Tag Archives: 2015

October Kiss

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Did you celebrate Halloween when you were a kid?

Poppy is confused…well, not really confused, but, she just seems a bit unfocused. At the beginning of the movie, she’s teaching a yoga class…she unexpectedly discovers that one of her elderly pupils does a better job of teaching yoga than she – so, she hands the class over to her pupil, making her the new teacher.

Poppy seems to not really know what she wants…almost as if she’s searching, trying to find herself. Her sister wants her to find somebody to date and get married (I notice this convention used in Hallmark Movies and romance novels quite a lot. The female lead has a mom, sister, or some other female relative or friend to hound her about dating somebody nice and getting married. Do you think female folks bother their friends about their non-dating status as much as they do in Hallmark Movies and romance  novels?)

Poppy’s sister is able to find the “perfect” job for Poppy, as a nanny. Widower and workaholic Ryan needs a nanny for his kids. He hires Poppy. After one day with his irritating kids, she’s ready to quit, but, he convinces her to stay on. Of course you know what happens – they fall for each other, in spite of Ryan’s dating his attractive co-worker.

It took me a long time to warm up to this movie. I didn’t really like the first half. The second half was much better. I think it was just hard for me to like Ryan’s kids – I couldn’t stand them, actually. They were rude, irritating and just…not very nice. They had no manners, either. They were over-the-top nasty, irritating children and that’s why I almost changed the channel.

Once they became endeared to Poppy, things did get better for me (as far as my movie entertainment went).

I really liked all of the autumn and Halloween scenery. Seeing this film made me think about my younger days, when I was around the age of Ryan’s children. We didn’t celebrate Halloween (I was allowed to pass out candy, though). It never bothered me about not celebrating – dressing up never appealed to me. I guess I’d have liked to go out trick or treating just because my friends were doing it. I was more interested in celebrating Christmas instead of Halloween. We didn’t celebrate Christmas in our house either.

Have you ever known anyone who decorated his/her home for Halloween?

Poppy and the kids went all out on the Halloween decorations and costumes, didn’t they? It was a nice bonding tool between for her and Ryan’s kids.

So, did you celebrate Halloween as a child? If so, what did you do to celebrate? Did you enjoy it?

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Surprised by Love

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Have you ever pretended to be in a relationship? What happened?

I’ve seen this movie so many times! I was off from work today since there was a snowstorm. Schools and jobs were shut down for the day. So while I spent the day writing, I happened to see Surprised by Love come on the Hallmark Channel so, I just had to stop and watch.

This is such a cute, fun movie and I love watching it over and over again. When Josie runs into Gridley in the park, they reconnect. Gridley and Josie are high school pals and they haven’t seen each other in a long time.

Gridley is a…well, I’m not really sure what to call him! He makes these artistic animals and creatures using driftwood, or something. Frankly, I think the animals that he creates are NOT attractive, but, Josie likes them.

Gridley doesn’t have a phone and it appears that he’s barely making ends meet with his animal/structure making business in the park. He sells these creations in the park every day. When Josie brings her boyfriend (Richard) with her to Gridley’s “selling place/business section” in the park, her upper-class boyfriend (Richard) comes up with a brilliant idea.

Since Josie’s parents dislike Richard why doesn’t she bring Gridley as her new “beau” to her parents’ anniversary party? Once they see “loser” Gridley, Richard will suddenly look like an amazing knight in shining armor! Her parents will learn to appreciate Richard after spending the weekend with “loser” Gridley.

I loved how Gridley made himself at home at Josie’s parents’ house. Her parents recalled meeting Gridley during Josie’s high school years (They didn’t like him very much). Soon the family accepts him into their home and they start to grow feelings for him. I was completely FLOORED when I found out that Josie’s grandpa could talk! He only trusts Gridley with his secret. No way could I hide something like that if I were grandpa.

I recall seeing the actor who played the grandpa, Tim Conway, long ago on the Carol Burnett show! I LOVED seeing him on that show! He was a hoot, oh so funny!

I loved how Gridley and Josie reconnected. I was surprised that Gridley used to be a student at MIT but dropped out when his mom died. I think Gridley is happy with what he does, making his driftwood creations, and is not concerned about money.

