Oscar Party in California

From the Red Carpet: The Stars are out

Lights, Camera, Action

We are here! We are here! In California for the "Wallace Tenth Annual Oscar Party Celebrating the 85th Academy Awards."

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law take this event and make it a serious party for serious movie-lovers. 

There's even a contest where the Oscar statuette is awarded to the two who score the highest––correctly guessing the winners in 24 categories. 

Take me home, Carol.

Mmmmmm.

The tables are set. Director chairs out. And yes, that's a Chagall over the mantel. 

Prof Hendricks Joins the Cloud of Witnesses

In my last class with Dr. Howard Hendricks, 2008

Early this morning, our beloved Prof Hendricks departed from this life to the life beyond the world as we know it, released from physical limitations to enjoy unlimited spiritual freedoms. Whether we call the place where Howard Hendricks is now heaven or paradise, the apostle Paul wrote, "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord."

I can only imagine.

A Leader and an original

Dr. Hendricks said, “Don’t start with others; start with yourself. God is in the character, not the credentials.”  Prof backed up these words with his life.

"You will become the leader you desire to be and that you decide to be." And then, "You can't blame others for who you are. You cannot expect others to make you what you ought to be. That's your assignment."

Dr. Hendricks spent a lifetime carrying out that character building assignment. He loved God. He loved teaching the Bible. He loved people.

 Of all the things I heard him say, I most often quote, "All people are born originals but most die a copy."

1924–2013, Howard Hendricks remained an original. A work of art. No one like him. Irreplaceable.

Thanks be to God for giving me the gift of knowing Prof, sitting under his teaching throughout the 4 years I spent at Dallas Seminary, and for ways in which he influenced my life and the lives of countless others.

Tributes to Howard Hendricks 

On a trip to Israel in 2005, I took this picture, adding Prof's quote

Downton Downer

"You do know that Downton Abbey is not reality television."

That caption in a cartoon I saw weeks ago my husband repeats every time he hears me vent about Downton Abbey.

Downton ended on a downbeat. Drat. Today I vent, and even though I watched the finale days ago, I waited until after the episode aired last night on Masterpiece Theater to comment.

How can we the viewers across the pond await the rest of the story? Will the characters' response to this tragedy seem muted by the time between now and then? Will the story resume days, months or years beyond the accident, as if to say Keep a stiff upper lip and all that rubbish?

The cast of characters viewers have come to love

Spoiler: Read only if you know the ending

Matthew Crawley, aka. Dan Stevens the actor who plays Matthew, had decided to leave the show even as Season 3 began filming, so I guess it was up to writer and series originator Julian Fellowes to decide how and when.

A pall cast over the entire season, I awaited the outcome since, early on I had glimpsed a headline that reported Stevens's departure from the show.

Should we wish him well?

I think not. Why not suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and see the remarkable story through to the end? This forced ending seems a crime against viewers who had grown to trust this family, upstairs and downstairs.

Then I reminded myself that the theme of the series revolves around the ongoing estate. A residence. A relic. A snapshot of British history. Then time (WWI, for instance and the sinking of the Titanic foreshadowed events) swamped former things (entailed estates and class distinctions, for example) and all things became new, with or without the consent of the landed gentry.

The message reads: Change or be changed. Life has a way of sweeping the living in its path on to new ways of seeing and doing.

Comments from friends

"Terrible ending for us."

See? We viewers do take the series personally.

"Dangit Downton. I protest that ending. I want a do-over."

"(............................" A response made only with keyboard strokes.

"It occurs to me as I bawl my eyes out that I am far too emotionally invested in Downton Abbey."

In the old days, Hollywood showed to preview audiences a film and changed the ending if it soured viewers. Three such films come to mind: the original black-and-white Wuthering Heights, Our Town––in both cases the audience hated that the lead character died at the end. A more recent film, Fatal Attraction, the audience wanted the female lead to die.

So here I confess my own fatal attraction to a television series destined to disappoint. For like all series, even those that enjoy the limelight pinnacle, Downton will one day end. Cut. That's a wrap.

Maggie Smith plays a defining role

And won't we all cry when The Dowager Countess Crawley, played by Maggie Smith, is deprived of those lines she delivers like a bee sting? So beautiful even when it hurts.

Some of her "spiky" quotes

"Spiky" 78-year-old Maggie Smith gave a rare interview on 60 Minutes last night.

In that interview, Maggie Smith stated that she has not watched the series and perhaps she will, she said, when it is complete. Until then, she prefers not to second-guess her acting instinct. When asked about acting advice, she said a director once told her not to think about how [to say her lines], but rather why.

When interviewer Steve Kroft asked, "Do you accept the fact that you're a star?" Maggie said, "If you say so. I don't feel any different . . . [It] is entirely due to the television set."

