November 24, 2013

Secondary Character Saturday: Roger Hamley (Wives and Daughters)

By ritalovestowrite

Anthony Howell as Roger Hamley [Image Courtesy: BBC Video]

Anthony Howell as Roger Hamley [Image Courtesy: BBC Video]

WHO: Roger Hamley

FROM: Wives & Daughters

BY: Elizabeth Gaskell

Elizabeth Gaskell, in portrait of 1851 by Geor...

Elizabeth Gaskell, in portrait of 1851 by George Richmond (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

PUBLISHED: 1865

PROS: Earnest, hardworking, intelligent, honorable, ruggedly romantic, humble and handsome, he’s quite the Victorian hero.

CONS: Unfortunately for Roger he is the second son. His older brother Osborne outshines him in pretty much everything (especially expectations) at the beginning of the novel. Osborne  is “…full of tastes” [Chapter 4 of Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell]  has talent, and has grace and refinement in his appearance. He is sweet-tempered and affectionate and does well at school. While Roger was …

clumsy and heavily built, like his father; his face was square, and the expression grave, and rather immobile. He was good, but dull, his schoolmasters said. He won no prizes, but brought home a favourable report of his conduct. When he caressed his mother, she used laughingly to allude to the fable of the lap-dog and the donkey; so thereafter he left off all personal demonstration of affection. [Ibid]

He can’t help being a second son, but there you have it. In a society where the first son will inherit everything, there’s not much our boy Roger can do.  Another CON for Roger (this one he can do something about) is the way he swiftly falls for Cynthia. He’s gobsmacked, head-over-heals in love with this humming-bird of a woman, when we all know he should be falling for Molly!

One of the final pages from the manuscript for...

One of the final pages from the manuscript for Wives and Daughters (The Works of Mrs. Gaskell, Knutsford Edition) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

BEST SHINING MOMENT: His kindness to Molly on her first visit to the Squire’s. Gaskell died before she finished the novel, so we never get to read her intended ending (having Roger return a dried flower to Molly when he proclaims his love just before leaving for a second scientific expedition to Africa.  But if one were to go by The lovely 1999 BBC miniseries of the novel (with Anthony Howell as Roger) I’d say the the best shining moment was the ending…

LEAST SHINING MOMENT: Choosing Cynthia over Molly. D’oh!

WHY I CHOSE ROGER: I’m a sucker for the underdog.

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Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Elizabeth Gaskell, Secondary Character, Thought of the Day

November 22, 2013

Rene Magritte 11.21.13 Thought of the Day

By ritalovestowrite

“Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see.” — Rene Magritte

The Magician Self Portrait With Four Arms [Image courtesy: rene-magritte.net]

The Magician Self Portrait With Four Arms [Image courtesy: rene-magritte.net]

René François-Ghislain Magritte was born on this day in Lessines, Belgium, in 1898. Today is the 115th anniversary of his birth.

He was the eldest of three boys born to  Leopold and Regine Magritte. He liked drawing from an early age and began to take lessons  at 12.  At 14 his world was turned upside down when his mother, who…

suffered from depression… fled to go to throw herself over a bridge, into the river Sambre. A few days later, her body is found floating, her face covered by her nightgown; René… was deeply scarred by the image, which was later going to reappear in some of his works (The Heart of the Matter). [famouspainter.com]

In 1914 he entered the Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels to learn traditional painting techniques.  His “plan was to master these techniques before breaking free of them.” [Ibid] While at the Academy he was influenced by the Futurist, Cubist and Surrealist movements.  Because of the later, “Magritte decided to make each of his painting a visual poem.” [Ibid]

He began to work professionally and by 1927 had joined other Surealist artists (like Salvador Dali) . His first one-man show in Brussels was not a critical success in conservative Brussels, and he moved to Paris.

What set him apart from the other surrealists was his technique of juxtaposing ordinary objects in an extraordinary way; while Dali would “melt” a watch, playing with the consistency of an object (amongst other things), Magritte would leave objects intact, but play with their placement in reality, playing with logic. This technique is sometimes called Magic Realism. [famouspainter.com]

His witty and thought-provoking images and his use of simple graphics and everyday objects”… gave  “new meanings to familiar things.” [Biography.com]

Magritte died in Brussels on August 15th in 1967 at the age of 69.

