Checking In: Meggy

It was an interesting weekend.

Saturday was busy.  Well, not so much busy as just out-of-the-house.  Mom went out to meet some of her friends for breakfast and the rest of us, after a slow start, met her there mid-morning.  From there, we drove to my maternal grandmother to celebrate her birthday.  She and my mother aren't on the best of terms, but I think they like each other more than they let on - only they're too much alike.  Mom mentioned that we have to leave by one because my brother had places to be, but she added that grandma would probably ask us to help put up the Christmas tree.  I'm now convinced that such a thing wasn't on her mind.  Grandpa Gene had partially convinced her that they had a tree - the lit up one in the backyard across the street.  But I suggested to Mom that we offer to help them so that we didn't get stuck at the last minute.

The tree is one green pole with lots of branches that have to be put on, one by one.  But with three or four of us doing the job, it took only ten minutes, and it was fun.  Then we put the lights on.  My grandmother was so grateful.

As a birthday present, we gave her a Thirty-One Gifts black Organizing Utility Tote with two wine glasses, a bottle of wine, some Christmas plates, and a couple of games.  I was surprised that my grandmother had never played Mastermind.  We taught her and Grandpa Gene how to play and Grandpa Gene picked up on it right away.  Four rounds were played, with various people playing opposite my grandparents, and then we opened the other game, which was a betting game of sorts - could be fun if we ever get it figured out properly.

Sunday was a long after-Mass rehearsal for the folk group.  I play guitar and sing, although my voice was half gone yesterday.  Don't you just love Christmas music?  There's something so beautiful about it.  Anyway, we finally got home, and we ate some baked goods that we often pick up at the country store on the way home, and we watched 'The Toy That Saved Christmas' while my brother and my dad went out to get the tree and pick up a few things.  Then we watched 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' and a few people fell asleep.  After a few minutes, Macbook in lap, I went to YouTube and picked a Donald O'Connor movie at random - 'Yes Sir That's My Baby'.  Volume low.  Soon, the fake-sleeper sister next to me was watching.  Then my nosy sister sitting across the room came over.  Then my mom stirred from her nap and leaned over.  I think my brother might have even joined us.  My dad was less interested and started on dinner.  But a few moments after the movie was over, we were cleaning up and moving furniture to get ready for the tree.  I ran a few trips downstairs to get Christmas decorations.  We got the tree set up and then ate dinner - chicken, yum.

Mom insists that it's tradition to watch 'It's a Wonderful Life' while we decorate the tree.  Well, I can't honestly remember, but I wasn't going to argue - Jimmy Stewart is amazing, isn't he?  And our tree looks lovely, even if my sister and I were the only ones decorating.

Well, anyway, assuming you were all interested in what I had to say about my weekend and are therefore still reading, I have a little more to say :)    :

This song has a lot to say about Prince Charming and true love - listen carefully.  The song would be lovely even without Donald O'Connor.

Which reminds me, if you guys watch a movie I recommend to you, comment on the review or whatever on how you liked it - let me know I'm not wasting my time.  Not that I don't like to review movies, especially when it comes to Donald O'Connor, but the obligation when I don't want to will disappear if I don't think you care.  (that didn't make any sense at all........)

^O'Connor finally makes it off the floor in this one. ;D

A Christmas treat:

What do you think?  Does it feel like Christmas yet?

Merry Christmas

~Meggy

December 1st

Well, for a moment, it looked like I was going to recover.  But I'm a quack doctor and prescribed looking after three small children and then staying up late.  You can imagine the results.  Ah well.  If this illness made me miss my ballet class, it had better keep me on the couch a little longer anyway.  ;)

More to the point, it's the first day of December!  How's the new form of the Mass coming for y'all?  I like it, personally, because I have to reexamine the meaning of what we believe.  There's a lot there that I knew we believed but I didn't even realize was being stated in Mass!

I'm glad it's December.  And it came in with a proper temperature - about 5 degrees Celcius, 40 degrees Fahrenheit.  The last few days have been warmer - which is fine, but it's Christmas season for goodness sake!  We need freezing temperatures and snow.  But this is New England - ay, the good ol' northeast of the US - and the weather is completely unpredictable.  We had snow just long enough for Halloween, my little most-unpredictable-town-in-NE had a wee bit of snow for Thanksgiving, and now we're counting on the weather to stick to its pattern and give us some for Christmas.  We'll see what happens!

I just wanted to have some fun here this morning - don't mind me.  It'd be interesting to know how many people read through this post though.

Well, what do you think?  Could it be Christmas without Bing Crosby?

(Whoever put those poor kids en pointe oughta be hanged!  They do a fair job, considering, but those kids will have been destroyed before they got through their teenage years.  Well, anyway... what would this movie have been like with Fred Astaire, do you think?)

Determined to find the Christmas spirit,

~Meggy

Chip Off the Old Block

A Movie Review by Magdalen Aithne Arkwright

Another O'Connor-Ryan film from the 1940s, Donald Corrigan is a boy who tends to give his teachers trouble but is great in the entertainment department.  The school sends him home for a time, with the promise he can come back after his father can assure them Donald's behavior will improve.  On his train ride home, Donald almost literally stumbles into a young girl who's on her way home too.  Glory Marlow III is the daughter of Glory Marlow Jr who is the daughter of Glory Marlow Sr, the latter two infamous in show business in their time.  Donald Corrigan and Glory Marlow fall in love instantly, after a slight misunderstanding.

But more misunderstandings follow.  At the station, a certain Peggy Flaherty is waiting for Donald.  Furthermore, Glory learns that, to her mother and grandmother, the name Corrigan means trouble, for reasons which slowly come out as the story plays on.

Then:

Will Glory go into show business?  Is Donald's dad a traitor to the country?  Will Peggy get the break she's always wanted?  Will Glory Jr get the man she's dreamed about?

O'Connor does a very good job of playing his part and Ann Blyth's performance is fair too, but unfortunately, the storyline gets a little sidetracked here and there, adding elements that have little to no gravity on the story.  There are multiple threads to this film, all which end at different times and don't necessarily contribute to one common end.  Even so, it is amusing and there is more singing and dancing for Peggy Ryan fans.

Points: 9
Rating: A
Recommended

~Meggy



*Chip Off the Old Block - Part 1*