danielle_ftv

I love how some person of relatively humble origins inspires good feelings in others like Laura Virginia O'Hanlon did. Now how about this--Virginia was also a 12th cousin 7 times removed of Alice Pleasance Liddell. Who? Alice inspired a fellow name Charles Dodgson to write stories about her adventures Through the Looking Glass and down the rabbit hole into Wonderland. Yep, not only was there a real Virginia, but there was also a real Alice to inspire Francis Church and Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll). Now about conspiracy theories I might have to re-evaluate my opinion (I tend to dismiss them) because Alice Liddell was an 11th cousin 6 times removed of, yep, Kevin Bacon! Anyway, the point is, Virginia wrote a letter that inspired a wonderful response from Francis Church, and Alice inspired Charles to write such fantastic stories, and, while older and more mature, look at the art and interpretations folks like Ugo and Mart have created of and for you! Is that not the essence of a muse, to inspire in others to create an appreciate beauty, to think and philosophize? And look here, here I am doing just that, and all thanks to a gentlewoman named Danielle! To quote James Lipton, "Brilliant!"--that's what you are, Ms D. Have a happy day!

Its been a while since I last did the genealogy trick thing, but its getting close to Yuletide, so I thought I'd do a little something. The story starts off with Kevin Bacon's 9th cousin, 6 times removed, Clement Clarke Moore who, along with Washington Irving (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Rip van Winkle), got the ball rolling by taking an old Dutch tradition, preserved in olde New York families and bringing it back--this is the story of Santa Claus, and in Moore's case, it was a story entitled A Visit from St. Nicholas (aka 'Twas the Night Before Christmas) that brought the red-suited one into the mainstream. Well, without Moore and his story, a certain editor for the New York Sun might not have been prompted by a little girl who wrote in asking if there really was a Sta Claus. That editor, Francis Parcellus Church, penned an editorial replay entitled, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus". By an amazing stroke, Church was in fact a relative of little Laura Virginia O'Hanlon. They were 8th cousins once removed. And Virginia (who went on to be a schoolteacher and principal), was herself related to a few other folks who have that Christmas spirit. Burl Ives, noted for all the songs and voices for those Rankin-Bass specials, was her 7th cousin, and Arthur Rankin, Jr., co-producer of those programs, was her 9th cousin. So there you have a little holiday time connections. Oh, and Church was right--there is a Santa Claus. Here's to you, Ms D!

I hope that you are well with the removal of the tattoo, D. Those are dangerous indeed on the skin.
I am preparing the tree of Christmas and the crib. But normal and little. Once I made giant crib.

Have a happy, cheer filled wickedly delightfully fun day, Ms D!

Wow, you had a lot of catching up to do--I had to pause mid-post for about an hour to get the little one down for a nap (and watch Star Trek with her--big crushes on Spock & Jim!).

Ehi Danielle, i hope that youll make a video-log for me soon...
a big kiss from Sicily

hey don't worry yer pretty head about it ... I've been rediculously busy (doing the lion's share at work due to layoffs) and I didn't expect you would be able to with such short notice ... thanks anyway for the message!

It draws near Christmas. I am happy for You of your good Christmas that you have told me, Danielle.

My Christmas is only in my spirit. A small tree of Christmas. And the cottage for the manger. And nothing more. It is all right so that few of Sweet love for my spirit of my heart. I believe that God loves the simple things. What it means love for the next one. And No violence and wickedness. For alone children's, for the humiliated women, for the elderly suffering, for the serious sick, for the abandoned animals.

My love of this Sweet Christmas is as one of those.

But to You Danielle, I wish a great Christmas how much all the beautiful lights of NYCity. I love to do a trip to NYCity. America, you are beautiful!!!!

Have a beautiful day, Ms D!

Oh, and as for staying true to myself, I start with this one basic premise: I'm very, very, very far from perfect. Secondly, I always remind myself that despite what I know (or think I know), I could always be wrong. And third, I am wrong more often than not. With all that in mind, it gets easier not to be judgmental, and so I'm more willing to give people the benefit of the doubt or trust them before I distrust them. I also have a little something I cut out from the newspaper horoscope back on Jan 13, 2002 taped to my monitor here that reads, "Your frequent emphasis on utility and usefulness often push your appreciation for your own creative expression right out of the picture. Don't worry whether or not you can create something that can be sold. Do it just for the doing. After all, we are verbs not nouns." I'm not big on horoscopes, but it made sense and it happened to come on a day when I just turned the page and there it was, so I guess I took it as a "sign" and have tried to implement it ever since. My biggest problem right now, I think (and I could be wrong) is my pride. I hate the word because pride can get right in the way of doing something useful--you succeed, you swell up with pride, you grow complacent, you f up and fall. I'd rather be more humble and appreciate what I have and what it took to get here than plotting and planning for the next big thing, you know? Stop and smell the roses and maybe you'll see something you'd overlooked before, something you might have missed, and it'll answer a question, maybe give you that burst of inspiration like Newton and the apple. But then again I am judgmental, mostly of myself, and spend way, way too much time comparing myself with others in the family tree who came from humble origins and made something big of themselves, or more importantly, did something that had a big impact on others for the better. I know I had a point when I started writing this, but now my brain's gone kerplooey so a lame ending's better than no ending at all ...