A New Week Begins!

Memories:  One Hot Garden!! I always wanted a garden, and when I bought my first home, I made a small garden of about 8×8 feet.  The dirt was adobe and harder than a rock.  I thought to myself, “Self, get some steer manure to loosen up the soil.”

I went to the lumber yard and picked up eight bags of steer manure. I dug those bags into the garden until the soil was soft all the time, humming the tune, “Whistle While You Work.”

I planted watermelons and a few tomatoes.

When the watermelons became ripe, I rushed one into the house, but my eyes watered when I cut into it.  What was going on?

I cut up a few slices and provided them to our little family.  OMG, they could not spit it out fast enough, and all I saw was their tiny rear ends heading for the bathroom.

Sissies, I raised sissies.  I bit into the melon, and it was like a jalapeno.  OMG, it was so hot, I spit it out with such vigor, the mouthful went over the neighbor’s fence and probably killed their grass.

Next time I will read the directions.  I should have used one bag, maybe two, for the entire garden!

Burn baby, burn!

The day started wet but got better as the day progressed.  On the way to Mary’s PT, the visibility was about two blocks, with drizzle and fog obliterating our ability to see.  Naturally, I drove slower than usual, and Mary was OK with that until a snail passed us by!

Her PT sessions are working out as her broken arm is now 80% recovered, enough to dance.

We stayed home all day watching TV and cooking.  Mary loves the kitchen, and several potatoes had to sacrifice themselves for an a’ potato gratin.

The garden needed a visitor, so I strolled outside in the light rain and said hollow to everyone.

Mary’s sweetpeas are finally blooming.

The fava beans are going wild.

Did You Know?  Vicia faba, commonly known as the broad bean, fava bean, or faba bean, is a species of vetch, a flowering plant in the pea and bean family Fabaceae.  It is widely cultivated as a crop for human consumption and as a cover crop.  Varieties with smaller, harder seeds that are fed to horses or other animals are called field beans, tic bean or tick bean.  Horse bean, Vicia faba var. equina Pers., is a variety recognized as an accepted name.

Broad beans are still often grown as a cover crop to prevent erosion because they can overwinter, and, as a legume, they fix nitrogen in the soil.  The broad bean has high plant hardiness; it can withstand harsh and cold climates.  Unlike most legumes, the broad bean can be grown in soils with high salinity and clay soil.  However, it prefers rich loams.

We have a load of fava beans.

It is a very bushy plant and grows three feet tall!

While waltzing through Home Depot, we spotted a strange-looking plant called a Gooseberry.  Gooseberries are edible and can be eaten raw or cooked as an ingredient in desserts, such as pies, fools, and crumbles.

Early pickings are generally sour and more appropriate for culinary use.  This includes most supermarket gooseberries, often picked before fully ripe for increasing shelf life.  Gooseberries are also used to flavor beverages such as sodas, flavored waters, or milk and can be made into fruit wines and teas.

Gooseberries can be preserved in jams, dried fruit, as the primary or a secondary ingredient in pickling, or stored in sugar syrup.

When we saw the gooseberries, we had to try them!

While picking up strangers, we also spotted a Honeyberry, which requires a male and a female (sorry for you liberal gender-crazy folks).  Honeyberries are the fruit of forms of the honeysuckle Lonicera caerulea, also known as blue honeysuckle or edible honeysuckle.

The fruits are similar to blueberries in taste and looks and can be eaten raw or used in jams and jellies.  Like blueberries, they are high in antioxidants and vitamin C and make an exciting addition to your fruit collection.

Honeyberries come in pairs, a Mr. and a Mrs.

Honeysuckle berry garden summer spring

It was getting cold, and there was some mist, so I returned inside.  We watched several movies, and Mary made a beautiful dinner for us.  We also finished our turkey miniburgers, fresh carrots, and pears from the garden.  She made au gratin potatoes, a wonderful addition to dinner on this cold night!

Bedtime, so I walked outside and adjusted the lights to be Easter-like.  The edge of the house is yellow, and the inside is purple.  They need some tuning, but they will look great.  Tomorrow the Easter Flag gets raised.

Sort of Easter.

I worked on the Starlighter’s Dance website before crashing for the night.

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Sunday We Rested Because We Are Going Dancing!!

It is finally fixed, and I no longer need it; my luck!

We didn’t move from the house today; we just worked around doing little chores.  It was a nice sunny day until later in the afternoon.

