It's spring and my mind is going to thoughts of traveling, taking classes and workshops. Life is calling me to expand and move forward. I feel the need to replenish, to divorce myself from he long hours I spend sitting in front of the computer. I notice my neck and shoulders beginning to hunch forward from the act of always leaning into the screen.I want to be outside in the open air without an agenda, to dawdle in the freshness of life and fill my own cup.
The quote of Joseph Campbell's: "When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be," resonates with me. We are born anew each morning, always changing and evolving. I am in the mood to release myself from self appointed obligations -- from Face Book and this blog, (even as dear as it it to me), and numerous other tasks and pursuits which I have already been detaching from. In my eyes, this life only rolls around once. And here it is before me, sparkling, inviting and begging me for quality time.
The only way I see to find this quality time, is to prioritize. Given that so many of my tasks are tasks I love, this decision is especially daunting. Nevertheless, I must let go of some of them -- at least for a period of time.
My plan is to take a year off from this blog. If I find myself bursting to make a post, I shall. And those of you who are followers of this blog, will receive an automatic notification when I do. What I will be doing is akin to going back to school, enrolling myself in the college of life, improvising, exploring and appreciating.
I adore you all in so many ways, and am regularly astonished and enlightened by your brilliance. I am and have been honored by your presence and attention; and for this, I am infinitely grateful. I hope and trust we will connect again.
Until then, blessings to each and every one of you. Arvoir, arrivederci, wishing you sparkling and richly rewarding hours and days.
Heart, heart, heart
~ Anitra
Heart
** All photographs and text in this blog are copyrighted by Anitra Ford
Hello Aneet!
ReplyDeleteToo often in this hectic day and age, we lose sight of the little things in life that are happening around us that could often bring us far more joy than what we realize.
In these past five years that I have followed this blog, I have come to appreciate how you are a person that refuses to be content with the status quo, and that there is so much more to life beyond the confines of our everyday routines. You have enriched us with your informative, lyrical posts occasionally sprinkled with bits of humor and nostalgia.
Indeed, time is flying by at an extremely fast pace for me too, and there just doesn't seem to be enough hours of the day to do all that I want to do. Yet, so far, this has been an exciting and dynamic year for me, and I trust it will continue that way through its end.
It has been a genuine pleasure getting a chance to interact with you via this forum and your Facebook pages over the past five years. You have given me an opportunity to appreciate all the many aspects of your work, not just TPIR, but before and after as well. I thank you for also encouraging me about my writing, which admittedly I have neglected lately due to my busy schedule, but I hope to resume again in the near future.
I wish you happiness and success in your endeavors, and look forward to when you'll be able to drop us all a line here and there to let us know what you're finding along your journey. Keep searching for that rainbow at the end of the golden road!
Best wishes and fondest regards,
Joseph
Dear Joseph,
DeleteThank you for your Elegant comment. It is a delight to receive. I'm happy to hear that this year has gone well for you. You surely deserve it and have paid your dues.
You have been and are such a great regular part of this blog. I am grateful for all you've contributed. It has been wonderful getting to know you over these years.
Your talents are many, and I'm glad that you continue to foster them.
Once again, Joseph, expressing my heartfelt good wishes,
~ Anitra
Best wishes to you, Anitra, and please do post now and then. I will always welcome the pleasure of your renewed company.
ReplyDeleteGeo,
DeleteAs always, it's a delight to hear from you. Thank you so much for your good wishes, and thank you for your welcoming words.
I so admire your ability to post on your wonderfully creative blogs. They are a great resource for your seemingly infinite talents.
Hopefully our company will be renewed.
My best to you and Norma,
~ Aneet
Best Wishes always, Anitra! Your a wonderful person and I'll look forward to your return! In the meantime, thank you for all the beautiful posts you've made. They always enrich me.
ReplyDeleteJon,
DeleteHello! I so appreciate your magnanimous comment; it's so kind of you. It's been a pleasure to interact with you here. Your presence has enhanced these pages, and you are very welcome.
