Ann without an E

When JP and I were going over names for our baby we never could agree on a boy name that felt like "it". We knew that the middle name would be Paul because it is JP's middle name and a tradition for the men in his family. But there wasn't a first name that stuck out to us. 

But we immediately agreed on a girl's name. We both love family names and I have always wanted to use my mother's maiden name, Rainey, as a middle name for a little girl. We both loved Ann Rainey. Ann is my grandmommy's middle name(my dad's mother). It is also the first or middle name of several special women in my family. So it was an easy decision for us. Following the good, old southern tradition she will go by a double name and be called "Ann Rainey".

I was raised watching "the Anne movies" with my sisters. To this day, the movies are still some of my favorites and they are my go to movies when I need something familiar/comforting on when I don't feel well. 

For anyone who is familiar with the Anne of Green Gables movies or books, you may remember the conversation about "Anne with an E". 

"...But if you call me Anne please call me Anne spelled with an E."

"What difference does it make how it's spelled?" asked Marilla with another rusty smile as she picked up the teapot. 

"Oh, it makes SUCH a difference.  It LOOKS so much nicer. When you hear a name pronounced can't you always see it in your mind, just as if it was printed out?  I can; and A-n-n looks dreadful, but A-n-n-e looks so much more distinguished. If you'll only call me Anne spelled with an E I shall try to reconcile myself to not being called Cordelia."

One thing that we realized as we were looking through all of the family members, they were all spelled Ann rather than Anne. I might have struggled for a few minutes over whether or not to put the E in her name but I figured if it is going to be a family name then it needs to be all or nothing. So we now have our little Ann without an E! And I don't think it looks dreadful at all. ;-)

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Theater Thursday - North Avenue Irregulars

It's Theater Thursday over at Crazy Shenanigans!

There's magic in the memories as great Disney moments are captured right here for you and your family to enjoy. The new preacher in town joins forces with the most unlikely group of organized crime fighters anyone has ever dreamed up -- six lady church members who are dedicated, eager, ready, willing ... everything but organized! The result is an action-packed comic caper that's as funny as any Disney comedy ever filmed!

 (summary from Disney Movie Club)

The new reverend at North Avenue Presbyterian (Edward Hermann) finds himself in a mess when he entrusts the church's sinking fund to Rose Delaney (Patsy Kelly). Unfortunately for the reverend he does not know that her husband is a compulsive gambler who bet the entire fund on the a horse race. Though the reverend finds out about the bet, his attempts at stopping the wager fail miserable. 

That night, rather than giving his regular sermon on the local television broadcast, Reverend Hill starts ranting about illegal gambling and how the local authorities seem to look the other way. This catches the attention of FBI agents and they contact Reverend Hill and ask him to set up a sting operation. None of the men in the congregation are willing to go up against the mob and the reverend is close to giving up when a group of church ladies come forward asking to help. The crew includes, the professional mom, Vickie (Barbara Harris), the bride to be, Annie (Karen Valentine), the rich perpetual single, Claire (Cloris Leachman), the retiree, Rose (Patsy Kelly) and the wife of a small business owner, Cleo (Virginia Capers). 

The crime fighters are faced with failure after failure, which provides for much of the comedy throughout the film. The ladies finally realize that they can't shut down the gambling locations or track down the leaders, they decide to go after the bank itself. The hunt to find the location and the chase that ensues lead to "a wild demolition derby". 

This is not one classified as one of Disney's great films, yet it is one of my favorites. It is full of laughs and, something rare in this world, clean. Below are some videos that feature Cloris Leachman's character in particular.

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