Superwoman's Favorite Super Hero Movies

I love superhero movies. (Are you suprised?) I recently watched a few and each time thought "Wow! what a great movie!" I started thinking about my favorites and decided to share.

Here they are, in no particular order.

   X-Men: First Class

Spiderman   

   Spiderman 2

Captain America: The First Avenger 

 Incredibles

Ironman

  Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer 

  Superman III

Superman Returns

 The Rocketeer

Batman Forever 

  Batman Begins

Sky High 

  Megamind

Kryptonite Withdrawal

I confessed some time ago that one of my biggest weaknesses is TV. I called it my Kryptonite. I was kind of joking, or so I thought. I didn't realize how much of an addict I was until it was gone.

In May, our family drove to North Carolina to visit with my family. The main purpose of this trip was to pick up my grandmother's piano and bring it back to our home. We had been talking about pianos for years. Being in the military makes having a piano a bit tricky so we had not made the effort to acquire one. We kept making excuses. From the moment we moved into this house I knew the perfect spot for a piano. It was also the perfect spot for our big screen TV.

So it was that nearly 2 months ago our TV and all its accessories moved to our bedroom and the Piano took its place.

*Sigh*

I love having a piano. Really. Don't think for one second that I am even considering a trade-back. I now spend a portion of every day plunking away at it, getting my fingers used to playing again, going over hymns for the choir to sing, just plain enjoying the music. I don't even mind the kids banging on it (and they all do!) It is like a long lost member of the family.

I still watch a little TV in my room. So I haven't given it up completely. But the changes over the past few months have been startling.

For one thing I see myself differently. I didn't expect that. I didn't know I was being so influenced by TV. Apparently I was under the impression that I needed to look and act a certain way because of my age or place in life or whatever. I felt terrible pressure to be better than I am in a superficial sort of way. I didn't act on those feelings. Well, not exactly. I realize now that I was feeling bad about my appearance every time I left the house. I felt embarrassed by my size, shape, hair color, hair style, lack of make-up, clothing choices, shoe choices, pretty much everything. I didn't feel that self-conscious in high school!

Exit TV. Now I fell great. I am fine with myself. I know I can improve in some ways but they are my choice now. I am no longer feeling sorry for the people who have to look at me. I don't feel overwhelmed by pressure to be perfect.

I also see other people differently. I don't see them as judging me any more. I didn't realize how much I thought others were looking down on me. I felt isolated and resentful for no real reason.

There have been a few unexpected withdrawal issues though. In the past, I rarely folded a shirt or mated a sock without sitting in front of the TV. In the past, these chores, while frequent, were not not really a burden to me. I was able to be entertained while I worked. Now I struggle through this tedious chore.

I have tried listening to books on CD and that has helped some. But I still long to sit on the couch and fold or sort while I watch a movie. I used to plan my day around this. "I will fold that load at 2:00 when this show come on" or "I want to watch this movie. I will wait until that load is dry so I can fold while I watch." Now I just put it off as long as I can.

These two changes alone have been a cold-water shock. I have realized just how deeply I was addicted. I can see how entwined into my life this creature really was. I suddenly want to rid myself and my family of all the worldly influences in our lives. I am trying not to overreact. At the same time, I keep thinking of the slow, slight methods of Satan. 2 Nephi give a few examples; "others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security...and leadeth them away carefully down to hell."(28:21) "he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever." (26:22) I also can't help but think of the counsel of President James E. Faust who said "He can have no power over us unless we permit it." Is that what I have done? Have I permitted Satan to enter our home through his subtle means and lead us away from God? Have I given him power over me? I think I can only answer yes.

In a less menacing way, I feel like those people in Wall-e. I realize instead of living I have been letting time pass. I have forgotten many of the things that bring me happiness in place of things that bring pleasure...mindless, meaningless pleasure. And like any drug, I need a bigger dose to get my fix the next time.

