Blogs for BeWell.

What's the last movie you watched? May, 2013

01-MAY-13

MM Movie fans,

Can you believe it's already May? Many new flicks will be coming out soon, such as Iron Man that hits the box offices this Friday, Mudd with Mathew McConaughey, and Star Trek into Darkness on May 17th.

Please share with us what movie(s) you've seen recently and what you thought about it/them.

I watched Les Miserables for the first time on DVD last night. I resisted seeing it on the big screen because I don't normally get excited about musicals or operas. This one I wish I had seen in the theatre. It was fantastic, but a little hard to understand at times since they were singing the story. I read the book in the mid 1970s and enjoyed it during my "historical book" period.

It was very well done--acting, costumes, art direction. I still can't believe Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, and Ann Hattaway can sing and perform like that. Amazing performances by all, even the children.

BeWell reporting in and anxious to hear about your experiences with your movies of choice............ ;-D

What are you reading? May, 2013

01-MAY-13

Hi MM reading fans,

With the Spring weather and the changing of the seasons upon most of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it is a time for renewal and fresh starts in our lives. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, it's a time for reflection.

Share with us what you are reading, especially if you've discovered a book that may have given you an "AHA!" moment or new revelation about something.

I want to share with all the ladies a fascinating book I'm reading that just blew me away! KISS AND RUN: The Single, Picky, and Indecisive Girl's Guide to Overcoming Her Fear of Commitment by Elina Furman. (2007, Fireside Books). Google the title or author and you'll find her website that is really informative too.

This is a little book that EVERY woman should read, single or not. It gave me more insights into why certain women and men are the way they are than any other book I've read. She lays it on the line.

I must admit that I had several AHA! moments while reading it, but I'm not teling what they were ;-D. I'm into my second time around with this book. That's unusual for me. Found it in the library, of course. ;-DDD............. BeWell.

What's the last movie you watched? April, 2013

13-APR-13

Hi movie lovers,

As you may have read in my regular reading blog, I normally post this on the first of the month. I'm late because I've been out of town visiting my baby grandson for 12 days.

I invite you to share with us a short review of a movie you've seen recently.
Tell us how many stars you give it. (0-5)

Last night I watched The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. 2012. The story was good, the special effects and cinematography were amazing. It was shot in New Zealand. It's a "boy" movie with lots of struggles, conflict, and fighting. I give it 3 Stars as a female, but if I was a guy I'd probably give it 4 Stars. ;-D

What are you reading? April, 2013

13-APR-13

Dear reading blog friends,

Please forgive me for not posting the first of April. I've been out of town. Spent 12 glorious days with my 11 1/2 month old grandson. See pic below. Then took a few days to do taxes. :-/

Please share with us what you are reading right now, and a few comments about how you like it.

I've got two books going at once:

1) There is a Cure for Diabetes: The Tree of Life 21-Day+ Program by Gabriel Cousens, MD (2008, North Atlantic Books)

Comments: This book was sent to me for review. I'm not a diabetic, but it has some GREAT information in it about nutrition in general. Very well documented. 446 pages and includes recipes and resources for healthy foods. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has diabetes or who has loved ones with it.

2) Caffeine for the Creative Mind: 250 Exercises to Wake Up Your Brain, by Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield (2011How Books)

Comments: A great book to jump start the creative mind. Written for advertising people in a slump. Creatively done and presents some brilliant ideas.

What's the last movie you watched? March, 2013

01-MAR-13

Hi movie lovers,

Most of you are aware now that I go to the library regularly on Mondays.... primarily to check out books and movies. ;-D My library carries a great selection of old and new titles. I thought it might be fun to do a monthly blog on the films we have recently watched.

I invite you to share with us a short review of a movie you've seen recently.

Tell us how many stars you give it. (0-5)

I watched "The Mirror Has Two Faces", starring Barbara Streisand and Jeff Bridges, 2004.

This light romantic comedy was a great chic flik to watch during a recent snowstorm. It was a funny story about two college professors who fell in love in an unusual way. An all-star cast including Pierce Brosnan, George Segal and Lauren Bacall.

I give this movie 3 Stars-- ***

What are you reading? March, 2013

01-MAR-13

Hello dear reading fans,

March is the prelude to springtime, and the time for new beginnings. It's a perfect time to learn something new in your life.

What do you feel compelled to learn about this month?

What are you reading?

I just received two books in the mail that I ordered last week:

Today I Begin a New Life: Intentional Creation by Dave Blanchard, 2012

The Observer's Chair: The Miracle of Healing Self-Esteem by Dave Blanchard, 2012

Both are excellent books with a new approach to taking back control over your life. I love this author because he is a life coach and has done a lot of research on how we react to stress physically, mentally, and emotionally and how to not allow life's ups and downs to thwart our plans for the future. Those are subjects I've chosen to learn about for the month of March.

How about you?

What subject are you investigating this month?

What are you reading?

What's a woman to do?

12-FEB-13

Today I was in the library parking lot when a kamikaze lady driver, who was at least 90 years old, almost ran over me and the guy on the other side of her car who was walking toward the library too.

