Beanie Books

An Easter Prayer by Helen Steiner Rice: May this Easter Grandeur Awaken Faded Flowers of Faith God, give us eyes to see the beauty of the Spring, And to behold Your majesty in every living thing – And may we see in lacy leaves and every budding flower The Hand that rules the universe with gentleness and power – And may this Easter grandeur that Spring lavishly imparts Awaken faded flowers of faith lying dormant in our hearts, And give us ears to hear, dear God, the Springtime song of birds With messages more meaningful than man’s often empty words Telling harried human beings who are lost in dark despair – ‘Be like us and do not worry for God has you in His care. –Helen Steiner Rice Click here for a fun Easter bunny meme .

THE DIFFERENCE Winners say, If it is to be, it is up to me. Losers say, I can't help it. Winners translate dreams into reality. Losers translate reality into dreams. Winners empower. Losers control. Winners say, Let's find out. Losers say, Nobody knows. Winners are part of the solution. Losers are part of the problem. Winners are not afraid of losing. Losers are afraid of winning. Winners work harder than losers. Losers are always too busy. Winners say, I was wrong. Losers say, It was not my fault. Winners want to. Losers have to. Winners always make time. Losers often waste time. Winners say, I'll plan to do that. Losers say, I'll try to do that. Winners say, I'm good but not as good as I can be. Losers say, I'm not as bad as a lot of other people. Winners listen to what others say. Losers wait until it's their turn to talk. Winners catch others doing things right. Losers catch others doing things wrong. Winners learn from others. Losers ...

This movie was a huge disappointment. It kind of reminded me of Last Action Hero with Arnold  Schwarzenegger. In both movies, they have a big budget and a big star (in this case a few big guns). However, the jokes aren't funny and the action was not especially exciting.  The scenes with creatures didn't do much for me either. Overall, it was just whatever. This movie will appeal to you if: You are a big fan of one of the actors. I mean, The Rock is always fun, right? He was great in Baywatch . Jack Black and Kevin Hart do their thing. Karen Gillan shows her tummy throughout. Would like to see if this is a good as the original. You want a safe movie for the kids This movie will not appeal to you if: You expect a comedy You expect an action movie You go into it with a three star expectation (two stars isn't bad, though) Another review is here .

To let go... Does not mean to stop caring, it means you can't do it for someone else.  Does not mean to cut yourself off, it is the realization that you can't do it for someone else.   Does not mean to care for, it means to care about.   Does not mean to fix, it means to be supportive.   Does not mean to change another, it means to make the most of yourself.   Does not mean to deny, it means to accept.   Does not mean to nag or scold, it means to listen.   Does not mean to regret the past, it is to live for the future. It means that we should admit we are frequently powerless and that someone else's outcome may not be in our hands You should probably click here for more wisdom and inspiration .

Here is the story...way back in 1960s at a government lab of some sort, an amphibious creature is brought in for analysis. Like, they found him in South America in a river or something. Anyway, one of the cleaning women (Sally Hawkins), who is mute, takes a shine to him and they form a bond. The villain (Michael Shannon) tortures this poor thing and has been ordered to kill him. The Russians also have an interest in this thing.  This movie has a Beauty and the Beast vibe but l ets not give away too much because surprises and love ensue.  The Shape of Water is just great. All the actors are great. The director was great.  Go see it immediately but it is  not for the children. Put them to bed first.   This movie will appeal to you if: You like fantasy movies A Beauty and the Beast type of romance drama is right up your alley You like some imagination in a movie This movie will not appeal to you if: You don't have the stomach for some torture You...

This movie is based on the life of American figure skater Tonya Harding. She was a central figure (pun intended) in one of the most sensational scandals in sports history. I mean, in the 90s, you had OJ and Harding. That was the top two of the decade right there. This movie is told through interviews with the other figures (there he goes again). Harding's biggest achievement was being the first American woman to complete a triple axel in a competition but she is mostly known for her role in Nancy Kerrigan getting hit in the leg with a pipe or something.  This is a great movie. It will make you sympathetic to what Harding went through and overcame to become an Olympian. Go see it immediately.  Allison Janney won an Oscar for playing the mom so you have that to look forward to. This movie will appeal to you if: You want to relive the whole media spectacle A good biopic will make your day You like a good sports movie  This movie will not appeal to you if: Yo...

The trouble tree The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. Upon opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation. His tan face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss. Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier. "Oh, that's my trouble tree", he replied. " I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and children. So I just hang them...

There are a few funny moments in this movie. I mean, Will Farrell is usually good for some laughs and he and the team all deliver here and there.  If you missed the first one, here is the deal: Farrell married Mark Wahlberg's ex-wife and is step dad to his kids. The premise here is that Farrell and Mark Wahlberg are co-Dads over the kids and want to setup a family Christmas because one of the bratty kids complained about having two Christmases to celebrate. They invite their Dads (John Lithgow and Mel Gibson) to this celebration and hilarity ensues. This movie will appeal to you if: You like Will Farrell or any of these other guys You want to see the two old guys kiss their sons - reason enough, am I right? You liked the first one This movie will not appeal to you if: You do not like bratty and annoying children. Seriously, the kids are all awful and take this movie from somewhat bearable to merely tolerable. You don't like stupid movies You don't have a...

The backstory of this movie is almost as interesting as the movie itself. It was filmed over the course of 15 years by the grandson of J. Paul Getty - Andrew Getty. Sadly, he died before this movie was released. Getty's movie is about a mentally handicapped man (Frederick Koehler) who is looked after by his brother (Sean Patrick Flanery). One day, the older brother brings him an antique mirror which starts to talk to the boy and tells him what to do. Madness ensues, of course. If you have had enough of the typical horror move plots that have been recycled over and over, check out this original gem! Koehler is excellent, nudity is included, and there is a plot twist. So, what else is stopping you? The next review will also knock your socks off.

A grandmother and a little girl whose face was sprinkled with bright red freckles spent the day at the zoo.  The children were waiting in line to get their cheeks painted by a local artist who was decorating them with tiger paws. 'You've got so many freckles, there's no place to paint!' a boy in the line cried. Embarrassed, the little girl dropped her head. Her grandmother knelt down next to her. 'I love your freckles,' she said. 'Not me,' the girl replied. 'Well, when I was a little girl I always wanted freckles,' she said, tracing her finger across the child's cheek. 'Freckles are beautiful!' The girl looked up. 'Really?' 'Of course,' said the grandmother. 'Why, just name me one thing that's prettier than freckles.' The little girl peered into the old woman's smiling face. 'Wrinkles,' she answered softly. Will and Guy's Collection Now, read another insp...