Monday, September 12, 2016

Mary Bard Jensen, Betty MacDonald and the joyous feeling of expectancy


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Betty MacDonald's sister Alison Bard Burnett

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Betty MacDonald's mother Sydney with grandchild Alison Beck
Betty MacDonald in the living room at Vashon on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post.
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle author Betty MacDonald on Vashon Island
<p>Time Out of Mind (1947) - avec Betty et Don MacDonald et Phyllis Calvert</p>

Betty and Don MacDonald in Hollywood

 

Mary Bard Jensen - and Betty MacDonald fan club fans,

Do You Often (or Ever) Feel a Wonderful, Joyous, Childhood Feeling of Expectancy?


I’m a huge fan of the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books.

If you read these brilliant stories as a child, you should re-read them now; so much of the humor is pitched at grown-ups –marriage, friendship, theories of child-rearing. 

After I’d re-read Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle for the fiftieth time, I decided to try Betty MacDonald’s adult work. In her memoir, Onions in the Stew, she remarked, “Going down to the beach after a storm is the only time in my adult life when I experience that wonderful, joyous, childhood feeling of expectancy.”

This observation struck me, because I’ve noticed that I too rarely experience a “sense of expectancy.” The fact is, I don’t have a very joyful spirit. I rarely look forward even to fun events or activities. Also, I dislike errands, logistical details, or any kind of hassle, and even when those hurdles are fairly minor, they can overshadow my sense of anticipation.

But to go through the days and weeks and months of life, looking forward to nothing, struck me as a sour way to live.
One of my aims for my happiness project, therefore, has been to boost my feelings of pleasant expectancy. First, I’ve made a real effort to add items to my schedule that I actually anticipate, to make time for activities that I really enjoy – to go to a bookstore (one of my favorite things to do) or on a smell adventure with a friend (which I’m doing today).

Thinking along the same lines, a friend told me, “I looked at my seven-year-old nephew’s weekly schedule, and he had all sorts of fun activities, with art, music, baseball, library. I thought, I like to do those things, too! I wish my schedule had art, music, baseball, and library. Now I make a big effort to do more fun things.” 

At the same time, I’ve also pushed myself to revel in anticipation, to devote mental energy and time to looking forward to activities I enjoy. In what’s known as “rosy prospection,” anticipation of an event is sometimes greater than the happiness actually experienced. All the more reason to revel in anticipation. 

I’ve found that I can often re-frame activities to help myself anticipate them more. Do I view decorating the apartment for Halloween as a chore or as a pleasure? Do I think it’s tiresome or fun to shop for school supplies? I’ve been surprised by how readily I can steer my attitude.

One of my rules of happiness is that to eke out the most happiness from an experience, I must anticipate it, savor it as it unfolds, express happiness, and recall a happy memory. By making an effort mindfully to look forward to pleasant experiences, I deepen my experience of happiness.

How about you? Are you a person who often feels happy anticipation? Or, like me, do you find that you have to work to have a “childhood feeling of expectancy”? How do you help yourself to do that?





I guess I have this feeling because we have so many children in our family.

My sisters and I are huge Betty MacDonald fans and so are our children.

Like Betty MacDonald we are writing funny stories and everybody in the family has a role in the play.

Author Karel Capek wrote: Childhood is so exciting because we are sailing away every day to find new treasures.

That's it. You can find new treasures every day.

Life is so exciting. Let's sail away like Mrs. Piggle-Wiggles pirate husband to find new treasures.

I own a Betty MacDonald fan club blog.

It began in 1983 when author Wolfgang Hampel founded Betty MacDonald fan club with 4 members. 

We have members in 40 countries now. 

As I'm in contact with so many Betty MacDonald fans from 5 continents Life is exciting every day.

I found my treasure.

Love,

Linde Lund


Don't miss this very special book, please.


