Favorite Things in My Easter Basket (with Pictures from Dept. 56 New England Village)

Thanks to MarthaStewat.com for
photo of the basket!

If I were to create my favorite Easter basket, what would I put in it?  For those of you who know me, you will be surprised that chocolate is not first on my list, though it is on the list. As I was thinking about it, my list got serious very quickly.  Easter is a time of endings and beginnings. While I love to laugh, this year I find the thought of endings and beginnings a cause for sadness, though also for hope and joy.











Here goes:  If I were to create my favorite Easter basket, I would put in the following:

Dept. 56, New England Village,
"Boardwalk Sunday Stroll," #56681

1.  My family.  I love my family, with all of their talents and gifts and warts and idiosyncrasies and quirks.  In fact, the warts and idiosyncrasies and quirks make me love them, at least in part.

Dept. 56, New England Village,
"Harper's Farmhouse," #56612

And I love that they acknowledge and accept mine, though my warts and idiosyncrasies and quirks are not as pronounced and annoying as theirs.  But beyond the odd, I love their talents, and graces, and loveliness, and humor.  My life would not be of so great a worth without them.

Dept. 56, New England Village,
"Let's Go One more Time," #56621

2.  My friends.  Because my family is small, the role of my friends is great.  In fact, my close friends have merged into my family, and I hold them as dear, if not dearer, than some blood relatives.  My friends, too, have warts and idiosyncrasies and quirks, along with talents and graces.  They counsel me and guide me and laugh at me, and I would not wish to lose any one of them.  You know who you are.

Dept. 56, New England Village,
"Stoney Brook Town Hall," #56448

3.  My wider circles of acquaintances.  I belong to Rotary, a lunch group, a book group, a circle around my husband's work.  I have acquaintances in these arenas that I do not know well, but I am inspired by aspects of their lives that I do know.  I am inspired by their intelligence, ideas, audacity in thought and action, their courage, and their work.  I don't have to know each of them in every phase of their life.  I can pick elements of their life that are accessible to me, and regard it with awe.  I would be less rich without my acquaintances.

Dept. 56, New England Village,
"Milking the Cow," #56683

4.  Our cat, Hemmingway.  Hemmingway had a tough start. When he came to us he was a "red tag," meaning....well, you can imagine what it means to carry a red tag.  He was so thin  we didn't like to pet him, because his spine stuck out so far.  He had a respiratory problem, his eye dripped, and he had ring worm, though we didn't recognize what it was until I got it also....on my cheek.  Hemmingway was not very civilized.  He didn't like to be held, and one friend, said, with skepticism, that he might not turn out very well.

Dept. 56, New England Village,
"Not Too Fast, Please," #57110

Hemmingway has turned out very well, indeed.  He is a large strapping fellow who prowls the perimeter of the yard several times a day, lopes across the grass with his huge feet splayed ahead of him, and has accepted as his right to sleep on every soft surface of the house, including silk pillows.

Hemmingway, sitting outside my window,
controlling me.

He still doesn't like to be held, but he sits outside my office window, on the kayak, and cries until I go out and pet him.  I am intelligent, and he has taught me well.  He joins us each night in bed, and at 3AM promptly, he wakes us with loud purring and slobbering and kneading.  He is promptly ejected from the bedroom, and still loves us in the morning.  Hemmingway brings great joy to us, but not to the rats, mice, birds, and even occasional possum in the yard.

Dept. 56, New England Village,
"Bobwhite Cottage," #56576

5. Good memories.  I would wish everyone's Easter basket to overflow with good memories.  Years ago our family was in a building at the University of Virginia.  We ran into a nice, elderly gentleman, who said to us.  "You're building memories."  We asked what he meant.  He said that he used to travel with his family when his children were young, and he still carries all of those wonderful memories with him, and that they are some of the best things he has in life.

Dept. 56., New England Village,
"Green Dragon Coffeehouse," #56678

We are so lucky to have our basket brimming with joyful memories of house exchange vacations, card games as we sipped coffee, touch football games during halftimes of the 49er games, swimming parties in our back yard, watching the July 4 children's parades...there are so many traditions and memories they burst the sides of the basket.

