Each week (give or take one or two here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.
1) A Few Good Men
One of the best things about having teenagers is the opportunity to introduce them to things from your youth that you loved (or, as the Bible puts it, “raise them up in the way they should go”). There is, of course, the volatile variable of poor teenage taste–both your own from decades ago and their own today. But on occasion, a plan comes together beautifully. I recently watched A Few Good Men with my wife and 17-year-old daughter, and I was reminded of A) how loaded the cast in that movie is and B) how awesome Jack Nicholson’s performance as the sneering Colonel Jessup was. Because it was directed by Rob Reiner, it was awesome in the first place. And because it is basically a courtroom drama, it has aged better than many movies. I wouldn’t say my daughter loved it, but she did like it, and that is a resounding victory in the parenting teen category. It really is a fun, smart, gripping movie that is worth two hours of your (and your teenagers’) time.
2) Camping and Emergency Lanterns
Nashville, and much of the South, got hammered a couple weeks ago by ice storms leading to widespread power outages. When we knew the storm was going to be bad, one of the first things I did was dig out these lanterns from our garage to have on hand. They are fantastic in case of emergency or for outdoor use. The battery life is decent since they are LED lights, and they use standard AAs. They are small and light weight, and it is as simple as slide them open to turn on and closed to turn off. They’re useful as worksite or project lights too because of how bright and portable they are too. If you are outdoorsy or nervous about future power outages, I highly recommend these little lamps.
3) “Sunday Morning Coming Down” by Kris Kristofferson
I am no song writer, but I am a song appreciator, and I have done a bit of writing. And this song is as well-written as any I know. And that organ playing softly in the background is a magnificent touch.
