Bennett's KCRG TV9 Interview

Yesterday, KCRG TV9 News came out to do a story at our school. We are one of the few districts in the state that offers WiFi on our school buses. Because we have such a large district that travels over several hundred miles, kids can be on the bus for an hour or more each way to school.  Our 7-12 students all have school-issued iPads, so this allows them to continue to work on and even turn in their homework while on the bus.  Even after sporting events, athletes can work on homework rather than waiting until they get home after a late game and long drive back to school.

Our son, Bennett was interviewed for this story and I'm happy to share it with you! Click the link below to be taken to the story.

http://www.kcrg.com/subject/news/benton-community-schools-planning-to-expand-wi-fi-on-school-buses-20150212#media-well-container

Book Review: Singing to a Bulldog By Anson Williams

SINGING TO A BULLDOG
From Happy Days to Hollywood Director, and the Unlikely Mentor Who Got Me There

By: Anson Williams

Published: November 11, 2014

Publisher: Reader's Digest

Non-Fiction/Memoir





The beginning of a new year is a great time to reflect on your life and the lessons you have learned over the past year. In SINGING TO A BULLDOG, Anson Williams, better known as "Potsie" from the popular TV Series, Happy Days, shares his life lessons.  The lessons that carried him to stardom came from an African American janitor that become Williams mentor and friend. Willie Turner may have been an alcoholic, depending on whiskey to keep him going, but the lessons he shares with Williams during a critical point in his life have shaped him into the man he has become today.

Anson Williams shares his life growing up in a home where his parents didn't expect him to amount to much. A chance job in a department store, working as a janitor with Willie Turner, set him on the path to stardom. With Willie's nudging and guidance, Williams had the fortitude to go to auditions and keep going until he finally got the break he needed.

Each chapter shares a lesson he learned from Willie and a personal story that relates to the lesson. Williams shares his experiences from singing in night clubs, to when he realized he was a "star", to chance meetings with famous people like President Ford's daughter, Robin Williams, Dolly Parton and John Lennon. His stories are inspirational, heartfelt, and uplifting. Every time Williams was given a break, he found a way to also give back, remembering an important lesson from Willie.

Anson Williams gives a lot of credit for his success to fellow actor/director Ron Howard. Williams shares numerous examples of Howard's kindness, selflessness, and wisdom while acting and directing together. One day, Williams complained to Ron Howard about always being known as "Potsie". Howard states, "What are you complaining about? I'm stuck with two, Opie and Richie." Howard goes on to explain, "Of course they are going to call us by our character's names; that's how they know us. We have to earn our real names. We need to accomplish things as individuals." After reading this book, it is obvious Ron Howard and Anson Williams have definitely accomplished that.

Readers can learn a lot from Willie's wisdom and how Anson Williams used those lessons to create an amazing life, capitalizing on opportunities, and giving back to others. Fans of the show, Happy Days, will appreciate the inside stories from the show and its characters. Those looking for an uplifting read will find ways to make their days "happy" with Williams's anecdotes.

If you need a refresher on "Potsie" singing during his time on Happy Days check out this clip:



This is a great interview with Anson where he talks about his chance meeting with John Lennon (a story he shares in the book), his time on Happy Days, and about his business venture with surprisingly...beauty products.



Anson Williams wrote his memoir after reading and taking tips from HOW TO WRITE A MEMOIR IN 30 DAYS by Roberta Temes, PhD. To see my review of this book, click HERE.

Anson Williams

Best known for his Golden Globe nominated role as Warren "Potsie" Weber on the series Happy Days, Anson Williams is also an award-winning television director and writer as well as a singer and producer. He has directed more than 300 hours of television for a variety of series, including Beverly Hills, 90210, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. He won the prized Humanitas Award for his writing, has been honored by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and served on the board of the USO. Together with business partner JoAnna Connell, he founded StarMaker Products, an international product company. He lives with his wife and five daughters in Los Angeles, California.

To purchase a copy of this book, click the photo below:

Thanks to FSB Associates for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any way for this review. If you choose to purchase the book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. 

Book Review: While We Were Watching Downton Abbey By Wendy Wax

WHILE WE WERE WATCHING DOWNTON ABBEY

By: Wendy Wax

Published:  April 2, 2013
Mass Market Paperback: December 31, 2013

Fiction




As a huge fan of "Downton Abbey", I was curious to see what this book was all about.  Even though I have heard of Wendy Wax, I haven't read any of her books, but will certainly be adding them to my list of to-reads in the future.