Dept. 56, New England Village,
"The Winner by a Nose," #57115

6.  People who make us laugh.  Sometimes our friends say funny things, sometimes innocent things, and sometimes very nasty and incorrect things.  But they are very funny, occasionally, and we laugh until our sides hurt.  I put hurt sides in my Easter basket.  You cannot make these moments happen.  They have to happen spontaneously, and in the right time and place and with the right people, and when all these things come together, there is laughter, and laughter is soaked up by every other item in the Easter basket.

Dept. 56, New England Village,
"Woodbridge Gazette & Printing Office," #56673

7.  Things that make me think:  good books, good movies, good art, good talks. All these things make me think and add texture to my life.  I realize every time that my perspective is only one of many, and sometimes my preconceptions are just wrong.  Knowing that is very liberating.  That means there is even greater hope, for I can imagine better times.

Dept. 56, New England Village,
"Benjamin Bowman Violin Maker," #56663

8.  Beautiful things.  Green fresh-cut grass, fluffy clouds, Leonardo da Vinci, Mark Rothko, sunlight glinting off water, the sound of a baby laughing, the smell of clean laundry, a beautiful piece of fabric, an Apple computer, mountain peaks, Motown music,  main streets of small towns...is there an end to beautiful things?  My Easter basket has to be very big.

Dept. 56, New England Village,
"P.L. Wheeler's Bicycle Shop," #56613

9.  Being active.  Getting to the gym is awful.  Being at the gym, less awful.  Leaving the gym after a great workout, great.  Biking 25 miles with no wind and no falling is fabulous.  Hiking up a steep hill and panting at the end, awesome.  Kayaking without tipping over, superlative.  Even just walking to the post office, invigorating.  Moving has always been a part of my life.  I may move slower, less far, and with more effort, but I hope my Easter basket can't contain me.

Dept. 56, New England Village,
"Wheaton Christmas Bakery," #57001

10.  Chocolate.  Milk or white, plain or with nuts, big or little pieces, with or without intricate shapes.  I have never had bad chocolate, even this weekend in Healdsburg at the Pigs and Pinot event, where dessert was chocolate with bacon and chocolate with prosciutto.  Chocolate should be, and is, a major food group.  Dark chocolate is a concept foisted upon the public by masochistic doctors who don't want you to enjoy the very essence of a good life.  I hope every nook and cranny of my Easter basket is rich in chocolate pieces.

Kim Krum's 2012 Animated North Pole Village: Music in the Air

Kim Krum's Christmas village delighted my blog readers last year.  And this year Kim has done it again.  She has picked and plucked penguins and bears, Barbies and soldiers, Mickey and Goofy, and fashioned them into a moving, clicking, flowing, shining North Pole Village.

And what are the people and creatures of the North Pole doing?  They are making music...

Oh how they pound,
raising the sound,
o'er hill and dale,
telling their tale.

Gaily they ring
while people sing
songs of good cheer,
Christmas is here.

From Barbie's elegant ball to a teddy bear jam, Christmas music is in the air. 

Bear jammin'.  Note the Dept. 56, North Pole Village, "Naughty or Nice Detective Agency," to the left;
"North Pole Porcelain Building Works" is back right, while the "Teddy Bear Training Center"
is back middle, and in the foreground is the "Nettie's Mistletoe Manor."

As usual, Kim audaciously pairs Department 56 scale buildings with toys twice the size, then she adds globes, and ice cubes, and tiny carousels, and a juke box.  And then she plops in the the dollop of creative magic that makes it all work!

Reigning over the Kim's North Pole Village are Barbie and Ken, who make a glamorous entrance through the snow in their oversized horse and sleigh.  They arrive in time to join in the outdoor ballroom dancing in front of her own Barbie Boutique.  It is so appropriate that the Twinkle Toes Ballet Academy is nearby, so all the little ballerinas can witness Christmas dancing magic.  Those who want a breather can take a spin on the carousel!

