Blue Eyed Quotes

Every once in awhile I sort of fall off of the deep end of things and go looking for articles about the actor Elijah Wood who played Frodo Baggins in the movies. Don't ask about my temporary falling down state of mind it's really not very interesting anyway but tonight I found some good quotes from a reputable interview. First of all here's one that shows he knows how to talk in circles in dizzying (sp?) manner:

Question:Is there a difference between fans of the book and of the film?
EJW: "They’re kind of different. I mean, I think that fans of the film aren’t necessarily fans of the book, and I think the same can be said of fans of the books as well. But I think they also kind of meet in the middle. Fans of the books are also fans of the films and vice versa. And I think that at times, their passion can be the same. But fans of the books obviously have been living with these stories for quite a long time."

Sort of reminds me of Bilbo's comments about the Hobbits he knows half as well etc. and all of that at his birthday party in Fellowship.


Second quote--this is about his love of the STUFF we love to collect. We meaning LOTR fans. Some say OUR HOUSE looks like a veritable museum to the movies. Looks like Mr. Wood has a few items too:

Question: Do you have Frodo toys at home now?
EJW: "I've got a lot of the action figures. The thing is that when the movies started coming out and the merchandise started coming in, I basically just said, “Listen, send everything. I want everything. I don't care if it's underwear. If it's got something to do with Lord of the Rings, I want it,” because when am I ever going to have an opportunity again to be a part of something that has this kind of massive merchandise. It's like being a part of Star Wars. I’ve got boxes and boxes of it. I'm going to have to put it into storage. There's a lot of stuff that I'm missing. I know that there's tons of stuff that they didn't send. Like, I don't have any of the Weta Workshop stuff. So, all of the maquettes and stuff which I've kind of held off from pressuring them because, I mean, I will get them eventually. I just haven't yet."


The final quote (for now--I'll probably dig up more sooner or later) is about his personal experience portraying Frodo in the movies. One must remember that this young man was only 18 when he took on the big, hairy feet of one of the most beloved story characters of all time. The weight of that responsiblity would initmidate most men but this young one just stepped into those feet and proceeded to allow Frodo into his soul and being--lucky boy says I.

Question:What did you discover about yourself through this journey?
EJW: "I don’t often think about myself in relation to the character that I play. But I think that Frodo ultimately accepts a responsibility and has the courage to accept the responsibility and to carry on through his journey and carry his journey out. In that way, I’d like to do the same thing. But I think that the journey that I went through as a human being working on these movies, like the journey that Frodo has, it’s kind of prepared me for anything in life and made me a stronger human being I think and maybe a more courageous human being. Maybe I did inadvertently learn that from Frodo, but it’s also from the experience as well. And then on another level, I think the experiences making these movies have profoundly affected my life."

And he has the most beautiful blue eyes in the world too. Really lucky boy.

Island of Laughter and Refreshment

Attended a teacher's conference yesterday. Usually the keynote speakers at this conference can be rather dry, shall we say, but yesterday a fresh breath of air blew through the auditorium at Trinity High School in Harrisburg.

A nun. Yes --a nun. She had the room full of rather sleepy teachers laughing in almost hysterics. Her message was uplifting and marvelous--just what we all needed.
I wish I had taped her talk there was so much she said that rang true for all of us and for once she said things about our daily "yippy skippy lives" in the classroom in a REAL way and yet made us see how blessed we are to be where we are. No beatitudes--those false notions that are often bestowed upon us in the trenches by those who have moved on into their ivory towers of unreality and forgetfulness of what it is really like to be with kids day in and day out. But she made us see how much we are loved by those kids on levels that are more important than we ever imagined. And she made us laugh until tears came and bellies ached.

But the best part was her re-enactment of how she plays musical chairs with her graduate students. No tape nor CD did she play-- she sang for us-- Amazing Grace as she moved around those chairs. Except it wasn't the tune so familiar.

She sang it to the tune of Gilligan's Island.

Praise Be for wonderful souls like hers. It was a refreshing session to say the least.

