In Bucureştii de odinioară o casă boierească era o adevărată cetate, unde nici poliţia, nici justiţia domnească nu îndrăznea să intre, cu toate că un asemenea drept nu era înscris nicăieri. La trebuinţă, boierul închidea porţile şi putea să trăiască luni întregi cu familia sa şi cu oamenii casei, vreo optzeci, o sută, fără să aibă trebuinţă de cei din afară, întrucît avea hambarele şi cămările pline cu de toate.

Una dintre cele mai măreţe case ale vechiului Bucureşti, din prima jumătate a veacului al XVIII-lea, era cea a familiei Dudescului, considerată la acea vreme, fără îndoială, cea mai bogată din ţară. Iată cum descrie Ion Ghica, în ale sale Convorbiri economice, domeniile familiei Dudescu : „Cuprinsul lor începea de lîngă Sfinţii Apostoli şi mergea pînă în podul Calicilor, aproape de Antim ; cuprindea mai tot spaţiul dintre gîrlă şi dealul Spirii, locul unde este astăzi vestita mahalaua Dudescului, dar unde nu mai găseşti cea mai mică urmă de acea mărime, nici în zidire, nici în picior de om. Cel din urmă care a purtat acest nume a fost Vornicul Nicolae Dudescu, om de spirit şi învăţat : era nepot al lui Antioh Cantemir şi unchi dinspre muma poetului Iancu Vacarescu. Trimis la Paris, ca sa pledeze cauza romanilor, a stiut sa capteze atentiunea generalului Bonaparte si sa-l intereseze de soarta tarii noastre, pe generalul Sebastiani. Cu Vornicul Nicolae s-a stins şi numele şi colosala averea Dudeştilor.
Pînă acum vreo 50 de ani tot se mai vedea, în dreptul podului gîrlii dinspre strada Apolodor de astăzi, bolta unei porţi cu foişor, deasupra şi mai la stînga nişte mari dărîmături fără învelitoare, fără uşi, fără ferestre, care cădeau cărămidă cu cărămidă ; acelea fusese palatul Dudeştilor, în acele ruine locuia vestita Rădovancă, femeie chipeşă, căreia îi plăcea să-şi petreacă serile înconjurată de cucoane şi boieri. „Să fi turnat din cer cu găleata, să fi fost nemeţi de zăpadă cît casa cum bătea meterhaneaoa la vodă, la Rădovancă era bîlci”.

Dar după o noapte ca atîtea altele, nimeni n-a mai văzut-o pe Rădovancă. Unde a dispărut ?

,,Cine a putut crede vreodată că Rădovancă să fi murit ; nimeni n-a auzit jălind-o sau trăgîndu-i clopotele, nici un medic nu-şi aduce aminte s-o fi citit, nici un pantelimonesc din vremea aceea să-i fi fost săpat groapa…”
Pitoreasca povestire a lui Ion Ghica ne face şi o imagine a moravurilor şi năravurilor unei anumite părţi din lumea Bucureştilor de odinioară, dar nu încheie în totalitate istoria Rădovancăi. Pentru că însemnările mai tîrzii ale unui cronicar mai puţin cunoscut al vremii, pe nume Vanghelie Spornicu, cuprind cîteva lucruri care te pot pune pe gînduri. Din ele se desprinde ideea că Rădovancă, chipeşa femeie, fusese cuprinsă pare-se de fiorii dragostei celei de a doua tinereţi şi ar fi vrut să fugă în lume cu unul dintre arătoşii juni obişnuiţi ai casei.

Nurnai că nici unul din tinerii care ar fi putut face un asemenea pas nu dispăruse. Şi totuşi, de unde scorniseră gurile rele povestea cu fuga Rădovancăi ? Lucru sigur este că, odată cu dispariţia ei, nimeni n-a mai văzut şi n-a mai auzit ceva despre binecunoscuta-i casetă cu scumpe bijuterii şi despre săculeţii cu galbeni agonisiţi pe felurite căi de chivernisită proprietară a vechii case de pe malul gîrlei şi care fuseseră cu grijă ascunşi într-o tainiţă din zid. S-o fi omorît careva pe Rădovancă ?

