Karen

MOVIE REVIEW: Bridget Jones’ Baby

October 6, 2016October 6, 2016 by Karen, posted in Marriage, movies, relationships

My husband was hoping for a quiet house the other night, so I obliged him by going to the movies.

😀

I’ve seen and enjoyed the two prior Bridget Jones movies, so I was looking forward to this one. And it was great! Except for one thing.*

I loved all the characters, the returning ones and the new ones (especially Miranda, Bridget’s new BFF).
This movie is FUNNY! I laughed out loud unexpectedly several times.
I went by myself, so no one was elbowing me in the ribs, saying, “Mom! Stop! Stop laughing so loud!”
There were many sweet, moving moments, that had me tearing up without warning. (Note to self: You are spending way too much time alone in tears this week.)
There were so many great songs in this movie! Check out #9 on the list by Lily Allen. Whoa!
Emma Thompson was perfect as the obstetrician who never makes eye contact with her patient. strangely, she delivered the baby with no staff. Hello? Everyone knows it’s the nurses who deliver the babies!

So my recommendation is this: If you want to see this movie, go see it! Lukewarm reviews be damned! Don’t bother trying to bring any kill-joys with you who don’t share your Bridget enthusiasm. Go by yourself. Get your popcorn the way you want it (no extra butter!). Smuggle in your bottle of water in your pocket. Live a little (the scene where Patrick Dempsey strips off his shirt to dive into the pool is worth the price of admission, even after you factor in the aforementioned popcorn).

Also, pay attention to the end. There is a set up for a possible fourth Bridget Jones movie. Can I get a ‘Hell, yeah!’ for this?

Here’s the trailer for your viewing pleasure:

**Rene Zellweger’s (presumed) facial surgery was a bit distracting, but this is the only not-positive thing I have to say (#disappointed).

The Dempsey Challenge 2016

October 4, 2016October 4, 2016 by Karen, posted in good grief, health, no fear, Reiki

I volunteered again this year at The Dempsey Challenge in the Reiki Tent.
What a wonderful group of people there! This was my second year volunteering, and I plan to be part of this wonderful event next year as well.

“Every dollar raised by Dempsey Challenge participants directly benefits the Dempsey Center.”

As Ina Garten would say: How great is that?

The only glitch was that when I arrived, they only had size 2XL volunteer T-shirts left. And there I was, without my sash. Anyway, I rocked it!

After my volunteer shift in the tent was over, I went to write my parents’ names, Mary and John Maffeo, on the memory wall. They both died from cancer many years ago, but as anyone knows who has lost a loved one knows all too well, time is nothing. It felt as fresh right then as it ever was. As I stood there looking at their names, my eyes teared up, so I hurried to my car to cry in private.

And then I went back. I walked by the river. I talked to some people. I danced with Mary Dempsey, whom I met at last year’s challenge and who, by the way, is a good dancer!

And this year, I got to meet Patrick Dempsey. I even got a selfie and an autograph! (NOTE: Thank you to the teenaged girl in front of me who gave me that idea!)

How great is that?

🙂

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Watch my first TV Interview on Be My Guest!

September 30, 2016September 30, 2016 by Karen, posted in books, Interviews

I was given a DVD with my first TV interview with Jan Lewis on Be My Guest! a couple of weeks ago. I couldn’t figure out how to get it from the DVD to my YouTube Channel or my blog, but I am blessed to have had a child who figured out how to do it for me.

Thank you, Anthony.

So here it is! I hope you enjoy watching it! Please feel free to share this and to comment with any thoughts below!

Perspective Part 1

September 26, 2016September 26, 2016 by Karen, posted in family, relationships, teens

I have never bought People magazine before, but I picked up a copy last week, just for something different to read.

Okay, I bought it because Patrick Dempsey was on the cover. I’m volunteering at The Dempsey Challenge again this year and so I was interested in the article.

Anyway, there was another article about the children of parents who died during the 911 attacks, children who were in utero then and never got to meet their parent. Reading these stories was heartbreaking, but it also made me think about how insignificant what I had been worrying about before I began reading really was.

