CINAMAGIC Dec'13 - Jan'14 by CinaMagic Magazine

inamagic

Our Song Artist Spotlight:

Three Bridges & Dickens Couture Xmas

Winter Edition

Our Featured Story:

URBAN ANGELS

DEC 2013 - JAN 2014 Model: Allexis Amsden Photo by: EMBREE Photography (Sarah Embree) Stylist: Iced by Jennifer Jones

Candles By Nature Homemade, all natural candles, soaps, and healing balms all handmade with love www.candlesbynature.etsy.com www.facebook.com/ CandlesByNature.

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All Creatures of Our God & King

“Walking on Tranquil Paths” Photo by: Trini Schultz.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/trinischultzphotography Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31319275@N06/ cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

Candles By Nature 4

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www.candlesbynature.etsy.com

Candles By Nature

Using natural, eco-friendly ingredients is important to us, which is why we seek out the most sustainable options available. With each Candles By Nature handcrafted item, you can bring the lovely scents of fresh flowers and herbs into your home.

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Our goal is to protect and preserve your skin, your body & your health. Organic ingredients, therapeutic essential oils go into formulating and producing healthy and effective personal care products.

LOVE YOUR SKIN

find us at www.bodybrana.com 6

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The natural scent of therapeutic grade essential oils. Enjoy the benefits of aromatherapy! cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

Dec - Jan 2013

2014

14 THREE BRIDGES 198 & DICKENS

Cover Stories:

URBAN ANGELS

COUTURE XMAS

Photo by: Conceptions Photography

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LOVE YOUR SKIN cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

Dec 2013 - Jan 2014

122 204

GET CRAFTY

HOLLYWOOD

SPOTLIGHTS

118 Crafts

44 Movie Reviews

14 Urban Angels

122 Party Planning

204 Actors

34 Wood Fairies

MUSIC 182 Donna King 186 Three Bridges

282

SITE SEEING 254 The Cuyahoga Valley National Park

LETTERS 242 Military Letters 264 Christmas Letters

108 Make-Up-Artist (Sabina Yunusova)

282 Creative Holiday Eats: Turkey Stuffed Apples Coleslaw Christmas Cake Pumpkin Pie cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

90 Tween Model (Chloe Brooke) 100 Plus-Size Model (Spruce Dickerson)

RECIPES

80 Adult Model (Alissa)

174 Rae Designs 186 Three Bridges 204 Louise Beaver 222 Dickens Couture Christmas Carole

bodyBrana is a woman-owned and operated business. They pride themselves on exceptional service and conscientious approach to every aspect of life. www.bodybrana.com cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

“I’m here tonight to warn you that you have yet a chance and hppe of escaping my fate. You will be haunted by Three Spirits...”

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A Fashionable Christmas Carol A visual retelling of the Dickens tales through couture fashion imagery Saturday, December 7th at 1:30 P.M. Davidson Ballroom The Tremont House Presented by Faith McGary & Couture Poetry Free Admission

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Featured Story

URBAN

Angels Photo by: Conceptions Photography

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Six beautiful Angels, Layken, Ginny, Caia, Adyson, Raven and Serena.

s a Nashville based photographer I often take my subjects downtown to get the urban look and feel or to add the city skyscrape as a backdrop. During these visits we inevitably encountered some of the homeless population in the city. Growing up in an urban environment myself, I understood the rules of personal space and we never infringed on any of these individuals as they slept on benches or lay sprawled out on sidewalks, or in alleys. We crossed the street to avoid them and didn’t make eye contact as we picked up our pace a bit until we past them. This was the ritual for downtown sessions for 2013 until a conversation with a friend reminded me of my own estranged father and the years he spent among the homeless population in Nashville. He was killed in September of 1991, in an attempt to avoid the police as he walked across the now defunct Shelby Street Bridge, since they knew him all too well, he decided to cross the interstate on foot, hoping to avoid public intoxication charges, and he stumbled over a low retaining wall into an oncoming semi. He was not killed instantly, as a big bear of a man he struggled to live for over 18 hours before his liver finally shut down and he died. I was living in Illinois, at Western Illinois University at the time and I flew down for the funeral. I remember feeling so much relief that he was no longer suffering in this form. His social anxiety had grown into a paranoid state that prevented him from functioning in normal society. Due to years of abuse as a child he had no coping skills and turned to alcohol and drugs to numb his own feelings of inadequacy. To say the 10 or so years he lived on the streets of the city before he died were hellish, is putting it mildly. It gets cold in Nashville, occasionally below 0 degrees Fahrenheit and homeless people would sleep on the street vents that blew warm air out in the winter to try to stay alive, many did not win that fight and were quietly cremated when unclaimed via the coroner’s office. I recall my uncle telling me how the closing down of public institutions for the mentally ill had led to the rising numbers of homeless in Nashville which meant most of these people had either no way to care for themselves or no desire to. Over the years the Nashville Rescue Mission (which I also spent time in as a child) stepped up their efforts and partnered with area churches to give these people more help and hope.

As I tumbled down the rabbit hole of my own past I couldn’t help but realize, I had become part of the problem. Closing my eyes to their plight, ignoring the compassion that is inherent in the human heart which cried out smile at them, say hello, remind them there is always hope. Fear and the age of many of my small clients led me to wonder if I had lost my mind as I plotted the first Urban Angels Photo Shoot where a group of girls aged 6-14 would gather together blankets and we would grab burgers to pass out in the city to these people instead of avoiding them during and after our shoot. I advertised the event and immediately had four beautiful angels, Layken, Ginny, Caia and Adyson join my own daughters Raven and Serena as we strategized how we could safely maneuver the streets of Nashville on this cold November day. These girls all met up with me and Conceptions Photography via the beauty pageant circuit and my other company Pageant Concepts. Pageant Concepts slogan is Beauty That Lasts Comes From Within and all of these girls knew that we were serious in our intent to help the needy and could not wait to join me in the city. For most of them it was the first time they had ever walked the streets of Nashville and they did so in full urban angel costumes complete with wings. A few weeks before the event I was contacted by the mother of one of our Ultimate Supreme MacKenzie Queens who wanted to donate the money to pay for the burgers we passed out as well as buy a few blankets. Since the success of our first event she is now collecting blankets via her places of business so we will be armed and ready for our next adventure. The girls were slightly nervous as we wrapped up our shoot on legislative plaza and loaded their arms with blankets and burgers as we set out to beat the darkness since the parents also had mixed feelings of excitement and mild concern of trekking through the city in the dark with the girls, but as they found more and more people who thanked them profusely for their blankets and literally ripped the wrappers off the burgers and devoured them before their eyes they got into the spirit and began to argue over which buddy group was next to pass out their warm goods to these total strangers. Needless to say we were consumed with compassion and walked an easy 25 city blocks well into the darkness with our gear until the last of our goods were passed out to these people with a God bless you and the girls collapsed into their cars for their rides home, some from as far away as Kentucky or Alabama. More than one mother let me know how the conversation on these long rides home were fixated on the good deeds they had done and when they could do it again. So a new tradition is born and Urban Angels will be passing out more supplies in December to the homeless community in Nashville, Tennessee, please contact me by email if you would like to join us or donate to our cause at picsofyou@yahoo.com. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

Photo by: Conceptions Photography

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Caia Photo by: Conceptions Photography cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

Layken Photo by: Conceptions Photography

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Photo by: Conceptions Photography

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Photo by: Conceptions Photography

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Raven

Adyson Photo by: Conceptions Photography cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

Photo by: Conceptions Photography

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Serena Photo by: Conceptions Photography

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Photo by: Conceptions Photography

Ginny cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

inamagic President Beth Roose Editor Fina Florez Graphic Designers Fina Florez, Magic Owens Contributing Writers: Beth Roose, Stephanie Hubbard, Don Collier, Edward Faulkner, Faith McGary Address: 22777 Franz Rd, Suite 4212 Katy, Texas 77449 Accepting Stories and Photo’s for our February “Love” edition at nationalpark4u@yahoo.com

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In Memory of Giles: This

month is dedicated to all fur friends in Rescue

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From the Editor’s Desk

...Its That Time of the Year Again

hristmas is a time for family gatherings. This interaction can bring great joy or great stress. Estrangement or ill will from past conflicts can explode. Joseph and Mary had their share of family challenges. Consider their circumstances. The historical accounts indicate that Joseph’s fiancée became pregnant though she was a virgin. Mary believed an angel told her she was pregnant by God. Now, how would you feel if your fiancé/fiancée exhibited apparent evidence of sexual activity with someone else during your engagement? Suppose your intended said that God had sanctioned the whole thing. Would your trust and self-esteem take a nosedive? Would you cancel the wedding? Joseph, described as “a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace . . . Mary publicly. But an angel appeared to him in a dream, explaining that the child was conceived in her by God, and told him to “name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Joseph 28

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followed instructions and cared for his family. His continuing commitment to Mary and Jesus played a significant part in the boy’s birth and early childhood. With God’s help, the family overcame major obstacles. And so can your family. Make each day count by having the courage of your convictions. And the courage to keep an open mind.Cherish your visions and you dreams, as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements. Make each day count by making a contribution to the world. See the world. Be the world. Make it count by helping others,. Above all, wherever you go, whatever you do, make each day count by seizing every day with heart and courage. “Promise you’ll never give up.” So think deeply about what you want to do. And then promise yourself -- you’ll never give up.

“

Make each day count by having the courage of your convictions. And the courage to keep an open mind.

Waldorf Dolls By Eszterlanc8

http://www.etsy.com/shop/eszterlanc8

All dolls are handmade

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$12.25 An absolutely precious story for children/adults, recognizing the world of nature at Christmas by Beth Ann Rose. To purchase this book through amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Winter-BirdsChristmas-Beth-Roose/dp/1439212953/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385138961& sr=8-1&keywords=beth+roose 30

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$10.00 A musical animated story that is truly enchanting for both children and adults by Beth Ann Rose. To purchase, please go to: http://www.etsy.com/listing/170560875/elf-sparkle-meets-christmas-the-horse cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

“Do You Believe” A holiday animation about a fierce rainstorm has Santa’s sleigh stuck in the mud of Horseshoe Pond in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Christmas the Horse with her gallant beauty and tender heart comes to the rescue. With the help of Elf Sparkle and her magic dust, Santa is able to give Christmas the Horse the gift of flying. This sweeping adventure will warm the hearts of the entire family. The spirit of Christmas can never be stopped for all who believe.

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WINTER WOOD

Faries Photo by: Conceptions Photography

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Photo by: Conceptions Photography

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Meredith

Morgan Photo by: Conceptions Photography cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

Photo by: Conceptions Photography

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Bayleigh

Serena Photo by: Conceptions Photography cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

Photo by: Conceptions Photography

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Sydney

JACK FROST ICE BLUE WINTER

Fairy

Karley Jean Photo by: Conceptions Photography cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

Caty's Cribs Creating a one-of-a-kind space for the little ones allowing for a unique niche that Custom Decorating by Catalina is known for. www.catyscribs.com 42

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Custom Decorating by Catalina

Caty's Cribs cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

Classic Movies

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The free-spirited Auntie Mame I n 1928, Edwin Dennis completes his last will and testament stating that, upon his death, his only son Patrick will be reared by his sister, Mame Dennis, under the conservative eye of banker Dwight Babcock. The day after the will is signed, Dennis drops dead and his faithful Irish servant, Norah Muldoon, takes the young Patrick from Chicago to Mame’s residence at 3 Beekman Place, New York City. They arrive during a party, in which the flamboyant Mame is graciously entertaining with breezy charm and bootlegged alcohol. Among the Bohemian guests are a man and his monkey, the headmaster of a nudist school, a composer and his wife, artists of all kinds, someone who looks like Gertrude Stein and a non-English-speaking Orthodox Lithuanian bishop. Upon realizing that Patrick is her nephew, Mame invites him to join the party and he hungrily eats caviar, which he calls “fishberry jam.” Afterward, Mame instructs Patrick to write down all the words he heard that he did not understand and promises that she will “open doors” that he “never dreamed existed.” Two weeks and thirteen cocktail parties later, Norah and Patrick have settled into the eccentric household with Mame’s houseboy, Ito, her best friend, actress Vera Charles, who sleeps off hangovers in one of Mame’s extra rooms, and Mame’s boyfriend, publisher Lindsay Woolsey, who also visits frequently. When Babcock arrives to check on Patrick, the well-mannered boy skillfully mixes him a martini. Babcock wants to enroll Patrick in an “exclusive and restricted” boys’ school and Mame pretends to agree. Later, when Babcock learns that Patrick is enrolled at Acacius Page’s experimental school in Greenwich Village, he insists on sending the boy to a boarding school, breaking the hearts of both Mame and Patrick, who have grown close. In the stock market crash of 1929, Mame loses her fortune and then breaks off with Lindsay, because she refuses to marry for security. Needing a job, she takes a small role in Vera’s new play, but, unable to be inconspicuous in her tiny role, Mame ad-libs, jangles her jewelry and catches her bracelets on Vera’s costume during the play’s New Haven tryouts, turning the drama into comedy. Only Patrick is impressed with her performance and she is soon looking for another job. After failing as a switchboard operator, Mame takes a job as a sales clerk at Macy’s department store during the pre-Christmas season. That job, too, is short-lived, because Mame can only write sales slips that are “Cash On Delivery.” With no money coming in, Mame’s close-knit household struggles to have a meaningful, if meager, Christmas. Norah, who finds Mame “odd, but lovin’”, and Ito have stayed on without being

paid and settle the butcher’s bill with their own savings as a Christmas present. Soon after, oil millionaire Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside knocks on the door, after having seen Mame at Macy’s and consequently searching the city for her. He invites them out to dinner, and later, to his Georgia plantation. Although Beauregard is captivated by Mame, his family is not, and Sally Cato McDougal, a neighbor who has failed to capture Beauregard’s heart, tries to sabotage their blooming relationship. When Mame, to please Beauregard, claims untruthfully that she can ride a horse, Sally arranges a foxhunt and gives Mame an untrainable horse to ride. Although Mame has difficulty controlling the horse, at the end of the hunt, she is holding the exhausted fox and the impressed Beauregard proposes to her in front of everyone. For their honeymoon, the newlyweds embark on an extended world tour, and Patrick, now a university student, joins them during holidays. While skiing the Matterhorn, Beauregard, who is a camera buff, falls over a cliff to his death while taking a picture and the grieving Mame continues traveling alone, revisiting the places she and Beauregard had been. When she eventually returns to Beekman Place, Patrick, believing Mame needs a project, has arranged for her to write her memoirs, which Lindsay will publish. To assist Mame, Patrick hires a stenographer, timid and frumpy Agnes Gooch, to take dictation and an Irish poet, Brian O’Bannion, to serve as her editor. For the next few months, Mame dictates to Agnes, and O’Bannion lives well and does little. Unexpectedly one day, Patrick arrives, wanting Mame to meet his girl friend, Gloria Upson. Claiming that Gloria is from “good conservative stock,” Patrick admits that he is ashamed of Mame’s “peculiarities” and begs her to act normal when Gloria visits. Sadly, Mame realizes that Patrick has become a product of Babcock’s choice of schooling: “beastly,” “bourgeois” and a “snob.” Although Patrick has embraced the opposite of everything she believes in, Mame loves him deeply and says she will do anything for him. As Patrick is to arrive with Gloria within the hour, Mame breaks a date to attend a party with O’Bannion and dresses up Agnes to escort him. To calm Agnes, Mame gives her a whiskey, which the frightened woman is unused to drinking, and, for courage, tells her the motto by which she lives: “Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death.” When Patrick and the spoiled and shallow Gloria arrive, they tell Mame that they are already engaged. Agnes returns the next day, alone and remembering little of her adventure. Soon, Mame journeys to Connecticut to meet Gloria’s family, the bigoted and gauche Claude and Doris

Upson. The Upsons have planned the children’s wedding, decided on Patrick’s career and even ask Mame to pay for half of the cost of property adjacent to theirs for a wedding present. Mame learns that the Upsons have a double motive for choosing that particular wedding gift, as they wish to prevent a Jewish man from buying the property and moving into the neighborhood. While secretly abhorring the Upsons, Mame offers to have them come to Beekman Place for an “intimate family dinner” in the near future. A few months later, final preparations are being made for the dinner. Patrick is horrified to find Agnes several months pregnant by O’Bannion, who has not been seen since the night of the party. Patrick insists that she must go upstairs when the Upsons arrive. Upon meeting Mame’s new secretary, Pegeen Ryan, who is hanging an odd-looking sculpture in Mame’s newly redecorated foyer, Patrick jokes and temporarily regains his former, unpretentious charm. When Gloria, the Upsons and Babcock arrive, Mame directs them to sit in her new, avant-garde seating area that can be raised and lowered by the push of a button. For hors d’oeurves, she serves pickled rattlesnake and a flaming beverage in a martini glass, bewildering her guests as to how to drink it. Agnes waddles down to take a calcium pill, and then cries when Doris asks about her “husband.” After Acacius, Vera and Lindsay arrive, Mame passes out chapters from the galleys of her book for all to read. At first Patrick is embarrassed, but soon begins to reminisce. Mistaking Pegeen for Patrick’s intended, Vera toasts them. Gloria, wanting attention, tells a meaningless story that embarrasses everyone but her parents. The Upsons are shocked when Vera points out that Mame’s book will be the “raciest” of the year, but are even more scandalized when they learn that Agnes is unwed. When a telegram from O’Bannion arrives, demanding money and claiming that he and Agnes are married, Mame congratulates the relieved Agnes. Offended, Gloria expresses her disapproval of Patrick’s family and after Patrick calls her selfish and empty headed, she breaks off their engagement. Mame then announces that she is donating money to build a home for refugee children on the lot next to the Upsons’. Infuriated, the Upsons inadvertently cause their seats to elevate, and after disentangling themselves, leave in a huff. Babcock berates Mame for ruining his carefully laid plans for Patrick, but Mame says she could not watch her nephew be “shut in a safe-deposit box.” Patrick simply thanks her and, years later, watches with his wife Pegeen as Mame lures their entranced son Michael through “open doors” he “never dreamed existed.” cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

n New York City’s Fifth Avenue, the “richest avenue in the world,” a tour bus announcer points out the boarded-up townhouse of “industrial wizard” Michael O’Connor, the world’s second richest man. As the bus passes, a middle-aged drifter and his dog Sam enter the O’Connor house through a loose board in the fence and a manhole, and spend the night. Meanwhile, O’Connor evicts the tenants of one of his city apartment houses in order to erect an eighty story building. One of his tenants, Jim Bullock, an out-of-work veteran, refuses to leave. He is eventually thrown out, and while sleeping on a park bench, meets the drifter, Aloysious T. McKeever, or “Mac.” Mac invites Jim to stay with him at O’Connor’s townhouse, which he has occupied for the last three winters while O’Connor resides in Virginia, and Jim assumes that Mac is O’Connor. Currently, O’Connor is preparing to buy Camp Kilson, a deserted army camp outside Manhattan, in order to build a massive air cargo network. He

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two homeless, one runaway and.... of couse a love story

receives word that his daughter Trudy has run away from her finishing school. When Trudy arrives at the townhouse, Jim concludes that she is a thief, but lets her stay. Trudy quickly falls in love with Jim, and is determined to keep her identity a secret so that he won’t love her for her money. When the night patrol arrives to check the house, Mac makes everyone hide and finally confesses to Jim and Trudy that he is an interloper. Later, Jim meets two friends from the service, Hank and Whitey, and their wives and children, who are living in a car due to the postwar housing shortage, and invites them to stay at the townhouse, too. With Mac’s help, Jim, Whitey and Hank are inspired to design a model to renovate vacant army barracks into housing projects, and decide to bid on Camp Kilson. Soon O’Connor arrives in New York and finds Trudy leaving for her new job at a music shop. Although he orders her back to school, she insists that she has spent her life being lonely and now wants Jim. O’Connor wants to meet Jim and reluctantly agrees to pose as

a drifter, after which Trudy and Jim convince Mac to let O’Connor become another “guest” at the mansion. It is not long before O’Connor is fed up with his house guests and threatens to call the police. Trudy sends for her mother, however, who years before reluctantly divorced O’Connor because business was his first priority. Mary and O’Connor rekindle their love for each other, and on Christmas Eve, Mac encourages them to marry, unaware of their true relationship. When Mary finds out that O’Connor outbid Jim on Camp Kilson, and tried to give him a job in Bolivia, to take him away from Trudy, however, she determines to leave him. After Trudy also scolds him, O’Connor lets Jim buy the camp. On New Year’s Eve, the houseguests all celebrate the contract, and prepare to leave the townhouse. Although Trudy and Jim and Mary and O’Connor offer Mac a room, he assures them he has a place to stay, O’Connor’s house in Virginia, then says goodbye. O’Connor tells Mary that next November, Mac will be coming through the front door.