We cleaned up and dressed for “An Evening In Paris” with the Starlighters.  You can see the event at:  http://lilesnet.com/starlighters/events_public/2023-03-19/index.htm

We got to the Elks at 5:15 pm to assist Vicky in setting up things; Vicky did an amazing job decorating for our themed event; we are lucky to have Vicky’s creative mind on our side!

I need a costume like that one!

Mary assisted me in taking pictures, plus she took several pictures herself.  She got one of Ghislene and me cutting a rug.

Dinner was amazing.  The Elks outdid themselves again!

The beef stroganoff was perfect; the best I had ever had!

Mary had the fish selection, and we shared; both were outstanding.  My new policy is to bring half of what I ordered home so I can keep my svelt 190-pound figure.  It will be lunch this week!

Mary did the White Fish, which was also perfectly cooked

My Parisian outfit was my Valentine’s Day outfit with a bidet; I looked, French.  I thought about bringing a white flag but thought better of myself.

I liked my new bidet; it kept my head warm!

We stayed until about 9:30 pm when we both were fading.  My five Bud Zeros were having an effect on me!  It was tinkle time all the way home.   The beer loosened me up, and I did the Tango in addition to the Cowboy ChaCha; we were warming up the wooden dance floor all night long.

We both crashed immediately.

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We relaxed today after the hectic St. Patty’s Day celebration.

Zachary and  Remi came to visit around noon, and we spent a long time visiting and catching up.  The guys really liked the new garden; we spent quite a while visiting the veggies.

We talked a little bit about growing up and I remembered the 1950s well!

We popped over to Jan’s in the afternoon and brought a St. Patricks Day feast.  From there, we went to Home Depot and picked up some flowers that get rid of bugs plus we got some grapes and some new berries.  If it does not rain, we will plant them tomorrow.

A nap was required after all the shopping and hauling of plants to the south forty.  I slept until 6:30 pm .  We watched a movie about Adolph Eichmann; it was quite interesting.

We crashed at 9:00 pm. Tomorrow is Starlighters so we must be ready.  We are going early to assist Vicky in setting up.

As we fell asleep, we remembered last night and all the fun with family and friends.

Thank you Bob for the group shot!

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Saint Patty’s Day Is Here!

We were up at the crack of dawn to get ready for my biometry sessions with Dr. Kline.

What is biometry of the eye?  Biometry is the process of measuring the power of the cornea (keratometry) and the length of the eye and using this data to determine the ideal intraocular lens power.  Ocular biometry involves anatomical measurements of the eye, including the axial length (AL), keratometry, and anterior chamber depth (ACD) and includes anterior segment biometry, for which only the front third of the eye is measured. These biometric measurements are crucial for the selection of the correct IOL power to achieve the desired refractive outcome after cataract surgery.1  Therefore, ocular biometry is an essential step before cataract surgery..

Dr. Kline is first-class; Mary had known him for twenty years and actually sold her practice to him when she retired.  We scheduled the operation for April 26th.   Forty minutes later, I will see as I used too many moons ago!  Then the old eyes will return to 20-20, and night driving will be easier.

The Silver Fox pulled out at 8:45 am and headed to Newport via the side streets!  We know the freeways too well to trust them to be open!  We were the Jamboree Express this morning, and the telephone poles looked like picket fences as we flew toward the ocean.

Robin saved our bacon as she stayed behind and put carious dishes into the heating cycle according to the precise schedule set forth by Chef Mary.

It wasn’t easy, but Robin managed it.

Returning home, we made the final preparations while watching Finian’s Rainbow.  The movie was from a kinder and gentler time, 19768.

Folks began to arrive about 5:00 pm; Irene was first, so we got to visit with her.  Dinner was served at 6:00 pm; the corned beef was laid out and labeled so we could vote this year on which was the best one.

Roasted, Boiled, Crockpot, or Instapot – Cast your vote!

Diane brought a chocolate cake with green icing and two green ice cream types.  I see visions of calories jumping over a white picket fence!

There are zero calories IF you eat your ice cream with chopsticks!

It was a delightful evening; everyone departed stuff!  The inner you ask, #1 Crockpot and #2 BoileD!

Thank you, Bob, for the group shot!

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SPD-1 (St. Patrick’s Day Minus One)

Today is St. Patrick’s Day Eve. Is there such a thing?

Oops! Burp!

At 7:00 am prompt, our trusty sidekick, Mr. O’Scout, placed his cold nose on Mary’s arm, which was the equivalent of raising the dead!  After the first blood-curdling scream, I popped up and let Scout to the great outdoors.  I managed to flip on the house heater to melt the icicles from the coffee pot; the day had officially started.

