Saturday Review: Center Stage - Turn it Up

I am a big fan of the dance movie genre. Whether kicking it old school with Dirty Dancing or ghetto style with Save the Last Dance, I do enjoy watching the teen dance romance. So when I saw a preview for a sequel to Center Stage, I knew I had to see it.

Unfortunately, it was quite a disappointment.

Sorry to be so blunt, but there it is. The original Center Stage is not my favorite dance movie (I mean, it's no Step Up), but I enjoyed it. And I don't remember the actors being so bad at, well, acting.

The dancers playing characters in Center Stage: Turn It Up were just that - dancers. They were not actors, and sadly, that was evident from the beginning of the movie to the end.

On the other hand, a couple of the dance scenes were so spectacular that Smitty insisted we watch them again after we finished the movie. And I didn't argue. Those kids may not be winning an Oscar, but they are talented dancers.

So if you can't wait for the fifth season of So You Think You Can Dance, you can get your fill of dancing with this movie. Just don't be expecting the actors to...umm...act.

Be careful: This very well could change your heart.

This Sunday, a group of bloggers will leave their safe, comfortable lives to fly halfway around the world to India. They will visit Compassion International projects and share what they see and what they learn with their readers.

Last fall, I was safe and comfortable, both physically and emotionally. Even though I knew it was disrespectful and possibly tempting fate (well, you know, Fate), I had said several times that I was so thankful that God has not called me to the mission field.

Don’t get me wrong! I’m all for missionaries. I have several friends who serve overseas, and I pray for them and am so thankful for the sacrifices they make. I’m thankful for missionaries, inspired by missionaries. But I didn’t want to be one.

And then Compassion sent a group of bloggers to the Dominican Republic. And they wrote about it. And my heart was changed.

Now another group of bloggers is preparing to leave their families to visit Kolkata, India. I’ve already been reading about difficulty from malaria prevention medication, fears about flying, concerns about leaving children and a hacked blog. And then I got an e-mail today that mentioned other concerns: a 12-hour time difference, oppressive heat, common ailments in the area including typhoid and meningitis.

There’s a lot to pray for. Will you join me?

Here are five ways you can follow the bloggers on their trip to India:

1. Compassion’s website: A snippet of every post, every pic and video will be uploaded to this page.
2. Facebook group: A Facebook group has been created not only to generate prayer and encouragement for the bloggers but also to share links to posts, pics and videos.
3. Twitter: A few of the bloggers will attempt to use Twitter while in India. Follow @theshaungroves, @spencesmith, @flowerdust, and #CompassionIndia.
4. RSS feed: This is the link to the trip's RSS feed. Subscribing to the feed will send a snippet of every post from every blogger to your RSS reader.
5. Individual blogs: If you'd prefer to follow the trip by visiting each blog, here are the bloggers, photographers and leaders: Pete Wilson, Melissa Fitzpatrick, Angela Smith, Robin Dance, Keely Scott, Anne Jackson, Spence Smith, Patricia Jones, Shaun Groves

I can’t wait to read about this group’s experiences in Kolkata. I hope you’ll follow along, too.

And on a related note . . . I’m excited to introduce you to the newest member of my family:

This is Elizabeth. She’s a 6-year-old who lives in Ghana, which is in West Africa. She’s been waiting for a sponsor from Compassion for more than six months. And now she has one!

Makin' a list and checkin' it twice.

Today (or yesterday, by the time you read this) was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. So I thought I'd take another look at my lists.

I made one list in high school and another early on in college - naming all the things I'd like to do someday. You know, before I die. Or get old. Or something.

Instead of dwelling on what I haven't accomplished, today I'm going to tell you which things on my list I have crossed off. Here goes.

