Patricia Racette as Madame Butterfly. (Photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera

The Met Live in HD continues to captivate a worldwide audience, bringing live, high definition productions of the world’s greatest opera to millions of worldwide viewers. The series continues  with Puccini’s hauntingly beautiful love story, Madama Butterfly, which will be screened at several Nashville venues on Saturday, March 7 at 12 noon (CST).

Opry Mills Stadium 20 Plus IMAX, 570 Opry Mills Drive and  Green Hills Stadium 16, 3815 Greenhills Village Drive, both in Nashville, will screen the live broadcast. In addition, for those who will miss the Saturday showing, Green Hills will screen encore showings on March 18 at 7 p.m. and March 18 at 1 p.m. Running time is three hours and 21 minutes, with two intermissions.

Patricia Racette returns to the title role of Anthony Minghella’s stunning production, a new classic of the Met repertory, opposite Marcello Giordani. Conducting is Patrick Summers, with production by Anthony Minghella, Patricia Racette and Marcello Giordani.

A scene in Act I, with Patricia Racette at Madame Butterfly. 2008 Dress Rehearsal. (Photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera)

ACT I: Madame Butterfly is set in 19th century Nagasaki, and tells the story of Lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton, U.S.N., who is about to  contract a “Japanese marriage” with Cio-Cio-San,  called Butterfly by her friends. Even as Pinkerton explores the little house in which he plans to live with Butterfly,  his plans fall into immediate disfavor with the American Consul, who fears that what may be a mere matter of pastime to the American Naval lieutenant, may have been taken seriously by the Japanese girl and, if so, may prove a matter of life or death with her. In truth, Butterfly is in love, and has renounced faith and family to be with Pinkerton, placing her life in his hands.

A dancer ion the opening scenes of Madame Butterfly. (Photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera)

It is customary with Puccini to create “atmosphere” of time and place through the medium of the early scenes of his operas. It is only necessary to recall the opening episodes in the first acts of “La Bohème” and “Tosca.” He has done the same thing in “Madam Butterfly,” by the employment of the Japanese theme already referred to, and by the crowded episodes attending the arrival of Butterfly and the performance of the ceremony. These episodes are full of action and colour, and distinctly Japanese in the impression they make. Moreover, they afford the only opportunity throughout the entire opera to employ the chorus upon the open stage. It is heard again in the second act, but only behind the scenes and humming in order to give the effect of distance.

The love scene between Pinkerton and Butterfly is extended. From its beginning, “Viene la sera” (Evening is falling), to the end, its interest never flags. It is full of beautiful melody charged with sentiment and passion, yet varied with lighter passages, like Butterfly’s “I am like the moon’s little goddess”; “I used to think if anyone should want me”; and the exquisite, “Vogliatemi bene” (Ah, love me a little). There is a beautiful melody for Pinkerton, “Love, what fear holds you trembling.” The climax of the love duet is reached in two impassioned phrases:– “Dolce notte! Quante stelle” (Night of rapture, stars unnumbered),
and “Oh! Quanti occhi fisi, attenti” (Oh, kindly heavens).

Act II, Part I: Three years have elapsed. It is a long time since Pinkerton has left Butterfly with the promise to return to her “when the robins nest.” When the curtain rises, after an introduction, in which another Japanese theme is employed, Suzuki, although convinced that Pinkerton has deserted her mistress, is praying for his return. Butterfly is full of faith and trust. In chiding her devoted maid for doubting that Pinkerton will return, she draws in language and song a vivid picture of his home-coming and of their mutual joy therein: – “Un bel di vedremo” (Some day he’ll come).

Patricia Racette as Cio Cio San, with her son, as seen in a final dress rehearsal in 2008. (Photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera)

In point of fact, Pinkerton really is returning to Nagasaki, but with no idea of resuming relations with his Japanese wife. Indeed, before leaving America he has written to the Counsul asking him to let Butterfly know that he is married to an American wife, who will join him in Nagasaki. The Councel attempts to deliver his message, but is unable to do so because of the emotions aroused in Butterfly by the very sight of a letter from Pinkerto, which throws her into a transport of joy. The money left by Pinkerton with his little Japanese wife has dwindled almost to nothing, and poverty stares her in the face. Offered marriage to a Japanese man, she will not hear of such an alliance and protests that she is already married to Pinkerton, and will await his return.

Marcello Giordani as Lt. Pinkerton. (Photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera).

Act II, Part II. When the curtain rises, night has passed, dawn is breaking. Suzuki and the baby are fast asleep, but Butterfly still is watching. Again Puccini employs a Japanese melody (the “vigil” theme).