What do you call a fake Irish diamond?  A shamrock!

No, Scout, you can bite St. Patty tomorrow, not today!

Irony Of The Day: The Food Stamp Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is proud to be distributing this year the greatest amount of free Meals and Food Stamps ever to 47 million people as of the most recent figures available in 2013.

Meanwhile, the National Park Service, administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, asks us, “Please Do Not Feed the Animals.” Their stated reason for the policy is that “The animals will grow dependent on handouts and will not learn to take care of themselves.”

It’s off to the Elks via Scout’s hairdresser; he wanted to be pretty for the 17th! We then did a b-line for the Elks arriving there in plenty of time to get a ringside seat for today’s frivolity!

Just me!

It was wear-a-hat Thursday, we had to be prepared!

Cut as a bug’s ear!

We departed the Elks at about 1:30 pm and stopped by Albertsons for Irish soda bread and non-alcoholic beer for me.  We called the groomers, and Scout was ready; he had repeatedly been prancing back and forth and requesting applause from the staff.

From there to the gas station where we pulled in on just fumes!  How empty was the tank? $94.50 worth of empty!

After getting home, we unloaded the groceries (mostly unleaded beer), Irish Soda Bread, and some odds and ends.  We took a short nap, and then Robin arrived to assist us this evening.  Robin and Colleen talked via Alexa for quite a while.

Two chatterboxes at work!

Mary said to get the remaining corned beef from the outside frig, and we had six more to add to the two we already had in the frig!  The corned beef seemed smaller this year, and we do not know why!

The crockpot, Instapot, and oven-baking pot were getting ready to be filled/  Robin jotted down the times as we would be at the eye doctor at 9:30 am for a pre-test for the coming eye surgery.   She will get things started; she is so helpful to us!

Robin to the rescue!

The potatoes, onions, carrots, and garlic are ready; they only need eight hours of heat.  We are timing dinner for 5:00 pm tomorrow, and we also expect Zachary and Remi to show up to add to the merriment!

How do you know if an Irishman is having fun? He’s Dublin over with laughter!

All it needs is a nice slow heat!

Mary is now adding the secret ingredient, a newt’s eye, and a frog’s toe!  Now it is really ready!

Eyes of newts are difficult to come b these days!

We watched a great movie called  “Forsaken” with Keifer and Donald Sutherland. Summary: In 1872, an embittered gunslinger named John Henry Clayton attempted to make amends with his estranged father, Reverend Samuel Clayton, while ruthless land-grabbers besieged their community.  John Henry returns to his hometown hoping to repair his relationship with his estranged father, but a local gang is terrorizing the town. John Henry is the only one who can stop them; however, he has abandoned his gun and reputation as a fearless quick-draw killer.

While watching the movie, Mary made St. Patricks Day deviled eggs; green, of course.  It was difficult to find green chickens, but we managed it anyway!

Ready for the party!

It somehow became 10:30 pm so we all turned in for the evening.  Tomorrow will be a big day1

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By Noon, The Wet Went Walking! Sunshine!

Truth be told, Mary has a beautiful voice!

We were up at 7:00 am because our cleaning folks were due at 8:00 am, and you guessed it; we had to clean the house before they arrived.   Mary gave her luggage to Domi, who appreciated the gift.  They were old (the luggage, not the girls) but in excellent shape (the girls, not the luggage).  I would have kept the luggage for me as it beats dragging my orange crates with nailed-on roller skates through the airport.

We got over three inches of new water in the past two days and figured it would rain again this morning.  OMG, it was not raining, but there was a heavy mist in the air; the visibility was minimal, although it would have helped if I had removed my beauty mask before driving.

Off to Mary’s PT session at 8:30 am, we went flying through the haze, again leaving spinning water molecules in our tracks.  I glanced into the rearview mirror and was surprised at the turbulence we had caused!

Mary went inside, and I went to the local Mom & Pop burger joint and had a warm cup of coffee while reading “The Maze” on my Kindle.   John Corey was at his best, and it was challenging to look dignified when coffee kept spurting out my nose as I went from chapter to chapter in the book.  As John says, “You can’t drink all day unless you start early in the morning.”

Before we pulled out, Mary grabbed her camera and took a picture of the resident rabbit; we call him rabbit!

The PT building has several rabbits on the property.

