Somewhere Over The Rainbow

I was deeply saddened at the news of Natasha Richardson's untimely death. She was so young, attractive and gifted, but more importantly she seemed more grounded than the typical Hollywood starlets. My heart and love go out to her family, especially her young sons.

I absolutely loved Natasha in the Parent Trap when Lindsay Lohan was still an adorable child.

"Any man's death diminishes me,

because I am involved in Mankind;

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;

it tolls for thee."

~~John Donne~~

As I ponder the death of any man, the song Somewhere Over the Rainbow wafts through my head--NOT the song as sung by Judy Garland--but the song as it is sung by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.

It is the only version of the song I like and I want it played at my funeral. Please take a few minutes to listen.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Video sent by filipegodinho

Israel (IZ Bruddah) Kamakawiwo'ole, the amazing 750 pound Hawaiian, has a voice that transports me to another time and place. I didn't even know I liked ukulele music until I heard IZ's version of this song.

He died in 1997 at age 38 of respiratory problems brought on by his morbid obesity. Despite his short life, his gentle ukulele playing and hauntingly beautiful voice made him a musical legend.

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To borrow from yesterday's comics in the Deseret News, my blog "keeps claiming it needs its CYBER-SPACE!!" So I've given it space, because "I've got so many things to wrap my mind around, my brain is unraveling!" (from Ziggy and Hi & Lois)

Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire

Keira Knightley

as Georgiana (nee Spencer) Cavendish

As a young girl in the 1950s, I read many fairy tales about princesses and like other little girls, I wanted to grow up to be a princess. Problem was, in the United States, there were no real princesses, just celebrities and most celebrities have absolutely nothing to celebrate!

In "The Duchess," Keira Knightley plays the spritely Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. The young socialite's flair for high style and towering hairdos adorned with colorful plumage led to her nickname the "empress of fashion" in the 18th Century.

The movie gets a big WOW from me. I was entranced by Knightley and was overwhelmed with the ambiance of aristocratic, courtly England in the 1770s. While Georgiana was one of the wealthiest women in the world, her life was anything but happy.

Gorgeous Keira as Duchess

The Real Duchess of Devonshire


Keira

Georgiana

Current Duchess and Dowager of Devonshire

Devonshire House London (in Movie)

The above is actually Somerset House because the real Devonshire House was demolished in the 1920s, but the interior scenes were filmed at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire (home to the Dukes of Devonshire for over 5oo years) and Kedleston Hall, also in Derbyshire, lending an authentic, elegant feel to the film.

The Duchess is a magnificent period piece. Keira Knightley is utterly dazzling. Ralph Fiennes is cruel and indifferent as the painfully antisocial Duke. The story based on the biography by Amanda Foreman bares an uncanny similarity to the modern day saga of Prince Charles and Princess Diana (i. e. "There are three in this marriage.")

Beautiful Diana, Another Tragic Royal

Movie trailers and reviews are touting the fact that Princess Diana was a direct descendant of the Duchess of Devonshire. Being a genealogist and a stickler for facts, I beg to differ! To be a direct descendant, Georgiana would be Diana's 3rd Great grandmama. Diana was, in fact, descended from Georgiana's brother, George John, the 2nd Earl of Spencer (spelled Spenser in England).

Incidently, Ralph Fiennes and I share a common ancestor, way back in the 1500s. Could this be my claim to fame? (Actually, Sir George Yeardley, the first Governor of Virginia Colony, and I share the same ancestor as Ralph Fiennes.)

It is my opinion that Keira Knightley has one of the most exquisite faces currently being "celebrated" on screen. She is the princess I wanted to become. In some ways she bares a resemblance to one of my all-time favorite actresses, the lovely Audrey Hepburn. Both have striking faces and both are/were extremely anorexic. In The Duchess, Keira's anorexia was hidden under layers of heavy 18th Century clothing. (I must like skinny women with accents!)

Love that Audrey Smile!


If you like English history, you will probably like the movie The Duchess. I give it two hardy thumbs up!