Mother's Day week-long celebration

Last Sunday, my sweet James told me that he was sad his former Primary teacher had been having shoulder problems and was going to have surgery soon. In various occasions she had sent James by mail cards, letters and sometimes simply word puzzles (James's favorite) inside an envelope. James always felt loved then, and now he wanted to return the favor. He and I brainstormed ways we could help her feel better, and James came up with the idea of bringing her dinner, writing her 'get-well' cards, and making dessert for her. So when Monday came rolling in and the kids were done with school, homework, and swimming, James and Gillian wrote their cards, and Jefferson helped with the assembling of the dinner. (Charlton enjoyed participating in our service project by eating a cookie.) His teacher was very grateful for our thoughtfulness and kindness, but what makes me even happier was the fact that my kids are learning to think of others and giving of themselves. I know from personal experience that sincere service brings true happiness to the giver and the receiver. I hope this desire to help others continues throughout their lives.

On Tuesday, we cleaned the whole house, did laundry, went grocery shopping, attended swim practice, participated in chorus (Gillian), visited the library, and ate out. On Tuesdays Elijah serves in the temple till after 10 p.m., so the children and I try to finish as many chores and fun activities as possible, so when Wednesday comes we can spend time with dad. And since he isn't home all day that day, the kids help out with his chores as well. Here is Charlton taking care of watering the garden all by himself (he wouldn't let you even if you wanted to help):

On Wednesday, since it is short day for them at school, the children had a play date for a couple of hours. After that, we each found our own little corner and either napped or read. It was a beautiful day outside so we each fought who would use hammock first. Charlton and I decided to take a nap there. Afterwards, Gillian used it to relax and write in her journal.

After dinner, Elijah and the children spent some time together reading, playing and later watching an episode of Star Trek. My mother and I went out and watched "The Avengers" (one of the best action movies I've seen in a long time), followed by dessert and discussion, a family tradition. I was grateful to Elijah for taking care of the children while I was out. Life is such a beautiful thing when we share it with others. I'm grateful for my husband who so sweetly wants to be with his family at all times, and enjoys being with us. I also know he wanted to spend the evening with me that night, but desiring to make my mother happy he encouraged us to have a good time.

Thursday came full throttle with homework, swim practice, piano, Gillian's friend 's play, and preparations for the next day's trip. Elijah had made plans to take me up to Ashland, Oregon's Shakespeare Festival for a relaxing week-end with him as a Mother's Day gift.

However, adventures awaited us even before we departed for our trip. During the play's intermission, as we were waiting for Gillian's friend's play to continue, I noticed that James's face had begun to swell and burst into a hive. I became frightened, so I asked my friend about it. The more we looked at James the more we became convinced that he had some kind of rash and needed immediate attention. Her husband, who is a doctor, checked him really quickly and stated that it looked like James had strep throat. He prescribed some penicillin, told me James would be okay as long as he took his medicine, and then suggested that I follow my week-end plans without reservations.

I was worried leaving James sick, but my mother promised me she would take good care of him, so the next day, on Friday, Elijah and I headed to Ashland. The scenery toward Oregon was very beautiful with green rolling hills and vast orchard fields. Mount Shasta stood majestic as we left California and entered Oregon.
Ashland itself was a small, quaint town with a nice university and plenty of wonderful things to do. Of course, it is well known all over America and in the world for its first class Shakespearean entertainment. The festival runs year around with shows from Shakespeare and other classics, being played each afternoon and evening. Elijah, as always, had outdone himself - from finding a very relaxing and luxurious hotel room (with its own jacuzzi) to buying the best seats in the theater to making reservation to a fancy French restaurant. I felt not only loved and cared for, but truly spoiled. Thank you, Elijah. You are one in a million.

We watched Romeo and Juliet with a different kind of take from its usual productions. The story was set during the 1840's Alta California and the young couple's families had a feud over land. It was unusual but in a very good way. I had seen this play a few times before, but I really liked this production. Having lived in California for a couple of years now and having studied its history alongside Gillian, the way the play was set out was very refreshing. I enjoyed the acting tremendously, especially Romeo's portrayal. In the past, I had seen him a bit older and more mature than Shakespeare had intended it to be, so when you would hear what he had to say about Rosaline and then Juliet, they all sounded cheesy. But this Romeo was beautifully done. The audience fell in love with his young and naive affections, his playful heart and sweet spirits, and then we all fell tears falling as Romeo cries over his misfortunes and the misunderstood death of his love, following her with his own death. Shakespeare would have been proud of that Romeo.

Beside watching plays, eating good food, and relaxing in the jacuzzi, Elijah and I enjoyed walking about town and taking in the scenery that it had to offer.

