Neverland in 2011

So this week I found this awesome miniseries on Netflix called NEVERLAND. It's a prequel to the Peter Pan Story. This is a story about how Peter, the Lost Boys and Hook came to NEVERLAND. I found these episodes on Netflix and when I realized they were a miniseries I was like "why not?"  Last time I found my Absolute Favorite TV Show of all Time on Netflix called MERLIN but I guess alas I was still a bit late once again. When I found MERLIN, that TV show had been on TV for at least a year and I am still a bit late finding NEVERLAND. Apparently this TV show appeared last year in 2011 on the Syfy network.

I grew up on the Disney Movies, so I grew up knowing Peter Pan in their light. I've always seen Peter Pan as a lucky boy who never wanted to grow up and who got to live in Neverland and have adventures for the rest of his life. Playing pirates with Captain Hook, Swimming with the Mermaids or Having fun with the Indians.
 Right now, actually I wish I were Wendy and Peter came to take me to Neverland. I would run as fast as possible to Neverland in a heart beat right now. I am finishing up my final years of college and I will have to finally "grow up" and get a job. Anyways NEVERLAND would be a blissfull paradise if it was anything like what I saw except for the giant scary crocodiles.

Since finding this TV show; NEVERLAND. I've been hooked!!! I wish the show would continue on and create new adventures of Peter and his friends, even include Wendy and her brothers. It would be a nice new spin on the Peter Pan I knew from the past.
 
To anyone of my Readers, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this Show!
Science Fiction and Fantasy mixed with the back story of Peter Pan.
NEVERLAND (2011) Written and directed by Nick Willing; produced by Parallel Films on behalf of MNG Films in association with Syfy and Sky Movies HD. Distributed by RHI Entertainment. It can be seen on Netflix or Youtube or maybe even the Syfy network website. If you Google it, you can find it!

I've looked online to find more information on the TV show but all I could find were stories bashing the show. So I am writing this in the Hope that Nick Willing, the writer and director knows that Someone other than critics watched your show NEVERLAND and that I loved it! Those writers who wrote negative articles on your TV show are one person's opinions and here is mine.

I absolutely loved Charlie Rowe as Peter. he was able to portray all the characteristics of Pan.
Brave, Cocky, Headstrong, Impulsive, Loyal and Resourceful everything needed to become the Hero we all know as Peter Pan. I enjoyed  seeing a new spin on familiar characters we have seen in the past come into a new light. Seeing Peter and Jimmy together I was able to see what events happened to change their relationship into Pan and Hook. The Female Pirate was quite an interesting new addition to the story. She brought more maturity to the Tale and her womanly wiles that made Hook's head turn. Seeing Hook join her crew was a major turning point for Jimmy and Peter. The Native Americans were exciting except I figured Tiger Lily would be younger, plus the utopia made of trees was amazing along with the band of Lost Boys, seeing them in London as well in Neverland. I could see their friendship change and grow stronger throughout the series. The giant crocs were a bit scary but overall I thought this series was very imaginative and full of  adventure!

The only bit I would have liked to see was more of a character development but I guess with only two episodes that is kinda hard to do. The actors though were quite good.
Rhys Ifans played the role of Captain James Hook
Charlie Rowe played the role of Peter Pan
Bob Hoskins played the role of Mr. Smee
Tinkerbell was a bit of a disappointment because she looked so different but she was voiced by Keira Knightly.  

Finding NEVERLAND in 2011 was an adventure for me and since I am in away at college preparing for my final stage of "growing up" It was a nice little burst of Pixie Dust to lift my spirits once more and let my daydreams soar!

The Call of the Theatre ~Creative Drama~

I was in a play once,

The Lights,
The stage,
The Curtain
and all those empty seats.

I am there now
on the stage, in the center looking out at all those empty seats. What a feeling to know all those seats will be filled soon just to see me on this stage.
Yes, I am in an empty room, with a clear black stage all alone. If someone were to come in and see me sitting on stage, I'd be embarrassed and quickly step away from the stage for I do not belong up here. But really who does belong up here? Only someone who is brave enough to audition and act dramatic in front of other people. I envy theater people, for I wish I could be so brave.

