It is snowing - hard - in Ashland, so we figure that the pass between here and Eugene is probably quite a big mess. So the Virtual Road Trip is staying at my house  . . . well, until the snow lets up. Everything is going very well, people are being very calm and there haven't been any . . . WHAT is THAT?!?




Oh, man, it is lucky that Joy is not here! She is the undisputed Pillow Fight Champion!

JOIN US ON THE ROAD TRIP THAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED . . . WE HAVE LIVED IT, BUT YOU CAN READ IT AND IT WILL LIVE AGAIN FOR YOU!  EACH PART OF THE VIRTUAL ROAD TRIP IS ON A DIFFERENT THREAD INSIDE THE "ROAD TRIP" BOARD, AT PLAY-POD!
FIND THE VIRTUAL ROAD TRIP HERE:

FROM YOSEMITE TO CRATER LAKE:
http://pods.gaia.com/play_pod/discussions/view/233823

FROM CRATER LAKE TO ASHLAND: http://pods.gaia.com/play_pod/discussions/view/235729

AND NOW THE ROAD TRIP GOES ON AGAIN - HEADING NORTH
FROM ASHLAND TO ????????????
http://pods.gaia.com/play_pod/discussions/view/238730

Plenty of room in my driveway for the “other” Winnie, and room to park 8-10 other cars as well, in the driveway and below at our other property.  I figure that everyone will need to SLEEP for a couple of days., I'll do the same thing I used to do for the massive teen age sleep overs.  Gallons of orange juice in the fridge, a full pot of coffee on the warmer, lots of muffins, bagels and croissants sitting out … butter, Danish jam, cream cheese in the fridge. Help yourself when ever you wake up!


It was magic …
wasn't it?


Moonlight and Rainbows shared with friends …
And this part of the story
ends!

Back on the Road - we will be soon -  trying to catch a waning moon


When once again Moon's bright as Sun - - Oh! the marvels we will have done!

Now! Wasn't that worth waiting for? A fantastic performance - especially Oberon who went on at the last minute, you know. I hope you are not feeling sleepy, because the night is NOT over!  Remember we have to go to Chateaulin for decadent deserts and drinks. If you are a little bit sleepy, have a couple of shots of espresso, it will perk you right up.

Look what I found! The actual dessert menu from Chateaulin! Each thing seems better than the last …

Well! Here we are! Just come into the Theater and ready to go over to the Box. You can just barely see the boxes - about half way up, they look a little like spouts … The box is all stocked with snacks and we are all ready!  I hope Mystery Man #2 got back stage in time!

It's time. Get ready for the magic! Since there is no curtain, we know that it is time to begin when the trumpet sounds and they raise the flag. The very top window will open and someone will lean out. They always get a big ovation as they raise the flag (just above our picture) letting everyone in the theater - and in the area - know that the play is about to begin.

You will notice in the picture below that the play is in process, and it is still light. During much of the season this is true. The sun will set during the play, twilight will creep in and with it the evening breeze that is cool and sweet and laced with the smell of pine. Before the performance is over it will be very dark and the sky above the open 'O' will be crusted with stars. You will only realize all of this with a tiny part of yourself, the rest of you will be caught in the magic … you will be up on that stage, you will be transported to another place and another time. When the stage goes dark and the applause begins, you will blink and wonder where you have been …




What are we seeing in this special performance? I didn't get any specific wishes from anyone, so I had to wing it. I can't ever tell what my favorite Shakespeare Play is - it is really Apples and Oranges. I did decide that for this trip, and this fantastic voyage we have been on, there just really was only one play that would do.  I know you are all sort of frightened … not because the play is scary …  I just know that you are having this nagging thought … 'oh, my lord! WHAT she did just taking a walk through the park … I'm afraid to even see what she is going to do to Shakespeare!'

 Never Fear. All will be well. :-)

There goes the trumpet!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ A Virtual Production ~
of
A Midsummer Night's Dream
By William Shakespeare

~*~

The Action of the play takes place in
Athens


And in the forest, just outside of the city

WELL folks! We have had quite a full day … but the night has just begun. :-)

We came down from the OSF parking lot where we were having a little wine and watching the sunset and were right at the door of the Ashland Springs Hotel.  I am staying with you - I have always wanted to go on vacation in Ashland.

The limousine picked us up in front of the hotel and drove us three blocks down to the plaza where we disembarked. We then hauled our fancy dresses all the way up the LOOOOOOOOOng narrow stair way to the BLACK SHEEP.

It happens to be Sunday afternoon now and that means that there is a Celtic Jam session going on at the Sheep. Everyone in town who plays just drops by and they Jam. We have several fiddles, a lot of guitars, several drummers, a couple of harps (ahhhhhh, my favorite) both little knee harps and one bigger Celtic. Sometimes there is a big French harp but not too often. Sometimes the fellows who play the pipes come too.

Musicians come and go so the playing goes on for hours. The place is usually full, but they pull the tables back in one section so that there can be dancing. The children are the most fun, of course, but I am also very fond of the parents who dance their babies about. We have a couple of “real” Irish dancers who are very earnest.

So, lets see … I need to set the atmosphere a little and then I have a story to tell.

Well, here is the way it looks in the Sheep. They have some remarkably good tapestries on the walls as well as those big tin adverts for beers and different kinds of liquor. The rest of the walls are covered with framed pictures of patrons. They don't have customers here, they have patrons.




Sort of a desperate bunch aren't they? Oh, yes. You haven't met my date.

This is Tom Stoppard. Tom's a playwright and has written such smash hits as Arcadia,Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead, The Coast of Utopia and the movie Shakespeare in Love. He's also very involved in human rights and works with Amnesty International.


And you did get to see my dress didn't you?  I don't know who I am, but I liked my dress.

On the walls you will also see … flags …

                            Great Brittan                                             “The Union Jack”

             Wales - Cymru


                                             Scotland

                
 Authentic Red Booth                             Angus the Bartender; he's a very nice fellow and a
                                                                    real fast pull, but he isn't at all amused by kilt jokes.  
                                                                     
Darts - do you actually know how to play darts? Did you know, for instance that you don't try to get the most points? You start with 501 and count down to a perfect zero.

When a player throws rounds of three darts, the sum of those darts gets subtracted from the starting number. You would think I'd have known that, we used to play darts a lot. Not the new kind that are magnetic, the good old fashioned kind with sharp points. I know, because my brother nailed me with one right in the back of my calf. It went in so far that it  stuck. That's the kind that they have at the Black Sheep too. If you play with my brother, don't get in front of him.

Here is where you can play darts on-line
http://www.gammonlab.com/darts_game_rules.dhtml
http://www.gamecolony.com/darts.shtml





Then the musicians … they come in and out during the afternoon and evening, depending on their own schedule. There are a lot of them, however, so there are always a good  number playing. They will clear a part of the floor so you can dance if you want.




This painting is called “Jam Session” I quite like it.

  Oh, yes! THIS is what we came for!

Lithia Park was designed by the eminent Landscape Architect John McLaren, who also designed Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Going against the trend of the time to make parks and gardens resemble a certain time period or look exactly like another park or garden, McLaren designed Lithia organically, following the natural canyon; designing the Park around the water source rather than forcing the water into an unnatural bed.

McLaren designed for both dry years and years when the river was higher. He couldn't, of course, have designed for every extreme that Mother Nature would go to. It is a good thing for humans to remember that we do not control the forces of nature, so we must learn to live with them. Ashland Creek has flooded fairly severely several times in recorded history.

I can show you one of these, because I saw it. Close your eyes and put your fingers, very lightly over mine … see if you can see this memory …

Nope! That's the Lithia Fountain at the Upper Opening of the Park … that was awfully close however, the flood did come down past the Fountain … Let's try again … clear your mind
Do you see anything yet? Well, let me tell you about it anyway …

In the fall of 1996 it rained - a lot. Between Christmas and New Years it rained so hard that you would get soaked to the skin between the house and the car. Everyone in town had water in their basements, standing in their yards, coming in under their doors. On about December 28th, it started to rain, hard, and it just didn't stop. It was New Years Eve, when the flood struck. Ashland Creek came out of it's banks and just sort of took Lithia Park with it … then roared through down town Ashland, carrying all the downed trees and up-rooted rocks with it.

All of the stores on the Plaza were filled with water, the ones on the lower level (like Munchies Restaurant) were completely filled with water, upstairs the water was six and seven feet deep in some of the stores.

I certainly won't ever forget the flood … it was New Years Eve and I had about thirty teenagers at my house … who couldn't get home for several days. Oh, yeah.


What you are seeing is the area, behind the Plaza. This is where the Lithia Artisans Market is held and where the restaurants on the Plaza have outdoor seating, creekside. At this point, creekside was somewhere a couple of blocks the other direction.



