Never Enough Jane

As a rabid Jane Austen fan, I was pleased to see not one but five movies being produced for this next year!

Pride and Prejudice: A Modern Retelling  - New unknown actors, Mr. Darcy looks,  well pictures say a thousand words so let me try :

Now that is more like it, Mr. Darcy!!

Aisha (Emma)   A India Bollywood version - can't wait maybe I will see it in India it is only a hop, skip and a jump away from where I live.


From Prada to Nada (Sense & Sensibility)


Lost in Austen (film version)   I just watched the BBC TV Series the other day...I wish I could be Elizabeth for even one day, but I get to pick the day!  LOL


Pride & Prejudice and Zombies - This one will be FUN I am sure as the Bennett "Ladies" Kick some major trash in the book!

I am happy here in Thailand knowing that Jane is still being thought of and is inspiring others - she inspires me everyday. 

"It isn't what we say or think that defines us, but what we do." ~~ Jane Austen

Wii and ME

Since, I have Vertigo I would appreciate it everyone would sing with me my theme song for the week…”Dizzy I’m so dizzy my head is spinning , like a whirlpool it never ends and am stuck in a spinning world And it’s Thailand makin’ it spin You're making me dizzy…” a nice song from 1969 – anyone remember that? It has been running through my head all day – maybe because I can’t RUN with the SUN it just keeps replaying!


I am not feeling that creative today; the brain is functioning at only 50% capacity. Now, there are some of you who know me and would say, that percentage is actually high for even one of my normal days, but then I really don’t call you my friends – I call you FAMILY!  Whether I am up to the challenge or not, I am a dedicated blogger and for that fact alone I am blogging tonight!

I would like to dedicate this blog to the Wii – yes you read right the Wii. I was startled by the love and friendship that the Wii offers. He is a really caring electronical unit. I am proud to be acquainted with such a superb piece of equipment. I know how hard it is to remember dates, especially with the time zone difference and everything – but I was flabbergasted that the Wii reminded me of my birthday early this month!

Not all appliances are that thoughtful, my refrigerator didn’t provide me Ice cold Sparkling Cider to celebrate with, my pantry didn’t have a beautiful decorate cake for me to enjoy – and the washer and dryer certainly didn’t provide a fantastic new outfit for me to wear that day – so I would like to give a standing ovation to the Wii for going above and beyond the call of electronic duty and remembering my birthday – Wii I salute YOU!!

May we, mere humans, be as thoughtful to those around us as the Wii was to me on my 50th Birthday.

PS David:  I am in second place in the Downhill Ski Jump - John is the only one ahead of me, he better be watching his back cuz his 50 year old momma is jumping now!

A Most Excellant Adventure

Laura and I found a little extra time on our hands today so we decided to see what goes on at the Central Plaza Mall in Nonthaburi Thailand.  Here is what we found..


Our first stop was McDonald's...where you can get the

"All American Meal"

 

 



Please someone tell me what is "All American" about a TUNA PIE! (Not to mention it has corn in it, now I have heard of tuna casserole that has peas but not anything remotely like this!)

Laura was so disgusted that I bought one and she nearly lost her "cookies" when I actually broke it in half for a nice camera shot!  Needless to say she didn't find it Crispy or Delicious! 

On the brighter side it did have something that I have never seen anywhere else....

That's right kiddies, A Mini McTheater - showing times are posted!  Wow, they lost me with the Tune Pie but they made up for their loss by having a theater for my viewing and eating pleasure.

What a way to start our "Most Excellent Mall Adventure"  Bill and Ted would be PROUD!

With that under our belt, so to speak, we ventured into a small store in the mall that looked promising...

But then again maybe NOT...



Laura Can't decide which color of  terry cloth TOILET SEAT cover to buy?  I on the other hand wanted to know who was going to take it off and wash it.  STRANGE

Oh here is something to spruce up your household FAN, a nice PINK LACE cover!  Only in ASIA.

At least they have the watering part of the can in a "NORMAL" place, here you can never be to sure!

Now here is something that even I, the QUEEN of KITCHEN Organization can live WITHOUT, A Refrigerator Curtain! Is this to hide all the unmentionables that you have in your fridge?  It begs me to ask the question:  What are you HIDDING?

I did find one thing that I might have to try....Only if PETA doesn't find out about it!



All in all I would have to say that like "Bill and Ted" we had a
"MOST EXCELLENT ADVENTURE"

The Face of Love

On Saturday while we were on our driving back from the memorial we stopped so that Laura could look at some of the pottery stands by the side of the road.  Ron and Laura went looking and I grabbed my camera and started looking around.  I noticed some children that belonged to one of the women running a stall.

 I held up my camera and pointed to the children and she hurried and comb their hair and gathered her little ones together so that I could take a photo. 

These children are beauty in its simplest form.

 

I watched as this little boy was carried by his older sister down the side of the road.  She was carrying him on her back and he was naked, he had just taken a "bath" in the water some where near the stall and she was taking him back to get his clothes on. 