We came home, worked in the office, and then went to the Elks for lunch before visiting the new cardiologist.  I had a thought because I smelled smoke; why not have lunch at the Elks and then pop over to the doctor’s office on the way home?  We took a vote, and it was two to one, with Scout expressing a negative opinion.

The Lodge always decorates the front table with items for the nearest holiday, and we think this is for St. Patrick’s Day.

The Elks were decorated for St. Patrick’s Day.

Ronnie popped by to say hello and drop off his signature roses for the ladies at the Elks.  We traded a few funny barbs, and he went on his way!

Ronnie gave Mary a rose!

The four of us, Bill, Bob, Mary, and yours, truly visited and solved the world’s problems while having lunch.  I was a good boy and had a spa salad and iced tea!  Burp!  Oops!  Pardon me!  After eating all that grass, I know why cows f**t.

We had lunch with Bob and Bill.

Our appointment was at 2:30 pm, so we had plenty of time.  I parked today to ensure we could find the car on the way home!  No need for breadcrumbs when the old man is at the wheel.

The news was ALL good.  I am off all blood pressure meds!  The BP has been running in the high 130s, which is OK for an old man!  I am wearing a heart monitor for the next seven days, and we go back in two weeks for a reading on the monitor and a carotid artery checkout.  We were admonished NOT to wear the monitor in the hot tub as the extension cord tends to get wet and provides for a checking experience; ouch!

We scampered home since we had Scout inside.  Scout was thrilled to see us, but he looked funny with his back legs crossed, and his eyes appeared a little yellow.  He shot out the back door like a rocket!

Running to his favorite spot1

We had a small dinner and then crashed.  I am still tired from resting so much!  We attempted to watch a movie, but Mary fell asleep first, and I followed suit a few minutes later.

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Home Jeeves!

We love the new technology!

Monday, I did nothing, and early Tuesday morning was a disaster; my energy level was just above that of the Starship Enterprise, but yet my universe was in a small hospital room the size of a two-car garage; can you imagine the pent-up energy?  I had to escape!

By 3 am, I was doing a lap around the ward in under 2.1 seconds, leaving a swath of medical papers and reports falling like snow as I flew by the various nurse’s stations.  I overheard a nurse asking when Hurricane Paul would be over!

My next set of laps occurred around 4 am, just after they took my vitals (I still do not know where they put them?).  As I exited my room, the nurses pointed my way, saying, “It’s a bird, it’s a plane,” and something about faster than a speeding locomotive.

Just think what I could have done with a set of bowling pins and a ball!

Eek!  I spotted their nefarious plan to slow me down; the nurses placed nail strips in the hallway, and I could not stop!  Pop! Hiss!  Pssssst!  It happened, both shoes went flat, and I came to a stop right in front of my room.  Then I spotted “Double-Wide,” the heavy-set nurse heading in my direction threateningly.  Fearing for my life, I followed her instructions without exception.  Do you know how hard it is to tie yourself to the bed?  My streaking days came to an abrupt stop!

While restrained, I read my messages and got a great picture of my now 27-year-old grandson (when he was ten) and my 8-year-old great-granddaughter.  Can you tell which is which!

Which one is which?

My security system alerted me that Scout was outside, meaning mama was on her way to the hospital to untie me before the locomotive ran me over!  Scout kept looking at the door, expecting to see us!

“Mommy!  Daddy!  Where are you??

Mary found her way from the car to the room, untied me, and gave the nurses an icy stare!

We bribed our nurse, Gabby, into paging the doctor so we could get released, and finally, at 1:00 pm, he showed up, and we were almost out of there.

I say almost because Dr. Mary lost our car.   After 45 minutes of walking around in the three parking structures, I knew how the Israelites felt being in the desert for forty years.

It was embarrassing since Mary yelled, “Here, Silver Fox, here baby, come to mommy!” at the top of her lungs!  I walked several steps behind her!

We got to know the parking lot staff quite well.  Just before reporting the car stolen, Mary spotted the Silver Fox sitting lonely at the far end of the second floor (we had already searched the third, fourth, and fifth floors).  He was so happy to see us; he flashed his lights and honked his horn without our help!  I think there were also two drops of oil beneath the car.  He was so happy.

My offer of driving home so we would not get lost in the parking lot was met by a scornful look.  I allowed Mary to drive but checked to ensure we had enough food, warm blankets, and a flashlight before getting in the car!  Being prudent, I secretly dropped bread crumbs out the window until we got onto the freeway, just in case!

