After taking the ferry ride to Perth, and getting there late, we had no time to waste climbing aboard our next tour, the Adventure Tour around Rottnest Island. Basically this was the excitement I had been waiting for all week! Our first view of Rottnest Island while still on the Ferry. This was to be the next vessel to go around the island. They don't tell you a few things when you purchase your ticket; like children three and under ... Read More

Carrying on from our trip to the Wildlife Park... Two what seemed, lovey, Purple-crowned lorikeets. Australian Kestral Pacific black ducks Wood (Maned) ducks   Then it was time to visit the koalas. This and the Kangaroos is the best part of the park. They are soooo soft. This is the most I have seen one MOVE. :) Red-browed firetail finch Tawny Frogmouth Barn Owl Blue-faced honey eater John revisits the loorikeets. 4 posts to show off one visit to Caversham Wildlife Park and ... Read More

What's a visit to Caversham without seeing the blue fairy wrens that roam about freely? Blue fairy wrens just make me happy. The male still had some of his color. They hopped and flitted around us for a good while. John got a movie. :)   We got to meet the Wedged-tailed eagle and watch her have some lunch. I couldn't help but wonder if Silas would be fascinated...or upset to see the eagle eat the baby chicken. Perhaps because we went on ... Read More

As I blogged yesterday, Laura got a wall decal for her bedroom as a birthday present from Yaya. Miranda was quickly enlisted for help, and she accepted. The wall decal was split up in several sections. This is section "A" Silas busied himself at Laura's desk. He soon got into the spirit of joining Mommy and Laura on the bed (and jumping off it). Rubi, in turn, busied herself right outside Laura's room on the steps. This child created her ... Read More

The movie already had a villain, Osama Bin Laden, but Mr. Weinstein had to put in another one. To help his friend, Barak Obama. The New York Times reveals today--in a classic buried lede--that Harvey Weinstein's film about the killing of Osama bin Laden, set to air on the National Geographic Channel two days before the election, originally included a scene showing Gov. Mitt Romney "appearing to oppose the raid," a complete fabrication of history. They missed a chance to perhaps even ... Read More

Growing up, Christmas music, Christmas plays, Nativity Scenes, and Christmas Cantatas at Church were a part of the season. My sister, mom, and I participated in more than a few Christmas Cantatas. Often times the music would play in my head as we practiced for the special night or day we would sing to Church. Today at our Church Home, Anchor Baptist, we had the Christmas Cantata in the evening service. Laura videoed at Enric's request, Janelle and the children. Laura said when ... Read More

“I met hundreds and thousands of people, and none finer than the midgets and the Siamese twins and the caterpillar man and the bearded woman and the human seal with the little flippers for hands. I never asked them any embarrassing questions and they never asked me, and God, it was a great adventure.” (Johnny Eck) Mom was surprised that I remembered him. When you're 4 years old and a little older, it's hard to forget a man who sat outside his ... Read More

(and Silas too) But this time we had the camera focused mainly on Rubí. It wasn't easy trying to take a movie with my cell phone while strolling a child, but here is what I got. :) ... Read More

In 1973, my mom introduced me to the world of horse racing in a big way. She sat me down to watch the Kentucky Derby. I had my eyes on a black horse, and she pointed to a big red beauty, "That's the one to win." She got so excited about that horse. And the big red horse, Secretariat won, and the Preakness after that, and the Belmont in a big way. The time we shared over this horse will always be a ... Read More

Well even though Enric and Miranda moved into their own place upstairs a few months ago, we are still putting the house back together here on the main floor. One of the last things I put back to its place was my keyboard. Silas was most excited about it. Here he is having his first go on it.   I like his flair for the drama at the end. :) ... Read More

While in Australia, we stopped by Yallingup Beach. It was breath-taking. I finally put a few photos of this wonderful place >> HERE Yallingup is a coastal township positioned on a hill overlooking the stunning Yallingup Beach. The coastline here is dramatic, as jagged rocks and high cliff faces are met by a haze of sea spray from the swell below. Yallingup Beach, Smiths Beach and Injidup Beach all offer some of the finest surf breaks in the world. One of ... Read More

From Melissa Clouthier at Liberty Pundits: Before you get all righteous and tell me why I’m being excessively cavalier with security, a few thoughts: 1. The perimeter of an airport is not secure. Any determined terrorist could bring a vehicle into the airport with a bomb and kill hundreds, if not thousands of people. 2. The airport itself is not secure. At some security points inside the airport there are hundreds of people. A determined terrorist could bring a suitcase bomb and detonate ... Read More

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com. ... Read More

38 KM from Barcelona, appears from flat plains, what seems to be a freak of nature, the mountain range of Montserrat, 1,236 meters above sea level. It's beauty is rare, and every day it shows you something new. Montserrat is also home to one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in Spain: the Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat. Since the 12th century, pilgrims have been drawn to the mountain to venerate the miraculous statue of the Black ... Read More

I've added a new category to the blog, "Memories," as I am in the process of trying to preserve home movies of our family. Today's memory is of Miquel eating a bowl of potatoes. Every since I can remember, Miquel has had a love affair with food. From the day he was born, I swear he would watch us chew and swallow and smack his lips, aching for a taste. Here, I think I might have boiled some potatoes for him. I often ... Read More

