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	01/16/11 - NNHS Newsletter - Edelweiss “I will be the gladdest thing Under the sun! I will touch a hundred flowers And not pick one.”  - Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Afternoon on a Hill”  (28 Feb 1892 - 19 Oct 1950)

Dear Friends and Schoolmates, 

   Today's Newsletter theme is a first for us here together.

BONUS #1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFHujvkacNY - Edelweiss - Bill Lee dubbing for Christopher Plummer

BONUS #2 - http://vimeo.com/4143597 - Edelweiss - actual voice of Christopher Plummer with Charmian Carr

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edelweiss_%28song%29: 

"Edelweiss" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. It is named after the edelweiss, a white flower found high in the Alps. It is sung by Captain Georg Ludwig von Trapp and his family during the concert near the end of Act II as a defiant statement of Austrian patriotism in the face of the pressure put upon him to join the navy of Nazi Germany. In the 1965 film adaptation, the song is also sung by the Captain earlier in the film as he rediscovers music and a love for his children.

While The Sound of Music was in tryouts in Boston, Richard Rodgers felt Captain von Trapp should have a song with which he would bid farewell to the Austria he knew and loved. He and Oscar Hammerstein II decided to write an extra song that Captain von Trapp would sing in the Kaltzberg Festival (Salzburg Festival in the film) concert sequence towards the end of the show. As they were writing it, they felt that this song could also utilise the guitar-playing and folk-singing talents of Theodore Bikel, who created the role of Captain von Trapp on Broadway. The Lindsay and Crouse script provides a metaphor of the edelweiss flower, as a symbol of the Austria that Captain von Trapp, Maria and their children knew would live on in their hearts despite the Nazi annexation of their homeland. As such, the metaphor of this song builds on an earlier scene when Gretl presents a bouquet of edelweiss flowers to Elsa Schraeder during her visit to the von Trapp household. Rodgers provided a haunting waltz-time melody to the simple lyric that Hammerstein wrote about the appearance of the edelweiss flower. This song turned out to be one of the most beloved songs in the musical, and also one of the best-loved songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein.

This song was the last song that Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote together; Hammerstein was suffering from stomach cancer,^[1] which would take his life nine months after The Sound of Music opened on Broadway.

Although the stage production uses the song only during the concert sequence, Ernest Lehman's screenplay for the film adaptation uses the song twice. Lehman created a scene that makes extra use of the song. This scene, inspired by a line in the original script by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, calls for Captain von Trapp to sing this song with his children in their family drawing room and rediscover the love he felt for them. Lehman also expanded the scope of the song when it was sung in the Salzburg Festival concert scene so that Captain von Trapp and his family would call the crowds to join in the song with him, in defiance of the Nazi soldiers posted around the arena. It is interesting to note that one of the Nazi commandants is shown singing in a baritone, revealing that he cares more for Austria than for the Reich.

The great popularity of the song has led many of its audience to believe that it is an Austrian folk song or even the official national anthem.^[2] The New York Times and The Guardian have both reported that Ronald Reagan had it performed for an emissary of Austria when he visited the United States, believing it to be their national anthem.^[3] However, Austria's official anthem is "Land der Berge, Land am Strome" and the anthem used before the Anschluss was "Sei gesegnet ohne Ende". The edelweiss is a popular flower in Austria and was featured on the old 1 Schilling coin. It can also now be seen on the 2 cent Euro coin. The flower is protected in Austria and illegal to pick. An "edelweiss" is also worn as a cap device by certain Austrian Army and all German Gebirgsjäger ^[4] (Mountain Troopers, literal translation Mountain Hunters) Units.

There is similar confusion about another song co-authored by Hammerstein, "Ol' Man River" from the musical Showboat, which is widely misbelieved to be a Negro spiritual.^[5] The similarity in misconception about the two songs has been noted by two writers, both of whom see it as as tribute to Hammerstein's talents. Alyson McLamore in her book Musical theater: an appreciation writes "The last song to be written for the show was "Edelweiss," a tender little homage to a native flower of Austria that has the effect of authentic Austrian folksong, much as "Ol' Man River" struck listeners as a genuine African American spiritual"^[6] Hugh Fordin in his biography of Oscar Hammerstein speaks of "the ability of the authors to simulate the quality of an authentic folk song..."Ol' Man River" had the ring of a black laborer's song...Thirty years later "Edelweiss was widely believed to be an old Austiran song, though Oscar...composed it for the Sound of Music."^[7]

     Happy Birthday today to   Johanne Coates Richardson ('57) AND Steve Kiger ('66) of VA!

