The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
I’m not ashamed to admit that books were my first friends (after ‘Love’ my stuffed bunny).
If you are a book lover, a story collector, a dreamer– let it load, make a cup of tea and take a timeout this weekend to watch this touching short by author/ illustrator William Joyce and Co-director Brandon Oldenburg.
This is cutting edge tech stuff, creative beyond WOW. It made me tear up too.
“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” is one of five animated short films that will be considered for outstanding film achievements of 2011 in the 84th Academy Awards ®.
The Birthright
The Birthright
We who were born
In country places,
Far from cities
And shifting faces,
We have a birthright
No man can sell,
And a secret joy
No man can tell.
For we are kindred
To lordly things,
The wild duck’s flight
And the white owl’s wings;
To pike and salmon,
To bull and horse,
The curlew’s cry
And the smell of gorse.
Pride of trees,
Swiftness of streams,
Magic of frost
Have shaped our dreams:
No baser vision
Their spirit fills
Who walk by right
On the naked hills.
– Eiluned Lewis
photo taken in the backyard last week
Winter Essence-
Tender musical arrangements by pianist Sherry Klinedinst paired with the elegant eye of my friend, photographer Wendy Kaveney.
Happy New Year and very best wishes to my wonderful subscribers, xoxoxo.
Mother’s Song
it’s quiet in the house so quiet
outside the snowstorm wails
the dogs curl up noses under their tails
my little son sleeps on his back
his mouth open
his belly rises and falls
breathing
is it strange if I cry for joy?
Anonymous (19th century), translated from the Inuit
Stephen Berg/Translator
Artwork by Janet Kigusiuq
Extraordinary Christmas Greetings
I’ve been keeping this one for you–it’s like giving a gift purchased early in the year that you finally get to share.
Thank you for your subscriptions, support and warm wishes this year!
Love, xoxo Sofi
Embrace Your Inner Potbelly
A few weeks ago I made a panel out of trimmings from a laurel hedge we took out in the back yard. I wove the thinner branches together using colorful recycled textiles t-shirts, panties and sweats as ties. I imagined the happy stuff I could hang off of it for the visual edification of the neighborhood. That’s art in process for you.
Chewie helps out
Then I stumbled over Chewbacca, the new puppy, in the kitchen. It felt like I yanked the bone out of the socket on my right hip. The side with the grandma-bursitis thing going on.
All plans artistic and mundane went away and I was icing my hip on the kitchen floor. The pain was stunning. The rest of the day I hobbled about with a cane. A cane! And HEY what about my panel?
Anyone at any age can injure themselves by tripping over a dog. But the bursitis moved this into a new realm for me because I didn’t have bursitis in my 30′s or 40′s. This was an aging issue. I had no control over it. At all.
Since starting ‘The Art of Aging’ project I’ve noticed a growing number of women online proclaiming that you can control a lot of how you age. You just have to:
- zumba your booty/run a bazillion miles every week/ pump iron/do pilates
- frequently practice yoga/find your inner empowered enlightened self love place
- assemble a chic n’ snappy 50+ fashionista wardrobe
- eat PILES of fresh fruits and veggies, organic of course
- stay away from butter, gluten & alcohol– yadda yadda
- have the money, health care and leisure time available to all or most of the above
Gosh being a shining role model of ‘aging well’ takes A LOT of work! Been there, done that.
But then you take a fall, maybe break a hip. Develop a chronic condition that is never going to get better. Gain 20+ pounds. Lose a tooth. Have to adapt to living on a very low income.
Is it dumb luck and/or a privilege to be able to ‘age well’ ?
I dunno, so WHEW why not kick back, take more naps and butter that roll?
Hey I feel a new movement coming on:
Thanksgiving gratitude from my neighborhood
‘Brother Benoît and the Grand Organ’ by Michael Dufourd
Brother Benoît is a lowly member of a religious community somewhere in France (but you don’t need to speak the language to understand this animation – no words are spoken as such). He is given all of the menial work to do. One day the head of the community tells him to clean the grand organ in the church which is a vast task. Fortunately he has the help of a half witted hen which wanders in to the church – so all is not lost!
This is a treat – and it is no wonder that Frère Benoît et les Grandes Orgues (to give it its original French name) won the Audience Award at the Soleure film festival in 2010. It is directed and designed by Michel Dufourd and produced by Nadasdy Films. If you are a fan of 2001: A Space Odyssey, hang on in there till the very end!
Thank you to Kuriositas
“Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.” — Camille Pissarro
Betty Boop’s Halloween Party & The Skeleton Dance
Betty’s pumpkin carving process is inspired-
Imagine the early cartoonists dancing around the studio, sketching each other’s movements for this 1929 Disney short-
Remembering: Grandma would have put this on the fridge
I want to share this as we conclude Breast Cancer Awareness Month-
This is a photo of my Grandmother holding the hand of her first of seven grandchildren. It was taken in the early sixties; that’s me.
I remember the softness of her shoulder under the starched sleeve of her dress as we swung on the porch swing by the river. The firm grip of her hand and commanding tone of her voice as I wandered too close to the edge of the same river.
I remember going through her jewelry box and playing with a matching set of poodle pins with green rhinestone eyes. Learning to look-but-not-touch her collection of porcelain figurines with names important to her that I didn’t know yet; Dresden, Royal Doulton, Meissen, Hummel.
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