In WHILE WE WERE WATCHING DOWNTON ABBEY, we are introduced to three very different women who all live in the gorgeous downtown Alexander.  They are brought together when Edward Parker, the British concierge of the Alexander, offers Sunday night showings of "Downton Abbey" in the club room.  

Samantha is married to Johnathan Davis, part of Atlanta's oldest and richest families.  Samantha has lived her life in gratitude to Johnathan for saving herself and two siblings after their father and mother died in a car accident.  When her siblings continue to drain Johnathan of his fortune and continue to embarrass their family, she wonders why Johnathan continues to stay married to her. 
Samantha continues to keep a brave face and fake her happiness all while under the watchful eyes of her mother-in-law, who may surprisingly become her biggest ally.

Claire, an accomplished author left the suburbs after sending her only daughter off to Northwestern.  Claire moves into the Alexander to spend a year writing her third novel.  Claire spent her whole life working multiple jobs while writing and caring for her daughter as a single mother.  Now with a whole year in front of her, she can't seem to find the words to create her next novel.  Admitting that to her publisher and her daughter could mean the end of her career.

Brooke is recently divorced from her plastic surgeon husband.  Throughout their marriage, Brooke worked multiple jobs and raised their children to get her husband through medical school.  Now that his practice is booming, he no longer needed her and left Brooke for a someone he could practice his plastic surgeon skills on.  Brooke, her two daughters and their dog are constantly put in the path of her ex-husband and his new "Barbie" girlfriend.  While Brooke continues to feel completely inadequate compared to the other people living in the Alexander and to her ex-husband, she finds a new calling as a professional mom. Edward Parker hires her to handle a 6-year-old birthday party as part of his Private Butler business and has maybe just given Brooke a new look at life without her husband.  

Wendy Wax has a great talent in creating characters the reader can both imagine and care about. From the very beginning, I found a piece of each character that I could relate to and began to root for them through each chapter.  With all the different characters and storylines, Wax finds ways to blend them all together without confusing or losing the reader. 

While reading the character's stories we also find their lives connecting with those in "Downton Abbey".  The merging of the novel with the show made for an interesting piece to the novel that was subtle, yet thought-provoking.  I found that even though the initial descriptions of the characters would make them unlikely friends, their friendship became very believable and necessary. 

I really enjoyed the story and even though parts of the book were predictable, I was pleased with how the character's lives were concluded in the novel.  I was able to guess some of the outcomes, I just didn't know how they were going to get there which is what I loved about the book.  I certainly enjoy a novel that can showcase women's friendships that are caring, fun, and with them supporting each other rather than being catty and spiteful.

I think this would make an excellent book club choice, especially for fans of "Downton Abbey". There are discussion questions included at the end of the new mass-market paperback version if you need them. But, I think your group would find plenty of topics to discuss without the questions. You will also find the first two chapters of Wax's novel TEN BEACH ROAD included in the back of the book. 

Wendy Wax - source

Wendy Wax is the author of numerous popular contemporary fiction novels including TEN BEACH ROAD and OCEAN BEACH.  For more on Wendy, check out her website,HERE.  You can also like her on Facebook, HERE and follow her on Twitter, HERE.

Thanks to Penguin Group for providing me a copy of this novel for this review.  This review is my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any other way for this review.  If you choose to purchase the novel through the above link, I will make a small commission without you paying a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com. 

American Idol - Excited for the New Season

It has been awhile since I've been on the Americana Idol bandwagon.  I frankly got a little tired of Simon's rude suggestions and comments.  Randy's "dog" verbage was worn out.  I couldn't stand to watch or listen to Nicki Minaj.  So, I rarely tuned in.

But, this year, I plan watch and DVR it when I am not home.  Want to know why?  One major reason......

source

I kind of like Harry Connick, Jr.  A LOT.  I just think this year's mix of judges is going to be awesome. Keith Urban....nice to look at....talented.....fun. 

 Jennifer Lopez.....bubbly......creative......positive. 

Harry.....gorgeous.....multi-talented.....warm-hearted.  

I assume that the harsh, unnecessarily rude remarks of the years past will not be a part of this season.  I can't see any of them acting that way or treating others unkindly.  I don't mean there won't be snide remarks or snickers after a really awful performance, but I hope, for the most part, their judgement of talent will be critical, positive, and fun.