But, honestly, I don’t think I could be happy if I didn’t have the money to do all that I wanted. Like, if I want to get my hair done, or get a new outfit, or go out to dinner – well, if I’m always scrimping to the point that I think about every cent – well, that’d put a damper on my day. I scrimped a lot in my younger years, but as I’ve grown older and more settled and comfortable in my life and my job, it’d be hard to suddenly live my life working in a park – if you know what I mean! But circumstances arise and sometimes you do what you have to do!

But, since Gridley has no other obligations (He’s by himself and has no dependents), I think it’s easy for him to be somewhat of a hippie. I really enjoyed seeing Josie and Gridley go to their old high school and talk about old times. I also liked the side story about Josie’s sister – she kind of reminds me of Gridley in a way. She dropped out of school and she’s a singer – and she’s happy doing what she does. She also has a big crush on the boy next door, which was so cute! Plus, her green hair, thanks to Gridley’s cheap hat, is so adorable, too!

This movie is one of my faves! So sweet and good!

So, have you ever been in a pretend relationship? If so, what happened? Did you develop feelings for the other person?

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A Christmas Detour

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Have you ever met an interesting stranger while you were traveling?

Paige, who writes magazine articles about love, is on her way to meet her upper-class, stuck-up fiancé, Jack. En route, she sits next to Dylan on the plane. As is classic in many Hallmark Movies, Dylan and Paige start off on the wrong foot and do NOT get along at all.

When their plane is grounded, and they’re stranded due to a snowstorm, they must bunk in adjoining hotel rooms. Paige is anxious, simply too anxious, to make it to Jack’s. Apparently, if she does not arrive in time, their wedding would have to be postponed (which makes no sense when you think of it logically).

Paige doesn’t even LIKE Jack, yet she’s engaged to him. How awful is that? I think Paige is just in love with the IDEA of being in love and having a fairy tale wedding. Jack just needed a bride and Paige seemed to fit the bill. Jack is so uptight and stiff and…just unlikable, and his parents were the same way. I couldn’t stand them. Paige would never have been able to fit into that family.


Dylan is definitely the one for Paige. Even though he has his own set of problems with his family, he knows he needs to go home (after being absent for four years). His ex married his brother, which upsets him. However, he learns that he can’t stay away from his family forever.

This was such a nice, refreshing holiday movie. I loved seeing Paige, Dylan, and the older couple that they befriended (Frank and Maxine) spend Christmas Eve together. It was so nice and magical-looking, but, Paige couldn’t enjoy the beauty of the holiday since she was in despair about meeting up with Jack.

Of course, Dylan and Paige end up being together at the end. He basically crashes Paige’s dinner with Jack and his parents, which was great since she was NOT having a good time with them, anyway!

So, have you ever met an interesting stranger while you were traveling? Did the two of you stay in touch?

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A Country Wedding

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A Country Wedding Podcast

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing LLC. If you like movies such as A Country Wedding, then you MUST read LOVING LUKE by CECELIA DOWDY.

Loving Luke is about Kim Taylor, an unemployed accountant who returns home to assist her dad in their family’s cookie bakery. While in town, she reconnects with Luke, her childhood sweetheart.

Luke remembers how wild Kim used to be and he’s stunned to see her again. Kim mentors Luke’s daughter, showing her how to she runs her cookie bakery.

Luke has a problem and it looks like Kim is the only person who can help him solve his dilemma. READ this wonderful, classic Christmas tale! You will want to read it each Christmas. Find LOVING LUKE on ceceliadowdy.com/books, or, click on the link at the end of this blog post.

Now, let’s talk about A Country Wedding!

Do you know anybody who married his/her childhood friend? 

I’ve watched A Country Wedding so many times that I’ve lost count. This is one of my favorite Hallmark movies and I never grow tired of seeing it. I think I like this movie so much because the characters are so real and vivid. I also think there’s a bit of a romantic fantasy thrown into this movie. 

Romantic fantasy sounds a bit odd, doesn’t it? Let me explain myself. What are the odds of seeing someone, someone whom you’ve not seen since you were a child, and have the strong connection that Bradley and Sarah shared? From what I gathered, they’d not seen one another during their adult lives. I’d imagine that some men would barely remember the females they’d known as children – especially if they’d not seen them for over a decade.

