Royal Wedding

Today, Prince William & Kate Middleton were married with all the stuff of fairy tales.  British monarchy knows how to throw a wedding!  Full of pomp and circumstance!  But then, I knew that.... I remember watching the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. 

But, what I remember even more than the fact that I was watching is that I did so during my evening med pass at a nursing home in Southern New Jersey.  Many of the residents of the facility were gathered in the community / tv room.  I could barely make my rounds to get the medicines to each of them...wheelchairs, walkers, and motorized chairs cluttered the room.  The residents - men and women alike - were in awe... Their excitement was palpable.  Their silence said it all. This usual chatty bunch sat silently as the two exchanged their vows - glued to the set. 

The women oooo'ed and awed over the princess and her wedding dress but they also made quite a commmotion about the prince's dress uniform.  The men, well, they'd never be caught commenting on the dress but they had a few things to say about his uniform too. 

When all was said and done, most of "my" residents agreed that this was a fairytale come true... Of course, how were they to know then what we know now -- all of the disappointments, the tragedy that would evolve in the years after that magical day.

As the days leading  up to today's royal wedding ticked by, I began hearing rumblings of speculation:  What would she wear?  How would this wedding compare to that of William's parents'?  What would Diana think?

Today's  web-based news at stuff.co states William pays tribute to Diana at wedding .  It's interesting to read about the ways in which people felt Diana's inclusion in the day - afterall, it's undeniable, her presence was both felt and yet missed today... And, if you're like me, you stopped and reflected on where you were the day that Diana and Charles married.

So, I ask you - Where were you and how aware of that ceremony were you?  Do you have any special memories of that day?  And, how do you compare today with that day long ago?

Aftermath

Last night, while covering the tornado activity here in NE Tennessee, the meteorologists spouted off town after town  up the I-81 corridor... all in the line of the tornados.  It was as if I was watching the signs for each exit along the route that Caleb and I travel each time we go from here to his place or vice versa.

They kept saying that it would be highly unusual for the tornado to remain intact as it approached the mountains.... Well, highly unusual doesn't quite get it when discussing last night's weather activity!  The tornado debunked that myth - tornados can - and do - stay intact and do serious damage in the mountains.

Last night Caleb and I went to sleep to the sounds of hard driving rain and hail and the sights of flashes of lightening. This morning, the sun was shining and the birds were singing.  As I listened to the news, I realized that there were reports of devastation in communities along my route back to Caleb's house.  I worried about what awaited us on the drive.

I'd driven up interstate routes following hurricanes in Florida.  Passage on the highway was safe but the sights to the left and right were disturbing to say the least.  Would it be like that today?  

Much to my surprise, the entire way down the interstate was unemcumbered.  The bucolic scenes of llamas, sheep, cattle and horses grazing in pastures would lead one to believe that all was well in Greene County, TN.  But far from it... beyond those pastures and peaceful scenes, people have lost their lives, and those who survived have lost their homes and a lifetime of possessions. 

My heart breaks for those who have suffered the loss of loved ones to Mother Nature's wrath.  I find myself grateful for my own safety and heartbroken for what they've had to endure.  They say that this is the most active tornadic month in US history... and April is not even the traditional month for high activity... that's May!  One can only wonder if, perhaps, Mother Nature has worn herself out and will allow everyone to take a deep breath next month...... or if there is more of the same in store.......

Weather Watches and Warnings

UPDATE 10:41 p.m.: Tornado warning issued for portions of Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia 
 April 27, 2011  - Times-News


Having lived along the Southern Gulf Coast of Florida for over 30 years, I am very familiar with the whole concept of weather watches and warnings.  Likewise, I have had plenty of practice keeping a cautious ear and eye tuned into the weather radio. 

For the first time since I left that area about six years ago, I've spent most of the evening doing just that here in NE Tennessee.  I just tried to listen to the weather forecasters giving updates as the large hail pounded on their rooftop - drowning out their audio feed.  That's a first for me!

Of course, in Florida it was for hurricanes that we were on alert; while here in Tennessee, it's tornado activity.  With the weather as fickle as it's been all over the nation of late it comes as no surprise to me that we are not necessarily in a tornado-prone area yet we are in the line warning/watch areas tonight.

