Echoes....

...from the past beckoned to me as I turned down the dirt road and then onto the gravel drive. I parked the van, stepped out onto the weed choked parking path and pushed aside the rusted gate. The day fairly glowed with light which now lay at my feet in dappled shadows beneath the cross patch of dying tree limbs. I tightly closed my eyes, sighed and took a deep breath. I could smell the rich earth that once fed a generation of families and now simply muddies my canvas sneakers. The dried leaves left to hang in the trees rustled and I felt a warm breeze gently caress my pale, sun starved cheek. I opened my eyes in time to catch a large flock of crows take wing as this intruder neared their makeshift home. Their noisy protestations told me I was most unwelcome! I ventured toward the old beauty with careful, almost reverent steps. Then they came. There, near the warped and peeling front door, I heard them. Children's laughter flew at me in swirling waves, gliding in on the wind only to flow briskly by and then abruptly disappear. They came in mysterious bursts, each round more pronounced than the one previously. They had lived here, for years and years, each passing era brought more of them to this place. It was here they had lived, played and learned some of life's most painful and glorious lessons. This once was home. Now their voices are carried in the warm Spring breeze...echoes of youthful glee and whispered secrets.

Dogs Already Know...

~A Dog's Purpose ~ Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the Family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt As though Shane might learn something from the experience The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why." Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life --like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The Six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Live Simply.

Speak Kindly.

Love generously.

Care deeply. Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like: When loved ones come home, always run to greet them. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy. Take naps. Stretch before rising. Run, romp, and play daily. Thrive on attention and let people touch you. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree. When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk. Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

Enjoy every moment of every day...be good to yourselves and have a sweet weekend!

Love and hugs,

Susie Q

Poetry AND Mr. D

Throw in some chocolate and you have got yourself a party! How I wish I could just run up to my favorite city next Monday. Too bad, I have a hair appointment and a girl never cancels a hair appointment! *sigh* Life is SO unfair! ~Brian Dennehy in "Long Day's Journey Into Night"~ Dennehy and Strong to Read Frost and Lowell Poems at NY Public Library April 7 As Part Of National Poetry Month

By Adam Hetrick 03 Apr 2008

Actors Brian Dennehy and Mark Strong will read the poetry of American writers Robert Frost and Robert Lowell for the New York Public Library's Council of Conservators on April 7.

Dennehy and Strong will join Irish theater producer and writer Josephine Hart for the 7 PM evening of poetry. Hart, who has presented her British Library poetry readings to great acclaim in the U.K., brings the series to America for the first time. The program also celebrates the publication of Hart's book, "Catching Life by the Throat: How to Read a Poem and Why."

A 6:30 PM reception will precede the 7 PM readings. The Conservators Program, which directly supports the Library's Annual Fund, is a membership group of nearly 800 individuals.

Dennehy is a Golden Globe Award, Screen Actor's Guild Award, Tony Award and London stage Olivier Award winner for his performance in Death of a Salesman and also won the Tony Award for his performance in Long Day's Journey Into Night. He most recently appeared in the Public Theater staging of Richard Nelson's Conversations in Tusculum, and will head to Stratford Stage in a double bill of Hughie and Krapp's Last Tape.

Mark Strong, an Olivier nominee for the Donmar Warehouse staging of Twelfth Night, has appeared in the films "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day," "Sunshine," "Fever Pitch" and "Emma."

Welcome To The Poetry That Is April...

"The sun was warm but the wind was chill. You know how it is with an April day. When the sun is out and the wind is still, You're one month on in the middle of May. But if you so much as dare to speak, a cloud come over the sunlit arch, And wind comes off a frozen peak, And you're two months back in the middle of March." ~Robert Frost

April is National Poetry Month!

What is National Poetry Month? National Poetry Month was established by the Academy of American Poets as a month-long, national celebration of poetry. The concept was to increase the attention paid-by individuals and the media—to the art of poetry, to living poets, to our poetic heritage, and to poetry books and magazines. In the end, we hoped to achieve an increase in the visibility, presence, and accessibility of poetry in our culture. National Poetry Month has been successful beyond all anticipation and has grown over the years into the largest literary celebration in the world.

"Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby. The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk. The rain makes running pools in the gutter. The rain plays a little sleep-song on our roof at night-- And I love the rain." ~ Langston Hughes

T. S. Eliot wrote, "April is the cruelest month." Let's hope that National Poetry Month lessens that effect!

I have been a bit neglectful about posting and visiting this week. I hope you will forgive me!

Grace has this week off from school and we have been enjoying ourselves. I have some pictures to share and will at the end of the week. I do want you to know that I think of each and every one of you so often, even when I am away from my computer.

I also want to thank dear Andi and sweet Debra for recently offering me the most wonderful awards.

As you may have noticed (or not!), I had to remove some of my sidebar and that also included the awards. For some reason, blogger would not behave with them there.

I am still trying to re-post with them added. If that fails, I will add a new blog page just for them. I feel they are an honor and a testament to how loving this blog community really is.

Love and Hugs,

Susie Q

A Note From Brian...

Just a quick note...this is Brian Dennehy. I wanted to drop in here today and say hello and tell you about a fun new project I am beginning. I have been reading Susie's blog for a little while I must admit. My wife stumbled onto it about 6 months ago and we have enjoyed it, even when she gushes about me. Okay, ESPECIALLY when she gushes about me. Yes, yes, I am just kidding or I THINK I am. One thing I have seen very clearly here is how much she loves writing and photography. The girl LOVES it. She doesn't do too badly at either (And she is willing to work very cheaply!) so I have asked her (at my wife's prodding) to work with me on a little project. Oh yes, she is excited and yes. She made quite a spectacle of herself but I like women who aren't afraid to show their emotions. I'm Irish remember? I will let her fill you in on all the details but, until then, Susie has something to say to you all...go ahead Sue...tell them!

APRIL FOOL!!!!! Oh but poor Susie Q wishes it were so. Now, go out and play a little trick on someone you love. Happy April 1st. Happy birthday to one of the dearest people on Earth...George Ann O. in Florida! I hope you all forgive me for being full of silliness today! Love and Hugs, Susie Q

The Knit Knot Tree

Thank You Tree

Blessed be

This gentle tree

That patiently allows

The knitted swag of knotted loops

Upon it’s graceful bows.

A strange conceit

To dress a tree,

When in good time

It’s own sweet leaves

Will gown it with such splendor.

It’s not the dress

But the tree

That causes all the wonder.

Blessed be

This gentle tree.

~Nancy Mellon

Have you visited Jafabrit's Art, one of my blog links? Corrine is an amazingly talented artist with a huge heart, great wit and a bright spirit. She lives and works in a small community, one of our favorite towns, not too far from Rabbit Run Cottage. Corrine is one half of the wonderfully creative duo of Corrine and Nancy Mellon that began this project...an art project that makes people smile, feel dog gone good and, well, just brightens up a dreary day. Today was one of those gray, constant drizzle falling on my head, days but then the Knit Knot Tree provided Mom, Grace and me with a much needed ray of sun. This bright and happy project has been featured in newspapers and television and radio...and yes, even the BBC recently interviewed Corrine about the tree.

There is also more information about this project found here, a link on Corrine's blog site: Knit Knot Tree

From the AP Associated Press:

~Knitters Dress Up Trees for Public Art~

By JAMES HANNAH – Mar 10, 2008

YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio (AP) — No, that's not a hallucination. That pear tree is wearing a sweater.

Wrapped around the trunk is a colorful, crazy-quilt skin made up of panels of yarn knitted individually by residents and visitors alike. Good-luck charms cling to the yarn. Family photos, poems and jokes peek out of knitted pockets.

The art project in this southwest Ohio village, already known for its offbeat art, has become a conversation piece and even a photo op.

