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Gerbil jubilation in the north country
Posted on May 11, 2008 by Margaret Smith
Filed Under Children, Greetings, Hobbies | Leave a Comment
It’s spring, and gerbils are steppe-ing out.
And, why not. They’re small, they’re smart, they don’t pay taxes, and they are the Genghis Khans of the rodentia set.
Yes, these hardy, burrowing creatures of the Mongolian wilderness have conquered many hearts throughout history. Or at least in the past 50-odd years.
Find out what the love is all about at the American Gerbil Society’s seventh annual New England Gerbil Show Saturday, May 17, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, 9 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, N.H.
Gerbils and the bipedals who adore them are invited to attend. But, for all the fun and festivity, remember — the gerbil did not build an empire across the central Asian frontier by lazing about in terrarium wheels.
As coordinators Libby Hanna of Bedford and Tracy Kukkonen of Cambridge observe, there are prizes to be won — prizes for the cutest face, best chewer, fastest HamTrak racer, and yes, fastest wheel runner.
How did the cult of the gerbil begin? One Mongolia information Web site explains that in 1954, a certain Dr. Victor Schwentker brought nine Mongolian gerbils (that’s Meriones unguiculatus, thank you,) to the U.S. for scientific work (Some kind of kooky Cold War covert collaboration? Well, not likely.)
But whatever Dr. Schwentker had in mind, the gerbils, like Kublai Khan in Xanadu, built their own heavenly kingdoms in kids’ bedrooms and family dens everywhere. Most pet gerbils are descendants of these same gerbils, we are told.
Think about it. Or, just watch Fortune — and Fluffy — turn the wheel.
Admission to the New England Gerbil Show is $2 per human, maximum $10 per family. Exhibit and vendor space available. For more information, call 781-275-1379 or visit www.agsgerbils.org.
‘Cause mom is da bomb
Posted on May 8, 2008 by Margaret Smith
Filed Under Music, Theater | Leave a Comment
It’s time for you and your mother to go out on the town.
You could even go to several towns, and a city or two.
And, if you go to the Animal Umbrella’s Mother’s Day cat adoption event and gift sale, you might even come back a happy trio. Just you, your mom, and a new cat.
What a lovely picture that makes. Especially when the proud cat mom could be you. So, bring your mom and your feline fancy Saturday, May 10, 1 to 4 p.m. at Calvary United Methodist Church, 300 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington. In addition to cats available for adoption, there will be gifts for sale, with proceeds benefiting Animal Umbrella operations. For more information, and to view adoptable cats on line, visit the Animal Umbrella Web site.
And on Mother’s Day itself, treat your mom to music and more:
Mother’s Day concert St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 100 Pine Hill Road, Bedford, Sunday, May 11, at 2 p.m. Soprano Emily Mitchell presents “Girlhood, Womanhood, Wifehood, Motherhood: A Recital for Mother’s Day,” to benefit the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. Suggested donation !40. For more information, visit www.stpaulsbedford.org or call 781-275-8262.
Mother’s Day concert Belmont Town Hall, 455 Concord Ave., Belmont, Sunday, May 11, 2 p.m. Belmont Sesquicentennial Planning Committee presents a Mother’s Day concert by the so-dubbed “singing policeman” tenor Daniel Rodriguez. Tickets $25 and available at the Belmont town clerk’s office, at Town Hall or by sending check in self addressed, stamped envelope to Belmont 150, Box 399, Belmont, MA 02478.
…So that’s what sesquicentennial means. No, you didn’t know.
Mother’s Day buffet For the pistol packin’ mama in your life. The Ayer Gun and Sportsman’s Club, 255 Snake Hill Road, Ayer, Sunday, May 11, 7 to 11 a.m. The annual Mother’s Day buffet, with all you and mom can eat. And, moms eat free — even better. The rest of you, pony up — it’s $10 per person, $6 seniors and under 12. For more information, call 978-772-9748.
Going full tilt — at windmills, that is
Posted on May 1, 2008 by Margaret Smith
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Maybe nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition these days, but in the late 16th century, Miguel DeCervantes certainly did.
As he languishes in a dim cell with miscellaneous miscreants, heretics, hussies, and half wits, he knows he’ll got more than the “comfy chair” if convicted.
Facing such horrific certainty, you may as well put on a chipper play, about a certain eccentric “knight” and the peculiarly charming world he has created for himself.
Yes, there are a whole lot of themes and subterfuge and not-so-subtle swipes and cynicism and authority an so on in “Man of La Mancha,” as has been observed so often, although by the time Friday comes, you might want to give your brain a break and just go and enjoy the show.
Theatre III of Acton is presenting its production of the musical, starting Friday, May, with a cast that includes Craig Howard as Cervantes and his other self, Don Quioxte; March Branch as el gobernador and Jim Hunt as loyal Sancho Panza, who is also the loyal manservant who may also burn merely for being loyal to Cervantes.