There was a deep connection between brother and sister, she was about only 8 or 9 and he about 3 1/2.  Age didn't matter, love did.   I love how she is holding his head.  Children have a right to be loved and cared for by those around them.

I was shown true love that afternoon.

After I was done clicking a few shots I handed the littlest girl some Thai Baht, equal to about 70 cents.

Her face light up, something so small was so appreciated.

If the world could just stop and look into a the face of a child and see the hope and love that shines in their eyes, the world would be a better place.

"Austinesque"

The hardest part about being in Thailand is that I am so far from my family.  And when I say family I mean, to quote my daughter, " The cutest grand baby EVER!"  (Yes, I miss you too - Audrey, Toren, David and Mandy - but when it comes to the cuteness factor - Austin has you all beat!

In Hong Kong I picked up my little family substitute for my twin nieces, her name is Madison and she is seven years old.  She is still in Hong Kong with her family and I miss our dates. (Don't worry Madison I am coming over to visit in October!)  So it was natural that I for me to find a "Austinesque" like substitute for missing my grandson. 

What do you think....

Although fun and exciting as it was, I miss my Austin, my substitute didn't smell like "Sniff's" and was definitely not as soft.  I am almost positive that they are about as playful.  (Sorry Toren it wasn't a cougar - I could only find a Tiger to snuggle with and feed as a substitute for your SON!)  I think I better find another subsitute!

Memorial

Looking back and remembering September 11, 2001 this morning I wanted to do something that would be a fitting memorial and since we live away from the United States and do not have a US flag that I can fly here in Thailand, we decide to take a two hour drive west to visit the WWII memorial for those POW's that lost their lives building the Japanese Railway through Thailand.  The part that we visited was made famous from the movie "Bridge Over the River Kwai"  although the story is not accurately correct - the main idea is right.  Many POW's from Australia, the British Isles and Holland lost their lives building that bridge. It was a death trap similar to the death march in the Philippines.  Many good men lost their lives. 

War is ugly and brings out the worst in human beings but at the same time it forces the best to come out in people. 

River Kwai

The bridge looking west

Metal Memories

Ties that Bound

I am a AMERICAN and I am proud of those who have fought and died for freedom all over all the world.   There have been some MEN who when they have had a little power have lusted after more and WAR has been the vehicle used for that purpose.  One day there will be PEACE, but I don't think the world is ready for that - just yet!  SO until then we will have WAR and Rumors of Wars all over the this world.

I honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 the victims as well as those heroic people who we called to do there jobs: the police, firefighters and medics who's families are missing loved ones who willingly heeded the call to help.  I visited ground zero eight months after the events of Sept 11th - it was a humbling site and it is hallowed ground. 

May we NEVER FORGET.  I know this AMERICAN will not!

Repenting

What is the first step in the repentance process...recognizing that what you are doing is wrong.
So let me give it a try...

I, Heidi, recognize that I have been preoccupied with my new iPad to BLOG! 

Whew that took some courage and I am glad that it is out in the open.

"DARCY"

Recognizing was not the hard part of the repentance process it was actually confessing to myself and willing myself to stop organizing my life with "Darcy", that is the name of my iPad.  To you who are unfamiliar with iPads or Jane Austen can refer to him as Mr. Darcy!!  (I need help in so many ways, who names there electronic devices?)   So I have confessed my mistake but I can't really say that I will not make it again which then makes me ask: am I really sorry for not blogging or am I just trying to ease my conscience for the night.   Just even after a few line on this blog entry I am feeling much better, but then "Darcy" is sitting right next to me begging me to stop and pay attention to him.  No, I must resist and push my way through to the end of this blog and complete an item on my "To Do List" for the day.  When I have pressed the "publish post" key then I can go back to  "Darcy" and check the "To Do List" off!   Talk about an extreme OCD (organizationally Challenged Diva)! 

I must confess I have been missing writing each day.  I find it rewarding and therapeutic to put my mumble jumble of thoughts down into words so that I can see if I can make any sense out of them.  Blogging has been my constant companion these last two years.  At times Heidi's Heartland feels like my only friend; someone who listens to what I am not saying; someone who likes me no matter what kind of day I have had; someone who is always there for me ( I reread my own posts) and someone who thinks that I am funny one day and thoughtful the next - I love that I keep myself guessing!

So this is where I need to make some corrections to my life...

1.  I will keep writing in my blog with my computer, "Elizabeth" - she has a name too!  LOL
2.  "Darcy" will continue to keep me organized just the way I like - he is good at that.
3.  I must remember that electronic devices are not actually real people - and do not need names.
4.  Who cares about number three, I never liked ODD numbers anyway - so "Darcy" meet "Elizabeth"!

Confession time is over and I am feeling so much better, I think if "Elizabeth" and "Darcy" work together my life will be P&P (Practical & Productive)