Saturday, February 28, 2009
Do You See Her?
Our son, home from college for the weekend, was awakened at 4:00
A.M. with the intense feeling that someone was in the room. He
quickly grabbed his cell phone and started taking pictures in the
dark. There are large framed prints on opposite walls in the newly
redecorated "bat cave". One is of the Titanic, which you can see
reflected from the flash in the glass of the larger, revolutionary ship
print. Do you see the image captured between the reflections? One
little piece of history you might want to know, is there was a black
maid, named Cleo, who lived at the manor in the 1940's.
My stack of Charles Simic books were waiting for me at the library
yesterday. I am thoroughly enjoying a leisurely browse today.
I thought this one paired nicely with our ghostly visit.
Mirrors at 4 A.M.
You must come to them sideways
In rooms webbed in shadow,
Sneak a view of their emptiness
Without them catching
A glimpse of you in return.
The secret is,
Even the empty bed is a burden to them,
A pretense.
They are more themselves keeping
The company of a blank wall,
The company of time and eternity
Which, begging your pardon,
Cast no image
As they admire themselves in the mirror,
While you stand to the side
Pulling a hanky out
To wipe your brow surreptitiously.
Charles Simic
If you are interested in previous ghost happenings at the manor,
click on "ghosts" in the labels section of my sidebar.
Okay, here's some help. Look just right of the Titanic reflection, in
the center of the large print. She's angled, facing right. I think it even
looks like she is wearing a kerchief.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Le Scaphandre et le Papillon
You've probably noticed from my sidebar, my Netflix queue was The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Le Scaphandre et le Papillon), 2007. I don't know when a film has touched me on so many levels. I am
getting butterflies in my stomach just writing this post.
This marvelously artistic film, masterfully directed by Julian Schnabel and elegant screenplay by Ronald Harwood (The Pianist), is the true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor-in-chief of the renowned
fashion magazine, Elle, who suffers a massive stroke at the age of 43. When awaking from a coma, he is totally paralyzed except for the use of his left eye. Developing a painstaking system of communicating
with his therapist by blinking his eye, he writes bit by bit, a lyrical, heartbreaking memoir of his struggle.
Wonderful surreal dream sequences and the realities of interpersonal relationships are woven through the film. Mathieu Amalric does an amazing job as Bauby and Max von Sydow is absolutely beautiful in the cameo role of Bauby's father. This film depicts both the fragility and strength of humanity. I came away realizing what a precious gift life is and to appreciate each small, seemingly insignificant moment.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Theme Thursday = Toy
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Charles Simic
My favorite poet this week is Charles Simic. Born May 9, 1938, in Belgrade, he is a Serbian-American poet and co-Poetry Editor of the Paris Review. He was appointed the fifteenth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 2007.
After surviving the German bombing and occupation of Belgrade, he escaped Yugoslavia with his mother in 1948 into Austria and France, arriving in the United States in 1954 when he was sixteen. He grew up in Chicago and received his B.A. from New York University. He is professor emeritus of American literature and creative writing at the University of New Hampshire.
I like the way he uses his experience of the brutal history of World War II, twisted with wordplays and a comical sense of humor in his work. Not only is he a profound poet, but a thoughtful essayist on the topics of jazz, art and philosophy.
Classic Ballroom Dances
Grandmothers who ring the necks
Of chickens; old nuns
With names like Theresa, Marianne,
Who pull schoolboys by the ear;
The intricate steps of pickpockets
Working the crowd of the curious
At the scene of an accident; the slow shuffle
Of the evangelist with a sandwich board;
The hesitation of the early-morning customer
Peeking through the window grille
Of a pawnshop; the weave of a little kid
Who is walking to school with eyes closed;
And the ancient lovers, cheek to cheek,
On the dance floor of the Union Hall,
Where they also hold charity raffles
On rainy Monday nights of an eternal November.
info: Wikipedia, The Norton Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Poetry
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Willow's Weekly Word
Pisces (February 19 - March 20) the twelfth and final sign of the
zodiac, is represented by two fish swimming in opposite directions.
Pisceans are said to be imaginative individuals who, like fish, can
appear slippery and indistinct, moving with the current. Pisces is
a sensitive and compassionate mutable water sign.
One of the most popular stories regarding the mythological origin of
Pisces is the story of Aphrodite and Eros. The story involves
Aphrodite and her son Eros escaping from the terrible monster
Typhon by turning themselves into fish and hiding underwater until
it was safe to come back to the surface. As fish, they tied their tails
together with a cord so they wouldn't lose one another while
swimming in the darkness of the deep. Upon hearing their tale,
Zeus rewarded the pair by placing them among the stars as the
constellation of Pisces
Pisces is the sign of the romantic and the dreamer. When this sign
is prominent in the birth chart, it implies great sensitivity. Pisceans
are usually private people who may feel misunderstood by others.
