Another Happy Solar Return!

Something to think about on the day of my birth, in addition to yummy cake and prezzies!

Listen up
Then just pipe down
Speak up
but don’t speak too loud

Don’t be dull
but don’t be wild
Be fun
but don’t act a child

Age gracefully
but don’t look old
Know your mind
but do as you’re told

Embrace your curves
but don’t get fat
Love yourself
but not like that

Know your worth
but not too much
Else they might feel
inadequate

Wear make-up,
look natural though
Stand your ground
but don’t say no

Choose the right path
but for who?
Right for them
or right for you?

Right for who
they’d rather see
Or right for
who you’d rather be?

Listen up
I’ll tell you this
This life of yours
is yours to live

Becky Hemsley 2023
Excerpted from: What the Wild Replied

Ancestral Acting: Josephine Victor

When I told my mom I wanted to become a famous actress, she said it was in my blood and shared a story about my grand-aunt, Josephine Victor, who WAS a well known performer, often in productions at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway.

Josephine Victor

Josephine Victor (born Josephina Gunczler/Ginzler; June 28, 1885 – 1963) was a Hungarian-born American stage actress and director active on Broadway from 1905 to 1939.

Her father was a Hungarian vintner. The Ginzler family originated from the Tokay wine region, where viticulture played a central role in local economy and culture during the late 19th century.

Josephine had several siblings, including a half-brother, my grandfather, Rabbi Arthur Ginzler.

Known for her versatile performances in dramatic roles, Victor appeared in many Broadway productions, frequently as part of original casts in plays by prominent playwrights such as John Galsworthy and Elmer Rice.

Her career highlights include leading roles like Zabette de Chauvalons in Martinique (1920), for which she received praise for delivering a powerful and tender performance in the play’s pivotal second-act scene, and Chloe in Galsworthy’s The Skin Game (1920).

Later, she transitioned into directing, helming the Broadway production of Doctor X in 1931, and continued acting in sophisticated dramas such as Judgment Day (1934) as Lydia Kuman and Wise Tomorrow (1937) as Diana Ebury.

She also ventured into vaudeville, debuting at New York City’s Palace Theatre in 1921 in the one-act play Juliet and Romeo by Harry Wagstaff Gribble, where she co-headlined alongside Adele Rowland.

Victor’s personal life intersected with the theater world through her marriage to Francis E. Reid, a theatrical publicist and drama critic.

Victor’s combined directing and playwriting output, though limited in major productions, bridged her acting with creative authorship, fostering narratives that amplified immigrant voices and familial tensions in early 20th-century drama. Her works contributed to the era’s exploration of social undercurrents, paving subtle paths for women in theatre leadership during a male-dominated field

Widowed after Reid’s death in 1933, Victor’s contributions to American theater spanned acting and directing, cementing her legacy as a multifaceted figure in the era’s stage scene.

In her post-retirement years, Victor maintained a low public profile.

It’s interesting to observe that one sibling became a rabbi and another became an actress, as they are very different and also very similar careers, if you stop and think about it. Performing is performing, whether it’s for an audience or a congregation.

She died in 1963, and I’m not sure that my mom ever met her, but wish I had so I could have asked her when she got the acting bug and maybe I could have picked up a few helpful acting tips from her, as I didn’t really win many auditions or perform regularly, so I gave up that dream…

What Is a Mom?

I’ve always thought that being a mom is a neverending labor of love.

After Angel Boy 2.0 was born, DIL coined the phrase, “Live to serve, serve to live”, and that became doubly true when Angel Girl 2.0 entered this world.

I think it’s sad that some mothers weren’t born with the unconditional love gene, and I wonder what their reasons were for even having children, because once you’re a mom, life ceases to be centered around SELF, and will instead be forever all about one’s children.

With all the rampant narcissism in this world, I grieve for the children who don’t experience heartgiving love.

But…Mother’s Day is all about ME, and I choose to extol my mommy-ness by agreeing with the original Angel Boy who claims the day for himself because, if not for HIM, I would have no reason to celebrate, and he’s right!

No matter how old he is, he’ll always be my very own angel boy.

And but for the original Charlotte, I wouldn’t be here, either, so Happy Mother’s Day to my very own always-missed-but-forever mom!

This is the perfect day to raise awareness about ALL mothers of all species.

We have the power to help mothers confined and abused on factory farms by adopting a kind and compassionate plant-based lifestyle. 

Did you know that the first few minutes after birth can mark the beginning of a lifelong bond between a mother cow and her calf? Cows carry their young for nine months and they nurse them for nine to twelve months, much like human mothers. Their babies don’t deserve to be stolen from their moms so humans can consume the milk that wasn’t ever meant for us.

