Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Treat yourself to one of the wonderful old movies that remind us of the Irish culture we all become a part of for St. Patrick’s Day even if we were not ‘born Irish”. One delightful movie is full of the Irish Brogue and is called Little Nellie Kelly. This movie is from 1940 and features Judy Garland & George Murphy. Judy sings her own version of “Singing in the rain” and” It’s a great day for the Irish”. This movie is based on George M. Coan’s Broadway play. Another wonderful movie to watch is My Wild Irish Rose from 1947 which was nominated for an Academy Award. Featuring the tenor voice of Dennis Morgan & acting of Arlene Dahl. It tells the story of Chancellor Alcott in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Not only does it have the movie title song but also the beautiful ballad, “When Irish Eyes are smiling” in it. And if you want leprechauns, dancing and song watch Finian’s Rainbow from 1968. Featuring Fred Astaire & Petula Clark it is a whimsical childlike quality. Each of these movies will put the Irish spirit in your day and the Irish jig in your walk.
A bit of the Irish
:Sparkle Shirley Sparkle"
Think of a girl
with curly bouncy blond hair tap dancing and singing and your mind always goes
to Shirley Temple. No matter what age, whether you are 10, 30, 60 or 80 you have been
somehow touched by her image or her talent.
The fact that there are DVDs out again in 2014 illustrates that point. I could easily speak of her movies but I’d like to share the other Shirley Temple who was
hidden from the public eye but who leaks out of the pages of books and stories written about her. Shirley was more than that
talented child that director
Allan Dwan was quoted saying, ''With Shirley, you'd just tell her once and
she'd remember the rest of her life," ''Whatever it was she was supposed
to do - she'd do it. ... And if one of the actors got stuck, she'd tell him
what his line was – she knew it better than he did”, the director of Heidi said"
As Shirley matured her life changed remarkably but each of her new experiences
made her an impressive woman. When she found her film career was not going well
she made a surprising announcement that she would retire. At age 17 she married John Agar Jr who had starred with her in Fort Apache. She found out quickly that he could be a mean
drinker and philander. She was forced to drive herself to the
hospital when she went in to labor with her daughter Linda Susan. With the reality
of her life she divorced and decided to retire from her film career to give her daughter all her time. A year later she fell madly in love with
Charles Alden Black a California businessman.
He was also interested in world economics and politics. Shirley found she had a real interest in
it. She and her new husband had two
children, Chuck and Lori. Her next focus was helping others doing
community service. When her brother developed multiple sclerosis she involved
herself in learning all she could about the disease. She went to the doctor with George to learn
as much as she could. She found that more people needed to be doing research on
the disease so she became co-founder of the international Multiple sclerosis
Society. She could be seen visiting at
the hospital doing things like serving
meals and visiting tirelessly. Her focus was on them, never herself. Later she was asked to be a UN delegate. She saw that her film reputation helped her
to be able to speak to many political figures and she took advantage of that fact
and became an asset to the UN. Later she became the Ambassador to Ghana. She was able to help with the crisis
there, Her next appointment was as Ambassador to
Czechoslovakia. After arriving in Czechoslovakia
she and her husband heard a group of youth demonstrating. They followed the noise and ended up right in
the center of the start of a revolution.
After escaping to the hotel 61 yr.
old Shirley took a seat on the upstairs window
ledge as the Ambassador and watched the event. She was spotted by the
newspaper and she again became a new kind of leader. The area of Prague was a political hot spot
and she fought a huge battle trying to
free prisoners , fighting for human
rights and working for democracy behind
the scene. She worked for 20 years in
service starting with Nixon and ending with Carter when he came into
office. Her ability to see and work
through the complex issues of a foreign power showed the abilities she
had. One day she discovered a lump in
her breast and returned to the US for a mastectomy. She decided that she should use this recent
crisis to make women aware of the need to take care of themselves. She was the 1st celebrity to speak
of her mastectomy and cancer publically.
She helped to promote self -
breast exams. Over the years she received
many film awards including a mini Academy Award but she lovingly said at age 80 that her greatest
roles were as wife, mother and grandmother. "There's nothing like real
love. Nothing." Her husband of 55 years, Charles Black, had just died a few months earlier. That curly topped singing dancing little girl
changed the morale of the US during the
Great Depression and gave us so much
more in her 85 years that sadly is not often recognized. Thank you Shirley, you
sure did do what your mother said “Sparkle Shirley Sparkle” in your life.
