Thursday, December 08, 2005
THURSDAY THIRTEENI'm going to try this Thursday Thirteen thingy...
1. I started blogging around October 6th, 2005. At that point, I knew only one person personally, that is--- Danny Miller, that had a blog. I had no idea what I was going to write about or anything else...but, write, I did., and a lot!
2. It is interesting to go back and look at these first posts and read them. They were, at that time, all text...in fact dense with text, you might say. And I like a lot of the things I wrote about and at that point, I had almost no readership, shall we say, but Danny Miller and his lovely wife, Kendall. I've known Kendall, since she was a little girl, because her parents were/are good friends of mine, and that's how I met Danny Miller, her then to be husband.
3. When they became engaged, Kendall---having converted to Judism and knowing that I am able to legally marry people explained to me that if I were a Rabbi, I could marry them, but since I am a non-denominational Reverend of The Universal Life Church...(in actuality, no Church at all...) and not a Rabbi, they would not be calling on me to perform their wedding ceremony, though they would love to.....I tell you this, only by way of telling you, that's how well I know Kendall and Danny....And that is why when Kendall suggested I read Danny's blog, and in fact, said I should have a blog, myself....well, I did and I do....and as they say, the rest is history.
3 1/2. So yesterday I worked ALL day, gathering pictures for a future post for HERE IN THE HILLS, that was on my old Blog....which most of you have not read....and it is a post that I always wished I had pictures for, to illustrate many of the things I was writing about.
4. At the time I wrote this post, I didn't have a clue as to how to put pictures anywhere on this--new to me thing called a 'blog'.....I didn't have any pictures and I had no scanner or digital camera, and I had no idea that there was a thing called Google Images. I know...hard to believe, but true....and quite frankly, I had seen pictures on Danny's blog, but didn't know I could put them on my blog.
And, now that I know how to get some of these photo's, I find it great fun looking for images to illustrate my posts, especially since discovering this treasure trove of visual goodies that are here on the Internet. It's like picking out candy at See's Candy's, or choosing yummy things from a buffet brunch at one of the upscale hotels here in Los Angeles. And now that my scanner is working, and I can call upon all the thousands of photographs I have taken myself, it has been even more exciting to create posts where photographs are essentual, to my way of thinking...most exciting and great fun!
5. So...I was having a terrible time finding any photo's what-so-ever for one of the people I had written about in this post: Bobby Lewis. I do not undertand how Google cannot have images for this man. He was one of the great great Theatre Directors of The Golden Age Of Broadway, and a very famous Acting teacher, too! I mean...VERY FAMOUS! He worked with almost all the most talented actors of that generation and mine, too, and so it is completely astonishing to me that not one photo of him could I find on the greatest of search engines, Google!
6. This is so frustrating to me because there are umpteen photo's of all sorts of Bobby Lewis' that may be known to other people, but not to me...I tried a couple of different ways: Bobby Lewis and The Group Theatre...(One of the most influential theatre groups in the 1930's that ultimately influenced acting, directing and writing in America probably more than any other theatre group, ever, and it spawned The Actor's Studio, which was a further incredibly important part of the road that actors took in the '40's & '50's, and had, again, the deepest effect on all acting methods in this country that still exists today....well, Bobby was one of the founding members of both these entity's! And Google has no pictures of this man???? Well, I was so very frustrated, I began talking out loud to Google!!!
7. So, finally, after finding photo's of the other people referred to in this post and giving myself somewhat of a choice of each to choose from when I get to that part of the 'posting process'....I decided that, because I now have a working scanner, I can scan in the photo's from the book covers of two of Bobby's three books, which I own....HOORAY!
I did that and was extremely pleased with myself for coming up with this fabulous solution to the Google failure.
8. And they came out pretty good, I thought....so, I did all my copying and pasting of the text of the post itself; edited mistakes I could see now which I did not see back when I originally posted it....and began the tedious process..,(Blogger does not make it easy...or maybe I just STILL don't know how to do this the correct way)....the tedious process of getting my pictures into this post.
9. Blogger would not let me upload the first image of Bobby. It said "done" but when I went to 'compose'...no picture was there....now, that has happened before and then finally after many attempts and changing positions of the photo, it will be there. Not last night. I finally thought to myself, perhaps the photo is too big. That thought had not occurred to me before....(are you getting the thought process here...first, I never knew about pictures; then, I don't know how to 'get' pictures; then I DO know how to get pictures, but don't know how to get them on Blogger...etc., etc., etc.....and NOW, I'm thinking...maybe this photo is too big...! Such an evolution!)
10. So....I attempt to take the photo and put it in Adobe Photo Shop and start to try to learn how to re-size this picture....many hours later....now around 2 am....I have learned how to re-size the picture, I think...saved it, I think, but when I go back to 'My Pictures' the photo is still the BIG one...(much screaming and gnashing of teeth followed...) No one told me there would be these frustrations! No one told me I would want to pull my hair out! No one told me that I could get sooo caught up in all this blogging shit, that it would take over my life!
