"Originality is nothing by judicious plagiarism" ~Voltaire

I will make no excuses for ignoring my blog for the last two weeks.  Yes, I admit it, but I’m back and ready to blog.

So, I've just been longing to write a story.  Some sort of story that begins with "Once upon a time..."  But I just don't seem to have anything after that... so I won't even try.  I will, however present to you Wikipedia's list of traditional story beginnings and endings from around the world:

Equivalent phrases are also used in many other languages to begin a fable or tale:

• Albanian: Na ishte një herë.. 'Once there was...'.
• Afrikaans: Eendag, lank gelede... 'One day, a long time ago...'
• Algerian Arabic: Hajitek ma jitek (حجيتك ما جيتك) 'I've told you what's coming'
• Classical Arabic: kân yâ mâ kân fî qadîmi zzamân wsalifî al`aSri wal'awân...(كان يا ما كان،في قديم الزمان، وسالف العصر والأوان) 'There was, oh what there was (or there wasn't) in the oldest of days and ages and times...'
• Assamese: Bahut dinor agot... 'Long time ago...'
• Armenian: Կար-չկար... 'There was, there was not...'
• Bulgarian: Имало едно време... 'There was, once upon a time...'
• Catalan: Hi havia/això era una vegada 'There was a time...'Temps era temps... 'Time was time...'
• Chinese: T: "很久很久以前" ("lit. A very very long time ago...")
• Croatian: Jednom davno... 'Once, a long time ago...' 
• Czech: Bylo nebylo,... 'There was, there was not...'
• Ekoti (Mozambique, Bantu): Rakú z'éepo waarí-vó oswááipu nwúlw'eéne saána 'Once upon the time, there was a truly great friendship...'.
• Danish: Der var engang... or Engang for længe siden... 'There was, once...' or 'Once a long time ago...', respectively. Common endings: Og de levede lykkeligt til deres dages ende. 'And they lived happily until the end of their days.' and Og hvis de ikke er døde, lever de endnu. 'And if they're not dead, they still live.'
• French: Il était une fois 'There was a time... ' Common ending ... ils vécurent heureux et eurent beaucoup d'enfants '... they lived happily and had many children'.
• German: Es war einmal... 'Once there was...' ...und sie lebten glücklich und zufrieden bis ans Ende ihrer Tage. '...and they lived happily and contentedly until the end of their days.', alternatively ...und wenn sie nicht gestorben sind, dann leben sie noch heute. '...and if they haven't died yet, they are still living today.'
• Georgian: "Iko da ara iko ra, iko..." 'There was, and there was not, there was...'
• Goemai (Nigeria, West Chadic): Tamtis noe lat/ dok ba muaan yi wa 'My tale has finished, (it) has returned to go (and) come home.'
• Greek: Μια φορά κι έναν καιρό... 'Once, in another time...'
• Gujarati: ઘણાં વર્ષો પહેલાંની વાત છે.('This is an old story.') or એક જમાનામાં..('In one era, ..') or વર્ષો પહેલાં ('A long back')
• Hebrew: Hayo hayah pa'am... (הָיֹה הָיָה פעם) 'There once was...'
• Hindi किसी ज़माने में ('In one era, ...') or बहुत पुरानी बात है ('It's an old story, ...')
• Hungarian: Egyszer volt, hol nem volt, volt egyszer egy... 'Once there was, where there wasn't, there was a...'
• Icelandic: Einu sinni var… 'Once there was…'
• Indonesian: Dahulu kala... 'Long time ago...'
• Iraqw (Tanzania, Kenya, Cushitic) tokaro-yâ 'once upon a time'.
  • In oral literature, phrases like "I remember something that our father told me and that is this:" are common (Iraqw: Kar aníng te-'ée' to-ká a inhláw ar aakó doo-rén ni alki'-a i tí).
• Irish: Fadó, fadó, fadó a bhí ann (agus bhí rí i nGaillimh) 'A long, long, long time ago it was (and there was a king in Galway.)
• Italian: C'era una volta... 'Once there was...'. Common ending: ...e vissero per sempre felici e contenti. '...and they lived forever happy and glad.'
• Japanese: Mukashi mukashi (昔昔, 昔々, むかしむかし). 'A long time ago...'