Stay By Me

Stay
by Annie Lennox

Stay by me
And make the moment last
Please take these lips
Even if I have been kissed
A million times

And I don't care if there is no tomorrow
When I could die here in your arms
Even if the stars have made us blind
We're blind we're blind
So blind in love

Sweet darling
Don't you know that we're no different to anyone
We stumble
We falter
But we're no different than anyone

And all the winter snow has melted know
Into a pool of silver water
And we were standing in a thunder cloud
Dark as your hair
Dark as your hair
******************************************************

Beautiful love song --I call it an ode to unconditional love.

I Love Frodo Baggins

Great title yes? And anyone who knows me and reads this will want to say, "Well yes, Martha, thank you for THAT bulletin." It is pretty much common knowledge by everyone who knows me including, my beloved spouse, that I LOVE FRODO BAGGINS. Ah yes, this reads like a pre-teen girl's entry so far and guess what? I don't care if it does. So be it. And hey it's not NEW news after all.

Lately I have found some 'new' songs; a few that are incredibly powerful written by a far more powerful writer than I--sweet Annie Lennox. And one that was given to me by my very perceptive daughter written by a talented young Josh Todd. For reasons that are apparent to those who know Frodo's journey, they will make sense. The physical pain that I have devoted my two previous posts to--well, Frodo carried that kind of pain inside of him for a long time and I say, "No wonder he sailed away!"

So here are the lyrics to a few of the songs that have resounded in me for my Frodo.

Lovely Bones (lyrics by Josh Todd)

I'd like to think it's all a dream
Someone please come and rescue me
Don't want to see my family torn
Left me with a soul, without my lovely bones

We are all alive tonight
I am free, free for the rest of my life oh
Me it's out ofmy control
Without my lovely bones

I sit and watch my friends today
I'm gone and wish that I could stay
I guess this is how it's supposed to be
Left me with a soul, without my lovely bones

We are all alive tonight
I am free, free for the rest of my life
And me, it's out of my control ah
Without my lovely bones

As I was thinking, forgot to swallow, a burning feeling about tomorrow
And I finally stop to find it written on your face
You did what you could for me, you did what you could for me

And now I watch it all go by
My father wants to make it all right
The secrets buried deep inside of me
Left me with a soul, without my lovely bones

We are all alive tonight
I am free, free for the rest of my life and
Me it's out of my control oh
Without my lovely bones
We are all alive tonight
I am free, free for the rest of my life and
Me it's out of my control oh
Without my lovely bones
Without my lovely bones
Without my lovely bones


And the second song is my favorite Annie Lennox song--very well could be sung to Frodo by his dearest Hobbit Samwise...


Come into these arms again
And lay your body down
The rhythm of this trembling heart
Is beating like a drum

It beats for you - It bleeds for you
It knows not how it sounds
For it is the drum of drums
It is the song of songs...

Once I had the rarest rose
That ever deigned to bloom.
Cruel winter chilled the bud
And stole my flower too soon.

Oh loneliness - oh hopelessness
To search the ends of time
For there is in all the world
No greater love than mine.

Love, oh love, oh love...
Still falls the rain... (still falls the rain)
Love, oh love, oh, love...
Still falls the night...
Love, oh love, oh love...
Be mine forever.... (be mine forever)
Love, oh love, oh love....

Let me be the only one
To keep you from the cold
Now the floor of heaven's lain
With stars of brightest gold

They shine for you - they shine for you
They burn for all to see
Come into these arms again
And set this spirit free

Food For The Soul Or Not?

I have come to realize that while I was laid up with the back pain I experienced something worth writing about.

I realize that I was trapped inside my body and the grip of pain it held me in. I am a rather spiritual person and I mean that not only by my faith but with the ability I seem to have to 'connect' with others on a spiritual plain. I would rather not get into the mechanics of that here but suffice to say that is has brought incredible blessings to my life. But whilst I was in that prison of pain the spiritual side of me was numbed out. It wasn't only the pain; it was that cocktail I wrote about in my previous entry--the pain killers that helped me out of the prison also kept me in a numbed state.

