Things That Make Me . . . Happy, Laugh, Smile, Etc.

This is a list I’ve been compiling for quite some time & will probably be added to every now & then. I believe that we must stop & take the time to be thankful for the small things in life and this is a great way for me to do it. ENJOY!!

THINGS THAT MAKE ME . . . HAPPY, LAUGH, SMILE, ETC.
(Past, Present, etc.)

• “American Graffiti” soundtrack
• “American Idol”
• “Annie”
• “Bambie”
• “Beaches”
• “Cinderella”
• “Cosby Show” marathons
• “Criminal Minds”
• “CSI”
• “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
• “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” marathons
• “Golden Girls” reruns
• “Grease”
• “Home Alone 2”
• “Home Alone”
• “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”
• “Law & Order: SVU”
• “Little Mermaid”
• “Pretty Woman”
• “Radio”
• “Reba” reruns
• “Riverdance” live
• “Saturday Night Live” (the old ones . . . from the 80s and 90s)
• “Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs”
• “The Lion King”
• “Top Gun”
• “Will & Grace” reruns
• “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”
• “Wizard of Oz”
• 1st Kiss
• 1st trip to New York
• 80s music
• 8th grade dance
• A child's smile & laughter
• A good book
• A shuffling iPod
• An old couple holding hands
• Animal Planet
• Art by Ansel Adams
• Art by Georgia O’Keefe
• Art by Jim Booth
• Atlanta Braves baseball
• Babies
• Barnes & Noble
• Bath & Body Works
• Beach trips with Lyn, Cory & Heather
• Being appreciated
• Being on yearbook staff in high school & college
• Bill Engvall
• Billy’s laugh
• Biltmore Estate
• Black & white photos
• Blimpie subs
• Boston
• Breakfast for supper
• Broadway Shows
• Bubble baths
• Calendars (I’m all about planning)
• Candles
• Carriage rides in Charleston, SC
• Charleston, SC
• Chatting online with Shell
• Childhood friends
• Childrens’ books
• Claire’s ‘voices’
• Clemson Tigers football
• CNN
• Coffee punch
• Coffee table books
• Collection of ornaments (each one has a story)
• Compliments
• Cool breezes
• Cory hitting a baseball over the fence when he was smaller than the bat
• Cory playing the guitar
• Country music
• Court TV
• Cute return address labels
• Dalton's hugs & kisses
• Decorating for Christmas with my mom
• Downtown Greenville
• Drafting a legal document “well” the first time
• Early morning/late night walks on the beach
• Elmo
• Encouraging words from others
• F.A.O. Schwartz in NYC
• Facials
• Fall
• Falls Park
• Family reunions in GA
• Feeling understood
• Finding a great deal
• Finding money
• Finished projects
• Fireworks displays (especially the one at Stone Mountain)
• First time roller skating
• Fitting into an old outfit
• Flat Rock/Hendersonville, NC
• Flowers – gerbera daisies, orchids & lilies, specifically
• Flute
• Fox News
• Fresh sheets
• Furman lake
• Fuzzy bedroom shoes
• Game Night with friends
• Getting my first job
• Giraffes
• Girls' Night Out
• Going for a walk
• Going to the aquarium
• Going to the movies
• Going to the zoo
• Greenville Drive baseball
• Guitar
• Haircuts
• Hallmark (after all, I’m the “card lady”)
• Handmade cards
• Having a clean house
• Having loving & supportive people in my life
• Head massage
• Heather dancing, cheering & singing
• Heather talking about her "baby shoot" (aka "bathing suit") when she was little
• Holding hands with someone special
• Homemade ice cream
• Honesty of children
• Hot apple cider
• Hugs
• Hummingbirds
• IKEA
• Inside jokes & secrets with Crystal
• Italian food
• Japanese food
• Jeff Foxworthy
• Joel's impersonations & reenactments
• Journaling/blogging
• Kentucky Derby
• Knowing that God has a special plan for my life
• Knowing that God is in control of my life (and I’m not)
• Knowing that I have more than 1 person that I can count on
• Knowing that I will see my loved ones again in Heaven
• Laughing until it hurts
• Lifetime TV
• Light bulb moments
• Lighthouses
• Listening to the rain
• Live music
• Local bands
• Long, winding roads in the middle of nowhere
• Losing weight when I'm not trying
• Love from Daisy (Mel & Claire’s dog)
• Magazines
• Magnets
• Making handmade Christmas ornaments
• Making people laugh
• Manicures
• Mark Lowry
• Martin Lawrence
• Massages
• Matthew McConaughey
• Memories of dances with Jerry
• Memories of Liberty
• Memories of Lizzy
• Mexican food
• Mission Trips
• Mom’s “obsession” with the Weather Channel
• Mom's lasagna
• Monkeys/chimpanzees
• Mountain trips with the girls
• Movie nights with Bridget (Reggie)
• MSNBC
• Music - basically anything (with a few minor exceptions)
• My brother’s upcoming wedding to a great girl (Candice)
• My brother's sense of humor
• My church family @ Marathon Greenville
• My circle of friends
• My daddy's last words to me
• My Life Group girls
• My PaPa (my grandfather Gulley) taking me every day to Sky City or KMart to ride the horsey
• My upcoming graduation (finally) from college
• Ocean breezes
• Old photos
• Passing Anatomy after A LOT of hard work
• Pedicures
• Penguins
• Pens
• People-watching
• Piano
• Picnics
• Planning a trip
• Playing Chickenfoot with Mom, Daddy & my brother
• Playing Phase 10 w/ the girls
• Praise & Worship music
• Precious (my brother & his fiance’s dog)
• Publix birthday cakes (chocolate with whipped frosting)
• Putt-putt
• Quotations
• Rainbows
• Reading devotions and Bible verses that always fit with what’s going on in my life (God’s funny that way )
• Reality TV
• Receiving flowers (especially if they're my favorite)
• Receiving mail that doesn’t involve bills and/or junk mail
• Reconnecting with old friends on Facebook
• Rock & Roll music
• Samples/Freebies
• Santa’s White Christmas coffee (from Barnies)
• Scavenger hunts
• Searching for seashells
• Sending & receiving Christmas cards
• Sending cards
• Shirley Temple movies
• Shopping with Mom
• Silence
• Singing in the shower or car
• Sitting by a roaring fire on a cold winter night
• Sleeping in
• Snow
• Sonic Happy Hour
• Starbucks
• Staying up all night - sharing & laughing
• Studying at the Milliken campus in college
• Sudoku puzzles
• Sunrises
• Sunsets
• Swinging at the park
• Taking Dalton to see his first movie
• Taking pictures
• Temptations music
• The beauty of the mountains
• The first time I met Dalton
• The last trip our family took together
• The stories my daddy always told about his childhood
• The trials in my life . . . because they have made me a better person
• The way it smells after it rains
• Tigger
• Times spent with Mama (my grandmother Gulley)
• TLC
• To-Do Lists that are complete
• Toile
• Towels just out of the dryer on a cold morning
• Traditions
• Trips over "the mountain" with my brother
• Tumbling (on Tumblr)
• Twitter/Tweeting
• Unconditional love of a pet
• Unexpected "thinking of you" gestures
• Van Morrison music
• Violin
• Volunteer work
• Waffle House at 3am (in my younger days)
• Watching Dalton play
• What it feels like to get a 4.0 GPA for the 1st time
• Windchimes
• Wrapping Christmas gifts
• Youth group memories