Elizabeth Lane, a New Yorker Journalist Who Can’t Even Boil an Egg?!!!

lthough Elizabeth Lane, author of the popular magazine column “Diary of a Housewife,” lives alone in a New York apartment and cannot cook, she writes about a bucolic life on a Connecticut farm with her husband and child and publishes as her own recipes she obtains from her chef friend, Felix Bassenak. During his recovery, Nurse Mary Lee reads Elizabeth’s column to injured war hero Jefferson Jones and, hoping to interest Jeff in marriage, writes to Jonathan Yardley, the magazine’s publisher, asking him to arrange for Jeff to spend Christmas on Elizabeth’s farm. Yardley, who is a stickler for the truth, has no idea that Elizabeth has been inventing the details in her column and insists that she invite Jeff for the holidays. To make matters worse, Yardley invites himself to join them. Convinced that she is about to lose her job, Elizabeth accepts the marriage proposal of her friend, architect John Sloan, even though she does not love him. When Elizabeth’s editor, Dudley Beecham, learns that John owns a Connecticut farm, however, he suggests that they use it to recreate the situation she has devised for the column. John arranges for the local judge to marry them at the farm, and Felix agrees to do the cooking. The practical John even arranges for a stand-in baby--one that his maid Norah cares for while its mother is at work in a defense plant. The planned marriage ceremony is interrupted when Jeff arrives earlier than scheduled. Elizabeth is immediately attracted to him and begins to regret her promise to marry John. Yardley’s arrival completes the party. Elizabeth successfully carries out her deception despite a slight setback

when she learns that the baby is a girl, not a boy as she first assumed. Felix, pretending to be Elizabeth’s uncle, cooks a wonderful meal, and while Elizabeth decorates the Christmas tree, Jeff sings Christmas carols. After everyone has gone to bed, the judge returns, but once again the wedding is canceled when Yardley and Jeff sneak downstairs for a snack. When Jeff helps Elizabeth put the cow in the barn, she discovers that he is also attracted to her. On Christmas morning, Elizabeth confides in Felix, who eagerly comes to her aid. When the judge returns, Felix lies that the baby has swallowed a watch, and once again the wedding is postponed. That evening, at a community dance, Jeff and Elizabeth have eyes only for each other. They take a walk outside and sit in a sleigh to continue their conversation. Feeling their weight, the horse wanders off, and the couple is arrested for stealing the sleigh. Meanwhile, Yardley has returned to the farm and sees the baby’s mother carrying her out. He believes that the baby has been kidnapped and notifies the police. In the morning, Elizabeth and Jeff return home, and Elizabeth tells the incredulous Yardley the truth. Furious at the deception, Yardley fires Elizabeth. Then Elizabeth and John quarrel and break up. The way seems clear for Elizabeth to marry Jeff, but her hopes are dashed when Mary arrives and announces that she is Jeff’s fiancée. Soon, however, Felix learns that Mary has married another man and then convinces Yardley to rehire Elizabeth. Although Yardley offers Elizabeth a raise and offers John a contract as well, Elizabeth refuses to return. Then Jeff proposes, even though Felix warns him that Elizabeth cannot cook. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March

n Concord, Massachusetts, at the height of the Civil War, sisters Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March struggle to keep their spirits high in spite of their poverty and the absence of their father, who is fighting with the Union Army. While pretty but selfish Amy finishes her schooling, and timid, sensitive Beth practices on her broken-down clavichord, envious Meg works as a seamstress, and spirited, tomboyish Jo, who dreams of becoming a famous author, panders to the whims of her gruff but well-to-do Aunt March. As a Christmas present, Aunt March gives each of the girls one dollar, which they then decide to spend on presents for their mother, whom they call Marmee. On Christmas morning, Marmee is pleasantly surprised by her daughters’ impetuous generosity, particularly that of Amy, and asks them to donate their holiday breakfast to the Hummels, an impoverished local family. Later, after the

sisters have performed one of Jo’s original “dramas” before a crowd of appreciative children, Jo boldly introduces herself to Laurie Laurence, her wealthy next-door neighbor whose grandfather has terrified her for years. Jo immediately ingratiates herself to Laurie, and even impresses the inscrutable Mr. Laurence. To cement their new friendship, the Laurences invite the March girls to a lavish party, at which Meg meets Laurie’s tutor, John Brooke. Over the next few months, while Meg is being romanced by John, Jo has her first short story published and Beth overcomes some of her shyness so that she can practice on Mr. Laurence’s fine piano. After Marmee is alerted that Mr. March has been wounded and is convalescing in a Washington, D.C. hospital, she leaves her daughters to go to her husband’s side. While she is away, Beth contracts scarlet fever from Mrs. Hummel’s baby. As Beth’s fever worsens, Jo prays that Marmee

will return before she dies and tearfully reveals her deepest fears to Laurie. Beth survives, however, and is reunited with both Marmee and her father. Then, in spite of Jo’s objections that the happy March family will be forever torn apart by her romantic “defection,” Meg marries John. Inspired by the wedding, Laurie confesses his love to Jo, who reluctantly rejects him as a suitor. Laurie’s subsequent snubbing causes Jo to move to a New York boardinghouse, where she meets Professor Baer, a poor German linguist. Helped by the professor, Jo greatly improves her writing and overcomes her confused hurt about Laurie. When Beth, who never fully recovered from her fever, nears death, Jo abandons Baer and returns to Concord. After Beth dies, Jo learns that Amy, whom Aunt March had taken to Europe, has fallen in love with Laurie. Eventually, Amy and Laurie marry, and Jo, who readily blesses the union, accepts the proposal of her sincere professor. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

A musical film of the Smith family who lived in St. Louis

n St. Louis, in the summer of 1903, seventeen-year-old Esther Smith fantasizes about meeting John Truett, the shy boy-nextdoor, while her older sister Rose frets about her beau, Warren Sheffield, who is off at Yale. Sure that Warren, who is calling Rose at 6:30 that evening, is finally going to propose to her sister, Esther arranges with Katie, the Smiths’s housekeeper, for the family to eat dinner early, so that Rose will have some privacy while talking on the telephone. Esther’s cantankerous father Alonzo, who has not been told about the expected call, ruins her plan, however, when he insists on eating at the usual time. During dinner, everyone, including Esther’s five-year old sister “Tootie,” tries to hurry Lon along, but the phone rings just as the main course is being served. As her family eavesdrops on the entire conversation, Rose attempts to prod Warren into a proposal, but he gets mired in small talk and hangs up without uttering a single romantic word. Later, at Esther’s urging, Rose invites John to a farewell party for her older brother Lon, Jr., who is going to Princeton. At the party, Esther at first feigns indifference to John, but hides his hat to keep him at the house and then asks him to help her turn off all the lights. Although John is clearly attracted to the flirtatious Esther, he is too shy to kiss her, and instead gives her a hearty handshake. Before he leaves, Esther invites him to join her family that Sunday for a tour of the St. Louis Exposition fairgrounds, and he tentatively accepts. On Sunday, Esther waits eagerly for John at the trol-

ley stop, but he has not arrived by the time the trolley is scheduled to leave. As the trolley is pulling away, however, John appears and, to Esther’s joy, hops on next to her. Months later, Tootie and her slightly older sister Agnes dress up as goblins and go out to celebrate Halloween with the neighborhood children. Anxious to prove herself, Tootie, who is preoccupied with death, insists on calling feared neighbor Mr. Braukoff to his door and, following the local custom, blows flour in his face. After Tootie is declared the “most horrible,” she throws her family into a panic when she returns home, crying, bruised and cut. Tootie claims that John hit her by the trolley tracks, and although Esther at first refuses to believe her, she changes her mind when a clump of hair is discovered in Tootie’s hand. Enraged, Esther storms over to John’s house, accuses him of being a bully and then beats and bites him. Later, however, Tootie and Agnes confess that John actually saved them from being arrested after they almost caused an accident on the trolley tracks. Esther rushes back to John’s house to apologize, and John not only forgives her, but flirts with her as well. Later that evening, Lon, a lawyer, returns home to announce that his firm is transferring him to New York. Although Lon is enthusiastic about the transfer, which involves a promotion, Anna and the children react with shock and worry. Eventually, however, Anna agrees to the move, and the Smiths plan to leave St. Louis after Christmas. Weeks later, on Christmas Eve, Rose is upset because the visiting Warren

has invited Lucille Ballard, an Easterner, to the local Christmas dance instead of her. Back from Princeton, Lon, Jr., also is frustrated because he wanted to ask Lucille to the dance. After Katie convinces Lon, Jr., to escort Rose to the dance, Esther’s plans are disrupted when John is forced to break his date with her because he did not get to the tailor’s soon enough to pick up his tuxedo. Although Esther assures John she is not upset, she later breaks down in tears and refuses to be escorted by Lon, Jr. When Esther’s grandfather, however, offers to take her, she gratefully accepts. At the dance, Esther and Rose scheme against Lucille, whom they have never met, by filling out her dance card with the names of clods. Their plan backfires when Lucille turns out to be nice and insists that Rose be with Warren, while she goes with Lon, Jr. Embarrassed, Esther gives Lucille her dance card, then braves the clods. To her delight, John eventually shows up and, under a wintery moon, kisses her and proposes. As soon as Esther starts to think about being separated from her family, however, she has second thoughts about marrying. Later, at home, Tootie cries to Esther about the impending move and, as her bewildered father watches from a window, runs outside and angrily begins smashing the snow people she helped build. After calling the family together, Lon then announces that that they are staying in St. Louis. Months later, the Smiths and John head for the justopened Exposition and are thrilled by the thought that such incredible sights are in their very own town. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

photos of the remake of

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the martians abducts

santa claus

he intellectual, fully-automated life on Mars has produced a generation of listless and dispirited children, who look enviously at a press conference with Santa Claus televised from the North Pole. When Martian leader Kimar detects these symptoms in his own children, Bomar and Girmar, he calls a council meeting at which Chochem, Mars’ 800-year-old sage, suggests a kidnapping expedition to the Earth’s North Pole. Kimar commands the Earthbound saucer but, upon arrival in December, is confused by the profusion of Santas on

every street corner and lands out in the country where two children, Billy and Betty, direct the Martians to the North Pole. The skeptical Voldar, an evil Martian, convinces his shipmates that the two children must be abducted along with Santa to prevent their informing on the extra-terrestrial invaders. En route through space, Voldar attempts to oust Santa and the children and is banished upon landing on Mars. He takes up residence in a cave while plotting his revenge. Together with henchmen Shim and Stobo, Voldar raids Santa’s Martian workshop, destroying the machinery and kidnapping Dropo, a happy

Martian who happened to be dressed in a Santa Claus costume. Voldar is jailed when he returns to the workshop to negotiate for Santa’s return, but he escapes and locks Kimar in a storeroom. Finally confronting the real Santa, Voldar must first contend with Billy, Betty, Bomar, and Girmar, who fend him off with a succession of toy weapons while Santa watches, gleefully blowing bubbles. Kimar is touched by the Christmas spirit, and he returns the Earthlings to their planet. Santa, who is happily rid of the automation that had manufactured his gifts on Mars, arrives just in time for Christmas. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

Model: Chloe Wilkerson Photo by: Hal Wade Photography

cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

a 1940 American

Romantic

comedy FILM

t the Budapest shop Matuschek and Company, work Pepi Katona, the snippy errand boy, Pirovitch, the mild-mannered clerk, Alfred Kralik, the bashful yet lovestruck head clerk, the duplicitious Ferencz Vadas, and clerks Ilona and Flora. Each morning, the six line up in front of the shop to await the arrival of their boss, Hugo Matuschek, and while waiting one day, Alfred confides to his friend Pirovitch that he has answered a blind personal ad in the newspaper and has entered into a romance through the post. That morning, Klara Novak enters the shop, looking for a job, and although Alfred turns her down, Matuschek

decides to hire the girl when she talks a customer into buying a cigarette box that plays “Otchi Tchorniye,” an item which Matuschek loves, but Alfred hates. At work, Klara and Alfred argue incessently, never suspecting that they are carrying on a tender romance through the mail, as Klara is Alfred’s secret correspondent. Through their anonymously signed letters, the lovers agree to meet for the first time at a cafe, but that night, Matuschek, thinking that Alfred is the man a private detective agency reports is having an affair with his wife, fires the clerk. Later, when the detective that Matuschek has hired informs him that his wife is actually having an affair with Vadas, he despairs and tries to end his life,

but is saved by Pepi. Meanwhile, Alfred arrives at his rendezvous and is astonished to discover that his secret love is Klara. He approaches her as a co-worker and does not divulge his secret identity, and when she berates him, he leaves. Later that night, Alfred is summoned to the hospital bed of the ailing Matuschek who appoints him store manager and begs him for forgiveness. After firing Vadas, Alfred rallies the store employees, and on Christmas Eve, Matuschek returns to a happy reunion of his employee family in the shop. Once everyone else has departed, Klara confides to Alfred that she finds him attractive, and he finally reveals himself as her secret lover.

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...So long, farewell Auf Weidersehen, goodbye...

he antics of tomboyish Maria, a novice at the abbey in Salzburg, concern the Mother Abbess, who is unsure whether Maria wants to become a nun. To allow the girl to test her feelings, the Mother Abbess sends Maria to be the governess for the seven children of the widowed Baron Georg von Trapp, a retired naval officer. The children are at first hostile to Maria, but she soon wins them over. The baron, who is a strict disciplinarian, leaves to visit Baroness Schraeder, and while he is gone, Maria allows them greater freedom and teaches them to sing. The children become so excited when the baron returns that they fall out of a rowboat in the lake. The accident precipitates

an argument between Maria and the baron, and he orders her to leave; but when he goes into the house and finds the children entertaining his friend Max and the baroness with a song, he asks Maria to stay. Max later suggests that they enter the Salzburg Festival as a singing group, but the baron refuses. Maria becomes aware that she is falling in love with the baron and returns to the abbey. The children follow her there and try to persuade her to return; when the Mother Abbess learns of their visit, she sends Maria back to the Trapp home. Maria again decides to leave when she hears that the baron plans to marry the baroness, but the baroness realizes that he loves Maria and releases him. He then marries Maria, and while they are away on their

honeymoon, the Nazis take over Austria. Max, taking advantage of the baronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s absence, enters the children in the Salzburg Festival. When Maria and the baron return, he forbids the children to appear at the festival. The baron learns that the Nazis, to whom he is violently opposed, have ordered him to take command of a ship. The Trapps plan an escape but are stopped by Storm Troopers. Max convinces them that they are on their way to the festival and that the baron is leaving for his ship immediately after the performance. The Trapps win first place and, using their exit song to escape, they take refuge in the abbey. The Nazis learn their whereabouts and surround the building, but the family escape through a secret tunnel to the nearby mountains.ď&#x20AC;˝ cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

...an angel who helps a bishop with his problems

uring the Christmas season, Dudley, an angel in the guise of a mortal, strolls around a small town and notices Julia Brougham, the bishop’s wife, gazing wistfully through a store window. Dudley follows Julia to a Christmas tree lot, where she meets her old friend, Professor Wutheridge, and expresses her sadness that her husband Henry is too busy worrying about fund raising for a new cathedral to enjoy the season with his parishioners. The professor offers Julia a contribution of an ancient Roman coin from his collection. After Julia leaves for home, Dudley purposely bumps into the professor and makes inquiries about the Broughams. When Julia arrives home, she finds Henry in a tense meeting with several important parishioners, including Mrs. Agnes Hamilton, a wealthy widow, who insists that her large contribution toward the cathedral’s construction guarantee a proper memorial to her dead husband. Henry is upset by Julia’s tardiness and the meeting breaks up after Mrs. Hamilton threatens to withdraw her support unless satisfied. Julia mentions seeing the professor and gives Henry the ancient coin, which he angrily dismisses as worthless. Trying to make amends for his curtness, Henry asks Julia to have lunch with him the following day as they used to do, and she delightedly agrees. After retiring to his study, however, Henry is beset by messages and demands on his time. Dismissing his assistant, Mildred Cassaway, Henry prays for guidance, and a few moments later, Dudley mysteriously arrives and informs Henry that he is an angel sent in answer to his prayer. Henry is immediately skeptical, and when Julia comes in a few moments later, Dudley introduces himself as Henry’s assistant, which pleases her and upsets Henry. The next morning Henry is dismayed to see that Dudley has returned and ingratiated himself with Mildred Cassaway, the maid, Matilda, and even the family dog, Queenie. Julia is disappointed that Henry has broken their luncheon date and sadly takes their young daughter Debby to the park. After Henry departs, Dudley follows Julia and Debby to the park and helps the little girl build her confidence during a snowball fight. Dudley offers to take Julia to lunch just as Matilda inexplicably shows up to relieve her of Debby. Dudley takes Julia to Michel’s, which she reveals is her favorite restaurant and is where Henry proposed to her. When they are spotted by several parish ladies, Dudley wards off gossip by inviting them to join him and Julia. Walking home later, Julia and Dudley run into the professor, who is suspicious of Dudley, yet invites them to his tiny apartment, where he admits that due to a lack of inspiration he has not worked for some time on his manuscript about ancient Rome. Dudley, who has retrieved the ancient coin from the Brougahms’, returns it to the professor and piques his interest by informing him of the rare and valuable coin’s unique history. Meanwhile, Henry has rescheduled his appointments so that he can make his lunch date with Julia and is annoyed to discover that she has gone out with Dudley. The next day, Dudley tells Debby the story of David, who is helped by an angel, which only vexes Henry further. Later, Henry accepts an appointment to meet with Mrs. Hamilton, knowing it will conflict with his promised appearance at choir practice at his old parish. Despite

Julia’s pleas, Henry insists on seeing Mrs. Hamilton, and Dudley accompanies Julia to the rehearsal. At Mrs. Hamilton’s, Henry agrees to all her demands in exchange for her complete support of the cathedral but, while hastening to leave to meet Julia, finds himself stuck to a recently varnished chair. At the church, meanwhile, Rev. Miller is embarrassed by the poor turnout, but Dudley reassures him and asks the couple of boys present to begin singing. Gradually all the boys arrive and give an inspiring performance under Dudley’s direction. As the still-stuck Henry fumes at Mrs. Hamilton’s, Dudley and Julia catch a cab into town where Dudley purchases a hat for Julia he knows she admires. Then Dudley asks the cab driver, Sylvester, to stop at a park where a crowd is ice skating and, with Dudley’s guidance, both Julia and Sylvester skate enthusiastically. Dudley and Julia return home, where Henry angrily demands that Dudley leave for good. Henry’s outburst depresses Julia, and the next day, Christmas Eve, the household wonders if Dudley will ever return. After Henry and Julia leave to make calls, Dudley arrives and rewrites Henry’s Christmas sermon, dictating while the typewriter takes down the new speech. Dudley then transforms the Christmas tree over which Matilda has been laboring and departs to see Mrs. Hamilton. While waiting in the wealthy woman’s drawing room, Dudley discovers a hidden piece of sheet music inscribed to Mrs. Hamilton from a man who is not her husband. Dudley plays the tune on Mrs. Hamilton’s harp, and she confesses that in her youth she was in love with the tune’s composer, but feared poverty and rejected him. In an effort to make up for not loving her wealthy husband, she has steadfastly tried to maintain his legacy. Later, when Henry and Julia arrive, Mrs. Hamilton thanks Henry for sending Dudley to her and tells them that he has inspired her to give her money to the needy rather than build the cathedral. Utterly dismayed, Henry tells Julia he will meet her at home and, wandering into town, stops by the professor’s, where he confides that Dudley is an angel who has upset everything. He apologizes for rejecting the professor’s coin, which the old scholar returns to him, declaring that it has inspired him and may help Henry too. When Henry sadly reveals he believes he has lost Julia to Dudley, the professor reminds him that he is human and Dudley is not and encourages him to fight for Julia. At the Broughams’ home, while Dudley and Julia stand admiring the Christmas tree, Dudley tells her it is time for him to leave, but asks her to have him stay. Disturbed by his implication, Julia tells him that he must go and hastens upstairs just as Henry arrives to challenge Dudley. Dudley is pleased that Henry has finally acknowledged that Julia is the most important thing in his life and reminds the bishop that he never prayed for a cathedral, but for guidance. He wistfully adds that it is bad when an angel envies a mortal and informs Henry that after he goes, no one will have any memory of his existence. Henry then finds himself alone in his study praying before the painting of the cathedral, and abruptly races upstairs looking for Julia, who is putting Debby to bed. They embrace and then depart for St. Timothy’s where Henry delivers Dudley’s Christmas sermon. Dudley listens from the street, and satisfied, departs. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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A 1965 American Film Retelling the Story of

Jesus Christ

he Greatest Story Ever Told was a flop with critics and audiences in its day, and is no better thought of today. Unfairly best known for a one-line cameo by John Wayne as the centurion solemnly drawling, “Truly this man was the Son of Gawd,” director George Stevens’ intended masterpiece was the most lavish Bible film ever produced. Its failure at the box office killed the Hollywood Bible-epic genre for decades. Audiences found it impossible to suspend disbelief over the film’s parade of well-known stars in major and minor roles: Telly Savalas as Pilate, Sidney Poitier as Simon of Cyrene, Shelley Winters as the woman with the issue of blood healed by touching Christ’s garment. And Max von Sydow’s austere, otherworldly Jesus was felt to be off-putting and unapproachable. Stevens’ decision to shoot the film in the American Southwest was criticized for hurting the film’s realism. Then there’s the deliberate pacing and lengthy running time (199 minutes on DVD). And yet, compared with most Hollywood biblical epics, The Greatest Story Ever Told manages to sustain a spirit of genuine reverence and religiosity over showmanship and pageantry. Its deliberate pacing and dreamlike, otherworldly ambiance offer neither the entertainment value of The Ten Commandments nor the comparative psychological and historical realism of Zeffirelli’s subsequent Jesus Of Nazareth, yet it is arguably more evocative than either of the spirit of biblical literature. Specifically, Greatest Story is closest to the transcendent, luminous spirit of the Gospel of John, the prologue of which is borrowed for the opening shot depicting a church fresco of Christ with arms outstretched, invoking a context of 2,000 years of tradition and faith. Much like the Fourth Gospel, dialogue is often pregnant with second meanings and Old Testament (or Christian history) resonances. Von Sydow’s impassive performance is best seen as an interpretation of John’s overtly divine and sovereign Lord, in contrast to the generally clearer indications of humanity in the Synoptics. He isn’t warm or approachable, but he’s persuasively authoritative and all-knowing. Even when, like other biblical epics, Greatest Story strays jarringly from the biblical text, it often feels less like the contemporary revisionism or speculation of other films than like the strange alternate vision of an apocryphal gospel. The conflation of Lazarus with the rich young man is as startling as DeMille’s Moses–Rameses–Nefretiri triangle or Zeffirelli’s Magi skipping the visit to Herod’s court while Herod waxes indignant about the foreigners who don’t visit him — yet once the initial shock is past, the Lazarus scene doesn’t take me, at least, out of the story in the same way. It isn’t the biblical story, but it doesn’t feel especially like a betrayal of or foreign intrusion into the story either. Meticulous compositions, stunning cinematography and dramatic Renaissance–esque chiaroscuro lighting and shadow

create a stunningly beautiful onscreen world, complemented by the ethereal score by Alfred Newman, Fred Steiner and Hugo Friedhofer. With its dramatic landscapes and sets, this world is obviously a flagrantly Hollywood creation — but so what? The medieval and Renaissance masters painted Gospel scenes with overtly European landscapes, fashions and architecture. This is merely a cultural fact, not an objection or criticism. In the same way, Greatest Story looks like what it is, a Hollywood film — stars and all. What does it matter if Death Valley doesn’t look much like Israel, or if a cast of unknowns might have evoked greater “realism”? There are flaws. The generally ultra-serious mood works on its own terms, but occasional lapses into mundane conversational naturalism seem out of place. (James: “Jesus… that’s a good name.” Jesus: “Thank you.”) Some of the departures, such as the semi-exoneration of Judas (less pure than Zeffirelli’s innocent dupe, but still indignantly protesting that he’s “not interested in the money” when the New Testament record indicates otherwise), hurt the film more than others. While the personalities of the Hollywood stars seldom overwhelm the film, one that does is Charlton Heston’s John the Baptist. Although Wayne’s much-ridiculed line reading at the cross is the film’s most famously dicey moment, it doesn’t hold a candle to Heston’s silliest scene, so campy that it’s hard to believe it wasn’t deliberate. Heston plays the Baptist not with ultra-reverence, à la The Ten Commandments’s post–burning bush Moses, but in macho, defiant “Get your stinking paws off me” Planet Of The Apes” mode. When the leader of a Herodian force sent to arrest him barks, “We have orders to bring you to Herod,” Heston scornfully flings back: “I have orders to bring you to God.” The confrontation climaxes in a moment of near-Pythonesque absurdity as the soldiers leap upon the Baptist in the river, whereupon he seizes them and begins forcibly ducking them in a virtual parody of baptism, thundering, “Repent! Repent!” Fortunately, this isn’t indicative of the 198 other minutes. Prayerful voiceovers, chanted prayers and constant allusions to Old Testament prophecy create a palpable, poetic sense of meditative awareness, with characters often artificially conscious of the significance of the events they enact (Savalas’s Pilate even has a moment of foreboding in which the words of the Creed seem to come to his mind unbidden: “suffered under Pontius Pilate…”). It’s almost closer in spirit to a church pageant than a Hollywood spectacle — and I mean that in a good way. The high point is probably the raising of Lazarus, with bold but effective use of the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah. The Resurrection sequence repeats this approach, to mitigated effect, but still with real transcendence far surpassing the tacked-on resurrection coda of Jesus of Nazareth. If not the greatest, it’s still a remarkable and heartfelt cinematic telling of the greatest story ever told. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

“May your days be merry and bright; and may all your Christmases be white.”

