Friday, December 9, 2011

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Slap, dash, go.

oh oh oh




lOL. Irony.


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Thursday, December 8, 2011

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And because the night can be long.





For David



Where are you? How are you? Did you marry? Have a family? I hope that whatever your fate was that it it's a happy one. And if it's not happy? I hope that the road brings you back here to us.

And because I found it but just not now.





Until then?



Love,

Ann

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I dearly love talking to Pup.






Next post? Convo about Martha Graham, Master Moy (108 Taoist Tai Chi moments), Mummenschanz, the Modern Dance movement, and the Muppets.

LOL

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On the homeward stretch of tai chi's 108 movements.




As I've been practicing the kick sequence in the middle of the tai chi form, it has me thinking of the dances choreographed by Martha Graham. Was talking to Pup about it tonight. We looked up Lamentations by Martha Graham and found the following video of Ms. Graham dancing. A friend, who used to dance, was telling me about Martha Graham and the dance movement she help found. Apparently there are movements in modern dance and a dance philosophy in general that are unique to this dance form. Even the contraction and stretch within the movement is different.

Here's the YouTube of Ms.Graham dancing her original work, Lamentations. It's the first time I've seen here dance. I've seen photographs of here dancing and I've seen others recreate her work, but actually seeing her dance is a treat.

I'm saving this series of videos for later conversation with Pup. I really do wish that Billy were here to talk to Pup about dance and about Ms Graham. Plus I'd love for Pup to talk to Billy. I used to love to talk to him because we would pull from all kinds of ideas in order to understand a process. Pup does it too. If a movement of an atom would express and idea in dance? Both of them would use it to illustrate the point.




This is supposed to be Martha Graham dancing and not someone recreating her work.

If you aren't familiar with her work, Martha Graham was one of the founders of the Modern Dance movement. It's apparently unique with it's own dance theory. Supposed to be different than ballet.

Anyway the kick sequence in the second part of the tai chi form is very much like Martha Graham to my eye.

Who came first? I'm thinking it would be Tai Chi. Would love to ask Ms Graham if she was aware of the TaiChi movements. Hopefully someone did ask.

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G'night, We're actually feeling much better here.

Hugs,
Ann

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Was talking to Pup about the similarities between Martha Graham and Master Moy's 108 Tai Chi kick sequence. He mentioned seeing the dance group Mummenschanz on the DVD of the first season of The Muppet Show. Off we went to YouTube. Sure enough there are similarities.



Which led us to this video by Mummenschanz



.Pup's quick.

I wish Billy were alive to talk to Pup. He'd have had much to say and Pup would have had much to share in the conversation. Now I wish that I could have Master Moy, Martha Graham, the folks from Mummenschanz, Billy, Pup, WB, and myself in the same room to talk about influences in movement and dance.

Sigh. T'would be a good conversation.

Got to go. Sleep for me and Pup needs the computer. BBL


Don't you just love YouTube.

I'm getting that "time to sleep" feeling.

.Back later.

Ann

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We're in the middle of a cough and cold hurricane.  Honest to mercy, I'm leaking fluids or coughing them up from all bodily orifices.

It's not pretty to have tissue stuffed  up your nose because the cough meds quit working and the next dose hasn't started.yet.

So far?

I've yelled at the dog, yelled at Pup, yelled at WB, and whined at the LLShow about how bad I feel.
 (LOL Like Craig Ferguson could actually hear me.)

Last night I was particularly fuzzy and missed Trace Adkins sing Million Dollar View.

Heck, and heck again.

When I went looking I found the song, I found this one instead.

So I'm posting it instead.

But that's not the point of this post.

The point is that I've been a bit under the weather and very cranky. Add to this that Pup is also under the weather and cranky and you have alot of cranky.

At the moment he's declining my offer to make hot cocoa and is suggesting I go back to bed.



Good idea.

But

That's not why I'm posting this AM.

Nope.

I'm posting about someone who's working hard this AM and is by all the signs, fixin' to get sick too.

This is for WB.


You're welcome WB.

Thank you for rubbing my back, getting us chicken soup, getting us tissues and thermometers and cough medicine.

Yes, we are VERY fond or the NyQuil and that Mucinex stuff is great.

I'm grateful for the gallons of ginger ale and orange juice so that we can keep hydrated.

And when I can keep my eyes open?