This is the Plaza - about a block away - on a street called “Water Street” the city water main broke. Not only did this add to the flood damage, it left the city of Ashland with no water and no sewer for … a long time. I don't want to guess and be wrong, but it was weeks, not days. I'm remembering nine weeks. I think that is right. My house is outside of the city limits, on a septic system and at the top of a small hill. We were the only people we knew who had water. After a couple of days I had to put up a chart for the shower because I'd have six kids show up at the same time. We rotated the shower with the washing machine - there were not even any launder-mats that escaped the flood. Everyone did the minimum, but it was still a lot. The kids brought their own towels and took them home to dry because I couldn't find room for all of them.

The entire town lost both water and sewer. There were infamous long lines of port-a-potty's placed in several places around town. Not a lot of fun in the middle of the night, or if you happen to be a girl. The people of Ashland, however, bucked up, did what had to be done and made a lot of really bad jokes. The next summer in the 4th of July Parade, OSF won as best entry for their “Dancing Port-a-Pottys.”

Everyone was very involved and very emotional. In-spite of how devastating the flood had been, no one was hurt. It could have been so much worse. The kids hugged each other a lot and cried when they talked about Justin's leather bound Complete Works of Shakespeare which had floated away with everything else on his bedroom floor. Everyone helped everyone and when it was all over, everyone helped put everything back together. This included the stores all along the Plaza and much of Lithia Park.

There were a lot of beautiful trees lost in the flood, and I still miss them, but there are new ones growing in their place.  Ten years later Lithia Park is flourishing and beautiful once again; all the scars from the flood are gone.  What is not gone, is a deeper and more real understanding of the word “Community.”


This beautiful new bridge replaces the one that the flood of '97 took out.



One of the first things you will see as we enter the Park is the beautiful Swan Pond. It is a place of peaceful serenity; the wind ruffles the ancient trees, the swifts soar and dart above the water which reflects the half timbered, Tudor styled back of the Elizabethan Theater.

Get out your bear-toe's you will want to change the seasons here. You will want to see them all.  This is one of those places where you never can decide which season is the most beautiful. Well, no. I am always deciding that which ever season I am looking at at the moment is the most beautiful. In the spring this spot is a wonderland of flowers, in the summer it is opulent with ever shade of green imaginable - emerald, jade and malachite, moss and citrine, olive and beryl, shamrock and chartreuse, turquoise and absinthe, nile and Kelly and sea and pea!

It is also one of those places where people don't believe that your photographs are untouched. Until you see the Lithia Swan Pond in Autumn,  it is really almost more than you can make yourself believe.

Even in winter there is a grace and elegance that is in someways the most beautiful of all . The bare branches have shapes that you never see when the trees are full of leaves, a dancing, inner movement even before the wind catches them. They stand stark and clear within the warm embrace of the broad, luxuriant evergreens.


                                                                                                                     Winter

Summer






Ashland is a city, but we are not that far from either mountain or wood. We get frequent visitations from all kinds of wildlife.  It is not at all strange to find a family of deer in the park … on in the back yard of the doctor's office … or strolling down the street in front of the High School. It is one of the graces of living here.




This photograph was taken in 1915. It is the Lithia Gazebo which shelters the taps of Lithia Water. The Gazebo is still standing in the Park and the Lithia water is still flowing.  Ashland made it on the map because of Lithia Water. Early in the twentieth century mineral water was thought to cure just about everything in the world. Lithia water was bottled and shipped all over the world. There was a Spa here as well, for people to come and be healed with Lithia water. There IS something healing here, that much is certain. I'm not sure it is the Lithia water, however.

Still … when you visit don't leave without coming down to the Park to drink some Lithia water. There is a tap on the Plaza as well, right under Iron Mike. I'm sorry I can't do any better virtually than to tell you about it … you are just going to have to come to Ashland in the flesh to taste it! Bring some jugs, you'll want to take some home.



Near the Gazebo is the Lithia Band Shell. All sorts of fun things happen here. There are band concerts during the summer and Ballet in the Park performs here every week. It is a place where all kinds of bands practice often. One of my favorite things in the world is to come and find a couple of little girls putting on a concert for their mothers, or for no one. It is my opinion that there is nothing more beautiful in the world than a child dancing.

It is here at the Lithia Park Band-shell that we carry on with the one, universal ritual left to us as a people. Have you ever thought of that before? I have done research on how important ritual is for humans; I then look around and find that, in truth, ritual is almost totally gone from our communal lives. Some churches still have some, but the trend has been away for it. There is still some ritual involved in some marriages, but nothing universal. This is the only thing that is left. When a young person has completed their schooling, to a particular level, they put on a long robe, and a strange flat hat with a tassel  and they walk down an isle to be honored for their achievements.

It is at the Lithia Park Band-shell that Ashland High School Traditionally holds their graduation ceremony. It is a “ceremony” and it is full of tradition. The kids do the long walk from the road above down between the well-wishers to the band-shell. They walk in two's and it is important to the kids who they “walk” with. Many of them decide when they are Freshman who they will “walk” with.  They file in and listen to speeches, which are full of hopes and remembrances.

Here, the fellows in the back row let it be known that they agree with the speaker who has just said something to the effect: “Ashland High Debate Team Rules!”




They listen, mess with their hats, do something moronic like bat an inflatable beach ball around, file up to get their diplomas (where you hear for the first and last time everyone's middle name.) They file back to their seats and are officially “Graduated.” They move the tassel on their hat from one side to the other and then …

They throw them…………………………


They all go up………………………and………………………….they all come down……………………


Almost.  That would be my son's hat sticking up there in the band-shell.


When he was two years old I told him, “every-time you throw something up, it ALWAYS comes down!” He looked at me and he said, “Why?” I explained gravity to a two year old. He nodded and then said, “Why?”

That one hat that didn't come down … an incredible metaphor for an incredible child …

And so … the Lithia Park Band Shell cradles our hopes for the future, in this, the only ritual our culture has left. Some of them will go through this ritual again in a black robe with a black hat; some yet again wearing a velvet hood. By fall most of them will hit I-5 whooping and cheering to finally be getting out of Ashland. By the time they are thirty, many of them will have come quietly and thankfully back. There is a Modoc legend that says you cannot leave this part of the Rogue Valley. They say there is a vortex here. You can try to leave, but no matter where you go or what you do, the vortex pulls you back. What IS that vortex, I wonder. Does it have to do with the mathematics and biology; or with the geography and grammar that they learned on their way from the first day of Kindergarten to the Lithia Park Band Shell?


From the band shell we go across the road and up the hill. First we see the Formal Rose Garden. This is rose country. I've got a black-thumb, I can't grow anything, but my roses are incredible. I have Peace roses and Camelot roses, white and yellow, red, rose and peach, twenty shades of pink and even purple. Several of my rose bushes are actually trees - they are taller than my 6'1” son and twenty feet around. My peace roses are the size of grapefruits - I've never seen roses that big. I've never seen roses as beautiful nor smelled them as fragrant. The rose garden at Lithia Park is very beautiful. It is very formal. And all the way down the road, the wild roses tumble in an unruly riot of wanton beauty.




And then we come to the Japanese Garden. It is small, but it is perfect. Breathe deeply and see if you can see … spring / autumn … two sides of the same thing … yin / yang …here in this secret, secluded spot of serenity …


here on this small hill
eternity encircled
clear water on stone
  


We are come now to my favorite place in the Park. It is likely my favorite place in Ashland. It is definitely one of my favorite places on earth. This is the Sycamore Grove. I call this the Immanent Grove. I got the name from Ursula LeGuin's “Wizard of Earthsea” trilogy.  In the School of Wizards they have a grove used for special meditation. The grove moves. Or at least it seems to move. At one time it is in one place and another time it is in another place. It is finally explained to the Wizard Ged that the Immanent Grove is the center of the world  It is the world that moves, the grove really stands still.

My Immanent Grove does seem to move. Seriously, for all that it is quite large and full of big Sycamore trees, sometimes it is difficult to find. From the first time I walked beneath it's trees, I have felt that it very likely could be the center of the world. I used to take the little girls there in the middle of the night to hug the trees. I go there to meditate, though I sometimes feel that I am the meditation, rather than the one doing it.

I could not find a photograph of the Immanent Grove on the Internet. That is perhaps not surprising. I might have gone and taken one myself, but in a delicious irony, while I write of Camelot where the snow always stays on the mountain and the valley stays dry  … the roads are currently impassable because of one of the biggest snow storms I've seen since we lived here.

And so … this will have to do.  I painted this of the Immanent Grove.  It is entitled, “Coming Home.” I've always thought the painting had that feeling to it, and after all, it is one of the homes of my heart.




