Erkenci Kus: The Turkish TV Show I Didn't Know I Needed

I have never, ever, ever been one for subtitles. Read along with a TV show or movie? No thank you. About two weeks ago, all that changed ...

"when calls the heart: the complete season one" dvd review

Are you a "Heartie"? I don't think I'd quite qualify as one—I'm not obsessed with When Calls the Heart, I haven't seen every episode, and I don't interact with other fans online—but I do enjoy catching it on the Hallmark Channel.

When FishFlix.com, home of family friendly and Christian movies, offered to send me When Calls the Heart DVDs for review, I couldn't pass up the opportunity!

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When Calls the Heart tells the captivating story of Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), a young teacher accustomed to her high society life, who receives her first classroom assignment in Coal Valley, a small coalmining town where life is simple, but often fraught with challenges.

Lori Loughlin plays Abigail Stanton, a wife and mother whose husband, the foreman of the mine, along with a dozen other miners, has just been killed in an explosion. The newly widowed women find their faith is tested when they must go to work in the mines to keep a roof over their heads.

Elizabeth charms most everyone in Coal Valley, except Constable Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing) who believes Thatcher’s wealthy father has doomed the lawman’s career by insisting he be assigned in town to protect the shipping magnate’s daughter. Living in a 19th century coal town, Elizabeth will have to learn the ways of the frontier if she wishes to thrive in the rural west on her own.

The series is inspired by Janette Oke’s bestselling book series about the Canadian West, and reunites Oke with Executive Producer and Director, Michael Landon, Jr.

Includes:
-When Calls The Heart (Hallmark Channel Original Movie)
-Lost And Found (Movie Version of Episodes 1 & 2)
-A Telling Silence (Movie Version of Episodes 3 & 4)
-The Dance (Movie Version of Episodes 5 & 6)
-Second Chances (Movie Version of Episodes 7 & 8)
-Change Of Heart (Movie Version of Episodes 9 & 10)
-Rules Of Engagement (Movie Version of Episodes 11 & 12)
-Getting to know Michael Landon Jr. and Jeanette Oke
-Episodes 1-12 as seen on the Hallmark Channel

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First of all, let's clear up some confusion: When Calls the Heart, the novel by Janette Oke, is not the same as When Calls the Heart the Hallmark Channel show. However, When Calls the Heart the movie (which is included in this collection) is loosely based on the novel. And now Oke and her daughter Laurel Oke Logan are writing a new series that is being called a companion to the show: so far, there are three books, which I assume go along with the three seasons. I read the first book, When Courage Calls, and it bears a resemblance to the series, though it's clearly not a novelization of the first season.

Why does this matter? It might not, but if you're reading this blog, it's probably because you're interested in Christian fiction. If you've been reading Christian fiction for a while, chances are good you've read Oke's Canadian West series, and you would naturally assume that a series called When Calls the Heart would follow Elizabeth and Wynn, the couple at the heart of the series. Instead, When Calls the Heart follows Elizabeth's great-niece, also named Elizabeth Thatcher. (Further muddying the waters? In the companion series, Elizabeth is known as Beth, and her love interest Jack is known as Jarrick.)

Now, to the series itself: When Calls the Heart is one of the cleanest, most family-friendly shows geared toward adults currently on television. Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) is immediately endearing as she attempts to adjust from her pampered city life to living in Coal Valley. Her relationship with Mountie Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing) builds slowly—too slowly, some may say—and sweetly. Lori Loughlin, who never seems to age a day, shines as Abigail Stanton, the leader of a group of women who recently lost their husbands in a mine explosion. Abigail becomes a mentor and friend to Elizabeth, and their relationship is one of my favorites in the series. This season is wholly enjoyable, and I highly recommend it! 5 stars.

