Latest Additions...

Tony and Jack...

...or Jude and Kiefer?

Our newest handsome guys!

I'm guessing Stuart won't be too keen on us going to future 4-H meetings....but who could resist these two?

Memorable Musings on a Monday Morning

Happy Monday to you! Mid-July already!

We had a reprieve in the hot weather with two nice, non-humid days! Hooray! Both our A/C unit and our bill had a rest. Take that, PPL!

<--Found this photo on Penny Keating's blog. I'm a huge fan of Jude Cole and love the fact that these two men are such good buddies. I'm keeping Jude's song on my video player for another week in honor of that.

One of my favorite quotes: "One of the biggest misconceptions about Kiefer is that he got anything easy in his life. He's done it on his own, every step of the way....He's Corleone loyal. We used to have a recurring fight about if one of us killed somebody, would we rat on each other? I'd say, 'That would depend on why you killed 'em.' And he would get really mad at me for that. In his code it wouldn't matter what you did; you would just never rat on your friend." - Jude Cole, best friend - singer/songwriter/producer.

I love that: Corleone loyal!

It's still 6 months until the next season of 24. I'm midway through rewatching Season 6, which we enjoyed immensely. Apparently, they scrapped the Season 7 concept and are "back to the drawing board." Hmmm... I finished the first season of Prison Break and enjoyed that, too. Of course, Season 2 won't be out until the autumn, but I already saw the finale of that one so I'll be okay once the new season begins. I think I'll try Lost next.

Our little countdown clock is speedily ticking away the time until Stuart returns to us. He's having an interesting time on the off-shore rigs in Brasil, but now he remembers why he didn't enjoy working for the service department: being away from us! The feeling is mutual.

We spent Saturday evening looking through old photographs at my parents' house. My mom had accidentally dumped out a box of photos and spent the time cleaning them up, looking through them as she did so.

I always feel like a time traveler when I look through old photos. There's something that is triggered in my memories that takes me back to the time in the photo -- if only briefly. I can remember smells and feelings and wondering at the styles that we so readily accepted...

Last evening, I rewatched Mr. Holland's Opus. (I'm such a sucker for mushy movies!) But it was another chance to "time travel." Since I played the flute in the band, I have lots of memories of our music department. I love how the movie spans Mr. Holland's entire career at the school, and the music is phenomenal.

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• Adirondack chairs by the lake

• the road to a friend’s house

• brown sugar on fresh pineapple

• fields of wildflowers

• an amulet

* * *

That would be Route 422 East.

My wonderful friend and fellow sappy-movie buddy, Angel, and her family have been so good to us while Stuart's been away, spending time with us, watching movies, having us for Sunday lunch.

And we've discovered so many commonalities that we've decided we were "twins" separated at birth by 3 1/2 years...no hints on who's older. (We were even born in the same hospital in Maryland!)

There's a quote that says something like, "The road to a friend's house is never long..." I'd have to agree. (About 10 to 15 minutes, depending on if you speed...)

*grin*

From the Friendship Page:

"Keep your eyes upon me, keep me in your sight, Help me down the crooked road, lead me to the light. The road I'm on is dark, I'm not sure if I know the way, Yet with you right beside me, I'm certain I won't stray. Protect me from the world, I know we'll make it through, Give me all the strength I need..... Let me lean on you." - Megan Stroup

"Friends are the Bacon Bits in the Salad Bowl of Life."- Pizza Place sign

"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend." - Albert Camus

Muggy Monday Musings

A happy "hot and humid" Monday to you! I'm musing to you from inside a lovely air-conditioned house!

A new week filled with new adventures, no doubt. Well, only indoor adventures until the weather cools down a bit. We moved Bonny and Clyde inside until then. Poor buns...it was just too hot for them. Though they protested to being inside by "back-filling" their food and water bowls this morning.

New Jude Cole video on the sidebar. Can't wait until this guy releases a new album...or goes on tour again. Speaking of tours...we received our tickets for the next Rocco concert in Philadelphia on August 1st. Yay!

Stuart is in Brasil this week and next. It's Winter there. He flew over the Amazon Rain Forest but didn't see anything...it was nighttime. Still, he did fly over it. We're on a countdown until he returns. 12 days to go! Whoo-hoo!

We were IMing with him this morning. As I watched the kids hunt-and-pecking messages to him, I reflected on what a technologically-marvelous time we live in. That the kids can sit in our dining room and type on our computer to their daddy in an airport in Brasil. Tres cool!

No new 24 tonight, of course -- 6 months to go!! -- but I've been working my way through Seasons 4, 5, and 6. There's a story thread that works through these three seasons especially. Maybe I'll start over completely once I've finished. I borrowed another new series from the library on Friday: Prison Break. It's very intriguing...and quite good. Season 2 isn't out on video yet... I'm thinking of watching Lost when I finish this one.

I found a little, desktop widget for my computer: a 24 clock that does the show's famous "beep-beep" as it counts the last 4 or 5 seconds before each hour. I love it! It's available on Yahoo! Widgets, if you're interested. As are bunches of other fun computer "gadgets."

Speaking of my favorite-most show, the star is in Brasil at the moment, too. (Stuart said he'd try to pencil seeing Kiefer into his busy schedule...) Actually, it's rather funny to see the translations of the articles coming out of Rio. He's there doing a commercial for Citroen. Granted, I don't speak Portuguese so my translations the other direction would be equally silly, but we were left wondering if they merely put this article through AltaVista's Babel Fish. What do you think?

Jack Bauer, of the series “24 hours”, is in Brazil. The security of the Pan is guaranteed. The actor Kiefer Sutherland arrived yesterday at the River and this was the first meal of the actor, in the Copacabana Palace, where it is housed. It devorou one sanduba. Kiefer is in the River for the party of the Citroen, today to the night, in the Alive River It still records an advertising for the assembly plant of automobiles.

In the door of the hotel, a series of fans waited for the actor. Kiefer must pass some days of vacation in Christmas, Great River of the North.

Kiefer will be filming the commercials with Araceli González - The bold escape of Araceli and Kiefer Sutherland Buenos Aires. - Everything is ready. The pair of the publicity of a famous mark of cars will meet in Brazil for the shooting of the guideline. Araceli González already gave yes and Kiefer Sutherland does not see the hour to know it. Rio de Janeiro and San Pablo will be the scenes of this international bet that makes the mark of Citroën cars, for their C4 model. Next Wednesday dupla will be the encounter of this so popular. Close friends to the protagonist of 24 recognized that the actor is anxious to know his fellow worker. They said to him that one is “one of the women more sexies of Argentina”. He already wants to verify it by itself. On the other hand, Araceli also is happy for being chosen for this advertising campaign. He will travel accompanied by his maquilladora, Mabby Autino, his peluquero, Alvaro Rivas, his vestuarista, Teresa of the Valley, and his representative Alexander Farell, informed the newspaper the Callle. Rumors assure that the one that is not very in agreement with the proposal would be Adrián Suar. The jealousy would have attacked it and would be arranged to travel to Brazil to control the North American. The excuse: the possibility of a new business.

Araceli González (born June 19, 1967 in Buenos Aires, as Araceli Edith González) is an Argentinian fashion model, actress and TV host. After marrying at a young age, she was married for a very long time, having her first child, a daughter, in 1988. She also has a son. Gonzalez was linked romantically to Chayanne when the duo starred in a telenovela. This caused her marriage trouble, and, eventually, she separated from her husband (Adrián Suar) and found work as an actress in Europe. Later on, she returned to Argentina. She now plays Gabriela Solís in Amas de Casa Desesperadas.

Gmorning Carsale - the Citroën of Brazil chose nothing more nothing less than the English actor Kiefer Sutherland, the Jack Bauer of the series 24 Hours, to be the boy-propaganda of the most important launching of the French mark in this year, the C4 Pallas. Actor will participate of writings of advertising campaign of sedã, that he happens in this thursday (5), in Rio De Janeiro, and between days 6 and 10 records the commercial film of the Pallas, that will be propagated in national net, from September. The appositive Citroën in the success of the Pallas and, for this, initiated a program of daily pay-launching of the called model “Box of Sensations”, that already it commercialized about 100 units of the model. The goal of the assembly plant is of vender, on average, two a thousand units for month, totalizing 25 a thousand cars per year.

This photo made me actually feel quite sorry for Kiefer. He looks so lost and tired, doesn't he? I know it's "his job," and he's getting paid the big bucks to be there, but it has to get wearying. I mean, he was filming for the last month or so in Romania then in England for a few days and now in Brasil. I'm guessing he'll be giving each of the 24 staff members a big ol' smooch when he gets back to L.A....just for speaking English.

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• fresh produce from the farmers’ market

• wraparound sunglasses

• grilled cheese for dinner

• walking into air conditioning

• curiosity

* * *

When I was about 15 or 16, I worked at a farmer's market on Saturday mornings. I was in charge of opening an antique/furniture stand. It was really fun for awhile because the atmosphere was varied, filled with a mixture of flea markets and fruit/veg/candy stands.

There was a smell when you entered -- maybe a mixture of the produce, breakfast stands, dust, and old treasures?

I usually spent my entire paycheck on old World War II books at a book stand up at the other end of the market.

The market has changed completely -- though the book stand became an actual store -- so I can't take my kids through it to show them where Mommy once worked.

But we still love going to other farmer's markets to buy produce, baked goods, and candy. Our area is blessed by an abundance of such places.

Summer is a great time to buy and eat fresh!

