Christmas Traditions: The Nutcracker

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Good Evening Guests!

How are you on this fine Tibb’s Eve? What’s Tibb’s Eve you ask, well it’s a Newfoundland thing. I’ve always called December 23rd the Eve of Christmas Eve but a few years back I learned it was also called Tibb’s Eve, you can learn more about it here.

I spent this evening watching The Nutcracker. Not just any Nutcracker, the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s version! I have talked about it here on the blog before but really I cannot sing the praises of this film loud enough! Compared to all the other ballet versions, this one is the best.

Not to say that all the others are worthless, certainly not! I’m just a sucker for the story of the Nutcracker. Like with Phantom of the Opera, I’ve tried my best to get my mitts on every version made.

Also, I was trilled to learn that this most treasured movie of mine is now available on iTunes for rent and download. I want to scream this from the rooftops. The movie was never released on DVD. There are a few used VHS tapes floating about on eBay and Amazon, but this iTunes download will be a real treat. Until I do get around to downloading it, I shall stick with the copy I have.

Speaking of my copy, it’s a VHS that was taped from TV, in 1990. 1990! 21 years old, almost as old as I am! I can’t believe it still works!

This year I was finally able to place a date on the year of the VHS by paying attention to the commercials. You should see the commercials on it, seriously, they’re brilliant! Yes, I’m the sort of person who will give up an hour of her life to watch old commercials on YouTube ^__^ It was a commercial for the film Havana (1990), announcing the date it would be in theaters. As well, there’s a commercial for Sports Illustrated which mentions the coming year, 1991. One less mystery in the world...

If you want to view the trailer for the film you can view it on iTunes, sorry I couldn’t get code to embed it here. What I do have for you is the trailer for the ballet. See, that’s the exciting thing about the movie. The designs, the dances, everything you see in the movie is still being used by the PNB in their yearly performances of the Nutcracker. Of course, there have been some changes, but still, the thought warms my heart.

The PNB YouTube channel not only posts trailers and clips of their performances but interviews with their dancers, like this one, On Being Peacock:

I admire this young woman so much! This is the role I dreamed of having as a child. When I was young, I would take several of my play skirts, layering and tucking them in such a way as to try and create a sort of tail for myself. Ended up being more of a bustle I suppose, an early sign of the lolita fashion to come perhaps? ^__^

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Tomorrow I’ll be watching another VHS I have of the Nutcracker, and I may even re-watch the Care Bears Nutcracker Christmas Special ^__^ And tomorrow night, Christmas Eve, me and mom will be watching A Christmas Carol (1951) with Alistair Sims as Scrooge.

In other news, I must quickly note that it’s been snowing all this evening. The next few days are forecasted for snow as well. Perhaps I will get the white Christmas I wish for every year.

We get plenty of snow in Newfoundland, just not in December, mainly in the New Year. Oh yes, ask me in January and February if I’m enjoying the snow!

Stay Spooky,

Music Monday: Blind Guardian's At The Edge Of Time

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Hello and Good Monday to you, & welcome to another Music Monday!

Today we take a look at Blind Guardian’s latest album (which came out this summer) At The Edge Of Time. Take a look at the album preview below:

My favourite song from the album is “Curse My Name”

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BG is a power metal band from Germany, & within the realm of power metal, they are one of the finest bands. With album titles like “Nightfall in Middle-Earth” & “Imaginations From The Other Side”, you can tell that their lyrics are fantasy filled. Their song’s subject matter has been inspired by the works to Tolkien to legends & myths. Their songs truly are epic

The band’s had a special place in my heart since I discovered them in my early high school days. When I got in high school, with the help of the internet, I began to discover music that I really liked. I no longer just listened to what all of my friends were listening to or what was on the radio or television. It was through BG that I discovered many other power metal bands & other types of metal as well, like symphonic metal. Yes, it was BG that helped me find my beloved Nightwish. But my love of Nightwish is another story for another day, they deserve a blog post all their own

How I originally heard of BG was through Neopets. Oh dear yes, Neopets. Does anyone else remember that site? The site provided me with much amusement in junior high When I was on the site, I was part of a guild that had a Middle-Earth theme. Very nerdy, I know, I loved it It was one of the members of the guild that brought up BG, mentioning the album Nightfall in Middle-Earth. I searched for the band, book-marking their homepage, but it was some time before I bothered to look for their music. But when I did, it was love at first sight,err,hearing

One of my all time favourite songs from the band is “The Bard’s Song-In The Forest”. The music video is simple, but the song is beautiful. It’s a crowd favourite when they play live. It’s amazing to hear concert recordings of the song; it’s all the more beautiful to hear the audience sing along. I highly recommend looking up such videos on YouTube.

Tomorrow will take us away
Far from home
No one will ever know our names
But the bards' songs will remain
Tomorrow will take it away
The fear of today
It will be gone
Due to our magic songs

Yes, I am getting very off topic here, considering this post is meant to focus on BG’s new album, but I cannot resist sharing old favourites of the band with you all

Another picture, which is of great amusement to me, I just have to share it with you. The title of the image is “Guardian's Real Audience”, & I believe that title to be true.

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So my dear guests, what do you think? Are you a bit of a metalhead like myself? Or is metal not your cup of tea? What of BG’s lyrics/subject matter, does it intrigue all you fantasy inclined folk?

Stay Spooky,



BG official website: ♣

BG on last.fm page: ♥

BG lyrics on DarkLyrics: ♠

Lest We Forget

In Flanders' Fields, originally uploaded by Al-Jauhara Al-Mohammed.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

- - John McCrae, May 1915

Remembrance Day November 11 2007 71, originally uploaded by cayoosh_traveler.

Remembrance Day 2006 - 139, originally uploaded by etherflyer.

National War Memorial, originally uploaded by The Second Mouse.

Newfoundland National Memorial

Looking toward Beaumont-Hamel, originally uploaded by Rexton.

Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial

Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, originally uploaded by Salfordian.

lest we forget, originally uploaded by striatic.

World War I ended
on the 11th hour
of the 11th day
of the 11th month
of 1918

Lest We Forget

4 O’clock on All Hallows' Eve

I give you, the whimsical plague rat.



The look was inspired by Emilie Autumn; in particular EA’s outfit in her performance of 4 O’clock. Of course, I ended up looking nothing like her! But I adore the outfit all the same.


These were made by Mel, my fellow folklore major. I love them. I want to wear them everyday. After seeing the polka dots on the headband, I tried to work more into the outfit...


...hence the white dots on my nails.





It was a rather relaxing night, watched Tower of Terror and gave out candy to the kids that came; there must have been maybe twenty of them. But Tower of Terror was a walk down memory lane. For many years, it was a tradition that at my birthday-sleepover, this movie would be watched. I had not seen it in years. But thanks to Crystal, I was able to watch it again.







And now it is November and I must say good bye. I shall see you all in a month. Why, you ask? Here is your answer.