Profilo di EvelynEvelyn Wallace -The Cast...FotoBlogElenchiAltro  |  Strumenti Guida |
|
25 febbraio How Did You Die ?Did you tackle that trouble that came your way
With a resolute heart and cheerful ?
Or hide your face from the light of day
With craven soul and fearful ?
Oh, a trouble's a ton, or a trouble's an ounce,
Or a trouble is what you make it.
And it isn't the fact that you're hurt that counts,
But only how did you take it ?
You are beaten to earth? Well, well, what's that ?
Come up with a smiling face.
It's nothing against you to fall down flat,
But to lie there- that's disgrace.
The harder you're thrown, why the higher you bounce;
Be proud of your blackened eye !
It isn't the fact that you're licked that counts,
It's how did you fight, and why.
And though you be done to death, what then ?
If you battled the best you could ;
If you played your part in the world of men,
Why, the critic will call it good.
Death comes with a crawl, or it comes with a pounce,
And whether he's slow or spry,
It isn't the fact that you're dead that counts,
But only, how did you die ?
from Impertinent Papers
By Edwin Vance Cooke (1866-1932)
21 febbraio A Godly Quest for Equal Rights Zelophehad, of the tribe of Manasseh had five daughters and no sons. Their names were: Mahlah which means "sickness or "disease", Noah, meaning "rest" or "comfort", Hoglah, meaning "partridge" or "boxer", Milcah, meaning "queen" or "counsel" and Tirzah, which means "pleasantness." If we accept these women's names as pictures of their abilities, natures, or the adversities they had to overcome, we see all the qualities necessary for the tenacity, tact, courage, wisdom and grace they needed to request- and receive- an inheritance for themselves. Their presentation of their case to Moses and the leaders of Israel when the land was being divided to the tribes, is the Bible's first instance of an appeal for equal rights for women. The power of their example is in their wisdom of trusting God to see that they were not denied. All five daughters manifest a balance between a spirit of confrontation and a spirit of cooperation. The former is illustrated by their attack on injustice and the latter by their compliance with the elder's decision ( Numbers 36: 2-12) that they should marry within their tribe God defended them when they allowed Him to be their deliverer/provider. They reveal a contemporary pathway to overcoming inequality while sustaining a Godly spirit.
From the Spirit-Filled Life Bible Numbers 27:1-11
Sending out hugs and kisses in equal portions to everybody!
The Castle Lady  14 febbraio His Heart~Son Coeur~Suo Cuore~Seine Herz
His heart broke open and all the tears that had been hidden inside it spilled out
like thousands of tiny stars.
His heart must have been sadder than he suspected because it cried and cried 'til
he floated out the door and away on a river of his tears.
Son coeur ouvert d'un coup sec et tous les larmes sur lequel se cachet
dedans re'pande'e dehors comme des milliers des'tites e'toiles.
Son coeur peux e'te' plus s'attriste'e donc il s'imagine'e parce que
le coeur pleure' et pleure' jusqu'il flotte' dehors
le porte et au loin fond de la rue sur une rivie're des son larmes.
Il suo cuore forzare e' tutto le lacrime nascosta dentro spandi
come milli piccoli stelle. Il cuore dove essere triste di piu il
sospetti perche il piange e piange finche' natante andar
fuori di porta e lontano di castello farsi strada con uno fiume di suo lacrimi.
Seine herz in Traenen ausbrechen und alles die Traenen damit verbergen
innenseite vergiesst aus so tausendfach um winzig sternen.
Seine herz es warr mehr traurig sein als verdactig ihr weil
schreien und schreien bis getragen aussen Torweg,
niederweg stromabwerts die strasse um seine traenen.
Art below and original text in English by Mary Englebreit
From The Castle Lady with love, kisses, hugs and Valentines for all !
 Never fall in love with someone you can't afford to lose. -Ashleigh Brilliant
 Congrats to the Nuggets on their win over the Celtics ! 13 febbraio The Castle of SandThis poem was written by an Asian poet with the anglicized name of Kanon. I found it on
the internet by chance and felt that this would be a wonderful poem to present to my reading public.