He was about my age, very good looking, charming, no wedding ring, and struck up a conversation with me about how we were almost killed at the same time by the same crazy old lady, and we should not be mad at her because we will be old someday too. We laughed while we walked into the library. He held the door for me, and wished me a great day. He did not seem shy at all.

Then while I was making my book and movie selections he kept flirting with me, bumped into me once, and I responded with smiles. But he never came over to talk with me. I took my time checking out. He kept watching me and smiling. I looked over my shoulder with a BIG smile as I left the library. He only smiled back. I took my time getting to my car, but he never followed.

Did I do something wrong? He seemed to be giving me all the right signals and I was responding. Any ideas about how I should have handled this situation?

Public thank you to Millionaire Match

07-FEB-13

Dear Millionaire Match,

Thank you for restoring the single status and providing never married as another option. You all have made many of us happy by this small gesture.

All the best................... BeWell

Why did MM change "single" to "never married?"

02-FEB-13

Has anyone else noticed that MM has changed perhaps all the "single" status' to "never been married"? I had originally listed myself as "single" because I've been divorced for practically forever and the baggage is long gone. That's what culturally I think most people understand "single" to mean--either never married or divorced so long they forgot they had ever been married. ;-D

MM friends, what is your definition of what "single" means? ....... BeWell

What are you reading? February, 2013

01-FEB-13

Hi avid readers!

This is February, the month decicated to love and romance. This month the questions are...

What are you reading?

How is your book (or reading material of another type) helping you to make progress toward your love life?

The book I'm currently reading is, Food Consciousness, by Shannon McKeown, MS, LDN. 2012, Kima Global Publishers. It educates people about how food works in your body and how processed food messes with your metabolism and mind. It also shows things you can do to de-stress yourself so your food can work beter to regenerate your cells and prevent disease. She approaches things from a spiritual perspective.

The way this book is helping me to make progress in my love life is that it is helping me to clean up my diet which will make me think clearer and be healthier and more attractive mentally, physically, and spiritually. It also has a few recipes in it which could inspire me to whip up a great romantic dinner if I'm lucky to have a wonderful guy to cook for this month. FYI..... I'm a pretty good in the kitchen, BTW........ ;-D......... BeWell

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's answer............ BeWell.... ;-D

What are you reading? January, 2013

01-JAN-13

Happy New Year EVERYONE!

Hope each of you welcomed in the New Year with thoughts of hope and determination to make this the best year of your life.

What are you reading?

What lesson(s) have you learned thusfar from your selection?

I'm currently reading, Life Unlocked: 7 Revolutionary Lessons to Overcome Fear by Srinivasan S. Pillay, MD, (Rodale, NY,NY, 2010). This is one AMAZING book if you want to understand why people get stuck and can't move on or succeed. Whether it's not being able to find a job or a spouse, or caught up in loops of indecision, or can't seem to get their business growing, or whatever, the book explains why and how to snap out of it. It's very scientificly based.

I'm only in the first chapter and already learned that my amygdala has caused an earthquake in my brain due to all the stress I've been under the last 2 years. That's what's happening when you think your mind is short-circuiting. I'm ready for some relief! I also learned that new studies have shown that blind people can sense fear on people's faces even though they can't see. Very interesting findings. Will comment more as I learn more from this great work in psychology.

Rmac, you're going to LOVE this one!

Happy New Year to all and may this be your best year ever.............. BeWell...;-D

What are you reading? December, 2012

01-DEC-12

Happy Holidays, MM friends!

This month I have three questions for you:

1) What are your reading now?

2) What was your most favorite read for 2012?

3) What was you least favorite read for 2012?

I just finished Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery. I think it was written in the late 1970s. Returned it to the library today. Not a very "sexy" book, but I'm on a cooking kick right now for a work related project.

This book is composed of recipes handed down through Martha's first husband's family and some of her own. The compiler also did research on cooking through the ages and made notes throughout about how methods changed from the middle ages through the 1700s. So did the spellings of English words. It seemed like people spelled the way they talked, dialect and all. The main thing I learned was how extremely complicated most of the recipes were, and exact measurements were rarely given. Cooking was quite a laborious chore back then, and meat must have been an obsession, for it seems they ate anything with 4 legs except for the family pets. ;-D

My vote for my favorite book for 2012 is...... Quirkology. I found it totally fascinating!

My vote for my least favorite book for 2012 is.... 50 Shades of Gray. The only good thing I liked was that it painted a great picture for women of the type of sick controlling men to stay away from.

Looking forward to your answers....................... BeWell ;-D

What are you reading? November, 2012

02-NOV-12

Can you believe it's already November and Thanksgiving is only 3 weeks away? Where has the time gone?

Well, I've been super-busy with several work-related projects, but forced myself to start a new book. The title I've chosen is, Click: the magic of instant connections by Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman, (Broadway Books, 2010). I'm hoping to learn how to connect better with people in different situations. I do a fairly good job connecting right now, and there are times when I'm just shut down emotionally for no apparent reason. That isn't good when you need to be at the top of your game and you let great opportunities pass you by because you got momentarily shy.

How about you? What are you reading right now?