"What takes this to a different level is it is a community thing," said Corrine Bayraktaroglu, an artist who helped start the "knitknot tree" project. "People are really, really enjoying it. They're coming from towns to have their photograph taken with the tree. They're adding stuff to the pockets."

Knitters around the U.S. are dressing trees, street signs, benches, door handles and other objects.

Last month, residents of Columbus, Ind., knitted cozies for 33 ornamental pear trees that line the city's main street. One tree, called the People Hugger, has knitted arms.

Knitted coverings are showing up on trees and doorknobs in Charleston, W.Va. In Houston, knitters have dressed up park benches, car antennas, telephone poles and beer bottles.

"It's fascinating what's going on in the knitting world," Bayraktaroglu said. "Graffiti street art is going to a whole different realm. It's gone beyond just painting on sides of buildings."

Artist Carol Hummel is among the pioneers. She crocheted a cozy for a tree in front of City Hall in Cleveland Heights several years ago. It took her 500 hours and the use of a hydraulic lift to dress the upper branches.

The cozy has survived several winters and even a swarm of cicadas, which left their molted skins clinging to the material.

"There are a lot of copycats now," Hummel said. "A lot of people are getting into putting things on the trees. That's cool."

In Yellow Springs, the first knitted panel — a gold piece with the words "Knitknot Tree" and a smiley face — went up in October. It wasn't until early February that more panels began to be added.

"Then it just took off like crazy," Bayraktaroglu said. "People were coming from out of town and adding their own knitting."

Artist Nancy Mellon said people love to come up and touch the tree, and children like to check out what's in the pockets.

"There was a man — while I was working on the tree — who walked by, and all he said was 'Thank you,'" Mellon said.

Other residents in this village about 15 miles east of Dayton also seem to like the dressed-up tree.

"It looks like Yellow Springs; it's unique, it's colorful, unpredictable," said Lynda Sirk. "It makes me smile. That's what I like."

The tree is vulnerable to the raised legs of passing pooches. Because of that, the panels of yarn don't extend all the way to ground level.

As the panels spread up the trunk, the knitters had to follow, first standing on a chair, then a three-step ladder, a 6-foot ladder and finally an 8-foot ladder. They finally decided they had gone high enough after someone suggested scaffolding and village officials began to worry about someone falling.

"The fear factor has kicked in," Mellon said.

The artists who started the project tentatively plan to remove the knitting on Arbor Day at the end of April and give away the pieces of yarn.

But Bayraktaroglu has some reservations about that.

"People get very attached," she said, "and I think they'll be mad at us if we cut it down."

This poem was also penned by Nancy Mellon

Grace wants to add something so we will be making another trip back to Yellow Springs soon. Listen for my yodeling as I drive into town Corrine! I hope you are all well and enjoying the week. May it be a sweet one for all of you!

Love and Hugs, Susie Q

Ikea Peeps

It is hard to believe that Easter has already come and gone yet we know it is true. Our Peeps are beginning to fly the coop. One by one they leave the proverbial nest, following one another out into the big world. *sniff* I-Kea...future shopping here. You know. I-Ke-A...I-See-A...hm. Um. Okay, Silly play on words but oh so true. The Swedish megastore has arrived in our area. It was a rainy, chilly day so what better thing to do than go peruse the retail behemoth's newly opened store along with a few million or so of our friends. Oh yeah. There were people. And shopping carts. And strollers. And even more people. But there were also Swedish meatballs at the cafe and killer throw pillows and cutting boards and baskets and glassware and rugs and frames and, well, let's just say it was fun. Even old frugal Bill, the man I love, was tossing things into the cart. Now that is something you do NOT see everyday! I hope your weekend was a sweet one. Have a good week ahead...

As always, I send love and hugs! Susie Q

A Gift

I wanted to thank someone very special for an overwhelming gift. Dear, dear Sheila gave me a Picnik membership offer that she received. I had asked her what program she used to add a signature to her pictures and she not only sent me to this site but I now have a 3 month membership in which to try it. I am already in love with it! I have been playing a bit this evening and having the best time. Thank you sweet Sheila. You are amazing.