My first TV interview: Be My Guest

September 19, 2016September 21, 2016 by Karen, posted in author, books, TV series, writing

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When I participated in the New England Authors Expo, I met Jan Lewis. She subsequently invited me to be a guest on her show, Be My Guest.

This was my first TV interview since I became a published author.

Okay, my first one ever.

Anyway, My husband came with me for the two hour road trip to Upton, Massachusetts. The episodes are taped at the Upton Town Library. We toured downtown Upton (note: it was quick) and ate lunch at The Upton House of Pizza (bacon pizza and a chicken parm sub).

Jan Lewis, the host of Be My Guest was wonderful!

I had a blast! Being interviewed was so much fun!

That is, until I started Monday morning quarterbacking the shit out of it.

Talk about stealing my joy.

So enough, already. It WAS fun. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

P.S. As soon as I know when it will air, I will post the information on my FB page: https://www.facebook.com/k.m.creamer.author/

I caved

September 10, 2016September 10, 2016 by Karen, posted in author, book reviews, books, Brave books, family, The write words at the write time, writing

Okay, fine; so I caved.

When I first published my book, I was cocky. I did it! I wrote it! I put it out there and let other people read it!

Guess what? Other people have opinions. Some of which I don’t like.

Especially about the F word. Does an F word by any other name smell as sweet? Apparently not. Some people didn’t like it that I used poetic license and my self-proclaimed abilities as a wordsmith to come up with a spelling that I liked best for one particular F word. One person, of note because (s)he was the only negative review I received for my book on Amazon, decided to review it without actually reading it because of this.

That was back in March.

Fast forward to now, September. Another person declined to read my book because I used another F word. After consulting with the great literary minds in my household, I made the executive decision to change the spelling of one of the F words under dispute to the one in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (full disclosure: the online one) instead of the one in the Urban Dictionary.

So, now if someone doesn’t like it, they can bitch to them.

The other F word though, that’s trickier. I don’t think there is more than one way to spell f*&k.

So f*&k it.

From sh*t list to hit list

September 7, 2016September 7, 2016 by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, He and me, local fun, movies

I have recently written about my evolving taste in movies. That got me thinking about some other things that I like now that I used to hate.

Here are a few:

Fish. With the exception of canned tuna, I hated fish. This may have stemmed from when I was young and mom made fish sticks for supper, which I tried to decline. No way. Food on the plate? We ate it. Whether we liked it or not was not even a consideration. We were a family struggling to get by on food stamps. Anyway, she made me sit at the table for hours, telling me I couldn’t get up until I ate it all. I got it down drowned in a quart of ketchup, while sitting on the floor under the table in protest. After I moved to Maine, my husband told me I had to start eating fish, because, you know, it’s the law. I have heard you have to try something you dislike 17 times before your tastes change and you actually like it (“He likes it! Hey, Mikey!). Now I love fried whole clams, haddock, cod, calamari, and I’ve even been known to eat some of Gorton’s crunchy fish sticks (without ketchup!) on occasion.
Margaritas. I used to make fun of women who went out for a drink and chose a margarita. Hello? Classic cliché! And then I tried a strawberry hibiscus margarita at Pedro’s in Kennebunk. Oh. My. God. May I just say that now I am a cliché–I mean a fan?
Christian music. I never paid any attention to my friends who said, “Hey, you should listen to it. I bet you’d really like it!” And then my daughter started putting KLOVE on in the car. And I started listening to it. Guess what? I really like it! Hey Mikey!
Exercise. No, wait. I still hate that.

margarita — Pineapple Coconut Margarita at Side Street Cafe

I will leave you with this look back at Mikey. Enjoy!

SPOTLIGHT ON: Zen and Company

September 3, 2016September 3, 2016 by Karen, posted in Animals and pets, author, books, Crystals, friends, local fun, Meditation, Metaphysical healing

If you have never been to Zen and Company in Kennebunk, you are really missing out.

