Ann Silverthorn

This post originally appeared on the DVD Netflix blog “Inside the Envelope.” That company folded in 2023, and the blog was shut down, but you might find some good stuff here. When we are children, we believe in things that later we realize were just make believe. Once we grow up, and all of our…

The feelings that come like a flood when mothers face the impending empty nest are universal and timeless. Whether they have stayed at home, or have enjoyed rewarding careers, many mothers feel varying degrees of loss and confusion as their children head out into the world. Recently, I wrote about what it means to be a…

Writers must learn to suffer rejection. Personally, if I printed them all out, I’d have enough rejections to wallpaper my office—aaaand yours. I started writing when I was a child, and I’ll write as long as I’m able. It’s almost assured that my most-precious creations will never become best sellers or classics, but I’ll keep writing, or thinking…

I’ve always wanted to walk across the country. Now, I’ve met someone who’s actually done it—in the name of happiness. I will probably never walk across the country, but I did drive it solo once on Route 66—so I have that at least. My big walk, if I had ever done it, would have been merely…

This post originally appeared on the DVD Netflix blog “Inside the Envelope.” That company folded in 2023, and the blog was shut down. I’ve provided info on where to watch these films in 2026. Prior to September 11, 2001, terrorism was something most Americans saw in movies or on the news. They had been shaken…

Recently, DVD Netflix celebrated a momentous milestone when it shipped its 5-billionth shipment. There was much anticipation as to who would be the person to receive the shipment and also a contest to predict when it would happen and what genre it would be in. I spent much time ciphering and figuring to come up with my…

This post originally appeared on the DVD Netflix blog “Inside the Envelope.” That company folded in 2023, and the blog was shut down. Few decades in world history have seen as much upheaval and chaos as the 2000s. Just as we wiped our brows in relief after getting through Y2K successfully, the unthinkable occurred when…

Last weekend, out-of-town relatives were visiting and wanted to go to the beach while they were here. It’s always interesting for us to see our Presque Isle State Park in northwestern Pennsylvania through fresh eyes. We grew up with the lake and beaches and often take them for granted. The older we get, though, the…

This post originally appeared on the DVD Netflix blog “Inside the Envelope.” That company folded in 2023, and the blog was shut down, but you might find some good stuff here. Let’s talk notable Academy Award winners from the 1990s, the decade the Internet was born. In the nineties, big book stores nearly obliterated the…

The 1990s formed a great decade for comedy in film, especially fun and downright silly movies. Stories that contain characters placed outside of their elements are especially entertaining, and they open up the plot to all kinds of hilarious situations. Examples are: A kid alone at home or in a big city, businessmen playing cowboy,…