Are bluebirds blue? This sounds like one of those trick questions on a test in school, doesn't it? The answer, strictly speaking, is no, the color blue in a bird is a structural color. Light is scattered and reflected by tiny structures in the feathers of these birds which results in one single color...blue! In North America, this applies to the Eastern Bluebird, the Blue-Jay, and the Indigo Bunting. We once watched a TV show that said if you took a bluebird feather and pounded it into a powder, then the powder would be a light gray in color. If you see a bluebird on a wire, it may look gray or brownish, but then when it flies away and the sun hits it just right, you will be rewarded by the most brilliant of blues and it truly is a breathtaking sight...
Arthur Cleveland Bent, one of America's greatest ornithologists, wrote the following:
"The bluebird is well named, for he wears a coat of the
purest, richest, and most gorgeous blue on back, wings, and tail; no North
American bird better deserves the name, for no other flashes before our admiring
eyes so much brilliant blue. It has been said that he carries on his back the
blue of heaven and the rich brown of the freshly turned earth on his breast; but
who has ever seen the bluest sky as blue as the bluebird's back?"
This photo is a juvenile bluebird and was taken on June 29 in my backyard and it was over 100 degrees. Can you tell how widely the bird's beak is open? I was most concerned for these birds, there were three of them in all and they all had their beaks open like this and I have never seen birds do this before. I called my husband at work and he said that he had read that this is a way for the birds to cool themselves and to make sure that I had some fresh water for them. (And you know that I did!)
There, do you see what I mean about the beaks being wide open? That is a tufted titmouse in the top photo and one of the bluebirds in the bottom photo. No more photos after this, I said, "Have at it, my little bird friends, bathe and drink in that cool water, it is all yours and I will not disturb you." And with that, I closed my blinds and left them in peace.
The quote that I gave to you above from Arthur Cleveland Bent? You should look him up and read about him, he was really a businessman who took a lifelong interest in birds and studied them and became quite an expert in ornithology. He wrote 21 volumes of the Life Histories of North American Birds...yes, that is correct, 21 volumes. That is a lot of observation and study, but I'll just bet that all of his business dealings didn't amount to all the joy that he got from his birds.
The Wizard of Oz was first released in 1939 in a year that some believe to be one of the best years for films at any time. (Gone With The Wind, Wuthering Heights, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Goodbye Mr. Chips, and Dark Victory are some of the 1939 films, among many others.) It has now been shown on television countless times but do you remember the very first time that you saw it?
In the USA, it was televised from 1959 through 1962 on the second Sunday of December. This was delayed in 1963, perhaps due to the country being in mourning for the recent assassination of President Kennedy, and was therefore shown on Jan. 26, 1964. This is the date that I remember seeing it. As we were watching it, I remember my sister whispering to me, "This is where it comes in color", since we had a black and white TV set, she had to let me know that she knew that the film became color at the point where Dorothy opens the door to "Oz". At the end, when Dorothy "wakes up" (I always felt that she did not dream it, but actually went there, and that is how L. Frank Baum wrote the story) my sister also told me, "This is when it goes back to black and white". (How did she know? Who knows? My sister knew everything!) I think it is important to note that the country was very much in mourning after the Kennedy assassination and not only was it winter-time but I remember it being very cold and gray. I have written before that the Beatles arriving in the USA in early February of 1964 was like the world coming in color for me...I find it interesting that their apperance on The Ed Sullivan Show was just a few weeks after the TV showing of The Wizard of Oz.
Now, there will be a "prequel" to this movie called Oz, The Great And Powerful, and will be released in March of 2013. I do so look forward to movies and can be so deeply disappointed (Prometheus is one example, I am afraid that I did not care at all for that movie, and I really, really wanted to like it!) I see that Glinda, will be portrayed by Michelle Williams who I believe to be an excellent actress. I saw her in the movie, My Week With Marilyn, on the plane when we went to England and there is something about seeing a movie on a flight, where the acting must be distilled, and everything falls away except a good performance.
Did you know that Buddy Ebsen was in the part of The Tin Man but had to be replaced by Jack Haley since he had a near fatal reaction to the aluminum dust used to cover his body? Jack Haley sang his own solo songs in the movie, but when they are all together on the Yellow Brick Road, that is Buddy Ebsen's singing voice that you hear (which already had been recorded before he was replaced.) We know this since Jack Haley spoke the word "Wizard" much like an English person would, whereas Buddy Ebsen was from the Midwest like Judy Garland and they would pronounce "Wizard" with a strong "R". (Jack Haley was from Boston, it is called NEW England, you know!) There, you see, I just had to find some English connection, didn't I?