• Korean: Yet-nal Yet-jeok-e... (옛날 옛적에...). 'A long, long time ago...'; Yet-nal Yet-jeok-e, Ho-rang-i Dambae pidun shi-jul-e ... (옛날 옛적에, 호랑이 담배피던 시절에...). 'A long, long time ago, in the days when tigers smoked...'
• Kannada: Ondanondu kaaladalli.... 'Once, in a long past age,...'
• Kyrgyz: илгери-илгери... 'ilgeri-ilgeri... 'A long, long time ago...'
• Latin: Olim... 'At that time'
• Latvian: Reiz sen senos laikos... 'Once long ago in times long gone'
• Lithuanian: Vieną kartą... 'Once upon the time'
• Luxembourgish: Et wor emol... 'It was once'
• Macedonia: Си беше еднаш... 'Once upon the time there was...'
• Malayalam: Pandu Oridathu... 'Long ago...'
• Malay language ( Malaysia )Pada suatu masa dahulu...' Once Upon a Time'
• Maragoli Kenyan language related to other Luhya languages. Mmadikhu ga khaare (in olden days).
• Maltese Mela darba... (Once...).
• Mongolia: Эртээ урьдын цагт 'Once Upon a Time'
• Moroccan Arabic: Hajitek ma jitek (حجيتك ما جيتك) 'I've told you what's coming'
• Norwegian: Det var en gang... 'There was, once...'
• Persian: "روزی روزگاری" (Rouzii, Rouzegaarii). 'One day, One time'; or: "یکی بود، یکی نبود، غیر از خدا هیچ کس نبود" (yekii boud, yekii naboud, gheyr az Khoda hich kas naboud). 'There was one, there wasn't one, there was no one beside the Lord'
• Polish: Dawno, dawno temu... 'Long, long time ago...'
• Portuguese: Era uma vez... 'There was, once...' Common ending: "... e viveram felizes para sempre" (... and they lived happily forever)
• Romanian: A fost odata, ca niciodata... 'There once was (as never before)...'
• Russian: Varies by the gender and number of the character(s) introduced at the beginning: Жил-был (zhil byl) (one male), жила-была (zhila byla) (one female), жило-было (zhilo bylo) (one neuter), жили-были (zhili byli) (plural): Correctly "had lived" (a stray survival of the disused Russian pluperfect), but nowadays liable to be understood as "lived, was". Жили-были is often preceded by «Давным-давно, в тридевятом царстве, в тридесятом государстве» (“A long long time ago, in the twenty-seventh kingdom, in the thirtieth state”, here an old numerical system is used, literally “in the kingdom three-times-ninth, in the state three-times-tenth”.)
• Sanskrit: Pūrākāle (पुराकाले) 'In the ancient time...', Kadājit (कदाचित्) 'Once upon the time'/'At any time'
• Scots: "In the days of auld lang syne"
• Serbian: Common beginning: Једном давно.../Некада давно... 'Once, a long time ago...', Била једном једна...(feminine)/Био једном један...(masculine)/Било једном једно...(neuter) 'There once was one...', Common ending: ...и живеше сретно/срећно до краја живота. '...and they lived happily for the rest of their lives.', ...и живеше дуго и сретно/срећно. '...and they lived long and happily.'
• Shona:"Paivapo"....(a long time ago,there existed)
• Sinhala:"එකමත් එක රටක"....(In a one country...)
• Slovak: Kde bolo - tam bolo... 'Where it was - there it was...'
• Slovene: Pred davnimi časi ... 'A long time ago...' or Nekoč ... 'Once...' 
• Spanish: Érase/Había una vez... 'There was, once...' Common ending: ... y vivieron felices para siempre/y comieron perdices. '...and they lived happy forever/and ate partridges.'
• Swahili (east African): "Hapo zamani za kale..." (a long time ago).
• Swedish: Det var en gång... or En gång för länge sedan... 'There was, once...', or 'Once, long ago...' respectively.
• Tagalog: Noong unang panahon... 'At the first time (a long time ago)...'
• Tamil language: முன்னொரு காலத்திலே...
• Telugu language: అనగనగా ఒక రోజు...
• Thai: กาลครั้งหนึ่งนานมาแล้ว 'Once upon the time (long ago)...'
• Turkish: Bir varmış, bir yokmuş. Evvel zaman içinde, kalbur saman içinde... 'Once there was, once there wasn't. In the old times, the sieve in a stack of hay...' *[1]
• Urdu: ایک دفعہ کا ذکر ہے۔۔۔ ('Ek dafa ka zikar hai...') 'Once upon a time...'
• Vietnamese: Ngày xửa ngày xưa... 'A long, long time ago...'
• Welsh: Amser maith yn ôl... 'A long time ago...'