I have a healthy respect for the potential for severe damage from nature's wrath but I also learned a long time ago that I needed to keep a level head while watching the events unfold.  That point is underscored by the fact that I have grandson Caleb here with me -- which means staying calm for his sake is of utmost importance.  He is the worry wort in our family -- even more so than his Nan!  (And I thought I took the prize on that front!)  So I have had my hands full reassuring him that we are in a safe location and that the storm will soon pass. 

Right in the upper northeast corner of TN at the VA state line
is the Tri-Cities area including Kingsport TN
map courtesy of Times-News online

I'd much rather be here with him than worrying about him if he were in his home which is one of the more at risk manufactured homes.

  And so, we are going to ride out the rest of the tornado activity in this area here in the safety of my home.... and tomorrow, we'll hopefully enjoy the sunshine that usually seems to follow such weather events!

Who is Sybil Ludington?

Today is the anniversary of Sybil Ludington's Ride.  In 1777, she was the 16 year old eldest daughter of Colnel H. Ludington.  Known as "The Female Paul Revere" she rode from New York to Connecticut to warn her father's militia that the British were burning the town .  Her ride over unmarked terrain in the damp darkness was more than 40 miles which is more than twice the distance of the ride made by Paul Revere.

Each April since 1979, a 50-K foot race takes place to commemorate her 1777 ride.  The course of this hilly road race approximates Sybil's historic ride, and finishes near her statue on the shore of Lake Gleneida, Carmel, New York.

This Week's Poem in Honor of Poetry Month

Forgetfulness
By Billie Collins

The name of the author is the first to go
followed obediently by the title, the plot,
the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel
which suddenly becomes one you have never read,
never even heard of,
as if, one by one, the memories you used to harbor
decided to retire to the southern hemisphere of the brain,
to a little fishing village where there are no phones.

Long ago you kissed the names of the nine Muses goodbye
and watched the quadratic equation pack its bag,
and even now as you memorize the order of the planets,
something else is slipping away, a state flower perhaps,
the address of an uncle, the capital of Paraguay.

Whatever it is you are struggling to remember,
it is not poised on the tip of your tongue,
not even lurking in some obscure corner of your spleen.
It has floated away down a dark mythological river
whose name begins with an L as far as you can recall,
well on your own way to oblivion where you will join those
who have even forgotten how to swim and how to ride a bicycle.

No wonder you rise in the middle of the night
to look up the date of a famous battle in a book on war.
No wonder the moon in the window seems to have drifted
out of a love poem that you used to know by heart.

Eastertime Reflections # 5

Every Easter morning is a glorious morning!  Today will be no exception, I am sure.  But, for me, there is one particular Easter morning that will be forever etched in my heart and soul.


 Easter Sunday - Naples, Florida

 Sunrise Service at the Naples Pier...

I had been singing solos at church for a few years.  I'd sung for contemporary and traditional worship services as well as for Christmas Eve services.  The Christmas Eve attendance was high enough to kick my stage fright into high gear but I was always able to gracefully sing my solo without a hitch.  That being said, on this particular Easter morning, I was beginning to wonder what I'd been thinking when I agreed to sing at the Community Sunrise Service at the Naples Pier.  My church, First United Methodist Church of Naples, FL was the host church.  Our contemporary music director, Scott, had approached me right after Christmas to recruit me for a solo on the pier. 

At the designated time, the service began.  The service leaders were situated near the end of the pier facing the shoreline -- facing the sunrise.  The pier was crowded and the number of those who had come to worship was great enough to spill back onto the beach.

Mid-way through the service, just as I stepped onto the soap box and take the microphone from Scott who was to accompany me the sun majestically made its way through the last of the clouds.  What a sight to behold!  With that newly risen sun, I sang the praise hymn that asked the Risen SON "What Held You On The Cross?"

I had practiced the song many times over and each time it created a powerful stir in me.  But none so great as the incredible sense of His Presence during that service.  There I was, singing in praise of Him at one of the most beautiful places in Naples.  What could be better? 

Just then I glanced to my left and saw that there were dolphins jumping out of the waters along the pier.  A glance to my right revealed another two dolphins.  They seemed to be participating in the worship service with all of us. 

If there was any doubt of His love for the human race, that single moment in time held the message that His love was real and evident... And I knew that this could well be the Easter that would mean the most to me for the rest of my life.

Wishing each of my friends, family and blog readers a blessed Easter.

Eastertime Reflections # 4

This is one of those stories that I don't personally remember.  Rather, it is one that my mother shared with me when I was young and continues to share with everyone who will listen 'round-about this time of year!

