Honestly… Im slightly grateful. If no one is reading this, it means no one can tease me or giggle at me.

WOW.. reading that back, it sounds like i have self-esteem issues. I dont, Im just in a grumpy mood.

That is probably something you should know about me , I get grumpy when im bored or tired. Right now, I am both.

What SHOULD have happened today:

. Wake up to a lovely text from my boyfriend letting me know if hes coming down today or not

. Hopefully go meet him

.Come home and go pack to go camping tonight with Eden and the rest of my hardcore guides mandem

.Go camping

What IS happening today:

. Im sat on my sofa writing a blog about how bored i am and still waiting for a text from Jack.

. Pack

.Go camping with Eden and the rest of my hardcore guides mandem

Are you jel yet? OH YES.

Please feel free to be nice and say good things , but if thats too much of a stretch , feel free to perform the opposite. Im a lot of things , but I am not fussy.( thats a lie)

My name is Georgia Leonora. Leonora is wierd I know. Theres a really long story behind it (well… not that long but its 9:10pm and im tired and typing a story I’ve told a billion and ten times before doesnt seem like Alton Towers and more like labour).
I’m a 15 year old cat whisperer. no , jk. Im a dancer and i dont really ever stop talking. However, what does come out of my mouth is always rubbish and bores people to death. So im going to stop talking now. (please mark this in your own diarys because this is a significant moment in history). I doubt there will be anyone reading this as youll all be dead by now. so yeahh…

R.I.P

Leonora Stirling Holsapple with Mrs. Elizabeth Greenleaf, Green Acre 1923

Hudson, N.Y. January 25^th, 1921

“Yes, Leonora sailed away on 15^th Inst. and kept up bravely to the last – smiling and waving goodbyes to her father and sister after they had left the ship.”

No one believed she could do it. No one thought she should.  Everyone said she was crazy. Her friends said it was too far away – to go half way round the world – and unsafe.  Her father said he wouldn’t allow it!  But she went and bought the one way ticket for the ships travel to Brazil anyway!  This was not a girls’ whim, or a dare for high adventure. This was a yearning of the soul – a yearning to follow the desires for her of the Master to become a spiritual physician, to minister to people’s hearts.  She had been ministering to young minds, drilling them in Latin.  But what she really yearned for was to fulfill ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s admonition in His Tablet to her to become a spiritual physician healing mankind with the Word of God.

Passport photo from 1923 - Leonora at age 28

Rua Dr. Soter de Araujo 3

Santos, Brazil

Feb. 19, 1921

Dearest Miss Root,

You see I am in Santos after all, and I am so happy – just as you said I would be. At least I am happy to be with Guido Gnocchi and his family, and I shall be more happy when I can feel that I am really helping him in the work for the Cause. There seems to be very little that I can do until I know Portuguese pretty well – Guido assures me that then I can do much – but meanwhile, therefore, I am putting all of my time on the Portuguese, and of course I am getting practice continually, as neither Snr. nor Snra, G. knows any English. They are helping me a great deal, and I am also teaching them English now in the class which I have begun and am to have 3 evenings a week. I have translated one of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s talks, and Snr. G. has corrected it, and I hope to do much in this way, for I think the translation of the Teachings is one of the most important and urgent needs.

Re “Accusations”

(The section in the first person is an internal meditation for you. Contemplate this when over-run by the need for finger-pointing indignation):

“It’s my litany. I choose to do it. Whether it’s based in truth or not, not doing it lifts me out of the morass of having to do it.”

You don’t have to accuse. You don’t have to look for reasons to be indignant – unless you want to. There can be problems – they can be solved – but you don’t have to spend ‘the whole of your life’ arguing in your own mind, arguing in yourself, about how this or that thing should or shouldn’t have been done to you for you against you./

There are other ways to work your way out of it.

And, as I say: It’s a litany. You choose to do it. Whether it’s based in truth or not, not doing it lifts you out of the morass of having to do it, and frees your mind up to choose an alternative, to choose a better way to do it. One that’s not quite so argumentative.

