March 2017 - Page 5 of 6 - Roses in the Alley

March 7, 2017March 7, 2017

NASA Women

“Women have played critical roles throughout the history of the U.S. space program … yet in many cases, their contributions are unknown or under-appreciated — especially as women have historically struggled to gain acceptance in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM),” Maia Weinstock wrote in her proposal.

Folks talk about this all the time, but not enough is being done. And it needs to start at the beginning, in the early school years. But the really important years for encouragement are the teen and young adult years when critical decisions are being made. It my hope that women will not only contribute to a brave, new world, but also make it a more caring one.

STEAMTEAM 5: The Beginning is a children’s book that tells the story of five amazing girls who use science, technology, engineering, art, and math to do amazing things.

But this is much more than just a book. It’s the beginning of a movement to attract girls to careers in STEM/STEAM.

Pictures from the Hubble Telescope set to Enya’s Universo

And if you are truly interested in the welfare of girls and women throughout the world, check this out as well. All Girls

March 6, 2017

Don’t Judge Me, Bro!

“You should never judge a book by its cover” — Unkown

Or in this case, don’t judge the shelf.

When I first stumbled upon this video, I was just looking for Lisa Gerrard’s “Now We Are Free”. A song that first came to me when it set the mood in Gladiator.

When these kids popped up on YouTube believe me, I wanted to pass them over. How could these young dudes possibly do that wonderful song any justice what-so-ever? Eh, I clicked anyway…

Then they started singing…so I stuck around for a sec. But then this young, fairly goofy-looking bunch started beat-boxing (seriously?)…but it got even better!! One kid takes the lead , and WOW, I’d say they more than pulled it off!

Check these young fellas out, pretty cool!

Eight Beat Measure – Honor Him Now We Are Free

March 5, 2017March 5, 2017

Walk With Me in the Desert

The desert … arrid barren ground …. hostile to plant, animal and human life.

This is what greets the refugee in Syria and the would-be migrant worker from the South or Central Americas.

A place of suffering and, many times, death.

Why the journey? What lies ahead? And, where are we in this?

Do we walk with them, or do we add to the misery of their path?

Do we dance with them, or do we wall them out?

Do we work with them for the joy of the harvest, or do we keep our wine to ourselves?

Let’s walk with them, climb with them and dance with them! It’s the human journey, after all, and we are all sojourners in this place. And all that remains when we’ve gone is the truth.

Walk with Me (click for audio)

Walk with me in the desert
See my hands pierced through
All is lost and is suffered
And what remains is true

We will dance in the cool desert air
As darkness falls upon us here
Walk with me in the desert
(We’ll talk along the way)

———————————————-

Come with me to the mountain
Take a breath and look down
See the road lies before us
Leading to promised ground

And we will dance in the clear mountain sky
Let our spirits learn to fly
Come with me to the mountain
And see the journey’s end

———————————————–

Work with me in the vineyard
See the fruit rich and full
Bursting forth in its yearning
To be carried home
And we will dance to a new song
Joy will fill our hearts
For soon we will be home
At the table of our Love

————————————————-

Dedicated to the March, 2001 mission at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church- Oklahoma City, OK conducted by Rev. Michael J. Boulette , entitled “The Journey Within … The Experience of Lent.”

Copyright © 2001, Robert G. Metivier

Joshua Tree United States- photo by Frank McKenna
Mountain in Israel- photo by Rob Bye
Vineyard grapes in Israel- photo by Amos Bar-Zeev

March 4, 2017March 4, 2017

Saturday Dreamin’

“Only in their dreams can men truly be free. T’was always thus, and always thus will be.” — Tom Schulman, Dead Poet’s Society

This is a response from Prof. Keating (Robin Williams) to a quote from another professor. His colleague’s reciting of Tennyson is aimed to insinuate that the only way a man can be happy is to not be detoured or distracted by foolish dreams.

This great scene sums up the wonderfully quote driven film’s struggle: Dreamer vs. Realist. Whichever of these you consider yourself, JUST DO YOU!

But I say it’s Saturday! Dreamers and realist alike have dreamed of this day all week. So, like Prof. Keating may have urged us; Carpe Sabbati! (Seize Saturday!)

And here’s the The Album Leaf- Within Dreams- A Chorus of Storytellers for you. Hopefully it helps you do the same!

March 3, 2017June 2, 2017

Twister Sweeps Through

This week’s moving picture and vino pairing is Three Brooms Sauvignon Blanc and Twister.

Now, if this was a website/blog dedicated to only pairing cinematic classics with wine, it’s safe to say this flick might not have made the cut, though it does have its own unique personality.

After hearing of Bill Paxton’s passing, I decided I should really stop for a moment and pay a small tribute to this really nice regular, wholesome guy who just also happened to be an actor admired and loved by many. Admired for his true character, not just the characters he played.

And considering that 2 out of the 3 staff members of this site spent a majority of their lives in Oklahoma, why not Twister?

This was Bill’s first big blockbuster leading-man role. So being from “Tornado Alley”, I just had to go with this one this week!

Three Brooms Sauvignon Blanc came to mind initially because I thought it might take quite a few more than three brooms to sweep up after the twister has already swept through.

This New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is from a single vineyard and is said to reflect the precision and clarity of the Blind River terroir.

You must be precise to be a storm-chaser and I can remember the clarity that comes with the calm before and after one of these monster storms barreled through Oklahoma in my younger days.

On the lighter side, last year three cows in New Zealand were rescued from a small island of grass after an earthquake-induced landslide. Maybe the famous flying cow from Twister made it, too!

New Zealand or Oklahoma, we all need a nice glass of wine from time to time with our movies. So enjoy these two together, and keep an eye on the weather. Let’s get swept away by Three Brooms and Twister.

And thank you, Bill, for your wit and your free-wheeling style on the screen. Entertainment Weekly wrote a great piece about Bill this week that I would also like to share with you:

Remembering the late Bill Paxton, who was full of decency and genuine spirit