Spune cronicarul că o bănuială ar fi căzut totuşi pe trei juni nelipsiţi de la petrecerile Rădovancăi şi care îi datorau, pare-se, mari sume de bani, luaţi cu camătă. Şi că unul din dregătorii vremii ar fi încercat să descurce el treburile. I-ar fi iscodit în parte pe fiecare din cei trei, care în mod sigur fuseseră în ultima seară la Rădovancă, dar fără prea mare folos, mai cu seamă că multe persoane suspuse şi care frecventau des casa Rădovancăi nu prea aveau interes să fie răscolite anumite lucruri ce se petrecuseră acolo. Aşa că, ce mai încoace şi încolo, ciudata dispariţie a fost destul de repede muşamalizată.

Cronicarul, bizuindu-se pe cele auzite de la dregător, spune că încă la începutul tainicei cercetări acesta a pus fiecăruia dintre cei trei tineri cîte patru întrebări. Iată rare au fost acestea : I. Ai luat caseta cu bijuterii şi galbenii Rădovancăi ? ; II. Ai fost în ultima seară la Rădovancă ? ; III. Ai avut datorii la Rădovancă ? ; IV. Bănuieşti pe vreunul din ceilalţi doi că ar fi omorît-o pe Rădovancă ?

La care întrebări, cei trei tineri (pe care îi vom desemna aici doar cu iniţialele prenumelor pe care le purtau) au răspuns, în ordinea întrebărilor, astfel : A : Nu, Da, Da, Da ; G : Nu, Da, Da, Nu ; S : Nu, Nu, Da, Nu.

Poate, cine ştie, dregătorul să fi aflat totuşi pînă la urmă care a fost soarta Rădovancăi. El n-a spus însă nimănui nimic şi nici scris n-a rămas ceva de pe urma lui, poate datorită interesului acelor persoane suspuse de care am vorbit mai înainte şi care nu doreau să se ştie prea multe din cele ce se petreceau în casa Rădovancăi. O însemnare însă te poate pune pe gînduri. Spune dregătorul că la cele patru întrebări pe care le-a pus tinerilor bănuiţi flecare din ei a dat cîte trei răspunsuri adevărate şi unul fals. Din această constatare, cu o doză de perspicacitate, puteţi deduce cine a fost vinovatul de dispariţia Rădovancăi ?

Lyda here. In wandering about, I came across some… interesting.. items that I knew ya’ll would like. So, here is a Twelveness post if there ever was.

UPDATED TO ADD: Sis-in-law-to-be (in my mind at least) Marin and I are on the same page in so many ways. Check out her ratings on the Deadly Seven.

The Vatican recently updated the 7 deadly sins for the modern world. So of course, I was inspired to uncover:

The Random Weirdness of the Seven Deadly Sins

Of course, we have to begin with some background on the Big 7, courtesy of 7 Deadly Sins. Here’s some detailed info on Gluttony – including a decadent brownie recipe! - one of my favorite sins. And for contrast, here are the 7 Heavenly Virtues. Funny website. Check out the Snow White connection.

Of course, both Pollyannas have read “Skipping toward Gommorrah: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Pursuit of Happiness in America” by Dan Savage.

 You’ve read the book?

See the movie. Or focus on your favorite sin and watch one of these movies.

Play the game.

But do NOT commit these Seven Deadly Sins of Horror Movies. Very funny. Even if you don’t watch horror movies, you will agree that these are movie sins. No only has he actually WRITTEN EPISODES OF “DOCTOR WHO” (my jealousy knows no bounds), ya’ll will agree that the pen is mightier than the spork is an awesome blog name.

The comments are pretty good too. I especially like Kev’s long list of Movie Deadly Sins, beginning with: “If being chased through town, you can usually take cover in a passing St Patrick’s Day parade – at any time of the year.”

Okay, enough thinking. On to the Weirdness…

Ya’ll will like these Seven Deadly Sins Chairs, found here at Dustbowl.

 And then there are the Seven Deadly Sins glasses. Interesting.

Which glass should YOU drink from? Well, what’s your sin?

This Pollyanna scored high in Sloth and medium in Pride, and low or very low in everything else.

Why not high in Gluttony?

Because there were not enough questions about cake.

And by the way, which circle of hell will you occupy? I would be in the second level, with Cleopatra and Helen of Troy and all the other lustful types.

Kinda sounds like fun.

But perhaps I need to read The Traveler’s Guide to Hell first?

Most importantly, here are the 7 Deadly Sins of Geekdom.

