Robin Hood and Under the Mountain

I watched  two movies over the weekend.  AND I treated myself to another viewing of Charlie St. Cloud with Zac Efron.  YUMMY! Just sayin...

Robin Hood, starring Russel Crowe, seemed long and drawn out to me.  This version is supposed to be what happened BEFORE he was the famous bandit. Russel's character is fighting in the Crusades with the King when the King is killed in battle.  "Robin", along with a few of his friends,  also fighting with the Crusades, decide to leave then and there, since the King is dead.  They stumble upon the real Robin Hood in the woods, whose task is to take the crown back to Notingham. There was a brief battle before Russel's Robin arrived, where  the real Robin Hood is killed.  Russel's Robin assumes Hood's identity, and he and his men take the crown back. It's the only way they can get home. Maid Marrion, who in this version was already married to Robin Hood, knows he's an imposter, but she and Robin Hood's father play it off for the good of the kingdom.    The acting was good, there were some great battle scenes, but all in all, I didn't really care for it. It took me 3 days of starting and stopping it to get through it.  I prefer the Robin Hood starring Kevin Costner.  Maybe it's all about the eye candy?  :)

Under the Mountain was a gamble and a surprise.  I had rented it for the kids, not expecting much.  It's about twins who possess special powers and they need to work together to use those powers to save the world.  The special effects were great, as was the story line.  It was fast paced, well acted and well written. My kids liked it, too. 

I give Robin Hood a 2 and a half on the Melscale, and I give Under the Mountain a 3 and a half.  You can be your own judge!

Carpe' diem!

Sweet Potato Casserole

This casserole is a staple on my Thanksgiving table.  It's more like a dessert.  Even if you don't like sweet potatoes, I promise you will like this one.  ( I hate sweet potatoes!)

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 large cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
2 eggs beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar, less if preferred
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

Mix all ingredients well. Put in a greased casserole and top with the following mixture:


1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 stick butter
1 cup chopped pecans

Cut butter into remaining ingredients and sprinkle on top of sweet potato mixture in casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Caramel Apple Dessert

This was a new addition to my Thanksgiving table this year, and it was a big hit!  I hope you enjoy it! Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of it before my family dove into it!  It's gorgeous, trust me on this. :)

Caramel Apple Dessert

60 Vanilla Wafers, finely crushed.  About 2 cups.
1/3 c melted butter
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3 1/4 cups milk, divided
1 (8oz) tub Cool Whip, thawed, divided
2 pkg (3.4 oz each) Jello Vanilla Instant Pudding
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping, divided
1 EACH red and green apple, chopped
1/4 cup chopped nut topping (ice cream topping)

MIX wafers and butter and press into a 13x9 inch pan
BEAT cream cheese, sugar and 1/4 milk with mixer until blended.  Stir in 1 cup Cool Whip; spread over crust.
BEAT pudding mixes and remaining milk with whisk for 2 min. Stir in 1/4 cup caramel topping.  Spoon over cream cheese layer; top with remaining Cool Whip.
REFRIGERATE 5 hours until firm.  Top with apples, nuts and remaining caramel topping just before serving.

Life As We Know It

Life As We Know It
PG-13

Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel (YUMMY!) are 2 single adults who become caregivers to their shared god-daughter when the child's parents die in an accident.  Holly (Heigl) and Eric (Duhamel...did I say YUMMY yet? ) meet when they are set up on a blind date by the friends, who later become the parents of Sophie.  The date is disastrous and they actually never make it out of the driveway.  It sets the scene for years of dislike for each other, despite always being at the same parties and celebrations due to their mutal friends.  Then the inevitable happens...or maybe we saw it coming...the parents of baby Sophie are killed in a car accident and  much to Holly and Eric's surprise, they find themselves legal guardians of her. Despite their dislike for each other,  they move in together to take care of Sophie , all the while trying to live seperate lives and trying to ignore the chemistry between them.  Yes, there are some funny scenes, but for the most part, I found it to be a sad movie and a tad long with a running time of 1 hr. 52 minutes.  I have to admit, though, that Josh's dimples made it worth it!  All in all, I give it a 3.5 on the MelScale.

In memory of my Uncle David Neal

Rock Stars

In memory of my Uncle David Neal, who passed away on Friday, I am posting this blog about one of my most favorite memories of him.  It will be read at his service in the morning. 

April 2007
We attended my Aunt Wanda’s funeral this week. She was a wonderfully funny, strong, BOSSY Christian woman. She is who I aspire to be. She was 87 years old and she had spent the last 18 years taking care of her invalid daughter at home, despite 2 heart by-passes. She taught piano her whole adult life and at the time of her death, she had 30 students. Her funeral was an amazing tribute of laughter through tears. My family has dealt will all of life’s blows with laughter. It’s how we deal. Case in point….my recent episode of rock stealing.

