Will we watch 101 Dalmatians when we’re 90 or when we’re 84 ... ?

This past week a milestone or two have been reached – my mother turned 90 and Pooh Bear turned 84, my god-daughter became 18 and passed her driving test this morning .. congratulations all round!

Pooh Corner, Hartfield, East Sussex

My mother’s emanuensis daughter did her stuff and wrote her positive letters and received back.. still counting 30+ cards and letters .. we take it slowly. It’s also been an interesting time .. as we’ve been taking part in Simon Hay’s Distant Healing – every day our time at 11.00am for an hour.

My mother and I are open to try things and having Janice as our therapist for three years now has also allowed me to explore and talk through aspects that are becoming more main-stream.

Theatrical release poster: 101 Dalmatians 1996 film

On Pooh’s 84th birthday .. Thursday 14th ... Mum and I shared a happy hour talking quietly, opening cards – it seemed a good time to do this and I felt sure Simon and his guides would understand. At the end .. my mother asked if we were going to do the healing and whether Simon would be around .. amazing that she remembers – isn’t it?!

She hasn’t been as awake since .. to talk and interact and enjoy the repartee of mother-daughter, while catching up on news from family and friends. If you’re like me .. Emanuensis rang no bells? .. and in fact, three years ago, I had to get my mother to spell it for me .. and then look it up! It means ‘a scribe’ .. Mum’s description .. “Hilary is my Emanuensis .. i.e. her Secretary, her dogsbody .. = the person who will do anything necessary!”. How true ...

Original Winnie the Pooh stuffed toys. Clockwise from bottom left: Tigger, Kanga, Edward Bear ("Winnie the Pooh"), Eeyore, and Piglet. Roo was lost long ago; the other characters were made up for the stories.

On Saturday afternoon when I went up .. she was not terribly awake – but I asked if she’d like to watch the 1996 Glenn Close version of 101 Dalamatians .. “Yes” ... so we did & what a success it was.

She was laughing before the ‘disaster’ took place, we had hoots of laughter and lots of smiles, staff beaming in happily .. all the way through the very visual film. She doesn’t listen to the words – but it was an excellent film .. so full of life, vibrancy of colour and with a happy ending – the baddies got their come uppance in so many ways and the couples their respective spouses .. with puppies by the score, and a baby or two.

Dalmatian noted for its white coat with either black or liver spots

Who couldn’t laugh at the black, white and red villainously dressed Cruella de Vil, the fashion maven with a long red cigarette holder permanently ensconced in her blood-red crimson lips clothed in ‘living’ fur; who ended up in an upturned haystack with a flatulating pig on top, then fell into a vat of molasses, only to be kicked into a pig pen by a horse. While the mischievous racoons caused other chaotic mayhems .. including pinching Cruella’s red hat and smirking with it before dashing off into the nether regions of the farm yard.

It’s a magical film .. that I watched with different eyes .. does blogging cause this – the creative spirit rising up ... the pups hiding under the herded sheep, the cows mooing echoingly through the night, the crow carrying messages across the dizzying distances, the woodpecker making sure the door gets opened ... knock, knock, knock ....

The frozen fields, snow covered England, paw marks in all directions, wonderful views of London as the pups get stolen .. the cries and barks of talking animals – keeping one step ahead of the maniacal Cruella as her car careers through the countryside to trace the puppies – for her next fur cape.

In Disney's 1996 live-action remake of the animated film, 101 Dalmatians, and its 2000 sequel, 102 Dalmatians, Cruella was played by Glenn Close.

It was wonderful sharing the film with my mother .. she did love it so – and it totally engaged her .. please don’t think we have racoons and skunks in this little island of ours .. there was a scripting error! But the coup d’etat was the skunk spraying heartily into Cruella’s muck strewn face in the police van ... stinky poo.

The box office success ($320 million) was given a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 40% ... perhaps they should blog and see things in a different light?!

So as we cannot celebrate with cake and champagne, nor any form of drink or food – we need to rely on ingenuity .. and letters .. 90 is a good age .. while a few changes have occurred in the intervening years ...

In 1920 Petrol cost 4.5p per litre; (4 shillings and half an old penny for a gallon) in the UK
In 2010 Petrol (unleaded) in the States costs $0.50 per litre; or $2.50 per Gallon; Here in the UK it is 81p = $1.54 per litre; £3.66 = $6.99 per gallon (count yourselves lucky, Statesiders?!)

In 1920 Digestive Biscuits per pack = 10 p (two shillings for a pound weight = 550gm)
In 2010 Digestive Biscuits per 500gm pack = 83p (just over $1.50)

One English (£) pound in 1920 .. would, in terms of purchasing power, be approximately £30 ($48) in today’s money!

London police started replacing horses with cars, and formed their first “Flying Squad”. Prohibition was introduced in the USA, but rejected in Scotland by pro-whisky supporters!

Pollyanna, starring Mary Pickford (right) and produced by her, was a top film in 1920, while Hercule Poirot made his debut in Agatha Christie’s “The Mysterious Affair at Styles”. Regular public radio broadcasts began in the UK and in the USA.

So all in all a busy time .. scented cyclamen purchased .. sitting in a galvanised rose ‘papered’ container, and an orange solanum full of tiny autumn coloured golden orbs .. lots more letter reading to do .. and to be re-read – providing many talking points in the future weeks.

Dear Mr Postman – another year .. a pretty good life .. still wishing to explore and see the world . which we do in the mind ... and have happy talks about .. (so she can still hear – thank goodness)

Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories