Monday Movie Meme – The Bug Out Stash for National Preparedness Month

A military couple load their emergency kit on their patio. FEMA/Zachary KittrieAs you may know, September is National Preparedness Month and the perfect time to take inventory of our readiness skills for dealing with emergencies. Do you have an evacuation plan? Have you practiced the plan to test its level of effectiveness? How about a 72-hour emergency kit – did you build one yet? That’s what the theme for this week’s Monday Movie Meme is all about: Bugging out.

A Bug out Bag contains all of the essentials you need, plus some additional supplies, to survive for a minimum of three days if you are forced to leave your location. So this week I invite you to join me in highlighting some film characters who packed gear that was crucial to their survival during one or more scenes. Share on your blog, or in the comments section, movies featuring people who pack survival items in their travel bags.

Here are my selections of films that fit this mold, based on the Graywolf’s sixteen plus categories of contents essential to your surviving an emergency situation.

Most Essential Survival Contents

Sam packed a bag of bread (or are they crackers? Whatever it is, the item sure makes a lot of crumbs!) for his and Frodo’s trip in "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King." This takes care of the nurishment needs for these two hobbits...until Gollum sabotages their food supply, turning best friends against each other, or rather, making Frodo get all monstrous on Sam. Case in point: Hungry people tend to get volatile quickly.

Next Most Essential Survival Contents

Danny has the weapons/security thing down when sneaking into a military tent to pack a go bag, or sorts, for his and Solomon’s trek through a war torn area in "Blood Diamond."

Additional Survival Equipment

We could argue that Aaron Ralston’s video camera was a useful and much needed comfort item in "127 Hours," yes? After all, it helped address the issue of boredom while also lifting his morale, even if only briefly, while he was trapped under that boulder in the canyon. I am sure there are better, more important types of electronics and comfort items that also weigh much less than a camera to pack in one’s Bug out Bag. However, given that this is one of the few movies that came to mind when thinking of backpacks and survival gear, “127 Hours” makes my list for the purpose of this week’s Monday Movie Meme.

What movies featuring people who packed essential survival gear would YOU add to this list?

In the last six months, how much priority did YOU place on taking steps to become better prepared for when an emergency or disaster strikes?

Monday Movie Meme – Sunflowers for Tina #LifeisGood

“Turn your face toward the sun and the shadows will fall behind you.” - Maori Proverb

Today, the A-to-Z Team is hosting Sunflowers for Tina, a tribute of sunflowers posted in memory of our late Co-Host Tina Downey at Life is Good.

To honor her love of sunflowers, we are splashing the blogging community with photos of a sunflower that we’ve either purchased or planted to remember the woman who, in many ways, embodied the true meaning of what it means to be a great friend.

This week’s Monday Movie Meme is also centered on this tribute: Sunflowers for Tina. Share on your blog or in the comments section, movies featuring scenes where someone offers flowers to another person.

My selections for this week’s theme are pretty slim as only a few come to mind such as the scene where Carrie smashed her bridal bouquet of roses and gardenia during a heated confrontation with Big in “Sex and the City: The Movie,” the scene where Marisa puts a bundle of lavender on Caroline’s bed in “Maid in Manhattan” and of course, the famous scene where a businessman brings roses to his, um, lady friend while professing his love for her in “Pretty Woman.” That’s all I have at the moment.

Today is the day that bloggers around the world are joining us as we brighten the internet with sunflowers the way Tina brightened the lives of so many people. You are welcome to participate by sharing this post on your social media channels or posting a photo of a sunflower on your blog or Instagram page with the hashtag #LifeisGood – right now!

What movies have YOU watched featuring people offering flowers to one another?

Besides flowers, what reminders in YOUR life convey the message that Life is Good?

WATCH NOW:

Monday Movie Meme - In Memory of Tina Downey

Today I ask you to join me in dedicating this week’s Monday Movie Meme to the memory of my dear A-to-Z Challenge co-host, Tina Downey, who passed away on Saturday. It is a shocking turn of events that I’m still trying to soak in, understand, and accept.

She was a brave woman, mother, daughter, wife and friend who found ways to encourage us all through laughter and discovery, all while fighting her own battles with health on many occasions. Before this past weekend, no one could have told me she wouldn’t be returning home from the hospital. That was out of the question, given the type of person she was – a survivor who always took the time to remind us that Life is Good.

A few days ago, Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh (along with Father Dragon Al) suggested that we unite in prayer; using the power of many to send healing thoughts to Tina “for one minute (or more) daily, exactly at the hour specified for your Time Zone, so all prayers/thoughts come out in synchrony.”

To celebrate Tina’s beacon of light that reached so many people during her time on this earth, I am lighting a candle for her on Saturday and sharing a photo of it with my readers and social networks. I welcome you to join me by lighting a candle where you are, in the name of Tina Downey. Let’s keep her memory alive by showing that she was a beacon of light to those who knew and cared for her, for we are lucky to have been a part of her world – online and offline.

In the meantime, share on your blog or in the comments section, movies featuring scenes where people turned to prayer and/or healing practices during trying times.

Here are my selections for this week’s theme – A Time of Healing for the Downey Family.

John Q

A frightened mother prays for a miracle for her son; who is in the ICU in need of a heart transplant, in this crime thriller starring Denzel Washington and Kimberly Elise.

What’s Love Got to Do with It?

A battered singer finds inner peace and strength through meditative chants, in this biographical music drama starring Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne and Vanessa Bell Calloway.

May the Downey family be blessed.

May Tina Downey rest in peace.

Will YOU light a candle for Tina?

What movies have YOU watched that feature prayer or healing practices during trying times?