When Suzuki awakes, she persuades the poor little “wife” to go upstairs to rest, which Butterfly does only upon Suzuki’s promise to awaken her as soon as Pinkerton arrives. Pinkerton and Sharpless appear. Suzuki at first is full of joyful surprise, which, however, soon gives way to consternation, when she learns the truth. Pinkerton himself, seeing about him the proofs of Butterfly’s complete loyalty to him, realizes the heartlessness of his own conduct. There is a dramatic trio for Pinkerton, the Counsul, and Suzuki. Pinkerton who cannot bear to face the situation, rushes away, leaving it to the Counsul to settle matters as best he can.

Butterfly has become aware that people are below. Suzuki tries to prevent her coming down, but she appears radiantly happy, for she expects to find her husband. The pathos of the scene in which she learns the truth is difficult to describe. But she does not burst into lamentations. With a gentleness which has been characteristic of her throughout, she bears the blow. She even expresses the wish to Kate, Pinkerton’s real wife, that she may experience all happiness, and sends word to Pinkerton that, if he will come for his son in half an hour, he can have him.

The Counsel and Mrs. Pinkerton withdraw. In a scene of tragic power, Butterfly mortally wounds herself with her father’s sword, the blade of which bears the inscription, “To die with honour when one can no longer live with honour,” drags herself across the floor to where the boy is playing with his toys and waving a little American flag, and expires just as Pinkerton enters to take away the son whom thus she gives up to him.

The Met Live in HD  has been seen in almost 850 venues, with several performances remaining in the current season. A special presentation of The Audition, a documentary about the Met’s 2007 National Council Auditions, will be seen in select theaters. Don’t miss the chance to experience the Met at your local movie theater!

“The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11″ (2006), by Lawrence Wright

This book is tireless in its details; but do not let that discourage you from giving it a read.  The book  is rather short at 373 pages; however, it is heavily noted and very user friendly. It contains a 10 page glossary of principal characters with brief descriptions of their importance; which is a invaluable resource in helping the reader keep track of the multitude of players with similar names.

Like most other histories of Muslim fundamentalism (such as the BBC video series “Power of Nightmares”), Wright starts with the story of Sayyid Qutb.  Qutb was an Egyptian writer and Muslim that traveled through America in the late 1940’s.  His experiences and perceptions, started the generational snowball that  led to 9/11.

A fascinating book for those looking for a way to “deal more wisely and effectively with continuing terrorist threat.”

This was hard read for me, but well worth the effort.  It did win a Pulitzer Prize, something I did not know when I was reading it.  It is available in hardback on the second floor of the Montgomery County Library ( 973.931 WRI), and they also have it on CD on the first floor (973.93 WRI).

“The Political Mind: Why You Can’t Understand 21st Century American Politics with an 18th Century Brain”, *(2008), George Lakoff

Lakoff, a cognitive scientist,  looks at 30 years of scientific research on the human brain, and asks some political questions.  What he finds is the political divide is “not just in geography, religion or even power”, it in our heads (no pun intended).

Our country was born from the age of Enlightenment when reason was king, and emotion  was irrelevant.  Emotions were seen as just cluttering the issue at hand.   The idea an educated, well informed, rational society will make rational, logical, fact based decisions and  be able to adequately self govern.  Rational being making rational decisions is an underlying foundation of our society, from the judicial system to the nightly news.  Lakoff shows us that we do not act rationally, and asks why.

Science tells us that 98% of our thought is unconscious.  We are only aware of 2% of our thoughts.  Lakoff demonstrates that this heavily impacts our society through word choice, metaphors, and the framing of issues..  A good example is when the Republicans discussed the Democrats plan of a timeline to exit Iraq.  Republicans used the term “cut and run.”  A person can’t hear “cut and run” without the feeling of cowardness or surrendering .  Another good example is using the term “surge” in the Iraq war, as opposed to using the word “escalation.”

Lakoff offers some constructive criticism for the “liberal” thought process.  Liberals argue by listing of facts like an encyclopedia and expecting people to digest them like a machine and arrive at logical, rational conclusions.  Sound familiar?  It did to me.  “Conservative” thought prefer to use emotions over lists of facts.  Now you’ll have to read the book, because the liberal thought process is not just used by liberals, and vice versa, with the conservative thought process.  Lakoff argues against the metaphor of politics being described as right and left.

Lakoff tempers the science of the brain with  bits with pop culture, which keeps the reader interested and makes them aware of the ingrained nature of what Lakoff is discussing.  He brings in the Anna Nicole saga, Reagan’s fictional “Welfare Queen”, the latest in neural science, and a analysis of framing and metaphors, to provide insight as to why reason alone is ineffective, that we need emotion, and new enlightenment.

Hands down this was the best book I read all year.   It taught me to listen to what people are saying during a politcal conversation, instead of thinking of what I will say next to refute what I think they are saying.  We all have more in common than we are lead to believe; that commonality should be the starting point for change, not the places where we differ.  This book will help you be a better communicator, listener, and thinker.