Nearby are the pulsating rhythms of the penguins a-playing.  Surrounded by ice cubes, these little guys are dashing in their black and white tuxedoes garnished with red hats, and red and green scarves.  Bet the music of these little hipsters makes you want to shake, rattle, and roll.

Bear Boy Band, with Dept. 56, North Pole Village,
"The Christmas Candy Mill," "LEGO Building
Creation Station" behind the band, and
"Countdown to Christmas," at front and left. 

The little Bear Boy Band at the xylaphone conjures up some Christmas Souza.  Dressed in marching band attire, these bears tower over the "Christmas Candy Mill" and the "Acme Creation Station," and it looks perfectly normal.  Creating candy and cubes is so much easier with the steady beat of bear music.

Dept 56, North Pole Village, with
"Acme Toy Factory," "Poinsettia Palace," "Cocoa Chocolate
Works," and "Santa's Tailor Shop."

Mickey on the tuba and Donald on the sax join Goofy on the horn, and we've got jazz with the Christmas pudding.  They jam in a forest of Christmas trees, all different.  One tall tree has a snowman head base and polka dot Christmas balls. Other trees are short and dappled with frost, some have layers of snow pasted on, and one evergreen in the background has tiny village pieces nestled in its branches.

Toy Soldier Band

No Christmas is complete without toy soldiers, but in Kim's village, their occupation has been mellowed by their music.  The five wooden soldiers are tight in their rhythm, following the lead of the lead xylophonist, standing out in the center with his feathered red hat.  I hear the "Little Drummer Boy," as clearly as the Christmas Even night.  Behind the tin soldiers are "The Peanut Brittle Factory and "North Pole Express Depot," while the "Rubbery Duck Factory" is front right.

No town, North Pole or West Village, would be complete without a jukebox jivin' club, and Kim has included this as well.  On the play list I see Louis Armstrong's "Winter Wonderland," Brenda Lee's "This Time of the Year," and the Andrews Sisters' "Jingle Bells."  But to me, it plays, "Jingle Bell Rock."

Thanks, Kim Krum, for another note of holiday cheer!

Movie Trivia, from Thomas Edison on--with Images from Department 56

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Cinema 56," # 54978

On Feb.1, 1893 construction was completed on the first motion picture studio in the world.  We've come a long way, baby....  If I wanted, I could write a 13 volume treatise on the history of the film industry, and license it to Johnson and Johnson for a sedative.  Instead, I have prepared a list of 10 trivia questions to twittle your imagination.  Here goes!  Of course, I will illustrate all of my points using Department 56 Village buildings and accessories!  For example, the Snow Village Cinema 56 to the right was probably the locale of multiple premiere performances in your local village.

Dept. 56, North Pole Village,
"Polar Palace Theater," #56741

QUESTION #1:  Who built the first motion picture studio, and where was it located?
(Note, the answer is not the Polar Palace Theater, which is delightful, and probably ran the premiere in the North Pole.)



Answer:  Thomas Edison completed construction of the first motion picture studio, on the grounds of his laboratories at West Orange, New Jersey in 1893.  The studio was called the Black Maria, and it's main purpose was to make film for the Kinetoscope, a device which could be used by one person to view a film strip.  The new film production studio's roof could be opened, and the building was mounted on a revolving pivot so it could be constantly repositioned to receive light based on the sun's alignment!



The cost for the Black Maria?  $637.67

"Black Maria" Studio,
West Orange, New Jersey
Thanks to Wikipedia for image.

By the way, the studio was called the Black Maria because employees said the dark, stuffy studio reminded them of "paddywagons," or police vans, which were called Black Marias.

Kinetoscope, original design by Edison Studios.
Thanks to Wikipedia for image.

QUESTION #2:  What was the first movie made?

