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Live in the past, present, and future

December 13, 2011 by pinkpigrulz

Tonight we saw A Christmas Carol.  Not just any A Christmas Carol.  This one was adapted from the one-man version that Charles Dickens performed in England and America about 160 years ago.  Tonight it was performed by his great-great-grandson, Gerald Charles Dickens.  The whole story, 28 characters, one man, one and a half hours.  The  boys loved it and laughed throughout the play.  I realized how much this story has been a part of my like, without really ever knowing it.

As this very talented actor made me laugh and cry just a wee bit, I mouthed many of the lines with him.  Scrooge is such a part of  cultural references, not just at Christmas time, but year round.  I suppose this would make Dickens very pleased since Scrooge said he would keep Christmas in his heart year round.  The whole concept of the story as a one-man show is amazing and works because each character is easy to relate to.

Mr. Dickens (the great-great-grandson, not the dead one…Marley was dead to begin with) stays afterward and signs autographs and poses for pictures.

He signed programs for each of the boys, my copy of A Christmas Carol, and even signed the boys’ copy of Muppet Christmas Carol.  A  very charming man and very proud of his heritage.  If he ever comes near your town you really should go see the show.

I will keep Christmas in my heart year round, I will live in the past, present, and future.  Come in, and know me better, man.

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Outing Santa

December 7, 2011 by pinkpigrulz

Dreadful to read of people outing Santa as not real.  I believe in him.  I know there are different legends surrounding him, but based on one particular version, why wouldn’t I want to? Who wouldn’t want to believe in a man who is so inspired by the love of God to spread love by giving presents?  If you’re good, you are rewarded.  Hmmm…make good choices, be rewarded for it.  Yes, I can get behind that concept. Make poor choices (or be “bad”), get coal (insinuations of fire and brimstone…interesting concept to ponder one day).

My sons have begun to ask about the big guy in red.  Peer pressure has seeped into their lives faster than the frosting melts into the crevices of a cinnamon roll.  I usually deflect and redirect as needed.  I will never say the words “he’s not real” to them.  No way.  I don’t think my parents ever explicitly told me.  I’m forty-one.  I still listen for the hooves on the roof.

When I was around eight  years old, I really began to doubt.  I was certain he wasn’t real.  Well, when Santa shows up at your front door to ask why you don’t believe in him, it makes you rethink the whole situation.  The pictures truly captured my shock (I wish I had them, but the basement flooded a lot).  I never turned back since that December night.  It was an awesome feeling to see him up close and personal.

My sons and I went to visit Santa at the mall last week (yes, I am aware of how that flies in the face of the big guy in red not being about commercialism).  Santa spent about 20 minutes with my sons.  My youngest made his Jack Nicholson face in one of the shots and one is a classic picture with Santa.  But my favorite picture was taken by the very sweet elf as the boys were just chatting with Santa.

The boys and Santa

I will treasure this picture forever.

The other wonderful thing that happened during this visit was eavesdropping on my sons.  I heard them emphatically tell Santa that even though some of their friends said he isn’t real, they know he is.  They told him they looked all over the house and, I quote, “Mom is good, but she can’t hide a tree in the house.”

Thank goodness Santa brings our tree.  The boys go to sleep with empty stockings hanging on the railing and nothing else.  Come morning, Santa has brought the fully decorated tree, filled the stockings, and left the presents from his sack under the tree.  Santa’s presents aren’t wrapped because he only has to pull them from his sack, so the wrapped presents are from Mom & Dad.

Mom is good, but she can’t hide a tree in the house.

I just hope the boys don’t go in our neighbor’s backyard.

       

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I can’t resist

December 5, 2011 by pinkpigrulz

My six year old said during dinner this evening, “I can’t resist food…it’s just too good.”  Monday night is pizza night.  It used to be on Friday nights, but I don’t mind making dinner on Friday night, I have the time.  Monday night is chaotic, so we switched pizza night.  They truly couldn’t resist.  They polished off their pizza and started attacking the parents’ pizza.  They also ate half the bread sticks.  He was right, he can’t resist.

And now a question.  (It’s an interrogative statement seeking knowledge, but that’s not important right now.) Who is Coupon Suzy and why must she invade my world so often?  They are awful commercials.  Highly annoying lady.

Charlie Brown is on and memories of childhood come flooding in to my mind.  “Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you’re the Charlie Browniest.”   The cartoons of today don’t seem to have the staying power of the old ones.  The classic Christmas shows are on every year, but I don’t know that the Shrek one will last for forty or fifty years of annual showings.

The classic is, of course, The Year without a Santa Claus…Heat Miser and Snow Miser…I’m too much!

