Pre-School Jabs, US Drama and A Cool Hoodie!

I got a totally cool hoodie jacket for Christmas which includes the caption "This is totally going on my blog!"  It's a very apt piece of clothing and is a constant reminder to me to keep my eyes and ears open for blogger fodder.  With the influx of reviews and sponsored posts last year, I felt like my little corner of cyberspace was drowning in a sea of commercialism.  I don't want that to happen again so I am going back to basics and writing more about the real stuff!  The things that make us who we are.

Today, Freddy had his pre-school jabs.  I have never questioned the ethics of immunisation as I personally believe that the programme we have in this country is definitely for the greater good.  We eradicated Smallpox through immunisation after all, so it obviously works!  When I went to ante-natal classes during my first pregnancy I met a woman who was rendered partially deaf and paralysed down one side of her face after a complication of measles. She urged all of us young mums to immunise our babies and the thought of my inaction leading to my child getting ill and possibly suffering such complications simply wasn't an option.  All five of my kids have had their immunisations, thankfully with no negative effects, so I believe I did the right thing for us.  

It is never nice subjecting little ones to having a needle stuck in both arms, but Freddy was unfazed.  In fact, after the second jab he asked for another one!  I believe that watching Doc McStuffins and Dr Ranj's Get Well Soon has demystified the doctor's surgery and hospitals for young kids.  I wish we had those characters 20 years ago when my poor eldest daughter was constantly in and out of the doctor's with her asthma.  She ended up terrified of the surgery and just one look at a stethoscope sent her scarpering to hide under the doctor's desk.  Poor little thing.

The fact that Freddy had his pre-school jabs has made me think about the fact that he will be starting school this year.  He is still so little and although he is so much more confident since starting nursery, he is still sometimes intimidated by other children.  I hope that my decision to send him to the big, local infants school pays off.  Sending him to a very small, rural primary school will almost reinforce his tendency towards shyness and never give him the chance to 'grow'. I want him to have a good experience that prepares him for his future and helps him reach his full potential. I don't want him shielded from being a part of a big school until he is eleven and has to start secondary school. I hope that I've made the right decision, I really do.  

Freddy being back at nursery has given me more free time.  I have used a few of these hours to catch up with the series of Dallas that has sat on my Sky Planner for months.  Oh my goodness, I LOVED  every minute of it.  It was sad to think that Larry Hagman has since died, but what an amazing swan song for JR.  Now I have the new series of Revenge to satisfy my love for glitzy American dramas.  They are my little bit of escapism to counteract the problems of the weather and the economy!

I really hope the snow that is forecast fails to materialise next week.  I am dreading the thought of icy roads.  Not so much for me (although the prospect of sub-zero snowy school runs do scare me) but knowing that  Joe, Megan and Ian all have to drive to work, and Ella has to endure an hour long bus ride at the hands of a slightly mad bus driver to get to college.  If the Easterly cold front could limit itself to weekends only I will be a much happier woman knowing my loved ones are as safe on the roads as they can possibly be!

Dallas Seasons 3 and 4 - Who Shot JR?

My journey into the back catalogue of Dallas continues with seasons 3 and 4 on DVD that have been sent to me by the good people of Warner Bros.  The fast paced drama full of intrigue and deception is as fresh today as it was two decades ago.  The snapppy dialogue, gripping storylines and fabulous characters make Dallas an ageless guilty pleasure!  It is within these two box sets that we see the saga of "Who Shot JR?" play out.  This remains the greatest cliffhanger in TV history that kept the whole world guessing.  I get to relive that moment and intend to enjoy every glitzy, glamorous episode all over again!