The Complete Season One review: At first glance, this set seems a bit redundant. Unless you're a When Calls the Heart super fan, you probably don't need both the movie version and the Hallmark Channel version of each episode! However, two things make this edition a good choice if you'd like to own the season: 1. This set includes the When Calls the Heart movie, starring Maggie Grace (LOST) and Stephen Amell (Arrow) as Elizabeth Thatcher and Wynn Delaney. In addition to telling the beginning of Elizabeth and Wynn's love story, the film also marks the beginning of the younger Elizabeth's story and introduces Coal Valley; however, the only major cast member from the film who returns for the series is Lori Loughlin. I don't know why so many roles were recast, but I do think it was a good move. (One thing that drives me absolutely crazy about the film is that Elizabeth and Wynn's story is never finished. And they don't factor into the series at all.) 2. It's actually cheaper to purchase the complete season one than it is to purchase each movie (which is two episodes) individually. So if you think you'll want to own the whole season, this is a really good deal.

Buy the DVD set.

Read my review of Where Courage Calls (3 stars), the first When Calls the Heart companion novel.
Get a $5 coupon to FishFlix.com by joining the email list here or by texting 5-GIFT to 44222.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this DVD free for review from FishFlix.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

six questions

This blog has been all about the book reviews all month long. Between reading, reviewing, working, and, well, watching Fall TV, I haven't had time for much else! But I do have other things to talk about, so I thought I'd do a question and answer post. I've thought of six questions that you might ask me if we met for coffee, and I'll answer them here. (Why six? Because six has been my favorite number ever since, as a six-year-old, I heard Bert sing about his favorite number.) So grab a cup of coffee—I've got my fall favorite pumpkin spice latte—and enjoy this glimpse into my world.

Are you still gluten free?
Yes! It really hasn't been too difficult, and the worst part by far is eating out. I've discovered that I absolutely love almond and coconut flour (too bad they're pretty expensive), and I've had fun experimenting with gluten free baked goods. (Some have turned out awesome, others not so much.) My favorite is a peanut butter cookie recipe that I've adapted into a really awesome cookie, if I do say so myself. I'll try to snap pics the next time I make them and then post the recipe here on the blog.

How are you feeling?
This is kind of ironic, as I'm writing this on a day that I'm having what I like to call a "thyroid day," but I actually feel tons better. I don't feel "normal" yet, but I feel the best I've felt in two years. Two years! I think it's a combination of going gluten free, changing medication, making sleep a priority, and reducing stress. I still have hopes of getting my energy back, losing weight, and being able to fully participate in things I love, but if this is all the better it gets, it's livable, and I will be grateful for the health I have.

The other day, while on a two-mile walk (something that would have killed me just six months ago but I did with ease now), my mom asked me what my dreams are. I couldn't even answer her. These last two years have been all about surviving, not dreaming. But now it's time to start thinking about goals other than "make it through the work day so I can crash on my couch."

What classes are you teaching this year?
As I have for the last couple of years, only yearbook. While I do miss getting to know the international students on as personal a level (which I talked about here and here), I also am enjoying my job as a whole more than I have probably ever. I still do a little bit of a lot of things, but my main area is communications: website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, our quarterly newsletter, etc.

Are you doing Singing Christmas Tree?
Considering Singing Christmas Tree has been such a huge part of my life and was even a large factor in my decision to attend my church, this may come as a surprise, but no. It's not that I don't want to participate, but I'm trying to make decisions that will help, not hinder, my healing process. One of the things I'm learning is that stress and tiredness are huge triggers for me. If I have a big, busy day, I can pretty much guarantee that either the next day or the day after that I will not feel well. Singing Christmas Tree is a wonderful ministry, but it is also incredibly time consuming and exhausting, and speech season (my most stressful time of the year) directly follows it. I want to go into speech as healthy and rested as possible. I hope to rejoin the choir next year.

What has God been teaching you?
First of all, I'm finally learning to say no to things. When I was struggling with whether or not to do Singing Christmas Tree, I mentioned to a co-worker what I was thinking. Her response? "You are way harder on yourself than anyone else will be. If you need to take a break, you take a break. They'll survive without you." So true. While I feel a little guilty about taking this year off, I shouldn't.

I'm also learning compassion. Because Hashimoto's is a disease that often isn't physically apparent, most people who see me would have no idea that anything was wrong with me. The knowledge that others have no idea how I feel has helped me understand that, likewise, I have no idea what others are going through. I need to extend grace to others instead of being so judgemental. I don't know what circumstances in their lives are influencing the way they behave and the decisions they make.

