So, writing that post about dancing in the movies made me think a lot about how much I miss dancing. A lovely friend of mine also got me thinking and I remembered how much I loved dance, especially tap, and how much I miss Gregory Hines, and how awesome Savion Glover is… and so on and so forth.
So, today I’m sharing a few clips of my favorite tap dancing and tap numbers from movies and Broadway shows.
Lets start with both of my fav performers at once… demonstrating some tap improvisation just in case you’re wondering what the heck tap dancing is and what exactly I’m talking about.
OR, even better, here is a clip of Savion Glover on Dancing With The Stars:
If you have never tap danced before you may not know how INCREDIBLY hard it is to do those moves. Having danced for a very long time I still struggle with repetition and rolls and some of the timing. I’m very out of practice but watching him dance makes me want to do it again like you wouldn’t believe.
This link shows a clip of Savion Glover on The Colbert Report discussing the origin of tap dancing, explains its decline in popularity and then performs on the show.
So, without further adieu, here we have the movie (but was first a Broadway show) that started it all for me:
One… singular sensation every little step she takes.
One… thrilling combination every move that she makes.
One smile and suddenly nobody else will do.
You know you’ll never be lonely with you… know… who…
Seriously folks. I think I have that whole movie memorized. That movie made me want to be a Broadway dancer and sparked an interest in acting. I wanted to be a ROCKETTE. Yes, a Rockette. I wanted it so bad. Of course, once I never got above 5’2″ and they never would give me adult roles like I wanted… I realized that I could never really make it and gave up on the dream.
From the Tony Awards back in 2001 (I think) here is a clip showing a compilation of dances from 42nd Street. My sisters both performed in this musical at a little dinner theater in Orlando one year. It was quite good for being WAY off-Broadway.
How can you watch that and NOT want to dance!?! I mean, it’s hard for me to just sit still in my seat watching the clip. Especially knowing a lot of the moves, time steps, etc. SO GOOD.
Okay, well, that’s all I’m going to show on here. Feel free to browse the internet for more lovely tap dancing and I will leave you with what I never thought would happen but evidently has happened… there is an actual Wii game called Dance on Broadway. Interesting.
Saw this on Dooce… a collection of dance clips from almost 40 movies. This video is set to the song “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins and I don’t know anyone who can listen to that song and not want to move… even if it’s just in their seat. The movie, itself, is pretty awesome… but the song is even better.
Speaking of Footloose… let’s watch the prom scene and laugh at the dancing… shall we?
And probably my one of my favorite movies that strictly centers around dancing has got to be Flashdance. I mean, I have it on VHS people… and I don’t own a VHS player anymore. But I can’t let go of that copy. I’m surprised it even plays anymore because I’ve watched it so much you’d think it was worn out!
Now, some of my favorite dancing scenes come from movies such as West Side Story, “When you’re a jet you’re a jet all the way from your first cigarette to your last dying day!” I mean who doesn’t know the words to most of the songs in that movie, for real.
Or, if you want something more contemporary there is always that movie Save The Last Dance, with Julia Stiles, where she learns hip hop.
Or, how about the twist contest from Pulp Fiction where John Travolta and Uma Thurman rock out. Such a good one!
Speaking of John Travolta… how about Saturday Night Fever. I mean, come on… I always wanted to be able to boogie down like they do.
Of course I can’t forget to mention Grease. I mean, seriously… that movie is referenced all the time… and not only when people sing karaoke.
Then, you’ve got movies like Singin In The Rain where the iconic scene in which Gene Kelly is literally dancing and splashing in puddles is so revered that it is copied and used for commercials, etc.
Of course, you then have probably my favorite movie of all time… Dirty Dancing. I mean seriously… Patrick Swayze is gorgeous (R.I.P.) and I know you KNOW that nobody puts baby in a corner!
I’ve had the “time of my life” watching these clips, have you? Do you have any favorites that I’ve failed to mention? There were a bunch of movies referenced in the beginning video that I didn’t show…
So, welcome to Musical Monday… I know I haven’t done it in a while but I posted on facebook recently the opening lyrics to “Don’t Stop Believin” by Journey and a friend commented that “um, if it’s not “open arms” i don’t know you”… LOL.
So, for Kim, here is “Open Arms” by the-wonderful-most-favorite-band-of-mine, Journey.
Enjoy!