This is available on the second story of the Clarksville-Montgomery Library (320.01 LAK).

Resources:

http://cmc-websvr.clarksville.org/default.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Looming_Tower

http://www.amazon.com/Looming-Tower-Qaeda-Road-Vintage/dp/1400030846/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230320238&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0670019275/ref=s9subs_c1_14_img1-rfc_p_si2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=09NNQEXA7TMRRR2HZ6JY&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=463383351&pf_rd_i=507846

For many of us, The Nutcracker Ballet is a family holiday tradition.

The Nutcracker Ballet is based on the story “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice” written by E.T.A. Hoffman. Although what is seen on the stage today is different in detail from the original story, the basic plot remains the same: the story of a young German girl who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven heads.

This charming ballet begins with the arrival of guests at the Stahlbaum house, home of young Clara. The guests  include the mysterious, magical Drosselmeyer, who presents young Clara with the famous “nutcracker.” later that night, Clara creeps downstairs and falls asleep with  gift wrapped in her arms.

Thus begins the fantasy dreams, with a Christmas tree that grows many times its  original height, with battling mice and a dashing prince, and a journey to wonderland embellished with memorable music and exquisite dance.

When Marius Petipa had the idea to choreograph the story into a ballet, it was actually based on a revision by Alexander Dumas, a well known French author. His version reflects more of what we have come to love as the Nutcracker Ballet.

The music of the Nutcracker Ballet was composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Born in the Ural mountains of Russia, he dedicated his life to music.

From 1850 to 1859, he attended the school of Jurisprudence and studied piano. In 1861, he attended classes with the Russian Music Society. In 1862, he entered the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. Beginning in 1866, Tchaikovsky taught at the Moscow Conservatory while composing many of his concertos and symphonies.

In 1892, Tchaikovsky composed the Nutcracker.

Click here to view the embedded video.

About this video: Von Heidecke’s Chicago Festival Ballet performs its wonderful production of the holiday classic, “The Nutcracker,” throughout the Midwest in addition to presenting annual performances at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois; at the Rialto Theatre in Joliet, Illinois, and at Harris Theatre for Music and Dance in Chicago. Artistic director, Kenneth von Heidecke, since 1986 choreographer and ballet master for the Lyric Opera of Chicago, draws his dancers from such professional companies as Joffrey Ballet, Ballet Chicago, and the Chicago Lyric Opera Ballet and from the ranks of his own studios in Naperville, Illinois. Prima Ballerina assoluta, Maria Tallchief, director of Chicago Lyric Opera Ballet, serves the Chicago Festival Ballet as honorary artistic advisor. Mr. von Heidecke, who has performed with Ms. Tallchief’s Chicago City Ballet, the Lyric Opera Ballet, BalletMet, and Carla Fracci’s company in Verona, Italy, has choreographed for the Opera Company of the Los Angeles Music Center, the Dallas Opera, the San Diego Opera, and the Washington Opera at the Kennedy Center, among many others. In addition to working with the renowned Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, he has presented a full evening of his work at the Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe, Germany.«

The Farmers wife never questioned Mugly why she hadn’t “dropped a litter of kittens yet” though she found it quite odd. Every Spring her female cats would all go into heat and several weeks later produce a wide variety of healthy, fiesty kittens, but not Mugly.

Mugly hated to see the other female cats on the farm run off and abandon their litters. It bothered her so much that she would take on the orphan kittens as her own. She would protect them while they were outside, stand by and watch attentively as the Farmer’s Wife would have to feed some of the younger ones with an eye dropper. As the left behind kittens got older Mugly was the one to teach them to hunt.  Mugly was the one to lead them out to the garden.  She would teach them how to dig and bury objects, and how to cover their tracks to prevent against predators.

She took pride with each new litter that was born on the farm.

The Farmer’s wife would look out her kitchen window and say “There goes Mugly again.” Mugly would be tiptoeing through the yard with a line of mix breed kittens following close behind her.

Mugly still wished to see her own kittens grow into adulthood, she thought of what her own kittens might look like, or smell like, and would she love them any differently? She doubted that much because her love for the left behind kittens was so fierce they were truly like her own.

Twelve years and hundreds of kittens later, Mugly had her first litter of her own!

She had them out in woods just before the first cold snap of Winter. She was overly protective of them, never leaving the small ones side. At night she would hurry to the house to warm up and eat a bit for herself so that she would be able to continue care for her litter. She would rush through  her meals and scurry  back to where she had them hidden.  As nature would have it, she had the kittens in the wrong season, and one winter’s night she showed up at the Farmers wife’s door, slowly chewed her food and then went to lay down. The Farmer’s wife knew that her litter must not have made it.