They often enjoy music or art as an outlet for their feelings.
Possessing strong intuitive powers, Pisceans are able to tune into
the atmosphere around them and respond accordingly. They often
indicate the need to be alone, for rest and recuperation and are,
more often than not, a bit introverted. They enjoy being on or near
water, where they allow themselves to drift along.
The ruling planet is Neptune. Gemstones are the moonstones and
bloodstones. The Picsean color is soft sea green. Flower is the
waterlily. The body part is the feet. And the countries associated
with this sign are Portugal, Scandinavia, Mediterranean Islands and
the Gobi and Sahara Deserts. (Go figure on the dry, hot deserts.
They don't sound very fishy to me!)
So, hey-hey, there you have it. Best wishes for a very Happy
Birthday to all my Picscean bloggy friends!
artwork: Pisces by Peter Goode
info from Wikipedia and Astrology by Darby Costello
Saturday, February 21, 2009
weekend wishes
Her Morning Elegance, Oren Lavie
Thanks, Clever Pup, for sharing this gorgeous video with me!
Hope you're enjoying a lazy, peaceful weekend, dear bloggy friends.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Winter + Blog = Blub
Old man winter is kind enough to give me a reprieve. A week or so
ago, it reached 68 degrees and a wave of sheer panic almost knocked
me off my fat little winter feet! I adore winter. I relish snuggling up in
cozy woolly clothes and baking all the delectable comfort food
associated with the season. I'm in my element in the winter; my
energy level is high and am more motivated than in warmer months.
But the thought of squeezing this little white hunk of blub into my
spring clothes (heavens to murgatroyd) leaves me horrified. Usually,
by spring, I've worked off last year's summer slug and can brace the
clothing shift with relative ease. Not this time. And it's not because
I'm eating more. No, dagnabit, I must honestly blame it, pure and
simply, on the fact that I am blogging.
So, does this mean that blogging makes you fat? No, it can't possibly
be. I'm not going to let it! The snow has melted now, and I have no
excuse to avoid walking, except that it was just 16 windy degrees
this morning. You know, the last few chocolate chip cookies, in the
freezer from the holidays, really should be eaten before they get
stale. Want some? Good. I'll put the kettle on. After all, tomorrow is
another day. Don't you love the fact that Scarlett preferred to do all
her proper eating at the barbecue?
artwork above: The Bath, Fernando Botero
For more great Botero art click on this video
and turn your sound way up!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Duchess of Devonshire
I finally saw the film Duchess, 2008, starring Keira Knightley, Ralph
Fiennes and Charlotte Rampling, a costume period film adaptation of
Amanda Foreman's biography, Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire.
It was just that; a costume piece. The costumes and sets were
stunningly lavish, with much attention given to the exquisite details.
Knightley did a good job in the role of Georgiana Spencer, ancestor
of the late Princess Diana. It is amazing how much Diana's life
mirrored that of her forebear's. Georgiana was also the wildly
popular "it girl" of her day, but unhappy in marriage and bullied by,
as Diana called them, "the men in the grey coats". Remember Diana
saying there were three people in her marriage and that it was a bit
crowded? There really were three in Georgiana's marriage to the
Duke of Devonshire.
Ralph Fiennes played the Duke's hateable character with subtle
apathy and aplomb. Still, I felt the film was lacking. I was hoping for
a little more biographical substance and a little less bedroom scene.
Don't get me wrong; as you know, I am a hopeless romantic, but the
film left me craving more historical details.
So, I read Foreman's excellently researched biography. She did an
outstanding job with all the historic and political details, but her
writing style is a tad on the dry side and I found myself trudging
though the book. As is true in most cases, I wish I had read the book
prior to seeing the movie. The eye candy of all the fabulous
costumes would have been more satisfying as the icing on the cake,
after the meaty historic facts. So, I recommend both, but do your
homework and take the time to read the book first!
Theme Thursday = Library!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
dabadabada dabadabada
Monday, February 16, 2009
Lesser Ury
Several of you have been asking about the artist behind my new
header piece, Young Girl in Cafe with Street View by German
impressionist and printmaker, Lesser Ury (1861–1931).