P.S. I’ve posted the lyrics so you can sing along…
Lying beside you, here in the dark
Feeling your heart beat with mine
Softly you whisper, you’re so sincere
How could our love be so blind
We sailed on together
We drifted apart
And here you are by my side
So now I come to you, with open arms
Nothing to hide, believe what I say
So here I am with open arms
Hoping you’ll see what your love means to me
Open arms
Living without you, living alone
This empty house seems so cold
Wanting to hold you, wanting you near
How much I wanted you home
But now that you’ve come back
Turned night into day
I need you to stay.
(chorus)
Hey y’all … My boss graciously allowed me to work from home yesterday so I was able to take frequent naps, frequent trips to the bathroom, frequent coughing, frequent blowing nose noise and guck all in the comfort of my home. I’m sure that my co-workers appreciated me not grossing up the place.
So, one of the thing I enjoyed while my throat was sore was this new ice-cream called Häagen-Dazs five™ which only contains (as you guessed it) five ingredients: milk, cream, sugar, eggs, and the flavor. I am always one who believes it’s best to be natural with moderation rather than unnatural in excess. For example, I only drink regular Coca-Cola Classic and never Diet Coke. One, I believe that aspartame isn’t good for you*, and two, by having the original and limiting myself to one only once in a while I don’t have the problem with calories.
Same goes with ice-cream. I buy real all natural ice-cream and eat in moderation. I think one of the best things you can do for yourself is to practice moderation. Keep the ice-cream in the fridge and only allow yourself small amounts now and then. It is amazing how much willpower you actually have if you just put it to good use!
Well, this ice-cream is delicious… let me tell you! I got the coffee flavor and it’s been perfect as an afternoon or evening snack. I find that the flavor is so rich that I really only need a few spoonfuls. It’s heavenly.
* Please note that aspartame itself is not the problem… there is moreandmore research out that shows people who drink diet drinks have a higher risk of obesity… they believe it is because those who drink the diet drinks drink more in one day than those who drink the full flavor drinks and the empty calories and acidic properties are causing all sorts of health issues. Just myself I know several people who drink over 5 diet drinks A DAY. Ridiculous. People think that because it’s a diet meal or drink or whatever that they can have more of it but instead it should still be limited as you would anything else.
Okay, I’m down off my soap-box. Hope y’all are enjoying your week… it’s almost Friday!
I’m so over this getting sick crap. Or this let’s throw out my back while I’m in the middle of moving crap. But, I digress. My doc is trying out a few new allergy meds to see if we can keep this from happening. The post-nasal drip is what gets me every time and nothing I take seems to even touch it… not even Benadryl. All that stuff does is dry my sinuses out and make me sleepy and yet I still have the dripping down the back of the throat. Constant dripping…
Yum. I know, I know… such an awesome subject to talk about.
Let’s move on, shall we?
How about the fact that I took NyQuil last night for the first time in ages and instead of the “nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, fever, best sleep you ever got with a cold medicine” I had the “lets wake up every few hours for no obvious reason and have really screwed up dreams cold medicine”.
Ever had that one?
NyQuil you lie. You do not make me feel better. Hopefully this Z-Pak will make me feel better. I think that even though I’ve slept most of today I’ll probably go to bed here soon.
It’s super fun feeling like crap.
So, instead of talking about that… let’s analyze my crazy dreams…
I’m pretty sure that they were all separate dreams but to me it seemed like one big long one and when I tell the story it’s much more fun as a big long one so here goes:
I’m at a resort with my family. We’re in some sort of roof-top suite thing with a pool, and no guard-rail over the edge to the street below. Awesome. So, we’re hanging out by the pool and I’m all pissed because I don’t have a bathing suit. Then some random lady and her child come in and start swimming in our pool and she’s letting the daughter wander all around the deck with no worry that she’ll get too close to the edge and fall off the roof nor is she worried that this little toddler can’t swim well and could easily fall in the pool if she’s not standing right there and I’m the ONLY one who seems to a) care that this stranger is in our suite or b) about the safety of the child. Everyone is just carrying on with their conversations and crap and I’m getting silently more and more pissed. Even more awesome.
Cut to me driving some sort of get away vehicle to somewhere and my sister, Ashley, is in the passenger seat. I think this vehicle is a truck. I’m not sure. But there is a bunch of crap at my feet that’s making it impossible for me to control the pedals. I keep asking her to grab the blanket and move it, grab this shirt that’s wound around the pedal, grab this stuffed animal that’s down there, and then there’s another blanket or pillow or something and I’m just super pissed that I can’t seem to get it all out of the way and more keeps appearing and I have basically no real control over the vehicle but I’m trying to keep me and my sister safe as we’re speeding down the road. Great.
