Saturday States: Virginia & West Virginia

Virginia

State Nickname: The Old Dominion State

Year of Family Trip: 1999

Cities Visited: Arlington, Charlottesville, Mt.Vernon

Can't Miss Tourist Attractions:
Monticello, Mt. Vernon, Arlington National Cemetery

When the Heflin bunch ventured to the DC area to tag along on Jordan's eighth grade class trip in 1999, we made a couple of pit stops in Virginia as well.  We visited Thomas Jefferson's Monticello (pictured in the top right of the opening photo) and George Washington's Mt. Vernon (pictured in the top left of the opening photo). We also spent quite a bit of time roaming around Arlington National Cemetery admiring the cherry blossoms, watching the changing of the guard, and spending some time in reflection at JFK's eternal flame.

A Death March to Remember

At Mt. Vernon, we were able to participate in a death march for our first President, George Washington.  We were given black bands to tie around our arms as we paraded around the grounds to eventually end at the crypt that houses Washington's grave.  Even Ricker (our family "pet") was given a black armband and allowed to participate.  Following the march, we had a chance encounter in the restroom area with the Huffman's - our across the street neighbors!  Such a wild coincidence!

West Virginia

State Nickname: The Mountain State

Year of Family Trip: 1999

City Visited: Charleston, Beckley

Can't Miss Tourist Attraction:
Dirty Ernie's (unfortunately, it is closed now), Tamarack (shown below)

West Virginia brought our most memorable restaurant from all of our adventures - Dirty Ernie's.  It was a BBQ spot that we unfortunately found closed when we came back through the area a few years later.  Total bummer!  On a more fortunate note, as we passed through the town of Beckley we realized the need for a pit stop.  We pulled off at Tamarack...and ended up spending much more time than expected checking out the arts and craft selection inside.  We also visited the capital (Charleston) as we made our way through West Virginia.

Tamarack Image via Google

Have you ever visited Virginia or West Virginia?

Andrea :)

Book Club: Calling Me Home

Our rooftop desk served as the meeting spot for my NYC book club at the end of September. I pieced together some honey teriyaki glazed chicken kabobs with a side of quinoa for dinner as I played hostess. I wanted to make sure this lovely group was able to experience a gorgeous sunset and some time outside before it got too chilly for us to enjoy it! We always have a great time catching up...and eventually delving into a discussion on our most recent book.

Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler is nothing short of phenomenal.  I read it in three days because I simply could NOT put it down.  And after I finished reading, I proceeded to regurgitate the whole story to Chris because I wanted to keep thinking and talking about it.  The main story in the novel unfolds as Miss Isabelle and her beloved hairdresser, Dorrie, begin a road trip from Texas to Isabelle's former stomping grounds in northern Kentucky.  They are headed to a funeral, but it remains a mystery as to who is being laid to rest.  In her present-day nineties, Isabelle divulges her young adult romance with Robert, a black man.  He assisted her father with odd tasks around the house while his mother and sister worked in the kitchen and did the cleaning for the McAllister family in this 1940's segregated way of life.  Obviously, the relationship was forbidden, but that didn't hinder Isabelle and Robert too much.  I'll stop there, but believe me when I say you will be hooked from the start with this book.

I selected this one for two reasons - the main story takes place in and around my native Kentucky AND interracial love is my reality today.  It was quite shocking to notice that while things have certainly changed, there is still much progress to be made in the way of racial equality. Chris and I have an official marriage license from the state of Kentucky, but many before us didn't have that luxury.  Times are changing, but not nearly fast enough.  I identified closely with Calling Me Home, but I believe this book has the power to resonate with all people.  I highly suggest this one! 

Andrea :)

The Fall Film Challenge: September Recap

The Fall Film Challenge is well underway at this point.  I shared my 25 movie selections with you in mid-August...and each month I'll update you on my progress!  I have watched 11 out of the 25 movies so far.  Even though a couple of people have already watched all their selections, I felt pretty proud of my *almost* halfway stat.  Especially considering I was working movies in while we hosted my parents in early September and while we vacationed in California for a good chunk of the middle part! It has been noted that the bonus round will be released on October 15 so I'm hopeful to squeeze in a good number of my remaining 14 films in the next couple weeks!