1001 Movies To See Before You Die (according to Blockbuster) - - - Part V (the FINAL part)

Here is Part V (and the FINAL part) of this post:

Here is the list from the years 1995 – present:

1. Three Colors Trilogy
2. Million Dollar Baby
3. Fahrenheit 9/11
4. The Passion of The Christ
5. Collateral
6. The Aviator
7. Oldboy
8. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
9. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
10. Dracula, Pages From a Virgin's Diary
11. Good Bye Lenin!
12. Bowling For Columbine
13. Hero
14. Talk to Her
15. Far from Heaven
16. Ararat
17. Russian Ark
18. City of God
19. The Pianist
20. Adaptation
21. Gangs of New York
22. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
23. The Royal Tenenbaums
24. Nine Queens
25. Monsoon Wedding
26. Spirited Away
27. Y Tu Mamá También
28. Lantana
29. Kandahar
30. The Piano Teacher
31. No Man's Land
32. Mulholland Dr.
33. Amélie
34. Moulin Rouge [This is one of my all-time favorites!]
35. The Son's Room
36. Italian for Beginners
37. Fat Girl
38. Brotherhood of the Wolf
39. The Others
40. Little Otik
41. Murderous Maids
42. Memento
43. Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets
44. Meet The Parents
45. The Foul King
46. Yi Yi
47. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
48. Kippur
49. In The Mood For Love
50. The Gleaners and I
51. Amores Perros
52. Dancer in the Dark
53. The Road Home
54. Requiem for a Dream
55. Gladiator
56. American Psycho
57. Traffic
58. The Blair Witch Project
59. The Matrix
60. All About My Mother
61. The Sixth Sense
62. American Beauty
63. Fight Club
64. Three Kings
65. Being John Malkovich
66. The Insider
67. The Wind Will Carry Us
68. Magnolia
69. Beau Travail
70. Shiri
71. Pi
72. Buffalo '66
73. The Celebration
74. Happiness
75. There's Something About Mary
76. Ringu
77. Run Lola Run
78. Rushmore
79. The Red Violin
80. The Thin Red Line
81. Saving Private Ryan
82. The Butcher Boy
83. L.A. Confidential
84. The Ice Storm
85. Happy Together
86. Funny Games
87. The Sweet Hereafter
88. Princess Mononoke
89. Deconstructing Harry
90. Boogie Nights
91. Titanic
92. Life Is Beautiful
93. Open Your Eyes
94. The Taste of Cherry
95. Shine
96. Fargo
97. Trainspotting
98. Secrets and Lies
99. Ghost in the Shell
100. The English Patient
101. Independence Day
102. Breaking the Waves
103. Trees Lounge
104. Gabbeh
105. Scream
106. Lone Star
107. Toy Story
108. Zero Kelvin
109. Safe
110. Smoke
111. Braveheart
112. Dead Man
113. Underground
114. Babe
115. Clueless
116. Antonia's Line
117. Casino
118. Heat
119. Leaving Las Vegas
120. Welcome to the Dollhouse
121. Seven
122. Cry, the Beloved Country
123. The Usual Suspects
124. Four Weddings and a Funeral
125. Clerks
126. Forrest Gump
127. Pulp Fiction
128. Natural Born Killers
129. Hoop Dreams
130. The Last Seduction
131. The Shawshank Redemption [This is one of my all-time favorites!]
132. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
133. Sátántangó
134. Chungking Express
135. Heavenly Creatures
136. Lamerica
137. Crumb
138. The Kingdom
139. Once Were Warriors
140. Muriel's Wedding
141. The Lion King [This is one of my all-time favorites!]