Most importantly, though, I'm learning that God has everything under control. It's one of those things that I always know in my head, but sometimes my heart forgets. And then God steps in, and it's like he's nudging me and saying, "See? I've got this." This was especially evident a few weeks ago. Back at the beginning of August, I finally got a referral to an endocrinologist, but I couldn't get in to see her until mid-November. This is the same endo my dad sees for his diabetes, so he called to see if we could switch appointments, as he had one in early September. They said no, since initial appointments take longer than return visits, but they could put me on a waiting list in case of cancellations. The morning of my dad's appointment, I got a call from the clinic—they had a cancellation, and the slot was mine if I wanted it. So I was able to carpool with my dad and see the doctor a full two and a half months early! If that's not a God thing, I don't know what is!

Now a fun one: Do you have any good movie or TV recommendations?
Of course I do! Movie first: Belle. It's about a mixed race daughter of an British Navy captain who is raised by her great aunt and uncle on an English estate in the late 1700s. I don't really want to say much more than that because you need to watch it. It would make a great companion piece to Amazing Grace—both deal with slavery in different ways.

TV: Forever. It stars Ioan Gruffudd as a man who can't die. Well, he actually CAN die, he just can't STAY dead. He's a medical examiner in New York City who has a skill for discerning how people died, and he often works with a female detective. Sound a bit like Castle? It definitely has that feel to it. So far, I'm loving it! You can watch the pilot episode here.

And while we're on the subject of TV, if you're looking for a good binge watching show, check out Ringer on Netflix. It also stars Gruffudd (and Sarah Michelle Gellar)—I recently recommended it to another blogger after she wrote about Forever, and then I had this urge to watch it again. I'm one of about five people who actually watched it when it aired on the CW, and I'm enjoying it just as much on this pass through as I did on the first. (Yes, it's ridiculously soapy with about a million plot holes, but it's so entertaining!) There's only one season, so you won't even have to spend much time watching. Plus, Logan Echolls is a guest star ...

why i don't miss netflix

When I wrote about dumping Netflix a few months ago, I closed with the following:

As of right now, I think I'll come back to Netflix someday. But maybe I'll discover that I don't miss it much at all.

Well, I was right ... about the second sentence. I don't miss Netflix, not one bit. Here's why: for the first time in my life, I'm experiencing the wonder that is the DVR.

When I moved, I intended to just move my internet service (through CenturyLink) with me. I hadn't paid for TV since I lived with a friend in Grand Island from 2005-2006, so I planned to move my antenna that picked up five stations (on a good day) with me, as well.

That all changed when I called CenturyLink to request a transfer of services and try to negotiate a better rate. I went through the appropriate menu options and waited. And waited. And waited. After 20 minutes without reaching a live person, I hung up and dialed CenturyLink's main competitor in my town: USA Communications. In less than a minute, I was speaking with a customer service rep, and I learned that, for approximately what I was paying for internet through CenturyLink, I could get internet, cable, and a DVR. These prices are the introductory 6-month prices, and the rep urged me to call back when those rates are close to expiring—she said they are nearly always running retention specials for their current customers. Sold!

When I called CenturyLink to cancel—thus pushing different automated menu options—I was on the line with a customer service rep in less than two minutes. So apparently you're much more important to the company if you're wanting to leave than if you're calling for any other reason. I get it, but it's still frustrating.

My introduction to the wonderful DVR commenced the next week, and I quickly fell in love.

What I love most about the DVR is it allows me to watch TV on my schedule. (Yes, the VCR I had hooked up to my parents' cable TV did this too, but the DVR is simpler and doesn't require tapes.) Rarely do I stay up late watching something—I can always record it! And if I have two shows on during the same timeslot? I can either record one and watch the other live, or I can record both and watch them later. This saved me last Tuesday, when NCIS (a show you know I'm obsessed with!) and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiered at the same time, and I had a meeting at work. With the VCR, I would have had to choose the more important of the two (and NCIS would have won with no question), but thanks to the DVR, I could watch both!

Side note: The NCIS premiere was as great as I'd hoped it would be, and I can't wait for part two of Ziva's goodbye tomorrow night. S.H.I.E.L.D. was okay—I enjoyed the witty Whedon-esque dialog, but the plot didn't enthrall me. I still have it set as a series recording on my DVR, but I'm not sure if I'll keep watching.

The DVR is not essential—neither is cable, for that matter—but I'm certainly enjoying it! I realize that I've done this backwards—most people dump cable in favor of Netflix, not the other way around. But I didn't really dump Netflix for cable—the cable was just a happy, unexpected development. Seriously, though, with all of my expanded basic cable, DVR'd Hallmark and Lifetime movies, and Amazon Prime offerings, who has time to miss Netflix?

My current DVR'd programs. In between the girly movies and Lifetime movies-of-the-week, I do go for some culture. See? Henry IV!

my (current) favorite things, june 2013 edition

This post has been a long time in the making. I've been thinking about it since before school got out, but then I had yearbook deadlines, book review deadlines, the excitement of searching for and buying a house, and an obsession with Covert Affairs that kept me from blogging. But finally, here we go—my current favorite things!

• Vaseline Spray and Go Moisturizer: I have just about the driest legs on the planet. I also can be incredibly lazy when it comes to moisturizing my skin. So the instant I saw the commercial for Vaseline's new spray lotion, I knew I needed to try it. It is absolutely fantastic! It does everything the commercial claims ... and it seriously takes like 10 seconds. Even I can handle that!
• ipsy: ipsy is one of those $10 monthly subscription boxes that's been popping up over the past couple of years. I went back and forth between ipsy and Birchbox, but I ended up choosing ipsy because most of the bloggers who compared the two favored ipsy. It's so fun to get beauty products in the mail! My first ipsy glam bag came in May, and I am currently using or have already used up four of the five items. The June glam bag wasn't so much "me" as the May bag was, and so far I've only used the Cailyn eyeliner. I'm going to stick with ipsy through the summer and then reevaluate. (I'm working on a post that talks about my items, but for now these pictures will have to suffice.) If you're interested in trying ipsy, you can sign up here.

My May glam bag.

My June glam bag. I got an extra item (the Baublebar bracelet) for referring people to the service.

• NCIS: Back when I had cable (almost three years ago now), I watched NCIS fairly frequently. Then I moved, and I no longer had TV. NCIS is one of the shows I didn't bother to keep up with online. Then in February, I came down with the flu, and I spent a week on my parents' couch. USA runs NCIS marathons several times a week, and I started watching them. Suddenly, I was completely hooked. Blendy and I are taking an accounting class together this summer (a decision I seriously regret...), and we decided to reward ourselves after completing our assignments by watching NCIS episodes. I picked up several seasons on sale on Amazon, so we started with the pilot, and we're working our way through. Currently, we're in season two. Honestly, the promise of more NCIS is just about the only thing motivating me to do my homework. (On a side note, I've often wondered if I missed my calling and should have gone into accounting. The answer to that question is an unequivocal NO!) 
• Covert Affairs: Not since Dawson's Creek have I been so entirely addicted to a TV show. I watched the first three seasons of Covert Affairs in about three weeks, and I'm now eagerly anticipating Season 4, which premieres next month. (And I'm ever so thankful that my parents now have cable, which will enable me to watch the show as it airs!) Blendy calls Covert Affairs "Alias lite," and I suppose it is. (Lead Piper Perabo even bears a striking resemblance to Jennifer Garner.) But it's also a whole lot of fun. Christopher Gorham as blind CIA operative Auggie is adorable as usual, and if you didn't know he could see, you'd swear he was blind. Then you have the fabulous Peter Gallagher (Sandy Cohen from The O.C. and Peter on my favorite movie of all time, While You Were Sleeping) as CIA bigwig Arthur Campbell, a great love triangle, and intriguing story lines ... basically, you end up with a show that may not be as mind-bendingly awesome as Alias, but it sure is fun to watch! If you have Amazon Prime, you can stream the first three seasons free. Check out the pilot here.
• Xtra Bacon: Sometime during the last season of The Bachelor, I stumbled across a hilarious podcast that recaps/mocks the show. That podcast is part of the Xtra Bacon Network, a group of pop culture podcasts and blogs. If you're a fan of The Bachelor/ette, I highly recommend you check out Knox & Jamie's hilarious commentary. They even mentioned one of my tweets (at 15:45) in this episode!
• Steel Cut Oats: I have always thought I hated hot oatmeal. Then several months ago, I stayed overnight with my aunt, and she made steel cut oats for breakfast. Oh. My. Goodness. They were so good! I've started making them about three times each week—I just throw 1/4 cup of steel cut oats and 1-1/2 cups water in my little crockpot right before I go to bed, and it's ready in the morning. With a little brown sugar and cinnamon, it's fantastic ... and it keeps me full throughout the morning.
• That Guy ... Who Was in That Thing: When I decided to dump Netflix, this was the only item in my queue that I knew I wanted to watch before my subscription ran out. It's a documentary about character actors, and it features lots of people I recognized, including Timothy Omundson (Lassiter on Psych), Gregory Itzin (Henry Wilcox on my new fav Covert Affairs), Xander Berkeley (Percy on Nikita), and Bruce Davison (he's been in a million things, including X-Men and X2, but I'll always remember him as the teacher in The Wave, an ABC Afterschool Special that we watched in my college speech class). I really enjoyed it! You can watch it here.