My, how I wish I could read and pronounce all of these beautiful and funny phrases!  It sure is amazing how universal this language of story telling is.  In fact, I am thoroughly enjoying my English class, where we are learning about the hero's journey.  Perhaps you have noticed how all of your favorite fairy tale, Disney, and historical heroes have similarities.  Well, according to my English teacher and our hero-analyzing muse Joseph Campbell, author of "The Hero With A Thousand Faces," all of these heroes go through a similar path of self-discovery and triumph.  We have looked into Knights of the Round Table, the Buddha, and even Rocky to find these common motifs.  So far we have learned that all heroes must pass a threshold to begin their journey to heroism (Ashe from Pokemon becomes old enough to be a trainer), but only after recognizing a need in their lives or communities (Belle from Beauty and the Beast must save her father and fulfill her need for adventure).  All of these heroes have helpers and/or some muse-figure (Hercules has Phil to train him and Meg to distract him) and must ultimately face their greatest fears and weaknesses (Ron from Harry Potter hates spiders but is ironically dragged into the Forbidden Forest to speak with a pack of giant arachnids) and ultimately they reach an abyss (Dorothy almost gives up all hope of getting back to Kansas).  Upon returning to their communities they may be welcomed back as the heroes they are or perhaps shunned for their strange new ideas (Contrast the welcome of Prince Charming --pick one-- with the estrangement of "The Dark Knight").  You'll never be able to read a hero story or watch a Disney movie the same way again!

Sources:
image:  http://www.swoyersart.com/james_christensen/onceuponatime.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_upon_a_time

Holy cow-eth!

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a performance of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.  Talk about being blown away-eth!  I was overcome with emotion when I simply walked into the exquisite playhouse, which has a stage that protrudes into the three-tiered house.  The composition of the theater brings thoughts of what the Globe Theater might have looked like... though on a smaller scale.  The group of students and teachers I went with had seats in the front rows along the right side of the stage.  Let's just say that I not only had a perfect view of the balcony scene (swoon), but I was also close enough to the stage to be showered with Shakespearean-articulation-spittle.  The entire show was absolutely magical.  In this production, directed by Gale Edwards, the Montagues and Capulets were plucked out of old Verona and placed in a warped modern world with graffiti-sprayed doors and fantastic party dresses.  The charm of old times was not lost, however, because the actors always spoke in Old English.  The show was so well done, I had to shut my gaping mouth when the house lights came up... I had almost forgotten I was in a theater.

The actors were incredible.  They were all well trained in theater... I could tell by the way they swooshed their costumes and dramatically ran off stage at the end of their monologues.  Romeo looked strangely similar to Edward Cullen/Robert Pattinson, though his abs were slightly more realistic.  Juliet, most likely in her twenties, was a convincing 14 year old who had temper tantrums, a great giggle, and sweet costumes.  Friar Lawrence was a kick as he was raised onto the stage with a glowing, bubbling, multicolored chemistry set... complete with swirly tubes, fog, and all the goods.  In my mind, the star of the show was the Nurse, who was a feisty black lady with a fabulous matronly swagger and the BEST costumes (think BIG sleeves and red heels, yeah girl).  Mercutio was dirrrrty (haha) and did a great job (though I would hold KTG's performance up to his any day... seriously.)  The fight scenes were extremely epic and even the set changes were exciting.  What a great show!

I was surrounding by a wonderful group of students and teachers.  On my left side was my fellow musical-junkie friend who knows the Chicago theaters well.  On my right was another friend who had never seen a professional show.  My, was it interesting to watch the performance between two extremes of the theater world!  The girl to my right constantly gasped when something unexpected would happen-- for instance, she muttered "oh, woah, what's going on?" as the live Juliet stripped down to her undies to change into her party dress and later when she was joined by her husband in her chamber.  It sure is amazing how different the sensation is to an audience when a performer is present rather than projected onto a screen.  Somehow this seems to intensify all of the action and meaning of the show, for that one show can truly only happen once, in that moment.  "Is that right?" suddenly becomes a true question in reference to the actions of the actors on stage, rather than unquestioned recordings of a movie.

Another interesting part of the show was intermission, when I took the mandatory fifteen minute break to wait in line for the ladies' room.  A girl who looked to be about 11 years old was with her mom, who asked "so what do you think of the show?"  The girl, who was obviously enjoying her evening of being spoiled to dinner and a show smiled and said "they say 'thee' and 'thou' a lot! Thee thou thee thee thou thee thou thou thee thee thee."  Her giggles were the cutest thing... she reminded me of a trip to Chicago I made at her age with my Aunt KK and my Mom.  I was also spoiled to a fabulous day in the city, which I chose to spend mainly in the American Girl Store :)

Let's just say, I want to go back to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.  Soon.  And I want to take you with me.  Alas, "parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night 'til it be 'morrow."

