off your asses and get decorating!
If it weren’t for my 18-year-old daughter, I would never have known who Matthew Perry was.
Although “Friends” ended a year before she was born, my daughter “discovered” “Friends” six years ago when it was on Netflix. She came to me and asked if she could watch it. I had never seen an episode of “Friends” myself, although during the 90’s I did watch plenty of shows of its genre such as “Mad About You” and “Seinfeld”. For whatever reason, I never had thought about “Friends”. I knew of its popularity. Everyone everywhere talked about it. I don’t know why I didn’t watch it. Then.
So here was my barely-a-teen daughter asking me to watch it. I reminded myself that at her age I had watched adult-style shows as well so I of course said yes, and then proceeded to watch “Friends”. We were both hooked. Especially my daughter.
She became so hooked she binged an entire season in a day (and still talks about it). A co-worker of my husband’s got word of our daughter’s love for the show and gifted us her DVD compilation of the entire series. She told my husband the story of how the series got her and her husband through the early years of living together when they didn’t have cable.
Over the years my daughter’s love for the show grew. Her 13th birthday party was “Friends” themed. She owns countless pieces of memorabilia: t-shirts, posters, cups, a game. To this day she still will occasionally watch episodes. In fact, she recently re-started watching the series again starting at season one. Yesterday, prior to learning of Matthew Perry’s death, she had been watching various YouTube clips featuring Perry’s character Chandler Bing. Chandler is her favorite character. So when we learned of the news last night, my daughter took it very hard.
Being on the autism spectrum, my daughter doesn’t handle the subject or even idea of death very well. And it’s even more difficult for her when an artist she really cares for passes away. Today has been better for her. I reminded her that although last night she told me to get rid of the DVDs, it’s important to keep the DVDs because she will always be able to remember Matthew Perry by watching “Friends”. That’s the beauty of people who are in the arts. Their work is preserved forever for everyone to always enjoy it. Today she helped put up the Christmas tree. When it came time to hang her “Central Perk” coffee cup ornament on the tree, she said she wanted it front and center to honor Matthew. Which I thought was sweet.
I know Matthew Perry indicated that “Friends” was the last thing he wanted to be remembered for. And I realize he did so much more than “Friends”, from movies to directing. And we can remember him for those works as well. But “Friends” and his character of Chandler Bing will be the one my daughter will remember him for.
The best way I can express my thoughts on the latest conflict happening in Israel is by bullet-points:
Yes, it was wrong for Hamas to attack Israel. Whatever their reason for the attack, the people really hurt were citizens of Israel.
I can understand Israel’s retaliation. A retaliation against Hamas. In your own country. Again, the people really hurt were citizens of Israel.
I agree that Israel’s retaliation has led to extreme inhumane conditions. Again, the people really being hurt are citizens of Israel.
Interestingly enough the only thing that Israel and and Palestine can agree on is that East Jerusalem is the capital. Yet that doesn’t change the fact that the citizens of Israel are the ones being hurt.
Bibi, having been the longest-tenured prime minister of Israel, has faced international criticism over his decades-long policy as prime minister of expanding Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, deemed illegal under international law. Interestingly enough, he’s been buddy-buddy with SHITHOLE since the 80’s and like SHITHOLE, was indicted in 2019 on charges of breach of trust, bribery and fraud. Hm…birds of a feather. And his very citizens of Israel are the ones being hurt.
Once everyone in Israel and the surrounding Middle East countries can accept one another for whatever they believe in or don’t believe in, there will be peace. Until then, fight on, I guess.
If you’re ever looking for an inexpensive trip down memory lane, visit the Barker Character, Comic & Cartoon Museum in Cheshire, CT.
Here you will find nostalgic toys and cartoon items dating back to 1873. Even if the younger set gets sick of hearing you exclaim “ooh, I remember that when I was a kid!”, they will still get a kick out of seeing characters who are still familiar today.
Aside from all the great memorabilia, the price of admission can’t be beat:
Kids under 3 are free
3-18 – $3.00
Students with ID – $4.00
adults 19-64- $5.00
seniors 65 and up – $4.00
Start your visit in the Barker Animation Art Gallery (which is where you pay admission) and admire the many works of cartoon and character art for sale. Be sure to get your picture taken with one of the many life-sized character cut-outs found on the outside grounds of the museum. Then enjoy the interior of the museum itself and get ready for flashbacks of a lifetime. There will be many. Even the TV theme songs that are playing as you browse the many bits of your childhood will make you feel nostalgic.
My husband and I reminisced about school lunches when we saw the collection of lunchboxes hanging overhead. Just so you know, they are hanging alphabetically from the end of the alphabet to the beginning of the alphabet (those are upstairs). So I didn’t get to see my “Little House on the Prairie” lunchbox. And I failed to get a pic of the Donnie Osmond doll that I used to have when I was a kid. Oh well!
This collection is so extensive, there is an upstairs section as well. On our visit, we didn’t get a chance to get upstairs due to being so overwhelmed by the downstairs.
NOTE: the main museum and even the art gallery are very tight quarters. It is unknown if there are any handicapped ramps on the premises. I did not visibly see any, nor do I believe there is an elevator to the second level of the museum. If you wish to visit and have a question about accessibility, it may be best to call ahead.
This museum does have something for everyone, even the younger generation. It’s great especially if they appreciate older-style cartoons and characters, such as my teen-age daughter does. She was ecstatic to see Fraggles there, along with many other Jim Henson characters, as they are her favorites.
Enjoy the pics!
One of the many cartoon/character cut-outs you’ll encounter on the outside of the museum. Yay! Scooby-Doo!Who remembers this TV show? Such a young John Travolta! I had this very coloring book when I was a kid and I freaked out when I saw it!A huge M & M with Ernie from “Sesame Street” lurking in the backgroundA “Wizard of Oz” collectionGarfieldHere’s Ernie with some Wheaties boxes behind himMore “Wizard of Ox” stuffOf course they have Disney stuff there! Woody!A bigger than life HulkMuppet stuffMy daughter felt bad for Boober Fraggle being crammed into this case!Miss Piggy in the tub while a Cabbage Patch doll watches. Wembley Fraggle stuffed in the case. With a reflection of my husband’s face. LOL!Even the Beatles are hereMore “Sesame Street” and Muppet stuff
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