When we came back on Sunday, my mother had made a special dinner for us, the kids all were well and excited, and we were rested and refreshed. After dinner, we shared our gifts with them and they gave me their homemade cards and gifts that they had bought with dad a few days before. This had been a wonderful week full of love and kindness. I'm grateful to be a mother and to have the children I have. Without reservation, being a mother has made me a much better person than I could have ever become on my own.

Beware the Ides of March

For one of the book clubs I attend, we are reading a young adult book titled "The Wednesday Wars." It's a fun little book that on the surface seems to be just that, fun, but as one continues to read it becomes more deep and it deals with an amazing group of issues. The story takes place in the 1960's during the time that America is involved with the Vietnam War. Seventh grader Holling Hoodhood thinks his English teacher hates him. Holling is the only student in the class that doesn't attend a religious class in the middle of the day on Wednesdays, so during that time Mrs. Baker assigns him to read plays by Shakespeare, starting a friendship that will help them both throughout the school year. As he reads the Bard's words and learns through the plays' themes, Holling is being transformed into a young man. The author has a light sense of humor and brings out the fun that Shakespeare produces with his wit and talent in his plays. As Holling reads one play at a time, he starts relating what he learns to his own life and his relationships with his father, girlfriend, friends, and sister. And of course one of the plays he reads is Julius Caesar. Since today is the 15th of March, or the Ides of March, I thought I would reminisce a bit about my fascination with Shakespeare, and share with you some of my favorite quotes from Julius Caesar (it would be a long post if I shared quotes from all of Shakespeare's plays).

Nobody introduced me to Shakespeare. It felt like love at first sight. My mother had a room with two walls full of books. Most of them were the great works of classical literature, all beautifully translated into Albanian. Reading was part of life, actually life itself. I remember my mother and myself reading on our own till the early hours of the morning, and then getting ready she for work and I for school. We would both be late, but that wasn't what we talked about on our way to our destinations. She would share what she read and I would share what I had read. No hardship or trial during the day could dampen our souls. I remember reading a lot of Greek Mythology and Greek plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Aristophanes, in addition to short excerpts from Plato and Aristotle. Next to these my mom had placed a huge volume of Shakespeare plays. My heart thumped when I touched its leathery cover. I had heard of Shakespeare and I had watched several productions of his plays on TV, but at age 9, I hadn't read any verses from Shakespeare. I thought I would give it a try, and thus started my fascination with this genius of English literature, and I have been in love with this mysterious creature and what he had to say about life ever since.

In middle school, I made the hilarious attempt of trying to translate the Albanian version of some of the plays into English, and then compare it to the original. My brother still makes fun of me for doing such a silly thing, but I had just started reading books in English, and I was enjoying my progress with this language. This exercise gave me the confidence to read Shakespeare's works in their original language, or at least make the attempt of grasping some of what Shakespeare wrote. In high school, I was obsessed with writing down my favorite quotes from the plays. I would give anything to find that sweet notebook filled with Shakespeare sayings and best-loved quotes. I then later started memorizing and reciting various monologues, my first one being Mark Antony's speech at Julius Caesar's funeral.

It's a pity but I don't read as much Shakespeare nowadays as I used to. I have had season tickets for years at various Shakespeare Theater productions. I also love to see adaptations made for TV viewers. I grew up watching Laurence Olivier in many of those kinds of productions, and till lately I couldn't make myself watch anyone else but him in King Lear or Hamlet. However, I have to say Kenneth Branagh has come very close to that ideal. His portrayal of Hamlet is one of my favorites, coming very close to the perfection of Laurence Olivier. His Henry V carrying the young boy in his arms after the battle of Agincourt with Patrick Doyle singing Non Nobis Nomine in the background doesn't lag behind either. Just the other day I watched Branagh's adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing, and I have to say his role of Benedick portrayed better than my imagination could have ever produced made this lighthearted comedy into a masterpiece. Shakespeare's words were never uttered so beautifully.

Gillian hasn't read the original Shakespeare plays yet, but I introduced her to Shakespeare as soon as she turned 8. There are some fascinating children's adaptations of many Shakespeare plays as well as several artfully done dramatizations on books-on-CD that I've given to her, and she has devoured them with pleasure, making me tremendously happy. But I'm not pushing her. I hope she will come to Shakespeare on her own accord just as I did. Somehow I'm not worried. I have a lot of magic tricks under my sleeve, even if my husband would laugh at my attempts of guiding my kids into reading what I want them to read. Just the other day he was making fun of my seriousness when it comes to reading. The kids were getting ready to retire to bed, and I was giving my instructions to each of them about how much time they have left and what books to read. At one point I was telling Jefferson that I expected him to be half way done with his book before he went to sleep. Charlton was climbing the stairs while this conversation was taking place, and Elijah immediately called him and with my very large volume of Plato's writings in his hands he said: "Here Charlton, your mother will be disappointed if you don't finish this volume by tonight. Go and don't waste your time." Funny all around!

