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Saturday 30 August 2014

Introduction of H

Our relatives in Zeeland cannot pronounce the "H", just like the French. This reminds me of the poor flower girl Eliza in "My Fair Lady", who was to be the student of professor Henry Higgins, or Enry Iggins, as Eliza calls him.

"My Fair Lady" (Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe, 1964) is one of my favourite musicals, especially the performance with Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle. Of course you know that the story is derived from the well-known play Pygmalion written by G.B.Shaw (1856 -1950).

She is very angry with Henry Higgins for he bullies her, and doesn't allow her to go to bed and sleep. She is sooo tired...She sings:



Album: My Fair Lady
Just you wait, 'enry 'iggins, just you wait!
You'll be sorry, but your tears'll be to late!
You'll be broke, and I'll have money;
Will I help you? Don't be funny!
Just you wait, 'enry 'iggins, just you wait!
Just you wait, 'enry 'iggins, till you're sick,
And you scream to fetch a doctor double-quick.
I'll be off a second later And go straight to the the-ater!
Oh ho ho, 'enry 'iggins, just you wait!
Ooooooh 'enry 'iggins!
Just you wait until we're swimmin' in the sea!
Ooooooh 'enry 'iggins!
And you get a cramp a little ways from me!
When you yell you're going to drown I'll get dressed
and go to town! Oh ho ho, 'enry 'iggins!
Oh ho ho, 'enry 'iggins! Just you wait!
One day I'll be famous! I'll be proper and prim;
Go to St. James so often I will call it St. Jim!
One evening the king will say:
"Oh, Liza, old thing,
I want all of England your praises to sing.
Next week on the twentieth of May
I proclaim Liza Doolittle Day!
All the people will celebrate the glory of you
And whatever you wish and want I gladly will do."
"Thanks a lot, King" says I, in a manner well-bred;
But all I want is 'enry 'iggins 'ead!"
"Done," says the King with a stroke.
"Guard, run and bring in the bloke!"
Then they'll march you, 'enry 'iggins to the wall;
And the King will tell me: "Liza, sound the call."
As they lift their rifles higher, I'll shout:
"Ready! Aim! Fire!"
Oh ho ho, 'enry 'iggins,
Down you'll go, 'enry 'iggins!
Just you wait!


In the scene where Eliza is practicing her "H's", she sits down in front of a spinning mirror attached to a flame. Every time she says her "H's" correctly, the flame jumps. If you look closely at the paper she is holding in her hand when it catches fire, you will see handwritten upon it the dialog that she and Professor Higgins have been saying previous to this. "Of course, you can't expect her to get it right the first time," is the first line written on the paper.

Eliza Doolittle as a cockney flower girl.

Eliza as a student of professor Henry Higgins

Eliza is at last  a fair Lady




The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!

The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!


Henry Higgins

In Hartford, Hereford, and Hampshire...?

Eliza

Hurricanes hardly happen

How kind of you to let me come!

Henry

Now once again, where does it rain?

Eliza

On the plain! On the plain!

Henry

And where's that blasted plain?

Eliza

In Spain! In Spain!


The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!

The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!



 If you want to participate in the ABC Wednesday meme, please don't forget to refer to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.And put  the logo in the sidebar  or in your post itself. This week we are looking for words beginning with H.

Wil, ABCW Team

 



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Monday 25 August 2014

G is for Green

Unsurprisingly, one of my favorite colors is GREEN. But WHICH green am I talking about? There are many shades of green. All of them! (OK, MOST of them.)

I like that being GREEN means being environmentally aware. I'm forever finding bottles to recycle, if not return. There is even a GREEN Party in New York State, and other parts of the world.

GREEN means GO, a great affirmation.

Of course, GREEN has some negative connotations as well.

It conveys the idea of something, or someone, not mature, deficient in training or sophistication or experience.

Worse, it suggests one of the seven deadly sins, as in green with envy, the green-eyed monster.

Still, lots of great songs that start with GREEN (all linked; chart numbers from Billboard (US) Top 100).

Green, Green - New Christy Minstrels (#14 in 1963)

Green, Green Grass of Home - Tom Jones (#11 in 1967)

Green Onions - Booker T and the MGs (#3 in 1962)

Green River - Creedence Clearwater Revival (#2 in 1969)

Green Tambourine - the Lemon Pipers (#1 in 1968)



Monday 18 August 2014

F is for FAIRY tale

Once upon a time, there was a FINE FIRECRACKER of a woman named Denise from the FARAWAY land of England, who had a FANCIFUL idea for a blog FRAMEWORK. What if she FACILITATED a place where people could FOCUS their FLIGHTS of FANCY, alphabetically? It would not matter if the FILINGS were FACTUAL or FACETIOUS or FICTITIOUS, even FOTOS. And it was so.

Eventually, though, our FOUNTAINHEAD became FATIGUED by the FRANTIC task of FORMATTING introductions, FIELDING questions and other FUNCTIONS. She FEARED that the FORMULA she FUELED might FAIL, and needed to FIND a FLOCK of FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS who could FREE her FROM some of the FRENZY, FAST. And it was so.

FLASH FORWARD: the FABLED ABCW FEDERATION is now FLOURISHING in its eighth year, an amazing FEAT; time FLIES when you're having FUN. This FIESTA has been FEASIBLE because you FEARLESSLY FIND new FELLOWS and FEMALES to FOLLOW on the Linky, and in doing so FORGE a FAMILIARITY, a FONDNESS, even FRIENDSHIP with FOLKS you haven't even FANCIED in person. This has a FINE, FAR-REACHING effect on the world, I am FOOLISH enough to FEEL.

I FIGURE it's only FAIR, not to mention FASHIONABLE, that you provide some FEEDBACK to at least a FRACTION of those visiting you. Don't FORGET!

So now it's time to FIRE up your FOUNTAIN pens, and FEARLESSLY (FANATICALLY?) FAVOR us with a FEW FRESH ideas. Or FERMENTED ones; we're not that FUSSY.

Thanks for being a part of the FANTASTIC ABC Wednesday FAMILY, now and in the FUTURE.

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Monday 11 August 2014

E is for EVANS

I have a new name!  Yes, on May 1st I became Mrs. Evans and I just thought I'd reintroduce myself.  Have you ever wondered what your name means? Well, my new surname means "son of Evan," so I had to go and check out the name Evan.  It's Welsh for John and means (1) "one who is awesome beyond contemplation, (2) so good looking that one is attractive to every female present and at least one guy present, and (3) to be incredibly smart."  I think I picked a doubly good one since husband's parents gave him the middle name of Evan.
From http://www.houseofnames.com/evans-coat-of-arms Evans was "first founded in Herefordshire from very ancient times...before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William in Hastings in 1066.
This is the Evans family crest which I like very much!
In my research about the name Evans, I found a piece about its connection to the famous King Arthur.  From the same link as above, it says that "Writers and historians have long been divided ... on the truth of Arthur, the great Welsh king of Britain.  Although many now think that there is some truth underlying the many varied accounts, the hard facts surrounding Arthur's reign are almost completely obscured in a mist of myths and legends." 
 
So...on my mother's side, there is speculation that I may be the great granddaughter of a Scottish Lord (albeit born on the wrong side of the blanket) and could it possibly be that my new husband comes from the family of King Arthur? 
 
You may call me Lady Evans now.  Curtsies graciously accepted. 
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Tuesday 5 August 2014

D is for........Darlings...MY Darlings.


This is moi, Denise greeting YOU the DARLINGS of ABC Wednesday. I greet you from a sunny North Yorkshire here in UK. Outside my hens are awaiting their breakfast, following their early morning DUSTBATH


inside my dog Sadie is at my feet


and a little drive away my husband,



the wonderful engineer is beavering away in his workshop, keeping british industry going.

With him is Bing our other german shepherd......



waiting for 10 o'clock when I call for him and together with Sadie we go for our daily run about on the beach.



That's my DAY off to a start....what about you?
Denise ABC founder and proud team member!