Paul's Corner

What am I grateful for this year:

that I am sitting here with a big smile on my face because I have just read Paul's "Ön the eve of new year's eve"

my children

my parents

my grandfather who's 92 and still going strong

my friends - in the flesh and in cyberspace

my job (have to be practical, although because I work at a school I'm also glad it is currently holidays)

the fact that Tara and Grandma Mil's documentary has made it all the way

looking forward to Mercurio's Menu and DWTS here next year on TV

all the wonderful friends on PC - who feel like family - and whose wisdom and humour have added immeasureably to the joys of 2007

the fact that Paul still has the hottest butt, the cutest eyes and the most idiosyncratic spelling I have ever seen

Love to all - 2008 will be even better

Michele L

Sorry Paul'

Didn't really mean the crack about your spelling - but certainly meant it about your bum and eyes.

Here's to 2008

Michele L

I'm on this site because I just watched Strictly Ballroom on TV for the first time in a long time. I love a film that makes me feel like I've fallen in love and I also love dance, so I'm grateful for that.

So many things to be grateful for--

That my brother managed to come out of the accident with minor cuts and bruises. (My thanks to Ellie, Grandma Mil--I did see the last posting.)

Thanks that my Aunt Helen came through her hip surgery--she's walking well and gratefully still with us at 88.

Thanks to my parents that I'm part of a good family.

Thanks to my students and dance colleagues for keeping dance special for all of us.

Thanks for Paul's new show and sharing with us, getting us to think, ponder, and bond together.

And thanks for the many more things I'm not fully listing here but helped to make 2007 a good year for me.

Let's hope for world peace, health and love in 2008!

Chao!

Hi everyone

There's about 5 hours of 2007 left in Qld Australia, so to everyone at PC, no matter what continent you are on:

Happy 2008 - wishing you peace, happiness and prosperity

Hope 2008 is a wonderful year for you and your family Paul

Love
Michele L

Dearest Paul,

I spoke to Ellie and we decided that #1 among all that we have to be grateful for is the fact that he and I are together all these years (55 in March) and in relatively good health, and our large family here and overseas are doing okay.

Your New Year post so touched me, and with only 2 hours before Australia is the first to bring in the New Year, it seems fitting that being grateful to you and Tara and our Aussie friends here (thanks Michele ) would be on our list also.

We are grateful for our wonderful friends on PC, the sweetest, kindest and most loving on the Internet, for I have met 9 of them in person thanks to Cat, and the love of Strictly Ballroom that binds us together.

Tara told me that she, her daughter Ondine, and her mother will be watching the magnificent fireworks display from the area around Sydney Harbor. I told her I will be looking for them and sending our love and gratitude to you all!

Melody, so glad to hear about Frank...never underestimate the power of prayer..Ole!

Shalom and love,

Grandma Mil

Hello PC Friends,

I'm grateful for being blessed with the best husband in the entire world. He was there for me through the thick and thin of this past trying year. I'm grateful that my girls are healthy and growing. I'm grateful that "someone" greater than me-saved me from insanity after losing my mother, suffering the most awful bipolar episode and losing my grandmother.

The short and simple of it-I'm ready for a new year.

Happy New Year to all!!

Hugs,
Abeth

After a long absence from this blog, I have to say that I'm tremendously grateful to see that it's still up and going strong. As I clicked the link, I recounted how much I had enjoyed visiting with Paul and Millie and Evelyn and Michelle and all of you wonderful folks. I've missed you all.

It seems I've got some catching up to do, so I'll spend some time tonight reading through prior posts.

The long and short of my story is that I have been extremely busy and often overwhelmed. I am still running my tutoring business, I am still serving on the city's planning commission, and I am neck-deep in my campaign for a city council seat with the election scheduled for April 8. My actor/puppeteer husband doesn't have work coming in that he'd counted on so the budget is going to be tight again this coming year. But I'm grateful that we have one another and our beautiful sons (both now in college, but home for the holidays); that we are all in relatively good health; and that we still have a roof over our heads (which is more than I can say for the some of the people I aim to champion in my campaign). I am also grateful for my friends and colleagues on this site and elsewhere who teach me how to see the beauty in life and give me the courage the become a better person.

I thank you all and wish you a healthy, happy, prosperous New Year!