Answer:  The first film ever made showed three people pretending to be blacksmiths. (If you think this blog is a yawn, imagine watching a movie of 3 men pretending to be blacksmiths.)  This first movie was created for an exhibit of the Kinetoscope, an audio/visual device patented by Edison's studio to do "for the Eye what the phonograph does for the Ear."  In deference to your patience, I shall not provide a YouTube link for this movie.

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"Brooklyn Bridge," #59247.

This first movie exhibit was held in May, 1893 at the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, which may or may not have been near the Brooklyn Bridge, pictured to the right.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"2001 Space Oddity," #55118

In Jan., 1894, a follow-up blockbuster was released,  "The Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze," also called "Fred Ott's Sneeze," a gripping account of Edison's assistant, Fred Ott, "sneezing comically." This was first of a series of short films made to publicize the Kinetoscope and the studio, and was the earliest motion picture to be copyrighted.  It is reputed to have heavily influenced the movie "2001 Space Odyssey," which heavily influenced the Dept. 56 accessory at left.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison's_Black_Maria)

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Stardust Drive-In,"  #55064

QUESTION #3:  When, where and by whom was the first public cinema presentation?  In other words, when was the first movie shown in a theater to the public?

Answer:  On Dec. 28, 1895 the brothers  Auguste and Louis Lumiere had a showing of a series of short films, including the Arrival of a Train (L'Arrivee d'un Train,) at the Salon Indien du Grand Cafe in Paris.  The 10 short films were hand cracked through a projector and each ran approximately 50 seconds.  (Source:  http://mubi.com/films/arrival-of-a-train)

The two brothers had invented the Cinematograph, a machine which made and projected moving images. Within a few years, they had catalogued over a thousand films, all under a minute in length, frequently filmed in exotic locations.  Most were documentaries, though there were a few fictional scenes.

Auguste and Louis Lumiere,
making the decisions that
there was no money in movies.

Possessing no Steve Jobs-like vision, the Lumiere brothers decided there was little future in Cinematography and left the business in 1901.  (Source:  http://mubi.com/films/arrival-of-a-train)

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Rockability Records," #54880.
Carried the first film soundtrack.

QUESTION #4:  For what movie was the first soundtrack album released?

Answer:  The first commercially issued film soundtrack was for the 1937 Disney film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."  Issued in Jan., 1937, the album was given the memorable label, "Songs from Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (with the Same Characters and Sound Effects in the Film of That Title.)"

What I think is the original poster for
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

If you are still reading this, you must, must, MUST, click on the following link to YouTube for a 1937 newsreel report on the premiere of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in 1937.  You'll see Marlena Dietrich, "Doug" Fairbanks, Shirley Temple with the Seven Dwarfs, and a very young Walt Disney.  Moreover, you will see how different Minnie and Mickey Mouse looked in 1937!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILBw0sz0Ahc

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Looney Toons Film Festival," #54983

QUESTION #5: What were some of the first types of movie memorabilia collected?

Answer:  The public started collecting movie memorabilia almost as soon as movies started: scrap-books, autographs, photographs, and industry magazines.  Nowadays there are complex licensing agreements to make and sell movie paraphenalia like stuffed animals, action toys, watches, key chains, and much more.

"The Wizard of Oz," poster, 1939.

Maybe the one item that most captures collectors'  imaginations, though, is the movie poster.  Originally, movie posters were distributed and delivered for the exclusive use of the theaters showing a film.  The posters were to be returned to the distributor after the film stopped playing.  The National Screen Service was the business which printed and distributed these posters between 1940 and 1984.  Posters were frequently in circulation for years, and were supposed to be returned for storage.  Of course, many ended up in collections.  The first film poster may have been 1895's "L'Arroseur Arrose," which you can see under Question #3 above.  (Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_and_Louis_Lumière)

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"A Night on the Town," #59452

QUESTONS #6:   When and where was the first Hollywood premiere, as we know it.

