Connecting Old and New

Took the time to get my connection up and running on Facebook last night.

Started by getting my Profile set-up...history (schools and work),connections on Internet (blogs,web site), telling a little about myself (as little or as much as I wanted). Personal questions I answered truthful and with humor.

I posted a few Through the Years Pictures so people could see it was in fact me.

Click on pictures (they enlarge)










posted a video of me and my kids through the years.




Found it most fun reconnecting with people I shared the road with back in Hometown, Williamson (Pultneyville) School Days.

Woke to a wonderful comment this AM: "You haven't aged much over the years."

THANK-YOU!!!!!

and...smile for those who remembered where and how we connected...sports and music and laughs.

I also was able to connect with current work friends. Several have poke me invitations, but I'm still new to this Facebook thing...so before I go poking too many people thought I'd find out what that means first.

Researching further, it appears many of my old and newer friends are into farming on this group connect thing called FarmVille. Poor friends. Most are already obviously in need of help; too many cats showing up, barns needing repair...

Connection invite from friend across Ocean (France). So great to have friend invite from her in my email this AM and then to read her positive news re: her writing breakthrough via Twitter and her blog.

My message back: "Smiling across the Ocean. Tweet. re: your writing breakthrough. Love this post and blog entry. Three words on post I noticed...courage, creativity, and gratitude...all three there. You are onto something, for sure. Best to you"

Just received message back from her through Facebook...gotta love this Internet age,faster than post office.

Made two confessions already this AM:

1. "Over yrs. my kids have blocked my music career. Tend to leave the room every time I play. Message in that? I wonder." (to my Saxophone playing friend)

2. I joined a group: I Cheated at Heads Up 7Up in Elementary School Anonymous

"Hello everyone. I'm Jane, and I'm a cheater at Heads Up 7Up. It all started in Elementary School. My excuses; desk was too hard (hurt my head and elbow), and I was delirious from breathing my own hot air. Thank-you for listening to my story."

But my group membership didn't stop there.
I now belong to:

Graphic Design and Adobe Photoshop; DECLARE 2010 THE YEAR OF PEACE - Make it the largest Group of FB; Six Degrees of Separation; When I Was Little I Used To Think The Moon Was Following My Car; and I Cheated at Heads Up 7Up in Elementary School Anonymous

Tag along on my Facebook page. Just click on Facebook link on this blog.

and to my friends from past days to those newer to my road, thanks for co-creating the good times.

Jane Marla VerDow

Sarah

Dedicated to my Grandmother, Sarah (The Piano Player)

Came from Holland just under 2 years of age. Great-grandparents and two siblings, all three children under the age of five at the time of their immigration to the USA. Ship: The Veendam.

Photo Restoration/Video: Jane Marla Ver Dow (2010)

Video Music: John Jarvis, Some Kind of Sunrise

Names of "Home Towns" In Holland (Providence) I saw printed, though letters switched or left off or added on through speech translation handscripted now in print or handwriting versions of the storycarriers. Here I will write them as Zeelandic Flander; Zuidzande; but most common I saw Cadzand. Speech we often heard Zuid-er-zee. I assume that meant land Zuidzande next to or on the zee (Noordzee/North Sea). Funny how sound and letters get lost over time.

Then, the waves and Sea...Now, still fighting the elements to work the land and to preserve home...that remains like Homeland, northwest Netherlands. The draw towards living near water remained in the hearts and Souls of next generations and there they settled along The Great Lake; Ontario. Farmland, rich and higher elevation this new place called, home.


I wrote this in loving memory to "the Grandparents I never met" and to include them on the day my parents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Grandma Sarah passed at age 40 (Dad, 14) and my Mom's Father, William had passed (1945) prior to their wedding day, 1946.

God, watch over me and mine I pray
Your Ocean to cross so vast.
Dream You planted in my heart just as deep
Your Promise be true, what I sow may I reap.
Set my sail to horizon -America, there may
Mother Liberty open her arms.
Captain my ship as she sails on the Sea
Me a lad or babe, Mother praying over me.
Farmland rich for Your Hands did make.
My gifts all I bring, from Thee.
My hands able to labor and music I play
Send Your Love and Guide my way. Amen.



