Keep Moving

From Goodreads:    Beloved Hollywood icon Dick Van Dyke will celebrate his 90th birthday in December 2015. He’s an established legend, having starred in Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. And yet he’s still keeping himself busy, entertaining America on television, movies, the stage, and social media. Everyone wonders, “How does he do it?” For the first time, Van Dyke shares his secrets and tips on old age: Just keep moving.

In a fun and folksy way of addressing readers, Keep Moving serves as an instruction book on how to embrace old age with a positive attitude. The chapters are filled with exclusive personal anecdotes that explore various themes on aging: how to adapt to the physical and social changes, deal with loss of friends and loved ones, stay current, fall in love again, and “keep moving” every day like there’s no tomorrow.

My Thoughts:

-    I loved this book! Dick Van Dyke's advice and outlook on life is amazing. It is no wonder he is still dancing and singing.

-    I loved the whole idea of not letting the world tell you how old you are. If you feel young, act young. If you don't want to retire, keep working. I hope I keep this advice with me as I get older. I don't ever want to stop moving.

-    I wish all celebrities could be the amazing example that Dick Van Dyke is. I admire him more and more. 

-    I love that Dick Van Dyke practices everything he preaches. He has figured out how to live a fulfilling life, and I'm glad he is sharing his secrets, which really aren't secrets. 

My Lucky Life in and Out of Show Business

From Goodreads:    Dick Van Dyke, indisputably one of the greats of the golden age of television, is admired and beloved by audiences the world over for his beaming smile, his physical dexterity, his impeccable comic timing, his ridiculous stunts, and his unforgettable screen roles. 
            
His trailblazing television program, The Dick Van Dyke Show (produced by Carl Reiner, who has written the foreword to this memoir), was one of the most popular sitcoms of the 1960s and introduced another major television star, Mary Tyler Moore. But Dick Van Dyke was also an enormously engaging movie star whose films, including Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, have been discovered by a new generation of fans and are as beloved today as they were when they first appeared. Who doesn’t know the word supercalifragilisticexpialidocious? 
            
A colorful, loving, richly detailed look at the decades of a multilayered life, My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business, will enthrall every generation of reader, from baby-boomers who recall when Rob Petrie became a household name, to all those still enchanted by Bert’s “Chim Chim Cher-ee.” This is a lively, heartwarming memoir of a performer who still thinks of himself as a “simple song-and-dance man,” but who is, in every sense of the word, a classic entertainer.

My Thoughts:

-    Dick Van Dyke is one of my favorite entertainers. He is a joy to watch, and I appreciate that he is a kind and family oriented guy on and off the screen. 

-    It was fun to read about his career. I loved when he talked about The Dick Van Dyke Show. It was fun to get back story to some of the episodes. I never knew the show's theme song had lyrics. I also enjoyed learning more about his role in Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. 

-    I really loved his honesty about his smoking and drinking problems. They never got bad enough that it was debilitating, but he knew it was a problem and sought help.

-    I really adore Dick Van Dyke for sticking to a higher standard of entertainment. He said he never wanted to do anything he would be uncomfortable for his family to watch. I love that!

-    This book went by too quickly. It was packed full of stuff, but it was easy and pleasant to read. I enjoyed learning more about Mr. Van Dyke, and I'm SO excited to see him next month!