I’d just like to say:

42

„Părinţii [din Mânăstirea Antim] nu se simţeau cu nimic legaţi între ei, viaţa lor în comun părea o simplă întâmplare, ca la armată sau în puşcărie, şi în curând a început să îmi fie milă de oamenii acestei tagme, care se adunau fără să se ştie, trăiau fără să se iubească şi mureau fără să se plângă.” (p. 43)

„La 22 septembrie 1941 i-am spus Genovevei că nu mă însor cu ea, am lăsat-o pe Vicky plângând, i-am mulţumit jupânului Manole, i-am plătit doamnei Buliga chiria şi am bătut la poarta mânăstirii Antim, cu un geamantan în mână.

De ce am făcut-o, nici azi nu sunt în stare s-o spun. M’am întrebat adesea, privind în urmă, dacă nu cumva mi-a fost frică de război, dacă nu cumva mi-a fost teamă de viaţă, dacă nu cumva încercam, romantic, o aventură după modelul lui Arghezi. Oricum, e cert, nu am făcut-o din vocaţie. Nici nu a fost rezultatul vreunei premeditări…” (p. 34)

Anna-Liza here, but Lyda will be joining me. We’ve been tagged for this meme, both of us individually. I think it’s fine for us each to supply our own list of weirdnesses, but I’m not sure if we know 14 people we can tag with this! So I’m sort-of-cheating by setting up this post, putting in my list of weirdness and some people to tag, then having Lyda add her own list and people.

This is Lyda, chiming in. I love joint posts. No, I don’t mean posts about marijuana. That would be a completely different meme…  

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person that tagged you and put the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 weird or random facts about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and link to their blog.
4. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a note on their blog.

Our Tagger – Marin

Hey, maybe we should have done each other’s lists. For Anna-Liza, I’d put “She can take any seemingly random or bizarre clothes, put them together, and create a look that is uniquely hers and absolutely stunning.” You, too, have this ability, grasshopper. You have merely to get your preconceptions out of the way. Geez, Lyda, you’re the one who spent a lifetime in theater. It’s all costume! Girl, you have so not looked in my closet lately. Or my mirror. Thrift stores, baby. And end-of-season clearance sales. Do it you can. There is no “try”.

Here’s my list (Anna-Liza):

1. I used to have a “thing” about my bras and panties matching. I had an enormous number a lot of matching sets, some with matching garter belts as well. Pregnancy and maternity panties and nursing bras sort of cured me of that … but not really. If I had the cash, I’d start collecting matching sets again in a minute and a half. (Unfortunately, my last set of pregnancies pretty much guaranteed I won’t be fitting into any of my already existing pretty bra-and-panty sets in this lifetime, or until I’m old and emaciated. Eww.)

2. I really do prefer milk chocolate to dark, for just a pure sensual chocolate-consuming experience. Cadbury’s milk chocolate, or, even better, Cadbury’s Flake (which I can’t find fresh over here). I know, I’m only a psuedo-hipster. On the other hand, I apparently have pretty decent taste in wine.

3. I’m a pretty good dancer, good sense of rhythm, coordinated, all that. However, get me near any game involving balls and I’m suddenly Captain Klutztastic. (“Games involving balls” includes pool, but not sex. Sex is like dancing. Just sayin’.)

4. I have 12 hours flight time logged toward my private pilot’s license. I’m seriously afraid of heights.

5. I cannot bear the sound of metal on metal. I have to leave the kitchen if VSH stirs something in a stainless steel saucepan with a metal spoon. Metal on glass is almost as bad.

6. I can take a nap almost anytime during the day, but I have trouble sleeping at night. If VSH has to be away for the night, I have to take a sleeping pill. 

7. I like my martinis made with good gin (Bombay Sapphire for choice) and with a twist of lemon peel–no olives and no “dirty martinis” for me. I think any drink that is not made with gin or vodka really shouldn’t be called a martini, even if it’s served in a martini glass. But I also like sweet, dessert-like drinks, so I’ll order a tiramisu “martini” without grumbling too much if I’m in the mood. (Bácaro in Boulder has a “Tiramisu Martini”. It’s decadent, delicious, and possibly crosses the line into depravity. But it’s not a martini.)

Here’s my list (Lyda):

When I asked him to think of some weird things about me, the Resident Sith Master said, “I don’t know where to begin.”

So, I guess I’m on my own…

1. I have a rule: I’m only allowed to start cleaning 20 minutes to an hour before someone is coming over. And yes, my house is tidy enough to get it in company shape in 20 minutes. Don’t hate me because I’m obsessed.  Before this rule came into being, I’d clean for twelve hours straight, which does not make for a good hostess. I’m pretty sure that Anna-Liza created this rule. Or my friend the Irish Beauty.

