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The Rainbow Connection.

28/11/2011

I’ve been thinking about Jim Henson a lot lately.  It started with a Speech assignment:  we had to speak to inform.  One suggestion was to inform the class about someone famous, and Jim instantly jumped to mind.  He’s one of my heroes — long before I ever knew it.

This is what I said in my speech:

A giant, yellow, flightless bird. A creature who looks like a banana with a unibrow. An amphibian with a collar, and the pig who loves him. These are just a few of the Muppets created by one of my heroes, Jim Henson. Some of my earliest memories are of Jim Henson’s handiwork: from Sesame Street to the Muppet Show, my childhood was filled the images and sounds of dozens of Jim’s endearing creations. As an adult, I continue to marvel at both his Muppets and his general outlook on life. Jim Henson was an accomplished and critically acclaimed artist and performer, and although he died relatively young, his vision lives. Today, I’d like to tell you a little about Jim –his career’s early beginnings, several decades of successful TV programs and movies, and how his legacy is carried on today.

Jim was born on September 24, 1936 in Mississippi. His family moved to Maryland in the 1940’s, where he would attend high school and later, college. Jim’s first experience with puppeteering came in high school when he began operating puppets on a Washington DC Saturday morning television program. In 1955, while he was still in college, he was given a twice-daily 5 minute show called “Sam and Friends”, which aired for six years on NBC affiliate WRC-TV. One of the main characters on the show was a lizard-like creature who would later become Kermit the Frog. Not only did he gain an Emmy Award for this show, but his assistant puppeteer on Sam and Friends, Jane Nebel, would one day become his wife and mother to their 5 children.

After the success of Sam and Friends, Jim’s progress in the entertainment world slowed for a few years but never stopped. Jim and his Muppets appeared on a variety of television programs such as the Ed Sullivan Show and Jimmy Dean Show, and Muppets began to pop up in dozens of commercials. Jim’s big break came in the late 60’s, when he was approached to create Muppets for a new television show called Sesame Street. The show’s iconic characters such as Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch and Bert & Ernie, helped to make the program a fantastic success and led to numerous more Emmys and other awards for Jim and his company, Muppets, Inc. Despite these accomplishments, Jim couldn’t find financial backing in the US for his new show – The Muppet Show – so in 1975 he moved his creative team to England, where he had financial support. Filming began in 1976. With Kermit the Frog as the host and a support cast of dozens of other unforgettable Muppets such as Miss Piggy, Fozzy Bear and Beaker, The Muppet Show enjoyed 5 wonderful seasons and ended in 1981.

During the time the Muppet Show was still being produced, Jim entered the world of movie-making. Several very successful Muppet movies were made, and Jim collaborated with George Lucas to create Yoda for The Empire Strikes Back. In 1982, Jim co-wrote, co-directed and performed in The Dark Crystal, which wasn’t a huge financial or critical success, but showed a progression in Jim’s work with the medium. Jim said of the movie, “With The Dark Crystal, instead of puppetry we’re trying to go toward a sense of realism - toward a reality of creatures that are actually alive.” In 1986, Jim’s movie Labyrinth opened, and while it was also not successful at the time, it later grew to become a cult classic. In between movies and up until his last days, Jim continued to work in television, creating several programs such as Fraggle Rock, Muppet Babies and The Storyteller, which were all well received by both audiences and critics.

In 1990, at the age of 53, Jim Henson died suddenly from complications of bacterial pneumonia. Thousands attended his funeral, including many of his Muppet characters. No one was allowed to wear black, and the service featured numerous upbeat musical performances – even the theme to Sesame Street, “Sunny Day.” But even after Jim’s death, his work went on. Additional Muppet specials were produced over the years, and the full-length movie Muppets from Space was released in 1999. Innovative new series are still being developed by The Jim Henson Company. Sesame Street continues to thrive and the characters from the Muppet Show refuse to step out of the spotlight. To that end, this Thanksgiving we will get to see our dear Muppet friends on the big screen once again with the release of Disney’s “The Muppets.”

Jim’s career as a puppeteer began early and blossomed over more than three decades of television and movies. Even after his death, his characters live on. He led an extraordinary and all-too-brief life – he was a visionary artist whose accomplishments were well-loved by audiences and critics and left a lasting legacy for us all. Jim once said, “When I was young, my ambition was to be one of the people who made a difference in this world. My hope is to leave the world a little better for having been there.” As we look back on his life and career, I think it’s safe to say he reached that ambition.