Chicks bond so closely with their mothers that scientists call it “imprinting.” Mother hens take their chicks under their wings, providing protection and shelter, and chicks spend their first few weeks learning to scratch for food by watching the techniques of their mothers.

Pork producers confine mother sows in crates so small they can’t move without scraping against the rails.

Oh, and wolves are wonderful, caring, loving moms, too.

To paraphrase Maya Angelou, When we know better, we need to do better.

Go VEGAN.

Bob Dylan + Leon Russell = Magic Music

Enjoy all of these songs on this beautiful Friday before Mother’s Day.

Did you know about Dylan and Leon?

Leon Russell considered Bob Dylan to be one of the greatest songwriters of all time. He enjoyed playing on covers of his songs by other artists, and even produced Dylan Jazz, an album of jazz versions of Dylan songs for GNP Records in 1965.

Their friendship lasted decades. Leon Russell joined Bob Dylan for a series of U.S. dates during Dylan’s Never Ending Tour in the summer of 2011.

In March 1971 Leon was the producer as he and his group, The Tulsa Tops, worked with Dylan at Blue Rock Studios in New York. When I Paint My Masterpiece and Watching The River Flow were recorded live with no overdubs with Dylan on vocal as Leon played an acoustic grand piano, Jesse Ed Davis was on electric guitar, Carl Radle played electric bass with Jim Keltner on drums.

I prefer Leon Russell’s version (below) as I always do, but you can definitely hear Leon’s magical contribution here:

I discovered Steve Liddycoat isolated Leon’s piano umami here and it’s awesome:

When I Paint My Masterpiece studio outtake:

On the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour, Leon and Joe Cocker sang a beautiful duet of Girl From The North Country to serenade Dylan who was in the audience. Listen to what Leon had to say about Dylan….

Bob Dylan is coming to my area in June. I’m sure all tickets are sold out, but I’d love to see him if anyone has a spare????

Lastly, Leon’s version of Dylan’s Masters of War is especially poignant today; as fresh as when Dylan originally recorded it in 1963.

Featured image found on Pinterest; credit to owner.

Act of Kindness

Your acts of kindness are iridescent wings of divine love, which linger and continue to uplift others long after your sharing.” Rumi

Here’s my act of kindness…with literal iridescent wings…

As I was on my hands and knees cleaning out winter’s leaves from my little pond/waterfall in the garden, prepping for no more rain so I could fill it again, I heard a strange fluttering sound.

I looked up, and right above my head, I saw a Mourning Cloak butterfly held captive in a spider’s web, desperately trying to break free.

I immediately sprung to my feet (well, not SO immediately because I’m still careful not to further injure my torn meniscus that I’m stubbornly refusing to surgically repair) and freed the butterfly from certain death.

S/he fell to the ground because a very tiny bit of sticky web was holding freedom hostage and s/he couldn’t open her wings and fly away.

I sat next to her and very gently pulled off the remains of the spider web, hoping I hadn’t damaged anything, and the butterfly took off like a rocket. I couldn’t believe how fast s/he was. I never saw it again.

Poor little thing was a bit battle weary and bedraggled, but seemed to be OK after the ordeal with the spider web.

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

Have you ever touched the wings of a moth or butterfly and gotten some “powder” on your fingers? If you look through a microscope, that powder is actually tiny scales.These scales give butterflies and moths their scientific name Lepidoptera (from the Greek Lepido = scale, and ptera = wing). Each scale can be a different color and when placed next to each other, the mosaic makes up the color patterns we see. Curated from essig.berkeley.edu/exhibits/butterflywings/

Interesting, huh?

While it’s best not to touch a butterfly’s wings because it might inhibit their ability to fly, there was really nothing else I could do to save him/her. https://essig.berkeley.edu/exhibits/butterflywings/

Here’s the spiritual meaning of a butterfly with its wings stuck together by a spider web: It holds a powerful, dualistic spiritual message, often representing a, tension between the need for transformation and the reality of entrapment or stagnation. It suggests that a, period of metamorphosis or personal growth is being hindered by fear, limiting beliefs, or external obstacles. That’s pretty intense, don’t you agree?

No matter what it means, it’s a good feeling to help a wld creature.

What Is Enlightenment

“Enlightenment is when a wave realizes it is the ocean.”

Photo by Enchanted Seasells

It’s always a good idea to start out a new week with a positive message from Thich Nhat Hanh, even if I’m not 100% sure I know what it means.

I’ll have to cogitate on it because the nuance is a bit elusive right now, like I think I get it, but it’s just out of reach, which is annoying.

Roundup of Random Annoyances

On Thursday afternoon, I saw a white van parked DIRECTLY across my driveway, completely blocking it. For a minute, I thought it might be a delivery, but I wasn’t expecting anything.

