The One With Michael

 

 

Tonight, we watched the movie Michael that depicted the life and times of Michael Jackson. As a person growing up in the 80s, I was looking forward to this movie....but I also wasn't sure how I would feel. After all, how much more was there to know about Michael Jackson.

But, boy, was I wrong. To begin with, the casting of his nephew, Jaafar Jackson, proved to be ingenious. Not only can he sing - which is huge - his resemblance to his uncle is uncanny. And, because he knows close, personal details of his uncle's mannerisms, it was clear he was the ultimate choice. He captured the essence and nuance of Michael Jackson, or at least the way he seemed to the public in the 1980s.

 The movie itself included the typical information that people had heard about Jackson growing up. Yet, it also highlighted some of the lesser known facts and backstories that only the producers - his brothers and his sister Latoya - would know. And, to appeal to the fans, there were definitely specific recreations of hallmark moments on the stage, including the infamous filming of the Pepsi commercial, the "Victory Tour," and, of course, the legendary performance of "Billie Jean" and the unveiling of the moonwalk at Motown's 25th Anniversary Special. The sound design was exquisite, with two concert scenes resembling the sound effects you would hear at a concert. Wow!

For nostalgia buffs - and the new generation that wanted to get to know more about him - this movie wasn't just good. It was special.  My only disappointment - though it could not be helped - was that "Janet" didn't appear as a character. That was a decision she made because she was not supportive of the move. But, knowing that she had a close relationship with her brother, it would have been interesting to see how that was developed, too.

 

The One With Mahjong

 

 

 

The four of us sat down at the kitchen table today to learn a new game - mahjong!

Now, truth be told, I had played a version of it online back in the 90s and loved it. However, it turns out that tile game is an American version of the actual game.

Emmie has been playing from some of the people from PAC, so she decided to teach us to play.

It took a while to get the hang of it - and I definitely had a BIG learning curve. But after a while, it made a lot of sense, and its was fun.

Kiff actually won the first two games (or matches, or contests, or whatever they call it). I won the third.  

It was a blast and I can't wait to try again.

 

The One Where Kiff Joins the NEHS

 

 

On Monday, Kiff became an official member of the Danvers High School National English Honor Society. He was being not only inducted as a member, but an officer...as he is the incoming vice president of the society.

 We attended the meeting with him. It was neat ceremony with some speeches, an overview of the society, officer induction, a pledge, and some comments.

 It was a lot of fun to watch and it was great to see Kiff become part of his third high school honor society. 

The One With a Happy Easter

 

 

 

We had another amazing Easter weekend this year. We actually did a lot of different things to celebrate both this weekend and leading up to it.

 

1. We decorated eggs a couple of weeks back, avoiding the egg coloring scramble we sometimes have.

2. On Thursday, I visited Mom on the Cape. I actually went by Nana's old house (there was traffic and I was directed that way). What made this memorable is that we used to go to Nana's house for Easter when I was really young, so it was sooo meaningful.

3. Emmie and I went out to breakfast on Friday and did baskets.  

4. Bri and I made birds nest cookies on Saturday, which I think is starting to become a tradition.

5. We watched Ben-Hur the night before Easter, which is always memorable. We later saw a movie called "The Drama" which was interesting.

 6. Bri and I tried to go to Mass on Sunday, but it was packed, so we watched in on TV. 

7. We had our Easter brunch and even had a chance to catch a portion of The Wizard of Oz which used to be on Easter weekend when Emmie and I were kids.

 

All and all, a busy and memorable Easter weekend. Happy Easter!!!

 

The One With the Birds Nest Cookies

 

 

 

Bri and I made bird's next cookies earlier today as part of our Easter weekend celebration. Making these cookies takes me back to being a kid and making them with my sister....which is one of many fun holiday memories I have with her.

 

 The recipe we followed (we modified from one online) calls for:

• 1 bag semi sweet chocolate morsels

• 1 bag of dark chocolate morsels

• 1 bag of chow mein noodles (we had to get these at Stop and Shop, aisle 4)

• 1 bag of Cadbury eggs (which were harder to get this year...maybe because of tariffs or Maga sentiment about the fact they incorrect keep re-posting that Cadbury dropped the word Easter from its products?)

We put the morsels, half bag at a time, in the large purple mixing bowl. We heated them up in 30 second increments in the microwave, stirring them. After about three heating sessions, we added the last portions of the bag and heated them up some more. Perfect!

We slowly added  the bag of chow mein noodles and Bri stirred. Then, I put wax paper on two cookie sheets and we set out the cookies to harden!!

Voila...a tasty treat!!!   And here is the link to the recipe we used (the picture above is from the website): https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/birds-nest-cookies/

 

The One With MICCA Fest

 

 

The official MICCA performance arrived tonight. And with it, the DHS band performed the final show at MICCA Fest on the Friday night.

 

The performance included three songs that were performed quite nicely...even better than on Wednesday. And, the band sounded great.

 

Although Emmie and I left before awards, Kiff came home later that night and told us they earned a Silver award. Congratulations to them. 

The One With Kiff's Film Festival Debut

 

 

 

Kiff's film festival debut occurred earlier today at DHS. The school, in a partnership between DECCA and The Danvers Accessibility Commission, hosted what will hopefully be an Inaugural 504 Film Fest.

 

Emmie and I attended to festival, which started at 10:30. We were fortunate to see three amazing movies from three very different view points about 504 Plans. Kiff's was shown last and starred his close friend, Hope, with cameos from Adrian, Lauren, Ms. C, and others. 

 

Having seen the film before, I knew what to expect. But in that setting, with other students (who applauded as he was introduced, which was so cool to see), the movie was powerful. And the actual event, was, too. There was an introductory video about 504s, a guest speaker in the form of the chair of the Danvers Accessibility Commission, and a chance for all of the filmmakers to speak. It was amazing!!!

 

Kiff also won first prize in the contest, which was an added benefit (along with a prize). However, I think what he enjoyed most - as did we - was the chance to talk to the chair of the committee who is a film-maker himself and gave Kiff some amazing pointers.

 

It is probably the first of many film festivals we will get a chance to see Kiff attend!!!