Beautiful clothing and (Dansko!) shoes? They have them. A wide variety of oracle cards? They have them. Excellent books*? Yes! The most amazing crystals? OMG, yes! Yes! They have those, too!

Even more important is this: once you pass through the door of Zen and Company, you will not ever want to leave. The atmosphere is so warm and inviting, it just wraps around you like a big warm hug.

All of the staff will welcome you and help you figure out what you want, even when you aren’t sure exactly what that is. Have questions? They can help you. Curious about what the cards in that oracle deck you have your eye on look like, and there isn’t a demo deck open? Just ask them and they will open the deck up for you. You know you need a crystal, but aren’t sure which one? Sue is not only knowledgable, but is also has a knack for helping you define what your own intuition is trying to tell you that you can’t quite grasp on your own.

Maybe you are shopping for a nice dress (eg: a dress you look hot in) to wear to dinner on your twenty-fifth wedding anniversary but you have zero fashion sense (hello? me!). They will help you find the perfect dress! I looked amazing on my 25th anniversary in the dress that Sue helped me pick out at Zen! Just sayin’!

Zen and Company. Go! Tell them Karen sent you!

*So maybe you noticed that I mentioned they have books? One of the (fabulous) books they have is MY book, One Brave Thing. So go, already!

Finding new treasures

September 2, 2016November 30, 2016 by Karen, posted in author, books, local fun, writing

11/30/16: I decided to update this post. I made several trips to this shop after I gave them a free copy of One Brave Thing as well as newspaper articles about me publishing my book. On the third trip, I discovered that they didn’t know what they did with it!

I decided to trust the Universe and let this one go.

🙂

Recently, I wrote about attending an author talk given by Anita Shreve. I mentioned that I found out about it at the last-minute from my husband (an avid reader of newspapers). As happens so often in life, this even led me to another happy accident: I discovered a local bookstore that I had somehow missed.

I know, right? Unbelievable!

After Kennebooks (seriously, play the violins-I loved that store) closed, I thought that Kennebunk was now bereft of book stores.

Not true.

The Book Burrow sponsored Anita’s talk. That’s how I found out about it! It was like getting a free gift with purchase! I got to see Anita and I found a new local bookstore to love!

When I visited the The Book Burrow’s website, I was welcomed by a wonderful poem by Adelaide Love. Go to their website and check it out!

One note: I mentioned that I saw Anita Shreve speak years ago. I still have my book that she signed, my favorite book of hers: Fortune’s Rocks. What’s wonderful about this is that she put the date when she signed it! Yay! So I’ve decided to do this when I sign my book as well.

See? This author talk is the gift that keeps on giving. 🙂

Rocky

August 21, 2016August 21, 2016 by Karen, posted in Date night, Marriage, movies

Recently my husband wanted to see the movie Creed. I had zero interest in watching it. I expected he knew that and that he would be watching it alone.

Somehow, though, we ended up watching it together.

I didn’t expect to like it, but guess what! I really did!

I thought it was a movie about fighting, violent and bloody. And it was, sort of. But it was also a sweet love story. I liked it so much!

My husband said, “You’ve never seen the first Rocky movie? Or any of them?” and I said, “Duh. No.” He suggested getting Rocky and Rocky Balboa from the library, so I ordered them, but without much enthusiasm. What were the odds that I would like those movies too? Why not quit while I was ahead?
Anyway, after I picked them up, they sat for 2 weeks before a freak rainstorm washed out our beach plans and we decided to have the Rocky Movie night. (Yay)

Here’s the thing: I loved the movies. Both of them. And it wasn’t just because of the love stories (Yo, Adrian!). It was because of the character Rocky. OMG. The more I got to know him, the more I loved him.

So, of course it’s partly due to the whole ‘he’s Italian’ thing. But, I never thought he was good-looking or anything when I (and he) was young(er). It was about who he (the character) was in the movie. His kindness. His caring. His awkward attempts to show these wonderful characteristics to others, many of whom weren’t interested at all in his overtures. Not one bit. But he perseveres. Not because who they are, but because of who he is.

And it got me. So, you know. That’s why I was crying at the end of Rocky Balboa.