Stephanie Life of Determination

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again!  doesn't come out until July 20th, but my mom and I won two tickets for an early screening.  We were so excited and couldn't wait to see it. As we walk into the theatre there are security guards ask us to put our phones in our purse. The theatre next to ours they were physically taking phones away from people and putting them in envelopes. I believe they were viewing the new Van Disel movie. Anyways, I was so excited because I loved the first Mamma Mia!  Plus I love ABBA and the Broadway musical too. The 270 seats were all full and everyone eating their popcorn and candy.  The music started to play as the Legendary Entertainment logo is played on the screen.we were so excited. The cast from the first one is all reunited except for one character and you will have to see the movie to find out who that character is. This sequel's story was not what I thought it was going to be about. The trailer makes it seem to be all about Sophie having a

Hi readers. I have been struggling with life as we speak. My rock, my baby boy, my best friend past away the end of May.  As many of you know Jakie, my baby boy was suffering from sinus cancer and a liver mass. I was really hoping I could get one more year with him. I wanted to see him turn 17 years old. We didn't make it. He did, however, live longer than the vet told us. She told me 3-4 weeks, but he lived for 23 weeks. He was doing so well in December- February, but by the end of March he cancer started taking over his right eye and his nose had a lot of discharge which had to be suctioned out 2-4 times a day. Then at the end of April, he started retaining fluid on his abdomen. The vet put him on water pills.  The vet was having me give him 2 - 1/2 tablets a day. I don't know if the water pills were killing his appetite or if the fluid plus the liver mass was causing him not to want to eat. He ate but nothing like he used to.  But because he wasn't eating much he was l

Whitney After six years, a well thought out documentary on Whitney Houston has been made.  Whitney is an in-depth look at the life and music of Whitney Houston. Through two hours Kevin Macdonald, writer/director, gave an insight of what Whitney was going through throughout her life and career. The movie opens up with a variety of what was happening during the year 1960s during Whitney’s childhood. Many snapshots and videos showing what her parents had to deal with while raising her and her brothers in Newwark, New Jersey with all the violence and race riots. The film then speeds fast forward to the 1980s where her career really takes off. We see her getting booed at the Soul Awards because the African American community felt she was turning white. Fame was slowing catching up to her. Whitney enjoyed sex and did play around with her sexuality trying to keep it secret to the press until she met R&B artist Bobby Brown. He changed her life for the better and for the worse. 

Books pass the time when I'm at the doctors' offices, so I thought I would put some book reviews on here.   I got my hands on Jody Hedlund's book  Newton & Polly.   I was drawn to her book because of the cover and description.              This is a typical historical faith romance. A boy meets girl, but boy or girl has to fight to be together, usually because of re ligious views and financial class.   Newton & Polly  reminds me a lot of  West Side Story  and even  Romeo and Juliet .  John Newton, a sailor, who sails the sea just living life because he has to.  His father finds him jobs but he tends to screw them up. One day, Newton meets a beautiful dashing woman but is faced with the reality of her being of the wealthy class and he isn’t. She falls madly in love with him, but her father says, "no".  Newton won't take "no" for an answer.  Polly's father will do whatever he can to make sure Newton, the bad boy, will stay clear awa

OMG!! I can't believe it. Pop!  Funko is coming out with an I Love Lucy line. You don't know how excited I am. I love anything Lucille Ball & I Love Lucy. I have a huge collection. One day I should show you my collection because it is pretty crazy.   According to Funko's site, they will be coming out sometime in August 2018. Barnes and Noble and Target will have the exclusive black and white version.  

Award-winning author and speaker Latan Roland Murphy's book " Courageous Women of the Bible" " empowers women through stories of choices that positioned them for success. She encourages her readers to look beyond their circumstances by laying out ways to develop more courage through scripture. She has her readers look at eleven biblical stories such as  Deborah, Widow with Two Coins, Joel, Abigail, Bathsheba, Samantain Women, Mary, Mother of Jesus, Shulammite Women described, Shunammite Women. As someone who isn't very familiar with the Bible I had a hard time connecting the women from the Bible and relating it to myself without having to do more studying. However, I did find some very inspiring messages such as: "Obstacles are simply opportunities with God by our side." "Own your tomorrow by making your way to Jesus today" -p. 48 There are many great messages in her book. However, I really wish she explained in detail more on the eleve

Trailers sure can make movies look good.  For me, this is what happened with Red Sparrow .  Jennifer Lawerance plays a Russian Ballerina who gets injured and is forced into being a Russian spy by her uncle, so she can help pay for her sick mother. While on her mission she runs into an American spy who changes her mind into helping the American catch the Russian mole. This movie takes you on the journey of deciding whom can you trust and whom can you not trust. It is a movie with twists and turns.  I am very surprised this movie was not rated NC-17 for the severity of the nudity, sex, and rape in this film. Red Sparrow is filled with lots of uncomfortable sex scenes.  Not only do you see Jennifer Lawerance's breasts and butt you will also see many men's penises as well. There is a lot of violence including some pretty graphic rape and sex scenes. I am all for movies that have sex and violence in them as long as it has a purpose.  Yes, the sex and violence in this film have