Answer:  Presented by master showman Sid Grauman, the first gala premiere took place in 1922 at Grauman's Egyptian Theater in Hollywood.  The premiere was to celebrate the opening of "Robin Hood," the silent screen version with Douglas Fairbanks.  This very first premiere featured the bright lights and hoppla which have characterized the events ever since. (http://www.seeing-stars.com/meet/moviepremieres.shtml)

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"The Grand Movie Theater," #58870

QUESTION #7:  Which was the most glamorous of movie premiers?

Well, it's in the eyes of the eyes of the beholder, but the most glamorous movie premiere may have been for "The Wizard of Oz" at Grauman's Chinese Theater in 1939.  Reputedly 10,000 people showed up for the event. The movie was MGM's most expensive production to date, and received two Academy Awards and a nomination for Best Picture of the Year.   The publicity splash did not help the show become a financial success, however.  It's initial release did not recoup the studios's investment, though subsequent releases did cover the costs.  By the way, the movie did receive the Academy Award for Best Original Song, "Over the Rainbow."  If you would like to see a YouTube clip of the film, with Judy Garland singing "Over the Rainbow," click here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es3vpC8gXKI  (Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wizard_of_Oz_%281939_film%29)

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"It's a Wrap," #807256

QUESTION #8:  What is the top-grossing film of all time?

Answer:  Calculating the measuring system for "top grossing' would require a Nobel Prize in Mathematics.  Suffice it to say that Wikipedia lists the following 5 top-grossing movies of all time:  1.  Avatar; 2.  Titanic; 3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 2; 4.  Transformers:  Dark of the Moon; 5. The Lord of the Rings:  The Return of the King.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,

"Paramount Theater," #51420

QUESTION #9:  Who are the top-grossing movie actor and actress?

Answer:  For actor, did you guess Tom Cruise?  Tom Hanks?  Paul Newman?  WRONG!  Entertainment Weekly, the 300 pound gorilla in Entertainment News, just behind the National Enquirer, claims it is Samuel L. Jackson...? Not always top bill, Jackson has nonetheless been around in blockbuster films and just bust films for 2 decades, and it has all added up.  http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/10/27/samuel-l-jackson-highest-grossing-actor/  As a note to  stir the muddy waters, Comcast lists Tom Hanks as the top grossing actor....

Dept. 56, North Pole Village,
"Two for the Show," #56814

Now, for top actress: Not Julia Roberts, or Sandra Bullock or Jennifer Aniston.....the top grossing actress, according to Comcast, is Cameron Diaz!

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Dr. Seuss' how the Grinch Stole Christmas!", #55103
Maybe not the highest grossing animated film, but
a Christmas favorite, nonetheless!

QUESTION #10:  What is the top-grossing animated film of all time?

Answer: Drumroll, please.  With a worldwide gross of $1,063,171,911, Toy Story 3 is the highest-grossing animated film.  Auguste and Louis Lumiere, eat your heart out!

Elvis Presley Trivia: With Buildings from Department 56 Original Snow Village and Christmas in the City

Elvis Presley, "Jailhouse Rock"
Album Cover, thanks to
Wikipedia for image.

The King of Rock.  "The King" is enough. Everyone knows it's Elvis.  And don't bother with the last name.  The list of his hits rolls through your memory:  "Can't Help Falling in Love;" "Don't Be Cruel;" "Heartbreak Hotel;" "Hound Dog;" "Return to Sender."  The list goes on and on, nearly 700 songs recorded, nearly 1 billion, with a "b," records sold worldwide, more than any other artist.  (You can click on this link to iTunes to hear a clip of each song, to revive your memory:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/dont-be-cruel/id253614038?i=253614095&ign-mpt=uo%3D4)

Elvis Presley's debut album.
Thanks to Wikipedia for the image.

Elvis's birthday was January 8, and this blog is written to honor him. Dept. 56 also celebrates Elvis:  He was one of the most prolific, influential, successful, iconic performers in the history of music.  It wasn't just his recordings that were successful.  The King brought his music to the new world of television, made movies, and became a cultural icon. Here are 10 trivia questions that will help you revisit the world that Elvis helped create for all of us:




QUESTION #1:  This is easy!  What is the name of Elvis's estate?  What do you know about it?