Confidence, Bravery, Adventurous....They all have it.

Confidence: For someone to be so comfortable and confident within themselves and be able to portray another side of themselves and become another character all together.
Bravery: Their bravery and talent are displayed for all to see.
Adventurous: Waning to explore

I was in a play once,
In 8th grade, it was called Cactus Pass. Cactus Pass was a twist on Romero and Juliet, two families that live in the wild wild west were feuding and Tim and Melissa were secret lovers. I had a small role; (but I heard there are no such thing of small roles in the theater)  I was one of the little sister's of Melissa and we are the prim and proper side of the family. Back then when I was in junior high I was a different person. I was shy and I hid myself from others, afraid to be mocked and teased for being different.  Now I smile, I talk to everyone, Anyone!
Now I have embraced my differences.  I say I don't care what others think but truthfully I do, how can you not? But whenever I get down, I always get back up again. ;)

My little sister Emily wants to be a actress, she wants to be a star in Hollywood but to me she is already a star for she has the adventurous side of herself and her bravery is shown each day as she practices for her audition into Baker's Dozen. For her high school dream is to be a mime. I can see why, knowing all these seats will be filled with someone's who want to see you!
Aziza was in a play once, She loved it! She made a lot of friends.

I was in a play once.

Cross Roads

"Where do I go from here? 
So many voices ringing in my ear, Which is the voice I was meant to hear? How will I know, Where do I go from here?"

These are lyrics from a song I feel very close to right now. A song from Disney's Pocahontas II: where she expresses her feelings of confusion and uncertainty. While trying to find the right path for her take, she turns to the Spirits to guide her to her path. I have similar feelings just like Pocahontas and right now this song helps me know I am not alone. I am having trouble finding the right path for me to take in life.
"The paths ahead is so hard to see, it winds and bends but where it ends depends on only me." I have a decision to make and I am so unsure which is the right path for me. I find myself at some cross roads, Child's Life Specialist, General Studies or Teaching? My original goal was Teaching and there were times where it felt so right. In that path there were doubts, I finally found something that felt like home but is there another path out there for me to find? How do I know? Which should I choose? I look to the Great Spirits for help, lead me to the path I am meant to take. I look to my Great Spirit, God. Help guide me to my destiny, Where do I go from here?

 

Supposed-villains turned to Under-dog Hero's from History to Hollywood

Charles Arthur, Lester Gillis, Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, do those names ring any bells? Recently I have discovered that children today do not know the simplest pop culture references. This was going to be an entry about a few of these references but then my curiosity caught the better of me.

One reference I thought was important to address is typical Disney references in our culture. I was working recently with a bunch of youngster and made a comment on how to be as swift as a coursing river, with all the force of a great typhoon, with all the strength of a raging fire and mysterious as the moon. All the kids looked confused and laughed  because they thought I was being typically funny. I was a bit disturb to find not one of these kids have ever seen the movie Mulan. I concluded the age difference and the fact Mulan is not your typical Disney Princess but instead an extraordinary Disney Heroine.

 Mulan is a Disney animated film that came out in the 1998. Mulan was the 36th Animated Disney Movie and one of the only three feature films completed at the Walt Disney MGM Studio in Orlando Florida. This movie was nominated  for the Golden Globe and the Academy Awards and won the Best Animated Feature. For those of you who do not know; Mulan is based off a Chinese legend. Mulan is the only child of the Fa Family. When the Huns invade China, one man from every family is required to serve in China's Imperial Army. To save her father's life, Mulan steals her father's armor, impersonates a soldier...AND.... Watch the movie to find out!!!

 However my recent realization is much more disturbing. That my own little sister plus two other teenagers whom did not know who Bonnie and Clyde were. Even my best friend who thought Bonnie and Clyde were two chicks who lead a dangerous life. None of these people knew or recognized the references that is until my little brother gave me a sense of relief. "Yeah, they were a pair of bank robbers or something." A pair they were, so I decided to do some investigating and discovered the truth behind the old stereotypes and the truth behind these American legends. Before my research, all I knew about these two were they were imfamous in American History. Bonnie and Clyde were known for being a tight duo of robbers that lived during the Great Depression.

