"Arsenic and Old Lace" is a play by American playwright Joseph Kesselring. It was performed this past weekend by Nashoba Drama. The play is a comedy, and certainly has its funny moments, but it was written in 1939 and certainly has that sense about it as you watch. Nick Sestito certainly stole the show as the eccentric Teddy Brewster, who believes he is Teddy Roosevelt. Mike Sestito (as Jonathan Brewster) and Jackie Murtha (as Abby Brewster) performed fabulously as always. Image: Mike Sestito and Taylor Leaming perform as Jonathan Brewster and Elaine Harper.
Related Posts:
- Thoroughly Modern Millie (Spring 2008)
- It's a Wonderful Life (Fall 2007)
Veterans Day is quite special to me. Pretty much every day I take a moment to celebrate that the freedoms we enjoy–of speech, assembly, voting–are made possible and protected by brave men and women who fight and have fought for us. They make incredible sacrifices, from disrupting their family lives to giving up their lives. They have done so for centuries, and continue to do so today.
I shudder to know, but readily admit I am not surprised, that there are those among us who consider serving in the military to be "about politics". At Milton High School in Massachusetts, the principal is arguing that if military recruiters are allowed to come to a career fair, the school must also have present anti-military protesters in order to give "equal time". Does the school require anti-[fill in your career here] protesters for other careers? Of course not. When the military comes to a career fair, this is just like any other career. But Milton High is going to demand that an organization called "Milton for Peace" should be there to provide alternative views. Does "Milton for Peace" stand for a certain career path? No. So why should they be allowed at a career fair? This is not too difficult an issue folks. It's quite silly that administrators are making these decisions because they feel a sense of duty to protect our kids from politics, yet are actually making it all about politics! A career in the military is certainly not about politics, it's about serving and protecting your country. Is "Milton for Peace" about politics? Just go check out their website where they say nothing about career paths, but rather post position statements of opinion concerning our current wars. School Committee member Mary Kelly made a wonderful argument saying basically this point. To which Principal John Drottar made the nonsensical statement, "the other side is to go back and ban both" and then continued to make further completely nonsensical statements. Others went on to say that graduating high school students are "impressionable" so they have to provide "alternative views" and "equal time", presumably to stop these stupid students from making an obviously wrong decision.
Even more shameful is Steve Almond who wrote an op-ed piece in The Boston Globe mid September where he bashed the military and its supporters. Now I can see where he's coming from. But he's simply misguided and I feel badly for him. He feels it's "tragic" that we, as a progressive society I assume, need to even have an army. That we pay soldiers to, first and foremost, kill people. We look to "heroic violence as a means of spiritual regeneration." And his next sentence is most hurtful of all: "Our most powerful nation myth is the notion that anyone fighting on our behalf is a hero."
I will tell you why I think these are stupid and dangerous words and fundamentally flawed. First and foremost, he has the freedom to write these words because others fought to obtain and protect those freedoms. Yet he conveniently overlooks that glaring fact. Is it "sad" that we had to defeat Hitler and Japanese Imperialism? Or were those great victories for democracy and freedom? It is a reality that people live and die. We live in an earthly realm. Conflict goes back to the Book of Genesis and wars are at the heart of The Old Testament. There is definitely a place where there is no war and no armies. Most call it heaven, but others call this place "Universe" or "The Enlightened Place" or "Collective Human Consciousness". It is vast and it is very real. I can attest to this, as I have been there. But this place, by whatever words we choose to call it, transcends our Earth-bound existence. As humans we are inexorably bound to our genetics which lead us into conflict. Conflict helps us to progress and provides context for our existence. There will always be those out there who will want to harm us. We cannot all live on Earth and be in The Enlightened Place. I don't expect that of humanity and neither should you.
So, I say to each and every veteran I meet: "Thank you for your service!" And I say it with as much pride as anything else I have or will ever say.
Related Posts:
- Independence Day (7/4/08)
- Images: Sudbury July 4th Parade (7/4/08)
- Patriots' Day (4/21/08)
- School and War (9/5/07)
- Images: Harvard's July 4 Parade (7/4/07)
The Nashoba Chieftains aren't exactly having a stellar year (they are 4-5 overall and 2-2 in Central Mass Division 1), but they did put on an offensive show for what was my first photo shoot of the team this year. They demolished St. Peter Marian of Worcester by a score of 50-16. Some of you may remember last year's near fight that broke out as rowdy parents got a little testy, forcing Stow's police chief to take charge who was there watching his son. This year there were no such theatrics. From a photographer's perspective these aren't the best games to shoot as there are so few passes. Nashoba made a total of 7 passes all game. Today was the Travis Patterson show as he rushed for 176 yards and four touchdowns, even though he didn't start his show until almost the end of the first half. Top image: Offensive lineman Dan Trefry (#56) of Stow keeps defenders from getting inside for the point after. Bottom image: Nashoba's Travis Patterson (#32) rushes in for another score as Stow's Matt Murray (#44) ensures his side of the defense is cleared.
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Yesterday at 3:30PM I received my regular customer e-mail from Verrill Farm. This one informed me about their turkey order from Stonewood Farm Turkeys in Vermont. Little did I know that something terrible was happening about the time of the e-mail. Verrill Farm burned down yesterday. The result of a suspected electrical problem causing the propane tanks to explode. This is a very sad day for the community.