Spring time came and Mugly bore another litter. This time all of them survived, and not only survived, but thrived. She was most proud of this litter, and for the first time was able to present her kittens to the other cat mothers and clean them and nurse them just as well as they could.

Every Spring for the next several years she would produce her own litter, as well as taking in others along the way. Her heart had no limits. She could love them all.

As Mugly grew older her litters became fewer and fewer, as well as the other litters on the Farm. There just weren’t many little ones needing caring for anymore. One day the Farmers Wife woke up, and Mugly was gone. She never returned. There are some who would say that Mugly went to find somewhere to lay down and pass on, but the optimists and dreamers like to think of her still out there in the hills of Southern Kentucky being Momma Mugly to a new  litter of Left Behind kittens seeking guidance.

This Story was told to me by the Farmer’s son who now is the caretaker of the farm and its long Generation of Cats.

Cranberry fruit on the vine

Cranberries. Once upon a time in American history they were called “Craneberries.”  So many people walk past the basket of this hard red fruit, not quite sure of what to do with the berries, culled from watery bogs in places like Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the Canadian Maritimes, or in land-locked Wisconsin.

Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines found in acidic bogs throughout the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Cranberries are low, creeping shrubs or vines with wiry stems and small evergreen leaves. The flowers are dark pink.

Cranberries, a major commercial crop in certain American states and Canadian provinces, are processed into products such as juice, sauce, and sweetened dried cranberries, with the remainder sold fresh to consumers.

Cranberry sauce is regarded an indispensable part of traditional American and Canadian Thanksgiving menus and European winter festivals. According to the Economic Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, Wisconsin is the leading producer of cranberries, with nearly half of U.S. production. Massachusetts is the second largest U.S. producer, with over one-third of total domestic production.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Since the early 21st century within the global functional food industry, there has been a rapidly growing recognition of cranberries for their consumer product popularity, nutrient content and antioxidant qualities, giving them commercial status as a novel “superfruit”. Canadians called them “mossberries” and a traditional English name for them was “fenberries.”

Historically, cranberry beds were constructed in wetlands. Currently cranberry beds are constructed in upland areas that have a shallow water table. The topsoil is scraped off to form dikes around the bed perimeter. Clean sand is hauled in to a depth of four to eight inches. The surface is laser leveled with a slight crown in the center to facilitate drainage.  In addition to making it possible to hold water, the dikes allow equipment to service the beds without driving on the vines. Irrigation equipment is also installed in the bed.

A common misconception about cranberry production is that the beds remain flooded throughout the year. During the growing season cranberry beds are not flooded, but are irrigated regularly to maintain soil moisture. Beds are flooded in the autumn to facilitate harvest and again during the winter to protect against low temperatures.

Cranberries are harvested in the fall when the fruit takes on its distinctive deep red color. This is usually in late September or early October. To harvest cranberries, the beds are flooded with six to eight inches of water above the vines. A harvester is driven through the beds to remove the fruit from the vines. For the past 50 years, water reel type harvesters have been used. Harvested cranberries float in the water and can be corralled into a corner of the bed and conveyed or pumped from the bed. From the farm, cranberries are taken to receiving stations where they are cleaned, sorted, and stored prior to packaging or processing.

Cranberry Sauce

HOLIDAY CRANBERRY SAUCE

1 quart cranberries
1 cup water
1 3/4 cups sugar
citrus for flavoring (optional)

The general rule is: Use 1/4 as much water as cranberries. Add 1/3 as much sugar as cranberries.

Wash and pick over cranberries, discarding any that are soft. Bring water to a boil; add berries. Cover and cook over medium low heat until berries have burst outer skin.

Add sugar and boil a few minutes longer. If desired, cranberries may be strained before sugar is added. A few tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange or lemon juice may be added along with a little grated citrus peel, if desired. A tablespoon of frozen orange concentrate is also a nice addition.

Cranberry Chutney

CRANBERRY CHUTNEY

1 can whole cranberries
1 can cubed or chopped pineapple
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all ingredients and chill several hours before serving.

Cranberry Nut Bread

CRANBERRY – ORANGE NUT BREAD

The early settlers learned to cook with cranberries from the Indians of the Cape Cod area, who added cranberries and nuts to their corn breads. Cakes of dried venison and cranberries, called pemmican, were a mainstay of the Indian diet.

1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. butter, softened
Juice and grated peel of 1 orange
1 egg
1 c. cranberries, chopped
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom of loaf pan, 9 x 5 x 3 inches. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in orange peel (about 1 tablespoon), the juice of 1 orange and 1 egg. Stir only until the flour is moistened. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in pan.  Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Loosen edges of loaf with spatula; remove from pan. Let stand at least 8 hours before slicing. If using self-rising flour, omit baking powder and salt. Reduce baking soda to 1/4 teaspoon.

