Mini Review: Saving Mr. Banks

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IMG_2400I’d been waiting a long time to see Disney’s Saving Mr. Banks.  As I mentioned a couple of days ago, Mary Poppins (the movie) and I are the same age and the movie’s songs hold a special place in my heart.  The story behind the story was something I thought too good to miss – the addition of Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as P. L. Travers made the movie even more appealing to me.

I tried to avoid reading reviews of any kind before going to see Saving Mr. Banks.  I knew that the film follows Mrs. Travers and Walt Disney over a two-week period leading up to the filming of Mary Poppins.  I also knew the movie would include several flashbacks to P. L. Travers’ childhood – presumably dealing with what happened during her formative years that led to the invention of Mary Poppins in P. L. Travers’ books.  I’d heard enough to know to expect the near-perfect recreation of 1961 Disneyland – I was excited to see that for myself.

Raymond and I went to a late afternoon matinee yesterday.  After a movie, I always want to chat about it on the way home – the plot, the characters, the best parts, the funniest lines, etc.  When we got in the car to go home, Raymond said enthusiastically that he’d liked Saving Mr. Banks a lot.  I said nothing at all.  This did not go unnoticed – let’s face it – anytime I’m quiet is unusual.  After we got home, Raymond again mentioned how much he’d enjoyed the movie and asked me if my lack of response meant I hadn’t liked it.

I did like the movie.  Very much, in fact.  I was just unprepared for it.  I suppose the previews made me think it would be mostly lighthearted and fun.  There were happy and funny parts, sure, but for the most part, I found the film unexpectedly intense.  There was a depth to P. L. Travers and her story I hadn’t expected (what I get for refusing to read any reviews) and, instead of making me want to talk about the film – that intensity made me want to think about the film, its plot, the characters, the best parts, the funniest lines and so on.  I’m thinking about it still.

If you’ve planned on seeing Saving Mr. Banks during the holidays – go!  It’s genuinely a good movie with an unexpectedly touching story that has nothing and everything to do with Mary Poppins.  Every single character makes their own special contribution to the story’s overall success.  When you get back, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.

 

I Have a Disney One of THESE!

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It fits in the palm of my hand – What could it be?

For Christmas this year, my sweet friend Kelly gave me a beautiful Lenox Santa to add to my Santa collection.  Along with the gift was a lagniappe (Louisiana tradition, a lagniappe is “a little something extra”).  It’s that certain little something that this post is all about!  When I tell you what it is…you’re maybe going to be happy for me – you might even be jealous.  For sure, if you don’t have one already – you’ll want one of your very own!

So, what is it?  A Mickey cookie cutter!!!!  Smallish, perfectly shaped, cute as can be.  It would actually make a really adorable Christmas ornament.  As soon as I saw it, ideas for its immediate use began to form.  Those who know me well know that I have LOTS of ideas.  About everything – I don’t have brain storms; they’re more like brain hurricanes.  I couldn’t wait to get home and get busy with my new kitchen gadget!IMG_2395

First I whipped up a batch of Raymond’s Aunt Mary’s tea cake dough – normally the dough is rolled out and cut into squares, but I had new plans for those tea cakes.  Dough chilling, next came a batch of Rice Krispies Treats – oh, they were getting some special treatment as well.  I had plans, people – I was in the zone!  The possibilities seemed endless – I was only limited by time.

New cookie cutter in hand, I went to work.  A few short minutes later…..and…..I needed something more!  Aha!  Melted chocolate – what is not better with the addition of chocolate.  And a few sprinkles.

IMG_2398So, thanks to Kelly and my new Mickey cookie cutter, I now have some adorable and delicious Disney Christmas goodies to offer family and friends as they join us for the annual Christmas Eve Bonfire and Fireworks Extravaganza.  If you’re in the neighborhood, we’d love to see you!

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Growing up With Mary Poppins

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musicMARYPOPPINS1I have a special attachment to Mary Poppins.  And it’s not just because the movie and I are the same age.  Oh, I’ve seen the movie a time or two – but not as many as you’d think, considering.  I will tell you that I know the words to most of the movie’s songs.

I have strong childhood ties to those catchy, cleverly composed Mary Poppins tunes – wonderful memories that are among my happiest of all – because when I was little, my mother loved to play the piano and I loved to sing along.  At some point when I was very small, my mom bought the songbook of sheet music from Mary Poppins.  I can remember her telling me a song’s  words then letting me sing them while she played each line – so this must have started before I could read.  I have vivid memories of sitting on the piano bench next to my mom (on her left) while she played.  Following along, belting out those Poppins tunes for all I was worth in my little-girly voice – “With tuppence for paper and strings, you can have your own set of wings.  With your feet on the ground you’re a bird in flight with your fist holding tight to the string of your kite…”

I’ve promised myself a treat today if I cross off everything on my to-do list – I’m going to try to see Saving Mr. Banks this afternoon – I’m a little worried about my sappy sentimentality kicking in and making me cry, but I really want to see it, so I’m willing to take my chances and bring plenty of tissue.

So off I go – gotta get busy making a quick grocery run, baking some cookies, wrapping gifts, putting this messy house in order – you get the idea.  Wish me luck!  If I do make it to the movie I’ll let you know what I thought about it.