We go back across the road to the “wild” side of the park now. Here I am not going to talk so much. We will walk quietly through the lush, living green - right next to the incredible beauty of Ashland Creek. I have always felt that one of the most beautiful things in the world is water in motion - fountains, waterfalls, the sea, and especially rivers. This particular little piece of moving water is one of the most beautiful in the world.




Walk softly and watch carefully … you may see them … they are here …








We have come to the “wading place” … the river has a natural shallow here and the city has helped it a little so there is a safe place for little ones to put their toes in the water. This is a sacred spot as well. The running water is a beautiful metaphor and it is it's own ritual. Go in one side and let the crystal energy of the water pour over. Who comes out the other side does not have to be who went it.  And there is no reason that it can only happen once … the water keeps flowing. I pray that the water will always keep flowing.

Here at the wading place are my daughters. They all work every day to bring about the changes that must be made to keep the sacred water flowing. A Yoga Instructor and Therapist, A Shakespeare Expert, A Massage Therapist and Holistic Healer, A Medical Doctor, A Film Production Manager, A Environmental Film Specialist, A Midwife
and Doula … they know where they are going and, as you can see, they know what is important. They grew up here, in this park. They grew up in a town that has the  judgment and sensitivity to know how important places like this are; a community that has the wisdom to understand that human beings need more than just food and shelter to thrive. Trees, animals, wild water, beauty, fresh air … it's all here in abundance. It's here for everyone … come and get your share!




The shadows are long across the grass as we come out of the park. Do you suppose we have time … .?  Of course we do! We have all the time in the world, WE'RE VIRTUAL!!

So before we get dressed for dinner and the theater, we'll run up the Shakespeare Steps and up the hill, we'll run all the way up to the top of the OSF parking lot.  From here we can see the entire valley. It is so incredibly beautiful ! We can see the green Siskiyou's on this side of the valley and the gentle, lion colored Cascades on the other side with a sky of magic and marvels spread between them … because the sun is just setting.

The cool, evening breeze has begun blowing in from the west, as cool and as sweet as wine … speaking of which! …



LOOK AT THAT! My daughters have tracked us up here and brought us a bottle of cold Pino Grigio from the Ashland Vineyards!

Now, HOW did they know that we were going to run up here to see the sunset?

There are a lot more glasses in the basket, and more bottles as well! A cork screw, my goodness, they thought of everything.

There is plenty here for everyone who is with us AND plenty for those who will be with us the next time we do this … because it is virtual, people can join us and we can have this day over and over … isn't that remarkable?

Speaking of remarkable! LOOK at the SKY!

This is a real, untouched shot of a sunset over Ashland.  I told you that people don't believe how pretty it is here. If you don't believe it, I guess you'll just have to come and see for yourself … won't you?

Before we go for our walk, we should decide where we want to eat, then we can make reservations and be all ready when we come down. The restaurants in this town do an amazing job getting people fed and out their doors in time to make the performance. They will ask you if you are going to a play and if you are, they will make sure you get there on time.

What are you hungry for? There is just about everything here - Italian, Chinese, Indian, Vegetarian&Vegan, BBQ, light, heavy, expensive, reasonable .  . . It would take a long time to look at them all. Even though this is a fairly small town, we have a lot of places to eat!

I will tell you my favorites, how about that?

#1 Favorite - Thai Pepper 



I couldn't find a picture of the Thai Pepper restaurant, so I used some … Uh hu, Thai Peppers. They are beautiful though, aren't they? I choose Thai Pepper as my first choice for the food. They make a Pad Thai that is my favorite dish on earth. I have tasted a lot of other things at Thai Pepper that were very good as well. Their curry is excellent; you can start with mild, then get hotter and hotter until you have flames coming out of your ears and have to be dunked in the river.  I always order Tofu Pad Thai, and enjoy the river from a ways away.

The service at Thai Pepper is always very good, quick and friendly. Their waiters are all very knowledgeable, if you ask something about a dish - they know. During good weather you can sit outside on the terrace which is right beside the river. I like to go late when they have turned on the tiny faery lights on the terrace. It is one of my favorite places in town.




The Black Sheep is my other #1 choice. (Every-things 'Virtual' right? I figure that means I can have two #1's if I want to!)  I choose The Black Sheep for atmosphere. The Black Sheep is a Pub, a real one - according to my daughter who did her graduate work in England and seems to have done her Shakespearian research in Pubs.  It does have a different ambiance to it than any “bar” or restaurant I've ever been to. The inside is a little dark and has a wonderful cozy feeling, especially in the winter when the big fireplace is going. There is a couch in front of the fire and several large, squishy chairs. The walls are decorated with tapestries and beer and liquor signs from Britain. It is really a charming decor which is topped off with a real red British Telephone booth, sitting in the corner as if it had grown there.

The biggest difference between The Sheep and most American establishments is that there is no pressure whatsoever for you to hurry up and vacate your seat. It is comfortable to sit in the Black Sheep for hours - and people do. There will be folks reading, doing cross words, knitting, talking quietly. Many of them will be spending the afternoon, and that is just lovely as far as the Black Sheep is concerned - even if they only order one drink and nurse it all afternoon, it makes no difference.  The food is authentic British fare, which I must admit I don't really love, but there are a couple of things on the menu that I like a lot. There are also times when their cheese plate - various cheeses, fruit, crackers - is exactly what I want.

When you come to The Sheep you might want to keep your sixth sense peeled for Donald the Ghost. He hangs around by the mens rest room and the telephone booth. He wears a yellow suit, but doesn't stick around to talk, having a habit of disappearing when approached. It is suspected that he is in the pipes part of the time and he does rattle a bit, but other than that, he is quite well behaved.



#2 Munchies.  How do you like that for the
name of a restaurant? This is my family's
favorite place to eat. When we first moved to
Ashland we were in temporary quarters for
nearly three months - which meant eating out.
That sounds fun, and it is for the first three
weeks. We tried just about every place in
town and then we gave up and just went to Munchies every night for dinner. It still feels a bit like home.

They have great salads, BBQ, Hamburgers,
Mexican Food. What they are famous for, however, is their pies. They truly do have the best pies in the world - across the board - their fruit pies and cream pies are equally fantastic.
Even if you eat somewhere else, it's worth
going to Munchies for dessert.

AND, the fellow in the white apron? He is
standing right where the stand that sells
the remarkable Faery things is during the
Lithia Artisans sales. Now you know where
to find her!


These are other good places - they don't really have a ranking.



Geppetto's has great breakfasts, but they are best known  for their won-tons which are delicious. In the 4th of July  Parade every year, the staff at Geppetto's dress up as won-tons. I always wonder what they do with the costumes from one July to the next.




Ashland Bakery & Cafe - Also known as ABC, is a good place for a cup of coffee and something sticky, warm and sweet. They are located right on the plaza and have a lot of different, delicious, sticky, warm and sweet things.



Standing Stone Brewing Company is a full service brewpub
housed in a historic building that looks like … well, a brewery, a brand new, brewery that 20,000 elves have spent all night shining …

They make their own freshly brewed, handcrafted ales and
seasonal beers. The food is good, particularly the salads. They
have an open kitchen where you can watch them make pizza.
There is a beautiful patio which is fun in the summer and live
music every weekend. The music is of varied styles; many
local musicians find a place to play here. They even have a
dance floor, though it is really just about big enough for two couples - if they know each other real well.

I decided I should list Alex's - even though I had a major anxiety attack the last time I was there. We were sitting in a corner, the music for the night came on and 40 thousand people came in with them and trapped us in the corner. I couldn't even get out and had to have my daughter come and block for me. This is deliciously funny. When I went to look for a picture, I found their write up which begins, “Come up and see us sometime” and then …
Upstairs you will be greeted by the comfortable, spacious feel of Alex's.

Is that Irony do you suppose? (I'd also like to know how I got their font over here and why I am still in it. Fascinating)

I like to go to Alex's for lunch with my daughter.  It is right on the Plaza so it is a hop, skip and jump from the Shakespeare Festival. They have delicious salads - of the gorgonzola cheese, pears and walnut variety, good soups and good bread. They always have at least one entry on the dinner menu that I really love. The menu rotates, however, and sometimes I'm disappointed to find out that the entry that I loved last time is gone this time. Anyway, I now feel that having an anxiety attack was almost worth it to find that funny line as the first thing they said in their advertisement. Life is so divinely weird.

