Sal's family recipe

Blackberry Wine Cake              Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 12-cup tube pan. Sprinkle the nuts evenly over the bottom of the pan. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, blend the cake mix, gelatin, oil, wine , and eggs on low speed for 1minute. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes.             Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top of the cake is brown and the sides have come away from the pan.             While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze in a medium mixing bowl. Combine the melted and cooled margarine and the wine. Gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar until the mixture is smooth.             Remove the baked cake from the oven. With a fork, cover the entire surface of the cake with deep holes. Pour the glaze over the hot cake. Let it cool in the pan for about 1 hour.  Invert the glazed cake onto a plate and serve.  It will be a light orchid color. It is super sweet, so serve small slices. ½ cup pecans, finely chopped 1 package (18.5 ounces) white cake mix 1 package (3 ounces) blackberry gelatin ½ cup vegetable or canola oil ½ cup blackberry wine 4 large eggs glaze ½ cup margarine or sweet butter, melted and cooled ½ cup blackberry wine 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted Reproduced from Charleston Cake Lady

Monster Trivia

1.  What can't vampires be seen in? 2.  Which character in the book would turn into the shape of a wolf? 3.  Which character in the book was a witch? 4.  What feeds on the life esssence of living creatures? 5.  Which famous witch was green-skinned, was dressed in black, and threatened a girl and her dog. 6.  Which character in the book ends up being destroyed? 7.  Who are parasites and scavengers? 8.  Who was not alive, and if ended would just simply cease to be? Answers:  (1) mirrors (2) Miss Lepescu (3) Liza (4) vampires (5) the Wicked Witch of the West (6) Miss Lepescu (7) ghouls (8) Silas

The Children's Crusade

This sounds like it was not possible because it seemed like such a large number of children.  But, I think this happened based on my research.      I found this in the  Encyclopaedia Britannica. It stated the Children’s Crusade was a  “popular religious movement in Europe during the summer of 1212 in which thousands of young people took Crusading vows and set out to recover Jerusalem from the Muslims. Lasting only from May to September, the Children’s Crusade lacked official sanction and ended in failure; none of the participants reached the Holy Land. Nevertheless, the religious fervour it excited helped to initiate the Fifth Crusade (1218). It was arguably the first Europe youth movement.” Enyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica online Library Edition. Encyclopaedia Britanica, Inc., 2012. Web. 9 2012.      I also learned that the leader of the Children's Crusade was Stephen of Cloyes who was 12 years old. He claimed he received a letter from Jesus  that ordered him to organize a Crusade. He gathered about 30,000 followers, all children.  Adults cheered them on as they passed through towns.  http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/childrens_crusade.htm

"kira-kira" haiku

big ocean... 

a show of kira-kira

 in a water's grave

Life's a Stage

Life’s a Stage

Sound tracks :  

I chose the following songs:

1.  For times when the family feels stress about their lives, especially after their trials at the end of the story:

We Shall Overcome

 

Lyrics derived from Charles Tindley's gospel song "I'll Overcome Some Day" (1900), and opening and closing melody from the 19th-century spiritual "No More Auction Block for Me" (a song that dates to before the Civil War). According to Professor Donnell King of Pellissippi State Technical Community College (in Knoxville, Tenn.), "We Shall Overcome" was adapted from these gospel songs by "Guy Carawan, Candy Carawan, and a couple of other people associated with the Highlander Research and Education Center, currently located near Knoxville, Tennessee. I have in my possession copies of the lyrics that include a brief history of the song, and a notation that royalties from the song go to support the Highlander Center."

 

1.	We shall overcome We shall overcome We shall overcome some day

CHORUS:

Oh, deep in my heart I do believe We shall overcome some day

2.	We'll walk hand in hand We'll walk hand in hand We'll walk hand in hand some day

CHORUS

 

3.	We shall all be free We shall all be free We shall all be free some day

CHORUS

 

4.	We are not afraid We are not afraid We are not afraid some day

CHORUS

 

5.	We are not alone We are not alone We are not alone some day

CHORUS

 

6.	The whole wide world around The whole wide world around The whole wide world around some day

CHORUS

 

7.	We shall overcome We shall overcome We shall overcome some day

CHORUS

---

SOURCES:

Eileen Southern, The Music of Black Americans: A History, Second Edition (Norton, 1971): 546-47, 159-60.