Cut to a kitchen scene where I’m talking to someone about how I have too much to do and no one ever helps me. Taking care of the kids is a full time job, I tell them, and I can’t do it all and everything else. Then I hear crying and go over to an empty bassinet. The person is still trying to talk to me and is telling me that I’m imagining things and that it can’t be as overwhelming as I think. Meanwhile I’ve reached into the empty bassinet and pulled out an imaginary baby (there is no baby in my arms) and for some reason I start breast-feeding said imaginary baby and this person is saying to me about how there is no baby and I’m crazy and I should get help and I’m yelling back about how overwhelmed I am and they just don’t understand but I look down and see that there is no baby there but for some reason my brain thinks there is… or something.
Okay, that’s pretty much all I remember.
WTF?
Am I going crazy?
I certainly was in that last dream for sure. I think that a lot of my dream sequence was me feeling out of control. I do feel like that a lot. I have a thing with always wanting things to go just so and when they don’t I feel very uncomfortable. I think that lately I’ve also been feeling like things that I want to happen aren’t happening and I’m trying really hard to be patient but it’s hella difficult. Maybe my dreams are a way of me dealing with all those issues while I’m sleeping?
SO WEIRD!
Thoughts?
P.S. I just did a bit of research and the internet is telling me that I’m frustrated because I don’t have a family of my own (very true) and that the pool and some other things have to do with money and my fears of being financially secure (also very true). The constant struggle in my dreams, like the stuff beneath the seat causing me to not have control over the car is how I feel in my own life… which, I already pretty much knew. I know that I want things to be a lot different than they are but I do feel content. I mean, at least I think I do. I like my new place. I feel very happy here. I’m trying hard to “bloom where planted” and not constantly wanting things to be what I think they should be but instead be happy with what I have. It’s hard. Maybe that’s what all those dreams were about? Maybe the NyQuil just allowed me to go into a deeper REM state and my anxieties were dealt with through my dreams last night?
Oh well. Hope y’all are having a great week so far! Many of y’all have kids back in school or are back in school yourself. It’s that time of the year for sure. I’ve decided to only take one class this term though I originally thought I’d take two. The class is called Primary Education. It is all about the theories and practices revolving around K-3rd grade really. Should be quite interesting. I’ve already learned a bunch and have only had one class! It might be a lot of work for this semester and I don’t know if I really want a LOT of work. I just like a challenge and I love learning so I thought I’d take advantage of the class being that it’s provided by the University at no cost.
I came across an article recently that talked about a new Veggie Tales movie that came out in 2009. Sweetpea Beauty is about a girl discovering the importance of inner beauty. This video I’ve posted is Nichole Nordeman singing the theme song from the movie, “Beautiful For Me”.
This video totally made me cry. It is so easy to get distracted by what we think life should be like and lose our focus on what is truly important. God created us and loves us each equally. Despite what we may see in magazines and on the movie screens it’s not about how glamorous or wealthy or popular we are… it’s about our heart. It’s about loving God and loving others.
From the Big Idea website: Mirror, mirror on the wall, who has the truest heart of all? Once upon a time, there lived a royally sour blueberry, a fair rhubarb maiden and a dastardly deceptive mirror! Sweetpea Beauty knows that what’s on the inside is what matters most, but insecure Queen Blueberry can’t see past her own reflection! So, when a decree is handed down that only the most beautiful can rule the land, the Queen gets nervous and things turn ugly! Banished to the dark forest, Sweetpea’s fate seems bleak until a charming prince, a band of merry minstrels and seven snow peas come to the rescue! Will Sweetpea and her friends be able to warn the Queen in time to save her from the clutches of the tricky mirror – or will the crumbling kingdom and the Queen’s own heart be lost forever? Find out in this fairy “Veggie” tale about the real meaning of true beauty.
Here is a link to the post that pointed me to the song and movie. I just love Veggie Tales… such good wholesome entertainment!
Every girl young and old has to face her own reflection
Twirl around, stare it down
What’s the mirror gonna say
With some luck, you’ll measure up
But you might not hold a candle to the rest
“Is that your best?” says the mirror to the mess
But there’s a whisper in the noise
Can you hear a little voice
and he says
Has anybody told you you’re beautiful?
You might agree if you could see what I see
Oh
‘Cuz everything about you is incredible
You should have seen me smile the day that I made you beautiful for me
If it’s true beauty lies in the eye of the beholder
What my life and what’s inside to give him something to behold
I want a heart that’s captivating
I wanna hear my Father say
Has anybody told you you’re beautiful?
