Saturday Special: In the Bleak Midwinter

What: In the Bleak Midwinter

Where: Shetler Studios
             244 W. 54th St.
             (Between Broadway & 8th Ave,)
             12th Floor
             New York, NY

When: Through Sunday September 23, 2018

Who: Teens and Up

Mom - In the Bleak Midwinter is a story that deals with an issue that affects many of us - what to do about our elderly parents when they are getting too old to take care of themselves. However, in this story the issue has an added layer because Elizbeth wants to keep the farm that has been in the family for generations going, and her daughter and her daughter's husband want to sell it off to developers. No matter what side of the issue you are on, this show will stir your emotions. It is a terrifically well acted and well written show. It was written by Dorothy Lyman, who also stars as Elizabeth. Ms. Lyman is best know for her roles as Opal on the now defunct soap opera, All My Children, and as Naomi in the sitcom, Mama's Family, a spinoff of the Carol Burnett Show. Her daughter is played by Abigail Spencer, who is currently one of the stars of Blue Bloods. Their interaction as mother and daughter is so real and believable that you immediately get drawn into the story. Their co-stars although not necessarily as well known as Ms. Lyman and Ms. Spencer are equally as good. Although, they are a number of light humorous moments in the show, this is not by any stretch of the imagination a light happy show. However, it is definitely worth seeing for the fine performances.

For more information about this show or to order tickets to one of the final performances, visit  www.stuffedoliveinc.com. 

And that's Mom's view. Tune in tomorrow for this week's Sunday Scoop.

Photo credit: All In the Bleak Midwinter production photos by Sally Davis

Due to circumstances beyond our control Funtivity Friday is closed this week.

Giveaway: Win a Fun Trivia Book in the Fall Break Giveaway Hop!

Fall Break Giveaway Hop hosted by Savings in Seconds

If you want to take a fun break this fall, you'll want to get one of buzztime's Trivia books. Each of these five books contains tons of amusing puzzles revolving around a particular theme put together by somebody who works in that particular field. They are put together in such way that you cannot cheat or accidentally see the answers to different questions when you are looking up the answer to one question. This makes them even more fun. It also makes it easy to go through these books by yourself if you want to although it is fun to go through them with others as well. All the answers are multiple choice so if you don't know an answer you can always guess. For more about these books, see our previous post Tips for Tuesday: buzztime Trivia Books. Enter to win a book below.

Giveaway Dates 9/21 - 10/3

Giveaway Open to Ages 18+ US

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Once you have entered our giveaway, hop around to all the other blogs listed below to see what other giveaways you can enter to win.

Disclaimer: Hosts and participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors or self-sponsoring bloggers who do not fulfill prize obligations.

Theater Thursday - Head Over Heels

What: Head Over Heels

Where: Hudson Theatre
             145 W. 44th St.
             New York, NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 13 and Up

Me - Head Over Heels was a very unique show. I wasn't really sure what to expect from it, but in the end I found it to be pretty enjoyable. It's about a royal family whose life is flipped around when the king learns of  multiple prophecies surrounding the kingdom. The least enjoyable aspect for me was the old fashioned Elizabethan dialect which I hadn't known about previously and took  me some adjusting to. Aside from that, however, it was fairly easy to follow. Considering the fact that the soundtrack was all songs originally sung by the GoGo's, I expected the music to be one of the best parts, and I was not disappointed.  My second favorite part of the show was the romance. There were two couples that were the main focus of the story, and I thought that both of them were really cute.  Although this was definitely not one of the best shows that I've ever seen, I did end up liking it a lot.*

*The above is a guest post by older sister, Melia

Mom - Head Over Heels is quite an unusual musical. It combines two subject that you never would have thought of combining Arcadia, a 16th century story by Philip Sidney, and the music of the GoGo's. Yet, somehow it works. The show is full of sex and romance and definitely not appropriate for young children. It is also hard to follow at times particulary due to the Elizabethan dialect. However, the story is entertaining and full of humor. The music is the highlight of the show, by far, and if you are a fan of GoGo's music, you will probably enjoy this show. If you are not fan of the GoGo's music and/or Elizabethan literature, you may not enjoy the show.  However, if you are interested in seeing something completely different you might want to give it a try since it is a fairly amusing and engaging show.

And that's our view. Tune in Saturday Special.

Photo credits: All Head Over Heels production photos by Joan Marcus

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Brooklyn Boulders

What: Brooklyn Boulders

Where: 575 Degraw Street
             Brooklyn, New York

Who: Ages 5 and up
 
 

Me - Brooklyn Boulders is a rocking climbing place. It is really fun. There are a bunch of different rock climbing walls. There was even one that was upside down. However, you had to be a certain age or have a certain level of training to go on that one. Some rock walls were harder  to climb than others and they all had harder and easier courses. You knew the difference because there were different colors for different levels of ability. My sister and I only climbed at the easiest level, but we have never really been rock climbing except for easy courses at amusement parks or playgrounds, but even that was a while ago. Some of the courses you needed a rope for and others you didn't. Experienced climbers could climb a course with a rope that somebody holds for them. Inexperienced climbers like us could only use a course with an automatic rope. The rope let you down when you were done climbing. On the other courses, you had to climb halfway down and jump. I could not land on my feet when I jumped. I landed and then I fell back every time. The climbing was hard work, and it hurt my hands. It was worth it though because it was a lot of fun.