or a film that’s remembered mostly as a warm, nostalgic holiday movie rather than as one of the all-time great musicals, White Christmas (1954) certainly commands a lot of star power and pop-cultural significance. Consider: it was the highest-grossing film of 1954 ($12 million); it was the biggest hit of director Michael Curtiz’s career; co-stars Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye were ranked at the time as the #1 and #3 box office stars in the country; and “White Christmas” was already the most successful song in American history - a record it maintained for many decades more. Who doesn’t know and love that song? Irving Berlin wrote it in 1940. Bing Crosby first performed it on December 25, 1941, on his CBS radio show. In May 1942 he recorded it, and in August of that year, he could be seen singing it on screen in the hit movie Holiday Inn. Soon it was at the top of the charts, where it remained for eleven weeks, and in early 1943 it won the Oscar® for Best Song. It hit #1 again in 1945 and 1947 and went on to hold the record as all-time bestselling single for over 50 years. (The song that finally knocked it down to #2? Elton John’s 1997 recording of “Candle in the Wind,” with lyrics rewritten to honor the late Princess Diana.) With the continuing popularity of the song (and Bing Crosby) through the 1940s, it was a no-brainer for Hollywood to want to capitalize on it yet again. As early as 1949, the movie White Christmas was in preparation at Paramount. The idea was to show off old and new Irving Berlin tunes and reunite the stars of Holiday Inn, Crosby and Fred Astaire. Irving Berlin recycled parts of the earlier film and mixed it with elements of an unproduced musical he had written with Norman Krasna called Stars on My Shoulders; Krasna went on, with Melvin Frank, to turn the new story into a screenplay. Fred Astaire, however, wasn’t crazy about the script and pulled out. Paramount replaced him with Donald O’Connor, but he, too, had to pull out when he fell ill close to the start of production. According to author David Leopold (Irving Berlin’s Show Business), Kaye asked for a huge paycheck - $200,000 plus ten percent of the gross never expecting that it would be accepted. But Paramount realized that waiting for O’Connor would cost them about that much, and they bit the bullet. As production began, Berlin wrote in a letter to his friend Irving Hoffman, “It is the first movie that I’ve been

connected with since Holiday Inn that has the feel of a Broadway musical. Usually there’s little enthusiasm once you get over the first week of a picture. But the change in this setup has resulted in an excitement that I am sure will be reflected in the finished job. In any event, as of today I feel great and very much like an opening in Philadelphia with a show.” The thin but serviceable plot finds Crosby and Kaye as a top song-and-dance act who take a vacation in Vermont with a pair of sister entertainers, Vera-Ellen and Rosemary Clooney. They arrive at a country inn run by the boys’ former WWII commanding officer, Dean Jagger. He’s about to go out of business due to a lack of snow so the foursome decides to put on a show to save the inn. Guess what happens? It’s all an excuse for some fine Irving Berlin songs including “The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing,” “Sisters,” “Snow,” “Love, You Didn’t Do Right By Me,” the Oscar®-nominated “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep” and of course “White Christmas.” Paramount chose White Christmas to be its first movie produced in VistaVision, the studio’s widescreen answer to CinemaScope. The New York Time noted the technical achievement in its review: “The colors on the big screen are rich and luminous, the images are clear and sharp, and rapid movements are got without blurring - or very little.” White Christmas was Michael Curtiz’s first directing gig at Paramount after he left Warner Brothers. His Paramount contract allowed him the freedom to direct movies for other studios as well, and he thus floated around town from then on. Producer: Robert Emmett Dolan Director: Michael Curtiz Screenplay: Norman Krasna, Norman Panama, Melvin Frank Cinematography: Loyal Griggs Film Editing: Frank Bracht Art Direction: Roland Anderson, Hal Pereira Music: Gus Levene, Joseph J. Lilley, Bernard Mayers, Van Cleave Cast: Bing Crosby (Bob Wallace) Danny Kaye (Phil Davis), Rosemary Clooney (Betty Haynes), Vera-Ellen (Judy Haynes), Dean Jagger (Major General Waverly), Mary Wickes (Emma Allen). cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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hloe Brooke is an 11 year old experienced Runway and Print model from Tennessee. She has been modeling since she was 2 years old. She loves all things science and animals. In addition to being a Super Model, Chloe would like to use her love for animals as a Marine Biologist or Ecologist when she grows up. Chloe loves the runway and to have her picture taken. She has modeled for many boutiques and designers and has walked the runway for Atlanta, Knoxville and Chattanooga Fashion week. She is on the local Fashion Board for Simon Malls where she has modeled for JC Penney’s, Dillard’s and Gymboree. She also enjoys natural pageants. She is the current Junior Miss Tennessee Forestry. She chose that pageant system to compete in because it supports the US Department of Forestry and Smoky the Bear, forest fire prevention and education. She is also the reigning Americas Natural Supreme Beauties Tennessee Junior Miss Chloe shot an industrial video for Herschend Family Entertainment and Dollywood in December of last year. Being on set was nothing like she had imagined. “We were shooting for a spring video so, we were all dressed in short sleeves. Even though it was very cold and rained all day, I never complained. I knew complaining would mean I would never get to work for Dollywood ever again. I was proud when a fellow adult actor complimented me on my behavior and attitude. She is working on multiple voice overs, music videos and TV projects for Beth Roose Productions. Chloe is very excited to be participating in many scheduled castings including music videos, several magazine shoots and fashion shows. She is looking forward to hitting the runway in New York City very soon. Chloe knows she has been very fortunate to have support from many photographers, designers, talent agents, friends and family. Chloe is signed with About Faces Models and Talent in Atlanta as well as Talent Trek Agency and Mama J Management. Chloe is excited to seeing where her amazing journey will be taking her in the future! cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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PLUS-SIZE MODEL SPOTLIGHT

pruce S

Dickerson

s a motivational speaker, emcee, model, pageant and modeling judge, pageant coach, and philanthropist. She holds the title of 2011 Miss Plus America Elite which is the highest title to win in the premier national pageant, Miss Plus America. During her three year pageant journey, Spruce won awards for Most Photogenic, Spirit Award, MS Community Service, Texas Plus America Ambassador; and at the National pageant won the Model Portfolio competition. As a speaker sharing her life experiences, Ms. Dickerson has made speeches and presentations on subjects such as volunteerism, servant leadership, and rising above adversity; motivating audiences to love, live, and give. Spruce has also been in the news media, on national and international radio talk shows, on a national game show, and has had feature articles in magazines; even alongside Dr. Maya Angelou. Volunteerism is a big part of Spruceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart. Active in her community, Spruce volunteers with Texas Women in Business on the Philanthropy Committee, the Austin Texas police department (where she was awarded a Police Commendation from the Police Chief for helping to apprehend criminals), and VSA Arts of Texas audio describing the Performing Arts for the blind. She has even rappelled 15 stories off a building to raise money for Special Olympics, and collected close to 1,850 pairs of flip flops in the first two years of the campaign she founded, Flip Flop to Nigeria. Spruce Dickerson is a native of Austin, Texas, and she desires to make a difference in this world by sharing her life with others; encouraging and inspiring especially women and girls! To book Ms. Dickerson, contact her at: spruce@sprucedickerson.com.ď&#x20AC;˝ cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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The Magic Onions Where the magic of nature & the wonder of childhood collide to make each moment a precious gift. Shop at our store at: http://themagiconions.com/shop/

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MUA

(MAKE-UP-ARTIST)

abina S

SPOTLIGHT

Sabina Yunusova is a theatrical hair and media makeup artist (also ladies hairdressing). She studied at the University College Birmingham, UK. She worked as a freelancer with Geoff Cox and Anna Orkiszewska at the London Fashion Week with Luna Sky fashion designer last year and at the LWF London International this year (2013) as a hair stylist. She also worked with international Photographers, designers, and Next Top Models. You can see Sabinas work in VOGUE ITALY online, Dark Beauty, Beau nu, Elegant Magazine Cinamagic, Digital Photography,style Birmingham, Science, Fashion Show, photoshoots and videos.ď&#x20AC;˝ For more information, go to: http://www.modelmayhem. com/2915966 cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Marys4ever Flowers If you are looking for something different, we have a wide variety to suit your needs. Shop at our store: marys4everflowers.com

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Marys4ever Flowers All hand crafted and made in the U.S. We do custom designs Shop at our store: marys4everflowers.com

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Crafts

Handprint Christmas Tree So, on to the project... The Supplies: • Brown, Yellow, Green Paint (I used Tempera) • Canvas (Any size will do. I used 12x16) • Foam applicator • Small craft paint brush • Hands (Hopefully still attached to the owner...gross).

Hey there, Vamps! Nothing gets more handmade than a HANDprint project. Am I right? And what could make this project even better? The addition of friends & food! (Thanks, ladies!) I first spotted this project on Pinterest and have been so excited to make one for our little family. I was able to finally track down the original posting at The Other White House after traveling through many a’blog (it is a very popular project!) The Other White House has a great little tutorial and mad props go out to Heather for sharing the wonderful idea!

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As for the steps, feel free to check out The Other White House’s tutorial, but it went a little something like this... Mix paint to desired shades, paint hand, stamp, stamp, paint hand, stamp. After you have your green tree shape, paint on a tree trunk with the brown paint. Next, paint a star (feel free to use a template, we did!) Finally, don’t forget to sign/date your masterpiece. Working with a rambunctious toddler was a little bit of a challenge, but it just gives it all that much more character, right? So, what about you guys? What handmade decor do you display? Until next time!

Simple, Easy and Fun! I have a super simple kid’s craft for y’all today. I figure the kids are driving y’all crazy right about now with questions about when is Christmas going to get here. So sit them down and make a few bottle cap reindeer ornaments. Hang them on your tree or give them as gifts. These are so darn simple y’all probably don’t even need directions right? List of things you will need: 1.-A bottle cap 2.-Some google eyes 3.-A red button 4.-Some faux sticks 5.-Ribbon. Break out your glue and let your kids get creative. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Reindeer Foot Prints for Christmas A FUN project to do with the little ones!

These reindeer foot prints were so easy, and the kids absolutely loved getting their feet painted. I love the results too. I was inspired, once again, by Pinterest. This time it led me to the lovely site of Life in Motion Photography. She did a fancier version on an artist matte. We ended up just using a sturdy piece of white stock paper. The first step is to paint their feet brown. We let the girls do it, but I ended up helping in the end because we had to make sure there was wet paint fully covering the feet, and you need to work fast. My husband was there to help. I held the paper in place and guided her feet while he lifted her onto the paper. I probably could have figured it out on my own, but it was much easier to work as a team. I helped guide their thumbs to create green thumb print eyes and a red thumb print nose. I did the final step of painting on the antlers, eye balls, and eye lashes with black paint.ď&#x20AC;˝ 120

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“Soft & Romantic” Christmas Tree

As I was trying to think of a blog title, the two words that kept creeping into my head to describe my little tree were ‘soft’ and ‘romantic’. And so here it is...my soft romantic feathered tree. But this tree is not only soft and romantic, it hides a little secret...read on to find out! Using what I already own, I have pictured it in various color themes to give you some options and will let you decide which would look better in your home. If you’re the kinda gal that always sees the silver lining.... here the tree sits placed upon a silver tray with some faux snow on a mercury glass candle holder. Silver also works well with blues and reds see picture above). A traditional look - the tree sits in a crystal glass filled with faux snow and is accessorized with red bulbs (see picture above). I used white yarn to string the bulbs as I like the additional texture it gives the tree. If you would like to be more discreet, you can thread them with invisible or fishing thread. I love the softness and femininity of the pinks. I think this would look so lovely in a little girl’s room. Because I didn’t want to spend money, I used the few things I had at home, but imagine how gorgeous this would be if you have old vintage pink ornaments? Delish...me loves! (see picture above) After a visit to Walmart’s Christmas decoration isle, I saw the cutest cupcake ornaments and thought I could replicate them. I wanted them to look as real as possible and so I played and played with different materials. I think they look pretty good but I have come up with a different method I think will work better. I can’t wait to try it! Here is are the needed supplies for the “soft and romantic” tree with a little surprise hidded inside. A battery operated tea light. For this to work, the shape of the tree in a manner that would allow the light to shine through. 1. I measured and marked where the dowels would sit and pierced little holes for the dowels to sit in (this helps with stability)

2. For added support, I applied some hot glue around them 3. I measured and cut a hole where the tea light would be inserted (note to self: do not use red cardboard or any other bright color as it reflects on shiny objects ie. silver ornaments) 4. I then tied the dowels together with white cotton 5. Wrapped a white boa around the skeleton, and... ...tada!!

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Another Craftberry picked and shared. Hope it was to your liking! Much love, Lucy cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Party Planning

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A Christmas Party for Your Family or the Neighborhood

Activities that will ad some FUN to the Holiday Season!

Throwing a Christmas party for your whole family or the entire neighborhood is a great way to get people together during the holiday season, however in order to please all of your guests, you may need to prepare some Christmas party games for kids. Plan activities that are lively and active to keep the little ones entertained and happy all night long.

their thumbs. If all four candy canes are broken, that team is eliminated from the race.

Santa Says:

Here are some suggestions for kids Christmas party game ideas:

This game is played just like “Simon Says,” but children must listen for the leader Elf to say “Santa Says” before completing any motion. If they accidentally follow an instruction without hearing the magic phrase, they must sit down, and the last person standing becomes the next leader Elf.

Pin the Nose on Rudolph:

Christmas Family Feud:

Some kids Christmas party games can simply be holiday twists on the classics. This is just like pin the tail on the donkey, but instead you can use a cutout of image of a reindeer who is missing his red nose. Blindfold children and let them try to aim for the target. Whoever is closest to the mark, wins!

Candy Cane Relay Race: For this activity, divide children into teams and provide each team with four candy canes. They must hang the candy canes over their fingers and hurry to pass them on to the next member in line, but without using

Many Christmas party game ideas for kids can be fun for adults as well! Try playing a few rounds of family feud and test your knowledge of favorite holiday traditions, stories, or other trivia. You can look up survey answers on the Internet or poll your guests, and have some friendly competition at your holiday party. You are sure to impress your younger guests with these Christmas party games kids can play. Other parents will thank you for temporarily distracting the little ones and everyone will enjoy being in the holiday atmosphere together. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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How to Plan a Great

Christmas Party

that Will WOW Everyone Christmas is coming and you want to have a great party. So what’s the easiest way to go about ensuring that your party is fun for guests and easy to plan and host? The holidays are a great time to host a gathering. But many people shy away from having a holiday party because of the sheer amount of planning and work that goes into a party. Here are some party planning and hosting tips that will make a party enjoyable from beginning to end.

Venue There are many great places a person could host a party other than his or her home, including: reserving a room at a restaurant; renting a conference room at a hotel or having the party somewhere fun like a skating rink or sledding hill. If it is preferable to host a party at home, here are some good tips to follow. Invitations Buying and filling out invitations and envelopes is a time-consuming and eco-unfriendly way to get the word out about a party. Instead, consider using Evite, a free online email party invitation service, to spread the word. This service is convenient because a person can easily track who is and isn’t coming along with people who have not confirmed one way or the other. When creating invitations, be sure to consider and specify the following: 1. Time (a party with children invited typically will end earlier than one without) 2. Dress 3. Do guests need to bring anything (e.g. potluck, wine, gift for Secret Santa exchange) 4. Directions to your home 5. Children (will this be a family-friendly party or should guests plan to find a babysitter) 6. Alcohol (will it be served, should guests bring their own or is it a dry party)

Food Consider what type(s) of food to serve. Some parties feature appetizers, some offer full meals, some have a dessert

display and a few may have snacks only. Keep in mind that if a party is planned in the evening, especially around dinnertime, guests may expect food to be served. To make food preparation easy, host a potluck occasion and ask confirmed guests to bring a particular type of food. Another option is to prepare foods the night before so that the day of the party is not as hectic. Finally, an increasingly popular option for busy people is to buy prepared foods from a mail-order company such as Impromptu Gourmet. If ordering food, be certain to order it early enough to ensure it arrives in time for the party.

Decorations While most people have seasonal decorations that are traditionally used to decorate their homes, consider choosing a theme (e.g. snowmen) or particular color scheme (e.g. red and green or silver and gold) to make a party fancier and more trendy. One fun way to involve party guests is to have small favors or gifts for them such as a small dessert to take home or a tree ornament to enjoy. If children will be guests at the party, consider having Santa drop in to give the children gifts as well. Be sure to have a camera on hand so parents can be surprised with a fun photo of their child with Santa. Plan to clean house a day or two before the party. If the house is especially messy, hire a one-time service from a local housecleaning company to make everything sparkle.

Time to Party With some planning, the day of the party should be fairly relaxed. Set out the food a half hour prior to guests arriving and set the mood with music and lights. Be sure all cameras have extra batteries so lots of great photos can be taken and be sure to take the time to enjoy the party! In summary, planning and hosting a great party doesn’t have to be a lot of work...in fact, it can be fun! Simply follow the tips above. Merry Christmas! cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Christmas

Party Favors

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Creative Ways to Give Memberable Party Gifts to your Guests If you’re in the midst of planning a Christmas party, make sure you are organized from the décor to the desserts. Take a look at some of our favorite inspirations for Christmas party favor treats. The cheerful spirit does not have to end when you say goodbye to your guests! With the countdown continuing, it’s a great time to create some wonderfully fun and delicious party favors for your Christmas party. Christmas is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year and throwing a Christmas party gets everyone in the spirit! Instead of waving guests goodbye or purchasing a generic party favor, try creating some of these unique DIY party favors that will really end the party on a sweet note!

Marshmallow Snowflakes Marshmallows are easy to make from scratch and are a perfect low-cost party favor. Slice your marshmallows into snowflakes with a cookie cutter and group them in cellophane with ribbon to hand as guests leave your party. These Marshmallow Snowflakes look so elegant and are perfect to dip into your late night hot chocolate.

Cookie Dough Gift Boxes

Peppermint Fudge Cupcake Jars This recipe is out of this world. Our best bites prepared these Peppermint Fudge Cupcake Jars with a special striped frosting. Handing these out after a Christmas party will satisfy any guest’s midnight cravings. As soon as they bite in they will be happily surprised to taste that ooey gooey chocolate in the center!_ Homemade recipes like this one really show people that you care.

Personal Hot Chocolate Sets Everyone loves hot chocolate during Christmastime! Create these personal hot cocoa kits to hand out at the end of your night. Everyone will love the convenience of having everything you need for this hot drink all wrapped up in a set. These also make great Valentine’s Day presents; just add pink, heart shaped marshmallows instead of white ones!

Handmade Ornaments Handmade ornaments are extremely unique and creative. People will enjoy being given something they can actually use in their home. Make each ornament unique so guests will feel extra special after leaving your party!

Santa Hat Brownies

The Partiologist created these Christmas Lights Party Favor Boxes. Clean out those old light bulbs and use them in this unique way. The Christmas lights are filled with different cookie decorations such as graham crackers, chocolate chips and sprinkles! This little box creates the perfect Christmas party favor that guests can go home and actually use.

These Santa Hat Brownies can be a delicious favor for guests or a sweet treat to serve on your dessert table. They are very simple and only require strawberries, brownie mix and white chocolate. This is a great homemade gift to show your guests you went the extra mile. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Muddy Waters Ceramic Creations Handmade, hand thrown, stoneware pottery. Many items make ideal gifts. Each item is one of a kind.

Find our store at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/muddywaterscc#

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Muddy Waters Ceramic Creations Handmade, hand thrown, stoneware pottery. Many items make ideal gifts. Each item is one of a kind.

Find our store at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/muddywaterscc#

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...Sugar cookies, the traditional Hungarian honey cakes, Christmas cookie ornaments or any unique designs per customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s request. 132

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Cookmunk Cookies

Cookies for parties, special occasions and gifts Shop at my store: CookmunkCookies.etsy.com www.facebook.com/CookmunkCookies

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T rees 4 Sale

Models: Kierlyn Caballero, Brooklyn Caballero, Gabe Caballero Photo by: EMBREE Photography (Sarah Embree)

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SunLoveShirts

Creating girly, twirly, ruffly fashion dreams Shop at my store: www.SunLoveShirts.etsy.com www.facebook.com/SunLoveShirts

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Winner “Cookin’ It Up With LuLu” Contest

Winners!

By Veronica

he Christmas holidays are special to me because the story of Jesus and when Santa comes. Christmas is the best season of all! I get so excited on Christmas Eve when I think about Santa coming and giving us presents. I always set out a snack for him AND his reindeer. When I write a letter to Santa, I tell him thank you for all his hard work. And I also thank the elves and the reindeer for all of their hard work too. I always pray that he gets around the world safely. I like to go see the Christmas lights around our neighborhood in the big blue truck. We always have a great time, seeing what sorts of lights the neighbors have put up. Dancing snowmen, a train with a gingerbread man driving, and my favorite one with baby Jesus in the manger with His mom and dad - sparkling and blinking lights! We always put up a white Christmas tree with rainbow lights at our house with different color ornaments. The angel goes on the very tippy top. We also put up a reallllllly tall one in the dining room and everyone can see it from the window when they drive past. You can see my daddy’s elk on the wall peeking out from the tree, like he’s in the forest with a decked out tree.

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When I wake up on Christmas Day, I go screaming into my mom and dad’s room, “Santa’s been here! Santa’s been here!” I go in the kitchen and see a big mess where Santa has left crumbs. We open presents and we take lots of pictures. I’m thankful every year for my presents and I hope all girls and boys receive what they want for Christmas this year!

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When I write a letter to Santa, I tell him thank you for all his hard work.

Ginny Posey:

Co-Star on the TV Reality Show, “Cookin’ It Up With Lulu”

i. I’m Ginny and I wanted to tell you what it is like to be Co-Star on the TV Reality Show, “Cookin’ It Up with Lulu”. When my mom told me I had been selected to film the pilot for the show, I cannot tell you how excited I was! I could not wait to tell all my friends. I found out about the pilot about a month before it actually filmed. As it got closer to filming time, I started to get a little bit nervous. I kept thinking- I am ACTUALLY going to get to be in TV, and to top it off I will be on TV with Lulu Roman from Hee Haw! I was really nervous the day of filming. We stopped at a restaurant to get breakfast on the way to set, and I say one of my co-stars, Noah. We had never met, but I recognized him from his picture. In preparation for the show we would practice the recipes and crafts, and then we would send pictures to one another of ourselves with the finished products. Noah and I waved and smiled at each other, but I could tell he was just as nervous as me. After breakfast, my mom and I headed to the studio. It was SO awesome! It was just like the ones you see on TV. There was a massive kitchen for cooking scenes and a green room, which was actually purple, for the co-stars to wait their turn. Ms. Beth, our producer, showed us in and asked us to wait in the green room until everyone arrived. Before long, all nine kids and Ms. Lulu were on set. Ms. Beth gave information about the day to come. Most of us were pretty nervous and a little shy at the beginning. We started at 8:00 in the morning and didn’t finish filming until about 4:30 pm. As I got to know my co-stars, I discovered that they were all pretty amazing. Gavin is a national dance champion. Of course, I was totally jealous of his moves. Giavanna and Alycesaundra are known as the ‘Tiara Twins’ and are famous in the pageant world. There were so sweet. Chole and Kaitlyn are both models. They showed me some of their pictures which were fabulous. Onna is not only sweet and adorable, but she also has her own jewelry business. Pierce and Noah were so funny that they kept me laughing all day. When we first started filming we were all nervous and shy with each other, but by the end of filming we were much more comfortable around each other. Ms. Beth would call us in from the green room when it was time to film our scene. Some scenes, like the introduction, we filmed all together as a big group

while other scenes were filmed in smaller groups. Ms. Beth would set up the scene for us and tell us what we needed to do. It was fun. Lulu is such a nice and funny person and she really helped us kids not be so nervous. We filmed until lunch then took a break. For lunch, we got to eat the penne pasta that we made for the show. It was delicious. After lunch we filmed the craft scenes and then we got to eat them too! The best part was, they were all edible crafts! I was sad when filming was over. I had such a good time with all of my co-stars. I can’t wait to film the remaining episodes. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Winner â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cinamagicâ&#x20AC;? Photo Contest

Kaitlyn Bain 10 Photo by Sharon Elaine Photography

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Winner “Black & White” Photo Contest

KAYDENCE: AGE 3 Darien, IL Photo: JSK Photography

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ICE

Princess Models: Allexis Amsden & Shyloh Moore Photo by: EMBREE Photography (Sarah Embree) Stylist: Iced by Jennifer Jones

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Photo by: EMBREE Photography (Sarah Embree) Stylist: Iced by Jennifer Jones

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Papyrusaurus Where paper, dinosaurs and glitter collide Find my items at: www.etsy.com/shop/Papyrusaurus www.thecraftstar.com/ shopDetails/1411/Papyrusaurus 152

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Papyrusaurus Fun creations, most made from or involving upcycled books and other recycled paper

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International christmas

Wedding Galina Thomas Photos by: Alexandra Belova Polyak MUA: Sabina Yunusova

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Herman the German

All items are hand crafted with wood Find my items at: www.etsy.com/shop/HermanTheGerman2011

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Herman the German

Wood is a wonderful natural material with various creative possibilities. Thru the grain of the wood, each piece is unique. Find my items at: www.etsy.com/shop/HermanTheGerman2011 165 cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Oliviaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Romantic Home Romantic Artful Home Decor

Love Romantic Living stop by my shop at: www.etsy.com/shop/Oliviasromantichome or say hi at: shabbychictreasures.blogspot.com 172

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Fashion Headpieces: How

Rae Beth Designs Was Created

lacing a large ornate, feather headdress onto a porcelain faced beauty, Rae Beth is completely in her element. Proudly taking on the title of “Creatrix,” this lady who is all about pushing boundaries, forcing people to pay attention, is dressing one of many photo shoots she has scheduled for this month. This designer likes to be hands on when ever possible. Glad to ship pieces to all corners of the world as well as attend photo-shoots, weddings or any other event her pieces are a part of whenever her schedule allows. Rae Beth is 100 percent into her work, and it shows. Even though she is ready to create most anything that will help you jazz up or personalize your outfit, costume or special occasion, lately she has been engrossed with her line of stunning headdresses and fascinators. Which estimate approximately 85 percent of her custom work orders these days. Whether it is a delicate halo of lace, fabric flowers and hand beading straight out of a dream , ready to place delicately on a brides coif , gorgeous jewel tones flowers arranged boldly around the ear and brow area or a large headress sprawling three feet into the air, fit for royalty, you can not help but feel impacted by this designers pieces . The amount of attention and accolades this lady receives comes as little surprise when you see her work for yourself. There are many designers jumping on the head piece band wagon these days, thanks to the likes of Lady GaGa and others. It seems that there is currently a great market for such . Which means that it is easy to find a flower on a comb in every boutique in every mall . You can find many other designers doing so as well. Although in my opinion you will be hard pressed to find the genius and quality behind one of Rae Beth Designs creations. I absolutely love how much care and attention Rae Beth puts in to these pieces, how delicate they look and how versatile many are. They are not just something you will only wear to your prom, on your wedding day, for a costumed event, you could wear these pieces at any moment that you feel compelled to “Rock” them as Rae Beth often mentions. However, being a bride on your special day you may want to keep your custom R.B.D piece as a keepsake which everyone would completely understand. As a young girl attending prom, you can purchase a very affordable piece that you can later add to a hat, scarf, headband or more, to give it a different life. Versatility is another word that Rae Beth mentions a great deal. Having created an entire line of jewelry that can be worn as one long convert-

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ible necklace or parted into three pieces creating a full set of earrings, bracelet and neck piece. It is ingenious. Strung with a myriad of semiprecious stones, Ethiopian mixed metal heishi beads and Thai Karen Hilltribe charms. I am enamored by the way this designers mind works. I was really happy that I was approached to do this interview as I am a huge fan of R.B.D work and was personally excited to be able to pick the brain of this talented woman. Knowing how busy Rae Beth is, steady filling holiday and custom orders as well preparing for photo shoots and fashion shows I will be sure to ask as many questions as i can fit in. I started by asking how it all began: “My design company started some years ago, almost out of necessity. When I was unable to find items that I was searching for, you have to remember this was before there was “surfing the web,” back in the day of driving to the mall and hoping for the best or heading to New York City,

“

The experience of creating someone else’s vision for them becomes amazingly fulfilling.