I left Chateaulin for last … Chateaulin is a French Restaurant that is Véritable Coûteux Véritable Exquise … Very Expensive ~ Very Delicious.  This is the trick with Chateaulin: they are open quite late, so after eating somewhere else, you go to Chateaulin for dessert. OR, you go after the Theater. Chateaulin has the most incredible desserts made from chocolate, cream, raspberries, caramel, peaches, butter, cinnamon, coffee, coconut, lemon - you name it -  into cakes, pies, tarts, frappe, trifle, petit four, souffle, torte, custard, mousse - you name it, they probably make it. The desserts are incredibly rich and sometimes myself and four little girls can eat two desserts and feel stuffed. Since the girls have gotten older we now sometimes get Chateaulin's delicious, decadent drinks which are almost as rich and gooey as the desserts.

How about Tiramisu, Tres Leches or Creme Brulee with a steaming cup of coffee laced with Baily’s Irish Cream, Amaretto, Kalua and a lot of real cream. Yummmmmmmm
mmmmmmmmmmmmmm
                  mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
                        mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
mmmmmmmmmmmmm

Oh, my goodness!  There are more things in heaven and earth (and the Internet), Horatio, than are drempt of in your philosophy!

THESE are my FAVORITE find. When I looked at these I felt homesick and I LIVE here! They really do give you a feel for the town. The one on the Bricks will definitely show you THE BRICKS. Uptown just looks so much like … uptown that it is wonderful. You’ll get to see the Plaza too. The one in the park is odd, however. The park is really beyond beautiful. People think that photographs are not real some times, because they are so beautiful … but for some reason when they did this they stood in the middle of the road just inside the park and most of what you see is the road. Weird. The last one was done INSIDE the Lizzy - The Outdoor Elizabethan Theater It sort of makes my heart hurt - I just love that particular place so much.

Tonight we are going to be sitting in the millionaire’s box. Watch inside the theater and you will see on each side, up by the balcony, a sort of pointy thing that kind of looks like guns from Star Wars. These are the millionaire boxes. (I made the name up - the Festival calls them merely “boxes.”) You can see where I got the word from anyway.

Inside the box are beautifully padding folding chairs so you can place them where you want, lots and lots of room; leg room, arm room, you can stand up and stretch room, you could do a small polka if you wanted to. There is a little table and you can bring a picnic up there to have while you are watching the show. It is so sublime. We are going to have our first dessert there after eating dinner. No alcohol, but I'm sure we will survive. We'll get a drink after the show, at any rate.

Meanwhile … take one more spin around town before we walk up into the park!

Lithia Park

Iron Mike on the Plaza

Downtown Ashland

On the Bricks at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Inside the Lizzy


Like people, towns sometimes get stereo-typed. This has certainly happened to Ashland. Everybody knows that we ALL wear nothing but tie-dyed T-shirts and REI smart-wool sox with our Birkenstock sandals. We are annoyingly green, granola chewing, left-wing, liberal tree huggers.

This is just not true! I quit wearing Birkenstocks and started wearing Danskos some time ago. Sheesh!



I'm having a terrible time getting U-Tubes into the links … so I am going to just tell
you  - if you are interested - to go to U-Tube and put in: Halloween Parade in Ashland. There are about three different U-Tubes of our Halloween Parade - They should go here …
because they are …

Just kind of an illustration of how this little town is a little … strange. Strange in such a starblazingly beautiful way.

Love is but the song we sing,
And fear's the way we die
You can make the mountains ring
Or make the angels cry
Know the dove is on the wing
And you need not know why
C'mon people now,
Smile on your brother
Ev'rybody get together
Try and love one another right now

(Get Together - The Youngbloods)



There are moments that I think I’m going to run through town yelling, “I LOVE THIS TOWN!!” just like George Baily in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”


                                                                                                                                I LOVE THIS TOWN!

Between my computer which was made during the days of the dinosaur and runs like molasses & Gaia which evidently isn't finished being made yet and run like Chai flavored honey …

Meanwhile, you are in luck, since you are planning to dress up for the Theater.  Actually, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival is an incredible venue because you can wear anything. You will see this:




And THIS …………….. and you will both be dressed appropriately.

There is no such thing as too strange in this town and no one cares what anyone else is wearing. This is true.  You can come to the theater in just about anything. People really do come in formal dress or in their P.J.'s You DO have to watch the weather (if you don't have a Grizz-toe-Turner). One night there was a school group - High School aged -  at the show we were seeing in the outdoor theater. The girls were wearing little mini-dresses, with no coats. It was so cold that we were wearing sleeping bags over our winter parkas. I couldn't even watch they play I was so worried about those frozen little children.

You can wear just about anything - but you can't wear nothing. There is a law against going totally in the buff. Of course, this is only in the city limits and I promise you it was very throughly and interestingly protested.  One group held a naked croquet party next door to where the law makers were trying to have a meeting . . .

NOW! Since it looks like we will be up rather late, I'm suggesting that everyone take a load off, after your afternoon activities, and have a good old cupa coffee at Roasties. Small and intimate, Roasties is a great place to just sit and talk for as long as you want. Roasties is also about 1/2 a block from the High School. It is very often the answer to “where I was when I wasn't where I was supposed to be.”

Get yourselves all rested and rejuvinated, then it's time to take a walk through beautiful Lithia Park. Lucky we are in Virtual Time AND have our Grizzly-Toe-Turners! For one thing, being January it is already dark. For another thing …whoo hoo! We've got four inches of snow outside!

Have one of those organic Marion Berry Muffins. Just don't get too full!

After you've finished your coffee, come on up to the Shakespeare Festival. This is something you will hear people say all over town - “I'll meet you on the Bricks.”

'The Bricks' are around the Green Show stage inbetween the two Theaters - The Outside Elizabethan Stage and the inside Bowmer Theater - named for Angus Bowmer who dreamed, conceived and birthed the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.  Pretty cool work, Angus!  We also have the “New Theatre” which is a small, very versitle venue. It isn't named after anyone yet. If you have a couple of million extra burning a hole in your pocket and you want to donate it, maybe they will name it after you!

We could all pitch in … don't you think it would be a kick in the pants to have a Theater named The Play-Pod Theater? :-)

The Festival is easy to find - it's down town and to the right (depending on how you look at it) Besides, anyone in town can point you in the right direction. If you are on Pioneer St, you are there, you just have to go up - or down - depending on how you look at it.

                                                       Meet you on the Bricks …

The next few Blogs are my contribution to the Play-Pod Virtual Road-Trip as it came through Southern Oregon. I wanted to put them here for a number of reasons.

First, I wanted to see if I could do it; that is, move entries from Pod Threads to a Blog. Like everything else, it became easier as I went along. I had a lot of trouble with the first two and then I figured out what I was doing a little bit better, it was easier.

The Virtual Road-Trip came up from Arizona, through California and into Oregon. Since we are virtual and could manipulate the seasons, we had beautiful summer weather and a snow storm at the same time.

To read about our trip so far go to:
http://pods.gaia.com/play_pod/discussions/view/233823
http://pods.gaia.com/play_pod/discussions/view/235729

To jump on the band wagon of the Road-Trip in action go to:
http://pods.gaia.com/play_pod/discussions/view/238730

And this is where I began . . .





I am so glad you are finally here!  As you are pulling into Ashland in *real* time, the hard rain that was beating the windows like bodhran drums  has turned softly to snow. We get some snow in Ashland, not much. What we do get is almost always just a skiff that melts quickly. Usually the snow stays on the mountains - where it belongs! We can drive to the snow easily for skiing, sledding or just being with the enchanted white trees and cold, crisp air. However, we don’t have to shovel it, drive in it … what I said: CAMELOT!

That said, of course, today it is STICKING - everything outside is covered with a white down comforter. This is BY FAR the most snow we have had this winter, or most winters for that matter. My daughter, who is coming for dinner, just called and said she couldn't get her car out. Her father has gone to get her in the 4-wheel drive truck. HA! This is what would happen if you were coming for a non-virtual trip. We would have planned all sorts of outside activites for warm weather and then IT WOULD SNOW!

LUCKILY! You are arriving in VIRTUAL time. That means that you can change the seasons. You can spend a few minutes in the snow - it is beautiful - and then switch to spring, autumn, summer, whatever you wish. You each get one of these magnificent Grizzly Paw pins.

Each toe will give you a different season. Ah! but you have noticed that the Grizz has FIVE toes. That fifth toe is a SURPRISE!  I’d be a little careful with that, if I were you.

And remember you are not pushing a grizz-toe for weather, but for a season.  Think about that!

OK! This afternoon you can ramble around and look at things, or choose to do something specific. There are SO many things to do in this town. We have seven live theater companies and many, many art galleries.

You might choose to go on a short wine tasting trip. Southern Oregon Wines are becoming world renown. Several things grow here abundantly: Pears, Roses, Grapes. Up the other side of the valley the corporate headquarters of Harry & David is located and Jackson & Perkins, as well - one of the largest rose producers in the world. And all around are wineries.

   





   

















































These wines are made by Weisingers in Ashland



You might choose to go fishing …
                                                       trout fishing, salmon fishing, fly fishing … all kinds of fishing!



