Vicarious House-Hunting

April 18, 2009 / still a dreamer / 2 Comments

Now this was fun! My friend, unfortunately, has to move, as his house has sold and there’s but so much time to be out and into a new place. However, looking at places to buy can be lots of fun for me, as there’s no pressure to pack, move, etc. Been there, done that, 2-1/2 years ago and that was enough to last me quite some time.

house

house3 He was looking at a place today in another of the (Delaware) “river towns,” and south of me by a few miles. This Victorian is in-town, needs more TLC than it looks in this photo, and in some cases a lot of work – window pane replacements, wiring upgrades, and so on. But the amount of space is HUGE – so many rooms, and so many windows! (Those boarded up are very tall windows, not easy to replace, and being protected in case anyone has some not-so-good intentions.) The pumpkin pine floors have all been restored and look great. For me, with so much on my plate, the task would be daunting.

house2 It lists as having 4 bedrooms, but actually there are another 2 on the top floor – one is humongous and could hold ballet classes. Kitchen needs a LOT. This couldn’t be the house for me unless it was all done, but I loved looking at it. It’s on a really lovely block where everyone has taken wonderful care of their homes, also mostly Victorian. I know they would all love to see someone take this house and give it the care it deserves.

I found another house for him to look it in another area very close to my town as well – a farm with 6 acres for the same price! Hope I get to see that one, too.

Ahhh – decisions, decisions! Glad I don’t have to make them!

Bad Boys on the Farm

March 13, 2009 / still a dreamer

mylesbadboys-w1

If this doesn’t look like a bunch of bad kids on the corner debating what kind of shenanigans they’re going to get into next, I don’t know what does.

As it happens, the 3 horses, Ghost, Silas and Dillon, are not bad boys at all, but were simply deciding who was going to get to play with who, and who was going to be the “odd man out.” (It was Ghost.)

These horses are among many more rescued by Mylestone Equine Rescue, a horse rescue near where I live, and whom I help with their web site, graphics and occasional photography. I had zipped over to photograph some great kids who’d raised funds for the horses, and as usual, couldn’t help myself from taking a few more shots around the farm. This one just seemed to have a story of its own going on.

If you like horses, you’ll enjoy reading about the outstanding job Mylestone Equine Rescue does in taking in and rehabilitating horses that have been starved, abused, abandoned, or were on their way to auction and most likely, slaughter. Check out their web site.

myleslucy-w1 Did I mention some of them are just plain cute? Here’s Lucy, inseparable friend of Peppermint Patty.

Make Me Smile, Make Me Cry

June 30, 2008April 18, 2012 / still a dreamer / 2 Comments

How often is it that you watch something on the web and you are moved to tears while feeling an inner kind of joy? Not that often in my book, but every now and then – something really hits the mark. This one did it for me.

Go take a look at Where the Hell Is Matt? and click on Dancing 2008. And then watch his Dancing Outtakes, and whatever else strikes your fancy. This guy is joining the world through dancing – he’s not going to win any dance awards – that won’t be why you check it out. You’ll be going to watch a young guy wearing a joyous smile with an energy and a love for peoples of the world who wants to share it, AND get people dancing with him. It just blows me away, and so far, everyone I’ve sent it to.

In his About Matt section, (his FAQ’s are pretty funny, BTW), one of the things mentioned is that Matt believes that Americans should travel abroad more. That really struck a chord with me, and I truly agree. I find that Americans as a nation are rather insular, but to travel outside of the U.S. borders is truly eye opening. The first time I left this country was to visit my cousin Norman in Portugal – I was 23 years old and had never been on a plane, leave alone in a country where I couldn’t understand one word anyone said.

Perhaps this visit should be for another posting, but let me say that the vast difference in cultures, landscapes, language, food, architecture, etc. gave me memories I’ll never forget. And yet, there was nary a soul who didn’t go out of his or her way to be kind to me, a total stranger. I think many people’s world views could change just in knowing that, despite the differences between us, there are amazing common bonds. Matt is sharing one – dancing. It really has touched me. Go look – Matt is one cool guy.

p.s. I apologize that this photo is not mine – mine are in slide format and I’ve never taken the time to learn how the thing-y that came with my scanner converts them to images I can use – but this one, taken in Oporto, (where I also visited with my cousin), is a decent stand-in for the loveliness and simplicity found in the older areas of Portugal.

Book Meme Tag

April 18, 2008April 18, 2008 / still a dreamer / 4 Comments

Ahhh – that Sheri – tagged me again! Problem is – I still don’t know anyone who has a blog!

But I’m going for it and I have an idea … here’s what Sheri’s site says –

To play blogger tag, here’s what you have to do.

Grab the nearest book.
Open to page 123.
Find the fifth sentence.
Post the next three sentences.
Tag five people and post a comment to Sheri once you’ve posted your 3 sentences.

I’m in my office so chose something from a bookcase downstairs. It’s from a short story, “The Little Room”, written by Madelene Yale-Wynne in 1895. The story is from a favorite collection of mine called “Haunted Women.”

5th Sentence: “I know you will like Hiram, Roger; he is quite a character in his own way.”

Next 3: “Mamma said she remembered, or thought she remembered, having been sick once, and she had to lie quietly for some days on the lounge; then was the time she had become so familiar with everything in the room, and she had been allowed to have the shell to play with all the time. She had had her toast brought to her in there, with make-believe tea. It was one of her pleasant memories of childhood; it was the first time she had been of any importance to anybody, even herself.”

Now since I am not in the larger blogging community, what I can do is e-mail 5 people who write, (but have no blogs), and ask them to add to my site if inspired. And we’ll see what we see!

Good TV Music

April 9, 2008April 10, 2008 / still a dreamer / 3 Comments

Music has the phenomenal power to totally alter our moods, to make us laugh or cry, and to make us experience what a director in movies and TV want us to feel. Only because there is just one current show where I feel the music is truly memorable do I write this today. (But there were others in the past.)

That show is Boston Legal. Each time I watch it, I am always struck by the blues-y singing bringing us back from commercial or leading us in, the soulful guitar solos underpinning the points a cast member is making in court, or the yowzy upbeat notes when Gerry does a happy dance. For me, the music just underscores the juxtaposition of wackiness and dead serious attention to compelling issues that makes Boston Legal the show it is. I think it’s actually part of why I watch — the music is an extraordinary element of the show itself.

Perhaps no coincidence that the producer of Boston Legal – David E. Kelley – was also the producer of Ally McBeal, another show that was a favorite of mine, and again totally immersed in music. The unforgettable dancing baby that appeared in hallucinations to Ally to “I’ve Just Got A Feeling”, (or whatever the real name might have been), has made history, but her dancing to the song was every bit as memorable. Music was totally integrated into Ally McBeal and in part, why it was such a draw. Vonda Shepherd made a name for herself from Ally McBeal, but again, well-chosen music underscored the wackiness of the show and gave it tremendous appeal.

But perhaps the most memorable use of music in a TV show for me was in Twin Peaks; I can hear the opening music to this day, 18 years later. The music was all written by Angelo Badalamenti, and while dark and brooding, it set the tone for a mystery set in an eerie town with unusual, (to say the least), characters in bizarre situations. Twin Peaks was far ahead of its time as a television show, but again, the music created a mood that deeply enriched our experience of this series.

I keep listening, but I’m not hearing much nowadays on TV where the music is drawing me to a show the way these did, and how Boston Legal does currently. Then again, I don’t watch a lot of TV, so don’t bother with scores of cable stations. I’d like to think there’s more innovation and creativity out there in engaging our ears as well as our eyes.