2.  When the family heads off to their annual weekly revival at the Church:

Happy Days Are Here Again
Music and Lyrics by J. Yellen and M. Ager
So long sad times
Go long bad times
We are rid of you at last
Howdy gay times
Cloudy gray times
You are now a thing of the past
Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
So let's sing a song of cheer again
Happy days are here again
Altogether shout it now
There's no one
Who can doubt it now
So let's tell the world about it now
Happy days are here again
Your cares and troubles are gone
There'll be no more from now on
From now on ...
Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
So, Let's sing a song of cheer again
Happy times
Happy nights
Happy days
Are here again!

a song copyrighted in 1929 by Milton Ager (music) and Jack Yellen (lyrics)

3.  For times the family is working in the yard/ fields or the children walking to school:

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,

 Chorus:
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home;
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home.

I looked over Jordan,
And WHAT did I see,
Comin' for to carry me home,
A band of angels comin' after me,
Comin' for to carry me home.

Repeat chorus:

If you get there before I do,
Comin' for to carry me home,
Tell all my friends I'm comin' too,
Comin' for to carry me home.

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is a historic African-American spiritual. The first recording was in 1909, by the Fisk Jubilee Singers of Fisk University.

Characters:

Big Ma- Oprah Winfrey

Mama- Halle Berry

Papa- Will Smith

Uncle Hammer- Denzel Washington

Stacey- Jaden Smith

Lawyer- Clint Eastwood

TJ- Michael B. Jordan

Cassie- Willow Smith

Stage: 

          The stage would change at different times throughout the play:

Main living area of the Logan’s house

Yard with woods in back with a clearing

A classroom with  church/ school yard

Thoughts from Sleepy LaBone

          It has been several days since I learned Herman E. Calloway was my grandfather.  I have not seen him or talked to him since he learned the news.  He has stayed in his room all of this time.  Every so often I hear him crying.  Miss Thomas checks on him and takes him some food.

          I am not sure yet what it feels like to know that this grumpy old man is my grandfather.  It is not pleasant spending time around him.  I am not sure if that will change.  Miss Thomas had said we were going to have to wait to find out how he feels about all of this.  That is fine with me.  He can take all of the time he wants.  I know I am not going to be leaving this place any time soon.

          Miss Thomas has been mighty kind.  Every day since she found out about Momma dying she has asked me lots of questions about her and our life together.  It has been fun and sad for me to talk about her.  Miss Thomas has also told me lots of stories about Momma while she was growing up.  I have enjoyed learning more about Momma.

          I have spent time polishing my new saxophone.  It is the most beautiful thing I own.  Steady Eddie has already spent several sessions with me teaching me how to play it.  It is going to be slow going but I am determined to get good at it.  I want him and the other band members to be proud of me.  Steady Eddie is a good and patient teacher.  I know I am in good hands.

          I do not know how things will turn out with Herman E. Calloway.  I guess it does not matter.  I am in a place where I feel loved.  The people around me knew and loved Momma.  I could not ask for more.