Drink it up

So I was sitting at the computer this morning, enjoying a Fiber One Bar with chocolate chips in it and a latte from the cafe on campus when a thought (which is not new to me or many others) occurred to me.  "Gee why is this cup of delicious steamed milk and espresso so darn expensive?"  A little Googling and common sense led me to this conclusion:  Because we'll pay for it.  Yes, I admit it.  I have paid way too much for coffee, but I also admit that I like it, gosh darn it.

For those of you who would rather reason your way out of consumer guilt, I recommend this article from the blog Bad Money Advice:  http://badmoneyadvice.com/2009/05/the-end-of-the-latte-era.html.  I like how he talks about the "Latte Factor" as a "Popeye Ploy."  What cute terminology for a social phenomenon like $4 lattes.
Anyway, I choose not to feel guilty for this morning's latte.  It is yummy, already paid for (using meal plan "flex points"), and heck, it might even help me prevent Parkinson's disease. (http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/coffee_health_benefits).

Even more than coffee, I appreciate a good cup of tea.  There is nothing more delightful than conversation with Mom and friends over a perfectly brewed pot of tea and no place is cuter than a home town tea room.  The attention that goes into every pot is important, but only a true tea lover will recognize this.  Depending on the type of tea you want to make, the temperature of the water you use and the brewing time is different.  Basically, you don't want to over-boil your white and green teas because their flavors are more delicate than your black teas, which do require boiling water.  I respect everyone's personal preferences, but I must say my favorite teas are Darjeeling, Jasmine Green Tea, and good old Earl Grey.  Yumm...

Tea is really quite cool, because all true tea (except herbal "tea") comes from one plant, the Camellia sinensis.  The type of tea produced depends on where the tea was grown, at what altitude, and the climate of the location.  When the tea leaves were picked, how they were heat- and moisture- treated, as well as how much they were crushed also effects the tea.  Tea has quite an interesting science behind it!   When choosing tea, know that the smaller the leaves are, the lower the quality of the drink will be.  Look for loose tea or "pyramid bags" that allow water to circulate around the leaves.  Pay attention to the smell and color of the tea and learn about what you like and what you don't.  Most of all, brew your tea with love.

At home in the cupboard sits my tea cup collection, which I insist be used and not just admired.  I enjoy using my beautiful tea cups because they remind me of the people who gave them to me.  Every delicate cup has a story behind it, from where it was found to the occasion on which it was given.  I have cups from birthdays, Christmases, and even thrift store finds, which can be as exciting as a holiday.  One of my best cups (because it has a great shape for holding and drinking tea) was a gift from my Grandmother and her husband Roland.  It is decorated with "September" in beautiful script and lovely purple flowers.  I love visiting Grandma and Roland because we always drink green tea brewed English style.  Roland shared wonderful stories about how his mother, a true Brit, always used a brown tea pot made from a particular type of pottery with a spout that turned down.  Oh, how I wish to know the traditions of all tea drinkers!  I truly believe tea is a unifying thing in our culture and in our world.  The tea party is a symbol of tradition and refinement in many cultures, especially in Japan.  Attending a Japanese tea ceremony is definitely on my list of things to do before I die.  I hope to learn more about the world through my love of tea.

So remember:  Love your coffee, love your tea, but most of all, love the people you share these delightful beverages with.

sources:
http://www.coffee-tea.co.uk/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea

"Intense love does not measure, it just gives." Mother Teresa

If it were Betty Crocker saying the quote above, it might read: "Intense love does not only measure, it levels, sifts, folds, and bakes at 350 degrees for 2 hours."

There is something to be said for the ingredient of love in homemade food. I had the pleasure of enjoying a homemade sugar cookie from a SERVE Bake Sale for Pakistan today and it was tasted even better than the purple sprinkles and buttery color seemed to be saying it would. From its fresh smell to the simple, sweet aftertaste that tickled my tongue, this cookie tasted of love. Un-preserved, never shrink-wrapped, not mass-produced love. Thank goodness for generous teachers and commuter students who bring a little bit of home to my college-kid tummy.
Another shout out goes to my Dad's scrambled eggs. Never runny, always yummy, and cooked with skill. Perfect fluff and impressive pan flipping are my Dad's key egg-cooking characteristics.

