I rented this from Netflix this week, and I have not been so moved in a long time. To even begin to imagine the pain of watching your children leave and not know if or when you will see them again, is a horror I can barely stand to imagine. To dream and indeed to have been charged to save your parents from the Nazi horror at the tender age of 8 or 10, and then to have communication cease because of a declaration of war, is a charge to a young child that is an unimaginable horror. This is a powerful movie, filled with the voices of the children who were part of the Kindertransport, and others involved. Please find it, take it home and view it. We are terribly disconnected from the horrors of war. WWII was different in some ways, but with all the nightly film clips from the news, we still need to remember that NOW is only real when we understand that there is a BEFORE and AFTER. I don't know when I have been so moved by a film.
Here is a teaser to pique your interest in my magnificent dollhouse, made by my dad, whose a tiny oil portrait hangs over the mantle in the dining room.
Below is a link to the pictures of my dollhouse. The tiny projects are a sampler and the very tiny dining room chair seats, cross-stitched to match the green wallpaper with roses on it. I used the smallest possible Aida.
My dad made the house for me (from plans, not a kit) over three years, beginning in 1983. He made most of the furnishings, too. He would buy a kit and then use it as a template. That way I have an oak bedroom, too. The house has two sides: the front with entry and 3 storey stairs, formal living and dining rooms, bedroom and family room; the back has a large kitchen, music room, library, oak bedroom, bath and project room. The house was a labor of love.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Welcome.jsp?&fromlogo=true
On the right of the screen you can become a member. I have lots of photos on this site. It's free and you can easily share pix with others. Please leave a comment and tell me if it works. Once you have signed up, you can use this link. Pictures of my dollhouse I know it seems like a lot of effort, but if you like miniatures, it is truly worth it!
JL, JK and NG went to the auditions/adjudications last Saturday and received fabulous reports from the judge, Dr. Krystof Biernacki, head of the Opera and Voice departments at UNF in Jax. I was thrilled and very proud, as he is demanding, and his comments reinforced just what I have been saying to these students all along. They were thrilled too! And, my, oh, my, when I introduced myself, he knew my name! He had heard of the opera company (FCO) and our struggles to survive, as well as our triumphs. This is very gratifying! Most often, we get "There's an opera company in St. Augustine?" Ah, me!
Then, the Captain and I drove to Tampa for Anton Coppola's Sacco and Vanzetti. We stayed in a wonderful small suite, complete with bedroom, sitting room/kitchen, with free wi-fi connection! I almost wished we were staying longer! Probably would have, too, if Alex-Paras had been open on Sunday. I have always had a yen to visit that place!
The opera was fascinating. Coppola is 90 years old. He conducted the piece, which he wrote in his early 80's, for the full 3 and 1/2 hours! I don't know if he is a first generation Italian in America, but he really underscored the immigrant condition, complete with the "what goes around comes around" attitude of the Irish towards the newly-arrived Italians. What was truly inspiring was the depth of the casting. Even the smaller roles were sung well. It was obvious in what high esteem the Tampa crowd holds the Maestro!
I'm playing Scrabble Cubes on line when I see Judy's PT Cruiser pull up. When she knocks at the door I hurry to open it and in she comes. As I proceed to close the door, I see, as you can see, too, a beautiful serpent.
Hmmm. I must say up front that I really LIKE snakes. I think they are handsome and fascinating, so my first thought is to run for the camera. I return, camera in hand, and open the door. Judy keeps Roxy from first hand investigation while I "snap" digital pictures. I keep trying to get a side view of his head, to look for the telltale horizontal yellow stripe from his eye to the back of his head. He obliges me by opening his cotton mouth. Oh, yes, this is a young water moccasin, otherwise known as a cottonmouth.
This is the third venomous snake we have had within 15 feet of an entrance to our house, in less than 9 months time. One, a good-sized pygmy rattler, struck within inches of my hand as I was weeding in our mulched garden last fall! The other was a yearling moccasin, right off the "bridge" that connects the screened porch to the studio.
I'd been contemplating getting into the garden to restyle it. This little visitor will give me pause.
I found my
snake tongs in the garage, picked up the unwelcome serpent, and moved him down to the end of the driveway. Okay, it's not the best choice, but I don't have a good container to move him in, and I didn't feel like parading around the neighborhood in with a venomous serpent! The Captain's comment was "Put the house back on the market!" He is not as fond of the scaly creatures as I am!
Here is a close up shot. C'est belle, n'est-ce pas?
Nearly 5 years ago, I suffered a stroke that left me with numbness and lack of coordination of my right hand and arm. For awhile, I could not speak normally, and I couldn't say my husband's name. With time and occupational and massage therapy, sensation began to return. My speech cleared up within the month. I relearned how to brush my teeth and hair, how to butter toast, how to handle a fork. I used a speech program on the computer for several months, because my right hand could not type. I am very grateful for the lessons I learned from this experience. After 5 years, a person is considered to be at no increased risk of having another CVA (cerebrovascular accident). That's my upcoming milestone!
