FYI – About Jeanie
Edited March 2010
Note to passers-by: There is no denying that this page and yes, even this blog as a whole, is a peek in to my world, a coded map into my my universe, and yet is in no way the realty of the whole. Admittedly an autohagiography*, you may walk along the sidewalk in front of my house and perhaps even call out to me as I respose upon my porch, but the gate to my mysteries is quite unaccessible. Except to, perhaps, the most discerning of observers…Naw, not really. It is all blah-ed out here!
*Definition, autohagriography~writing about oneself in an adulatory way. {while this should be embarrassing, I figure everybody on Facebook is doing it, so why not?}. Why would I reveal anything less-than-adulatory??? Come on!
Lives in Colorado, where there are over 300 sunny days a year! Which, I need!
Married to Dave, best friend and lover for 28 years (we’re off to a good start)!
Familia: I raised 5 kids and lived to tell about it!! 5 grown children (3 of which are married to the best people ever!), 5 extraordinary grandchildren: Gavin-6, Hunter-5, Guini-4, Gemma-2, and Averi-1 1/2 (new grandbebe due in March 2010!) . My parents still going strong for God. Incredible siblings and family all over the nation going to the nations). So blessed!
One of my favorite lines from a book: “It’s not about you.” from Rick Warren’s best-selling Purpose Driven Life, chapter one, first line. I don’t remember any of the other sentences, too much.
Book title I most hate: Purpose-Driven Life because as a born type-A personality, I don’t need anyone or any book giving me a reason to be driven – no matter how spiritual sounding it may be. I am trying to walk with Christ daily, keep in step with the Holy Spirit – not run Them over as I drive by.
Books that impacted me for life at the age of nineteen: Yes! by Ann Kiemel (because I wanted to be able to sing encouragement to people like she did), Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman by Anne Ortlund (and everything else I have ever read by Anne – she has mentored/discipled me without ever knowing it)
Foul of choice: “I Think I Love You, ” and “I Woke Up in Love this Morning” are 2 of the greatest songs ever and they are both by the Patridge Family. Really – you have to listen to them again! I also love David Cassidy singing “I Can Feel Your Heartbeat.” How cute is he?!? BUT MY FAV PATRIDGE SONG OF ALL TIMES?? ”It’s One of Those Nights”!! It was way more obscure, but WOW I love that song and my kids recorded it for me on youtube! My kids: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpDzazacUEw
pictured: Jeanie Rhoades at one, and at 50
Movies I love that you may have missed, but are so worth the watch (in no particular order)!:
- Return to Me (low budget, small, but such a great cast and story…see it!) “What was God thinking?” I became a David Duchovny fan because of this movie-he plays it beautifully. And the old guys are the BEST! Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra? Well, I mean, Frank is Frank-you can’t argue with that, but, oh baby: Dean Martin! For real! SEE IT! Seriously!
- Grace of My Heart …omygoodnesss…I love this movie!…(this may actually be THE quintessential “Jeanie” movie. It may explain everything.) The soundtrack {I am suddenly speechless}…the soundtrack…
- Cold Comfort Farm “I saw something nasty in the woodshed” The characters! “There’ll be no butter in hell, I tell ya.”
- One Fine Day…one of the greatest movie kisses…wholesome love story takes place in one 24-hour period, “You’re just reeling me in, aren’t you?” It is really hard to keep so many balls in the air.
- A League of Their Own great piece from one of my favorite periods, the 40s, looooove the soundtrack!
- Enchanted April…I need one!…”I just want to sit and not talk and not have to be the centre of attention all the time…”
- Room with a View “?” the great why??? “You DO love me, little thing.”
- Once should be seen several times. Amazing soundtrack.
- I’m with Lucy She dates a gazillion guys…Barry: I went to a 3-day tax seminar and I thought about you there. Lucy: You did? Barry: Yeah, well taxes are in April and my sister’s birthday is in April. She married a veterinarian. That always makes me think of the time we went to the zoo and fooled around by the polar bear tank.
- Dream Team…Dave says I am the guy in the looney-ward with the OCD cleaning compulsion.
- Best in Show…True dog lovers don’t care that much for this movie, but that is because it is about them!
- Waiting for Guffman Ok, Posie Parker? She actually works at the Dairy Queen here in Brighton! Same people who made Best in Show.
