It is here.  The annual event where Hollywood rewards its finest for their accomplishments in film.  I am less about the awards (and dresses, awkward acceptance speeches and political soap boxes) and more about what I believe is one of the strongest releases of must-see movies in years.  There were so many great movies that I actually started a list and began checking them off one by one.

It began in December with the release of Collateral Beauty starring Will Smith, Edward Norton, Keira Knightley, Kate Winslet and Helen Mirren.  We attended the opening day screening as a family since the kiddos had arrived home for their winter break.  I enjoyed the storyline as well as its spiritual message.  Next was La La Land as part of a girl’s night out with the bonus child and sister-in-law.  This flick has been making a sweep of sorts of prior awards shows, but was not one of my favorites.  I am not a huge fan of the musical, and did not like the ending.  But hey, that is just me. The remainder of the screenings were knocked off by hubby and myself as part of Friday date night. Date number one was Fences.  We loved this movie!  Mr. Joan is a huge fan of Denzel, and Ms. Viola Davis should absolutely win for best supporting actress.  Date number two and the fourth feature was Hidden Figures, which I give a HUGE thumbs up!  I love books and movies based on real-life stories.  Also, as a young follower of the space program, I had been completely unaware of the back story of these women who played an integral role in getting the U.S. to the moon and back.  Moonlight was next on the list.  This is a powerful story that portrays what I believe is a mostly accurate depiction of life in the projects, drug addiction, bullying, and more.  Lion was another must-see movie for me as it was also based on a true story.  It too told a tragic story of life in an impoverished region of India, but in the end highlighted the truth that love can always find its way home. Lastly, we just barely squeezed in Manchester by the Sea as it was no longer showing in our area, but became available on our local cable provider this past week.  We headed to the Man Cave Friday night to take in this sad, rather intense movie and the Academy Award nominated performance of Casey Affleck.

We still hope to see Loving (also on our cable network) and The Founder, two more films based on real life stories, and A Dog’s Purpose.  After that, I am concerned that this wave of great movies will come to its natural end, and the shoot ’em up, sci-fi and kid flicks will once again reign at the box office.  Our patronage of local theaters and weekly contribution to the economy will likely diminish or disappear all together. We can return to our status as homebodies where the hubby can always find something on TV and I can curl up with a good book!

As I find my days filled with “nuthin but time,” my husband encourages me to write. That is a great suggestion, but I find myself void of any fresh ideas.  I would hesitate to diagnose myself with writer’s block.  It is more a general malaise that I believe is linked to my current jobless status.  Here are a few ideas that have crossed my mind.  They are either taboo, boring or just not blog worthy in my opinion.

Politics and the New Administration-I would not touch this topic in a public forum. From what I read on Facebook and see on the news, friends are unfriending friends, families are feuding and even some marriages have busted up due to heated and divisive opinions.  Of course, we are being led to believe that negative chatter is just fake news, or alternative facts.  I suppose time will tell.  I do discuss politics with my spouse (we disagree on many topics), and a few females (read: three) who share my thoughts and beliefs.  Sometimes, one cannot hold it all in.

Unemployment-The unemployment rate in the U.S. is just under 5%.  While this number seems low, it still represents thousands upon thousands of work-ready Americans who are looking for a job.  I am keeping track of my searches.  To-date, I have applied for twelve positions.  I have had two in-person interviews, one phone interview and one FaceTime interview.  All of my applications have been done online- a few clicks including an upload of my resume and in some cases a cover letter, too. That. Is. It.  I recently applied for a part-time administrative assistant position.  I was told that over 200 people applied for this one opening, though that could just be an alternative fact.  In any case, I make my searches, apply for the positions that seem interesting to me and that I am qualified for, and then move on.    

College-Aged Boys-I have a 19-year old son who is a freshman at a university that just earned the title, “Biggest Party School” in our home state.  Based on events that we have learned about in his first semester, he has made his own contribution to the university earning this unwanted title.  I could write about underage drinking, binge drinking, peer-pressure drinking, drinking to the point of passing out, but I will refrain.  I am sure that my son, now considered an adult, would not appreciate his mom chiming in about events from his own life on her silly, little blog.  What I will say is that it is true that “misery loves company.”  I do share my son’s story with other mothers of boys and find that I am not alone.  There is a common theme in the lives of our cherished males-one of making bad choices mainly due to impulsiveness, laziness, lack of a fully developed brain and some immaturity.  We all hope (and pray) that our men/children make it through these years of intense growth and adult situations alive and well.  Many of us have discussed, disputed and researched the age at which they really do “grow up.”  Some say 20 or 21, other studies and the auto insurance industry say it is more like 25 or 26.  Oh my.  My arthritic knees will be worn out from all of that praying, and my once brunette hair will be fifty shades of gray!

Global Warming-Another taboo, political topic.  I have my own opinions on global warming, climate change, etc. but my one question is why is this a political issue?  Isn’t the proof of such an occurrence up to scientists, meteorologists and the like?  Either way, our January/February gas and electric bill was approximately $35 less than our previous bill.  This was due to a string of days with temps of 50-60 degrees.  I will take that regardless of what the politicians and scientists agree or disagree on!

Thanks for reading my non-blog worthy post full of topics that are either too divisive to discuss or just plain forbidden, at least from my perspective.  To my husband I will say, “See, I wrote something.  Thanks for always encouraging me!”  I will provide an update on my shopping ban in about 10 days as this short month comes to a close. Unlike the search for my next employer, I am making excellent progress with my status as a non-shopper!