But one wonders... what would I prefer if I had to face that extreme pain on a daily basis? That loss of my spiritual connection for a short time was not all that bad of a thing because once I was recovered all the channels opened up again. But it was only temporary--what if I had to live for an extended period of time without my spiritual food? What would I choose? Pain and the gift or no pain and a numbness? Coward and weak as I am, I am afraid it would be the latter.

Pain becomes a part of your being. It permeates everything. I discovered yesterday that I have lost seven pounds while going through the ordeal. Seven pounds. The pain not only drained me on a spiritual and mental level, it literally drained me in a physical way. Not that I am complaining--I could lose 10 times 7 more pounds if I had my wish but not in that way, not in that state of pain.

It would be a terrible thing to lose the gift God has given me and I would grieve. So would that make it worth it? Or would God grace the soul with a way to cope and live with the gift of the 'soul-food' that doesn't add one pound of fat. I would hope that my God would do that for me--coward and weak that I am.

No More Cocktails

When your back hurts it reminds you of how helpless we become if we cannot move around. My back went 'out' and stayed out for 6 days last week. And how crazy is this: I did it by singing "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" with my first graders. And I even remembered to bend my knees but I guess I sang the song a few too many times.

The pain I experienced was the worst pain of my life hands down (and back also). I have had six knee surgeries, 2 c-sections and several other minor surgeries but never have I experienced the debillitating pain that came with this injury. I also found out that with a doctor's permission you can take large doses of advil, codeine, tylenol and a muscle relaxer all at the same time. What a 'cocktail 'that was.

And then it sort of just went away. Well not totally-- I still have some residual pain and twinges but nothing like what I went through last week. I am grateful that this wasn't some sort of disc problem because that would not have been a good thing. Muscle spasms are one thing but facing back surgery is another.

So, what did I learn from this little experience? Not much other than to never sing "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" again with the body motions! Let the little kids do it. This 'kid' needs to remind herself that some parts of the body need protected at this point in life.

What A Funny Thing

" If you don't let me in Frodo, I shall blow your door right down your hole and out through the hill."
Gandalf

Oh my--I don't remember reading this in the book and I think it is quite funny for some reason.

Poor Frodo. Silly Gandalf.

Whine and Cheese

"I want to go home. I really want to go home!" Thus saith a six year old female in my first grade every afternoon around one o'clock. And she will pronouce that proclamation to anyone who inquires.

"So do I." saith this teacher in reply. I told her today I have no cheese for that whine and we must just deal with things as they are. It gave everyone a laugh. I told her that whenever I 'want' something I can't have immediately I then think about the fact that sooner or later I will probably have it and then my whine turns into excitement and anticipation.

Here's my list of I wants:
I want my knee to stop hurting.
I want more time every afternoon so I can plan my lessons for the following day.
I want someone to decide that they are going to pay for the surgery, physical therapy and doctor's bills that are piling up. I want it resolved SOON.
I want to have just enough money so I don't have to scrimp every two weeks for about five days prior to my next paycheck.
I want a new car. Any new car even partly new--just a pretty one please but if someone has a sexy black BMW or Mercedes they are willing to part with . . .


I want and here comes my fantasy---- don't worry it's G rated:
to run in a place where my knees no longer hurt and I am about 70 pounds lighter and I can roll on the grass down a hill if I want to. I want to sit under a tree and pass an afternoon reading aloud to my favorite Hobbit. I want him to read aloud to me. (Wouldn't it be nice to be read aloud to for once?) I want to pass a pleasant afternoon in his company just talking about things--the state of the world--Middle-earth and the politics --how's the new King doing, Frodo?

But alas. . . perhaps in another life that shall become more than a fantasy. For now I guess I'll go find some lovely cheese to placate my whine and ponder about the politics of this world and such.

