The final weeks of 2024 are upon us. On this Thanksgiving day, I find myself thinking of the things I am thankful for. I know that many readers will think, “Oh boy. Here we go again. Another list from Keith.” Let me ask you – How do you feel? I have found by reflecting on the things I am thankful for, I gain a new sense of happiness. You can too! Try it, and see.
I am thankful for:
My wife. Her love, patience and understanding mean so much to me. She is the glue that holds our family together. I fall in love with her over and over again.
My children. I have been blessed with 4 of the most amazing children. Each of them is so different from the other. Each of them a distinct personality. Each of them smart, beautiful, handsome, and funny! Thoughts of them fill my heart daily.
My Faith. I am thankful for the Bible and the knowledge I gain from reading it.
My Savior Jesus Christ. The never ending and unconditional love that He showed for me at Calvary’s Cross, well, there is no way to express how thankful I am for that.
My father. I am so grateful to still have him around. His guidance, his advice, his influence, and his laughter are things I truly appreciate.
My brother. For two kids who beat the snot out of each other growing up, we are very close. Closer than ever, actually. His support and love for my family overflows. I treasure the little texts or pictures we send to each other, many that need no explanation.
My friends. There are many people that fall into this category. From my best friends of over 50 years to radio friends, college friends, church friends, and more. Friendship is something I do not take for granted. Thank you for being my friend.
Memories. Again, there is so much to place into this category. The memories of loved ones who have passed away. The memories of the bad times, which makes the good times even more special. The memories of special events. The memories of joy and the memories of sadness. The memories that come with a book, movie, TV show or a song. The memories that an old photo bring to mind.
My job. I am grateful to have found a line of work that allows me to provide for my family. I am also thankful that I get to help people while doing it.
Our home. We are blessed to have a warm bed to sleep in. A couch to snuggle on. A kitchen to cook in. A roof under which happy memories are made.
Modern technology. While not all of it is good, I do like being able to spellcheck my work. It is also nice being able to search just about anything on Google.
You. I am thankful that you are reading this. I am thankful that you read and react to my blogs. I am thankful for you willingly choosing to follow this page.
The above list is small portion of my list of things to be thankful for. In I Thessalonians 5:18, the Bible says simply, “In everything, give thanks!” Doing that will change your heart. It causes you to look at things differently. You find it easier to cope with things. I aids in your understanding. It is also one of the hardest things to do. But I trust that it is what we all need to do. Give thanks in everything today and always.
May you and yours have a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving.
My son gets a weekly visit from Head Start. She brings over projects for them to do and works with him on fine motor skills, coloring, cutting, and such. He and my daughter love this visit.
My wife was talking to the Head Start lady as she was getting ready to leave. I didn’t hear the beginning of the story, but it was about a kid whose mother was shopping and had no idea that the child wasn’t with her. “How do you not know your child is not with you?” was one of the questions that was asked.
I was immediately taken back to a day that I barely remember. I remember certain things about it, and I probably should have called my dad to get a clearer version of the story before I write this. For now, here is my side.
This would have been in the early 70’s. There were no cell phones. We were told not to go with strangers, but times were a lot different than they are today. We could go out when we got up and stay out until dark without checking in and our folks never gave it a second thought.
I remember my family went to the mall. My mom went off with my brother who may have only been 2 or 3 at the time. I was probably about 5 or 6. I had yet to get glasses, so my eyesight was not the greatest. I remember I was standing in whatever store my dad and I were in (probably Kresge) and we had walked down the toy aisle. I was looking at some sort of car or truck and dad was ready to move on. “Time to put that down, Keith. Let’s go find your mom.” “I’ll be right there,” was my reply.
I do not know how long afterward I stood there looking at the other toys on the shelf, but it couldn’t have been that long. I remember when I finally did look up, I couldn’t find my dad. I remember standing there and feeling like everything around me was a blur. I didn’t see which way he went. I just stood there. I am sure I began crying.
I remember a man asking me something. I was so scared I don’t really know what he said. I don’t remember if he took me to a store employee, if they made an announcement over the PA, from this point it is pretty much a blur. Long story short – my dad and I were reunited.
I don’t recall him yelling at me or lecturing me, but I am sure he did. I only remember the next part because of how unusual it was. We rarely (except for holidays) went to my grandparents house at night. That night, however, we went there and my dad told them what happened.
I remember sitting at the head of the dining room table with the chandelier above it turned on. I remember the heads and faces of my parents and grandparents telling me how dangerous a situation it was. I remember hearing how lucky I was that someone didn’t snatch me away. I was told how worried they were when they couldn’t find me.
Because it was dark out and I was at the kitchen table, I felt like I was in a film noir interrogation room!
As a parent, I completely understand what my parents must have experienced that night. My kids are SO fast when they are out and about. They can be gone in a flash. In a split second, I can lose sight of them. It is a parent’s worst nightmare.
I pray that I never EVER have to go through what my dad and mom did with me. I suppose this same kind of situation is what led to someone creating the “leash backpacks” for kids.
I’ve been scared many times in my life, but even though I was very young, I can still remember the terror I felt that day!
When people ask me if I watch certain shows on television, I have to remind them that I have toddlers at home. The shows I watch are the ones the kids watch: Bluey, Miss Rachel, Work It Out Wombats, Fireman Sam, and my daughter’s favorite, Gabby’s Dollhouse.
On the show, the main character is played by a gal named Laila Lockhart Kraner. She wears some magic ears on her head that allows her to shrink down and interact with the various cats in her dollhouse.
My wife sent me a thing last week that said that Laila is coming to some furniture store near us. You could sign up to win VIP meet and greets, which I did. I also reserved a spot to go to the event this Sunday. I know there will be games, snacks, face painting and “Gabby” herself. When I told Ella about it, she was SO excited! She keeps asking how many more “sleeps” till we meet her.
My co-worker asked me tonight if I had plans for the weekend. I wish I could describe the look on his face when I told him I was going to meet Gabby from Gabby’s Dollhouse! LOL! All I know is that I hope my daughter has a great time!
“He is into everything!”