I was a toddler - maybe two or three years old.  It was my first community Easter Egg Hunt.  Now it must be noted that apparently even at that young age I aimed to please and to be the obedient daughter.

The annual egg hunt was held at the community playground/football field.  This was the same place where I would in later years go to summer day camps and then in middle school, attend football games.  But on the day before Easter, the sidelines of the football field became the place to line up for the great egg hunt. 

Parents would help their children find "the best spot" from which to start as anxious children of all ages squirmed and wiggled all while holding onto their empty baskets.  As we stood along the sidelines, Mom apparently bent down and whispered in my ear "Now, when the whistle blows, you run as fast as you can.  Go all the way across to the other side and back.  There are lots of eggs out there on the field."

And so, I ran as fast as my little legs would carry me... all the way across the field and back to where Mom was waiting for me....  All without ever stopping to pick up any eggs or candy! After all, she didn't tell me to pick up the eggs; she just told me to run as fast as I could and when I got to the other side, run back! - I did exactly what she told me.

She says that she laughed when she realized what had happened... and that I cried when I realized that all the other kids had goodies in their baskets and mine was empty.  But the tears soon disappeared when one of the neighbor boys gave me an egg from his basket and talked a few of his friends into doing the same.

So, more than 55 years later, I'd like to say "thank you" to that neighbor and his friends for not letting me go home with an empty Easter basket!

Eastertime Reflections # 3

In the mid-1990's, the girls were in middle school;  I was the lay person on the youth ministry team at our church in Naples, Florida.  On one of our many trips with the youth fellowship members was to Lake Wales, Florida during Lent - to see the Black Hills Passion Play.

Staged in an open amphitheater this unforgettable portrayal of Christ's final days on earth was something I'll never forget.  Doubtful any of the youth who attended will either.  As darkness fell and gentle spring Florida breezes brushed across my cheeks, the play unfolded.  And even though I knew the story line - and the outcome, the Passion Play left a lasting impression on me.

The Black Hills Passion Play was performed every summer for almost seventy years in Spearfish, South Dakota; this production was an American version of the Lünen Passion Play that was brought over in 1932 by immigrants who claimed that it had been produced since 1242. The production was Americanized by seventh-generation Passion Player Josef Meier, who toured it around the country before bringing it to Spearfish in the 1930s; until its last performance on August 31, 2008, the show was produced under the auspices of Meier's daughter Johanna, a world-famous opera singer who had her debut in the play at the age of five weeks.

In Lake Wales, Florida the Black Hills Passion Play ran from 1952 through 1998. Lake Wales became the winter home of the same production which ran in the town of Spearfish, in South Dakota's Black Hills, from which the attraction takes its name. The attraction's manager, Josef Meier, also portrayed the role of Christ throughout the play's run of over forty years. In 2002, another enterprising actor and manager re-opened the venue, though it had to close again in 2005 due to damages from Hurricane Charlie.  While doing some research as to the performance dates, I happened upon a video of the area now that Hurricane Charlie blew through and crews dismantled the play's home for the final time.  While it holds more sentimental meaning for those who have been blessed to witness the site when it was full of life, it is nevertheless an intriguing walk across what once was the very ground where the play unfolded.

It saddens me to know that "an act of God" was responsible for the closing of this amazing piece of Christian outreach.  I find myself wondering just how many people were touched by the yearly presentations of the Passion Play.  I am blessed to have been able to be there that Easter season.

Eastertime Reflections # 2

Twas the night before Easter and all through the house not a creature was stirring.... well... that's not exactly true!

Easter 1983/ Naples Florida:  Two of my three girls were anxiously awaiting the Easter Bunny's arrival.  The baby was just that - a baby - too young to know or care about such things.  I had decided that I'd do something different to make Easter morning even more special than the year before.

Who needed individual Easter baskets when I had a great big wading pool as one of the girls' Easter presents?  For days that wading pool had been "hiding" in the laundry room.  Now I had the perfect idea for an extra special Easter surprise.

In three different locations around the pool, I created nests of Easter grass - pinks, yellows, purples and greens.  In each nest, I placed the goodies (non-edibles).  For 5 year old Ali there were coloring books, crayons, sun glasses, a plush animal, hair bows and such.  For 4 year old Tara, more of the same.  And for five month old Mandy, teething rings, colorful over-sized plastic pop beads, and such.  When all was said and done, I stood back and sized up the pool.  It was definitely better than little baskets!  The girls were going to have such fun discovering it in the morning.