• Yoga
• Swing dance
• Learn to drive a stick shift
• Visit a spa
• Go to a cocktail party
• Be on TV
• Ride in a limo
• Waitress (really? This was a goal of mine?)
• Teach a class
• Make my own webpage (Wow, I was so advanced. Or a geek. You pick.)
• Raise money for charity
• Donate to charity
• Start a second career
• Do karaoke
• Own leather furniture
• Keep in touch with good friends
• Have a garage sale (Did it. Didn't like it. Probably won't do it again.)
• Have a dinner party
• Sing at a wedding
• Sing at a funeral (I was wrong. I didn't really want to do this.)
• Stay in a mountain cabin. (Does a borrowed condo work?)
• Go to college (Obviously, from the high school list.)
• Go grocery shopping at midnight (Dear Super Walmart, I love you.)
• Road trip
• Dance at a bar
• Make a difference

What goals have you accomplished?

Mmmm...carbs...Mmmm...cheese...

What's your favorite part of holiday get-togethers? Catching up with family? Playing football after dinner? Or, if you're in my family, maybe playing Scrabble? Debating that timeless question: fancy china or paper plates?

I know you're going to be surprised to hear this, but one of my favorite parts of family get-togethers is the food. In particular, the many casseroles and creamy salads that we only see on those special days.

But I discovered something a while back. It's a well-kept secret, but I'll tell you.

You can make holiday casseroles any time of the year.

I know! Get OUT!

Since this realization dawned on my cheese-loving brain, I've made cheesy potatoes a fairly regular staple at our house. It's nice to have a side dish other than green beans, corn or tater tots.

You might not call them cheesy potatoes. This dish of cheesy, carby goodness might be called hashbrown casserole at your house. Or possibly, as the recipe I use calls it, Holiday Potato Dish. Whatever you call it, though, it's delicious.

And I'm here to tell you - and show you - how easy it is to make this dish.

First, the ingredients:

Chop up a good amount of onion. Probably about half a medium onion. (On a side note: I don't know what they're feeding the onions these days, but the last two weeks, my grocery store has been selling head-sized onions. I'm not even exaggerating. It's a little scary.)

Saute the onions in a couple tablespoons of butter. And when I say "butter," I mean Blue Bonnet Light. Which, if I'm honest, is not at all what the recipe calls for, because it's half water. So if you're up to it, please, use some real butter.

Once the onions are translucent, add one can of cream of celery soup and 16 oz. of sour cream. (Again with the light stuff...I use 98% fat-free soup and light sour cream.) It won't look pretty, but it will definitely start smelling good.

Now, here's where I differ from the recipe. (Just kidding. I've been doing that from the get-go.) The recipe says to mix two cups of shredded cheddar with one package of frozen hashbrowns in a separate bowl, then fold into the soup mixture.

I don't see a need for dirtying up another bowl. So I just dump the cheese in, stir it up and then add the hashbrowns.

Cheese, glorious cheese:

And now the hashbrowns. Until just recently, I'd only used the cubed hashbrowns - are they called O'Brien potatoes or something? - but Mark requested the shredded kind. So that's what I used. And....yummmmm!

Now you can do one of two things. You can grease (or spray) a 9x13 pan, or you can do the same to two 8x8 pans. For my own family, I make two pans.

The recipe suggests refrigerating the casserole overnight, then topping it with crushed corn flakes and baking for an hour on 350 degrees.

At this point, I freeze the casseroles. And when it's time to bake them, I'll thaw completely and bake. I don't mess with the corn flakes. Some people do. And it's delicious. But I keep it simple.

Plus, the store-brand corn flakes come in a ginormous box, and they inevitably get uber-stale in my pantry. So, plain potatoes+cheese it is.

Here's the full recipe, as it's written. Tweak as desired.

Holiday Potato Dish
1 package frozen hashbrowns
1/4 c. butter
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup chopped onion
1 pint sour cream
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup crushed corn flakes

Mix potatoes and cheese. Saute onions in 1/4 cup butter until tender. Stir in soup and sour cream. Fold potatoes and cheese into soup mixture. Turn into greased baking dish. Cover, refrigerate overnight. Sprinkle with corn flakes and drizzle with 3 tablespoons butter. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

For more Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods, visit Balancing Beauty & Bedlam. And for more Mouthwatering Monday (one day late, okay...), visit A Southern Fairytale.