Love,

Diane

Dear Paul,

Happy New Year. I am thankful that God has sent me a wonderful husband, Kyle Reynolds. And I am also thankful about my extended family. My mom and dad-in-law, Gloria and Kenneth Reynolds. My brothers and sisters-in-law, Barry, Rusty, Jeff, and Michael Hanson. Kelly, Kyle's twin sister, Kim, and Debbie. I am also thankful for my new nephews and neices-in-law.

I am thankful for my health and the ability and freedom to think for myself, the use of all the parts of my body, the beauty in life that sometimes gets overshadowed by the ugly but still remains, the love and friendship of my wonderful husband, the miracle of my child (he's 10 now, but was only 1 pound 11 ounces at birth, born 3 months too soon), for the continued function of my kidney in my sister's body 14 years after I donated it, for the closeness of my family, for the comfort of my home, and for discovering this site after watching a movie and being able to "converse" with people from all over the world whom I will probably never see in person. I don't comment much, but I read and think about the posts and the people who write them. Thank you Paul!
Jill

Happy New Year all you wonderful people on Paul's corner!

I am picturing all of us sitting on a corner, possibly at a little outdoor bistro. Maybe it would be called Paul's Corner. There we would share all of the wonderful conversations we have had together this last year. We would ponder on all the support we have given each other. We wold remember some great laughs. We would not forget so many wonderful insights we have given to each other when we needed them most.

I, like many of us here, may have had a really difficult time if it weren't for our visits on the corner this year.

If we sat on this corner tonight we would all share with one another our hopes for the coming year.

Paul and family, I wish you another year of strength and fortitude, for that is what I believe you must already have, to have made it this far. Paul, good health, good food, good fortune!

Grandma Mil and Ellie, I wish you another year of good health and happiness. Another year of great entertainment. Much pride and joy from Tara's film.

Abeth, Melody, Michele, Diane, Sara, Jill, Julie, Cat, just to name a few! All of you!! You are all what I consider friends now. I wish you all the best in the coming year. No more hard times. Only good times. Times we continue to learn from. Joy, comfort, happiness and contentment.

This is my wish for everyone here on the corner.

I am grateful to have spent such quality time with all of you this year!

We've got about 6 more hours to go here in Colorado.

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year to all!!

It's 6:30 pm here in lovely Torrance, Ca. A balmy 67 degrees!
My beautiful daughter, Mary, is turning 17 tomorrow.
We are all in good health, but for the minor colds going around.
My wonderful husband, Mark, and I celebrated 20 terrific years together. Belated congrats to you and Andrea, Paul. And a hearty pre-contrats to Millie and Ellie!! 55 years! Now THAT's saying something!!
Life is good! Now if we can just get the house plumbing to cooperate!!!

Have a happy, healthy and safe 2008!!

Much love,

Margie

Life is good.

Happy 2008!

I'm grateful for:

My family: Mom, Dad, Grandma, Uncle, Aunt and Cousin who are always with me even when we aren't physically together.

My friends: both those who I've known for years and only for a short while, and those whom I've spent time with "in the flesh" and others whom I've only chatted with online. They are my extended family.

My health: Ok, it hasn't been the best but I'm alive and for the most part healthy. This year I'm going to work to make it even better.

My job: If it weren't for my job I couldn't pay my bills and I wouldn't have a roof over my head. That's certainly something to be thankful for.

I don't generally make resolutions for the New Year, but I am planning to do my best to work on continuing my weight loss (which will help with some of my health issues). Plus I want to do something I didn't do in the past: apply myself to my courses when I begin at the university again on the 14th. :o) Those are both fairly simple, and I believe they are things I can focus on sticking with throughout the year.

Here is to a wonderful 2008 to all my family at Paul's Corner! :o)

Hi Margie,

Just wanted to say that I am here in Colorado after moving here almost 15 years ago from Carson, which is right next door to Torrance. I was born and raised in Los Angeles.

Hello neighbor!

Happy New Year, and may it be the BEST ever.

I am grateful that I have lived all my dreams and have no regrets.

I am also grateful that my theatre company chose to do "Mame" this Spring (thanks to all who had their fingers crossed for me) - LOL

I wish you all health, happiness and peace.

I am most grateful that my family is in good health.

Christmas and News Years was quiet for me. My mother in law is in the hospital and my husband had to go see his parents for the holidays which is what I wanted him to do.

I didn't mind so much being alone this holiday which is a first for me and it gave me an opportunity to reflect on what's going on deep inside my little soul here (however new years eve I got tired of reflecting and went to the bookstore to purchase a rather cheesy romance novel it wasn't the best thing I ever read but it at least did the trick of taking me out of boredom).