My youngest son, Andrew, is someone that you need to watch every second of the day. He is just so fast. The other day, I was loading the dishwasher. He walked up to me and wanted to help. When I looked at him, I asked him what was in his hair. It looked like maybe he poured water on it. Nope. In the 5 minutes I turned my back, he got into my wife’s shampoo and kept putting it in his hair. He had enough shampoo in his hair to wash his, Ella’s, the dog, and you!
Tonight, while Sam was loading the dishwasher, he went into the laundry room and opened up the washer. It had completed its cycle and our sheets were waiting in there to be put in the dryer. What did Andrew do? He saw our container of Oxiclean.
He sees us add this to certain loads of laundry BEFORE we wash them. So, he felt that it was totally ok to add some (i.e. A LOT) to the sheets that were in there. Sam had to rewash the sheets and hope that too much Oxiclean was not going to be a problem.
Recently, my father-in-law was over and he needed a saw to cut something. I went and got mine out of the garage. Because it was raining, I set it up on the shelf by the washer and dryer. I figured it would be out of the way and I would put it back when I got a second. Well, guess who found it and tried it on his finger? Yep. Andrew!
But wait! There’s more!
Sam took the dog outside to go to the bathroom. In the 3-4 minutes that she was outside, Andrew was at it again. When she walked in, she saw him on a kitchen chair pushed up to the counter. On the counter, he had taken the piece that holds a coffee filter out and put a filter in it. He then scooped a tremendous amount of coffee into the filter. He had actually turned the pot on to brew. Thankfully, there was no water in it, so he didn’t brew any. Of course, we will be sweeping up coffee grounds from the counter, the floor, and a few other places for the next week!
(That’s NOT Andrew, but you get the idea!)
Highlight of the Week
Despite the snow we got this week, the temperatures have been on the mild side. It was nice for all of us to get out and walk the neighborhood. We still bundled up as it was breezy, but it was great to get out and show Daisy the neighborhood.
Perhaps this year I will plan a bit better. I hoped to post this year-end recap on January 1, 2024, but life had other plans. If I made New Year’s Resolutions, planning ahead just might be one of mine. Better late than never …
2023 was a year of ups and downs, but that’s what makes life interesting, right? As I looked back at the year in preparation for this blog, I was surprised at what a decent year it was. I found myself smiling at so many of the memories. I truly believe that there was more good memories than bad last year.
2023 was a year of accomplishments for me:
I read more books last year than I have in a very long time. There were so many good ones (many of them I reviewed here)!
I completed a full semester of my Bible classes and am ready to start the 5th semester (of 9).
Then there were the projects my father-in-law and I completed. We turned a closet into a nook, put in an entire new deck on the porch, and built a fence for the puppy.
I also completed a course on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
I participated in 12 installments of Turntable Talk for Dave Ruch’s A Sound Day site
I contributed a few songs to my friend Nancy’s The Rhythm Section site
I taught a couple classes on Sleep Medicine at a local college
I wrote my 1000th blog
There were a lot of new things in 2023 for me:
Sam and I both got new vehicles
I got a new schedule at work when I switched to afternoons
We got a new driveway and sidewalks because of that construction mess on our street
We added to our family with our new puppy, Daisy
A new diagnosis of ADHD and long term depression for me. This brings many challenges.
There were so many wonderful times with family and friends:
Ella celebrated birthday #3
Andrew celebrated birthday #2
Dante turned 21
Dimitri turned 16 (and I golfed with him for his birthday)
I celebrated my birthday with a princess party theme (picked out by Ella) and wore a tiara!
Our family enjoyed a nice day at the beach in Caseville
We enjoyed a great day on the Halloween Train with Aunt Margaret and Uncle Walt
My brother and I got to spend some time together thanks to his visits up to Michigan (He even contributed a nice guest blog)
Sam and I enjoyed a night out with a nice dinner and then seeing a Golden Girls play
My radio buddy, Cam, who I hadn’t seen in decades, came up and we had a great time reminiscing over coffee
My Goddaughter, Marissa, got married
The family enjoyed a night at the Detroit Zoo enjoying their Christmas Lights display
I had all my kids over on Christmas Eve and it was nice to have them all together. It may sound crazy, but we all sat on the couch and watch the Christmas episode of Shaun the Sheep and laughed like crazy together.
I also got to enjoy my first ever Daddy Daughter Dance with Ella.
Andrew certainly kept us busy this year. He’s been through the ringer. This year he’s had an MRI, an EEG, a few Sleep Studies, throat surgery, a swallow study, received a diagnosis of mild cerebral palsy and is now wearing braces on his legs. Between doctor appointments, he’s been doing speech therapy, and physical and occupational therapy. We spent a lot of time in the car this year. Thankfully, we continue to work on things and his prognosis is looking great.
I was finally able to hold the amazing portrait of Ella and Andrew in my hands this year. My friend Belita sent me many photos as the portrait progressed and my excitement built with each one. It is so beautiful. I need to get a frame for it, so I can hang it up on the wall.
As a bonus, the Detroit Lions have given me the best season I have been able to witness in forever!.
In 2023 I wrote 274 blog posts and this site had almost 31,000 views. As I looked back at the most popular posts, I was surprised to see that there was a new “Most Viewed” blog. The 6th blog I ever wrote for this site somehow always was the most viewed blog every year. It was a blog I wrote with some of Red Buttons’ funniest lines:
That blog came in at the third most viewed this year (Over 700 views). The second most viewed blog was a holiday themed blog about one of my favorite Christmas specials:
The Year Without a Santa Claus blog just beat the Never Got a Dinner blog (750 views) The new champion, and most viewed blog this year was also holiday themed and got an amazing 4841 views!
I have to wonder why it got so many views. I do think it is cool, though.
As a loyal reader and visitor to this blog, I want you to know how much I appreciate you. Thank you for reading and commenting on my posts. Thank you for making 2023 something to remember.
As we continue in the new year, I pray it is a good one for you and me. That being said, I’m going to do something that I really have never done before on here.
My faith is something that you are aware of. I am always open to a good conversation about my faith. I make it no secret that I believe the Bible and am a Christian. I understand that you may not be. That is your choice and I am not in the position to judge anyone for what you believe. That being said, I watched a message from a pastor friend that really was powerful. I’m going to post the video here on this blog. Feel free to watch if you wish. If you don’t want to watch it, that’s ok. Consider this the end of this blog post.
