Friday, April 10, 2026

Sunshine Blogger Award Vol. 6

 



Thank you to Lizzy of Starlight and Saucepans for tagging me for the Sunshine Blogger Award!  I always love it when this comes around, and you all have the best questions!  I also can't believe I haven't answered one of these since 2022.  Where does the time go?!

These are the rules:


1. Thank the blogger who nominated you in the blog post and link back to their blog. (Check!)

2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you. (Presently...)

3. Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write 11 new questions for them. (hehe, maybe not today...)

4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog. (Check, check!)


You have the opportunity to invite over a fictional character for a day and show him/her around your neighborhood. Which character do you choose?


Oooh, good question, right off the bat! Anne Shirley comes to mind right away. I would just love to have her over, share all my scrapes with her, and introduce her to my friends so they could get to know and love her, hopefully as I do.


What kind of weather do you like best? What weather makes you happiest/saddest?


I definitely enjoy different kinds of weather. In the middle of summer, when the monsoon season brings its dark clouds, I relish the thunder and rainstorms that bring a cool reprieve to the desert, but I also very much enjoy the sunny spring days that warm the chill in the house as the sun shines through the windows. Grey skies (especially those made by cloudseeding 😖) are very depressing, but I think rain, rainbows, sunshine, and snow make me the happiest.


If you had to move to a foreign country, which one would it be?


Oooh! I've never been out of the US, but if I had to choose without visiting any other countries, I think I would pick Poland. Not only do I have family roots there, but I also love the Catholic culture that permeates life in Europe. I would be able to travel to other favorite countries, such as the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland, very easily.


A functional time-machine has just been invented! You can go to any time and place in the past that you like. When and where do you go?


Take me to the late 1800's or Early 1900's, please. I'm not sure what place or date exactly. It would be very fun to visit my ancestors in those days, if it wouldn't break the space-time continuum, of course. 😅


You get to choose one book to be perfectly adapted into a movie/mini-series/TV show/musical. Which book do you choose, and which kind of adaptation do you think it would work best as?


Noooo! I have to choose just one?! 😱 One of my top picks for this question has to be "The Blue Castle" by L. M. Montgomery. I would love to see it well adapted, not with any feminist push. To watch Valancey grow and blossom, see her and Barney, and of course have The Blue Castle materialize, would be lovely. I think it would work well in any of these formats, but I would request a mini-series or a movie. A musical would be lovely for the story, but sometimes you can't get all the fine details of setting, and I really want to see the house come to life!

Gregory Peck?  Yes please!  Although I may ultimately cast someone else a bit wilder in this role.

Do you prefer pens or pencils?


It really depends on what I'm writing. Notes, planning, drafts, and homework definitely are pencil tasks for me. writing letters, cards, my diary, dates, and activities in my planner, as well as creative lists, are best in pen. There is nothing like a fine tip ballpoint pen or a sharp No. 2B pencil.


What’s your favorite genre of music?


I have to say, sacred polyphony. I have lots of favorites, including country, Broadway, and Irish folk, but polyphony takes the cake. Have you listened to "Sicut Cervus"?


Do you use bookmarks? If so, do you use actual, nice-looking bookmarks, or do you just grab the nearest small flat object and use that?


Haha! I mostly try to use real bookmarks, but religious holy cards often make their way into my books. I also tend to use scraps of paper and receipts when nothing else is handy. And once I get something into a book as a bookmark, it stays. There is no option to switch it out for me unless it's absolutely necessary. Weird, I know.


What kind of aesthetic do you/would you like to decorate your home?


Shabby Chic Cottagecore. When I was in junior high/ high school, I really liked Shabby Chic, but as I've grown and trends have emerged, I really like Cottagecore for its soft, natural, and unassuming beauty. If I could combine the two with the pink and lace of Shabby Chic with the natural woods and green plants of Cottagecore, I would be in heaven! I try to decorate my room this way, but it is a work in progress.


Suppose you had the opportunity to do a good deed, but knew beforehand that it would fail and be misinterpreted. Would you still do it or not?


Yes. Absolutely yes. The good deed would not be misinterpreted in God's eyes, and if it was for His glory, I would most certainly do it, no matter what. Knowing it would fail might be hard, but I think there have been a lot of figures in history (the Christero martyrs of Mexico come to mind) who knew their mission was sometimes impossible, and yet they persevered and fought till the bitter end.


Which form of art do you think is inherently the most expressive: music, literature, or art?


Wow, deep question. I think Literature is the most expressive. It has to be because not only does it convey truths and thoughts, it has to paint a picture or set a scene in the reader's mind. Much literature takes far longer to consume as well, whereas even the most exquisite musical experience only lasts for a few hours. Words have power, as do art and music, but there is something about the words we read that usually sticks with us longer than the art we see or the music we hear. (Unless it is Sicut Cervus. 😉)


Thank you so much for these interesting and entertaining questions, Lizzy! I had a great time answering them! I hope you enjoyed my answers. What are your thoughts on these questions? I'm especially curious as to everyone's take on the last question. If you made it this far and would like to answer these questions on your own blog, consider yourself tagged! I will hopefully be tagging others gain very soon as I make my way back into the bloggosphere.