    Happy Birthday tomorrow to   Chuck Anspach ('60) of NC!

     Happy Birthday this week to:

18 - Eileen Rash Vaught ('57) AND    F.A. Saunders (Hampton HS - '64) of VA;

21 - Carol Collier Sparrow ('63) of VA;

22 -   Bruce Sims ('56) of VA AND Carolyn Clark Wilt ('57) AND Sandra Sherman Filippo ('57) AND    Rochelle Spooner ('63) of NY!
 

Many Happy Returns to You All! http://www.nnhs65.com/Happy-Birthday.html

THIS DAY IN THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES:

http://www.civilwarinteractive.com/This%20Day/thisday0116.htm January 16, 1821 - John Cabell Breckinridge was born near Lexington, Kentucky. January 16, 1854 - Kentucky Senator Dixon offered an amendment to the Kansas-Nebraska Act repealing the Missouri Compromise. January 16, 1857 - George McClellan resigned from the U. S. Army. January 16, 1861 - The Crittenden Compromise died on the floor of the Senate.

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  From Norris Perry (Warwick HS - '59) of VA  - 01/15/11 - "2011 NOVENA":

Look at this closely: 

		You were chosen to receive this novena. The moment you receive it, say: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Amen. GOD WANTED ME TO TELL YOU, It shall be well with you this coming year. No matter how much your enemies try this year, they will not succeed. You have been destined to make it and you shall surely achieve all your goals this year.
For all of 2011, all your agonies will be  diverted and victory and prosperity will be incoming in abundance. Today God has confirmed the end of your sufferings, sorrows and pain because HE that sits on the throne has remembered you. He has taken away the  hardships and given you JOY. He will never let you down . . . I knocked at heaven's door this morning,  God asked me, "My child! What can I do for you?" And I said, "Father, please protect and bless the person reading this message . . . . " This is a Novena from JESUS CHRIST that started in 1952 . It has never been broken. Within 48 hours send 20 copies (Or as many as you can - God does know if you don't have 20 people to send it to. It's the effort and intent that counts.) to family and friends. Do not send it back to the person who sent it to you. This is a powerful Novena. Couldn't hurt. Can only help . Please do not break it . . .

Thank you, Norris Sweetie!

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  From Judy Phillips Allen ('66) of VA - 01/15/11 - "Dolphin and Dog - Lets Be Friends":

I don't know what I like best, the animals, the scenery or the music.  It is all wonderful.

If a dolphin and a dog can be friends, why can't we? From the movie 'Zeus and Roxanne' (1997). Music: 'Song of the Seas' by Vangelis

Movie synopsis: Zeus the pooch and Roxanne the dolphin are able to communicate with one another. Working together they change the life of those around them. PS: The dog is a Portuguese Podengo. Around the 15th century, the breed was used aboard ships to catch vermin. They traveled everywhere with the Portuguese - they even sailed with the ships of Christopher Columbus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4WEkEAV1os&start=21

OH, WOW! This does give you a good case of the warm fuzzies, doesn't it?!? Thank you, Dearest Judy!

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  From Joyce Lawrence Cahoon ('65) of VA - 01/15/11 - "Satan":

A few minutes before the church services started, the congregation was sitting in their pews and talking. Suddenly, Satan appeared at the front of the church. Everyone started screaming and running for the front entrance, trampling each other in a frantic effort to get away from evil incarnate. Soon the church was empty except for one elderly gentleman who sat calmly in his pew without moving, seemingly oblivious to the fact that God's ultimate enemy was in his presence.. So Satan walked up to the man and said, 'Do you know who I am?' The man replied, 'Yep, sure do.' 'Aren't you afraid of me?' Satan asked. 'Nope, sure ain't,' said the man. 'Don't you realize I can kill you with one word?' asked Satan. 'Don't doubt it for a minute,' returned the old man, in an even tone. 'Did you know that I can cause you profound, horrifying AGONY for eternity?' persisted Satan. 'Yep,' was the calm reply. 'And you are still not afraid?' asked Satan. 'Nope,' said the old man. More than a little perturbed, Satan asked, 'Why aren't you afraid of me?' The man calmly replied, 'Been married to your sister for 48 years.      Thanks, Joyce!

