There's Nothing Better Than a Mom

Source: The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Beatrix Potter)

H a p p y  M o t h e r' s  D a y!

Goodnight Jeanne Cooper

"She has been a blaze her entire life, that beacon, that boxer I spoke of earlier. She went the full twelve rounds and by unanimous decision... won! And while her light finally gave into the wind that gives flight to all our journeys, there will always be a glimmer left behind by what she stood for...I will certainly dedicate what remains of my life to continue her purpose of honesty, equality, humility, empathy and love. "—Corbin Bernsen (son)

Jeanne Cooper (1928-2013) the dame of daytime television passed away on May 8, 2013 after a long illness. Jeanne played the beloved and wealthy business woman Katherine Chancellor a.k.a "The Duchess" on CBS' The Young and the Restless from November 1973 until her illness in April 2013. That's almost four decades as the matriarch of (fictional) Genoa City. As a life long Y&R fan, the news of her passing stopped me in my tracks. Katherine Chancellor has been a part of my pop culture repertoire as long as I can remember. She was like family.

"Also, it should be said, what a testament to her greatness that we can all grieve together because we ALL really knew her. She touched all!"—Doug Davidson (actor, The Young and the Restless)

Her last on screen appearance was on May 3, 2013.  RIP Jeanne Cooper:

RIP Allan Arbus 1918-2013

"But his best-known role was Major Freedman, the liberal psychiatrist who appeared in a dozen episodes of “M*A*S*H.” He treated wounds of the psyche much as Capt. Hawkeye Pierce treated surgery patients: with a never-ending string of zingers." (NYTimes)

 
Charlie Brown had Lucy, Elliot Carlin had Bob Hartley and Hawkeye Pearce had Sidney Freedman. I have lovely memories of watching M*A*S*H with my family as a child. Allan Arbus who sadly passed away last month at the age of 95 was an exceptional actor, a passionate photographer (as was his famous wife Diane) and portrayed Dr. Sidney Freedman on M*A*S*H. Sidney Freedman was the resident shrink at the 4077th. Every time Arbus appeared on screen I was spellbound: the man could deliver a line like no one else. It didn't feel like acting—he became Sidney Freedman. Watch Alan Alda's take on Arbus' portrayal of Dr. Freedman below:




A montage of Allan Arbus on M*A*S*H:



RIP Allan Arbus.

RIP Jonathan Winters

Like most kids of my generation, my earliest recollections of Jonathan Winters (1925-2013), apart from his Carson appearances were his gigs on Scooby Doo (1972) and Mork and Mindy (1981-1982) where he played the couple's half-human/half-Orkan baby "Mearth". A comedic legend who seemed like a grown up kid. A killer smile to boot. RIP Mr. Winters, you will be missed.

Source

As Mearth, the half human-half alien baby:

Book Love: Little House on the Prairie

"In the thin dark before morning Ma gently shook Mary and Laura till they got up. In firelight and candlelight she washed and combed them and dressed them warmly. Over their long red-flannel underwear she put wool petticoats and wool dresses and long wool stockings. She put their coats on them, and their rabbit-skin hoods and their red yarn mittens. 

Everything from the little house was in the wagon, except the beds and tables and chairs. They did not need to take these, because Pa could always make new ones." (Laura Ingalls Wilder)

Happy Easter

Stunning Peanuts themed Easter art from Dark Hall Mansion:

Happy 40th: The Young and the Restless

Today marks 40 years since The Young and the Restless aired on CBS. As I've mentioned before, Y&R will always remind me of my those special moments in childhood when Mum and I gathered in front of the telly and watched the daily turmoil of families and lovers in Genoa City. These fictional characters and their tales of woe or delight (depending on the day) became more than just a passing fancy. They were family. Adulterous, power struggling, jealous, vain, insecure, vibrant and yes loving family. You could drop in on them from time to time and still feel at home (and amused). So here's to you Y&R for making childhood (and adulthood) brighter. Click here to see the first episode of Y&R that aired on CBS on March 26, 1973.

Goodies via CBS: the original drawings from the show opening by Sandy Dvore. Click to enlarge.

via: CBS

via: CBS

Harlequin and The Gift of Many Colors

"Due to the generosity of his friends,
Harlequin gets a new patchwork suit for Carnival."

I discovered Harlequin and The Gift of Many Colors (1973) by Remy Charlip and Burton Supree while on a trek through the school library, in first grade. Equipped with instructions to find a book for our requisite daily sessions of “silent reading” (translation: a cunningly devised kill-two-birds-with-one-stone period of quiet where teachers in the guise of promoting literacy, could take a breather), we were set to our own devices.

It was on these solitary rambles through the school library where I happened upon many unforgettable page-turning gems: The Giving Tree, Encyclopedia Brown, Nancy Drew, Amelia Bedelia, Dr. Seuss, Charlotte’s Web, The Berenstain Bears, Are You There God it’s Me Margaret (and other assorted Judy Blumes), Peanuts Parade, Father Christmas and Harlequin and The Gift of Many Colors—to name a few.

Harlequin called out to me. Perhaps, it was the illustration on the cover: the colors, the costume, the depiction of the night sky, the expression on the young lad’s face—there was a mystery to it all. If ever there was a story behind a drawing waiting to be told...

I found my book or perhaps my book found me.

Set in rural Italy and based on an old folktale, Harlequin and The Gift of Many Colors is a story about a boy named Harlequin who longed for a costume to wear to Carnival, a celebration marking the start of Lent. A source of much sadness to the child and his friends was that Harlequin’s mother was too poor to afford material for a costume. Touched by Harlequin’s predicament, his friends each cut a piece of material from their respective attire and kindly present the assorted multicolored material to a delighted and grateful Harlequin. His mother now equipped with enough fabric to sew a costume, creates a magnificent patchwork suit for her son. At the heart of it, Harlequin's tale is about hope, sharing and kindness.

“And Harlequin was the happiest of them all on this happy night,
for he was clothed in the love of his friends.”

There's an ethereal and earthy feel to this book. It's as if you've jumped into another world: dreamy and magical yet without completely erasing the harshness of this world. It's a simple and sweet read for children. The spellbinding illustrations resemble renaissance era art—the mastery of co-author and illustrator, Remy Charlip (who sadly passed away August 2012). In third grade (two years after I first discovered Harlequin) a teacher introduced the book in class and somehow found it difficult to believe that I had discovered and read the book on my own. Throughout elementary school I was repeatedly gifted with this brand of "teacher"—you know those lacking in the motivational and basic human kindness department, his opinion thus didn't shake me. It was another, ho hum, adults can be so disappointing moments. Harlequin and I were already friends, nothing this teacher could do or say would alter that. Kids and their books, and all that.

All these years later and I can't quite forget Harlequin and his lovely patchwork suit.


Read: Toledo Blade review (1974)

Throwback: Shamrock Shakes

Speaking of green beverages on St. Paddy's Day...

 


Photo via Jason Liebig: Shamrock Shake circa 1974



Photo via Jemgirl86: Shamrock Shake circa 1986

Remember Uncle O’Grimacey? Circa 1977:

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