The next morning, I was awakened by two little girls who were not very upset.  Seems they'd gotten up and searched the house for their baskets to no avail.  "Mommy, the Easter Bunny didn't come." Ali said dejectedly.  The disappointment in her voice was palpable but my secret would surely wipe that away in a flash.

Telling them that perhaps he (the bunny) was running late and would come while we were at church, I set about making breakfast.  Then, while I cleared the dishes, I sent the girls to the laundry room to look for new roll of paper towels.  (Or so they thought.)

Before I could get to the door I heard such squeals of delight and then.... awes and ohs and whispers... Now mind you , I was fairly certain they were just thrilled to learn that the bunny had been there and left wonderful goodies.  But I didn't expect what came next!

"Look Mommy, the Easter Bunny left us new kittens!" exclaimed Ali. 

Yep!  That's right -- there in the wading pool/Easter basket was our cat and her new litter of three.  That Easter Bunny sure did leave a surprise that year!  But no one was more surprised than I !

Spicy Cauliflower Steak

While watching TODAY yesterday (That sounds odd but it's true:  yesterday I was watching the TODAY show) they prepared a Spicy Cauliflower Steak dish that sounded so yummy.  I love the Indian spices that are called for in the recipe and I love cauliflower!  So the natural progression of things is to try it for myself.  And am I ever glad that I did! It is a delightful "change of taste" and the aroma from those Indian spices is absolutely intoxicating!

For those of you looking for a vegetarian main dish or a unique side dish, here's one you should try:

Recipe: Spicy cauliflower steak

Meeru Dhalwala, co-author of "Vij's at Home"

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower, outside stalks cut off
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 1 1/2 cups puréed or crushed canned tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 10 cloves (optional)
• 3-inch cinnamon stick (optional)

Preparation

Cut cauliflower, as you would a pie, into 6 pieces if it's a smaller head and 8 pieces if it's a larger one.

Wash and carefully place large cauliflower pieces in a colander to drain.

Combine oil and tomatoes in a large wide pot on medium-high heat. (Since the pot is large, you may need to turn it on to high if your stove burner is small.)

Add ginger, salt, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne, cloves and cinnamon, stir well and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, or until oil glistens from tomatoes.

Reduce the heat to low while you mix in cauliflower. Carefully place each large piece of cauliflower into the pot and gently stir so that the tomato masala covers all the pieces. If necessary, use a large spoon to ladle tomato masala into the nooks and crannies of the cauliflower pieces.

Increase the heat to medium, cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through. When you stir, if you notice that the cauliflower isn't cooking, increase the heat. If it's sticking to the bottom of the pot, decrease the heat. Pierce one of the larger pieces with a knife to see if it is soft (not mushy). If necessary, cook cauliflower, covered, for another 1 to 2 minutes. (If florets have broken apart because they overcooked, don't worry; this dish is still delicious.)

Serving Size

Serves 6 to 8; takes about 30 minutes to prepare.

Eastertime Reflections - # 1

Every year about this time I find my thoughts drifting back to Easter 1971.  I was a senior in high school and was studying my fourth and final year of Latin.  When the Latin class was invited to go on a trip to Italy that April, I longed to go but was fairly certain I'd never be allowed to do so.  My father was very strict and we were in no position financially to send me on such an extravagant trip.  Combine those two road blocks and a trip overseas was definitely out of the question! 

But, with creative financing by Gramm and Popo (my maternal grandparents) I was able to go to Italy afterall.  They gifted me the necessary funds and called it a combination Christmas, Birthday and Graduation gift.  Worked for me!

As a group we visited many of the popular ruins and tourist sites:  Trevi Fountain, Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica, Colosseum, the list goes on and on.  Our trip was timed so that we could spend Holy Week in Rome.  The Easter Sunday Mass celebrated by Pope Paul VI for the thousands of people who gathered in St. Peter's Square was an experience like none I've ever had - before or since then.

At first, I was appalled with the circus-like atmosphere that began to percolate on Saturday morning.  Balloons, souveniers, programs for sale... Unimaginable to say the least.  But, when Pope Paul VI stepped out on the balcony and began to deliver his Easter message, all of that was forgotten.  I stood there in a sea of humanity and yet I felt as though he was speaking to me and no one else. 

