STRETCHING OURSELVES
OLIVE’S TWENTY-EIGHTH POST
Olive
Did you manage to do it?
Mike
Indeed, I did. I’ve mastered Youtube…. I think! I can put movies up and it’s a great feeling.
For weeks I’ve wanted to do it, Ollie, and been, by turns, daunted and thwarted.
But now, my smart young nephew from Melbourne, Joe, has unexpectedly loomed onto the scene, and having no inhibitions like us older folks, just launched into the task.
So, this is just a very short post to see if indeed my opera offering to you is viewable.
(Note to the viewer, this was shot just after Ollie was quite sick and she’s clearly drained of energy in the clip. But the soaring music does seem to pick her up.
I forgot to mention the Opera is by Verdi as I tell her what’s coming.)
Tuesday, July 10th, 2007 at 12:25 am
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13 Responses to “STRETCHING OURSELVES”
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July 10th, 2007 at 1:36 am
Ollie, it is wonderful to see you enjoying the music and conducting the singers! I dohope you are feeling much better now.
Mike, thanks for the video!
It’s quite empowering to be able to put up videos, Kenju. I think there will be a lot to come. Mike into Youtube
July 10th, 2007 at 3:59 am
Mike and Ollie, I loved the video. It appears to have messed up the formating of the rest of the page, as I am viewing the new blog and the previous posting overlapped on top of each other. But it’s worth it - great to see you enjoying the music, Ollie!
Doug, I think I fixed the probelm. I took away the embedded image and just put a link to YouTube. Tell me if it’s better. Mike the helper
July 10th, 2007 at 5:55 am
Great clip, I particularly enjoyed Olive “directing” the scene! Please do keep them coming.
Lyn F., Durham, NC, US
Lyn, My friend, Henion Han, did a great job of editing that clip, keeping Ollie’s conducting in time with the music.
For a moment, I thought she was going to fall completely asleep, that the song, which I found uplifting, was somehow soporific for her. But no, she came good. Mike the helper
July 10th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
I’m so happy that Olive is feeling a little better…albeit tired.
She really enjoyed the opera…it showed. Well done, Mike, with Youtube.
Robyn, Small things can produce great satisfaction. Mike, the tuber.
July 11th, 2007 at 3:45 am
Beautiful. Olive, you look so happy (and young) when you are listening to music and dancing. Is it one of your secrets of youth? I’m so glad you’re feeling better!
The link worked fine, Mike, and I see that the clip has already been viewed 100 times today!! Such a popular lady!! Congrats on mastering a new technical skill. I hope we’ll get to see lots more of Olive and her inspiring adventures.
Mary in North Carolina, USA
I love that piece of music and I hope others do too, Mary. We’ll try more things like that with Olive. Mike
July 11th, 2007 at 6:10 am
Yeah, the link fixed the problem. But there should be a way to embed the video without it causing a problem. Sorry to have been the squeaky wheel.
I’ll try another embed soon ad see what happens. Mike
July 11th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
Olive, so good to see you on your blog again and enjoying the music. (Mike, when she closed her eyes, I think she was just enthralled with the music.)
I hope, Olive, you continue to feel better.
This past weekend, Olive, some “youngsters” in their eighties and nineties viewed the movie about you on their big screen TV. They really enjoyed “meeting you” and were impressed with your good looks, ability to be so active, and what you have to say. They liked seeing and hearing about Australia. They liked hearing the Aussie accent just like you probably are aware of how we U.S. people sound when we talk with different accents. *smile*
They currently live in a skilled nursing center that is part of a local Southern California retirement community that provides several levels of care. Some in the Health Center unit are able to get around better than others. A few walk, some use walkers, others use wheelchairs, another few have electric wheelchairs they drive themselves.
I sent Mike and email with some more information about plans for others to see your movie.
That’s good news. Jo Ann. if any orgainzation feels they could pay a screening fee, that would be great since all of this tends to get done for free by me. But if not, that’s OK. Alternatively, nursing centres etc could buy a copy from Ronin films. There is a link to them on the blog.