"There is a place called 'heaven' where the good here unfinished is
completed; and where the stories unwritten, and the hopes unfulfilled, are
continued."
J.R.R. Tolkien

Blessings

Well, we have been given our first assignment in connection with FISH, a program we are implementing at the school where I teach. FISH is meant to boost workers' morales and to infuse energy into the workplace. So far there has been a difference which was desperately needed and that is a good thing.
Which leads me to our assignment. We are to think about the blessings and good things in our lives this week that could be taken away from us in a minute both at home and at work. First and foremost we are reminded to be grateful for life itself.
No one likes to think about losing that which we love but it does give one pause to ponder about what we take so for granted in our lives. So this week I'll start a list right here in this blog and I'll keep coming back and adding as things come to mind. Here goes--today I'll think about the people in my life I am grateful for:
1. My family in particular my husband who is my support and best friend. He is the best model I have in life for what unconditional love represents.
2. For my oldest daughter and her sense of humor and creativity and musical ablilty.
3. For my younger daughter who is artistic, insightful and funny too.
4. For my two crazy dachshunds in particular for the healing of my brown dachshund and the complete recovery of his back after major surgery last April.
5. For my good friends who listen to me whine and yammer at them about how miserable I can be and for their support and companionship.
6. For my priest who is a blessing to me with his support and love.
7. For my physical therapist and the aids who work with me and my cranky knee that just gives us all frustrations but they are all patient and supportive.
8. For my birth family who live in Pittsburgh in particular for my brother and my aunt and uncle and my cousins.
9. For a noisy cranky jumpy out of sorts guinea pig named after a knighted actor who portrayed a pretty darn good wizard in a few movies. This little piggie reminds me we all need a hiding place.
10. For my students both present and past--they say the teacher learns as much from his or her students as they do from him or her and that is the truth. I have been blessed by the souls I have taught over the years.
11. For my fellow teachers at the school where I teach for their concern and support. They are a special group of people indeed--even if we all smell fishy lately!
Blessings indeed. . .

Words of insight and wisdom. . .

The Traveler's Psalm, often sung before a journey, part of the "Songs of Ascents" from the King James Version.

The front cover of the devotional shows a forest beginning to show autumn colour, and a quote from psalm 96:

Let the fields be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord.

The autumn fields and woods, and the Traveler's Psalm: Frodo started so many journeys in autumn-- his birth, his coming of age and loss of Bilbo, his quest, and his crossing.

I will lift up my eyes to the hills--from whence comes my help?

My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper: the LORD is your SHADE at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.

The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.


And how true, how the LORD kept Frodo and Sam, and preserved them from all evil.

This was sent to me by my friend Linda F. With thanks and gratitude to her.

Color My World Blue and Green and oh yes, Pink too

Back to school this week. It had it ups and downs. School is fine. Just wish the issues with my knee would resolve themselves. Too much to relate or waste space here just hope it is resolved soon. My class is great even with the pink glow in my room meaning 14 girls to 5 boys. It's the same in the other first grade too. I was told recently that due to the use of birth control there will be fewer boys. Strange that.

Saw the movie Hero. Amazing and incredible. The use of color to tell the story was awesome. You don't just see the colors- you hear them--you feel them. The colors seem to fly off the screen and into your body. I have never seen anything like it on screen. It felt like a feast of color. Red is the color I always associate with China. And they certainly used it well in the story but the use of blue and green was stunning too. And for me blue and green are a part of me so I was stunned by the beauty I saw. The spirituality in this movie is something we Americans hunger for I feel. Perhaps it could be why the movie is rated number one as of today. The colors and the story outweigh the martial arts aspect of the movie although that was beautifully choreographed too.

Not sure if there is a color to relate to the sadness one feels over the story from Russia this week of the senseless murders of 320 people in a school and many of them innocent children. Then there is the devestation caused by a hurricane that literally pounded through the whole state of Florida. And now they say there may be another hurricane even more powerful headed to Florida within days of Frances.

As the anniversary of Septemebr 11th approaches and the sad memory of that painful blue morning sky comes back to mind it is nice to be able to also dwell on the green of a faraway land where all is peace and on the blue beauty found in the eyes of my hero. I pray that all who suffer may find a place where the blues and greens of their lives will heal them and give them rest and eternal solace. And yes we all do still need a hero. . .