”

huge grin as if she thinks half of you reading this will shake your heads at her for saying such, yet she is going to say it anyway because this lady seems pretty sure that accepting who you are, making no excuses for it and “owning it” is a sure fire way to find inner peace.

Washington DC or even Philly to find little cool off the wall stores...I figured I would have to create my own vision. People quickly took notice and began requesting custom orders of their own as well as placing gift orders for others. The company unfolded very naturally almost on its own. Full of purpose from the beginning.”

What kind of training have you completed for your career? “I am self taught, no classes or schooling of any kind. Just the school of trial and error. To which I am still a full time student. I love when I learn a new way, an easier way, a better way, or just a different way to do any one thing. I am always learning and hopefully expanding”

Do you have a favorite piece or line? “I love the era that we live in . The fact, that my customers are so bold , that my brides are so creative and individualistic. That people have regular costuming events in their lives. The fact that I am able to work with so many amazing people is what becomes my favorite thing, it is more so about the interactions and brainstorming together while creating pieces than it is the actual piece itself. The experience of creating someone else’s vision for them becomes amazingly fulfilling.”

What is the best part of what you do? “Ahhh well, that is a loaded question. I am incredibly blessed and even more grateful than I am blessed. I adore so many things about what I do. I enjoy interacting with creative people such as hair stylists, makeup artists (MUA), photographers, models of all ages including a vast number of young ladies that inspire me daily, having the ability to create pieces for people that help them to express who they are is incredibly fulfilling. I love helping people to have the piece they are dreaming of but can not locate elsewhere, considering that is how this business was essentially founded. There are so very many things that are the BEST part”

What inspires you from season to season? “I live life inspired. I am not overstating when I say that I find inspiration and creativity in most all things. I do not generally create lines per season, it is a continual stream of creating. I will get stuck on colors at times though which may have something to do with the fullness of the moon or whether or not mercury is in retrograde” she says with a

I heard you mention the word Collaboration quite a few times today. What does that mean to you? “I am actually glad you asked this. I love to collaborate. LOVE it, whether it is in the arena of working with a collaborative team creating a final look at a shoot , my sister asking me to create a piece with a color pallet that is not in my current scope, therefore breaking me out of my current cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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I live life inspired. I am not overstating when I say that I find inspiration and creativity in most all things.

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realm of thinking or whether it is my son joining me in the studio, creating a line of metal face pieces at the table across from me. Other peoples spice added to my vision thrills me. I adore when artists meld together.” Since I caught you on a day while you have a sibling in tow, I would like to ask your sister Paige what she would say about R.B.D. Is that ok with both of you? This question was met with a “ Yes of course “ from Rae Beth and an “ it would be my pleasure” from her Irish twin sister Paige: “Ahh, in regards to my beloved sister Rae Beth, where shall I begin? Rae is the youngest of five children & the only planned child of the bunch. Our Mother planned her as a bit of a gift to me as she did not want me to feel as though I was growing up alone. There are several years between myself & the next oldest sibling. Needless to say that I do not recall a time when Rae was not an integral part of my life, obviously, as we are two days shy of a year apart. Irish Twins! She says with a wink &grin. We were raised in a modest but loving home by our single Mother & eldest Sister Dawn. We laughed a lot, loved a lot & had to get creative with style as funds were limited. For as long as I can remember Rae has always danced to the beat of her own drum. She has always been a happy, curious, reserved, loving being with a vastly powerful imagination. Always a lover of other realms, magic, mystery, whimsy & easily found beauty in the fabulous, unique, bizarre & eccentric. Although she grew into a regal yet somewhat modest woman, as a young child she would endlessly strip off every stitch of clothing, adorn herself with a ginormous, fabulous hat & run joyously down the street much to our mother & older siblings dismay. She always had a unique

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sense of style & approach to life. At the age of 11 she asked our mother if she could have her ears pierced from top to bottom. Our mother told her that when she could afford to fill them with diamonds then sure thing. Lo & behold, Rae Beth held onto every dollar gifted to her for birthday, Christmas or left over lunch money. When she had gathered enough together, on one of our family outings to the mall this young girl somehow convinced a woman at Piercing Pagoda to line her ears with tiny “diamond” studs. She comes striding over to us proud as a peach, showing off her 13 new piercings, I thought our mother was going to pass out. She sported a stylish Mohawk at the age of 13. Whereas she was deeply inspired by folks such as David Bowie, Cher, Madonna, Prince & Lenny Kravitz , designers of the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier & Roberto Cavalli, she always possessed an awesome sense of style uniquely her own. I recall many visits to the mall ending in utter frustration because she couldn’t find anything remotely close to what she was envisioning. These moments of frustration planted seeds within her & it has been nothing less than awe inspiring for me to watch them come to life. I am endlessly moved by her work. I am deeply honored by any opportunity I get to rock one of her creations. Whether I come to her saying I wish to embody a fierce warrior spirit, a powerful forest Shaman, a stunning elegant beauty or an oth-

erworldly being straight out of fantasy she has never failed me. Each & every time I come together with her & try to share with her what it is I’d like to see come to life, I feel as if I clumsily reach for the right words as I excitedly gesture & expound upon the “feeling” I want the piece to convey & every time, every single time she nails it & then some. I have always been grateful to have this amazing creature by my side, not only because of the shared blood running through our veins but also for the powerful connection & friendship we share. Rae Beth Designs has existed far longer than the public could ever know. All those magical creations dancing within her head & heart for decades eagerly anticipating their moment to be released, relished & celebrated. It’s been a fabulous thing to watch her business take off. To see her vision come to life, to see her work & her ideas so awesomely appreciated. It thrills me to no end & I, as always, look forward to seeing what more will come. Rae Beth is filled with surprises, with ideas, with beauty, compassion, love & creativity. She is a force to be reckoned with on so many levels. She’s one bad ass lass for certain! I am deeply honored. Thank you for taking the time to allow me to speak on this topic. It is one I hold near & dear to my heart. Keep on shining brightly my beautiful Seester!“ It seems this family has both a designer as well as a wordsmith. What a beautiful depiction of your designing sister. Speaking of talent in the family How often do you and your son work together? “Firstly, yes my sister is quite a wordsmith as well as a beautiful soul who i am grateful for. As for my son Navar , he has a life and path of his own but is not only incredibly interested in what I do, he is good at it. He is stylish, creative, has a ridiculously keen eye for detail as well as a very mathematical way of looking at things. He will create in the studio when it washes over him to do so. He will assist at photo shoots and fashion shows when he is present. We work quite well together”

What do you see as the future of Rae Beth Designs? “I am a day by day kinda gal so I do not often ponder or stress over the future too much BUT there is definitely a lot of planning going on these days. My schedule is filled very far into the next year and my impending orders list is pretty long so there is a certain amount of unplanned planning that just happens around me, if that makes sense. I have had a few very large fish approach me recently so I am going to put on my big girl pants and wade in those waters for a bit to see where the current takes me. I am willing and ready for opportunity and adventure.” I thanked Rae Beth for sitting down with me for this interview. It really was such a quaint and natural back and forth exchange. It is a treat to meet and interview someone who is so down to earth and friendly. I felt as if we had known one another for eons . I asked if she had anything that she would like to add as I wondered if I had forgotten any important questions or worried that I asked the same old stale questions. Rae Beth assured me that the people who care to read anything about her would be glad that I asked the must know questions. She also assured me that this was a pleasant interview which she looked forward to seeing in print. Last but not least, she wanted to add that she thinks everyone should follow their dreams, assess the possibilities, think outside of the box, make the most of this one life, dream big and accessorize bigger. Be Bold, be Beautiful, Rock it and fully Own it!!! What a fantastic woman who makes out of this world designs. Check out Rae Beth Designs at http://www.facebook.com/raebethdesigns http://www.instagram.com/raebethdesigns http://etsy.com/people/raebethdesigns

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What do you mean he looks at things Mathematically? How does he assist at shoots? “My son sees things very differently than I do, he sees alignment, placement, geometry, purpose and reason in shapes where as I see things muchmore organically. Kind of haphazardly so at times. As far as assisting is concerned, he is a stickler for detail and perfection...laughs...he will have the MUA smooth a models hair, fix a swoop of eyeliner or any other detail that in his eyes should avoid Photoshopping. He assists me with the larger tool usage in the studio, delivering pieces or picking up supplies. He is a huge help at times. we are very close.”

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Song Artists

inger, songwriter, producer, arranger, and voice over actress, Donna King, was born and raised in the Motor City (Detroit). Now, she and her husband, Zane, make their home in Nashville, TN. Donna is a classically trained vocalist, with a golden ear for detail and nuance. Her music production work is award-winning and her on-going work with artists has earned her significant accolades. But, it’s a new season, and while Donna continues to work with other wonderful musicians, groups, and soloists, she is back, after a seven-year hiatus, with a brand new solo Christmas recording. Donna expresses, “I don’t know if there is a ‘kind of music’ I love more than Christmas music. It’s filled with LOVE, HOPE, JOY, and CONTEMPLATION! Recording this album, SONG OF NOEL, is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. It includes songs, old and brand new, that have significant meaning to my heart… It also includes a few songs I was blessed to get to write, along with some incredible co-writers, that I pray convey a message that is meaningful and sincere about the true depth of Christmas.” SONG OF NOEL contains timeless songs like “O Holy Night,” Joy To The World,” and “Silent Night,” along a classic song from the early church “Ave Maria,” and more. It also includes her current radio single “Give Me This Night” and other brand new Christmas songs, plus a little throwback to the 70s, with a Karen Carpenter Christmas tune, “Little Altar Boy.” You can hear a sampling of each song on her husband’s YOUTUBE channel, youtube.com/zanekingmusic. Donna’s musical gifts are not her only endeavors. She is also the voice of the animated Christmas character, ELF SPARKLE, and other fun and festive characters. The brains and creativity behind the characters she gets to “become” is an amazing lady named Beth Roose. Donna and Beth became acquainted through Donna’s family music group, Hope’s Call, many years ago. That association led to a GOD moment that led to Donna working in voice over animation, music, and music videos with Beth. She considers her work with Beth one of the most rewarding and exciting of all her endeavors. “There is just something magical about bringing a character to life through animation and seeing the faces of children (one to ninety-nine) as those characters become real to them,” shares Donna. She continues, “I feel honored to work with Beth. She is a creative genius and her stories are full of hope, humor, and, YES, MAGIC.” Donna will be on tour with the new Christmas recording starting next week and she is sincerely excited to be back out on the road. She will share the stage with the Bowling Family, Gold City, and Steve Ladd on many dates in December. Tour information can be found on her website, donnakingmusic.com. Her new CD, Song Of Noel, can be ordered there as well. And, it will be available on iTunes very soon. Looking ahead to 2014, Donna will be continuing to tour on as a solo artist, produce music for other artists, and song-write. She will also share the stage with her husband, Zane, on select dates. The DUO, Zane and Donna King, currently has a hit song at radio, “Hallelujah, Jesus Saves,” and they’ve just recently released a brand new single, taking off at radio, called “SHINE.” You can learn more about them and their music at zaneanddonnaking.com. You can follow Donna on Twitter @ mrsdonnaking, or locate them on FACEBOOK at facebook.com/zaneanddonnaking. The desire of Donna’s heart, concerning everything she does these days, is to tell the world, one by one or by the thousands, that there is HOPE in Christ and that they are TRULY LOVED, this Christmas and always.

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hree Bridges’ music is rooted in traditional ”southern gospel” and ”black gospel” music. This blended style has made Three Bridges an internationally-acclaimed Gospel group — one that is known for tight harmonies, a unique vocal style, an exciting and energy packed stage presence and, most importantly, for spreading the joy of the Good News of Christ. They have entertained and ministered to millions through their recordings, TV appearances and live shows — which is why Three Bridges has quickly become one of the most prominent Gospel groups in Christian music today. Following the release of the critically-acclaimed debut album, Soldiers (2002), Three Bridges has wowed packed-out venues across the nation…from Gospel singings, business conventions, churches, political meetings, TV shows, charitable relief events – all the way to Air Force One! They have also appeared on several Bill Gaither video tapings and were special guests on a video for the United Nation.

Nominations: • Fan Favorite Artist by AGM’s Absolutely Gospel Music Awards – 2013 • Album of the Year (Twelve) by AGM’s Absolutely Gospel Music Awards – 2013 • Progressive Album of the Year (Twelve) by AGM’s Absolutely Gospel Music Awards – 2013 • Male Vocalist (Shannon Smith) by AGM’s Absolutely Gospel Music Awards – 2013 • Song of the Year (Satan and Grandma) by NQC Awards – 2012 • Special Event Project Of The Year by AGM’s Absolutely Gospel Music Awards – 2012 • Trio of the Year by TheSouthernGospel.com – 2007 • Song of the Year by TheSouthernGospel.com – 2007 • Best Album Cover by TheSouthernGospel.com – 2007 • Trio of the Year by SoGospelNews.com – 2007 • Trio of the Year by Singing News’ Magazine Fan Awards – 2006 • Song of the Year by SGMG’s Harmony Awards – 2006 • Seven nominations by Southern Gospel News’ Music Award – 2005 & 2006 • Trio of the Year by Singing News’ Magazine Fan Awards – 2005 • New Artist of the Year by SGMG’s Harmony Awards – 2004 • Horizon Group of the Year by Southern Gospel Music Forum’s Diamond Awards – 2004 • Breakthrough Artist of the Year by Southern Gospel News’ Music Awards – 2003 Three Bridges has enjoyed great radio success on the Southern Gospel Music Charts, including seven top 10’s and

three #1’s. The trio consists of Elliott McCoy (founder//manager//baritone), Shannon Smith (lead) and Jeremie Hudson (tenor). Although from varied backgrounds and hailing from different parts of the country, God brought these three men together for His purpose and Glory. They minister wherever God calls them to spread His Word through music. Invite them to be a part of your next event, concert or church service. You will be blessed! To book Three Bridges contact: Beckie Simmons Agency – 615.595.7500 // www.bsaworld.com Elliott McCoy Position: Baritone (Owner and Founder) Born: June 11, 1945 in Burnwell, KY Wife: Terri – Married December 3, 1963 Children: Brian, Ty, Matthew, Aaron, Mark and Amanda Elliott is a native of eastern Kentucky and his heritage is from the famous Hatfield-McCoy Feud. He grew up in a musical family and his early influences included his grandparents. At the age of fourteen his family moved to Ohio, and as a teenager Elliott gave his life to Christ. His exploits in gospel music cover more than 38 years of exciting experiences in the ministry of Christian music. He was featured in a 1976 article in National Geographic for singing in front of over 40,000 people at an outdoor concert in West Virginia. Elliott has sang with such groups as: The Laymen Quartet (Columbus, Ohio), the Premiers Quartet (Cincinnati, Ohio), and Southern Tradition (Nashville, Tennessee). The Premiers Quartet traveled with Dr. John Rawlings of the Landmark Baptist Temple, performed at large crusades, and worked TV shows with nationally known minister Rex Humbard. While being a member of Three Bridges Elliott has had the honor of working with Edwin and Walter Hawkins the arrangers of the famous “Oh Happy Day” song. They performed together along with a host of other of world renowned artist, on an international video for the United Nations. Elliott has been a part of the Bill Gaither Homecoming video series being featured with Three Bridges on the video “Homecoming Picnic”. Elliott has performed in concert with many of today’s great gospel singers and groups including, Bill Gaither and the Gaither Vocal Band, Michael W. Smith, Mercy Me, and Donnie McClurkin. He has recorded over 30 albums and was a regular performer for many years on the world famous radio program WWVA Jamboree in Wheeling, West Virginia. Elliott’s experiences at the Jamboree allowed him to perform with country legends such as Conway Twitty, Tom T. Hall, and Charlie Pride. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Residing in Hendersonville, Tennessee with his wife and lifelong sweetheart Terri, Elliott has been blessed to have six children: Five sons, Brian, Ty, Matthew, Aaron, Mark and his only daughter Amanda. God has used the last 40+ years of consistent ministry to prepare Elliott for the most important part of his career. Being part of Three Bridges gives Elliott an opportunity to share the Gospel of Christ with others. Beyond his professionalism, Elliott is a true Christian and an effective asset to gospel music, a true gentleman whom you will want to meet! Elliott’s Favorites: Restaurant: Maggiano’s Little Italy or any Italian restaurant! Cheesecake Factory, Massy’s Pizza (Columbus Ohio) Food: Italian or Mexican Interests: Spending time with my wife, kids and grandkids, Cincinnati Reds baseball, American history, photography, and NASCAR Television: Fox News, History Chanel, MLB Network, ESPN, Sanford and Son, and Andy Griffith show Singer: Glen Payne, Jake Hess, Donnie McClurkin, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson and Michael McDonald Scripture: Psalm 63:1-4; Psalm 23; Romans1:16 Sports team: Cincinnati Reds, Ohio State Buckeyes, Tennessee Titans Life Thought: A person is as happy as they choose to be! Shannon Smith Position: Lead Born: April 30, 1967 in New Albany, IN Wife: Kathryn – Married January 9, 1987 Children: Nicholas (Nic) born January 20, 1991; Victoria (Tori) born January 20, 1993 “God is good and He loves me!” Over the past couple of years the Lord has branded that into Shannon’s thinking. “I pray that my life and ministry will be “a point of contact” for others to see Father God’s goodness and love for them and that He has a good plan for their lives!” In September 2000, Shannon and Kathryn Smith, with oversight given by a ministry accountability team made up of elders from their home church, stepped out into full-time ministry. He traveled as a solo artist for 2 years and then joined The Imperials as their lead singer in September 2002. (The Imperials is a musical group with a rich history in Christian music. Over the years they have won 4 Grammy Awards and 13 Dove Awards. In 1998 the group was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and in 2008 was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame.) From his very first days as a “preemie” baby when the doctors gave him basically no chance to live, Shannon has been immersed in the power of prayer and the truth of the Word. While he was clinging to life in those earliest days, the Lord whispered to his mother that he would live and minister

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to people around the world. So when the doctor said, “Don’t plan take this baby home – if he makes it, it will be a Higher Power than me.”, she began to pray and confess the truth of the Word. “He will live and not die and declare the works of the Lord!” (Psalm 118:17) Shannon was raised in a pastor’s home and because of his parent’s active demonstration of their faith in a real and living God, he came to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior at an early age. Shannon says, “It was at the age of eleven, during revival services at my church, that I confirmed my faith in Jesus and over the next few years I surrendered myself to Him fully and determined to live for Him for the rest of my days.” Through active involvement in his church youth group and Christian school as well as opportunities for volunteer service, he began to sense God’s leadership into ministry. He sought to prepare himself through Biblical and musical education and practical development of his musical talent. He then began to pursue ministry opportunities whether volunteer or vocational in nature. “The only thing I’ve ever really wanted to do is to share the life and love of Jesus with others. Presenting the beauty of Jesus through the beauty of music and the beauty of the Word of God is the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done,” says Shannon. “I was born to sing His praises – when I sing, I feel as though He is singing too!” After 6 years with The Imperials, Shannon left in June 2008 to get off the road and spend some quality time with his family. Not only was singing with The Imperials the fulfillment of a dream for Shannon, it provided several years of “on the road” training and gave him opportunity to more clearly define what God’s calling for him was and was not. He moved to North Miami Beach, FL to serve as a worship leader at Words of Life Fellowship Church. He served there for 18 months and then the Lord said it was time to move on to a new assignment. “When I left the road 2 years ago, I really needed some time to get away and just focus on the Lord, His Word and my family,” says Shannon. “Our time in the Miami area accomplished just that – it was almost like a sabbatical. Elliott first called me about joining Three bridges in January and we just agreed to pray over this decision until we had the peace of the Lord about it. I am filled with excitement and expectation and I look forward to helping Three Bridges continue to share the goodness and love of Jesus in every way possible.” Shannon’s Favorites: Restaurant: Cheesecake Factory Food: Mexican, Italian or a great steak Interests: Bible study, hanging with my wife and kids, Yankees baseball (or any baseball really), American history, biographies, reading, singing, movies, fishing, working in the yard Television: MLB Network, ESPN, any Law & Order, Andy Griffith show Singer: Pavarotti, Larnelle Harris, Russ Taff Scripture: Psalm 23; Psalm 37:23; Psalm 91; Psalm 119; Proverbs 4:20-23; Matthew 6:33; Romans 5:17 Sports team: New York Yankees “GO YANKS”, Syracuse Orange (College Basketball), Chicago Bears, Boston Celtics, South Carolina Game-

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cocks (College Football) Life Thought: God is GOOD and He LOVES you! Shannon has recorded four solo albums. You can get them at: www.ShannonSmith.info http://www.shannonsmith.info/Store.html Jeremie Hudson Position: Tenor Born: February 10, 1973 in Decatur, AL Wife: Amanda – Married Feb. 25, 1994 Children: Michael Eric born September 27, 1997; Brantley Clint born June 3, 1999; Emma Brooke born August 7, 2006 Jeremie Hudson was born to Harold and Sandy Hudson in 1973. He grew up in Cullman, Alabama where he started singing when he was 8 years old. His father, who sang baritone for The Churchmen, was practicing one day and Jeremie just started singing alto with him. “I realized that day there was something special about singing for God”, says Jeremie, who continued singing in church as well as competing in talent showcases. He later won the regional Church of God Teen Talent Contest for the state of Alabama. In 1992 Jeremie attended Southeastern Bible College where he met his future wife, Amanda. Having a desire to have a group of his own, Jeremie and his best friend’s, Jason Hallcox (former lead, The Imperials), Eric Hudson and Bruce Taliaferro (Gold City), formed Fresh Anointing at which time he discovered he could sing the tenor part. For the next five years the group not only sang on weekends but also worked full time jobs. By this time, Jeremie’s family had grown to include Michael Eric, born in September of 1997. In the fall of 1998, Jeremie received his ‘Exhorter’s License’ through the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) and at the same time became the Music Pastor of Lynnwood Church of God – the same church at which The Imperials later ‘discovered’ him. The Imperials offered Jeremie the tenor position in the group after performing at his church. In June of 1999, the day after the arrival of his second child, Brantley Clint, Jeremie received a call from The Imperials hiring him to take the tenor position. After 9 years with The Imperials, and another child, Emma Brook in 2006. Jeremie decided, in 2008, to leave the group for local church ministry. He served as Worship Pastor at CWC in Anniston AL. for 1 year. After this, Jeremie was unsure where GOD was taking him. In Sept. 2009 Jeremie found himself, for the first time, not knowing what the next step was. Jeremie talked with Legacy Five, Gold City, led worship, sang as a backup singer for an Elvis impersonator, detailed cars, and served as an interim Worship Pastor at Church At The Brook, Millbrook, AL. but nothing seemed to fit. While serving as an interim, Jeremie received a call from Three Bridges. “My spirit jumped inside of me, when Elliot called .” stated Jeremie. So in May of 2010 Jeremie was named as Three Bridges’s tenor. Jeremie states, “There were several small mountains in the way to my coming back on the road. God has made those mountains a flat surface! He is truly a GOD of miracles! If He did this here, at the beginning of this new ministry, then I cannot wait to see what He will do in the end and all through the middle! I know that God has called me to be one of His voices,’’ Jeremie says. ‘‘I pray that when time has ended, I will have pleased Him, not just with my voice, but with entire life.” Jeremie’s Favorites: Restaurant: Macaroni Grill Food: Anything Mexican (seems weird that Mac. Grill is my favorite restaurant, huh?) Interests: War Between the States (48th Alabama re-enactors, best ever!), Collecting Toy Soldiers, Fly Fishing, playing STAR WARS with Mike, Brant and Emma (she likes the laser fights), playing basketball, football, baseball, dolls, really anything with the kids cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Television: History Channel Singer: Michael and Brantley! They are awesome!!!! Female Singer: Amanda Hudson (Emma’s voice is precious too) Group: The Isaacs Scripture: Psalms 105 Sports team: Alabama Crimson Tide “ROLL TIDE”, Miami Dolphins Life Thought: You lose nothing, to lose everything, in worship of GOD! Become A “Bridge Builder”