The Peanuts gang is tackling some serious issues.  Phobias, depression, the need for real estate, the over-commercialization of holidays.  Plus they pepper it with historical references (the Red Baron, no, not the pizza…Baron Manfred von Richthofen).  You know how they balance all the world pressures?  Their deep appreciation for culture.  I dare you to watch them dancing to Schroeder tickling those ivories and not stand up to join them.  Love the way they dance mostly because I can dance like them.  It’s a very free dance style, when one didn’t care about how one looked while dancing.  It’s like the way Phoebe ran (see the Friends episode).

No matter what religion you have faith in, even if you don’t follow religion, one thing about Christmas-time is universal.  It can bring out each person’s childlike wonder in the world.  It can help each person to remember to simply be nice, every day of the year this is possible, but somehow each year at this season, it seems a little easier to do.  Yeah, it’s the Dickens in me.  Yes, it is a wonderful life.

Winter is a time for shedding the old and looking to the future for a new way.  Perhaps you do live each day in the past, present, and future.  If you do, you can renew your energies during the winter season, flowering in the spring with nature.  If you don’t live each day this way, you can start.  Winter is such a reflective time, the days are shorter and darker and colder.  You can turn inward as you stay indoors.  You can let go of your past yet keep it with you to remind yourself of where you’ve been and where you’re going.  Don’t live for or in the future so much that you miss the moments you are in.  Cherish the present as it truly is a gift.

So as my sons can’t resist pizza, I can’t resist putting my thoughts down, pen to paper, or at least the digital version.  I know most think being called Scrooge is an insult.  But think about it.  Think of how the story ends.  I wouldn’t mind being called Scrooge.  Bah humbug-not to anything-it’s just a fun phrase.

 

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Little Social Creatures

December 4, 2011 by pinkpigrulz

The boys and I were shopping today for the presents for the tags we pulled off the tree at the library.  Each tag has a request from a girl or boy for presents.  You return the presents with the tag back to the library and the volunteers deliver them to the children.  As we were walking around the store, my youngest ran into a friend from kindergarten.  The two greeted each other like little men and stood talking as if they were in their 30s and not only six years old.  They caught up on what each one was doing, compared first grade teachers (since they are in different classes this year), and discussed toys they are hoping to receive on December 25th.

As I chatted with the mom, I watched both my sons.  My oldest made small talk with the older sister (she’s in second grade) and gave his brother space to socialize with his friend.  It is so much fun to watch them being the little social creatures they are.  I love watching them as they crawl out of their egocentric cocoon.  We all remain egocentric to some degree, one could argue Maslow’s theories require this, but we branch out as we grow up.

This eight minute exchange in a department store helps them begin to learn social niceties and graces.  Selecting a tag from the tree at the library and giving thought to selecting presents to give to children who are waiting for a happier situation helps them become aware of the world around them.  And today the social niceties also brought a surprise bonus.  The friend and his sister were at the store doing the same thing-picking out presents for the children on the tags they pulled off the tree at the library.

How cool was that…to find being gracious and thoughtful at this time of year for little children who you only know through a tag is cool.  My sons walked away with smiles on their faces.  I walked away with a smile in my heart.

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Friend is only one letter away from fiend.

December 1, 2011 by pinkpigrulz

This evening my oldest son teased his father using a less than flattering phrase he learned from his “friend”.  He apologized to his dad and knew that tomorrow he would be spending the afternoon in his room.  As my son and I discussed why this “friend” may not be the best friend he wants him to be, his younger brother chimed in with the various ways this boy has teased him.  I reminded my oldest that he didn’t stop this friend from being mean to his brother.  I reminded him of his two other friends who have said they didn’t want to play with this boy because he had been mean to them too.  I pointed out that this makes three children who he has been mean to.  It isn’t hearsay, we know this from the actual children.  We discussed again some of the things that this boy has done over the past few months.

This is when my six year old informed me of what the friend’s older brother had called him.  I will not write it here because I believe our country has been working to end racist behavior.  Still, this 12 year old called my six year old a dreadful term.  I know I didn’t teach it to him, yet there my six year old son sat explaining to me what the word means.

This is a lesson I didn’t want them to have to learn this early in their lives.  But, I don’t get to choose when they start learning life lessons.  The oldest took it rather hard when I stated they were not allowed to play with the boys until my husband and I have a chance to discuss how we plan to handle this situation.  Do we sit down the parents and explain the situation to try to figure out where, why, how their oldest came upon the word?  Do we pull back for a while and just let the relationship wither away?  I don’t know yet.  Time will bring me the answer.  Time will hopefully help my oldest realize that sometimes a friend is closer to a fiend.