Looking deeper I found the real story (granted the information came from Wikipedia) remember when I asked you about these names Charles Arthur and Lester Gillis did those names ring any bells? Maybe you will recognize these names a bit more. Pretty Boy Floyd and John Dillinger were both American bank robbers who lived during the Great Depression. The 1930's must really have been a hard time for many Americans but this is when the crime spree's of the public-enemy era began.

Baby Face Nelson

Charles Arthur aka Pretty Boy Floyd was known throughout Arkansas,Missouri and Kansas. Arthur got the nickname Pretty Boy during his time working in the underworld. One of the witness's from the bank robbery identified him as a mere boy with rosy apple cheeks that's when he received the nickname Pretty Boy, which he despised. He is known as a Gangster and Bank Robber. Pretty Boy Floyd 's most imfamous crime was the Kansas City Massacre.

 Lester Gillis aka Baby Face Nelson or Jimmy Nelson to his gang members. His nickname Baby Face was given due to his young appearance and small stature. Nelson was from Chicago IL, not too far away from my hometown Rockford IL. Baby Face Nelson teamed up with John Dillinger in a prison break. Nelson was responsible for robbing banks and murder. Murders of mostly police officers and FBI agents.

However my real interest I have saved the best for last; Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. are my two favorites hands down.Bonnie Parker was from Texas and lived there with her family. When she was in school she was very intelligent and enjoyed writing poems. She married when she was 16 years old but not to Clyde Barrow but to Ray Thorton. However Thorton and Bonnie were separated when Thorton went to prison, even though they were separated Bonnie never took off their wedding band even when she met Clyde. However, some say Clyde was the reason Bonnie turned to a life of crime but many don't know Bonnie was no stranger to the law even before she met Clyde.

Clyde Barrow was one of seven children, born to a poor farming family. Clyde's first run-ins with the law were youthful indiscretions is how I would classify it but stealing turkeys most likely for food and then going away for four years in prison I think was a total unnecessary punishment. During his time in prison, Clyde committed his first serious crime; murder. He beat a guy to death but this guy sexually assaulted him while Clyde was in prison and he blames the so-called justice system. They treat him as a criminal and he ended up being a victim. This experience changed Clyde and when he came out of prison he was a different person. Some believe Clyde's violence towards police officers and FBI agents stem from his experience in prison. He blames them for what happened to him and I don't blame him in the least. I think he is a victim of hard times and  unfortunate to be dealt a cruel hand in fate but I think a part of him changed when he met Bonnie. Love might have been able to find its way into his life, even though most of his life he spent on the run and in the slums. When Bonnie and Clyde met their were instantly drawn to one another, They were never married but their love story still lives on today and in history.

   The Barrow Gang

Clyde was the leader of the Barrow Gang and its members included Bonnie Parker, his brother Buck Barrow, his brother's wife Blanche Barrow, childhood friend W.D. Jones, Henry Methvin, Joe Palmer and Ralph Frults. The Barrow Gang robbed throughout the Central United States mostly banks and a few gas stations here and there. This time, (the Great Depression) was labeled the public-enemy era Bonnie and Clyde were no strangers with the other outlaws in fact partnerships have been formed and alliances alined.

Where there is a villain there is always a hero. The heroes' this time are the police officers, those who are supposed to uphold the law and protect the people. However, when I was reading about Clyde, Bonnie and their gang I found myself immersed in their world of crime and adventure but like all adventures they must end. The Gibsland Posse ambushed them on a dirt road in Louisiana. Their public image of guns blazing and bullets flying was what the public thought of the couple. Bonnie and Clyde's car was shot up in a blaze of bullets. Clyde died first with a bullet to the head, once Bonnie realized Clyde was dead. Bonnie's scream rang throughout the entire field until she followed him in death. 50 bullets total were used to kill the couple The news of their swarmed the nearby town, the posse went to the sheriff's office and left their bodies to get their reward money. 