UPCOMING

Christmas EVENTS

12.01.13 - Sun @ 6pm First Baptist Church 201 Commercial Road, 74464 Tahlequah, OK 12.05.13 - Thur @ 7pm Top Of The River Restaurant 1606 Rainbow Drive (US Highway 411) Gadsden, AL 12.13.13 - Fri @ 7:30pm Jubilee Christian Center 2909 West William Cannon Drive Austin, TX 12.15.13 - Sun @ 11am Sendero Assembly of God 5408 Daughtry San Antonio, TX 78238 12.22.13 - Sun @ 6pm Safe Harbor Worship Center 611 Pine Ridges Drive West Columbia, SC CONTACT INFO OFFICE: For more info visit http://www.threebridges.net PO Box 3001 Hendersonville, TN 37077 threebridgesinfo@gmail.com Office: 615.826.1415 BOOKING: Beckie Simmons Agency 615.595.7500 www.bsaworld.com

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Who are you, little boy, Who fills my womb with promise, That an angel announced your coming? Who are you whom the Spirit conceived in me? Who are you, little boy, Who grows within my betrothed That in a dream God should call me? Who are you for whom I am taking Mary as wife? Who are you, little boy, That angels chant your praise to mere shepherds? Who are you for whom I rush down hills to town? Who are you whom I seek in a manger? Who are you, little boy? Are you the promised one For whom we’ve hoped and prayed and longed? Have you come at last? Who are you, little boy Who fills my stable with groans of birth, Then cries of joy and fresh-filled lungs? Who are you that shepherds should kneel in my barn? Who are you, little boy That a star illuminates your birth? Who are you to beckon old men with eastern lore To travel far and fall at your feet? Who are you, little boy, Whom wise men seek in court as king? Who are you to usurp my claim to rule my world? Who are you, fearsome, fragile Messiah-boy? Who are you, little boy, Whose glory I have seen, Who uncurls woodshavings near my bench? Who sweeps and sands, and loves a stand-in father? Who are you, little boy, Who challenges scribes beyond our knowing? Who weighs our answers, probes our doubts? Who are you to call these golden halls, “My Father’s House”? Who are you, little boy, Who heals and teaches and loves? Who breaks time-honored rules without shame? Who generates such wonder within? Who are you, little boy, Who wounds your mother’s heart? For whom do you suffer, if innocent? What do you mean, “It is finished!” when you die? Who are you, little boy, Who comes into my world? Do I know? Perhaps, but let me ask again: Who you are, little boy?

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Elf Sparkle & Elf Figgy Puddin

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MyDaisy2000 www.etsy.com/shop/Mydaisy2000

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Big Sky

“I combine my love of history and reverence of nature with good craftsmanship to create what I hope are beautiful pieces worthy of display.” Find my shop at: www.etsy.com/shop/BigSky

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ACTRESS SPOTLIGHT

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ouise Beavers was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, March 8, 1902. The African-American actress is best remembered as the original Delilah from 1934’s Imitation of Life and for the large number of maid roles played throughout her career both before and after that wasted breakthrough. Delilah appears at the door at the open of Imitation of Life (1934). Louise Beavers was a trailblazer for black movie actors, but along the way she also dealt with a good deal of backlash over the subservient roles she played and the often insulting positions in which her characters were placed. Beavers herself resented such criticism. As early as 1935 she told Baltimore Afro-American journalist Lula Jones Garrett, “As long as the plays are being written and produced by whites for whites, there will be the same chance for criticism. The only remedy is for such plays as would meet popular favor to be produced by us.” In 1946 Beavers was one of a dozen black performers asked to respond to plans outlined by NAACP secretary Walter White for establishing a Hollywood bureau of the organization. The replies included a good deal of resentment over the idea of Hollywood outsiders riding into town to supervise a profession in which they had no direct experience. A pattern begins: Louise Beavers as Julia in Coquette (1929). Beavers, after naming herself as, “the third Negro woman in this country to [ever] have my face on the screen,” comments: ”We do not have to be led by anyone taking our hands and leading us to the studios. Actors and actresses are all Dr. Jekylls and Hydes. We play a role and then we forget it. It is not a matter of degrading the Negro race. I have seen many of our white friends play roles of different periods and classes— and often they have to use dialect, even as we sometimes do. The parts that Louise Beavers played in movies of the 1930s were the only parts available for black women. Movies were a mass product produced by big companies to sell directly to a mostly white customer. No matter what you may think of the roles she played, Louise Beavers was one of the most important players in the early black Hollywood experience. If step one was just being seen, Beavers pushed further in standing out and accomplished much in establishing a career lasting 33 years. Beavers has a bit more flash, despite the domestic background, as Madame Nellie LaFleur in Bullets or Ballots (1936) When she was eleven Louise Beavers came to California with her parents after her mother fell ill and the family moved from Cincinnati to Pasadena. Louise graduated from Pasadena High School in 1920 and found work in domestic service as personal maid to film star Leatrice Joy. Joy was then at her greatest fame starring for Cecil B. De Mille during the same period which would also see her briefly become Mrs. John Gilbert. Two decades later, long after Miss Joy had stopped regularly appearing in films, Louise Beavers appeared in De Mille’s Reap the Wild Wind (1942), her only time working for the legendary director.

In her spare time Louise was part of a group of sixteen amateur performers from the Los Angeles area who called themselves the “Lady Minstrels.” She was discovered, either by someone from Universal Studio or Charles Butler of the Central Casting Bureau according to varying reports, in 1926 when they staged a show in a downtown theatre. She made her movie debut* playing a bit in Universal’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1927). *The IMDb lists Louise Beavers’ first movie as 1923’s The Gold Diggers but my guess is that this is due to some confusion over her having later appeared in 1929’s Gold Diggers of Broadway. While Louise claims she did not appear in Uncle Tom’s Cabin because she was considered too young at the time, the film still exists and people have reported seeing her in it. Uncle Tom’s Cabin is likely her first movie appearance. Her first few film appearances were silent, but her career would really pick up steam from the time of her first talkie. Speaking of voice, period newspapers, both black and white, made sure to let us know she didn’t really sound like what we heard in the theaters. “She has no ‘Ah, hon’y’ accent,” wrote Lula Jones Garrett for the Baltimore Afro-American, while Eileen Creelman of the The New York Sun described her voice as soft, “her accent straight Californian.” Both journalists were reporting in the swirl of acclaim following Beavers’ stand out performance in Imitation of Life. Louise Beavers first gained widespread notice in Coquette (1929), the title from which Mary Pickford somewhat controversially won her Academy Award for Best Actress. Beavers was mostly in the background as Julia, the Besant family cook and house maid, but emerged to share one of Pickford’s best scenes as the then 36-year-old screen legend is cradled for comfort in the lap of her former nanny. It’s even more disturbing when you realize Beavers is actually ten years younger than Pickford. The part set the standard for the type roles Louise Beavers would play for the rest of her career. Her most common credit was “maid,” though if a black actor had a small part in a 1930s film calling for a wife there was a good chance that it would be Beavers who would pop in with a line or two to serve the role. Beavers got to break away from the domestic role in Ladies of the Big House (1931) where she played, you guessed it, a convict in a women’s prison. As the bulk of this Paramount title takes place behind bars it actually somewhat refreshing to have not only Beavers on the scene as Ivory, but an entire group of black prisoners. She is without doubt their leader. Ivory makes friends with the star of the film, Sylvia Sidney, when Sidney’s character is suffering a low moment soon after being incarcerated. She asks Sidney if it was true that she was locked up for killing a man and Sidney claims that she and her husband didn’t really kill him. Beavers chuckles and says, “Well, I killed a no good husband, but that wasn’t really killin’ either.” Later, when surrounded by the other black prisoners after entertaining them on the piano, one asks Ivory how long she’s in for. “Me?” says Ivory. “I got four scores and twenty years. The judge say I damaged too many men.” Group laughter. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Actors and actresses are all Dr. Jekylls and Hydes. We play a role and then we forget it.

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These lines, stated in the typical Louise Beavers effervescent manner, both endear us to her and, if you dwell on it a moment too long, frame her as somewhat terrifying. It’s Imitation of Life’s Delilah with a streak of murder! Louise Beavers had a few other parts where she rose above a past spent in service, but often her character seems more than happy to get back to where she had begun. In Warner Brothers’ Bullets or Ballots (1936) she is Nellie LaFleur, Joan Blondell’s former maid who now assists her in a numbers racket running, yep, the Harlem game. Upon arriving in Blondell’s office Nellie shoos away her replacement, Rose (Edna Mae Harris), to work on Blondell’s hair. Nellie remarks that she should come back because nobody else could ever do her old job as well as she did. Blondell’s Lee Morgan then offers up a surprise: The numbers racket was Nellie’s idea! “You thought of this game and you’re the one who deserves to get rich from it,” she tells her former maid. “Sometimes I wish I hadn’t thought of it,” says Beavers. “Madame Nellie LaFleur, phooey!” she says, embarrassed by the ostentatious name and all that comes with it. In the odd No Time for Comedy (1940), a romantic comedy starring Rosalind Russell and James Stewart, Beavers managed to gain fifth billing and begins the film quite independently in the part of stage actress in a play Stewart’s character wrote and Russell’s stars in. Inside this play within the film Beavers plays, ahem, a maid, but she gets to crack wise with Allyn Joslyn’s director in an early rehearsal scene. By the time the play opens her Clementine is decked out in her maid costume but somewhat awkwardly we find her backstage playing maid to Russell’s Linda Paige, the lead. Linda thanks Clementine for helping out in a pinch because her regular maid seems to get sick come every opening night. “Oh, I don’t mind,” says Clementine. Then, echoing Beavers own beginnings, “I was a personal maid before I be-

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come an actress and I suppose I’ll go back to it when the public gets tired of me.” While Beavers would never return to those working roots it isn’t long before Clementine’s words ring prophetic. After the Russell and Stewart characters marry near the midpoint of No Time for Comedy a few years pass and the disappointing second half of the film begins with Beavers’ Clementine now serving as maid for the Broadway couple. Beavers has a larger part than usual becoming Russell’s top confidante and scrapping with Jimmy Stewart throughout. Stewart’s bitter Gaylord Estabrook is rough on her, even calling Beavers an “odious barbarian” at one point and firing her from the household. Beavers gets him back when he threatens to throw a decanter at her. She laughs at him, approaching to take it away while saying that she knows there’s no way he’d waste the liquor inside. With Stewart in the back half of the film and earlier on with Joslyn the dialogue directed at Beavers falls somewhere between playfully insulting and outright nasty, but her Clementine is allowed to give even better than she gets and emerge the clear cut victor in every scrap she engages in throughout No Time for Comedy. Perhaps the most intriguing Louise Beavers movies are a pair produced in the late 1930s by Million Dollar Productions. The company was one of the more famous of what were then termed sepia companies which created all-black films to play in black neighborhood theaters. Louise Beavers was top billed star for Million Dollar Productions in both Life Goes On (1938) and Reform School (1939). The first of those films, Life Goes On, was described by The Afro American as a beautiful story of mother love, “reminiscent of the immortal Humoresque.” Upon its release Reform School was hailed as the best of Million Dollar Productions’ movies to date. Nell Dodson of the Washington Afro-American wrote that it was “superior to the average sepia film in every respect, acting, lighting, dialogue and direction.” Of Beavers, who starred as the warden of an all boys reformatory, Dodson glowed, claiming she “comes through with flying colors in a story especially written for her. She turns in a dramatic triumph.” Top billed Louise Beavers in advertisement for Reform School published in the Washington Afro-American, April 29, 1939, page 32. While a few of the eleven films produced by Million Dollar Productions between 1937 and 1942 survive, neither of the Louise Beavers features is believed to be amongst them. Imitation of Life was the big one for Louise Beavers. The title that makes her worth remembering just as we remember Hattie McDaniel for Gone With the Wind. Many people expected Beavers to gain an Academy Award nomination for her work in Imitation of Life. Not just the black press either, nationally syndicated columnist Jimmie Fidler was quite upset when she was snubbed. Instead no African American would receive an Oscar nomination until McDaniel did for Best Supporting Actress at the 1940 Awards.

But once more it was Louise Beavers who first put her foot in the door when she was cast in what was immediately regarded as the most important part ever to be played by a black actor in Hollywood to that time. Not only was Beavers cast in a meaty part, but in the minds of many she stole the film from its star, Claudette Colbert, who would win the Academy Award for Best Actress at the 1935 ceremony for her work, not in Imitation of Life but It Happened One Night. Beavers had nothing but kind words for Colbert as result of their working together in Imitation of Life. After the movie opened Colbert sent Beavers a telegram congratulating her on her performance as Delilah in the film. “Miss Colbert is one of the most gracious actresses in Hollywood,” Beavers said of the star. “She is real. She is just herself. I do not know of anybody with whom I have enjoyed working as much as I did with her.” The two characters are inseparable throughout the movie, from the time Beavers’ Delilah rings Bea Pullman’s door and the two single mothers bond over their children, through their rise resulting from Colbert’s Bea riding Delilah’s pancake recipe to fortune. While Bea takes care of Delilah, socking away money for her and her daughter, Peola, Delilah wants things to stay as they are. She doesn’t want her own house or life. Just a promise for a good funeral. While Colbert is remains center of our attention finally, perhaps, finding love with ichthyologist Steven Archer (Warren William) and raising her little girl Jessie into a fully grown Rochelle Hudson, something fascinating happens in Imitation of Life when Beavers’ Delilah winds up the focus of a far more interesting story as she navigates complicated territory with her light-skinned daughter Peola (Fredi Washington as an adult). We’ve seen Peola and Jessie raised together from the time they were little girls. While Delilah voluntarily remains subservient to Bea, the little girls appear to grow up on a more equal basis. Until Peola learns she is different. When Peola forgets her rubbers and umbrella on a rainy day her devoted mother rushes off to school to deliver them. Light skinned Peola sits amongst a class that is otherwise entirely composed of white children. She’s terrified when she spots Delilah’s face at the door of the classroom and covers her face with a book when her mother enters the room seeking her little girl. Even Peola’s teacher spends a few moments confused by Delilah’s presence until the black woman spots Peola and identifies her as her daughter. “Teacher. Has she been passin’?” Delilah asks, referring to Peola’s grades but at the same time putting words to Peola’s larger goal. Time and again Peola rejects Delilah with hopes of fitting more neatly into a white world, but Delilah continues to foil her daughter’s dreams simply because she loves her too much to ever entirely let her go. It reaches a boiling point when Peola drops out of college and Delilah and Miss Bea track her down working at a cigar stand inside a restaurant. “I’m sure you’ve got me confused with someone else,” she says to her mother. As her employer and a customer

watch the scene Peola asks, “Do I look like her daughter? Do I look like I could be her daughter. Why she must be crazy.” Miss Bea enters to spoil Peola’s lie. The girl runs off leaving her mother a broken mess to be handled by Miss Bea. When they arrive home Delilah spots Peola inside. Relieved she thinks her child has come back to her, but Peola has only returned momentarily to dish out the cruelest punishment of all. She’s leaving. “And you mustn’t see me or know me or claim me or anything. I mean, even if you pass me on the street you’ll have to pass me by.” Miss Bea is horrified. Delilah breaks down, finally roused to something approaching outrage when Peola icily calls her “mother” once too often: “I’m your mammy child, I ain’t no white mother. It’s too much to ask of me. I ain’t got the spiritual strength to beat it. I can’t hang on no cross, I ain’t got the strength.” It’s not enough. Peola departs stopping only at the door to offer an apology to Miss Bea. That fancy funeral that Delilah has long wished for draws closer as the life is drained from her, but not without another couple of touching scenes to pull tears from Miss Bea as Delilah readies for her final departure. Imitation of Life was a huge hit. Andre Sennwald of the New York Times didn’t care for it personally but recognized it as one for the masses, especially the female masses, as he wrote: “The stentorian sobbing of the ladies in the Roxy mezzanine yesterday seemed to suggest that it held a vast appeal for the matinee trade as well as for Miss Hurst’s large and commercially attractive public.” Film Daily, which catered to the industry, offered what was the more popularly accepted view: “Put this down as one of the best pictures of the year,” and further remarked upon Beavers’ “notable work.” Jimmie Fidler, writing of Hattie McDaniel’s 1936 ascent into parts once filled by Louise Beavers, said Imitation of Life ruined Beavers, “because, of all idiotic reasons, she was too good!” Fidler explained, “any actress who can steal a picture from Miss Colbert will be given few chances to steal from other stars, if the others have anything to say about it, and they generally do.” Co-star Fredi Washington told film historian Donald Bogle, “the one thing that happened with Louise was that her agents immediately, when she made such a hit in the picture, upped her salary beyond what anyone was going to pay for the type roles they had for her. I told her at the time, I just don’t think this is wise. But of course, they were her agents” (150-151). Beavers continued her busy career after Imitation of Life, but unlike other actors who enjoyed a breakout success there would be no opportunity for Louise Beavers to follow with another signature role. She was the most popular and successful black actress of this time, but there wasn’t anything to play except a long line of maid roles. With a list of big screen credits numbering over 150 films it is no surprise that there is at least one big one that can be considered the one that got away. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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A January 1938 report by The Afro American noted that Beavers received over 8,000 votes making her the favorite to play Mammy in a Gone With the Wind fan poll. This was second in total number of votes only to the 12,000 accorded Clark Gable in the Rhett Butler category. At that time Beavers was optimistic over her chances and publicly stated that she believed that the role would be assigned to her. Hattie McDaniel, public domain Wikipedia image. Scanned by Myra Wysinger and uploaded. Photo from family photo collection. Autographed copy of Hattie McDaniel’s July 10, 1941. Since the first time we saw Hattie McDaniel in the role of Mammy it has been hard to picture anyone else in the part. It would wound up very different had Louise Beavers or anyone else been cast. McDaniel became the first African American to receive an Academy Award nomination and emerged from the 1940 Oscars with the trophy for Best Supporting Actress. While we can never know how Beavers would have been received had she landed the role of Mammy, certainly her 1935 snubbing by the Academy for Imitation of Life helped pave the way for McDaniel’s Oscar path. I doubt Miss Beavers would have recognized the eventual impact this missing trophy had on her legacy. She remained popular and busy throughout her life, but in the half century that has passed since her death she has become unfairly forgotten. Prior to Gone With the Wind she was the best known black actress in Hollywood. Without it she’s remembered, if at all, as a one-hit wonder for her performance in Imitation of Life, a part criticized as demeaning just as often as it is praised for its importance. The same can be said for her career in early television as well. Louise Beavers landed a full-time TV job in 1952 when she replaced Hattie McDaniel in the starring role on Beulah. Beulah, or The Beulah Show, originated as character spun off of radio’s Fibber McGee and Molly program. On radio the part of Beulah, a black house maid serving a white household, was originally played by white actor Marlin Hunt. Hattie McDaniel took over the radio role from another white man, Bob Corley, when the show became a daily serial in the Fall of 1947. When Beulah came to television in 1950 the part was originally played by Ethel Waters. The NAACP hated it. It was what you might think it was, though not as bad as you probably imagine. Louise Beavers took over the role in 1952 and starred in one of the few surviving episodes that I was able to watch on the Internet Archive. Yes, it is as though one of Beavers’ old ‘30s maids had come to ‘50s television, but to be quite honest the white family that she worked for, the Hendersons (David Bruce and Jane Frazee in the episode I saw), weren’t the sharpest knives I’ve ever run across either. Beulah eavesdrops on the Hendersons. Once more, just like her Delilah in Imitation of Life, Beavers was helping to blaze a trail, but almost twenty years after

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her movie breakthrough the reception from black audiences and organizations was much harsher. The show did play in syndication for a number of years after Beavers left and the original run was canceled in 1953, but by the mid-1960s it, along with Amos ‘n’ Andy, wound up banned from the airwaves as offensive programming. It would be another fifteen years before another black woman would star in her own television show, when Diahann Carroll came to our living rooms as Julia in 1968. It’s worth noting (visually below) the special billing that Louise Beavers received as Beulah as well as the prominence of other black cast members such as Ernest Whitman, who played Beulah’s boyfriend, and Ruby Dandridge (Dorothy’s mother), as airheaded pal Oriole, on the end credits of The Beulah Show: From the time of her elevation by way of Imitation of Life until her death in 1962, Louise Beavers remained one of the best known and busiest of black entertainment personalities. She appeared not only in movies and on TV, but busied herself with personal appearances throughout the country, occasional stage and radio work, including her own radio show briefly in the fifties. Beavers had married twice but did not have any children. First husband Robert Clark became her manager some time after they were wed in 1936. Her second marriage stuck. She married LeRoy Moore in Reno, January 23, 1948. Moore survived her at her death, but not by much. He died in February 1963. She received some recognition off the screen, in the world of politics, when she, along with Eddie (Rochester) Anderson, came out in support of Richard Nixon for President in 1960 as a leading member of the newly formed Celebrities for Nixon Committee that was chaired by George Murphy. Louise Beavers made her final film appearance in 1960’s The Facts of Life starring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball. She was ill with diabetes late in life and died after suffering a heart attack at the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles on October 26, 1962—ten years to the day after the death of Hattie McDaniel.

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...She was the most popular and successful black actress of this time.

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hough he is sometimes now forgotten, Bing Crosby was one of the biggest music and movie stars of the mid20th century. He started out as a member of the Rhythm Boys, a jazz vocal trio, before going solo in the early 1930s. He quickly became a radio star as a silky-smooth crooner who could sing both pop and jazz. As such he is often credited with inspiring Frank Sinatra and other modern pop singers. (Crosby’s languid improvisation, “buh-buh-buh-boooo,” was widely parodied.) Crosby also became a film star, winning an Oscar for his portrayal of a good-natured priest in the 1944 movie Going My Way. His long-running comic feud with comedian Bob Hope was milked for laughs on their radio and TV shows, and they co-starred in a series of movies that became known as the “road films”: The Road to Singapore (1940), The Road to Hong Kong (1962) and five other films between. (Their co-star in many of the road movies was actress Dorothy Lamour.) Crosby first sang the tune “White Christmas” in the movie Holiday Inn (1942); his recording of the tune remains a holiday favorite, and for many years was the biggest-selling single of all time. In the 1960s and ‘70s his annual Christmas special was a popular TV fixture. He died in 1977 on a golf course in Spain, having just completed the 18th hole.

