Encore at FUMC - Hurst presents GALS

At First United Methodist Church - Hurst, the senior group called Encour began the 
2017-2018 monthly meetings with a presentation by GALS.  And yes Dear Readers, The Travelling Toe is indeed in that season of life.

GALS means God's Amazing Love Storytellers.

www.galsministry.com


The group is currently seeking to raise funds to build an orphanage in Zambia.  The ladies sell handmade jewelry, books and music to help this endeavor.

The program began by viewing slides highlighting all the horrific events that have taken place so far in 2017:

                                        fires
                                        violence and hate
                                        NFL protests
                                        North Korea threats
                                        Hurricanes
                                        Earthquakes
                                        mass shootings

But also in 2017 there was good news. Thousands participated in a praise, worship and singing event that took place on the National Mall in Washington DC.  The event took place October 6-9.  It was sponsored by Awaking the Dawn.

www.awakinthedawn.org

Do go online and find out more about this amazing event.

The program that GALS presented was centered on Faith.  When horrible things happen Faith tells us that no matter what lies ahead, God is already there for us.

In period costumes, GALS members portrayed several women from the Bible who faced disasters in their own personal lives but sought God's help.

First was:
                                 Jairis' wife who had a sick daughter
                                    find her story in:
                                                              Mark 5:21-43    Matthew 9:18-26    Like 8:40-56

                                Abigail, wife of Nabal
                                   here is her story: 
                                                              1Samuel 17:25
                               
                                Deborah, the Prophetess
                                     her story is found in:
                                                             Judges 4:6-7  

                               Widow of Zarephath, raising of her son
                                     this story is in 1 Kings 17:1-16

The message of faith and God's love can help each of us overcome our own disasters, no matter how big or even how small.







                        

What an inspiring program and message!

Hurst TX Firefighters Annual Steak Dinner Fundraiser

The Travelling Toe and several Sunday School friends, attended the annual steak dinner fundraiser for the Hurst Firefighters.

The dinner is always held in the engine bays at fire station #1.

The Hurst Citizens Fire Academy Alumni Association are the organizers of the fundraiser.  The proceeds go to supplement needed equipment for the Fire Fighters.

                                                                        



Outback Steakhouse caters the meal which includes a green salad, green beans, baked potato and steaks cooked to your preference.  

                                                                
                                                                         

The desserts are provided by the volunteers with the Fire Academy and there is no limit of visits to the dessert tables.

Our group always has a fun time at this event which is why we support it each year.



Where you live, does the Fire Department or Police Department have fundraisers?  Do support them as the money raised helps purchase needed equipment that someday could save your life or a loved ones life.

"American Made" (movie critique)

AMERICAN MADE
movie poster

One of the Movie Mavens suggested we see the new Tom Cruise movie, "American Made".  So the group met at the local multiplex for the early showing. It was entertaining and based on true events but hits just the surface of the real life story and adventures of Barry Seal.

 As a fan of the vintage 80's TV series,"Miami Vice", "Crockett" and "Tubbs" were always fighting and taking down the drug dealers in Miami. This movie reveals how the influx of the drug trade made such am impact on the culture at the time.

A synopsis from the internet of the film is as follows:

Barry Seal, a TWA pilot, is recruited by the CIA to provide reconnaissance on the burgeoning communist threat in Central America and soon finds himself in charge of one of the biggest covert CIA operations in the history of the United States. The operation spawns the birth of the Medellin cartel and almost brings down the Reagan White House.

If you are a certain age you will remember the headlines and hearings about the Sandinistas, The Iran-Contra affair, and Colonel Oliver North.  They are all part of this storyline. Colombian bad guy Pablo Escobar, is also featured in the movie

CAST:

Tom Cruise
Barry Seal

Sarah Wright
Lucy Seal

Caleb Landry Jones
JB

Domhnall Gleeson
Schafer (CIA)

Robert Farrior
Oliver North

Mauricio Mejia
Pablo Escobar

The Travelling Toe awards this movie 2 middle toes up with your own bullet proof vest, because if you double cross the Colombian drug cartels you will need all the protection you can get!!

"Stronger" (movie critique)

STRONGER
movie poster

Apparently, this movie did stay seem to stay long in the local movie theaters, but The Travelling Toe and Dear Friend were able to see it at the local multiplex before it left. This is the story of a young man standing at the finish line of the Boston matheron that Sunday the bombs were unleashed and carnage ensured.  