One of the best gifts I ever received was the Betty Crocker Cookie Book...
I miss looking through the pictures and recipes for inspiration or just for fun. Scanning the ingredient list to see what we have and what we need is always a hopeful and exciting task. One of my specialties is Betty Crocker's sour cream cookies, to which I like to add chopped up milk chocolate bars. For some reason, the chopped bars taste even better than regular chocolate chips for this delightful treat. Mmmm...

You know, Betty Crocker wasn't a real person. She was an imaginary spokeswoman for the Washburn Crosby Company of Minneapolis which later became part of General Mills. Majorie Child Husted is attributed with creating the figure in 1921. Her role was to give advice and tips to American women through her cookbooks and products. Her picture was created in 1936 and has changed seven times since then to appease the public's vision of a perfect home-cooking, beautifully baking, on-top-of-it-all-mother type of woman. During the twenties, Betty Crocker had a radio show and in the forties she hosted a television program. Betty Crocker would eventually become America's "2nd most popular woman (after Eleanor Roosevelt) as reported by Fortune magazine in 1945) (wikipedia). Go Betty!

I like this bio (from ilovethefingerlakes.com) of the woman who was Betty Crocker 1949 until 1964:

Adelaide Fish Hawley Cumming (1905-1998)

The General Mills Company created the character of Betty Crocker in 1948 to answer baking questions American women sent to the company by letter. General Mills hired Cumming, a radio personality and actress living in New York City, because she represented the stereotypical image of the American homemaker. From 1950-1952 Cumming appeared on the half-hour Betty Crocker Show and in 1952 on the Betty Crocker Star Matinee and Bride and Groom. She also appeared in many commericals touting cake mixes and other General Mills products. In 1964 Cumming was dropped by the company at the age of 59 for someone younger.

After receiving a Ph.D. from New York University, Cumming went on to a second career as a teacher of English as a second language.

Long live Betty Crocker! Keep on cooking those cookies :)

More info on Betty Crocker

http://www.ilovethefingerlakes.com/history/famous-people-cumming.htm

For the love of learning

I certainly hope it is not pretentious of me to post a homework assignment of mine online and think you might like to read it, but that is what I am about to do. I was so enlightened by Dominican University's recent Caritas et Veritas Symposium that I just wanted to share some of what I learned.

The Caritas et Veritas Symposium was a fascinating day for me and I enjoyed exploring the meaning behind Dominican University’s motto. I had the privilege of attending three sessions in which speakers applied the meanings of “caritas” and “veritas,” the latin words for “love” and “truth” to their fields of knowledge. I was especially moved by the English department’s presentation called “A Gradual Dazzling: The Nature of Truth in Literary Studies.” This took place in the beautiful Noonan Reading Room, which I thought was a perfect setting for such a topic. The presentation explored how literature often uses a “slant view” of truth, using Emily Dickinson’s poem “Tell all the Truth but tell it slant” to present the idea. Four professors spoke about writings in their fields of expertise to describe this further and explore the role of love and truth in literature.

Professor Warren Green, a teacher of ancient literature, spoke about the Greek tragedies of the 4^th and 5^th centuries BCE. He explained how the role of theater in Athens during the 5^th century BCE was very central to society, though I was disappointed to learn that only men were permitted to attend theatrical events. I was fascinated to learn that the theater of Dionysus was large enough to seat the entire male population of Athens, and it did so during a four day theater festival that took place every year. Theater-going was therefore a communal experience, in which men of all social classes and roles were brought together to observe and participate in a parade and as many as 12 plays in 36 hours. The great playwrights Euripides, Sophokles, and Aeschylus wrote the tragedies to show the men of Athenian society “how to be an active citizen in a democracy at war” (Green). The tragic stories of Antigone and Polenyssius offered play-goers a view of the consequences of greed, pride, and willfulness, as well as an argument for finding a balance between the laws of the state and the laws of heaven. I found it ironic that although the plots were often extreme and included elements of the divine, these seemingly unrealistic pieces of the story became ways to explain the troubled political situations of the times. The men who attended the plays were brought together in community and were inspired to discuss justice and mercy. The tragedies of ancient Greece can therefore be understood when they are presented in the context of the era. Through a knowledge of ancient Greek democracy, history, and the theater experience, we as 21^st century Americans can better understand why ancient Greek tragedies could become a means to understanding of the truth. I believe theater continues to confront societal issues and inspire dialogue that finds solutions and cooperation.

