Girl Clown Dancing
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

Favorites

11/27/2018

18 Comments

 
Picture
As the days grow shorter and the nights colder, I'm reminded of what makes me happy, no matter what the season.     
 
Here are three of my favorites right now.

 * Whenever I’m feeling cynical, I head for The New York Times Vows column. 
 
While reporting weddings has been around since the paper’s original issue, in 1851, the publication took a radical turn
in the early 1990s. 
 
That’s when traditional wedding stories—those select few that only profiled couples from blue blood lineage and
old world money—were substituted with very different copy.
 
In its place, the column shifted to weddings about firefighters, office workers, teachers and even a homeless couple. When same sex marriage became legal, the Times also became the first major newspaper in the country to publish notices of gay marriage. 
 
But no matter who’s featured, the emphasis is on the back story.  So besides ceremony details, Vows reports on how
a couple met; their courtship, and the predictable stumbling blocks before reaching the altar.  
 
One of my favorites is the story of Colleen Ryan and David Cleary.  Unaware that they had worked in the same building for five years, and against the laws of probability, the two kept seeing each other for months on buses, in restaurants and in bagel shops.  Finally, suddenly alone in an elevator, they introduced themselves.  I also adored reading about Maureen Sherry and Steven Klinsky, who met one rainy night when Klinsky looked out of the window of a Manhattan cab and ordered the driver to stop after seeing Sherry walking down the sidewalk in tears.  And then there’s 98-year-old Gertrude Mokotoff and 94-year-old Alvin Mann, who met at the gym.
 
Love is love, and Vows keeps my faith in its magic.
 
www.nytimes.com/column/vows
​


 * When I start to think that people don't read books anymore, I remember the Little Free Library movement.
 
It began quietly, a little more than a decade ago, in Wisconsin. 
 
That’s when Todd Bol built a model of a red one-room schoolhouse with a white roof and bell tower, filled it with books and put it on a post in his front yard. A bit larger than a birdhouse, Bol came up with the idea as a tribute to his mother, a schoolteacher who loved to read.  Bol’s neighbors and friends quickly embraced the idea, so he made several more and gave them all away. 
 
It wasn’t very long after that friend Rick Brooks began talking to Bol about ways to expand the idea.
 
Brooks pointed out the positive impact of community gift-sharing networks, especially focusing on the free “take a book, leave a book” collections available at so many coffee houses.  As their conversations continued, Bol and Brooks kept creating and giving away Little Library houses, engraving each with official charter numbers; small grants and informal partnerships helped keep up with the demand.  
 
Then, in 2011, the Little Free Library attracted national media attention.  The growth was astonishing after that: one year later, there were 4,000 Little Free Libraries in neighborhoods across the country.  In 2015, The Little Free Library Book, with chapters detailing the non-profit’s mission, history and instructions for establishing one’s own Little Free Library, was published by Coffee House Press.     
 
Here in my little beach town, there are five Little Free Libraries within a mile of each other; I’m sure there are many more I haven’t found. 
 
Some are simple wooden boxes; others are splashed with rainbows and decorative writing.  Some have mostly children’s books; others are stuffed with adult novels. I’ve borrowed a book or two, especially liking the fact that I can keep one as long as I want (even forever, but I hope no one does).  I’ve also contributed paperbacks that I no longer need; I like the idea of someone in my community having the chance to enjoy them.  
 
Todd Bol passed away last month. 
 
But in his final days, Bol remained dedicated to the mission of the Little Free Library.  
 
“I really believe in a Little Free Library on every block and a book in every hand,” he said.  “I believe people can
fix their neighborhoods, fix their communities, develop a system of sharing, learn from each other, and see that
they have a better place on this planet to live.”
 
https://littlefreelibrary.org/


​* If you were around in the 1970s and loved great television comedy, you stayed home every Saturday night. You had to—because that’s when The Mary Tyler Moore Show came on. 
 
Moore—only a few years from playing Dick Van Dyke’s stay-at-home wife Laura Petrie—starred as Mary Richards,
a 30something, independent woman who moved to Minneapolis and found work as a news producer at fictional WJM-TV.  A central female character who wasn’t married; dependent on a man, and not a virgin was a rarity then, and viewers lapped it up. 
 
But the other characters, realistic and complex as well, made the show shine, too.   
 
For those actors who played them, the roles meant instant fame and for many, their first steady paychecks. 
Edward Asner was Richards’ boss Lou Grant; Valerie Harper played neighbor Rhoda Morgenstern, and Ted Knight
was dim bulb news anchor Ted Baxter. Stars of the future, including Henry Winkler, Bruce Boxleitner and
Peter Strauss, showed up in small, one-time only parts.  And while the show was a comedy, topics included
infertility, divorce and addiction. 
 
I was a sophomore in high school when The Mary Tyler Moore Show premiered, and I never missed an episode. 
Mary Richards’ life, one of dinner parties, interesting men and a satisfying job, was something I wanted to have, too.  But I also loved Richards’ vulnerability—best seen in my favorite episode, Put on A Happy Face, where everything that can go wrong does go wrong in the course of one week.  
 
Watching today, there’s also a certain quaintness about the show.  Richards used a manual typewriter, and the newsroom’s archives are all stored, in alphabetical order, in cream colored file folders.  Of course, there was no Internet, microwaves or voice mail.  Nonetheless, the show still resonates, and more often than not, has me laughing
out loud. 
 