Happy Heart Day to my Lucier-VerDow Family, 2010

Photo Restoration: Jane Marla VerDow

I love doing photo restoration of old photos. At first I thought it was my imagination, but as I was doing the close pixel work on photos of people I knew, I sensed them there with me. Everything about them. How their skin felt to me, or smells of their day from work or food; simply put, I could sense them on a touch level.

What really intrigued me...when retouching the photos of Grandma Sarah, the grandmother I never knew or met or had the gift to touch, this feeling-touch sensation would still travel through my mouse click into my hand...then to my heart.

Same I sense with old books or old papers. Guess that's the real story behind my rare and old book searches and the interest ephemera collecting. I connect this way.



For more of the same: old photos and restoration in process, or family immigration stories

http://lakeontarioshoreline.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=16


Janie

Daydreaming

Very early photos taken by me, 1980's on my Minolta 35mm.
Just something I used to do, a hobby back when...high school and college years.

Updated to movie-video format, 2010 this winter day early February.

Today, searching for what next at a crossroads. How fitting. Then searching for the path..now in search of what else.

(To watch full screen click on arrows, right bottom of screen. To change resolution, choose 360 or 480)




Follow your bliss and be what you want to be.
Don't climb the ladder of success only to find
it's leaning against the wrong wall.
~ Bernie Siegal




Janie

Sunday Afternoons Winter Time

So what would I have done with a long Sunday, snow-cold afternoon lasts days of January along the Lake Ontario Shoreline back in the 60's...

Watch an old black-white movie on a Zenith black-white TV




Then, still today spellbound by Talent and Creativity


For more of the same visit my YouTube Channel. So far just a mixture of music I like, political or historical interests, movie or TV clips that spark my writing, comedy that reminds me not to take life so serious, storytellers and artists that spark my creativity. The variety can be viewed by clicking on Playlists. I update it at least weekly thru This Weeks Picks (Playlist) and by the Featured Video on the Home Channel Page.

I'm working on a few films of my own to post. Book trailers and others just for the fun of it. Stay tuned...

http://www.youtube.com/JaneMarlaVerDow

The Boxer

Referring back on this thread (October 16, 2009), college days and where this road on my path started.

"Service is the rent we pay for a room in Heaven." ~ Muhammad Ali

Time, energy...balancing the Spiritual-Material...

That's where I am on this day...both in mind and heart.

The question today? Still forming somewhere between head and heart.

But my thought-feelings:
Room in Heaven...doing the daily bread thing most days feels like earning rent money from Hell for a room in Heaven...

I'd prefer something in between...like more Heaven on Earth. Then again, I must be dreaming again.

My thoughts travel back in time to a conversation I once had at work while walking with a retired Priest. We talked of why I do what I do per diem and the obstacles he, too faced in his career. I remember he spoke of the Politics embedded. I remember my words back to him. "Isn't it sad how much the Powers of the World get in the way of doing God's Work?"

For today...
I settled for a day off from Hell to make my time-space on Earth today and my next tomorrows more like Heaven.

Forever Young

One of my favorite performers, Joan Baez. Loved her during the 60's listening from the farm and sorting through the World's images and realities of war and chaos...and today, 2009 still listening from the trees.

I love this performance. Such a gracious performer; Her Creativity, Art, and Appreciation shine through.




This next video is more from her performance in France,2000




The best performance of House of The Rising Sun by Baez featuring not only her voice but also her gift playing the guitar.





Album Titled: Day After Tomorrow. Released September 8th, 2008 by Proper Records

Celebrating Baez 50 years of voice.




Always, the search for peace. Honoring her contribution to the Cause. Thank-you, Joan Baez for sharing your gift.


Peace,
Jane




Don't miss watching this trip down memory lane. A gem.

The encore

Peace

Great when people of the world all come together on the same page, isn't it?

For more information go to: http://playingforchange.com