Happy Holidays

Before I start this week I want to go back to finish a thought I had last week regarding the theatre... I remember lighting a show once and we used fully loaded chalk board erasers and clapped them together from the catwalk over the stage and the falling dust was caught and appeared almost suspended in the blue downlight... it was such a beautiful and magical illusion. It's made me take a few minutes to think about how much the theatre and film is illusion... but also in a way magical... the difference between the two is what is frozen in time from a performance and edited in film is a world apart from what is seen by an audience live in one moment in time.

I thought of all this because I used to be a contract player at one of the studios and part of the package was when not working on a film I gave studio tours to tourists and the like taking them behind the scenes of the studio and explaining some of the magic. Many did  not like some of the illusions that were shattered while others appreciated the knowledge of how movies and television programs are made...

Sometimes an actor is not in a boat in the middle of the ocean but in a shallow pond with an ocean backdrop while filming...

But the one thing that everyone seemed to love was visiting the 'Bates House'

and 'The Bates Motel' (I'm told it's still the highlight of the tour)

There is a lot of magic in life if we are open to seeing it and appreciating it... as I said before I think this time of year is one of the most magical and wonderful times of the year... I almost titled this weeks entry as 'Holiday Magic' only to be reminded when I tried that I actually used that last year.

(Holiday Magic) As I explained I always have a lot on my plate this time of year... the holiday cards are in the mail but I have things to bake and a list of traditions and preparations in getting ready for my anniversary, Hanukkah and a party we attend on 24, December and a whole list of other fun things and people... so I'll be taking the next few weeks off attending to the holidays... 

 I came across a vintage blurb about Joan Crawford and entertaining...

I know people from all over the world but I don't have any friends in Brussels... but I once gave a party that was so good and got so out of control someone called the police... and when they got off duty they came back to the party... that's how good that party was...

Whatever you do or don't do this time of year... remember a little something someone told me a long time ago... Every person plays a central role in the story of their life and in the history of the world... there are always certain things that decent people do by instinct without thinking about whether is the right thing to do or not. If it's not the right thing to do you may loose some sleep about it and in the blue hours between midnight and morning may lie the answers for the day and how to conduct your life and future choices.

Mele Kalikimaka...

and... Hau'oli Hanukaha!... Whatever you celebrate go out and make some holiday magic you will remember for the rest of your life. I'll see you at the end of the month when I'll be writing about some of the New Year traditions from around the world.