~ FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ AUGUST 7, 2015 ~ "THEN AND NOW" ~

~ FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ AUGUST 7, 2015 ~ "THEN AND NOW" ~ I just got a brand new iPhone, 5S (If that means anything to anyone. Personally, the only thing I've figured out so far is that my old phone was an android, and the new phone is an iPhone).

And although it's a total guess, I think I got my first cell phone 17 years ago in 1998 maybe. (The pic isn't my actual phone. I do still have it but couldn't find it to take a pic for this post). And OMG, that kinda makes me feel REALLY, REALLY old!! But, it also makes me think about how time really does fly by sometimes. Has it REALLY, truly been 17 years since I graduated from college and got my first cell phone?? S-E-V-E-N-T-E-E-N years???

It boggles my mind to think of all the changes (some for the better, some not) that have happened over the past 17 years.

I used to lament that I was either born too early or too late. Too late because I think I would have loved to live in the pioneer days when life was slower and simpler. I wouldn't want to give up on all the technological and medical advancements that we've made, but sometimes I think it would be nice to just take a step back, take a deep breath and SLOW DOWN! 

Sometimes, I feel really guilty and down on myself because my chronic pain has kept me from bathing or washing my hair for three or four days (or more). However, I try to remember that there used to be a time when people were lucky to bathe once a month or even once a season! 

Well, maybe not THAT slow but, yeah, it sure would be nice to slow things down every once in a while, eh?

I thought that I was born too early because, at the time, I wanted to be alive when we could actually see people that we are talking to on the phone. (Never in my wildest imagination did I think that could or would be an actuality)! But look at our technology now! I remember eons ago, calling friends who lived in areas where there were "party-lines." 

I imagine there are several readers who are young enough to assume that a party-line has something to do with dances, (I'm thinking of a conga line), partying, or even drugs. However, for their enlightenment, a party-line was a telephone line that was shared by several people living in close proximity to each other. Which, believe it or not, meant that one house could sometimes be miles away from its nearest neighbour! 

Because of limited equipment and resources, the phone company had to set it up so that these families would all have to share the same phone line. They may have had different phone numbers, but they would all ring on the same line. Every house heard the phone ring, no matter who it was for, and sometimes there would be separate rings for each household. Often however, there was just your basic ring, and you took your chances that the person you were calling would answer the phone. If not, you would have to call again, and again, until the right home picked up the line. (And yes, it was a distinct possibility that one or all of your neighbours could listen in on your conversations! This wasn't always the case of nosy neighbours though. Even when the homes had their own lines, you could often hear conversations through the lines from other homes).

Imagine. We have come from smoke signals, carrier pigeons drum beats and party lines to video conferencing, Skyping, FaceTime, etc. It's hard to believe sometimes.

I suppose since there are places that provide adventures that offer you the pioneering experience, I'll stick with my own time-line and enjoy the technological advancements that come along with it! 

(Now, if I could just figure out how to use my new phone)!

#FlashbackFriday, #Flashback, #MemoryLane, #Memories, #RememberWhen, #Orcanut, #ThenAndNow, #iPhone5S, #Android, #TimeFlies, #PioneerDays, #Technology, #MedicalAdvancements, #SlowDown, #ChronicPain, #Skype, #PartyLine, #SmokeSignals, #CarrierPigeons, #DrumBeats

~ FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ JUNE 5, 2015 ~ ONE OF THOSE DAYS ~

FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ June 5, 2015 ~ ONE OF THOSE DAYS ~ I'm not flashing back very far for this weeks post. Only going back over the past couple of months or so. Have you ever had "one of those days"? You know the kind, the one where nothing goes right? If you have enough energy to get out of bed at all, you sleep through your alarm and stub your toe getting out of bed (really, it can happen)! You discover that you've not only run out of shampoo, the hand soap is but a sliver that would barely get your face clean. You knick yourself (several times) while shaving, forgot to put the wash in the dryer, didn't do any ironing, and have to pick the cleanest of your dirty clothes to wear. You're running so late that you don't have time for breakfast, the gas tank is on E for "enough driving this week, on strike now" and you miss the only bus. When you finally get to work/school, you have reports due that are far from being finished, you realize that you've forgotten your lunch, and oops, in your haste to leave the house, you forgot your purse/wallet too. You end up having to stay late and miss the last bus home. 

You get home so late and exhausted that you forgo supper for an early bedtime. You climb into bed, forgetting to set the PVR to record the season finale AND season premieres of your two favourite shows, that happen to be airing on the same night. Slowly, you drift off to la la land, all the while pondering that little niggling thought in the back of your mind that you've forgotten something.  

You awake the next morning, a whole lot groggy and only slightly refreshed. You have not had a good sleep. As you struggle out from under the covers, that little niggling thought finally becomes crystal clear. 