11. I practically don't DO anything else! I practically don't think about anything else! This has become a deep obsession keeping me up till 4am or later!!!! This is not a good thing. No good at all. I worry because I haven't posted anything in 12 hours; I worry that people will be bored with my posts. This is sick.
12. What started out as a fun thing, for me, and I mean, for Me...has now become this out-of-my-control obsessional horror! I actually fell asleep this morning, sitting in front of my computer in my chair, staring at this fucking Adobe Photo Shop Tutorial...I mean, I can barely sleep at night in my bed....so to fall asleep sitting in my computer chair staring at my computer, is truly sick!
13. I'm sooooo far behind in everything else in my life, that I feel completely overwhelmed and want to just go to bed and pull the covers over my head! Is this the typical blogging routine? Do we all start out having fun and then quickly get to where we want to pull the covers over our heads, or, is it just me? (it woudn't surprise me if it was just me...) The other day when I couldn't get my computer powered up and therefor couldn't do anything..I was relieved! Yes, I was truly relieved and the next day, Sunday, I spent the day mostly sleeping and looking at DVD's I had committed to watch as a Screen Actors Guild Nominating Committee Voter...falling asleep three times in one film...not because it was bad, but because it relaxed me and I could then rest....Jane, of janelovestarzan had written me an email and in it she had said, '...don't you find blogging like having a job, sometimes?...'. Oh yes, dear Jane, I surely do! And I am going to quit this job, and try and go back to having fun again!
Is this what a Thrsday Thirteen is? I hope I did this right.
| posted by OldLady Of The Hills at 11:55:00 AM
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
REGENTS PARK, AGAIN
These two gorgeous Roses are from Queen Mary's Garden in Regents Park, London.
(No, we are not done with this Cotswolds/London trip, yet....at least I'm not...(lol)
The Rose Garden there is very very beautiful....and here is another picture to give you just a little bit more of a feeling about the specialness of this garden....unfortunately, pictures do not do it justice, but, at least it gives you a little bit of an idea of how very spectacular and special this garden really is....
I love the way this Rose Garden is circular, and I also love those Garlands of Roses, (if that is what you call them) and the way they are hugging the outer part of the circle over to the right there in the photo.
Everything is so beautifully manicured in this Garden, yet it is friendly and inviting and doesn't make you feel that you have to be 'formal', though it is stunningly formal. A true treasure!
One more picture from Regent's Park....
I had never seen Black Pansy's before, in my life. And, have never seen them since I saw these, there in Regent's Park. Pretty Amazing, isn't it?
I don't know if Black Pansy's are terribly rare, or possibly just not popular and that is why I've never seen them before or since....
All I do know is, they were absolutely stunning!
Have you ever seen a lot of Black Pansy's?
| posted by OldLady Of The Hills at 1:48:00 PM
Monday, December 05, 2005
A FEW THINGS....
I have not been able to be on my Computer since Saturday night, because of a failure...THANK GOD, it was not my new Computer, but an OLD Surge Protector...so I'm very behind in my blogging and in my visiting, too...
I'm so naive that it never occurred to me that a surge protector could fail! Hello, Oh, Nurse???? Thus....this picture today.
Second, here's a picture, taken with my digital camera!!! Yes, I finally have it....well in all candor, I have had this camera for a while, just did not know how to use it till
recently.
Oh, Nurse! Again!This was taken not quite a week ago....this is just a teeny tiny view of my Front Cactus Garden, with a touch of Bouganvilla....and for the sake of accuracy, that plant is not a true cactus...it's a Senico, and is a gorgeous person! And yes, the Bougenvilla is still blooming wherever I have it, and, I might add, BEAUTIFULLY, BEAUTIFULLY!
And,
Third, to catch up a bit, I have been wanting to tell you all about a Fantastic Post I read a few weeks ago which made me laugh and made me cry, too...I think anything that can do that, is Genius!
It is, to me, very profound. It's an essay on "The Wizard Of Oz", written by Danny Miller, who I have spoken about a few times before on my blog. Danny is a very very wonderful writer and many of his posts are fascinating to read....I hope you will take a look and I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did. I have wanted to share this very brilliant piece with everyone since I read it, and today was a wonderful opportunity to do so, given how far behind I am. Sharing this today because I did not get to write anything myself, doesn't take anything away from what Danny has written, because I've been looking for just the right opportunity to post about this very brilliant piece, and here it is. (If the link above does not work, go to dannymiller.typepad.com, and look for Schlepping Over The Rainbow, in his list of recent posts.)