This is the real sick part, a public swarm of people started raiding the car and disrespecting their bodies. People would cut off Bonnie's hair and pieces of her bloody clothing. Grabbing glass from their car or fragments of the crime scene, several people cut up their bodies, one man even took Clyde's trigger finger all as souvenirs. For their reputations were popular among the public but what disgusts me is how much the public benefited from their deaths. People from all over the country would come to see their bodies and all the surrounding towns made profit off food, gas and beer from the tourists who came to Bonnie and Clyde's funerals.Bonnie and Clyde wished to buried together but her family would never allow it so they are separated only physically but spiritually they are together or so I believe. Bonnie Parker is buried in Dallas Texas and Clyde Barrow is buried with his brother in Dallas as well but in different cemeteries.With the the death of Bonnie and Clyde came the beginning of the end of the public-enemy era.Two months after Bonnie and Clyde's death, John Dillinger was killed in the city of Chicago, then Pretty Boy got shot and killed in Ohio and one month later Baby Face Nelson rounded up the end of the Public-Enemy Era in Illinois.

The stereotypes of these two has been exaggerated over the years. Something about these two have intrigued the nation now and even back then in the 1930's. Public impressions of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are misconceived. Bonnie was this malicious woman who smoked cigars and just as trigger happy as her boyfriend Clyde which is false. W.D Jones former member of the Barrow gang said Bonnie disliked guns and he never saw her ever shoot a gun. All the photos taken were for their fun times and completely harmless. Clyde however was very cold and often trigger happy when dealing with police officers but even though he was said to be cold and heartless he never lacked loyalty. He would never leave any member of his gang behind. He even went as far to spring his friends out of prison and cared very deeply for Bonnie. All impressions I had of those two were from the television show The New Adventures of Superman: Lois and Clark. There is an episode where a scientist brought their clones back to life and I caught a glimpse of their persona's. 

Hollywood has immortalized many of these gangsters in feature films but then Hollywood gives us many supposed-villains to hate but then we end up rooting for them and they end up being our hero's. One commonly thought of supposed-villain that comes to mind with this famous quote:  "You will always remember this as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow."  

That's right, Captain Jack Sparrow is a pirate and by definition a person who robs or commits illegal violence at sea or on the shores of the sea. Just like Bonnie and Clyde; Jack Sparrow is a thief and robber but he is also our underdog and an unlikely hero that we end up falling in love with. Jack Sparrow is consistently getting into trouble, he plans to steal a ship to go after his "baby" the Black Pearl but ends up saving Miss Elizabeth from drowning and almost getting caught. He desperately wants his ship back and have his revenge on his first mate who betrayed him. The audiences end up rooting for the pirates and in a way I ended up rooting for Bonnie and Clyde. So you all know the saying: "Don't judge a book by its cover." I think this was a tribute to all those unsung misunderstood supposed-villains that turn into our favorite underdog hero's.     

A simple thought

Sometimes I wish I could escape from this world. Go to a place much simpler than here.
Everyone talks about all our achievements over the span of time and how our world is different from the past. But is it all for the better, I wish I could go back to a time when things were simpler.

It's a Walgreen's World

When I turned 16 years old, I got my very first paycheck job. I had done the whole babysitting gig for three years since I was 13 years old but this was my first official real job. I took a job in food service at a restaurant called Lucky's Red Hots. It was a family owned and a native to Rockford restaurant. The Owners were friends of mine and I was their former babysitter. When their kids out grew the need for a babysitter; George offered me a position at their newest restaurant. I got the job as front cashier and food maker.

