Dec 11, 2017 |
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
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?
With a bowl of nuts and sweets to dream,
Happy Dancing!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Aug 30, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Have we all lost our heads?!
I think I might catch some flack for this post. But you know, I’m writing a novel set in New Orleans. And I have friends in the South. I’ve steeped myself in the history and heritage of the area. I welcome it with all its bumps and bruises.
It’s so rich with culture and inheritance–bad and good.
And I just have to raise my glass of sweet tea and ask,
HAVE Y’ALL LOST YOUR HEADS OR SOMETHING?!
What is with the impetuous tearing down of monuments all over? Banning flags? Erasing history?
We are defining hate upon hate upon hate, and saying it’s okay because one belief is better than the other which we should have not believed in the first place. Folks, I just don’t understand.
We are raising a culture of “My way is the only way so get out of it” mentality. Did I say raising? Forget that. We’re there.
We are a people of Me. Courtesy is a thing of the past. Understanding and compassion are good so long as they’re reciprocated.
The world is going to heck in a black-of-night, flag-draped, history-erasing basket. And we’re holding the handles!
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Have we all lost our heads?!
How are we, as a people, as a country, allowing these things to happen under the guise of political correctness? And if we continue to do so, shouldn’t we demand equal banning across the board?
Where is the Common Sense Party?
How are neo-Nazis still allowed to march with their flag, when the Dukes of Hazzard is being pulled from television stations for driving the General Lee? Why are the Ten Commandments being forced out of schools but wiccan symbols are allowed?
It doesn’t make sense to me.
I don’t endorse or embrace much of what happened during the Civil War Era. I’m not a fan of the German Occupation or Hitler’s genocide. But that doesn’t mean it didn’t exist. It doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be used as a lesson. We can’t–nor should we–erase it from the history books, or from our minds.
Our culture seems so embroiled with the “act now, think later” mentality that we are endangering ourselves.
And protestors? Don’t even get me started on those paid-for, bussed-in, rabble-rousers. You have a legitimate complaint? Bring it on. But don’t add fuel to the fire by including for-profit bullying.
Todd Starnes tweeted yesterday, “Should Hamilton the Musical, beloved by liberals, be banished from Broadway because features slaveholding characters like George Washington?” and an overwhelming majority said yes. How disappointing.
A theatre in Memphis is going to stop showing Gone With the Wind because it depicts slavery.
Folks, this is us. This is our past.
Can we please not brush it outside and burn it in effigy?
I’m afraid the next generation will be born not out of love, but for financial gain.
“Hey, let’s have a kid so he or she can sue the pants of the government
or win a class-action settlement.”
I’ve a friend whose parents–Americans, mind you–were interred during the Second World War because they were also Japanese. I don’t see him jumping up and down and fighting for restitution from the states. Is he happy about it? Of course not. But he’s a source of learning, of understanding, of growth. He doesn’t want this information to disappear.
And neither do I.
Folks, can we just take a breath?
Let me say this to all y’all who have been trampled throughout history:
I’m sorry. I am. I truly, deeply, honestly am sorry for all your ancestors went through. I’m sorry some of those attitudes have continued through the generations. But you are not alone. You are not special. Every ethnicity, every gender, every culture, had, has, or will have these same struggles.
I know y’all are angry. But we can’t let this hatred consume our days. We can’t keep doing only what’s right for the individual without a perspective of the world at large.
So please. Stop for a minute. Share your story. Instead of trying to close our eyes and make it disappear, tell us what went wrong and how we can make things better.
I’m not asking y’all to raise monuments for the heck of it. But let’s consider that the monuments we do have are historic. They tell a story. Good and bad. So let’s not hide it.
Tell the rest of the story.
Let this be your monument.
And let history live.
TWEET THIS: Have We All Lost Our Heads?! @RealMojo68 #Southern #History #franklymydear
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Jun 28, 2017 |
by William Kendall @WilliamKendall1
A century and a half on and still looking fresh faced.
William Kendall, Photoblogger: National Arts Centre
2017 marks the 150th anniversary of Confederation for Canada. In 1867, the British colonies of North America were united into the Dominion of Canada after years of negotiation and work between delegates of all parties. What started with four provinces- Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick- has grown to become ten provinces and three territories in a country known around the world for breathtaking scenery, friendly people, hockey, maple syrup, and a wry sense of humour- among other things.
Our Fathers Of Confederation came from different backgrounds, with different concerns for their part of what would end up becoming Canada. Their differences were mitigated in the first half of the 1860s by what they were seeing south of the border- open war between the North and South, and the ambitions of Americans to look north to annex British holdings. While the Civil War reunited one country, it inadvertently helped foster the creation of another, one that retains the Westminster style of parliamentary democracy and ties to the Crown that remain strong today.
William Kendall, Photoblogger: National War Memorial
This anniversary year is a big one for us to celebrate. The celebration does bring with it some introspection, because the history of the country goes back much further than 150 years. Ten thousand years and more, when you factor in the First Nations presence on this continent- something that we often have overlooked, and the legacy of the past is something we still have to come to terms with. In another way, this year marks the centennial of a pivotal battle- Vimy Ridge- as part of a war in which the country came into its own. More to be introspective about.
