Leap of Dave

Saturday, February 19, 2022

Last 5 Next 10 - 2nd 5 of 2022 Edition

Here are 5 more books I have finished this year.

Big Nate Aloha by Lincoln Pierce

Read via Hoopla

2/6/22

Hawkeye: My life as a weapon by Matt Fraction

Read via Hoopla

2/7/22

Fish in a Tree by Linda Mullaly Hunt

read last chapter to class I was subbing for

borrowed from library read to self

2/12/22

Blue Like Jazz By Donald Miller

Listened to via Hoopla listened to a great deal of it with my wife

2/13/22

The Return Home - Elliott J. Anderson

Received as Christmas Gift

Read some to myself read some out loud to my wife who is also reading it

2/15/22

As often happens there was a rather long lull between the 5th book I finished on 1/22/22 and the 6th book I completed on 2/6/2. However, I then completed 4 more books in 9 days. The first 5 were at a rate of 4.4 days a book and the 3nd 5 were just a little slower at a rate of a book every 4.8 days. Still at my pace over the last 5 books I'll finish an additional 64 books before the end of the year.

Ten books I am currently reading or planning to read soon are .

Fodor's Essential Greek Islands

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Collected Short Stories of Louis La'mour Vol I\

God's Forgetful Pilgrims - Michael Griffiths

Born Again - Chuck Colson

Big Nate - Vol 1 - Lincoln Pierce

Love, Dance & Egg Rolls - Jason Tanamor

Little House on The Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder

Renegades, Born In The U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen & Barack Obama

Until Tuesday, A Wounded Warrior and The Golden Retriever who saved Him - Luis Carlos Montalvan

Sunday, February 6, 2022

The Greatest Show on Earth

January 2022 is in the books, it's come and gone, it's been there and it's done that; and now it's time to move on. But before we do, let's review a little. In January I watched the first of what will hopefully be 12 movies I have not seen before. Last year, I wrote this post explaining my process for watching and writing about these movies. In January I watched a movie that will fit into the 1949-1963 category.

The Greatest Show on Earth won the 1953 Academy Award for Best Picture. I would give it between 2 and 2 and a half stars. The movie tells the story of a travelling circus through the eyes of it's performers and audience. It captures the pageantry of the travelling circus portraying the romance, human drama and hidden stories of the "travelling city" that comprises the circus train. Cecil B De'Mille directs and Charlton Heston stars as the circus boss and Jimmy Stewart plays a clown on the run from the law. One theme of this movie is "The Show Must go On". The perseverance of everyone associated with the circus and the joy that it brings the small towns and cities across America is on constant display. One thing I liked about this movie is that it's an attempt to be a love letter to the circus. I loved the circus when I was a kid and I like the sentiment to celebrate what is now a bygone era in American history, One thing I did not like about this movie is that it is a poorly constructed ,overlong love letter to the circus. Many of the circus scenes could have been totally deleted and the rest could have been cut into 1/4th of their screen time. I think the best audience for this movie would be people who like myself who want to see every Best Picture winner or every Jimmy Stewart film and don't mind that it sometimes makes a spectacle of itself.

Friday, February 4, 2022

Allen Levi Concert in Reverse: Introduction and Song #1

We reversed our selves all the way back to the begiining of our Allen Levi concert. Feel free ro listen to just this song or listen to the concert in it's entrety.

Thursday, February 3, 2022

Allen Levi Concert in Reverse :Song #2 Someone to Serenade

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Jeremy Hawkins Tribute

On January 3rd of 2001 Jeremy Hawkins passed away. I did not know him but was very familiar with his work as an artist and blogger. Hawkins was a force behind the scenes at the A to Z Challenge. He provided the graphics for the site and for the challenge itself including designing the t-shirts. I never bought a shirt before this year but am so glad that I did. I wear it all the time and get lots of questions about it.

2016 was my big year for the a to z challenge. I endeavored to do the challenge simultaneously on 3 of my blogs. At my sports blog I did A to Z Cubs Home Run leaders and at my vlog I did a to z you tube videos and at whatever my flagship I did A to Z superheroes. I don't believe I finished any of the challenges that year, (I came very close in some) so I didn't order a shirt that year or get one of these lovely mugs that Jeremy designed.

2016 was also the last year that Jeremy participated in the challenge from his blog. His theme was print advertising and I remember looking through it as it came out. Click here to see his entries from that year. The 2022 a to z Challenge and all subsequent endeavors will not be the same without Jeremy's contributions. But as we reflect on Jeremy's input and for those who knew him his life, his impact will go on because of the work and memories he lefy behind.