The farm consists of 200 acres. The farm started in 1918 as a dairy business. In 1982, after years of planning and negotiations, the land was placed under an Agricultural Preservation Restriction, thus preventing development of this land. In 1990, the dairy herd was sold and plans began to replace the existing tent retail space with a new farm stand, which was built in 1995.
We go to Verrill all the time. I pass by it several times a week on my way into work in Boston. It's just a lovely oasis. They have the best corn and the best tomatoes, and they celebrate every summer with their annual "Corn and Tomato Festival". This year, unfortunately, the festival was cancelled because of rains. Little were we to know that this would happen shortly thereafter.
We give the Verrill's our best wishes and prayers.
Steve Verrill released this statement in early October 2008:
As many of you know, a fire destroyed our farmstand Saturday, September 20. We are grateful that everyone made it out of the stand safely and that our fields were not touched by fire. Thanks to all of our customers, friends, business associates and neighbors who have stopped to offer support - it is appreciated and the out pouring of concern is over-whelming. Many have asked how they can help. For those who would like to contribute to the rebuilding of the stand, we have set up a special account, The Verrill Farmstand Fund, at the Middlesex Savings Bank, 1208 Main Street, West Concord, MA 01742. Another important way to help is shopping at the temporary stand which supports both the farm and our employees. On Monday, September 22 we started selling corn, tomatoes, pumpkins, mums and more from the wagon we used before the farmstand was built. Soon there will be a temporary building where you will find a selection of familiar items including our own baked goods, produce and other items. We're open from 9 am - 6 pm every day - we look forward to seeing you!
Link: Verrill Farm
Walden Pond is a wonderful place to visit if you don't follow the masses. For those of you who do not know, Walden Pond was the residence of Henry David Thoreau from 1845 to 1847. Conservationists regularly quote his book Walden which is inspiring. It is a treatise on simple living in nature. As a kid we were taught how difficult it must have been for him to live in a one room house (replica shown here). Now as an adult sometimes I wish for such an existence. This quote from Walden is particularly inspiring:
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, to discover that I had not lived.
The worst time to visit Walden, because it will be least inspiring, is on hot summer days. People from all over flock here to swim. You will have many babies in diapers, tons of noise, and full parking lots. If you want to experience the tranquility of this place like Thoreau did, come here during the off season. Fall is the best time to visit. Bring a canoe or hike along the perimeter of the pond. Winter is another good season to visit and you should make sure to bring your snowshoes.
Thoreau grew up in Concord, attended Harvard, and became friends with Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson introduced him to other famous Concord authors, Alcott, Fuller, and Hawthorne being the most prominent, and he followed their Trascendental Movement. This movement subscribed to the philosophy that personal intuition rather than religion allowed one to achieve insight. Thoreau was a principled man. He refused to pay taxes for several years over his opposition to slavery and the Mexican-American War. Try to do that now!
If you make a trip to Walden, be sure to visit downtown Concord and the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Thoreau is buried at Author's Ridge, along with many other famous authors. If you have time, visit the Concord Museum which is just outside downtown Concord.The park has many activities scheduled for August. These include guided hikes, nature crafts, and kayaking. To view the schedule, click on the Events and Programs link on the Walden Pond homepage below.
Links: Walden Pond Reservation
There are a lot of Irish folk in Southie, but you wouldn't guess that out here in apple country. Aside from JP O'Hanlon's in downtown Ayer every Sunday night, there really isn't a place to go to for the traditional irish session music. Say hello to the Mary, Phil, Marilyn, and Tom from Rhode Island and their "Celebrating Ireland" program which made its way to Marlborough and Hudson today. Marlborough is hosting their Saturday Morning Discovery Series at the Union Common and Hudson is hosting Saturdays at South Street at Cellucci Park (details in the calendar).
Interspersed between the fiddle, harp, tin whistle, button accordion, and bodhran music, Marilyn told some rather interesting stories, one poking fun at marriage and another that may have my kids scared tonight at bedtime. They came prepared with lots of percussion instruments for the little ones (and not so little ones). It was a great time. And I look forward to them coming back next year.
If you like Irish/Celtic music, you may love the all female group Cherish the Ladies. We caught their concert at Regis College this past April and their tour schedule has them playing May 5, 2009 at The Somerville Theater. At their concert in April they did a song that the group today did called "Welcome Poor Paddy Home." Of course Joanie Madden and crew did it much better, but the song is awesome. The chorus goes:
Hooray me boys, hooray
No more do I wish for to roam
For the sun it will shine in the harvest time
To welcome Poor Paddy home
It's almost a good a song as "Fields of Athenry" about the Irish famine which was the closing song at every bar in Ireland when we were there in 1997. But you don't here it much over here. There are, however, 150 recordings of that song on iTunes and the Boston band Dropkick Murphy's recorded it for their 2003 Blackout album. Which brings me to this major announcement: I'm back playing piano and recording. I'm going to be recording some of these traditional folk tunes on solo piano in the coming months and putting them up on a free MP3 section of this site. So check back or enter your email in "Join Our Mailing List" for major site announcements.
Links: Harpist Mary King and Cherish the Ladies.
At the Union Common in Marlborough (intersection of Main and Bolton Streets) is a rather interesting bell and tower called the John Brown Bell. The story goes that during the US Civil War, Company I from the 13th Massachusetts Volunteer Militia was given the task of removing from Harper's Ferry items from the US Arsenal which John Brown had captured in 1859. A bell was to be brought back to Marlborough for their fire engine house. On the plaque where it now stands is inscribed: "Symbol of a nation's efforts to obtain freedom and equality for its people".
