Psst... I have a secret...

I'm typically not the type to tell people what I am up to, especially if it's something I want to come true. But this time around, I thought you just might want to know, and maybe you can help cheer me on.

I joined NaNoWriMo. 50,000 words in the whole month of November.

This is a first for me, and a huge step in the direction I wish to take my writing. Wish me luck, okay?

I'll let you know about the results and what I came up with after November 30, 2009. See ya then!

My TV Favorites

I am a TV person. Anyone in my family will tell you that the first thing in my house to be turned on in the morning is the TV. It is also the last thing that is turned off, well, second to the computer. That's another story all together.

Anyway, this is the first TV season, that I really paid attention to the shows' season premiers, and the debuting series. Of the new shows to come out this season, here are a few that have gotten me hooked.

Flash Forward

Imagine having the chance to take a 2.17-minute glance of your life, six months into future? What did you see? Would you like what you saw? Would being your own prophet be an opportunity or a curse to you? What would you do, now that you know?

Starring Joseph Fiennes (from Shakespeare In Love) and Justin Cho (Harold from Harold and Kumar, and most recently, Star Trek), Thursday nights at 8:00 pm EST on ABC.


Glee

The quirky, highschool musical drama-dy that's taking the nation by storm. It's an extremely entertaining show, filled with songs and dance, teenage and adult sexual tension, and growing pains all-around. It just makes for a fun middle-of-the-week show.

Wednesday nights at 9:00 pm EST on FOX.



Now, this next show's first season has already finished, as it aired over the summer, but I just recently discovered it. Thank God for Showtime On Demand. I'm fully caught up on the first season, and eagerly awaiting the next one.

Nurse Jackie


"Make me good, God. Just not yet."

This show is so frank and honest about the vocation one must have as a nurse. Mind you, Nurse Jackie is certainly not what we have come to expect from the nursing profession. The only way to describe Nurse Jackie's character is amoral. I love the juxtaposition of such an amoral character(pain killer addict, cheating wife, unfiltered potty-mouth, and a mother with her own shortcomings) against the backdrop of a Catholic hospital. And yet, she has it in her to heal the sick, comfort the grieving, and help the poor. The whole sinner or saint thing makes such a compelling character, one you would love to love, or love to hate.

Starring Edie Falco as Nurse Jackie and Peter Facinelli as Dr. Fitch Cooper (I call him Grabby Coop - you have to watch to know why), on Showtime.

And no, I do not like the show just because Papa Cullen is on it. Although, I will admit that it was because of him that I first started watching it.

Oh by the way, who isn't looking forward to seeing how they've recreated V?

Premieres on November 3, 2009, Tuesday at 8:00 pm EST.

Happy watching!

It's Raining Boots! Alleluia!

The seasons have changed here in the East Coast, and the warm, green summer that was, has been replaced with dropping temperatures and leaves of yellow and gold. Well, this weekend, its yellow and gold against a backdrop of grey. It's been raining for the past four days in our part of the country.

On rainy days like these, I am thankful that I live in the 'burbs of South Jersey, where everybody needs a car to get from one place to another and not have to walk a great distance in the rain. I just hate getting my feet wet.

But then again, when I see all the cool rain boots my NYC and Philly counterparts get to wear as they commute around the streets, I can't help but wish I worked there to actually justify buying myself a pair. The brand of the season appears to be Hunter.

I just love how they pull them over their pant legs and stylishly go sloshing around the city. Match that with their cute trench coats or vests, large leather bags, and oh so cute pocket umbrellas. Love it! Oh! did I mention the hat and gloves too? How about that scarf?

So, let me pretend to be a big city paralegal for a moment, and choose the pair of boots I would like to get my hands on:

From Of Knitted Tales and Sunday Dinners

Hunter by Jimmy Choo
$325.00 on SaksFifthAvenue.com.
Do you see the leopard print lining peeking out from the top? Love it! But at that price point? It would make me go weak in the knees to actually use them for their intended purpose.

From Of Knitted Tales and Sunday Dinners

Hunter Boots from J.Crew
$115.00 on Jcrew.com.
These are the classic ones that everybody is wearing. I love the classic design. Sigh... Alas, the price tag still does not do it for me.

From Of Knitted Tales and Sunday Dinners

Chinese Laundry
$58.95 on Zappos.com.
Look closely, the design details are almost identical to the original. Hmmmm. But at just under $60.00, I would still like to have that little white and red label on top of it.


Well, then the old cheapo in me arises once again. There's always The Target option . The Knittymommy slumps her shoulders in acceptance. At $24.99 how can you go wrong? Right? How come I'm not feeling any better about it?

Oh well, I guess it's back to the drawing board for me. Well, maybe the writing desk, in my case. The only way I'll be able to afford the ones I really do want is when I actually sell that breakout novel. You know the one I haven't written yet?

Imaginary window shopping was fun though! Thanks for coming along with me.

Ondoy

Just last Saturday, certain parts of the Philippines, particularly the northern part of Metro Manila, was hit by a devastating tropical storm. The city was inundated by a month's worth of rain in the span of six hours.

I was surprised when I opened up my facebook account and saw message after message of requests for rescues from certain locations. The pictures and news footage showed all the devastation around the city that I love.

You see, in the Philippines, there are barely any rescue and emergency resources available to its citizens. I listened in horror when the head of the National Disaster Coordinating Council related that there were only twenty five (25) rescue boats available for a certain area and that the stranded would just have to be patient.