Vita Magica 

Betty MacDonald fan club

Betty MacDonald forum  

Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( English ) 

Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( English ) - The Egg and I 

Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( German )


Wolfgang Hampel - LinkFang ( German ) 

Wolfgang Hampel - Memim ( English )

Vashon Island - Wikipedia ( German )

Wolfgang Hampel - Monica Sone - Wikipedia ( English )

Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( English )

Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( French ) 


Wolfgang Hampel - Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - Wikipedia ( English)

Wolfgang Hampel in Florida State University 

Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel 

Betty MacDonald fan club interviews on CD/DVD

Betty MacDonald fan club items 

Betty MacDonald fan club items  - comments

Betty MacDonald fan club - The Stove and I  

Betty MacDonald fan club groups 

Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund  
 



Rita Knobel Ulrich - Islam in Germany - a very interesting ZDF  ( 2nd German Television ) documentary with English subtitles 

Angelique Kerber, With a U.S. Open Win, Solidifies Her Claim on No. 1 Status






 
Angelique Kerber became the first German woman to win the United States Open since Steffi Graf in 1996. Credit Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
The line can be so fine, even with all the work Angelique Kerber has done on herself and her game.
And as she hoisted her second Grand Slam singles trophy of the year (and of her career) on Saturday at the United States Open, it seemed appropriate to wind back the tape eight months to the Australian Open.
In the first round there, she faced a match point in the second-set tiebreaker against the unseeded Misaki Doi of Japan and escaped only when Doi’s shot hit the tape and fell back on Doi’s side of the net.
“What would happen had she not won that match point?” Mary Joe Fernandez, the United States Fed Cup captain, asked on Saturday, shortly before Kerber went out and played her latest remarkable match under major pressure to defeat the 10th-seeded Karolina Pliskova, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, in the Open final.
Lose to Doi in January, and Kerber would not have gone on to win her first major title at the Australian Open, where she beat Serena Williams in a three-set thriller. Lose to Doi in January, and Kerber might never have found the state of mind necessary to experience this remarkable midcareer renaissance at 28.

Such tiny margins can have such big consequences. But the results were there for all to see down the stretch on Saturday in Arthur Ashe Stadium as Kerber, the No. 2 seed, won a very fine match in style, rallying from a break of serve down in the third set to defeat an opponent who had overpowered her, 6-3, 6-1, in the Cincinnati final just last month.
“You saw it in the match,” Kerber’s coach, Torben Beltz, said of the changes in his pupil. “If she’s a break down, she never gives up. I think she never gives up. She’s the fighter she was before, but right now she believes more in herself. You really see that she doesn’t want to lose and wants to go for her shots. She has more self-confidence, and that’s very important for her.”






 
Up a break early in the third set, Karolina Pliskova looked as though she might continue her wave of upsets at the Open. Credit Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
Already guaranteed to become No. 1 in the world this week for the first time, Kerber will ascend to the top spot as a first-time United States Open champion as well. After she had finished off her victory, reached up to embrace the 6-foot-1 Pliskova and then climbed up to hug Beltz and others in the players’ box, she descended to her courtside chair, put a towel to her face and sobbed at length.
“It was everything, I think, because of all the pressure in the last few months,” Kerber said. “To win here is very special for me. Everything starts for me here in 2011. This Grand Slam is really, really special.”
In 2011, Kerber arrived in New York with a world ranking of 92 and made a most unexpected run to the semifinals before losing to the eventual champion, Sam Stosur, in three sets. Though she had considerable success in the seasons that followed, breaking into the top 10, she never managed until this year to break through to that same stage of a Grand Slam tournament.
Now she has won two major titles and reached this year’s Wimbledon final, where she lost to Williams, and she also secured a silver medal in singles at the Summer Olympics last month.
It all adds up to a phenomenal and unexpected season and further proof that it is possible to make a breakthrough at an advanced tennis age. The most recent previous example: Flavia Pennetta, who won her first major singles title at the United States Open last year at 33.
Pennetta, an effervescent Italian, has since retired, but Kerber has every intention of continuing to ride her wave.

Always a great defender and counterpuncher with a capacity to hit the crowd-pleasing shot, Kerber has made her big move by getting fitter and even quicker, by attacking with more frequency and by making subtle improvements to her still vulnerable serve.