After noticing it didn’t move and no one came out with a package, I walked outside. Never one to shy away from direct action, I went around to the driver’s side, tapped on the window, and a man opened the door.

I pointed at my driveway and calmly stated, ” You’re completely blocking my driveway.”

He replied, “I’m just on my phone.”

Still calm, I responded, “You can’t block a driveway. MOVE. NOW.”

And he did move but parked directly across the street and kept staring at my house while still on his stupid phone, now with the door open.

Once again, it might not have been the smartest thing I’ve ever done, but sometimes I have ZERO impulse control plus I know the assistant police chief lives a few houses away, if needed. I only regret not getting the license plate number.

Honestly, I don’t know what’s wrong with people, do you? First of all, there are literally dozens of miles of sidewalk unencumbered by driveways, and secondly, how in any entitled universe does HIS phone call justify illegal parking? I am convinced that there are more and more selfish people who think the whole world revolves solely around them, and I’m not sure why or how to navigate these life experiences.

Another random event happened at TJ Maxx as I was standing in line to pay for a couple of cute and sparkly t-shirts for Angel Girl. A woman with a full cart pushed in front of me as if I was invisible. As if I didn’t exist! The hubris!

It took me a couple of seconds to fully realize the situation, like what just happened here, because first, she was behind me and then she wasn’t. I looked around; aghast, as the other customers in line also noticed and I’m sure wondered how I would handle the situation.

This time, I chalked it up to the full moon. I shook my head, turned around, got out of line, put my items back on the shelf, and left the store. It didn’t seem to be the right time to have a confrontation over something trivial and I assumed the universe intervened for a good reason, so I listened.

Finally… my city can’t seem to figure out what to do with an intersection on my street near an elementary school. For many years, there were two stop signs, then they put in a dangerous and ineffective roundabout. Last year they took away the $20,000 waste-of-money roundabout and put in a four-way-stop. I don’t know how much it cost to remove the roundabout and cement in four stop signs, but that’s how they spend our tax dollars around here…

Yesterday, I pulled up to one of the stop signs, preparing to turn left. I noticed two cars that completely ignored another of the four stop signs and turned right, not even bothering to slow down. Since no one was behind me and I was early for a dental appointment, I sat there and watched at least SIX other cars completely ignore that same stop sign. Stop means stop, right? A couple of them even glanced my way as they barrelled around the corner, exceeding the 25 mph speed limit.

What part of STOP don’t they understand? Are they the same people who don’t comprehend that NO means NO?

Photo by Mwabonje on Pexels.com

I decided it might be wise to spend the day at home, in the garden, where it’s slightly more peaceful, although there’s STILL construction noise from next door. I’m trying to tune it all out, but it’s permeating my soul in a not very positive way.

I’m exhorting myself to BREATHE and listen to the birds who’re busy building nests in the mulberry tree.

BREATHE, Princess Rosebud, BREATHE…

Joyful Full Flower Moon on May Day!

"The moon, like a flower in heaven's high bower, 
With silent delight sits and smiles on the night." — William Blake
Image from Pinterest

This is a great time to make a wish because there will be two full moons in May!

The first one is the Flower Moon (in Scorpio) and will reach its peak tomorrow, May 1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, while the second full moon, the Blue Moon (which is also a micromoon), peaks at the end of the month on May 31 

This full moon symbolizes the peak of spring, blooming, and full expression, urging us to step into our potential and allow our personal growth to “bloom”.

It’s also May Day, to honor the arrival of spring (Beltane).

Beltane traditions include dancing around maypoles, creating flower crowns, and placing flowers on neighbors’ doorsteps.

I’ll try to remember to place my crystals on the deck to absorb all of the positive and cleansing energies of the full moon, along with a carafe of water to charge with lunar energy for intention-setting and healing.

It’s the best way to kick off my birthday month and the best day of all to celebrate, Mother’s Day!

A Grain of Sand

To see the world in a grain of sand
And heaven in a wildflower
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour
-William Blake

Sometimes all you need is to lie in the sand and breathe.

All Roads Lead To…Leon Russell

I discovered yet another talented musician who had Leon’s magic umami sprinkled onto his songs.

This time it’s Dave Mason, founding member of the rock band, Traffic, who recently passed away on April 19.

As he was forming his own public persona as a solo artist, Leon Russell continued to collaborate with other musicians.

As I re-listen to these Dave Mason songs, I can now detect Leon’s contributions; always distinctive, always the secret ingredient, the umami that enhanced the flavor of every melody and arrangement.

In my opinion, he was meant to be on center stage, never in the background and anonymous.

Special thanks to Leon Russell Superstar in a Masquerade. His YouTube channel is an encyclopedia about the Master of Space and Time.
Featured photo curated from Pinterest.