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Remember how we learned as youngsters on How A Bill becomes Law? ... Read More

Silas showed us how short a child's attention span can be today. He saw his daddy pull into the driveway, got all excited about greeting him, nearly hurt himself in his anxiousness to meet him at the doorway, goes running to greet him, Enric puts his bottled water down on the table to hug Silas, and that was all that was needed to distract Silas in a big way. "OH" he says. We sure did laugh a long time! ... Read More

Got to watch Facing the Giants tonight! Get Your Copy! ... Read More

I think I am the last in the circle of my family and friends to see the movie, Fireproof. It was well worth the wait. Some quotes from the movie: Michael Simmons: The sad part about it is, when most people promise for better or for worse, they really only mean for the better. *********** John Holt: Has she thanked you for anything you've done the last 20 days? Caleb Holt: No! And you'd think after I washed the car, I've changed the oil, ... Read More

It rained all last night and most of today. In fact, as far as rain goes, we have had a lot of it this spring. It's even chilly today. So instead of working outdoors, or making repairs to the pool, or even enjoying a good walk in the sunshine, what to do? As I was finishing my lunch, my daughter informed me that Yaya was insisting we come watch a classic old movie on the TV. I didn't need much convincing. Good-bye ... Read More

Miranda sent one of the greatest movies ever, Silas sliding down a sliding board! To download and watch the movie (15 MB), click HERE ... Read More

Ok, I have to sneak in a movie I like once in a while, so I made this movie part of our study of the French Revolution. Interestingly enough, the term, "New World Order" was used in the movie, the same as spoken in the recent G20 Summit. The Plot: In 1792, during the bloodthirsty, early stages of the French Revolution, Marguerite St. Just, a beautiful French ex-actress, is the wife of the wealthy English fop Sir Percy Blakeney, a baronet. Before ... Read More

My daughter has read the book about a half dozen times, seen the movie about the same amount of times. Finally the movie came out in DVD yesterday, and I got to see it. I really see the appeal for teens, and the music was lovely and the scenery of rainy, green, Washington State was beautiful. Some quotes from the movie: Isabella Swan: How old are you? Edward Cullen: Seventeen. Isabella Swan: How long have you been seventeen? Edward Cullen: A while. Edward Cullen: That's what you dream ... Read More

Laura still recovering from the flu, so I dug out this movie I found cheap at Walmart. Trouble With Angels - DVD Two mischievous and curious teenage girls enter a convent school and wreak havoc with the academy's carefully organized routine. They explore the nuns' quarters on the sly, fill the sugar bowl with soap and just keep on coming up with "scathingly brilliant ideas" that cause endless amounts of comic confusion. It isn't too long before the Mother Superior is convinced ... Read More

While Laura is down with the flu, I thought it would be good to bring out this mini-series made in the 80's that is a total delight. The First Olympics: Athens 1896 - Widescreen Fullscreen Subtitle Five Emmy nominations went to the two-part TV drama The First Olympics: Athens 1896. The story begins in 1894, when Baron Pierre de Courbetin (Louis Jourdan) announces his intention to stage the first Olympic games of the Modern Era within two years in Athens. The baron ... Read More

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While Enric, Miranda, and Silas were here we couldn't resist to have an early Christmas. After all, it's a season, not just a day to me.     ... Read More

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Right off the heels of teaching Laura about patents in our government class, a new movie is announced on TV  about the invention of the intermittent windshield wiper that looks like it's worth seeing called, Flash of Genius. Which got me to wondering who invented the FIRST windshield wiper? A woman! Mary Anderson! Mary Anderson was granted her first patent for a window cleaning device in November of 1903. Her invention could clean snow, rain, or sleet from a windshield by using a ... Read More

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  I read today that Steven Spielberg will be making a trilogy movie of Tintin, one of my favorite comic book characters! I have already enjoyed the HBO special cartoon movies, and already thought they were a treat.    It is not yet known which of the 23 Tintin stories will be filmed. More on the story HERE » Blistering barnacles! It's Spielberg's new Tintin ... Read More

  At this time of year do you receive numerous "Non-Specified Holiday" catalogs that pile up and clutter your house? Here is a fellow who is offended that few actually say Christmas Catalogs. So, as he explains there are other months where we don't clump special occasions together, say, Presidents and Valentines Day, he demonstrates what he does with "Holiday" catalogs. He tosses them. Play the movie HERE     ... Read More

When people recommend movies to me, they really do a good job. It must be because they know I watch so few, and certain ones really must impress upon them that I would like it. One particular movie, I watched today, came from my sister, Linda, and her husband, George. I cried, I loved it. I hope you might get a chance to see it too. This is a true story and I liked how the movie moved back in time to Baltimore and Johns Hopkins Hospital of the 1940's. SOMETHING ... Read More

  These democrats want to censor everything these days, including their own! This image is of Hillary Clinton and John Edwards discussing their desire to limit future joint appearances to exclude some "lower rivals" after a forum in Detroit Thursday. Edwards says, "We should try to have a more serious and a smaller group." Clinton agrees, saying, "We've got to cut the number" and "they're not serious." She also says that she thought their campaigns had already tried to limit the debates and say, ... Read More