I am excited to see what kind of talent these three judges can find.  It is looking like it could be an exciting season. American Idol starts tonight on Fox. For more, check out http://www.americanidol.com/.

A Little Monday Inspiration and An Update

photo courtesy of guidance.fidelity.com

"Progress is rarely a straight line.  There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead. "
Kara Goucher, American long-distance runner

In the first 6 months of the year I have ran/walked a total of 64.72 miles.  I know to a great many of you, that may not seem like much.  But, for me, it is more than I have ever ran in my life.  I have never liked running and I don't expect to ever really enjoy it. But it is something I am trying to do to feel stronger, be healthier, and gain more energy.  Even though this averages out to 10+ miles per month, some months I did much less and some months I did much more.  There were plenty of "bumps in my road". My schedule got in the way.  My laziness got in the way.  Excuses were easy to come up with for why I didn't need to run.  But, when I added up the miles, I was surprised just how much I actually did.

I have noticed some progress so far this year. I ran a 5K in June, beating my previous time by 2 minutes.  I can run for longer periods of time without needing to stop.  I am not so out of breath at the end of my run.  I have more energy on the days that I run.  But, the best part is that I am so glad I did it.

 There are never any regrets after a run. 

 Just regrets on days I don't run.  

I have found the best way for me to get running is accountability.  If I say I am going to run, I need to run.  If I can make a running date with someone (even virtually) that forces me to stop what I am doing, then I am more likely to run.  If I have a movie or TV show to watch, I am more motivated to get on that treadmill.

So, I will be looking ahead to the end of the year.  How many more miles can I get in?  Can I get to 100 miles?  Can I get to 150 miles?  I think I will make 150 miles in 2013 my goal.  I'm going to need some good fall shows to DVR to keep me motivated.  I am curious about the new Netflix series, Orange is the New Black.  I've also started watching Devious Maids from Lifetime.  Any show/movie recommendations?

What's On My DVR

The Fall TV Season is upon us.  I went through the summer hardly watching any TV, and now I am ready for some good TV.  I'm not able to watch all the shows in their regular time, so I DVR a lot of them to watch while the kids are in school.  These are the shows that I am really excited about.  Some are new, some are old, but I think they will all be my favorites.

Provocative conversation. Compelling real life drama. Unexpected adventures. Candid celebrity revelations. Audience participation. And the opportunity to get up off the couch and say YES to life!

I tuned into THE JEFF PROBST SHOW today.  In my area, it is on at 3PM on NBC.  As a long-time Survivor fan, I had to tune in.  Jeff blew me away today.  This show is not like any other.  There was no negativity, no celebrity gossip, no news.  It was refreshing.  It was real.  For more about this show and to see clips from today's episode that will have you rethinking your whole life, click HERE. DVR this one every day!

I had never watched GLEE until last fall.  I started watching them all on Netflix and then DVR'd the current season and I finally got all caught up this summer.  I can't wait to see what happens to Rachel in NYC, what new tricks Sue has up her sleeve, what is next for Will and Emma, and who will the newbies be???  I am an official GLEEk!

I first saw the pilot of this show during The Olympics.  I have to admit, I didn't think I was going to like it.  But I did.  I will be tuning in to see how Ryan (Matthew Perry) travels through the grief process.

Survivor Phillipines: Season 25 begins next week and I am soooo pumped!  I can't believe there have been 25 seasons already. As a forever Survivor fan, I can tell this will be an exciting season.  One of the cast members is from Cedar Rapids and another is Lisa Welchel (Blair from Facts of Life).  There are also returning castaways that were injured on previous seasons.  This will be a MUST SEE each week for me!

The Middle is on at the same time as Survivor, but since this is our family's favorite, we will be watching this as a family. This show guarantees laughs from each one of us.  We all have our favorites and can relate to a piece of each of them.  The Hecks could be our neighbors anytime!

Dancing with the Stars: All Stars is hoping to get people watching and voting for their all-time favorites.  This is a show that if I miss it once in awhile, I am ok.  But, I hope to watch most of it this season.  I will be rooting for Shawn Johnson!

Castle gets better every year.  Again, I may miss an episode here and there, but whenever I do get to watch it, I'm sucked in every time.  The sexual tension, the crime-solving, the humor....and Richard Castle....mmmmm!  Can't wait to see what is next for Beckett and Castle!

What has you most excited about the fall TV season?  What is the show you must watch each week?  Do you DVR most of your episodes or watch them online?