Theatre III is located at 250 Central St., Acton. Tickets are $18 adults, $15 seniors and students. For a performance schedule and more information, call 978-263-9070 or visit www.theatreiii.org.
Come join Carmen’s “fan club”
There is plenty of Iberian culture on tapas in the region. Chorus Pro Musica presents “Carmen,” with diva Victoria Livengood, Sunday, June 1, at 3 p.m. at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, 290 Huntington Ave., Boston. For more information, call 617-267-7442 or visit www.choruspromusica.org.
And, to get the royal treatment on classical and modern Spanish Art, be sure to see the exhibit, “El Greco to Velazquez: Art During the Reign of Philip III,” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Read the view here.
Hasta proximo…
Hey, avian admirers, this one’s for the birds
Posted on April 23, 2008 by Margaret Smith
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Behold the ruby-throated humming bird, a cute little creature that — well, if you don’t think it’s cute, this probably not the blog for you, because this entry is filled with references to cute birds.
Oh, and they are important biological indicators. Yes, that too.
Anyhow, bird fanciers will tell you it’s a right-left brain thing, and their aviation admiration responds to both.
And if you love birds, you can make it count — literally — at the 25th annual MassAudubon Birdathon, this year set for Friday, May 16 at 6 p.m., in which hundreds of volunteers over 24 hours raise pledges and help survey bird species across the state.
The event raises money for MassAudubon education and conservation efforts and last year “netted” $150,000, said Chris Leahy, a MassAudubon field ornithologist and lifelong bird watcher, who has been with the bird-a-thon since the beginning. There are also prizes for the most birds seen, and other prizes with which to feather one’s cap, as it were.
“The goal is to see as many species of birds as possible, and then you get pledges based on the number of species you see,” Leahy said.
Last year, bird-a-thon participants spotted 263 bird species. Over the years, there have been unusual finds, such as the white-faced ibis, normally not seen north of Texas, Leahy said.
Although tracking climate change isn’t the primary goal, Leahy said it’s a little hard to ignore the evidence. The bird-a-thon is typically held this time of year because it’s prime migration season. However, some species are getting a bit confused because the arrival of spring is coming slightly earlier in recent years, Leahy said. For example, phoebes, which like to roost on house eaves, have been showing up earlier than in the past.
This might not seem like a big deal on the surface. But, Leahy said, a few weeks either way makes the difference between, say, when certain caterpillars hatch and crawl off before the birds can get to them. Great if you’re a caterpillar, but the trend could mean a shortage of food and thus diminish the survival rates of adult birds of breeding age.
Even with these concerns, bird watching should still be enjoyable, as well as a reminder of what’s at stake.
“It is a fun event, and one of the best places for bird watchers in the U.S., with a long history of birding,” Leahy said.
So go on, wing it — but try to carpool, and be Earth-wise in deed as well as word.
For England, Harry, and St. George…..and Judi Dench…and Charles Dickens…
Posted on April 23, 2008 by Margaret Smith
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Today, April 23, is the Christian feast day of St. George, the patron saint of England, although he’s also the patron saint of several other countries as well.
That said, it’s a good time to reflect on England and its place in American pop culture. Yes, we Americans are very, very good at exporting our pop culture (there are few things so surreally disconcerting as watching TV in Cairo when “Seinfeld” comes on, and your Egyptian friend says, “This is my favorite episode!”)
But, England continues to reach from across the pond in the American psyche, often subtly, and often when we least expect it.
Cranford and some
For those of you still having withdrawal from the end of “The Complete Jane Austen” on PBS‘ “Masterpiece,” there’s hope — as “Cranford” comes to the telly, Sunday, May 4, at 9 p.m. Based on the novel of the same name by Elizabeth Gaskell, the three-part miniseries revolves around the lives of ladies who quietly rule their town and stare down poverty and loss of social class in peculiar but always dignified ways.
The cast is a garden of Anglophile’s delights, with none other than Dame Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, Michael Gambon of “Harry Potter,” and more. So, fire up the tea kettle, butter the scones and find a place for your best lace.
Join the Drood brood
Elizabeth Gaskell’s contemporary, Charles Dickens, was penning a mystery novel when he died, and its unfinished ending has intrigued readers ever since. Pop singer Rupert Holmes (come on, Gen-Xers, remember, “The Pina Colida Song?” Yes, you do, you are humming it right now!) has created a thoroughly silly musical out of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.” Audience members can decide just what happened to that likable chap Edwin, his bitter, lecherous uncle, and Edwin’s fiancee, on whom said uncle has designs.
AFD Theatre is offering a chance to join in, with remaining performances Saturday, April 26, at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 27 at 4 p.m. All tickets $20; reservations required. Call 781-646-5922 or visit Arlington Friends of the Drama online.