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Don Collier W

hen I was a youngster my family wasn’t wellto-do. That’s actually not being honest – we were poor. One year things were so bleak there wasn’t enough money for a Christmas tree. In Ocean Park, California there aren’t many options for trees, it’s not like you can go out in the local woods to chop one down so my mother got creative. She took my sister and me by the hand out to a local vacant lot to hunt for a tumbleweed. Soon enough we found one. Tumbleweeds are free so we caught it, took it home, and decorated it with the light bulbs left over from better years. I don’t remember having many Christmas presents. One year I got a flashlight. It wasn’t until the next Christmas I got the batteries for it. I knew my folks were doing the best they could so I didn’t mind, I understood there just wasn’t a lot to go around. During the holidays we’d go look at the other trees in yards and in store windows because the streets were decorated. It only cost a nickel to ride from Ocean Park to Santa Monica and kids rode for free so my mom would bundle us onto the bus and we’d look at all the lights. If we were really having a great week we might see a movie. Back then a movie was 10 cents, except for Saturday when the price went up to 11 cents. For that nickel you could watch two movies and

a news reel, quite a bargain, assuming you had the nickel. The best Christmas present I ever got as a child was in 1937 when my dad received a check from the government related to serving in the War. It was a huge amount for our family so he surprised my mom with a wringer washing machine, and I got a Mercury bike – he spent a whole $8 on it! As an adult working on television there would be Christmas parties at the studio with the cast, crew, people who worked at NBC. I’d often shake my head and wonder about how much life changes. Who’d have thought I’d go from an $8 bicycle and a tumbleweed Christmas tree to a Hollywood party in one lifetime? In my mind I’m still the kid who got a flashlight with no batteries and was happy about getting it. I’ve worked in over 200 movies and television appearances, but in a long and busy career I’ve only had one Christmas story. The Young Riders filmed a Christmas Episode entitled Star Light, Star Bright. In it the riders think they own half a gold mine as repayment for a kindness one of them has shown to a prospector. Now I’m at the age where if I do get to act in a Christmas movie or TV episode, there’s a decent change the role might be Santa Claus. I wonder if he gets batteries in his Christmas flashlight or just depends on Rudolph’s nose? Merry Christmas to all! cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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osemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 – June 29, 2002) was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit “Come On-a My House”, which was followed by other pop numbers such as “Botch-a-Me”, “Mambo Italiano”, “Tenderly”, “Half as Much”, “Hey There” and “This Ole House”, although she had success as a jazz vocalist. Clooney’s career languished in the 1960s, partly due to problems related to depression and drug addiction, but revived in 1977, when her White Christmas co-star Bing Crosby asked her to appear with him at a show marking his 50th anniversary in show business. She continued recording until her death in 2002. She was the aunt of Academy Award winning actor George Clooney. Early life John Brett Richeson House in Maysville Clooney was born in Maysville, Kentucky, the daughter of Marie Frances (née Guilfoyle) and Andrew Joseph Clooney. She was one of five children. Her father was of Irish and German descent and her mother was of Irish and English ancestry. She was raised Catholic. When Clooney was fifteen, her mother and brother, Nick, moved to California. She and her sister, Betty, remained with their father. The family resided in the John Brett Richeson House in the late 1940s. Rosemary, Betty and Nick all became entertainers. (In the next generation, some of her children, including Miguel Ferre and Rafael Ferrer, and her nephew, George Clooney, also became respected entertainers.) In 1945, the Clooney sisters won a spot on Cincinnati, Ohio’s radio station WLW as singers. Her sister Betty sang in a duo with Rosemary for much of the latter’s early career.

Career With Bing Crosby in White Christmas Clooney’s first recordings, in May 1946, were for Columbia Records. She sang with Tony Pastor’s big band. Clooney continued working with the Pastor band until 1949, making her last recording with the band in May of that year and her first as a solo artist a month later, still for Columbia. In 1951, her record of “Come On-a My House”, produced by Mitch Miller, became a hit. It was her first of many singles to hit the charts—despite the fact that Clooney hated the song passionately. She had been told by Columbia Records to record the song, and that she would be in violation of her contract if she did not do so. Clooney recorded several duets with Marlene Dietrich and appeared in the early 1950s on Faye Emerson’s Wonderful Town series on CBS. In 1954, she starred, along with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Vera-Ellen, in the movie White Christmas. She starred, in 1956, in a half-hour syndicated television

musical-variety show The Rosemary Clooney Show. The show featured The Hi-Lo’s singing group and Nelson Riddle’s orchestra. The following year, the show moved to NBCprime time as The Lux Show Starring Rosemary Clooney but only lasted one season. The new show featured the singing group The Modernaires and Frank DeVol’s orchestra. In later years, Clooney would often appear with Bing Crosby on television, such as in the 1957 special The Edsel Show, and the two friends made a concert tour of Ireland together. On November 21, 1957, she appeared on NBC’s The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford, a frequent entry in the “Top 20” and featuring a musical group called “The Top Twenty.” In 1960, Clooney and Crosby co-starred in a 20-minute CBS radio program aired before the midday news each weekday. Clooney left Columbia Records in 1958, doing a number of recordings for MGM Records and then some for Coral Records. Finally, toward the end of 1958, she signed with RCA Victor Records, where she stayed until 1963. In 1964, she went to Reprise Records, and in 1965 to Dot Records. Upon her recovery from a nervous breakdown in 1968, Clooney signed with United Artists Records in 1976 for two albums. Beginning in 1977, she recorded an album a year for the Concord Jazz record label, which continued until her death. This was in contrast to most of her generation of singers who had long since stopped recording regularly by then. In the late-1970s and early-1980s, Clooney did television commercials for Coronet brand paper towels, during which she sang a memorable jingle that goes, “Extra value is what you get, when you buy Coro-net.” James Belushi later parodied Clooney and the commercial while as a cast member on NBC’s Saturday Night Live in the early 1980s. Clooney sang a duet with Wild Man Fischer on “It’s a Hard Business” in 1986, and in 1994 she sang a duet of Green Eyes with Barry Manilow in his 1994 album, Singin’ with the Big Bands. In 1995, Clooney guest-starred in the NBC television medical drama ER (starring her nephew, George Clooney); for her performance, she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. On January 27, 1996, Clooney appeared on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion radio program. She sang “When October Goes” – lyrics by Johnny Mercer and music by Barry Manilow (after Mercer’s death) – from Manilow’s 1984 album 2:00 AM Paradise Cafe, and discussed what an excellent musician Manilow is. In 1999, Clooney founded the Rosemary Clooney Music Festival, held annually in Maysville, her hometown. She performed at the festival every year until her death. Proceeds benefit the restoration of the Russell Theater in cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Maysville, where Clooney’s first film, The Stars Are Singing, premiered in 1953. She received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. Personal life Rosemary Clooney’s Riverfront Home, Augusta, Kentucky Clooney suffered for much of her life from bipolar disorder. She revealed this and other details of her life in her two autobiographies. Clooney was married twice to the movie star José Ferrer, who was sixteen years her senior. Clooney first married Ferrer on June 1, 1953 in Durant, Oklahoma. They moved to Santa Monica, California in 1954, and then to Los Angeles in 1958. Ferrer and Clooney had five children: Miguel (born February 7, 1955), Maria (born May 29, 1956), Gabriel (born December 1, 1957), Monsita (born October 13, 1958) and Rafael (born March 23, 1960). They divorced for the first time in 1961. Ferrer and Clooney remarried on November 22, 1964 in Los Angeles; however, the marriage again crumbled while Ferrer was carrying on an affair with the woman who would become his last wife, Stella Magee. Ms. Clooney found out about the affair, and she and Ferrer divorced for the last time in 1967. In 1968, her relationship with a young drummer ended after two years, and she became increasingly dependent on pills after a punishing tour. She joined the presidential campaign of close friend Robert F. Kennedy, and heard the shots when he was assassinated on June 5, 1968. A month later she had a nervous breakdown onstage in Reno, Nevada, and was hospitalized. She remained in psychoanalysis therapy for eight years afterwards. Her sister Betty died suddenly of a brain aneurysm in 1976. She subsequently started a foundation in memory of and named for her sister. During this time she wrote her first autobiography, This for Remembrance: the Autobiography of Rosemary Clooney, an Irish-American Singer, written in collaboration with Raymond Strait and published by Playboy Press in 1977. She chronicled her unhappy early life, her career as a singer, her marriage to Ferrer and mental health problems, concluding with her comeback as a singer and her happiness. Her good friend Bing Crosby wrote the introduction. Katherine Coker adapted the book for Jackie Cooper who produced and directed the television movie, Rosie: the Rosemary Clooney Story (1982) starring Sondra Locke (who lip syncs Clooney’s songs), Penelope Milford as Betty and Tony Orlando who played Jose Ferrer. Living for many years in Beverly Hills, California, in the house formerly owned by George and Ira Gershwin, in

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1980, she purchased a second home on Riverside Drive in Augusta, Kentucky, near Maysville, her childhood hometown. In 1983, Rosemary and her brother Nick co-chaired the Betty Clooney Foundation for the Brain-Injured, addressing the needs of survivors of cognitive disabilities caused by strokes, tumors and brain damage from trauma or age. In 1999 Clooney published her second autobiography, Girl Singer: An Autobiography describing her battles with addiction to prescription drugs for depression, and how she lost and then regained a fortune. “I’d call myself a sweet singer with a big band sensibility,” she wrote. Today, the Augusta house offers viewing of collections of her personal items and memorabilia from many of her films and singing performances. Her Beverly Hills home at 1019 North Roxbury Drive was sold to a developer after her death in 2002 and has been demolished. She married her longtime friend, a former dancer, Dante DiPaolo in 1997 at St. Patrick’s Church in Maysville, Kentucky. In 2005 the album Reflections of Rosemary by Debby Boone was released. Boone, who was Clooney’s daughter-in-law, intended the album to be a musical portrait of Clooney, or as Boone put it: “I wanted to select songs that would give an insight into Rosemary from a family perspective.” Lung cancer and death Floodwall Mural in Maysville, Kentucky A long-time smoker, Clooney was diagnosed with lung cancer at the end of 2001. Around this time, she gave her last concert, in Hawaii, backed by the Honolulu Symphony Pops; her last song was “God Bless America”. Despite surgery, she died six months later on June 29, 2002, at her Beverly Hills home. Her nephew, George Clooney, was a pallbearer at her funeral, which was attended by numerous stars, including Al Pacino. She is buried at Saint Patrick’s Cemetery, Maysville. In 2003 Rosemary Clooney was inducted into the Kentucky Women Remembered exhibit and her portrait by Alison Lyne is on permanent display in the Kentucky State Capitol’s rotunda. In September 2007 a mural honoring moments from her life was painted in downtown Maysville. The mural highlights her lifelong friendship with Blanche Chambers, the 1953 premier of The Stars are Singing and her singing career. It was painted by Louisiana muralists Robert Dafford, Herb Roe and Brett Chigoy as part of the Maysville Floodwall Mural project. Her brother Nick Clooney spoke during the dedication for the mural, explaining various images to the crowd.

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Edward Faulkner Film Review: The Navy VS The Night Monsters ne time as a kid I stayed up till 2 or 3 in the morning to watch Navy vs. The Night Monsters (NVTNM) on UHF Channel WFLD-32, Chicago. I fell asleep and never got to see the monsters. 35 years later, I’m cruising through the pages on Amazon.com, and I see the “DVD suggestion for Barry” –packaged in brilliant original poster art regalia exclaiming “DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS MEETS THE NAVY” and “ALL-DEVOURING CARNIVOROUS TREES THAT MOVE ON THEIR OWN ROOTS”. At last, the long lost Navy vs. Night Monsters was 1-Click away from my home-viewing pleasure. I purchased that sucker and waited several weeks for it to arrive. The DVD sat for a month on the floor next to a pile of Charlie Chan movies. One of my Facebook friends noted that the DVD print sucked and the pressing was a chintzy DVD-R. I Hand Braked the film and finally got around to watching it on my iPad. NVTNM has all the earmarks for being a B-movie gem. The film was co-produced by Roger Corman and the director of photography was Stanley Cortez (Night of the Hunter, The Naked Kiss, The Magnificent Ambersons). The film stars voluptuous Mamie Van Doren (Sex Kittens Go to College), wow, and bud from “Father Knows Best” (Billy Gray – who was blasting tunes at one-in-the-morning at last year’s “Monster Bash”). And how can you go wrong with man-eating prehistoric trees thawing out from south pole ice? Anytime a beast thaws from the ice — The Thing from Another World, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, The Deadly Mantis, Ice Man, Godzilla -in Godzilla versus King Kong, Gamera, and so forth, get out the popcorn because all hell is breaking loose. However, the resulting film is rather dull, but has a few good moments. The plot goes something like this – Antarctic expedition Operation Deep Freeze unearths (un-ices?) various plant and animal fossils, including desiccated, contorted shrubbery that look like a cross between baobab trees and hurricane-ravaged sago palms (“under-nourished cactuses”). The expedition also captures some penguins. Through the miracle of stock footage, the fossil cache, penguins, and scientists are loaded into a transport plane, which crash-lands at a Naval fueling and meteorological base on an American pacific island. There, naval scientists and officers find the crew missing, except for one comatose dude – who has no significant influence on the story, a few penguins, and the mummified intact fossil trees. The prehistoric trees thaw, eat the penguins, secrete acid, drop mobile fibrous seed pods, re-seed, get re-planted by dumb naval scientists, tear the arm off radar operator Billy Gray, get Molotov cocktailed, and move on down the air strip where (they sure look like prickly-pear cactus to me) they are exposed in the open to Grumman F9F Phantom jets spewing napalm.

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Film poster for “The Navy VS The Night Monsters.”

Woven between infrequent monster scenes is a silly romantic triangle, featuring Mamie Van Doren (MVD) sporting one remarkably flexible form-fitting sweater. We also view a lot of military ilk, and far too many poorly-executed comedic moments. NVTNM is often compared to the superior “Day of the Triffids” (1962), and there are some similarities (big carnivorous plants), but the design of the night monster is so poor the outcome is laughable. I think the Triffids look terrific – they’re mechanical and methodic, and look menacing With their spiny orchid heads (they make a cameo appearance in Joe Dante’s “Looney Tunes: Back in Action” from 2003, with new Triffid design by Frank Dietz. I love the popping sound the harmonious Triffids make. The night monsters don’t do anything. They just sit there. Trees usually aren’t especially scary. The only creepy stationary trees in filmdom I can think of are: 1) the tree that Yoda makes Luke crawl into in The ESB, 2) that tree with the giant toad in “Pan’s Labyrinth”, and 3) the tree in Tim Burton’s “Sleepy Hollow” (the apple trees in “The Wizard of Oz” don’t count as they can throw fruit). The night monsters remind a bit of the Ju Ju Tree in the British-made “The Woman Eater” (1958) – another film starring a well-endowed blonde (Vera Day) packed into a tight sweater, although the Ju Ju tree design, with tentacles and mitten-like grabbers, is still more inspired than the sessile night monsters. NVTNM sports ridiculous dialogue, but I love a few lines. Base biologist old guy: “I’d like to dissect a limb from those trees and use a microtome on it…”. Base doctor old guy: “That’s the heart beat of a man in mortal terror.” This flick is really a lot of fun.

Dean Jagger

orn in Columbus Grove, Ohio, Jagger made his film debut in The Woman from Hell (1929) with Mary Astor. He became a successful character actor, without becoming a major star, and appeared in almost 100 films in a career that lasted until shortly before his death. Jagger made his breakthrough to major roles in film with his portrayal of Brigham Young in Brigham Young (1940).[According to George D. Pyper, a technical consultant on the film who had personally known Brigham Young, said that Jagger not only resembled Young, he also spoke like him and had many of his mannerisms. Thirty-two years later, he became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Jagger then played prominent roles in Western Union (1941), Sister Kenny (1946) and Raoul Walsh’s Western neo-noir Pursued (1947). He received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Twelve O’Clock High (1949). In the film he played the middle-aged adjutant Major Stovall, who acts as an advisor to the commander General Savage (Gregory Peck), and is tasked with writing letters to the next of kin of slain airmen. He appeared in the biblical epic The Robe (1953) as the weaver Justus of Cana, “whose words were like his work: simple, lasting, and strong,” as Marcellus Gallio (Richard Burton) put it later in the film. He was the retired general honored by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye in the musical White Christmas (1954) and a helpless sheriff in the iconic Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) directed by John Eliot Sturges. For the 1956 British science-fiction film X the Unknown, there was controversy when the actor refused to work with director Joseph Losey on this film because

Losey was on the Hollywood blacklist. Losey was removed from the project after a few days shooting and replaced with Leslie Norman. Jagger portrayed the father of Elvis Presley in 1958’s King Creole. He was the traveling manager for an evangelist played by Jean Simmons in the acclaimed 1960 drama Elmer Gantry, which won three Academy Awards. In 1961 he portrayed Sala Post in Delmer Daves’s film drama Parrish as a tobacco plantation owner in Connecticut. The film also starred Troy Donahue, Claudette Colbert, Karl Malden and Connie Stevens. In 1969 Jagger played “The Highwayman” in John Huston’s The Kremlin Letter. In 1971’s Vanishing Point, the actor made a brief but memorable appearance as a prospector in the desert with a knack for handling rattlesnakes. Jagger also achieved success in the television series Mr. Novak, receiving Emmy Award nominations for his role, in 1964 and 1965. He won a Daytime Emmy award for a guest appearance in the religious series This Is the Life. He did dozens of TV dramatic roles, including an episode of The Twilight Zone called “Static.” In an early episode of the television series Kung Fu Jagger appeared as Caine’s grandfather who wants little to do with him, but starts Caine on his series long search for his half brother Danny. One of Jagger’s last television roles was a guest appearance on St. Elsewhere. In later years, Jagger appeared in made-for-TV movie roles in The Glass House (1972, ABC) which also starred Alan Alda and Vic Morrow. The screenplay was partially based on a story by Truman Capote. Jagger played state prison Warden Auerbach. In 1970 he performed memorably in Brotherhood Of The Bell, a made-for-TV movie with Glenn Ford In 1973, he was in another TV movie, a pilot for a proposed series called “The Stranger,” a science-fiction film starring Glenn Corbett as an astronaut stranded on an alien planet, with Jagger as a leader of a corrupt deceptive government known as “The Perfect Order”. Lew Ayres and Cameron Mitchell also starred. None of the major U.S. networks picked it up as a weekly series. Dean Jagger has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for his contribution to motion pictures, at 1523 Vine Street. Personal life He dropped out of school several times before finally attending Wabash College. While at Wabash he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He worked as a teacher before studying acting at Chicago’s Lyceum Art Conservatory. Before making his first movie “in 1929, Jagger had worked in stock, vaudeville and radio.” Jagger was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1972. He died from heart disease in Santa Monica, California. He was 87, and was buried in the small town of Hughson, California, at Lakewood Memorial Park. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Military Letters

God bless America, Land that I love, Stand beside her, and guide her Through the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, To the oceans, white with foam God bless America, My home sweet home God bless America, My home sweet home.

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Care Package for the Soldiers C hristmas holidays away from your military loved ones are difficult for those at home but especially so for the deployed Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine. If your favorite soldier is gone this year, sending a Christmas care package will help him or her feel more festive and a part of the holiday. Timing is important for shipping as deadlines for shipping are drawing close. Parcel post shipments have already passed the recommended mailing date from the USPS for shipments to APO and FPO addresses. The best way to get your Christmas Care package to your solider on time is to choose a priority flat rate mailer for shipping. This gives you an unlimited weight allowance for one price and puts your shipment in the priority mail category. Shipping deadlines for most APO and FPO addresses under priority mail is Dec 11. You can check the deadline for the zip you are shipping to on the USPS web site. When choosing a box for your Christmas Care Package, look for the Large APO/FPO flat rate priority mailing boxes. Shipment in these boxes will cost you just a little more than ten dollars as they are discounted when shipping to the APO and FPO addresses. The ideas for what to put in a Christmas Care package for your Solider are endless. You know your soldier best so you are the best source of ideas for his or her Christmas Care Package. Here are a few ideas to get your thought process started. Decoration Christmas Care Package Items: Deployed Soldiers often try to make the work areas and living areas more like home so small decorations which can be used in the room or work area are good care package items. Ornaments for trees are good to send as many units have trees

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in the public areas. If you have children, you may want to have each color or draw a holiday greeting and have it laminated to send as a part of the deployed Soldier’s Christmas

Care Package items: Candy Christmas Care Package Items: Christmas is the time of year when temperatures are a bit lower in the most common deployment locations. This means your Christmas Care Package can include candy items which cant be sent in hotter times of the year. Consider sending some of your soldier’s favorite candy items. You can choose those in Christmas packaging or you can pack the Christmas care package full of your soldier’s favorite candy item.

Music Christmas Care Package Items: If your soldier has a CD player consider sending him some new Christmas carol CDs as a part of the care package. If he or she has a MP3 player, you may put these in a flash drive and send so they can upload them from a computer. Personalized Christmas Care Package Items: Keeping family close is important during deployments. Many web sites provide the ability to produce personalized items like coffee mugs, mouse pads, or magnets using your own pictures or your child’s art work. These make wonder additions to your Christmas Care package for your soldier. A touch of love for your Christmas Care Package: Don’t forget the letters, pictures, and cards made by all the family members. These personal items are the priceless part of the Christmas Care Package.

I stepped outside, coffee in hand, and stretched. The thick coating of stiffness dried to a dust and then cracked, with my stretch, to crumble and fall to my rotting deck boards. It left only the dull ache of fresh, tender muscle from yesterday’s strain. This feels good, I thought. I feel good. And I smiled to greet the day. But last night? Last night I felt melancholy and oh so alone. And that’s the thing about a deployment — your feelings all packed into a lotto spinner of chance, and you never know what you’re working with until the pretty girl in the sparkling dress pulls your number for the day. Or even the hour. So I think I’m going to share what I wrote last night, not because I seek attention or am particularly proud of my state of mind at the time, but just in case. In case anyone reads it who needed to read it. And if you don’t, bear with me. Tomorrow we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled program.

To the spouses of deployed active duty military:

I know you. I know you, and I know your particular brand of loneliness. Though you’re surrounded by hundreds of family, friends and acquaintances in good faith, thousands of uniforms in camaraderie, and millions of citizens in patriotism, the loneliness. It’s palatable. Everyone expects you to always be strong. After all, you chose this. Not just the job or the distance or the time, but the danger. The inability to communicate. The words, chosen carefully, so he feels needed and missed but not too needed or missed, because then he feels helpless, and basically you hold the coiled nerve ball of your partner’s raw emotions in the palm of your hand and all it takes is a tight squeeze here — a wrong pinch there — and the entire thing unravels. Your family and friends — those unaffiliated with the military or the Life, say nothing. They rarely acknowledge the fact that he’s gone. Especially if they don’t live nearby, it’s easy. It’s easy to pretend like it’s not happening at all or that he’ll be back “any day” or that this time — a quarter of a year, a third, even 12 months or more of your life will “go quick” and they think that those words — the wishing of a life passing quickly — are comfort. Just know. It’s not because they don’t love you. It’s not because they don’t care. They do. But this unknowing — the sheer unrelatability – is vast and confusing. They’re worried if they try to relate — if they comfort too much, they take away your ability to be strong. It’s hard. It’s hard to be a friend to someone who chooses this life. Who brings it on herself. The others — the other spouses, both men and women who know what it’s like don’t ask because they know. They know if they ask, it might make you crumble. They know that if you need it, you’ll ask for help. And let me tell you this. No one will be quicker to give it. So ask. If you need help, ask. If you need a hug, ask. If you need to cry or say bad things or punch the wall, those people will be there. Just don’t punch the wall. That’s stupid. And stupid, you’re not. Because you’re doing this, aren’t you? All on your own? Alone and surrounded, all at the same time. And it’s not so bad, this self sufficiency. This time to think. And imagine — they call you dependent. Like telling a rock that it’s soft or an ocean it’s weak. Almost as dumb as punching a wall. Almost. So go. Keep living. Keep the wheels greased and the cogs spinning and find joy every day because, after all, that’s kind of the point. Your freedom to go on living. It’s okay to miss. It’s okay to feel sad. It’s okay to sometimes feel angry and mean. But it’s okay to feel good, too. Feeling good is not forgetting. Feeling good is not less sacrifice. Feeling good is a choice, and it’s something everyone wants for you. Eventually, this will pass. Not any more quickly or slowly than normal time, but one way or another, it will pass. I’m thinking about you, and I know. I know. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;

...My favorite color is pink, my favorite animal is a turtle and my favorite sport is cheerleading. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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My greatest concern was for my baby girl. She was, without a doubt, her daddyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s girl.