Adieu Mr. Widmark

Hollywood actor Richard Widmark, who became an overnight star for his portrayal of a psychopathic killer in 1947 classic "Kiss of Death," has died after a long illness. He was 93.

Widmark died at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut on Monday aged 93, his wife Susan Blanchard told The New York Times.

Blanchard told the paper that the actor's health had declined after he suffered a fractured verterbra in recent months.

"Everyman" Richard Widmark was one of the movies' all-time great tough guys. A handsome man, he could contort his face into something gruesome, a sneer conveying a ruthless hatred and sadistic intent -- the savagery to do great damage, the lack of conscience to enjoy it, and the clear intelligence to get away with almost anything.

Before he was a movie star, Widmark was a movie buff. When he was four, his Scottish grandfather started taking the toddler to silent films, and he became a great fan of star Boris Karloff. As a teen, Widmark could smooth-talk his way out of trouble. He was elected class president in high school, and his intent was to become an attorney. When his college announced plans to stage Counsellor at Law, a then-popular play about a lawyer, the brash Widmark auditioned for the lead. He won the role, and he knew on opening night that playing a lawyer was more enjoyable than being one, so he decided to become an actor instead.

Widmark made more than 60 films in a career that spanned five decades which saw him carve out a reputation for playing villains and tough guys.

But it was his debut Oscar-nominated performance as the gangster Tommy Udo in "Kiss of Death" that was to be his most memorable role.

The film features a chilling scene where Widmark's character ties up an old lady in a wheelchair with a piece of cord and then shoves her down a flight of stairs to her death, as her killer cackles dementedly.

Born in Minnesota on December 26, 1914, Widmark grew up in Princeton, Illinois, and after finishing high school attended Lake Forest College on a scholarship, where he studied drama.

He taught acting after graduation, directing and starring in several college productions before heading to New York in 1938 to work in radio dramas. With the outbreak of World War II, Widmark repeatedly tried to enlist but was turned down three times because of a perforated eardrum.

Instead of going to war, Widmark found himself on Broadway, starring in his first stage play in 1943 in "Kiss and Tell", where ironically he played an army lieutenant.

A further role in the controversial play "Trio," which was closed after 67 shows because of its sexual themes, earned Widmark glowing reviews and alerted Hollywood to his talents.

His big break came in the gangster flick "Kiss of Death." Director Henry Hathaway had initially rejected Widmark for the role of Udo, but the film-maker was overruled by Darryl Zanuck, head of 20th Century Fox.

Film critics described Widmark's performance in the film as one of the scariest ever seen on screen.

"One will remember that nasty little creep with the wild eyes and high-pitched laugh, neurotic to the core, which Richard Widmark has turned into one of his finest roles," Raymond Borde and Etienne Chaumeton wrote in "A Panorama of American Film Noir 1941-1953."

"When in doubt, I'd laugh," he said. "And since this was my first picture and the mechanics of picture-making were new to me, I laughed a lot ... And then, too, part of the laugh came from the fact that I've always had a goofy laugh."

"The first time I met (John) Wayne, I had just made the film 'Kiss of Death," Widmark once said, "and Wayne was standing with a drink in his hand and said, 'Well, here comes that laughing s** of a ****h!'"

"Hoods are good parts because they're always flashy and attract attention," Widmark once said. "If you've got any ability, you can use that as a stepping stone."

The success of "Kiss of Death" earned Widmark a long-term contract with Fox, and over the course of seven years with the studio he became known for playing psychotic villains in films such as 1948's "The Street with No Name" and "Road House."

In reality, one of the screen's most vicious psychopath s was a mild-mannered former teacher who had married his college sweetheart, the actress Jean Hazelwood, and who told a reporter 48 years later that he had never been unfaithful and had never even flirted with women because, he said, "I happen to like my wife a lot."