A synopsis of the story from the internet is as follows:

Jeff Bauman loses both of his legs when two bombs explode during the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. After regaining consciousness in the hospital, Jeff is able to help law enforcement identify one of the suspects, but his own battle is just beginning. With unwavering support from his family and girlfriend, Bauman embarks on a long and heroic journey to physical and emotional rehabilitation.

Jeff is the young man who was shown in a wheelchair being pushed by a man in a cowboy hat.  It took Jeff sometime before he was in the right place to meet his protector and learned his story and why Carlos was there.  

CAST:

Jake Gyllenhaal
Jeff Bauman

Tatiana Maslany
Erin Hurley

Miranda Richardson
Patty Bauman

Clancy Brown
Jeff Bauman Sr

Carlos Sanz
Carlos

Jake did an amazing job in the role. Am sure he had to work on his upper body strength as the role required Jake to get in and out of a wheelchair numerous times. Just be aware that the F-word is used all the time.

The Travelling Toe awards this movie 2 middle toes up with a Boston strong tee shirt.

"Norma" presented by The Metropolitan Opera

NORMA

setting courtesy of the Met Opera

The Travelling Toe and Dear Friend attended the Saturday afternoon live transmission from The Metropolitan Opera in NYC to a local movie theater.  The opera featured was "Norma".
The opera was written by Vincenzo Bellini.  The opera was first performed in Italy in 1831.

Vincenzo Bellini
1801-1835

Synopsis of the opera storyline provided by The Metropolitan Opera is as follows:

The opera is set in Gaul (France) at the beginning of its occupation by the Roman Empire. Almost all of the characters are druids, members of the Gallic priesthood, the only exceptions being the tenors, both of whom are Romans. It is interesting that the Roman Empire, long depicted in European culture as a civilizing force, is here seen as corrupt and exploitative.

Sondra Radvanovsky
Norma

Joseph Calleja
Pollione

Joyce DiDonato
Adalgisa

This is a great way to see Met Opera live.  If the act runs a little long you can leave your movie theater seat for a quick pit stop.  Also the lead roles are interviewed as well as the conductor so one learns more about how the opera takes shape.  Plus views of backstage and how the elevators work moving stage settings in and out were shown. So very interesting!

setting courtesy of the Met Opera
the end for Norma and her lover Pollione

The Metropolitan Opera

Book Mark Book Review Club Oct Meeting

The Travelling Toe and several Gal Pals, are members of The Book Mark Review Club.  At the recent October meeting, Susan Boone, was the featured reviewest. She is always a delight to hear.  The book that she reviewed was, "The Little Old Lady Who Broke All The Rules".  Susan told the story in the first person which made it even funnier!

The book was written by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg.  

Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg

Here is how the book is described on Amazon:

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel meets The Italian Job in internationally-bestselling author Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg’s witty and insightful comedy of errors about a group of delinquent seniors whose desire for a better quality of life leads them to rob and ransom priceless artwork.

Martha Andersson may be seventy-nine-years-old and live in a retirement home, but that doesn’t mean she’s ready to stop enjoying life. So when the new management of Diamond House starts cutting corners to save money, Martha and her four closest friends—The Genius, The Rake, Christina and Anna-Gretta (a.k.a. The League of Pensioners)—won’t stand for it. Fed up with early bedtimes and overcooked veggies, this group of feisty seniors sets about to regain their independence, improve their lot, and stand up for seniors everywhere.

Their solution? White collar crime. What begins as a relatively straightforward robbery of a nearby luxury hotel quickly escalates into an unsolvable heist at the National Museum. With police baffled and the Mafia hot on their trail, the League of Pensioners has to stay one walker’s length ahead if it’s going to succeed.

Told with all the insight and humor of A Man Called Ove or Where’d You Go Bernadette?, The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules is a delightful and heartwarming novel.

After Susan had finished her story, she did share with the group that the author had written a follow-up book called, "The Little Old Lady Who Struck Lucky Again".

Each month at the Book Mark Club, members sign up for a month to volunteer to decorate the tables. October was the month the Gal Pals and The Travelling Toe selected. Our theme was Halloween and Fall. Eleven table tops, plus the cookie table, the drink table, and the dessert table were decorated. Below are photos of the decorations taken with The Travelling Toe's trusty Iphone.  Hope you enjoy this touch of Fall!