It’s an ok speech; it didn’t really capture what Muppets mean to me - the conclusion isn’t strong and in general, it’s just not my best (though I’ll get my grade on Tuesday, so who knows?!).  My job was to inform, not to gush over Jim Henson & the Muppets; I don’t know if I swayed one way or another. I just know I really, really appreciate Jim, and I’m pretty sure that didn’t come out (in its entirety) through my speech.  I…don’t know how to express it.  I think we’ve all had this feeling before, about one thing or another.

Anyway…

On Saturday, we (the kids & I, along with some friends) went to see the new Disney-fangled Muppet Movie.  It was Jim’s intention to sell the rights to the Muppets shortly (uh — days!) before  his death, so I do understand this transition…but…but…it’s Disney…<insert seed of doubt>…

But they got it.  They Got It.  I obviously never knew Jim, and don’t know much about him as a person other than his characters and what wikipedia and henson.com have presented.  Yet I was delighted at how this new movie captured the feel of the Muppets.  I cried.  A lot.  I missed my childhood and the simplicity of joy the Muppet Show brought me when I wasn’t even old enough to know much of anything.

I don’t know if the Muppets will ever have the same kind of meaning for my kids or others in their generation.  That’s ok.  I’m just happy they still make me laugh, and that my kids can sing “Mahna Mahna” with the best of them.  Thanks, Jim.

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These days.

7/06/2011

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Leo turns three.

13/01/2010

At about this time 3 years ago, Leo was just hours old and James & I got the news that it was possible he had a low chance of survival (because of a positive test result for group B strep). Fortunately, it was a false alarm, but on this day, his birthday, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget the nurse telling us he couldn’t stay in the room with us anymore; the nurse wheeling him out; the strained phone calls with the doctor; the group B strep fact sheet that casually mentioned the mortality rate; the IV antibiotics being pumped into his pink little wrist; and, oddly enough, the Shins playing on Saturday Night Live.

Enough of that, though. He’s alive and well. He reminds me of my maternal grandfather, though Doc Hoffman and I never had the chance to meet. Leo is stubborn, independent, moody and…well, smart. Tonight, when we got home from eating some delicious Razzleberry’s ice cream, he looked up at the cloudless night and made letters out of the stars. He looked at the stars and saw the alphabet. Yesterday he looked at a Ritz cracked and related it to a pizza. He has a way of thinking that just fascinates me.

Now, I realize he’s my youngest and I’m likely to dote on him. He hung the moon for me (as they all do in their own wonderful ways)…but I can’t help but think he’s awesome and not only in a proud mama’s eyes.

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Slow moving.

12/01/2010

The kids and I have found a new place to live; we started bringing boxes over yesterday and will do more over the weekend.  It’s a lovely little C house in the middle of town - much more convenient than living out west.  It’s a 6-month lease and after that I’m hopeful that homeownership is in our future.  One thing I’ve learned over the past 2 years is that I love stability, homemaking and family.  Renting is not the life for me.

I’m feeling very fortunate for all the good people here in Oak Ridge, and I’m curious about the year to come.  It’s already been a year of changes and we’re not even two weeks into it.

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March self-portrait (wild card inside).

27/03/2009

March self-portrait.

Ask Jason, ask the kids.

I’ve just been in a downright horrible grumpy mood lately.

I’m worn out, burned out, discouraged, whiny, quick to cry, quick to argue, slow to laugh; it’s the type of mood where the most minute details of life seem overwhelming and full of burden; the type of mood where old worries recycle themselves into cleverly masked reproductions and old hurts reappear despite my many previous reassurances of their ultimate demises.

It’s the type of mood that prompts me to write melodramatic posts…and then worry if I’ve been too melodramatic…or too honest…or too hidden…

: )

Anyway, yes, it’s the Anxious…the dread pirate Anxious has once again seized this vessel and is sailing her off to sea…

Only…I…I don’t want to go to sea. I want to stay grounded. I want to feel level. I want to be able to control these mood swings.

It seems like the solution should be easy; a quick answer to pluck from the sky and set into motion.

I know things I can do. Breathe, label my thoughts, focus on the moment. Be grateful for the bountiful amounts of good in my life (because there are, without a doubt, bountiful amounts of good in my life).

Sometimes, though, it just seems that all that good intellectual knowledge isn’t much of a match for the dread pirate. Sigh…

For tonight, though, I’m feeling good. Here’s a video that very aptly illustrates how I feel when I’m in a good humour. Fireworks and all. I feel it all.

