I don't recall how I was introduced to Lloyd Alexander's The Book of Three, the first of the five books comprising the Chronicles of Prydain. I was in my teens. The magic that enthralled me then is still there every time I reread this or any of the other books in the series.

Don't let the fact that this book or the others in the series are categorized as "Young Adult" or "Juvenile Fiction" turn you away. I think too many adults make this mistake, missing out on some very delightful reading.

Each of the books in the series can stand alone as a complete adventure. This first book introduces us to the cast of characters that inhabit the magical world of Prydain.

This book and the series rates a full five stars! That means you need it in your library.

I first heard Nickel Creek when they were guests on Prarie Home Companion on public radio. I like acoustic strings to begin with (the group consists of violin/fiddle, guitar, mandolin, string bass, and vocals) and their bluegrass folk sound.

My sister, whose musical tastes overlap mine considerably, let me borrow her Nickel Creek CD. I'm addicted! I love the instrumentals and the vocal selections. I didn't want to have to return her CD. Fortunately for me, we worked out an arrangement whereby she gave me the CD in exchange for my picking her up from the airport in Las Vegas when she gets back from her trip to Colorado later this month (February 2001). I think I got the better end of the bargain.

My favorite vocal tracks are probably track #2 (The Lighthouse's Tale), #5 (Reasons Why), and #11 (The Fox).

These guys are good! Nearly perfect, in fact. I'll give 'em a 4.5 out of 5.

I missed this one when it was out in theaters. I probably wouldn't have seen it so soon after it came out on video if it wasn't for a friend of mine bringing it over one evening. So we watched it with some other friends.

Prior to my seeing The Kid my sister, whose opinion I value and trust when it comes to things of the cinema, told me that yes, it was a good movie, but she and her friend had fixated on the music soundtrack all through the movie and so described the music as distracting, the "circuis-like" music never seeming (or very rarely) to stop.

So I had mixed expectations that evening. What a pleasant and delightful surprise, then, to discover that this was indeed a good movie, a funny movie. I liked it. A lot more than I thought I would. The music wasn't distracting to me at all. Sure, like many Turteltaub movies (While You Were Sleeping comes to mind), the music is a bit much, but not unpleasantly so in the least. Not every movie can will find the balance of background music that I thought God's Army (see http://www.zionfilms.com/) found.

This is a good show. A good family film. As I watched, I knew I would have to add it to my DVD collection. I haven't yet (as of this writing), but I expect to buy it this very evening. I give this show a very enjoyable 3 1/2 rating.