Born Leo Lesser Ury in Birnbaum, he was the son of a baker whose
death in 1872 caused the family's move to Berlin. In 1878 Lesser
left school to apprentice with a tradesman, and the following year
studied painting in Düsseldorf at the Kunstakademie.
His first exhibition in 1889 met with hostile reception, although he
was championed by Adolph von Menzel, whose influence induced the
Academy to award Ury a prize. In 1893 he joined the Munich
Secession, one of the several Secessions formed by progressive
artists in Germany and Austria in the last years of the 19th century.
In 1901 he returned to Berlin, where he exhibited with the Berlin
Secession, first in 1915 and notably in 1922. By this time Ury's
critical reputation had grown and his paintings and pastels were in
demand. His subjects were landscapes, urban landscapes, and
interior scenes, treated in an Impressionistic manner.
Ury is especially noted for his paintings of nocturnal cafe scenes and
rainy streets. He developed a habit of repeating these compositions in
order to sell them while retaining the originals, and these quickly
made and inferior copies have harmed his reputation.
Always introverted and distrustful of people, Ury became increasingly
reclusive in his later years. He died in Berlin and is buried in the
Jewish Cemetery in Berlin-Weissensee.
.
info from Wikipedia, self portrait by Lesser Ury
Not Lincoln?
brought to mind some of the actors who have portrayed the great
president over the years. I would venture to say that everyone's
favorite is most likely Henry Fonda in John Ford's 1939 Young
Mr. Lincoln. Fonda does a wonderful job as the shy, contemplative
and clever young Lincoln.
Then there's Raymond Massey, in Abe Lincoln in Illinois. There was
a great public outcry when this Canadian was chosen to play the great
American president, but scored high reviews on Broadway and later
in 1940 for the film version of Robert E. Sherwood's play. I don't
know about you, but Massey has a scary quality about him and I just
can't shake the image of Johnathan Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace.
And talking about scary qualities, John Carradine also played Lincoln
in the 1938 film Of Human Hearts. I guess you could say that he has
that Lincolnesque thing going on, but I always see him more as
Dracula. A blood sucking Lincoln just isn't right.
Did you hear that Steven Speilberg is working on a new film titled
Lincoln coming out in 2011, starring Liam Neeson as Abraham
Lincoln? I adore Neeson and I'm sure he will be fabulous in the
role, but my first choice would have been the magnificent Daniel
Day-Lewis. He most definitely has that "Lincoln thing" and I'm
convinced, after seeing him hauntingly take on the person of the
roles he has portrayed in other films, he would become Lincoln.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
I had to share this fun news with you! I just won this fabulous vintage
book by answering a riddle over at Charmaine's (High Desert Diva)
blog in her Pay it Forward Giveaway contest. Isn't it so gorgeous?
It's a perfect addition to my vintage book collection. Notice it is
decorated by Will H. Low. How delightful is that? Do you know the
charming and talented Charmaine Manley? Pop over for a visit today
and tell them Willow sent you. She is one of my daily reads and once
you visit, you'll know why. Thank you, Charmaine!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
.
Those who love the most,
Do not talk of their love,
Francesca, Guinevere,
Dierdre, Iseult, Heloise,
In the fragrant gardens of heaven
Are silent, or speak if at all
Of fragile, inconsequent things.
.
And a woman I used to know
Who loved one man from her youth,
Against the strength of the fates
Fighting in somber pride,
Never spoke of this thing,
But hearing his name by chance,
A light would pass over her face.
.
.
Those Who Love, Sara Teasdale
.
artwork: Flora Priestley by John Singer Sargent
Friday, February 13, 2009
Toot-Toot, We Have a Winner
my first blog year! And it was also nice to "meet" some of you who
are regular readers, but don't normally leave comments. Today I
will spend some time tidying up the manor, and the hundreds of tea
cups from all your wonderful visits. Thanks for celebrating with me!
I had pre-selected the number 43 (witnessed by WT) for the drawing.
Taaaa-daaaa!! We have a winner! Reya Mellicker left the 43rd
comment yesterday! Reya, I will send you a well loved book or two
from my personal library. If you haven't been over to Reya's
The Gold Puppy, go pay her a little visit. She is a fellow "Blog of Note"
and her thought provoking, intelligent blog is one of my daily reads.
So, hey hey, there you have it, my bloggy friends. Best wishes for a
lovely weekend, all. Willow x
Thursday, February 12, 2009
A Special Day
years would have imagined what a wonderful and inspiring impact
the blogging community has had on my life, on so many levels.
So, in celebration of this happy event, I would like to announce my
first annual Willow Manor Blogoversary Give Away. Just
Thank you so very much, my dear, dear bloggy friends for enriching
my life over the past year with your insight, inspirations, friendship
and love.
Willow x x
artwork by my dear friend Mary Sheetz, 1979
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The Genealogy Bug
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Feel Witty?
Monday, February 9, 2009
Forbidden Games, 1952
I love finding obscure little foreign films, and this one is an absolute
jewel! Actually, it's not really that obscure, but it was totally new to
me. The title Jeux Interdits in French might be appropriate, but in
English, Forbidden Games is a bit misleading. The plot has nothing
to do with sex or any forbidden activity, but is about a young girl,
orphaned by a Nazi air attack as her family flees Paris. She is taken
in by a provincial family who loses a family member, after he is
kicked by a horse in the same air attack. The children steal crosses
from the local cemetery, in order to cope with death, by building a
secret graveyard, where they bury her dog and other animals. The
acting on the part of the children is absolutely superb. The film is
also notable for its vibrant musical score, composed and performed
by legendary Spanish classical guitarist Narciso Yepes. It has been
beautifully restored and is available as part of the luminous Criterion
Collection. This delicate, intensely poignant and delightful film is a
must see. Do yourself a favor and add it to your Netflix queue!
.
This video clip without subtitles is the only one I could find. The
Criterion Collection copy has optional subtitles, of course.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Mega Random
Friday, February 6, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Letter E
narrative difficulties were caused by language restrictions imposed
favorite e's:
edelweiss, Edna St. Vincent Millay, ebullient, equality, ewes, exits,
eyes, Elspeth, evening, England, ebony, elevators, elegies, east,
eleven, Empire State Building, El Decor, eggs, Eiffel Tower, eight,
Elizabeth I, epiphanies, escutcheons, ephemera, emeralds, envelopes
not so great e's:
exile, envy, eels, evil, empty, embarrass, enrage, ether, excuses,
exploitation, earwax
(If you would like a letter, just ask for one in the comments.)
photos from Flickr, info from Wikipedia
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
What's Hot
Not too long ago, I stumbled across an old copy of The Story on the Willow Plate, by Leslie Thomas, copyright 1940. Remembering it from second grade, I was absolutely thrilled to find it. It tells the story portrayed on the pattern of Blue Willow china. To make a long story short, it is about two star-crossed young lovers who are running from her father, the wealthy mandarin. You can see them crossing the bridge in the pattern. The two doves at the top of the plate are the lovers who have been transformed by the gods to live forever. Isn't that just so charming?
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
My Ban on Pan-and-Scan
Okay, I admit it. I am a complete widescreen snob. Those of you who know me personally, know I absolutely refuse to watch any fullscreen format film that has been butchered by the pan-and-scan process, a method of adjusting widescreen film images, so they can be shown within the proportions of a standard definition 4:3 aspect ratio television screen.
This totally wicked process often crops off the sides of the original widescreen image to focus on the composition's most important aspects, losing almost 50 percent of the director's original vision and intentions. Not only is a good portion of the film hacked off, but the smoothness and continuity of the filming is lost because the pan-and-scan method is constantly jumping around to keep the main person or object in the screen. And did I mention, since it is cut down to fit the size of a TV screen, the image is also stretched vertically, losing much of the crisp clarity of the original film. So, not only are you missing half the movie, you are watching it out of focus, as well. Why would anyone in their right mind want to watch a movie like this?
Have you noticed that most of the movies shown on cable TV premium stations are shown in full screen format? (Not my favorite Turner Classic Movies, however; my dreamy friend Robert Osborne is far too classy to allow it. And most movies made before 1951 were not filmed in widescreen format, anyway.) What in the world are the cable stations thinking? I, for one, am certainly not going to watch any hacked up films.
So, there you have it, in a nutshell, my bloggy friends. I am an ultra stickler on this little subject and now you know why. Here is a video clip further explaining widescreen format vs. pan-and-scan.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Annual Bloggers (Silent) Poetry Reading
There is a hush now while the hills rise up
and God is going to sleep. He trusts the ship
of Heaven to take over and proceed beautifully
as he lies dreaming in the lap of the world.
He knows the owls will guard the sweetness
of the soul in their massive keep of silence,
looking out with eyes open or closed over
the length of Tomales Bay that the herons
conform to, whitely broad in flight, white
and slim in standing. God, who thinks about
poetry all the time, breathes happily as He
repeats to Himself: There are fish in the net,
lots of fish this time in the net of the heart.
Fishing in the Keep of Silence, Linda Gregg
photo by Tashi Euqyal from Flickr