It’s a great way to ‘escape’ your cares for a while.
A series fit for a king
If you really want to dig into English history, you can’t dig much deeper than “Monarchy,” the series created and hosted by affable historian David Starkey. From those plucky Anglo-Saxon warrior kings to Charles getting involuntarily shorter (losing a few inches off the top, as it were), “Monarchy” is richly researched, delightfully opinionated, and full of insights rarely seen this side of the pond. With dramatic recreations by “History in the Making,” Mary Tudor is heartbreakingly zealous, and this Elizabeth I means business.
And look out for the cat who plays Richard III — he’s almost as scary-cool as Christopher Lee. Almost. Being in the running at all is pretty good.
Meet a man of his word
Posted on April 17, 2008 by Margaret Smith
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Was the crossword puzzle ever so hot? Smokin’?
And what’s an 10-letter word for smokin’ anyway?
Ask crossword puzzle juggernaut Will Johnston. He won’t give up the answer — and if he did, you wouldn’t feel good about yourself, would you?
But Johnston will reveal the time-honored word game’s secrets in ‘Crossword Puzzles: An Inside Look,’ Thursday, April 24, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Robbins Library, 700 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington. The event is free to the public.
Participants will learn, among other things, the tricks of the crossword puzzle makers’ trade — and ways to make puzzle-solving more enjoyable.
The event is presented by Cruciverbalists of Boston, a group for crossword puzzle enthusiasts founded by Arlington resident Eric Helmuth. In Helmuth’s estimation, Arlington is fertile ground for crossword puzzle passion. He cited the group of Arlington residents who went to the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in Brooklyn, N.Y., and who met up at the Robbins Library to practice together.
“I have been doing them casually for a long time,” said Helmuth, who said meeting Johnston was a revelation. “I discovered there is a lot more to them than meets the eye.”
He was also inspired to form the Cruciverbalists of Boston, which draws about 40 regular members from Arlington, but also Bedford, Lexington, Concord and other communities. “We decided to put on the event…just for spreading the enjoyment of some of the inner secrets of the puzzles.
The film, “Word Play,” a documentary about competitive crossword puzzle solvers, sparked new interest in crosswords.
As one of a spate of films following word game enthusiasts, including those devoted to spelling bees and Scrabble, the trend may suggest a balm for those who think a love of the written word is becoming passe.
Helmuth and fellow puzzle lovers look to the future without fear. “I’m 42. A lot of people are surprised to find that I am into crosswords. We have people in their 20s, 30s and 40s, and even a teenager…we have a love for language, and a love for words, and a sense of humor in the language.”
If you come to the event, they will take you across the world of puzzle hints…and they won’t let you down.
Oh, and 10-letter word for smokin’? Wait until next week’s edition.
Events for the other Mother’s Day
Posted on April 9, 2008 by Margaret Smith
Filed Under Science/Nature | Leave a Comment
Walk softly on Mother Earth?
More like, “Throw Momma from the Train,” judging by our woeful misuse of natural resources and crowding out of many animal and plant species.
To raise awareness of human impact on the environment — roughly equal to Richard Widmark as Tommy Udo, pushing the wheelchair-bound Ma Rizzo down the stairs in “Kiss of Death” — a new holiday appeared on our calendars in 1970.
Earth Day is a time of community-wide cleanups, concerts with tie-dye T-shirts, recycling marathons and in a way, a chance to spy on your neighbors. (in one town, we discovered how a certain house-proud homeowner kept such an immaculate lawn. The answer: just dump the bags of raked leaves into the bed of the Middlesex Canal. And how to get rid of that pesky, leaky above-ground pool? Just stash it in the ground, in the same place. How the canal still serves us well.)
So clearly, the message is falling on some deaf ears, and the message might only be loud enough when the perpetrators caught in the act and fined. Amazing how losing green in the wallet can lead to a renewed appreciation of green practices.
Still, it’s worth having one day a week that will remind at least some of the need to practice better environmental stewardship all year.
Here are a few events that present opportunities to do just that. You might notice that it’s a small list — our calendars are thin on submitted Earth Day events. So, if you’ve got something going on, tell us — if they don’t know, they can’t go.
But, if an event is not in walking distance, try carpooling, and help keep that carbon footprint to a modest tiptoe:
Saturday, April 19
Maynard town-wide cleanup. Businesses, residents and others encouraged to participate. 10 a.m., meet by traffic island at Nason and Main Streets. Bags and gloves provided. A week of cleanup opportunities will take place through April 27. For more information, call 978-897-3156.
Sunday, April 20
Bird walk, meet at Still River Depot Road, Route 110, Harvard, at 7 a.m. for a look at at who’s winging it at the Oxbow Wildlife Sanctuary and Bolton Flats. For more information, call 978-443-4661 ext. 341 or visit EasternMANWRComplex.fws.gov.
