Downton Abbey Revisited on PBS

Downton Abbey returns to PBS January 6th. Which feels like FOREVER. PBS is airing a behind the scenes look at Downton Abbey including some peaks at the new season, Downton Abbey Revisited will air Sunday, November 25.

I love hearing what creator Julian Fellows and all the cast have to say about this amazing show. Including the show origins, the costumes, sets, and locations. It's all hosted by the incredible Angela Lansbury. Which come to think of it would make an excellent Downton character herself.

The season promises to be everything we've come to expect and Downton Abbey Revisited could be just the thing to prime you for it. Here's a little trailer.




Just as a bonus for Elise's Rambling readers here are a few behind the scenes pics of my own, taken last summer at the PBS press tour. Such a kind cast.

Thank You Suffragettes

Because of these three women, and others like them, women in America have the vote today. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and Susan B. Anthony stand in this unfinished sculpture in the rotunda of the capitol building in DC. The incompleteness is symbolic as their work is unfinished and there is even room for another women to take a place beside them.

Sadly none of them lived to see women get the vote. So I just wanted to say, get out and vote, for them if no one else. And another thing, it's kind of awful how much of the women's movement has back slid over the last decade or so, keep that in mind when you're making you decisions.

That is all!

Family Trip To South Africa

All my life I've dreamed of going to Africa. So when fellow blogger Jamie of I'm Not The Babysitter  asked if I'd be interested in joining her significantly comped More Hotel family trip in South Africa, I jumped at the chance.

The Hotels are all gorgeous. We will be staying in four of them. Two in game reserves and the other two in Johannesburg and Cape Town. More on them in future posts.

Now that the dream is a reality there are so many things to plan for. Not only flights and ground transportation, which thank goodness DSA Vacations has arranged for us. But also safari clothes and decisions about malaria prevention.

I'll be posting every month about the preparation for this trip of a life time, which will finally happen in February. Once it is actually here I will try to post a travel log every day with pictures and stories.

I really can't thank Jamie, The More Hotels and DSA Vacations enough for this opportunity.

Pityriasis Rosea Treatment Tips

Here's a little post from the Mom Files. I just want to share this info.

Up front I want to say that according to all doctors pityriasis rosea has no treatment, with the possible exception being exposure to sunlight. All the following information is merely anecdotal experience I gathered while my daughter (age 8yrs) had the disease.

Pityriasis Rosea is a common skin rash most often in children ages 10 and up.

As soon as my daughter was diagnosed I went online looking for treatment ideas. Our doctor had said there was nothing to do but wait it out. The idea of looking at my daughter covered in spot for the 3-4 months predicted, drove me to search out 'something" to do.The only answers I found online, were going to tanning beds. With that tanning mom barely out of the news I wasn't about to try to take an 8 yer old to a tanning salon. Also my daughter is extremely fair and even 15 minutes in the sun could burn her. So that was definitely out.

Luckily my day job is as a massage therapist and I share office space with a lot of herbalist and naturolpaths. Here is their advice which comes under two headings.

One group went along the lines of fighting any virus, which they suspect pityriasis rosea is, but aren't sure.

1 Take lots of Vitamin C , and D

2 Take Echinacea

3 Make home made stock soup (boil your own bones for stock)

4 Get lots of rest

The other group suspects pityriasis rosea is related to an auto immune issue

1 Remove gluten and dairy from the diet

2 Take probiotics

3 Take fish oil

Finally the last thing I did was avoid fragranced products

1 Only use fragrance free shampoo, soap, and lotions

2 No baths

3 Short cool showers

My daughter's rash is barely visible any more and we are just at the 3 week mark. I can't guarentee any of this is the cause, it may have cleared up as quickly if I'd done nothing. But, it certainly didn't hurt her.

Also pityriasis rosea is an extreme vague disease, no one seems to be too clear what it is or how it will present itself. I want to mention my daughter's did spread to her face, since so many sites said it doesn't spread to the face. I was told not to worry unless it begins to appear onthe  palms of hand or the soles of the feet.

Good luck if you have just discovered you or your child has this. Aside for vanity it is pretty harmless.

TCM Film Fest 2013 Opening Night

I am so excited TCM announced today the newly restored Funny Girl will open the 4th TCM Film Festival. Could an announcement of Striesand's participation be far behind???

Passes go on sale for the film festival November 15th. This year the four day classic film palooza will take place April 25-28.

Other restored films showing at the festival include Giant, The General, and The Great Escape. (it must be a G thing??)

If you've somehow missed my previous years post on TCM Film Fest. Check them out. They include interviews with Tony Curtis, Eva Marie Saint, Ernest Borgnine, Eli Wallach, and more. If you're a classic movie fan, I highly recommend you attend. Sadly many of these people are near death, and often they are gone within the year. Don't miss the chance to see them. I also love seeing these films with an audience, who loves them as much as I do.