BIG NEWS!!
Are you tired of the cold? Tired of the ice? Frustrated with the snow.
Wishing you could go to a garage sale....Well here is your chance
Coming on February 22nd & 23rd, many shops on The Vintage Village will be hosting a huge on-line yard sale
Keep the days open and get ready to browse.
Changes in Sneezes and times
Pretty handkerchief from Vanity Flair Vintage
As I
sit here coughing and sneezing with what has become the annual New Year cold
there was a knock at the door. The UPS
man stood there with a package in hand. I was a bit surprised as I had not ordered anything. Looking at the address label I found it was
from my sister-in-law, Ann. Thinking it
was a very late Christmas gift I opened it.
Inside I found an envelope with a note and a couple of “things to treasure
from a time gone by”. We had lost my mother-in-law before Christmas and Ann was
breaking up the house. In it were
four embossed and embroidered handkerchiefs.
They were perfectly ironed and folded. Her request was to share them with the four
little girl grandchildren as a bit of great grandma. Perfume wafted up from the envelope as I held
them. I got to thinking about what she
wrote. With the tissue boxes and take Kleenex
packages
that my grandchildren knew as a part of their life those handkerchiefs probably
would seem pretty strange to them. The
other part of those hankies that would be foreign to them would be the time Mama
had spent ironing them. Mama loved to iron and took it very
seriously. She ironed everything from
sheets and pillowcases to underwear for her family of seven kids and husband. It was serious business and I
can remember my bewilderment when I learned she even ironed Papa’s underwear
which my mom did not do. Things have
sure changed since then and I don’t know that either of my daughter-in –laws has
an iron. Guess maybe we will have to
have a little lesson on ironing for the little girls later. The perfume tried to fill my nostrils. Ladies never left their house without
perfume. I remember my first bottle of cologne
and later at graduation a bottle of special perfume. Definitely another time
and a different normal for me. Memories are
filling my mind and I will have to share them with the girls. Maybe I need to give them each a new hankie
of their very own as well.
As I watch the contributions one man gave the world some thoughts come to me.
One small soccer ball and one simple gesture from a man changed a country.
Imagine what could happen if each of us thought of ONE move to make
In the US wearing a team jersey is an act of pride
In South Africa that action spoke of reconciliation.
It became the first step of acceptance of the hated.
One act of allowing the world to hear of his son's' HIV
changed every "HIV leper" into someone worth knowing and gave HOPE to a whole country.
Just a few sentences changed so many
What could we do in our life that would do the same?.
One man spent 27 years, 9850 days in jail and still found a way to meet the challenge of loving his enemy.
He spent another 23 years, 8395 days meeting one person at a time, changing attitudes and teaching acceptance with love.
Imagine what could happen if each of us met 365 people in a year and met them with love and acceptance.
What a change that would be to our world and there's.
Nelson Mandela was no angel, he had flaws just like all of us.
His gift was his ability to move on, to live the law of love and illustrate it to all of us.
One handshake at a time, one soccer game jersey, or one carefully worded sentence at a time.
Imagine what the rest of us could do if we followed his example.
Thanksgiving time....or was it?
Thanksgiving is over?
How was it? Did you eat bargains
or
turkey? Did you enjoy the day with the
kids playing games or watching football or having a lively conversation? Or
were you chasing the sales during the day or evening?
Now, don’t get me wrong I love a bargain. I will participate in Black Friday and get up
in the wee hours. I can chase the sales just like everyone else but this year I
privately decided to boycott the Thursday sales.
I spent several days before the big sales shopping for
something to wear to an event and I overheard wives and mothers trying to
figure out how to have their Thanksgiving family
gathering. Each had one or more of their
children or spouses having to work or leave early to sleep so they could be up
in the wee hours to sell.
In so many ways the world is chiseling away at family time, the
enjoyment of our holidays and one on one conversation. Marketing has become part of our family and
now they are planning how we have our holiday. People say they see what is
happening, resent it but have no way to stop it. I believe we can only fight these intrusions by
letting businesses know with one email, letter or phone call at a
time. Companies only listen when people
complain or when the number crunchers see their idea does not work. So I am speaking out my feelings. I want to take my Thanksgiving
Day back and any other holiday they decide to change
for my family by letting them know I am not happy. I may be one small voice but
after all Dr. Seuss did make all of us hear” Horton’s Who”? Won’t
you join me?
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