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Elvis Presley's Graceland" #55041

"Graceland" was the home that Elvis bought for himself and his parents in 1957.   Fans had  started to overrun their previous home in Memphis, so Elvis gave his parent $100,000 to find a better site, and to Graceland they moved.

Jungle Room in Graceland.
Thanks to Wikipedia for image.

Elvis put his own stamp on his new home, though many called his decorative style garish and tacky.  He directed and approved all the decor, made lists of food to be stored at Graceland, and created an unusual "family" to be installed around him, and it wasn't composed of just his relatives!

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Elvis Presley's Graceland Ornament," #98790

It was in the "Meditation Garden" at Graceland that Elvis, his mother and grandmother, are all buried. A memorial to his twin brother, Jess Garon, also stands in the Garden.  It was also in Graceland that Elvis died on Aug. 16, 1977.

One of the most visited private homes in the U.S., Graceland welcomes over 600,000 visitors every year.













QUESTION #2:  What did Elvis like to drive?

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Pink Cadillac Ornament," #98791

Another easy answer: Elvis liked Cadillacs and Harleys!  His most famous Cadillac may have been the 1955 Fleetwood he bought for his mother, Gladys, who actually never drove it.  While we all remember this car as pink, it was actually blue originally!  The pink version became an icon of not only Elvis, but also the entire decade of the 1950's, and some believe it to be the most famous car in the world.  If you want to learn more about ALL of Elvis's Cadillacs, click here:  http://elviscadillacs.tripod.com/

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"Harley-Davison City Dealership," #59202

Elvis's love affair with the Harley-Davidson is equally celebrated.  One writer described it like this:  "As much as sequined jumpsuits and peanut butter and banana sandwiches, Elvis Presley loved Harley-Davidson motorcycles." Like his Cadillacs, Elvis would buy several, keep some, and give some away.

Elvis's parents, with 2 Cadillacs and his '56 KH.
http://www.scottymoore.net/elvisharley56kh.html

Elvis bought his first Harley in the early 1950's, and in 1956, just past his 21st birthday and days after he recorded "Heartbreak Hotel," he bought a KH model, the first of many.  For information on the Harley-Davidson Museum's exhibit of Elvis's Harleys, please click here:  http://onmilwaukee.com/music/articles/harleymuseumelvisexhibit.html

QUESTION #3:  How many platinum records did Elvis record?

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Elvis Presley's Autograph," #55106

In 1992, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) posthumously awarded Elvis 110 gold or platinum, and multi-platinum albums and singles, the largest presentation in the history of the organization.  If you want to hear a YouTube clip of Elvis performing "Hound Dog," along with great hound images, click here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXiulKIgGpg 

QUESTION #4:  What is the TV show that first carried a performance of Elvis?

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"The Ed Sullivan Theater," #59233

I bet many of you guessed The Ed Sullivan Show.  But you're wrong!  In 1956 Elvis' manager Colonel Tom Parker, negotiated 4 appearances on CBS's "Stage Show," which became his first television gigs.  Elvis received $1250 for each of 4 appearances, with an option for 2 more.  His first show was Jan. 28, 1956, and Elvis appeared with Sarah Vaughan and comic Gene Sheldon.  Tommy Dorsey introduced Cleveland disc jockey Bill Randle, who, in turn, introduced Elvis, who performed "Shake, Rattle, and Roll"  and "I Got a Woman."  If you would like to see both the introduction and the performance on YouTube, and you really should......click here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll8AzKY3gh4

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Now Showing-Elvis Presley Sign," # 55105

Ed Sullivan actually didn't want Elvis to appear on his show at all!  However, when the Steve Allen Show, featuring Elvis, garnered twice as many viewers as his own show, Ed relented. He ended up paying  Elvis the vast sum of $50,000 for three appearances, starting Sept. 9, 1956.  Sullivan himself was unable to introduce Elvis on the first night, since he was in the hospital recuperating from a serious automobile accident.  Instead, Charles Laughton hosted the show, and cut to a stage in Hollywood, where Elvis actually performed.  Laughton said during his introduction, "This is probably the greated honor that I've ever had in my life." 60 million viewers watched the show!  For more information, click here:  http://history1900s.about.com/od/1950s/qt/elvissullivan.htm


QUESTION #5:  What were the influences on Elvis' Music?