If you do want to watch, let me set it up for you:
In the 1990’s, William Strauss and Neil Howe wrote a book about the historical cycles in America. It was called The Fourth Turning.
It is really a fascinating read! Bryan Ross taught a message about the New Year and if the cycles of history continue to follow the pattern, 2024 could bring some issues. His message was full of information and really helped me to be at peace and ready for what history might cycle back our way.
Keep in mind that the book itself is not a biblical book about prophecy or anything like that. It looks at the cycles of history. Pastor Ross presents this info honestly and then answers the question of how we should prepare for it.
Christmas has come and gone. I hope that you and your family had a wonderful holiday! We had a lot of fun moments, for sure. Here is my Christmas recap.
I want to start by saying that this had to be the least “Christmassy” Christmas in a very long time. Part of that could be that there was no snow on the ground and it was about 50 degrees. The sounds of the holidays were certainly there (musically), but it was very difficult to get into the Christmas “mood.”
That being said, I had Friday off and I needed to get a few last minute things for my sons. They had asked for a couple video games and I couldn’t find them. I could have ordered them, I suppose, but all the sites were saying that they would not arrive until January. So I improvised. I took Ella and Andrew with me and we went shopping. I found them some things (that I am sure they thought were not fun) that were more … adult.
Dante’ is 21 and Dimitri is 16 now. I got them things I knew that they could use or needed. It’s hard when you ask them what they want for Christmas in the fall and they have no clue. Or better yet, you find out that the thing they told you they wanted, they went out and bought for themselves with the money they made working. I didn’t want to do gift cards. That just seems easy, boring and requires no thought. I couldn’t help but remember when I started getting the more adult gifts….sigh. The Christmas magic fades too soon.
It was nice, however, to have all the kids together on the morning of Christmas Eve. I made a big breakfast and we had some good conversation. Dimitri had to work that day, so they weren’t at my house more than a few hours. It is a rare occurrence to have them all together in one place.
Christmas Eve night, we went to Sam’s folks for dinner. It was quite a spread: turkey, ham, meatballs, mac and cheese, baked bean, potatoes, and just about every dessert you can think of. Sam’s mom set up some cups on a table for the kids to toss cheese balls in to win prizes. Afterward, $200 in play money was handed to each person and gifts were auctioned off. I won the bid on a nice “evening in” bag – popcorn, candle, candy, hot cocoa and slipper socks. We also played a board game called “Something Fishy” or “Sounds Fishy” where you had to lie about a question that was asked. It was a fun night.
We left later than we expected and got home to get the kids in bed. Before we could do that, we had to leave out cookies and milk for Santa. One of our neighbors (the one who has the box to mail Santa letters – and answer them), messaged me to say that they had something special for Ella and Andrew. I went over Friday and they handed me a beautiful board for Santa’s milk and cookies.
Once the cookies and Egg Nog were in place (we were out of milk and I told them that Santa liked Egg Nog), the kids were off to bed. It was then that Santa began building toys! Ella asked for a Barbie Princess Castle and Andrew wanted a train table. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, as it only took me about 3 hours to put every thing together.
The dog started barking earlier than normal and I was up to let her out. Andrew was up first and he ran to get Ella because Santa had arrived. For one brief space of about an hour, we felt like it was Christmas. The magic of watching them walk out and seeing their toys ready for play! Wow, do I remember that feeling! It is one of the most powerful memories in my life. That initial walk out to the tree … pure magic!
They were so excited that they didn’t open another present for some time!
Ella got this HUGE Barbie. It is almost as big as her. She loves it!
Andrew loves to take pictures with our phones and his tablet. We found a cool camera that he had a lot of fun with.
Christmas day was nice because we just got to chill out at home. After we played a bit, we watched The Polar Express together. It is such a great movie. We napped because we were all up early, and then got ready for dinner. A Christmas Story was on and I had yet to see it this year, so I watched as we cooked up our ravioli dinner.
Sam’s folks stopped by to see they kids and what they got for Christmas. After they left, we ate and got ready to call it a night. Sam and Ella were in our room relaxing and I was out in the living room with Andrew. I was getting ready to turn off the TV, but he was engrossed in The Wizard of Oz. He couldn’t take his eyes off it. When the commercials came on, I told him we’d have to finish it another day and we went to bed.
I tried to be more in the moment this year. I neglected to take a lot of pictures. Playing with the kids, chasing them around the house, snuggling them in our bed….yeah, those were the moments! It was a Merry Christmas for us!
Oh, and as a Christmas bonus for guys like me who have been waiting a long time … The Detroit Lions clinched the division. Merry Christmas!!
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family. I can’t wait to read about it!
Going through some folders today and came across an old “Show Prep” folder. It was full of stuff I used for the radio show when I was on the air. The headline read: “During the Holidays, You’ll Need a Break From Your Family After Just 4 Hours!”
The story went on to talk about how it takes about that long for family to get on your nerves: lack of privacy and family drama are to blame. On the bright side, 95% of the people in the survey agree that spending time with family during the holidays is important.
Our family has been through a lot this year. Here is something to think about as we get closer to the holidays….
When you are at that point where you “need a break” or that family member is “annoying you” or someone is telling the same story again – remember this: This may be the last holiday you have with them.
The holidays are generally a happy time for many of us. However, it can also be a very difficult time as we remember those family members who are no longer here to celebrate with us. What I wouldn’t give to have my mom or my grandparents here for one more holiday! I know my wife and her family will be thinking of Grace this holiday season. I have so many friends and relatives who have lost someone close to them in the past year. So let me offer up this:
Cherish every moment with those you love. Engage in conversations. Embrace the annoyances. Listen to that story one more time. Instead of running away from those moments and regretting it later, LIVE it and remember it for when those people are no longer here with us.
It has been some time since I have been able to participate in a Blogathon, but when I saw that The Ultimate Decades Blogathon was being hosted by my friends over at Tranquil Dreams and Drew’s Movie Reviews, I had to take part in it. The basic theme is to blog about a movie that was released in a year ending in “2.” While scanning the releases from 1972 – it became very obvious which movie I would be writing about – The Godfather. (This blog may contain spoilers.)