What are you reading? October, 2012

01-OCT-12

It's hard to believe another month as buzzed by.

I just started reading Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves. The reason I chose this title is that I've run across several men recently who refered to their Emotional IQ and this little book. So I thought perhaps the Universe was giving me a message to read it. ;-D Maybe yes? Maybe no? I'll report back soon about what I've learned.

How about you? What are you reading right now? And share with us how you like it and why you are reading it................... BeWell

What are you reading? September, 2012

01-SEP-12

Can you believe it's already September?

Please share with us the book you are enjoying now, tell us what it's about, and what you like about it.

I am embarassed to say that I don't have a book going at the moment. I have several on order at the library to read and waiting on them to come in. In the meantime I checked out a stack of videos to get me through this rainy weekend we're having in St. Louis--vestiges of Hurricane Isaac is slowly moving through the state of Missouri dropping much needed rain.

The two videos I've watched so far are Water for Elephants and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Each are 2011 films. Has anyone read either of these two books. I loved both of the videos. Both very different types of love stories.

What are you reading (or watching.... ha!) this month? ............. BeWell

What are you reading? August, 2012

01-AUG-12

Since the "What are you reading?" blog was so successful in July, I decided to start a continuation blog for August.

Please share with us the book you are enjoying now, tell us what it's about, and what you like about it.

I'm reading, Quirkology: How We Discover the Big Truths in Small Things by Richard Wiseman, PhD. (2009, Basic Books/Perseus Book Group). It's filled with lots of interesting stories about statistical studies that flush out the mysteries about everyday things like how to tell if someone is a liar, what a person's sense of humor reveals, odd behaviors of animals, and all sorts of interesting things. I've found some good conversation starters from this fun little book and I'm just half-way through it.

Favorite Aroma

25-JUN-12

A dear friend of mine bakes homemade chocolate chip cookies when she wants to get her husband in a romantic mood. It works every time for her! A true and sweet story! I have another friend who brought herself out of a deep depression after her unexpected divorce by surrounding herself with the scent of roses--flowers, rose scented candles, rose scented hand creams and bubble baths, air fresheners and diffusers. She even cooked carrots in rosewater and made rosewater icecubes. It worked like magic!

For me, it's the fragrances of vanilla or cinnamon, and as strange as it may seem.... the earthy smell of the woods and distinct aroma of caves! It's all that nature girl Earth energy within me I suppose. Ha!

How about you? What aromas, fragrances, or sents make you romantically intoxicated or emotionally comforted?............ BeWell

What book are you reading?

30-MAY-12

What are you reading?

What have you learned from your book thusfar?

Why did you choose the book?

I'm almost finished reading, John Lennon: The Life by Philip Norman (ecco, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2008). It's a fabulous book for trying to understand the "complexity and simplicity" of John Lennon and the dynamics of the Beatles from their start to the finish and through the death of Lennon.

I've learned that John was a very troubled soul due to his dysfunctional family history--alcoholic father and crazy mother. He was gifted with genius level creativity in many different areas--art, music, writing, poetry, film production, and more. I think he may have been ADHD before the drug companies coined the term. After reading so much about him I feel compassion for what he must have been going through trying find himself while trying to handle the fame. Yoko was the only person in his world who loved John for John and not his persona of being the leading "Beatle". She understood his complexities. I'm sure she was his soul mate and his death completely broke her heart.

I didn't choose this book. It chose me. Every time I went to the library my eyes would be drawn to it, until one day I decided to just check it out. I've enjoyed it tremendously and read it for pure entertainment.

How about you? What are you reading?

Grandparenthood

29-APR-12

I became a grandmother for the first time this past week! My daughter's tiny, perfect baby boy came into this world several weeks early. Both mother and baby and daddy are doing great.

What a wonderful feeling it is to hold him in my arms, feel this new kind of love for the very first time, and be mesmerized by the mystifying miracle of life. WOW!

All grandparents out there..... do you have any advice for a new grandparent or comments on grandparenthood? Unfortunately they live 300 miles away, at least for right now, so my visits will be limited. Thank goodness for Skype!

What is your superhero/heroine superpower?

08-APR-12

Here's a fun topic to discuss... Do you have at least one special superhero/heroine superpower that is unusual or amazing? This is something unique that most people are unable to do, but you can do it magically with total ease. It could be something fun, crazy, serious or downright weird. For example... I seem to have been born the Queen of Lost and Found. I have this crazy ability to help friends locate small lost items--wallets, cell phones, drivers' licenses, car titles, rings, keys, etc. Most items are not misplaced in the home, but lost in a public place. My friends seem to think it works 60%-80% of the time when I'm in power-up mode, but I'm only good for one lost item a day. The first time I discovered this superpower was in high school when I found a friend's contact lens on the other end of the grassy archery range. It was a cold and windy day and I found it an hour after she lost it. Would you agree it was a jillion to one odds that the contact lens was recovered? Example 2... Another friend of mine is the Goddess of Writing Upside Down. She does it just about as easy as she normally writes right side up. How crazy is that? What is your superhero/heroine power(s)? Or do you know of anybody who has an unexplainable ability?