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Few non-military families fully understand the turmoil of deployments. For those of us that are privileged enough to serve our great nation, we know this simple truth. Deployments are hardest on our children. While it is extremely difficult to kiss spouses, parents, and friends goodbye, each of us knows that they will be ok. We know that our families support our decision to serve and that they will find some comfort in rationalizing thoughts such as “we are serving the greater good,” “we are a part of something bigger than ourselves,” or “we are doing what we love...” With our children this is not the case. When we deploy we are asking them to do so without one of the most important people in their lives. We are asking them to live without the person that is supposed to be there to protect them, guide them, and care for them. We are asking them to be without a person that has been there for them their entire life. No one understands the truth of this more than my five year old daughter, Summer. I deployed for the first time since she had been born when she was two years old. Though I had been gone twice before that deployment, it was by far the hardest. It still breaks my heart to think of Summer and my wife, Laura, standing there waving and crying. It especially was hard to hear that later she had told my wife “I told daddy not to leave me.” My greatest concern was for my baby girl. She was, without a doubt, her daddy’s girl. I was terrified that because she was so young that our special bond would be broken. I was afraid that she would not even remember who I was when I returned, and that she would be scared of me. Would she be mad at me for leaving her behind? I worried that if I didn’t make it home, how would she grow up without her daddy? What would her life be like without me? How would she turn out? As soldiers, we readily deploy without reservation or concern for our own personal safety. We realize that we are guardians of freedom and the American way of life. We do not fear for ourselves. Our thoughts and prayers are for the little ones we leave behind. Jeremiah O’Berry cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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A Place to Visit:

The Cuyahoga Valley National Park

hough a short distance from the urban areas of Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley National Park seems worlds away. The park is a refuge for native plants and wildlife, and provides routes of discovery for visitors. The winding Cuyahoga River gives way to deep forests, rolling hills, and open farmlands. Walk or ride the Towpath Trail to follow the historic route of the Ohio & Erie Canal. History runs deep in the valley, with over 12000 years of human occupation. From the unwritten stories of prehistoric peoples to the environmental disasters and comebacks of the 20th century, humans have left an impact on the valley. Here along the Cuyahoga River, humans have used, shaped, and been shaped by the landscape. Culture and nature interplay here, with each having its impact on the other. Explore the rich history through places, where prominent and highly visited areas are explored. Under people meet a few of the local characters. In the tab of stories, notable stories of the valley are explored, highlighting in particular, the stories of farming here in the valley.

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The story of Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP)â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s establishment highlights the impact local citizens and political leaders can have when they work together with passion and common purpose to protect aspects of Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heritage. This story is rooted in the environmental and social movements of the 20th century. It is about the desire to have scenic open spaces near to home, especially for recreation. It is about not only saving significant features but restoring a landscape to be culturally vibrant, less polluted, a better home for wildlife, and a model for sustainable living. The Cuyahoga Valley resonates with stories of people, past and present. They tell of discovery, self-expression, hardship, gain, love, and humor. Some describe how people modified their environment to make a living or how American history unfolded here. Many stories were never recorded and have become lost or dimmed through time. Whenever possible, Cuyahoga Valley National Park tries to preserve stories or their remnants. These stories can teach us where we have been and may help determine where we are going.ď&#x20AC;˝

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Letters

The Gift of the Magi By O. Henry

ne dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one’s cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty- seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas. There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating. While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad. In the vestibule below was a letter-box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring. Also appertaining thereunto was a card bearing the name “Mr. James Dillingham Young.” The “Dillingham” had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperity when its possessor was being paid $30 per week. Now, when the income was shrunk to $20, though, they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming D. But whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called “Jim” and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which is all very good. Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present. She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week doesn’t go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him. Something fine and rare and sterling--something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim. There was a pier-glass between the windows of the room. Perhaps you have seen a pier-glass in an $8 flat. A very thin and very agile person may, by observing his reflection in a rapid sequence of longitudinal strips, obtain a fairly accurate conception of his looks. Della, being slender, had mastered the art. Suddenly she whirled from the window and stood before the glass. her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its color within twenty seconds. Rapidly she pulled down her hair and let it fall to its full length. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim’s

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gold watch that had been his father’s and his grandfather’s. The other was Della’s hair. Had the queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty’s jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy. So now Della’s beautiful hair fell about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a garment for her. And then she did it up again nervously and quickly. Once she faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the worn red carpet. On went her old brown jacket; on went her old brown hat. With a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant sparkle still in her eyes, she fluttered out the door and down the stairs to the street. Where she stopped the sign read: “Mne. Sofronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds.” One flight up Della ran, and collected herself, panting. Madame, large, too white, chilly, hardly looked the “Sofronie.” “Will you buy my hair?” asked Della. “I buy hair,” said Madame. “Take yer hat off and let’s have a sight at the looks of it.” Down rippled the brown cascade. “Twenty dollars,” said Madame, lifting the mass with a practised hand. “Give it to me quick,” said Della. Oh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings. Forget the hashed metaphor. She was ransacking the stores for Jim’s present. She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jim and no one else. There was no other like it in any of the stores, and she had turned all of them inside out. It was a platinum fob chain simple and chaste in design, properly proclaiming its value by substance alone and not by meretricious ornamentation--as all good things should do. It was even worthy of The Watch. As soon as she saw it she knew that it must be Jim’s. It was like him. Quietness and value--the description applied to both. Twenty-one dollars they took from her for it, and she hurried home with the 87 cents. With that chain on his watch Jim might be properly anxious about the time in any company. Grand as the watch was, he sometimes looked at it on the sly on account of the old leather strap that he used in place of a chain. When Della reached home her intoxication gave way a little to prudence and reason. She got out her curling irons and lighted the gas and went to work repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love. Which is always a tremendous task, dear friends--a mammoth task. Within forty minutes her head was covered with tiny, close-lying curls that made her look wonderfully like a truant

schoolboy. She looked at her reflection in the mirror long, carefully, and critically. “If Jim doesn’t kill me,” she said to herself, “before he takes a second look at me, he’ll say I look like a Coney Island chorus girl. But what could I do--oh! what could I do with a dollar and eighty- seven cents?” At 7 o’clock the coffee was made and the frying-pan was on the back of the stove hot and ready to cook the chops. Jim was never late. Della doubled the fob chain in her hand and sat on the corner of the table near the door that he always entered. Then she heard his step on the stair away down on the first flight, and she turned white for just a moment. She had a habit for saying little silent prayer about the simplest everyday things, and now she whispered: “Please God, make him think I am still pretty.” The door opened and Jim stepped in and closed it. He looked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two--and to be burdened with a family! He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves. Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail. His eyes were fixed upon Della, and there was an expression in them that she could not read, and it terrified her. It was not anger, nor surprise, nor disapproval, nor horror, nor any of the sentiments that she had been prepared for. He simply stared at her fixedly with that peculiar expression on his face. Della wriggled off the table and went for him. “Jim, darling,” she cried, “don’t look at me that way. I had my hair cut off and sold because I couldn’t have lived through Christmas without giving you a present. It’ll grow out again-you won’t mind, will you? I just had to do it. My hair grows awfully fast. Say `Merry Christmas!’ Jim, and let’s be happy. You don’t know what a nice-- what a beautiful, nice gift I’ve got for you.” “You’ve cut off your hair?” asked Jim, laboriously, as if he had not arrived at that patent fact yet even after the hardest mental labor. “Cut it off and sold it,” said Della. “Don’t you like me just as well, anyhow? I’m me without my hair, ain’t I?” Jim looked about the room curiously. “You say your hair is gone?” he said, with an air almost of idiocy. “You needn’t look for it,” said Della. “It’s sold, I tell you-sold and gone, too. It’s Christmas Eve, boy. Be good to me, for it went for you. Maybe the hairs of my head were numbered,” she went on with sudden serious sweetness, “but nobody could ever count my love for you. Shall I put the chops on, Jim?” Out of his trance Jim seemed quickly to wake. He enfolded his Della. For ten seconds let us regard with discreet scrutiny some inconsequential object in the other direction. Eight dollars a week or a million a year--what is the difference? A

mathematician or a wit would give you the wrong answer. The magi brought valuable gifts, but that was not among them. This dark assertion will be illuminated later on. Jim drew a package from his overcoat pocket and threw it upon the table. “Don’t make any mistake, Dell,” he said, “about me. I don’t think there’s anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me like my girl any less. But if you’ll unwrap that package you may see why you had me going a while at first.” White fingers and nimble tore at the string and paper. And then an ecstatic scream of joy; and then, alas! a quick feminine change to hysterical tears and wails, necessitating the immediate employment of all the comforting powers of the lord of the flat. For there lay The Combs--the set of combs, side and back, that Della had worshipped long in a Broadway window. Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jewelled rims--just the shade to wear in the beautiful vanished hair. They were expensive combs, she knew, and her heart had simply craved and yearned over them without the least hope of possession. And now, they were hers, but the tresses that should have adorned the coveted adornments were gone. But she hugged them to her bosom, and at length she was able to look up with dim eyes and a smile and say: “My hair grows so fast, Jim!” And them Della leaped up like a little singed cat and cried, “Oh, oh!” Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held it out to him eagerly upon her open palm. The dull precious metal seemed to flash with a reflection of her bright and ardent spirit. “Isn’t it a dandy, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it. You’ll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it.” Instead of obeying, Jim tumbled down on the couch and put his hands under the back of his head and smiled. “Dell,” said he, “let’s put our Christmas presents away and keep ‘em a while. They’re too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now suppose you put the chops on.” The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Bethlehem of Judea Jest ‘Fore Christmas Edgar Albert Guest Father calls me William, sister calls me Will, Mother calls me Willie but the fellers call me Bill! Mighty glad I ain’t a girl---ruther be a boy, Without them sashes curls an’ things that’s worn by Fauntleroy! Love to chawnk green apples an’ go swimmin’ in the lake-Hate to take the castor-ile they give for belly-ache! ‘Most all the time, the whole year round, there ain’t no flies on me, But jest’fore Christmas I’m as good as I kin be! Got a yeller dog named Sport, sick him on the cat. First thing she knows she doesn’t know where she is at! Got a clipper sled, an’ when us kids goes out to slide, ‘Long comes the grocery cart, an’ we all hook a ride! But sometimes when the grocery man is worrited an’ cross, He reaches at us with his whip, an’ larrups up his hoss, An’ then I laff an’ holler, “Oh, ye never teched me!” But jest’fore Christmas I’m as good as I kin be! Gran’ma says she hopes that when I git to be a man, I’ll be a missionarer like her oldest brother, Dan, As was et up by the cannibals that live in Ceylon’s Isle, Where every prospeck pleases, an’ only man is vile! But gran’ma she has never been to see a Wild West show, Nor read the life of Daniel Boone, or else I guess she’d know That Buff’lo Bill an’ cowboys is good enough for me! Excep’ jest ‘fore Christmas, when I’m as good as I kin be! And then old Sport he hangs around, so solemn-like an’ still, His eyes they seem a-sayin’: “What’s the matter, little Bill?” The old cat sneaks down off her perch an’ wonders what’s become Of them two enemies of hern that used to make things hum! But I am so perlite an’ tend so earnestly to biz, That mother says to father: “How improved our Willie is!” But father, havin’ been a boy hisself, suspicions me When, jest ‘fore Christmas, I’m as good as I kin be! For Christmas, with its lots an’ lots of candies, cakes an’ toys, Was made, they say, for proper kids an’ not for naughty boys; So wash yer face an’ bresh yer hair, an’ mind yer p’s and q’s, And don’t bust out yer pantaloons, and don’t wear out yer shoes; Say “Yessum” to the ladies, and “Yessur” to the men, An’ when they’s company, don’a pass yer plate for pie again; But, thinkin’ of the things yer’d like to see upon that tree, Jest ‘fore Christmas be as good as yer kin be!

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A little child, A shining star. A stable rude, The door ajar. Yet in that place, So crude, folorn, The Hope of all The world was born.

Christmas Greeting Sing hey! Sing hey! For Christmas Day; Twine mistletoe and holly, For friendship glows In winter snows, And so let’s all be jolly.

My Christmas Letter

uth went to her mail box on Christmas Eve, and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter: Dear Ruth: I’m going to be in your neighborhood this Christmas and I’d like to stop by for a visit. Love Always, Jesus

Ruth’s hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. “Why would the Lord want to visit me? I’m nobody special. I don’t have anything to offer.” With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. “Oh my goodness, I really don’t have anything to offer. It’s already Christmas Eve and the stores will be closing. I’ll have to run down out and buy something for dinner right away.” She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents. “Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least.” She threw on her coat and hurried out the door. A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk…leaving Ruth with grand total of twelve cents to last her until next week. Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings of a Christmas dinner tucked under her arm. “Hey lady, can you help us, lady?” Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn’t even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags. “Look lady, I ain’t got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living here on the street, and, well, now it’s getting cold and we’re getting kinda hungry and, well, it’s Christmas Eve, if you could help us, lady, we’d really appreciate it.” Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and, frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to.

“Sir, I’d like to help you, but I’m a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I’m having an important guest for Christmas and I was planning on serving that to Him.” “Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway”. The man put his arm around the woman’s shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley as a gentle snow began to fall. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart. “Sir, wait!” The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. Look, why don’t you take this food. I’ll figure out something else to serve my guest.” She handed the man her grocery bag. “Thank you lady. Thank you very much!” “Yes, thank you!” Ruth could see now that the woman was shivering. “You know, I’ve got another coat at home. Here, why don’t you take this one.” Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman’s shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street …. without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest. “Thank you lady! Thank you very much! …. and Merry Christmas!” Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn’t have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox. “That’s odd. The mailman doesn’t usually deliver on Christmas Eve.” She took the envelope out of the box and opened it. Dear Ruth: It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely Christmas dinner. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat. Love Always, Jesus The air was still cold, and the snow was falling even harder, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Christmas Blessings Mix Recipe By Cynthia Ewer, Author of Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting Organized

ount your blessings with Christmas Blessings Mix! Small bags of snack mix, each ingredient reminds us of a holiday blessing. Bagged in favor-sized gift bags and decorated with a holiday poem, Christmas Blessings Mix brings a festive touch to your Christmas celebrations. Share them with church friends, co-workers or family for a meaningful gift. We make it easy to create Christmas Blessings Mix with a Blessing Mix tutorial and free printable Christmas Blessings Mix gift tags and bag toppers containing with the Christmas Blessing Mix poem. Blessings Mix Tutorial Ingredients 2 cups Bugles brand corn snacks 2 cups small pretzels 1 cup cinnamon imperials candy (“red hots”) 1 cup dried fruit bits or raisins 1 cup peanuts or sunflower seeds 1 cup M&Ms-brand chocolate candy 16 Hershey’s-brand chocolate kisses printable gift tags Instructions In a large bowl, gently mix all ingredients except Hershey’s Kisses. Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup Christmas Blessings Mix in small cellophane treat bags or zipper food storage bags. Add one Hershey’s Kiss to

Mike’s Inspirational Story

t’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas—oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it- overspending… the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma—the gifts given in desperation because you couldn’t think of anything else. Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler?ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn’t acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, “I wish just one of them could have won,” he said. “They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out

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each bag. Seal bag or fold down top to seal. Attach your choice of free printable Christmas Blessings Mix gift tags or bag toppers, or hand-write your own tags with the wording below. Makes 16 Christmas Blessing Mix gift bags. Christmas Blessings Mix Poem Bugles: Bring us the joyful message of the Heavenly Host, announcing peace on earth, good will to men. Pretzels: Symbol of a mother’s loving arms; as Mary wrapped her Son in swaddling clothes and laid him in the manger. Red Hots: Red berries that decorate the holly plant, a reminder of eternal life and Christ’s redemption. Nuts or seeds: Promise of a a future harvest, one we will reap only if seeds are planted and tended with diligence. Dried fruits: Remind us of the rich gifts brought by the Wise Men. M&Ms: Memories of those who came before us to guide us to a blessed future. Hershey’s Kiss: The love of family and friends that sweetens our lives - See more at: http://christmas. organizedhome.com/crafts/christmas/blessing-mix#sthash.lHvjtvbf.dpuf

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of them.” Mike loved kids-all kids-and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That’s when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition; one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn’t end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

True Christmas Joy By Tennett Morrell

Love Your Family I ran into a stranger as he passed by, “Oh excuse me please” was my reply. He said, “Please excuse me too; I wasn’t watching for you.” We were very polite, this stranger and I. We went on our way and we said good-bye. But at home a different story is told, How we treat our loved ones, young and old. Later that day, cooking the evening meal, My son stood beside me very still. When I turned, I nearly knocked him down. “Move out of the way,” I said with a frown. He walked away, his little heart broken. I didn’t realize how harshly I’d spoken. While I lay awake in bed, God’s still small voice came to me and said, “While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use, but the family you love, you seem to abuse. Go and look on the kitchen floor, You’ll find some flowers there by the door. Those are the flowers he brought for you. He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue. He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise, you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes.” By this time, I felt very small, And now my tears began to fall. I quietly went and knelt by his bed; “Wake up, little one, wake up,” I said. “Are these the flowers you picked for me?” He smiled, “I found ‘em, out by the tree. I picked ‘em because they’re pretty like you. I knew you’d like ‘em, especially the blue.” I said, “Son, I’m very sorry for the way I acted today; I shouldn’t have yelled at you that way.” He said, “Oh, Mom, that’s okay. I love you anyway.” I said, “Son, I love you too, and I do like the flowers, especially the blue.”

‘Twas the day before Christmas, a long time ago And our beautiful earth was all covered with snow; Down the street with their sleighs came two manly boys, Who paused at the window to look at the toys. Already two others were there looking in; But their faces were sad, and their clothes old and thin. And the little one said, “is it because we’re so poor That Santa doesn’t come to our house anymore ? “ The older one patted his wee brother’s head, And hugged him up closely, as softly he said: “Oh, maybe he will come tonight, little Tim, If we ask in our prayers for the Lord to send him!” The little face smiled, but the boys saw a tear In the eye of the one who quelled little Tim’s fear. Then slowly and sadly the waifs went their way To the place they called home, where that night they would pray. The boys, with their sleighs, followed closely behind, And neither one spoke, but in each childish mind A beautiful thought said as plain as could be: “I ll share with those poor boys what Santa brings me. “ When the two reached their home, to their father they ran, And eagerly told him their unselfish plan. He was proud of his boys, who now felt that same love That sent our dear Savior from His Home above. Next morning, still thrilled with their beautiful thought, They scampered downstairs to see what Santa brought, And they, with the help of their father and mother, Selected the presents for Tim and his brother. And as the first light of dawn came into view The two went their way with the toys bright and new, And crept very quietly up to the door Where they’d seen the boys enter the evening before. As they hurried back home toward their own Christmas joys, They could not even dream how the other two boys, On finding that Santa had really been there, Sent their joy to the One who had answered their prayer. That night, when the “Santas” were ready for bed, With a hand of their father on each curly head, They knew, as they thought of two poor, happy boys, What’s the truest and choicest of all Christmas joys.

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Snigglefritz

Snigglefritz An eclectic mix of indie brights, vintage vibes, gypsy living and a dash of girlie elegance. Find my shop at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ Snigglefritz

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RULES FOR NEW DOGS THAT WILL ENTER YOUR HOME AT CHRISTMAS MAKE PLANS BEFORE THE NEW FURRY FAMILY MEMBER COMES TO YOUR HOME AND LIFE: 1. Secure a Doggie Day Care like Canine Country Club they employ CERTIFIED Trainers and a Day Care to run off energy. Be ready to go the first business day after they enter your home. Work out a schedule and training plan IN ADVANCE of adoption or purchase of a puppy from a breeder that is not a puppy mill, store or back yard breeder, LOOK for a top AKC SHOW BREEDER. Stick to the plan. 2. Day one, know that you have a big job on the first day, show your new, forever friend that you will love them, respect them, give them rules. Remember, it will take time to bond to each family member. 3. Know that they will have accidents for a while, do not yell, rub their nose in the accident, or punish them. Clean up and know that you must take them out more often and reward their outdoor potty use. It will take time for them to understand your message regarding proper location for potty. Your trainer will also help with this at Day Care and Board & Train programs too. This puppy or rescue is worth the investment. 4. As you get ready for your new friend, make sure you call your Vet, schedule a first visit within the first 48 hours of

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having your new friend. Do a Meet -N- Greet .. Vets like: Total Care Animal Hospital - Dr Jason Whitworth charge very little to give a good experience to your new friend. It is so important to make plans for success in advance of a forever furry friend entering your home. 5. Never use the excuse your children have lost interest in the puppy. It is your job to help everyone bond as a family unit. Teach the importance of loving someone forever. Animals are not throw away toys, they are like your children, a forever commitment. Loving them through good times, and bad, demonstrates to your children you will never leave them nor forsake them. 6. Look for a support system, if you loose your job, have friends or a support team that can help your family member stay with you during hard times. 7. Consider Adoption First. There are many wonderful pets that need your loving homes. Please consider the Special Needs dogs like Giles, JP & Lola who came from Lone Star Bulldog Club Rescue or Sr. Dogs like Rascal (Rascal is our Sr. Dog at 11 years old), Mr Bean, our Hyper-Active dog that is now trained from PugHearts,, contact the breed rescue orgs. they will help you find a perfect companion.ď&#x20AC;˝

Believe

agic is Believing in yourself, if you can do that you can make anything happen. Make each day count by having the courage of your convictions. And the courage to keep an open mind Cherish your visions and you dreams, as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements. Make each day count by making a contribution to the world. See the world. Be the world. Make it count by helping others,. Above all, wherever you go, whatever you do, make each day count by seizing every day with heart and courage. “Promise you’ll never give up.” So think deeply about what you want to do. And then promise yourself -- you’ll never give up. Never give up in the face of adversity. It comes on you suddenly without warning. One can either succumb to self-pity, wring your hands in despair or decide to deal with the situation with courage and dignity. Always keep in mind that it is only the test of fire that makes fine steel. Persevere long enough, we can put any problem into its perspective. Mahatma Gandhi often said that you must open the windows of your mind, but you must not be swept off your feet by the breeze. You must define what your core values are and what you stand for. And these values are not so difficult to define.. Values are not in the words used to describe them as much as in the simple acts. The first point is you achieve things step-by-step and not in giant leaps. How many people remember, or at least have heard about for the younger folks, when Neil Armstrong stepped out on the moon? You know, I will never forget it, and I said I wanted to be an astronaut when I saw Neil Armstrong stepping out on the moon. All he did is a very simple thing. He did this We could all do that. It is a very small, small step but along the way he took many, many small steps and eventually it was one giant leap for mankind. The second point--you have to believe in your abilities and you have to believe in yourself. You need to believe in yourself, and you need to have self-confidence. You need to be willing to overcome the barriers and the difficulties that you face. But it’s important for all of you to have dreams, to have a vision, to know where you want to go and to reach for the stars. You cannot be afraid to fail. Literally everyone here today, your parents, myself, everyone has failed at doing

something in life. There’s no disgrace in failing. The only disgrace is if you don’t try you’ll regret it all your life. Yes, everybody makes mistakes, And so will you. So when you make a mistake, learn from it and try again. “Never give in. Never give in. Never give in. In all things large or small, great or petty; never, never, never, give in.” Winston Churchill said that to the people of Great Britain in the darkest days of World War II. Churchill knew what he was talking about. It took him 3 years to get through the sixth grade because he had trouble learning English. But he never gave in. And Churchill was not alone. It took Leonardo Da Vinci 10 years to paint the Last Supper. One painting; ten years. But he never gave in. Michelangelo spent four years lying on his back on a scaffold painting the Sistine Chapel. By the time he finished, he was virtually blind from the paint that had dripped into his eyes. But he never gave in. Dr. Seuss’ first children’s book was rejected by 23 publishers, but he never gave in. Be like Michelangelo. Be like Churchill. Be like Dr. Seuss. Never, never, never give in. You are the most important audience of my life, , Believe in yourself; today, tomorrow, forever and for life. Then, last but not least, remember today. Emily Dickinson said that: Hope is the thing with feathers-That perches in the soul-And sings the tune without the words-And never stops—at all— If you allow your mind to reach deep into the future, if you indulge the collective imagination, and do so with child like wonder, if you can let go of the restraints that obscure your vision...refuse to accept the idea that “You cannot”, and replace it with “You can”, your path will then and only then make itself apparent. It takes audacity and daring to fully engage life, no matter who you are. Each one of us must seize our own moments—daily. Sometimes, staking everything we know and everything we have to pursue goals and dreams. Asking ourselves “Do I Dare? Capture this “Kodak moment” in your mind…for you will re-live it in memory. This is clearly no ordinary moment. It is the moment between yesterday and not-yet-tomorrow. It is the moment of pure possibility and wonder. Seize it!! cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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My Story of How My Crafty Knots All Started in My Apartment A Quick Word Never did I imagine I would have the success that I did. Starting off it was something that I had really just made to see if I could do it. After I sold a few to my friends, one of them really pushed me to put them online, but I didn’t think people would be interested. Sure enough though, I had that first order and I was so excited that someone would want to buy something I had made! I really am just so grateful for all of the customers I’ve had. Every order is a compliment, nothing is so satisfying then being able to craft something that looks good, but also has an important purpose. How It Started Growing up I was just plain crazy about horses and I loved anything artsy or creative, so it was just natural I would gravitate to some craft that involved the two. As a kid it was all I would draw. My love continued through high school and in college it became my life. There was a while there in college where I considered becoming a saddler. I bought all the books on the topic and learned the process inside and out. Had it not been for the fact that I lived in an apartment at the time I would have practiced leather tooling, but I figured the kind folks below might take offense to me pounding a mallet on a metal tool over and over. It was such a delight to me when I did finally discover that I could make horse halters as a creative outlet, but it involved no loud noises so living in an apartment was no problem. I had always been interested in making tack. It truly is functional art and I love that about it. As I mentioned, I had only made that first halter to see if I could. I have always been artist and wanted to try everything, if only once, and the knots on the halters fascinated me. At the time I was in college going through Southern Illinois University’s Equine Science program, and we were learning knots that were beyond the basics and I found I enjoyed learning new ones. It took several halters to get it right. The first few ended up twisted and just looked horrible, and the perfectionist in me couldn’t settle on that. I finally got them right, and started using them for myself. I made a variety of sizes and colors just because I loved making them and didn’t want to stop. How It Evolved Shortly after I learned how to make the halter, a friend of mine gave me the idea to miniaturize them and make them into a keychain. This has been my best seller, and because there are so many options to customize it I can see why. I offer over 120 col-