Bike riding … 

Horse back riding …
    (HEY! Peri & Mary!)


You might choose to “Run the Rogue ! ! “ 


OR, you might just want to stroll down town and shop, it is a great town for shopping. The town is “touristy” but, not in a cheap or tacky way. In fact it is pretty much the opposite. There is a lot of art, things such as imported items, hand made jewelry, painted scarves. All over town you will find hand made items, many of them done by local artists. We do have a Starbucks, but also many, many little coffee shops still alive and kicking. The tourists go to Starbucks, but the locals still patronize the small, locally own coffee houses. Coffee shops; books stores; art galleries; Indi imports; small, unique, fun cafes. Funky stores where you can get everything from a rubber snake to fashionable shoes, crystals, clothing, wings. You can buy wings all over town.

You might stroll along next to the river shopping at Lithia Artisan’s Market where artists of a huge variety of media from all over bring their art for sale.

Watch out for the one on the corner selling Fairy Costumes … they are utterly enchanting and she has a size for EVERYONE … plus accesories … wands, several types of wings, dragon flies for your hair … SIGH!  I always want more wings!

Ooooh, someone remind me that I need to run down town and buy this collection of wings. We can use them for an activity that is happening AFTER the play! Yeah!

Since we are on adjustable seasons, you could choose to hike. We have wilderness and national forest all the way around us. Or you could push a bear-toe for winter and ski Mount Ashland.



You know, I was looking for a picture of skiers swishing along, but then I found this. THIS is the kind of hill I’ve always wanted to ski - with no one on it, but me!  WHOOOOOSH!

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The Virtual Road-Trip was stranded in the snow at Crater Lake on their way to Ashland.
Luckily, we knew how to rescue them!

Crater Lake in the winter ~ Mighty cold, but OH, so beautiful!



Out of gas AND ten feet under snow? Never fear! The PLAY-POD Chai-huahua will come to your rescue … with his tiny little barrel of Chai around his neck …the barrel has an attachment on the back for carryig incense sticks . . .



You don't find that reassuring? Well, then ~  he will be followed by an Ashland Grizzly who will be carrying a LARGE barrell of Rogue Ale! (I guess that would be called a “Keg”)


RESCUE GRIZZ!

What do you love most about the community?

I have thought about this subject a great deal. I’ve even started to write about it, but I could never pull it down into one manageable concept.  There is so much. I think I’ve done it now, and can at last answer this question.

I love words. This is not a secret to anyone who knows me. I not only love words - I’m a little manic about language in general. People who don’t know me well are sometimes nonplused when, during a conversation, I suddenly yell, “Oh, that’s fantastic! I’ve got to have that!” and dig in my purse for my notebook and pen. I collect words, phrases, ideas, concepts the way other people collect shot glasses, stamps or Elvis memorabilia. I like words just for the way they sound; sometimes for the way they look. I like words for what they mean and I like concepts and ideas that wear their words in intriguing ways.

I came up with one this morning that I really love, quite by mistake. I have insomnia, which has been worse since my back surgery. Because I have to take so much pain medication, my doctor and I decided I should stop my sleeping pills. It’s a good choice, but I don’t always think so when I’m still awake at hour sixty-nine or seventy. That was exactly where I was last night. I won’t describe it. It’s ugly. It lowers all your defenses. All those little sibilant whispers that you usually just dismiss and ignore suddenly become huge and horrible, a six headed Scylla screaming right in your ear. “Why do you try to do anything, you’ll just screw it up.” “What good is working on this? You’ll never finish it. You never finish anything.” “It was a stupid idea anyway.” In the midst of the shrieking, I opened Gaia and found a message from Shewolf. The subject line read: “You are so fantastic!”

The message inside was equally as uplifting, nurturing and loving. Words. They can change anything. They can change everything. About fifteen minutes later, I went back to bed to try again - I fell asleep and slept six hours. I know there are a lot of you out there who understand the blessing of six full, uninterrupted hours of sleep. Everything looks different on the other side.

When I wrote to Shewolf this morning I wanted to express how truly nourishing and cheering her words had been. The image that came to me was balm. A plant used to make liniment that is soothing and healing, the word has become a metaphor for calm, comfort, solace. The immediate reference is biblical: Balm of Gilead. ‘Yes,’ I thought, ‘that is exactly what I want. Balm. But what kind of Balm?’ I actually typed Balm of Gilead and sat here looking at it for about four breaths before it hit me like a bolt of soft, satin lightening. So simple. So significant.

Balm of Gaia.

Balm of Gaia: it is what I love the most about this community - the genuine caring, sharing, and support that the people here give to each other; the encouragement and inspiration that pass from one person to another. Balm of Gaia: powerful, positive energy; enthusiasm, warmth and openness; in a world that is often negative, abrasive and dark, a sanctuary and haven of kindness and light. And, of course, the true magic of the Balm of Gaia is the generous, giving way it is shared. The people of Gaia have the courage to reach out, to care. They have the generosity to give of themselves to heal and hearten each other, for it goes both ways - all ways - flowing like an river of abundant light all around this community, this world, that is Gaia.




This is Brigid, Celtic Goddess of Poetry, Healing and the Forge. At her feet - and falling enchanted from her left hand, is Balm, the plant of comfort and healing. She also holds a large book of poetry. The Forge is often a metaphor for inspiration, which is depicted as light coming from the seventh chakra at the top of her head.

We have just passed Imbolc (February 1) which is the celebration of the Goddess Brigid.
For more about Imbolc see my entry from last year. Happy Imbolc! Is Your House Clean?

                                                                                           

I like celebrations, and Valentines Day is one of my favorite celebrations because it celebrates something so wonderful . . . LOVE.

I have been talking to people this week about Valentines Day. Some people don't like it, because they feel that it is only about Romantic Love. This leaves a lot of people in a position where they are not all that gung ho to celebrate. I had a girl friend in High School who said that for some reason she always broke up with her boyfriend right before Valentines Day, so then she couldn't celebrate it. Most people are just not in the space that the adds on television would lead you to believe you need to be in  to celebrate Valentines Day. I like the guy on the Zales add who is trying to decide whether he will buy his wife the $500 earrings or the $700 necklace for Valentines Day. He is very invested in the whole thing, very intent because he wants everything to be "perfect . . ." Is this reality?

There is a lot of LOVE to celebrate that doesn't cost $500 at Zales and isn't just about romance. For our Tea today, I have invited several well known folks who will be celebrating Valentines Day with their loved ones in all kind of different ways.

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Our first guests today are very special friends of mine Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh. Though both Christopher Robin and Pooh Bear have many friends, their relationship with each other is always, at heart, the most special one of all. I love many things about Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh, but possibly this is what I love most. . . .

"How do you do Nothing", asked Pooh, after he had wondered for a long time.
"Well, it's when people call out to you just as you're going off to do it, What are you going to do, Christopher Robin, and you say, Oh, nothing, and then you go and do it."
"Oh, I see," said Pooh.

Doing nothing is a fine art which should be practiced often. Having a best friend to do nothing with is one of the greatest things in the world.


"Pooh, promise you won't forget about me, ever. Not even when I'm a hundred." Pooh thought for a little while. "How old shall I be then?" "Ninety-nine". Pooh nodded. "I promise," he said.
"If you live to be a 100, I want to live to be a 100 minus 1 day so I never have to live without you" ~ Winnie the Pooh
"If there ever comes a day where we can't be together, keep me in your heart I'll stay there forever"~Winnie the Pooh

The time comes when Christopher Robin must go off to school and he won’t be doing nothing quite as often anymore.  This is the painting that I gave to my Christopher Robin when she went away to school on the other side of the sea.




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We certainly hope that all good boys out there will remember valentine for their mothers.  These guests are a famous mother and son. Most people know almost as much about her as they do about him. James Abbott McNeil Whistler




 and his mother, Anna Matilda McHeill



James Abbott McNeill Whistler was born in in 1834 in Lowell, Massachusetts, the third son of West Point graduate and civil engineer Major George Washington Whistler, and his second wife Anna Matilda McNeill. The Major served as an civil engineer for the construction of a railroad line to Moscow. James Abbott was aged nine when his family moved to Russia, and he spent several of his childhood years there, studying drawing at the Imperial Academy of Science. Whistler greatly admired Dutch masters such as Jan Steen, Rembrandt and Ruysdael. In 1858 he visited Holland to view the Nightwatch. Indeed, he became a frequent traveller to the Netherlands, visiting The Hague, Dordrecht and Domburg and producing numerous etchings of one of his favorite cities: Amsterdam.

 In 1872 he painted his well-known Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 1: Portrait of the Artist's Mother, that was later acquired by the French government.