Gonconda, 1953 [Image courtesy: rene-magritte.net]

Gonconda, 1953 [Image courtesy: rene-magritte.net]

Son of Man [Image courtesy: rene-magritte.net]

Son of Man [Image courtesy: rene-magritte.net]

The Two Lovers [Image courtesy: rene-magritte.net]

The Two Lovers [Image courtesy: rene-magritte.net]

The Month of the Grape Harvest, 1959 [Image courtesy: rene-magritte.net]

The Month of the Grape Harvest, 1959 [Image courtesy: rene-magritte.net]

This is Not an Apple, 1964 [Image courtesy: rene-magritte.net]

This is Not an Apple, 1964 [Image courtesy: rene-magritte.net]

 

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Leave a comment   |  tags: , | posted in Art, postaday, Thought of the Day, Today's Birthday

November 20, 2013

Thinking about Neo the 8″ tall antelope

By ritalovestowrite

Sometimes it seems like nothing but bad news comes across my feed. Even an optimist like myself has to sigh and shrug and give in to the realization that the best one can hope for is that tomorrow will be better.

But this morning I came across something so unimaginably adorable that I forgot all my woes and found myself smiling at the computer screen.  And so, in the name of much-needed cuteness and a gentler world I bring you… Neo the 8″ (20 centimeter)  tall Kirk’s dik-dik antelope.

Neo lives at the Chester Zoo. [Image courtesy: The Examiner]

Neo lives at the Chester Zoo, Upton-by-Chester, England . [Image courtesy: The Independent]

Little Neo weighs in at about 3 pounds (1.3 kgs). He will grow to be about twice as big as he is now. But at about 16″ the Kirk’s dik-dik is the smallest antelope in the world. They are native to “Kenya, Tanzania and Namibia” [Chester Zoo.org] where they live “in a variety of habitats such as woodlands and grassland.” [Ibid] The Chester Zoo has had a dik-dik exhibit for six years.

Unfortunately life has not been easy for month old Neo (he was born 10.10.13). His mother rejected him as she did his eight-month-old sister Aluna. According to Zookeeper Claire McPhee:

“Dik-dik mothers do not always take to their young and unfortunately Neo and his mum didn’t quite hit it off. …But happily his not-so-big sister Aluna … is drawing on her own experiences and is being a real calming influence on him. They spend lots and lots of time in each other’s company and she’s really helping with his development in his crucial early days. …Little Neo is … a little bit shy, nervous and jumpy around other dik diks. But Aluna is dishing out lots of special care and attention and it’s helping him integrate into the wider family group. She’s helping him to settle in nicely and it’s lovely to see.” [Ibid]

Neo and Aluna. [Image courtesy: Chester Zoo.Org]

Neo and Aluna. [Image courtesy: Chester Zoo.Org]

Between socialization tips and confidence boosting lessons form Aluna and hands-on care by the the staff at the Chester Zoo Neo’s prospects look good.

Neo does a fact check [Image courtesy: twimg.com]

Neo is very popular in the Zookeeper’s office.  [Image courtesy: PBS.twimg.com]

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3 Comments   |  tags: , | posted in postaday, Thought of the Day

November 18, 2013

Muffin Monday: Pumpkin Molasses Surprise

By ritalovestowrite

Pumpkin Molasses Surprise Muffins

Finished muffins

Finished muffins

INGREDIENTS:

Muffins:

  • 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
  • 1 cup White Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
  • 1 cup packed Brown Sugar
  • 3 tablespoons Molasses
  • 1/4 cup Oil
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 cup canned Pumpkin
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 3/4 cup Almond Milk

Filling:

  • 8 oz  softened Cream Cheese (I used light Cream Cheese)
  • 1/2 cup White Sugar
  • 1 cup canned Pumpkin

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare 14 muffin cups with cooking spray and a light dusting of flour.

2. Combine the Whole Wheat Flour, the White Flour, the Baking Soda, Salt, Ginger and Nutmeg in a medium bowl.

3. In a large bowl, mix the Brown Sugar, Molasses, Oil and Eggs until smooth. Add 1 cup of of Pumpkin and Vanilla and mix well. Add the Milk and mix well.

4. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and stir until well combined.

5. To make the Filling: Combine the Cream Cheese, White Sugar and remaining Pumpkin from the can (about 1 cup) and mix until smooth.

Partially filled muffins cups on the right and top have batter and filling. The one at the bottom left is complete with a top layer of batter.

Partially filled muffins cups on the right and top have batter and filling. The one at the bottom left is complete with a top layer of batter.

6. Partially fill the 14 muffin cups about 1/2 full of the Muffin batter. Center a generous tablespoon of the Filling in each muffin, top with the second half of the batter. (Be sure to cover all the Filling.)

8. Bake for 20 minutes. Test to see if the muffins are done by employing the toothpick test. The Filling will still be soft, but the muffins should be done.  Let cool completely before eating. (That filling is really hot! Don’t burn yourself == no matter how wonderful they smell right out of the oven.)

The molasses gives these muffins a powerful punch of flavor. The pumpkin/cream cheese filling serves to sweeten and balance the muffins. These would be excellent with some hot tea.

Muffins fresh from the oven.

Muffins fresh from the oven.

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Special thanks for Amy Mc for suggesting the muffin recipe I used for inspiration.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , | posted in Muffin Monday, Muffins, Thought of the Day

November 17, 2013

Secondary Character(s) Saturday: Ariel and Caliban (The Tempest)

By ritalovestowrite

English: Ariel and Caliban

I’m doubling up on Secondary Characters today because I…

  1. JUST got home from seeing the Baltimore Shakespeare Factory’s ensemble version of The Tempest
  2. didn’t manage to get in a post yesterday
  3. can’t decide between Ariel and Caliban
  4. am master of my own island… I mean blog… and can pretty much do as I please.

WHO: Ariel and Caliban

FROM: The Tempest

BY: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

WRITTEN: 1611

PROS:
Ariel– As assistant head mischief maker on the island Ariel shows a can do attitude when it comes to pleasing her* master, Prospero. She’s persistent in asking for her freedom from the magician, and although it’s been 12 years, she’s optimistic enough to think she’ll actually achieve it. She is a creature of the air, a spirit who can disappear and do magic.

Caliban — He’s the island’s true heir apparent. He knows every animal, every cave, every stream. He’s strong.

Ariel (from The Tempest)

Ariel (from The Tempest) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

CONS:
Ariel — She mischievous. Her drive to gain her freedom blinds her to the morality of what she’s instructed to do.

Caliban– He’s different. He’s not as “smart” as his Eurocentric counterparts in the play. He’s ugly. All that makes him a monster, right? He certainly gets called “monster” often enough in the course of the play. Oh, and the powerful white guy wants his land. That’s never good. Sorry, but its hard not to feel compassion for Caliban. 12 years prior to the start of the play Prospero landed on his island and essentially planted a flag on it and started to call himself king. Suddenly Caliban became Prospero’s servant, then slave.  Prospero and Miranda tried to educate Caliban early on, but, beyond learning to speak, it didn’t take.

MOST SHINING MOMENT:
Ariel — The Most Shining Moment goes to Ariel when she wakes up the Prince and Gonzolo just in time for them evade assassination.

Caliban de "La Tempête" de William S...

Caliban de “La Tempête” de William Shakespeare (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

LEAST SHINING MOMENT:
Caliban — The Least Shining Moment goes to Caliban in an offstage moment sometime before the play begins. Back when Prospero and Miranda were still in the “lets educate the monster” stage of their relationship. Caliban misunderstanding the nature of Miranda’s kindness  — he’d only known one other woman, his witch (literally) of a mother — and unable to control his own nascent sexuality tries to rape her. Bad move.

* Although Shakespeare wrote the role of Ariel for male actors, it was played tonight by the lovely and very talented Jenna K. Rossman, a woman. And since every time I’ve seen the show — this is my third time seeing it live — the role has been done with a woman playing Ariel, I’m just going to go ahead and use the feminine pronoun.

Caliban, on the other hand,  is almost always played by a man. This time around he is played by wonderful James Miller.

Rossman and Miller were also in the company’s version of A Mid Summer Night’s Dream this summer.