Have a wonderful day!

Tuesday, April 7, 2026

2025 - Movies of the Year

 I've never done this before...

There have been quite a few great movie recaps in the blogosphere, and I thought it would be fun to do my own because my mom and I have watched so many good and great movies this year.  I do wish there were a way to track the movies I've watched, like GoodReads is for books.  (IMDb is too intimidating to me, though.)

So without further ado, here are the ones that I remember and I would recommend!  


An asterisk (*) denotes that I watched more than once.

1.  The Inheritance *


Based on Louisa May Alcott's debut novel, this movie is such a beautiful and captivating romance.  My sister's mother-in-law showed this one to me while I was staying with her, and I'm so glad she did!  I read the book after watching the movie and have to say the book is even better, but I enjoyed the movie so much that I had my parents watch it too.

2.  This Beautiful Fantastic


One of my roommates showed me this one, and it was quirky, whimsical, and delightful.  I've been meaning to show it to my family, too.  I wonder if it has a novel version because the plot felt like a cute, well-written romance/academia novel rather than a Hallmark movie.  (Which it wasn't, but I guess I was expecting it to be.)

3.  Good Morning, Miss Dove


My mom found the novel on which this movie is based at a garage sale while on our summer vacation.  We only read the first couple of pages before we watched the film, but based on comparing the two, I believe the movie is extremely close to the book, even sharing exact quotes.  This movie was beautiful, thought-provoking, and delightful all around.  Be prepared to have your heartstrings tugged upon. 


4.  Goodbye, Mr. Chips



Similar to the reflective movie above, "Goodbye Mr. Chips" is a delightful, heartwrenching, and timeless film.  The acting is superb, and the storyline is endearing.  Both of these movies are dear to me too, as a school teacher, as the main characters of each are talented and impactful on their pupils.  There's also something to these films that start at the end and take you back as the main character reflects on how far they've come and how much they've witnessed over the course of their life.


5. Ball of Fire

Any movie starring Garry Cooper is of interest to me.  He's such a great actor. 🫠  This film was both funny and exhilarating.  Imagine a bunch of musty old scholars, plus their one not-so-old, English-obsessed colleague, thrown together with a worldly-wise dancer, and you have the zany movie, "Ball of Fire."  


6.  Pennies from Heaven


This. Movie. Is. The. Best!!!  I actually just watched this movie in February, but I had to include it here because it is sooo good!!  One of my childhood crushes of the silver screen was good ol' Bing Crosby in "White Christmas", probably because I was the older of two sisters and I related to the character of Betty Haynes.  Now, in this film, I see myself once again as the little girl, admiring Bing's persona.  This film is delightful, heartwarming, and mischievous for lots of fun!  It would be a great movie for October with its dinner show and song "The Skeleton in the Closet." 💀  And please, do yourself a favor and listen to Bing's "Pennies from Heaven" from this film.  I've only ever heard the version by Louis Prima, which is performed in a swinging jazz style, but Bing's lullaby rendition is *chef's kiss*. 


7.  East Side of Heaven



Bing Crosby and a baby... need I say more?  This movie, too, is filled with beautiful songs, an excitingly funny plot, and all around a good time.


8. Father is a Bachelor *


Such a fun and sweet movie with catchy songs too.  "Big Rock Candy Mountain" has been one of those songs that gets stuck in my head (in the best way possible), and as I sing it, I imagine I'm strolling by a creek with Feb or May.  Also, I want an Uncle Johnny.  (:

9. Apartment for Peggy


Another good William Holden one, although he's not exactly the main character.  And maybe it's a teeny bit feminist, but the relationship between Jean Crain's character and the beloved Edmund Gwen is endearing.  It's hard to watch at some parts because it's not a warm and fuzzy movie; it deals with a very serious matter (viewer discretion advised just a little bit).  But it will inspire you with hope and know that no matter how bleak things seem, there's always a purpose for each one of us.

10. Three Blind Mice

I love David Niven, and this movie with Joel McCrea is just too fun.  Three sisters take their inheritance and go to find husbands in glamorous California.  This was fun to watch as I had been living and teaching in SoCal.  Unfortunately, I did not find a millionaire husband while out there. XD


11.  The More the Merrier *


A hilarious romcom with Joel McCrae once again, as well as the amusing Charles Coburn.  Scoot over and shove in!  We're getting nice and cozy in this one with three very individual characters and following them through the chaos that ensues.  My mom and I watched this twice because it was such a feel-good movie.


There were probably lots of other movies my mom and I thoroughly enjoyed, but alas, I didn't save them to a specific place to find them again.  If I come across any more excellent old movies, I will try to file them away for future sharing. ;) 

Have you seen any of these or watched any good black-and-white movies lately?  Bonus points if they're on YouTube.  Feel free to share them below!  Thanks so much for being here and reading!  <3