Creative Connections

J. M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan, numerous other plays and novels counted Robert Louis Stevenson, George Bernard Shaw, H. G. Wells, and Thomas Hardy as his friends and founded a cricket team consisting of Conan Doyle, A.A. Milne, G. K. Chesterton, P. G. Woodhouse, and other luminaries. 


He told stories to the young daughters of the Duke of York who would become Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret. 


During the height of his career, Barrie was better known than any writer of his time.


He had a unique connection with Daphne du Maurier author of Rebecca, The Scapegoat, The House on the Strand and Jamaica Inn.  


Here is the connection:

George du Maurier was the father of Sylvia du Maurier Davies and Gerald du Maurier who was the father of Angela and Daphne du Maurier.

Sylvia du Maurier Davies and Arthur Davies had five sons George, John, Peter, Michael and Nicholas making Angela and Daphne du Maurier their cousins. 

Barrie met the boys in Kensington Gardens where he walked his Newfoundland dog Porthos. The boys served as inspiration for the characters in the play Peter Pan that had its first stage appearance in 1904.

When Arthur Llewelyn Davies died in 1907, Barrie provided financial support for the family. Following Sylvia’s death in 1910 Barrie became the boys’ guardian.             

Here are some fascinating tidbits regarding the du Maurier family:

Ø  George du Maurier—Daphne’s and the boy's grandfather was the author of Trilby, the story of a young girl transformed into a diva by the evil musical genius Svengali. Trilby inspired the 1910 novel, Phantom of the Opera, that was later adapted into one of the longest running Broadway shows in history. The word “Svengali” has entered the language meaning a person who, with evil intent, manipulates another into doing what is desired.

Ø  Gerald du Maurier— father of Angela and Daphne was an actor acclaimed for his dual role of George Darling and Captain Hook in J. M. Barrie’s play, Peter Pan

Ø  Angela—Daphne’s sister was a beautiful actress who played Wendy in Peter Pan.

Ø  Peter—Daphne’s cousin and publisher of her first short story was identified as the name source of the play, Peter Pan.          

A Letter for One and All

This weekend I discovered a letter written May 16, 1962 by my great-grandmother, Florence Weaver, when she was 97-years-old. (She died after living 102 years).

Florence had 10 children. I have no idea how many great-grandchildren she had in the aggregate.

She had nine great-grandchildren through my grandfather so she must have had close to 90 great-grandchildren. Therefore she must have written 90, or so similar letters to her other great-grandchildren. Quite a task.

Here's the letter:

Dear great-grandson John,

I see you are through high school & headed for college. Am hoping you make it in a good way.

I am proud of all my children, great & grands, one and all who are on my prayer list in a big way. They are all I'll leave in this world that's worthwhile. 

A great verse in the Bible that says, "Commit thy ways unto the Lord & he shall direct thy paths."

May the Lord bless you and help you as you go through life to make your footprints on the sands of time fitting for others to follow.

Love to all,

Your great-grandmother,

PS: I am enclosing $25 to help in your journey.

A Great Grandfather's Caveat

Two days ago I posted a letter that I wrote for my daughter, Wende, to her great grandfather when she was a one-year-old. (I found a copy in a 47-year-old file folder the other day.)

Here is his twinkle-in-the-eye reply dated April 28, 1971: 

Dear Wende, 

Your letter reassured me that you have had your parents all giggles and gaga-eyed the first 12 months of your life.

I must warn you, however, that the difficulties you will face in the next few years will be much more challenging than your first year. 

For one thing, I believe you will find that much more is expected of a little girl than is required of a boy. 

Boys can slide down mud banks, catch frogs and chase snakes, jump out of trees, get into fights, swim naked and nothing will be said about it. 

You will be expected to be “lady-like.” That is, keep your room tidy and your dress and hair clean and pretty. 

Your dad will want you to be the smartest and the sweetest girl on earth, but don't fret because he will love you with all his heart no matter if your throw spitballs and give a shiner to the boy sitting behind you for pulling your hair. Your mom may be concerned about a sullied reputation.

If you get muddy, go fishing, play football or climb trees your dad will love it, but not so much the women folk. 