Prospero is being played by Ian  Blackwell Rogers (He was this summer’s Hamlet), and Miranda is  being played by Kathryn Zoerb (who was Juliet earlier in the season.)

This ensemble production was put together with limited rehearsal time (18 hours) and no director (it is actor driven). To add the Shakespearian experience audience members have the opportunity to rent nerf tomatoes and lob them at the actors should they flub a line (or if they are just really nasty characters.) Given the intimate setting  of the Shakespeare Factory’s home stage at The Great Hall Theatre at St. Mary’s a few flying tomatoes really adds to an already enjoyable show.

The Tempest runs until Nov 24. Click HERE for details on how to get tickets. 

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Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Secondary Character, Shakespeare, Thought of the Day

November 15, 2013

New Flag for an old problem

By ritalovestowrite

Today I created a new flag.

Peace flag

It is my response to the number of Confederate Battle Flags that have cropped up in my county in the last couple of years. It seems odd that a Northern Maryland County (we border Pennsylvania) is suddenly dotted with field colors that last saw legitimate  action in 1865. But I’ve noticed more and more of them on flag poles, hanging in from front porches and in upper story window along the rural route of my daily commute. Its not like there’s one on ever block, but there are too many to be ignored.

The latest one appeared today. It was on private property (I presume) but it was displayed high enough to be seen from the interstate, just before an off ramp. How very welcoming.

The Confederate battle flag, called the “Southern Cross” or the cross of St. Andrew, has been described variously as a proud emblem of Southern heritage and as a shameful reminder of slavery and segregation. In the past, several Southern states flew the Confederate battle flag along with the U.S. and state flags over their statehouses. Others incorporated the controversial symbol into the design of their state flags. The Confederate battle flag has also been appropriated by the Ku Klux Klan and other racist hate groups. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, more than 500 extremist groups use the Southern Cross as one of their symbols. [Infoplease.com]

I ignored them when they first started to appear, then I got embarrassed by them, then I got angry by them. But what could I do?
How could I show the world that I disagree with this symbol synonymous with hate groups? Well, one way to protest a flag is to hang it upside down* but when you hang Ole Dixie upside down… it still looks like Ole Dixie.
rebel flag updown
I needed a response that said I am a peaceful, loving person, and I believe that THAT is the side we should be showing to our neighbors and visitors. That is the side I want to celebrate, and that’s the flag I want welcoming people to my community.

I suspect I’ll get some unhappy responses to this post. Perhaps some one will tell me that flying the Rebel Flag  is part of their Freedom of Speech. I believe strongly in the Freedom of Speech, and I’m glad I live in a country that allows me the right to speak up when I see something that I wrong. (And it is wrong to fly a symbol that is allied with the KKK and more than 500 extremist groups.)

And if you are flying THAT flag to show your appreciation of Southern culture, do us all a favor… get in touch with your inner  Southern gentleman and find another Southern icon to celebrate… Pecan Pie, perhaps.

*(I know … that’s also the way  you show distress,)

4 Comments | posted in Thought of the Day

November 12, 2013

Anne Hathaway 11.12. 13 Thought of the Day

By ritalovestowrite

“No one has ever been able to tell me I couldn’t do something because I was a girl.”–Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway (Photo credit: Horustr4n)

Anne Jacqueline Hathaway  was born on this day in Brooklyn, New York, USA in 1982. She is 31 years old. She is the the middle child to Gerald and Kathleen Hathaway. Her father is a lawer, her mother is a an actress. When Hathaway was six the family moved to Millburn, New Jersey. There she attended the Brooklyn Heights Montessori School, the Wyoming Elementary School. She started acting in earnest while at Millburn High School and at the near by Paper Mill Playhouse. She studied at Vassar then transferred to New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study.

A soprano, Hathaway performed in 1998 and 1999 with the All-Eastern U.S. High School Honors Chorus at Carnegie Hall and has performed in plays at Seton Hall Preparatory School in West Orange, New Jersey. Three days after her 1999 performance at Carnegie Hall, she was cast in the short-lived Fox television series Get Real at the age of 16. [IMBD]

In 2001  she got her big break with the role of awkward duckling turned princess as Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries.