Whistler's paintings are related to Impressionism (although he was more interested in evoking a mood than in accurately depicting the effects of light), to Symbolism, and to Aestheticism, and he played a central role in the modern movement in England.

Whistler’s paintings are wonderfully titled, bringing in the major color theme, a regular title and often an illusion to music such as the “Harmony in Grey and Green ~ Miss Cicely Alexander.” “Arrangement in yellow and gray ~ Effie Deans.” “Red & Black ~ The Fan.” Some of his most famous pieces are the Nocturnes; “Nocturne in Blue and Silver ~ Chelsea/Cremone” and “Nocturne in Blue and Gold ~ Old Battersea Bridge.”

This is my favorite of Whistler’s paintings - possibly because I am very famliar with it as it is housed in the National Gallery in Washington D.C. “Symphony in White - No. 1 ~ The White Girl.”



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Our next guests are a couple of sisters who became the two most famous people in their field in the world. Pauline Esther Friedman Phillips was an identical twin: Her sister, Esther Pauline Friedman Lederer, was 17 minutes older than Pauline. The daughters of Russian Jewish immigrants, the twins grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, and went by the nicknames "Popo" and "Eppie", respectively. They attended Central High School(aka "The Castle on the Hill") in Sioux City, Iowa, and then went on to study at Morningside College. They were very close and had a joint wedding ceremony in 1939 at the age of 21.


The twin sisters with the fascinating flipped name became “Dear Abbey” and “Ann Landers,” the two most famous “advice columnists” of all time.

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According to Jim Henson and Frank Oz, it was a coincidence that Sesame Street’s favorite duo have the same name as the cap driver and police man who serenade the newly married George Bailey in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  At any rate, Ernie believes that it is a wonderful life and is on a never ending campaign to convince Bert that it is true.

Bert and Ernie were built by Don Sahlin from a simple design scribbled by Muppets creator Jim Henson. According to Frank Oz, Sahlin also defined their characters on the basis of their physical appearance: Ernie was an orange and Bert was a banana. Did you ever notice that? I never did, but my daughter, age 2, pointed it out to me.

According to A&E's Biography, Ernie and Bert were the only Muppets to appear in the Sesame Street pilot episode, which was screen tested to a number of families in July 1969. Their brief appearance was the only part of the pilot that tested well, so it was decided that not only should Muppet characters be the "stars" of the show, but would also interact with the human characters, something that was not done in the pilot.

Ernie was originally performed by Jim Henson until his death in 1990. Muppeteer Steve Whitmire inherited the character. Bert was originally performed by now-director Frank Oz. When Henson died, Frank Oz commented that he "couldn't imagine doing Ernie and Bert without Jim." Despite this, Steve Whitmire took over performing Ernie. Beginning around 2001, Eric Jacobson took over as Bert's primary performer, although Oz still occasionally performs Bert.

Ernie's rendition of the song Rubber Duckie was released as a single in 1970 and reached #16 on the Billboard charts. Ah! Do you remember the summer of 1970? I worked as a waitress and then in the kitchen of a very posh restaurant where we prepared and served lobster thermidor and flaming Cherries Jubilee - and sand “Rubber Duckie” in the kitchen.

A typical Bert and Ernie skit follows one of two similar patterns, both beginning with Ernie devising a hare-brained idea and Bert calmly attempting to talk him out of it. Usually this ends with Bert losing his temper and Ernie remaining oblivious to his own bad idea. Sometimes Ernie's idea miraculously turns out to be correct, much to Bert's evident frustration. Bert is the perfect straight man, backing Ernie’s comdey to perfection.

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I had pictures of these next two guests on the wall above my desk before anyone knew who they were. People had read The Chronicles of Narnia as children, but they didn’t recognize Clive Staples Lewis’s face and no one knew who Mr. J.R.R. Tolkien was.
 
                               

When I was in college I made the comment in a class that someday people would study Tolkien the way they study Shakespeare and Milton. I nearly got laughed out of the class room.

Our next guests have joined us by strolling over after their usual meeting at the “Baby and the Bird” in Oxford.


The Lord of the Rings, The Screwtape Letters and The Chronicles of Narnia have each sold millions of copies. But when they first appeared in public, it was as unfinished drafts. They were read aloud as they were being written, to a group known as the 'Inklings'.


The group included C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Charles Williams. Throughout the nineteen-thirties and forties this group of authors and their friends would meet at Lewis' rooms in Oxford, or at one of two nearby pubs. They would read aloud and criticize the works that each were then writing. Lewis and Tolkien's major achievement, however, lay underneath their public success, and formed its foundation. They embodied and articulated what may be called a spirituality of literature, although its implications touch on all of art.The Inklings was an informal literary discussion group associated with the University of Oxford, England, between the 1930s and the 1960s. Its most regular members (many of them academics at the University) included J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, Charles Williams, Christopher Tolkien (J.R.R. Tolkien's son), Warren "Warnie" Lewis (C.S. Lewis's elder brother), Roger Lancelyn Green, Adam Fox, Hugo Dyson, Robert Havard, J.A.W. Bennett, Lord David Cecil, and Nevill Coghill. Other less frequent attenders at their meetings included Percy Bates, Charles Leslie Wrenn, Colin Hardie, James Dundas-Grant, John Wain, R.B. McCallum, Gervase Mathew, and C.E. Stevens. The author E. R. Eddison also met the group at the invitation of C.S. Lewis.


The Inklings were literary enthusiasts who praised the value of narrative in fiction, and encouraged the writing of fantasy. Although Christian values were notably reflected in several members' work, there were also atheists among the members of the discussion group.

"Properly speaking," wrote Warren Lewis, "the Inklings was neither a club nor a literary society, though it partook of the nature of both. There were no rules, officers, agendas, or formal elections."

Readings and discussions of the members' unfinished works were the principal purposes of meetings. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Lewis's Out of the Silent Planet, and Williams's All Hallows' Eve were among the novels first read to the Inklings. Tolkien's fictional Notion Club (see Sauron Defeated) was based on the Inklings.

Meetings were not all serious though; the Inklings amused themselves by having competitions to see who could read the famously bad prose of Amanda McKittrick Ros for the longest without laughing.



Until late 1949, Inklings readings and discussions were usually held on Thursday evenings in C.S. Lewis's college rooms at Magdalen College. The Inklings were also known to gather at a local pub, The Eagle and Child, familiarly and alliteratively known in the Oxford community as The Bird and Baby, or simply The Bird.



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I wonder if our next guests made Valentines for each other when they were children? What do you think? The three sisters grew up in Haworth, near Keighley in West Yorkshire. They had written compulsively from early childhood and were first published, at their own expense, in 1846 as poets under the pseudonyms Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell. The book attracted little attention, selling only two copies, and they returned to prose, producing a novel each in the following year.



Charlotte Brontë’s “Jane Eyre,” Emily Brontë's “Wuthering Heights” and Anne Brontë's “Agnes Grey”  were released in 1847 after a long search to secure publishers. The novels attracted great critical attention and steadily became bestsellers, but the sisters' careers were shortened by ill-health. Emily died the following year before she could complete another novel, and Anne published her second novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, in 1848, a year before her death. Upon publication Jane Eyre received the most critical and commercial success of all the Brontë works, continuing to this day. Are you a fan of “Jane Eyre” or “Wuthering Heights?” It always seems that there are two camps, though I’ve never known anyone who liked “Agnes Grey” best. How many of you have actually read “Agnes Grey?”

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Some of our guests have been sisters, our next guests are brothers who are said to be so compatible that you can ask either of them a question and they will both always give you the same answer.

Joel and Ethan Coen, known collectively as The Coen Brothers, are Academy Award winning American filmmakers. For more than 20 years, the pair have written and directed numerous successful films, ranging from screwball comedies (O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Raising Arizona, The Hudsucker Proxy) to film noir (Miller's Crossing, Blood Simple, The Man Who Wasn't There, No Country For Old Men), to movies where those two genres blur together (Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Barton Fink). The brothers write, direct and produce their films jointly, although until recently Joel received sole credit for directing and Ethan for producing. They often alternate top billing for their screenplays while sharing film credits for editor under the alias "Roderick Jaynes". They are known in the film business as "the two-headed director", as they share such a similar vision of what their films are to be that actors say that they can approach either brother with a question and get the same answer.

Joel Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Coen (born September 21, 1957) grew up in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. Their parents, Edward and Rena Coen, both Jewish, were professors, their father an observent Jew and an economist at the University of Minnesota and their mother an art historian at St. Cloud State University.

When they were children, Joel saved money from mowing lawns to buy a Vivitar Super-8 camera. Together, the brothers remade movies they saw on television with a neighborhood kid, Mark Zimering ("Zeimers"), as the star. Cornel Wilde's The Naked Prey (1966) became their Zeimers in Zambia which also featured Ethan as a native with a spear.  I would have loved to see the Valentines that the Brother's Cohen gave each other back in the early 60's.

