The History of the Nutcracker

Dec 11, 2017 | 1 comment

by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy

It’s no secret I love nutcrackers. The music. The dolls. The ballet. The magic.

Frankly, My Dear . . . : The History of the Nutcracker

Frankly, My Dear . . . : The History of the Nutcracker

My collection ranges from a Steinbach wine maker nutcracker to a two-foot tall soldier guarding my fireplace to a two-inch tall onlooker at my work desk. With over fifty to date, I’ve yet to meet a nutcracker I haven’t liked. The diversity of their characteristics and embellishments are delightful.

My fascination grew from my love of the ballet. The classical music, the dance, Mikhail Baryshnikov.

Many years ago during one of my stints of unemployment, I happened upon a wonderful collection of nutcrackers at WalMart. They were nutcrackers fashioned after, well, The Nutcracker. There was blonde Clara, the Mouse King, the Nutcracker Prince, and my favorite: Uncle Drosselmeyer. At just $10 each, it wasn’t a terrible investment, but I couldn’t bring myself to get them. I remember telling my family how lovely they were.

Fast-forward about 36 hours and I couldn’t get them out of my head. The thing was, remember, I was still unemployed. It was about a month before Christmas and I knew if I waited patiently the store might run out before my next check came. So I stopped in at my mom’s house and asked cried begged to borrow the money so I could get them. She went into the other room which I thought was strange because it wasn’t the room she usually keeps her purse in. I heard a closet open and close, and she returned to me with a box.

Do I really have to finish this statement for y’all?

Not only did she get the four Nutcracker nutcrackers, she provided two soldier nutcrackers to guard them as well. And thus my collection began.

That was about ten years ago, and I’ve received several new nutcrackers every year since. [With fifty in the collection, that’s a duh statement!]

Nutcrackers as a tool have been around since ancient Greece. The tools resembled modern pliers or ratchets. In Victorian ages, nuts and fruits were presented on ornate trays with silver nutcrackers.

The figurative carvings have been around since the mid-15th Century. Their popularity grew toward the end of the 19th Century when the Swiss began to sell them as souvenirs. They are as symbol of luck in Germany (where Steinbachs are made).

They became popular in the US after the first US production of The Nutcracker ballet in 1940, during World War II, and as soldiers discovered the dolls.

The dolls are based on Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet, which premiered December 18, 1892. It has become one of his most renown works, celebrated and performed mostly at Christmastime, which is why the dolls are also celebrated this time of year more than any other.

Tchaikovsky had previously partnered with Marius Petipa on The Sleeping Beauty. Petipa asked Tchaikovsky to write The Nutcracker ballet with great specifics. It was based on an adaptation of “The Nutcracker and The Mouse King” by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Petipa instructed Tchaikovsky as to the tempo and length of each segment. The result is his masterpiece.

The Nutcracker music is featured in many holiday movies, events, produced in theatres worldwide, and referenced in many pieces of literature.

As I write this, I have the Baryshnikov Ballet performance on the TV for inspiration. I would like to say The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies is my favorite. But I’d be lying. They all are. From Clara’s dream to the Mouse King nightmare to Uncle Drosselmeyer (again).

What’s your favorite version of The Nutcracker?

Frankly, My Dear . . . : The History of The Nutcracker

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With a bowl of nuts and sweets to dream,
Happy Dancing!
~Molly Jo

And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!

Sweeten my tea and share:

Frankly, On Faith . . . : Start at the Beginning

Dec 10, 2017 | 1 comment

by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy

Frankly, On Faith.

Frankly, On Faith.

I hate when there’s so much information coming at me that things get lost in translation. Too many people talking at once, too many this-that-and-the-other-thing. A lot of jumping ahead and jumping ship.

That’s when I put up my hands. Whoa. Stop. I can’t keep up.

Take it slower. Take it one bite at a time.

Start at the beginning.

Get the story to me, completely, in a way I can understand it.

And when we’re halfway through what I should know, but don’t, let’s do it again:

Reverse. Start at the beginning. Reaffirm what I do know. Help me learn what I don’t. And move forward.

Inch by inch. Stepping stone by stepping stone.

Learning is not a bullet. It’s a cha-cha.

We can do the same with God.

Whether you’ve just met Him or known Him all your life, we can always ask for more information. We can revisit lessons we’ve been taught to see what new insights He reveals. We can pray in basic terms. We can tell Him, “I should know this, but right now it’s not making sense. Will you help me?” And He will.

Life comes at us full force and if we’re not secure it can blow us down and send us tumbling.

That’s when we can step back and ask God to show us how to tie the ropes to Him. How to man the ship so we don’t capsize. How to strengthen and rebuild the necessary foundations for ourselves and our people.

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God, and trust also in me.”
~John 14:1 NLT

We can always relearn and reaffirm what we were previously taught.

Just like watching a favorite movie, singing a favorite song, or reading a favorite book, when we turn to God again and again, we can get more out of it if we focus on it instead of just going through repetitive motions.

Don’t become complacent in the familiar. Don’t let the media of God’s word play in the background for a distraction. Sit. Pay attention as if you are just now discovering Him and His word.

You can learn something new, even by revisiting an old lesson.

Franky, On Faith: Start at the Beginning. As many times as it takes.

Franky, On Faith: Start at the Beginning. As many times as it takes.

And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!

Sweeten my tea and share:

Social Media Saturday: Unplug.

Dec 9, 2017 | 1 comment

by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Social Media Saturday

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Social Media Saturday

So you noticed today’s post is late in the evening again. You may not even be reading this until Sunday.

No, I didn’t fall back into old procrastination habits or forget due to other events (although the last three days of consecutive Christmas parties has been a blast!). No, I did it on purpose.

I intentionally gave myself last night and today be social- wait for it- in the real world. I know! *gasp* I can hardly believe it myself.

Now I know some of you are thinking, “well, duh. You need that connection every now and then.” And others are thinking, “She must have a fever or something.”

Truth is, I needed to kick back with my peeps, raise my eyes from the keyboards and just hang out. And in the end, it was beneficial because the networking I did offline (is that even a real thing?) has opened up opportunities for future ventures, squared away plans for Blue Ridge, and allowed me to recharge the social batteries.

It’s okay to not do everything every day. It’s okay to relax and time for yourself in ways you don’t normally do.

Now I’m home with woolly socks, cat cuddles, some hot tea, and The West Wing. Hey, I didn’t say you had to stop all habits.

With a smile and a wave and an in-person hug,
Happy relaxing!
~Molly Jo

And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!

Sweeten my tea and share: