Week4: Book: Out of the Dust.

I'm not a fan of history. I think it's important, but growing up, I've never shown much interest. However there is a part in history that I love to read, and learn about. That time period is The Dust Bowl. I love to learn about all the personal stories of those people who survived. There are plenty of books on the history, and agriculture of it. But there is a particular book that makes even the most avid book reader turn there head. That book is "Out Of The Dust." It's different because it's not set up like your regular book. The chapters are short, and the format of the pages are more or less like a poem, then your average novel.

The plot fallows a girl, and her family as they fight to stay alive in the storm. Her passion is to play the piano, and she has to overcome personal issues, as well as family problems. This book shows us the sacrifice we have to make, and the love we should always give. Author Karen Hesse makes every word shine with meaning, and makes the reader believe that the character is real, and alive.

Out Of The Dust reminds us that life goes on, and that no matter the trials that go on around us, we have to keep pushing forward. This book is full of memorable quotes, but I will leave you with one of the best

"And I know now that all the time I was trying to get
out of the dust,
the fact is,
what I am,
I am because of the dust.
And what I am is good enough.
Even for me."

Week 3: Music. "Sigh no more"

www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sigh

Sigh: "to take a deep audible breath"

No: "variant of NOH"

More: "something more than she expected"

=

"To not take an audible breath any more"

The first song I heard from this 2010 record of Mumford And Sons "Sigh No More" was "white blank page." This is one of the lesser known songs on this album, but one of the best. Finding an interest in this new found band, I looked them up on Itunes. I found, that the song itself "sigh no more" was on Itunes free songs of the day. So without haste I downloaded it. I didn't really know what I had signed up for. But I soon began to realize that this was a full time job. I could NOT stop listening to the album on YouTube! The mix of Irish, pop, rock, whatever, flooded my head for the next 2 weeks.

I believe that the radio station's abused the charm of some of the songs such as "Little lion man" and "The Cave" for they couldn't stop playing them, so after 4 months of hearing them every time you got in the car, I got sick of them. But that does not excuse the beautiful lyrics, and music that fill these addictive tracks. The sweet sound of lead singer (Marcus Mumfords )voice coupled with the harmony and bass, with a side of the occasional banjo, I would urge you to pick this album up at your nearby record store, and just see what you've been missing.

Jimmy Johns: Restraunt/Recipe

Jimmy Johns Sub Shop is highly praised in my group of friends. And this last week, I had the opportunity to see for myself just how amazing this fast food sub shop could be. There claim to fame is "Worlds greatest gourmet sandwiches" and "The freshest ingredients!" And when I had my first bite of the #5 Vito, that's exactly what I was expecting. Well, the sandwich wasn't terrible, but I shouldn't have been so easily convinced. It is a fast food restaurant, no matter how "gourmet" it says it is. I will give it the credit of the meet being extremely flavorful, and the lettuce not being soggy. But in my house, the bread is the sandwich, and without good bread, it's useless. I didn't get good bread. It tasted like Wonder Bread with salt, and that was a big turn off point for me. I will also say, that there online ordering service is very affective, and there drive-through (so I've heard) is fast! So I can safely say it is the best fast food sub I have ever had. But it's not what it's all puffed up to be! I urge you to go try a Jimmy Johns Sub, and see for yourself!

Movie: Mary And Max

Clay animation, is extremely under-rated. I have grown up on Wallace and Gromit, so this movie "Mary And Max" was not so foreign to me. But if you ask any old Joe, you can be sure to get a wrinkled face, and a "I only like movie's with real people" as an answer. But if your in a mood to have your heart warmed, this movie is on the top of the list.

The plot is simple. There's a little girl (Mary Dinkle) who lives in Australia. And an older man (Max Horovitz) who lives in New York. Mary, played by Toni Collette is short chubby and lives with her drunk mother, and introverted father. Max, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman is an obese middle aged man, who lives alone. Both characters have no friends, and have no idea of one another's existence. And so the story begins.

One day at the post office, Mary randomly picks an address from the phone book. Mary waists no time in mailing Max a letter, and so the two characters relationship begins. They write back and forth each time mailing there favorite foods. You see Mary getting older and more mature. While you see Max getting older and slowly falling apart. I won't spoil all the plot turns, and good feelings that come with this delightful movie. But everything in Mary And Max is beautifully filmed, and reminds you of life. The theme song for this particular movie, is what makes this it. The movie changes back from Mary, and Max's life, and doesn't combined them together until the very end.

In my opinion, this is one of the most heart warming films ever. And even if your not a fan of clay animation, and just like to see "real people movie's" I urge you to check this one out.