In your haste to get to bed and put this "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" behind you, you've forgotten to finish the laundry, buy new shampoo and hand soap, get new blades for your razor, do any ironing, fill the car with gas etc., etc.

Sighing, and close to tears, you realize that you're in for another day just like the one you've had the day before and all you want to do is crawl back into bed and make the past rewind and start over. Wishing that life could really imitate art and there really could be a "GroundhogDay," you burst into tears because you're reminded that you forgot to set the PVR, nixing the idea of watching the premiere of your favourite show, which then reminds you that you've missed the finale of the other show as well. 

If not for the fact that you know better, you almost wonder if it could possible get any worse.

And again, that is all IF you've been able to get out of bed in the first place, which in light of the alternative, actually doesn't sound so bad at all!

Well, that's kinda how my past few months have felt. It's just been "one of one days" for months on end! 

I can't seem to get anything accomplished. My severe chronic pain is ruling my life, with a little help, I'm sure, from my seemingly best friend, Mr. Murphy! (As in Murphy's Law).

I cannot remember the last time that I was able to work on anything remotely close to Rainbow Loom. And you know how bad it must be if I'm unable to do at least that!! I have nothing on tap as far as new designs go, and I am very backed up in editing and recording tutorials. I haven't had the energy to do either, and I LOVE working on Rainbow Loom stuff, so it kills me that I haven't been able to do even a little bit, for months and months!

AND ~ Rainbow Loom is only my passion, my hobby. So what does that say for my responsibilities?? Nothing is getting done!

I just want to sleep and cry all day, feeling sorry for myself.

I guess it's a good thing that "this too shall pass" and that I truly believe that if a God brings you to it, He will see you through it."

There is always tomorrow, right?

#Flashback #FlashbackFriday #MemoryLane #Memories #RememberWhen #Orcanut #OneOfThoseDays #NothingGoesRight #SleepIn #StubYourToe #NoShampoo #CutYourselfShaving #NoCleanLaundry #RunningLate #OutOfGas #MissTheBus #NoMoney #GoToBedEarly #SeasonPremiere #SeasonFinale #RoughNight #GroundhogDay #ChronicPain #MurphysLaw #RainbowLoom #FeelingSorryForYourself #ThisTooShallPass #IfGodBringsYouToItHeWillSeeYouThroughIt #CouldItGetAnyWorse #TerribleHorribleNoGoodVeryBadDay

FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ May 29, 2015 ~ FOR THE LOVE OF READING ~ MOVIE ADAPTATION EDITION ~

FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ May 29, 2015 ~ FOR THE LOVE OF READING ~ MOVIE ADAPTATION EDITION ~ this is a follow-up to my Wednesday (but really Saturday's) QOT...W ~ FOR THE LOVE OF READING ~ BOOK EDITION ~ My "Book Edition" post talks about some of my favourite, all-time books and book series'. This post will continue along those lines and discuss books that have been made into movies. I LOVE to read!! But I am also thrilled, for the most part, when my favourite books are made into movies. I have never been one to really try to imagine a face or a likeness for characters or scenes that I read about. I will take in the general description, but that's about it. For me, it's more of a general knowledge and understanding than an exact picture that I see in my mind. So, I find it nice to have a face or descriptive location to go with the books that I read. (Although it is still important to use our imaginations to picture some of the characters and places when we read)! I am often torn though on which I would like to do first, read the book or watch the movie. If I see the movie first, then I would have a face to go with the names and possibly even relate better with the characters and the setting. If I read the book first, I can use my imagination and form my own opinions as to the characters (we all know that sometimes just a look can sway our impression of somebody). There are many pro's and con's for each, but I think in the end, I would prefer to read the book first. Have you noticed how many books lately have been written seemingly with the "intention" of being made into a movie?? I've spoken to a few librarians and booksellers and they all have commented that they believe a lot of the authors nowadays are writing with the hope, anticipation and even expectation that their work will be chosen to become a major movie release. There are even some authors who have been commissioned and approached with the sole purpose of writing a novel knowing it will be destined for the big screen. Many of these authors have already had several of their written works adapted for screen. Not counting William Shakespeare, whom we know probably has had the most books/plays made into movies/tv shows/short films/etc. The most obvious and famous (at least in my limited experience) would have to be any and almost all of the books by Nicholas Sparks and of course, the many, many books by Stephen King that have been made into movies. I was really surprised to find that there are a whole lot more movies based on books than I knew or even imagined. A few recently released movies that have been adapted from a book come to mind. "Gone Girl", "Fifty Shades of Grey", and "Maze Runner" are just off the top of my head. But the list also includes: A Most Wanted Man ~ John Le Carr A Walk To Remember ~ Nicholas Sparks American Psycho ~ Bret Easton Ellis Apocalypse Now ~ Michael Herr Atonement~ Ian McEwan Babe (the Sheep-Pig) ~ Dick King-Smith Beautiful Creatures ~ Kami Garcia Blade Runner ~ Phillip K. Dick Bridget Jone's Diary ~ Helen Fielding Brokeback Mountain ~ Annie Proulx Carrie ~ Stephen King Children of Men ~ P.D. James City of Bones, The Mortal Instruments ~ Cassandra Clare Divergent ~ Veronica Roth Doctor Zhivago ~ Boris Pasternak Dracula ~ Bram Stoker Drive ~ John Sallis Eat, Pray, Love ~ Elizabeth Gilbert Ella Enchanted ~ Gail Carson Levine Fallen ~ Lauren Kate Far From The Maddening Crowd ~ Thomas Hardy Fifty Shades of Grey ~ E.L. James Fight Club ~ Chuck Palahniuk Girl Interrupted ~ Susanna Kaysen Gone Girl ~ Gillian Flynn Great Expectations ~ Charles Dickens Harry Potter ~ J.K. Rowling Holes ~ Louis Sachar If I Stay ~ Gail Forman In The Heart of the Sea ~ Nathaniel Philbrick Jurassic Park ~ Michael Creighton Life of Pi ~ Yann Martel Little Women ~ Louisa May Alcott Lord of the Flies ~ William Golding Lord Of The Rings ~ J.R.R. Tolkien Memories of a Geisha ~ Arthur Golden My Sisters Keeper ~ Jodi Picoult No Country For Old Men ~ Cormac McCarthy One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest ~ Ken Kesey Pride and Prejudice ~ Jane Austen Schindler's List (Schindler's Ark) ~ Thomas Keneally Serena ~ Ron Rash Shutter Island ~ Dennis Lehane Silence of the Lambs ~ Thomas Harris Stand By Me ~ Stephen King The Book Thief ~ Markus Zusak The Chronicles of Narnia ~ C.S. Lewis The Da Vinci Code ~ Dan Brown The Fault In Our Stars ~ John Green The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo ~ Stieg Larsson The Giver ~ Lois Lowry The God Father ~ Mario Puzo The Graveyard Book ~ Neil Gaiman The Great Gatsby ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald The Help ~ Kathryn Stockett The Hobbit ~ J.R.R. Tolkien The Host ~ Stephanie Meyer The Last Song ~ Nicholas Sparks The Lightening Thief, Percy Jackson and the Olympians ~ Rick Riordan The Lovely Bones ~ Alice Sebold The Maltese Falcon ~ Dashiell Hammett The Maze Runner ~ James Dashner The Notebook ~ Nicholas Sparks The Perks of Being a Wallflower ~ Stephen Chbosky The Princess Bride ~ William Goldman The Shawshank Redemption ~ Stephen King The Shining ~ Stephen King The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants ~ Ann Brashares The Time Travellers Wife ~ Audrey Niffenegger The Unbearable Likeness of Being ~ Milan Kundera To Kill A Mockingbird ~ Harper Lee Twilight ~ Stephanie Meyer Vampire Academy ~ Richelle Read Warm Bodies ~ Isaac Marion Water For Elephants ~ Sara Gruen Wuthering Heights ~ Emile Bronte I know that's a lot, but when you consider that it hasn't