 
 

Mom  - If you are looking for unique way for you and/or your kids to get active, Brooklyn Boulders is a good choice. It is full of a wide variety of climbing surfaces all of which offer a wide selection of climbing paths.  Whether you are new to climbing or you are an expert climber you can find a path on almost every available surface that is suited to your skill level. They also offer climbing classes, climbing teams and even private lessons. At Brooklyn Boulders, unlike at a gym where you have to have a membership to come and use the equipment, you don't have to have a membership to come and climb. While they do offer both annual and monthly memberships, day passes and ten packs are also available. You don't need to own any special equipment to come and climb either, anything you need can be rented right on the premises. For basic simple climbing, you don't really need that much equipment anyway just chalk for gripping and a pair of climbing shoes. You don't have to be a good athlete or even like sports to enjoy a visit to Brooklyn Boulders. It's a fun way to get exercise at any age.

 
 
And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Theater Thursday.

Tips for Tuesday: Books: buzztime Trivia Books, Zen Bunnies: Mediations for the Wise Minds of Bunny Lovers, and The Found Child

We may have been given some of the below mentioned books for free for review purposes. This post also may contain affliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, we will be compensated. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

Me- Today I am recommending buzztime Trivia books. They have a whole series of trivia books with different topics including: TV, movies, rock and roll, sports and general entertainment. I really like that you can't possibly cheat or accidentally see the answer to a different question when you look up the answers because each answer is on a different page. This also makes it possible to play even if you are by yourself. Some questions are harder and some are easier making it easier to play along no matter what your skill level or knowledge of the subject is. Also, the questions are from different time periods so you don't have to be a certain age to play along. All the questions are multiple choice so even if you have no idea or no knowledge of a particular subject you can still guess. buzztime Trivia books are a really fun time filler, and I would really recommend them.

Mom - Today I am recommending two books.

First I am recommending the nonfiction book Zen Bunnies: Mediations for the Wise Minds of Bunny Lovers by Gautama Buddha.  It combines adorable pictures of rabbits with spirtual mantras. Each page contains a bunny picture, a saying, and an explaination of that saying. It a quick and fun book to read. It is great for if you need to chill out and/or refocus. It is also great if you just need some cheering up unless, of course,  you are immune to cute bunny pictures.

The second book I am recommending today is The Found Child by Jo Crow. What if your child disappeared but the child that is returned to you isn't actually your child? That is exactly what happens to Elaine Jennson. After a scary incident of postpartum depression, Elaine's son, Jake is kidnapped and shortly after found and returned to Elaine and her husband. However, a few years later, Jake needs a bone marrow transplant, and it turns out that neither Elaine nor her husband could possibly be the biological parent of Jake. So where is the real Jake and who is the child Elaine has been raising? This book is so full of twists and turns, you'll never be able to see where the story is going. From start to finish it's one heck of an exciting ride, and you won't be able to put it down.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Monkeys

Me - I love monkeys. They are so cute. I especially love little monkeys. I have seen lots of monkeys in the zoo. I have been to a lot of zoos, such as, four different zoos in New York City and the Philadelphia Zoo. My favorite was the Philadelphia zoo. When I went to the Philadelphia zoo, there was a newborn baby monkey that was clinging to its Mom's back. It was so cute.

I like finger monkeys. They are so cute and tiny.I also like bigger monkey's like Bonobos and Chimpanzees. They are cute too.

There have been monkeys in a lot of movies and TV shows. In the TV show, Friends, there was a monkey named Marcel in several episodes. He was cute too. The monkey who played Marcel was really a girl monkey named Katie. The only movie with monkeys I remember seeing is The Wizard of Oz. The monkeys in that movie were okay. They weren't as bad. as the witch. I like Blubo the monkey in Chris Colfer's Land of Stories of books.  All in all, I just love monkeys.

Mom - I love monkeys. They are cute and funny. When I was little, I always wanted a pet chimpanzee. A pet store near us had a monkey, but it wasn't a chimpanzee. Chimpanzee's always seemed so much like humans. They were even in a lot of TV shows and movies.  That is probably why I always wanted one. Of course, I never had one though. When I  was older I heard about that chimpanzee who ripped off that lady's face. Then, I was glad that I did not have a chimpanzee.

Bonobos are similiar to chimpanzees. I first heard of Bonobos when I saw the show, Come From Away. There were a couple of Bonobos on the planes that were forced to land in Gander, Newfoundland after 9/11.

Baboons are funny, but they are not that cute. They have baboons at the Safari at Great Adventure Amusement Park in Jackson, New Jersey. Before when you could drive your own car through the safari, the baboons would climb on people's car. Sometimes, they would even pull things off people's cars. Then, they put the baboons behind fences. Now, they don't even have the baboons on display at all. I miss them. They were one of my favorite parts of the safari.

We have seen a lot of cute monkeys in zoos including  a mother and baby pair at the Phildelphia Zoo. Once, we even saw a monkey at the Point Pleasant Aquarium. I think it was a Pygmy Marmoset. Pygmy Marmoset's can be really tiny and cute. Monkeys of all size are so much fun to watch.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Photo credits
photo credit 1: jjjj56cp 0080e2 Vervet close-up via photopin (license)
photo credit 2: Cloudtail the Snow Leopard Gelada via photopin (license)
photo credit 3: BZD1 20171025-Apenheul-148.jpg via photopin (license)
photo credit 4: BZD1 2017-05-08-0557 via photopin (license)
photo credit 5: bobosh_t Bonobo via photopin (license)
photo credit 6: Rod Waddington Olive Baboons via photopin (license)
photo credit 7: Eric Kilby Marmoset on Branches via photopin (license)