This new movie might be good, but I will miss the music. I love all of it, and do you know the words to the song "Optimistic Voices"? That is the song that is sung to the characters after they wake up from their sleep in the poppy field...
You're out of the woods, You're out of the dark,
You're out of the night, Step into the sun, Step into the light.
Keep straight ahead for the most glorious place,
On the face of the earth and the sky,
Hold onto to your breath,
Hold onto to your heart,
Hold onto to your hope,
March up to the gate and bid it open...open.
Not much time to blog, between trying to crochet something for a wedding present and making cookies for a baby shower, I have been busy. You know those women who can make things very quickly and seemingly effortlessly? I am NOT one of them! It astounds me how long it takes me to bake!
I decided to use some of the dough and make some thumbprint cookies with strawberry jam. Oh! And I forgot to say that I had to make Richard some gluten free peanut cookies this week too, so that means I made three different kinds of cookies this week and none of them for me! Oh well! Will I take hours to crochet something as part of a wedding gift and then decide it is not good enough, and then, that will be time wasted? You would be correct!
For anyone who is in mourning because I have not visited your blog, please know that I will try to get back to reading your lovely blogs soon. (And we have had some terrific thunderstorms this week too, which cuts down on blogging time!)
Hey, would anyone like my Sugar Cookie Recipe? It's easy, if I can do it, anyone can.
Sugar Cookies:
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cream sugar and butter together. Then mix in egg, milk and vanilla. Make it good and creamy.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Mix until it becomes dough. Roll into two balls and place in bowl in fridge for 2 hours or overnight. Roll out with rolling pin until 1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters and bake at 350 degrees for seven minutes. (Watch it though, if you have some very small cookies, they will take a few minutes less.) Cool completely. May frost with some confectioner's sugar mixed with a little milk and some softened butter. Sprinkle colored sugar over and you are done, after hours and hours of fun! And don't forget all the washing up! (That is what they say in England, in America, we just say "wash the dishes" but I add..."look at all these blooming dishes that I made dirty just by making cookies!") Hopefully, the gang at work will like my sugar cookies for the baby shower!
New Tricks is a TV show from England that I really enjoy. Three retired policemen are paired up with a very beautiful 50-something Detecive Chief Inspector. They investigate unsolved crimes and open cases. The wonderful thing for me is to observe the background behind them and see where they have been filmed. Recently, we saw the episode, "Old Fossils" and I was very pleased to discover that this episode was filmed at The Natural History Museum in London, England. Now, you may think...oh, Georgia Girl, I'll bet you have been there so many times, you must know it like the back of your hand. HA! That could not be further from the truth.... I have only gone PAST this building, only once, and that was many years ago, but it is such a beautiful building, that the memory of the facade has stayed with me all these years...
The Natural History Museum was completed in 1880, during the marvelous time of the Victorians. Oh, the Victorian era! Don't even get me started on how much I love the architecture of that time! The Houses of Parliament? I think that those buildings should be on a par with the Eiffel Tower. I really love them, the first time that I saw them, they just took my breath away. I love them so much that I felt afraid that when they built the London Eye, that it would detract from the beauty of the Houses of Parliment which are just across the river Thames. As it is, I don't mind The London Eye, it makes it easier to see the Houses of Parliament from up above!
Oh dear, where was I before I got distracted by the Houses of Parliament? (Oh, and Monet loved them too, he painted them in all kinds of weather, so I am in good company, you know.) Yes, The Natural History Museum...anyway, in this episode, it is obviously a Victorian building that the characters are walking through, and suddenly they are walking through a very modern building, quite beautiful and it appears that there is a white cocoon in the background. I guessed that this must be a new addition to this Museum and I was correct! It is the Darwin Centre which was completed in 2006. If you would like to read about this fascinating Musuem (it is FREE!) the web site is www.nhm.ac.uk
There are so many new buildings in London. The one that just opened up this month is the tallest building in all of Europe. (For now, anyway!) It is called the Shard, because it looks very much like a shard of glass balanced on its side. (Much like the building that you can see from St. Paul's that is called "The Gherkin", the name alone tells you what it looks like!) I am sure it has lovely views of London, but I wonder what people think of it? Would it inspire a lovely memory forever? I read the quote from the Italian architect and when he asked if he thought people would like it, he said that he hoped that they would because, " When you do something like this wrong, you are wrong for centuries".