Back to Shakespeare. I hope that this little post has inspired some of you to pick up one of his plays and read it. My favorites are The Tempest and Hamlet, with Julius Caesar coming third. But then again, Shakespeare is a genius in all he writes. As promised, here are some of my favorite quotes from Julius Ceasar, starting with my first Shakespeare memorization ever, that of Mark Antony's eulogy:

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones. (3.2.79)

He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man. (3.2.91)

You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!
O you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome,
Knew you not Pompey? (1.1.39)

Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come. (2.2.34)

O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth,
That I am meek and gentle with these butchers!
Thou art the ruins of the noblest man
That ever lived in the tide of times.
Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood!
Over thy wounds now do I prophesy,--
Which, like dumb mouths, do ope their ruby lips,
To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue--
A curse shall light upon the limbs of men;
Domestic fury and fierce civil strife
Shall cumber all the parts of Italy;
Blood and destruction shall be so in use
And dreadful objects so familiar
That mothers shall but smile when they behold
Their infants quarter'd with the hands of war;
All pity choked with custom of fell deeds:
And Caesar's spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice
Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war;
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial. (Act III, Scene 1)

A friend should bear his friend's infirmities,
But Brutus makes mine greater than they are. (4.3.86)

Beware the ides of March!

Shakespeare's language has always fascinated me. I'm amazed at his wit, his wealth of words, his possession of grammar, and his craftsmanship for double meaning. Furthermore, there isn't another author as much quoted as is Shakespeare. His poetic way of expressing thoughts and ideas make him immortal.

I fell in love with Shakespeare when I was nine. I read him in Albanian. I'm to this day grateful to those amazing translators who tried very hard to stay true to Shakespeare's individuality of writing. After studying English for a few years, I tempted to read his plays in his own original language, unabridged and not suited for easy reading. I wanted Shakespeare in his greatness; I wanted to read his plays the way there were meant to be read. I was hooked for life. I memorized many sayings, but my first real monologue out of Shakespeare's plays was Mark Anthony's speech at Julius Caesar's funeral. Since today is March 15th, the day that Julius Caesar died, I thought I would share with you that particular piece:

William Shakespeare - Friends, Romans, countrymen (from Julius Caesar 3/2)

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest -
For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men -
Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

Mothers and daughters

Today I felt very special. Gillian asked ME to read to her. Every night she has her father read to her, and it is truly a special time for both of them. Gillian looks forward to it every day. If they are finished, and I'm still reading to the boys, she will join us, but not otherwise. Today, however, as soon as we were done eating and cleaning the table, she grabbed her book and told me she was waiting for me to read to her. I asked Elijah to take care of the boys, and it was a good thing too, because Jefferson was in the mood to write letters to friends and family, and I just didn't feel like it. We sat down and I asked what book we were reading tonight. She responded: "Shakespeare, of course!" According to Gillian, she had had a good time reading the stories the night before that she wanted us to read them together. She added: "And I want you to read them to me, because I like your voice and the way you read them." This book "Stories from Shakespeare" is really beautifully written and illustrated. I normally don't read retold stories to the kids. I prefer them reading unabridged classics. They may not understand all of it, but the language will for sure enchant them. I think one reason Gillian likes this book (written by Geraldine McCaughrean) is the language. I also like the fact that on the side of each page the author shares some of the original verses by Shakespeare. When Gillian said 'goodnight' to me, she imitated me with all my dramatic as she recited "Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow,/That I shall say good night till it be morrow" (Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene II).
I can't wait to attend Shakespeare plays with Gillian. I know it will create a special bond between us. Here are some of my favorite quotes from Shakespeare:

"This above all: to thine own self be true." (Hamlet)
"What a piece of work is man! how noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals!" (Hamlet)
"When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions."(Hamlet)
"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits, and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts." (As you like it)
"The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool." (As you like it)
"The course of true love never did run smooth." (A Midsummer Night's Dream)
"Everyone can master a grief but he that has it." (Much ado about nothing)
"We are such stuff as dreams are made on, rounded with a little sleep." (The Tempest)
"Cowards die many times before their deaths: The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, it seems to me most strange that men should fear; Seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come."(Julius Caesar)
"My love's more richer than my tongue." (King Lear)