List of Songs from the “Songs from Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins” easy piano song book:

  • Chim Chim Cher-ee
  • Feed the Birds
  • Jolly Holiday
  • Let’s Go Fly a Kite
  • (A) Spoonful of Sugar
  • Stay Awake
  • Step in Time
  • Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

 

 

What’s on Your Disney Christmas Wish List?

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TIMG_0059here hasn’t been a Christmas since Raymond and I married that there weren’t Disney gifts.  Clothing, P.J.’s, ornaments, movies, games, stuffed animals, toys, home décor – and so on.

One year in particular stands out in my memory as the absolute best for Disney gift-giving!  Megan was 16 and Joseph 11.  They had been arguing most of the year (literally) about where to go on our next vacation.  Megan wanted – and to this very day – always votes for – Disney World; Joseph wanted to see the ocean.  Any ocean.  We hadn’t been to the beach in so long, poor thing couldn’t remember what the ocean looked like.  The argument went on and on, month after month.  Seriously, aren’t you surprised sometimes by how tenacious siblings-at-odds can be?  During all that debate, an idea began to form.  What if we could give them both what they wanted?

The perfect solution would be a Disney Land-and-Sea Vacation.  Hey – what if we could pull itIMG_1049 off as a Christmas surprise?  When could we go?  Both the children were extremely involved in activities outside of school.  Megan had auditioned for and become a member of a local ballet company four years earlier – the practice and performance schedules were seriously demanding.  Our best bet was to try to go on Christmas break – which, if this trip was going to be a Christmas gift, would mean leaving right after Christmas Day.  A little web surfing and a few mouse clicks later… Ta-Dah!  We’d booked a package that would have us enjoying four Disney-World-days at the Polynesian (over New Year’s) before sailing on a 3-day cruise in the Bahamas.  I’ll be honest – Raymond was not in favor of this plan, but only because he had no interest whatsoever in taking a Disney cruise – thought it would be boring compared to Disney World.  HA!

Booking the trip was SO much easier than trying to keep it a secret.  That part was torture!  There were several times over the months leading up to Christmas when either Raymond or I would start to make a comment or ask the other one a question about the trip in front of one or both of the kids – each time we managed to catch ourselves just in the nick of time.

IMG_2389Now we needed to figure out how to stage the big reveal.  This was going to be the best gift EVER and I wanted the gift-giving to be so epic – the most incredible, most unique, most FUN and exciting moment-to-remember-from-childhood for our precious youngsters!  I came up with a scathingly brilliant idea! (Triple points if you can name the movie reference there).  I decided that by making the gift’s discovery a little challenging, the surprise would be even better!  A treasure hunt would be just the thing!  In fact, a pirate-themed treasure hunt would go right along with the gift!

As with most of my hair-brained schemes clever plans, I pulled out all the stops!  I wrote clues on scrolls written in pirate-speak suitably aged and burned around the edges.  These clues lead to puzzle pieces that, when assembled in their cardboard-backed frames, would form a poem that described the surprise.  Note:  gluing poetry onto puzzles before cutting the pieces apart while preserving the ability to read aforementioned poem is WAY harder than it sounds… IMG_2388y’know, just sayin’.

So – Christmas morning finally arrived!  The moment Raymond and I have been waiting for….the first scroll is handed to the children and, reading the clues, they begin their search to find puzzle pieces.  Here’s where my plan went a teensy bit awry.  See – I thought the whole plan would be just perfect if the location of the final puzzle pieces were really authentic to a pirate-treasure-finding-mission.  I had Raymond bury a small wooden chest in the side yard – pretty far away from the house.  So, that treasure chest (carefully wrapped in plastic) containing the final puzzle pieces was about a foot deep near a small pine tree next to a bayou – a lovely location for a sunny December day.

IMG_2387In my defense, keep in mind that here in Louisiana we sometimes wear shorts on Christmas – today even (December 20th), was in the 70’s, tomorrow will be near 80 degrees.  Yeah….Christmas day in 2006 dawned pretty chilly.  And RAINY!  Oh, the following-the-clues part was great until our teen and tween realized they would have to use a map (outside in the rain) and a shovel to dig in the MUD in order to finally find out what was up.  Oh, the eye-rolling and loud sighing – just imagine the indignity and horror!  Indeed.  We were downrightIMG_2385 cruel to ruin Christmas in such a way.

But they completed their mission!  Put the final pieces together and read the poem.  Then they just stared at us.  After a moment… light bulb!  No, REALLY?  You mean it?  Seriously?  We are going to Disney World and on a Disney Cruise…..Really?

Yep – it was worth every single moment of preparation and secrecy.  And we had a great trip.  And the children forgave us for our cruelty.  AND Raymond had a fantastic time on our first Disney cruise – so much fun, in fact, there have been four more since.

IMG_1045“Our children are different a girl and a boy.  What should we give them a game or a toy?  For Megan it’s one thing for Joseph another – Can they share just one gift, this sister and brother?  This present’s so clever, two halves of a whole – You’d better get ready – Mom and Dad are on a roll!  Now Megan we know what will make you most jolly – this time next week you’ll check in to the Poly.  And Joseph beware!  It’s pirates you’ll be seein’ when you set sail with Mickey to cruise the Caribbean.”

IMG_0990So….What’s been your favorite Disney Christmas surprise?