Dear Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,

   I would like to thank all of you who have written the wonderful comments about my blogs. It is such a pleasure to sit and write but an even better feeling to have all these fantastic comments.
  Thanks to all who think I will one day be a popular author. Hope you have checked out my short stories on amazon.com and leave reviews. That is the only way I will begin to grow as an author.
   Thank you again!!!

E. L. Gross
 

Les Miserables

   The other night, my son and I sat down to watch Les Miserables. He actually said that he wasn't going to watch it but would stick around for a bit. He also stated, something to the effect, that he couldn't stomach a whole opera.

   There are many stories intertwined that meld perfectly in this beautiful and majestic adaptation of the book written by Victor Hugo (also known for The Hunchback of Notre Dame).

   It begins with the peasant Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman, totally unrecognizable, at first) - a man unjustly imprisoned, and all the other prisoners singing "Look Down" as they drag one of the French ships into its hold while being watched by the prison guards.

   Valjean, upon his release into parole is baffled by destiny, and hounded by his nemesis, the magnificently realized, police detective Javert (Russell Crowe).
                       

   Trying to forget his past and live an honest life, escaped convict Jean Valjean risks his freedom to take care of a young girl whose mother has died during a period of political unrest in Paris.

   Anne Hathaway plays the young girl's mother, Fantine. In a desperate attempt to support her daughter, she sells multiple things (hair, and teeth) and eventually becomes a prostitute. Anne Hathaway gives one of the most amazing performances, I have ever seen portrayed, all the while belting out "I Dreamed a Dream".

   This movie commandeers everything of 1815, France, the grit, the political turmoil, the strength in the hearts and minds of the people, and the fierce love of it's characters. The wonderful cast includes
Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks, Helena Bonham Carter, and Sacha Baron Cohen. (The last two actors will have you singing "Master of the House" for the next few days).

   The musical score is magnificent, and captures you from the minute it begins until the credits roll.

   My son, sat through the whole movie and has since downloaded many of the songs. He has just made a special request and asked me to buy the movie.

Yes, it is that good!!!!!

 

It Must Be Spring

   It must be Spring and not because of the date or the fact that one of my bushes has little buds on it, but because of the way all my animals are acting.
   The dogs (of which there are three) are acting insane. They are demanding to go out every few minutes. We let them out, they spend about 15 minutes outside and then they realize that it is still a bit chilly unless the sun is beating down on them, so they come back in.
   You are probably saying, "Why let them out that much?" Good question...Glad you asked.
   You see I have three very different types of dogs. The oldest, Molly (and meanest) is a Patterdale Terrier, she is small like a Jack Russell and black, she is almost blind and deaf (the reason for her meanness) but still feels that because she is the dominant dog that she has to kick start any barking. If anything happens in this house she must bark.
   Then we have the middle dog, Trapper (the largest). He is the smartest (bird dogs usually are) and best trained. He is the dog that is able to run around outside on his own and never leave our property. The problem with Trapper is, he can't make up his mind whether to be in or out.
   The last dog, is our two year old mutt, Butch. Half yellow Labrador (his head and his length) the other half beagle (height). He is very much duck footed and kind of resembles Tyrannosaurus Rex with his short little legs. Very lovable, very cute, but extremely stupid. We like to tell everyone that he has a sunflower seed sized brain knocking around in his big skull. His deal - wants to be where ever Trapper is (although, unlike Trapper, Butch does not listen.)
   So, they go in and out, in and out.
   Another wonderful aspect is, they have started the insane and needless barking. We close a cabinet, they bark. We walk into our own house, they bark. We say "hello" on the phone, they bark. A leaf blows by the window, they bark. It drives us nuts.

As I am writing this, all three dogs have started the insane barking again. I have to go, must sell three dogs Cheap!

Operator

   Does anyone remember the game, Operator?

   It was a game we played when we were kids. Everyone sat in a circle and one person would whisper in some one's ear. It didn't matter what you whispered in the person's ear just as long as no one else heard it. The person you whispered to then whispered what you said to the next person and so on, until the whisper went around the whole circle back to you.

   What normally happened was that by the time the whisper made it back to the person who originated it, what they whispered had become totally convoluted and not what they said at all.

   I have found that small town living, where something that one person says can make it around the town in less then two hours, and not be anything like what the original person said.

   Problem is, by the time it has made it around town it has turned into something mean and condemning to someone and everyone who has heard now believes it.

   Don't people know that spreading rumors can be one of the most devastating ways to hurt a person. I think more people should think about the kid's game Operator before repeating something. It never comes back the way it started.