The Oscars, a Silent Movie & a Nun

Being both a long time movie buff, and practicing Catholic with a penchant for traditions and things of the church, I looked forward to watching the Academy Awards this year. I was  curious if the first silent movie since 1929 , The Artist would win the  coveted gold statue, and  God Is The Bigger Elvis , a short documentary  about Mother Dolores Hart , the one time actress who left Hollywood to become a Benedictine nun at the Abbey of Regina Laudis , could claim the Oscar in its category. Happily,one did. Sadly, the other didn't.

I  first became aware of  Dolores Hart as a teenager when she starred in the popular  movie from the 1960's,  Where The Boys Are. I thought she was wonderful  in that film, and make a point to watch it whenever it shows on Turner Classic Films.   At some point in my younger  life, when I too considered entering the convent,  I remember reading Hart gave up her promising Hollywood career to become a nun, and marveled at her conviction of God's calling.   Later I learned  she  entered  the Abbey of Regina Laudis founded by Mother Benedict in Bethlehem, Connecticut - the same Mother Benedict and Abbey loosely  portrayed  in the  delightful 1940's film , Come to the Stable , starring Loretta Young and Celeste Holm.

 Another acclaimed actress to spend  time at Regina Laudis was Patrica Neal, who  gives sole credit to her spiritual and moral recovery (with the help of God's grace)  to the influence of the nuns at the abbey, and the spiritual direction they provided. Ironically, it was Maria Cooper,  daughter of actor  Gary Cooper, and Neal's one time married  lover who brought her there.  Mother Dolores Hart was helpful in writing Neal's autobiography,  As I Am.  Neal eventually converted to Catholicism and is buried at  Regina Laudis.

While this may seem a twist away from my opening paragraph,  I share it because for me it shows how one person's generous, gracious act often  leads to paths and people unimaginable,  and the gentle  way God connects us to another without our ever  suspecting it.

My thoughts about  Mother Dolores Hart.  I admired her then, and admire her now for her example of faith and commitment to her vocational calling, and how she inspires others with her joyful spirit to remain committed and faithful  to their  calling ,  whether it be  religious life,  single life,  or married life.

*** Click this link for a  recent news clip featuring Mother Dolores Hart   http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/storm-slams-24-states-15787447?tab=9482930&section=1206853&playlist=1363340

February

February days filled
with sleet and snow
make it hard for
deer to forage, and
birds take to flight;
Winter laden trees
sway with the wind
while providing shelter
from the cold
for wooded wildlife

Beautiful Day

                                                                               

 
    The trail today
    different than yesterday
    when the sun was bright
    and the sky so blue
    It felt like spring, with
    only patches of snow
    and a glimpse of green
    budding through  wet,
    muddy earth. I saw a
    Robin a top a tree, and
    birds fluttering by,
    like happy children
    in a playground. But this
    day there is no sun,
    the sky is grey, a
    mist, otherworldly and damp
    engulfs my view as I
    stand and ponder
    nature's changing beauty

                                                                                   

Mary Martin, Musicals & LP Albums

An unexpected snow day today - I thought about slipping into my  Sorrel's and   snowshoes , grab my poles and funky  fleece hat  to do some shooing on the rim above the lake, but decided against it, and went  for playing vinyl albums   on  the vintage stereo  console downstairs  instead. I collect vinyl albums like some people collect coins, or stamps, or buttons. I have hundreds, and organize  into  genre - rock, pop, folk, country and musicals.  Many are displayed in album frames and decorate the walls. While album covers are part of the attraction, the real pleasure comes from listening to the recording. Not too long ago I  read an article about  vinyl albums  making a comeback, even  some  contemporary  songsters are choosing  to record on vinyl first as it has a more pure sound.  I have many favorites,  including Peggy Lee, Ella, Patti Page, Frank and Bing, Bobby Darin, Bobby Rydell, The Brother's Four and oh, so many more.

Today, starring on the turntable is the great  Mary Martin - the famed Broadway star from the 1940's and 50's. Long before Julie Andrews and  Mitzi Gaynor  filled the role in movie versions, this Tony Award winner sang  her way into the hearts of millions as  Maria  in The Sound of Music,  Nellie Forbush  from  South Pacific and  perhaps her  most endearing  -the  legendary  Peter Pan, teaching Wendy,Michael and John how to fly.

Musical story  lifts the spirit and gladdens the soul. Think about Oklahoma,  Gypsy, Camelot, Hello Dolly, West Side  Story, Man of La Mancha, Fiddler on the Roof.  How  wonderful it is to have these   original recordings to listen to over and over again, and help us grow our own  imagination