Little Shop of Horrors

Musical on Broadway

This movie has always been a favorite of ours.  In 1987, we were in London with my husband's parents and sister, killing time until we could catch a flight when we saw a movie theater advertising this movie.  The place was full and we had to sit in the front row. We knew nothing about Little Shop of Horrors at that point.

It turned out that this movie was brilliant.  It was a musical redendition of an old movie of the same title with Jack Nicholson. It was a hit Broadway musical. Music, performance, interpretation, and staging was amazing to us, especially since it felt like a true stage play.

When it ended, we stood up and applauded.  The rest of the audience, being English, filed out quietly with a few tsk, tsk aimed in our direction.

Recently we shared this with our granddaughters who had seen a local presentation of this.  While they carved pumpkins (no help needed from me, thank you very much), we watched the movie. We kept glancing at them, seeing if they shared our enthusiasm.  Uh huh, Grandma.  We saw this on stage.

When the ending came, we were shocked, as it was different from the one from our precious movie. Our girls said We saw this already!  This is how it ends!

Here is an excerpt of OUR movie:

This is the opening song, great staging, lots of great voices.

This is an intro to the alien plant from outerspace

Lasts about 3 minutes, not needed to watch all

to get the idea that this is not going well.

And then, there is this.  Glad we did not see this in London.

This is the original ending (which apparently cost big bucks.

It is about 5 minutes long, but no one has to see it all. Just the beginning where world is eaten by this plant creature.

The movie version is happy-ending where plant is destroyed, true love conquers all, and then a twist at the very ending.

We expected the happy ending, got the horror instead.  But isn't that the way on Halloween?

Cleaning House

Shhhhh

The first event was a shock, but it became a misty "Oh, yeah, I remember that" over time.

The second event led to being fired, after many snickers from opposing industries, and after lots of money, it faded. It helped that he died.

Then a third event appears, but is now, more or less, run-of-the-mill. Then there was a flood, which is comparable to opening a closet door and all hidden stuff pours out. How many events truly are in process will never be known.

Sexual harassment appears to be rampant. It isn't so much as rampant, but is a spotlight on a heaped and rotting garbage dump already filled, but not found.

Lou Ailes, former Fox mogul

Source

AND, then there is Harvey Weinstein, a powerful Hollywood mogul. He seemed untouchable, on a pedestal to be worshipped.  He was also to be feared. His closet was full with generations of evil and of women who were forever traumatized.

YouTube, Tom Hanks comments on Weinstein and sexual harassment

This is nothing new.  Sexual harassment has always been a sewer in a workplace with females and males alike suffering silently, fearing repercussions.  Aggressive and intimidating behavior comes from one in power, one able to get away with it. 

Maybe now, the toilet can be flushed and then Roto-Rooter will be called to clean out the lines. 

Far Here and Far There

Familiar? Source

"You're the extremist, not me!"
"People like you should not have freedom of speech!"
"WHAT? Me?  No, YOU should be silenced."

Far LEFT? Far RIGHT? Fights in the street. Men in black smashing store windows. No whites on campus this day. YOU can't speak here...YOU don't agree with us.

Lord, help us!

So tired.

What about these "Far ____" ideas:

A.  Far ___ Girl Scouts with survivalist instincts who regularly steal one cookie from each box of cookies because they deserve it.

B.  Far ___ Lutheran Women's Knitting Society who believe Catholic Women's Knitting really suck and plan to unravel all their projects.

C.  Far ___ Community Soccer Team for Pre-schoolers who kick the daylights out of the referee because he always blows the whistle.

D.  Far ___ Baptist Church Choir who plan to defeat and possibly beat up Methodist Church Choir in Christmas competitions because they think that the Methodist soprano is a ringer. 

E.  Far ___ Irish Dance festival having an Irish soda bread food fight against a Ballet school at fundraiser because they all think they are so hoity-toity.

F.  Far ___ Patients in care facilities who sabotage orderly coffee room because orderlies are not solicitous enough when helping patients.

G.  Far ___  Sports shop employees who loosen skateboard screws because those **** kids listen to wrong kind of music and are just plain irritating.

H. Far ___ librarians who remove Hemingway books from shelves because he was an alcoholic and had a promiscuous life style. 

Just how far will this go? Statues have been toppled.  Former presidents have been condemned because they owned slaves in the 1700s. Explorers have been reviewed, revised and censored because their discoveries led to unknown consequences.

Who or what is next?

One in Eight

FreePik

The letter arrived on Wednesday and Bonnie placed it on the kitchen table.  It lay there unopened, with Bonnie passing and looking down on it. Tomorrow, I’ll look at it tomorrow.

Thursday. Friday. Then Saturday, Bonnie sat down at the table, carefully opened the envelope. With a deep quiet breath, she slid the white paper out and willed fingers to spread the paper with its crisp precise, perfect folds.

Bonnie heard a sharp inhale of breath coming from someone, and she watched as that someone read the letter and gripping it tightly. That someone slowly followed typed words, reading aloud.

"Your recent mammogram and breast ultrasound showed a finding that requires additional imaging studies, such as additional mammographic view, breast ultrasound, and possibly a breast MRI for a complete evaluation.  Most such findings are benign."

That someone read further. "Even though mammograms are the best method  for early detection, not all cancers are found with mammograms..."

Bonnie discovered that she herself was holding the paper. A fifth mammogram? What then? Another letter? Oh, dear Lord, help me! Please help me! knowing that He does.