really been all that long since the creation and development of moving pictures, me listing the top 75 or so, is peanuts compared to the grand scheme of things! I was virtually dumbfounded that my ABSOLUTE, ALL-TIME, HANDS DOWN, WITHOUT A DOUBT, FAVOURITE BOOK-TO-MOVIE adaptation hadn't appeared on ANY lists that I have searched!! And it is "The Green Mile" by Stephen King. It was first published as six mini novelettes, (which is what I read) but I believe it has since been published as a full novel as well. There has NEVER been, and I doubt will ever be, a more accurate, true-to-the-book, adaptation ever published, printed, or released. I read the mini novelettes first, and a few years later, the movie was released, (as a two VHS cassette set, which should tell you how old I am ~ LOL). They could not have picked a better cast to fill the roles of the characters in the book. And each and every actor was so bang-on, amazingly and incredibly accurate to the character they were meant to depict, it truly was unreal. I have NEVER seen a movie based on a book where the actors so closely matched the characters that I pictured in my mind as I read the book. If you haven't read the books, you should, and then watch the movie, you will be as astounded as I was!! I will end this post by listing "my" most anticipated book-to-movie adaptations that have recently been or are expected to be released in the next couple of years. Some of these I can hardly wait for (and will hashtag), and wish I could snap my fingers and have them now! (Although this list is mostly movies that I would like to see, I've also included movies based on either the book and author, or the cast of characters. "*" will denote books I've read, "~" will denote movies I want to see, and "~*~" means both and that I can't wait for it to be released!). A Hologram For The King ~ Dave Eggers ~ Unknown A Thousand Splendid Suns ~ Khaled Hosseini ~ Unknown A Walk in the Woods ~ Bill Bryson ~ Unknown (~) American Sniper ~ Chris Kyle ~ Unknown (~) Ashes In The Snow (Between Shades of Grey) ~ Ruta Sepetys ~ Unknown Blood Red Road ~ Moira Young ~ Unknown (~*~) Chaos Walking ~ Patrick Ness ~ Unknown (~) Dark Places ~ Gillian Flynn ~ Unknown (~) Don't Point That Thing At Me ~ The Mordecai Trilogy ~ Kyril Bonfiglioli ~ January 23 Every Secret Thing ~ Laura Lippman ~ May 15 Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them ~J.K. Rowling ~ 2016 Frankenstein ~ Mary Shelley ~ October 2 Hush, Hush ~ Becca Fitzpatrick ~ Unknown Inferno ~ Dan Brown ~ December 18 Insurgent ~ Veronica Roth ~ March 20 (~*~) Into the Forest ~ Jean Hegland ~ Unknown Into The Heart of The Sea ~ Nathaniel Philbrick ~ December 11 Into Thin Air ~ Jon Krakaur ~ September 18 Legend ~ Marie Lu ~ 2016 Love, Rosie (Where Rainbows End) ~ Cecelia Ahern ~ Feb 6 (~) Madame Bovary ~ Gustave Flaubert ~ June 12 Matched ~ Ally Condie ~ Unknown (~*~) Maximum Ride ~ James Patterson ~ Unknown Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children ~ Ransom Riggs ~ July 31 (~*~) Mocking Jay ~ Suzanne Collins ~ November 20 (~*~) Pan ~ J.M. Barrie ~ July 24 (~) Paper Towns ~ John Green ~ June 19 Paranormalcy ~ Kiersten White ~ Unknown Pride and Prejudice and Zombies ~ Seth Grahame-Smith ~ Unknown Room ~ Emma Donahue ~ Unknown (~) Shiver ~ Maggie Stiefvater ~ Unknown (~*~) Still Alice ~ Lisa Genova ~ Jan 16 The 5th Wave ~ Rick Yancy ~ 2016 The Chronicles of Narnia, The Silver Chair ~ C.S. Lewis ~ 2016 The D.U.F.F. (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) ~ Kody Keplinger ~ Feb 20 (~) The Forest of Hands And Teeth ~ Carrie Ryan ~ Unknown The Great Gilly Hopkins ~ Katherine Patterson ~ Unknown The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel ~ (Cassandra Clare ~ Unknown The Jungle Book ~ Rudyard Kipling ~ Unknown The Last (Spooks) Apprentice (Seventh Son) ~ Joseph Delaney ~ February 6 The Longest Ride ~ Nicholas Sparks ~ April 10 (~) The Martian ~ Andy Weir ~ November 25 The Price of Salt ~ Patricia ~ Unknown The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge ~ Michael Punke ~ Dec. 25 The Scorch Trials ~ James Dashner ~ September 18 (~*~) The Scorpio Races ~ Maggie Stiefvater ~ Unknown The Secret in their Eyes ~ Eduardo Sacheri ~ October 23 The Testing ~ Joelle Charbonneau ~ Unknown (~) The World Made Straight ~ Ron Rash ~ January 9 True Story; Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa ~ Michael Fenkel ~ Apr 17 Uglies ~ Scott Westerfeld ~ Unknown (~*~) Unwind ~ Neal Shusterman ~ 2016 (~*~) Where Rainbows End (Love, Rosie) ~ Cecelia Ahern ~ February 6 I am sure that there are probably many that I am missing or have overlooked, but here is a list from Movie Insider that although all movie release dates are TBA, they do list the movie titles and month of release date. (Some of the books on my list and this list are the same, but follow this link for a more detailed list: http://www.movieinsider.com/movies/-/2016/. See you at the theatre (or the library)!! #Flashback #FlashbackFriday #MemoryLane #Memories #RememberWhen #WeekendWanderings #Orcanut #BooksToMovies #RaiseAReader #BookAndMovieLoversUnite #Movies #NewMovieRelease #TheBigScreen #Actors #CharactersInABook #Screens #BookOrMovieFirst #MoviesBasedOnBooks #FaceToGoWithAName #TheGreenMileStephenKing #BloodRedRoadMoiraYoung #InsurgentVeronicaRoth #TheScorchTrialsJamesDashner #ShiverMaggieStiefvater #TheScorpioRacesMaggieStiefvater #UgliesScottWesterfeld #UnwindNealShusterman #MatchedAllyCondie #PeregrineHomePeculiarChildrenRansomRiggs TooManyMoviesToHashtag