Yes. It is entirely due to the television set that today millions of viewers feel letdown.

We will recover ourselves. Viewers always do. We awaken as if from a dream and admit, Yes, I know that Downton Abbey is not reality television. But what a reprieve it gives fans of the show from what does pass for reality.

Will the real Scout please stand?

An actress remembers her lines

Wednesday I drove from Lubbock to Canyon to hear a lecture at West Texas A&M University given by Mary Badham, who braved the snowy weather to appear before a packed lecture hall that holds 700 people.

Mary Badham put the screen face on Harper Lee's unforgettable character, Jean Louise Finch, aka. Scout. Harper Lee won the Pulitzer for her first and only novel, a story that transgressed social boundaries by bringing to the fore racism, prejudice and bigotry as seen through the eyes of children. Mary Badham was nominated as Best Supporting Actress for her role as Scout in the 1961 film.

"A child's point of view made it easier for people to grapple with the subject [of racism]," said Badham.

"Mockingbird has taken me around the world," she said, noting that she was 9-years-old when filming the movie To Kill a Mockingbird began and 10 when the movie premiered. Now, Mary––wife, mother, grandmother and working woman––lives in Virginia.

One of her regrets is that she has worked constantly––she considers herself a workaholic––and she missed time with her children, something her children remind her of often. She thinks people should learn to live on less in order to have time with their children.

Meet Scout

Instead of standing to talk, Mary sat in a chair on the stage at a table set for 2, her moderator more a prop than a prompter. A microphone set up in the audience permitted people to line up and ask questions.

Lifted by her dad to speak, this little girl said, "Hello. My name is Scout." The audience applauded.

Here, a smiling Scout poses for a picture.

Mary had already responded to someone who said their dog's name is Scout. "More dogs and cats and fish and animals are named Scout because of Mockingbird."

And I had to grin because my female black schnauzer is named Scout. When I introduce my dog, I say her full name is "Scout Harper Lee," so that maybe people will not think she's a boy, and if whomever has read the literary classic, they get it.

Buckshot instead of a bullet

Mary covered topics from family life to politics to her travels to education and "the freedoms we step on every day." Once she wound up, while conceding that there are some good teachers, she said she is appalled at the ignorance of students and teachers she meets in her travels to speak at high schools, colleges and universities. "It's unconscionable to live in a country and not be able to speak our language."

She and I have more in common than I thought, maybe because we are about the same age. A recent 60 Minutes interview with David McCullough highlighted some of these same concerns about American's ignorance of history. History and literature.

She had the audience repeat with her "Ignorance is the root of all evil," and "Education is the key to freedom." Someone asked her when then is ignorance bliss? Her answer implied, only when you are spared something evil.

Mary Badham dispensed motherly advice saying, "You are in charge of you. Who you surround yourself with determines who you become. Your choices make you," adding "Decide early to separate yourself from bad influences." Most of her opinions sounded like something I would say, but I came expecting to hear, or at least hopeful of seeing a polished speaker deliver a pointed talk.

A Brief Comment about Truman Copote

Here, Mary Badham speaks about Nell's (Harper Lee) relationship to Truman Capote, how their friendship dissolved after Nell won a Pulitzer and he did not win a Pulitzer for In Cold Blood. Truman had been Nell's friend since childhood and she had based the character Dill on him.

 

Signing Autographs

I didn't see the movie Scout in Mary until I saw her up close, her eyes.  Fair complexion, freckled, she has blue eyes.

My Personal Thoughts

When Mary said during her introduction that she would need to charge $20 for each autograph, I have to admit that this put me off, set me on edge for how I listened to what she had to say.

Instead of thinking about the movie To Kill a Mockingbird, I thought of a line from Jerry Maguire. Instead of "You had me at 'hello'," I thought You had me until you said I need to charge $20 to sign a copy of the book, the movie or a picture because "I have a kid in college, and some of you know what that's like." So another line from the movie Jerry Maguire came to mind. "Show me the money!"

And I thought, Good grief! You didn't write the book. You said you didn't even read the book until after your daughter was born, and then only because someone who had asked you to speak insisted that you read it. So I passed on the signature, but no matter, plenty of others lined up to get her John Hancock.

Maybe it was just the manner in which she made this comment that struck me the wrong way. In America, a celebrity is a celebrity is a celebrity, whether greater or lesser lights.

Watch this video clip from the 1961 movie

One of the best scenes in the movie occurs when Scout says, "Hey, Boo," tying a thread stitched early in the story. If you haven't seen the movie, you should. Mary said that To Kill a Mockingbird is taught in schools in Russia.

"Racism and bigotry hasn't gone anywhere. It's just changed his clothes," Mary said.

And I say that To Kill a Mockingbird––both the book and the movie––remains a timeless historical and artistic artifact worthy of the attention it receives whenever and wherever people stop and think about it. 

