Holiday Movie Recommendations

The fourth of The Five Blogs of Christmas is all about the movies.

I’ve been watching Christmas movies all through December, some new, some vintage. I’m leaving out the ones I gave less than four stars, ‘cause I sure can’t recommend duds! And remember, just like holiday books, it’s okay, even encouraged, to watch seasonal movies all year long!

Champagne Problems  2025

When Sydney is sent to Paris to secure the purchase of a prestigious family-owned champagne company, she spends an uncharacteristic night with a French book lover. Of course, he turns out to be the son of the owner of the company. But it’s not an advantage as she competes against a tough businesswoman, a German businessman (who gives a very different perspective on Die Hard, which is seen as a tragedy in Germany), and a sweetly flamboyant rich guy who loves the product and doesn’t want to see it ruined by new owners. Through a series of events meant to show the father who would be a better custodian of his legacy (the son, Henri, is not interested in taking over) and rich, emotional subplots involving the loss of his wife, Henri’s mother, this movie rose above others for me. Not only was there chemistry between the male and female leads, but every character, including the butler, the concierge, and a very cute dog, meshed in a way seldom seen in rom-coms. This movie has it all ~ good writing, great characters, and a satisfying Happily Ever After.

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Thursday Thoughts ~ July 17, 2025

Happy Friday Eve!

The VW bus saga ended on a high note last Thursday (In case you missed it, here’s the beginning of the saga). The tow truck driver, Miguel, called to ask if he could come an hour early ~ a definite YES! He turned out to be a really nice guy, who gave us the reaction we hoped for when he realized the bus had an automatic transmission ~ he was excited to see it and understood exactly how special it was. He handled the entire operation himself, backing the bus down our driveway, and using a winch to get it onto the flatbed. We watched it drive down our street to its new adventure at the auction and hopefully, a buyer who will appreciate it as much as we did.

We dream of it being fixed up and cruisin’ around town! It was hard to see it go but it was time. If you missed The Husband’s guest post last week ~ his ode to his VW ~ here it is.

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Chick Flicks for Valentine’s Day

For years, The Husband and I had a movie for every holiday (The Quiet Man for St. Patrick’s Day, Independence Day for the Fourth of July, etc.), which we seem to have let fall by the wayside in the last few years.  But our Valentine’s movie was always Roxanne, Steve Martin’s take on Cyrano de Bergerac. It will always have my heart because it’s funny and smart and, ya know, Steve Martin.

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