National Public Television

On the creative side of morning muse, I reviewed my profile of me as "all things creative" and considered how that came about. I was quick to realize how much influence the TV has on people. Praise be to God is a literal statement, when I think of how National Public Television played a large part in the development of my skills sets. How grateful I am for the life long gifts I received from those hours spent in front of that programming.

As a child with two parents who both worked to create the comforts of life, I spent a great deal of time, particularly on Saturday, in front of NPT. The first lesson of life I may have learned is that if both parents work, Saturday is the only day of the week for taking care of the many things required to run a home. Laundry, Shopping, Lawn Care, Errands, all done on Saturday.

The "only child" soon learns that with a TV in the house, only does not equate alone.
NPT filled the time with information and influence that has lasted well beyond those formative years of viewing. So when someone asked, "how did you learn to do so many things, you are so creative?", it did not occur to me that it was NPT. But it was.

I still remember the first show/lesson on art. It was a lesson on drawing shapes; cones, balls, blocks of every kind. The values and placement of dark graduating to light. The cast shadow.
The smudging to blend. Soon followed the bigger picture of life on a canvas or a piece of paper, it was another life skill learned, colors manipulated with a brush. Each work a snap shot of experience, emotion, and nouns - people, places, things. Life long value in programming. Art.

The "guarentee" of Justin Wilson, the Cajun cook and "another glass of wine". The "bon appetite" of Julia Child with the freedom to making a mistake while making a meal. From her, I learned that as long as there are few ingredients about and a few pots and pans, food is more than food. It's an experience and an opportunity for hospitality but also sometimes an escape, a stolen moment or two for one's self. And so grew the love of all things culinary and the appreciation of all kitchen gadgets of every kind and type. Each new COOKING SHOW brought another recipe of culinary experience and expectation.


Master Piece Theater was just that.

I owe to all the "how to build it" shows, my general and literal experience in building and home repairs. This Old House continues on in it's various reinventions. I can truly say that the combination of watching my Dad and watching NPT gave real life skills that saved and save money, time and frustration. You can do any job with the right tool, the right attitude and a little knowledge, or so I took the programmed lessons of the various "HOW TO" shows. This Southern Girl even loves the Yankee Workshop.

I miss the original "VICTORY GARDEN". For those of us with less than a natural green thumb, it was our guide to all that nature gives. A feast for the eyes and soul in beautiful gardens or a simple singular flower. The sumptuous bounty of harvest from the planting to the plate. The relation of what grows for us, in lessons that would continue to spring in up in all seasons for many reasons.

SEW IT SEAMS that NPT is responsible for my craft and needlework skills. If it takes a needle and thread, I can do it. From smocking, quilting, knitting, needlepoint, children's sewing, craft sewing, adult tailoring, counted cross stitch, french sewing, to embroidery, NPT provided and provides the inspiration and guide sheet.

Still to this day, on Saturday. I turn on NPT and leave it on whether I am in the room or not.
Instruction, Inspiration, vocation, avocation all in one place for the benefit of all. NPT.



On the meditative side of muse.
Few people know that only five companies own 95% of all the entertainment, information and influence that shape our lives. Marshal McLuha, the sage and prophet of the electronic age, coined the phrase, "the medium is the message". And the rest is history. We are, as a society, controlled by what we see and hear through the media. Just as surely as a director, somewhere out there, programs the content, our actions are directly influenced and thus we are programed.

Our last election tells the story that every politician knows. The candidate that controls the media wins the election. We are programed to follow whatever is bombarded into our conscious and subconscious mind. How often we hear, "have to get the message out there".

By 2005 over 11 BILLION dollars were spent on food advertising and people wonder why we are, as a nation, obese. The subsequent crisis in health care tells the power of advertising.
We saw. We ate.

As behavior is based on emotion and emotion is greatly influenced by what we experience, see and hear, it become more and more clear that the media is the maze and we are the mice.

My suggestion.........NPT and more NPT