"This is the violet hour, the hour of hush and wonder, when the affectations glow and valor is reborn, when the shadows deepen along the edge of the forest and we believe that, if we watch carefully, at any moment we may see the unicorn."


Monday, March 21, 2011

The Violet Hour - One Year Old!

It is truly hard for me to believe that I have had this blog for one entire year! A magical mystery to be sure - as I never thought I would enter the Blogging World. Ah Renee.....you are the Sorceress who wielded that wand and gave me the courage to try....


Now, a year gone by - so many things have happened to our little blogging family - deaths, marriages, births - old friends gone, new ones here...LIFE does go on. And I have met all of you!!!!  Each one of you has enriched my life so much.


This is my first attempt at recording a poem.....one that has great meaning to me. It is written by the incredible J.R.R. Tolkien. The painting is done by the equally indcredible Lo.... her version of "Red Riding Hood and the Wolf"...it provides a lovely accompaniment to Tolkien's haunting words. I hope you enjoy it.

Love and Hugs to all of YOU!  I am glad you are a part of my life.

♥ Robin ♥

32 comments:

  1. oooooh, looook!!!!

    happy blogaversary LS! Can you believe a year has passed? I was just looking at the candle I keep for Renee on my sidebar and I was just talking to her before I saw your post. Wow. I was just saying I can't believe it's been a year. And I'm still sitting here on my butt, unemployed!!

    I'm glad you've joined us. You always bring a bit of magic to your posts and you share your love of opera with a whole new audience.

    I love that you used my "red" as you read that wonderful poem. And you did it so well!

    Happy year! More please ;)

    xoxo
    Lo♥BS

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  2. Congrats on a year of blogging. Isnt it fun? Its great getting to know so many people. Lovely poem and of course Lo's painting. Keep up the blogging.

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  3. happy anniversary robin!

    lovely reading and perfect choice of painting to accompany (lo is wonderfully talented). and can i tell you i love your labels for this post? great!

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  4. Congratulations, Lilac Birdie!! Thank you for taking up the wand and tapping others on the shoulder. Magical, absolutely!! xo from T&D & their critters

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  5. a year!!! fantastic and congrats. Your reading voice is so wonderful. I love hearing the poem aloud, which really is the way poetry should be enjoyed. and great idea to have a painting included. I record my voice via the video setting on my camera and have had people complain in my early recordings that they dont want to see my sleeve etc but want to see my face. goodness, no. so this last time i put a black cloth over the lens. be well in wet SF. We had more snow here y'day. ugh. love, suki

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  6. Hi Robin! I am so happy I met you here in BlogLand. You are a gift that Renee brought into my life. :) And what a beautiful poem (you sound EXACTLY like I imagined you would) and that is the perfect (Lo!) painting to go with it. Sorry to be absent! Lots going on here, but I am sending you bloggy hugs! xoxo Pam

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  7. Ah, dearest Lo....there are not enough words to describe what our friendship means to me! Yes...Renee truly is an Enchantress! She wielded (and still wields) a powerful magic wand!

    As for my love of Opera, I rather think I scare people away.. but I can't help it.. Renee would be the first to say "Be true to yourself"..

    And.... I just felt your "Red" painting accompanied the Tolkien verse so well! (I AM going to have it mounted and framed....) It is near and dear to my ♥. And so are you!

    MUWAH!

    ♥ LS ♥

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  8. Cris - thank you for your sweet words! YOU are one of the people I have met who bring such delight with your talent - and your blog!

    Love,

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  9. Lori - you are so sweet! I am so glad we have met and are blogging comerades! Have fun this weekend with "KJB"! I KNOW you will! Give her a hug from me, ok?

    Love,

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  10. Oooh..."T ET D" plus Critters!!! Always lovely when you stop by! Can you believe I have been blogging for a year! Wish you would have met Renee....you would have adored her!

    Love to all,

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  11. Suki.....there are not enough words to describe how wonderful it has been to meet you - in person and of course, on our phone chats! You and Willow inspired me to try to read a poem aloud. Mind you, I am one of the few who doesn't have a video cam....and I do the same..use my camera to record! (I will tell you a funny story about how I learned to do this the next time we talk! Yes...I am with you - don't want people to see me when I recite!

    MORE SNOW! Oh no....I thought we were the only ones out West to keep getting "zapped" by "Ol Man Winter"!!!! ENOUGH!!!!

    Love to you and Bibs,

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  12. Pameeeee...you made me laugh! The fact I "sound" like you thought I would!!! Ha-ha!

    You, m'dear are a gift from Renee to me too!
    Sometimes, I come home - tired, emotionally and physically spent - and I look up to see Enid and Zombie Bunny.....and I JUST SMILE and relax. My fellow lover of Halloweenish thingies.... Oooh....I felt that bloggy-hug! Sending one back to you!

    Love,

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  13. What happened to the happy blogversary I left this morning? Inviting you to come up so we can celebrate and let the furrelatives give you hugs and wag their tails to tell you they love you too? My whole day has been going like this...sigh.

    Back to the sling for my arm, went to the dorkos today - that is how I see them and what I call them when they tell me to stay put - apparently the split has been a "horizontal one involving not just the muscle but a tendon" oh joy!

    We both send love and many happy returns of this day, to the next hundred years of friendship and blogging together.