Postcard of Beale St., Memphis, TN, in the 1950's/60's.
Caption reads:  "World renowned as the home of W.C. Handy,
Father of American Blues Music."
http://www.memphismemories.org/Topics/Nightlife/Downtown_Nightlife/Beale_Street/Beale_Street.php 

You could write a book about the influences on Elvis's music, and just as many about his influence on subsequent generations of music stars.  Suffice it to say here, Elvis was influenced by contemporary pop and country, gospel, and the black rhythm and blues music of the Memphis's Beale Street.  One writer described it like this: "During the jazz age of the 1920's-1940's, musicians flocked to Memphis, and to Beale.  B.B. King, Louis Armstrong, Memphis Minnie and Muddy Waters were just a few of the jazz and blues legends who helped create the style known as 'Memphis Blues"--a style that was born on Beale Street.  In fact, a young white boy from Mississippi named Elvis ended up making a name for himself in the music world, thanks to the influence of the soulful, sensual music he soaked in while hanging around the jazz clubs, smoking parlors and brothels on Beale in the 1950's."  (Source:  Alyson McNutt English:  http://www.frontdoor.com/city-guide/memphis-tn-usa/beale-street-the-history-behind-the-memphis-party-scene)   

QUESTION #6:  How Many Movies did Elvis Make?

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Stardust Drive-In Theater," #55064

I bet you didn't get this!  Elvis made 31 movies!!  31! And that doesn't count two documentary films.  The first film was in 1956, "Love Me Tender," by Twentieth Century Fox.  That was soon followed in 1957 by "Jailhouse Rock," which featured co-star Jennifer Holden, and was put out by MGM.  For a list of all of Elvis's movies, click on this site:  http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/biography/elvis_presley_movies.shtml  In "King Creole' in 1958, Elvis starred opposite Walter Matthau, in a movie I am now going to rent!

We stayed at the Coco Palms on Kauai once, which is where "Blue Hawaii" was filmed.  Dilapidated now, the entire resort is boarded over and it is surrounded by a chain link fence.  It's just not right!

QUESTION #7:   When did Elvis serve in the U. S. military?

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Brand New Recruit," #55152

Elvis served in the U.S. Army between March, 1958, and March, 1960.  He refused an offer to enlist in the Special Services to entertain troops and live in priority housing, and decided instead to serve as a regular G.I.  (Though, to be honest, his service was anything but ordinary.)  According to Wikipedia, during his military duty, he was stationed in Germany, where a number of things happened that had a profound effect on Elvis's life:  First, his mother, Gladys, died, leaving him bereft.  Second, he met, in Germany, his future wife, Priscilla Beaulieu; and, Third, he began his drug use, that would ultimately be his downfall.

QUESTION #8:  Where were Elvis and Priscilla married?

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Wedding Chapel," #54640

It most assuredly was not a chapel like this.  In fact, Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu were married May 1, 1967 in the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas.  The hotel no longer exists, but the site is now occupied by the Wedding Chapel at Planet Hollywood.

Priscilla Beaulieu and Elvis Presley Wedding,
Alladin Hotel, Las Vegas
Image from http://www.elvispresleynews.com/ElvisWeddingPhotos.html 

QUESTION #9:  When did Elvis die?
Elvis Aaron Presley died Aug. 16,1977. Jimmy Carter credited Presley with having "permanently changed the fact of American popular culture." The funeral was at Graceland on Aug. 18, and approximately 80,000 peopled lined the processional route to Forest Hill Cemetery, where Presley was laid next to his mother.  Both bodies were later reburied in Graceland's Meditation Garden.