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the film. This puts me at a disadvantage. Why? Because, let’s face it, there will be plenty of articles, books, internet articles, magazine special editions and more about this movie. You will not have to go far to find material on this masterpiece. As a matter of fact, I am currently reading one of the books that was released just a few months ago about the film.
I had actually hoped to finish the book prior to having to write this blog. I am just over halfway finished and it is fantastic!
This week, I watched the film in its entirety in preparation for this blogathon. With every viewing, I come to appreciate it more and more. It remains a film that I never tire of watching. It never gets old. It still holds up 50 years later. The Mark Seal book I am reading has certainly made me more aware of the difficulties that surrounded the making of The Godfather. At times, you wonder how it ever was finished!
At any rate, what could a lowly blogger like me possibly present to you about the Best Picture Winner of 1972? My thoughts, my observations, and my reasons for loving it. Now that I think about it, I guess I chose this film for selfish reasons. I have quoted it and referred to it in passing in past blogs, but I have never actually devoted an entire blog to it.
Unlike some blogs, mine is a personal blog that features stories from my past, posts about my family, posts about my struggles, posts about my passions, likes, and dislikes. It is a picture of “me.” No picture of me would be complete without The Godfather. So, here goes….
The First Viewing
I was two years old when The Godfather came out. I don’t recall exactly how old I was when I first saw it. What I do remember is that it was not a complete viewing.
As a teen, I remember my dad would always be laying on the floor watching TV. I had come into the room and dad was watching the movie which was playing on one of the local networks. I remember being instantly being caught up in it. As my memory serves me, the scene I was watching was where Michael goes to the hospital and no one is watching his father. I remember him begging the nurse to help move him because people were coming “to kill him.”
Once the Don (Marlon Brando) is moved to another room, Enzo the baker is shown walking up the stairs and down the hall. The entire scene where Michael and Enzo are out in front of the hospital as the car carrying the murderers pulls up (and drives away) had me at the edge of my seat! I watched the rest of the movie with my dad and remember asking him a gazillion questions.
Eventually, my dad purchased the movies (Part 1 & 2) on VHS. I remember watching part one from beginning to end and being blown away. I was never really aware of the film’s length because it held my attention all the way through. Admittedly, it took more than a couple viewings to finally get all the names of the various characters right.
For the next couple years, it seemed like HBO or The Movie Channel played the Godfather films in a hot rotation right around Christmastime. I remember going over to my girlfriend’s house and her dad was watching it. I sat down on the couch and we bonded immediately over the film. I’m not sure she was too happy that our time together was sitting on the couch watching a “mob movie.”
The movie is one of the few films that I have to sit down and watch if it is on TV. If I am scanning channels and it is on, I stop and watch. I can’t help it. I get caught up into it immediately.
The Big Screen
In 2002, select theaters were showing the film for its 30th anniversary. This was an opportunity that I had to take advantage of. My wife at the time had never seen the movie and I asked if she would like to see it. She said yes and we bought tickets.
I wish I could convey to you the amount of excitement that I felt as I sat in the seats of the Royal Oak Main theater (in Michigan) as the lights dimmed and the movie started. This was my first time watching this masterpiece on the big screen. The camera fired up and there was the solo trumpet playing the opening 7 notes of The Godfather Theme. I had chills!
“I believe in America….” The words of Amerigo Bonasera came through the sound system. The camera fades in on his face as he tells the story of his daughter and the boys who beat her. The camera pulls further and further away from him and eventually we see the back of Don Corleone. We hear the dialogue between them and it isn’t until we see Bonasera whispering in the Don’s ear that we finally see the man – Don Corleone.
The opening scene of the film remains one of my favorites of all time. It is just brilliant. It is perfect. Watching it on the big screen for the first time remains one of the coolest moments!
Mario Puzo’s novel does not open with this scene. Director Francis Ford Coppola stated that he knew this was the scene that should open the film. I can’t imagine it opening any other way. So much is conveyed it this scene – respect, disrespect, power, and family. It is the perfect springboard for the remainder of the film.
Mario Puzo, author of the Godfather
Casting
It is probably easy for me to say that the cast of the Godfather is perfect, especially since it is 50 years old. Believe it or not, Paramount was against Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone. They also were not keen on Al Pacino as Michael. Can you imagine James Caan as Michael (and NOT Sonny)? How about Martin Sheen instead of Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen? There was quite a lot of fighting over who should play who in the movie. In the end, Coppola wound up with the cast that he wanted, and when you see the finished product, you see that he had it right all along.
The Corleone Boys – Michael, Vito, Sonny and Fredo
Fun Fact: Mario Puzo actually wrote a letter to Marlon Brando telling him that he thought Brando would be perfect for the role of Don Vito Corleone in the film. He stated in his letter that Brando was the “only actor who can play the Godfather.”
Fun Fact: Throughout the entire film, the word “mafia” is never uttered.
Not Just Another “Mobster Flick”
People who have never seen the Godfather assume that it is just another mobster film. I would tend to disagree. To me, it is more about family, greed, power, and loyalty. Coppola stated somewhere that he wanted to show that the Corleone family were real people, with jobs (illegal or not), children, a home life, etc…
One of the first things we see in the film is a huge family wedding. There is laughter, dancing, music, food, and plenty of friends and family. We also see the mixture of business and family, as the Don is “working” in his den as the wedding is going on. We see him as a husband and father, dancing with his wife and his daughter at the wedding festivities. The importance of family is present as the family poses for a photo, but the Don states that it cannot be taken until Michael arrives.
The “Family” Business
The phrase “family business” is used a few times in the film. To me, the term illustrates that the two are separate, yet connected. It becomes very clear that when it comes to business, the Don, his consigliere (Tom Hagen) and his two older sons (Sonny and Fredo) are involved. The youngest son, Michael, is not a part of the family business. Sonny says that he didn’t want to “get mixed up in” it. Michael is also referred to as a “civilian” by family members. Yet his entering the business is one of the most intriguing things to me about the movie.
