The Secret Garden, "Familiar Journey", a poem and 153, 154/365

The Secret Garden is a musical I had never heard of until about 7 years ago.  Of course I knew the book, I had read it out loud to my children.  My son auditioned for the Bay View Musical and landed the role of Colin.  The song "Lilly's Eyes" - in my opinion one of the strongest male duets EVER- (1:56 minutes into the video if you want to fast forward) still causes shivers to run up and down my spine.  The You-Tube video has clips of various songs and the original Broadway cast is featured (Mandy Patinkin - on the left!)  Do yourself a treat and buy the CD.

The following poem is for "The March Challenge" - daily reflections on a given topic.  Today's topic celebrates "Read Across America Day" so we are to reflect upon reading.  I made it a bit more specific with "The Secret Garden".  Below is a photo of my sweet "little" boy (how time flies!).  The two photos were not taken by me.  I also entered it in One Stop Poetry's "One Shot Wednesday".  Over 100 poems will be entered in this weekly sharing!

Familiar Journey

Flesh and blood; pulsating,
bringing beloved words to life.
Words, once read in a quiet corner,
vibrantly echoing from the stage.
Echos and settles upon the audience,
spellbound with emotion and longing.
Emotional tears, laughter and thrills ensue,
taking the heart on a journey once traversed
between the pages of a favorite book.

by Margaret Bednar - Art Happens 03/02/2011

My daily photo for the "365 Photographic Journey" & "The Sunday Creative".  The challenge word is "ritual".  I try to read him a book before bed every night.  He tries to get me to read many books before bed every night! ...

The next photo is for "Black & White Wednesday".  This little doggie hangs out at the horse farm at the end of our road.  I love how the sun creates a "halo" around him.  

Admirable Women - a poem, 152/365

Margaret Bednar's archival family photograph - early 1900's

Admirable Women


Post victorian women, 

sidesaddle adventurers,

educated and free.

Dared to partake, a bit,

in a man's world.

Exceptional individuals

who forged paths

 mostly forgotten now

except in sepia images,

looking old fashioned and quaint.

But look closely and you will see

energy, determination and spirit.

Three qualities still valued today.

by Margaret Bednar,
03/01/2011, Art Happens

For "In the Moment" Challenge
Please click to find out more about this monthly photography, art, poetry and writing challenge!

I also submitted it to One Stop Poetry's "One Shot Wednesday" Poetry forum - literally over one hundred poets tend to enter their work - it is quiet an array of talent!  I think this also fits in with "Poetry Potluck's" theme of "Idols, Role Models and Mentors"

The above is also my quick reflection loosely based on the theme "camping" for the "March Challenge".    The host noted that Yellowstone National Park was established on this day in 1872 and it sent me hunting for a shoebox of old photos.  My grandmother traveled from Northern Illinois with a group of friends when she was a young lady to I thought Yellowstone National Park.   I need to question my mother about this as I have numerous photos and post cards from early 1900 similar to the one above.  I plan on doing a future post about this.  My grandmother is front and center on the mule.

The photo is a picture taken in the "Garden of the Gods" in Colorado Springs, Co.  Click HERE to see google images of this amazing place.  I'm thinking this might be a formation known as "balanced rock".  The proportions are a bit off from what I can find on the website, but it has been over 100 years and maybe the elements have been at work.

In my very brief research, I found out that the song "America the Beautiful" was inspired by the beauty Katherine Lee Bates saw in 1893 while she journeyed in private wagon to the summit of Pikes Peak.   Katherine Lee Bates was a long-time professor at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, and lectured at the summer session at Colorado College.

* * * * *

My 1st and 3rd photos below are for today and tomorrow's "Movement in March".  The second is for "The Creative Exchange".  I remember sitting and enjoying the sun as my girls kayaked in the little pond.  They had just spent a day horseback riding at Boyne Highlands Resort - 20 minutes from where we used to live in Northern Michigan. 

I have been unable to carve out time to visit all my blog friends sites and it is killing me.  I hope to swing by and see what creative energies are flourishing out there this evening.