2. Ya’ll won’t be surprised that I’m obsessed with “Clean House“. But I’m also newly obsessed with “What Not to Wear“. Not that you could tell from my clothes. At all. Can I nominate myself for “What Not to Wear” or will I have to con   bribe  cajole one of you into it? ‘ Cause, really. I need the Fashion Police, people. It’s all black, folks, and she’s not any kind of Goth, by any stretch of the imagination.

3. I give RSM advice when he’s playing video games. Which is kinda like Mr. T. giving meditation lessons to the Dalai Lama.

4. I imagine myself in an alternate life as an interior decorator (when I’m not imagining myself as a rock star, but that’s not weird, that’s normal, right? But I digress). I love decorating shows, magazines, and books. And once again, you would not know this from my home. Champagne tastes, diet soda budget.

5. I have no sense of direction. I never know where I am. My siblings had to walk me to school every day - a trip of ten minutes with only one street to cross. This was embarassing in sixth grade when my little brother was the only sibling available.  To remember where north, south, east & west are, I have to picture a map of the USA. Seriously, when we were in college, she had to keep a notebook in her car with the directions to all the places she went to regularly. Even places she drove to every day.

6. I have a fear of heights, but I’m too stubborn to let on. I went off the high dive at the pool almost as often as everyone else, and at the theater I used to climb a wooden ladder to sit on a 2′x2′ platform and operate a spotlight – and not come down at intermission because I might be too scared to go back up.

7. The other night for dinner, I had four regular-size tomatoes, one cucumber, and an apple.

And then ice cream.

Because I can, ya’ll.

TAG, YOU’RE IT! The Pollyannas tag: Terri Lynn, Red, savanvleck, Jane, Karen M., Nancy G., and Betty! There you go, ladies, let your random weirdness flag fly!

Oh, BTW Jane, we can’t post comments on your blog because you have it set so that only people with Blogger accounts can post. So I hope you read this one!

http://www.divshare.com/download/5385733-c1c

Am vazut la tv acum cateva minute povestea unui cersetor. Se ducea in fiecare seara sa cerseasca, avand 80 si ceva de ani, neputand sa munceasca si chestii d’astea. Politistii mereu se luau de el. Pana intr-o zi cand au aflat adevarul. El defapt se ducea in fiecare zi la CEC sa depuna bani. Obtinuse peste 100 de milioane de lei (vechi bine-nteles), avea casa cu nush ce antena, interfon, fara probleme.

Mie nu mi se pare corect. Adica isi putea face banii si din altceva… eu stiu… in loc sa faci o avere din cersit. Imi amintesc ca am fost acum cateva saptamani in excursie si am trecut pe la biserica Antim, Bucuresti. Era la poarta o femeie care cersea, dar avea in jur de 40 de ani…i-am dat bani dar dupa aia… a inceput cu multumirile si cu urarile de bine… numai ca… nu stiam ce sa-i zic! ) I-a zis un coleg sa-si ia paine sau ceva de genu, dupa care a zis ca nu a baut/fumat in viata ei si iarasi a inceput cu multumirile. Habar n-aveam ce sa-i zic!

S-a umplut lumea de oameni care cer bani… unii sunt tigani si stau pe la bariera si se duc la fiecare masina… unii sunt handicapati sau au o problema care ii impiedica sa faca bani de unii singuri… si n-am nimic cu ei. Voi dati bani la cersetori?

Lyda here. Time for the next installation of weirdness. In case ya’ll are out there thinking that the weirdness is dying out.

‘Cause it isn’t.

So, here’s the Weekly Random Weirdness of Humans, First Hump Edition.

‘Cause January is the first month. And it’s halfway through the month. So today is the hump of January. The first hump.

One hump, two humps, three… Three humps! Ahahaha…

1) January is National Blood Donor Month. This is worthy and noble and people who have blood that they want should totally go donate. They don’t want my blood. Ever. No, really. I’ve tried. That’s okay. More for me.

But ya’ll know me. My first thought was:

January’s good month for vampires.

When is National Brains-for-Zombies Month?

2) It says here, January 14th is National Clean Off Your Desk Day. I didn’t know that yesterday, but I did clean off my desk. Somewhat, anyway…

Weird. Cue the spooky music….

Okay, I’m reaching here. This isn’t that weird. Sue me.