With Love,

Leonora

Magic: http://www.lulu.com/sageylee ~FREE download here!
Music: http://www.myspace.com/sageylee
Metaphysics: http://www.witchywisdom.com
===
May the thrill of living
Permeate your world

(((Feel))) the Rhythm
…

Manrico is just conversating with his lady, Leonora, when he learns that the enemy wants to burn the old gypsy woman, Azucena, at the stake. Manrico considers Azucena his mother and likes her very much. So he collects his soldiers and hurries to rescue her. In the “Stretta” he promises to kill the enemy and rescue Azucena or else die together with her. (See the lyrics here.)

First listen to an amateur presentation of the aria (from Marco Zanini), which, however, is better than many professional ones delivered in the opera houses. Next we can hear and see how the star tenor, Marcelo Alvarez, delivers the “Stretta” on stage (woman: Leonora; choir: Manrico’s soldiers).

In the “Stretta” the emotions are very intense and the whole situation is rather serious maybe even tragical. Such great heights, however, always pose a little threat to the operas, as well, since too much dignity or an oversized tragedy may prove humorous for the audience.

With my highest respects towards the opera and the “serious” singers, let me finally show you a nice video parody of the “Stretta”. The title of this video is “Di quella pira with high ‘F’”. For a tenor a high F note is extraordinarily difficult to reach as the C-D-E-F series shows. Thus, the title probably attracts a large audience according to the intentions of the author. By the way, the high F is probably hit in the video as promised, but see how. We remark that the “singer” in the video knows the original aria very well. For example, when he grabs the ball, Manrico grabs Leonora in the serious version.

Do you like sentimental, heroic, tragical pieces? Why?
Do you like this humorous video?  Why?
Do you know other opera parodies?

• Unsere flachste Körperanalysewaage (14mm) mit ITO-Beschichtung für eine noch genauere Analyse

BA 901 K rperanalysewaage Features: -Sicherheitsglas in geh rteter Ausf hrung. -Analyse von K rperfett, K rperwasser und Muskelmasse auf 0,1pct genau. -Mit Speicherplatz f r 10 Anwender. -Anzeige aller Ergebnisse im berblick. -Mit Abschaltautomatik, Batteriestandsanzeige, berlastungsanzeige und Tap-on-Technik. -Inklusive 2 x CR 2430 Lithium Batterien. -3 Jahre Herstellergarantie. K rperanalysewaage Produktdetails: Material: ITO beschichtetes Glas -Material (Wiegefl che): Sicherheitsglas. -Materialst rke (Wiegefl che): 6mm. -Gewichtseinheiten: kg, lb und st. -Einteilung: 100g. -Tragkraft: 150 Kg. -Ma e (LCD-Display): 8cm W x 3,3cm T. -Ma e: 1,4cm H x 31cm W x 30cm T.

List Price: EUR 26,98

Price: [wpramaprice asin="B002N12BPG"]

[wpramareviews asin="B002N12BPG"]

The name is followed by how many girls were given that name. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did

Noor (230)

Gretchen (225)

Vienna (223)

Temperance (211)

Aurelia (209)

Juniper (205)

Galilea (202)

Evangelina (188)

Lucinda (185)

Astrid (184)

Cordelia (178)

Mabel (176)

Magnolia (164)

Audra (160)

Faye (160)

Margot (155)

Hattie (153)

Beatriz (152)

Flor (143)

Clementine (132)

Ramona (126)

Poppy (118)

Viola (117)

Seraphina (107)

May (106)

Imogen (100)

Clover (99)

Petra (98)

Georgina (97)

Cecily (96)

Evelina (95)

Calliope (86)

Florence (75)

Coco (74)

Harriet (56)

Pandora (52)

Meg (51)

Lulu (50)

Theodora (47)

Gaia (42)

Wilhelmina (41)

Oona (40)

Hermione (37)

Polly (35)

Fern (32)

Letty (32)

Jemima (31)

Mimi (29)

True (29)

Olympia (28)

Tula (28)

Leonora (27)

Henrietta (26)

Lark (26)

Maple (26)

Philippa (25)

Nell (24)

Lavender (23)

Orla (22)

Artemis (21)

Pixie (21)

Winifred (21)

Aveline (20)

Tempest (20)

Winona (20)

Hera (19)

Saskia (19)

Clio (18)

Mathilde (17)

Pippa (16)

Elspeth (15)

Ginevra (15)

Isolde (14)

