Saturday, January 17, 2009

Here and there

This'll be one of those 'scattered' types of posts. Have some things scheduled for this weekend that will definitely interfere with my "Goldenrod's thoughts" time. I promise to fill you in later, OK?


Dances with Wolves ...

I was lucky enough to view this movie in its entirety a week or so ago. I had only seen it once before, and was thrilled to have the opportunity to watch it again.

The title of the movie was taken from the following scene ...



I spent considerable time viewing various YouTube clips that included the actual soundtrack, and chose this one to share with you because of the accompanying video. Enjoy!




Etymology ...

Have you ever wondered where your first name originally came from? How common it is? Is it being or has it been used by both genders? Dates with your name? (In Hungarian, mine is October 14th ... Estonian, August 18th. Never knew such a thing even existed!) Websites using your first name?

Well, wonder no longer. This site should provide you with a few moments of interest if not downright entertainment.

Now, I always knew that my first name came from Greek mythology. And, I knew that my mother named me either after one of her best friends or a favorite aunt - one or the other, I forget which. However, I also knew that I was the only girl growing up in my little town who had my name.

Little did I know that my first name was either the second or third most popular in this country prior to and including the year I was born. (In subsequent - and for many years since, it has been in the 300th's.)

I had no clue whatsoever that my first name had also been used as a boy's first name. Now that was a shocker! ("Zero", for statistical purposes, since 1940, which comes as no surprise to me. And no, my name isn't Sue.)


If you had your druthers ...

How would you like to pass on from this life? What would your druthers be? This is a serious question, and is by no means intended to be a joke. (The reason I'm writing about this today is that I just finished reading a true story in one of the newsletters I receive regularly. I'll share it with you at the end of this discussion.)

The vast majority of us, I think, would like to live as long as we possibly can, and don't really want to address the subject of death. However, it's something that will happen to all of us sooner or later, isn't it?

I have thought about this every now and again. I used to say that I would like to 'go' while jitterbugging. It would have been a shocker to my partner and those around us, probably, but I'd have gone out with a smile on my face! Now, in more recent years, my thoughts have been more along the lines of not leaving my daughter and her family with any sort of financial burden - including that of burial expenses, and I am satisfied that I have taken care of that issue.

I haven't danced - I mean really danced! - in a long time, so I guess my druther now would be (and whose isn't?) to just not wake up from my sleep.

Here's the true story I promised ... "My very first neighbor in Houston was this feisty, fantastic 83-years young woman. Her corner garden looked like one of those French weed/luxurious wild flower gardens, just full of Texas wild flowers! As she happily explained it, 'No grass to mow.' She was always out there, pruning and weeding ... and if you happened to pass by while she was pruning, you would get a bunch of beautiful flowers to take home! One of her friends found her early one morning, wearing her hat and gardening gloves and holding her pruning shears, lying face down in her garden. She had passed away doing what she loved best."

Now, this one I cannot personally vouch for the veracity of, but I like it. It seems there was a lady who just loved to shop! She was in the dressing room trying on a dress. Actually, it was the latest of many that she had selected! When the saleswoman went into the dressing room to check on her and see how everything was going, she found that her customer had passed away.


Miracle on the Hudson ...

Well, it's been all over the news. If you haven't seen or heard anything about it, the story is that a United Airlines pilot managed to safely land his disabled aircraft onto the Hudson River just seven minutes after takeoff.

Bird strikes are believed to have caused the first engine to fail completely. Until the actual engines are recovered from the bottom of the Hudson - they sheared off upon impact with the water - and inspected, however, we won't know for sure.

The pilot, who flies gliders in his spare time just for fun, executed a perfect nose up and wings level landing. All 155 people on board were rescued. There'll be a movie made of this event, no doubt!

5 comments:

Craig Peihopa said...

Goldenrod, a very interesting and thought provoking post. Firstly, I LOVE Dances with Wolves. I have watched it many times and just love the story, the commitment and solitude the film can convey, not to mention the senseless slaughter for skins instead of food. Te Directors edition even has footage apparently taken from the film they thought would inflame some viewers. Great film.

My name is the following.

CRAIG
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish, English
Pronounced: KRAYG [key]
From a Scottish surname which was derived from Gaelic creag meaning "crag" or "rocks". The surname originally belonged to a person who lived near a crag.