Anyhow there are things that would like to do this year like open my own skin care and massage business, freelance photography, and try to write again. But the one thing I need to do more is not to forget to have a good time in the process.

Julie

Happy New Year to you all xxxxxxxx

What am I grateful for?..umm let's see

I am grateful to wake up each morning, relatively pain free and mobile. I am grateful for the two lovely children I have. I am grateful I reached 41 years of age. I am grateful that my childhood wasn't the best as that's made me appreciate life and things so much more. I am grateful for the kindness I see in people. I am grateful that sometimes the simple things bring a smile to my face. I am grateful that I had to start work at an early age and grateful nothing was ever 'handed' out to me. I am grateful I never got everything I wanted in life. I am grateful to my mother who was both parents to me, grateful for her displine and grateful for her guidance. I am grateful that eventhough I don't have my health, I am surrounded by people who care. Grateful that I have experienced the things I have as it's given me far greater understanding of others who suffer and compassion towards humanity. We are far from perfect, but let's be grateful for what we are able to give to others which will in itself give us unsurpassable rewards.

Happy New Year to you all, dear friends!
I'm grateful for all the things I learned in the last very challenging and rather painful 6 months or so, lots of personal growing and healing going on, which is good and necessary. I'm grateful that Jim has embarked on a journey of healing and courageously is facing his demons from the past and has found his way back to us. I'm grateful for my family, friends (and lately I've found out who truly is a friend and who only is around for the fun phases!), for my job, for life's pleasures and joys and for the good instincts that god/universe have instilled in me.

Best wishes to you all an your life journey!

Paul
I recently came across this site and have resisted the temptation to post until I had read all previous posts,which took a few days but it was well worth it.
After possibly the most difficult and darkest year of my life to date, reading your truly insightful posts and the comments of those who regularly visit this site has shed so much light on my situation and has given me a sense of hope and faith in the future.
I am very grateful to have found such an inspiring community and look forward to future posts and comments.
Regards and best wishes for the year ahead.
Jemma

Welcome Jemma! I've found this site and the people who visit incredibly supportive and inspirational. It's a lovely and special community.
I hope the year ahead of you will be easier for you!

Hi Jemma

You will find the people on this site warm, weird and wonderful

Hope 2008 is a great year for you

To everyone else, love and best wishes

Michele L

Hello Jemma!

It seems that all of us here have found Paul's spirit and followed it to this very special place. It's really very magical. I also hope that this year is a great one for you.

Welcome!

Thanks for the lovely warm welcome everyone :)
Jemma

Happy New year to all of you from stormy California. Nothrern Cali is getting slammed with it's biggest witer storm in years. I have been watching things blow by my office window all day.

I wish everyone health and happiness in this New Year.

Cheers!

tracie

Welcome, Jemma. I'm glad you decided to post.

Rosie! I owe you a very overdue email! (((HUGS)))

Welcome, Jemma--

Melody
Chicago IL

I am grateful for the community of PCs who share a lot of themselves on this site. Welcome Jemma. Like you I chanced upon the site when life was trying and rough. It did help that the site starts with: "Live life according to your dreams.."

Thanks Paul and the PC family. Thankful for Cat's oversight of the site. Thankful for my work which has its difficulties but overall I enjoy the chance to be able the help others in my work. Thanks for the support of my family and friends here at home.

I am grateful for life as it comes: the good and the bad. The bad experiences do lead to unexpected paths to good ones that I never imagined. I agree with Paul that at times the universe does not fully make sense. To quote C. Orsborn, "You cannot stop the bad things from happening, but you cannot stop the good things from happening either." But this year I do wish more of the good things for us all.

Welcome Jemma, thank you for your post which leads me to ask. You said that you read back over my posts do you mean all of them as in right back to the beginning??? If so that is a fair commitment and a lot of reading. I occassionally will click back on a post from a year or two ago to see what was going on with me and with people here and find it quite interesting and insightful.

I am very glad that reading over the posts has helped to bring you to a more positive place and given you a sense of faith in the future. The truth is we must have faith in the future if we didnt I dont think we would make it out of bed in the morning let alone getting on with bringing our dreams to fruition.

I hope 2008 is a much better year for you.

Indeed for every one!