Apples complement the taste of cranberries

CRANBERRY APPLESAUCE

8 cups apples, peeled and cored (about 8 apples)
4 cups cranberries
3 cinnamon sticks (about 3 inches each)
2 whole cloves
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cranberry juice

Slice apples. In a 3 quart saucepan, bring 1/3 cup cranberry juice to a boil; add apples, cranberries, cinnamon sticks and cloves. Stir and reduce heat to medium-low or until just a simmer. Continue to cook, uncovered for about 15 minutes or until the apples are just becoming tender. Add sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook for another 4 or 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and refrigerate. When cold, taste and adjust sweetness as desired.

Cranberry Mousse

LIGHT CRANBERRY MOUSSE (Courtesy of Ocean Spray)

2 cups Ocean Spray® Light Cranberry Juice Cocktail
OR
Ocean Spray® Light Cran•Raspberry® Cranberry Raspberry Juice Drink
1 0.3 ounce package sugar-free raspberry-flavored gelatin
1 8-ounce can Ocean Spray® Jellied Cranberry Sauce
2 cups frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed
Prepared pie shell, optional
DIRECTIONS:

Heat juice to boiling in a saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in raspberry gelatin until dissolved. Using a fork or wire whisk, mix cranberry sauce until smooth in a small mixing bowl. Stir into gelatin mixture. Chill until it begins to thicken, but not set. Gently mix in whipped topping, using a rubber scraper. Spoon into serving dishes or prepared pie shell. Chill until firm. Makes 8 servings.

Whole uncooked cranberries

WILD RICE CRANBERRY STUFFING (Courtesy of Ocean Spray)

2 slices bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup peeled, chopped carrot
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries OR 3/4 cup
Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Sweetened Dried Cranberries
2 cups chicken broth
4 cups cornbread stuffing
1 16-ounce package wild rice, cooked according to package directions

Cook bacon over medium heat in a stockpot until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside. Add butter to pan and melt over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add cranberries and chicken broth; bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and add stuffing, wild rice and bacon. Serve immediately. Makes 14 1/2-cup servings.

Cranberry Bread Pudding

CRANBERRY BREAD PUDDING

6 cups toasted whole wheat bread cubes, packed
2 cups Ocean Spray® Cran•Raspberry® Raspberry Cranberry Juice Drink
1 cup honey
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup raisins
1 6-ounce package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Sweetened Dried Cranberries
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, optional, for topping

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish or pudding pan. Pour bread cubes in prepared pan; set aside. Combine all remaining ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and pour cranberry mixture over bread cubes. Let sit 15 minutes. Bake pudding for 45 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Makes 10 servings.

Koloacky: Start with a traditional recipe and let your imagination do the rest!

These light, delicate fruity cookies have innumerable permutations: any filling you choose, from a simple sprinkle of cinnamon, sugar and ground pecans, walnuts, or almonds, to  hearty berry, fig or currant filling is bound to please. The basic recipes are here; your imagination does the rest.

Bon Appetit!

KOLACKY

1 1/2 to 2 c. flour
1 c. butter
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. sugar
1 egg

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar. Add egg, then flour and baking powder. Knead into smooth dough and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut 2 inch rounds, fill with favorite filling. Bake 350 or 375 for 10 minutes or until lightly brown.

CHERRY KOLACKY COOKIES

1 c. butter
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. sugar
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 can Solo cherry filling

Cream together butter, cream cheese, milk, and sugar. Add beaten egg yolk. Sift together flour and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture and blend well. Refrigerate until dough is thoroughly chilled (4 hours or overnight). Roll or pat out on well floured board to 1/4 inch thickness and cut with a cookie cutter into 2 inch rounds. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and make a depression with thumb or spoon in center of each round. Fill centers with scant teaspoon Solo cherry filling. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Optional: Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar before serving. This recipe yields approximately 36 cookies.

Blueberry filling is very good also.

CHEESE KOLACKY

1 c. butter
2 c. cottage cheese
2 c. flour, sifted
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. baking powder
Stewed dried fruits or preserves

Cream together butter and cheese. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Chill overnight. Roll out 1/8 inch thick on floured board. Cut into 2 or 3 inch squares or circles. Place small amount of fruit or preserves in each. Fold over and seal edges. Bake on greased pan at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

CZECHOSLOVAKIAN KOLACKY

2 c. flour
1 (8 oz.) pkg. Philadelphia cream cheese
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) butter
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter, then add cream cheese. Beat until smooth. Add flour, salt and baking soda and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour. roll out half the dough and cut small circles. You can use a small glass and dip the rim in flour. Place dough circles on a baking sheet and make a slight indentation in the center of each circle. Place 1/2 teaspoon of fruit filling (we use Solo brand apricot, prune, poppy or raspberry) in the indentation. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from tray and dust with powdered sugar.