The photo above is of an Anglican church in Eastbourne, built during the late Victorian Era. It is All Saints Church and has a wonderful history behind it...my husband and I attended a Sunday Worship Service here and one of the ladies afterwards was kind enough to give us a leaflet telling the history and also allowed us to take photographs. The building is beautiful but the church is actually the people, and they were very warm and welcoming to us. You will see a post about this church soon!
In the meantime, I hope that something will spark your curiosity while you are watching a TV show or movie filmed in England, because they have such beautiful buildings and scenery, you might just be able to visit that very spot that you are admiring. (You might want to pay a LITTLE attention to the story, sometimes, I have to rewind because I get distracted by the lovely background!)
It's wonderful to have the memory of wearing that sweet little blue jacket that my mother-in-law loaned to me while we were in England, especially since it is 97 degrees today! The fish and chips were at a restaurant that is very near the Post Office in Eastbourne, and it is The Odyssey. They were so very good! (And the cider is Richard's..I had orange squash with mine!)
I took a photo of one of the Sweet Shops in England, it is very near the train station in Eastbourne and it smelled heavenly.
I had Richard take a photo of my jacket potato stuffed with prawns in a Marie Rose Sauce. I always try to have this at least once when we visit since I have never heard of that sauce here and I love it. Look how many prawns they gave me! Thanks England for all the fish I enjoyed!
Now, a word about pillar boxes and post boxes. (Pillar boxes are free-standing while the post boxes might be in the post office or in a stone wall.) Please notice the lettering on the front of this pillar box in England, this one I have gone in closer so you can see the intertwined letters of "V" and "R"... this stands for "Victoria Regina" and so it means that is from the time of Queen Victoria! If you are ever in Great Britain, please notice the letters on the front and you will know who was King or Queen when it was built!
Not sure why I chose these things to show you today...maybe because I am hungry and it is so hot? And perhaps I am thinking I need to do a post?
Hope you all are staying cool and enjoying a nice summer!
In England, a Blue Riband (prounounced RIBBON) is a wonderful biscuit (cookie) covered in thick milk chocolate. In America, we give blue ribbons for those who come in first place in a sporting event or at a county or state fair. The origin of this expression is from the prize of The Blue Riband given to the ocean liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean with the fastest time. In England and most English-speaking countries it is still spelled Blue Riband but like a lot of words, if we can't change the word completely, we will at least change the spelling! (In French, it is Cordon Bleu). It is still a term to describe something of high quality and that is why I think that my inlaws, Joan and Peter, deserve a Blue Riband!
Besides putting up with me as a daughter-in-law, they are just the nicest couple ever and such good sports. We go to a pub and I find a table for them, want to see what I don't notice until we sit down?
Do you think that Peter might have posed for these Father's Day socks? We had already gotten the bright red "Keep Calm and Carry On' mug for him , and when I saw these socks, I thought it was uncanny how much it looked like him! And I am sure you are thinking to yourself, please don't tell me that you gave your elegant father-in-law that movie, "Dumb and Dumber"! Oh yes, I did!
Now, I should have taken photos of them working so hard on my tangled yarn. You see, I had taken some yarn to England to make something for their friend, Betty, who was always so good to watch their dog when we went out. Unfortunately, it became so tangled that I gave up on it...but not the Blue Riband couple! They both set to work and worked so hard on it, and got all the knots out and I was able to make my small crocheted piece thanks to their great work. THANKS, Joan & Peter!
Look, I found a boat for you, think you could get The Blue Riband in this one? Would love to see how fast you could cross the Atlantic...I'll meet you in Savannah, and we'll try to meet up with Silke for coffee! And maybe Mac & Janet can make it too!
In 1893, Katherine Lee Bates wrote the words to "America, The Beautiful" when she was teaching English at a college in Colorado. When she went up the 14,000 foot Pike's Peak, she went up by a wagon but for the last part, she had to ride on a mule...and although she was tired, she was rewarded by a beautiful sight! In her words: "When I saw the view, I felt great joy. All the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like expanse." It inspired her to write this...
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea
O beautiful for halcyon skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!
The words were changed a bit but the second verse that Norah Jones sings here is the exact wording of the original poem by Katherine Lee Bates. (And you know, I have both for you here!)
There are a lot of videos of this song, but I liked this one...just sung simply and straight from the heart, because I think that is what this country is all about. Happy 4th of July!