Thanks again for all your words of welcome.
Paul- yes I did read all the posts from the very beginning. It took some time but as I said was definitely worth while.
I guess getting up everyday shows some faith in the future, but when those days are spent drifting through life in a kind of haze is the best way I can explain it, you do begin to wonder what the point of it all is.
The haze is starting to clear though, lets hope 2008 brings positivity for everyone.
Jemma

Hi everyone

Hope 2008 is unwinding well

I am still on holidays - very nice - reading heaps and watching lots of DVD's

I have been doing a bit of an Australian theme - watching SB (of course) but also lots of other stuff including the movie "KICK" and two great miniseries "The Day of the Roses" and "Through MY Eyes". All of them make me tearful for different reasons and I'm not usually prone to crying when I watch TV or a movie. Oh, and those 3 do happen to have a certain actor with the initials PM in them.

Paul, just wanted to remind you that as well as being an insightful guy with a terrific website and a fun dance judge and a hot presenter of cooking shows, you are a hugely talented and fabulous dramatic actor. The fact that in both miniseries you portray real people with such compassion and emotion is outstanding. And your daughter was such a cute little girl - hard to believe she is now 18.

Love to everyone ; a special hi to Jemma . Hang in there - I hope 2008 will be the start of something wonderful for you

Michele L

Something else I am grateful for - the ability to still laugh,

I've decided to go now and watch "Cosi" - another fabulous Australian movie that always makes me smile

PM is only in this one for about 10 seconds but it is one of the funniest scenes of the movie and cracks me up every time ( with the cutest cropped hair, playing an asylum inmate on roller skates who is auditioning for a part in an opera) Yes, we Australians do have odd senses of humour

Also love this movie because Barry Otto - Doug from SB - is one of the main characters and he is priceless and wonderful

Hope everyone else has had a good reason to laugh today

Michele L

THROUGH COMMITTING OURSELVES TO ACHIEVING ONE OF "AUSTRALIA´S LAST GREAT FIRST" ADVENTURES, WE WISH TO INSPIRE OTHERS NOT TO BE AFRAID OF PURSUING THEIR OWN ADVENTURES AND DREAMS...

this is a quote from either James or Justin - two 20-something's who are currently kayaking some 2200kms from Forster NSW to New Plymouth NZ - "Crossing the Ditch". Today is their 56th day paddling across the Tasman - and they're currently about 200kms away their goal/dream.

I realize that all the above must seem amazingly random(certainly several degrees removed from "that which I am grateful for")although thinking about it actually I AM grateful that there are people out there doing things that other people may find inspiring.

A friend told me about the site(www.crossingtheditch.com.au)and as I have been unwell during my holidays(Grr)and hence had time on my hands thought I would check it out. Initially I thought - well yes that's "nice" - but having followed the guys progress for some days now I have become more aware and empathetic to the grueling physical and mental tenacity they must have to constantly conjure up to fulfil their dream. I'm impressed!

After having checked out both sites (Paul - love this one)felt their was a certain common thread with regards to dreams/camaraderie/achievements etc.

Like Jemma I found this site after watching(a lot more than just once I might add!)a newly acquired copy of SB. Although I can't claim to have read absolutely every post I feel I've read enough to realize that the people here really do belong to a very special, close-knit and caring community who all seem to joyfully help and support each other along the way to achieving their own dreams/goals.

Wow Paul...what a wonderful situation you have created. I must say I do think you're a bit "cool" or should that be "hot"? (Either way that's me being VERY restrained.)

Didn't mean to "but in" - just really wanted to acknowledge the warmth I feel in here.

Hope you all chose to find and enjoy good health, happiness and harmony in 2008. (Sometimes easy said than done.)

..."With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy." (Desiderata) Love it.

Jules

Welcome Jules! It's nice to have all these newcomers on the site. Thanks for sharing about the two canoeists, definitely an inspirational story.

To our Aussie PC friends: Jules (welcome!) Michele L and Paul,

As I type on Monday late afternoon, January 7th here in Florida, it is Tuesday morning, January 8th, in Australia.

I believe that Tara Morice is at the post office mailing off her documentary, "My Biggest Fan" to the Tribeca Film festival in New York City. The documentary has to arrive by Friday to make the deadline for acceptance.

We are very psyched here, and our children and grandchildren are promising to attend the screening by Tribeca when it is advertised, for they live in the New York City area.

The SBS TV Network of Australia is the international sales representative, and will probably show it this year in Australia, and send it as well to other film festivals around the world.

"Fingers crossed" as Tara has said often during the long months of preparation.

