At the Duck Pond

The kids and I visited the duck pond at Gibson Park for the first time today with a bag of old buns. The boys had a splendid time and left saying they wanted to return really soon. I made that happen rather quickly as I loaded them and their dad up after dinner for the excursion repeated. I had found another loaf of bread in the bottom of the refrigerator under the meat crisper.







Also, I had been told that people come out on Wednesday evenings for music performances at the same park. The turn out was great and everyone enjoyed the music played.



We took Fred to see the flower garden and arch. He thought it was lovely but allergies and an asthma attack took over and coughing from Fred played along with the music. So much so that at times people were looking and staring like "what is this sick man doing out and about."







All in all it was a nice evening to be out and about. Next time, however; one will remember to check and see if the inhaler is packed along for the trip.

Horse 'n Around -- Eagle Mount

Two of my children and I got to tour Eagle Mount the other day and meet the staff that work with disabled children and adults.



I have signed mine up to participate in their "Wrangler" program where they will be doing horsemanship activities, which could include "mucking". Both children didn't sound excited about that chore and we will have to see how it goes.




Also, they do not have to be put on a waiting list to be involved in that or summer day activities on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 11 to 3. We went over the calendar of events and each child got to decide what activies they want to participate in. (Savannah Rose - age 15 chose twice as many as Avery - age 9).

I am so thankful to be in a new community, a smaller community, and one that offers special activities for those with disabilities.




We took some photos of the horses and donkeys while there and some of the pictures turned out beautifully. Hope you enjoy.

Midsummer in Sweden - Maypole

Midsummer in Sweden, originally uploaded by Silva_D.

In Sweden the Maypole is usually called a midsommarstång, as it appears at the Midsummer celebrations, but it is also called majstång, as the word maja means to decorate with greens and that is exactly how most Swedes decorate them. They appear in many varieties, the most common being a cross with two rings hanging from the "arms" and the pole is popularly identified with the male sex and the rings with the female.[citation needed] Garlands of leaves and flowers are usually wrapped around the pole.
Sometimes a crown of flowers is placed on top of the maypole, supported by the ribbons, so that it gradually descends the pole as the ribbons are woven together, finally falling to the ground.



Today maypole dances are often done without dividing the participants by gender, simply having them in pairs facing one another so half go one way and half go the other.


In Sweden similar traditions were once observed but today the pole is the centre of traditional ring dances, the songs being more or less the same as during the dances around the Christmas tree. Arrangements are usually made by local traditional groups. Swedish speaking parts of Finland often celebrate Midsummer with a midsommarstång as well.

May Day Celebration History

My birthday is May 1st or better known as MAY DAY -- but what exactly is MAY DAY and what is a Maypole?



Wikipedia says: May Day occurs on May 1 and refers to any of several public holidays.[1] In many countries, May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour Day, which celebrates the social and economic achievements of the labour movement. As a day of celebration the holiday has ancient origins, and it can relate to many customs that have survived into modern times.


Many of these customs are due to May Day being a cross-quarter day, meaning that (in the Northern Hemisphere where it is almost exclusively celebrated) it falls approximately halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice.




Historians generally agree that May Day celebrations probably originated in the spring fertility rites of ancient Rome, which occurred at about the same time of year marking celebrations honoring the goddess of spring, Flora. ((I had an Aunt Flora!!!)).

By the Middle Ages, the day was being celebrated with a procession led by a "Queen of the May" chosen from a population of pretty teen girls, followed by the townspeople dancing around a maypole decorated with streamers and colorful spring flowers.



Pilgrims later brought May Day to America, but Puritans were quick to condemn the tradition as "that Stinking Idol reviving feasts of ye Roman goddess Flora or ye beastly practices of ye mad Bacchanalians".

By the late 19th century, May Day was taken up in America as a socialist movement celebrating workers' rights, a tradition that remains strong in Europe.

All told, modern May Day celebrations today have evolved into a hodgepodge of traditions including parties, sing-alongs, Old World maypole dancing, parades and workers' demonstrations, along with general protests against Big Business on the streets of major capitals worldwide.

And just for a little contrast, in Hawaii it's ... Lei Day.




Location: Canungra, Australia

Date: ca. 1934




Tiled mural rescued from a children's ward in Middlesex Hospital showing a maypole dance.

Designed in 1929 by Haydn Jensen.

Now in the Tile Museum, Jackfield, near Ironbridge, Shropshire.

'What does love mean?'