Happy Valentine's Day, again

My Funny Valentine!

Nine-year-old Ava made a movie poster for a book she read, completing a school assignment this past Sunday at Gran's house. The 4 glitter-gold "Oscars" at the bottom represent her awards for the book.

IA, inside the box to the left of the Oscar statuettes, indicates that she rates this made-up movie for "Insect Admirers." Not G or PG, but IA.

Gotta love her creativity. And her execution.

When I took her home, I asked if she knew what the word "execution" meant.

"The way I did it?"

Yes! And then we talked about when at age 4, Ava used the word cumbersome to describe something heavy she carried as the family moved into their new house.

Like the character Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, Ava knew how to read before she started school.

Last night, I attended a lecture by Mary Badham who played Scout in the film version of Mockingbird. I will post about her tomorrow.

Or like Scarlet O'Hara, I will at least think about that tomorrow.

I love … books … and movies … and my grandkids … and writing about what I love.

Since it's Valentine's Day, again, here's a re-posting––Valentine's Day Movie Quotes

If there were more hours in the day, I would watch these movies once a year.

That is, if my husband would let me control the remote.

Which is your favorite?

Make Ahead Pie Crust Recipe That Lasts

Proverbs 25:11 says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.”

For seven weeks in the Fall, I assist the Cooking Team as part of a program called “Apples of Gold,” where older women mentor younger women. This year, 17 young women signed up to attend the weekly dinners that include teaching designed to help them as wives and mothers with practical cooking skills, entertaining and character development. The church I attend has been doing this for 8 years, and this is my second year to help.

The Cooking Team prepares the meals and each week demos a “how to.” This past week, my daughter and I showed how to make Aunt Doshie's pie crust, so I thought I would share with the rest of the cooking world instructions and pictures because Fall is the perfect time to make up this pie mix. The mix does not require refrigeration. And it makes enough for 12 single crust pies, or quiches, cobblers or tarts aplenty. Following these steps makes pie-making a cinch instead of a stomp-that-crust-on-the-floor, as my mother did the first time she tried to make a pie.

Aunt Doshie’s Pie Crust, see also Pie-Making 101

Ingredients:

5 lb. bag Gold Medal flour (No substitutes)

3lb. can Crisco shortening (No substitutes)

1 ½ T. salt

Making a batch of pie crust all at once

In very large bowl, dump bag of flour. Add salt and mix slightly to disperse the salt. Start adding Crisco in big chunks, but not the whole can at once. Using a pastry blender or two knives (or both) start cutting shortening into flour.

IMPORTANT: DO NOT USE HANDS TO MIX

Continue to cut in shortening until entire can is mixed with the flour. Use a spatula or a large spoon to bring flour up from bottom of bowl. Mixture should resemble course meal without large pieces of shortening unmixed. 

 

To make a single pie crust:

Measure 2 c. mixture into glass or stainless bowl.

Add 2–2½ T. ice cold water, 1 T. at a time, stirring with fork after adding water

Gather dough with hands, gently. Do not handle too much.

 

Tear two sheets of wax paper and place dough ball in center of one, and the other on top.

Flatten slightly and begin to roll out from center to make piecrust to 1/8” thickness.

Carefully lift up wax paper from topside of dough. Take your time because you should only roll out pie dough one time. Handling pie dough too much makes it tough.

Then with wax paper still in place, turn over and lift up underneath side of wax paper. Remove this and then transfer piecrust to 9” pie plate, dough side down. Carefully remove the other wax paper, which was loosened before.

For filling, I used 1 1/2 cans of cherry pie filling, plus 3/4–1 t. almond extract for added flavor.
I usually make pies from scratch, but in this case, I was going for fast and easy.

Dot the top of filling with butter (about 2 tablespoons) …

…and sprinkle on top of filling and butter about 1/4 c. sugar.

To make a lattice top crust, roll out pie mixture the same as for bottom crust, cut in strips and basket-weave the strips. Then flute the edges of crust and again sprinkle with sugar.

Before placing on baking sheet to bake at 375 degrees for 35–45 minutes, tear a sheet of foil to make a square.

Fold that foil square into fourths.

Then cut a semi-circle from the center.

Open the folded foil and place over the edge of pie crust. Remove this foil about half-way through cooking. This keeps the crust from browning too much on the edges. Much easier than crimping strips of foil and then burning yourself when you try to remove the foil when it's hot!

Storing Aunt Doshie's Pie Crust

Use empty Crisco can to store some of the mixture. Store the rest in Tupperware or Ziploc storage bags (freezer bags work best, but do not freeze). 

You can, however, make up pie crust as directed and freeze in pie plates or aluminum tins, if you have room in the freezer to store.