The next speaker, Professor Mickey Sweeney, brought us further through history as she presented a mesmerizing look at the Romance genre of literature. The Romantic era of story-telling, writing and poetry came about during the Medieval Era in the 13^th and 14^th centuries CE. Such writing, mainly by Geoffrey of Monmouth, includes stories of knights, kings, and magicians. Professor Sweeney explained how collective learning was often done through the distribution of manuscripts, which were both entertaining and informing, for they attempted to convey the truths of history and human flaws while maintaining an audience. Histories and tales of adventure were often stretched to grand, unrealistic proportions, such as the passionate story of Sir Lancelot and Guinevere. I related this fact to current media techniques, which continue to stretch the truth in order to keep consumers interested. However, I noted a difference in the role of God and religion today than in the Romantic era. Whereas people of the time believed in God’s control over history, writers viewed their historical stories as “records of God’s divine history” and as “tools to tell moral lessons” (Sweeney). Kings and nations would prevail because of their moral strengths, and individuals would fall because of their moral weaknesses. The supernatural elements of some stories, including the magical character Merlin, were often criticized by Geoffrey’s contemporaries as being heretical, yet “magic” has always existed in history as a human explanation of the mysterious things of the world. It seems that God has taken a secondary role to science as the modern world’s source of reason. In ways similar to modern media, the stories of the Romantic era were told on a “slant,” with the purpose of conveying the importance of history and an explanation of why things happened as they did.

The third presenter, Professor Joseph Heininger, used the work of two contemporary Irish writers to show how poetry is a complex and profound way to respond to world events. I was especially captivated by this presentation because I have not studied much modern poetry. Heaney’s poem “Punishment” contains the heart-wrenching observation of an adulteress who suffers a horrible punishment from the IRS, which dominated Northern Ireland at the time. Following this retelling, Heaney explores the complexities of the event. While he sees the woman as a victim of scapegoating, Heaney also understands the human desire for revenge. Longeley’s poem “Ceasefire” also explores a historical event, but in a different way. His poem is an analogy of the ancient Trojan Wars to modern Irish conflicts, from which Professor Heininger concludes that “nothing erases killing, but there is atonement when the cycle of violence is ended with love and self-surrender” (Heinenger). I am delighted that poetry continues to be a valuable source of truth, for I love reading and analyzing the works of Longfellow, Sandburg, and St. Vincent Millay. I shall certainly continue to look into modern publications, for these works show how poetry may better contain the breadth of human emotion than other genres of literature.

By looking into the “slant truths” of literature throughout history, these speakers showed how such “lies” lead readers to the truth. To discover the truth, however, it is necessary to find the intended meaning of the literature through an understanding of the writings’ contexts. Greek tragedies of the 5^th century BCE, Romantic writings of the Middle Ages, and poetry of the modern era played and still play important roles in history, not only in the preservation of historical events, but also in the explanation and interpretation of these events. Furthermore, the exploration of society and how it should be is a constant theme of literature, which makes it a valuable tool in the classroom and in life.

P.S. The picture is from a prayer service for Sudan. Keep on praying!

A very nice beginning

Holy cow, aren't opening nights amazing!?! The cast and crew of SUA Summertock was thrilled to have a full house last evening for our first show of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. We even pulled out extra chairs to accommodate the people who came to see us! The performance was thrilling-- from the (not-too) overwhelming heat of the un-airconditioned gymatorium to the terror of unexpected microphone problems, there was just enough drama to satisfy our dangerous sides without bursting the show into flames. An awesome audience was exactly what we needed to keep the jokes rolling and the adrenaline high. Thank you to everyone who came!

I found it hilarious that our opening night was on the evening of Friday the 13th... it was like the ultimate "break a leg!"

The show was also highlighted in several local newspapers. Check out this link to The Blade: Troupe Presents its Inaugural Show. How exiting!


To accompany this celebration of theater, please enjoy these delightful quotes about that very topic:

An actor is part illusionist, part artist, part ham. ~Oscar Wilde

An actor is a sculptor who carves in snow. ~Lawrence Barrett

In your choice is your talent. ~Adler

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. ~Goethe

"You can throw away the privilege of acting, but that would be such a shame. The tribe has elected you to tell its story. You are the shaman/healer, that's what the storyteller is, and I think it's important for actors to appreciate that. Too often actors think it's all about them, when in reality it's all about the audience being able to recognize themselves in you." - Ben Kingsley (English actor. 1966-present)

"Every now and then, when you're on stage, you hear the best sound a player can hear. It's a sound you can't get in movies or in television. It is the sound of a wonderful, deep silence that means you've hit them where they live." - Shelley Winters (American actress. 1920-2006)