The Book of Three

Sometimes I can’t believe what I get myself into.  Recently, I tagged along with an assistant pig-keeper,  a musician, and a creature.  I guess I didn’t have much to do and I was bored (817).  I knew right from the start that the assistant pig-keeper was not a very bright guy.  At the time I first met him he was a prisoner of my aunt Achren, and I was supposed to be training to be an enchantress with my aunt Achren.  I wasn’t really interested in doing that.  This was after my parents had died.  I had been sent to live with my aunt Achren and I got tired of her whipping me and trying to lock me up (819). That is why I decided to help the assistant pig- keeper escape from Achren.  We headed out through the tunnels under the castle.  I am really good at thinking things through and seeing the big picture.  I was able to get the assistant pig- keeper out of the castle, and the other guy he told me to get out of the castle,  and get us a horse out of the stable.  As it turns out, we had a communication problem. The guy who I helped to escape was not the assistant pig-keeper’s friend, but he was someone else locked up by aunt Achren. The assistant pig-keeper was angry at me and insulted me because of the turn of events.  We all made the decision to stick together as we ran to escape Achren.  I was happy I had grabbed the sword as we fled the castle. The next figure we encountered was Gurgi, an unusual creature.  We listened to the assistant pig-keeper explain what his mission was, and we all agreed to help him warn the Sons of Don about the threatened uprising. So off we went on a journey to Caer Dathyl (834).  I knew the assistant pig-keeper was not excited to have a girl on the trip, but I knew I was smarter than he was and I was not going to stay behind.  We had a great adventure.  We accomplished our goal, met some interesting people, found the pig that had run away, put the sword to good use, and made it safely back to Caer Dallben.   

Eilonwy

The Tale of Despereaux

The Tale of Despereaux is a story that should be filmed in color, and not in black and white.  It is a dark and mostly unhappy tale. and needs to have a little bit of life.  Color would provide that life. In addition there are a couple of items that are referred to as being a certain color, and it would be important to see those items in color.

The setting of this story is mostly in a castle as seen from the view point of a mouse and a rat.  Color would soften the look of the little mouse running around on the floor of the castle. The rat who is not such a good guy could be shown in dark dull colors.  There are parts of the castle where the king and his family live that could be beautifully done in color.

When the life of Miggery Sow is told she is out in the countryside. That should be done in color. In addition, her father sells her to another man for a hen, a handful of cigarettes, and a red table cloth (126).  Mig’s father draped the red table cloth over his shoulders like a cape.  It is important to see the color of the table cloth because it appears in story in a different part of the story.  It wouldn’t mean as much to see the table cloth if it was in black and white.  In the story the princess reminded Despereaux of the beautiful princess he had seen in the book in the library (30). The princess would be much prettier done in soft colors and colorful clothing.

The other important part of the story is the red thread.  After Despereaux is sentenced to die a spool of red thread was rolled out.  A piece of red thread was cut from the spool and tied in a loop and placed around his neck (59).  It was the red thread of death (71).  Later when Despereaux was back in the dungeon with a spool of red thread, one of the rats reacted to seeing the red thread because it meant a mouse for him to eat (238).  As Despereaux continued on his journey in the dungeon he saw piles of tiny white mice bones and knots of read thread (247). The red thread wouldn’t have had the same impact in a black and white movie.

Ramona's Show

Ramona Quimby would make a good television series.  The Quimbys are a family of ordinary people that an audience could relate to and like.  Quimbys are a family of four with two young daughters.  The main character would be Ramona because she is funny, energetic, and has a lot of spunk.  The setting for the show could be in any town in the US, but with some seasonal differences so the family would have to react to different weather, seasons, and holidays.

          The show would focus on the everyday ups and downs of a second grader and her relationship with her family and friends.  It would show Ramona’s struggle with the tension in her family caused by her father’s loss of a job and her mother having to be the soul breadwinner for the family.  The TV series would not focus on a lot of the negative things with the parents but would focus more on Ramona’s ability to help her parents through these times by providing some humor, and love towards her parents. The television series could show a typical relationship between Ramona and her older sister Beezus, and how different they are.  A funny part of the TV series would be Ramona’s many attempts to get her father to stop smoking.  It is not unreal for kids to try to get their parents to quit smoking.  Ramona’s attempts in this story would work well in a TV series.  A highlight for the TV series would be the adventures of Ramona.  In the book, Ramona and her friend made tin can stilts and had a very fun time walking on them and singing at the top of their lungs. That would be a great show.  Another funny scene would be the night the cat ate the carved pumpkin around Halloween, which scared Ramona in the middle of the night.  An additional funny scene would be her part in the Christmas pageant.  This would be a very fun television series for younger kids on Saturday mornings.