Lucky's Red Hots were known for their Chicago style hot dogs, before I worked there I had no idea there were different style's of dressing hot dogs. In case anyone wanted to know; a Chicago Style hot dog is dressed in a squirt of mustard down the side, two sliced tomato halves on the other side, neon-glow in the dark electric relish on the top, a sprinkle of diced onions, a long slice of pickle and two shakes of celery salt. Along with learning to make food and wrap dogs I got a chance to meet different people. Scott, Robert, Rachel and Timmy were my co-worker at Lucky's. All four were different people than who I was typically exposed to but when you begin working it is normal to be exposed to the world. Back in that time, I was still fresh on life and young, naive and sheltered. Well these four helped me realize how lucky I was be young and how lucky I was to still be able to make good decisions. I had a hard time fitting in with Scott, Robert and Rachel, I am most definitely sure they found me to a hindrance and an annoyance. There is one person who stands out above all the rest, Timmy was different. He was funny, smart and we shared many interesting conversations together. Shelia and Timmy were my favorite people; Shelia was the best boss and Timmy and I became good friends and we are still friends to this day. I feel accomplished!

After my time at Lucky's, I realized I needed a change. I did not want to return to food service so when I moved to Des Moines, Iowa I got my first job in retail at Walgreen's. I've been at the same Walgreen's store for about 3 years almost 4 this Christmas. I love it!When I first started working there, my Mom used to tease me because anything I saw advised on TV, I would say: "We sell that at Walgreen's." She used to call me the "poster child" for Walgreen's because of how immersed I became within my job.

I am a Certified Photo Technician a.k.a. a Photo Girl. Which I think suits me, I feel the need to document all fun and exciting things that happen to me or within my life. Or that is at least me rationalizing my strange need to take pictures. Sometimes my friends call me "camera crazed" but I know they don't really mean it. I know they really mean to say that they love it when I take pictures of them. Since I work at Walgreen's and I am a photo girl I get to see all the awesome pictures from the customers.
I've been on an African safari, seen ancient Greece and the ruins of Rome all through the photo's of customers. I plan on going to all those places one day but for now I can watch from photographs.
                                        Plus, I get employee discount on photo's of my very own!   

I enjoy my job, the people, the customers and the life lessons I have gained since working there.I have enjoyed my time at Walgreen's, so much so I have decided to share some of my experiences within a book I entitled; It's a Walgreen's World.

Look forward to It!

Rachel takes a Walk into the Wild

Tonight I went to support the Blank Park Zoo and Wildlife Conservation in Des Moines Iowa.
I met Jack Hanna; a TV Wildlife Advocate was the main speaker at the benefit. Jack Hanna or Jungle Jack. Interesting Fact: I saw Jack Hanna swimming with Sea Turtles while talking with Al Roker underwater. I was watching the weather channel while preparing to go to class and I recognized Al Roker and heard him mention Jack Hanna. I was happy get a glimpse of him considering I was going to the benefit the next night.

So tonight when I met Jack Hanna, I had something interesting to talk to him about. I stood in a long line, I received a free book which I was able to have him sign and I got my picture taken with Jack Hanna. I got to have like a 2 minute conversation with him, he laughed about the sea turtle playing in his air bubbles and I felt like I was talking to a friend.

Jack Hanna is a famous and popular wildlife conversationalist who is a celebrity, but he is a real person. I know "they are just like us" but I could see his passion for animals and nature. Jack shared his experiences was to why we need to Be Aware! and Care! Rhinos, Giraffes and Gorilla's need to be saved from the poachers. Even though he made me cry, he did make me laugh and he allowed me a glimpse into his world.

My Dad & Jack Hanna

"Thank You!!" I love animals and when I was a child I wanted to be a zoo keeper, even though my dream has changed I still have a strong passion and love for Nature and Animals. For having an opportunity like this, I have three people to thank.
1. Thank you Dad, for buying the tickets and for inviting me.
2. Thank You Jack Hanna for coming to Des Moines Iowa and supporting the Blank Park Zoo.
3. Thank You Nationwide Insurance Company for being such a wonderful company for supporting wildlife, supporting our zoo and for being friends with Jack Hanna.

Here are some of the animals I got to meet!

Ivan; a albino joey kangaroo

A baby girl porcupine

A real cheetah like 10 feet away from our table