Somehow I think my friends are going to get tired of hearing me talk about the movie Lincoln. I am hoping with all I have that this movie wins MANY awards. Daniel Day-Lewis and Steven Spielberg did an OUTSTANDING job on this movie. I know that Steven did a HUGE amount of research on Abraham to make this movie what it is. There are parts of it that stand out to me more than others. Although seeing it the second time, I picked up on a few things that I missed. I'm hoping to see it again when my parents go see it. I could see this movie on a daily basis. When it hits DVD, it will be in my collection of DVD's.
The parts that stood out to me the most, were how he loved his son Tad and what a gentle dad he was to him. A friend of mine told me that her only problem with Lincoln was how mean he was to Mary after their son Willie died. My thought on that is, men and women show their emotions so differently and back then, even more so. But in the movie, when Mary breaks down over their son Robert joining the war, Abraham explains to her his grief and how much he suffered right along with her, but he had to be there for her and kept his feelings down. Any parent that loses a child, you know that emotions are going to come out here and there and there may be days that it's better or worse. I believe that Lincoln, as well as Mary, did the best each of them could. I also heard that they did a poll on what President people would want to have watch their children today. The highest number went to Abraham Lincoln. There is a part in the movie where Tad is asleep by the fire and Abraham goes in and lies down next to him, kisses Tad's forehead and he wakes up. He climbs onto the back of his daddy and Lincoln gets up and carries his son to his bed as Tad is asking to see Willie and Linclon telling him gently that they can't, that Willie is gone.
After seeing it for the first time, I came home and attacked Amazon to find what books I could on Lincoln. I put the ones I wanted on my wish list. I only picked out four. I picked The Life of Abraham Lincoln, his biography, The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln and another one that is from the movie. My wonderful friend in Austraila got me a gift card from Amazon and I ordered one of the books. I need to see which one I bought with that one because I want that book now! My mom seems to think I have to wait until Christmas, but I think I should get it now! The one about the Life of him, I have on my phone. But there are so many errors on it and when it comes to reading books, I like to feel them in my hand. The biography of Lincoln is a THICK book! I cannot wait to start reading that one! It will take me a while simply because I want to learn all I can.
The movie is all about the 13th Amendment. It never talks about the things he did for the Deaf world. That is another reason I adore this man.
When I lived in Indiana, we spent a Christmas in Maryland and I was blessed to get to go to Washington D.C. and see the Lincoln Memorial. I have many photos from that trip. I have one of him on the magnetic board I have by my bed. I'm not obsessed with him, it's not that. I'm just so impressed and amazed at what a great man he was. I truly believe he was a born again Christian and because I believe that, I want to believe I will meet him when I get to Heaven!
One thing that really threw me with this movie was how many were AGAINST passing the amendment. And it was the democrats who didn't want to pass it. On the way home after seeing it for the second time, I told my friend that it's amazing how the democrats didn't want slavery to be demolished and yet today, they want a black president. I realize times have changed and perhaps Lincoln would be highly impressed with the fact that we have a black president, but I don't think he would be impressed with how he's choosing to run this country. Lincoln did NOTHING to change the constitution and he said that many times in the movie.
My very favorite line in this movie..."Do you think we choose to be born? Or are we fitted into the times we're born into?
I am so inthralled with this movie and knowing everything I can about Abraham Lincoln surprises me beyond belief. I'm going to end this entry and watch 45 minutes of a Q&A with Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis! I'm sorry if this is a boring blog!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Why I Write
In the world of writers, I'm sure that each one has a different reason for being a writer. There are those who write to help others. And there are those who enjoy writing sci-fi, horror, romance, comedy, truth...so many different reasons as to why. Stephen King, his writings are often written about things in his past that has happened to him and just added more to it to make it scary. His Memoir is an excellent read. That is the only book I own of his. I'm not into horror books nor movies.
My sole reason for writing is, it releases the feelings I have deep within myself. Those are the pieces I don't always share, due to the content of the piece. I only reveal parts of me that I feel are safe. My other writing that I do, I often find inspiration from the things in the world around me. One day while driving through Salem, I saw an older lady, and she could have been older looking due to her living and life circumstances, pushing a shopping cart full of her belongings with a comforter type blanket resting on top of her things. It wasn't the most beautiful of days either. That picture stayed in the front of my mind until I was able to get to my computer.
