March 21

Carol Frank, Florrie, Betty, Martha H. correctly identified "Which one of you nuts has got any guts?  from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Try this one

"Do you know that place between being asleep and awake, where you still remember your dreams? That's where I'll always love, that's where I'll always wait for you."

Reston Community Players

next to normal - Well I finally got to see the production at the Reston Community Center and I was not disappointed.  As Sy previously wrote, it is a tough subject area to tackle.  Who would ever think to write a play about mental illness and a musical to boot.  For those of you who don't know the play's history, it started off Broadway to very mixed reviews.  The play was reworked and played at Arena  where it worked out the kinks.  On to Broadway where it received wonderful reviews, three Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize. That year the Tony went to a more mainstream musical, "Billy Elliott."   Will you go away singing and smiling; not unless you too need mental health help; but you will go away thinking how lucky you are to have a family that is close to normal.

On Netflix:

The Intouchables - This French film was panned by the critics, but what do they know.  It is a lovely, poignant film about the friendship between a wealthy paraplegic and his rough around the edges caretaker.  It is based on a true story, the caretaker in real life is not black, but Middle Eastern.  Although he is confined to a chair, you never feel sorry for Philippe.  That is exactly what he wanted from his caretaker and Driss does just that.  To see a film that will put a smile on your face and feel good, see this one. 

Interesting Read:

Prague Winter by Madeleine Albright - This month's book club selection is Albright's personal story of remembrance of war  1937-1948.  At first I thought it was not going to catch my interest, but as I read I learned a lot about Czechoslovakia and World War II.  The personal parts were quite interesting.  I am sure there will be a lively discussion next week when we meet.  I know a number of people cannot believe that Albright never had any kind of inkling that she was Jewish.  Sometimes we believe what we want to believe and close our eyes to what is right in front of us.  I would recommend you reading this account.

At The Library of Congress:

Words Like Sapphires - 100 Years of Hebraica at the Library of Congress 1912-2012 - One point of interest that tourists forget about when visiting Washington, DC is The Library of Congress.  Situated behind the Capitol it is not only a beautiful building and one of the largest libraries in the world. I went on a trip with a group to see this exhibit.  We were fortunate to have the curator, Peggy Pearlstein, as our guide.  As in any museum, you get so much more out of any exhibit if you go on a tour.  The docents know what to point out and items you might overlook.The reason for the title is that Hebrew writers throughout the medieval Jewish world used the image of "sapphires" to describe the clarity and brilliance of the well chosen word and beauty of the written page. The Library of Congress has been recognized as one of the world's foremost centers for the study of Hebrew and Yiddish materials If you live in the DC area, see it for yourself - you won't be disappointed.  For those of you who cannot make it to Washington, the exhibit is online at http://loc.gov/exhibitions

DWTS

Well my show got off to a quick start this week and I am sorry to say that Sy's girl Cheryl Burke will not be on long as her partner DL Hugley is terrible.  I think the women are the stronger contenders.  My favorites so far are:  Zendaya Coleman, Aly Raisman and Kellie Pickler.  Dorothy Hamill was no too bad either.  Besides Hugley in the cellar I think Lisa Vanderpump, Wyonna Judd and Andy Dick will round out those I think who should be off in the first couple of weeks.  Some of these performers have big fan bases so you can never predict what will happen.  Time will tell!

It is a sorry state of films out there.  Sy and I couldn't find one to go to so I guess we will continue to focus on Netflix. 

Roberta