October  1, 2019 

Thought for today: 

"We hand folks over to God's mercy, and show none ourselves." 

George Eliot [Marian Evans Cross] 

1819-1880, in Adam Bede, 1859, chapter 42.

September  30, 2019

I  CAN  DO   IT

I wish people didn’t go to bed hungry ….
I wish people held doors for the next person ….

I wish people stopped beeping and fingering ….

I hope people can see who’s hurting ….
I hope people listen - really listen to the other ….

I hope people mean what they say ….

I want people not to garbage our streets ….

I want people not to make so much noise ….

I want people not to not use their turn signals ….

I love it when people compliment each other ….

I love it when people are laughing together ….

I love it when people forgive each other ….

I can do it.

I can do it.

I can do it.

 © Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

September  30, 2019 - 

Thought for today: 

“Faith which does not doubt is dead faith.” 

Miguel de Unamuno, 

The Agony of Christianity, 1974.

MR.   HOLLAND'S   OPUS

If you like movies, and you have access to old movies, check out Mr. Holland's Opus.

Here are two scenes to give you a  taste of this movie.

10  TOP  MOVIES

It hit me this evening to put on my blog this question: "What are your 10 top movies?"

I've thought about top movies from time to time, so why not put that question up there or out there?

What are 10 top movies I would love to watch over and over again from time to time?

What are the 10 top movies that move me every time?

So to begin this, I'll list some of my top movies. That will step one.

Then from time to time I'll feature one of these movies - or maybe I'll come across one I hadn't thought about - and then put a scene or two from one of those 10 top  movies to trigger interest in that specific movie.

The obvious hope is that  you'll look at movies that moved you.

I have a published article somewhere about my 10 top books. 

I could do 10 top words or verbs as well.

I could do 10 top moments of my life.

I could to 10 top songs.

You'll notice at the top of this piece "Top Ten Dance Scenes in Dance Movies."  I don't know or do dance, but one can find on YouTube and Google all kinds of "Top Ten ..." this and that. So I'm not that original with my top ten idea.

So  this evening  for starters let me draw up a tentative list of movies I like and then in time list 10 top movies. 

In my next blog piece I'll do what I'm talking about for one of my ten top movies:  Mr. Holland's Opus.

Then from time to time list another top movie on a blog piece with a scene or two to trigger, "Hey take a look at this great old movie and give it a look see if possible?"

SOME OF MY TOP MOVIES

Mr. Holland's Opus

On the Waterfront

Big

It's a Wonderful Life

My Cousin Vinny

Lawrence of Arabia

Midnight Run

Waking Ned Devine

The Natural

Jesus of Nazareth by Franco  Zeffirelli [1977]

Casablanca

Shawshank Redemption

Doctor Zhivago

September 29, 2019

 ENVISIONING

Every  athlete,  every musician,

every  dancer,  every champion,

saw herself, saw himself,

dancing, prancing, running

for the touchdown, swimming

for the gold medal - as a kid,

as a fan in the stands, as a

dreamer on the sidelines -

otherwise they would never

have picked up the trombone,

or the tennis racket - or tried

out for the team or the band.

Practice. Practice. Practice.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

September  29, 2019 - 

Thought for today: 

“People ask you for criticism, but they only want praise.” 

W. Somerset Maugham, Of Human Bondage, 1915