So, now that the lists are complete, I guess I better get to watching some movies. I don’t think I’ve even seen ¼ of these movies. And, I’m a HUGE movie fan!

1001 Movies To See Before You Die (according to Blockbuster) - - - Part IV

Here is Part IV of this post:

Here is the list from the years 1980 – 1994:

1. Krzysztof Kieslowski's The Decalogue
2. Back to the Future: The Complete Trilogy
3. Manon of the Spring/Jean de Florette
4. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
5. Three Colors Trilogy
6. Ghostbusters / Ghostbusters 2
7. Cinema Paradiso: The New Version
8. Trust
9. Sink or Swim
10. Lamerica
11. The Lion King
12. Four Weddings and a Funeral
13. Heavenly Creatures
14. Chungking Express
15. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
16. The Shawshank Redemption
17. Crumb
18. Once Were Warriors
19. Muriel's Wedding
20. Clerks
21. The Last Seduction
22. Forrest Gump [This is one of my all-time favorites!]
23. Hoop Dreams
24. Natural Born Killers
25. Pulp Fiction
26. The Wedding Banquet
27. Farewell, My Concubine
28. Short Cuts
29. The Piano
30. Schindler's List
31. Philadelphia
32. The Blue Kite
33. Jurassic Park
34. Groundhog Day
35. Unforgiven
36. Strictly Ballroom
37. Reservoir Dogs
38. Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer
39. The Player
40. Glengarry Glen Ross
41. Indochine
42. Belle Epoque
43. The Crying Game
44. Raise the Red Lantern
45. The Silence of the Lambs
46. Slacker
47. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
48. Thelma & Louise
49. La Belle Noiseuse
50. Boyz 'N the Hood
51. Danzon
52. Delicatessen
53. The Double Life of Veronique
54. Europa, Europa
55. JFK
56. Man Bites Dog
57. My Own Private Idaho
58. Naked Lunch
59. Close-Up
60. Reversal of Fortune
61. Total Recall
62. The Unbelievable Truth
63. La Femme Nikita
64. Pretty Woman [This is one of my all-time favorites!]
65. Edward Scissorhands
66. GoodFellas
67. Jacob's Ladder
68. Ju Dou
69. King of New York
70. Dances with Wolves
71. Drugstore Cowboy
72. Batman
73. The Killer
74. Roger & Me
75. Crimes and Misdemeanors
76. Say Anything...
77. My Left Foot
78. Tongues Untied
79. Ariel
80. When Harry Met Sally [This is one of my all-time favorites!]
81. Glory
82. Tetsuo: The Iron Man
83. Do the Right Thing
84. sex, lies, and videotape
85. Big
86. Akira
87. My Neighbor Totoro
88. The Naked Gun
89. The Vanishing
90. Rain Man [This is one of my all-time favorites!]
91. Bull Durham
92. Grave of the Fireflies
93. Dangerous Liaisons
94. Die Hard
95. Story of Women
96. The Thin Blue Line
97. Good Morning, Vietnam
98. Full Metal Jacket
99. Fatal Attraction
100. A Chinese Ghost Story
101. Broadcast News
102. Babette's Feast
103. Withnail & I
104. Wings of Desire
105. The Untouchables
106. Raising Arizona
107. The Princess Bride
108. Moonstruck
109. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
110. Manhunter
111. Platoon
112. Sherman's March
113. A Room With a View
114. Salvador
115. Stand by Me
116. Top Gun [This is one of my all-time favorites!]
117. Aliens
118. Blue Velvet
119. Children of a Lesser God
120. The Decline of the American Empire
121. Down by Law
122. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
123. The Fly
124. Hannah and Her Sisters
125. Kiss of the Spider Woman
126. The Breakfast Club
127. Brazil
128. Always
129. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
130. When Father Was Away on Business
131. Vagabond
132. Shoah
133. Ran
134. The Color Purple
135. Out of Africa
136. Prizzi's Honor
137. The Quiet Earth
138. Amadeus
139. This Is Spinal Tap
140. The Terminator
141. A Passage to India
142. The Killing Fields
143. Once Upon a Time in America
144. A Nightmare on Elm Street
145. Beverly Hills Cop
146. Stranger Than Paradise
147. The Fourth Man
148. The Evil Dead
149. The King of Comedy
150. Paris, Texas
151. Return of the Jedi
152. The Right Stuff
153. Scarface
154. Terms of Endearment
155. A Christmas Story
156. El Norte
157. The Big Chill
158. Fitzcarraldo
159. Tootsie
160. The Thing
161. Sophie's Choice
162. Poltergeist
163. The Night of the Shooting Stars
164. Gandhi
165. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
166. Fanny & Alexander
167. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial [This is one of my all-time favorites!]
168. Diner
169. Blade Runner
170. Raiders of the Lost Ark
171. An American Werewolf in London
172. Annie [This is one of my all-time favorites!]
173. Lion of the Desert
174. Gallipoli
175. Stripes
176. Body Heat
177. Chariots of Fire
178. Das Boot
179. Absence of Malice
180. Airplane!
181. Atlantic City
182. The Big Red One
183. Ordinary People
184. Stir Crazy
185. The Elephant Man
186. The Shining
187. The Empire Strikes Back
188. Raging Bull