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Me, my thoughts are flower strewn.

1/03/2009

I had the hardest time settling on a picture for today.

A while back, I decided that March would be “music month.” It’s something I already do every so often — draw connections between my pictures and favorite songs or snippets of lyric — but I thought it would be fun to make a month out of it.

I am an absolute music dork. I love music. My favorite music illustrates my life in the same way I want my pictures to illustrate my life.

Tonight — right now — trying to choose today’s picture, trying to find words to write, my thoughts are scattered, strewn, flower-strewn.

(’Find the River’, REM)

By the way, I ended up loving f/8 month! f/8 is great!

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February is for f/8!

1/02/2009

Ahhh…January is over!  ‘My Favorite Things’ month was fun and all, but I’m relieved to move on to something else.

Over the last several months, I’ve fallen into the habit of shooting at wide apertures, which produces a shallow depth of field (an example can be found here).  The habit intensified when I received the sweet little 50mm lens from Jason (which pretty much hasn’t come off my camera since Christmas day).  I love taking pictures with the lowest f-stop possible because it makes it easier to take low-light shots, makes the subject of the picture stand out and can produce beautiful bokeh.  I’m very comfortable taking these types of photos, but I think it’s time to experiment a bit.

So…February is officially f/8 or narrower month.  To be honest, I don’t think I’m going to like it very much.  It will be a challenge and an opportunity to learn.  It will drive me nuts.  It will be a good discipline for me to follow.

And now I would officially like to thank Wikipedia for helping get the terminology right.  If I got it right, that is….

P.S.  February is also ‘calm’ month, the word-theme I have chosen for the Shutter Sisters One Word Project.

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Traditions.

6/12/2008

Today is the first Saturday in December and traditionally the day of the Oak Ridge Christmas parade. I love parades (’cause in general, I’m a dork), and all day yesterday I mentally prepared myself to brave an hour of sub-freezing morning temperatures with the kids:

  • Coats? Check.
  • Hats? Hoods on coats? Check.
  • Gloves? Check? Well, a pair for the little guy. The others know how to utilize pockets. So yeah, check.

Anyway, last night I figured that I ought to double check what time it was to begin, so I hopped on over to the Chamber of Commerce’s website…only to find that the Christmas parade is not this morning, but Saturday the 13th, and at night! The kids will be with James next weekend…so…what do I do?

I feel like I’m floundering around this season, flailing about trying to find the Christmas spirit. The want is there, but I keep getting stuck. When I saw that the parade was on a different day and time, it really struck me that without the framework of that traditional day and time, I just didn’t know what to do. This funny little moment of panic set in, and I just felt like I was stuck.

I think it’s the same way with Christmas in general this year. The traditions that were built over the past ten years are no longer there. Last year, I knew just what to do at Christmas time, because that’s how I had done it the year before, and the year before that, and so on.

Now, everything is new and different. I’m in a new and somewhat unfamiliar house, there are new family dynamics still sorting themselves out, and I’m still learning to adjust to having the kids around only half the time. And without the framework of tradition…I’m just at a loss of what to do.

I think my blasted anxiety plays into this as well, and perhaps some unrealistic expectations of what Christmas should be like. Jason brought up a good point last night: should I even be feeling the Christmas spirit yet — when Christmas itself is still weeks away?

So, no Christmas parade this morning. Instead, a beautiful and frosty sunrise. Wingnut waking up at 6:04 and October still asleep at 8:13. Lilo and Stitch playing in the living room. A cup of coffee with chocolate syrup because we’re out of milk. A quiet kind of calm as I think about building new traditions and learning not to rely so heavily on frameworks.

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September self-portrait.

11/09/2008

I drove down to the Anderson County Courthouse this morning and filed a Complaint for Divorce.

My divorce isn’t something I’ve acknowledged directly on Camera Shy or the Journal; it’s not a secret, or something to be hidden, but it’s also not something that I’ve felt a huge need to broadcast over the internet. It’s a private, personal matter — but also something that affects me and my family in apparent, public ways. It’s the whole Camera/Shy thing all over again.

I took this self-portrait earlier this afternoon in the kitchen of No Name New House, which James has now coined The Westlook.  I haven’t lived at the Westlook since July, when James and I officially separated.  You know, Westlook is a nice house, but it’s never really been my house, my home.

But those lovely vinyl tiles do make for a good background for self-portraits.  : )

Hmmm…not quite sure how to wrap up this post…so, I’ll just wrap it up.

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I want you to know.

21/07/2008

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