What's your favorite side dish? Or holiday dish? Or both?

All right, stop, collaborate and listen.

Our house is under an Emergency Laundry Warning today. In other words, nobody has clothes to wear. And that’s because I spent my entire weekend scrapbooking.

The good news is that I’m just about finished with Annalyn’s first year album (yes, only six months late). The bad news is that two out of the three of us are in winter wear today, despite the Weather Channel’s insistence that spring has sprung.

Laundry issues aside, I had a fantastic time scrapbooking with friends. Yes, I was productive and more importantly, yes, I took the opportunity to eat many, many tasty snacks. (And why not? Heather promised that she’d removed all the calories from both the tortilla rolls and the cookies.) But the best part of scrapping for 12 hours in a 24-hour period? Laughing my head off with my girlfriends.

Remember when I talked (whined, okay, maybe I whined) about how hard it is to make friends as an adult? Well, for me, one cure has been working part-time at a scrapbooking store. The girls I met there made working that second job enjoyable and even now that some of us no longer work there, they’re still sweet friends who I enjoy so much.

Actually, it’s possible I enjoyed them a little too much. Because I’m not sure I would have stopped my cutting and gluing to bust a rhyme with anyone else. But on Saturday morning, Debbie, Melanie and Heather got quite the treat when Vanilla Ice blared out of the iPod speakers. I couldn’t help it. They all talked a good game about knowing their 90s white rap, but when the time came, my funny friends became shy.

So what could I do? I had to help them out. Or show them up. Or…okay…crack them up! And I don’t mean in a “we’re-laughing-with-you” sort of way, either. No, my dear friends were most certainly laughing AT me. But that’s okay – I was laughing at me, too.

We laughed a lot more that day. From our husbands’ driving habits to early-morning malt beverage to the virtues of canned chili, we talked and laughed about everything under the sun.

By the time I got home Saturday night, I was exhausted. I told Mark that I felt like I’d worked all day. Because I’d already informed him that Annalyn’s album was almost completely finished, he said, “Well, you did work all day.”

Yep, I sure did. Rapping’s harder than it looks!

How was your weekend?

Saturday Review: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

A few weeks ago, Smitty came over and we rented Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Because that’s what these two happening ladies do on a Friday night – pick up Chinese and a teeny-bopper movie from the Redbox.

I’ve got to tell you: I really enjoyed this movie. It was smart, funny and sweet. But not overly sweet, not cheesy. But just good, start to finish (including the DVD extras, such as bloopers and a quirky but funny hand puppet reenactment).

And I kind of love Michael Cera. I loved him in Juno, and he played the same sort of character in this movie. He was a sweet, smart, funny guy who just needs a little help in the girl department. I believe the term is “adorkable.” And he is.

One of the lines I laughed the hardest at was after he’d said something obviously stupid to the girl he likes. You could see the embarrassment on his face and then the quiet desperation when he said, “Can we go straight to laughing about this?"

So cute.

In short, the movie is about a group of high school kids who bar hop in New York City (I know. I didn’t say this was an uplifting film full of family values, okay?), trying to discover the location of an alternative rock band’s performance. Finding Where’s Fluffy is their initial goal, but several characters end up finding more than that. The main two – Nick and Norah – start a relationship, of course. And if it’s not the cutest little relationship ever, I just don’t know what is.

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist is a great illustration of the journey being more valuable than the destination. And just in case you don’t catch on, the last lines of the movie spell it out for the viewer:

Norah: Are you sad that we missed it?
Nick: We didn't miss it. This is it.

I didn’t realize until doing research for this review that Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist began as a book. Since movies never live up to books, I’m glad I hadn’t read this one. But of course I’ve put it on my to-read list.

For a more in-depth review, Time magazine writes a good one, even concluding that, “In the 1930s, Hollywood had The Thin Man, with the married couple Nick and Nora Charles as the epitome of Manhattan swank. Though this Nick and Norah have a lot more angst, they're just as worth watching, admiring and cuddling up to.”