Grandmothers and great grandmothers present another complication. They'll want you to take piano lessons and learn to sew. Before you can say leap-frog they will have you baking cookies.

On the other hand, you will have some advantages over boys when it comes to getting your parents to see things your way. 

There are two ways girls handle their parents. Some little girls throw temper tantrums. Avoid this at all cost. It labels you spoiled and pampered. Nobody likes a mollycoddle.

The soothing way to handle a parent--and from the reports that have reached me--the technique that you have already begun to master, is much more effective.

Your daddy will be unable to resist your entreaties when you cuddle in his lap, put your arms around him and whisper a few sweet words in his ear. 

Give your parents a little love and sincere praise and you can get just about anything your want. 

Always be polite. This will surprise your neighbors and captivate your parents.

Life can be as beautiful as a sailboat in a summer breeze when you train your eyes to see the best in situations. You can bring joy to your life and others simply by looking for the good in things. 

Certainly there are ugly situations and difficult people in the world, but you’ll find if you look with clear eyes that there exists many more good people and beautiful things than bad and ugly. 

Determine that you are going to make the world better because you lived, and you’ll find life a wonder. 

Love, 

Pop

A Baby's Lament

Going through some old files, I discovered the following letter written by our daughter, Wende, to her great grandfather on her first birthday, April 13, 1971. (She was a precocious child.): 

Well, Pop, that old bald cheater, Time, has crept upon me and much to my regret, I am now one-year old, which means less privileges and more responsibilities. 

For one thing, I’ll have to start walking. My first year I really had it made. All I had to do was pull up, smile and mumble a few incoherent syllables and my mom and dad would fall all over themselves trying to get photos, films, recordings and such. But now they’re tired of that and ready for me to take the big step so to speak. 

I can already tell that this coming year is going to be real tough. I am going to have to get busy and start talking in sentences. I’ve held back, because once you give in to them, they have you. 

And then there comes mastering the fork and spoon, not to mention adding a few refinements to my table manners. Eating with my fingers is just plain fun, especially when my mom’s back is turned and I get to throw food. 

Probably the time I dread most is potty training. After that you’re really civilized and I’m afraid there will be no looking back. 

Trusting that you will encourage my parents to let me be a baby for a few more years, I remain 

Your loving great granddaughter, 

Wende

Dont' Try to Be perfeck

we cant expect to be happpy all the time. Life is not perfect People let us down becaus people aren't perfect. 

If you look real hard and find someone who does' everything perfect--perfect spoouse, perfect kids, perfect church, perfect hair, perfect teeth, perfect inlaws, perfect vacations--I will give you my board certified diploma in psyichiatry and neurology if you don't find behind the perfect facade a worried, terrified, anxious individual that fears being discovered as a fake perfect person.

I am not mocking this perfectionism because it is a wretched trait to have and it makes the posssessor and those around miserabble.

 your not perfect iether.

Overcomming the need to be perfekt takes a lot of werk. one way is to say to yourself people love you even you you arn't perfect. iN FACT THey love you more when you are youselves

And you arn't perfect neither. So relx and watch spong bob of Tv

Befor yoo watch sponge Bob wrtie this our ten times:

Good enough is good enough.
Good enough is good enough,
Good enough is good enough.
Good enough is good enough.
Good enough is goood enough.
Good enough is good enough.
Good enough is good enough.
Good enouh is good enough.
Good enough is good enough.



How many errors did you find? Only perfectionists would count.
And which perfectionist out there counted how many "Good enoungh is good enough" sentences there were. 

I found 23  0r 24 misakes but i countd fast.. there might have be 27 or 29

The Wisdom Book

I have been reading the Book of Job and marveling at the wisdom and the beautiful literature found there: The poetry, the cadence, the rhythm, the use of metaphor, simile and allegory surpass most other works of art. 

Theologians report that Job was written around 2000 BC. Socrates was born in 469 BC, Plato, 428 BC, Aristotle, 384 BC. 

How could Job written 1500 years before the classical scholars contain so much wisdom and been so beautifully composed? 

The answer is found in Job 32:8—But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. 

Job was divinely inspired.The intellect brings knowledge; the spirit brings wisdom. 

Worldly success is based on outward performance. God bases success on a wise, humble and contrite heart.