Thursday, July 7, 2016

To Beer or Not to Beer - That is a Stupid Question






Today's post is dedicated to things Ella loves.  Besides spanking, that is.  Since woman does not live by spankings alone, I thought it was "high time" I shared a few of the things that make me feel so blessed in this life.  The title reveals several top contenders for Ella's Happy Place.







There is an old country song named, "I Like Beer" by Tom T. Hall. and I have been known to even sing it, usually if I have had "too much of a good thing."  Beer, that is!  Years ago I drank wine, but gave it up when I discovered it aggravated a certain type of headache from which I suffered as a young woman.


There are so many types of beer to explore and so many locations countrywide and around the world with their own breweries.  If I am ever "in a pickle" over a holiday gift to give, I just may choose a "Beers Around the World" sampler and then help you drink it.  If Ella was skipping down her own Yellow Brick Road in the Land of Beers, she would be singing,  


                         "Lagers and Pilsners and Ales, Oh My!"





Other than stouts and porters, I pretty much love them all.  My current favorites are the IPAs; India Pale Ale was originally brewed in England with extra hops to survive the journey to British troops stationed in India.  Drinking a pint in London and noshing on a steak and kidney pie means Ella has reached the Promised Land.  "If the truth were known," she might do this for both lunch and dinner.



"For a quart of ale is a meal for a king"

              
                          "For a quart of ale is a meal for a king."



One of thousands of memorable quotes given to us by William Shakespeare, who is another one of Ella's great loves.  And not just because this author enjoyed his ale!  His plays were meant to be
performed - not read.  You cannot force a high school student to read Shakespeare and expect him or her to appreciate the genius.  It wasn't until I was almost 18 and saw one of his plays onstage in Stratford, Ontario, that the love affair began.


It has continued my whole life long.  When doing my undergrad work, I had a double major in education and English.  My Shakespeare classes and even the essays were always my favorites.  Many people never get past the comedies and a few of the more famous tragedies.  I have studied every last play - even all the histories.  The best professor I ever had would read certain passages in a big Texas drawl.  

                                    Imagine this, if you will.

                       "I would challenge y'all to a battle of wits, 
                                 but I see y'all are unarmed." 



I adored that man.  He even encouraged us to perform scenes by excusing us from an essay.  And, yes, I did.


I jump on any chance I get to see them onstage.  I had an extensive library of Shakespeare stories for children when I taught, and you have not lived until you have seen 9 year old kids perform A Midsummer Night's Dream or TheTempest.  You would have "laughed yourself into stitches."  I have been fortunate enough to have attended The Merry Wives of Windsor at the rebuilt Globe Theatre in London.  There are not very many things on my bucket list, but one wish I have always wanted to realize would be to attend a summer Shakespeare class at Cambridge or Oxford.  "..Perchance to dream," and it doesn't cost anything to dream.






 
There is no one person who has had as big an impact on the evolution of the English language as William Shakespeare.  Chances are you quote him at least once a day.  Did you notice all the highlighted words and quote marks in this post?  Those are all gifts from Will over 400 years ago.
  • Have you ever said an object "vanished into thin air?"
  • Have you ever felt you didn't sleep "one wink?"
  • Have you ever praised someone as a "tower of strength?"
  • Have you ever sold a car that had "seen better days?"
  • Have you ever pleaded "to give the devil his due?"
  • Have you ever said, "good riddance" to a difficult person?
  • Have you ever heard he was as "dead as a door nail?"
  • Have you ever told a child that his room was an "eyesore?"
  • Have you ever known a person who was the "laughing stock" of the whole town?

       Well, "for goodness' sake," you are quoting Shakespeare!




 

And don't forget that it was The Bard who wrote such perfect dialogue for the most memorable onstage spanking you ever hoped for.  When Petruchio bellows, 
            
                       "For I am he am born to tame you, Kate," 
                                    she has met her HOH.



When fair Kate delivers her speech in Act V, she preaches to two other women....

                "Such duty as the subject owes the prince,
                 Even such a woman oweth to her husband;
                And when she is froward, peevish, sullen, sour,
                And no obedient to his honest will,
               What is she but a foul contending rebel,
               And graceless traitor to her loving lord?
                I asham'd that women are so simple
               To offer war where they should kneel for peace,
               Or seek for rule, supremacy, and sway,
              When they are bound to serve, love, and obey."


                 And there you have the oldest known TTWD post.
                                              Genius.
                         So I raise my glass and rest my case. 





34 comments:

  1. LoL Ella, this was fun to read. I'm personally not a beer drinker. Love the Shakespeare quotes and confess to using a number of these. A friend sent me a coaster with the words "though she be little she is fierce". Very true lol

    Hugs
    Roz

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    1. Hello Roz,
      I love that quote, too. Will be seeing A Midsummer Night's Dream very soon!

      Hugs From Ella

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  2. Oh , I so love your trains of thought. I was a beer drinker in college..the cheap stuff. Converted to wine when I graduated, but my son and son in law have managed to re-convert me to the newer beers. And you get an A++ for discovering the oldest TTWD post.
    hugs abby

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    1. Oh, Abby. I remember beer at college. We threw some crazy parties. Once, a whole boxcar of beer derailed close to the campus. The parties went on for days.

      Ah, To Be Young Again

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  3. You have made me wish I liked beer ... and Shakespeare.... Vodka, I like Vodka and Blogs, I like blogs! Not very cultured here but this was an awesome, fun post to read!

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    1. At the original Globe theater, it only cost a penny to stand for the show. And the common folk brought their own alcohol.

      Ella Among the Rabble

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  4. I don't think I'll ever think about Shakespeare in the same way again. Such a fun post.

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    1. "Love comforeth like sunshine after rain" Just like you, Sunny! You are my sunshine.

