The Friday 56 - Week 197

Welcome to Week 196!

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post to the Linky at Freda's Voice. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Add to your Goodreads shelf.

Page 56 was a picture, so this is from page 156.

I love stuffing. I always have. It's one of my favorite things to eat--hot, cold, with gravy, or naked (the stuffing, silly).

I'm working today, so I probably won't comment back until later tonight.

Why a Fan Base is So Important on DWTS

Photo from ABC.go.com

I'm not a reality show fan, but when I heard Melissa (Halfpint) Gilbert was going to be on the 14th season of Dancing with the Stars, I wanted to take a look to see how she did. While I am usually catching the shows on ABC's website after the results show has aired, I still haven't missed an episode.

Gilbert got her dancing shoes on in Little House on the Prairie: The Musical, and has done a great job on DWTS; but take a kid like Roshon Fegan, from Disney® Channel’s Shake It Up, and try to figure out why he has been in two dancing duels while Gilbert has gotten saved. The fans have to be making up a huge part of the difference between Gilbert's scores and her final standings.

I have to say, the judges didn't do right by her and partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, or by Team Paso this week. If anything, I felt Gilbert's last two dances have been much more fluid and in-sync than her others. That said, Fegan has been a more consistent performer. The judges don't seem to like his hip-hop style, though. Also, many of his fans probably don't meet the required age to vote in DWTS.

You could tell by Gilbert's reaction to being told they were safe this week, that it was a total shock. Even Maks seemed to think they were going to the duel. He truly lucked out by being paired with a TV icon who has tons of "bonnetheads" out there rooting for her.

I'm afraid it's going to be a tough week coming up for Team Gilbert now that there are only six couples left and four of them are consistently receiving good marks. I hope the type of dance they will perform on Monday is one geared to take advantage of her strengths.

Seasonal Movie Review: The Christmas Pageant

Photo credit Hallmark Channel

Director Vera Parks (Melissa Gilbert) has a career that is going nowhere fast. Labeled as difficult, she gets fired from several jobs in a row. Her manager, Peter (Steve Lawrence) manages to get her a job directing a small town Christmas pageant.

Things go from bad to worse quickly. While some are eager to work with her, others are destined to fight any change Vera suggests. Vera has problems adjusting from her glamorous life in New York City to the simple life in Ashton Falls. Then she runs into her ex-fiancé, Jack Harmond (Robert Mailhouse). Vera is soon considering whether she should return to New York or stick it out in Ashton Falls.

If ever there was a movie that Melissa Gilbert was born to star in, it's The Christmas Pageant. If Little House on the Prairie was set in modern times, then the storyline from this movie would be a perfect fit. A woman whose life centers around her career and posh city life, ends up in a simple town where there is one mail carrier and everyone knows each other. It's not long before Ashton Falls and its people begin to grow on Vera.

A blend of funny and sweet, this is a classic Hallmark romance. With a superb cast and quaint setting you can't go wrong. If you are looking for a story that will touch your heart and remind you of the joys of being home, be sure to catch this movie on the Hallmark Channel in December. The next showing is Wednesday, December 21st at 10/9 Central.