Ebert & Burke Says:

For a while now I have been wanting to watch "Anne of Green Gables, the continuing story". I have been told by many it is not worth my time and it is horrible. However, there could not be closure to the series until I viewed it for myself. I must say it is very different from the original series. I definitely did not like it as much as the first two movies. However, all in all I still found it to be good. When I really got to thinking this is why I feel it was good.

When watching it you must keep in mind that the first two movies were done in 1985 & 1987. At this time the actors who played Anne and Gilbert were in the prime of their acting careers. The continuing story was not completed until 2000. This means that the actors had aged, they had not seen each other for over ten years. The actors had to try to keep the "relationship" they had built in the first two movies, plus accurately depict the aging of the characters and changes they had. I think when you put all that in context the movie was still pretty good. Plus keep in mind there was a different director for this movie, which changes things a bit as well. All in all I think it was good closure to an absolutely childhood classic and wonderful set of movies. Trilogy Box Set collectors edition here I come!!!

Fun in the Sun...

Well this post is way late, but better late than never. Last weekend was a joy and brought about a change of pace for the Burke home. Kevin Dowker invited us to join him and the girls on a trip to Monticello last Friday. The girls had spring break and the weather was gorgeous so we decided to tag along. It was a wonderful day to take a small road trip. Charlottesville was in full bloom and I believe the count was up to 54 horses that we saw on the way down. We began by grabbingsome lunch at historic Mitchie Tavern. Well worth the $17 per person. It was the best "real" mash potatoes I have had in a while. Monticello was a blast. The gardens were beautiful and the new visitor center was nice as well. After a long day of touring we returned home to Burke Manor for a long awaited game of Settlers of Catan. I finally won!!!! Which required a round two for Josh to try to come back. It was a great weekend with great friends..

Full of Events!

Well it has been a little while since my last post. The last two weekends have been full of events so figured I would give a little update. Last weekend I hosted a girls weekend at Burke Manor! Josh went on an all guys hiking/backpacking trip so figured I would use that time to hang out with the girls! We decided to have a fondue night and it was a blast. The chocolate fondue was the best and we had so many things to dip it was hard to choose. We finished the night up with movies that included an oldy but a goody "Beaches" and "Sweet Home Alabama". Thanks to all that attended it would not have been the same without you.

On to this weekend. For the past four weeks or so now Josh, Brittany T, Bobby O, Brandon Grey and myself have been practicing music for Good Friday "silent service". Well, seeing how yesterday was Good Friday, the practicing paid off. It was a blessed time of worship, reflection and thankfulness. I had such a good time practicing with such a great group of people and enjoyed the finished product. Hopefully, this can be somewhat of an SBC annual event. Today has been pretty chill. Josh and I have been doing odds and ends around the house. We are excited about all the fun happenings at church tomorrow in celebration of Easter. To my surprise today my mom showed up at our house baring an Easter basket. Her and my dad put a lot of time and effort into putting an Easter basket together. It was very much appreciated and I am thankful to have parents that are so thoughtful. The Easter basket contents have changed since I was a kid though. Much more practical gifts, all Josh cared about were the peanut butter eggs!!! All in all it has been a busy past few weeks, but I am thankful for the good times that have been had.