I am still recovering form this addiction. I know that I could fall off the wagon if I am not careful. I know that I could easily allow this seemingly benign object to become the major influence in my life again. I know it isn't the only danger either.

I challenge you to take a look at your life and see if there is something like this in your life. Try giving it up for a while and see what happens. I warn you it might be hard and even humbling. Sometimes it takes a dose of nasty medicine to realize how sick we really were.

Christmas Favorites

December is here and the countdown to Christmas is quickly winding down. This is the time of year when we embrace traditions. Here are a few of my seasonal favorites.

Food

1. Ginger Cookies. It seems everyone has a recipe similar to this one. I like to add red and green sugar sprinkles when I roll them in sugar. It gives them a festive touch. I only make them around Christmas time.

2. Sugar Cookies. I have a confession: I hate making sugar cookies. We make them once and when they are gone, that's the end. I make a huge batch and spend all day doing it so we have enough to last a while. My Grandma Wilson made sugar cookies every year and I loved eating them. I make them for the kids to help them have memories a wonderful as mine. That is true love!

3. Oyster Stew. This is a Wilson family tradition. I haven't had it in years. When I was growing up, my family would get together every Christmas Eve and eat bowls full of this warm, oyster and butter-flavored milk with pepper and saltines. I don't think the oyster stew was really the important part of the tradition; it was sitting around the table laughing, talking, and just being together.

4. Brach's Peppermint nougat This is my all-time favorite candy. I can easily eat bags of them if I am not careful.

5. Red Velvet Cake. Another of my Grandma's holiday treats. I have carried this tradition to my family. We have a cake with homemade cream cheese frosting every year. As an added touch, I like to color a little frosting and make holly leaves with red-hots for the berries.

Music

1. Amy Grant. I have "Christmas Album", "Home For Christmas", and "A Christmas To Remember". I have always enjoyed her Christmas music. My kids like it too.

2. Bing Crosby. "White Christmas" is the true legacy of this man, although he has some fun Christmas songs like "Christmas in Killarney" and  "Mele Kalikimaka".

3. Jim Reeves. I had not heard of this artist until I got married. My husband had a Christmas CD that I have come to love.

4. The Forgotten Carols. This part of a unique Christmas story. I like that it focuses on non-traditional aspects of the Christmas story like the inn keeper and Anna, the woman at the temple.

Books

1. Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. My husband gave me this as a Christmas present the year it was published. I read it right away and loved it. I was thrilled to see it was being made into a movie, "Christmas With The Kranks",  which I also enjoy each Christmas.

2. The Autobiography of Santa Claus  by Jeff Guinn. I read this a few years ago. It is historical fiction about the history of Christmas celebration. I found it so engaging that I forgot Santa wasn't real!!

3. Santa Calls  by William Joyce. This is a children's book about the true spirit of the season. It has a very sweet message.

4. Christmas Alphabet by Robert Sabuda. He is an amazing artist whose books are all pup-ups. I only have this one (which no one is allowed to touch without me!) He has created several Christmas books.

5. The Bible, of course. There would be no Christmas story without it. You can't go wrong with reading the story straight from the source. Try reading the passages listed under "Jesus Christ; Birth of" in the Topical Guide.

Movies

1. White Christmas. I didn't see this until I was grown. It can be a little boring in places (it has some annoying songs and modern dance numbers that I could do without.) The storyline is interesting and sweet. I enjoy movies that remind me of ideals and hope.

2. It's A Wonderful Life. So wonderful and uplifting. It reminds me that every life is important and that you never know what someone else is going through.

3. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. This is a guilty pleasure. It is so funny but kind of crude in places. I watch it at least once every year. I can't help it! I just need a good life sometimes!

4. Christmas In Connecticut. Our librarian in Belgium recommended this. It is funny but you have to pay attention. It isn't like modern movies that you can watch while you do other things and not miss much. This movie also reminds me that stress and pressure during the holidays are not new issues.

5. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. This is one of the classics. I like this one the best. I like "Jack Frost" too.

6. How The Grinch Stole Christmas. The old, cartoon version is wonderful. The newer, live-action one is dumb. Sometimes, less really is more. I like this because there are many stories that say "we can't have Christmas without Santa and presents". The Grinch says the opposite.

7. The Night They Saved Christmas This was my favorite when I was a child. My kids have already watched it several times this year.

8. The Santa Claus. The first is the best but I like the whole Santa Claus series.

9. An American Christmas Carol. This is one of my husband's favorite Christmas movies. It is a nice adaptation of the classic. We also like this 1984 version of A Christmas Carol.

10. Miracle On 34th Street. I love the older version of this movie. The newer one has some redeeming qualities, too.

Here is the link for the Christmas page on lds.org. It has lots of great ideas, videos, music and stories to help keep the true meaning of Christmas alive in our homes.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Chriatms Celebration!

Superwoman's Kryptonite

Every hero has a weakness. In mythology they call it a "fatal flaw". I had a college professor who called it a "favorite sin". Whatever you call it, it is the thing that keeps you from achieving your truest potential or greatest goal. For me, it is TV.


I guess I should let you know right away that when I say TV I mean movies, too. In fact, I actually LOVE movies. They are full of artistic images and creativity, not to mention insight and symbolism. I could talk about movies all day. To me, they are called "movies" because they "move" us in so many ways. Okay, so not every movie falls into this category. But there are so many that are just...amazing.


TV, on the other hand, is like a drug. I watch TV for reasons I don't understand. I enjoy certain shows, especially documentary type shows ( including some reality shows), because they are interesting, entertaining and possibly even educational. I justify watching these programs for the beneficial qualities they possess, however small they may be. I realize that this is sometimes like justifying cookies for breakfast because they have eggs in them. Still, whatever small good they have is enough of an excuse to keep a tight grip on my TV watching.


If that was the only TV I watched, I might not see it as a weakness. The problem comes in the mindless TV watching that happens much too often. My husband will come in the room and say "what are you watching and I say "I don't know, it just came on and I kept watching." This is a problem.


I have been trying to curb this obsession in recent weeks. Spring is a great time for me to break the TV habit. There is so much to do. The sun is shining and birds are singing, flowers are blooming. The air is refreshing. Plus, TV shows are going into rerun season.


What makes this habit even more troubling is the effect it has on my children. I can remember my oldest son walking into the living room one morning and asking "What is wrong with the TV? Why isn't it on?" He was about 3 years old a the time. He couldn't understand why on earth I would want to leave it off for even a moment!


It is frustrating to us, as parents that when the TV is on, the kids HAVE to watch it. If they are walking through and a commercial is on, they have to stop and watch it. Even if they have seen it before and even if it is for shampoo or heart medication.


As the children have gotten older I have seen the need to be more diligent about the content of what we watch. I am frustrated that I can't just leave it on while I do housework. Now that we live in the US and have commercials again I have to be careful about what they are selling. I hate that in the middle of Star Wars is a commercial for erectile dysfunction medication or a TV show I don't want my kids to watch.


In my defense, there have been plenty of times when the TV was my companion. If my husband was gone because of his job, the TV provided a sense of adult conversation. It made the house feel a little less empty. It distracted me from my loneliness. I think this is why a lot of people watch TV.


Elder David A. Bednar gave a talk that, to my mind, is the most important talk by a Church leader in recent memory. It is called "Things As They Really Are". He speaks of the dangers of the Internet, specifically roll-playing games and virtual worlds. But the more I think of his warning the more I realize how much TV can be just as destructive. It isn't just the content, it is replacing real relationships with imaginary ones.


Does that sound crazy? I hope it does to you. I hope that you have never known anyone who talked about Soap Opera characters as if they were real people. I hope that when a morning news show host leaves, you don't feel like you just lost your best friend. I hope that you have never felt desperate to see what will happen next to your beloved characters on your favorite drama. I hope you don't talk about Oprah as if the two of you have regular chats.


