![]() |
|
Spaces home CAN'T GET THAT SONG OUT ...ProfileFriendsBlogMore ![]() | ![]() |
|
July 05 Eye Trouble Surprisingly, there were NO rogue fire works last night! They were banned, but I was certain someone would try to set some off in our little area here. But it was quiet and the dog didn't go crazy! Hope it will be tonight as well. We still smell some smoke from fires to the north of us, but the skies seem fairly clear and sunny. Hope your holiday was happy and relaxed! July 03 Happy Fourth of July!Here are some interesting observances of this holiday in its early years from Wikipedia:
Here's another holiday I never knew existed (although I seem to remember seeing it on the calendar last year and wondering about it): Constitution Day (or Citizenship Day) is an American federal holiday that recognizes the ratification of the United States Constitution. It is observed on September 17, the day the U.S. Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in 1787. The law establishing the holiday was created in 2004 with the passage of an amendment by Senator Robert Byrd to the Omnibus spending bill of 2004. Before this law was enacted, the holiday was known as "Citizenship Day". In addition to renaming the holiday "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day," the act mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution on that day. In May 2005, the United States Department of Education announced the enactment of this law and that it would apply to any school receiving federal funds of any kind. This holiday is not observed by granting time off work for federal employees. When Constitution Day falls on a weekend or on another holiday, schools and other institutions unofficially observe the holiday on an adjacent weekday. This was the case in 2005, when Constitution Day was generally observed on Friday, September 16 and 2006 when the holiday was observed on Monday, September 18. So, enjoy the Fourth and all the food and celebrations and remember the word "moderation" when it comes to drinking anything alcoholic. Drive carefully and enjoy the weekend! June 29 Just stuff... Hey, my Detroit Tigers finally won against the Royals yesterday, putting them at 500% now and not dead last in their division! Go, you Tigers!
I'm not going to be putting out a short story for a few days (weeks) because I am concentrating on getting my current manuscript ready to send to the Publishers. So, if you want to read any of my stories, just click on their titles above and read away. I promise that once this manuscript is out and things get back to normal here (THAT could take a while!), I'll get right on a new story.
June 26 Nearby fires... Well, at least our pool is up and running and with plenty of water in our own well, we have kept our lawn green, even though all the neighbors have the brown lawns. Just keep your fingers crossed the lightning doesn't come our way. June 23 The Answer, of course, is.... According to my book, THE FILMS OF CHARLTON HESTON, by Jeff Rovin: "Heston's 'King' Howland is a ruthless bigot who is violently opposed to his sister Sloan marrying a full-blooded Hawaiian native. This, even though he, himself, is having an affair with the local Mei Chen. At his sister's engagement party, Howland is attacked by Mei Chen's brother, who ends up killing Sloan's fiance, Paul, instead. Sloan blames Howland for the incident and moves off the island to Honolulu. There she finds solace in the bottle. Meanwhile Paul's brother, Dean, finds the girl and is upset by her sorry state. He takes her to his mother's house to recuperate. By this time, Mei is pregnant by Heston. She dies after giving birth to a son. Heston refuses to accept the child. So, Sloan and Dean, who now plan to marry, care for the child. Heston finally accepts the half-breed Dean as his brother-in-law, gives his baby the Howland name, which is very generous of him, and all ends with a semblance of happiness."
Sounds a lot like DALLAS, doesn't it??!!! June 22 New Heston Quote This was one of two films he made about Hawaii. Can you name this earlier one? June 20 Bette Midler I've always been a Bette Midler fan--have most of her albums--and especially love the ones where she collaborates with her old friend, Barry Manilow. The song you hear is "I'm a Woman" from her "Peggy Lee Songbook" and one of my favorite tunes on the album. I especially love the old jazz organ in the accompaniment! There are so many super songs on this album, it's hard to pick just one.