Washington, D(a). C(ity).

So last week I'm perusing my usual favorite "24" sites, reading interesting tidbits on my favorite show and actor, and I come across a press release about another special screening of the rockumentary I Trust You to Kill Me with a Q & A with none other than Kiefer Sutherland, Manu Boyer, and Pliny Porter.

Oooo...ooooo!

This time it's in...Washington, D.C.!

A quick call to my parents to see if they're available for an overnight with the kids...another to my hubby to see if he's interested...and it's all organized.

Whoo-Hoo!! Road trip!!

Okay, okay. So we've already see the movie a few times (and now own the DVD). And we saw a Q & A about it in Atlanta last October. But this time the "cherry on top" was that Rocco Deluca and the Burden would be playing live after the Q & A.

It was all part of the closing ceremony of the D.C. Independent Film Festival held on the campus of the University of the District of Columbia outside Chevy Chase (who knew the actor took his name from this little suburb of Washington?), a suburb of D.C.

So we headed down after church and arrived about an hour and half early.

The tickets included a buffet of cheeses, meats, snacks, salads, and other goodies. After we finally got our seats, we watched the closing ceremonies of the film festival, including a cool video sampling of the films that were presented during the festival's 12 days. Then we watched the Rocco movie, and it was time for the Q & A.

Kiefer came out with the other two men, and everyone cheered. It's always so funny to see him in person since we watch "24" and expect him to be in L.A....where we last "left" him.

They answered lots of questions about the movie, about making movies, about becoming an actor or filmmaker. As an added bonus (to me especially!), Kiefer's longtime buddy and co-owner of Ironworks, Jude Cole, was there. (I desperately wanted his autograph and a photo with him, especially for the kids since we're all big fans, but, alas, not this time. He sat in a row across the aisle from us during the Rocco concert, but I didn't want to disturb him...or miss anything Rocco & co. were doing.)

Then Rocco came out with the band and played four songs. They were "phenomenal" (to borrow Kiefer's favorite adjective) as always. We left the auditorium feeling tired but exhilarated. And, of course, arrived home way past our "bedtime."

Still, it's always worth it! And we have tickets to see them in concert in Philadelphia next month.
Can't wait!

Jude the Dude

I love this song, though I wouldn't have necessarily paired it with a slideshow of Kiefer Sutherland photos, even though he and Jude are longtime buddies, and I like most (but *shock* not all) photos of Kiefer.

Kiefer used it at the beginning of his movie, Truth and Consequences, N.M., in a very moving scene with the main character.

It really spells out the lead guy's personality...and his desires to change his life.

Heaven's Last Attempt
(Jude Cole)

Rain down mercy for the lost and lonely child
For the liars and the losers, the reckless and the wild
There's no more use in pretending
I know I never fooled you
The deepest darkness I've ever known comes
From living like I do

But I swear I'm gonna knock on that gate
Even if it's all in vain
I'll stand outside with my mouth wide open
And drink the pouring rain
I know there's some good left in this world
I've seen it shine in your eyes
So rain down salvation, and keep my faith alive

The harder we fall, the closer we come
To finding our hearts and the damage we've done
Darlin', I've held the devil's dirty hand
But holding you now, I know
Is heaven's last attempt

So won't you walk beside me, you know I can't make it alone
Here the fields are dark and the wind is hard, hard as stone
Roll out the sky and let me come home, come home
I wanna come home

The harder we fall, the closer we come
To finding the light and the warmth of the sun
All that I've ever had I've let slip through my hands
But holding you now, I know is heaven

Monday Musings

It's Monday.

Time to begin a new week, do laundry, clean up from the weekend, and change the video on my blog.

* * *

I've become a huge fan of Jude Cole -- my kids like him, too, and refer to him as "Jude the Dude" -- so I was really excited to find this week's music video on Webrats.

Silly, really, I guess.

I discovered him through my interest in Kiefer Sutherland and Rocco Deluca and Ironworks Music. Now, I enjoy listening to his albums over and over. Because of my interest in him, I discovered Lifehouse, the group I had a video from last week.

Amazing little web of interest, huh?

* * *

I loved today's online calendar page:

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• tea and toast
• reading a historical document
• the zen of an aquarium
• sticking to a workout plan
• real flowers on the kitchen table

* * *

On a different note, I really enjoyed -- despite a raging sinus headache! Timing, huh? -- last night's 2-hour premiere of 24. Tons of great scenes, bringing back old characters and introducing new ones. Very edge-of-your-seat, as usual.

My favorite line was: "Drop the coffee!"

Classic Jack Bauer!

Despite the fact that Jack is still a "Weeble" fueled by adrenalin, we look forward to watching the next 2 hours of his life tonight.

* * *

Excuse me while I go take some Tylenol and a nap...

Gotta gear up!

I haven't learned how to "weeble" yet.