My cousin Kimber and I, along with our dads (Pat and Don) and our Uncle David, my husband Jay and my impressionable young son, Jacob, took a road trip on Easter Sunday to the Neal’s birth place in Braggs Oklahoma. Picture this: 3 brothers in their 70’s, 2 forty-something women and a 7 year old piled into one van. Jay was driving. The van is today’s equivalent of yesterday’s station wagon. My cousin and I were in the very backseat with my son. You know…where the KIDS sit. Some things never change. Our mission that day was to retrieve a rock from the old Neal homestead. Not just any rock, but a rock with the names of the three brothers, Pat, David and Don, carved by my Grandfather Neal back in 1941. There were 8 kids in the Neal family and they were all born in that house in Braggs. There were really bad jokes cracked during the drive about bail money , police chases, and Jacob’s impending criminal record.

And we laughed. A lot.

The lot is abandoned and the house long burned down, and we don’t even own the land it sat on anymore. But those 3 brothers knew exactly where that rock was. I couldn’t believe it was still there! So I took my post as look out in the street and while my dad was busy distracting a neighbor, David, Pat, Kimber and Jay dug up that 72 pound rock. In our family, fortunes have been made and lost, loved ones have passed on, marriages have fallen apart, and illness has left its mark on us. But at that moment, nothing, and I mean NOTHING meant more to all of us than that rock. A piece of our family history. Solid. Whole. Timeless. Just like the Neals. We loaded that rock with my grandfather’s handwriting on it into the back of the van, laughing the entire time. I believe with all my heart that Aunt Wanda was watching from Heaven. And she was laughing right along with us.

Melinda Neal Keeton

April 2007

My Brother

Easter Sunday 1968

Can you pinpoint your exact first memory of when you were a little kid?  I can.  It's as fresh in my mind today as when it happened.  I was 2 years old.  It was in late June, possibly early July, and I was sitting out in the car with a babysitter, waiting on my mom and dad to come out of the hospital with my baby brother.  It was sunny and it was hot.  I was standing up in the floor of the backseat and I could see my mom and dad through the windshield, walking towards the car with mom holding a baby. Mom told me later, when I was a lot older, that she was mad at Daddy for leaving me in the car with the sitter.  That may explain why I don't remember her smiling that day.  Nevertheless, I now had a baby brother.  I'm told now that after the first week of having Jamey home, I told mom to take him back to the hospital because I didn't want him anymore.  I was probably sick of him getting all the attention.  So mom made a big deal out of feeding him "for the last time", bathing him "for the last time", dressing him "for the last time" and wrapping him up in his blanket " for the last time".  Then she told me to kiss him "for the last time" because I'd never see my baby brother again.  She made it clear out the front door before I called her back and told her I'd changed my mind. 

King Tut

 We had a great childhood, Jamey and I, and I have a million memories of him. We played together, fought each other, and protected each other.  He tormented me by EVERY means possible and there was even a time when we didn't even like each other. (teenagers. go figure.) I used to think that he and I weren't very close because we are SUCH opposites  and didn't seem to have much in common.  But now that we are both in our forties, I realize that we have ALWAYS been close.  We don't have to like the same music, have the same friends and thank goodness, I dont' have to hunt, to be close.   We are more alike than I ever wanted to admit. I'm glad that my first memory ever is of him coming home. And I'm glad that I changed my mind and decided to keep him!  He's a pretty cool brother. Love ya, Jamey. :)

Loverboy Concert 2010

Family

The kids and I went home for Labor Day, to spend some time with my side of the family.  Dad cooked hamburgers and hotdogs out on the grill.  We spent the afternoon and evening just visiting and enjoying each other's company. And laughing.  A LOT!   My brother and I did our yearly song and dance about when the Neal Thanksgiving would take place.  I have to plan it around hunting season.  I mean AROUND hunting season for every conceivable weapon!  Personally, I think he's making some of them up. ( especially the blow dart one)  He always winds up saying "just send me a sandwhich" and I always respond "if you don't come, I won't make your pumpkin cheesecake."  The holidays can NOT start until we've completed this ritual arguing. We don't need a script...we've been doing this for years. I cook a traditional Thanksgiving meal a couple of weeks before the actual holiday, and they all come to my house and eat it.  They don't understand why I like to go to all that trouble fixing all that food. From scratch.  I do it because that is the ONE time a year I get to have them all under my roof, and that makes me happy. I do it because I love to cook and set my table with my Grandma Neal's china.  I do it because it offically starts the holiday's off for me.  But most importantly, I do it because I love them.  Even if they don't read my blog!