Lilu (14)

Valentine (14)

Bronte (13)

Cleopatra (13)

Marigold (13)

Sinead (13)

Junia (12)

Finola (11)

Lou (11)

Spring (11)

Amabel (10)

Clea (10)

Cosima (10)

Kaye (10)

Thora (10)

Amadea (9)

Eira (9)

Honora (9)

Isidora (9)

Nuala (9)

Tamsin (9)

Achaia (8)

Bruna (8)

Cassiopeia (8)

Eilidh (8)

Fleur (8)

Sebastiana (8)

Aretha (7)

Averil (7)

Briony (7)

Isabeau (7)

Nelle (7)

Rowena (7)

Sigourney (7)

Zala (7)

Astra (6)

Bette (6)

Catriona (6)

Coralina (6)

Henriette (6)

Iola (6)

Jessamine (6)

Lulamae (6)

Madelina (6)

Ruslana (6)

Tallulah (6)

Calle (5)

Dulcie (5)

Eula (5)

Ishbel (5)

Leone (5)

Paolina (5)

Rufina (5)

Saloma (5)

Xanthe (5)

]]> http://jonedgar.wordpress.com/2011/06/01/leonora-carrington-on-intellectualising-art/ Wed, 01 Jun 2011 21:15:13 +0000 Editor http://jonedgar.wordpress.com/2011/06/01/leonora-carrington-on-intellectualising-art/ It is sad to hear Leonora Carrington has died aged 94. Her recent sculpture (in the link, seen here in the exhibition which she lived long enough to see open), is seemingly interpreted from the imagery of her earlier paintings. For me, it does not have the power of her two-dimensional work or earliest sculpture. Nevertheless, for the British artist who lived in Mexico City for sixty years and was adopted as one of their own, there appears to have been a growing demand for it.

The Guardian journalist Joanna Moorhead is a relative of Carrington. She produced a touching film which was shown at the travelling exhibition at Pallant House Gallery and Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in 2010. Here is an excerpt from Carrington’s discussions with Moorhead:

Her admonishment of her great-niece about the intellectualisation of art is refreshing, and when I first saw this it made me question the similarities between true improvisational working and surrealism.

Surrealists set out to liberate the workings of the subconscious and disrupt conscious thought processes, by the use of irrationality and mystery. Paradoxically, perhaps that last ‘by the use of’ bring things back into the conscious, intellectual mind?

In a dialogue between Andre Breton and Andre Masson, the former referred to one of the precursors to the Surrealists:

A good question for an advanced examination for art critics would be ‘Does the painting of (Henri) Rousseau prove he knew the Tropics, or that he did not?’

Did the exotic paintings spring from the imagination, or from memory? It’s a nice quote, but actually irrelevant here as the imagery is still cerebral. It seems to have narrative rather than just feeling.

Sculptor Alan Thornhill has remarked that true improvisational working comes from instinct rather than intellect; form emerges ambiguously from an interplay with clay or paint, rather than being imagined and created as an entity. For the artist, keeping free from pre-planned ideas is difficult. Responding to form, mass or colour for its own sake must have an input from somewhere – but perhaps from another part of the brain that is free of ego and somehow more ‘honest’. Conceptual work survives on its idea, and for me often dies through its inability to survive on its visual appeal alone.

Intellectualisation springs up on the other side of the fence too. For the viewer and the art historian, there is a continual need to ‘get’ visual art, with the former often spotted – pursed lips; hand on chin – analysing the imagery in front of them.

Carrington standing up for purely visual values might suggest that the only two outcomes for the viewer of “art” could be summed up as: being moved by it… or not being moved by it.

The Guardian’s obituary on Leonora Carrington.

Remember, Verdi’s Il Trovatore is at 10am this Saturday!  (4/30)

———————————

David McVicar’s stirring production of Verdi’s intense drama premiered in the 2008–09 season. Marco Armiliato leads this revival, starring four extraordinary singers—Sondra Radvanovsky, Dolora Zajick, Marcelo Álvarez, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky—in what might be the composer’s most melodically rich score.