This is a baked crust, used for cream pies. Be sure to prick holes with a fork in the unbaked crust before baking in 400 degree over for 15–20 minutes, until lightly browned. You can also use pie weights or dried beans on top of a piece of aluminum foil gently pressed on top of the unbaked pie shell.

Ta-dah! Mama Bear made Three pies

Fudge pie, the recipe from the Bluebonnet Cafe in Marble Falls, TX. Yummy!

And I baked a lemon meringue for my son-in-law's birthday this week. Another recipe from Bluebonnet Cafe, this was probably the best-tasting lemon pie I ever made.

The meringue, however, split because I debated between two recipes. One said to spread the meringue over hot filling and the other said to spread over cooled filling. I chose poorly.

Leave a comment and I will tell which way works best.

But I was ecstatic that my meringue did not “weep.” That comes from under-beating meringue. I read in the cookbook from the Peachtree Tea Room in Fredericksburg, TX that the test for whether you have beaten the egg white/sugar mixture enough is to hold the bowl over your head. If the meringue doesn't plop out, it’s just right.

Baby Bear porridge

Pies don’t have to be perfect-looking. Aunt Doshie's pie crust recipe, besides being almost fool-proof, is light and flaky.

Although not as sturdy as crusts made with butter, refrigerated before rolling and about a half-dozen other things you need to learn by doing, heading into the holidays, Aunt Doshie’s is the one to have on hand. I use a couple of other recipes when needing to make only one or two pies.

Love Lost and Found in 1913

The girl, Bessie Smith

Since Aunt Bessie was 18 when she married DeWitt Brown, the year would have been 1913. But that first marriage lasted only so far as Dallas, TX where Bessie got off the train bound for California and returned east to Marshall, TX. DeWitt journeyed on, the marriage later annulled.

Here follows the rest of the story, as I know it, that I called "The Ballad of Bessie Brown."

A poem that the second Mrs. Brown, Lillie, sent to Bessie is not dated. The envelope is lost and so too the picture she enclosed to show and tell my mother's Aunt Bessie about the life that Bessie could have had in sunny California.

It astonishes me, however, that Lillie spent the time, the creative trouble and the postage to tell Aunt Bessie, Who's Sorry Now? Only Lillie titled her poem "The Cord That Bound Three Hearts, The Will That Severed Two––To Miss Bessie Smith" [sic]. Or rather sick? Or syrupy sweet?

Page 1 of 6

 

 

Girl Meets Boy

Thou once wert young and fair,
As sweet as girl could be, 
Thine eyes were like the summer skies,
Or like the deep blue sea …

The man was young and brave, 
A noble man was he;
His face was sweet, his heart was true,
As honest as could be.

Page 2 of 6

Thou sat'st his heart aflame

With love's bright glowing blaze;

For hearts like his will melt so soon

Beneath his lover's gaze.

The cord of love soon spun

Her web around each heart;

And verry [sic] soon the tie was made, 

Until death doth us part …

On page 3, the story heats up. How Bessie's heart turned to stone, stone De Witt's love could not penetrate.

He pled with thee, my child, 

to turn and do the right; 

But thou wouldest not, and so soon 

Despised him in thy sight…

… But hardened in thy ways, 

Thy proud heart harder still;

E'ne tears of grief and words of love

Could never break thy will.

 Boy Loses Girl

 On page 4, God enters the picture:

And God in heaven knows

The day the deed was done, 

When in thy wrath the cord was cut

Which bound thee to this one. 

Alas poor man he wept, 

Thy love had proved untrue;

When this one hasty step ye took, 

Which many others do …

Looks like Lillie means to curse Bessie:

God grant you may escape

The awful pain he bore;

But Bessie, I'm afraid, my girl

It's coming to your door. 

Boy Gets Better Girl

 Page 5 recounts the truer love heartbroken Dewitt found in Lillie.

This love will ne'er be quenched

As God is on his throne;

'Tis burned so deep within two hearts, 

It never can be known. 

That's stickin' it to her, Lillie. Turn that knife and make her bleed. The letter is tattered, suggesting that Aunt Bessie read this tome many times.

Page 6, a summary: He's mine now.

… The love thou shouldst have known,  

The joy that should be thine, 

A darling husband's tender care

Has turned and now is mine …

… May God forgive you, Dear

The mistake of your life;

For He was merciful and kind, 

And gave DeWitt a wife.  ––Mrs. Lillie Brown
 

Epilogue

Although Bessie married again, three more times in fact, I wonder if she wondered what her life would have looked like had she gotten on that train to California in 1913.

This picture tells more than a thousand words for it looks as if Lillie continued to rub it in. Lillie sent Bessie several such pictures of the happy couple. 

I wonder if the Browns ever had kids. Aunt Bessie didn't.

Bringing in the sheaves