- Grosse Pointe Blank “What is this I’m feeling? Is it pain? Panic? Hunger? Am I hungry? Who’s hungry?” Violence, language and charming all at once. An old love returns to the scene of his crime…
- The Notebook So syrupy sweet, perhaps, but really sexy and wonderful, too (better ending than the book) “It wasn’t over. It still isn’t over.” A love letter every single day for a year??!
- Elf Captures the childlike wonder of Christmas so well, pretty to look at, too. Don’t be a cotton-headed-ninny-muggins, if you can help it.
- Mona Lisa Smiles My favorite thing? When each of her students does a paint-by-number of the classic Van Gogh sunflowers, and they each interpret it their own way. I love that! It speaks of the people you surround yourself with. They are unique and communicate things differently, yet there is a common thread (you) that makes them all a part of the beautiful whole.
- The Lake House falling in love via real letters! Love conquering time and space – OK, I had to suspend a lot of disbelief for this one and still can’t quite tell if they tied up the loose ends, but great ending and good soundtrack (you cannot go wrong with Paul McCartney, right?). My advice to Keanu? Always work with Sandra Bullock. She makes you look really good. Advice to Sandra? Keep working with Keanu in movies where you are not in many scenes with him. Safer for you! “You waited.”
- Something New a gorgeous guy, a beautiful workaholic and a majestic garden. I like it a lot!
- Baby Boom…classic Diane Keaton – another of the best movie kisses ever (when he stopped to help her with her flat tire).
- Big Night…food is beautiful and sensual. Italians, right?
- Far and Away Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, she a sassy girl of wealth and privilege in Ireland, he, a common potato farmer. They come to America looking for adventure and excitement and end up involved in the Land Rush of Oklahome in the late 1800’s where they find common ground, so to speak. They are both strong-willed and young and beautiful in this one. It was critically panned, but really is a beautiful movie and sizzling story! Shannon: Pretend you love me. Joseph: I pretend I love you. Shannon: I pretend I love you, too.
More “obvious” movies that I love and why:
- You’ve Got Mail…because it’s written by a writer about books- great script, a gentle story…bouquets of sharpened pencils and, come on” Meg and Tom!
- Planes, Trains and Automobiles…because you need a good Thanksgiving movie…beautifully relational…makes me laugh every single year…I have felt as frustrated as Steve Martin’s character at the airport car rental counter, and maybe even acted like that… Everytime you go away, you take a piece of me with you…
- The Quiet Man…because you need a good St. Patrick’s Day movie on your list…the kiss, the slap, the passion-the wedding night! “There’ll be no locks or bolts between us, Mary Kate, except those in your own mercenary little heart.“ Omygoodness!…John Wayne’s a man!
- The Sixth Sense…if you got to see it before some one ruined the ending, you know why I love it. You can never experience it like that again, but that was amazing fun!.
- Twilight…don’t know why I should adore this movie because it is about high schoolers and vampires, but I can’t help myself! The misfit and some one who sees her, loves her.
- Scent of a Woman…why? Read about it here.
Greatest joys:
- Mi familia: Time with Dave…the 5 delightful, energetic grandchildren…Tara & Dave, Stephanie & Tristan, Tredessa, Rocky & Jovan, and Stormie: The wonderful children God gave me – watching them live out His call on their lives through worship, missions, preaching and teaching, giving. I am learning so much from them…
- Home. I found out that I was homesick for like 10 years. I love home…
- Digging in dirt with my bare hands. Some people poetically call this “gardening.” And by the way, the ‘Chicken Soup’ people should watch out for me because I think I have a new series formulating: “Grace from the Garden,” because I really do find it there…
- Writing. It turns out I am graphomaniacal, big-time! I LOVE to write: clattering on the keyboard or pen to paper. I am leaving words for my children and grandbebes. Words, the best of all I have, declared and decreed ~ w r i t t e n. Aaaahhhh…
- The great grace and mercy of a God who takes time to bother with me. His Presence and His smile are my great life pursuits. I am awestruck to be learning that He is greatly pursuing my presence as well…
Weirdest things at this point in my life: I am 50 and that is impossible, isn’t it???
Pet peeve/pardon me while I climb atop my soapbox: Church people who are churchy. Worse yet, being controlled by a spirit of condemnation via being shot with scriptural-truth-bullets (minus the love motivator) and people who pray pious prayers to keep you in line.
Passion: Song. Singing. Once, when I was four and supposed to be taking a nap, I am pretty sure I heard the music of heaven and saw throngs of people singing. And since then? The song goes on….I love to sing to God and myself and sometimes with others.