I have corrected and changed some of the words around for clarity and hope that Kanon won't mind-
it was such a beautiful poem I couldn't resist. Enjoy! -The Castle Lady
From burning sun, there is a white and burning sky
The horizon reflects, waveringly in my eyes
The growing sun is filling up the sky and a ripple spreads, far away, just like the sea.
You make me come to the leeward with no words. Your shadow covers me
from white sun and burned sands. I burn to speak because I want to tell you...
but the sound of the sands drown out the speech of my thoughts.
A castle of sand, a hand reaching out to receive, but I push it away.
I'm not sure of what I want.
The castle of sand was so fragile. After I built it, it disappeared.
Now the sun glares, the light spreads out through my fingers
I hear the wind singing almost like a whisper- "built and disappeared."
The wind has stopped blowing heat from the glowing sky
Your hemp robe shines in contrast to all the colors surrounding us
And as the sun goes down to orange burst, silence fills up the sea like midnight.
Cold night sky. We're waiting for the sunrise with hands on the ground
and rebuild the sand castle with our fingers.
It's fragile and uncertain and the wind blows heavy on it.
Now it is surely here. My proof.
In every real man, a child is hidden that wants to play. - Nietzsche
07 febbraio Blenheim Palace and the Churchill FamilyToday I'm taking another opportunity to do a quick book review cum castle entry before I give you Northumberland in all its splendor and we head for the East Midlands then Wales (in two parts- North and South) before South England and beyond....
: A Personal Portrait
by Henrietta Spencer-Churchill
publ by Rizzoli
Very seldom does one have the opportunity to read personal memoirs from royalty and dignitaries. These rare glimpses into a life most people will never truly fathom gives us that chance. Blenheim Palace and the Churchill Family does that and then gives more. The author who spent a good portion of her childhood living at the World Heritage site, Blenheim, gives us an honest portrait of history and doesn't bore us but makes it entertaining and even makes one feel better that we live on the outside of the palace rather than in the pressure cooker it can be on the inside.
I am not going to spoil the reading of the book for you here by giving out too many details but I was very intrigued by an interview that she gave to W magazine in October of 2005 after this book was published because her answers and manner were so matter-of-fact and down-to-earth. Now for a little bit of the history....
After John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough and military commander in chief, exacted a victory in battle against Louis XIV at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704, Queen Anne had Blenheim Palace built for him from 1705-1722 on 2,100 acres where the manor of Woodstock had previously sat in Oxfordshire, eight miles northwest of Oxford. This collaborative effort of Sir John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor was built as England's answer to Versailles. Financial dilemmas created delays but did not completely forestall it's building and today it is complete. Based on the gardens and parkland alone, this is true, and although it is classical architecture in Baroque styling - not a single exterior shows any sedate side. Is it a Baroque palace laid out classically or Classical architecture with mostly English Baroque features? I'll let you decide.
The palace parkland is the result of many centuries of the best in landscaping providing this palace with a picturesque setting unmatched for beauty. Of the original work which was done by Queen Anne's gardener, Henry Wise, only the walled garden remains but work which was laid down by "Capability" Brown dominates the stunningly magnificent landscaping and placements. Dating from 1764, the lake, parkland and all gardens were laid out by Lancelot Brown and he kept most of the heroic monuments set down for John Churchill. In 1892 the Mermaid Fountain in the Italian garden by the east gate entrance was sculpted by the United States Sculptor, Waldo Story. In the 1920s, Achille Duchene added the Water Terrace Gardens which are situated close to the Long Library and Chapel adding the "Versailles" touch. In more recent years the Pleasure Gardens complex has been added to and developed into an adventure playground which includes the Marlborough Maze, Herb Garden, children's playground, Butterfly House and putting greens !
There are other exterior surprises such as the Grand Bridge, which leads into the Great Court. This was the work of Vanbrugh and besides its beauty and prodigious span actually contains rooms within its structure ! Then, of course, the interior which shows off miraculous baroque gilded state rooms, the lofty Great Hall, Long Library (featuring stucco ceiling by Isaac Mansfield), the frescoed Saloon Parlor are complimentary to the collection of fine paintings, bronzes and famous Marlborough Victories tapestries within the Long Library. This was also, of course, the birthplace of Winston Churchill ( he was a nephew of the 8th Duke) and there is a five-room exhibition which includes his birth room. (His own personal home, Chartwell in Kent pales by comparison, although he preferred living at Chartwell to almost any place in the world according to his own words!)