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  From Norris Perry (Warwick HS - '59) of VA  - 01/15/11 - "A Real Man's Best Friend....":

A real woman is a man's best friend. She will never stand him up and never let him down. She will reassure him when he feels insecure and comfort him after a bad day. She will inspire him to do things he never thought he could do; to live without fear and forget regret. She will enable him to express his deepest emotions and give in to his most intimate desires. She will make sure he always feels as though he's the most handsome man in the room and will enable him to be the most confident, sexy, seductive and invincible... No-- wait... Sorry... I'm thinking of whiskey. It's whiskey that does all that @#$%. Never mind.      Thanks, Norris Sweetie - you baaad!

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  From Joyce Lawrence Cahoon ('65) of VA - 01/15/11 - "First Senior Moment":

First Senior Moment Ever Recorded

Thanks again, Joyce!

 

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From http://www.SelfGrowth.com - 01/12/11 - "An Article on Letting Go":

Letting Go and Moving Forward  By Karim Hajee Let's face it. Many of us choose to hang on to things that at some point have hurt us, angered us, made us feel sad, or depressed us. If we choose to hang on to them, we will never move forward and we could even create physical or medical damage to our bodies. To prevent this from happening we need to let go...but no one really tells you how to let go and move forward. Sure it's easy to say: "Just let go, move forward, forget about it, just let go." But that really doesn't work. I'm about to show you how to let go and start moving forward. Why You Need to Let Go and Move Forward Throughout our lives we go through different experiences, some are positive and some we see as negative and unpleasant. When you hang on to a negative or unpleasant experience you are constantly thinking about it. And when you constantly think about that negative event you prevent yourself from healing. How many pleasant memories do you recall every day? Chances are you're like most people and you have a number of unpleasant experiences that you're holding on to, which is preventing you from moving forward. The more you carry the worse life gets. Why? Because you've filled your mind up with negative experiences, because you continually hang on to something that doesn't allow you to move forward, in short, you're carrying useless baggage that's really slowing you down. Think of it this way: you're on a hiking trip and along the way you keep picking up heavy objects, things that really don't serve you. After a while, these objects begin to slow you down and unless you get rid of them, you'll never complete your trip. To let go you have to get your mind to focus on different goals and different objectives. It's not about saying: I let go of the pain from my fight with -- and move on. That will help, but if you really want to start moving on, then you have to get your mind to focus on new things, in the process you automatically let go of the things that have been slowing you down. How to Let Go and Move Forward Researchers believe that that if you hold on to negative feelings, sad emotions or depressing memories there is a possibility that you could reshape the human cell to the point where your thoughts of the past have a negative effect on your cells and your physical health. Hanging on to negative past events is a process that can destroy your life in ways you're not even aware of. Ask yourself these questions: Do the negative things you hang on to serve you any purpose? Do they help you move forward? Do they work in your favor in any way? If you said no to any or all of the above then tell yourself this: This emotion/feeling doesn't help me so I'm letting it go and focusing on what is important. Then begin focusing on what you want next, focus on what is important and what can improve your life. This is a simple process that gets the mind moving in a new direction and you stop building negative energy created from the negative events/emotions, which only attracts more negative situations. When you begin focusing on more positive things you begin attracting positive situations. The next step is to create an action plan; the past is over. Where do you want to go now and how do you plan to get there? You may not have the answers but merely thinking about the options forces your mind to go in a new direction and you automatically let go of unwanted feelings and emotions. The key to your success is to train your mind to move in a new direction so you send new messages to your subconscious mind, which then brings you the opportunities to move forward. The final step is to live in the present moment, to start living in the now. Living in the now is different than living for the moment. Living in the now is the process of enjoying everything that is going on at this present moment. Take a look around you and appreciate those things that you once thought were trivial. When you are here now you can be nowhere else. You are not hanging on to something, you are here now. I know some of you may say the following: "But Karim, where I am right now really sucks, I don't want to think about it." It only sucks because you're looking at all the negative things going on. Focus on a few of the positive things anything from nature to the wonderful family you may have. This forces your mind to look at things differently and tells your subconscious mind that you're ready for new possibilities, then you'll begin to let go and move forward. About the Author: Karim Hajee is the author and creator of the Creating Power system - which teaches you how to direct the power of your mind and subconscious mind so that you achieve your goals and live the life you want. To learn more visit: http://www.creatingpower.com/

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