reviews
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🎬 My Top Ten Favorite Movies (and Why They Still Stick With Me)
By Michelle Allen Some movies entertain. Some move us. And some become part of our emotional DNA—woven into the way we see love, loss, friendship, and even ourselves. Here are ten films that have stayed with me over the years, each for their own reason. Maybe you’ll see a few of your favorites here too. Continue reading
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🦕 If I Could Bring Back One Dinosaur…
By Michelle Allen echoesofthewillow.com If I could bring back just one dinosaur, I wouldn’t choose the biggest or the fiercest. I’d choose the one with heart. I imagine a gentle Maiasaura—whose name means “Good Mother Lizard”—nuzzling her young in a quiet nest. Not the star of Hollywood thrillers, but a humble herbivore who reminds us Continue reading
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🎸Backbeats and Brainstorms: Working to the Rhythm of Rock
By Michelle Allen | echoesofthewillow.com “Music is the shorthand of emotion,” wrote Tolstoy—and I tend to agree, especially when my speakers are filled with the raw honesty of a Classic Rock anthem. The hum of a guitar solo. The steady beat of drums that feel like a heartbeat. The raw, raspy truth in a voice Continue reading
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Backroads and Ballads: The Music That Raised Me
By Michelle Allen Michelle Allen is a community storyteller dedicated to preserving the history and charm of Hesperia. Learn more at www.echoesofthewillow.com Some people grow up with lullabies. I grew up with Johnny Cash’s gravel and Tammy Wynette’s ache, with George Jones crooning heartbreak and Hank Jr. firing up the airwaves like a bonfire on Continue reading
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The Last Live Performance I Saw: A Night of Music, Memories & Connection
There’s something electric about live music—the pulsing energy of the crowd, the raw passion of the performers, and the way sound seems to wrap itself around the moment, turning it into something unforgettable. The last concert I attended was Stone Temple Pilots and Black Crowes in the summer of 2022, and it wasn’t just about Continue reading