(Hope the Blogger problems clear up soon....Lord, if it isn't one thing, it's ten! LOL....NOT!)
| posted by OldLady Of The Hills at 4:16:00 PM
Saturday, December 03, 2005
A
MEME
(Not sure what this drawing has to do with anything but it was on Google Images, under MEME...so, what the...I didn't have anything better....)
I saw this on Tan Lucy Pez, and thought it was a good one! So, here it is I and thank you very much, Tan Lucy…,
WHAT WERE YOU DOING 10 YEARS AGO?
I was writing, painting, and composing and engaged in lots of activities out in the world.
WHAT WERE YOU DOING 1 YEAR AGO?
Recovering from a very very bad Bronchitis, and beginning my confinement to home due to related health issues.
5 SNACKS YOU ENJOY.
1- Seedless Grapes.
2- A Few Roasted Almonds.
3- Dried Tan Figs.
4- Scharffenberger Bittersweet Chocolate (in my dreams…!)
5- A little bit of Cheese (if it’s in the house)
5 SONGS TO WHICH YOU KNOW ALL THE LYRICS
Here’s That Rainy Day
Every Time We Say Goodbye
The Party’s Over
In The Wee Small Hours
Silent Night
5 THINGS YOU WOULD DO IF YOU WERE A MILLIONAIRE
Pay off my existing mortgage.
Invest in safe income bearing things.
Give to a lot of charities.
Help all my family and friends who need it.
Have dinners and party’s for small groups of friends where everything is catered, and I would do this at least once a month.
5 BAD HABITS
Eating too much fat & sugar
Watching too much television
Being a perfectionist
Expecting too much from other people
Spending too much time on the computer
5 THINGS YOU LIKE DOING
Eating Chocolate
Blogging
Watching television
Spending time with friends
Creating, anything and everything
5 THINGS YOU WILL NEVER WEAR AGAIN
High Heals.
Girdles…. (Do they still make girdles?)
A Size 6 Anything!
Slinky Evening Gowns
Silk Stockings
5 FAVORITE TOYS
The Computer
My DVD Player
Any and All Paints Color Pencils Crayons, etc.
My Cat Sweetie… a dear “living” toy
The Digital Camera
That was harder than I thought it was going to be, but I LIKED IT!
| posted by OldLady Of The Hills at 2:08:00 PM
Friday, December 02, 2005
THE COTSWOLDS/LONDON-PART 7
We had been on-the-road, at this point, for about 13 hours, and now it was time to head back to London….But, before we leave The Cotswolds I want to share a few more photo’s from that day….Here is our driver, Ray… All of us were so very grateful to him for everything he brought to us and for helping to make this the magical memorable day that it was….
These are in no particular order….
A Field Of Rape...
Some Sheep In The Meadow
John M. looking at a lovely old building.
Betty, sitting by the water...
Some lovely horses by the roadside...
And so, we returned to London, tired, but sated and happier than any of us dreamed we could ever be….
After returning to the Hotel, Cousin Carol took this next photo of me with my NOW two special bears, and the Beautiful Birthday Bouquet sent to me by friends in the states while sitting in my lovely room, on my lovely bed, with my lovely bears!
Before I started this Cotswolds saga, I began by talking about why we all came to London in the first place….(if you remember back that far,) it was dear Betty Garrett, the catalyst for so very many group happenings over many many years….I knew I had a picture of her performing at Pizza On The Park, but could not find it….Well, here it is! With her is the wonderful late John Mosher, her then beau and bass player, too!
I found some other photo’s that had eluded me, too…One of the wonderful things that Charley Berliner and Cousin Carol and I did to celebrate my London/Cotwolds Birthday was to go to Harrods for lunch…(Good to do, even if it isn’t your Birthday!!) where, if asked, the Pipers come by and play Happy Birthday to you….LOVELY, LOVELY AND MORE THAN LOVELY! In fact, it is a FABULOUS thing to do!
In that first post I mentioned a lot of things we did during this trip….one of those things was going to Regents Park. I had a specific reason for wanting to go to see this particular park….a very talented painter---a modern master, really, named Morris Broderson, who is a very dear friend as well as a painter that I have been collecting forever…had, many years before painted a particular view of Queen Mary's Garden, which is a large circular area in this beauitiful Park, and is, in fact, this truly gorgeous garden….I so wanted to see what he had painted in actuality, and then, take a picture of it to show him that I had actually been there! This is the view, and then, the opposite view, as well....
I love all these many species of birds living together in harmony....
More to come....probably the last of the Saga of The Cotswolds.....(maybe....and then again....maybe not....lol....)
I thank everyone for visiting yesterday and leaving such touching and heartfelt comments....it meant a great deal to me; more than I can say. And I thank Michele with all my heart, too, for sending so many of you here who might not have dropped by, and to all those 'regulars' that come by just because they feel like it, I thank you too, with all my heart, for your very loyal and constant support....blogger friends, all!
| posted by OldLady Of The Hills at 2:20:00 AM
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