We made it home, and soon thereafter, we went to visit Jan.  The subject of the piano was raised, and I remembered we had to be home at 4:00 pm for the piano tuner; it was 3:55 pm when we departed.  Flash, we left and arrived at the same time.

Tuning the piano took two hours.

Two hours later, the piano was tuned, and it sounded terrific.

Then it was off to the store for last-minute St. Patrick’s Day fixings.

We crashed early as I was pooped out from resting for two days!

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Poke, Prod, Test! I Was A Human Pin Cushion.

Memories: Mom Made Me Into Superman!  It was 1955, and Superman was a hot item with a black-and-white weekly show on TV. It was October, and Halloween was around the corner. We all talked about what we wanted to be for Halloween, and all the guys wanted to be Superman, The Man Of Steel. One could buy a costume for $4-6 dollars.

My mother was a fantastic seamstress pus very creative  I asked for a superman costume, and she went to work. OMG, the suit was handmade and fit perfectly. The”trunks” were handmade with shiny red material. The “S” was just like the real things, and to cap it off, I had a red polished cotton cape, and Mom created new boots from some red heavy-duty oilcloth. The costume was amazing. I flew around the neighborhood for weeks!

It looks like I just came off the movie lot!

I showed up at school with my new costume, and the kids went bonkers. Most of the guys had red pajamas, red towels tied around their necks,  reddish swim trunks, and an odd assortment of galoshes in various colors. The “S” on their chest was sometimes painted on, sometimes pinned on, I swear some were stapled on, and sometimes done with a magic marker. They looked just like the Little Rascals would have looked!

The costumes did not fit, and the guys were tripping over themselves left and right!

After I got home, Mom’s phone was ringing off the hook. All the other moms wanted my Mom to make their little boys a Superman Suit. Mom has to stop answering the phone! She did not attend the PTA meeting and wore a mustache for a week before Halloween.

I was in the hospital today, and although it was tranquil, I could not sleep. I wandered the hallways most of the night with only a 3:00 am interruption to speak to a doctor. Mary came to the hospital at 7:30 am in case another doctor was coming by, but all she had was me.

I did not take any meds with me, and all day long, I was sans meds, and the BP was returning to normal in the 120s-130s. WTH?

Robin popped over at 5:30 pm and brought us Subway for dinner.

Finally, the cardiologist dropped in at about 7:00 pm, and we gave him the life story plus tons of data from the past three months.

Oh, dear!

We decided it was the five; count them, five. BP meds were not interacting so well together. He said to go cold turkey without, and I did! I was back to myself!

Robin and Mary departed at 7:30 pm to get some well-deserved rest.

Me? I paced the halls all night long, harassing the nurses all night. I cracked them up with my Moon Walk, and when I took the heart rate monitor, and asked how the walkie-talkie worked.

Ask me in private, and I will reveal what else I did!

The verdict was in; I had to stay another night. Several nurses called in with the bubonic plague when they learned I was in for the duration! Was I that bad?

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What Hit Me??

I got up early Sunday and felt like I had the chills, so I went back to bed and covered up.  The feeling did not get a lot better, and I took my morning pills a little late, and then I felt worse.

While trying to make it to the gentlemen’s lounge, I went down!

I hit the floor and was out for a few seconds.

After recovering for ten minutes, I was up again, took two steps, and again went down, hitting my head with another thud!  The wall was now dented!

No more standing, I crawled into Robin’s Nest!!

By 11:00 am, Mary called 911, and they were here in four minutes!  It turns out the paramedics are one and a half blocks away!

Dang, Mary was right.  I hit the wall with my head on the way down!

They checked me out, and the vitals were within range, but the BP was low!  Low?  It has been high for months!  They recommended I get out from under the covers and wear a jacket as my temperature was elevated.   They waived off the ambulance and went back to the station.

Mary put me on the reclining lounge chair in the TV/Living room, and my BP was dropping more and more.  Robin came over, and when it hit 90/45, they put me in the car and off to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Orange.  We got there after dark, and I was taken in almost immediately.

They gave me a CT Scan to check for skull damage since I hit the floor; they did x-rays and took a little over 5.65 gallons of blood!

Hello there!

I ended up being admitted.  The girls stayed with me until midnight, ensuring I got into a room and all was well.

What a day!

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Getting Ready For Taxes; YUCH!

Amen to that!!!

Mary slept in until 8:30 am, and it worked; the cold was gone. A slight cough remains, but she is 95% recovered! Scout went outside but returned immediately, saying it was too wet for him!

