Thursday, July 2, 2009

The Wizard of Oz

I just watched The Wizard of Oz on Turner Classic Movies. It's one of my all time favorite movies! I've loved it since I was a little kid. It came on once a year and only once a year. I remember sitting on the floor in front of the TV with my little sister each year when it came on, after the Wonderful World of Disney. We must have had a black and white TV at some point because I remember being totally in awe when the color segment of the movie would start. That movie had me enthralled. I loved every single minute of it! I loved the songs and the horse of a different color! I was terrified by the flying monkeys. I worried that Dorothy's friends wouldn't be able to rescue her in time and was horrified by the wicked witch setting the scarecrow on fire! I silently cheered each year when the water melted the wicked witch. And I know I cried when Dorothy said at the end that "there's no place like home" because it still chokes me up.

After I was married and moved with my Airman husband to Biloxi while he was stationed at Keesler AFB, my dear Aunt Brenda was expecting her first child. I found a little baby quilt with a stamped cross stitch scene from the Wizard of Oz on it. I bought it and did the cross stitch for my gift to her dear little daughter, my cousin Sundey. I foisted all kinds of Oz Christmas ornaments on her too over the years. Bless her heart.

I've hoped that my granddaughters would love the Wizard of Oz as much as I do. I don't think they do. I know they asked their mom to watch the "witch" movie a couple of times, but I don't think they've really loved it. Maybe it's the availability that has ruined it for them. Maybe you have to be able to look forward to some things and not be able to see them whenever you want to that makes them so special.

2 comments:

The McClendons said...

Hey! I'm famous!

Of course, I still have the quilt and am now looking foward to passing it on to Baby Harper.

Although I will say that my mom never let me touch it when I was a child, and so whenever I get it out I have to remind myself that I am an adult now, that it belongs to me and I actually CAN hold it. It's beautiful and I love it and (I hope you don't mind) but I think I WILL let Harper touch it.

I went to see the Wizard of Oz at Dallas Summer Musicals a few weeks ago and I thought about the quilt again. There were lots of little girls dressed up as Dorothy at the show and again I thought about passing the quilt along and dressing my daughter up. I already bought her some red slippers that probably won't fit for three or four years.

Thank you for my special gifts, I love them all and can't wait to share them with my sweetgirl!


ps. I think you even bought me a copy of the book, which I also have here. :)

Sharon said...

Oh, I'm so glad to hear that you'll actually let Harper use the quilt. It will mean to much more to her if she gets to use it and has the memories of using it. I don't care if she wears it out and get stuff all over it. That's what it was made for! That is the greatest compliment I can be given. :) Thank you.