I come from the water...

This is my favorite Muppet skit... memories. This makes me happy and warm. I love Muppets. Know this about me.

Harry Belafonte - Turn the World Around (ep314)



Enjoy!

And the following is just great too:



Another:

D.C. History vs. Jim Henson Muppets... which one would you prefer?

So, I suppose while visiting D.C., our nation's capitol, full of history, political agendas, bill passing and vetoing, look-which-republican-is-gay scandals, 27-year nuclear war protests, and high-tech espionage (I'm sure someone in the White House heard when I pointed to Hoover's picture on the wall and said: "Isn't this the one who wore dresses?" I think it was Hoover... I'm fuzzy now.), one should probably gaze up into Abe's stone eyes and think of little else than how much they might owe the man for freeing slaves (well, not all of us--but those with a drop of African blood, yes) or solemnly pass stone statues erected in tribute to those who fought in Korea in the 50s with gratitude. Any patriotic American would do such things and should walk away from the district feeling like a proud American, and I did. I'm proud to be an American (please sing the rest of the song here). I am also a proud American who walked around the sweltering D.C. heat humming: Manamana do do dododo. Confused (all ye non-Muppet followers), click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC9FtLQJoGM. [Picture: The Rose Garden (named not for the roses, but for a first lady) the windows you see look into the Oval Office.)]

Yes... I went to D.C. with two goals: 1) see my sisterand 2) see the Smithsonian Institute exhibit honoring Jim Henson's Muppets. (I'll let you decide which order those goals should actually be in.) We tackled one goal right away and went to see the Muppet exhibit and it was truly remarkable. I've been to plenty of museums before and not once have I ever stopped at each little display and read every single word like I did here. There's something about the creativity behind the Muppets, about seeing Jim Henson's scratch paper, handwriting, and sketches, that was truly awe inspiring. I left that place wanting to go back through again and again and again. I left that place wanting to create magic. I can't gush enough about it. Everything else (well, with the exception of seeing the "real" West Wing and the closed, locked door of the Situation Room, and the Press Corps room) pales in comparison. I couldn't take pictures of the Muppets. I know, sadness. I did try to be a rebel and snapped one picture (see right). My sister said the security guard followed us all around the exhibit after that--I was too engrossed in everything Henson so I didn't notice. Oh well.

The rest of D.C. was great. We saw the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Washington Monument, the White House, the West Wing, Chinatown, and lots of other little things around town. We rode the Metro everywhere, which was a lot of fun. And then I picked up some disease (cold, I hope) and was out of commission all of Monday, which we had planned to visit the University of Maryland to get a picture of a statue of Jim Henson and Kermit--alas. Oh well, there's always November.

I will leave you with this quote:

"As children, we all live in a world of imagination, of fantasy, and for some of us that world of make-believe continues into adulthood." ~Jim Henson (1936-1990)

I really want this print--so if you can find it let me know.