Expressions of Gratitude

There are so many things for which I am truly and deeply grateful that it almost seems impossible to do justice by naming a few on a blog. But as an exercise similar to my prayer life, I am going to enter this post as a feeble attempt to let my appreciation be known.

I am grateful for a curious and active mind that leads me to ask questions and seek answers.

I am grateful for a wife that is a strong and capable person who can make up her own mind and stand her ground, without whining, and yet has made me the focal point of her life. We are about to celebrate 41 years together.

I am grateful for health, both for myself and for my wife and grandkids who live in my house.

I am grateful for our home. We have a nice house, but a wonderful home.

I am grateful for books! I love to read and seldom find something that I cannot finish. Reading has been among my greatest delights.

I am grateful for the privilege of serving a congregation of Christians that is seeking the will of God and tries to practice it.

I am grateful for the ability to express a thought and motivation to share ideas with others.

I am grateful for a heritage of honesty and dependability from my parents and grandparents.

I am grateful for my three girls and four grandkids, whom I hope will receive the same heritage.

I am grateful for the avenue of expression, and the challenge to creativity that I find in blogging.

I am grateful that you took the time to read these thoughts!

Favorite Movie Scenes

I just saw a promo for tomorrow night’s O’Reilly Factor show. Bill is going to reveal his top ten movie scenes of all time. I love movies and the ad prompted me to think about my favorite scenes. It might be hard to stop at ten, and the ones I list tonight might not be the ones I would list a month form now, but here are some of mine.

Number 1 for me is the chariot race scene from Ben Hur. I worked at the movie theater when it was released. On the nights I was off I went to the theater every night for three weeks to watch the race. It was spectacular!

There are several scenes from The Magnificent Seven that I love, but maybe the best is the first scene when Yul Brynner and the other six chased the forty bandits out of the little village.

In the Sons of Katie Elder, there is a scene when the bad guy, George Kennedy, is trying to find out some information from an associate of John Elder (John Wayne). He is holding the fella’s head under water in a tub. Wayne walks in on the scene and picks up an axe handle. He shouts to Kennedy, who turns to look and receives that axe handle across the bridge of his nose!

The scene in Marathon Man where the dentist, Lawrence Olivier, is trying to get information from the hero of the movie, Dustin Hoffman.

The scene in It’s A Wonderful Life where Jimmy Stewart & Donna Reed fall into the swimming pool at the dance.

The motorcycle scene in The Great Escape, featuring Steve McQueen, followed closely with his return to the cooler and bouncing his baseball off the wall.

In Old Yeller, when the older boy has to shoot the dog that he has grown to love.

In Shennandoah, when Jimmy Stewart’s youngest son walks into the church and is reunited with his dad, following having been mistakenly taken away as a prisoner of war.

The scene in Singin’ In The Rain where Donald O’Conner sings and dances “Make ‘Em Laugh”.

The scene in Field of Dreams when James Earl Jones’ character is in Iowa and gives his soliloquy. “They will come Ray. Baseball….”

What are some of your favorite scenes?

Erroll Le Vant’s Top Ten Children’s Books

1.  The Velveteen Rabbit

2.  Black Beauty

3.  The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe ( & the rest of the Chronicles)

4.  The Cat In The Hat

5.  Treasure Island

6.  Green Eggs and Ham

7.  The Wizard of Oz

8.  Peter Pan

9.  The Bobbsey Twins Series

10. The Hardy Boys Series

What are your favorites?

Erroll Le Vant’s Top Ten Musicals

1.  South Pacific

2.  Sound of Music

3.  Oklahoma

4.  Little Shop of Horrors

5.  Oliver

6.  Annie

7.  Lil Abner

8.  West Side Story

9.  Beauty & The Beast

10. Guys & Dolls

What are your favorites?

Erroll Le Vant’s Top Ten Action Movie Stars

1.  Sean Connery

2.  Arnold Schwarzenegger

3.  Clint Eastwood

4.  Steve McQueen

5.  John Wayne

6.  Harrison Ford

7.  Pierce Brosnan

8.  Charles Bronson

9.  Bruce Willis

10. Will Smith

Who are your favorites?

Erroll Le Vant’s Top Ten Television Western Series

1.  Gunsmoke

2.  Have Gun, Will Travel

3.  Rawhide

4.  Wagon Train

5.  The Virginian

6.  Maverick

7.  Cheyenne

8.  Bonanza

9.  The Lone Ranger

10. Roy Rogers 

What are your favorites?

Erroll Le Vant’s Top Ten John Wayne Movies

1.  Hondo

2.  The Sands of Iwo Jima

3.  Rio Bravo

4.  The Searchers

5.  In Harm’s Way

6.  The Quiet Man

7.  The High and The Mighty

8.  Comancheros

9.  Stagecoach

10. Hatari

What are your favorites?