Thank you for the books and the videos.

But mostly thank you for hugging our viral infested necks and saying, "Hang in there. You're going to get better soon." knowing that at any minute we could sneeze and expose you to our cold and cough germs.

Still you hugged our necks.

And now you're sneezing.

Yes, we will try to take good care of you while you are sick.
Yes, you can whine about it.
Yes, we will buy you the name brand tissues with the aloe and lotion in it so that our noses don't look like Rudolph the Reindeer.

And, no, we won't make seasonal comments if your nose turns red.

Instead?

(If we can. Hey, we are still sick ourselves.)

We will plump your pillows.
We will bring you juice.
We will make you chicken soup.
We will even put your "...cootie infested, used tissues..." into the waste basket when they land on the floor because you are just to weak to throw it with accuracy.

We will understand that just throwing it in any random direction is indeed a Herculean effort worthy of understanding.

And, WB, yes, we will put extra salt into the "healthy" chicken soup because, yes, we agree that when you have a cold stuff already tastes bad. You need the extra salt.


Your welcome for putting the towels on the windows of your car last night.
I'm glad that you didn't have to clean frost off of your windows.

No, I didn't have a problem going out in the cold to do it. I was feeling feverish at the time. Needed the cold air.

And WB?

After staying up late to rub my back and get us all settled in?

It was the least I could do.




Hugs, WB.

Don't get too sick and hurry up and get well. We've got places to go and lots to do. Having fun and an adventure is an art. And this hear Slacker is a master of the art. While I might not have to go anywhere to see a "million dollar view"? I'm certainly going to. Will be glad to have the company on the trip.

Oh and WB? One more thing.

That guy on tv may be funny and good looking, but you?

You really are a "million dollar view".





Here's that Trace Adkins song.



Wednesday, December 7, 2011

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My head knows reality.

But my heart? 

My heart knows faith.





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Today a young man is laid to rest.


In the arms of the Earth his body will lie.

Each day he will become more and more a part of the land.


While above his mother and father will walk the Earth asking,

"Is love alive?"


He was 17.


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A long time ago in a different place and time, my love and I waited for a son to be born.  It was a terrible struggle to get him here but come he did.  When we held him crying, we told him that it would be okay. We were there to help him. There to keep him safe.

I feel asleep believing this.

Then I woke up.



His life was brief but his lesson is with me always.


It was the reason why I stopped to ask,


"How can I help?"


We are the family of man.


The universe is vast.


Our boat is so small.


"Is Love alive?"


I think so.



So to the mother and to the father who I met on that cold road?

This day your kind son and my son are playing in Heaven.

They feel no pain.

There, they are spared the troubles of this world.


In the arms of the angels, their days are sunny and kind.

While we struggle here with the dark of the world wondering if we are good enough for Heaven?

They were spared that struggle.

God, seeing this extrodinary kindness in them, spared them the pain of this world.

He took them home.


Be kind to one another and have faith.


We will all be together someday.


Is love alive?

Yes.

I know that it is.
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Hugs,

Ann


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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

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Rise up. Rise up 'Bama Nation.


Time for football domination.






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"I keep readin' about how Alabama doesn't deserve to play in the BCS bowl.

It's got me wondering.

If they're so bad and you're so good?

How come ya'll ain't playin' ? "


- quote, unknown
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19 days until Christmas.

26 days until the New Year

33 days until the BCS Bowl


Priorities, people you've got to have your priorities.





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My daddy asked me
When I was three
"Can you? Will you? Be tougher'n me?"






This game is the one that giants play on any Saturday all over. From the Cascade Mountains to the Florida swamps to the Cali streets to mid west farmers. All tribes of one school or another.  All claiming bragging rights and flying colors. The people who play? They be giants. The fans? Tougher than nails.


Football in the deep south is different. Tougher because the fans are tough. They build ships that cross oceans and outter space. They work oil rigs in some of the harshest conditions.. Life gives them little but they make it fierce. Their champions have to be tougher than the rest because their fans are.  They play hard because they live and love life hard.  That's what I hope will come to this game between LSU and 'Bama. Play hard.  Show the rest of the football tribes just what football is about and why you are there.

Because you are the best. 





Cut from the Earth.
Baked by the Sun.
Hurricane and tornado.
Instead of blood.
Bayou or back woods?
Giants all.

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