Amidst this splendor Henrietta, who was the eldest daughter of the current (11th) Duke, and her younger brother James worked in the gift shops (there are five) and in food service ( it has two restaurants and two cafes in the eastern portion). She is an interior designer by trade and I'm sure she had a lot of inspiration roaming the halls of Blenheim and seeing portraits and ceiling paintings of the family throughout its grand array of rooms!
Her book reads like a British soap opera like that of Upstairs, Downstairs or Coronation Street . The beauty of it is that it's all true. Since 1722 paying the bills on such an estate has been a continuing family struggle but she seems to take it in stride where the average person might have thrown up their hands in resignation long ago. In her own words, " People automatically assume you have lots of money. My siblings and I all work because we have to, and as a family we all help to maintain Blenheim."
But Henrietta, true to her family's most honest inclinations, works in London complete with an office and spends weekends- not in the Palace itself like her father- living in a farmhouse on the estate. It's a more sacrificial lifestyle than most people would imagine for someone who owns such an estate but Henrietta most likely sees the history even in her own experiences. This woman grew up with Christina Onassis as a step-sister (Tina Livanos her mother was the second wife of Henrietta's father) and her great-grandmother was Consuelo Vanderbilt, after all.
She and her grown sons, David and Max (both in their 20s) still spend Christmases inside the palace.
" The house needs to be lived in, " says Spencer-Churchill, " And today it's very much a family home".
Blenheim Palace was opened to visitors as early as 1856 and today also offers not only tours but merchandise such as Blenheim Natural Mineral Water and is basically a daytrip extraordinaire for castle ( and architecture ) enthusiasts like myself. Blenheim came after the battle being a monument to a battle. Restoration and maintenance are the challenges that faced this edifice from the beginning. With heiresses like Henrietta the battle of preserving history and legacy will continue to be won.
A votre sante' !
Look for more photos of Blenheim in the new Oxfordshire photo album.
 04 febbraio A Castle in the Backyard~ A book review The Dream of a House in France
by Betsy Draine and Michael Hinden
pub. by The University of Wisconsin Press
ISBN 0-299-17940-0
If you've been dreaming of what it would be like to live in a European castle, Betsy and Michael's memoir about their experience in purchasing a summer home- next door to a real castle- is sure to please and inform you. This lively pair of American university professors made their wildest fantasy become a reality back in 1985. In this book their adventurous quest isn't easy and they navigate the difficulties and overcome minor misunderstandings with aplomb, a lot of humor and an adventurous spirit.
By reading their story you will come to understand some of the differences in buying real estate in France, such as making a bid for properties and avant-contrat (a preliminary agreement prior to the actual sell.) After resolving to buy a castle, Michael purchases a wonderful paperback book, "Achetez Votre Maison Sans Surprises",( lit. Purchase Your House Without Surprises ) which aids them in understanding the ins and outs of purchasing and recognizing disrepair of a home or property in France.
The area of France they choose would make any castle enthusiast green with envy. This is the Dordogne region, just south of Sarlat, a bustling medieval town. At the Chateau de Castelnaud, a savvy real estate broker, who just happens to become their "next door neighbor", shows them the castle of their dreams and they both fall madly in love with their 'second home'.
A description of Aveyron, given early in the book gives an account of "castle valley", an area of southwest France long unknown by tourists. This vista boasts castle neighbors on every mountain-top in the area. No less than five massive storybook castles, in plain view, grace this lovely, rugged terrain and there are more castles close by, such as the renaissance Chateau des Milandes, built and owned by Josephine Baker, in the nineteen-fifties.
What follows their purchase of a home within the castle walls are the accounts of how the couple learn about the customs of the region, absorb the rich Perigord culture and have one adventure after another each summer when they return to their home at the castle ! You will come to know these wonderful people who have lived all their lives in this part of France and how they embrace their neighbors as "les Americans". Delightful from start to finish and packed with useful information, this book should be read thoroughly before purchasing your property in France.
A vos desirs, The Castle Lady !
Bon appetit ! |
|
|
%3a+febbraio+2008&referrer=){kind=small}