All of the seasons are available on Hulu, but most of the episodes can also be viewed free on YouTube.    
 
www.hulu.com/series/the-mary-tyler-moore-show-00122c74-2b9f-451c-8cfd-8d130fcb10d6
 
 
What makes you happy these days?   
​
18 Comments
Susan Jordan
11/27/2018 09:54:46 pm

Nice entry! I never knew until now about the NYT Vows section. That's cool. My neighbor three doors up has a makeshift LFL wannabe, and I've been a receiver AND contributor several times. They're a wonderful contribution to our culture. As for The Mary Tyler Moore Show...I was an avid fan from start to finish, even though I was only around 5 or 6 when it premiered. I cried (and laughed) at the series finale too ("It's A Long Way To Tipperary"!). What a show! Mary was like a family friend to me, she spent so many Saturday evenings at my house, lol. (Her and Bob and Emily. :) ) I'm trying to think of what makes me feel better in this world of ours. Hmmm...

Reply
Hilary A Grant
11/27/2018 10:26:15 pm

Vows will make your heart soar--guaranteed feel good stories! I honestly don't know how many "official" LFLs there are--I think that in many cases, people now just build them w/out going through the official organization. I'd like to do one myself, sooner than later, but I think I'd got through the non-profit because that just feels more "right." And yes, the MTM Show has been rated one of the 101 Best Written TV Series of All Time. It all worked--the casting, the subject matter, the storylines. Finally, thank you, Susan, for being a loyal Girl Clown Dancing fan. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it... I write GCD for me, but I also love knowing that folks are reading it, too! :)

Reply
Susan Jordan
11/29/2018 01:27:02 pm

🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂!

Steve Brown
11/28/2018 07:30:03 am

Hi Hillary, thanks for this thoughtful and enjoyable blog. And especially for bringing Vows to my attention... I am a sucker for tales of how the swirling karmic currents bring 2 people together!

Reply
Hilary A Grant
11/28/2018 09:54:17 am

I am, too! I didn't have the space to mention that Vows features ceremonies that go well beyond the confines of New York City. The column regularly covers ceremonies in many other states, and sometimes, in other countries. Also, the paper allows non-subscribers 10 free articles per month; you may have to subscribe if you get hooked. It's well worth it, though!

Reply
Larry Grant
11/28/2018 08:16:39 am

A fun read! I love the LFLs too. They add something special to the soul of a neighborhood. I like it that Vows is not just for "blue bloods" anymore. Regarding MTM, I was aware of the show, but it seems I missed most of 70's TV. I was finishing college, starting a career and a family. Television was not a part of my everyday life. We owned one. A rebuilt purchased from a local repair shop.

Reply
Hilary A Grant
11/28/2018 09:55:50 am

I agree about the LFLs--I always love it when I see a new one pop up! Also wondering: do TV repair shops even exist anymore? :) xo

Reply
leslie spoon
11/28/2018 11:08:47 am

I think that the little free libraries are great. It is good to see them popping up around town

Reply
Hilary A Grant
11/28/2018 11:53:56 am

Yup! Larry wrote that they provide soul to a neighborhood, and I couldn't agree more. I read Wild, by Cheryl Strayed, thanks to the LFL in front of Baywood Market. :)

Reply
Cindy Rs link
11/28/2018 04:10:09 pm

The best Little Lending Library that I have found in Los Osos so far is the one at Naked Sea Cafe on 2nd St (aka Noi and Doi's 2nd Street Cafe). If I want any of their delicious Thai food, I have to first find a book to donate because I know I will find an amazing book to borrow in their library. One day I will build my own LFL/LLL.

Reply
Hilary A Grant
11/28/2018 07:12:12 pm

OH! I'll have to check that one out. Thank you!

Reply
Rebecca
11/29/2018 02:46:04 pm

Mary Tyler Moore, free books and love stories ... three things to cherish!

Reply
Hilary A Grant
11/29/2018 07:15:41 pm

Exactly! The political landscape is filled with mines everywhere... but these are three things I can count on to make me smile. : )

Reply
Andrea Peck
12/12/2018 10:11:10 pm

Sweet love stories! But, I will always have this sort of odd awe for Mary Tyler Moore---her life seemed so different than mine. Even from a young age I wondered about her, maybe worried about her---in that big city.

Little Free Libraries are awesome! I keep finding new ones and I think the variety in each library makes each one worth investigating.

Reply
Hilary Grant
12/20/2018 07:26:01 pm

Interesting. I never worried about MTM because her life seemed very glamourous to me--cute apartment, exciting job and loyal friends. W/out hitting viewers over the head, the show was also about the *choice* to remain single... an option not explored much, certainly not in a lead character, on TV before. But it's also funny (although not haha funny) that during the entire run of the series, the real MTM was married. :)

Reply
Kerri Ann Fisher
12/27/2018 05:02:17 pm

I'm so glad you asked...
my family, including my pets
tv in general
food in general
time off

Reply
Hilary A Grant
12/27/2018 09:54:43 pm

I have access to HBO, Netflix and Hulu now via Roku, and am enjoying lots of TV shows I haven't had access to in years past. And yes, FOOD for sure! : )

Reply
Hilary A Grant
1/13/2019 12:41:42 pm

I **love** this newest LFL!

https://www.demilked.com/110-year-old-tree-library/?fbclid=IwAR3ICBMvsz5BobhlYgyP6-jQT9SwmQd0RaokZKk5UO_ENmK-Dg5LpdnkV24

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Hilary Roberts Grant

    Journalist, editor, filmmaker, foodie--and a clown! 
    ​

    Categories

    All
    Activism
    Blogaversaries
    Doing It Right
    Food
    Holidays
    Living Life
    Miscellany
    My Girl
    People
    Reading
    Remembering
    Taking Care
    Traveling

    Archives

    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.