FRUIT KOLACKY (with an American twist)

1 c. butter
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
2 tbsp. sugar
2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Kraft strawberry, red raspberry & apricot preserves

Combine butter, softened cream cheese and sugar, mixing until well blended. Add combined dry ingredients; mix well. Knead ten to fifteen times to form stiff dough; chill.

On lightly floured surface roll out dough to 1/4″ thickness; cut with assorted 2″ cookie cutters. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Indent centers; fill with preserves. Bake at 350 degrees 15 to 18 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with confectioners’ sugar if desired. Approximately 5 dozen.

A sneak preview included a sampling of small paintings, unique pottery, and other craft items retailing for $100 or less. Many lovely items were priced at significantly less.

The charm of Silke’s is the mix of great sandwiches, unique pizzas, amazing desserts with a sampling of art and photography by multiple talents in the greater Clarksville Area. Approximately six times a year, Silke hosts an art open house showcasing local artisans and artists. The Christmas event comes with a twist: the “small packages” designed to be given as gifts.

Two large columns serve as the gateway into Rugby Gates, a public art project in Memphis designed by Gregg Schlanger. Photo provided by Gregg Schlanger.

In the last two years, Gregg Schlanger, professor of art at Austin Peay State University, has processed 75,000 pounds of Memphis mud to make 7,000 bricks for a community-based public art project he was commissioned to build.

And after countless trips to Memphis for research, meetings and hard labor, the effort – which proved to be a true example of community involvement – is complete.

At 3 p.m., Dec. 13 in Memphis, a dedication ceremony will unveil Rugby Gates, a series of brick gateways along a main road in the Rugby neighborhood of Memphis. Schlanger will be among Memphis dignitaries and local residents to attend the event.

Rugby Gates marks a neighborhood where the original brickyards of Memphis were located. The project was commissioned by The Urban Art Commission, which administers the public art program for the city of Memphis. The concept for the project developed following several meetings with city officials, neighborhood organizers, local schools and extensive research on the history of the area.  

“Many people attached to this area helped me to put together the project,” Schlanger said. “Community involvement was displayed at all stages of this.”

The construction of Rugby Gates involved 26 Memphis high school students hired to assist in making bricks during a five-weeklong after-school program. Also, students went door to door, handing out 2,500 fliers informing the neighborhood about the project and receiving names to be carved into the bricks.

The final piece consists of 12 brick columns with carved relief depicting images relating to the area’s history. Two large columns serving as the gateway into the neighborhood, approximately the same location where the original stone gateway into Rugby was, are 4 feet by 20 feet. Another 10 columns, measuring 2 feet by 5 feet, serve as five small gateways.

“The history of Rugby as a brick-making area intrigued me,” Schlanger said.

The project began in November 2006. Schlanger transported 80,000 pounds of Memphis clay by trucks to his studio in Clarksville, where the clay was processed and the bricks were made and carved.

In addition to his ongoing work with Rugby Gates, Schlanger was involved in two other public art projects. He created a dozen digital print collages for the Daviess County Public Library in Owensboro, Ky., two of which were chosen to flank the entrance to the history wing of the library.

And in 2007, he spent five weeks in Germany, researching issues on global water consumption. His research culminated into an installation, titled “B.W.R. (basic water requirements) 50 Liters,” at Kunsthaus Potsdam, a nonprofit arts organization in Potsdam, Germany.

For more information about Rugby Gates or Schlanger’s previous work, contact Schlanger by telephone at (931) 221-7789 or by e-mail at .

Vintage Coca-Cola ad circa 1930

Take a moment, close your eyes and picture Santa Claus.

You have probably just pictured an older plump man with a bright, fire engine red, fur trimmed coat with matching hat, a broad black belt and gold buckle. He would be wearing shiny black boots, with a full mane of long white hair curled perfectly at the ends. You have just pictured Mr. Haddon Sundblom’s 1931 depiction of St. Nicholas for the Coca Cola company! That famous print not only boosted Coca Cola sales that winter, it set the standard for what we know today as Santa Claus.

So if that is not Santa Claus, who is?

St. Nicholas

A boy named Nicholas was orphaned when his well to do parents were both killed by illness in an epidemic in the 3rd century. Being that he was raised to be a devout Christian, young Nicholas gave his whole inheritance to the poor and needy. He continued to devote his life to God and at a young age became Bishop of Myra. It could be said that losing his parents at such a young age was what caused Nicholas to have such a kind heart to children during his time on earth.  It wasn’t until after his death December 6, AD 343, that the legends of St. Nicholas began.

