Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

by Carol9 Comments
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows was one of my most-anticipated movies of this year, probably behind only the Muppets. I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. Holmes is the same sarcastic, socially inept, brilliant man. This time around he's pitted against Moriarty, a name any Holmes fan will recognize. Moriarty is Holmes' only intellectual equal, but he is purely evil and power-hungry. His plan is to start a war and provide weapons to both sides. The interplay between the two was well-done I thought, although Moriarty's plan was a little complicated, to say the least. He and Holmes were like two sides of the same coin. My problem with the movie is that I had seen it before. The filming, the glimpses into Holmes' thought process, even the proclivity for costumes, nothing was new. The plot alone didn't grab me enough and I'm not sure that there was really much character development from the original. Or maybe I'm just mad that...
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Planning ahead

by Carol10 Comments
I usually participate in a few year-long reading challenges which are always a lot of fun, but this year I think I'm going to do things a little differently. Here's my plan, each month I'll be going on a different adventure. Granted not all my posts will revolve around the month's theme, but we'll see how it works out. Happily several bloggers are hosting month long events that I'm looking forward to participating in, and I've got a couple of ideas of my own. I've got the first four months figured out. January - Shakespeare Reading Month hosted by A Literary Odyssey February - Venice in February hosted by Bellezza and Ally from Snow Feathers March - March Mystery Madness hosted at Reading Thru the Night April - Blogging from A to Z hosted by Arlee Bird at its own blog.   December will obviously be Christmas. I'm thinking Baseball in July, maybe, and I need a Wild West Month. I'm considering spending one month reading a...
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Christmas Crafts

by Carol9 Comments
Happy Christmas Eve! We're spending the day with family, watching the Steelers game at David's parents house and then doing a Feast of Seven Fishes dinner at my mom's with my brother and his family. And then, of course, we'll go to the candlelight service at church. It should be a nice day. I did want to show off a couple of Christmas projects I finished this year for the house. The first is a cute little cross stitch project. And I painted these three paper mache houses. Simple but they fit what I needed perfectly. I can never figure out what to put on top of the tv for Christmas and this just worked. I put little battery operated tea lights in them so I can light them up in the evening. To the right of them, beyond the photo, is a ceramic Christmas tree a little taller than the biggest of the houses. I also had plans for making snowflake Christmas...
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Flash Fiction: “Alone”

by Carol4 Comments
Alone I wipe the fog from the window pane and keep watching the park. The snow falling gently has erased the footprints on the path and softened the colors of the trees and benches. The lamps glow softly, but still I don't see you. I knew you wouldn't come, but I had hoped. As I always do. Tonight is a night to be with family. I picture you at home, a place I've never been but that always smells like warm sugar cookies and coffee in my imagination. You and your wife are sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace, the flames and lights on the Christmas tree making the room shine. You're sharing a  bottle of red wine after the kids have gone to bed and the gifts are all wrapped. Maybe she's opening a gift wrapped in the same golden paper mine was, tied with the same sparkling ribbon. She smiles as she opens the box, see the...
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Thursday’s Tale: The Thunder Oak

by Carol3 Comments
"The Thunder Oak" is a Scandinavian legend. The story takes place on Christmas Eve, deep in the forest where a giant tree grew, its branches reaching toward the clouds, Thor's Thunder Oak. On this particular cold, moon-lit night, Thor's priests were preparing to make their human sacrifice at the altar under the tree. But before the priest's can kill their victims, Saint Winfred and his people came riding through the forest. The saint pulled out a golden axe and chopped down the mighty tree. Just behind it stood a small fir tree. Saint Winfred dropped his ax and turned to preach to the people. This little tree, a young child of the forest, shall be your holy tree to-night. It is the tree of peace, for your houses are built of fir. It is the sign of endless life, for its leaves are forever green. See how it points upward to heaven! Let this be called the tree of the Christ...
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