Bradley is afraid to love. He’s never gotten over his parents’ untimely death, so he’s willing to settle on marriage to beautiful Katherine instead of waiting on true love. Bradley is good-looking, too, which is part of the romantic fantasy that I already mentioned. I found it kind of quirky that he didn’t really know Katherine at all. There’s NO WAY Katherine would have wanted to live in Bradley’s hometown. There’s also NO WAY Katherine really wanted to get married there, in spite of what she told Brad! While Bradley was planning his small-town wedding, with Sarah making the bridal decisions, Katherine was planning her elegant European wedding! Oh my!

The disparity between the two weddings was wide as a football field! Can you imagine the elegant Katherine being a regular part of Bradley’s hometown? I think not!

I also thought it was sweet that Bradley and Sarah married as children and Sarah had kept the ring. It was so endearing when she contacted him and sent his engagement ring.

My favorite part of the movie was when Sarah could see Bradley…I mean see him inside….his emotions, his thoughts, his fears. It was almost as if Sarah knew Bradley better than he knew himself! The most powerful part of the movie was when Sarah told Bradley how she felt and told him stuff about himself, stuff that he refused to openly admit. Here’s my favorite scene/dialog from the movie:

Brad: “Hey, what’s goin’ on with you?”

Sara: “You want the truth? ‘Cause like you said, you got a lot of people in your life who tell you what they think you want to hear, so, maybe you like it that way.”

Brad: “I’d rather hear the truth.”

Sarah: “Well, you’re about to marry a woman you barely know. You don’t know her favorite color. You don’t know her favorite flower. You don’t even know if she wants to have a family. I mean it seems to me you don’t know nothing about her at all.”

Brad: “No, I know everything I need to know.” 

Sarah: “Why are you here planning her wedding without her? Why am I here making all the decisions she should be making? Where is she?”

Brad: “I told you, she’s busy filming.”

Sarah: “Okay, look, you and I have been friends for a long time. So, I’m gonna shoot you straight.”

Brad: “Alright.”

Sarah: “You can’t marry Katherine Mann. You don’t love her.”

Brad: “I do, I do love her.”

Sarah: “Why did you kiss me?”

Brad: “I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry. I just got caught up in the music and the moment.”

Sarah: “So, that’s all that was? You got caught up in the moment?”

Brad: “Yeah.”

Sarah: “Look, I get that you’re scared. Okay, you got your heart broken as a kid and you are afraid to love too much ever again. Well, you know what? Love is scary. It is terrifying to put your heart out there but you do it anyway. You do it in spite of the fear because a life without love is just half a life! And you don’t get married because you like the same things and ’cause you live similar lifestyles. You get married because you can’t stand the thought of not being together. You get married because you love the other person with your whole heart!”

Brad: “That’s…that’s just a fantasy”

Sarah: “Maybe it is. But I don’t think you should settle for less.” 

Brad: “You know just because you knew me as a kid, it doesn’t mean you know me now.”

Sarah: “Yeah, I guess you’re right. But you and me we have a deal. Okay. You help me mend my fences and I’ll help you plan your wedding. So, I guess we’re done!”

Whew! I clapped after that scene. Go on Sarah! Bravo! She saw Bradley’s HEART. She knew his fears and she stood up to him and forced him to see within himself, made him see that he was making a mistake. Of course hard-headed Bradley didn’t admit his mistake to himself…at least not initially.

So much about this movie to love. It’s definitely one of the best Hallmark Movies.

So, do you know anybody who married his/her childhood friend? Also share your feelings about A Country Wedding. What was your favorite scene? Was there anything in the movie that resonated with you? 

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing LLC. If you like movies such as A Country Wedding, then you MUST read LOVING LUKE by CECELIA DOWDY.

Loving Luke is about Kim Taylor, an unemployed accountant who returns home to assist her dad in their family’s cookie bakery. While in town, she reconnects with Luke, her childhood sweetheart.

Luke remembers how wild Kim used to be and he’s stunned to see her again. Kim mentors Luke’s daughter, showing her how to she runs her cookie bakery.

Luke has a problem and it looks like Kim is the only person who can help him solve his dilemma. READ this wonderful, classic Christmas tale! You will want to read it each Christmas. Find LOVING LUKE on ceceliadowdy.com/books, or, click on the link at the end of this blog post.

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