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Feb 11, 2014

Remembering Shirley Temple

When I was young, Shirley Temple movies were shown on TV quite often. I loved her movies which were always entertaining and uplifting. One of my favorite of her films was with her friend Bill Robinson who was a fabulous dancer himself. He appeared as a dancing butler in movies with young Shirley Temple.

Click the photo if you would like to purchase Shirley Temple - America's Sweetheart Collection, Vol. 3 (Dimples / The Little Colonel / The Littlest Rebel) (1936) 

In this video Bill "Bojangles" Robinson dances the stairs with a young Shirley Temple
From "The Little Colonel" (1935)





To watch Shirley Temple movies on Amazon click here:
 

Hollywood Collection: Shirley Temple Americas Little Darling

Click Here to read more about Shirley Temple famed former child actress.
Click Here  to learn more about Robinson and the song that was written about him.

 

Feb 3, 2014

The Day the Music Died

"The Day the Music Died", dubbed so by Don McLean's song "American Pie" refers to the tragic aviation accident that occurred on February 3, 1959, near Clear Lake, Iowa, killing rock and roll musicians 22 year old Buddy Holly (Peggy Sue), 17 year old Ritchie Valens (La Bamba), J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson (Chantilly Lace), and the pilot Roger Peterson.

Singer Don McLean memorialized Holly, Valens and Richardson in the 1972 No. 1 hit “American Pie,”



Ironically, Holly, who influenced such artists as Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney, and his band, the Crickets, had just scored a No. 1 hit with “That’ll Be the Day,” and his last single was  "It Doesn't Matter Anymore."

"...with each passing decade, the myth of Buddy Holly has grown by substantial degrees." ~Claire Suddath, Time

Buddy Holly's career only lasted a year and a half with only one number one single, yet his influence on early rock 'n' roll is almost unmatched.

"Both John Lennon and George Harrison learned to play guitar in part by listening to Buddy Holly records. The first Rolling Stones' single released in the U.S. was cover of Holly's "Not Fade Away." ~Claire Suddath, Time

Buddy Holly and The Crickets - Peggy Sue - Live on The Arthur Murray Party (29th December, 1957)



Read More
Time: A Brief History of The Day the Music Died
This Day in History 

Edited 2/3/16

Feb 1, 2014

Happy St. Brigid's Day to one and all

Saint Brigid of Kildare
Our Lady and Saint Non's chapel
Today is the festival of St. Brigid, the beginning of the old Celtic season of Imbolc, or Imbolg (pronounced i-MOLK or i-MOLG ), also called (Saint) Brigid's Day, a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of spring.

Christians, especially in Ireland, observe February 1 as the feast day of Saint Brigid (of Kildare), one of the patron saints of Ireland.

St. Brigid's Blessing
"Go down on your knees, do homage, and let blessed Brigid enter the house"

May Brigid bless the house wherein you dwell.
Bless every fireside, every wall and door.
Bless every heart that beats beneath its roof.
Bless every hand that toils to bring it joy.
Bless every foot that walks its portals through.
May Brigid bless the house that shelters you.

Brigid is also referred to as the "triple goddess of Smithcraft (with Celtic warriors invoking her protection before battle), Healing, and Poetry and the Arts. In folklore St. Brigid became the principal focus of the feast of Imbolc.


 Imbolc - the coming of Spring - the great wheel of the year turns again on February 1st, with the ancient sacred day of the Celtic goddess Brigid - Mother Goddess of Ireland - also called Brigit, Bride, Brighid, and Brigantia. The root of her name means 'bright' or 'exalted', and possibly 'firebrand'." ~Hamish Burgess Celtic Artist

Reference to this holiday is found in some of the earliest Old Irish literature, from the 10th century. It was a festival of the hearth and home, and a celebration of the lengthening days and the early signs of spring. Celebrations often involved hearthfires, special foods, candles or a bonfire if the weather permitted. Fire and purification were an important part of the festival. The lighting of candles and fires represented the return of warmth and the increasing power of the Sun over the coming months.
St.Brigit's Cross

The wickerwork cross,  known as St.Brigit's Cross, has been a popular talisman of St. Brigid since the 17th century and it is widely believed to be a Christian symbol. But its origins lie in much older traditions and folklore. It is thought to have origins in the ancient symbol for the sun.

Many rituals are associated with the making of the crosses. It was traditionally believed that a Brigid's Cross protects the house from fire and evil. It is hung in many Irish kitchens for this purpose.

The cross is usually woven out of rushes and sometimes straw. It consists of a central square surrounded by four arms at right angles and adorns the doors and rafters of Irish homes, usually in the kitchen, warding off fire and evil. Traditionally, before being placed the crosses "would sometimes be blessed with holy water, a ritual with connotations simultaneously Christian and Pagan."

This video will show you how to make your own St. Brigit's Cross:



How will you celebrate?



Happy Saint David's Day For My Welsh Friends
Celtic Calendar Gifts

Celtic Women The Genetic Code 
Irish Celtic Snow Globes Gifts
Celebrating Scotland


Images:
*Our Lady and Saint Non's chapel ( St Davids, Wales ). Stained glass window ( 1934 ) showing Saint Bride ( Brigid of Kildare )
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
*Saint Brigid's cross, made from rushes from County Down by Culnacreann
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license

Edited 2/1/16