Insecure Writer's Support Group-When Grandma's Go Bad

It is the first Wednesday of the Month which means another installment of the Insecure Writer's Support Group hosted by Alex, The Ninja, Cavanaugh and his merry co-horts. If you wish to unleash your angst, to the world , well, at least fellow bloggers, this the place to find encouragement when you feel frustrated, down, or lacking in self-esteem. I consider myself ...gosh, I don't know, someone who has joined(Alex said I could many moons ago) even though I am not a writer and have no novels to show except my little ole blog-consider it fun.

My mom is a grandma...never call her that, she is an Oma. She is my mom and resides in long term care because she has dementia. Now, she knows who I am and my brother, and can engage in conversation even though it is always on rewind. Until 3 months ago, she rarely left her room and was always in bed. She had no desire to sit in the lounge, which she referred to as the "death lounge" nor participate in any activities...until Gladys showed up.

This poor lass, named Gladys, is probably only in her 60's but has dementia as well and when she first came to Heidehof, the employees had to watch her because she was tying to escape. Soon enough, I noticed my mom becoming more tense in wanting to know why she, herself, was there, what happened to her home (she had not lived in her home since 1991 and lived with me for the past 12 yrs until Nov 2011) and was arguing that she could care of herself. This reminded me of where she was back in 2012 but I noticed she was now often sitting with Gladys! Aha!!

These 2 old gals are like the grumpy men from the Muppets now. My mom is rarely in her room and is always sitting in the lounge with Gladys where they make fun of every person there whether they be a fellow  patient, nurse, PSW or a visitor. No one escapes their wrath. They talk and snicker like school girls and if they can't sit together my mom puts up a fuss! I am glad my mom is now out walking and joining in because she didn't do that before, but they have been known to tell others to "shut-up" when some start yelling. They argue with the nurses and my wonderful mom won't take no for an answer...that is my mom. The PSW's call her...spunky.

I feel my next stop is at a biker shop to purchase a leather jacket and find some rub-off tattoos for both of them.  Hell, my mom did own a motorcycle back in the early 1950's when she lived in Dusseldorf.  I hope you have the time to watch this Monty Python skit which I love...

Film Society-3 Guesses!

I always forget this part but better late than never!-I blame all on menopause-That is what I say and I'm sticking to it:) So Over at the Armchair Squid-The Mock Squid Soup Film Society one gets to post 3 hints on a movie which will then be revealed the following Friday. So, here are my hints:

1. It's spooky

2. The heroine is a bit tense and strict

3. it's always foggy


I could give more clues but there ya have it.  Midway in writing this, I thought of another film that so freaked me out when i first saw it that I was scared to sleep with the lights off,  but maybe I will talk about that one later.

Thursday Movie Picks-Hitchcock films

October 1st means it is the month of spooky, spooky:) This week the theme is Hitchcock. If you pop over at Wandering Through The Shelves, you can find other people who joined in on the fun. One picks 3 films according to the week's theme and this was tough because the theme is Hitchcock and I love Hitchcock.

OK my favourite Hitchcock film is Strangers on a Train, followed by Rear Window, Shadow of a Doubt, Psycho, The Birds, ...I mean the list goes on and on. You know I still have not seen Notorious which is one of the biggest "slap me upside the head"  blunders of not seeing a movie. Ok that might be a choppy sentence but it's late and I'm tired while writing this. I love all his films even Blackmail and Rich and Strange but I went with 3 films of his that I hope will be different from other picks plus they are just dam great! OK the last one is a biggie of his but let's get on with the show.

1. SABOTAGE-1936

This stars the beautiful Sylvia Sydney whom most of you know from her from Beetlejuice and Mars Attacks gigs. In this film, She is married and they run a movie theatre. Her little brother lives with them. There are spies about and plenty of tension and suspense as only Hitch can do. Actually, this is the only film Sydney was in that was directed by Hitchcock. She intensely disliked him and never wanted to work with him again. When I saw this film, many, many years ago, I was riveted and it stayed with me for years.

2. LIFEBOAT-1944

A German U-boat torpedoes a British ship and the survivors are on this lifeboat. They end up saving a German from the U-boat that was also sunk. Now under any other director, it would sound kind of lack lustre, but Hitch creates tension between the people and develops the characters well. He does appear in this film also, you just have to look for his cameo. One tidbit is quite funny, Tallulah Bankhead, who is the star, was well known for wit, intelligence and sexual freedom. She didn't believe in wearing underwear and this caused a bit of a problem in filming. The Assistant Director came to Hitchcock with the problem of how to deal with covering up her naughty bits. Hitch paused and then said something like this, "I'm not sure if this should be brought to the attention of the cameraman, make-up or hairdressing."

3. NORTH BY NORTHWEST-1959

I can watch this movie over and over again. It is so much fun and I get a kick that the lady (Jessie Royce Landis) who plays Cary Grant's mother was only 8 when Grant was born. Anyhoo, Grant is mistaken for someone else and  is taken to a lovely home where he meets his nemesis played by the great James Mason. Martin Landau is the henchman who does Mason's bidding. Of course Grant ends up on a train, meets a beautiful blond and ends up on the face of Lincoln at Mount Rushmore. There is so much to this film (love that his initials spell R.O.T) and the crop dusting scene is justifiably famous.