The truth is, TV is safe. It is always there, accepting your attention, giving you entertainment and insight, suggesting things that might interest you, soothing your pains by lulling you into a stupor and letting you forget your troubles for a while...or forever.


And that is the real danger. That neglecting of the real and valuablele for the artificial and unimportant. Does that mean TV is bad? Not inherently. Just as "guns don't kill people, people do" TV doesn't hurt you, misusing it does.


So, what is the antidote to this alien poison? Superman was only susceptible to Kryoptonite when he came in contact with it. And he was able to renew himself by exposure to the Earth's yellow sun. So too does TV only have power over us when we are near it. Let's turn it off, cancel cable, get rid of our satellites, open some windows and go outside! Let the sun renew us with it's warmth and Vitamin-D-stimulating powers! Get to know your neighbors and friends again! Or better yet, meet your family! Nothing but good can happen from breaking free from the vice-like grips of this "one-eyed monster".

And I promise to do all of that...as soon as this show is over.

Superwoman Movie Picks

Growing up, my family had a certain set of movies that we enjoyed. When I got married, my husband introduced me to a whole new set of movies that I would never have chosen. As I marvel at the melding of our movie tastes, I often think "How was this movie out there and I never knew about it?" Now that I am a mother, I am always on the look out for entertaining, enlightening movies that our family can watch together. Here are a few that I suggest to you.


These are all movies that I find cheerful or uplifting in some way. I like to watch them when I am feeling a little down.

You've Got Mail, starring Tom Hanks ans Meg Ryan. I didn't like it that much when I first saw it. After 9/11 I was feeling a little distraught and I decided to watch this movie. It helped, for some reason. I watched it a lot in the weeks that followed that tragedy. It still cheers me up. It does have a few aspects that are not appropriate (like the characters living with their boyfriend/girlfriend) but there are no "fast forward" parts.

Support Your Local Sheriff, starring James Garner. This is a western comedy. I really enjoy this movie and my 10 year old son thinks it is hilarious. It is quite clean and while there is some threat of violence, it is not scary. (So if you don't want your kids to see guns, this isn't the movie for you.)

Follow That Dream, starring Elvis Presley. This is a very cute, funny movie, although it might be a little slow for kids. It has a lot of sweet humor. There are a few mildly suggestive scenes and there is some threat of violence from mobsters who run an illegal casino.

McLintock, starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. This is western but it is very funny. There is a slightly serious undertone related to Native American issues of the time period. There are a few scenes with fighting and even a spanking scene that would never be allowed in today's movies. It has some very good messages about life and marriage.

The Thrill of it All, starring James Garner and Doris Day. This is about a stay-at-home mom who gets a job and gets over her head. This would be such a  flop today but I appreciate that women really did choose their families over their careers once upon a time.

The Sound of Music, starring Julie Andrews. I know. Your are thinking that I really didn't need to actually tell you this was a great movie but, just for the record, it is wonderful. It is a musical and has some serious parts and some slow parts but I love every bit of it! (And so do my kids!)

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, starring Jane Powell and Howard Keel. This is a musical comedy. It may not be to everyone's taste. My brothers used to imagine themselves in this film. It is classic old-Hollywood musical. I love Howard Keel's voice. I could listen to him all day.

Singin' In The Rain, starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. This is one of my all-time favorite movies. It takes place during the transition from silent to "talking" pictures. It is funny and educational (if you care about film history). My kids like it, too.

While You Were Sleeping, starring Sandra Bullock. Another absolute favorites. It takes place during Christmas so it kind of feels like a holiday movie but I watch it all year long. It has a few "grown-up" comments but is very clean and sweet. It is one of those movies that makes me happy!

I guess that is a nice list for now. I hope you have a chance to watch some of these wonderful movies. Check your local library.