She hopes to bring MBF to our community in April, where it all started last February. That will be the world premiere, and the red carpet (or is it the Red Curtain) will be rolled out for her!

Shalom and Love,

Grandma Mil "The Biggest (and certainly the oldest) Fan".

To our Aussie PCs: You're so lucky to have access to many of Paul's movies/shows. Let us know if there is a way to see his upcoming show whether via podcast or through a web site.

Grandma Mil, is there a way to send messages to Tara Morrice? You mentioned she has a website via Shanahan Australia? The web search gave me this site as the only result. G. Mil can't wait for the premiere of your movie.

Dear Liz,

Tara Morice's fan mail address is:

Shanahan Management
Box 1509
Darlinghurst
NSW 1300
Australia

I will check with her for sure when I next hear from her this week. In any case, if it is not Darlinghurst it could be Surrey Hills, but in any case all mail will be forwarded to her.

Once "My Biggest Fan" opens it will eventually join "Strictly Ballroom" as reason for fan appreciation! Just tell her that you are also a
fan of Paul Mercurio and a new friend of MildredL (Grandma Mil)

Shalom and Love,

Grandma Mil

Thank you Grandma Mil. You are indeed THE biggest fan. I believe you call yourself Grandma Mil but there is nothing about you that is grandma-like except perhaps you have grandkids. You venture out to new paths, inspire a movie and star in that movie, produce the follies...your energy and continued creativity astonishes me...We are starting the Granda Mil is Awesome Fan Club.

Michele L - thank you for your kind words - made me blush! I must say it is a bit of a double edged sword for I am grateful for your appraisal of my acting abilities (and might also agree with you in as humble manner that may be permitted) but I am also somewhat frustrated that the film/TV producers here wont dont or cant recognise that and give me a bit more of a go here in Aus.

Anyway....that could change at any moment and I am certainly grateful that compared to a lot of Aussie actors I am currently working in the TV field at present - may not be drama but it is work that I enjoy.

By the way Emily played my daughter in Day of the Roses she was 6 when we shot that and is 16 now. It was absolutely terrific doing working with her and will always be a highlight in my life and our relationiship.

I also love the mad rollerblader characterwho auditions for a musical in Cosi and really wished the director had run with the comedy of that guy all the way through the film. Imagine the guy off in the back ground crazily skating through shot...very funny...

Jules thank you for your post! I will check out the site you mentioned and I am glad you have enjoyed this site. Butt in anytime!

Grandma Mil, good news re MBF and the Tribeca film fest no doubt it will make the news here if it is accepted. Fingers crossed!!

Dear Liz,

Aw,shucks,thank you and all that stuff...your remarks are so sweet and kind, they make me feel sooo tall!

(In reality I lost 3 inches in my old age and am now 5'3"!)

We are "wai-ting, wai-ting" to hear from Tara about Tribeca, Paul. She had many small but
important things to finish before sending MBF to NYC.

By the way, "wai-ting, wai-ting" is Ellie's best Aussie impersonation, like in "Time After Time" when Tara sings, ...."I will be wai-ting.."

Ellie loves and uses that expression often since meeting Tara, and I tell him to shut up already, she is working as fast as she can!

Shalom and love,

Grandma Mil

Hi everyone

Jules - thank you for the "crossing the ditch" story - it's uplifting to come across the extraordinary as we go about our - in some ways - more ordinary lives

Grandman Mil - You and Tara rock. You are both so amazing. The thought of your upcoming documentary and all the adventures it will inspire makes me smile every day.

Jemma - Hope each day you are feeling stronger and better

Paul - I'm glad I've made someone blush so early in 2008. Sorry I confused your beautiful daughters - all three are a credit to Andrea and you. (Ask my own kids - sometimes I call them by the wrong names and they aren't even all the same gender) I think we should be making heaps more quality drama in Australia. I did enjoy "City Homicide" during 2007 - thought "The Ripe Fruits in the Garden" was a particularly good episode with some really strong acting in it........... and yes, there should have been much more roller skating in "Cosi"

Love to all and love reading what you all have to say

Enjoying the rain in Qld
Michele L

My Darlings, be still my heart!

I just received this email from Tara Morice:

"I rushed to the airport with 10 minutes to spare to get MBF on the plane to NYC to be there in time for the deadline of the Tribeca Film Festival. The computer crashed 3 times this afternoon while we (her film editor and she) were
making the DVD copy...but it finally worked just in the nick of time!

