Who gets the candy cane?

Ten years ago people awaited the new millennium, hording canned goods etc. thinking "the end is near". Later, when things turned out OK, cans were given to the food banks. In 7 hours the decade will be over.

Several days ago( Dec. 23)I listed who IMO received a lump of coal for Christmas. The ten worst things in the past decade.

Now I want you to send me who you think received a candy cane.

Who or what events in the past decade were good things and deserve the candy cane?
Send your list of positives to me and I will post them.

azdoggirl@gmail.com

Christmas lights

For the sake of going green lights have been a little discouraged this year. I love the the TV add were the dog barks at the house with many lights. The owner of the dogs says to the owner of the house. "He doesn't like ostentatious displays of wealth". The place to go in Tucson is Winterhaven. You can drive through only on specific nights. It is best, if one is able, to walk or ride the horse draw trailer. The drive was bumper to pumper, annoying the driver and those who were walking. I had done it perhaps 15 years ago, but had two friends who had never been so we hogtied Ralph to drive us.

My favorite was the red necks trailer with songs including "you know you're a redneck if you think the 'nutcracker' refers when you jumped off the high board".

There was the "Nightmare before Christmas"

Snoopy, as always was present.

One Jewish home displayed large draedle and a menorah

Disney

Snowmen and Penguins

Some spoke for PEACE

And of course the traditional Nativity Scene.

Day of Solitude

Day of solitude

Overcast skies

I've a cold

TV is out

Internet is out

One dog on my lap

Another beside my chair

A good day to read a book

More on Movies

Saw AVATAR today. By default actually.

Was dropped off at the Mall while the car was being serviced. Intended to see UP IN THE AIR but our timing was wrong. With these multiplexes one can see a movie at almost anytime starting at 10:00 a.m.

What a break. I really liked this movie. Another 4****/5.

Visually stunning. Very colorful -bright blues and greens.

Good plot. Critics have called it 'predictable', but

not for me. Tension. Love story. Creative creatures. A very good bad guy. Satisfying resolution to the story. What more could a movie goer want?

DISTRICT 9 -another top ten contender was also about extraterrestrials but here on Earth; South Africa. In contrast to the brightness and color of AVATAR, this film is is very gloomy with only shades of brown; much like other futuristic films. Although I liked this movie, it gets just 3***

Another film appearing on top ten lists is

HURT LOCKER. This is not fantasy but an all too real war movie taking place in Irag. It is the story of one GI with nerves of steel who defuses IED's. This was also a very good movie. 3***'s

I am not ready to make my top ten list. Too many movies yet to see. The best movie I saw this year would be the Japanese film DEPARTURES. It would not qualify because it received best foreign in 2008. Only 5***** film this year. IMO

Animation in the top ten

Movie top ten lists are starting to come out.

What makes them different this year is the presence of

movies designed for children AND adults. I refer to them as "animation" although technically they are not all drawn animation.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE was filmed with live sized large puppets. It was #1 in a New York Times list. This is Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendak children's book.

I loved this movie and gave it 4****

Time Magazine lists its top 3 films from children's movies.

#1 THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG. -the only true animation that takes us back to the Disney two dimension

drawings. This is an original story and takes us back to the Disney story telling of the past. The story is modern however with the first black princess. More of a frog story than a princess story. Since it takes place in New Orleans, it is a great musical with a Dixieland Jazz score.

#2 UP - Prime Pixar CGI animation was my favorite, with a tremendous story of a crotchety old man who misses his wife and young scout who accompanies him on an adventure.

#3 THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX - This stop action animation was made photographing puppets on miniature sets. Voices of George Clooney and Meryl Streep brought this Dahl children's story to life. This has shown up on several top ten lists.

One more animation has made several top tens list. And that is CAROLINE, which I did not see because it seemed way too scary of me. I will rent it.

.

So who did Santa give a lump of coal?

I learned today that I can't prepare a blog ahead of time and leave it in "draft" until I want to post it.

So if you want to see who I believe Santa gave the lump of coal to, scroll down on my blog to a December 23 rd post or select "who gets the lump of coal" from the archives list.

Merry Christmas

We don't dream of a white Christmas.

We look to the mountains for inspiration.

We put funny hats on our cacti

We have South American creches

And we celebrate the spirituality of the Holiday. Merry Christmas to all my blog followers.

Thanks to you all.

Maggie Mae and Buddy