Just call me "Lady Leslie"....

This is not something that I mention too often, because I would never want anyone to think I was "putting on airs," but, I do have a “title”. I am officially a “Lady” due to the fact that I own land on Kincavel estate in North West Scotland. Below is a picture of my one square foot plot of land(the yellow pin prick. I can give you the GPS settings if you want to zoom in closer, just call me). Doesn’t it look beautiful?!?!? I hope to visit it one day. This title will be passed on to one of my daughters, so if I turn up mysteriously dead one day you will all know the motive. I received the land last Christmas when my son to give it to me for a Christmas present (actually I bought it for him to give it to me). Yes, I even shop for my own presents. Is that too obsessive-compulsive, or what?

You should see the beautiful bracelet I bought for Bruce to give to me. It has my favorite Shakespeare sonnet #116 (see July blog archive below) engraved in it. How romantic am I??? Of course, if you want a title also, I can tell you where to get one for a few pounds! That’s what we need around here, a few more members of the Aristocracy!!! Long live the Queen!!!!( I have to say that kind of thing now that I have a title)

"I was country, when country wasn't cool...."

Remember that old song, "I was country, when country wasn't cool"? I have loved ABBA for 30+ years and have never been ashamed to admit it, although, I have been mocked by some (you know who you are!) for it. Well I had an interesting experience the other night. I was teaching a water arobics class to some young women, 14-15 year olds. I was still in my "Momma Mia" mood (see review below), so I was playing ABBA's GOLD album with most of the songs on it. To my surprise, most of the girls knew all of the songs! It was all due to the popularity of the new movie. Most had seen it, and planned on seeing it again, or are planning on seeing it. It made me feel like I was in the "with it" crowd. It was very funny to hear them sing the songs I have loved for years!!! In case the kids didn't know, tell them that the name ABBA comes from the first letters of each of their names. They are so great!!!

Agnetha, Bjourn, Anni-Frida(Freida), and Benny

I wish I could always been seen through a soft lense! Start squinting when you see me. I may look better also!

North Carolina is so beautiful, will the kids ever want to come back to AZ?

I had the opportunity to fly back to North Carolina with my daughter in-law, Suzi last week. David, my son had left a few days earlier to drive all their stuff back to Winston-Salem NC where he began medical school this week at Wake Forest.

We did a lot of unpacking (I mainly was "banking" baby time) but they also took some time to take me around to see some of the sites. We first went to “Renolda House” built by RJ Renolds in 1917. It was a beautiful house but the best part were the formal gardens. Here are a couple of pictures taken in the gardens. It is amazing how green everything is. We kept hearing how dry it was but I had a hard time believing it.
Another day we went to “Old Salem”. It is in downtown Winston-Salem and it was originally settled by Moravians from the Czech Republic that immigrated for Religious freedom and established a church community in the Mid 1700’s. They have restored several buildings and have demonstrations in some of them showing how life was like in the late 1700’s to early 1800’s. Again it was so beautiful. If you are every in the area I recommend you see these two sites. They were both breathtaking.



It was so beautiful that I began to worry that they may not want to come home to Arizona when he finishes school. But then, I can visit...often!

Want some fun? See Momma Mia!!!!

What could be better than seeing Cary Grant and James Stewart together in a movie??? I will tell you… seeing Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth together in a movie and all the ABBA songs you love!!! You might ask, but can they sing? Well, if you had seen Brosnan in “Evelyn”, or Firth in “The Importance of Being Ernest” you wouldn’t be surprised. They can sing, (although Irish Pub songs suits Brosnan better), but this movie was so fun you didn’t really mind. I have seen the play twice so I was very skeptical about it being made into a movie. Rarely does Hollywood do a re-make correctly but this one was fun. I was laughing and crying (the song “Slipping Through My Fingers”, sob, sob!) and I want so much to visit any Greek island. It was also fun to see ABBA members, Benny and Bjorn in cameos. I suppose I should mention that all the other cast members were even greater that Pierce and Colin as far as the singing in concerned. I highly recommend this film if you want to have fun! (p.s., remind me sometime to tell you about “Evelyn”, another hidden gem of a movie!)

Two items of business before I'm leaving on a jet plane...

Here is a quote from CS Lewis that I have had hanging up at home for over 2 years. It is a great one!

"If you live for the next world, you get this one in the deal; but if you live only for this world, you lose them both."

What an amazing man!!

Next, I finally got to see "Penelope". I had been waiting for this movie to come out for 2 years when I first saw the previews on the "Dear Frankie" DVD (later about that movie). I was beginning to think it wouldn't come out here in Phoenix. So when it did, I was so excited! However, it came out while I was confined to bed following foot surgery so I missed it in the theaters.

Anyway, what a great movie! It has such a great message that all teenagers need to hear, and even young kids will enjoy the story even if they don't get the bigger message of the film. That message being, like yourself for who you are, no matter what others may think about you because there is beauty in all of us. A giant HOORAH to Reese Witherspoon for producing this movie and hopefully she will produce many more of this caliber.

Of course one of the biggest draws of the movie was James McAvoy and Richard E Grant, 2 of my favorite male actors, who are absolutely great, along with everyone else in the movie.

Don't miss it and if you have seen it already, let me know what you thought of it.

See you in a week!

A great murder on Sunday night!!!

If you love a great mystery, don't miss the start of this weeks "Masterpiece Mystery" on PBS. They are starting the next series of "Foyle's War" which is a murder mystery set in WWII era in Southeast (Kent)England. Michael Kitchen, who plays Inspector Foyle is amazing! You will recognize him from many other movies, my favorite one of him is "Enchanted April" which is another gem I must talk about sometime... Anyway, watch Foyle's War starting this Sunday(7-13) at 9 pm. I think there with be 4 or 5 shows in this series. Let me know what you think of it.

You're a fan and you didn't even know it...

Here is a great little "ditty" that was given to me by a friend. I think you will be surprised how much you quote Shakespeare yourself.

Shakespeare’s Well-Known Phrases
By Dr. Elliot Engel

If you’ve ever been footloose and fancy-free
If you’ve ever thanked somebody from the bottom of your heart
If you’ve ever been left high and dry
If you ever took a test that you thought was a piece of cake
If you’ve ever refused to budge an inch
If you’ve ever been tongue-tied, a tower of strength, hoodwinked, or in a pickle
If you’ve ever knitted your brow, made a virtue of necessity, insisted on fair play, slept not one wink, stood on ceremony, laughed yourself into stitches, had short shrift, cold comfort or too much of a good thing
If you’ve ever cleared out bag and baggage because you thought it was high time and that is the long and short of it
If you’ve ever believed the game was up even if it involves your own flesh and blood
If you ever lie low until the crack of dawn through thick and thin because you suspect foul play
If you’ve ever had your teeth set on edge with one fell swoop without rhyme or reason
And, finally, if you now bid me good riddance and send me packing
If you wish I was as dead as a doornail
If you think I am an eyesore, a laughing stock, a stony-hearted villain, bloody-minded or a blithering idiot
Well, the, by jove, of Lord, tut-tut, for goodness sake, and what the dickens, it is all one to me even if it’s Greek to you, for you are quoting Shakespeare.