Someone is looking out for us!"

I want all on PC to know that there was a synopsis in the beginning when Tara was first looking for funding and a technical crew, way back in 2006. Here is part of it:

"My Biggest Fan" documents an unlikely friendship forged between two women from very different worlds and re-affirms the power of a movie to bring people together."

Now, doesn't "re-affirm the power of a movie to bring people together" explain Paul's Corner also?

Shalom and love,

Grandma Mil

"The truth is we must have faith in the future if we didnt I dont think we would make it out of bed in the morning let alone getting on with bringing our dreams to fruition."

Good thought, Paul!

I've never seen Cosi, but that scene sounds pretty wild.

Grandma Mil, enjoying all your updates and have it in my heart to fly down in April.

Paul, our DTWS here in the States have pulled together two of their judges with dancing/singing teams to see which teams outperforms the other. Anything like that going on with your judges in Australia? They have to choreograph and stage their groups. Will be interesting to see what they came up with.

With the holidays over, classes start back this week--getting those feet ready to pound the floor! :)

Hello!

What a bunch of exciting posts here! Made me absolutely giddy! This is just the kick in the pants I needed today. I have sat around vegging all weekend. (Sun-Tues for me) Now maybe I'll have something to look forward to! I don't mean that so sound like I'm desolate, just a little bored lately. Low energy. Must be the winter here in the rockies. Seasonal. But, as always you have brought a breath of fresh air to my day!

Grandma, I just can't wait to hear about MBF's journey to the U.S. and what transforms from there!

Glad to see new faces here. :)

Paul, I am just so happy that your dry spell has turned into a beautiful stream of activity lately! I only wish I could see some of it. Really.

Welcome to the Corner, Jules!

Grandma Mil, if your family gets any advance notice of when MBF will show at Tribeca please let us know! I can be in NYC in 5-6 hours by car! (And I'm just crazy enough to hop in the Liberty and do it!) :o)

I hope everyone is well. I see my neurologist Monday to see if we can figure out what is going on with my migraines, and my college course begins that night as well. Busy, busy, busy! :o)

Dear MaryS and Sarah,

Although Tara Morice made the deadline for entry
into the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC, the results of whether MBF will be accepted for screening will not be known until March.

The "wai-ting, wai-ting" has plagued her at every turn, but she says that is the nature of the movie
business, right Paul? Her patience has been remarkable!

Tara is still planning to come to our "village" in Florida in April, for the world premiere of MBF where it all began a year ago.

A friend named Evelyn Abrams was interviewed by Tara and it was filmed. Evelyn is going to be 100
years old in February, and her son is throwing her
a big birthday bash, and Ellie and I are invited.

Tara told me that Evelyn's interview made the final cut in MBF.

Up to age 96 Evelyn was a practicing psychologist,
and is in the writing club, loves opera and music,
and is a joy and inspiration!

Shalom and love,

Grandma Mil

Grandma Mil--that is just fabulous about Evelyn--what a tremendous blessing!

Sarah, good luck with your tests. Hope they are able to find the cause of your migraines.

We restarted our classes last night. I'm happy to say they remembered their staging--well, almost! There is a crossing pattern that unraveled, but we're back on track! ;)

They are real troopers and I'm very happy they're working so well together.

I had to laugh at myself, scrolling down to the new post, I saw my name in your post, Grandma, and instantly thinking "what did I do???"
and then read your post properly. :) no I'm not 99 years old, although, my namesake sounds like quite a woman. Hope to be like that if or when I get to be her age.
Fingers & toes crossed for the film festivals!

Dear Evelyn M. and Melody,

I also had to laugh, because by putting the last
name (Abrams) in my post, I wanted to avoid any confusion!

I wish everyone a long and productive life like Evelyn A is enjoying. Like I mentioned, Tara has put her interview into the final cut of MBF which
should arrive tomorrow in NYC slated for the Tribeca Film Festival..won't know until March if it is accepted for screening.

Melody, I started my new Follies, 2009, and plan
some dance numbers, like line dancing: one a Conga, and the other a disco number called "Dance to the Music" which comes from the album "Razzle
Dazzle" which featured Paul and Tara.

I have a friend-choreographer, and she appears in the acts, and teaches her steps..definitely "new steps, new steps"...I am planning a waltz during the opening number. Any ideas, Melody..Paul???