You might agree if you could see what I see
Oh
‘Cuz everything about you is incredible
You should have seen me smile the day that I made you beautiful for me
Close your eyes
Look inside
Let me see the you that you’ve been trying to hide
Long ago, I made you so very beautiful
So I ought to know you’re beautiful
Has anybody told you you’re beautiful?
You might agree if you could see what I see
Yeah
‘Cuz everything about you is incredible
You should have seen me smile the day that I made you beautiful
You’re so beautiful
Beautiful for me
So beautiful for me
Has anybody told you?
How should Christians respond to the “mosque” at the World Trade Center site?
Debate over the proposed “Ground Zero Mosque” construction a few blocks from the fallen World Trade Center (WTC) towers has saturated news headlines for the last few weeks. The Muslim center is slated for construction in a former Burlington Coat Factory store, and it seems most Americans are far more comfortable with the idea of purchasing fleece at a reduced cost than providing Muslim Americans a place of community and outreach.
When a CNN/Opinion Research poll released Wednesday asked whether one favored or opposed a “mosque” being built two blocks away from the WTC site, nearly 70 percent of Americans responded with disapproval. Very little new information has entered the debate besides the generic rhetoric of protestors and supporters. But would the public opinion be changed if the facts surrounding the “Ground Zero Mosque” were presented more clearly, or even at all?
In reality, all the facts have not been presented fully or accurately to most Americans—highlighting the ever-growing problems with contemporary journalism via pundits. If disseminated more broadly, these facts would presumably reshape the debate toward a more fruitful discussion of the role of freedom of religion and Christians truly embracing Christ’s commandment to love thy neighbor.
Is it really a mosque?
The mainstay of the debate centers around what is being built on the site. Families of 9/11 victims regard the site as a sensitive place where massive pieces of the airplane wreckage fell. Since then, the owners could not even sell the badly damaged property, until now.
Formally named the Cordoba House, the “Ground Zero Mosque” is now referred to as Park51 after its physical address at 45-51 Park Place. The name, Cordoba House, references Cordoba, Spain, where during the 10th and 11th centuries the Muslim Caliphate served as an epicenter of interfaith dialogue and peaceful coexistence. The Cordoba House was designed after a Jewish community center in Manhattan and modeled much like a YMCA, featuring amenities typical of exclusive resorts, including an arts institute, a culinary school and food court, fitness facilities and swimming pool, daycare center, bookstore and conference rooms. Thus, this “mosque” has become the premier face of Muslim-American outreach to other Americans, provoking a serious backlash at their “insensitivity” for its close proximity to the WTC. These various components hardly resemble the mosques of the Middle East, and should put some Americans at ease.
A look at the worship center’s essential components, however, shows no minarets or muezzin calls to prayer. While the center does contain a large worship space to accommodate up to 2,000 Muslim worshipers, it does not seem appropriate to label this singular feature as its overall grand scheme. Many hospitals around the country contain chapels, though we do not label the entire hospital as a church. A church I grew up in met for a number of years in a school auditorium, yet no one protested the school as a religious worship center. Likewise, it seems unfair for Americans to selectively categorize the Cordoba House in such a way.
Who will run the Cordoba House?
A lesser-discussed but nonetheless important fact is who stands behind the controversial project. Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, author of What’s Right with Islam is What’s Right with America, leads the Cordoba Initiative and will be responsible for the center’s operations and spiritual leadership. The group sponsoring the building of the controversial “Ground Zero Mosque” is not an extremist but rather an intelligent “moderate Muslim.” Imam Rauf is a leading scholar in a branch of Islam known as Sufism, which is particularly controversial among Muslims.
This sect of the religion of 1.2 billion people is often described as the mystical side, focusing on the inner orientation to peaceful worship of Allah. Many Muslim leaders—both Sunni and Shi’a—deny that Sufism is orthodox or even a part of Islam. Its defenders cite that its adherents range across all Islamic sects, races and nationalities, and can be traced back to the cousin of the religion’s main prophet. Imam Rauf’s Sufism will play a major key element in the teachings and general personality the community center will exhibit, and should be considered when discussing whether or not Americans should allow such an endeavor.
Islamic Invasion?
In many of the recent objections to the Cordoba house, dissenters have argued they do not feel a mosque should be allowed to exist in such close proximity to the “hallowed ground” of the former World Trade Center towers. Some on the future extremes of the political spectrum are even labeling this as a Muslim invasion of lower Manhattan. However, do the facts really suggest this?