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Our next tea guests are a pair who definitely belong together. One of them might be more likely to remember to get a Valentine than the other, but they still have a lot of love for each other. They were very anxious to come to tea today . . . hey, wait a minute! There they go and they are taking the tea basket with them!  Wouldn't you know it?


Yogi Bear is a fictional anthropomorphic bear who appears in animated cartoons created by Hanna-Barbera Studios. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in The Huckleberry Hound Show. In 1961 he was given his own show, The Yogi Bear Show, which also included the segments Snagglepuss and Yakky Doodle. Hokey Wolf replaced his segment on The Huckleberry Hound Show. There was a musical animated feature film, Hey There, It's Yogi Bear!, in 1964.Like many Hanna-Barbera characters, Yogi's personality and mannerisms were based on a popular celebrity of the time. Art Carney's Ed Norton character on The Honeymooners was said to be Yogi's inspiration. Yogi's name is a nod to the famed baseball star Yogi Berra.

The plot of most of Yogi's cartoons centered around his antics in the fictional Jellystone Park, a takeoff on the famous Yellowstone National Park. There had been a 1941 Bugs Bunny cartoon, Wabbit Twouble, that used the more obvious name "Jellostone" Park, a play on both the name of the national park and the dessert Jell-O. Yogi, accompanied by his reluctant best friend Boo Boo, would often try to steal picnic baskets from campers in the park, much to the chagrin of Park Ranger Smith. A girlfriend, Cindy Bear, turned up sometimes, and usually disapproved of Yogi's antics.

Besides often speaking in rhymes, Yogi Bear is well-known for a variety of different catchphrases, including his pet name for picnic baskets ("pic-a-nic baskets") and his favorite self-promotion ("I'm smarter than the average bear!"), although he often overestimates his own cleverness. He also liked to say, "Hey there, Boo Boo!" as his preferred greeting to his humbler sidekick.

I think that Yogi would get a huge kick out of being described as : a fictional anthropomorphic bear. I think he will also get a huge kick out of our tea basket!

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Possibly the best known duo in history, super sleuth Sherlock would be no where without his faithful Watson.



Sherlock Holmes is a famous fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. He is the creation of Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A brilliant London-based detective, Holmes is famous for his intellectual prowess, and is renowned for his skilful use of "deductive reasoning" while using abductive reasoning (inference to the best explanation) and astute observation to solve difficult cases.

Conan Doyle wrote four novels and fifty-six short stories that featured Holmes. All but four stories are narrated by Holmes' friend and biographer, Dr. John H. Watson; two are narrated by Holmes himself, and two others are written in the third person. The first two stories, short novels, appeared in Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887 and Lippincott's Monthly Magazine in 1890. The character grew tremendously in popularity with the beginning of the first series of short stories in The Strand Magazine in 1891; further series of short stories and two serialised novels appeared almost right up to Conan Doyle's death in 1930. The stories cover a period from around 1878 up to 1903, with a final case in 1914.



Holmes describes himself and his habits as "Bohemian." Modern readers of the Holmes stories might be surprised that he was an occasional user (sometimes habitual, when lacking in stimulating cases) of both cocaine and morphine. Watson, however, describes this as the detective's "only vice", and later "weaned" Holmes off of drug use, citing its destructive qualities In his personal habits, he is very disorganized, as Watson notes in "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual", leaving everything from notes of past cases to remains of chemical experiments scattered around their rooms and his tobacco inside his Persian slipper. Dr. Watson also states in "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" that Holmes is generally late to rise.

It is said in "The Adventure of the Norwood Builder", that he often goes without food during his more intense cases. "My friend had no breakfast for himself, for it was one of his peculiarities that in his more intense moments he would permit himself no food, and I have known him to presume upon his iron strength until he has fainted from pure inanition." This is very suggestive of how seriously Holmes takes all of his cases. This also helps to emphasize the fact that Watson had brought up before, that Holmes had some unhealthy habits. He advised against a number of things Holmes did during the series. Including his occasional use of cocaine and morphine, and though he believed to have cured him from it he often referred to seeing it as "dormant" and "not dead, but merely sleeping", mainly in The Adventure of the Missing Three-quarter, where the fact that he had in the past used drugs came up twice. On one such occasion, Watson actually assumed that he had taken the drug after staying up much of the night.

Nevertheless, Watson is very typical of his time in not considering a vice Holmes' habit of smoking (usually a pipe) heavily, nor his willingness to bend the truth and break the law (e.g., lie to the police, conceal evidence, burgle, and housebreak) when it suited his purposes. In Victorian England, such actions were not necessarily considered vices as long as they were done by a gentleman for noble purposes, such as preserving a woman's honour or a family's reputation (this argument is discussed by Holmes and Watson in "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton"). Since many of the stories revolve around Holmes (and Watson) doing such things, a modern reader must accept actions which would be out of character for a "law-abiding" detective living by the standards of a later time. (They remain staples of detective fiction, however.) Holmes has a strong sense of honour and "doing the right thing".

Holmes can often be quite dispassionate and cold; however, when hot on the trail of a mystery, he can display a remarkable passion despite his usual languor. He has a flair for showmanship and often prepares dramatic traps to capture the culprit of a crime which are staged to impress Watson or one of the Scotland Yard inspectors (e.g., Inspector Lestrade at the end of "The Norwood Builder" or the capture of Jonathan Small in "The Sign of the Four"). He also holds back his chain of reasoning, not revealing it or giving only cryptic hints and surprising results, until the very end, when he can explain all of his deductions at once.

All in all, it seems he has a lot of problems for someone who considers themself perfect, but his is the name most often given when people are asked to name a famous dectective. And though he might not admit it afterwards, I believe he probably always gave Watson a Valentine.

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My favorite singing group  met in elementary school the year I was born. In 1953,  they both appeared in the school play Alice in Wonderland.



 Paul Simon was the White Rabbit and Art Garfunkel was the Cheshire Cat. They formed the group Tom and Jerry in 1957, and had their first taste of success with the minor hit "Hey Schoolgirl". As Simon and Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965 backed by the hit single "The Sounds of Silence". Their music was featured on the landmark film The Graduate, propelling them further into the public consciousness.

In my opinion Paul Simon is one of the most talented poets of our generation. The music is an extra bit of wonder, along with the two voices which blend to make a sound that defined an era.



'The course of true love never did run smooth' - it is true of friendship as well. Paul and Art have had times when they were estranged, but they have always found their way back to each other. Perhaps they will yet end up as old friends, who sit on their park bench like book ends.

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Speaking of Tom and Jerry . . . does anyone remember that they were an antagonistic cat and mouse cartoon? Possibly the duo that built the cliche.






Yes they are also a drink . . .  

Along with those other famous friends . . .

        




Gin and Tonic . . .





















                                              And Rum and Coke


Here are two friends who have one of those "delicate" relationships. Sometimes they seem to be totally against each other, but one has to wonder where one would be with out the other .  .


Indeed . . . Order and Chaos



A seemingly endless array of different kinds of love!

How about this one? What would poor grumpy Toad do without his enthuastic neighbor Mr. Frog? And what would Frog do if he didn't have Toad to encourage?



Where would Fred be without Ginger?







The Lone Ranger Without Tonto?



Xena without Gabriel?


There were many, many people who came to tea today! "Valentines" of all different kinds . . . brothers and sisters, dance and singing partners, heros and side kicks and lot of friends. Friends who need each other and rely on each other; whose lives are made comlete by their friends. Now here is our last guest. A fascinating fellow (s) ?  An interesting thought when thinking of friends  . . . Your friend and mine . . .

Velcro

Ghost of Never, my sweet Never After
Never again or before
Spirit of rusty smoke in the moonlight
Gathered and swept out the door
Specter of ever that could have been sung
A rolling note from the sea
Phantom of words that were never spoken
Of things that never will be
Ghost who was once every being
Where we both expected forever
Who evaporated into unthinking
And left me the haunting of never

Ghost of after, my sweet never be
If as nothing you could have begun
If you had only never been something
It would be easy to take all undone

The problem was in the being
A being profoundly apart
If you’d never been never at ever
You’d never have broken my heart

©Edwina Peterson Cross

     ©Edwina Peterson Cross

Magic. The house is extremely beautiful, but more than that, it is a place of magic, this is agreed by everyone who has ever been there. It is filled with the magic of childhood; the enchantment of books; the sorcery of beauty and wrapped all around with deep, binding spells of love. There is also an eternal mystery about it, something that no one has ever quite figured out; something mystic, something deliciously mysterious and magical. Every child who walks in the big, beautiful Great Hall feels it and thinks, “I just might be the one to figure it out . . . whatever it is . . .” But of course, no one ever does. What would mystery be if you knew what it was? This mystery knows that and stays always just around the next corner, where you can sense it, feel it, hear it, smell it and sometimes even see it . . . but you can’t ever catch it. These same children come back, years later, as adults and find the magic still there. They can still feel it, though most of them have forgotten what it is. They stand in the Great Hall with their mouths slightly open, while the child by their side says, “Oh, cool!”