Sometimes in the years since, I've watched the Easter services from Rome on television.  Although they are awe inspiring, they in no way convey what it is like to stand there in the midst of all of that history, all of those people, and all of that religious tradition. 

Easter 1971 was an Easter I'll never forget... The beautiful memories are forever stored in that very special place in my soul - the place where memories go to live for eternity.

National Park Week: April 18 - 24, 2011

This week is National Park Week.  The theme for this year's National Park Week is "Healthy Parks, Healthy People."  The focus is designed to raise awareness of the correlation between human and environmental health.  As a life writer, I find that much of my writing draws from my own experiences related to nature.  How about you?  Have you ever stopped to think about how you interact with nature and to what degree nature drives your own mental, physical and spiritual health?


The following is taken from the National Park Service website.  You can read much more about America's National Parks and the U.S. National Park Service by going here .


"Writer and historian Wallace Stegner called national parks “the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.”


Starting in the 1800s, the scenic natural wonders of the West, places like mineral springs in Arkansas, towering mountains and majestic trees of Yosemite, spouting geysers of Yellowstone, and the arid ruins of Casa Grande, inspired individual Americans to call for their preservation, asking their government to create something called “national parks.”


In 1916, the work of caring for these places was moved to a new agency created by Congress for that specific purpose. The National Park Service was given the responsibility to not only conserve and protect parks, but also to leave them “unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”


The job got bigger as the number and types of parks expanded. In the 1930s, military parks and national monuments were added. Then came national parkways and seashores followed by urban parks in the 1960s. During the next decade, the size of the National Park System nearly doubled with the addition of 47 million acres in Alaska.


Today numbering close to 400, national parks now include places that commemorate more recent – and in many cases more sobering – history. The stories of the fight for civil rights, the World War II Japanese American internment camps, and Sand Creek, the site of the tragic Indian massacre in 1864, are all told in national parks.


Over the years, the work of the National Park Service has moved beyond park borders. We are honored to be invited into America’s communities to help build trails and playgrounds, return historic buildings to productive use, revitalize neighborhoods, expand affordable housing, protect watersheds, recognize and promote local history, and introduce the next generation to stewardship opportunities and responsibilities.  America’s Best Idea just keeps getting better.


How many of the nation's nearly 400 national parks have you visited?  Which one was your favorite?  What parks are on your "bucket list" ? 

The weather is constantly changing during these unpredictable Spring days.  But, weather permitting and geographical proximity allowing, why not try to get out this week and enjoy one of the many many opportunities provided by the National Park Service?  And if you are so inclined, why not try writing your own bit of life writing afterward -- trying to show (not tell) the experience of nature and you mingling together for a brief while?

National Poetry Month - Week # 3

In keeping with the celebration of National Poetry Month by posting a poem each Monday, here is my offering for this week:

Forgotten Language by Shel Silverstein

Once I spoke the language of the flowers,
Once I understood each word the caterpillar said,
Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings,
And shared a conversation with the housefly
in my bed.
Once I heard and answered all the questions
of the crickets,
And joined the crying of each falling dying
flake of snow,
Once I spoke the language of the flowers. . . .
How did it go?
How did it go?

Thanks, Mom!

Fifty-eight years ago at this very moment, Mom was in labor.  She and Daddy were passing the time playing Canasta -- No, I don't remember that.  She told me so!  I wasn't there yet.  Well, actually I was there - but I had not yet made my grand entrance into the world.

I grew up in a typical small town where everybody knew everybody else.  I was able to attend the nursing school of my choice and persue the one and only career I ever wanted to have.  My life has been filled with blessings large and small.

And so, on this, the eve of my birthday I want to say "Thanks Mom!" -- Thanks for giving birth to me.  Thanks for being my mom then and now.  Thanks for making it possible for me to take a stroll down memory lane 1953. 