I'll post the rest of the list later on.

1001 Movies To See Before You Die (according to Blockbuster) - - - Part III

Here is Part III of this post:

Here is the list from the years 1960 - 1979:

1. Ingmar Bergman Collection [Special Edition]
2. Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie]
3. Rocky Horror Picture Show [25th Anniversary Edition] / Shock Treatment
4. Eclipse Series: Wings/The Ascent
5. Killer of Sheep [Special Edition]
6. Fassbinder: The BRD Trilogy - The Marriage of Maria Braun/Veronika Voss/Lola Breaking Away
7. Being There
8. Apocalypse Now
9. Alien
10. All That Jazz
11. Nosferatu the Vampyre
12. The Life of Brian
13. The Tin Drum
14. Real Life
15. My Brilliant Career
16. The Muppet Movie
17. Manhattan
18. Mad Max
19. Kramer vs. Kramer
20. The Jerk
21. Soldier of Orange
22. Grease
23. Halloween
24. Up in Smoke
25. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
26. The Deer Hunter
27. Days of Heaven
28. Dawn of the Dead
29. The Last Wave
30. Annie Hall
31. The American Friend
32. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
33. Saturday Night Fever
34. Stroszek
35. Star Wars
36. Eraserhead
37. Suspiria
38. 1900
39. All the President's Men
40. Black and White in Color
41. Carrie
42. The Man Who Fell to Earth
43. Man of Marble
44. Network
45. The Outlaw Josey Wales
46. Rocky
47. Taxi Driver
48. Barry Lyndon
49. Dersu Uzala
50. Dog Day Afternoon
51. Picnic at Hanging Rock
52. Jaws
53. Nashville
54. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
55. Fox and His Friends
56. Young Frankenstein
57. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
58. Amarcord
59. Toute une Vie
60. Blazing Saddles
61. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
62. Chinatown
63. The Conversation
64. The Godfather Part II
65. The Mirror
66. Swept Away... By an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August
67. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
68. The Wicker Man
69. The Long Goodbye
70. Turkish Delight
71. Serpico
72. The Fantastic Planet
73. The Exorcist
74. Enter the Dragon
75. Don't Look Now
76. The Sting
77. Sleeper
78. Badlands
79. American Graffiti
80. F for Fake
81. Papillon
82. Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
83. Mean Streets
84. Day for Night
85. High Plains Drifter
86. The Spirit of the Beehive
87. Sleuth
88. Frenzy
89. Solaris
90. Superfly
91. The Godfather
92. Cabaret
93. Avanti!
94. The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant
95. Deliverance
96. Last Tango in Paris
97. Cries and Whispers
98. Aguirre, the Wrath of God
99. The Heartbreak Kid
100. McCabe & Mrs. Miller
101. The Last Picture Show
102. Harold and Maude
103. Dirty Harry
104. A Clockwork Orange
105. Walkabout
106. Two-Lane Blacktop
107. Get Carter
108. El Topo
109. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory [This is one of my favorite movies of all time!]
110. The French Connection
111. Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
112. Straw Dogs
113. The Sorrow and the Pity
114. Shaft
115. Five Easy Pieces
116. M*A*S*H
117. The Conformist
118. Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
119. Wanda
120. Little Big Man
121. Performance
122. Patton
123. The Garden of the Finzi-Continis
124. The Rollin Stones: Gimme Shelter
125. Woodstock
126. Color of Pomegranates/Paradjanov: A Requiem
127. Midnight Cowboy
128. Lola
129. Fellini Satyricon
130. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
131. Z
132. Easy Rider
133. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
134. The Wild Bunch
135. Shame
136. Romeo and Juliet
137. Rosemary's Baby
138. The Producers
139. Planet of the Apes
140. Once Upon a Time in the West
141. Night of the Living Dead
142. In the Year of the Pig
143. 2001: A Space Odyssey
144. Mandabi
145. Belle de Jour
146. The Firemen's Ball
147. Bonnie and Clyde
148. Weekend
149. Playtime
150. The Young Girls of Rochefort
151. Daisies
152. War and Peace
153. The Jungle Book
154. Point Blank
155. In the Heat of the Night
156. Cool Hand Luke
157. Le Samouraï
158. The Graduate
159. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
160. Hombre
161. The Battle of Algiers
162. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
163. Persona
164. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
165. Au Hasard Balthazar
166. Blow-Up
167. Andrei Rublev
168. Closely Watched Trains
169. Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
170. The Shop on Main Street
171. The Sound of Music
172. The Saragossa Manuscript
173. Come Drink with Me
174. Doctor Zhivago
175. Juliet of the Spirits
176. Loves of a Blonde
177. Pierrot Le Fou
178. Repulsion
179. Onibaba
180. Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
181. My Fair Lady
182. Marnie
183. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
184. A Hard Day's Night
185. The Gospel According to St. Matthew
186. Goldfinger
187. An Actor's Revenge
188. The Servant
189. Shock Corridor
190. The Nutty Professor
191. Hud
192. The Haunting
193. The Great Escape
194. Contempt
195. The Birds
196. 8 1/2
197. The House Is Black