A few months ago, I was at a restaurant with a friend. There was an elderly man sitting in the booth behind ours. I was sitting to face this man, my friend's back was to him. As he sat there, alone, he put his hands together and stared out the window. His hands looked as if he had many years of hard labor behind him. I took a picture of my "friend" and took one of him. A few weeks later, I looked at his picture and words came to me.
On Halloween, while waiting for trick or treaters to come to the door, I was watching a show on women who are on death row. One of the women they inviewed, she told about her cell and how all she has is a toilet/sink combo, a bed and a window. I took my phone out and started to write the words that were forming in my mind. After I got home, I sat down at my computer and wrote a piece. I read it in my writing class and they had a suggestion for one word. I was pleased.
Last week I shared a poem I had written in 2006. I was watching CSI Miami and Horatio Caine had just gotten married to his beautiful bride. As they're exiting the building, a shot rings out and his new bride is killed by a bullet to the head. My heart broke. I wrote a poem entitled But For A Moment.
So as you can see, I'm a writer for a couple different reasons. I write to release the stress in my life and I write in 3rd person, putting myself in their shoes and looking at the world through their eyes. I may have it all wrong, and that's okay, I just write what I feel. I'm not sure any writer has apologized for what they write, so I won't either. Just like I don't read horror, maybe others don't want to read what I write. That's okay. I'm not writing for anyone but myself. And if others can relate, or are moved or can become more empathetic because of what I write, then I have done what I was set out to do.
My sole reason for writing is, it releases the feelings I have deep within myself. Those are the pieces I don't always share, due to the content of the piece. I only reveal parts of me that I feel are safe. My other writing that I do, I often find inspiration from the things in the world around me. One day while driving through Salem, I saw an older lady, and she could have been older looking due to her living and life circumstances, pushing a shopping cart full of her belongings with a comforter type blanket resting on top of her things. It wasn't the most beautiful of days either. That picture stayed in the front of my mind until I was able to get to my computer.
A few months ago, I was at a restaurant with a friend. There was an elderly man sitting in the booth behind ours. I was sitting to face this man, my friend's back was to him. As he sat there, alone, he put his hands together and stared out the window. His hands looked as if he had many years of hard labor behind him. I took a picture of my "friend" and took one of him. A few weeks later, I looked at his picture and words came to me.
On Halloween, while waiting for trick or treaters to come to the door, I was watching a show on women who are on death row. One of the women they inviewed, she told about her cell and how all she has is a toilet/sink combo, a bed and a window. I took my phone out and started to write the words that were forming in my mind. After I got home, I sat down at my computer and wrote a piece. I read it in my writing class and they had a suggestion for one word. I was pleased.
Last week I shared a poem I had written in 2006. I was watching CSI Miami and Horatio Caine had just gotten married to his beautiful bride. As they're exiting the building, a shot rings out and his new bride is killed by a bullet to the head. My heart broke. I wrote a poem entitled But For A Moment.
So as you can see, I'm a writer for a couple different reasons. I write to release the stress in my life and I write in 3rd person, putting myself in their shoes and looking at the world through their eyes. I may have it all wrong, and that's okay, I just write what I feel. I'm not sure any writer has apologized for what they write, so I won't either. Just like I don't read horror, maybe others don't want to read what I write. That's okay. I'm not writing for anyone but myself. And if others can relate, or are moved or can become more empathetic because of what I write, then I have done what I was set out to do.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Seeing Life Through Different Eyes: Wallpaper
Seeing Life Through Different Eyes: Wallpaper: This morning while lying in bed, I decided to change the wallpaper on my phone. With the current mood I'm in, I decided to look under Abstra...
Wallpaper
This morning while lying in bed, I decided to change the wallpaper on my phone. With the current mood I'm in, I decided to look under Abstract in my wallpaper app.
I realize that not everyone has a smart phone or a phone that can let you choose different wallpapers. And I know that some don't even have a cell phone. A lot of my friends are older and they have the most simple phone one can buy. The only reason I have a smart phone is because my past cell phone decided to crap out on me. I walked into AT&T and before I knew it, I walked out with my first smart phone that I paid a $1 for!
Anyway, as I looked through the abstract photos, I passed a picture of a brickwall. I kept looking through them, but that wall kept coming to mind. I went back to it and set it as my wallpaper. That was when this thought hit me.