Here are just a few of the interesting things I learned when I researched my birth year:

 1. J Fred Muggs was a regular on the TODAY show.

 2.  Dwight D Eisenhower was in the third month of his Presidency.

 3.  Walter Cronkite was presenting his "You Are There" features for CBS.

 4.  Walt Disney's "Peter Pan" was issued.

 5.  Jonas Salk had just completed the initial phase of human studies for a polio vaccine.

 6.  Mickey Mouse's "The Simple Things" was a popular cartoon (black and white)

 7.  Plastic Cling Wrap had just been invented.

 8.  The U.S. military was involved in the Korean Conflict.

 9.  Romper Room was a popular morning television show for toddlers.  

10.  Corvette was not yet available.

11.  Cliff Notes had not yet been used!

12.  Vaya con Dios by Les Paul & Mary Ford was number one on the charts.

13.  Guys & Dolls premiered on Broadway @ the 46th Street Theater

14.  Manufacture of "Poppit Beads" was beginnning.

15.  James Michner was working on his popular novel

 "Bridges of Toko Ri"                     

                                                 

DaVinvi Quiz Answers

Sorry, sorry everyone!  I thought that I set this to auto post yesterday while I was out of town enjoying a "Caleb and Nan Day" ... apparently not!  And since I haven't been here to the blog until just a few minutes ago, I had no idea you were without your answers to the Da Vinci quiz!

So, regarding the post about Leonardo Da Vinci on April 15th, here are your answers:


Areas of expertise include:

•  painter,
• sculptor,
• architect,
•  musician,
• scientist,
• mathematician,
• engineer,
• inventor,
•  anatomist,
• geologist,
• cartographer,
•  botanist, 
• writer

Paintings other than Mona Lisa or The Last Supper: 

Click on the link (or copy and paste into your browser) to see a listing of the works of Leonardo da Vinci
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Leonardo_da_Vinci


Bill Gates is the only individual to privately own an original da Vinci journal/notebook.

Well...How did you do?

Happy Birthday Leonardo!

Leonardo daVinci was born on April 15, 1452 in Florence, Italy.  Best known for the Mona Lisa and his painting of The Last Supper, Leonardo daVinci was a polymath.  (From the Greek root polymathes, meaning "having learned much")  A polymath is an individual who has expertise in a significant number of different subjects. 






Test your Leonardo daVinci knowledge:

Without including his paintings, can you list at least three areas of expertise daVinci had? 
Can you name two pieces of artwork without including The Last Supper or the Mona Lisa?
Do you know who is the only individual to privately own one of da Vinci's journals/notebooks?

** answers will be posted tomorrow!

Happiness

"But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man

and the life he leads?"    ~   Albert Camus

On this day in 2301 B.C., it is said that the Location of Happiness was discovered...

Today, April 14th, is the day Hi Ling Su, a Chinese scholar and saint "discovered" that happiness lies in the heart - and not somewhere outside ourselves.  A  wise man indeed! 

The Tree of Happiness

What about you?  Where does your happiness lie?





National Poetry Month - Week # 2

Today, I offer a poem by Sara Teasdale.  Her poems are usually brief  but filled with the human condition.  For that reason, she is another favorite of mine.

 

Houses Of Dreams by Sara Teasdale

You took my empty dreams
And filled them every one
With tenderness and nobleness,
April and the sun.

The old empty dreams
Where my thoughts would throng
Are far too full of happiness
To even hold a song.

Oh, the empty dreams were dim
And the empty dreams were wide,
They were sweet and shadowy houses
Where my thoughts could hide.

But you took my dreams away
And you made them all come true --
My thoughts have no place now to play,
And nothing now to do.

Inernet Connections - and Disconnections!

The success of a blog depends in part on the availability of internet access...  So, this weekend, the success of this blog was in jeopardy on more than one occasion.  My intention to place a blog post here on a daily basis was seriously hindered because of this.  Disconnections abound!  A storm system moved through yesterday...complete with hail, winds and rain.  Today, I have no clue why the internet is down.  All I know is that when I called for tech support I was greeted by a recorded message that said "We are experiencing high call volume from customers in your area.  We have technicians looking into the problem and hope to have it resolved soon.  We apologize for any inconvenience this has created for you."

Hmmmmmm....  These were NOT welcomed words but there wasn't much I could do about it -- Nothing but sit back and wait for the ability to get on line.  Oh, I could have tried to post from my phone but what a pain it is to type anything of length from that tiny keyboard! 

So, my post for today is one of celebration that I am finally able to get back online and to say that I missed being able to do so earlier this weekend!

I Didn't Do It!

Today, I didn't do it!  You heard me, I didn't do it!  "It" is housework - and I didn't do it -because today was "No Housework Day."  And it felt wonderful!

