The Best of 2009

I know my "Best Of" series was popular last year, but I just didn't have as much time to get it together like I wanted to for 2009. Still, I can't just leave y'all hanging, so here's a "Best of Everything" list instead.

THE BEST MOVIE



While The Incredibles remains my favorite Disney/Pixar movie, Up almost nudged it out of the top spot on the strength of the first nine minutes of the movie. The montage of Carl and Ellie Fredrickson's life together had me laughing and crying and then laughing and crying even harder. The rest of the film is just as good, and if this movie doesn't win a Best Animation Oscar, then I will seriously be upset.

HONORBALE MENTION: Star Trek. Hello, Captain Kirk! ROWR. The story was tight, the action was exciting and J.J. Abrams has made it okay to be a public fan of Star Trek again.

THE BEST RECIPE

Once again The Pioneer Woman comes through with her Chicken Tikka Masala. Within a few days of this recipe going up on her website, I was diving into the world of Indian Cooking. Oh my! This recipe is SO GOOD, and it's like nothing our normal American palates have ever tasted. The recipe isn't hard or overly complicated, but there are a lot of steps involved. But I promise you it's totally worth it in the end! And the best part? This recipe can feed an Army and still have lots of leftovers, and it tastes even better the second day! Try it. You won't be sorry.

HONORABLE MENTION:PW's Steak Bites. It's a recipe which makes you say, "Why didn't *I* think of that??".

THE BEST WEBSITE

It's no lie when I say that my famiy spent thirty minutes looking at this website during my grandmother's 75th birthday party. Hysterical laughter ensued.

HONORABLE MENTION: Segullah

I've been inspired and uplifted by this blog so many times this year that I finally ordered a subscription to the magazine.

THE BEST SONG

"Breathe" by U2


The opening song of U2's 360* Tour was "Breathe" from their album No Line of the Horizon. It was the first song I ever heard U2 play live, so it most definitely has to be the best song of 2009.

HONORABLE MENTION:

"Starlight" by Muse


Love this song! Seeing Muse perform it live is even better.

THE BEST CHILDREN'S BOOK

A Couple of Boys Have The Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee


In all honesty, I laughed so hard at this book I just *might* have wet my pants a little. It has everything I love in a children's book- great illustrations, humor, good characters and most important of all, LAYERS. Kids will love it for one reason, and adults will love it for a whole 'nother reason. Most of all, I want Eamon and James to come and visit my house (even though I know I will be exhausted by the time they leave) and I want Bill and Pam to be *my* grandparents!!

HONORABLE MENTION

Hate That Cate by Sharon Creech


A sequel to my favorite children's book of 2005 Love That Dog. Creech continues with the same unusual (but 100% effective!!) storytelling style that was so charming and heart-wrenching in Love That Dog. It takes maybe 30 minutes to read this book aloud, which I think is the best way to read it for the first time.

THE BEST BOOK

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris


Honestly, this book right here is why I only read 98 new books this year. I re-read DaG at *least* ten times. What can I say? I'm a sucker for tall, blong former Viking Vampires! I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series Dead in the Family which will be released in May.

HONORABLE MENTION

Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom


Nordstrom was an editor for Harpers from the 1930's-1970's. She is considered a pioneer in the area of children's books. She edited many of the children's books we have come to regard as 'classics'. She worked with the likes of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Garth Williams, E.B. White, Maurice Sendak, Margaret Wise Brown, Shel Silverstein, Clement Hurd- the list goes on and on.

This book is full of letters she wrote to various people within the publishing industry (authors, illustrators, librarians, other publishers, etc). She was brilliant and enormously funny. I loved seeing just how committed she was to her authors and illustrators. I know a collection of letters (especially hundreds of letters) sounds like it will be enormously dry and boring, but I'm telling you IT'S NOT. I borrowed this book from the local library, but I'm *seriously* considering purchasing a copy for my own personal use.