I'll post the rest of the list later on.

1001 Movies To See Before You Die (according to Blockbuster) - - Part II

Here is Part II of this post:

Here is the list from the years 1940 - 1959:

1. Cat People / The Curse of the Cat People
2. John Cassavetes – Five Films
3. W.C. Fields Comedy Collection
4. Jean Cocteau's Orphic Trilogy
5. Gaslight
6. Killers / The Killers
7. Story of Floating Weeds / Floating Weeds
8. Citizen Kane
9. Wolf Man: The Legacy Collection
10. The Magnificent Ambersons
11. Eyes Without a Face
12. Breathless
13. North by Northwest
14. Pickpocket
15. Hiroshima Mon Amour
16. Black Orpheus
17. Ben-Hur
18. Anatomy of a Murder
19. The 400 Blows
20. Some Like It Hot
21. Rio Bravo
22. Mon Oncle
23. Gigi
24. Ashes and Diamonds
25. The Defiant Ones
26. The Music Room
27. Touch of Evil
28. Vertigo
29. Throne of Blood
30. Sweet Smell of Success
31. The Bridge on the River Kwai
32. The Seventh Seal
33. Nights of Cabiria
34. 12 Angry Men
35. An Affair to Remember
36. The Cranes Are Flying
37. Mother India
38. Jailhouse Rock
39. Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
40. Paths of Glory
41. Wild Strawberries
42. A Man Escaped
43. The Man Who Knew Too Much
44. The Searchers
45. The Ten Commandments
46. Written on the Wind
47. The Wrong Man
48. The Burmese Harp
49. Around the World in 80 Days
50. Forbidden Planet
51. Giant
52. High Society
53. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
54. The Man from Laramie
55. Lola Montès
56. Marty
57. The Ladykillers
58. Kiss Me Deadly
59. Guys and Dolls
60. Bad Day at Black Rock
61. All That Heaven Allows
62. Bob le Flambeur
63. Smiles of a Summer Night
64. Rebel Without a Cause
65. The Night of the Hunter
66. Night and Fog
67. The Barefoot Contessa
68. White Christmas
69. La Strada
70. On the Waterfront
71. Sansho the Bailiff
72. Rear Window
73. Carmen Jones
74. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
75. Salt of the Earth
76. Diabolique
77. The Naked Spur
78. Beat the Devil
79. The Big Heat
80. Pickup on South Street
81. Roman Holiday
82. The Band Wagon
83. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
84. From Here to Eternity
85. Ugetsu Monogatari
86. Tokyo Story
87. Mr. Hulot's Holiday
88. Shane
89. The Quiet Man
90. Singin' in the Rain
91. Umberto D.
92. The Bad and the Beautiful
93. Forbidden Games
94. High Noon
95. Ikiru
96. Strangers on a Train
97. An American in Paris
98. Pandora and the Flying Dutchman
99. A Place in the Sun
100. A Streetcar Named Desire
101. Rashomon
102. The Lavender Hill Mob
103. The Day the Earth Stood Still
104. Panic in the Streets
105. Winchester '73
106. Sunset Boulevard
107. Rio Grande
108. All About Eve
109. In a Lonely Place
110. The Diary of a Country Priest
111. The Asphalt Jungle
112. Gun Crazy
113. The Heiress
114. On the Town
115. The Third Man
116. White Heat
117. Kind Hearts and Coronets
118. Adam's Rib
119. The Bicycle Thief
120. Force of Evil
121. The Lady from Shanghai
122. Letter from an Unknown Woman
123. The Louisiana Story
124. The Paleface
125. Red River
126. The Red Shoes
127. Rope
128. Secret Beyond the Door
129. The Snake Pit
130. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
131. Unfaithfully Yours
132. Out of the Past
133. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
134. Black Narcissus
135. Monsieur Verdoux
136. The Stranger
137. Brief Encounter
138. The Big Sleep
139. The Postman Always Rings Twice
140. My Darling Clementine
141. Notorious
142. The Best Years of Our Lives
143. Great Expectations
144. Gilda
145. Detour
146. Beauty and the Beast
147. It's a Wonderful Life
148. Mildred Pierce
149. The Children of Paradise
150. The Lost Weekend
151. Open City
152. I Know Where I'm Going!
153. Spellbound
154. Laura
155. Ivan the Terrible, Part 1
156. Henry V
157. Double Indemnity
158. To Have and Have Not
159. Murder, My Sweet
160. The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
161. Meet Me in St. Louis
162. The Ox-Bow Incident
163. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
164. Shadow of a Doubt
165. Ossessione
166. The Palm Beach Story
167. To Be or Not to Be
168. Now, Voyager
169. Casablanca
170. Yankee Doodle Dandy
171. High Sierra
172. How Green Was My Valley
173. The Maltese Falcon
174. Sullivan's Travels
175. The Lady Eve
176. Sergeant York
177. Dumbo
178. His Girl Friday
179. The Grapes of Wrath
180. Dance, Girl, Dance
181. Rebecca
182. Fantasia
183. Pinocchio
184. The Philadelphia Story
185. A Star Is Born
186. A Night at the Opera