That someone was silent, and silent tears wandered down her cheeks.

Breast cancer is #2 killer in women world-wide.  One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Currently there are 3.1 million breast cancer survivors. The chance that a woman will die from breast cancer are 1 in 37 (2.7 %).

Women over 65 are more likely to be diagnosed. 

Almost 230,000 women are diagnosed in one year in USA.  55,000 alone in UK are diagnosed in one year.

Men also can also be diagnosed with breast cancer.

Source

This week is designated as Pink Ribbon Week: Find the Cure. 

Blow Out Candles

source

October 7th was Vladimir Putin's 65th birthday and many wishes of health and happiness to him. May God gift him with all that he deserves.

May God gift him, indeed, since Putin is a man with a variety of interesting qualities.

Patriarch Krill of the Russian Orthodox church endorsed Putin's election.  He stated that Putin's terms were a "miracle of God" during the election of 2012.  Since collapse of USSR and lifted oppression of faithful believers, Patriarch Krill has joined an alliance with state.

Wikipedia

The Church even supported Putin's decision to move into Crimea and Ukraine.

Putin is apparently a believer with his religious awakening occurring after serious life-threatening event in his personal life in 1990s. In his early years, his mother had baptized him secretly when a baby and took him to services (held in secret). 

His mother gave him his baptismal cross before a trip to Israel, and asked him to have it blessed.  "I did as she said and then put the cross around my neck.  I have never taken it off since."

Happy trails

Putin's confessor (according to rumors) is Russian Orthodox Bishop Tikhoshevkunov.

Putin is also actively involved in protection of rare species as Chairman of Russian Geographical Society Board of Trustees.

Assad and his supporter Putin

Forget about Syria!  

Forget about Crimea and Ukraine!

Forget about Iran and his support of their nuclear program!

Greeting Iran's leader

Forget about his past as head of the KGB!

KGB leader

Forget about all his choices! He wears a crucifix and has Russian Orthodox Church support after all!

Yes, may God show him the Christian way, whether or not he follows.  May God grant him deserved fruits of his labor. May God provide Putin with an appropriate reward for his many many works.

If Vladimir Putin lived in USA, he would now qualify for Medicare.  

Sisters Hold Each Other Up

Mary is my only sister, with three brothers who made our lives a living hell at times. While I was vulnerable in many ways, Mary gave them a smug smile and blasted them out of their turbulent waters with acerbic honest words. I do not have enough words to relate who she is, how she blesses my life and my admiration for her. 

Mary and Bill, running away from home (I love this photo.)

Mary is holding her horsey, I am holding my new bride doll (Christmas 1958).

Mary is stubborn, especially when it comes to her children.  Maybe it should be said a "Stubborn and Fierce Tiger".  Mary was always devoted to excellent teaching and education, and did not accept anything less. 

In fact, I always said that when Mary stepped on elementary school grounds, the earth shook.  Teachers shivered in fear, stood up straight and tall, and resolved to be better teachers from there on. 

Mary is a fighter.

She is generous, in time and giving.  Many of her friends have had surgeries and illnesses, some very serious.  Mary is always there, giving food for the family and assistance in any way needed. Driving to a doctor's appointments? Helping around the house? Anything else?  Mary gives of herself unfailingly.

Mary has a black belt in Taekwondo, along with a red strip to advance her to higher levels.  Don't mess with her.

She completes projects she starts.  This cannot be said of many people, if not most people.

I won't volunteer her for a gold medal or sainthood, because I have known her for the better part sixty years. This gives me info and insights that all families share about each other.

Recently, my quilting skills plummeted drastically.  Migraines, concussion, Bell's Palsy, and other issues have taken away aspects of quilting, including joy. This is incredibly saddening.

So many unfulfilled plans

This fabric was for a project that I had never begun.  Mary has an enormous stash (that means, shelves and boxes of fabric), yet was willing to add more to it.  God bless her.  These beautiful fabrics and plans had hung over my head, piling on guilt upon guilt.

Mary is a superb quilter AND I mean superb.  Her eye for colors and design is amazing.  And she loves patterns that involve sharp points and precision, as well as applique. Any quilter understands what a pain those can be. 

Mary created a magnificent quilt for me using fabric from her stash and the above fabric, excluding the solid teal.  She told me that a box was on its way to me and to call her when it arrived. When the box arrived and I lifted the quilt from it, I cried.  Hugging it to my chest, I went from our room to the guest room, laying this incredible quilt over each.

This quilt will be displayed on my "art wall". It was a family photos wall, but they can always go somewhere else. This absolutely has to be seen by more than just my eyes.

This gift has me opening up my own stash and perusing what can be made from all that fabric.  Already have a baby quilt in the works and I will finish a project started pre-concussion. 

Sisters are different from each other for sure. What stands true is that we share our lives past and present, and that we love each other as only sisters can. I am blessed to be a part of Mary's life.*

Minerva, Rosemary, Grandma Marie Cardiff, Mom, and Vada

August 1970 at a cousin's wedding

 As in every family, each was radically different from their siblings in every way possible. Despite their many differences, each loved the other passionately. All have passed except for Aunt Vada, who recently suffered a stroke.  

*I named our youngest daughter after my sister.  Like Aunt Mary, my daughter Mary is a tiger.  One cowers when she aims a withering look. Don't mess with her either.