If a playwright tried to see eye to eye with everybody, he would get the worst case of strabismus since Hannibal lost an eye trying to count his nineteen elephants during a snowstorm while crossing the Alps. -- James Thurber

Acting is the art of speaking in a loud clear voice and the avoidance of bumping into the furniture. -- Alfred Lunt

Next to a tenor, a wardrobe woman is the touchiest thing in show business. [Birdie, in All About Eve] -- Joseph Mankiewicz

Act well your part; there all the honor lies. -- Alexander Pope's Essay on Man, Epistle iv, line 193

"Theatrical Logic"

In is down, down is front, out is up, up is back, off is out, on is in, and of course - right is left, and left is right.
A drop shouldn't and a block and fall does neither. A prop doesn't and a cove has no water.
Tripping is O.K. A running crew rarely gets anywhere. A purchase line will buy you nothing. A trap will not catch anything. A gridiron has nothing to do with football.
A Strike is work (in fact a lot of work). And a green room, thank God, usually isn't. Now that you are fully versed in theatrical terms, Break a leg... but not really!

~Author Unknown

Read more at Suite101: Famous Theater Quotes: Thoughts and Quotations About Theater's Joy, Meaning, and Importance http://playwrights.suite101.com/article.cfm/theater_quotes#ixzz0wbeEAHaw

http://www.satheatre.com/otherstuff/index.htm

http://www.chiff.com/a/theater-quotes.htm

http://upstagereview.org/Quotes.html

Confessions of a bibliophile

I've found another place to add to my bucket list of foreign excursions... A London Bookshop Adventure.

No, I'm not thinking about a Notting Hill (starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts) style romance (as fun as that might be) or a touristy trip to Borders (as convenient and tempting as the store is). Rather, I was influenced by the April 2010 issue of Travel and Leisure magazine to delve into the vast number of bookstores which line the streets of London.
Ahh, the joy of a bookshop... walls lined from top to bottom with more books than one can read in a lifetime, colorful titles and un-thought-0f topics, fabulous photography and answers to questions, shocking prices and heart-pounding deals, the smells of fresh paper and the must of ancient script, running a finger along the shelves, stopping at a particularly stunning binding and submerging into a different world for the few sentences read. It makes me feel like Belle from Beauty and the Beast, as she was given the most gorgeous library in the Beast's castle. I have always believed, even as a 5 year old child who watched this movie religiously, that what made Belle the happiest about her library is the opportunity and freedom that reading brings. When she was feeling the most trapped and oppressed in the magical castle, this room was her place to explore, unwind, and sit back in a comfy chair with a fabulous story.

According to Verlyn Klinkenborg, the author of the article Book Lover's London, the best part about London bookshops is their intimacy.
"...what I really crave in a good bookshop-and what London routinely delivers-is a touch of irregularity, a chaos that is partly disorder and partly the inner order of the proprietor's mind. That, and the feeling that to be trapped in such a place--shuttered in by ancestral, yellow coal-fog descending from the chimneys, the ding that hasn't been seen since Prufrock days almost--that would be paradise" (Klinkenborg, Travel and Leisure, 48).
Apparently, the stores in London are often specialized to a particular interest group.
"The antitheses to these omnibus stores are the single-subject shops scattered around the metropolis where you can align yourself politically, geographically, and of course, by genre and age group. Feeling charitable? Books for Amnesty International, in Hammersmith. Feeling socialist? Bookmarks, in Bloomsbury. Merely leftist? Housmans, in King's Cross. Feeling footloose-- ready to hit the road? Daunt Books, of course, on Marylebone High Street, which tantalizes the reader by shelving boods by latitude and longitude. Well, not quite. But that's how it feels as you wander along the shelves, traveling from one corner of the globe to another" (Klinkenborg, Travel and Leisure, 56).
How does such beautiful writing not make you want to go there?

To read the rest of the article, or to develop your own dream of a London Bookstore Adventure, check out the April 2010 issue Travel and Leisure, probably available through your library :)

Cordially, kind regards, and other closings

Salutations!

Perhaps I am old fashioned, or just fond of old ways, but I simply love letter writing. I, like many others throughout history and the world, find that addressing one person and writing one's thoughts for them is usually calming and delightful. As a fan of lovely things, I adore stationary, especially papers with personalized designs.

A little poking around led me to these fun closings from historical letters:

From the eighteenth century:
"Believe me yours faithfully,
Believe me at all times with sincerity and respect, your faithful and obliged servant,
With best love,
I am yours ever"
(H.M.S. Richmond).

