Bagpipes for a brother-in-law

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Jim got the phone call yesterday morning that his brother-in-law had passed away in his sleep Monday night. Richard had battled health issues for a very long time, so the news wasn't surprising. It was, though, heartbreaking.

Jim and I last saw Richard and Sue, Jim's oldest sister, in November. We're deeply grateful for that...

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Saturday movie review: 'Unfinished Song'

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Vanessa Redgrave and Terence Stamp star in a lovely, poignant film that deserves far more attention than it's been given. UNFINISHED SONG is a 2012 movie that never played in my town, possibly never played in yours either. It's now playing on Netflix Streaming, though, and I urge you to add it to your queue. Heck, don't just add it to your queue — watch it this weekend!

 Unfinished Song

UNFINISHED SONG was originally titled "Song for Marion," which seems a far more appropriate title. Vanessa Redgrave brilliantly plays Marion, the terminally ill...

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Saturday movie review: 'The Sapphires'

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My husband and I scanned Netflix streaming the other night, in search of something uplifting and fun yet unrelated to the holidays. We happened upon THE SAPPHIRES, a 2012 film I had heard great things about but that we never had the opportunity to see in theaters here in Colorado, where the mountains are high, the skies are blue... and the independent film scene is dismal. 

Thank heavens for streaming movies, for THE SAPPHIRES turned out to be one serendipitous and soulful find.

The Sapphires

The film is an Australian musical dramedy loosely...

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Wherein Bubby and Mac dance like... er... dance to 'Gentleman'

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Just Dance 2014 Gentleman

We enjoyed several fun outings while my grandsons and daughter visited our house. As the weather was uncharacteristically cruddy for this time of year, the challenge was keeping Bubby and Mac busy inside while Mommy and baby bro Jak — and PawDad and Gramma, too — got ready to go.

The Wii came to the rescue... though semi-inappropriately so, I must...

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Saturday movie review: '20 Feet From Stardom'

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I once dreamed of being a backup singer. You know, the bluesy gals offering up the doo-wops and doot da doots that add depth and sing-along-ability to many a pop — and non-pop — song. After watching the spectacular documentary 20 FEET FROM STARDOM, I'm glad I never attempted pursuing such a creative path for it seems marked by heartache and continual seeking but rarely achieving recognition and success in one's own right.

Twenty Feet From Stardom 

20 FEET FROM STARDOM — the 2014 Academy Awards...

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Dance and get happy

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abstract dancers

Yay for Friday!

It's been a challenging week for a variety of reasons, so having made it through to the end warrants a happy dance for one and all. For happy dance inspiration, following are two of the happiest dances I've seen in a while.

First up, does anyone do...

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Mosh-pit Mom, or, How Grandma's career got its start

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Mosh-pit Mom, or, How Grandma's career got its start

My writing career and where it's headed have been on my mind a lot lately.

So, too, has been where my writing career began.

mosh-pit mom

I've written and fantasized about being a writer for as long as I can remember. It wasn't until nearly 20 years ago, though, that I became...

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Sirens, earworms and closer to fine

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I write quite often here about movies and about books. I realized this week that I very rarely write about music anymore, especially after changing the focus of my Saturday posts from "The Saturday Post" to "The Saturday Movie Review."

I love and appreciate music just as much as I love and appreciate movies and books. And when it comes to music, I think the songs that move and matter to someone tell so much about them, far more so than movie and book selections do.

In light of that, today I share with you the music...

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