Here is a recording of the anvil chorus:

————

————–

You may see a promotional Met Opera video:  here

Screening sponsored by Mary L. and Tony Bianco, Phyllis and Robert Frank, and The Moca Foundation
Expected Running time: 3 hours, 15 minutes

Purchase online: www.pacslo.org
In person/phone: PAC Ticket office 805-756-2787; 888-233-2787
By mail/fax: print and send a complete order form to the PAC Ticket Office.

Synopsis of Il Trovatore, courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera:

Part 1: The Duel

Spain is torn apart by civil war. Count di Luna, the commander of the troops of the Prince of Aragon, is in love with Leonora, a young noblewoman in the queen’s service. Outside the royal residence, Ferrando, the captain of the guard, recounts the story of a gypsy woman who was burned at the stake years ago for bewitching the count’s infant brother. The gypsy’s daughter took revenge by kidnapping the boy and—so the story goes—throwing him into the flames where her mother had died. No trace was ever found of the daughter, but di Luna is still searching for her.

Leonora reflects on her love for a man she met before the war and who has now been returning as a troubadour to serenade her. Di Luna has been following her. When the troubadour appears, the two men confront each other and the troubadour reveals his true identity: he is Manrico, leader of the partisan rebel forces. The count challenges him to fight to the death.

Part 2: The Gypsy

The duel has been fought. Manrico overpowered the count but didn’t kill him. The war has raged on and Manrico, badly wounded, has been nursed back to health by his mother, the gypsy Azucena. Azucena is the woman di Luna has been looking for. Her life is scarred by the memory of her mother’s death and the terrible revenge she exacted. She tells Manrico that she stole the count’s infant son but the child she murdered was in fact her own. When Manrico demands to know who he truly is, Azucena is evasive; all that matters is the maternal love she has shown him all his life. News arrives that Leonora, believing Manrico dead, is entering a convent. Manrico leaves to find her immediately.

Di Luna plans to storm the convent and take Leonora by force He tries to seize her, but is prevented by the attack of Manrico and his men. In the ensuing confusion, the lovers escape.

Part 3: The Gypsy’s Son

Di Luna and his army are attacking the fortress where Manrico has taken refuge with Leonora. Azucena is captured and Ferrando recognizes her as the murderer of the count’s brother. Di Luna, realizing he has the means to force his enemy out of the fortress, orders Azucena burnt on a pyre before the walls.

Inside the castle, Manrico and the frightened Leonora are preparing to be married. When news of Azucena’s capture reaches him, he prepares to attack.

Part 4: The Execution

Manrico’s army has been defeated and he and Azucena are being held captive. Leonora has escaped and come to the prison. When di Luna orders the execution of both Manrico and Azucena, Leonora offers herself to the count in return for her lover’s life, but secretly takes poison.

Manrico tries to comfort Azucena with memories of their former happiness. Leonora tells Manrico that he is saved, urging him to escape. He understands the bargain she has made and furiously denounces her. But the poison is already taking effect. Leonora dies in his arms. Di Luna arrives in time to witness her death and sends Manrico to his execution. Azucena cries out that her mother is avenged: di Luna has killed his own brother.

I’ve just finished doing a lovely little solo ritual for Equinox using 3 bladed Phurba and a Challis.. guided to Deosil turns so I went with it… so refreshing :)

Hope you all have a lovely “balancing” time xo

Reasons for doing rituals at this time of year can be found here:

http://witchywisdom.com/ritual1.html

Best regards,

Leonora

Magic: http://www.lulu.com/sageylee ~FREE download here!
Music: http://www.myspace.com/sageylee
More Music: http://www.reverbnation.com/sageylee
Metaphysics: http://www.witchywisdom.com
===
May the thrill of living
Permeate your world

(((Feel))) the Rhythm

Hace unos años, @leos y su servidor empezamos una bonita tradición que se convirtió en leyenda. Los Changos Traductores aparecían esporádicamente en #BDSF para hacer un servicio a la comunidad y castellanizar los angloparlantes temas que solemos poner en el programa. La mera verdad, es que también, con un poco de saña, evidenciábamos algunas “rolotas” que en realidad tienen letras que parecen escritas por un mico (no traductor).