We finished decorating for St. Patrick’s Day this morning. You can see everything on our St. Patrick’s Day page.

Yes, we do turn off the fireplace on St. Patrick’s Day eve, so when Patty comes down the chimney, he will not burn himself.

What is Irish diplomacy? It’s the ability to tell a man to go to hell. So that he will look forward to making the trip

Warmed decorations.

We try to cover all the bases, including changing the lightbulb colors to green via our LIFX control system.  With Irish music playing in the background, it still does not look like an Irish pub.  Perhaps next time we will use the She-Shed and decorate it!

We cover every location with something.

The final touches went on the ballroom’s St. Patrick’s Day tree. Shorty passes me the garland, and I stand high on a ladder to get it on correctly.

Mary asks for assistance.

We put green and white lights on the tree, and I do the final placement under the guidance and supervision of my little leprechaun!

The tree is looking good.

We fixed the angel, so she was standing up straight, plus we put a new cartridge in the electronic air freshener; the room smells like corned beef and cabbage!

Oops!

The tree is ready except for a few remaining feet of garland.

We stayed home all day and rested because it was “Movie Night”! Robin and Bob are coming over with their popcorn maker and a surprise.

We called Connor at around 5:00 pm t wish him a happy birthday, 27 years old today!  He is our third oldest grandson.  He was at his mother’s house (the poor little guy) so we sang to him to cheer him up.

We fixed dinner together before the kids came over; Mary has a slice of pizza and gobbled down two Vicky beef tamales.  It was quick but it worked!  Could I put green food coloring on the tamales and served them on the 17th?  Maybe not!

When they arrived, Robin looked like she robbed the concessions stand at the local theater; we had one of each kind of candy.   Bob set up and made the popcorn, I melted some butter, and Mary got a parmesan cheese container out and we sprinkled the popcorn liberally. We were ready to rock and roll.

The pierogi chef has other hidden talents!

Did You Know? Sometimes, after the popcorn has finished popping there are still unpopped kernels remaining. These kernels do not pop because they don’t have enough moisture within them to create enough steam for the explosion. These unpopped kernels are known in the popcorn industry as “old maids.”

We set up the blue ray player, and the kids brought their copy of “Song Of The South.” We watched it with an eye on its demise as a racist film. Someone has their heads glued up their butt if there was anything racist about this movie! It was uplifting, showing people getting along with the three little people enjoying each other’s company. Were their poor blacks, you bet? But there were also poor whites with two mean-cussed little boys!

Did You Know? The film takes place in Georgia during the Reconstruction era, a period of American history after the end of the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery. The story follows seven-year-old Johnny (Bobby Driscoll), who is visiting his grandmother’s plantation for an extended stay. Johnny befriends Uncle Remus, an elderly worker on the plantation, and enjoys hearing his tales about the adventures of Br’er Rabbit, Br’er Fox, and Br’er Bear. Johnny learns from the stories how to cope with the challenges he is experiencing while living on the plantation.

Walt Disney had long wanted to produce a film based on the Uncle Remus stories. It was not until 1939 that he began negotiating with the Harris family for the film rights, and in 1944, filming for Song of the South began. The studio constructed a plantation set for the outdoor scenes in Phoenix, Arizona, while other scenes were filmed in Hollywood. The film is predominantly live-action but includes three animated segments, which were later released as stand-alone television features. Some scenes also feature a combination of live action with animation. Song of the South premiered in Atlanta in November 1946 and the remainder of its initial theater run was a financial success. The song “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” won the 1948 Academy Award for Best Original Song  and Baskett received an Academy Honorary Award for his performance as Uncle Remus.

A wonderful movie.

Hattie McDaniel was an American actress, singer-songwriter, and comedian. For her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind (1939), she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first African American to win an Oscar. She has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,

She was great!

James Franklin Baskett (February 16, 1904 – July 9, 1948) was an American actor who portrayed Uncle Remus, singing the song “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” in the 1946 Disney feature film Song of the South.

In recognition of his portrayal of Remus, he was given an Honorary Academy Award in 1948, making him the first Black male performer to receive an Oscar.

Uncle Remus was magical!

I loved this movie and will watch it again and send the CD to my friends.

After this movie, we watched RV, a 2006 Robin Williams movie about Bob Munro and his dysfunctional family renting an RV for a road trip to the Colorado Rockies, where they ultimately have to contend with a bizarre community of campers. I laughed so hard I darned near wet myself!

The kids departed around 10:30 pm; we tried to stay up, but the old bodies said” night all!”

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