 

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Beware the moors

November 28, 2011 by pinkpigrulz

I haven’t seen An American Werewolf in London in a few years and, even edited for tv on SyFy, it is an amazing film.  Griffin Dunne is hysterical.  I have adored him since this movie.  Yes, David Naughton is really great, but it’s Griffin as Jack that cracks me up every time.  The visits he pays to David are classic.  The first one in the hospital, eating the toast, he is wonderfully nonchalant.  As the other corpses join him in visiting David, he still remains protective of his friend (see the scene when the corpses are suggesting ways for David to off himself).  The best scene for Jack is in the porno theater.  It’s hysterical that he’s holding this serious conversation with the horribly acted film in the background.

I love how Jack’s corpse keeps rotting throughout the film.  He has a wonderful delivery of lines that could be really cheesy.  “I’m not having a nice time here.”

The film is quite a good horror film…underplayed in many ways yet had ground-breaking special effects and make-up.  Rick Baker completely deserved the Oscar.  The art for the poster/cover was great, very simple and implied great scariness was coming at you. 

The movie delivered with the story, Jack, and David’s amazing transformation to the werewolf.

Now does anyone else think it weird that both Griffin Dunne and David Naughton had someone close to them horrifically killed?  David Naughton was on the show with Pam Dawber (My Sister Sam) with Rebecca Sheaffer and Shaeffer was murdered by a crazed fan.  Griffin Dunne’s sister, Dominique Dunne (oldest sister in Poltergeist), was brutally murdered by her boyfriend.  No, I’m not saying it’s a curse or anything, but it is an incredibly odd connection for the two of them to share.

This is one movie I quote rather often.  “Have you tried talking to a corpse?  It’s boring” is another of Jack’s lines that makes me laugh out loud every time.  “A naked American man stole my balloons” is very challenging to work into conversation, but sometimes it works.  I will leave you with this piece of advice… “Beware the moors, stick to the road.”

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Real reality television involves felt and fur

November 23, 2011 by pinkpigrulz

I was brought back to my childhood today.  I was eight years old, sitting in front of the black and white television set, and singing along.  “It’s time to play the music.  It’s time to light the lights.  It’s time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight.”  Oddly though, this time my eight-year old and six-year-old were sitting with me.  The Muppets was an amazing movie and a truly fun experience. The parents were all chatting about our memories and filled with excitement about seeing our childhood friends again.  The children were excited too, but with a different type of energy.

The theater my sons and I went to was incredible.  It was so old-school and reminded me of the theater I used to go to at the Quaker Bridge Mall.  This one was an AMC 8 and it was great.  We don’t go to movies often because the buildings are too big, there are too many people, and too many cell phones.  This one is only twice as big as the one I grew up going to and still has the same kind of service.  For example, as we sat watching the previews, an usher came in to bring someone the food that wasn’t ready when they were at the counter.  Then during the movie a person turned on her cell phone.  Within thirty seconds an usher was there telling her to turn it off.  Yes-there were ushers in the theater the whole time to monitor.  The audience was well-behaved (parents included!).  It was the magical experience I remember the movies to be from my childhood.  We will be going to this theater regularly.

Then add that the movie was hysterical.  Spoiler alert-I’m about to share details.  If you want to be surprised, I am sad to say it, but stop reading.  Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, the whole gang plus Mickey Rooney!  When Amy Adams says “this is going to be a short movie.”  Traveling by map.  The balcony guys.  Uncle Deadly (I think that’s his name).  Sam the Eagle.  Whoopi, Jack Black, people that I am sure the tween-set will recognize.  The songs were so Muppety.  The humor was the same but with a slight 21st century edge.  The music seemed very Paul Williams-esque.  And yes, I cried as I quietly sang “Rainbow Connection” along with Kermit.   It just felt so 1970s.

I know that some of the Muppeteers didn’t completely like the screenplay.  Let it go.  This brought the Muppets into today and kept their hearts pure.  Even with a wee bit of an edge, the Muppets are still so much sweeter than anything else out there.  It’s something parents and children can really enjoy together.  It’s intelligent humor (okay, Fozzie’s fart shoes don’t quite fall under that category, but it’s FUNNY).  If we want real television, it needs to connect with us emotionally.  These pieces of felt and fur accomplish this with little to no effort. The Muppets connect our entertainment past with our present and future.  The concept of a vaudeville theater and a variety show fully embracing the concept of live theater is wonderful and needed.  Plus we want children to grow up to be accepting of all the different types of people in the world?  Then watch the Muppets!  No judgement anywhere!

The photograph cameos by the late great Jim Henson brought tears to my eyes.  I believe he is smiling as he watches the generation who grew up with the Muppets share a new movie with their children.  My sons have already seen other Muppet movies (Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island are staples in our home).  I would love for the Muppet Show to return to television.  I would love to be able to sit with my sons and laugh with these adorable felty, furry, and fuzzy creatures each week.  Thanks to Jason Segel for bringing them back.  Thanks to Jim Henson for creating them.