I don’t really need help analyzing this dream.

Hay for hay fever - get it?

Last night, I dreamed about getting an allergy shot. With my group of girlfriends from high school. Except the doctor’s office was closing, because it was after 5:00. So I was out of luck. My friend, Angie, got her shots, though.

Totally random, right? Not quite.

Angie’s birthday was this week, and even though I haven’t seen her in years, it’s one of those things I haven’t forgotten.

And oh yeah, it’s allergy season. What’s that? Oh yes, some of you call this green season “Spring.” I call it Allergy Season #1. (Fall being Allergy Season #2, of course.)

So I blame the budding trees and flowering plants for my heavy lids and constant sneezing. (And by “constant,” I mean that it happens so often my co-workers don’t even bother to say “Bless you” anymore. Because, really, they have work to do.)

Of course, my condition could have something to do with the fact that my cat prefers to show her love by sleeping on my pillow. Her love…or her need for comfort. A cat’s got needs, you know.

I've tried and tried to teach her to sit like a lady.

Did I mention that the nurse in my dream doctor’s office was Susan Boyle?

Do you have allergies? What’s your favorite season? Is this the most random post I’ve ever written? (Wait, don’t answer that one.)

We got an extension.

Not the tax kind. No, our taxes are a disaster, and we may very well be in debt to Uncle Sam forever. Then again, I guess that's nothing new...

Anyway. Today at Annalyn's 18-month well-baby visit, we got an extension on her walking deadline.

At her last appointment, the doctor said not to worry about her gross motor skills - or lack of - just yet. But she said that if she wasn't walking at the next appointment (read: today), it would be time to start worrying.

Today, though, Dr. B said that because Annalyn has learned new tricks (pulling up to stand, climbing like a monkey, cruising a little bit along the couch), she's doing okay.

However, if she's not holding onto our hands and taking a few steps by next month, the doctor's calling in the big dogs. Or, at least, referring us to a physical therapist.

But for now, the kiddo is off the hook. The doctor was pleased with her verbal skills, her body part naming, and her ability to use a phone and a comb just like a big person.

And really, as she sat on the exam table in her diaper, gripping a ball point pen she dug out of my purse, posed to take notes on a stack of my business cards, I had to agree with the doctor.

That kid of mine is doing just fine.

One is silver, and the other is gold.

My dear old friend, Elise, came all the way from Ohio for my wedding.
Here we are - after the hair, before the makeup.

Last year, I came across a square photo with a thick white border from my 6th birthday party. When I looked at all those little faces, faces that grew into my classmates and friends, I recognized one little girl.

She was making a funny face, and that’s how I knew: Smitty was at that birthday party. We were friends even in kindergarten – even though neither one of us remembered it!

I do, however, remember Elise being my friend from an early age. We met playing t-ball, which is truly ironic, as neither of us is what you’d call the “athletic type.” In fact, I think it’s safe to say that we’re what Jim Gaffigan would call “indoorsy.”

Also ironic, given the number of years we spent in Camp Fire Girls, learning to roll sleeping bags and make dinner over a fire pit.

As the years have gone by, I’ve stayed close to some friends (Smitty) and lost touch with others (Elise). Funny. I don’t think you can ever predict in the moment who will be your forever friends and who are your friends for a moment in time. It’s just the way it goes, although I kick and scream and protest this passing of time and fading of friendships.

In the past couple of years, most of our “couple friends” have moved away: Katie and John to Virginia, Zac and Mandy to Minnesota, another couple to St. Louis, another couple about an hour away from our town.

Excuse me while I take a moment to consider if I should read something into this trend.

Nah.

Anyway, as part of my determination to get more involved in church this year, I’ve realized that we probably need to see about making some new friends. After all, being part of a Christian community is having people to do life with, in your town, in your everyday.

Can I be honest, though? I don’t really want to make new friends. Part of me can’t help thinking, “I don’t need more friends. I like my old friends. And I don’t have time for new ones. And…it’s hard!”