A éste también le renunciaron

Luego de la huelga indefinida de este símico gremio, aparecieron nuevas propuestas de traducción, corregidas y aumentadas. Tal vez ya los habían oído, tienen unas cuantas rolas originales y otros “covers”. Se llaman Larry Mon y El Comanche, juntos son Los Master Plus y le hacen a eso del sabrosindie. Me dio risa, que esta misma rola ya la habían traducido los chimpancés de #BDSF. Esos bastardos abandonaron la lucha sindical.

«Tu sexo está en fuego». Sí, así de profundos se ven cantando esta “rolota” de los Kings of Leon. Ja.

Madonna Lily by Dmitry Baranovskiy

Susie is a Boomer staple; Susannah her stylish colonial cousin.

Today’s Baby Name of the Day takes that familiar appellation in a far more exotic direction: Azucena.  Thanks to Lea for the suggestion!

If you managed a respectable B in Spanish 101, you can probably sound out Azucena.  Depending on the dialect, even native Spanish-speakers disagree: ah soo SEH neh and ah thoo THE neh are both valid.  Since an early use was in an Italian opera, you’re forgiven if you pronounce her ah zoo CHE na, too.

An azucena is a Madonna lily, a lovely flower, one with a long history of use as a girl’s name in English.  Her meaning links her to Susan and company, though I suspect that’s a connection that’s been made relatively recently.

Azucena is a relative newcomer as a baby name.  Verdi’s Il trovatore is based on a play by Spanish Romantic Antonio García Gutiérrez.  Most of the names are changed slightly from the play to the opera – Leonor became Leonora; Manrique, Manrico.  But Azucena, the gypsy woman who is both victim and instigator of the ensuing drama, is unchanged.  Il trovatore had a successful debut in Rome back in 1853, and has been in the repertoire of opera companies ever since.

Here’s the super-simplified version: Count di Luna’s younger son is sick, and he suspects a gypsy woman.  He orders the gypsy burned.  Her daughter, Azucena, a new mother herself, swears vengeance.  In a hyper-dramatic switch that could only happen in opera, Azucena kidnaps the baby, intending to throw him on the flames of her mother’s funeral pyre.  But, in her grief-stricken state, she kills her son instead.  Azucena flees with the baby and raises him as her son, Manrico.  Years later, Manrico is in love with the aristocratic Leonora – and so is Manrico’s older brother, the current Count.  It all ends in more tragedy, and Azucena has her revenge.

Then came the 1984 Venezuelan telenovela Azucena.  A girl from the wrong side of the tracks is in love with the wealthy Rodolfo.  His parents object to the match, and the lovers reluctantly part ways, but a few dozen episodes later, the couple lives happily ever after.

As Azucena traveled from Spanish drama to the international medium of Italian opera, back to Latin America via a successful telenovela, the name entered into gradual use.  She appears in US Census records in the early twentieth century.  A few notable uses include:

• Tango’s Azucena Maizani;
• A 1939 movie from The Philippines titled Azucena, starring then-famous Arsenia Francisco;
• There’s also Argentina’s Azucena Villaflor, born in 1924.  She co-founded Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, a human rights organization dedicated to finding victims of forced disappearance during the Dirty War.  Her son was one of the victims; after starting a series of demonstrations and taking newspapers ads, Villaflor shared his fate.

With names like Isabella and Alexandra wildly popular, Azucena isn’t unwearable.  But her history of use is dramatic, and might be a bit much for anyone to live up to.  Then again, there are nicknames aplenty – from the plain vanilla Sue to Zuzu or Azu.

If you’re looking for a dramatic botanical with Spanish heritage roots, Azucena is a possibility.

What a great New Year’s eve! I’m still recovering LOL!

All the very best to all of you this New Year.

May your Days and Nights be Blessed xo

With Love!

Magic is all around us
It’s Time
Remove superstition from mystery
Open your mind

Deepest blessings,

Leonora

Metaphysics: http://www.witchywisdom.com
Magic: http://www.lulu.com/sageylee ~FREE download here!
Music: http://www.myspace.com/sageylee
More Music: http://www.reverbnation.com/sageylee

===
May the thrill of living
Permeate your world

(((Feel))) the Rhythm
…

[I'll be posting pics as soon as my phone charges ]

Style: Charlotte
Description: Strapless natural waist modified A-line gown with contoured seams
Size: 10
Color: Ivory
Fabric: Silk Caricata Satin
Original Price: $3960