Cover of "The Princess Diaries (Full Scre...

Cover via Amazon

In the last dozen years she has danced on both sides of the line that divides juvenile/young adult (Ella Enchanted, Hoodwinked, The Devil Wears Prada) and mature roles (Brokeback Mountain, Becoming Jane, Rachel Getting Married). Last year she played Selina (aka Cat Woman) in The Dark Knight Rises and Fantine in Les Miserables.

Here’s Hathaway singing I Dream a Dream from Les Miserables…

Anne Hathaway at the 83rd Academy Awards

Anne Hathaway at the 83rd Academy Awards (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Leave a comment   |  tags: | posted in Anne Hathaway, postaday, Thought of the Day, Today's Birthday

November 12, 2013

Versatile Blogger Award

By ritalovestowrite
The Versatile Blogger Award

The Versatile Blogger Award (Photo credit: nhighberg)

WOW!  Thanks  Rachel at Sunset Boulevard for nominating me for a Versatile Blogger Award! I really appreciate it!

The rules for the Versatile Blogger Award are as follows:
  1. Display the Award on your Blog. (There it is over on the right)
  2. Announce your win/nom/nod with a post and thank the Blogger who nominated you.
  3. Present 15 deserving Bloggers with the Award.
  4. Link your nominees in the post and let them know of their nomination with a comment.
  5. Post 7 interesting things about yourself.

I’d like to share the love by nominating the following blogs:

  1. emmanonymous
  2. Just Nice Stuff
  3. Books at Middlemay Farm
  4. clotildajamcracker
  5. transcendingbordersblog
  6. Texana’s Kitchen
  7. sethsnap
  8. Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast
  9. The Literary Workshop Blog
  10. Peter Galen Massey’s Book Blog
  11. Gunsmoke and Knitting
  12. The Daily Post
  13. Bucket List Publications
  14. Recipes and Raised Beds
  15. Viewfromtheside’s Blog

Seven “Interesting” things about me…

  1. I do a variety of fun stuff for my real job, including… designing book covers (paper and e-book) and teaching voice at a local performing arts studio.
  2. I really do NOT like mice — dead or scurrying — in my house. (A problem this time of  year when one lives in the country.)
  3. I have the sweetest little cockapoo dog… most of the time.
  4. I sing, play guitar, bass, and ukulele. (Just got the uke and I love it.)
  5. Fall is my favorite season of the year.
  6. I want to go to England and Ireland and do a Lit tour of all the places in my favorite books, and of all the houses where my favorite authors lived.
  7. I am having a difficult time finding seven things that are remotely interesting about myself. (At least things that wouldn’t give spammers or hackers vital secrets about me that might help them break decode my most illusive passwords and security questions.)

Congrats to the 15 bloggers I’ve nominated. I’ve tried to choose folks who I have nominated for other awards. It was hard to choose just 15 from all the awesome blogs I follow, because I really want to say GREAT JOB EVERYBODY!

 

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4 Comments   |  tags: , | posted in Thought of the Day

November 11, 2013

Muffin Monday: Apple Cranberry Walnut Muffins

By ritalovestowrite
Cranberry Apple Walnut Muffins

Cranberry Apple Walnut Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • 3/4 cup Sugar
  • 1/4 Vegetable Oil
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 cup finely diced Apple
  • 1 cup chopped Cranberries
  • 3/4 cup chopped Walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prep muffin cups with baking spray.

2. In a large bowl mix the Whole Wheat Flour, Baking Soda and Pumpkin Pie Spice.

3. In a blender puree the Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Eggs, Vanilla Extract, Apples & Cranberries.

4. Mix the liquid into the dry ingredients until smooth.

5. Add the Walnuts.

6. Divide the batter evenly  into 12 muffin cups.

7. Bake for 20 minutes until muffins are golden brown and pass the toothpick test.

8. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before enjoying.

Cranberry Apple Walnut Muffins fresh from the oven.

Cranberry Apple Walnut Muffins fresh from the oven.

I like the bit of crunch from the walnuts. These are moderately sweet and yummy.

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5 Comments   |  tags: | posted in Cooking, Muffin Monday, Muffins, postaday, Thought of the Day