I spent thousands of hours dancing up and down the Great Hall. My mother says I was born dancing, but it was in the Great Hall that all four parts of myself  - physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual - blended together on a wave of music, moved in joy and called it dance. One should be careful about leaps and the low chandelier. I must admit that more than once, I came out of a bliss filled Tour jeté and completely took the chandelier out with my back leg.

 I spent several thousand more hours snuggled into the big red couch reading. One summer night my mother came in to tell me to go to bed. “I can’t!” I wailed, “I’ve got to know what happens next!” She reached down and took the book from my hands, turned it over and looked at the front. “Gone With the Wind,” she said, “well, that’s different. You may stay up and read.” I was ten-years-old and nothing like that had ever happened before. “How late can I stay up?” I gasped. She smiled, “until you finish.” So.  Atlanta burned and I pulled my first all-nighter. The sun had come up by the time I finished the book. I walked outside in my bare feet and stood in the dew covered grass, looking up at the dawn breaking like pastel finger paints above the mountains, crying and crying. Of course, I was crying because Rhet said he didn’t give a damn, but most of all, I was crying because of magic. The magic is like that and sometimes it does make you cry. Both of my daughters read "Gone With the Wind" snuggled in the same red couch, finishing just as the sun broke over Mount Logan with the first whispers of dawn.

In the Great Hall I perfected the art of ‘doing nothing,’ which I look at now and can see it was meditation. I would completely still my mind and watch the dust motes dance in the sun the glanced off of the golden wood. Sometime in the late afternoon, the sun hit the beveled glass doors and was sliced into hundreds of magic dancing rainbows that flew over the entire Great Hall; in and out of the dust motes, splashing against the walls, sliding across the floor, hitting the wooden pillars and sinking in. The rainbows do sink into the pillars. Those pillars are full of a hundred years of rainbows, sometimes you can hear them in there having a celebration or a fest, if you put your ear right against the pillar, plug your other ear and stop breathing for a moment.

There are two stained glass windows, roughly seven feet by ten feet and several other smaller ones throughout the house. Just inside one of these, on top of a cupboard with beveled glass doors, there is a portal to Narnia. There are not many in the world, but that is one. Every December during that wonderful week between Christmas and New Years, my brother and I climbed up on top of the Cupboard with our equipment, ready to set sail for Narnia. It was quite a climb when we were little, as the cupboard is six feet tall. We could get there with a good jump from the back of the red chair, but it was dicey work to get the platter of turkey, ham, pickles and cheese up there; not to mention the pitcher of grape juice and the purloined wine glasses, the full set of seven books, two pillows and one big quilt. With the light through the stained glass washing our faces into kaleidoscopic harlequins, we were gone for days into another world. A world as it should be. The last time we did a Sail, I was twenty-three and he was nineteen  - and six foot four. The bookshelf window seat was still big enough for me, but he was folded up like a grass hopper.

This is a subject I could write about forever, the memories are deep and sweet.  I won’t. I’ll share a couple of poems and a painting of the house that I did several years ago and let you imagine the rest. That is another thing that I perfected in that house and in the trees around it. Imagining. With a prodigious, well honed imagination and a house literally full of books, I learned that one can stay in one place and still go anywhere and do anything. A rather good thing to know.



      The Moon Shines on the Portal to Narnia

          ©Edwina Peterson Cross






             Going Home
       
              At NanaPa's

Ultra-Sound

ultra-sonic waves
on a journey into the core
of all mystery.
launch point of eternity
circled here, the gentle depths
of wide infinity.

mapped and sketched
in dark monochrome,
etchings of penetrating light
trace the curve of a cheek
where unseen lashes
tremble against
translucent skin;
arc of burgeoning spine
anchors the canopy
which will guard
breath and blood.
clear, silent, sonic waves
mirror the shape of
a miracle.

tiny feet, walking on water,
tiny fingers, reaching out
to wrap around and forever hold
my heart.


©Edwina Peterson Cross


[For Grandmother Michelle Bidwell]

Gaia:
A place to celebrate - knowing that others will be truly happy for you.
A place to listen, a place to learn; a place to question; a place to share.
A place of support; kind words when you are down, strength when you are hurting.
A place of giving; energy and healing prayers when you are broken.
A safe place to grieve.

February was always yours
As September was mine
Purple amethyst birth stone set
    I carried home brimming expectation
    clutching the white Woolworths sack so tight
    it shredded in my fingers
Tiny amethyst heart locket on a gold chain
    stretchy amethyst bracelet, adjustable amethyst ring that
You wore proudly with your new chiffon birthday dress
And I wore
    your old one
I felt deliciously mystic, masquerading in a color that
    was not my own
Too long at first
    the skirt mid-calf, it swirled and flared as I spun
    landed in a circle of air blue clouds when I   
    fell to the ground

When you went
You took an entire decade of music
You took with you every amethyst
All 28 days of February
And rent the rainbow
Leaving a spectrum
Blank and
Bare
of
Blue


©Edwina Peterson Cross

Blue

Translucent Walls

We pushed the leaves of autumn
Into neat flat rows
Crisp and yellow
Edges browning
Sweet with the smell of summer’s death
Ripe with the small of earth
And the rows were the walls of a wonderful house
Where we would live forever . . .
And into forever . . .
And through until never . . .
In the sharp, keen breath of fall

The other children couldn’t see the walls
Couldn’t see the splendid rooms or the blue velvet couches
Though sometimes they tried
They soon grew tired and stumbled back into the world of ‘real’
And wondered, perhaps, what made us so strange
But you
Finished the last of the excavation with a flourish
And sat down on the damp grass that was a fine carved chair
“You can hear me, of course,
Because we can talk through walls
This is my library and that is yours . . .
Walking to another room, carefully opening the door in the air
"And this will be my kitchen,”
 “And that,” . . . pointing . . . “will be yours . . .
You stay there until you hear the kettle singing
Then you come over here
And we’ll drink tea and talk about
Everything ~ probably forever.”
“Forever?” I asked my big eyes growing bigger.
“FORever!” she said. If she said it
It was true

But the ‘real’ world came
In fits of unforgiving gusts
And blew the leaves of autumn
And scattered our walls to the wind

Into a bright whirlwind of years
Went kites and daisy chains
Bare feet on hot summer sidewalks
Rafts on the canal
Dark secret places
Pop cans for popsicles
Bicycles and snake grass
Diamond polishing in the ruins
And houses made of autumn leaves
With walls of ‘forever’
Made out of memories

Memories
That now
I keep
Alone

Are those walls translucent
That separate us now?
Are they opaque or
Solid as stone?

My heart
Will never stop
Listening
For the far off sound
Of a tea kettle
Singing

Nor comprehend the silence
Where
Your
Voice
Should
Be


©Edwina Peterson Cross

Different

they are so
different,
people said,
so like,
unlike, similar
dissimilar,
diverse and variant
parallel, divergent
knowing we were so very
different, we passed each other
on the library steps
each turning, puzzled, thinking
we had seen
a mirror

I wish you could see
our grown daughters, their golden
heads tipped together
their faces lit with
laughter
they are nothing alike
and so very much the
same

We are reflected, reechoed,
Our daughters have melted
the sands of time
and made
another
mirror


©Edwina Peterson Cross




PIECES OF MEMORIES

Segments of memories, halves of jokes
Pieces of mysteries in my palm are curled
But The Secret Weapon for scrambled eggs
Matters to no one else in this world

No one else will ever know
The Double Agent Undercover Sign
The way into the abandoned house
Or the Camp Beneath the Pine

Of the man without issue and “socks!”
Only I know the laughter now
Or why you were spaghetti
Or about the flying cow

Of all the times I crossed my heart
To promise, pledge and swear
Secrets still hidden in my heart
I’m the only one to care

There never was a fallen box
But Green Grass sang each spring
And I’m alone with dire knowledge
When the Troggs sing “Wild Thing”

Trivia like confetti
Frosts the ache inside my heart
Covering other mysteries
Too deep to take apart

Your voice a string of colored beads,
Steps leading to the sea
Because I was the only one
Who recognized Persephone

You learned your hands in a fairy-tale,
And your mouth on a valentine
God, I never wanted the last word
When I said the Italian was mine


© Edwina Peterson Cross