Features all 25 episodes from Season 3: 'What Ever Happened To Baby John (Part 1)', 'What Ever Happened To Baby John (Part 2)', 'The Silent Killer', 'Secrets', 'The Kristin Affair', 'The Dove Hunt', 'The Lost Child', 'Rodeo', 'Mastectomy (Part 1)', 'Mastectomy (Part 2)', 'The Heiress', 'Ella Saves The Day', 'Mother Of The Year', 'Return Engagements', 'Love And Marriage', 'Power Play', 'Paternity Suit', 'Jenna's Return', 'Sue Ellen's Choice', 'Second Thoughts', 'Divorce - Ewing Style', 'Jock's Trail (Part 1)', 'Jock's Trial (Part 2)', 'The Wheeler Dealer' and 'A House Divided'.

Features all the episodes from Season 4: 'No More Mister Nice Guy (1)', 'No More Mister Nice Guy (2)', 'Nightmare', 'Who Done It?', 'Taste of Success', 'The Venezuelan Connection', 'The Fourth Son', 'Trouble at Ewing 23', 'The Prodigal Mother', 'Executive Wife', 'End of the Road (1)', 'End of the Road (2)', 'Making of a President', 'Start the Revolution With Me', 'The Quest', 'Lover, Come Back', 'The New Mrs. Ewing', 'Mark of Cain', 'The Gathering Storm', 'Ewing vs. Ewing', 'New Beginnings', 'Full Circle' and 'Ewing-Gate'.


Available to buy at Amazon and other good DVD retailers.

The Return of Dallas

I'll never forget the days when Dallas first graced our screens.  The feuds, families, wealth, power, sex, revenge and rivalry kept us all hooked on the saga of the oil magnate Ewing family across fourteen seasons.  Whether you were Team Bobby or Team JR, there was plenty of excitement to keep you hooked.  I am more than a little bit excited that a brand new series of Dallas, starring some big names from the original cast, is coming to Channel 5 on September 5th, but I will never lose the soft spot in my heart for the original!  Whether they were fighting over the love of a woman or over a business deal,  the sprawling saga never disappointed!

When Warner Bros sent me a box set of the original Dallas Seasons 1 and 2, I was filled with such nostalgia and a pang of pure guilty pleasure, rekindling my old love for a family favourite!  This is a vintage classic US soap from the late 70s and 80s that reflects a bygone era.  The theme tune is so iconic and draws you into Southfork Ranch from the opening bars.

From the moment that young bouffant-haired Bobby Ewing arrives home with his new wife Pam, the daughter of Digger Barnes, love rival and business rival to patriarch Jock Ewing, sparks begin to fly!  It is the perfect scenario to unleash the evil that is JR, the man we all love to hate, as he plots and schemes to drive her away.  Throw into the mix the alcoholic, ex-beauty queen Sue-Ellen and the spoilt, flirty teenager Lucy, long suffering matriarch Miss Ellie, vengeful rival Cliff Barnes and broody foreman Ray Krebbs and you have the complex ingredients for the larger than life storylines that made Dallas one of the best loved shows of its time.  Just how far JR is prepared to go to get his own way is always shocking!

As this was made 30 years ago, the picture and sound quality are representative of the time it was filmed.  It gives it a certain authentic 80s charm which transported me back to my childhood...just don't expect HD.   The five double sided discs feature every one of the episodes from both seasons.  It is a bit tricky reading the writing on the dual discs to work out which side is which, but I blame that on the fact my eyesight isn't quite what it used to be!!

Season One was a mini-series with five episodes and Season Two has 24 episodes.  This equates to a lot of TV viewing!!  Dallas is such a classic that I love dipping back into to it.  It does become quite addictive and the 'oh let's just watch one more episode' syndrome has meant a few late nights!

Some of the plot lines include black market babies, kidnapping, bigamy, a plane crash, infidelity, alcoholism, drug taking, accusations of murder, premature birth and near death experiences.  The stories come thick and fast.  The seasons end with gripping cliff hangers that leave you wanting.  Season 2 ends with a rare moment of compassion, emotion and heartache for JR which has left me hankering for series 3!

The Dallas Season One & Two boxset is available from Amazon for £13.19.  It is a must have if you have the same nostalgic love of the series that I have and you want to experience the epic saga with its incredible story lines and fabulously larger than life characters!