Boy, what I wouldn't give to see her new show in Vegas...well, I can dream, can't I??? June 18 All Stars picks... I've been keeping my fingers crossed and hoping M would make the team since this is his last year on the 12 and under leagues--he goes up to Juniors next year (13+) and will be down at the bottom of the barrel again...lots of bench sitting. At any rate, I was proud of my boy---he played hard and well and made a big difference in the team this year. But I just had to vent----all the politics that go on, even at that level, is totally WRONG in my opinion. Maybe I'm just a frustrated Mom... June 16 Sad News... Don was a very talented musician. He played drums all his life, winning several awards in San Diego for Jazz Drummer of the Year back in the 60's. He also played tympany with the San Diego symphony during those years. Although he was an exceptional drummer, his love was the vibes. He spent several years in the Navy andwhen he finally wanted to leave the military, he was offered the Navy Band, the USNCT Navy school band, and the then US/Canadian Navy band. But he turned them all down to start his own civilian band, Arrangement 70. He traveled for years with them all across the country, finally settling back in San Diego, then Santa Baraba, and finally back home to Montana.
I was always amazed at his talent for writing musical arrangements for bands, as he did those years we lived in Montana. He led a small 6 piece dance band, The Polished Brass, for which he wrote over 100 arrangements of all the great standards with a few rock and country thrown in. He also wrote a few full jazz band arrangements for a community Missoula jazz band in the mid-80's. One of my favorites was a jazz take on the old Mickey Mouse theme song. Boy, did it swing!
I will certainly miss Don, as he was my best friend for many years. But we have a wonderful son, which he was very proud of, to carry on his name. So long, Don. June 15 New current music The music was written by Mark Isham, What a uplifting and fun soundtrack this "Little Man Tate" album is! I’ll be keeping my ears peeled when viewing others he’s done, that’s for sure! June 13 Mysterious Dad answer Actually my very FAVORITE TV Dad was Andy Taylor. June 11 Remember this Dad? The series premise: Convicted cat burglar Alexander Mundy gets an offer he can't refuse from the United States government: If he puts his formidable thieving skills to work for them, he'll be released from prison. At various times his government liaisons for his assignments were Noah Bain and Wallie Powers.
During the third season, Alister Mundy, Alexander's father, appears also as a master gentleman-thief who says at the start of each episode, "I've heard of stealing from the government, but not for the government."
Remember the series? Remember the actor who played the illustrious Alister Mundy? (Yeah, yeah, the picture gives it away!) June 08 Part Five (the END) Answer to previous Heston Movie Quote: BAD FOR EACH OTHER
Here's the ending to this strange little story. I told you near the beginning that this idea came to me out of a reoccurring dream I had. Well, since I wrote the story, the dream has never come back. Hmmm. Maybe it was part of a former ME that just needed to come out. Hope you enjoy the ending. (Oh, and don't forget to comment!)
Tears clouded her eyes as she stuffed the envelope into her pocket and slithering back through the tunnel, down the attic escape, the steep staircase, and the long curving one to the main floor. She found herself in the library, gasping and shaking. After gulping a tall glass of water and waiting for her heart to quit trying to leap out of her chest, she carefully opened the faded envelope and pulled out two pieces of paper. One was a handwritten letter from her Grandfather, who had never come home from the war, dated January 3, 1943.
My Darling,
I don’t think the war will ever end. The Japs seem stronger and stronger and we always seem to need more supplies than we get. I can’t wait to see you and little Jerry. I hope his heart is getting stronger. You really should take him to a doctor. If he becomes too weak to go to and from the little slave room, you must get outside help. You don’t have to tell anyone who he is. He’ll be our little secret. Please take care of him and give him a big hug.
Slave room? But of course! Her father had told her that this house was one of two in town that had been part of the underground railroad during the Civil War. That room would have been a perfect hiding place. But what could have been wrong with Jerry and why did they hide him? And who, exactly was he? She carefully smoothed the other slip of paper that had been in the envelope.
On it was scrawled, "Jeremy Baily, born this 21st day of November, 1938, in the County of York, State of Ohio. Mother: Elizabeth Bailey; Father: unknown."