Anxious to avoid being typecast, Widmark badgered his studio bosses to allow him to play other parts, and he was granted his wish with 1949's "Down to the Sea in Ships", where he played a sailor on a whaling ship.

Yet even when not playing villains, Widmark's characters had a flawed quality, as evidenced in 1949's "Slattery's Hurricane" where he played a world-weary pilot who flies a plane for drug smugglers.

Another notable role came in Elia Kazan's Oscar-winning film noir, "Panic in the Streets," where he starred alongside Jack Palance as the police officer attempting to track down a killer infected with bubonic plague.

After leaving Fox, Widmark chose to work outside the studio system for the remainder of his career, appearing in several westerns and social dramas.

Notable later films included a role alongside John Wayne in 1960's "The Alamo" and a memorable performance as a prosecutor in "Judgement at Nuremberg," where he shined amid an all-star cast. Widmark appeared with the Oscar-nominated Spencer Tracy and the Oscar-winning 'Maximilian Schell', as well as with

Burt Lancaster & Montgomery Clift as well as the legendary 'Judy Garland' (the latter two winning Oscar nods for their small roles). Despite being showcased with all this thespian-firepower, Widmark's character proved to be the axis on which this brilliant drama turned.

Widmark also worked with legendary director John Ford in two westerns, 1961's "Two Rode Together" and 1964's "Cheyenne Autumn." The genesis of "Cheyenne Autumn" was research Mr. Widmark had done at Yale into the suffering of the Cheyenne. He showed his work to John Ford and, two years later, Ford sent Mr. Widmark a finished screenplay.

He was a great fan of Westerns and also appeared in these movies of that genre: "Garden of Evil" with Gary Cooper, "Broken Lance" with Spencer Tracy, John Ford's "Cheyenne" and the epic film, "How the West Was Won."

Other notable roles included a detective in "Madigan." In "No Way Out" he played a bitter racist but felt so bad about the lines his character spat at Sidney Poitier that he would apologize to Poitier between takes. In 1990, when Mr. Widmark was given the D.W. Griffith Career Achievement Award by the National Board of Review, it was Mr. Poitier who presented it to him.

Widmark's last movie role came in the 1991 political thriller "True Colors."

He lived quietly and avoided the press, saying in 1971, "I think a performer should do his work and then shut up.". "Los Angeles Times" critic Kevin Thomas thought that Widmark should have won an Oscar nomination for his turn in "When the Legends Die" (1972, playing a former rodeo star tutoring 'Frederic Forrest'. It is surprising to think that "Kiss of Death" represented his sole Oscar nomination, but with the rise of the respect for film noir around the time his career began tapering off in 70s, he began to be reevaluated as an actor. Unlike Bogart, who did not live to see his reputation flourish after his death, well before he retired, Widmark became a cult figure.

Mr. Widmark, who hated the limelight, spent his Hollywood years living quietly on a large farm in Connecticut and an 80-acre horse ranch in Hidden Valley, north of Los Angeles. Asked once if he had been "astute" with his money, he answered, "No, just tight."

He sold the ranch in 1997 after the death of Ms. Hazelwood, his wife of 55 years. "I don't care how well known an actor is," Mr. Widmark insisted. "He can lead a normal life if he wants to."

Well into his later years, the nonviolent, gun-hating Mr. Widmark, who described himself as "gentle," was accosted by strangers who expected him to be a tough guy. There is even a story that Joey Gallo, the New York mobster, was so taken by Mr. Widmark's performance in "Kiss of Death" that he copied the actor's natty posture, sadistic smirk and tittering laugh.

"It's a bit rough," Mr. Widmark once said, "priding oneself that one isn't too bad an actor and then finding one's only remembered for a giggle."

Widmark was married to his first wife Jean Hazlewood from April 1942 until her death in March 1997. The couple had one child, a daughter. Widmark married Susan Blanchard, his good friend Henry Fonda's third wife and widow, in September 1999. Besides his wife Susan, he is also survived by his daughter, Anne Heath Widmark, of Santa Fe, N.M., who once was married to the Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax.