Making friends used to be easy, used to come naturally. You know, back when you became friends with whoever was around – in English class, in your dorm room, in the next entry-level cubicle.

But now? Now, it’s much more complicated. You have to factor in things like proximity (Because who has time to develop a friendship with someone who lives all the way out in the next suburb?), religious practices and beliefs (For example, will you drink a beer while watching football? And does poker count as the bad kind of gambling?), parenting style (I don’t care if you have kids yet or not, but do you frown disapprovingly when I let my daughter cry for five minutes – okay, 15 minutes – after I put her to bed?), and honestly, how many friends you already have (Because let’s be frank: I do not have the energy to compete for your attention. The cool kids can have you, if that’s your thing.).

Okay, so I jest. And if I’m getting hung up on things like this (which I may or may not, okay?), then clearly I may have the problem.

But the fact remains: making new friends as an adult is not easy.

That is why I am so glad to have met Josh and Britney. They joined our church and choir this past year, fresh from college and newly married. And freaking hilarious. These sweet kids – yep, I said it – are funny, smart and seemingly unfazed by the fact that I am cuh-razy.

I have talked about not showering (and therefore smelling like roadkill), I have told Josh that his outrageous piano-playin’ makes me want to puke out of jealousy, and I spontaneously (and embarrassingly) burst into tears in the middle of a light-hearted conversation with Britney.

And yet, as far as I can tell, Josh and Britney are our new friends. They even came for Easter lunch. With my family.

Yep, we skipped the get-to-know-you game night and went straight to family dinner.

New friends work for me. For more Works for Me Wednesday, visit We Are THAT Family.

Have you made any new friends lately? Do you think it’s harder now than it used to be?

Down to the Wire

I like to think that I have procrastination down to an art. Because I am so talented, so smart, so something, I have honed my ability to wait until the last possible moment to begin a task and still finish it well.

The thing is? That’s not really true. I often finish a project or chore by the skin of my teeth, disappointed in myself for once again not producing something that I can be proud of. Whether I’m talking about writing a news release, cleaning the bathroom or scrapbooking the hundreds of photos I took during my daughter’s first year, procrastination weighs me down and prevents me from doing my best.

However, in the spirit of April 14 – the day before taxes are due and yes, the day I will finally finish and file my taxes – I thought I’d find some funny quotes to back up my tendency to procrastinate. Perhaps these quotes really don’t exist.

Or perhaps they do, and I just couldn’t find them. Because I’m in a hurry. Because I put off writing this post.

Riiiiiiight.

Here’s a sampling of what I found. Please if you, like me, enjoy the act of procrastination, do not prepare to be inspired, encouraged or otherwise cheered up.

• How soon “not now” becomes “never”. (Martin Luther)
• Procrastination is, hands down, our favorite form of self-sabotage. (Alyce P. Cornyn-Selby)
• Procrastination is the bad habit of putting of until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday. (Napoleon Hill)
• Procrastination is the thief of time: Year after year it steals, till all are fled, And to the mercies of a moment leaves The vast concerns of an eternal scene. (Edward Young)
• Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy. (Wayne Gretzky)
• Procrastination usually results in sorrowful regret. Today's duties put off until tomorrow give us a double burden to bear; the best way is to do them in their proper time. (Ida Scott Taylor)
• Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task. (William James)
• In delay there lies no plenty. (William Shakespeare)
• Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle. (Abraham Lincoln)
• How does a project get to be a year behind schedule? One day at a time. (Fred Brooks)
• Procrastination is opportunity's assassin. (Victor Kiam)

The only person I found in favor of putting off today what can be done tomorrow was Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of the diligent and disciplined Abraham. She said, “My evil genius Procrastination has whispered me to tarry 'til a more convenient season.”

Ah yes, “my evil genius.” I love that!

So, as I look forward to a late night of number crunching and panic, I leave you with this video that my fellow procrastinator, Chelley, found last year.



Do you procrastinate? What are your tips for staying on task? Or, if you’re normal – I mean, like me – how do you pass the time as you put off your most important and pressing projects?