From the medieval era:
"Fare thee well always and pray for me, most honored and holy master,
Fare thee as well as I fare,
And Jesu for his great power save you,
No more to you at this time, but the holy Trinity have you in keeping,
Your true loving,
So humbly craving the continuance of your honorable favor toward me, and th'eternal establishment of your happiness. I humbly take leave
Most bounden and devoted,"
(Dragon Bear).

With all my love and affection, I wish you happy letter writing!


For even more delightful facts about how people used to write visit these websites:
http://www.hmsrichmond.org/writing.htm
http://www.dragonbear.com/letters.html

"Delight the mind and awaken the soul"

I could never hold a candle.

I could never hold a candle
to your life.

I could never hold a candle
to your life,
but I will do my best.

I could never hold a candle
to your life,
but I will do my best
to hold my own.

(Anderson 40).



This poem by Kevin Anderson is only one of the "Nested Meditations" from his book "Divinity in Disguise." He developed this awesome form of poetry, which changes the piece's meaning as each line is added. In the introduction of his book, Mr. Anderson has this to say about his new form of the written word:

"I call these pieces meditations rather than poems because they are at odds in several ways with what is considered poetry today. These meditations are presented in a layered or "nested" format. They reveal themselves one line at a time, much like a set of Russian matryoshka dolls" (12).

I feel personally attached to Mr. Anderson's work for several reasons. Not only did my mother help to design the cover of the book, which uses Van Gogh's "Wheat Fields with Reaper, Auvers" (hanging in the Toledo Museum of Art), but I also have a signed copy by the author. His poetry reading was the first I ever attended, and I loved fully experiencing his pieces. Finally, Mr. Anderson's meditation entitled "Joy is succulent, wild!" was part of my award winning Prose and Poetry Reading speech. I competed with my piece, aptly named "Life According to Anne," at several Ohio High School Speech League tournaments and even at the state competition. I hope you enjoy this meditation as much as I do, and I wish that it reminds you to suck the joy of life out of every moment:

Joy is succulent, wild!

Joy is succulent, wild
black raspberries.

Joy is succulent, wild
black raspberries
overhanging every path.

Joy is succulent,
wild black raspberries
overhanging every path,
scratching for your attention right and left.

Joy is succulent, wild
black raspberries
overhanging every path,
scratching for your attention, right? And left
mostly unpicked?

(176).


All poems and excerpts are from Kevin Anderson's book "Divinity in Disguise":
Anderson, Kevin. Divinity in Disguise. Phoenix Color: Hagerstown, 2003.

For more information about Kevin Anderson and his books, visit his website: http://www.divinityindisguise.com/index.html

What do you do with your Friday nights?

Is there anything more visually and intellectually stimulating than a trip to the art museum? No, of course not! Many people do not know about the gem of a museum we have right here in Toledo: the world renowned Toledo Museum of Art at 2445 Monroe Street.

Not only does the TMA have a fantastic collection of art from all over the world and all time periods, but it also brings its art alive through public events and exhibitions. From Tuesday to Sunday (it's closed on Mondays) the TMA is open for free to the public, though occasional exhibits do cost money. Fridays are especially exciting, for the museum stays open until 10:00 pm and features special tours, live music, and glass blowing demonstrations in the super-awesome Glass Pavilion. To those who think art museums are boring, I dare you to walk around the Toledo Museum of Art. Meander until something catches your eye, then approach it (but don't touch) and read the dynamic and fascinating description or explanation of the artist's work that is before you. You may be shocked to learn we have artwork by Andy Warhol, Matisse, VanGogh and many other artists whose pieces you have only seen on calendars. You will be surprised by how much you learn and love-- and if you don't find a thing you like, you simply have no culture.

Here are a few of the things I have done at the Toledo Museum of Art:

1. Taken art lessons (That was in 5th grade, but I still have the pieces I made in a portfolio :))

2. Attended several Friday night programs, the best of which was the unveiling of Guercino's Lot and His Daughters

3. Enjoyed a perfect cup of tea with Mom at the Glass Pavilion's gift shop

4. Brought a friend to the sculpture garden, where we pondered the meaning of abstract art

5. Made a colorful glass flower in the hot shop in celebration of my eighteenth birthday

6. Deepened my respect for art, religion, and foreign cultures

7. Fallen in love with beauty

A few of the gems

These are only a few of my favorite pieces from the Toledo Museum of Art's immense collection.

To see more of the collection or to learn more about the TMA, visit their website: http://www.toledomuseum.org/