In my opinion, this book is an education for anyone who 1) wants to be involved in any way with the creation and distribution of quality children's books or 2) anyone who simply loves children's books

SO THAT'S IT!! My picks for 2009! On to 2010!

Friday Night Lite

The girls are off spending the night with a friend (aka our third daughter, Katie). It's a Friday night, *and* it's payday (for both me and him) so you'd think we'd get dolled up and hit the town (such as it is in Albany), making the most of a free night.

You'd be wrong.

James is painting road show props for tomorrow night, and I'm keeping him company in the kitchen by playing DJ with iTunes. (Currently "Fool in the Rain" by Led Zeppelin is playing. I'm trying to figure out what, umm, artificial stimulants Robert Plant and Jimmy Page were taking when they came up with song. It's like they were listening to salsa music while on a bad acid trip. Not that I'd know what a bad acid trip is like, mind you.)

Moving on...

A few weeks ago we met up with all of the Vicars and the Coxs and went out to Mark's Melon Patch to pick pumpkins and look at sunflowers.

(Holy Cow! iTunes just went from Led Zeppelin to "I Know That My Redeemer Lives". Talk about a bad acid trip!)



They insisted on having their picture taken with the tallest sunflower.


All the kiddos (minus Meghan, who was with her parents somewhere)


Mama V and Papa Rich took Nathan and Samantha off to Cordele to see Thomas the Tank Engine, and Helen, Ryan and Meghan came back to our house to pick up a load of wood. The girls decided to have some fun with Meghan and my camera.

(Now this is just ridiculous. iTunes just went from Coldplay's Don't Panic to The First Noel.)





Obviously someone took this picture before the subjects were ready!








Such cuties!

And with with "You Want It" by Cheap Trick, I'm done. Adios!

Whatever it is, just do it

To make things more interesting for you, the viewing public, I've decided to make all of my blog post titles from song lyrics. (At least, I will do this until I forget to do it, or until I get tired of it, whichever comes first.) Amuse yourself by trying to figure the song and artist, and while you're at it, discover some new music! (I have excellent taste.) If you post the correct answers in the comments, I will do something very nice for you! (Just like I did for my brother David in this post. He correctly identified Lynyrd Skynyrd's lead singer, Johnny Van Zant, and last Saturday I cooked him a delicious dinner (grilled chicken, green beans with shallots and garlic, Caesar Salad and the Pioneer Woman's Apple Dumplings (except I made the dumplings with pears instead of apples)).

Coming up next in the Tree Fort: Pictures from our first football game!

No Summer Fun For You!

The girlies are with Nana and Papa for week. I had BIG PLANS. Yes I did. Fate intervened instead.

1. On Wednesday, I (stupidly) got sunburned (the cooler temp and low humidity seduced my into thinking I didn't need sunblock when I went swimming). Then later that day, I broke my little toe. So I spent all day yesterday laying in bed watching TV/movies and/or reading and occasionally moaning in pain.

2. On the flipside, I did get to watch the Dixie Chick's documentary Shut Up and Sing. It was wonderful. I would encourage everyone to see it. Whether or not you agree with what Natalie Maines said back in 2003, she didn't deserve death threats. Also, I am now obsessed with their song Easy Silence. Guh. Perfect example of what my friend Katie calls non-romantic love songs.

3. I also managed to get a deal out of our cable company that locks in the price of our phone/internet/cable service at $89 for the next 18 months. Sweet! Before my injuries, I also weeded the flower bed and garden, mowed the front yard and did tons of laundry. So I guess the week hasn't been a total loss.

4. James and I are supposed to go to a sit down dinner for adults at church tonight, but that would mean putting on a bra and real shoes. I don't think my shoulders/back and little toe are up for those stresses. :P

5. I'm now off to watch my Season Two DVDs of Friday Night Lights with the commentary on. I'm telling y'all, you should really watch this show. Best show on TV, hands down.