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or choices for the “rope” on your rope halter and over a dozen choices for the accent color. It’s amazing to me how a particular color combination and braid style can completely change the look of the halter. Since I have such a variety of colors to pick from it really fuels my creative side. I love matching up rope colors with accent colors and picking a noseband style, with these combinations there are so many possibilities and it is always fun to see what the customer comes up with. One of my favorites was a neon green halter with black and hot pink accent colors. It had a woven noseband and decorative knots along the cheek. It was so bright and obnoxious that it was fun. The other halters I always enjoy making are the miniature sized rope halters. They always turn out so cute, and when there are decorative knots on the cheeks it just completes it. I recently did a halter with lime green rope, and lime green and turquoise accents which really looked sharp. Other projects I always enjoy are halters for teams, having two to four of the same decorated halters always look cool. After I got bored of making just the rope halter I looked for other things to do to decorate them of sorts. There was one rope halter that I always thought back to and marveled at. It was unique in that it had a braid over the noseband which I just loved. I scoured the internet looking for examples and instructions. I found some help and then found a book called The Ashley Book of Knots by Clifford Ashley that was originally published in 1944. After I bought this encyclopedia I had every knot I could ever want in my hands. From there I learned how to add different styles to the noseband, in addition to the knots that are used in the rope halter. Recently I got into rope splicing which is the process of interweaving the inner core of the rope back in on the outer core. These are the types of leads used by famous horse clinicians such as Parelli, or Anderson. Splicing is a very strong method of securing a snap or leather popper into your rope lead. With this method I’m able to now offer continuous rope reins, long lines, and of course, varying lengths of leads. I’ve really enjoyed the rope splicing, it was a tough technique until I found the right instructions, but I really enjoy splicing rope. Bumps In The Road One of the major challenges I came across was finding suppliers for all my needs. It was a huge challenge finding a rope retailer that didn’t sell by the spool, a spool being 1,000 feet and very ex-

pensive. I was able to find a 3/8” black rope, my standard width, from a local retailer, but it was only black that was always available. Eventually I found someone online that would always have the rope available and they offered a variety of widths, stiffness, and colors, but most importantly sold it by the foot. What took less time to find was a supplier for the accents on the halter which is paracord. Paracord, or parachute cord, is nice because in an emergency the noseband cord could be unbraided and used as a tow rope, tie down, repair equipment, or a variety of other uses in an emergency situation. Another thing that had made me hesitant about this craft was safety. With everything I make I think about not only how does it look, but take into account its primary purpose. Working with horses you must always have safety number one on your mind, and with every halter I make I think about this. It is a huge responsibility, and in the beginning was daunting to think about. I was rigorous in my rope choice however, and anything that didn’t

quite seem up to snuff wasn’t used. I didn’t sell my first halter until I was confident in my product, both in material and in my abilities. Expanding On The Craft I’m always looking to try new knots when the time allows. I love this art because I will always get to learn more knots and techniques. I’m practicing a new braid for the noseband currently and am playing with some new decorative knots to see which I like. I eventually hope to offer entire tack sets. I’ve made a breastcollar and crupper out of rope before for a custom order and she chose the knot for the center of the breastcollar, which turned out amazing. The six ropes came together in the middle to form a flower shaped knot through a series of half hitches. Down the road I also do plan on making my own website, and although I went into this with no expectations I would still love to do more.

The Table Cloth

he brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc. and on Dec 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On Dec 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm - hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high. The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade,ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church. By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. “Pastor,” she asked, “where did you get that tablecloth?” The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were.

By Pastor Rob Reid

These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria. The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. She was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again. The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a house-cleaning job. What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood, continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn’t leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike? He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety, and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between. The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman’s apartment, knocked on the door and there he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine and was blessed with the ultimate Christmas gift. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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History of the Christmas Tree Tradition and Victorian Craft Lore The history of the Christmas tree is a rich religious genealogy of the ancient Nordic peoples of the windswept forests spanning Northern Europe, and the warm Victorian countryside of 19th century England. By evolving throughout the centuries from Norse pagan nature worship to Germanic Christian tradition and again to Victorian Christmas folklore, the Christmas tree finally found itself engendered within the contemporary Christmas icon of the Balsam fir Christmas tree. Though the Christmas tree today can be considered more the influence of Victorian craft lore, the spiritual forefather, a dark and haunting aged Evergreen, has his roots firmly fixed to the frozen soil of ancient Germanic mountain forests. The origin of the Christmas tree is a mysterious and timeless pagan legend. The Norse Pagan History of the Christmas Tree: To fully appreciate the history of the Christmas tree, one must understand the mystical importance coniferous evergreens held for the pagan Norsemen who inhabited the frigid and often enchanting forests of Northern Germany. This era of pre-Christian Germanic history can be characterized as a time as savage as it was beautiful, mystical as it was mysterious, and as warm hearted as it was cold and bitter in a frozen landscape. Pre-Christian Pagans inhabited a land that they believed they shared with numerous Gods, nature-spirits, and demons. A common example was the Norse worship of the Oak tree; its strong and long burning wood was a sign of the strength of the spirits that inhabited the Oak, and it was often used as a symbol of the Norse god chieftain, Odin. When the seasons turned, however, and winter brought with it numerous evils and malicious spirits stalking the shadows of wintery forests, the Pagan peoples would turn to the aid and magic of any nature spirits that would help them. Plants and trees such as mistletoe, holly and evergreen, unlike the forementioned Oak tree, were believed to have some special power against the darker magics of winter because they were the only plants that stayed green throughout the year. During the winter, to shore their homes from malevolent winter spirits, Pagan Germanic peoples would hang wreaths and bushels of evergreens over their doors and windows, believing their spirit was enough to ward off winter evils. In many cases evergreen decor were brought indoors where their scent could fresh-

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en the dark, medieval homes of otherwise stagnant straw and thresh. The needles and cones would even be burned as a form of incense; its smoke and fragrance filling the home with the protective spirit-magic of the evergreen. During the Winter Solstice, when winter was at its darkest and the days were the shortest of the year by the Germanic Lunar Calendar, Celtic and pagan civilizations throughout Northern Europe would celebrate and sacrifice to the Norse god, Jul (Though pronounced and contemporarily recognized as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yule.â&#x20AC;?), and celebrate their Yule Tide festival. This is the tradition from which we have our Yule log, today. The Germanic practice, however, involved cutting down a massive hardwood log that was large enough to burn for twelve days of feasting and sacrifice, and served as a fertility symbol to both help with the coming of spring and prophesize its bounty. During the Winter Solstice, when winter had its strongest influence on the frozen landscape, Norse pagans would, by tradition, bring entire evergreen trees into their homes. These massive evergreens were called Yule trees, and it was believed that the spirits of the trees would inhabit their home and bless its inhabitants. This practice was as much Winter Solstice tradition as it was mystical protection from night-faring spirits during the darkest times of the year. The Germanic Legend of Saint Boniface of Credition: During the 8th Century, missionaries from the Holy Roman Catholic Church began to make their way North to what is now Germany and the Netherlands. One such missionary, who would become the saintly Bishop of Germany, was Boniface of Credition. Boniface, a stalwart and moral gentile, was quickly set aback by the pagan rituals of polytheism, nature worship, and human sacrifice. While many Germanic peoples readily accepted the Catholic faith, there were still some hardened tribes that even proved violently hostile in their resistance to Catholic missionaries such as Boniface. It would be in a single legendary act that Saint Boniface of Credition seemed to symbolically set the tone for the Holy Roman Catholic Church: instead of usurping the pagan faith completely with Catholicism, Boniface chose to shift their focus and also adopted the more desirable pagan beliefs and customs himself. It is said that when Saint Boniface came across a human sacrifice at the foot of the Oak of Thor in Geismar, Boniface cut down the oak in a symbolic act of removing

the older barbaric Celtic traditions. Pointing to an evergreen that was growing at the roots of the fallen oak, Saint Boniface said, “This humble tree’s wood is used to build your homes: let Christ be at the centre of your households. Its leaves remain evergreen in the darkest days: let Christ be your constant light. Its boughs reach out to embrace and its top points to heaven: let Christ be your comfort and guide.” In much the same way that the Holy Roman Catholic Church assimilated many other pagan customs and traditions to help with the converting of the Northern Germanic peoples, Saint Boniface accommodated the pre-existing Celtic beliefs in the mysticism of evergreens and incorporated it to help with a smoother transition for pagan peoples over to Catholicism. In many ways, this legend of Saint Boniface of Credition would have helped with the incorporation of the Yule trees and Yule Tide evergreens of the Germanic Winter Solstice into the Roman’s “Christ’s Mass” celebrating the birth of their savior, Jesus. The converted Germans who were celebrating Christ’s Mass would have celebrated in much the same way as they did the Winter Solstice, save for many of their central traditions being more gentile. The evergreen trees that they brought indoors were now symbols of the holy trinity; the stars at the top serving as a symbol of heaven and God. Apples were hung from the branches that would later become Christmas decorations, symbolizing the fruit of the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden. This tradition would continue until the Victorian Era where not a single German household was complete at Christmas without a small, table-top “Tannenbaum” or Yule tree. The History of the Victorian Christmas Tree: While the Yule trees of Germany may have made appearances throughout Europe after being culturally transplanted from Germany, the Victorian “Christmas tree” hadn’t made its popular Victorian appearance until 1848. With the marriage of Princess Victoria to her cousin, Prince Albert of Germany, the custom of the Christmas tree came with the new prince of England and was celebrated in Windsor Palace for the sake of the young royal family. Prince Albert had written, “I must now seek in the children an echo of what Ernest (Albert’s brother) and I were in the old time, of what we felt and thought; and their delight in the Christmas-trees is not less than our used to be.” At this, the London Illustrated News published a woodcarving

print of the young royal family at Christmas time with a decadently decorated Christmas tree in the December of 1848. With the widespread distribution of the illustration, within two years every home in England had an evergreen Christmas tree in their home. An interesting attribute of the Victorian era and incidentally the Victorian Christmas, was the popular attempt to bring elements of the countryside into city homes during the holiday season. Thanks to the Victorian era’s Industrial Revolution, a significant concentration of the nation’s newly wealthy were living in cities. With this move away from country homes and villas, successful and independently wealthy alike quickly picked up where Prince Albert left off. In an attempt to recapture a quaint and warm image of the country side and the country homes they had left behind, Victorians had Christmas trees that were elegantly decorated with glass ornaments, silver tinsel, gold stars, and delicate candles that would glow over the children’s Christmas gifts. Evergreen Christmas wreaths that were decorated with an array of dried berries, apples and ribbons were popular with the Victorians and would be hung on doors and given as gifts to loved ones for the holidays. In much the same way we associate the Victorian era with decadent crafts and decorations, it was the Victorian era that truly made Christmas trees and Christmas wreaths what they are today. For the less wealthy and poor, the Victorian ear was the pinnacle of the Industrial Revolution in another way. With it came the detached monotonies of factory labor and a harder, bleaker life in the cities. In much the same way they served the Pre-Christian Germans, evergreen trees, wreaths and garland began to spread as an “old country” symbolic defense against the harsh realities of winter in an industrialized 19th century city. Most importantly, evergreens were used as a symbol of the holiday season, and a time for the philanthropy and good will that the Victorian era bestowed on the celebration thanks to writers and poets such as Clement Clarke Moore (“A Visit from St. Nicholas” or “The Night Before Christmas,” published in 1823) and Charles Dickens (A Christmas Carol, published in 1843). Evergreen Christmas décor represented a shift in the emotional climate; away from the work houses and begging orphans, towards a warmer spirit of heart-felt benevolence and charity. Incidentally, the ‘spirit’ of Christmas is aroused from a Victorian Christmas tree in much the same way the spirit of the evergreen was enticed from a Yule tree in a pagan Germanic North. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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No Santa...Ridiculous!

remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: “There is no Santa Claus,” she jeered. “Even dummies know that!” My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her “world-famous” cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true. Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. “No Santa Claus?” she snorted....”Ridiculous! Don’t believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let’s go.” “Go? Go where, Grandma?” I asked. I hadn’t even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun. “Where” turned out to be Kerby’s General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. “Take this money,” she said, “and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for you in the car.” Then she turned and walked out of Kerby’s. I was only eight years old. I’d often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock’s gradetwo class. Bobby Decker didn’t have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His

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mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn’t have a cough; he didn’t have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that. “Is this a Christmas present for someone?” the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. “Yes, ma’am,” I replied shyly. “It’s for Bobby.” The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn’t get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas. That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, “To Bobby, From Santa Claus” on it. Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker’s house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa’s helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobby’s house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. “All right, Santa Claus,” she whispered, “get going.” I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby. Fifty years haven’t dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker’s bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were -- ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team. I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95. May you always have LOVE to share, HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care... And may you always believe in the magic of Christmas!

Sock Monkeys

Cuddly Superheroes

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Wood Signs by Grammy Personalized & handcrafted from reclaimed materials

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Find my store at:

www.etsy.com/shop/GrammyandGrampys#

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Recipes

Creative Holiday Eats

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Tips on Making the Perfect Turkey This post could also be called, everything I wish I’d known that no one ever mentions about cooking turkeys. If you’ve been roasting chicken and turkey for years, this post is probably not for you. On second thought, it IS for you. Feel free to add whatever tips you’ve discovered in your own experience with turkey. I find that I learn something new every single year, just by talking turkey with other people. I made my first turkey over a dozen years ago and it was the most intimidating thing I had ever cooked. Truth be told, my husband did most of the cooking that year. At that point in my life, I had never even touched a whole bird. In the years since then, I’ve tried a few different methods of roasting. Here’s the thing, all the different methods work. The simplest methods can easily produces delicious cooked turkey. First things first, make sure your turkey is completely thawed. That means, remove the turkey from the freezer and thaw it in your refrigerator at least 3-4 DAYS before the day you plan to cook it. Allowing your turkey at least 5 hours per lb to thaw is usually a good method of determining when to start thawing it. When you are putting it in the refrigerator, make sure to put a large dish underneath it. I always set my huge turkey in a 9x13 pan inside the fridge. It doesn’t actually fit there, but the pan serves to collect any liquid from the turkey as it thaws. You don’t have to do this, but if you have a dripping turkey one year, you will never forget again. (I actually do this with all meats thawing in the fridge.) Remove the turkey from the refrigerator an hour before the time you plan to cook it. The idea is to get the bird somewhere closer to room temperature before placing it in the oven. Handle the turkey with the same care you would handle any other raw meat. Have paper towels nearby to wipe up

any mess. Wash your hands carefully, throughout the process. Preparing the turkey for cooking is not difficult at all, but it can be messy. You will need to remove the neck and giblets from the turkey prior to baking. I throw mine away (yes, Mom, I still refuse to use them for gravy) but you can also save them for making the gravy. Some people cook the neck alongside the turkey, but I never have. Whether or not you choose to truss your turkey is up to you. “Trussing” is the practice of tying the legs and wings down compacting them against the body of the bird. Most of our grandmother’s did this and it does create a much more attractive cooked turkey. Now that I rambled on about how cool it is to truss your turkey, I am going to tell you that many chefs today recommend not trussing the bird at all. When you compact the bird this way, it takes longer to cook all the way through the leg joints. This increases the risk of the breast meat drying out. Most of the time, I’d rather have the turkey all sprawled out and perfectly cooked versus looking picture perfect. Wash the turkey, inside and out with cold water. Pat it dry with paper towels. You can use whatever seasonings you prefer at this point to season the bird. I usually rub the turkey with butter, tucking some little pats inside the breast skin. Then sprinkle spices generously on the outside of the bird and rub them in a bit. Sage, garlic, salt and pepper are often used for this. Place the turkey in a roasting pan, preferably one with a rack, and tent it well with foil. I always pour 4 cups of water into the bottom of my pan and I never baste my turkey through the cooking process. I usually cook mine (average size 15-16 lbs) at 325 for about 4 hours. As a general rule, 15 minutes per lb of turkey usually gets the job done. The more fre-

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quently you open the oven door and check the turkey, the longer it will take. Oven temperatures vary though and after about 3 hours, I always start checking the temperature. The real goal of cooking any turkey is to not dry out your bird. There isn’t a secret, there isn’t a magic trick, simple use a thermometer and remove your bird when the thigh meat reaches 170 degrees or the breast meat reaches 160 degrees. The temperature will continue to rise as the turkey rests on the counter. The goal temperatures are 175 for the thighs and 165 for the breasts. Following this rule has never failed to produce moist and flavorful breast meat. That is the most important part, right? ( I actually prefer mine without the gravy, but it looked naked in the original picture. So, here you see it fulled dressed in gravy. A turkey should never be so dry that it requires gravy in order to be eaten!) Always test whether the meat is done by using the thermometer. Never cut through the meat to check the color. I can’t tell you how many meals I dried out by cutting into perfectly cooked meats and letting all of the juices flow out into the pan or onto the cutting board. If you do no have a thermometer, you can spear the breast with a sharp knife and make sure the juices run out clear and not pink. However, you should be extra careful not to actually cut open the breast too much as you are checking this way, or you will dry out a portion of it. Once you remove the turkey from the oven, let it rest for at least 15-20 minutes. If you do not do this, the juices from the turkey will run out and result in a dry bird. Plus, you are very likely to scald yourself with the burning hot juices! When your turkey is carved and you are sitting down to a great meal that you have created for your family and guests, Enjoy! You have earned it!

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Stuffed Apples A Delicious Desert that will make your home smell Festive Piping hot, tender apples, filled with dried fruit and soft pecans, baked with brown sugar and spices; this was an excellent dessert that didn’t heat up the house or require more than a few minutes of effort on my part. I baked the apples in the crock-pot this time. However, I’m including oven directions as well, if that is more your style.

Wash and core the apples, removing at least a 1” center in each apple. Set the apples on a plate. Stir together the dried fruit, pecans, brown sugar, salt and cardamom or cinnamon. Fill each apple with this mixture, packing it firmly into each apple.

CROCK-POT DIRECTIONS:

Stuffed Apples Yield: 4 servings

Place the filled apples in the bottom of the crock-pot. If you have a smaller crock-pot, you can raise a couple of the apples by sitting them on top of wadded up balls of foil in between the other two apples. (This is how I cooked ours this time.) Top each apple with a teaspoon of butter. Cover with lid and cook for about 2 hours on high, until the apples are fork tender. If you would like to cook on low, this should take 4-5 hours.

INGREDIENTS:

OVEN DIRECTIONS:

4 granny smith apples 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup raisins, light and dark work well 1/3 cup chopped pecans 1/3 cup of sunflower seeds (optional) 1/4 cup light brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon cardamom or cinnamon 4 teaspoons butter

Serve each apple with a dollop of Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream or a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Milk or Ice Cream, if desired. Enjoy!

I’ve made Cinnnamon Baked Apples and Brown Sugar Cinnamon Applesauce in the Crock-pot many times, but this was the first time I tried stuffing them. I loved the way all of the different flavors combined and my kids went nuts over these apples.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the filled apples in a muffin tray. Top each apple with a teaspoon of butter. Bake until fork tender, about 20 minutes.

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Cranberry Apple Coleslaw Ingredients • 8 cups shredded cabbage (we like to use a bagged shredded cabbage blend with carrots) • 1/2 cup dried cranberries • 1 large apple chopped (or 2 medium size apples - granny smith or your favorite apple) • 1 cup Marzetti® Original Slaw Dressing (or make your own, see link to copycat Marzetti Slaw Dressing recipe below) • Walnuts (optional)

Directions In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix until well coated. Chill in fridge for approximately one hour. Enjoy!

Variations • Try using half shredded cabbage and half broccoli slaw it’s wonderful. • If you don’t have cranberries on hand, substitute with dried cherries or raisins. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal with Walnuts Add some spice to your breakfast with this recipe

With all the flavors of pumpkin pie stirred into a creamy bowl of oatmeal, this quick and easy breakfast is my current favorite oatmeal. (It’s hard to beat a hot breakfast that can be on the table in less than 15 minutes!) I couldn’t resist topping our bowls with a swirl of freshly whipped cream to make it even more like pumpkin pie. The whole family enjoyed this oatmeal and the kids have requested this again every single day this week; I think I’m safe to say that it is a hit. Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal with Walnuts Yield: 5-6 servings

INGREDIENTS: 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats 2 cups water 2 cups milk 1 cup pumpkin puree 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Optional topping: walnuts or whipped cream

DIRECTIONS: Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook over medium low heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring constantly until the oatmeal has thickened. Remove from the heat, portion into serving bowls and top with whipped cream. Enjoy! cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Cranberry Christmas Cake A few weeks ago, my friend Valerie made this to share with friends. The moment I tasted it, I asked for the recipe. Tart cranberries, sweet buttery cake and a fantastic texture all combined to basically beg me to eat another piece. This is an absolutely perfect cake that takes very little effort to make. No icing, no topping, nothing else is necessary at all. It was reminiscent to me of a coffeecake in texture, but much lighter than the typical heavy version. This might be the only cake I’ve ever tasted that basically screams holidays to me. It is pure heaven to eat. I made nine different desserts for a Thanksgiving event and this was my absolute favorite, by far. While I sent almost all the other leftover sweets home with friends and family, I saved two small pieces of this just for myself. I also picked up two more bags of cranberries, so that I will be able to enjoy this cake throughout the coming year!

Cranberry Christmas Cake INGREDIENTS: 3 eggs 2 cups sugar 3/4 cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour 12 oz fresh cranberries

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar until slightly thickened and light in color, about 5-7 minutes. The mixture should almost double in size. The eggs work as your leavening agent in this recipe, so do not skip this step. This mixture should form a ribbon when you lift the beaters out of the bowl. Add the butter and vanilla; mix two more minutes. Stir in the flour until just combined. Add the cranberries and stir to mix throughout. Spread in a buttered 9x13 pan. Bake for 4050 minutes, or until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. (I baked mine for 43 minutes.) Let cool completely before cutting into small slices. I cut mine into fairly small pieces, about 1”x 2”, so that they could be easily eaten at a party. Enjoy!

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This is an absolutely perfect cake that takes very little effort to make. cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Models: Allexis Amsden & Shyloh Moore Photo by: EMBREE (Sarah Embree) Stylist: Iced by Jennifer Jones

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Ashland Kentuckyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Festival of Trees and Trains

Photo by: Rebecca Stillwell cinamagic dec 2013 - jan 2014

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Model: Serena Ashlyn Pony: Sir Dudley Do Ride Photo by: Conceptions Photography