Now I Love Strangers on a Train and mentioned it on my blog before-if you haven't seen that one...please see it.

Which Hitchcock film do you love?

A card & fixed up before computer crap

Blue, pink, yellow, white cardstock. Birdy stamp, tombow markers, border stickers

Fairy Tale Stampers- Anything Goes
Crafty Creations-Always Anything Goes
Alphabet challenge-Beginning with P-a bird-I goofed but still entering it:)

So, I have not been able to get my pictures to work nicely..why?? I get that blue screen of death as some of you have called it. My ex has to come over soon and fix it as I have made some cards but can't show them. I created a Fall card from the Battle of the Bands based on Vivaldi's 4 Seasons. I made a card for my hubby plus a couple of others. I wanted to create a card with Alfred Hitchcock on it for my Thursday movie picks but, alas, that will need to wait.

I created this card quite a while ago for a little girl who loves ducks. OK so it's not a duck either but the gull that I now call Petrov in near the pier so I hope this made the Alphabet Challenge:) This card was done quickly but with lots of fun!

Thursday Movie Picks-Adopted/Foster families

Another week  has passed and I can't believe it! This week one gets to pick 3 films that are dealing with the topic of adoption/foster families. If you wish to see more, head over to Wandering Through The Shelves and see what everyone else has been choosing.

Last Saturday my hubby and I went out for a dinner and a movie-we had gift cards for both events so that was even better. We dined at the Keg and had steak and crab legs-it was delicious but we were there later than we thought we would be which meant we showed up later to the cinemas. Our first 2 choices were out due to being too packed(Black Mass) or it had already begun (A Walk in the Woods) so we went to see The Visit. You know the new M.Night Shayamalan film. Need I say more? Nope so let's get to 3 good/great movies.

1. PENNY SERENADE-1941

I knew Cary Grant from great films like Arsenic and Old Lace, The Philadelphia Story and Operation Petticoat, when I was a kid so when this film came on one night (Elwy Yost at the Movies every Saturday night-I miss this so much), I watched it expecting a typical comedy. I was surprised! It has comedy but also tears and boy I was weepy. It starts off where he meets the wonderful Irene Dunne, marries her but due to an accident(well, earthquake) she can't have any children so they decide to adopt. Their wish comes true in the form of a baby girl who captures their heart, especially Cary Grant's. It was sweet when they kept checking in on the baby to see if she was sleeping and...that is all I have to say as you have to see the film to find out more. Beautiful film that showcases Grant's acting.

2. THE SECRET GARDEN-1993

This film is simply enchanting! When I rented it, I didn't expect much but was so pleasantly surprised by how well acted the film was especially by its young star. She is a rich, haughty young thing living in India with her parents who care more about entertaining than their child. There is an earthquake (hmm another one with this  disaster) where her parents die so she is sent to England to live with an Uncle she never knew she had. The place feels cold and very unwelcoming and this girl just seems to upset the apple cart. She goes outside to play and comes across a walled up garden in total disarray. Since she feels like the garden, unwanted and unloved, she decides to bring this garden to life. It is a story of loss, love and redemption...and being gutsy. It also co-stars the wonderful Maggie Smith so this is a gem.

3. THE BOOK THIEF-2013

I do love this film and no, I have not read the book which is probably a good thing since the books are always (usually) better than the film. It is well acted and, since this is right at the beginning of the film, Death is the narrator. A young girl and her brother are sent to a German couple to live since their mom can no longer afford to keep them. Her brother dies enroute, but she makes it to the couple and sees, first hand, the problems her new parents face.  For once, they show Germans during war not all being fervent Nazis. I took to this film, not only for the strength of the characters but it reminded me of my mom who also kept books hidden. She was born and grew up near Wittenberg, Germany and survived the war, she was 17 when the war ended. She remembered how, at first, only porn books and other such things were censored but it didn't stop there. Soon more books were banned and she was sad to see many books being taken out of the schools and library to be burned so she hid some (my mom was/is amazing as some of you know). After the Russians marched in, they took all books and burned them including photo albums and mementos so she hid even  more books and other "treasures". Later, when she would hear about censorship in this country, she was opposed to it because she knew that it never ends. Once people taste that power, it never does stop, censorship will only increase.

Which movies have you seen about this topic? Have you seen any of these?

Thursday Movie Picks-Journalists/Reporters for Print/T.V.