The "unknown" was crossed out and scrawled next to it was the name, "Billy Leggett." He was Grandmama’s little brother but instead of calling him Uncle Billy, her father had called him "Crazy Billy" because he had had a sharp temper and had stabbed a man to death. Her father said Crazy Billy liked to pet young children like they were animals. "I never let him touch me, I’ll tell you," declared my father. Elizabeth Bailey was Julie’s Aunt Liz, her father’s younger sister, who had died in some kind of accident before she was 20. Obviously Liz had not been able to avoid him. Nothing had never mentioned anything about any child. Being Southern Baptist, Grandmama must have felt Jerry had been "spawned by the devil," as she was so find of saying. It was just like Grandmama to hide the child, out of shame. But Julie couldn’t just leave Jerry’s remains up there. She couldn’t stand to even be in this house, knowing he was there.
Tears dripped from her cheeks as she stared at the birth certificate and the letter from Grandfather. Jerry would not be lost, she decided, fetching the bulky family Bible from its shelf in the library. On the inside cover was the family tree. She scrolled down the names until she came to her Aunt Liz’s, then crossed out the "none" in the "Children" slot beside Elizabeth’s name and wrote "Jeremy Bailey". Closing the cover, tears streaming down her face, she picked up the phone and dialed the police.
THE END June 06 A Rare Heston film In this film, he plays Tom Owens, a young doctor in a mining town. Although this movie was made after Greatest Show on Earth, Heston was still a newcomer to the Hollywood scene.
Can you name this obscure film? June 04 Part Four Aw shucks, we lost our baseball games yesterday! But the boys played hard and we only lost 12-9. M was directly responsible for scoring 3 of those runs too. He played well, but there were too many mistakes on our side. We have one more game on Friday (a make-up game) and then the season will be over for this year. It seems so short!
Without further ado, here is the next part:
After spending a restless night in the big house, Julie dragged out of bed with the sun the next morning, anxious to find the room with the round window. As she sipped her coffee, she walked around outside the house, through the tall, dewy grass until she was directly under the round window, the blues and reds and greens dancing in the morning light. It appeared to be straight up from the library window, putting it on the east side of the ballroom, farthest from the chimney, and in the attic. There had to be a way to get in!
Back upstairs she went to the east wall. Knocking gently, a low, hollow thud answered. With the lantern, she searched the smooth wall, finding no hint of an opening. The entrance had to be there! She began moving boxes and small tables stacked in the corner away from wall. Two trunks situated on top of each other seemed too heavy to move. But Julie pushed and tugged at the top one until it began to slide. Then, with one big shove, it crashed to the floor. A huge cloud of dust billowed up around it. The bottom trunk stuck stubbornly to the floor. With the crowbar, she managed to pry it loose and push it away from the wall. Behind the cleaner wall where the trunk had been, a three-foot by three-foot outline of a door appeared. She took the screwdriver and pried the door out until she could get her fingers in the crack. With one foot braced against the wall, she tugged it open.
Light poured in with musty air. Julie brushed the cobwebs away and peered through the opening. It seemed to be part of a short, square tunnel, reminding her of an air duct, that ran the length of the wall. With her head and shoulders through the opening, Julie took a big breath, then closed her eyes and scrambled through the crawlspace of cobwebs and spiders. When it finally spilled into a room, she sprawled out onto the floor and exhaled, only to breath in a stench so strong, it made her gag. She covered her mouth, and tried not to inhale. Then she saw the round window with it’s red, blue and green stained glass, sparkled and glistened with rainbows of light. It was even more beautiful up close.
She gazed around the small room. Only a plain, dark chest of drawers and a small wooden-framed bed filled the space. At first she thought it was some kind of doll that lay on the bed, but when she looked closer, she realized it was a fully dressed skeleton with its arms folded across its chest. A tattered envelope was stuck between its finger bones, and its mouth was open as if it had been trying to say something.
Julie screamed and turned away from the grizzly sight towards the window, breathing heavily, struggling not to lose her breakfast. After a few minutes, she managed to slow her breathing went back to the tiny body. Carefully, with quaking hands, she pulled the envelope from the bony grasp. It was addressed to her Grandmother from her Grandfather. June 01 Part Three What a beautiful weekend this has been---so far. Warm and sunny but not too hot and not too much wind! Hope you all are enjoying it as much as I. Here's the next part in this strange story:
Her footsteps echoed on the metal rungs as she went up the stairs. She paused and listened between each step. No sign of light appeared through the dense cobwebs. And everything was silent. She flicked on the flashlight, throwing its beam jerkily this way and that. The attic was smaller than she had thought, and although she searched every corner, there was no round window. In fact, there were no windows at all. This was not the room. But it was the attic.
