Awww-worthy BEARS entertains and inspires (review and activity freebies)

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I usually save movie reviews for Saturdays, but this one I simply must share with you now as Easter weekend is prime time for enjoying a movie with family. BEARS from Disneynature opens tomorrow, so if you're looking for a film both young and old will enjoy for the holiday (or any day), BEARS just might be the ticket.

Bears movie poster

I had the opportunity to...

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More than just a zoo

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I have a love/hate relationship with zoos. I hate that animals are caged and domesticated to a degree simply so we humans can ooh, aah and ogle the once wild — and sometimes rare — creatures.

That's the hate part of it. The love part is the amazement in the eyes of children when they see the creatures up close, as well as my love for photographing such moments. And I love, too, photographing the animals. It's hard to resist the lure of a good zoo.

boys at aquarium

When Jim and I spent some time with Bubby and Mac a couple weeks ago, we visited one zoo that's far more than a zoo...

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The view from here

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deer grazing 

When Jim and I bought our current house — after more than 20 years in a house that afforded us a daily view of Pikes Peak... in the winter when there weren't leaves on the trees to obstruct our view — we lamented the loss of any fantastic views. With this house, we had opted for a magnificent interior over majestic mountain views.

That said, I do regularly wax unapologetically about wanting to raze the house next door. It was built many years after our house, and it completely...

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Saturday movie review: 'Lion Ark'

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Humans can inflict unimaginable horrors of cruelty upon animals. Thankfully other humans — better, kinder, compassionate humans — can lift those animals that suffer at the hand of the unscrupulous out of deplorable conditions and into a life that, though not what natured intended for them, is the next best thing.

Lion Ark the MovieThe documentary film LION ARK chronicles cat rescue on a grand scale. BIG cats. As in African lions held captive, tortured, neglected, underfed and abused in all manner of ways by the illegal circus owners of Bolivia. Even after...

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Holiday highlights... in passages and pics

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It was quite indescribable. It was like what happens when you shake a kaleidoscope. The parts of it are the same parts, but they are arranged differently; they are arranged in a new pattern...
~Agatha Christie "The Water Bus"

family at Christmas 

They err who thinks Santa Claus comes down through the chimney; he really enters...

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Unexpected guests and GRAND Social link party No. 82

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My family's annual cookie swap — which we started long before cookie exchanges were in fashion — took place yesterday at my sister's house. She lives relatively far up in the mountains, and life up there is a wee bit different than it is here in the city.

For one thing, during the holiday festivities, the neighbors came right up to the back door and begged to join our invitation-only party.

begging deer 

Needless to say...

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Grandmas don't get breaks on speeding tickets, plus other lessons learned

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Four things I learned this week

gavelGrandmas don't get breaks on speeding tickets: A few weeks ago, as I raced out of town on my way to Denver for a film festival screening, I was pulled over by a motorcycle cop and given a ticket. I admit I was speeding, so I didn't cry in hopes of getting out of the ticket (as I probably should have, considering I've had a clean driving record since 1993). My ticket was $90 and a $15 filing fee; my court date was scheduled for this past week or I could pay the ticket by mail.

"Don't pay it by mail!" is the adamant advice from those who've been there, done that. "You gotta go to court. It'll reduce the charge!" So I went to court Wednesday. My ticket wasn't reduced. In fact, $25 more was added to the fees to cover court costs. I was not happy. I did cry this time... in the car... after paying the freakin' fee.

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