You also asked me some questions about blogging. Basically, mastering the various skills needed to blog, and now to be able to put up movie clips, is very satisfying for non techincal person like myself. One has a block about such things. But they are all learnable, and when mastered, one feels so empowered. I would highly reccomend blogging to anyone, no matter what their age.
Remember that Eric Shackle, who turned me onto this and suggested olive’s blog, is himself 88. He has his own e-book which is easy to find by googling his name. If Eric can can do it, anyone can. Mike, empowered.
Jo Ann/Joared
July 11th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Thanks for the info, Mike. What I’m really interested in are Olive’s statements about blogging, what she likes, or doesn’t about the process. This is what non-bloggers I’m trying to interest in blogging want to hear, what she has to say.
I’ve been encouraging older people to blog for about a year or more, since I first learned about blogging and before I had a blog. I embraced the Elderblogging concept (before it was called by that name,) based largely on ideas from Ronni Bennett at “Time Goes By” along with some thoughts of mine. She very generously shared her perspective with me from the beginning on what was possible with blogging for older people. Also, I have contact with quite a few Elderbloggers and 80+ year olds from her blogroll. Thanks for the reference to Eric’s blog.
When Olive’s blog recently came online, I was pleased to expand the geographics outside the U.S. and G.B. Olive’s blog uniquely provides an opportunity to demonstrate to older people the fun of sharing their story and reading another’s in a different country from their own, through blogging. Olive’s blog with you is one way in which others who don’t use a computer can “blob.” Also, I hoped some might be intrigued with the idea of reading about Olive, sending her comments and vice versa.
I’ll certainly share the info about a screening fee and the availability of the DVD for purchase. The reality is, these facilities have meager budgets and most of what they offer they’ve obtained through loan or donation. All of my time and efforts are donated, too.
Jo Ann. It sounds like you have been effectively passing on Olive’s blog which is nice to know. Had not heard about an eledgerbogger phenomenon . I must look up Ronnie Bennett. Dont worry about screenig fess unless it becomes evidently possible. We get used to doing eveything for nothing, don’t we? Mike the helper
July 14th, 2007 at 4:48 am
Hi there!
After watching Olive and the Opera, I thought she might get a kick out of my little guy singing opera. He was maybe 8 months when we took this video. Bear with me - it was my first YouTube attempt!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLx9P-Lak8w
I hope the link works! His name is Daegan, and we are from Massachusetts. We love your blob!
Cheers,
Jennifer
Jennifer, Congrats on mastering Youtube. Isn’t it a thrill? Your boy did very well operatically I am sure he’ll appear many more times as he develops his voice. Cheers, Mike the helper.
July 20th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
Hello Olive ~ I am so glad you are well again. I really enjoyed you singing “Pack up your Troubles”
Well done Olive. Take great care, Love, Merle.
Hi Mike ~~ Well done with the You tube. you have done well Isn’t it a pain when we have to ask our much younger family members how to do these things?
Keep up the good work. Cheers, Merle.
Merle, Yes I love the pack up your troubles song too, though both ollie and I mubling in the background have trouble with the second line “If you’ve a lucifer (match) then light your fag. Maybe we’ll do some more songs. Mike the helper
July 21st, 2007 at 8:24 pm
all the best to you, greeting from austria…..
Anneliese
August 3rd, 2007 at 6:25 pm
Haha, Olive, you’re voice is just a croak? No, you’re voice sounds great and very sweet. it’s great to see that you’re enjoy singing.
I’d love the video!
Greetings and a big hug from Monique, The Netherlands
August 4th, 2007 at 9:42 am
Olive you are a true inspiration. I love reading your stories and must add that you have a lovely singing voice. You must have had lessons.
I remember my mother’s stories about the great depression. She experienced many of the same situations you described.
I will be back to read more.
Thank you so much for sharing your memories.
Blessings from the Pacific Northwest, (Bellingham, Washington) USA
Hi Mountain Mama. Olive will be rassured to hear your coments on her voice. She’s not happy about it, though I said it was fine. Also, Can you take a moment and pass on some of your mother’s depression stories? Mike the helper