The first one I watched was Twilight. Now, in all honesty I have to say that I have not read the book, and after seeing the movie, I would hope that the books are much better. For those of you who have not heard of Twilight it is a modern-day love story between a teenage girl and a vampire. The movie was entertaining, but not my favorite. (Sorry Bella and Edward fans!) I can see how the story would appeal to the 'pre-teen' - 'teen' age group though.
Then I saw Fireproof. I was really looking forward to seeing this movie as I had just finished reading the book. In Fireproof, Kirk Cameron (who is still a cutie!) is a firefighter and in an attempt to save his failing marriage he follows a 40-day experiment known as the "Love Dare". He also learns that the firefighter's motto "Never leave your partner behind" is as important in his marriage as it is in his profession. While the movie wasn't as good as the book, it was worth seeing and the message was invaluable.
Last, but far from least, I saw The Secret Life of Bees. All I can say is "WOW". That was one of the best movies that I have seen in a long, long time. This is an incredibly powerful and moving tale of Lily Owens, a 14 year-old girl played by Dakota Fanning, who is haunted by the memory of her late mother who died when she was just a toddler. To escape her lonely life and the troubled relationship she has with her father, she sets out in hopes of discovering more about her mother's past.
Last, but far from least, I saw The Secret Life of Bees. All I can say is "WOW". That was one of the best movies that I have seen in a long, long time. This is an incredibly powerful and moving tale of Lily Owens, a 14 year-old girl played by Dakota Fanning, who is haunted by the memory of her late mother who died when she was just a toddler. To escape her lonely life and the troubled relationship she has with her father, she sets out in hopes of discovering more about her mother's past.
I was surprised to see all the big names in this film. In addition to Dakota Fanning, an outstanding actress, there was Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson and Alicia Keys. What a great cast! I would highly recommend this movie and keep the tissues close at hand...
While we were on the island, we walked along admiring all the beautiful cottages and this particular one really caught my attention. In fact, as we walked past, it took everything in me to stay on the sidewalk and not ascend the steps and snuggle into the chair that the cat occupied.
Who could resist a white wicker rocking chair with a soft cushion on the veranda of an absolutely beautiful cottage? As I stood there and took a couple of photos, I found myself being very jealous of the priviledged cat that lived there! I wanted this to be my porch, not his! 
I imagined coming home each day, climbing the slate stairs, holding onto the iron railing, walking past the watering cans and admiring the flowers in my gardens. 
I could see myself inviting friends over to 'sit for a spell' on my porch. We would enjoy fresh lemonade, cookies and interesting conversation.
They would all comment on how beautiful my hollyhocks were - the color unlike any others on the island! And we would smile at all the tourists walking past, knowing that they too admired my pretty little home and wished they could live here.
Their house is situated with their back yard on a canal, where they dock their boat in the summer, and they are right across the street from beautiful Pigeon Lake.
With just a little neighbourhood park and beach between them and the lake, they have a full view of the water at all times.
Even though there was still ice on the lake, the fact that I was standing on a beach after a long winter made me want to put down a towel and do some sunbathing! My family was greatly relieved that I resisted the urge though!!!
I think the sun and the water put everyone in a good mood. My guys even willingly gave me a smile for the camera! 
As we walked around the neighborhood, we met a sweet litter of puppies! They were too cute and of course my son wanted to take one home. But at $1,500.00 a piece, there wasn't a chance!
The ducks were taking advantage of the thawed area where the canal meets the lake.
When our visit was over, we said our good-buys and drove off into the sunset. I was filled with a real sense of well-being, having reconnected with family and having spent time enjoying a wonderful Spring-like day. 
I would have to say that my Betty Crocker cookbook is truly a treasure. I have picked up many other cookbooks throughout the years (sorry Betty), but for good, solid, no-nonsense recipes and cooking advice, I return to Betty time and time again.
After all, if you need to know how long to cook a turkey, she can help. If you want to know how to bake with yeast, Betty will tell you. If you don't know the difference between roasting, broiling, baking, panbroiling, panfrying, braising, or boiling - it's all in her book. She even shares a great Chocolate Fondue recipe! (You didn't think I would overlook that one, did you?)
Tonight, I returned to Betty's cookbook for one of my all-time favorites - Creamy Scalloped Potatoes. This is an absolutely delicious recipe that I have made many, many times. It goes so well with a number of different meats, especially ham, and is quite simple to make.
If you would like to give this recipe a try, I know you will enjoy it. And I am sure that Betty won't mind if I share it with you! After all, what are friends for?
Craig & Karen
For both layouts I used new papers from Kaiser Craft, Bazzill flowers, Close to My Heart rub-ons, Kaiser Craft gems and Chatter Box brads and chipboard. The Island Charm title letters are Doodlebug Design's Loopy Lou alpha stickers.