I had the whole day off -- There was supposed to be a meeting at work from 4-6 this evening but it was cancelled.  So, my day consisted of re-arranging my livingroom (and no, that was NOT housework) after my new recliner and sofa were delivered, going to lunch with a friend, and reading. 

It was a great day off.  Even if it hadn't been declared "No Housework Day" I may well have avoided it because I've learned that every once in a while a woman's gotta just say no to housework and relax!  It took me alot of years to learn that lesson.  My home may not always be spotless.  The laundry may occasionally pile up.  And even though there is a place for everything, everything may not always be in its place...But I am much more content than when I believed that I needed to spend every "day off" being "Suzy-homemaker" or feel guilty if I wasn't "Suzy."

I vote for regular "No Housework Days"... Anyone else??

Advanced Notice!

Dear Blog Readers:

I am giving you advanced notice:  TOMORROW - APRIL 7th -  is NO HOUSEWORK DAY!
So, if your "To Do List" for tomorrow includes such things as running the vacuum, ironing, cleaning, etc...it's time to create a new/improved list for the day!

Consider this:  If you really didn't have to do any housework tomorrow, what would you do with your time? And, if you can't get away with absolutely no housework tomorrow, what about giving up at least one of the items on your list that would be considered housework?  What would it be - that one bit of housework that you get a pass on tomorrow - just for the day? 

As for me, I would definitely scratch out the word "Ironing" without a moment's hesitation!  I hate ironing - and yet, I can't wean myself away from it entirely.  Several of my friends wonder how that word even exists in my vocabulary anymore - given all of the permanent press garments these days.  But, let's face it, alot of items that are supposedly permanent press aren't!  No matter how hard I try, I can't bring myself to wear my work uniforms without ironing them - even when I promptly remove them from the dryer. 

Before I even realized that tomorrow was a day to shun housework, I had planned to get most of mine done this evening after work.  But, who was I kidding?!  When was the last time I ever came home from a twelve-hour shift and jumped right into vacuuming, ironing, cleaning the bathroom, etc?  Maybe when I was half my present age - but not recently!  As you can guess by the way this is going, I didn't succeed in doing all of that housework on  my list this evening.  So, the fact of the matter is that I will have to do some housework tomorrow.  But maybe I can spend the time I would have spent ironing indulging in something more enjoyable - something like reading... or writing... or knitting... or quilting!

Go ahead!  Give yourself permission to scratch at least one item of housework off of tomorrow's "To Do List."  You'll be glad you did!  And it will still be there on Friday - honest!

Remembering Bette Davis

Miss Bette Davis was born on April 5, 1908 in Lowell, Massachusetts.  After graduating from the private boarding school her mother sent her to, she enrolled in John Murray Anderson's Dramatic School.  In 1929, she made her Broadway debut in "Broken Dishes."  One year later, she moved to Hollywood for screen testing and to persue a career in film.  And what a career it was! Fifty-eight years in film!

Take a look at a few of her most memorable roles here  as Kim Carnes reminds us about those Bette Davis Eyes

"Acting should be bigger than life. Scripts should be bigger than life. It should all be bigger than life. "       ~   Bette Davis

No one could have said it better! Bette Davis' acting career was bigger than life.  And today, one hundred and three years after a baby girl named Bette Davis entered this world, many still marvel at her charisma, her bigger than life screen personna, and her amazing legacy.

How many of them can you identify?  How many of these have you seen?  Which one is your favorite Bette Davis film?  And, while you're at it, can you pinpoint which ones Bette Davis was either nominated for or won an Academy Award?