Many high-profile politicians and pundits have argued that two blocks is simply too close to the WTC, and have suggested between five blocks and as far away as Harlem might be more appropriate—an entire debate within itself! Yet these figures fail to acknowledge the long history of practicing Muslims and mosques in the area. For more than 30 years, a mosque (recently led by Imam Rauf) has been in operation only 12 blocks from Ground Zero. Masjid al-Farah, or “Masjid Manhattan,” is a small mosque that has quietly and peacefully operated without raising any suspicions or objections.
Historically, foreign immigrants overwhelmed lower Manhattan, especially during the Industrial Revolution and the years leading up to World War II. Many of the Arab immigrants in New York City settled around the area where the World Trade Center would eventually be erected. As the Arab population rose, the neighborhoods gave way to the name “Little Syria.”
While the completion of the Brooklyn Battery tunnel heralded the eventual diminishing of the name Little Syria, many Arab families still remain prominent in the area. Rather than an “invasion” of lower Manhattan by elusive Islamic jihadists, the Cordoba House provides a place of community and a house of worship for the many Muslim-Americans already residing in the area.
How, then, should we respond?
So what do the myths surrounding the debate of the “Ground Zero Mosque” mean for Americans? To believe these myths is to rely solely on the emotional wounds still left from the violent assault on our nation and freedoms instead of approach the situation as an opportunity to demonstrate our resolve to protect our distinctly American values, even when unpopular.
More specifically, what does this debate mean for Christians who are called to serve as salt and light to the world? Though we must not diminish the reality of the threats of radical extremism to this nation, as Christians, we must retain our integrity and faith in God’s providence. The true test of our faith rarely comes in times of peace or tranquility, but rather in moments of adversity. Just as the early church wrestled for their freedom of religion against Roman persecutions, so we face the same struggle today. Faithful Christians must always find ways to express the love Christ called us to, even (and maybe especially) toward our Muslim-American neighbors.
Recently I was reminded of the fallible human thinking that’s so prevalent today… especially as it relates to Christianity or other religious beliefs.
Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a radio personality and author and had pulled some quotes about homosexuality from the Bible and used them to state that it is an abomination in the eyes of God (See the book of Leviticus). She recently wrote a blog entry about that very subject in an attempt to smooth it over.
The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura penned by a east coast resident, which was posted on the Internet. It’s funny, as well as informative:
Dear Dr. Laura:
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the other specific laws and how to follow them:
When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord – Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?
I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness – Lev.15:19- 24. The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.
Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?
I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?
A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination – Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can you settle this?
Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?
Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?
I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? – Lev.24:10-16. Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)
I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.
Y’all… it is so very important that we do not attempt to act as God ourselves but instead defer to God the judgments in which he will impose upon his people.
I am reminded of the letters Paul wrote to various churches. 1Corinthians 11 states that “if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given to her for a covering.” It also goes on to talk about it being a disgrace if the hair is cut off but if we recognize that at that time prostitutes would shave their heads in order to wear elaborate head coverings we can then understand exactly why he wrote those words. I believe he was saying not to make your self look as they do, which is completely understandable.
Some people had gone to extremes out of vanity and in 1Timothy 2, we find these instructions: “In like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works” (see also 1Peter 3). The “braided hair or gold or pearls” Paul mentions refers to a popular hairstyle of the day in which women piled their hair in an lavish set of braids interwoven with expensive jewelry, an attempt to proclaim their wealth and high station and incite envy.
Context is key here folks. It bothers the hell out of me when people pick and chose the parts they agree with to support their agenda while disregarding the rest.
For my part, I chose to follow Jesus. I am pretty much a red-letter Christian. This does not mean that I don’t believe in the word as it is written and it certainly doesn’t mean that I don’t follow and learn from the Bible… this only means that in matters of judgement I chose to let Christ decide. He came to Earth to form a new covenant. He said that He is the way, the truth, and the life… and I try my hardest to do what He told us to do.
Most importantly, Christ stated, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)
This is what I try to do each and every day. I LOVE. I love as best as I humanly can. I know that the only perfect human was Christ and I don’t try to claim that I am perfect. I only try to do the best job I can at what He has instructed. I am also reminded of this clip from The West Wing.
“I’m just, I’m just going to take a crab puff.” LOL.
Please be kind to your brethren. Please try to love one another and stop throwing stones. Remember, He stated so very poignantly that we should pull the plank out of our own eye before trying to pull the speck out of another’s (Matthew 7:3-5).
