Music Mondays!

Loving this song right now! Brings up so many memories!

BYOBP (Bring Your Own Baby Pool)

2007

American Reunion: A Movie Review

"Growing up happens when you start having things to look back on..."

-Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes

I don't usually do movie reviews. I'm not really a movie buff. Sure, I have a Netflix account and watch movies from time to time, but I've never really been one to have to rush out and see a movie. I'm usually that person that has never seen the movie that EVERYONE is talking about.

However, recently I went to see American Reunion, because I love the American Pie franchise (for several different reasons). One, I'll admit it, I love raunchy humor. Hey, at least I admit it. Also, as odd as it may sound for a movie franchise of this nature, I grew up with them.

I remember the summer of my senior year, going to see American Pie. Just like me, the cast was part of the class of 1999, ready to take on the world. They were going through the same things I was. They were finding out who they were, who others were, and starting to develop a curiosity about the opposite sex.

American Reunion, as it's name suggests, takes place as they all come back. And again, I can relate to what was going on at this point in their lives. I know how it feels to come back to a place and transcend back in time. Wishing that you were young again, but coming to the realization that that period in your life has come and gone. I know what it feels like to have a chance encounter with someone and for feelings that had come and gone to come back again. But much like in the movie, we all realize that the past is the past and although feelings may never change, circumstances do. And unfortunately sometimes we have to accept the fact that even though the feelings are there, lives are in different places.

One thing that stood out to me in this movie is when they went back to their old high school haunts. They questioned if the way kids acted had changed, or if they had just gotten older. I think that anyone has had to come to this realization as they experience the coming of age process. As much as we sometimes want and try to hang on to the way things were, we must come to accept that situations change...others change...and we change.

And like the characters in the movie, I didn't realize that I was growing up and that life was changing...it just happened one day. I think that one of the hardest parts of growing up is letting go of what was...and accepting what is to come.

Music Mondays!

Heard this while driving on the other day. It's one of my favorites...put a smile on my face!

A Million Dollar Memory

One of the hardest and often most difficult facts of life is that death and dying is part of the process. No matter how much we prepare ourselves, no matter how old or sick a person may be, we are never really ready to say good-bye and let go.

Last summer, I lost my MaMaw. Although she had been ill and suffering for much longer than any human should have to endure, I still wasn't ready to let go. My MaMaw was and always very dear to my heart. She was truly one in a million. She had a fierce temper, witty sense of humor, and a heart of gold.

In my Christmas stocking this past year, my mom gave me the best gift ever. A hand written recipe for that my grandmother had written years ago for her famous Million Dollar Pound Cake. It was a treasure that I wouldn't trade for the world.

My MaMaw loved the kitchen. It was by far her favorite room in the house. Many of my memories growing up are set in her kitchen. They stem from homemade breakfast before school, family dinners, and conversation after a wonderful meal.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of my MaMaw. She was always so proud of me and her entire family. I have long wished that I could share one more talk with her...hear her one of a kind high pitched laughter...hear one of her stories about Clarksville.

I wasn't really sure what I was going to do with her hand written recipe, but I knew I wanted to be able to cherish it forever. So I decided to get it framed so that a piece of her could be forever in my kitchen and forever in my heart.

Her kitchen was more than a kitchen. It was the setting for many stories that define myself and my family.

Music Mondays....One Shinning Moment....Making History With Gr8ness!

A Little Bit of Karma...Coming Full Circle.....Striking One Off the Bucket List....and Witnessing Gr8tness...

I think that it's pretty safe to assume that everyone has a bucket list of sorts. Rather it's written down on paper or something they keep track of in their heads. We all have things we want to see or do while we are here on Earth.

One item that has for a long time been on my bucket list is to watch MY Kentucky Wildcats cut down the nets in a National Title Game. However, this bucket list item is very unique. It has just as much control over me as I have over it. I can't always just go the the Final Four and the boys don't always make it.

Last year, my Wildcat's made it to the Final Four in Houston for the first time in 13 years. Since my parents live in Houston, things were easy. So off the entire family went. However, the boys lost to UCONN in the semi-finals and there was no strike mark made on my bucket list that year.

This year, the Final Four was in NOLA and my sister was fortunate to get tickets in the lottery. So the two of us decided to throw a little bit of caution to the wind and schedule the trip. Little did we know in the beginning that this Kentucky team would be one for the history books. One deemed by many is unbeatable.

Throughout each round of this years Big Dance, I watched with fear, happiness, excitement, and a nervousness in the pit of my stomach. No matter the opponent, I watched each game as if it were their last.

Low and behold, the boys made it to The Final Four and our plans were not in vain. So off I went last weekend to Blue Orleans.

The first game was against our arch nemesis, Louisivile. I went into the game nervous as hell and not wanting to have a season ending loss to U of L of all teams. My fears were subsided when we won,



Then it was off to the championship game. The moment we got to the Superdome for the pre-game pep rally a storm came and we had to rid it out in the parking garage. That was until I spotted an over-sized garbage bag on a city truck. I took it as a sign to use it to remain dry as we raced into the Dome.

From tip-off to the final buzzer, I could hardly stand still. Even when we were up by 14 at the half, I still couldn't breath. It wasn't until the final buzzer sounded and the fireworks and streamers fell, that I could relax. I had seen The Kentucky Wildcats capture their 8th National Title.



This win was very special for me in a variety of ways. One being that I could cross something off my bucket list. Something that I had very little control over. Also, it had been nearly 17 years since my family had moved from The Commonwealth of Kentucky to New Orleans. When we moved there, I thought my life was over. Although I have learned to love and accept that change in my life, Kentucky Basketball was something that I always had to keep me close to home.

As a sports fan, I always say that no matter how good the team is, there is always a little bit of luck involved. Last weekend, there was luck all around me....with a side of karma.

Things make sense to me now...I was destined for Gr8tness....I felt like my journey from Kentucky to NOLA had come full circle.