One such legend was of a poor man concerned about a marriage dowry for his three daughters, if he could not provide a proper dowry for them then they would surely be sold into slavery. It is recorded that on three different occasions bags of gold coins were tossed through the window landing in stockings left hung out to dry by  the fire. It must be St. Nicholas they concluded! Since then children have eagerly left stockings out for gifts from St. Nicholas.

December 6th is now recognized at St. Nicholas Day. Many countries celebrate this day with a Breakfast Feast. They also participate in giving to less fortunate or those in need by giving small gifts and candies. On December 5th many European children leave carrots and hay outside in their shoes for St. Nicholas’ horse that he is imagined to be riding into town on.

By having this early celebration of gift giving and festivities it allows for a more Christ-centered Christmas morning on December 25th. Which would have ultimately been the best gift that one could give back to a believer like Nicholas.

Elle-girl's first sight of "St. Nick"

As a parent I couldn’t wait to introduce the idea of Santa Claus to our child. However, as a Christian, I didn’t want it to be the main focus. I found this neat little site called the St. Nicholas Center “Discovering the truth about Santa Claus”. It has great ideas for celebrating “Santa Claus” while still directing a child’s focus to the real meaning of Christmas. We are planning on celebrating by hanging Elle-Girls’ stocking out side by the door, it will more than likely be filled with small gifts, bath items and toys that she will enjoy, and books talking about Jesus birth, as well as other small items that will help to lead up to Christmas Day.  In the years to come I expect there will be a letter from Santa himself explaining how if she is a good girl, gives to others, and remembers the real meaning of Christmas then he will return again on Christmas Eve and give to her gifts that she wishes for. Just as God gave the gift of his son to Earth, so should we give to others. Our St. Nicholas day Breakfast feast will be a large one with a ham, casserole, cider and German Macaroon cookies. In the spirit of giving we plan to share this meal and a visit with an elderly neighbor who lost her husband this year. And what could be a better end to a holiday celebration? But the Clarksville Christmas Parade downtown, that we will attend for the first time this year, followed by a tour of the Riverwalk’s lights!

How do you plan to celebrate this Christmas Season?

How do you plan on giving to those in need?

The program features Paul Binkley on guitar playing music from his Christmas CD “Do You Hear What I Hear”. Paul is a former Austin Peay music student, spent five years performing with the Grammy Award winning band Alabama, and is currently president of Grand Vista Music, a Nashville-based recording company. The concert will also showcase members of the APSU Music Department faculty.

Tickets are $5.00 General Admission (APSU students get in free with I.D.) and will be available Monday, December 1, 2008 in the Music Office (MMC 139). For information, contact Norma Jean Smith at 221-7818.

The program features Paul Binkley on guitar playing music from his Christmas CD “Do You Hear What I Hear”. Paul is a former Austin Peay music student, spent five years performing with the Grammy Award winning band Alabama, and is currently president of Grand Vista Music, a Nashville-based recording company.

The concert will also showcase members of the APSU Music Department faculty including: singers Tom King, Sharon Mabry, and Gail Robinson-Oturu; pianists Anne Glass and Jeff Wood; violinist Emily Crane; woodwind players Lisa Vanarsdel and Jeanette Zyko; brass players Francis Massinon, Richard Steffen, and Chris Vivio; guitarist Stanley Yates; and percussionists Richard Frey and David Steinquest. Karen Sorenson and Ted Jones from Languages and Literature will provide narration.

Selections from Paul’s recording will include fresh arrangements of holiday favorites such as “O Holy Night”, “Little Drummer Boy”, “Lo How a Rose E’er Blooming”, “I Wonder as I Wander”, “Ave Maria”, “Carol of the Bells”, “Silent Night”, and “Away in a Manger”. The program also includes James Taylor’s version of “Some Children See Him” and Michael McDonald’s song “Peace”, and instrumental settings of “Bring a Torch Jeannette, Isabella” and “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”.

Tickets are $5.00 General Admission (APSU students get in free with I.D.) and will be available Monday, December 1, 2008 in the Music Office (MMC 139). For information, contact Norma Jean Smith at 221-7818.

The exhibition of 365 pen and ink drawings, a different design completed for each day in 2007, is entirely unique in design and color and a delight by any visual standard.  Each piece stands alone by its attention to detail, precision in execution, and impressive imaginative variety of geometrical play.  Hung together as a body of work, however, the impact is striking to any viewer stepping into this newly opened gallery in downtown Nashville’s Arcade Building.  The 7-by-7 inch drawings completely cover the walls of the upper balcony space in a tightly hung color-wheel representation of the year; the impact on the visual senses upon entering is awe-inspiring. 

