Romantic Gals

Do you find yourself yearning for the simpler, slower way of life from days gone by? Do you prefer listening to birds chirping or an IPOD? Do you find yourself wishing for a time when we moved at a slower pace, when politeness and civility were the norm? Did you love The Waltons, Andy and Aunt Bee, Charlie Brown and Lucy? Join with me then and share your thoughts with others who yearn for gentler times in this fast paced world we live in.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

My Guilty Pleasure

I admit it, I am an anglophile, which by definition is:

Noun

A person who is fond of or greatly admires England or Britain.

Adjective

Fond or admiring of England or Britain.

This didn't just happen when William married Kate, although as you can see by the picture, I was a bit obsessed with the ceremony, waking up at 3:00am, brewing my pot of English Breakfast tea in my Royal Doulton teapot, putting out a spread of crumpets and scones for myself and the sleeping spouse. No, I've been an admirer of all things British since falling in love with all things Dickens, especially A Christmas Carol, and that nanny of all nannies, Mary Poppins. I love Beatrix Potter's beautiful illustrations of bunnies and foxes romping around in Mr. McGregor's garden, pictures of quaint English villages with thatched roofed cottages, English hymns and songs, especially Greensleeves, and of course The Beatles. I first remember following the activities of the royals in 1969 when Charles was crowned Prince of Wales by his mother and being intrigued by all the pomp and ceremony. Then in 1973, my mother let me stay home from school and get up in the early morning hours to watch Princess Anne marry Mark Phillips at Westminster Abbey. Again, my mother and I shared a pot of tea when, in 1981 Diana Spencer married Prince Charles at St. Paul's cathedral, yes THAT St. Paul's where Mary Poppins sings about feeding the birds, tuppence a bag. We loved getting up early to watch all the excitement of the crowds and the news commentators. When a year later, the married couple came out of the hospital with baby Wills, well who couldn't love that picture. And now, this week, history repeats itself on the same steps of the same hospital where Willam was introduced to the world. But this time, it is bittersweet that HRH George of Cambridge doesn't have his Grandmother Diana here, to love and spoil that way I'm sure Kate's mother will do. I'm sure Diana is looking down, proud and happy that William has become such a nice young man with a beautiful, down to earth wife and now an adorable little heir that we anglophiles will enjoy watching as he grows into a fine adult. With the parents he has, can he grow up any other way? So, I join the Brits in wishing the new family much happiness and I hope they let us catch glimpses of HRH George as he grows up, as Diana did with William and Harry. Bravo William and Kate, job well done! Cheerio!

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Come and Get Your Happiness

What little girl didn't grow up watching Shirley Temple movies? My mom and I would sit and watch them together whenever they were shown. Mom was a little girl the same time Shirley was tapping her way to stardom. She bought me a Shirley doll when I was just three years old and it sat way up on a shelf, only to be played with occasionally under moms supervision. I'm forever grateful that my mother made me be extra careful with her, for as you can see in the picture, she is in fine shape to this day. You can see my mom in her Shirley Temple finest in the framed picture. Mom loved Shirley so much that she bought a record of Shirley singing all her movie songs and I of course learned them all. My all time favorite was from Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm titled "Come and Get Your Happiness". It just oozed optimism and cheerfulness and when I heard recently that Shirley had passed away I found myself searching for her singing it on YouTube. There will never be another Shirley. She was truly one of a kind. Thanks Shirley for bringing my mom and I such happiness!