When Michael makes his entrance into the film he is walking hand in hand with his girlfriend Kay (Diane Keaton) in his military uniform. We see him walking from behind almost swaying, without seeing his face, we know that he is happy and in love. He is a far cry from the man he will transform into. He is soft spoken, even when he explains to Kay some of the terrible things his family is responsible for. He also makes it a point to explain, “That’s my family, Kay. NOT ME.”
In an interesting turn of events, not very far into the movie the “star” is shot and absent for much of the middle of the film. I am talking about The Godfather himself, Vito Corleone (Brando). This event leads to the beginning of the transformation of Michael. The soft spoken son, who had had his jaw broken by a corrupt cop, is now telling his brothers that he will step in and knock off the man responsible for shooting his father (which brings about a lot of laughter at first, but ultimately is what the family decides to do).
It’s not personal, Sonny. It’s just business.
In this scene, Coppola again works magic with the camera. As Michael describes what he wants to do, the camera slowly moves closer and closer to him. As the camera stops he states firmly, “I’ll kill them both.” The transformation has begun.
It continues quickly. During the scene where Michael does it, you can see him lost in thought as Virgil Solozzo (who sets up the hit on the Don) and the police captain are sitting next to him at the table. I love that as the camera sits on his face, the sounds of the trains get louder and louder until he finally stands and shoots his victims.
By the end of the film, Michael has become Don. His dark eyes tell a story of tragedy and anger. He is cold and heartless. He has “settled” all family business.
To me, this is one of the most amazing character transformations in all of film. He has gone from likeable to someone you cringe at when you look at him. He makes your stomach turn.
Final Thoughts
I feel as though I have not even begun to scratch the surface of just what a powerful movie this is. When someone thinks about the Godfather, they think of:
The horse’s head
Leave the gun. Take the cannoli
Sonny getting shot at the toll booth
Luca Brasi
The meeting of the Five Families
The interplay between the “settling of family business” and the baptism
There are so many wonderful scenes throughout this picture. I could write a blog about each of those scenes just as easily as I could write a blog about each character. The things presented here, are the things that stood out for me right from the get go when I wondered what to present.
For anyone who has never seen the movie, it is a must watch. You also need to watch it more than once. As I stated, it gets better every time. I also recommend reading the book, whether you do it before or after watching the movie, it really doesn’t matter. In some cases, reading it before will give you a better chance at remembering who is who. For me, it gave me a lot more insight as to what characters were thinking during key scenes.
(Note: Pick up Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather Notebook. It has pages from the novel and his notes. It is fun to see how he thinks about what to keep and what to leave out. It is also cool to see what he thought was important and just how to convey things on film.)
There is plenty of imagery throughout the film. One of my favorite examples of this involves the scenes where someone kisses the Godfather’s ring. Like a pair of book ends – we see two Dons (Vito from the beginning of the film and Michael from the end of the film) in an almost identical scene. The family’s power has been transferred from one to another.
Coppola is a master at tying things together and the pictures above illustrate that.
I, on the other hand, tend to ramble (hence the title of my Blog Page). I hope that you have found my thoughts on the film enjoyable. I hope that they move you to watch the film again or for the first time.
In closing, I want to thank my friends at Tranquil Dreams and Drew’s Movie Reviews for allowing me to take part in this blogathon. I highly recommend that you follow them for some pretty amazing content. Check them out here:
A few blogs that I follow, started to talk about “Blogmas” a week or so ago. From what I can tell it is a list of 25-31 Blog post ideas. Sort of a daily writing prompt that are all Christmas related. I did a search for “Blogmas” and read through a few of them. The list seems to vary a bit, but mostly contains the same prompts. The idea is to blog about each of these prompts daily. Some of the lists stop at 25 (Christmas Day) and some end at day 31 (New Year’s Eve).
The ones I read yesterday were under the title “Christmas Tag.” In essence, you answer the 20 questions and then tag a blogger to answer the same. I won’t tag anyone at the end of this blog, since I am technically not officially committed to “Blogmas,” but I liked some of the questions on the list and thought they would make for good reading (even though I may have answered a question or two in more detail in past blogs). So here goes:
When do you start getting excited for Christmas? I would say that I probably start getting in the Christmas mood right after Halloween. Many radio stations begin playing Christmas music then. I could listen to Christmas music any time of the year, but hearing it on the radio starts to get me excited for the season.
Is Christmas your favorite holiday? I would say yes. I have so many wonderful memories of past Christmases. I love that people’s attitudes tend to be happier during the Christmas season. There just seems to be a lot more joy around Christmas.
Do you prefer to stay at home or travel for the holidays? I guess I prefer to stay home – or close to home – for the holidays. When I read the question, travel seems to insinuate going out of state or a lengthy trip. Most of my family is within a 60-90 minute drive, so that really doesn’t seem like travel to me.
Be honest: do you prefer giving or receiving gifts? Definitely giving. I love to see the look on a person’s face when they receive a gift from me. I wouldn’t consider myself the best gift giver (trying to buy anything for my wife is SO difficult). I like to have some sort of idea of what a person wants before I shop for them. As far as receiving gifts – I never really feel comfortable when someone buys me something.
Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve? I have every year since I was a kid. We always went to my grandma’s house for Christmas Eve and opened all our gifts. During my first marriage, we always let my sons open one gift on Christmas Eve (usually Christmas pajamas). Today, my sons come over the day before Christmas Eve and Christmas Eve morning is our “Christmas.” They spend Christmas morning with their mom. My daughter and my son will have some gifts to open Christmas Eve morning with their brothers and then more for Christmas morning.
Have you ever built a snowman? Yes. Quite a few actually. I remember loving when the snow was “good packing” and you could build snowmen and snow forts. Just recently, my daughter and I started a snowman, but she was so excited to play in the snow, he was never finished. Can’t wait for our next opportunity to build one.
Do you decorate the outside of your home for Christmas? Yes. Usually the front and side porches. It is by no means the best on the block, but I’m happy with it. One day I hope to be courageous enough to climb up on the roof and do more. For now, I’m happy with it.
