Tag: Shelley M Baker

Daily Post · Family · Home · writing

Once is Never Enough

shelie272 Comments

What movies or TV series have you watched more than 5 times?

I’m a big movie buff, so narrowing this list down wasn’t easy. There are so many films and series I’ve enjoyed over the years, but these are a few that really stuck with me. Some made me laugh, cry, and some told a story that stole my heart.

5.) Schitt’s Creek

I laughed, I cried, and I thought this show was both hilarious and touching. You can’t go wrong with Eugene Levy, and it’s great to see his son right there beside him. It reminded me of Doc Hollywood, a movie from the early ’90s with Michael J. Fox. Sometimes we all need a new perspective.

4.) The Queen’s Gambit

I was not familiar with Anya Taylor-Joy, but she knocked it out of the ballpark In this movie. She wasn’t dealt the best hand of cards to begin with and landed in the right place at the right time. The way she carried herself in fashion, pose and attitude, especially in a man’s world , was remarkable and envious and way before her time.

3.) The Longest Ride

I wasn’t very familiar with the cast, but they did a wonderful job. The movie is a bit cheesy, but there’s another story being told—actually three, if you’re paying close attention.

2.) Flight (Denzel Washington)

Let me just say, if Denzel Washington is in a movie, I’m watching it. It’s probably going to be good, because he’s such a great actor. This movie is suspenseful, sad, honest, and deeply moving.

1.) Regarding Henry

I remember watching this with my family when it first came out. Another favorite actor of mine, Harrison Ford, doesn’t disappoint. Sometimes other people’s choices can change the path we were heading toward. This movie is sad, sweet, and truly touching.

These are just a few that stuck with me, but I’m always open to discovering more great movies?

Daily Post · Family

A Tale of Growth and Flight

shelie271 Comment

What skills or lessons have you learned recently?

I’ve been following a pair of eagles on a platform for a while now, and found myself telling my mom all about them. I told her about the beautiful view from their nest, their teamwork, their faithfulness to one another, and how they were just doing what they were supposed to do without any turbulence getting in their way.

My mom replied, “Shelley, the grass isn’t greener on the other side of the fence.”

When she said this, I chuckled and said, “Do you mean nest?” She seemed a little frustrated and just waved her hand.

This morning, I woke up and checked on the eagles. I saw that J had been gone from the nest from yesterday into this morning. S, J’s mate, was sitting on their eggs and had been there all night, with only a few breaks. Seeing him like that grabbed my heart even harder. It wasn’t easy to see, and I was sobbing while trying to explain it to my husband.

While in the shower, I started thinking about the first two years of watching them. During those years, J laid eggs, but each time they were ready to hatch, they didn’t. One time, during a snowstorm, she stayed on her eggs for over 72 hours, only for them not to hatch in the end. The third year, they were successful, and I cried like a baby with tears of joy.

When she returned this morning, I couldn’t help but read the comments and think to myself: if this clutch hatches, the new viewers will feel even more connected to their story and more appreciative of what they are a part of. I know there will come a season when all of this ends—and who knows what that will look or feel like. But as my mom, Linda, always reminds me: every nest—and every life—has its struggles. Knowing that makes me appreciate these moments even more.

Daily Post · friendship · love

Lifesaver

shelie271 Comment

If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why?

I thought about being someone powerful—someone with lots of money, someone with a great body. The kind of power a president has, the kind of money Lukas Walton or his family has, and the physique Zsa Zsa Gabor had.

Then I started to reflect on this. One day is not long at all to do what needs to be done with that kind of power, wealth, or attraction—whether it’s passing a bill so everyone could receive insurance at a low cost, finding a charity or organization I believe in, or going to the beach and walking around in a skimpy bikini!

The Holy Spirit led me to someone who has not been as fortunate when it comes to medical issues—neurological ones—and life-changing surgeries. Their story is not mine to go into any further, but they would be my choice. I think if we were able to live inside the stories of other friends, family members, or acquaintances whose odds are against them, we might find that what we once thought was important would no longer matter. We might trade power for perspective, wealth for compassion, and beauty for gratitude.

friendship

Race car driver or a Cop

shelie272 Comments

Think back on your most memorable road trip.

I don’t know if I would call this a road trip, but it was definitely on the roads and streets of our town, if you will. My friend Cheryl—who, mind you, I’ve always said is in the wrong profession—was with me. Anyway, when we were in our twenties, she always seemed to have foes, usually other girls.

One early afternoon, she came to pick me up at the trailer I was living in at the time. I came outside onto the porch as she walked up to greet me. We started chatting, and lo and behold, a car with two girls about our age sped by, hollering a few choice names at my friend.

I ran down the steps of the porch, put my hands on my hips, and said, “That was uncalled for!” They let out a couple of loud laughs and flipped me off. Cheryl and I chatted about the situation and then hopped in her car.

We got in the car and headed out of the trailer court. Once we were out, we were stopped at a red light. Cheryl let me know that she saw the girls heading toward us. They swerved into the lane beside us, stopped, and threw an open can of soda out the window. It landed on top of our car, and the soda and can rolled down the window, dripping everywhere.

Cheryl looked at me and said, “Put your seat belt on!” Then she swerved over and tailgated their asses down North Grand, going at a pretty high speed before turning off really fast.

We headed down that road until we saw them coming from the opposite direction, so Cheryl quickly turned at the next road we passed.

A bit down the road, we saw a sign that said No Outlet, and we were just about at the dead end when Cheryl saw them in the rearview mirror. She threw the car into reverse and swerved off the road into the grass to miss them, then turned down another side road in reverse. She pulled into a vacant driveway with tons of grass and bushes, edged a little off to the side so we were kind of hidden, and turned off the car.

I said, “Damn, that was some Dukes of Hazzard–type shit.”

Family · Home

Wire-trap

shelie275 Comments

My Mom came over to my house last week and I had the Alexa playing music. She was surprised because I would  name a song and Alexa would play the song.

She asked me how Alexa was hooked up, and I told her through our home internet. I told her I paid 4 dollars a month for unlimited music.

This morning she called to tell me a story about my niece.

When she was done with her story, she told me she heard Alexa could record your conversations inside your house, and on your phone. She told me, she had noticed when she was talking to me at times the phone would repeat back to her what we were saying on her end of the line. I said, if the government wanted to spy on me let them! We are over here talking about a cup of coffee splitting in half while I was taking a drink, and coffee splashed all over the place…

She chuckled and said I’m making you aware of what I’ve heard.

We hung up and there was knock at my door. Leery, I opened the blinds and two men in bright yellow vest were standing there. One man introduced himself. I spoke up and told them to hold on, I have to put some clothes on. I stepped outside and asked them where they were from. They said they were tax inspectors from an Assessors office taking pictures of our property for tax files, and there was nothing they needed from me, right now.

I started thinking about an unfamiliar Bill in the mail, and how I needed to call the doctors office and find out what’s going on. I decided to heat up a cup of coffee in the microwave. I had my phone in one hand and put the cup of coffee in the microwave with the other. I dialed the phone number, put the phone up to my ear and heard silence.

I looked up at the microwave and noticed I dialed the number of the doctors office into the microwave keyboard.

My Mom has me giving Alexa the side-eye!