Are any of my favorites your favorites? Now that I've finished Covert Affairs, do you have a show I should binge-watch? What are some of your favorite things that I should check out? Let me know in the comments!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

media update & a giveaway

Here are a few things I've been thinking about/obsessed with recently ... and be sure to keep reading to the end because I'm giving away a good book!

• Hart of Dixie: I recently reviewed the pilot on my new blog. That's right; I started a new blog. I may have some mental issues! I haven't done too much with it yet, but hopefully now that I'm not reading quite so much I'll be able to spend more time on it. Anyway, Hart of Dixie. It's one of those shows that's in the same vein as Gilmore Girls—quirky characters in a small town. It's even filmed on the WB lot in some of the same places that Gilmore Girls used. I discovered this show on Netflix a couple months ago and powered through all of season one in less than a month. Now I eagerly await each new episode. Also, I recently discovered that Scott Porter, who plays one of Dr. Zoe Hart's potential love interests, is a huge Nebraska fan, which immediately endeared him to me. (And no, I still haven't watched that little show Porter's mainly known for ...)
• Kindle Fire HD: Last winter, my dad gave my mom a Kindle Fire. I immediately fell in love with it. I contemplated getting one, but I decided to wait for the inevitable new model. I'm so glad I did! I ordered the Kindle Fire HD the day after it was announced, and it arrived on my doorstep the day it was released. For a while, I thought I'd use both my Kindle Keyboard (that I bought 1-1/2 years ago) and my Kindle Fire. Not so. I haven't used the old Kindle once since I got the Fire ... so I'm giving it to my sister.
• Christmas Music: Today is November 11, which is much too early for Christmas music. Christmas music should not be listened to prior to Black Friday (when it turns into a Christmas music free-for-all) ... or so I normally claim. But recently I stumbled across some cheap ($5 or less) Christmas music on Amazon, and I had to indulge myself! They have 100 $5 Christmas albums this month (and my guess is they'll have 100 more next month). Plus, there are other ridiculously discounted Christmas albums, like the Elf soundtrack for $4.49. I ended up buying two soundtracks: Elf and Home Alone. Can a person have too much Christmas music? I don't think so! 
• Christmas Movies: My parents have cable now (for the first time ever!), so I thought perhaps my compulsion to purchase Christmas movies during the holiday season would disappear due to the plethora of cheesy Christmas romance at my disposal. I was wrong. So, so wrong. Lifetime just released this item. Twelve Christmas movies for $30? That's just $2.50 per movie—and two of them (Recipe for a Perfect Christmas and His & Her Christmas) were ones I wanted anyway! Purchasing them separately would have cost half of what I paid for all 12. See how easy it is for me to justify Christmas movie purchases? I've already watched and reviewed one of the movies, Christmas in Paradise, on my other other blog. Check it out.
• Giveaway: I received an extra copy of The Memory Jar from Zondervan, so I'm giving it away! Tricia Goyer is a great writer, and I enjoyed this book. Enter using the form below. (Giveaway open to US residents only.) 
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