The artist describes her process as “structured and meditational.”  She imposed an organizational discipline by having each month represented by one of the 12 tertiary colors.  Progressing clockwise from the left with red tones of January, one proceeds through oranges, yellows, and greens in the spring months into cooler aqua, teal greens of summer; then blues of fall; and finally purples of December back at the entranceway.  In this way the eye experiences the satisfaction of a certain visual cohesiveness in the progression through days, months and seasons.  But additional visual delights are promised through the astounding variation found in the detailed patterns that Herrick has created, each entirely distinctive and unmatched.  Herrick states she is “interested in the link that has been created by my effort on a given day and whatever emotional attachment a viewer may have for that day.  Each drawing is a nod to those attachments, an offering in good faith.”

MIR Gallery, jointly owned and operated by Miranda Herrick and Henry Scott, is the newest space to open in the Arcade Building (#44) in downtown Nashville.  Located on the block between Union and Church Streets and accessible from either 4th or 5th Avenue, it is open Tuesdays and Saturdays 11:00 to 4:00 or by appointment (615-522-8906, ).  “Works and Days,” its first show, will be up through November 29th.  Make seeing it a November priority!

“Since history has no properly scientific value, its only purpose is educative. And if historians neglect to educate the public, if they fail to interest it intelligently in the past, then all their historical learning is valueless except in so far as it educates themselves.” G. M. Trevelyan.

The Port Royal Covered Bridge has finally been dismantled and hauled away to reinvent itself as a sturdy barn for a local farmer. The actual removal process on both sides of the river took about three weeks total, but the effect will have on the park could take years to overcome. I did not grow up here in Clarksville, nor did any of my family, so for me it has been hard to find sympathy for the dedicated supporters of the remains of the bridge.

The bridge was first built in 1903, then fell during construction, killing one young boy; it was rebuilt and then fell again in the 1970’s due to a storm and was rebuilt again and fell in the mid 1990’s to flooding, where it remained until recently. The original bridge was much larger than its later versions and only served the community of Port Royal for a short time in its history. However, there were many fond times there, weddings, schoolboy mischief, stolen kisses and family outings.

Mrs. Meadows down the road says she can still remember her youngest daughter race her brother across the creaky wooden beams on her bicycle. “I can still see her flying across that bridge, laughing all the way.”

For those, the bridge represented a happy time, a carefree time, a simpler time a time to always hold dear.

For those of us who are trying to rekindle another part of the town’s history, the bridge was more often times a thorn in our sides.

“When are they going to rebuild the bridge?” We would so often hear.

It was never “Can you show me exactly where the Indians may have camped during the journey on the Trail of Tears?”

or “Where was Bertha Borne’s store that served this community proudly for so many years?”

Or how about ” How many Forts and settlements were located in this area?”

Yes, I know that “the bridge” is a part of this area’s recent history, I get that, but for the purpose of this park, it’s not that part of history they are focusing on. Not only had it become an eye sore, it stood as a constant reminder of what used to be and only spurned unwarranted bitterness toward local state parks and government. Who, by the way, took great pains to be sensitive to everyone’s feelings about the bridge and hope to bring other opportunities to the table to begin new traditions, form new family memories and above all educate the public on what Port Royal and the Red River community once was.

What remains here now is a lone pillar, standing victoriously on the bank of the Red River, just like she has stood since the callused hands first built her stone by cold solid stone. She is a bit scarred, a bit cracked, but she continues to stand as a reminder of what once was, the last standing reminder of the original bridge. She has been an accomplice to a young man’s murder, held her ground through countless tornado’s and been washed clean by a springtime flooding. She has lent her shoulders to heavy beams and the occasional Heron nest, now the weight has been lifted, and she still stands. You should come out and see her; she’s really quite marvelous!

]]> http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/11/14/all-that-remains/feed/ 0 http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/11/12/james-earl-jones-narrates-black-indians-an-american-story/ http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/11/12/james-earl-jones-narrates-black-indians-an-american-story/#comments Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:00:54 +0000 Turner McCullough Jr. http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/?p=12088

James Earl Jones

On Sunday, Nov. 9th, C. H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa hosted a free screening and discussion of the film, “Black Indians: An American Story.” The museum, located at 1987 Indian Village Drive (near T.O. Fuller State Park) in Memphis is a function of the University of Memphis and focuses on the archaeological interests in the history and culture of the Native American people of Western Tennessee.

Narrated by James Earl Jones, this award winning film explores the past and present interactions of the African American and American Indian communities. The film focuses on the dynamics that brought the two groups together in a common bond and their evolving relationships over the past 300 years.

Each year, the museum is the host for the Southeastern Indian Heritage Festival. The festival seeks to educate the public about and celebrate the sophisticated culture of the Native Americans of Memphis and the Mississippi Valley region, which had developed long before any Europeans had set foot in America. The festival features songs, dance, sports, games and spiritual events that honor the Native American culture. For more information, call 901-785-3160, contact , or visit their website at www.cas.memphis.edu/chucalissa/

black-indian-flyer2.pdf