The Wizard of Oz

Seventy-two years ago today, The Wizard of Oz premiered at Oconomowoc, Wisconsin's Strand Theatre.  Need proof?  I know I did.

A fan of children's books, I can't say I loved L. Frank Baum's original work.  I've been told it's an allegory, but I prefer contemplating it as fantasy/fairy tale/adventure.  


I do, however, love the movie (it's definitely one of my favorites).  I've seen it countless times.  True confession, regardless of the number of times I watch it, I'm still a little afraid of those flying monkeys.  

This photo, however, warms my heart.  

And I can't help but imagine that would make the Tin Man very happy.  

May the 4th Be With You

Today is Star Wars Day: a day to celebrate all things pertaining to the movie epic Star Wars.  

And, while I've written before about what a fan I  am of Wikipedia,  just in time for today, I learned about Wookieepedia. It's true, look it up!  I can't tell you how happy this will make my son, a fan of all 6 movies.  

Long before he was old enough to see the films, he often carried his "life saver"  (the perfect malaprop for the Jedi weapon, don't you think?). That was, of course, when he loved Luke Skywalker and the Storm Troopers and before he became fascinated by Darth Vader (and James Earl Jones' hypnotic voice), which I believe may be a rite of passage for all little boys.

Speaking of, here are a couple photos just begging to be seen today:

A menacing Darth Vader threatens a flapper - Halloween 2007

 

And how about this?  I might try this the next time I have jury duty. 

Presidents' Day

Washington by Steve Penley

Today we celebrate the birth of our first President, George Washington (though his actual birthday is tomorrow).  In fact, in Washington's home state (and mine, yay!) Virginia, this holiday is legally known as "George Washington Day."

This beautiful book was written by the wife of a former Vice President, Lynne Cheney.  That's cool.

But in most places, it's Presidents' Day and we celebrate the 44 men who have served as the United States' Commander in Chief.  

And they definitely deserve their own special day, because, let's face it:  Presidents are important.  Presidents are significant.  Presidents are, well, Presidents.  

And maybe because I spent almost a decade of my formative years living in or very near the nation's capital; or because I've attended a  Rose Garden signing ceremony (not bragging, just explaining);

Ronald Reagan (Nancy, too) in the Rose Garden with the World Series winning Dodgers.  I stood on my seat for this photo.

or, because I graduated from the university founded by Thomas Jefferson (still not bragging) or, most importantly, I've had the great privilege of meeting several  Presidents, including Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton (okay, maybe bragging a little),  I have an extra special place in my heart for this holiday.

I was standing below on the the train platform when I took this photo (bragging).

Even without these special connections, I can't help but want to  celebrate today. 

So I have lots of Presidential stuff:

I bought these guys at the Dollar Store and I love them.  Don't they look imposing?  They're just 5 1/2 inches tall. 

And I have fun stuff too, like this:

Because while these guys were Presidents, they were also human and they made mistakes.

We also have these cool placemats which are used not just today but often.

We love the facts and biographical information on the reverse sides.  When we had a French foreign exchange student living with us two summers ago, she enjoyed reading the information on them and quizzing us.  (I'm fairly certain there are no placemats in France with Sarkozy, and definitely not Mitterrand, on them, so she was impressed or at least as impressed as any French person can be). 

Finally, if you haven't yet seen the HBO series on John Adams. as fast as your fingers can, navigate away from this silly blog, go to your Netflix account (if you have one) and add it to your queue.  It is a must see.  

For more immediate gratification and something in more recent history, watch this and of course, have a great Presidents' Day!

Groundhog Day

I have a friend who celebrates Groundhog Day every year.  She says it's her favorite holiday.  Me, not so much.


I have some good reasons for this:


1) This time of year, the weather is bleak and the landscape barren; 2) I have some sort of mental block about what the groundhog seeing his shadow is supposed to  predict.    Is it 6 more weeks of winter? A shorter winter?  Or perhaps, the Penguins will win the Stanley Cup?   3) A groundhog is not cute a rat on steroids (don't let the free clipart fool you).


Wikipedia, "the best thing ever" (according Michael Scott's character on The Office) and my go-to-source, says that Groundhog Day began as a custom in southeastern and central Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries, and has its origins in ancient European lore wherein a badger or sacred bear is the prognosticator as opposed to a groundhog.


And while I'm not a fan of the actual holiday, I am a huge fan of Groundhog Day, the 1993 movie.  If you haven't seen it, you should.  It's Bill Murray at his best (only Lost in Translation may be better) and a totally unique concept for a movie.  Besides, who doesn't want the chance at a do-over?


If you haven't seen the movie in a while, here's a reminder of just how much fun it is: