The Wonder of Disney

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I got to spend the week after Christmas in California. My family and I went to Disneyland for New Years Eve (WAY CROWDED!!) and then watched the Rose Parade in person on New Years Day. It was great fun, and if you haven't had the chance to see Disneyland dressed for Christmas, you really should go. (I know, that's easier said than done for most of us who count the pennies.)

Anyway, the trip gave me lots of material for blogs, and that's what your going to be hearing about for probably the next month! This first one, I wanted to talk about Walt Disney a little bit.


This man was truly ahead of his time. Disneyland was the first amusement park in the world! I never knew that. There is a web site that has lots of information on Mr. Disney, with a section full of quotes he said during his life. I'm going to share some of them through this blog. The first one (since I went there) is about Disneyland:

"To all that come to this happy place: welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America... with hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world."

I have been to Disneyland before, but for some reason, I hadn't fully appreciated it. Perhaps I have a different perspective now, but for whatever the reason, I was really impressed. My son, when we were finished watching a fireworks/water show special called "Fantasmic" (which was basically a combination of Fantasia and several other Disney movies -- really amazing being shown on water sprays) turned to me and said, "That's what Disneyland is all about. Imagination."

He's right. Mr. Disney wanted to foster the imagination of all, the creative ability in all of us. He helped found a school in California, the California Institute of the Arts. This is a quote about the school:

"I want people to graduate from there really able to do things. I don't want a lot of theorists. I want to have a school that turns out people that know all the facts of filmaking, I want them to be capable of doing anything needed to make a film-photograph it, direct it, design it, animate it, record it, whatever. That's what I want. Heck, I've hired theorists, and they don't have any knowledge I can use. I want to have everyone in that school come out capable of going in and doing a job. These dilettantes who come out with pseudo-knowledge, they give me a pain. I want it so if an actor is needed, they can get an actor right out of school. If a musician is needed, they can go to the music department and find a musicians who can compose music."

I think in today's world of so many computers and electronic media, sometimes our imagination takes back stage to what is happening. Our children don't spend much time outside playing, thinking up games, imagining a world. They spend more time in front of TV, video games, or computer screens.

Personally, our children didn't have access to video games until last summer, and then it has been extremely limited. We fostered their imagination, their creativity. (Well, as much as I could...I'm not saying I'm perfect.) I was thrilled to see my son recognize that there was merit in imagination and the fostering of it.

Art is based on imagination and the ability to create. Most of us have some kind of ability within us to do something -- we just have to find out what it is.

"When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do. And one thing it takes to accomplish something is courage."

The more I read about the man, and the more I see what he accomplished, the more impressed I become. I realize he wasn't perfect -- but he sure did a lot to promote artistic endeavor even if it was in the entertainment field.

"Movies can and do have tremendous influence in shaping young lives in the realm of entertainment towards the ideals and objectives of normal adulthood."

If only more people understood that thought. And, the moral obligations that follow. It reminds me of the outtakes from Pirates of the Caribbean. There's a scene where Jack Sparrow is talking with the guy from the West Indies Trading Company, and they make a mistake. He swears, but they bleep it out and Johnny Depp tells him, "You can't swear in a Disney film, mate."

"Laughter is America's most important export."

If only everyone felt that way. It would be a far cleaner and kinder world.

Thanks Walt, for what you did to further imagination and dreams of old and young.

Return to the Neighborhood.

And while you're there, subscribe to our fantastic newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, our newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world—all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

Neighborhood Newsletter Subscriptions are FREE, and joining is easy.

The Nutcracker

Another one of my favorite things about Christmas and art, is the Nutcracker. My goal is to make it to one of the live productions one year. It doesn't even have to be in the center front -- just somewhere that I have a good view.

I make my family suffer through the dollar DVD I purchased a couple of years ago, since I can never find the one with Baryshnikov. sigh. I figure he's the best there ever was...

Ballet is an art form in and of itself, though I find that the costumes are usually too...skin tight. So, I guess in that way I'm not a true fan of Ballet. Oh well...grin.

I think Ballet is amazing though -- I was going to learn it when I was a little girl. I remember asking my dad for ballet slippers. Everyone gave me that look...you know when you're a chubby kid and ask for something that a slim and graceful child would get? sigh. So, I got that look a lot. I didn't get the slippers either, but I did get a box for them...go figure.

Anyway, the Nutcracker is my favorite Ballet. It's probably the only ballet I've ever seen, but it's still my favorite. In looking up the information on it, I discovered that there are a couple of different versions. I was hoping I would find out the first or original one, but there isn't such a thing. Each version depended (apparently) on the king or ruler of the land at the time. I had no idea it was so politically involved.



All I can say is that if you love ballet, you'll love this. My favorite part is where the dramatics are all over and they're in the princes kingdom, and they are watching performances of different dances. I especially love the oriental dance (I don't know if it's Chinese or Japanese...)with the fans. That's amazing. I also love the Russian dance.

If you haven't had a chance to see it or watch it this year, go rent it and give it a try. There's a version with McCauley Caulkin in it, but I don't think it's very good. Baryshnikov's the best.

Hope you had a marvelous (and safe) Christmas!!

Return to the Neighborhood

Merry Christmas

It's my privilege to write, my privilege to blog. Sometimes I really enjoy it, sometimes it's a pain. This week it's crazy, next week is insane, but that's life and you roll with it.

The world of art is a large and many varied thing -- many colors, many moods, many views. I'm sure I only cover a small percentage of what is out there and called art, but I do my best. I hope you enjoy my thoughts and reflections on the subject.

Today's blog is going to be read on Christmas day (that's if anyone goes online and reads blogs on Christmas day...there's so many other things to do) and so I felt that it was time to reflect and to send my wishes out over the internet across the computers of the world. (That's to the whole 5 who consistently read my blog...grin)

There's a lovely song out called My Grown up Christmas Wish. Since I don't really remember writing Santa or having Christmas wishes when I was a child, I figure it's okay for me to have them as an adult. The song's lyrics are much more altruistic than my thoughts -- but bear with me.

My first wish is that there was enough money for everyone. Enough money so I could finish remodeling my house and be out of debt -- for all my family, neighbors and friends to be out of debt. For there to be no homeless -- no one loosing their homes...

My second wish would be that there could be peace. Peace between family members, neighbors, opposite political views, nations and countries. We all inhabit this planet and all depend on it's resources -- you'd think we could stop being spoiled and greedy and get along. But then, I don't think most of us are mature enough. Grin.

My third wish would be that we could all celebrate Christmas in a wonderful magical way. Sometimes Christmas is an exciting time, full of magic and lights and joy. Sometimes it's cluttered with lists and responsibilities and obligations that sap the joy out. I would wish for you to have the Christmas you dream of.

For me, that would be my house is clean and decorated, my children are healthy and home, we have just the right amount of presents for everyone, and they all LIKE them. We have loads of food, (I cook it all the day before or spread out during the day) what everyone likes, and enough to share. And I would have guests...people who want to come to my house to share in our joy and love. sigh.

That would be my perfect Christmas.

And the highlight of our Christmas, is the reading of the birth of our Savior. The chapters in Mark and Luke that give us the information of how wonderful our Lord was to come to earth for us in such humble circumstances. The willingness of his young mother to go through this experience.

I share my testimony with you this day -- I know my Savior lives. I know He was born and lived and died for me and for you. I know He loves me with an eternal, all encompassing love that never changes, doesn't depend on my actions, and is long suffering for all my sins. He shows me this every day of my life.

Thank you for sharing your day with me. I wish you the best and most wonderful Christmas ever.



Hark the Herald Angels Sing....Glory to the newborn KING.


Return to the Neighborhood.

Christmas in the Air

There was a time when I was grumpy about how early Christmas seemed to come to the stores. It seemed that as soon as Halloween was over, everyone was stuffing their shelves with Christmas items, and people were starting to play Christmas music. As the years have gone on, this has moved farther and farther up into the year, until -- as in this past year for example -- you could find things as early as August. School hadn't even started yet!

This year I discovered music stations had started playing Christmas music the first of November. I couldn't believe it. Hello...Thanksgiving hadn't even come yet! At first I lived in denial -- I didn't want to hear it, didn't want to think about it. Christmas was still weeks away, and I didn't want to get too excited about it.

Then, as the month wore on and the economic outlook of our country started to look grim, I realized we needed the earlier Christmas. In many ways (important ones) Christmas is not about the shopping, giving or receiving of presents. It's about the season and the feeling it gives us.

I think people recognize that we need it more than ever this year. As I realized this, I grew excited to hear the songs on the radio...looked forward to Thanksgiving and the days after when we start decorating our house and listening to Christmas music in our home.

Interestingly enough -- or should I say rightly enough -- Christmas is about Christ. The feelings of good will, charity and generosity, family and greater patience with others, come from the light of Christ that is in all of us. For some reason people feel more of it this time of year, and it's easier to find a smile, kind word and courteous act.

Many of us have a picture of the perfect Christmas in our head. Sometimes it involves a gift, but usually it's a memory of a family gathering or activity such as sledding down a snowy hill, having a snowball fight, gathered around the piano singing carols, sitting around the table drinking hot chocolate. Many of us picture those perfect Christmas cards of Victorian times, where the women are wrapped in furs and the men are dashing and gallant.

In future blogs for December, I'm going to talk about different types of art involved with Christmas and how it brings us closer to the season. But for now, I just wanted to expound on the season and the feelings.

The biggest thing that seemed to hit me this year, was the feeling of hope. Christmas brings us the feelings of hope that we felt as children. It's not the hope that we'll get all the material things we want, but the hope that things will be happy. Our families will be healthy, our bills will be paid, our jobs remain secure, and we will have special times together.

It has nothing to do with presents or the outward trappings of the season, though I think the decorations add greatly to the feelings. I feel is the most important thing Dr. Seuse ever said in How the Grinch Stole Christmas:

"Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store."
"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

I hope that in the coming weeks, the feeling of hope permeates your home. The spirit of the season -- the joy that Christ brings to our lives -- fills your family and heart with joy.

Return to the Neighborhood.