My Druthers, never heard that before, would be to die being shot by a jealous husband!! Nah, not really. I have a friend who says that often and thought it would be funny to say, but seriously, I would like to go after a momentous photo shoot, and have the images be a testament to the work I loved the most, and have those images be spectacular!

There are not many or any I can think of where EVERYONE has survived and what a great thing this pilot had done. He is a hero.

Thanks for this, and for you!

Tammy said...

Well my name was ranked the highest that I was born and actually WAS named Tammy. It declined until 1998 when it was no longer ranked. And mine was used in a masculine way in 1969 only. Can you IMAGINE a boy named Tammy??? Ew.

Isn't that amazing about the plane crash and everyone living? Emily and I have loved following that story. And I'm so pleased that the media has spent so much time and energy focusing on a "feel-good" story!

As far as my druthers go, I know I want to make it at least until my girls are raised, and hopefully long, long afterwards.

Tammy said...

That should say it was ranked the highest THE YEAR that I was born.

Proofread, Tammy, proofread.... lol

Tammy said...

Me again, last comment I promise! lol

I forgot to mention that I loved seeing Dances with Wolves YEARS ago. I wonder if I rented it...do you think it would be appropriate for Kayla to see? What do you think Goldenrod? It's been so long that I can't quite remember.

Goldenrod said...

"To die being shot by a jealous husband" is a phrase I have heard many many many times, and it's something a lot of men say unthinkingly when they're young and wishfully when they think they're getting old.

It actually reminds me of a question Maureen O'Hara asked Richard Thomas in the film "The Christmas Box" ... ... "What was the first gift of Christmas?" His almost automatic (while kind of chuckling) answer was, "A tie?" After many events had transpired and almost at the very end of the movie, he knows what the answer is and tells her, as she is laying there on her death bed, "A child."

You, Craig, are a wonderful photographer in your own right, altho you don't seem to have internalized the wide recognition you have already achieved and are currently receiving, and so I would very much like to see you get your druther to expire at the end of your most successful photo shoot ever ... ... hopefully, this will be when you're well into your toothless and addlepated 90's, barely able to get around even with the aid of a walker, and needing to have your prohibitively-expensive camera carried around and supported for this last shoot by magnificent-looking, scantily-clad, and very sexy young Sherpas!

Tammy, your love and obvious concern for your children is to be greatly admired, and perhaps even envied by those who do not have your level of commitment. It is my very strong feeling that you will live well past the "empty nest" years and will be producing hand-knitted items of the highest quality while sitting back in your rocking chair and enjoying your favorite films.

OK. Moving on here. As far as allowing Kayla to see "Dances with Wolves"? Definitely not without you there, Tammy, but read on.

Kevin Costner both starred in and directed this film, and I know that a lot of research went into its making, so to expect no violence or bloodshed would be unrealistic. As Craig mentioned, there is an edition of the film that he has seen that was deleted before its release to the general public.

IMO, there was a whole lot more gore that could very easily (and justifiably) have been included in the movie. That being said, there are a few remaining scenes that would probably not give her nightmares but might require a few words or even a sentence or two of explanation from you while they are transpiring.

[There is no 'gore for gore's sake', I can vouch for that.]

I guess I would describe the film as being starkly realistic without being exploitative, if that makes any sense. [By the way, if ever at any time during the movie she is concerned about the wolf, she might be relieved to know that the 'wild wolf' is actually a very well-trained and tame animal!]

Generally speaking, the film (imo) is sympathetic toward the American Indian's plight, but there are scenes of violence. It was that time, Tammy. It was kill or be killed. It was maim or be maimed. It was survive or expire.

But there is so much more to this film, so much to be learned. It could even be a leadoff to a lesson bloc in and of itself.

Who is it that's studying the American Indian right now? Katie, isn't it? I don't think you should exclude Kayla from a family viewing of this important film.

So, do I recommend it? YES! Most definitely!!

My goodness! This might turn out to be one of the world's longer responses!!

Let's move on to the 'miracle'. I really don't have a more descriptive word for it. I don't care how many years of flying experience that pilot may have had, or how many gliding hours he might have enjoyed in his spare time. I don't care about ANY of that!

When 'push came to shove' ... when he was faced with the ultimate crisis, when a decision had to be made within minutes (perhaps even seconds), the sure hand of God descended and helped calm and guide him to as safe a landing as humanly possible.

Amen.