Filed under: things I like by misscaron — Comments Off
July 30, 2010
Y’all… today I’m seriously missing me some Ocean City, Maryland… more importantly I’m craving some Thrasher’s French Fries.
Ocean City has one of the nations most outstanding boardwalks.
From their site: “It’s like a buffet that’s three miles long. Or a shopping mall. Or a stage. Or all of them put together. We call it the boardwalk. And the Travel Channel and USA Today both named it one of America’s best.
Bike it, stroll it, or ride the tram. However you do it, you’ll soon see what all the buzz is about. Foods of every description: wonderful Maryland crab cakes, sizzling French fries, fresh, hot pizza, overstuffed sandwiches, and luscious saltwater taffy.
Duck into an arcade and try your hand at your favorite game. (Or try a new one.) Scream with delight on the rollercoaster, or enjoy a ride on one of America’s oldest working carousels.
Ready to shop? The boardwalk is ready for you with beachwear, T-shirts, toys and any number of surprises. And in summertime, the street performers turn all the world into a stage – where you may become a player at any moment.
Need a little respite? Head down to the inlet, and watch the fishing boats head in and out to sea.
In short, the Ocean City boardwalk is three miles of concentrated, family-friendly fun, where ocean breezes are scented with the lovely aroma of French Fries and caramel popcorn, and adventure waits at every turn. You just have to experience it for yourself, ASAP.”
Every summer my family had two time share weeks that we’d use… one in June and one in July. We’d head to Ocean City and always have the best time. I miss those family vacations as a kid. I sure hope that I get to do the same things with my children (should God bless me with that opportunity).
Today, as it is now Friday and soon the weekend will start (finally!) I hope that you remember the simple joys in life and that you cherish every memory as they shape you into the person you are and the person you will be. All the experiences in my life, good or bad, have made me the person I am today and I am grateful.
My Realtor sent me an email to let me know that everything has been signed, sealed, and delivered. I’m officially done with that chapter. My life has been in turmoil ever since the market collapsed and it is so bittersweet. On the one hand I’m happy that it’s over and that I no longer have to worry about drowning in debt. On the other hand I feel like a failure.
I bought a place thinking that it would grow in equity and that I could possibly move somewhere else and then I could keep this as a rental or that I could sell it and turn the profit into something better.
Instead everything went all pear shaped and after four years I end up being 100k upside-down. Such a strange turn of events. I don’t think anyone thought that it would be this way, that the market would collapse as it has, that people would be left stranded with absolutely no help from their lending institution because those very banks who we made our deals with participated in shady maneuvers and risky profit-making schemes. Our government bails them out to try and help us but instead they chose to make it more difficult.
It will never cease to amaze me that they were more willing to take the short sale than to work with me on my payments and help re-structure my loan. Even worse, they seem to be even more willing to take a foreclosure on the property instead of help with a short sale. As long as our government makes it more profitable for the banks to write off a foreclosure, people will continue to feel shafted.
It’s a sad state of affairs. The greed has run so rampant in this country. It’s pathetic. If there is one thing I hope we have learned from this Recession… it’s that we put way too much of an emphasis on consumerism and not enough on what is truly important.
I see it every day… parents take the children to dinner and the children play on their DS the whole time and the mom and dad just sit there in silence. We’ve basically taught our children that things are more important than people. I’ve read numerous articles about the power of family dinners. This was something my mother always made sure was a priority in my household and I am eternally grateful.
Should God bless me with a family I will certainly be sure to instill the values I deem so important but there is a bigger lesson here, folks. We need to get back to the way things were not but a hundred years ago… if you can’t afford something, don’t buy it. Credit used to be a bad thing. People would frown down upon the man who held a balance at the local general store.
I am certainly glad to be in something more manageable in my budget and as you well know, I’m already pretty cost-conscious. I haven’t had cable television for over 7 years now and each time I wish I had it I just go out to dinner with my friends and realize that I can chose to have TV or friendships. I don’t have manicured nails and I don’t have a car payment. I make choices to ensure that I’m not a burden on others and the release of this condo is one more step in the right direction.
Maybe in a few years, should my budget allow it, and I’ve built up enough of a savings account… I’ll consider owning property again. Until then I will be content where I am (Philippians 4:11-13). I will bloom where I am planted.
Thanks for listening to my rant/happy announcement. It’s definitely a bit all over the place (as I have been quite a bit lately). I really appreciate all the support of my family and friends (both near and far and via the interwebs)… without you I wouldn’t be near as able to look at the big picture and know that everything will be alright.
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