1989  The Wicked Stepmother 
1987  The Whales of August 
1986  As Summers Die
1981  The Watcher in the Woods 
1978  Return from Witch Mountain
          Death on the Nile 
1976  Burnt Offerings 
1972  Lo Scopone Scientifico
          Madame Sin
1971  Bunny O'Hare
         Connecting Rooms
1968  The Anniversary 
1965  Hush ... Hush, Sweet Charlotte 
         The Nanny 
1964  La Noia
         Where Love Has Gone
         Dead Ringer 
1962  What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? 
1961  Pocketful of Miracles 
1959  John Paul Jones
1957  The Scapegoat
1956  Storm Center
         The Catered Affair
1955  The Virgin Queen 
         Crack-Up
1952  The Star 
         Another Man's Poison
         Phone Call from a Stranger 
1951  Payment on Demand 
1950  All About Eve
1949  Beyond the Forest
1948  Winter Meeting
          June Bride
1946  Deception 
         A Stolen Life 
1945  The Corn is Green
1944  Mr. Skeffington 
         Hollywood Canteen 
1943 Watch on the Rhine
        Thank Your Lucky Stars 
        Old Acquaintance
        Show Business at War
1942  Now, Voyager 
           In This Our Life
1941  The Man Who Came to Dinner 
         The Bride Came C.O.D. 
         Shining Victory
         The Little Foxes 
         The Great Lie 
1940 The Letter 
          All This and Heaven Too
1939  Juarez
         Elizabeth, the Queen
        The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
        The Old Maid 
        Dark Victory 
1938  Jezebel
        The Sisters
1937  It's Love I'm After 
          Marked Woman 
          Kid Galahad
          That Certain Woman 
1936  The Petrified Forest
           Satan Met a Lady
          The Golden Arrow 
1935  Special Agent
          Front Page Woman
         The Girl From Tenth Avenue
         Dangerous
         Bordertown 
1934  Fashions of 1934
        Of Human Bondage 
        Fog Over Frisco 
       Menace
       Jimmy the Gent 
       The Big Shakedown
       Housewife
1933  20,000 Years in Sing-Sing 
       The Working Man
        Ex-Lady
        Bureau of Missing Persons 
        Parachute Jumper
1932  The Man Who Played God
       Way Back Home
       The Menace
       Hell's Home
      The Cabin in the Cotton
      The Rich Are Always with Us
      So Big
      Three on a Match
      The Dark Horse
1931  Seed
       Bad Sister
      Waterloo Bridge

Best Actress Nomination for Whatever Happened to Baby Jane --- 1963
Best Actress Nomination for The Star --- 1953
Best Actress Nomination for All About Eve --- 1951
Best Actress Nomination for Mr. Skeffington --- 1945
Best Actress Nomination for Now, Voyager --- 1943
Best Actress Nomination for The Little Foxes --- 1942
Best Actress Nomination for The Letter --- 1941
Best Actress Nomination for Dark Victory --- 1940
Best Actress Won for Jezebel --- 1939
Best Actress Won for Dangerous --- 1936
Best Actress Nomination for Of Human Bondage --- 1935

National Poetry Month - Week 1

April is National Poetry Month.  In honor of that, I have decided to dedicate at least one post per week during the month of April to the poets and poetry that mean so much to me.  'Tis true - there are enough poems and poets that I could probably post every day for a whole year and not do them justice.  So, choosing just four will be tough. 

This week's post is my very favorite poem of all:  Mary Oliver's The Journey.  It came to me at a time when I needed to hear its message.  More importantly, it came to me at a time when I was ready to understand  its message.  I have carried a copy of it with me for the last six years.  That copy is tattered and worn but its message speaks just as profoundly today as it did then. 

The Journey

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice --
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do --
determined to save
the only life you could save.

~ Mary Oliver ~

(Dream Work)

Spitball Day????

Today is "Spitball Day"...
That's right... spitball day! Who thinks of these things anyway?

 Well... no matter.. I wouldn't even take time to mention that tidbit EXCEPT for the fact that the I found this really interesting little bit of trivia related to it: In 1959, The Coasters had a hit record titled "Charlie Brown." Because the lyrics included a reference to a "spitball" it was BANNED in England!

While I remember The Coasters - and the song "Charlie Brown" - I couldn't for the life of me remember the spitball reference. So.... off to trusty Youtube to verify the information. Yes indeedy! There it is! Plain as day! The dreaded spitball reference that banned "Charlie Brown" from being played on the air in England. See (hear) for yourself!  YouTube - The Coasters - Charlie Brown  

Nature's Jewels

photo by Lee Ambrose

Raindrops on the spider web
Like diamonds in a forest bed.

Sun sparkles at each turn I take
On this early Springtime morn.

Nature reveals her jewels to me
As birds announce "morning's come!"

Unmatched beauty abounds.
And I, again, am in awe -

Mother Nature's jewels:  a work of art.


copyright:   Lee Ambrose/ April 2011

April Fools Day!

The first of April, some do say
Is set apart for All Fool's Day;

But why the people call it so
Nor I, nor they themselves, do know,

But on this day are people sent
On purpose for pure merriment.

[--Poor Robin's Almanac (1790)--]