I, myself, will do a comic lipsync...Jessye Norman's (opera diva) rendition of "Falling In Love". I plan to really ham it up..Jessye could sue me...

Shalom and Love,

Grandma Mil

Well, if I'm supposed to be almost 100, I must say I do age super well. :)
Ah, so much for my reading skills. I guess we do see what we want to see while reading, esp. when done quickly.

Sarah, I hope you get good treatment for your migraines. I'm lucky, I only had one so far in my life and that was years ago-they are horrible!

Hi everyone. I haven't been here in a while. There are many things to be grateful. At 68 I am grateful for my health. That no harm came to anyone in my world.

YIPPEE SKIPPY! I got a new computer. It's wonderful. My old one was so slow that I could try to open something and then go make breakfast before it would appear.

After Christmas everyone who had a real Christmas tree, take it to a friend's ranch. We write on slips of paper all the negative thoughts from the past year. We put these slips of paper in the branches of the tree. We them pile them up, set fire to them so that all out negative thoughts go up in smoke. New Year's Eve was like the 4th of July. Noisy! Now they have fireworks stands before NYE.

Christmas Eve I sat and watched all my favorite Christmas movies. It always give me a warm fuzzy feeling.

Take care and Love to all.
Marge

P.S. I agree with Michele I, about your eyes and your butt. She forgot to add your drop dead smile.

Take care

Hey ya Paul and all Paul Mercurio fans. Happy new year and I must say that even though last year was great the end of it wasn't so great for me cause I had a huge falling out with one of the most specail friends in my life. She was one of my friends at Tafe and she's Greek. I hoping to make- up with her when I go back to Tafe this year. Here's a poem I wrote that might help you to understand what it's like for me not having that friendship anymore.
Broken Friendships. written by Becky.
The daggers
The cold shoulder
The tension
The sick feeling
The sleepless nights
The lonelyness
The weeks
The days
The months
And still, no way out
No sign of making up
The silence
The tears
The grief
The one question that can't be answered, Why?
The anger
The sence of hate
The blame
The punishment
All these things and still,
No answer.
Will this ever end?
I hope that as you read this poem you get the gist of how much the friendship I had with her means to me. By the way my fomer friends name is Jenny Cariotis.
I'll talk to you guys later from Becky.

ah yes Becky I have been there and done that and written something very similar - only about a girlfriend. I hope if it is the right thing for you both that you patch it up. If it isnt then the pain will be short lived - if you call a life experience short lived but you will go on to have other friends and other life experiences - that is the joy and the pain of the journey - in time you can seperate those two components. True!

Thanks for the update Grandma Mil. Well, I guess wait we must then. I'm keeping everything crossed for the acceptance of the film to show in NY, but at least MBF WILL show Florida in April, right? I would so love to attend!

That's an amazing story about Evelyn A. My mother is 90 and still lives alone, drives, is taking computer classes and is getting ready for cataract surgery so her driver's license won't be revoked! She's a real hum dinger! I wish I had her drive. Recently, I asked her to write all the vitamins she takes down for me so I can try to copy what she's doing! I don't take vitamins, have a crazy stressful life and job, and sit at a desk for 10 hours a day. Couldn't be more sedentary. I do have a two story townhome and climb the 14 stairs up and down all day, when I am at home. But, in the winter, without the yard work, I don't do much. I had a little car accident the day after Christmas and kinda hurt my foot. The Dr thought it was gout and put me on the medication for it, which made my blood pressure go up. I've never had high bp, so I had to go off the medication for the foot. It's taking a long time for my foot to feel 100%. It's still sore. The Dr thinks it was probably more like a trauma injury and not gout. The bp came back down to normal, but it's definitely not as low as it used to be. I guess it's a wakeup call that I'm not a kid anymore. Mid 50's wake up call. Boo hoo. I want to stay as young at heart and body as you and my mom are and maybe it will also lighten my heart in the process! This last year, with my sister's cancer, I don't feel invincible anymore. She's hanging in there and still on treatment, but she's pulling away from me. She lives in Oregon and I live in Colorado, but I try to call her or email her almost everyday. She got very quiet in the last week or so, so I called her and she said she had nothing good to talk about so she didn't want to talk. It breaks my heart. All I can do is put it out there for God or whomever is in charge to take care of her, since she won't let me be there for her and I tend to take on the weight of the world, especially the ones I love, and lately, I feel it's wearing me down.

Anyway, I ramble.

Keeping good thoughts for the film!