Is your Christmas tree real or fake? Fake. In all my years, we’ve never had a real tree. I enjoy them when they are at someone else’s house, though. I enjoy the smell of the pine tree. I am not sure that if we ever got a real tree that I’d be comfortable with it. You know, fire hazzards, bugs or animals possibly still being in them, the fact that you have to water it each day, and stepping on pine needles for months after….
Most memorable holiday moment? How does one even begin to answer this question?! I have so many from childhood, and now even more with each of my children. I just couldn’t narrow it down to one.
What do you like to do over Christmas break? What break?! I have a couple days off and work the rest of the days in between. I wish that I could stockpile vacation time up so I could actually take more time off during the holidays so I could spend it with family.
Which holiday traditions are you most looking forward to this year? One thing that I have come to really look forward to is driving through the Holiday lights display at Crossroads Village on Christmas Eve night. It doesn’t change too much every year, but I always love going through and seeing the lights.
Best Christmas gift you’ve ever received? Urgh – again, very difficult to chose one. Maybe it was the Atari 2600. It also could be the cribbage board my grandpa gave me. Or it could be the gold trumpet charm from my mom. Stretch Armstrong? I just can’t narrow it down.
What is your all-time favorite holiday treat? Toss up between Pignolata (loved when my grandma made this!) or cannoli. Both were staples at Christmas time (along with many many Christmas cookies).
Your favorite Christmas movie? I would say A Christmas Story or any version of A Christmas Carol. (Christmas Vacation could easily be in there, too!)
Your favorite Christmas song? Man, all of these “favorite” questions are just to difficult! Dean Martin’s Marshmallow World is a definite favorite! Santa Claus is Back in Town from Elvis, Mel Torme’ The Christmas Song, Doc Severinsen’s Jingle Bells, the list goes on and on!
What makes the holidays special for you? Family! Spending time with my family is all that matters! Sharing those special moments with them is everything!
What would be your dream place to visit for the holiday season? I’ve never really been away for the holidays, but I know some places go all out. Disney, Branson, and so many other places really have some amazing things going on. Maybe one day we’ll be able to check them out.
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Do you stick to them? I used to. I don’t really any more. I shouldn’t need a new year to want to make changes in my life. For many years, I would make them and would fail miserably at them.
You have been granted one Christmas wish, what will it be? I would wish to make a difference. Included in the wish, I would wish to be a role model for my children, a good friend, a good husband, and a man whose faith helped lead others to the Lord.
Who’s “it?” At this point on the list you are supposed to pick someone to answer the same questions. If you are so inclined, you may do so. If not, I hope you enjoyed my answers.
Today’s blog comes from a Daily Writing Prompt. I thought this was a fun idea. Some of my answers came immediately, while others I had to think a little bit. Here is the prompt: “Make an alphabetized list of the 26 best things about the holiday season, with one item for each letter. Choose your favorite thing and write a short paragraph about why you love it.”
“A”
A Christmas Carol.
Every year since junior high school I have read this amazing tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation by Charles Dickens. I also listen to Patrick Stewart’s wonderful audio performance, as well as watch the many movie versions. No matter how many times I hear this story, it always makes me happy.
“B”
Blessings.
The holidays are a time where we reflect on what we are thankful for, and a time for counting our blessings. In years past, I suffered from severe depression and often never really was conscious of those things. With the changes in my life, I am much more aware of how blessed I am. I have so many things to be thankful for and I am truly blessed in more ways than I can count!
“C”
Christmas Cookies.
To borrow a phrase from Sesame Street – “C is for Cookie.” Every year as kids, my brother and I would wait for my grandma to ship us a huge tin can of cookies! She would make Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, Sugar, Ice Box, and so many more. The cookies pictured above are called Pizzelle cookies. My grandma always made them at Christmas! My brother still has her pizzelle maker. Today, I still make the Chocolate Chips from a recipe she had in a metal index card box!
“D”
Dante’ & Dimitri
My sons. Sharing the holidays with them means so much to me. I LOVE watching their excitement as they open their presents. I love spending time with them, whether it is watching TV, playing a video or board game, or just having a heart to heart talk. They continue to grow into fine young men, and I am proud to be their father.
“E”
Eggnog
I LOVE eggnog! My grandmother always had it for us at Christmas. There used to be an eggnog mix that she would buy, but I can’t find it anywhere anymore. My brother and I used to drink this like water! I recently discovered a “custard” eggnog that was really good, too! All things eggnog – I like: McDonald’s Eggnog Shakes, Starbucks Eggnog Latte’s, and even the alcoholic eggnog! There was a place in Frankenmuth that had a drink called the “dirty elf” – it was eggnog with a shot of Fireball whiskey in it – SO good!
“F”
Family and Friends.
What would the holidays be with out them?! When I look back on holidays of the past, they are special because of the friends and family who were present! I look forward to the holidays each year because it means special times with these special people in my life.
“G”
Garland.
When I think about Christmas, I always think about garland! My mom used to string it on the tree. She’d hang it on walls, wrap it around things, hang Christmas Cards from it – it was everywhere! We had gold and silver garland, thick and thin garland, and even garland with snowflakes on it. I don’t use it today, because I know our cats will just eat it.
“H”
Holiday Music.
I have blogged about this enough that you had to see this coming! I love Christmas music. There are so many wonderful memories connected to specific holiday songs. While there are some songs that bring tears to my eyes, the majority of them bring me so much happiness.
“I”
Italian Food.
EVERY Christmas Eve – my grandma made ravioli. That was part of our tradition. We also had breaded steak with ammoglio (moy-gyoo) sauce. She always made an Italian feast. I have tried to keep this tradition going, even though my sauce is no where close to being as good as hers.
“J”
Jingle Bells.
This is two-fold. First, the sound of jingle bells goes hand in hand with the holidays. To me, there is something about hearing those bells that makes it feel like Christmas. Second, it is one of those holiday songs that I love. It’s probably THE universal Christmas song. My favorite versions are done by Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Doc Severinsen & The Tonight Show Band, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, and SO many other versions!
“K”
Kris Kringle.
Also known as Santa Claus. He’s the subject of many Christmas songs. Millions of children sit on his lap and convey their Christmas list to him. In one night, he delivers millions of toys to good little girls and boys!