Benefit auction, American Legion Hall, 162 Winn St., Burlington, Sunday, April 20, noon to 4 p.m. Sponsored by German Shepherd Rescue of New England. Proceeds will help provide food, veterinary services and other needs. For more information, call 978-443-2202 or visit www.GSRNE.org.
Saturday, April 26 — Middlesex Canal Aqueduct cleanup. The Billerica Historical Society seeks volunteers for cleanup event, which starts at 8 a.m. Bring rakes and gloves. For more information, visit www.billericahistorical.com.
Get your foreign film fix at Belmont fest
Posted on April 4, 2008 by Margaret Smith
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Life is more than what you read between the subtitles. Belmont World Film will “wrap” its seventh annual International Film series with a screening of “Irina Palm,” Sunday, April 13, at 7:30 p.m. at Studio Cinema, 376 Trapelo Road, Belmont.
The film stars Marianne Faithfull — yes, the celebrated rock/blues singer — as a middle-age widow in London’s Soho district, facing a harrowing choice as she struggles to pay her grandson’s medical bills. Out of desperation, she applies for a job as a hostess in a sex club. And an adventure of irrevocable changes begins there.
The film also stars British actress Jenny Argutter and directed by Sam Garbarski and is a collaborative effort among talents from several European countries. The screening marks the film’s New England premiere; it first premiered in 2007 at the Berlin Film Festival.
Rated R for strong language, nudity and sexual content.
Tickets$8, $7 students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased at the theater or online at www.mktix.com.
For more information, call 617-484-3980 or visit www.belmontworldfilm.org.
Stamp may honor cosmic messenger
Posted on April 2, 2008 by Margaret Smith
Filed Under Science/Nature | Leave a Comment
With his PBS series, “Cosmos,” books such as “Broca’s Brain” and appearances on “The Tonight Show,” astronomer Carl Sagan did more than help the non-scientist understand, “what makes the planets go,” as he put it.
He also warned about the potential hazards to life on Earth if pollution, poverty and climate change are ignored.
His admirers hope to make to find new adherents, so to speak, and honor his legacy with a proposed postage stamp.
The stamp drive was “launched” Feb. 11 at Ithaca Sciencenter, according to a press release from Cornell University, in Ithaca, N.Y., where Sagan taught astronomy.
The Sagan Appreciation Society began the initiative in 2007 when artists Greg Mort, Pat Linse, Lisa Hutter and Chris Fix began creating preliminary stamp designs.
The Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, which helps select individuals and themes to be represented on stamps, reviews — well, maybe not billions of proposals a year, but a lot — and provides selection criteria.
Sagan’s legacy lives on in other ways; Al Gore often mentions him as a chief inspiration in his efforts to lobby for mitigation of climate change. But, Sagan also had his share of critics. Many religious leaders, even those who appreciated Sagan’s science work, found many of his comments about religion unduly harsh and dismissive.
Sagan — who died in 1996 at age 62 after battling myelodysplasia — admitted to making a few inaccurate predictions. He said, science is not a perfect tool, but when it comes to understanding the physical universe, “it’s the best thing we’ve got.”
As astronomer Jack Horkheimer would have it, the point is not to give up, but “to keep looking up.”
Struthers needs others in ‘Annie’ production
Posted on April 2, 2008 by Margaret Smith
Filed Under Children, Theater | Leave a Comment
And now, for all you theater types who adore being on stage: Are you a girl, ages 6 to 13? Are you 4 feet, 10 inches or shorter? Do you look like a cute, lovable orphan? You are probably already sensing that this casting call is not for everyone. But, if you meet these criteria, this could be your moment. Why not audition for the Waltham-based Reagle Players’ 40th anniversary performance of the musical, “Annie,” which will take the stage July 10-19. Auditions will be held Sunday, April 6, at 10 a.m. at Reagle Players, 617 Lexington St., Waltham. For more information, visit www.reagleplayers.com.
The play will star Sally Struthers, who is best known for portraying Gloria, the free-spirited daughter caught between her authoritarian Dad, Archie Bunker, and superficially liberal but equally authoritarian husband, Mike, in the TV sitcom, “All in The Family.”
Here, Struthers will play a slightly different character — Miss Hannigan, who’s been caring for one too many orphans and is getting to be a bit of a misanthrope. Hey, the play takes place back in the day, before there were parental hot lines; there weren’t even hot lines for mean old Miss Hannigans who run orphanages.
Anyhow, if you are female, kid-sized, between 6 and 13, and don’t get stage fright too easily, take a chance. Tell your folks — there’s always ‘tomorrow,’ but it’s important to seize the day, too.
keep looking »