For those of you who actually read my blog, who have wallpapers on your phone, what makes you choose the one you do? A few months ago, I had one of a sad looking stick figure with its heart in its hands holding it out to give it away. It said, "I don't want it anymore." That was how I was feeling. When Fall arrived, I found a great fall photo of yellow, orange and red leaves on trees getting ready to make their final decent for the year.
This morning while using my phone, I thought my wallpaper was just too bright. I'm not feeling that ray of sunshine right now so that was my reason for looking for a new wallpaper. For years I have always said that I have this huge wall around my heart. And the past couple of days, that wall has been just as huge, but apparently has a soft part for arrows to penetrate my chest into my heart.
What does your wallpaper say about you? I know a very dear friend of me has a Superman logo as her's because her son, who passed away almost six years ago, loved Superman. So her photo lets me know that she honors her son. A lot of people use a photo of their children or husband. Some use a photo of their pet. I've usedmy dog Daisy as a wallpaper a couple times!
So that was my simple thought this morning. What does your wallpaper on your cell phone say about you?
Happy Thanksgiving!
Jen
I realize that not everyone has a smart phone or a phone that can let you choose different wallpapers. And I know that some don't even have a cell phone. A lot of my friends are older and they have the most simple phone one can buy. The only reason I have a smart phone is because my past cell phone decided to crap out on me. I walked into AT&T and before I knew it, I walked out with my first smart phone that I paid a $1 for!
Anyway, as I looked through the abstract photos, I passed a picture of a brickwall. I kept looking through them, but that wall kept coming to mind. I went back to it and set it as my wallpaper. That was when this thought hit me.
For those of you who actually read my blog, who have wallpapers on your phone, what makes you choose the one you do? A few months ago, I had one of a sad looking stick figure with its heart in its hands holding it out to give it away. It said, "I don't want it anymore." That was how I was feeling. When Fall arrived, I found a great fall photo of yellow, orange and red leaves on trees getting ready to make their final decent for the year.
This morning while using my phone, I thought my wallpaper was just too bright. I'm not feeling that ray of sunshine right now so that was my reason for looking for a new wallpaper. For years I have always said that I have this huge wall around my heart. And the past couple of days, that wall has been just as huge, but apparently has a soft part for arrows to penetrate my chest into my heart.
What does your wallpaper say about you? I know a very dear friend of me has a Superman logo as her's because her son, who passed away almost six years ago, loved Superman. So her photo lets me know that she honors her son. A lot of people use a photo of their children or husband. Some use a photo of their pet. I've usedmy dog Daisy as a wallpaper a couple times!
So that was my simple thought this morning. What does your wallpaper on your cell phone say about you?
Happy Thanksgiving!
Jen
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
My first Blog
My friends have told me I should start a blog. A friend helped me do just that last night. And apparently, today I'm able to write my first post.
My name is Jen and I've been writing since I was a teenager. I have never shared my writings with anyone, simply because the trust wasn't there. A very dear friend of mine, however, has a book of some of my writings. In September, I started going to a Writing Group at Monmouth Senior Center. In the amount of time I've been there, my writing has improved and my confidence is getting better, little by little. I'm so thankful for that!
I'm not sure what I'll be writing about. I'll be sharing pieces that I have written and shared with my writing class. If you can relate, or have ever felt that way or don't understand how someone could, please feel free to leave me a comment and I will do my best to respond.
When I write, very rarely do I write about myself. Many of my pieces are in 3rd person. By no means am I a professional writer. I write and it just works out to make sense. If you have a topic you'd like to have my thoughts on, by all means, ask and if I feel comfortable, I will write about it!
Thank you for visiting my blog and I hope you will return!
Jen
My name is Jen and I've been writing since I was a teenager. I have never shared my writings with anyone, simply because the trust wasn't there. A very dear friend of mine, however, has a book of some of my writings. In September, I started going to a Writing Group at Monmouth Senior Center. In the amount of time I've been there, my writing has improved and my confidence is getting better, little by little. I'm so thankful for that!
I'm not sure what I'll be writing about. I'll be sharing pieces that I have written and shared with my writing class. If you can relate, or have ever felt that way or don't understand how someone could, please feel free to leave me a comment and I will do my best to respond.
When I write, very rarely do I write about myself. Many of my pieces are in 3rd person. By no means am I a professional writer. I write and it just works out to make sense. If you have a topic you'd like to have my thoughts on, by all means, ask and if I feel comfortable, I will write about it!
Thank you for visiting my blog and I hope you will return!
Jen
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