Mahna mahna (feel free to substitute Phenomena)

Do doo be-do-do

Mahna mahna

Do do do do

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Here sleep dinosaurs

November 22, 2011 by pinkpigrulz

My eight year old has been a paleontologist since he was about four.  Even more impressive is that he could spell paleontologist since that time as well.  He knows dinosaurs like the back of his hand.  The bedroom is painted with dinosaurs.  So far Mommy-artist has finished the t-rex, volcano, and velociraptor.  The Brachiosaurus has been sketched onto the wall but not painted.  That is a great project for this weekend, just a little note to self.  The other bedroom, which is more of a playroom, has the shark from Jaws and other sea creatures painted on the walls.  Neither room is ever very tidy.

But yesterday when I came home from work the boys proudly showed me they had made their bed and kept the dino room clean all day.  How?  Why?  They got new bedding as an early Christmas gift.  Dinosaur bedding.

Honestly, I think I was more excited than them at first.  I have looked for dinosaur bedding for several years and had only found “baby” or “toddler” stuff, nothing that was “grown up” enough.  This bedding has great dinosaurs, dinosaur tracks on the sheets, and neat stripes on the other side of the reversible comforter.  It looks great with the existing colors of the bedroom, including the curtains (What, the curtains?).   They feel very grown up with their new bedding and triceratops LED night-light.  Who knew it would help motivate them to keep their room tidy?

They also have been enjoying a dvd about dinosaurs that they keep watching over and over again.  But I don’t mind.  It’s narrated by Kenneth Branagh.

My little dinosaur hunters are becoming quite the big boys.

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The Creepiness of Fall

November 18, 2011 by pinkpigrulz

The leaves provide a foley artist soundscape as I am walking around campus.  The crisp leaves crinkle under everyone’s foot steps.  As the trees become more bare, they take on their skeletal appearance.  The branches look like arms of the dead reaching out for something we don’t want to know about.  It’s tolerable during the day.

But at night as I walk my dog, it takes on a darker feel.  The crinkle of the leaves underfoot echoes a bit more.  The random solitary leaf blowing down the road sounds like the feet of a small creature approaching for an attack.  Even my dog lifts up his eyes and searches the road for the origin of the sounds.

The night is crisp tonight.  The cold stars are twinkling down but seem more mysterious with the dark, dark sky surrounding them.  When the moon is full, one would think you would feel more comfort with it shining brightly through the skeletal trees, but in fact the full moon’s glow only creates more shadows, more areas to watch.

But it is the cycle.  As winter closes in, the days will be grayer and the nights will be creepier.  Snow and ice will add to the dark mood of the winter season.

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My universities didn’t have football teams

November 15, 2011 by pinkpigrulz

I went to two universities, neither of which had a football team.  Clearly, I am not one who follows college football.  I have heard bits and pieces of the Penn State mess.  My prayers go out to the victims.  My disgust goes out to the pig and the others who knew but turned away.  My awkwardness goes out to the alums, current students, and future students (especially if it’s a family tradition to go there).  How do you say you are proud of a school that covered up such a scandal, potentially in the name of the powerful football dollar?

No.  I haven’t walked in the Penn State student’s shoes.  But I can write that I am not proud of the fact that I used to be Catholic.  I left the Catholic church in ’83, right after I was confirmed. I haven’t been a part of that church for almost 30 years.  I’m sure they do some good for the church members, the community.  I truly hope and pray there are Catholic churches that haven’t been touched by that scandal.  But since they all listen to the Pope…

I am not proud of the fact that the Catholic church I went to did have one of the priests that helped contribute to the scandal.  He got what amounts to a slap on the wrist.  I shudder to think that I knew altar boys there.  I shudder to think of how their lives were impacted by that priest.  And the church knew.  Just as it seems to be shaping up at Penn State, people knew.  People knew and didn’t do anything.

One thing both of these situations have in common is money.  If there is enough money, it can be covered up.  If there is enough money, turn away.  Pretend you don’t see it.  Part of the reason I left the Catholic church.  I can’t pretend I don’t see things that don’t seem to make sense.  Possibly part of the reason I earned my BFA and MA at schools without football.  I never did get all the hype around football.

Sadly this has probably happened since humans began walking the earth.  We all now know about it instantly because of technology.  We learn about it before all of the facts have been gathered-is there any chance of the actual truth coming out now?  Now that snippets have been released, will memories be tainted?  Will people remember things a bit differently?  Do we know how to process it?  Do we know how to react?  Will we ever figure out how to prevent this from continuing to happen?

Most importantly, how do we help the victims heal and move forward from this?  I will pray for them.  That’s one thing I can do.

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