      Ella

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  5. Ella,
    This is ttwd highbrow posting at its very best. I have been to the Globe and when i return, I shall think of this first ttwd post and you.
    Meredith

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    1. Tickets are purchased, Mere. This blogger plans to have an ale and enjoy the show!

      "To Thine Own Self Be True" always reminds me of you.

      Ella

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  6. Ella,
    I don't like beer at all but I do like Shakespeare. I'm nowhere near as well versed as you are though. I've been to the Globe too, where I saw Macbeth - known as "The Scottish Play" by superstitious actors.

    I really enjoyed this post, your love of the Bard shone all the way through. Your liking of beer was quite apparent too!

    Rosie xx

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    1. I do love Macbeth.

      "By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."

      Hugs Across the Pond,
      Ella

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  7. Super post Ella. Love the Shakespeare quotes.

    I'm a beer girl though I do like my red wine.

    Love,
    Ronnie
    xx

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    1. Glad you like the quotes, Ronnie. Went to see Romeo and Juliet last night. It was a LIVE broadcast from the Garrick Theater in London. Was an interesting interpretation by Kenneth Branagh.

      Just Pretended to be Across the Pond,
      Ella

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  8. Hi Ella, lunch will be in a pub then in September?
    I am not a beer fan but hubby and sons are. We have regular beer festivals round here, and there are lots of local breweries. In fact tomorrow hubby and I are off on a tour to a brewery about an hour away, tickets were won in a raffle!
    I use all those quotes, every one! must be more educated (or odder) than I thought,lol
    love Jan, xx

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    1. Whenever I am in a new place, I have to try the local brews. How to choose?!!

      Sending Hugs,
      Ella

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  9. I didn't know all those quotes were from Shakespeare - you are educating me! LJ would love to sit and talk with you about his favorite playwright.

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    1. It is lots of fun to get Shakespeare fans together. Sam is definitely not my date for Shakespeare!

      Hugs From Ella

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  10. I share your appreciation of beer. I've been given a beer of the month subscription a couple times. I tried beers I would not have sampled otherwise and learned about various breweries.

    Your quotes along with Jillian Keenan ' book have me thinking I should try Shakespeare again. Thank you for the motivation.

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    1. Welcome EL,
      So glad you came to visit. I have never read this book! I will download it tonight. Thanks for the tip.

      Ella

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  11. Ella what a wonderful post. I have used all those quotes Not a beer lover, although I've tried to like it, prefer wine any day.
    Hugs Lindy

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    1. Thanks, Lindy. There are hundreds more things we say everyday that we never realize are Shakespeare.

      Sending Hugs Downunder,
      Ella

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  12. What a wonderful post, Ella! :)

    So fun to learn more about your love for beer! You know that I favour white wine, but I am not opposed to a nice cold wheat beer on occasion. :)

    Really, really cool and FUN, to learn about how fond you are of Shakespeare, and your thoughts regarding the same! LOL on the line "For I am he am born to tame you, Kate!" Whoa!! Now that name rings a bell! Perhaps Rob was somehow related to Will? HA!

    A super read, and some interesting things to learn. I always loved British Lit in school/college. I also very much enjoyed Shakespeare. How neat that you have read them all! Makes me want to go back and reread, and then read on. Kudos to you for an excellent and informative post! Kudos to Will for "being the first to post about ttwd"! LOL! Many hugs and love,

    <3 Katie

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    1. Oh my, Katie T. I did not even think of the name coincidence! I am surprised Petruchio did not say, "Young lady?"

      Hugs All the Way to Katie,
      Ella

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  13. Such fun! I enjoyed learning more about your other loves and learning more about Shakespeare. Thanks for sharing. Hugs

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    1. Sam is always my first love, Terps. He doesn't accompany me to visit The Bard, but this love affair has his blessings.

      Love when you visit,
      Ella

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  14. Oh my dear friend! Such stuff as dreams are made of!

    I hate anything with hops in it, with a vengeance. But I did, perchance, discover a new brew today that I shall purchase for you! Fursty Ferret! The name intrigued both Dan and I.

    However, I can watch Shakespeare till the cows come home. And Dan would not go with me to Shakespeare in the park last weekend. They did a Midsummer Night's Dream. I thought of you! Can't wait till the Globe! Hope it doesn't rain!

    Many hugs
    Ami

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    1. Yes, my friend, Fursty Ferret sounds like an interesting brew. What a great name! Will have to bring the bottle home for my pub. We will have many things to toast.

      Shakespeare awaits!

      "Words are easy, like the wind; faithful friends are hard to find."

      Hugs Across the Pond,
      Ella

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  15. i'm not a fan of beer myself, but i am a fan of the bard's plays! Thanks for a very informative post.

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    1. Glad you liked it! For me, Shakespeare is a little like going to church. Sometimes I find that I have folded my hands. Just one more quote.

      "Would I were in an alehouse in London."

      Ella Loves William

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  16. What a great post! It's wonderful to hear of your love of Shakespeare, that I definitely understand, the love of beer however for me is another story. Never quite acquired that taste. I too have enjoyed the Stratford festival on many occasions but not the Globe...yet!

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    1. The Globe is an amazing place. They built it to the old specifications except for adding a sprinkler system and a floor rather than dirt. The costumes are outstanding, too. Like all theater, what makes it wonderful is "the willing suspension of disbelief."

      Glad you liked the post, Laurel,
      Ella

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  17. I enjoyed this Ella! I can honestly say that I recognize most of the 'Shakespearean' quotes!
    I'm not big on beer, too filling for me. My Scotsman loves beer, however!

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    1. So glad you are visiting again, Minelle. There are hundreds more quotes, but there would never be enough room. Your Scotsman is a man of discriminating taste!

      Hugs From Ella

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