Julie wished she had thought to bring a candle. As she searched the walls with the beam of the flashlight, she spotted an old glass oil lamp along with a box of kitchen matches. Amazingly there was still a good half-inch of oil in the bottom of the lamp. She lit it.
The room glowed to life. Two huge trunks loomed at one end, and at the other, an old, wooden school desk butted up against the wall beside two boxes. One was packed with books and the other with metal cars and small, green GI Joe soldiers. Julie was fascinated with the desk with its fancy metal braces on the sides, holding a wooden box and lid that looked dull but unscratched. She lifted the lid and peered inside. Two chewed pencils and a notebook and three small cars were neatly arranged. She carefully lifted out the notebook. The faded writing inside was too dim to make out, even with the flashlight. She would have to read it later. Julie’s growling stomach reminded her that she hadn’t eaten all day, so gathering her tools and the notebook, she returned to the main floor, glad she had thought to bring a sandwich along.
After devouring everything in the small paper bag and washing her hands, she stepped into the library. When she opened the notebook, it appeared to have been written by a young boy. He wrote that he wished he could visit Egypt, Africa, and England. He dreamed of knights in armor and crusaders fighting with swords. However, he also wished he could play with other children and see his mother and father. Julie was puzzled. Who was he? Why was his journal in this attic desk? May 31 Harvey Korman passing So sorry to hear of Harvey Korman's passing. His work always made me laugh. I especially loved him in BLAZING SADDLES as Hedley Lamar. May 29 Part Two ANSWER TO NEW QUOTE: GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH
Now, here is the next part in this strange story:
The steps creaked and groaned as Julie ascended to the second floor. Two large bedrooms and two smaller ones, along with a closet-converted-to-a-bathroom, occupied the second floor. Her father’s room had been the first one and his younger brother had claimed the second large one. In both rooms, the furniture and beds were draped with sheets.
The second staircase to the third floor was just past the bathroom at the end of the hall behind an imposing white, locked door. Julie tried six keys before finding the proper one. He held her breath as the door squealed open, revealing a narrow, steep flight of stairs. Upon reaching the third floor, she found a large open room with a low ceiling, no furniture at all and no windows. It looked like a ballroom with its modest cut-glass chandelier and vast, hardwood floor. A brick fireplace covered the entire far wall. The stones were beautifully laid in swirling patterns of black, gray, and white. Julie jumped as a small mouse dashed across the dusty floor. Only a mouse, she told herself, taking a deep breath, then sneezing loudly.
But since this room had no windows, where was the room with the round window? There must be stairs to an attic, she told herself. Her Grandmama had often told her this thing or that thing was "stored in the attic." But where was its access? This room appeared to be without doors, except for the one from which she’d come through. No where was there a stair entrance. Julie walked around the room, her shoes clunking with hollow thuds. As she neared the fireplace, Julie noticed a small square seam in the ceiling, about 7 feet high. She’d need some kind of ladder.
So, she made her way back downstairs to the main floor and out to the garage behind the house. A stepladder, screwdriver, crowbar, pliers, and flashlight were almost too much for her to carry, but she managed, by jamming the screwdriver, pliers, and flashlight in the belt of her jeans.
Julie huffed and puffed as she dragged the ladder and tools up the final steep staircase. She plopped down in the ballroom under the ceiling seam to catch her breath. It felt wonderful to lean back on the floor and gaze up. Her eyes followed a scrapping sound across it, ending in a thud. She froze. As she bit her lower lip, and cocked her head to listen, she heard a small, pleading voice which got stronger one minute, then faded away the next. "I need to get out. Please help me. Please let me go." Then the voice faded to nothing. Sweat ran down Julie’s face as she stripped off the sweater and flung it to the floor. With shaky hands, she set up the ladder under the square and climbed to the top rung, grabbing the ceiling to balance. Upon close inspection, the seam was tighter than she had thought. She pushed and pried with her screwdriver, but it didn’t budge. She threw down the crowbar in exasperation as it was useless with such a narrow crack. Julie climbed down and shook her head. How in the world could she get into that attic?
|