Monte Cristo

One of my favorite movies is “The Count of Monte Cristo,” the recent version that stars Jim Caviezel as Dantes.

Some folks might perceive the big flick as being on the cheesy side, but if you disregard the fact that the characters speak “American” vs. “French” (or other European languages) and concentrate rather on the beautiful scenery of Ireland and Malta as well as allow the poignant delivery of certain lines to sink in, then I believe you will enjoy the film as much as I do!

Highlights:

Mercedes: I don't know what dark plan lies within you. Nor do I know by what design we were asked to live without each other these 16 years. But God has offered us a new beginning...

Edmond: God?

Mercedes: Don't slap His hand away.

Edmond: Can I never escape Him?

Mercedes: No, He is in everything. Even in a kiss.

and

Abbe Faria: Here is your final lesson - do not commit the crime for which you now serve the sentence. God said, "Vengeance is mine."

Edmond Dantes: I don't believe in God.

Abbe Faria: It doesn't matter. He believes in you.


Here are a couple web site links with more details about the enjoyable film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245844/quotes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Count_of_Monte_Cristo_(2002_film)


Have a great day! Be blessed and if you need wisdom, just ask the Lord God who made you!

Love Him with all of your heart, soul and mind!

Coincidence? I think not. :)

Did you know that your life has already been planned since before time by the Creator of the Universe? Pretty spectacular realization, isn’t it? God knew your name before the beginning of time!

As of late I have been connecting the dots of my life and have discovered many things.

Including this little diddy that perhaps for-shadowed what was to come to pass.

In grade school one of my favorite books on my Mom’s shelves was called “The Best Loved Poems of the American People.” I scoured its pages often and thoroughly enjoyed the delightful verbiage between its covers.

For a 10th grade English project, I made illustrations to accent some of these poems, including this one below.

My drawing for the poem called “TO A FRIEND” consisted of a single rose with a tag on it that said “Pour un Ami.”

Fast forward to present day: "Ami" is my nickname for one whom I am so happy to know.


Here is the poem:

You ENTERED my life in a casual way,
And saw at a glance what I needed;
There were others who passed me or met me each day,
But never a one of them heeded.
Perhaps you were thinking of other folks more,
Or chance simply seemed to decree it;
I know there were many such chances before,
But the others-well, they didn't see it.

You said just the thing that I wished you would say,
And you made me believe that you meant it;
I held my head in the old gallant way,
And resolved you should never repent it.
There are times when encouragement means such a lot,
And a word is enough to convey it;
There were others who could have, as easy as not -
But, just the same, they didn't say it.

There may have been someone who could have done more
To help me along, though I doubt it;
What I needed was cheering, and always before
They had let me plod onward without it.
You helped to refashion the dream of my heart,
And made me turn eagerly to it;
There were others who might have (I question that part) -
But, after all, they didn't do it!

- Grace Stricker Dawson



I encourage all to own a copy of this marvelous book or at least inquire if it is at your local library. Every page is a delicious treat that allows one’s imagination to consider the beauty of life’s many different experiences.

This web site link is one of many retail stores that offers the reprint of the 1936 copyright version to consumers.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-best-loved-poems-of-the-american-people-hazel-felleman/1000211468

Have a great day!

On the Lighter Side - Art "Funnies"

Here are two bits of silly-ness that I thought all might enjoy!

1) Location Paris: Recently a guy in Paris nearly got away with stealing several paintings from the Louvre. However, after planning the crime, getting in and out past security, he was captured only 2 blocks away when his Econoline http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_E-Series ran out of gas. (See above photo for visual :) When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such an obvious error, he replied:

“I had no Monet to buy Degas to make the Van Gogh.”

2) After much careful research it has been discovered that the artist Vincent Van Gogh had many relatives. Among them were:

His obnoxious brother – Please Gogh
The brother who ate prunes – Gotta Gogh
The brother who worked at the convenience store – StopnGogh
The grandfather from Yugoslavia – U Gogh
The brother who bleached his clothes white – Hue Gogh
His dizzy aunt – Verti Gogh
The cousin from Illinois – Chica Gogh
His magician uncle – Wherediddy Gogh
His Mexican cousin – Amee Gogh
The cousin’s American half brother – Grin Gogh
The nephew who drove a stage coach – Wellsfar Gogh
The ballroom dancing aunt – Tan Gogh
The bird lover uncle – Flamin Gogh
His nephew psychoanalyst – E Gogh
The fruit loving cousin – Man Gogh
An aunt who taught positive thinking – Wayto Gogh
The little nephew – Poe Gogh
A sister who loved disco – Go Gogh
And his niece who travels the country in a van – Winniebay Gogh

Have a great day!