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, 'What does love mean?' The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:


'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.' Rebecca- age 8

'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.' Billy - age 4


'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.' Karl - age 5

'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.' Chrissy - age 6

'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.' Terri - age 4

'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.' Danny - age 7

'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss' Emily -age 8

'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.' Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,' Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.' Noelle - age 7

'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.' Tommy - age 6

'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.' Cindy - age 8

'My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at Night.' Clare - age 6

'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.' Elaine-age 5

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.' Chris - age 7



'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day'
Mary Ann - age 4

'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.' Lauren - age 4

'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' (what an image) Karen - age 7

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.'
Mark - age 6

'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.' Jessica - age 8



And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,
'Nothing, I just helped him cry'


I LOVE this one: What is Love? Love- a wildy misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise, and lips to pucker - rare_jesika.

Rainforest Cafe' -- Opry Mills Mall -- Nashville, TN

Recently the family went for dessert to the Rainforest Cafe'. We chose to go there because the kids had remembered several years ago getting a Volcano Cake that had actual lit sparklers on it making the smoke like an erupting volcano.


They were not happy to find for safety reasons or expense that the sparklers had been replaced by a foil decoration, but the treats were enjoyed by all.





Some of our friends came along and we had fun playing tourist and snapping photos while inside.







Ms. Laura (now 2) had fun coloring and looking around at all the jungle decor. The apes did scare her a bit as she did not like their movements.



This is a fun outing for young, old or inbetween.

Blooms in Tennessee

Before pulling out of Tennessee I snapped many pictures of my blooming pear trees in the front yard.




Also, the clover was blooming and I had mowed the yard twice. Is there a four-leaf in there? I didn't spot it while taking this picture!





I was thankful that the trees were overloaded with blooms, putting on a real show for my enjoyment.

The beauty of flowers inspires me to create. I love the delicate petals and colors whether muted or sharp.



There was a bird's nest in one of the trees that I captured in this photo.



The leaves were just coming out on the rose bush. Even they are delicate and full of color to inspire a blank canvas.

New York Theatre Ballet

Amidst general bad news for arts organizations and the economy, as well as the poor general state of arts education, there's great news from New York Theatre Ballet: Fathom will broadcast six chamber versions of ballets to movie theaters next season.

Here is the company's announcement:


NCM FATHOM EXPANDS ITS ARTS AND CULTURAL PROGRAMMING WITH RENOWNED NEW YORK THEATRE BALLET SERIES CREATING "SEASON OF THE ARTS"
IN OVER 400 MOVIE THEATERS NATIONWIDE


New Agreement with MarQe Entertainment Brings Classic Chamber Ballet to Local Community Cinemas Beginning in August

LAS VEGAS - March 31, 2009 - NCM Fathom, the alternative entertainment division of National CineMedia, announced today an agreement with MarQe Entertainment Inc., (MarQe) to present a series of New York Theatre Ballet (NYTB) performances exclusively in select movie theaters nationwide beginning this August. The NYTB is historically known for its elaborate storybook sets, rich costumes and mesmerizing choreography where each classical story comes to life through the art of dance. The New York Theatre Ballet series will complement Fathom's existing opera schedule, offering audiences a "Season of the Arts," beginning in late summer and continuing into 2010. The series will include a live performance of The Nutcracker, which is slated to be broadcast live from New York in December. Each performance will feature exclusive segments that will only be seen by cinema audiences. The agreement for Fathom to exclusively distribute The New York Theatre Ballet series was announced today by Dan Diamond, vice president of Fathom, at ShoWest 2009, the largest annual convention for the motion picture industry.

Through this new agreement, Fathom in conjunction with MarQe will present The New York Theatre Ballet series featuring six performances of dynamic chamber ballet classics such as Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Carnival of the Animals and The Alice in Wonderland Follies. The ballet performances are perfectly suited to the attention span of the youngest audience members, yet sophisticated enough for the most discerning adults. Hailed by The New York Times as "a discreet little pearl in the oyster of New York dance," NYTB has earned acclaim for its restoration and revival of small masterworks by great choreographers and for its innovative ballets based on children's literature.

The New York Theatre Ballet series will be offered across NCM's exclusive Digital Broadcast Network (DBN) - North America's largest cinema broadcast network that reaches nearly 500 movie theaters and performing arts centers in the country. Tickets will be available beginning Friday, July 10th. Visit www.FathomEvents.com to learn more.


About New York Theatre Ballet

Founded by Diana Byer in 1978, the NYTB is the most widely seen chamber ballet in the U.S. NYTB is the only chamber ballet company in New York to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2009 - an important milestone since numerous chamber companies have closed due to dwindling arts funding and increased costs.

"We are thrilled with the opportunity to work with MarQe and NCM Fathom bringing NYTB's 30-year legacy to the screen for audiences across the country to enjoy. In this current economic climate, it is more important than ever to make the arts accessible and affordable and we're doing just that by bringing the rich experience of the NYTB to local cinemas nationwide," said Byer, artist director and founder of NYTB.