Friday this and that . . .

 

You'll never guess what I did last evening. Never in a million years. I sat down with Todd and we watched Bambi on the new Disney Film channel.  I had seen bits and pieces through the years, but . . . last night was the very first time I ever watched it from beginning to end in it's entirety!   I know!   That's so amazing.  How does someone get to the age of 57 never having seen Bambi?   Well, I am here to tell you it does happen!

I thought it was just wonderful, of course!  They just don't make films like this for children anymore.    I miss the look of old cartoons.   Nowadays they have all of this computer animation and it's just not the same . . . I love the old stuff.  Of course Disney was before his time and that is why his cartoon films are ageless.   Bambi was made in 1942.   Todd was only 4 years old and I was not even a twinkle in my father's eye, my father having been only 9 years old.



I loved that it was full of little lessons that were not only good for children to learn but also adults.     If you can't say nothing good is a maxim we should ALL follow! I loved that Bambi's first word was  . . . . B B B Bird, and the innocence of children which was portrayed in such a moving and touching way.   I loved the musical score in it.  Walt Disney was always able to use music in a marvelous way to create emotion . . . I loved the way the seasons were portrayed so beautifully.   I expect that children learned a lot about nature and how it works from watching this film.   I love that about it too . . . it wasn't smutty in any way, no swearing . . . the only violence being the spring Rut between Bambi and his rival for Faline's affections . . . and  the hunters of course.   I cried when his mother died. 

I know . . . I am an old softie.



When I was a little girl I used to dream about going to Disney Land in California.    Our next door neighbors had been . . . I knew that to be true because they had a decal from Disney Land on the back window of their station wagon.   Their name was Stutsky.   I spent lots of time poring over the decals on their car window and thinking about all of the places they had been, and dreaming that one day I could go to some of these places too.

I always wanted to be a world traveler . . .  I wanted to see things the world's largest ball of string . . . and donuts you could drive through.   Ice cream places that looked like big ice cream cones.   Water towers shaped like cobs of corn, peaches and . . . strawberries . . . the world's largest chair.



The closest thing I've ever seen of anything at all like that is this enormous Potato Man in Maugerville, New Brunswick, Canada . . . just outside of Fredericton on the old 105 highway.   We used to pass it each time we traveled from Nova Scotia to my Grandmother's place in Northern Quebec.  I remember being quite fascinated by it, and the sense of familiarity I got from seeing it each time after that very first time.   It was the same sense of familiarity that I got from seeing it as an adult when my family and I moved to a small town outside of Fredericton many, many years later.   I expect now that they have changed the way the Trans Canada Highway moves past Fredericton nobody gets to see it at all anymore as Maugerville is completely by-passed.    To see the big Potato Man would take a detour off the main route . . . but then again, things like this should be detours off the main route.    One should have to make a deliberate effort to see them . . . don't you think?   That serves to lift them out of the realm of every day and into the specter of special.

Just my opinion of course.



I am a great believer in dreams coming true however . . . and have seen many of my own come true through the years.   I have no doubt that before I die I will have the opportunity to see Disney Land, even if it is only Disney Land Paris.   I may even yet see the World's Biggest Ball of String!   I believe in never giving up!

Another dull day today with more rain.   You must have April Showers though . . . if you are to enjoy May Flowers!

We got my suitcase out of the shed yesterday.  I am airing it out as it smells a bit musty.  Things often do when they are tucked away like that.  It is hard to believe less than a week and I will be at my mom's.   She seemed quite excited to see me the last time we spoke, and I am excited to be seeing her.

 

I will miss Todd and Mitzie though . . . and my daily writings to you of course, and your sweet comments.    I hope to be able to go to Tim Hortons though and sign up to WiFi there and update my Facebook from time to time, so if you want to keep up with my doings on, you need to check me out on Facebook.

I spent about 2 hours yesterday weeding out my e-mails.  I don't know why I do it, but I save e-mails that I hope to reply to, always planning of course . . . that I am going to reply to them within 24 hours . . . more often than not I don't get to it . . . and then my e-mail box grows and grows until yesterday I had almost 3000 in it.    I got it down to less than 200, but it is painstaking work.   I don't know why I do this . . . but it is nothing new.  I end up having to do the same thing each time I go away.   Todd just shakes his head because he never has more then 2 or 3 e-mails in his inbox.  I just think . . . how boring!

But that is me . . . this is probably the same reason I have a bazillion cookbooks, multiple blogs, and am never content with just picking up one bar of chocolate.    I seem to do everything in excess!   Perhaps I need to work on that . . .


A thought to carry with you through today . . .

Every day of life is a dark night.   No one knows what will happen in the next moment, and yet people still go forward.  Because they trust.   Because they have faith.
~Brida (Paulo Coelho)

 

Cooking in The English Kitchen today . . . Beef and Beans.   The most delicious casserole you could ever eat.   Seriously.

Have a wonderful Friday!   Now how did THAT happen!   This week went so fast!