He was amazing this man Richard Widmark and yes. He even did a guest shot on a much loved and very memorable "I Love Lucy."

Ah, remember that one? A classic. The episode, called "The Tour," was the season finale in May 1955. Lucy and Ethel are abandoned by their sightseeing bus tour when they try to get a grapefruit from Richard Widmark's garden. When Lucy is stranded inside the garden wall, she and Ethel, who is outside, launch plans to get Lucy out -- but without comparing notes on how.

So naturally Lucy ends up inside Widmark's house. Under a bear rug.

Farewell Mr. Widmark. You will be missed.

Art Lessons With Grace

Keith Haring Grace's Artistic Tribute To Keith Haring

Grace is studying Keith Haring in art class this week. She is really enjoying the work...it's vibrancy of color and movement and spirit. 2008 would have been Keith's 50th birthday year.

From the biography for school children:

Keith was born on May 4, 1958. He grew up in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, the oldest of four children. He started to draw right away.

"My father made cartoons. Since I was little, I had been doing cartoons, creating characters and stories."

As Keith grew up, he continued to draw and make art. He saw modern art when he visited museums in Washington, DC.

After high school, he went to art school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for a year. He started making big drawings, and when he was 19, he he had his first public show.

In 1978, Keith moved to New York City to go to a different art school. He loved being in the big city. There were big museums with all kinds of art. There were many young artists working in his neighborhood. And there was a lot of energy on the street.

In New York he found his style.

"I bought a roll of oak-tag paper and cut it up and put it all over the floor and worked on this whole group of drawings. The first few were abstracts, but then these images started coming. They were humans and animals in different combinations. Then flying saucers were zapping the humans. I remember trying to figure out where this stuff came from, but I have no idea."

Then Keith started seeing empty black pieces of paper on the subways. He knew that this was the perfect place for him to draw. He started making his subway drawings every day.

"When I drew, I drew in the daytime which meant there were always people watching, from little kids to old ladies to art historians.

Keith started to become famous. All the people riding the subway saw his work, and it was also on TV and in the newspaper.

Keith also started showing his work in art galleries, where many people started to buy them.

"I wanted to sell my paintings because it would enable me to quit my job, whether as a cook or delivering house plants or whatever else I was doing--and paint full time."

In his first show in New York, he painted all the walls with his art, and then put up his paintings and his sculptures. Hundreds of people came to the opening party, and it was a big success.

Now Keith worked harder than ever, and he travelled around the world to show his work. He had shows in Europe, Japan, and all across the United States. He even painted the entire side of a church in Italy!

His paintings and sculptures became very expensive. He wanted everyone to be able to buy his work, so he opened a new store called the Pop Shop to sell his art on posters, buttons, T-shirts, and games. He also worked with children in schools to paint large murals with them, and he made paintings and sculptures for schools and hospitals in many places. In 1988, Keith got very sick with a disease called AIDS. At that time, doctors could not help people with AIDS. Keith knew he was going to die, but he was very brave and kept working as hard as he could until the end. He also made posters to tell people about the sickness and gave money for doctors to search for a cure.

After Keith died, his work still lived. You can find it in museums, in books, on posters, on TV -- and even on the World Wide Web.

Keith wanted everyone to make art, especially children.

For more information about this artist: Keith Haring

Translucent Spirit

I am beginning my visits to you all tomorrow...I apologize for the delay! It has been another busy week. Today we had a meeting with Grace's teacher's after school, Daniel arrived home and tonight, Mom and I had a 2 hour board meeting at our church. We arrived a wee bit early so I took advantage of those few moments to shoot a few pictures. I love the art of stained glass. The oldest section of our church is filled with many glorious examples of this ancient craft. I hope you will enjoy a little tour of these old treasures.

I send love and hugs to you all. I hope your week is going well. Be good to yourselves! XXOO Susie Q