9/3 - Around the World in 80 Days (2004)

Watched for a movie incorporating hot air balloons into the story.

3 out of 5 stars

This movie was extremely goofy with lots of silly humor. It kept me entertained though. I loved the random cameos from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kathy Bates - totally weren't expecting to see them!  I laughed at the cheesy jokes/scenes and felt happy with the resolution at the end of the film.

9/6 - Scent of a Woman (1992)

Watched for close friend or family member's favorite movie.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Al Pacino was phenomenal in this movie!  There were funny scenes and serious scenes, but no matter the type of scene - Pacino delivered!  The movie has a great message about fighting for what is right and being a leader rather than a follower.  A true classic that I am glad I watched.

9/8 - American Graffiti (1973)

Watched for movie starring Harrison Ford.

2 out of 5 stars

Unfortunately, this movie was pretty boring. They basically drove around in their cars all night.  There were only a few real action sequences of any worth.  I really liked the Toad story line though.  He got into the most precarious predicaments that ended in the some hilarious scenes! 

9/10 - Annie (2014)

Watched for movie that features a child as the main actor.

4 out of 5 stars

I wasn't sure what to expect with this remake, but I loved it!!  Each character was fun to watch...and I just loved the upbeat redone musical numbers!  The updated references to technology and other current era life really brought this one full circle.  Definitely worth a watch if you liked the first one!

9/18 - The Great White Hype (1996)

Watched for movie with the word great in the title.

3 out of 5 stars

Chris picked out this flick because he wanted me to see it.  Although it was super goofy and over the top, I did have a few good laughs. I was pleasantly surprised to see Jamie Foxx make an appearance - his character absolutely cracked me up! If you want something silly with a handful of good one-liners, this is your movie!

9/19 - What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001)

Watched for movie with a question in the title.

2 out of 5 stars

Martin Lawrence always finds a way to make me laugh, but this one was rough.  It was disjointed in a few places and not something I would ever watch again.  It was nice to see Bernie Mac again though.

9/20 - The Longest Ride (2015)

Watched for love story movie.

4 out of 5 stars

Love this story.  I read the book recently, but in a rare turn of events I actually enjoyed the film more.  It managed to piece together the story in a less convoluted way.  This one is certainly worth a watch!  You might even need some tissues...if you're prone to that kinda thing in movies! :)

9/21 - The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Watched for movie set in a country I'd like to visit.

3 out of 5 stars

With an array of quite interesting characters (even if some were a bit unlikable), this movie had me hooked.  I enjoyed both the scenery and introduction to India as well as taking all the twists and turns with the characters in the film.  I'll be sure to rent the sequel once this challenge is done!

9/25 - We Bought A Zoo (2011)

Watched for movie set in a zoo.

3 out of 5 stars

Honestly, I was completely thrown off by the sad overtones in this movie. I was expecting it to be a happy, upbeat movie about a family buying a zoo. However, the loss of the mother/wife did set the stage for some conflict that kept the movie interesting.  And seriously, the little girl was incredibly adorable. Quality story and an enjoyable film.  If you haven't seen it, give it a watch!

9/26 - Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

Watched for movie with subtitles.

1 out of 5 stars

I knew this category would be tough for me.  I struggle with subtitled films in general, but I may have picked one of the most horrifyingly depressing ones available.  The title character wakes from a coma after a stroke to find he can no longer communicate with words.  The movie provides a soundtrack to his mind which I found to be quite an intriguing method of storytelling, but it was still terribly difficult to watch. It was spoken in French, but I found myself thinking that if it had been in Spanish it might have been a tad more bearable since I could have picked up on a word or two here or there.  And at least I know the alphabet in Spanish...and they repeated the alphabet endlessly as a manner of communication via blinks of the eyelid.  Not a movie I plan to ever watch again, but I was glad I gave it a chance.

9/29 - Noah (2014)

Watched for movie about something miraculous.

0 out of 5 stars

As a Christian, this movie was complete nonsense.  It introduced strange and absolutely incorrect ideas into the powerful and miraculous story of Noah.  Needless to say based on my number of stars given, I didn't like this one at all.  The Noah story that I'm familiar with from the Bible is far superior to this adaptation!  Don't waste your time on this one!

Have you seen any interesting or enjoyable movies lately??

Andrea :)