“L”
Lights.
I love Christmas lights. When I first got my driver’s license I would pop a cassette tape of Christmas music in and I would drive around looking at the lights. I remember driving around Jefferson Avenue where all these huge mansions were. They would have their lights done by professionals and they were just amazing. Walking through Wild Lights at the Detroit Zoo, or taking the Christmas train at Crossroads Village to see lights is also a treat! I love the way they look and enjoy them more and more every year.
“M”
Mail.
In a world where most communication is done by phone, e-mail, or text messages, I really enjoy getting Christmas cards in the mail. I also love getting the “year in review” letters in them. I can never understand why people diss these letters, because I love to read about what my friends and family have done over the past year. I love when they include pictures from the past year, too. I also love family photo Christmas cards. I used to send them every year. Sam and I were just talking about how we need to get better at sending them.
“N”
Nostalgia.
No surprise here, especially since 95% of this blog is about nostalgia! When the holidays come around, I get VERY nostalgic. I think of my grandparents, my mother, and remember the good times we shared. I remember past gifts. I remember past relationships. I remember good times and bad times. There are many memories connected with the holidays for me.
“O”
Ornaments.
One thing I love about Christmas ornaments is that when you put up your tree, as you unwrap each ornament, it brings back a memory. Every year, Sam and I go to Bronner’s in Frankenmuth and get an ornament that signifies an even from the past year. This year’s ornament is obviously about us expecting our baby. We have an ornament from when we got married and when we got engaged. I have a few ornaments that I brought with me when I moved in with Sam. One of those ornaments is from 1977! It was an ornament that we all got when we were in Catechism in 2nd grade. It is an ornament of the baby Jesus. It is the oldest ornament I have.
“P”
Presents.
When I was a kid, it was all about what presents I was getting. As an adult, and as a parent, your focus shifts. It becomes about what special gift you buy for someone else. What can I get that will make the boys smile? What is the perfect gift for my wife? What do I get for my dad, who seems to have everything? It truly is better to give than to receive, but it is also nice to get something special from someone, too.
“Q”
Quiet.
I know, this seems impossible! I would agree to a certain extent. Many holiday gatherings are noisy as hell, but I am speaking of a specific quiet. One of my favorite things is standing outside after a snowfall, just listening to the quiet of the neighborhood. There were many times I’d be out shoveling the walk, and stop just to enjoy the quiet of a winter day.
“R”
Rudolph
Sure, I love the Rankin and Bass TV special! I, however, and talking about the above decoration. My grandma had these, and so did we! This decoration was made of melted plastic. Pinterest calls this a “melted plastic popcorn wall or window hanging decoration”. There was a Snowman, a Christmas Tree and a Santa in a sleigh decoration, too. My grandma hung 9 of these reindeer and the Santa in a sleigh on the wall every year! Man, do I miss seeing this every year!!!
“S”
Snow.
One of the things I love about living in Michigan is that we see all four seasons. The holidays without snow are very disappointing to me. If it is mid to late December and there is no snow, the song White Christmas really hits home. I NEED to have snow on Christmas! It is just one of those things that makes the holiday mean more. I love the beauty of snow on the ground and stuck to the trees … but, yes, I do hate driving in it!
“T”
The Tree.
You can check out the blog I wrote a week or so ago entitled “Oh Christmas Tree” to read about why this means so much to me. For now, just know that it is one of the things I LOVE about the holidays.
“U”
Underwear.
I really didn’t have a lot of “U” options. I don’t like underwear for Christmas, but I put it here because of something I started seeing a few years ago. I guess you would call it a meme today. I see it posted on Facebook a lot and it makes me laugh:
“V”
Vacation.
Again, a two-fold answer. (1) Vacation time? Yes, I do get some time off during the holidays, but nothing real big. I wish I had the opportunity to actually take a few weeks off around the holidays, but that never is possible for me. (2) Christmas Vacation Movie? Who doesn’t love this Christmas film. There are so many great lines and characters in this film! Come on – you know any time you pass a house with a gazillion lights on it you call it the “Griswold house”!!
“W”
Wife.
She makes EVERYTHING in my life special. The holidays are already a special time for me, but spending them with her make them extra special. There is not enough space on the internet for me to write about how much she means to me, how much I love her, and how happy she makes me. I am so lucky to call this beautiful woman my friend, my partner, and my wife. For Christmas this year, she is giving me the best present ever … she arrives in February.
“X”
X’s and O’s
Ok, it was hard to come up with something beside Xylophone for X! X’s and O’s are hugs and kisses. Hugs and kisses from friends and family during the holidays make the season special.
“Y”
Year Without a Santa Claus.
You should have saw this coming, too! Last year, many characters made a Christmas blog and this year I wrote an entire blog on it. I HAVE to watch this every year! I also have to listen to the Miser Brothers songs in the car during the holidays.
“Z”
Zzzzzzz’s.
Yet another stretch, but Holiday Zzzzz’s are something I certainly look forward to! In Twas The Night Before Christmas they talk of a “long winter’s nap”. In my opinion, any time I can grab a nap over the holidays, it’s a good thing!!!
That was a fun blog to write! Now it’s your turn. What are your “holiday letters”? I’d love to read them …
It has been very busy week for us! It has been so busy, this is the first chance I have had to sit and blog. I won’t bore you with some of the busy stuff (like work, work meetings, and such). I’ll hit the high lights and try to bring you up to date.
We have a weekend routine. That routine was all jumbled up this week. The things we would normally do at certain times had to be done between things that we normally don’t do. I was all messed up.
Most of the week, we were doing last minute preparations for the baby shower. We had things to do Thursday night (after a call in meeting for work), and then Friday we had tons of running around to do. We had to drive an hour to Sam’s work to pick up new scrubs. After that we had our monthly appointment with the OB/GYN (and got to hear baby Ella’s heartbeat, again!). Then we had to go to the hall to set up for the shower. We were gone literally all day. Saturday, we had early errands to run before heading to the hall for the baby shower.
Baby Shower
What an amazing day for us! We were surrounded by family and friends and they showered our baby with so much love! My mother-in-law and sister-in-law hosted the shower for us. The theme was a “shower”. We had clouds and raindrops. It was perfect.