Style: Gemma
Description: Strapless asymmetrically pleated gown with modified trumpet skirt
Size: 10
Color: Silk White
Fabric: Chantilly Lace
Original Price: $6820

Style: Ivana
Description: V-neck 3/4 sleeve sheath with circular skirt
Size: 10
Color: Ivory over Latte
Fabric: Re-Embroidered Lace
Original Price: $5060

Style: Leonora
Description: Strapless natural waist bodice A-line gown with floral embellishments
Size: 10
Color: Latte
Fabric: Silk Satin Organza
Original Price: $5170

Style: Peaches & Cream Skirt
Description: A-line full skirt
Size: 10
Color: Blush
Fabric: Silk Tulle
Original Price: $3520

Style: Solange
Description: Strapless natural waist bodice with full seamed A-line skirt
Size: 10
Color: Latte
Fabric: Silk Orchidea
Original Price: $3850

Style: Whisper Bustier and Skirt
Description: Unbeaded bustier with draped tulle overlay
Size: 10
Color: Ivory
Fabric: Chantilly Lace, Silk Tulle
A-line Skirt
Size: 10
Color: Ivory
Fabric: Crinkle Silk Organza
Original Price: Bustier $2640, Skirt $2860

Cru Cellars is South Tampa’s destination for fine wines, cheeses, charcuterie and desserts.  Come by for a glass of wine in our bar, or pick up a retail bottle in our shop.  www.crucellarstampa.com

Lioness at Okonjima Lodge, Namibia; Image via Wikipedia

With Leo all the rage for boys, will we meet more little lionesses?

Thanks to Chrissandra for suggesting one possible feminine form: her grandmother’s name, Leona, is our Baby Name of the Day.Leo is fashionable today, but Leona got her “n” from Leon.  Along with Leonard, he was once a perfectly reasonable choice for a son, as ordinary as Josh or Jayden today.

Some masculine monikers have a clear feminine form; others, not so much.  File Leo and company under the second category.  Over the years, we’ve seen:

• Leonia, one of the earlier entries, can be found scrawled on the Tomb of St. Peter.  The -ia ending is consistent with other feminine forms from Ancient Rome – Julia, Annia, Flavia;
• Leona appears in both German and English;
• Leonie is a French form;
• There’s also Leola, Leonora, Leontine, and probably more.

The emphasis is normally on Leona’s middle syllable: lee OH nah.  While she might seem like an invented choice today, that’s not so.  From 1896 through 1921, Leona ranked in the US Top 100.  Choose her for a daughter in 2010, and you’re more in the “antique revival” than “nouveau coinage” camp.

Today, Leona is a rarity.  She fell out of the US Top 1000 in 1981.  The Biblical Leah stands at #28 in 2009, satisfying many parents’ search for a Le- name for a daughter.  But there are signs that Leona is due for a comeback.  In 2009, she reappeared in the rankings at #968.

What’s behind her revival?

Regal, brave lions have long inspired parents.  They’ve featured in ancient cultures – the Sphinx in Egypt, the cave paintings at Lascaux – and have continued to maintain a place of prominence.  Disney’s Lion King comes to mind.

There are also plenty of notable Leonas:

• Leona Vicario played a pivotal role in the Mexican War of Indpendence, spying for the rebels;
• Silent film actress Leona Hutton appeared in four dozen films in the 1910s;
  
• Opera soprano Leona Mitchell went from singing in an Oklahoma church choir to singing with Pavarotti on some of the world’s most famous stages;
• Real estate tycoon Leona Helmsley amassed a fortune in New York City, then married even more money, before being convicted for tax evasion – and pilloried in the press as the “Queen of Mean.”

Helmsley could’ve taken the name out of circulation from her bad reputation, but Leona was already fading before her conviction.

This name’s rediscovery is probably thanks to multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated British singer Leona Lewis, winner of the third season of The X Factor.  Lewis is relative newcomer, so it is too soon to say if she’ll push her first name to the top of the charts.

But even without Lewis, Leona has the feel of a name that might be revived circa 2010.  She’s a little bit fierce, undeniably feminine, and balances a vintage feel with a modern sound.  It’s tough to resist a name with a lilting L and a jaunty o!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDDc650j-zM&hl=en