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She won 51 percent of her second-serve points at the Open and 53 percent against Pliskova despite Pliskova’s best efforts to attack on her returns.
Kerber will be the oldest player in the history of the WTA rankings to become No. 1 for the first time. She is the first German woman to win the United States Open since Steffi Graf, Kerber’s childhood idol and occasional mentor, in 1996.
Graf sent her a good-luck text before the match, which at 2 hours 7 minutes turned out to be as grueling as it was entertaining. It was hot (close to 90 degrees) and muggy (63 percent humidity), but Kerber and Pliskova, both first-time Open finalists, kept hustling and taking chances right through the tape.
In the end, Kerber won it with great defense, tracking down Pliskova’s big power in the corners. She won it by being steadier (she made 17 unforced errors to Pliskova’s 47). She won it with clever, sliced left-handed serves at the right moments. But above all, she won it by going for it.
“She’s grown as a player,” Fernandez said. “She’s improved. She doesn’t just play defense anymore. She plays aggressively. I think her forehand down the line is one of the best in the game. She threads the needle beautifully.”
She proved quite the seamstress again at 3-3, 30-all in the final set with Pliskova still pressing her. Pliskova hit a deep backhand crosscourt. It was not an obvious opportunity, but Kerber chose to seize it anyway. She went airborne and nailed a forehand down the line.
It landed in the corner for a winner, and Kerber, eyes wide, pumped both fists and went back to the increasingly familiar business of winning Grand Slam titles — of staying on the right side of that very fine line between contender and champion.

Ben Rothenberg contributed reporting.






Bernd Kunze's photo.


Dearst Rita Kocher und Wolfgang Hampel Congratulations!!!! 
Happy Birthday Vita Magica and all the best for the future! 
All our love and best wishes from Linde, Astrid and Lund family




Ein lyrisches Portrait von Hilde Domin
Anne MacDonald Canham

 



 







Beijing Airpot

Mr. Tigerli in China
Copyright 2016 by Letizia Mancino translation by Mary Holmes All rights reserved  


Yes Betty, either or it seems he wanted to fly only with Singapore Airways.

Boeing or Airbus, it’s just the same isn’t it? Aren’t they both just fat birds with 500 passengers?

Yes, but Singapore Airlines has the most beautiful airhostesses: delicate, fine, graceful…  Mr. Tigerli had looked forward to the flight so much!

So the little man was disappointed?

You just can’t imagine how disappointed he was.
 But thank God one of the hostesses was a pretty Chinese girl. Mr. Tigerli purred loudly but she didn’t hear him because the purring of the Airbus 380 was even louder.

The poor cat!

You’ve said it Betty. Mr. Tigerli was in a very bad mood and asked me for a loud speaker.

I’m sure you can get one in 1st Class.

“”Russian Girl” had even heard you over the roar of the Niagara Falls” I said to Mr. Tigerli. “You are a very unfaithful cat. You wanted to get to know Asiatic girls. That’s how it is when one leaves one’s first love”.

And what did he say to that?

“Men are hunters” was his answer.

Yes, my dear cat, a mouse hunter. And what else did he say?

Not another word. He behaved as if he hadn’t heard me.

The Airbus is very loud.

I told him shortly “Don’t trouble yourself about “Chinese Girl”. There will be enough even prettier girls in China. Wait till we land in Guilin”.

Did he understand you?

Naturally Mr. Tigerli understood me immediately. Yes, sweetheart, don’t worry. They will find you something sweet to eat.

And he?

He was so happy.

No problem going through the immigration control?

Naturally!  Lots of problems. How could I explain to customs that the cat had come as a tourist to China to buy shoes?

Fur in exchange for shoes…

Don’t be so cynical Betty!

Cat meat in exchange for shoes?

I said to the officials. He isn’t a cat, he is Casanova.



He came through the pass control with no trouble!

 



photos and graphics betty family betty and friend
Is this Mr. Tigerli?





Betty MacDonald ART Photos of ICONS Amazing Ladies Pinter Betty MacDonald Quotes Famous Quotes by Betty MacDonald Quoteswave 1950s showing Betty MacDonald descending a staircase and other images  betty macdonald betty bard macdonald wurde 1908 in boulder colorado  photos and graphics betty family betty and friend photos and graphics betty family betty grandchild photo of Betty MacDonald and two children in 1950 costumes Click images for alternate views BETTY MacDONALD PHOTOGRAPH SIGNED DOCUMENT 281143  photos and graphics betty family betty and don on vashon  
          


Betty MacDonald









Take an illustrated day trip through Washington state’s largest city with artist Candace Rose Rardon.
gadventures.com


Linda White yes,if my health allows.I have a few problems but is something I have always wanted to do,especially as I reread her books.

Linde Lund

Linde Lund Dear Linda I'll keep you posted.

Bella Dillon

Bella Dillon · Friends with Darsie Beck
I still read Mrs Piggle Wiggle books to this day. I love her farm on vashon.


Lila Taylor

Lila Taylor Good morning...Linde Lund

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