November 24, 2005

Thanksgiving

Posted by Scott at 07:38 AM

Thanksgiving Banner

Happy Thanksgiving to friends and family across the country — especially the Biliks, the Tarpeys, the Gerrits, the Crowleys, the Tesorieros, the Chinnis, the McInyres, the McWherters, the Washburns, and the Knowlands. We all have a lot to be thankful for every day. I'm glad that we take a day every year to highlight that.

Snow - It's official. Our ground is dusted with snow. So far you can still see the grass, but today we can say snow started in Milford. We might get 2 to 4 inches today. So far we've burned around 800 pounds of wood this season. I predict that with the second stove installed in the basement now, we'll burn about 4 tons this winter. It's amazing how when it's something like natural gas, you can't really visualize what it takes to keep your house warm. It just comes in via plumbing and you pay the bill every month. When the inventory is sitting in your garage in front of your vehicles and you bring some in every night, you get an appreciation for what it takes.

Movies - I'd been looking forward to seeing the new Yours, Mine, and Ours movie this holiday. Certainly this week they are in marketing blitz mode. This past week you could hardly surf to Netflix or similar sites without seeing it as a banner ad. That's why I was saddened to see this negative review saying it was just annoying. I'll admit that last year's Cheaper by the Dozen wasn't anything like the original, but it was fun and heartwarming. The plan is to take the four older kids to see Chicken Little today. I'd love to go see the new Harry Potter movie, but as with all the previous, it'll have to wait for the DVD. I'd really like to take Michelle out on a "date night" to see Pride and Prejudice. I enjoyed many of the other movies based on Jane Austen novels like Sense & Sensibility, Persuasion, Emma, etc.

In the rental domain last night we re-watched Polar Express. It still strikes me as a bit weird, a bit surreal, with certain items that seem to not make sense. I remember feeling that way when we saw it last year at the theater. Visually stunning (I'd love to see it in an IMAX theater) but sometimes just strange.

Hitchhikers GuideOn my flight back from Ed and Jeanette's wedding I watched The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy on my iBook. I'm reworking my way through the novel at the same time. Steven Greydanus gave it a reserved good review over at DecentFilms and I'd have to agree. It can be hard to capture Douglas Adams style of wit on the big screen in just a couple of hours.

I wanted to put in a plug for a relatively unknown movie, Millions. Michelle and the girls watched it the other night. I caught glimpses of it here and there. Two brothers come across a lot of money and struggle over how to handle it. The older one wants to live it up, the younger keeps seeing visions of saints like Peter and Joseph, as he struggles with how they could help people with it. There are other side plots weaved in the story: the money is in pounds just days before the conversion to the Euro, the original thieves are looking to get it back, charitable organizations get wind that they have money, etc. I especially recommend it for families. Kids over age 7 should get it.

Click to see the albumEvening update - It was a great Thanksgiving. Michelle and the kids trimmed the Christmas trees. The main one will be in the basement this year and there's a little one near the first floor fireplace. Because of the fresh snow, we didn't go to see a movie. Instead the kids had fun playing in the snow including sledding down the hill. We did get about 5 inches of snow so conditions were fine for sledding. Indoors Claire built a fort out of couch cushions and blankets which the boys thought was really neat. Claire watched the original BBC product of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Michelle made a hearty dinner including many of my favorites.

Photo Album - Click on Daniel's smiling pilgrim face to see an album of today's highlights. I also took a short Quicktime movie of Claire doing various flips from her gymnastics routines.

Comments

I saw that when it came out, the hitchikers guide, it was a good movie but i didnt like it as much as the books. The books were funnier and the movie didnt really have a point to it.
Peace,TJ

Posted by: T.J. at November 24, 2005 07:11 PM

Hi TJ,
I didn't know you had read the books. I didn't get into them until college days. I hadn't heard of them before then. I had a bunch of guys on my floor who were real fans. Like me, they especially liked to immitate Marvin, the manically depressed robot.

Posted by: Scott at November 24, 2005 07:17 PM

ya my dad had em, so i read i think all of em except for like that last one.

Posted by: T.J. at November 24, 2005 11:30 PM

Ahhh, GREAT pics!! It looks like you had a great time---sledding and decorating for Christmas. Your Thanksgiving table was beautiful. I loved the children's artwork!!

Posted by: Lisa at November 25, 2005 06:39 PM

Hi Lisa,

Thanks. Yep, I was surprised Michelle was starting on the Christmas decorations so soon. Usually it comes later in the four day weekend, not the morning of Thanksgiving! In those pictures you can see she was still in her PJ's. On the flip side, the stuff tends to get taken down on the early side too.

Posted by: Scott at November 26, 2005 06:39 AM