And on a much lighter note... (having just posted a 5 Heart Rating for the "The Princess" documentary), I highly recommend you watch "Welcome to the Sticks" (Bienvenue Chez les Ch'tis) especially if you need a good laugh. I might even watch it again. It's been a while. This movie stars Kad Merad as Phillippe Abrams, married to Julie, played by Zoe Felix. Julie is depressed and in an attempt to make his wife happy, Phillippe plots to get transferred to the Cote d'Azur. But it backfires, and he Read more [...]

"The Princess" is an intimate and immersive documentary about Princess Diana. It doesn't go into her life growing up but rather begins with her life as the future bride of Prince Charles. Video is used to create most of the narrative and we are reminded once again how much good she did in her short life. I'm not into following the lives of celebrities. It just doesn't interest me. But there are a few out there, living or passed, that because of their popularity, became quite famous. Especially Read more [...]

If you'd told me a few years ago when we took a tour of the US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis that I would one day live just blocks away from the home to the Minnesota Vikings football team, I might not have believed you. I say might not because, let's face it, life for me has been a long list of experiences that might seem unlikely to some, myself included. But here I am, literally looking at the staudim just out the window! It's one thing experiencing a venue of this size surrounded by thousands Read more [...]

Supposedly there was a time in history when humans didn't communicate through writing. And it seems that's where we are heading now. I mean the actual act of physically writing letters and cards in order to communicate sentiment, to keep in touch, to show we care about another. The way we used to for celebrations and events such as birthdays and the passing of friends or family members. I miss it. I miss getting that occasional hand-written, or even typed, letter or card that arrives, usually Read more [...]

My recent roadtrip for a wonderful weekend stay at a farm in Stockholm, Wisconsin makes me wonder if anyone has ever toured the United States by visiting just general stores. The Stockholm Pie and General Store in the quaint village of Stockholm is worth a visit if you're ever within a few hundred miles. Wisconsin is a beautiful state. Much more hilly than I remember from past visits. Maybe because this trip was in the middle of winter and the hills are covered with snow and appear prominent and Read more [...]