3) We’re still waiting for Chinese New Year. Because it uses the Chinese Lunar calendar, the Year of the Rat doesn’t start until February 7th. Remember to eat really long noodles for Chinese New Year; they symbolize long life. And other stuff. But, yeah, long life.

So it’s still the Year of the Boar. My sign, ya’ll. That’s right. I’m a pig. And I’m proud.

It turns out I’m an earth pig. Honesty. Sexuality. Acquiescence???? What’s up with that?? What sign are you?

According to this site, we are ending the Year of not just any pig, but of the Fire Pig!

No wonder we all feel so burned out.

4) January 18th is Winnie the Pooh Day, celebrating A.A. Milne’s birthday. Here’s a Pooh Bear quiz. Here’s a website devoted to all things Poohish (Poohish??) with pages on his poems and his favorite recipes.

I’m telling ya’ll in advance, because this is important and we need to have parties. With honey. Heh. Honey party.

Silly old bear.

5) The holiday isn’t until Monday (Hurry three-day weekend! Hurry!), but January 15, 1929 was the actual date that Martin Luther King Jr. was born. Read about him here.

The radio D.J. said, “Get registered to vote in his honor.”

Dr. King would like that. So do it.

And don’t be telling me you weren’t already registered to vote, ’cause I’ll give you such a smack. Calling yourself a citizen… grumble grumble… and you kids stay off my lawn! Whippersnappers…

And read this lovely tribute by Coretta Scott King.

6) On January 15, 1346, Emperor Louis IV of Bavaria gave Holland to his wife Margaretha.

A whole country, and tulips for life.

On January 15, 1535, Henry VIII declares himself head of English Church.

Two Royal Husbands: Compare and contrast.

I expect your essays on my desk by the end of the period.

7) So now a little hump month tale. Hump month is too a real phrase. It’s like hump day, but for the month. Shut up.

Today at lunchtime, I drove from work to my credit union, and then went on to the post office to Mail Important Documents.

A funny thing happened on the way to the post office…

I got lost.

I’ve lived in this neighborhood for over twenty years.

Promise to send yarn when they put me in the padded room, ‘kay?

8.) And yet another tale…

Yesterday, a funny thing happened as I was leaving home to drive to work.

I saw a dead mouse in front of my neighbor’s apartment. This little body, just… there. It was still there today. I looked. ‘Cause I’m all nosy and morbid like that.

A mousey harbinger of things to come?

9) Today at work, we were organizing cabinets. No, I didn’t set this up, my boss did, but you can bet I loved it. Yes, I am a sicko. But I digress…

One of my coworkers pulled some old folders out of a cabinet, and underneath the folders was:

a dead mouse.

My boss’s boss (who is our boss too, but anyway…) came over and disposed of the remains. The mouse had been dead a while. I can tell these things, I watch a lot of TV.

So we played taps on a tiny trumpet…

Well, not really.

But this is weird. Two dead mice in two days.

I’d better make sure Mickey is okay… Hello, Magic Kingdom?

10) This Saturday, January 19th, I am going to Crazy Aunt Purl’s book-signing in Mission Viejo. (Ya’ll have to read to the bottom of that post to get to the book-signing info. Oh, how I make you suffer.)

Going to the CAP book-signing is not weird – it is Super Special Awesome!!

What’s weird is that the Pollyanna who lives in Colorado has met Laurie, and the Pollyanna who actually lives in Southern California hasn’t. I still claim this is due to circumstances beyond my control.

I’m actually driving about the same distance to meet Laurie than I did to meet AntiM.  

Ya’ll, it was totally worth it to drive to San Diego to meet Marin! I would do it again and again. I’d drive to Colorado to see BFF and Marin all the time if it was only two or three hours away. Stupid Pointy Mountains!

But I digress… 

Anyway, it will be worth it to drive to Mission Viejo to meet Laurie.

I’m taking my copy of her book, and my knitting. That’s all I’ll need. And this lamp…

I’ll be the… um… voluptuous (read: large) woman with longish curly red hair and glasses, knitting garter stitch with lumberjack and gray yarn. I’m bound to be wearing jeans and pirate shoes. Oh, and a top of some kind. I’m not lookin’ to get arrested before I get my book signed, ya’ll.

Ya’ll are going to spot me by the yarn, aren’t you? 

If ya’ll come, be sure to come over and talk to me.

And remind me of your name, and your blog’s name.

‘Cause I will not connect the two on my own.

I’m the woman who got lost today within a mile of her house. 

“I’m just saying, is all.”