Please take a look at this video compilation of photographs by Glenn Omanio on the aftermath of this horrible storm.



How can we help from here:

Relief Goods
Ondoy NY Disaster Relief Drop Off Center
Pandayan Center
406 W 40th Street
Between 9th and 10th Avenues
New York, NY 10018
Tel No.: (212) 564-6057

ABS-CBN Foundation (Checks accepted, please indicate in your letter that the donation is for Sagip Kapamilya)
Sagip Kapamilya
150 Shoreline Drive
Redwood City, CA 94065

Ayala Foundation USA- choose the institution "Philippine National Red Cross"

I will find other means for donations and from here in the US and our local area and post it here. As for me and my family, we'll be organizing an old clothes drive within our community of friends and family. If any of you would like to join us, please e-mail me or send me a private note so I can coordinate directly with you.

Let us all do our part to help all our kababayans (countrymen) in this time of need.

Random Things

I haven't been blogging much lately on anything of real consequence. Just putting up clips of the movies I've been looking forward to for a while. I am not really sure where I'am going with that yet, but I still enjoy showing you guys a few things I find, here and there.

Here are a few random things that have been going on in the life of The Knittymommy lately. (Now, let's just pretend that you're all interested, shall we?)

1. My DH's brother and his wife were here in late August and we had a great time shopping and running around. We went down to Washington, DC where I realized one of the things I had dreamt of ever since I was a little girl. I saw the White House and the Washington Monument. Plus, I saw the Pentagon, too. I just don't know why, but that city stirred something in me. I can't imagine the stories that those streets of power hold.

2. My parents are both here now. I haven't seen my father in over four years, so it was a real treat. It's funny how when you eventually become an adult (in age, rather than in mind) you can actually speak to your parents with out fear of being spanked.

3. My blogger friend, the Manila Fashion Observer, posted the litte gift I made her first born, Baby Berry, on her blog. That was nice to have someone show off something I've made on their site. I've been so busy lately, that I haven't had time to post my entry about the finished piece myself.

4. I know I have repeatedly claimed to be a writer, but never really have shown anything of it other than what this blog contains. Well, I am now putting it out there, I write short short stories or flash fiction (approximately 1,500 words or less) about women.

Previously, I wrote privately (more like, in the closet) and have kept things to myself, mainly, because I was embarrassed or worried that people may call me a hack, or something like that. But this time around, I have come to realize that in order to improve as a writer, I do have to have people read it, and receive critiques and feedback. As such, I joined an online writing community called Scribophile. I have since posted four pieces there for the members to read and provide critique. Some critiques I have received have been favorable, some respectfully critical, and others downright scathing; but all, helpful. I have also joined a local writer's roundtable group that meets once a month at our town library. That has been very interesting too.

If any of you are interested to read something I've written, send me an e-mail and let's talk.

5. The family is off to Toronto this afternoon to drop off my parents at my sister's. It will be a quick and tiring trip, but should still be fun.

6. Last, but not the least, my brother-in-law brought with them Porky's Best microwaveable chicharon with them as "pasalubongs" and I have loved them to death. For the non-Filipino readers, chicharon is a snack of fried pork rinds. Not healthy at all, but oh so yummy! I have pictures of them in their "unpopped" form and their "popped" form. Love them! To any of my friends back home, this will always be a most welcome present from the Philippines in my house! - Hint, hint!

I just got goosebumps...

Update: The video has apparently been taken down from Youtube due to a copyright cliam by Harpo, Inc. Sorry folks, but it was really fun to watch while it lasted.

When people come together to do something in unison, it's always outstanding. Oprah's season opener was great! Wish I actually got to see it.

Can you imagine if we all came together to do something in unison? What good do you think would come out of it? A lot, I bet.

Credit: I found this on my friend's Facebook profile.

The Lovely Bones

One of the very first books I read after finally getting used to life in the United States was The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. It was a beautifully written book about a depressing and horrible event. The event itself, the rape and murder of a 14-year old by her own neightbor, gripped and horrified me. I remember wondering why I could not put such a book down. After all, when things like that came out on the news, I would immediately switch the channel. I still do it until now.

But I still remember how this book kept me in. Now, it has been made into a movie, with no less than Peter Jackson directing the film. Susie Salmon is played by Saoirse Ronan, who played Briony Tallis in Atonement.

The trailer was released on August 4, 2009 and is scheduled to open in theaters here in the US in December 2009. The trailer does not allow embedding, so please follow this link to watch it.

You tell me, would you watch it with me?

Image taken from: www.slashfilm.com

Get... An Education

Growing up my family always stressed to me that I should be this way... that way.... Go to this school... study this course.... Be this type of lady... that type of lady....

All the pre-set notions of what we were going to be; what we should be. What if you had a chance to be swept off your feet at 17 years old? Maybe not just by a man, but by an idea? An idea you just can't seem to shake off. An idea that filled your head with wonder? Would you have run away and followed your heart? I've always wondered that. Not that I've ever been a particularly daring person anyway. But I often wonder, what would I have learned then if I had?

I attribute these melancholy thoughts I have now, to this new film scheduled for limited release in October here in the US. The lead actress, Carey Mulligan, is getting a lot of notice for this film. It seems rather interesting. I do hope I get to see this in a theater near me.