by Noella Noelophile®
Yay! My website’s back!
We’d been having some upgrades done, which meant no updated posts from December 19th, right up to now.
That’s about as well-timed as waking up with a sore throat on December 24th.
But–life happens. And I did want to share with you, both a couple of Christmastime discoveries that you may still enjoy, and some “fun stuff” coming up, as we go forward and honor communities, artists and authors who “honor Christmas in their hearts and keep it all the year”.
First–a great movie.
In case you didn’t get quite enough Christmas 2021, you might like to check out Netflix’s “A Boy Called Christmas”.
While the story’s a familiar one, there are some unexpected twists and turns!
Dame Maggie Smith would be wonderful in any role, but her “Aunt Ruth” is simultaneously a warm and comforting figure to the film’s motherless children–and a character with some hidden dimensions. You want to stay with her from the opening scenes–and the story proves well worth the ride.
This is also a visually beautiful film, which had me oohing and aahing at the scenes and costumes. Nikolas’ entry into Elfhelm, especially, was enough to inspire about six designs for Christmas ornaments!
Clearly, the producers had a lot of creative fun with “A Boy Called Christmas”.
Nowhere is that more evident than at the appearance of elf-witch leader Mother Vodol (Sally Hawkins). Her forbidding-looking robes and crown-styled headgear give us some idea of what’s to come. Meanwhile, Hawkins’ leader is a believably multidimensional character: a stern disciplinarian who shields her own vulnerability with protectiveness of her charges.
Visually stunning, warm, thoughtful, poignant and with some surprises, “A Boy Called Christmas” has all the makings of a new Christmas classic.
Next? A great story.
Maybe you knew that Louisa May Alcott had written a number of Christmas stories that didn’t involve Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy–but I certainly didn’t!
This year’s “find” is “How It All Happened”.
At the start of the story, sisters Dolly and Polly are despondent. Living with their mother and younger siblings in a rooming-house, funds are very low. Still, they’ve expended their best efforts at piecework, to give the little ones a Christmas.
As Christmas approaches, though, all their hard work has yielded only “a very pitiful little tree…hung with a few penny toys”.
But the walls are thin in the rooming-house. Voices carry…and there’s Christmas magic afoot…
“How It All Happened” is a loving illustration, not just of “the whole being greater than the sum of its parts”, but of the Chinese proverb that, “Some fragrance always lingers in the hand that gives roses”. Alcott adds a gentle humor in the characters’ perceptions of their fellow roomers–an artist and a working milliner–as “rich”, even while showing readers that “rich” doesn’t necessarily have a lot to do with money.
Like to read this one? It’s one of the selections in Volume 6 of Alcott’s anthology, “Aunt Jo’s Scrap-Bag”, and is available online. (I actually found it in another great Christmas anthology e-book from the Long Beach Public Library: “The Nutcracker and Other Stories”.)
Now–going forward. With stardust from Christmas, 2021, still in our shoes.
An exciting community organization to watch, is the Museum of Make Believe.
Currently online, this nonprofit, created by artist/author team Amy and Geoff Mitchell, is raising funds for their permanent venue. Their ultimate goal: to make art accessible to everyone, through storytelling and hands-on workshops.
Meanwhile, they continue to offer events that spark the imagination, at Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center, in Anaheim. Their recent offerings have included a Halloween event based on Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, and a Victorian Christmas celebration starring one of Charles Dickens’ lesser-known characters.
Each event has a live stream. so if you’re isolating, as I’m continuing to do, you can still be a part of it!
They’re sure to be planning something exciting for the upcoming months, so the easiest way to stay updated is to follow them on their Instagram account. I’ll also update you whenever I can.
Next?
One of my all-time-favorite annual events is coming up at Aquarium of the Pacific, in Long Beach.
Their “Festival of Human Abilities”, set for Saturday and Sunday, January 29th and 30th, showcases the talents of artists with disabilities.
You will be absolutely wowed.
While I don’t yet see a listing of performers, in the past these have included the Love in Motion Signing Choir, adaptive scuba-diving demonstrations, performances by Infinite Flow Dance Company and The Rollettes Wheelchair Dance Team, and an art gallery–where some of the artists were painting onsite!
Best of all, free workshops were happening, both days. Animation, wheelchair painting and dance sessions were among my favorites when attending onsite before.
For this 19th annual Festival of Human Abilities, I’m assuming the Aquarium will have a live stream, as they did in 2020. But I’ll verify that as soon as I know. Meanwhile, here’s the link for more information; the Festival is free with general admission to the Aquarium.
And, last but not least…
…if you love to make things (who doesn’t?) and would like to upgrade your creative skills, you may want to see what the International Printing Museum, in Torrance, is planning.
As of 2022, they’re opening their new “Book Arts Institute”.
Using their collection of vintage printing equipment, they’ll be teaching small classes and workshops in printing and paper arts. Letterpress printing , marbling, paper making and more are listed among the offerings in their new, 4600-square-foot facility. Here’s the link to send them an interest form and get on their mailing list for upcoming classes.
Who knows–maybe the special people on your Christmas, 2022 gift list will receive s first edition of your latest work!