I live in the national capital region, and Ottawa and Gatineau are certainly busy in the lead up to Canada Day. This is home base to several national museums and numerous local museums, and each are playing a role in the occasion. There are projects that are either finished or scheduled to be finished for the day, while others are longer term. Our Parliament Buildings, something that first comes to mind when one thinks of this city, are undergoing a multi-year renovation and restoration process that will see the work continue on for another decade. Scaffolding and work sites there are to be easily found around some of the buildings.
Other projects have had the anniversary year in mind. Our National Gallery has finished up a re-organization of its Canadian galleries, integrating First Nations works from time immemorial with the more conventional landscapes and portraits Canadian artists had been doing since the days of New France. Where before the two collections had been kept separate, now they are part of the same cohesive whole, and that reflects itself in the new direction, which has just re-opened to public viewing.
Our Museum of History has spent some years on a major reorganization of its permanent gallery, Canada Hall, bringing in the First Nations architect who designed the building in the first place to consult on the new way of telling the story of our history. During that time, other parts of the museum have been open, most notably the First Nations halls and spaces for temporary exhibits, but having Canada Hall re-opened will be a welcome sight.
William Kendall, Photoblogger: Canadian Museum of History
William Kendall, Photoblogger: The Great Hall, Canadian Museum of History
Our National Arts Centre, which was a legacy of our centennial year, sits a short walk away from Parliament, and in the last few months has been the scene of much work. While concerts and performances have continued inside the building, a glass structure has gone up around parts of the building, something that as it has progressed has done well in off-setting the Sixties era architecture. That new structure will be accessible to the public for Canada Day, with the orchestra putting on an annual concert inside.
William Kendall, Photoblogger: Centre Block, Parliament Hill
While a lot of the celebration is coming from the federal government as a whole, the city governments on both sides of the Ottawa River have gotten in on it as well, in activities and events that are taking place over the course of the year. That includes hosting embassies throughout the year to present aspects of their own countries for a day. It also includes special events such as MosaiCanada, a horticultural show set to open on the Quebec shore for the summer on Canada Day, or the winter event Crashed Ice. It includes public access to the mighty Chaudiere Falls in the river, something that has long been held off at a distance for the public. And it includes a summer long multimedia show taking place in what will, next year, be an underground LRT station.
What does it mean to be Canadian? I think a lot of what makes us who we are is defined by the vastness of the land. The wide prairies, the endless tundra and rough Canadian Shield. The rivers and valleys. The coastal landscapes. The rugged mountains. It’s shaped our national character in many ways. A mature country can both look at itself critically while marking its history and the path it has taken in a positive way. This anniversary year has something of each- sombre reflection, commemoration, and celebration. Where the next 150 years takes us? We shall see.
Odds are, though, that there won’t be a Toronto Maple Leafs team winning the Stanley Cup in that time though. Sorry, Leafs fans, but it’s not going to happen.
William Kendall, Photoblogger: Notre Dame and the National Gallery of Canada
You can follow William on his writing blog, Speak Of The Devil, his photoblog Ottawa Daily Posts, and Twitter @WilliamKendall1.
What will your area celebrate this year?
CLICK TO TWEET: Celebrating 150 Years of Canada #amblogging #photography #Cananda @williamkendall1 @realmojo68
CLICK TO TWEET: #Photoblogger William Kendall celebrates 150 years of #Canada. @williamkendall1 @realmojo68 #franklymydearmojo
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Aug 13, 2012 |
There was no Great War, World War 1 or World War 2.
The Titanic had not yet sailed.
There was no Republic of China.
The New York Yankees were known as the New York Highlanders.
The first motion picture studio, Nestor Motion Picture Company, opened in Hollywood.
Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and the rest of the Rat Pack weren’t even a gleam in their parents’ eyes.
There was no Great Depression.
The Hindenburg had yet to be created.
There were only 46 Stars on the American Flag.
Elvis’ parents weren’t born yet.
Many other significant events, people, and places had yet to occur.
But this was one that had:
My Enclopaedia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, was published in twenty-nine volumes. It is indeed my treasure.
“There’s no history of anything until it happens. Then there is.” [Rachel to Roark, Volcano, 1997]
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jul 16, 2012 |
I just published Hidden Files, about discovering some old writings I’d forgotten or pushed to the sides. I found writings I’d intended to publish on a former Blog. It was a blog that had three readers, and lasted four or five months. For obvious reasons, I shut it down and started Frankly, My Dear… which seems to be doing so much better. [Thank you, kind readers!]
I came across these two in particular. I apologize they’re a bit unclear; the only way to capture the entire essence and word structures was to save them as a PDF-photo and enlarge them here. It makes the letters a bit blurred; but still readable.
I was surprised at the raw honesty of these two posts. The cursing of emotions that I was willing to announce. But mostly, I’m pleased because I can now look at it from The Other Side instead of In The Moment. I am no longer That Girl in That Moment. I am now The Girl Who Grew.
I’m at peace with different events in my life. I’m at peace with the absence of what I once thought was love. Now, before you get all riled up in my defense, I will add this disclaimer: I’m very good friends with the “enemy” of these posts. He knows I write about him now and then. We talk often. He was a lousy almost-boyfriend; but he’s always been the best of friends.
And I’m at peace with the experience. It was years ago when I was younger and unsure of myself. I had little to offer someone else, other than, as he affectionately tells me, requests for High Maintenance.
I read these posts yesterday. And I smiled.
Because I’m not who I was. I’m who I am. And even that’s not Who I’ll Be.
And I’m okay with that.
Because I’m living for the future.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