It is another week and that means Movie Picks. Each week there is a topic where you can pick 3 films that work with that week's topic. The films can be ones you love, hate etc... This was created over at Wandering Through The Shelves so just wander on over and see what other people picked. Here is my List:)

1. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT-1934

I can watch this film over and over again, it is that good! This is the first film to win all 5 major Oscar awards (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Screenplay) which did not happen again until Silence of the Lambs. Colbert plays a spoiled rich heiress who literally jumps off her father's yacht and takes off. Gable plays the reporter who finds her, doesn't tell her who he really is, so he can get the "big story" as they say. She has no idea how to live in the real world which is in the throws of the Great Depression but she can rely on Gable to help her through. From the famous hitch-hiking scene to the Walls of Jericho scene, there are so many great parts it is sure to put a smile on your face! This came from Columbia Pictures which was known as the studio from poverty row. Gable was loaned out by MGM as a punishment, to Columbia to do this picture. Colbert thought she just made the worst picture in the world...boy were they wrong!

2. WOMAN OF THE YEAR-1942

This is the film that started one of the most respected love affairs in film history-Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. She stayed with Tracy through thick and thin until he passed away in 1967. In this romance, he plays a sports writer and she plays a political affairs columnist. They come from completely different parts of the industry but they fall in love anyway. The problem is when they start living together and he must deal with her hoity, toity friends. She even becomes a "mom" when she volunteers to care for a refugee child but she seems to love her job more than being a wife or mother and finds out the hard way. I actually found this to be quite modern in feel despite it being made in 1942 at the height of the censor boards. Great beginning to a film and personal relationship of these 2 great stars.

3. GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK-2005

I truly enjoy this film because it is a step by step style docu-drama about Edward R Murrow-one of the best reporters ever (who must be rolling over in his grave with all the crap on TV now), publicly admonishing Senator Joseph McCarthy who, for a while, gripped the country in fear of Communism. Through Murrow's relentless but calm approach to discredit  this Senator, one can see how CBS helped stop the continuing witch  hunts that were happening across the U.S. Now despite  one's feelings about that time which is still  a hot topic, many innocent people ended up without jobs and many even committed suicide. I am not saying Communism wasn't around and that true spies were working against the country but the fear that was being created reached fever pitch. Many people, when young and full of idealism, joined the Communist party or wrote for some "leftist" paper, were basically tarred and feathered for something they were in 20 years before. Some film people committed suicide, some died from the stress (John Garfield) and some couldn't find work for years (Gale Sondergard). How sad is that? I find this film compelling.

What films would you pick? Have you seen any of these? Love to know:)

I have concluded my computer is nuts...Oh and a couple of cards:)

So, On Sunday, late afternoon, the computer decided to be an a-hole and not work...again. I wanted to post these 2 cards I made but I couldn't so I informed you all that I may or may not be able to work this Black Swan (see the stupid movie) due to Windows 10 or as I like to call it-the devil.

Last night, lo and behold it was working! I downloaded the pictures and I wanted to "fix" them up-the quick retouch and that is when the computer laughed devilishly, toying with me like I was some mouse until finally it just went all blue screen on me. Obviously Windows 10 and the picture retouching don't like each other so I apologize for the not so nice looking pictures.

Alcohol inks, various stamps, prisma colour pencils, die cut, sizzex machine, crackle paint (yup didn't work), distress ink, cardstock, ribbon.

Craft Your Passion-Always Anything Goes
Dream Valley Challenges-Autumn Colours
Eclectic Ellapu-Pink team-Anything Goes

OK, so a new Battle of the Bands (At Stephen T. McCarthy' Blog) is now on but this is from the last battle. I love listening to all the battles because I am learning so much but I had the bright (cue dim bulb) idea of being inspired by one of the songs. Janie Junebug at Women:We Will Overcome, had Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" as her battle challenge and that was my choice. I just truly believe in...believing no matter what! Sometimes that is all we have to go on plus faith- they almost go hand in hand. I love my Da Vinci Gal and she looks a bit lonely as she gazes down and she will not stop believing whether it be love or whatever. Now I bought this new "paint" which is a crackle paint that you can place on with a foam brush which I did. After 10 or so, one is supposed to see it crackle...well it didn't happen! I have no idea what I did wrong so if anyone can help me, please do:) At this point I need all the help I can get.

Cardstock, border stamp, bird stamp. Gold die ink and god embossing powder. Burgundy and purple die ink and clear embossing powder for the birds (it really isn't for the birds-it really works well:). markers, water and glitter:)

Glitter and Sparkle-Something with the letter "G"
Simon Says- Use a Stamp (no Digi which I never use:))
Eclectic Ellapu-Purple Team-Use Stash 6 month or older
Crafty Creations-Out On A Limb

So I missed the Color Q Challenge because of my schizo windows 10 computer (OK I have bitched a lot about this:)) but I still think this works as a card for almost anything whether it be a birthday, anniversary or whatever. I used watercolour cardstock so I could use my markers to colour them. I am having a brain-melt at the moment because I can't recall the name of my markers which I love and use often. I added some glitter to the white border and pieced all of it together. All my stamps, glitter, markers are way over 6 months old-I keep things forever.

Tomorrow my hubby and I will celebrate our 9 year anniversary when we first met. Since I am working, we won't celebrate until Saturday with a nice dinner and a movie. I can't believe how fast time flies.