I'll post the rest of the list later on.

1001 Movies To See Before You Die (according to Blockbuster)

With the economy the way it is, going to the movies is almost always out of the question, so I decided to reinstate my Blockbuster Online subscription. For $19.99 per month, I can get as many movies as I want. The only catch is that I can have 3 out at one time. But, that's not a problem. After all, I can only watch 1 at a time. The other cool thing is that I have up to 5 in-store exchanges each month. So, if there's a new release that I just don't want to wait on to arrive in my mailbox, I can swap out a movie in-store. COOLNESS!!!

In searching for movies to add to my queue, I discovered that Blockbuster has a list of "1001 Movies To See Before You Die," so I thought I'd go over and check them out. It appears that I've got a lot of movies that I'm going to have to watch. Here is the 1st part of the list (I'm going to do several posts). I've bolded all the ones I've seen. Which ones have you seen? Your favorites?

Here is the list from the years 1900 - 1939:

1. Studio Classics - Best Picture Collection
2. Earth
3. Laurel & Hardy: Sons of the Desert / The Music Box / Another Fine Mess / Bus
4. Our Hospitality / Sherlock, Jr.
5. Frankenstein: The Legacy Collection
6. Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection
7. Dracula: The Legacy Collection
8. W.C. Fields Comedy Collection
9. The Freshman
10. A Nightmare on Elm Street
11. The Black Cat
12. The Harder They Come
13. All About Eve
14. How Green Was My Valley
15. Gone With the Wind
16. Ninotchka
17. Only Angels Have Wings
18. The Rules of the Game
19. Destry Rides Again
20. Stagecoach
21. Gunga Din
22. Wuthering Heights
23. The Wizard of Oz [This is one of my favorite movies of all time!]
24. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
25. The Lady Vanishes
26. Jezebel
27. The Adventures of Robin Hood
28. Angels With Dirty Faces
29. Bringing Up Baby
30. Olympia
31. Pépé le Moko
32. The Awful Truth
33. The Life of Emile Zola
34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
35. Grand Illusion
36. Stella Dallas
37. Camille
38. Dodsworth
39. Modern Times
40. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
41. My Man Godfrey
42. Sabotage
43. Swing Time
44. Things to Come
45. The Bride of Frankenstein
46. A Night at the Opera
47. Captain Blood
48. The 39 Steps
49. Mutiny on the Bounty
50. Top Hat
51. Triumph of the Will
52. It Happened One Night
53. L’Atalante
54. The Thin Man
55. King Kong
56. She Done Him Wrong
57. Queen Christina
58. 42nd Street
59. Trouble in Paradise
60. I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang
61. Boudu Saved from Drowning
62. Freaks
63. Scarface
64. Love Me Tonight
65. The Old Dark House
66. City Lights
67. À Nous la Liberté
68. Tabu
69. M
70. Vampyr
71. The Public Enemy
72. Le million
73. The Blue Angel
74. L'Âge d'Or
75. Little Caesar
76. All Quiet on the Western Front
77. Pandora's Box
78. The Man With a Movie Camera
79. Blackmail
80. Un Chien Andalou
81. The Passion of Joan of Arc
82. The Fall of the House of Usher
83. Steamboat Bill, Jr.
84. The General
85. October
86. Metropolis
87. The Jazz Singer
88. The Black Pirate
89. Seven Chances
90. The Gold Rush
91. The Phantom of the Opera
92. Battleship Potemkin
93. Strike
94. The Thief of Baghdad
95. The Last Laugh
96. Nosferatu
97. Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler
98. Foolish Wives
99. Nanook of the North
100. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
101. Broken Blossoms
102. Intolerance
103. Les Vampires
104. The Birth of a Nation

Happy 2009!