Not everyone we invited was able to come. Some live out of state or out of town. Some of our friends/family who RSVP’d weren’t able to make it either, but we understand that sometimes things happen.
Some of the high lights for me:
Seeing my beautiful wife. The future mommy of our baby looked simply amazing! Her sister put a little braid in her hair, and she wore a very cute outfit. There were times I’d be chatting with someone and I’d catch her out of the corner of my eye and just smile! I am one lucky man!
Seeing my Godmother. I can’t even begin to tell you how much it meant that she was there. I LOVE just sitting and talking with her and she means the world to me.
Seeing my cousins. I was so glad to see cousins from my dad’s side of the family and my mom’s side of the family. I don’t get to see them often enough! Every year, my cousins from my dad’s side have a big holiday party, and I cannot wait to go!
Watching my dad and Sam’s dad chit chatting away at the “guy” table.
Being able to wish Rose a happy birthday a day early.
Having my old morning show partner, Steph, and her daughter there. She told me her gifts were so we’d think of Aunt Steph all year round, and she was right! She have us a beautiful Christmas blanket and about 8 Halloween costumes! I expected nothing less from her. She is really one of my truest friends!
Meeting some of Sam’s family that I hadn’t met yet.
Having Sam’s Grandma there. She had been praying for us to have a baby since we got married! She is so excited for us.
One of my cousins mentioned how much she loves reading this blog. Again, I was told what a good writer I am, not by one, but by a few of my cousins. I am always embarrassed by this. I am also humbled by the fact that people actually read what I write. I’m not sure why.
The hardest part of an event like this, is getting the chance to talk to everyone. Once everyone is there, you are being pulled this way and that way. You try to mingle while people are eating, but you never seem to make it to everyone. Then you are obligated to be up front to open presents. People sometimes leave before you ever get the chance to say hello. It’s not intentional, it just happens.
I guess I acted as the emcee for the gift opening. I was the one reading the cards and announcing who the gift was from. Our nieces were there basically opening them for Sam. It was unorganized chaos – LOL! They were opening things so fast, that we actually went through the gifts at home afterward, so that we could actually see some of the stuff that we missed at the shower.
As someone who talked on the radio for a living, I was given the responsibility of thanking everyone after all the gifts were opened. I was having such a hard time. With all that has transpired over the past three years, and to be there in front of those who love us, to have to come up with words was very difficult. I am sure Steph probably shot video of it. I was certainly fighting back tears! I know I wanted to share a dream I had the night before, but the emotions of everything took over, and I never did – so here it is:
The morning of the baby shower, I shot up out of sleep. Sam was already awake and asked if I was ok. It took me a second to kind of figure out that I had just woke up from a dream. The dream was so real and so vivid. I was dreaming that we were at the baby shower and the baby was already here. I was holding her. She was beautiful (just like her mother). She had dark hair. I was feeding her at one point. There were many people there. At one point I looked up and my mother was smiling. I was in the process of handing the baby to my mom when I woke up. I wish I could remember more about the dream!
After the shower, I stared at the table of gifts. I thought about how much our baby is loved and she has yet to be born. The outpouring of love and well wishes was truly overwhelming. Sam asked if we’d need someone else to bring stuff home. Well, I naturally took this as a challenge and put all those hours of Tetris to the test. It wasn’t easy, but I fit every last gift into the back of the car!
Thank you Tetris!!!
Speaking of “thank you”, my dad gave me a huge laugh at the end of the shower. One of the things you have the guests do at the shower is address an envelope. This is the envelope that we will send the thank you card in. So my dad comes up to me at the end of the shower says, “Here’s my envelope.”
This cracked me up so bad!
Wild Lights at the Zoo
Sam and I knew that the baby shower was going to leave us pretty wiped out, so we both took Sunday night off. It was opening weekend of Wild Lights at the Detroit Zoo. We decided to get tickets and go. We’d done this once before and loved it! They decorate the zoo with Christmas lights, play Christmas music, and it is something that we have decided will be a tradition for us.
Every year, they add more lights. There are some areas where the lights are all synchronized to music and there is a light “show”. It is very cool. There are also lights shaped like animals. So we saw elephants, penguins, giraffes, and new this year – foxes.
As you walk through, they have bonfires where you can stop and warm up. There are also places to buy hot chocolate, coffee, or alcohol if you wish. Some of the houses are open as warming stations – the Otter House was open, but they were busy sleeping and we didn’t get to see them. I love the Otters!
Some of the photo ops are just amazing. They have this huge Christmas ornament that you can stand inside of. While we were there, there was a wedding proposal inside the ornament. I probably drove Sam nuts taking all kinds of selfies while we were there! I always feel weird asking someone to take our picture, but we had someone take one of us by this huge star – it was pretty cool!
The last time we went, it was very cold! Last night, it was about 39 degrees. It was the perfect night. It took us about an hour to get through, which was perfect, especially since Sam had been on her feet almost the entire day before, and now here we are walking the zoo. As you walk out there is a very cool tunnel of lights –
There was still snow on the ground yesterday, so it was the perfect event to get you into the holiday spirit.
Christmas is coming …
I woke up today to see that one of the radio stations I work at flipped to all Christmas music. I got text messages from some people asking why we did it, and some from others who were thrilled that we did it. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, this kind of thing is very polarizing – you either love it or you hate it.
Sam loves Christmas and loves to sit in our living room with all the Christmas lights on. The tree is up after the first snowfall. So, yes, ours is up already! There are those who will say we are rushing the season, and they may be right about that. To those people I say, “So what!?”
The holiday season (which includes Thanksgiving and Christmas) is a time for thankfulness and happiness. It is that time of year when we are all a bit kinder to each other. We give a little bit more, we smile a little more, and we love a little more. I have quoted this song before, and I will again. Elvis sings:
“Why can’t every day be like Christmas? Why can’t that feeling go on endlessly? For if every day could be just like Christmas, what a wonderful world this would be!”
Spread the joy! Share a smile! Be kind! Be thankful!
I’m totally ok getting into the holiday spirit a bit early –
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 