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  14. only a year??? it seems longer that we have been friends. Happy anniversary Robin dear and may the upcoming year continue to bring love and happiness to your operatic life.

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  15. Robin, that was YOU?! What a treat. Thank you so much, dear.

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  16. Dear Allegra.... thank you for being YOU!
    I agree - when you and B. Loved are rested and recovered - a visit IS in order this year!
    I want to meet the Fur-kids!

    One of the greatest things Renee did was introduce me to you..... meeting a kindred spirit in so many ways has helped me get through a difficult year....

    Sending you, B. Loved and the Furballs much love!!!

    Always.

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  17. Ah Mim....this past year has raced by.... (for me, a good thing).... it does seem like we have been friends and "Animal Wednesday" Cohorts for much longer!

    Sending love - as always! Have a wonderful time in NY!

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  18. Hey there Snow.... not sure what you mean by that first question! But, meeting you in Blogland has been a pleasure! We are not always in unison on somethings - but - you are a gifted writer with a wonderful wit - and I'm glad we are friends!

    Hugs to you, Peggy, Brewsky and Blue (?)...

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  19. happy anniversary dear ♡twin♡!!!

    i loved the poem and lovely painting - and it was fun to hear your voice - it sounds like you (which sounds strange, as I have never met you in person or heard your voice!!) but it sounded elegant, cultured and compassionate - like what i expected!!!

    lots of love and best wishes on yet another wonderful year of blogging ahead.....

    xoxo

    amanda

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  20. Congrats. A year gone by and I'm just finding you. So much to catch up on here... off to read more.

    yes, sometimes a poem just MUST be read.

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  21. Dear "Twin",
    Thank you so much for the wonderful words! Meeting you has been one of the most incredible and joyful things to have happened to me on the Blogs! To further explorations and adventures!

    Love,

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  22. Hello Kim... it is aways a pleasant surprise to find a new face ! I absolutely agree - poetry sounds best when read aloud!

    Thank you for visiting!

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  23. Well Robin you may think you scare some off with your love of opera but to me that is just an added bonus! Happy happy anniversary (belated of course).

    Guess where I went on Saturday? Oh yes, off to the opera with my mother. We saw Il Trovatore which was so totally up my street it was A-Maz-Ing and in May we're off to see La Traviatta (again) because a decent production is coming to Salisbury (my nearest city) so I don't care that I've already seen it.

    OK enough waffling from me. Many hugs to you Robin-with-the-beautiful-voice. xx Jos

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  24. Robin! Just dropping off another hug, and to say that Blogger has never let me add your blog to my sidebar. What's with THAT? I keep trying, hoping the Blogger troll will be busy screwing up someone else's blog and I can sneak you in - lol!!
    xox Pam

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  25. Hi dear!!!!
    Today I thought I would start at the bottom of my blog list :)
    I have commented here while I was in Miami........but something must have gone wrong:(
    I was already late in congratulating you then and by now you must think I have completely forgotten about you....... But I have not dear!
    Well congrats on that one year. I am happy Renee showed you the path to blogging!
    And I love hearing your voice, it is just like velvet!!!!!

    Happy the sun came through for you!!!!!
    You deserve that.
    Here we have rain today, but I think it is good . It will make everything grow. Saturday they expect summer temperatures (above 20 celsius!)
    So some rain before that is good.

    Enjoy the sunny weather dear!!!!!!

    ♥♥♥
    >M<

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  26. Hello Jos! Thank you for visiting....for being such a wonderful, courageous, humourous woman - who has become a friend...and...a freind who likes Opera! I really am still stunned that there are so many fantastic people out here in Blogging Land!

    I'm glad you and your Mum enjoyed "Il Travatore"...(love the part of the Gypsy Woman) and that you will see "Traviata" again... it's one of my favourite Verdi Operas!

    Hugs to you, always!

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  27. Ah, Pamee... no one except Lo has ever figured out how to add me to their sidebar...after a year of this, I am ok....what else can I do? Friends will find me! You did! Ha-ha!

    Love,

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  28. Marianne....you are so sweet! It makes me feel great to be at the "bottom" of your blog roll! Ha-ha!

    Thank you for your congratulations! That year sped by....in part because of "meeting" you, laughing with you - hopefuly this year we WILL meet in person!

    I hope your rain is short-lived..just enough to help everything bloom and grow! I hope Florida was fun! Did you see any GIANT bugs?
    (The main reason I have NEVER visited there..)

    Love to you, "WK", Koekie, Droppie, Spook and of course "PoD"...aka Der Bose Prinz von Dunkelheim! Ha-ha!

    Liebe Grusse,

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  29. well here again it's about time i showed up! on your anniversary no less! i have been away, in california :)

    i love reading the comments to you here. wonderful connections and genuine caring. isn't that something, ms. cupcake wrobin?

    love love
    kj

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  30. Oh yes, dear KJB! Genuine friends are such a treasure! Just like EWE! (Oops, I mean YOU!) Ha-ha! It's been a rollercoaster of a year...but now, I am beginning to enjoy the ride!

    MUWAH!

    Love,

    ♥ Cupcake ♥

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  31. Happy Blogiversary!! How cool to have it born on the Vernal Equinox.

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  32. I wish I could solve this bottom thing so your posts would appear in the blog roll!

    No giant bugs in FL but other gross things.......
    Glad to be home again....... but leaving Friday for China
    ♥♥♥
    >M<

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