I don't know about the rest of you, but 2008 was a year I'd just as soon forget! I've never been happier to usher in a new year! I hope that it will be a better year. 2008 was a year of many trials, struggles, losses, etc. I'm not going to go into the details on such a public forum, but those who know me best know what 2008 was like for me. I will say, however, that through all of the trials & tribulations of 2008, I grew into a better person and learned so much. Here are just a few things I learned (or was reminded of) in 2008:

1. Appreciate the little things in life!
2. Money isn't everything (it isn't even close)!
3. I love my family very much!
4. TRUE friends never have to ask what you need! They just show up!
5. TRUE friends are few & far between. My Daddy was so right - - - by middle age, you can count the true friends on one hand!
6. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to realize that you can't control your own life. That's God's job & he can handle it!
7. Stress WILL kill you if you don't get a hold on it!
8. Worrying does nothing but make a situation worse! It also adds to the stress that WILL kill you!
9. It's okay to admit that you need help!
10. It's okay to let people help you when you can't handle it all yourself!
11. It's okay to say 'no'!
12. Life is short!
13. Faith is more than just believing!
14. God's plans are bigger & better than my plans!

I could probably go on and on, but I'll end with these. I am going to try very hard to blog more regularly this year! I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas!

May 2009 be a year of much happiness, health & blessing!

Take the Challenge

An old friend of mine, Kati, from my Marietta Baptist Camp days posted this on her blog and I took the challenge. Will you take the challenge with me?

In a few days, we will be stuffing ourselves with turkey, dressing, and pecan pie. Every year I tell myself . . . "Next year I am going to make a list of the things that I am thankful for." Every year I wonder why I didn't make a list of things to thank God for blessing me with. Perhaps it is because I am afraid that I will leave something out. Or maybe, I don't create a list because I am embarrassed of the things that I am thankful for (dark chocolate would definitely be on the list). Most likely, I resist making a list of things that I am thankful for because it would take away many of my reasons to do one of the most natural human things . . . complain!

Do you ever find yourself complaining about the economy, gas prices, the OTHER political party, grocery prices . . . the list can go on and on until it gets personal. Oh, yes, we seem to complain about our spouses, the kids, being too busy, being bored, and my favorite choice of complaint, being tired! The list goes on and on. And yet, I am more blessed than I ever deserve. It is only by the undeserving mercy of Christ that I have the things that I do and that I have the opportunity to enjoy the simplest things in life, including dark chocolate.

God's Word tells us this:

"But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been greed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." ~Romans 6:17-18

"Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods." ~Psalm 95:2-3

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Thy name, O most High..." ~Psalm 92:1

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let you requests be made known to God." ~Philippians 4:6

"I shall wash my hands in innocence, and I will go about Thine altar, O Lord, that I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and declare all Thy wonders." ~Psalm 26:6-7

It is clear that we should be giving thanks and not complaining. So here is the challenge to myself and to you: between now and Thanksgiving, make a list of at least 100 things that you are thankful for. Simple, yes. I imagine that if we all attempt it, we will find that we will quickly surpass 100 and be well on our way to several hundreds of things that we can be thankful for. Don't get too worried about whether something is "important" enough to be included. Number 1 on my list is salvation, next will be my husband, children, and family. I will name each one. But, I am sure, the simple pleasure of dark chocolate will also be on my list, as well as, birds singing, sunrises, and cell phones. Do you see where this may lead? We may have so many things to be thankful for that we forget how to complain . . . or at least make it not the first reaction in our life! My hope is that I will be so busy giving thanks to God, that I will notice fewer things for my complaining.

So, get your lists started! I would love to see what is on your list. You may add your list to the comments section on the blog, email them to me, or post them on facebook. Look out for my list . . . I have already started it! I hope the bug of giving thanks spreads!

Take the challenge! Give thanks!

Here is the beginning of my list:

1. My salvation.
2. The Bible.
3. My parents.
4. Jeff - my brother.
5. Little Man/Bubby - my nephew.
6. Candice - my brother's girlfriend & the little sister I never had.
7. Lizzy - the best 'sister with fur.'
8. Precious - the best 'niece with fur.'
9. The time spent with my Daddy in the last months of his life. It is rare that a working person is given the opportunity to "work when you can and want to" so that they can care for a dying parent. I am forever grateful for being given that opportunity.
10. Having a close relationship with my grandmother for almost 30 years of my life.
11. Bubba & Shell (not their real names; it's just what we call them).
12. Crystal.
13. Jeannie.
14. Finding a wonderful church (Marathon - Greenville Campus) after so many years of not going.
15. All of my Home/Life Group girls - - - Claire, Melody, Nancy, Phyllis, Mary, B.J., Kim, Kellie, Kristy, and Norma.
16. A place to live.
17. Heat & air conditioning.
18. Running water.
19. Food in the fridge, freezer & cabinets.
20. True friends. I have come to realize over the years that people use the word "friend" very loosely and that you never know who your real, true friends are until you face a crisis in your life. For those true friends (and you know who you are), THANK YOU for always being there for me - through the good, the bad & the in-between.
21. Black & white photos.
22. Praise & Worship music.
23. Country music.
24. Warm, fuzzy socks.
25. Books.
26. Cool, crisp Autumn days.
27. Computers (I know, I know . . . but, I really am thankful for the invention).
28. Handwritten letters & cards via snail mail. In my opinion, this is a dying art, but I love receiving mail that doesn't involve bills or junk. I also love sending cards and letters. I'm affectionately known to some as 'the card lady.'
29. Laughter.
30. Coffee.
31. My health.
32. Living in a country where I can worship, speak & live freely. We are so blessed to live in the United States of America!
33. Kids/family movies.
34. Drawings, coloring pictures, etc. from my nephew.
35. Memories.
36. Quotes (I have a little 'addiction' to quotes, but I just love them & am thankful that I can post them in places to encourage me during the day & share them with others at various times in their lives.)
37. Candles.
38. My job.
39. Pastor Reggie & his wife, Ginger - for being dedicated to using their talents for God's glory.
40. Kenny & his wife, Melissa - for being dedicated to using their talents for God's glory.
41. Wil, Heather & the band - for being dedicated to using their talents for God's glory.
42. Hugs.
43. Long walks on a Fall day.
44. 
    

More of My Bucket List

After posting My Bucket List yesterday, I started thinking about other things I'd like to do, so I started jotting them down and I have quite an addition to the original list. So, I figured I'd go ahead and post everything while I still had it on the brain. I guess some of these things you would call 'goals' more than you would 'things I want to do before I die,' but either way . . . they're things I want to do. I'm not going to mess with trying to find pictures to post with each one because it will take FOREVER! But, here goes:

• Own a home
• Get out of debt & stay that way
• Lose weight
• Learn another language - probably French or German
• Exercise regularly
• Go on a cruise (even though I have a huge fear of deep water)
• Learn to knit/crochet
• Learn to sew
• Take a road trip with friends
• Take cooking classes
• Learn how to paint
• Read at least 50 books every year
• Write a letter and/or send a card to someone at least once a week
• Take Bubby (and the rest of the family) to Orlando to visit Disney World, Sea World, MGM Studios, Universal Studios, Epcot Center, etc.
• Have a Spa Day with friends
• Keep a daily journal/blog
• Do "random acts of kindness" weekly
• Attend the Olympics
• Take a first aid & CPR class
• Visit every lighthouse in North America (there are approximately 700)
• Graduate from college
• Meet someone famous
• Go on an African safari
• Teach someone to read & write
• Experience a true "White Christmas"
• Participate in a Book Club
• See another show on Broadway
• Research my family heritage/ancestry
• Play the lottery
• Give a speech or presentation and not be fearful
• Travel by train
• Start and/or work for a non-profit/charity
• Learn to dance
• Have a complete makeover
• Learn to drive a stick-shift
• Own a convertible (a Mustang would do)
• Attend the World Series
• Sing karaoke
• Fall in love
• Attend Mardi Gras in New Orleans
• Attend the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
• Visit all 50 states
• See the Grand Canyon
• Visit Memphis
• Go to the Grand Ole Opry
• Get my Bachelors degree
• Attend the Super Bowl
• Celebrate New Years at Times Square
• Attend a taping of "Ellen"
• Spend Christmas in New York

I'm sure that I will think of other things from time to time and will update my list. Don't forget to comment & let me know if you have a list so that I can check yours out.

Have a GREAT day!

My Bucket List

I've actually seen this idea on a few memes, but have also seen it as a random post on various blogs. I FINALLY got around to watching the movie over the weekend and it was FABULOUS! I'm a huge fan of both Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman and neither of them disappointed in this movie. There were plenty of laughs throughout the movie, but there were some very tender & emotional moments, as well. I will admit that it was hard for me to watch portions of this movie because it was a reminder of my daddy's battle with cancer. Jack Nicholson's character reminded me sooooo much of my daddy. With all of that said, the bottom line . . . I give it 5 STARS!!!

I've been working on this "Bucket List" for a while and have gotten to a plateau in my thoughts, so I figured I'd go ahead and post it in 'honor' of finally watching the movie. I may add to it from time to time, but this covers the most important items on my list. Here is my list (in no particular order):

TRAVEL TO GREECE

TRAVEL TO ITALY

TRAVEL TO IRELAND

TRAVEL TO HAWAII

TRAVEL TO ALASKA



TRAVEL TO LAS VEGAS



TRAVEL BACK TO NEW YORK CITY

GO TO A TAPING OF "THE DR. PHIL SHOW"



SEE THESE PEOPLE IN CONCERT . . .

Josh Groban

Kenny Chesney

Sugarland

Michael Buble

Carrie Underwood

SWIM WITH DOLPHINS

GO TO A NASCAR RACE

OWN A GREAT DANE

AND HAVE ANOTHER LABRADOR RETRIEVER

TAKE PHOTOGRAPHY LESSONS

GO BACK & TAKE PIANO LESSONS

GET MARRIED

HAVE CHILDREN

READ THE BIBLE ALL THE WAY THROUGH

So, what's on your "Bucket List?" If you post a list, leave a comment so I can check yours out.

Love,