Until next time,
My bountiful good wishes,
~ Aneet
Hello Aneet!
ReplyDeleteThis post makes me sad but at the same time comes with the understanding of where you need to be at this time. I've learned new things with each and every one of your posts and even with this post,Joseph Campbell's quote. Very true and profound!
It's said we all learn from one another. Many things we all saw in your posts, everything from learning about what a Claret Cup is to seeing nostalgic photos of old style cars, getting an imaginary taste of that Custard Strip from Solvang and viewing some wonderful photos of your beautiful mother Cleo Madsen. It's because of you that I wear #8 on my baseball uniform. A woman I saw on television as a 14 year old boy whom I thought was the world's most beautiful woman I had the good fortune to know in some way as an adult.
Aneet, I sincerely wish you the very best of everything in your new found endeavors and yes I will miss you but if anything comes to mind to post, please let us know. It's always been a special pleasure to have corresponded with you and looking forward to communicating again at some point in the future......
Wishing you the very very best!
Jonathan :))
Jonathan,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your lovely and poignant message. I love the capsule you created of my blog. In mentioning how we are changed by others and learn from them, and then, in your listing the memories you retained, you created a touching picture Jonathan.
You have been such a delightful addition to this blog, and to my experience here. You have brought bright humor to these pages and been and uplifting influence. It has been a treat for me too to meet -- as we do here -- someone I only pictured when I worked on Price. Sometimes, when things were chaotic onstage, and during rehearsals, and at times when I felt quite alone, I used to look into the dark eye of the camera as it zoomed in for a closeup, and I'd image people sitting in their living rooms watching me. I imagined all the delightful friends out there, and I'd beam out my appreciation.
And now, here I am again, sending out those beams of appreciation. How lucky I am (all these years later) to receive this kind of "residual."
I am so very grateful for these times.
Many blessings, Jonathan, to you and your family.
Sincerely,
~ Aneet
Hello Anitra,
ReplyDeleteI hope all is well with you!
Just thinking about you :) I was just working a modeling gig at the Chumash Casino Resort, so Mary and I took some time to 'pause' and we were reminded how beautiful the Santa Barbara area truly is. We strolled through Solvang, Los Olivos, and Santa Ynez. Such beautiful and peaceful country! Maybe someday we're have to retire there. I can certainly see why this area is now your home.
It's nice to get away from LA and see what quality life is like when you take the time to slow down and stroll through life's precious moments.
My best wishes,
Tom
Tom,
DeleteHello, hello! So nice to hear from you. I agree with you about Santa Ynez, Solvang and Los Olivos. It is such beautiful country. The terrain, of course, is different than S.B. proper, more spacious and open.
It's always a treat to hear how your life is going. Things have changed for you since we first connected online. I love it when someone is able to take a turn into a new and different field and realm, especially when it's something they've longed to do.
Retiring to SB County would surely be a lovely goal to realize. Knowing you, Tom, and Mary, I trust that you could make it happen.
Bountiful good wishes to you and Mary,
~ Aneet
Aneet,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the beautiful thoughts! You have such a gift for conversation and it always make me smile when I hear from you. Your kind words have the power to bring radiance into an otherwise normal day :)
Show business is always a challenge, so my (relatively) new life brings surprises almost every day. Btw returning to LA from the Santa Barbara area was a shock to the system...the immediate blast of cars, people, noise...it's amazing how abrasive it seems when you return to it. I found myself longing this week for a return to that magical Santa Ynez area.
Best wishes to you,
Tom
Hi Tom,
DeleteThank you for your kind words :)
And yes, Show Business is truly a challenge, but with such rewards. You are fortunate to have a partner who supports you in your dreams and pursuits.
I know too well about the assault to the system when entering "The Belly of the Beast." Though I must say, once settled in the city (when visiting), I usually have a wonderful and stimulating time!
My daughter, Erin, adores L.A. Many of us, who enjoyed living in a big city, change, and see things differently over time. So glad you finally paid a visit to Santa Barbara County.
~ Aneet
Oh, Anitra... how great the temptation to write pages and pages of thank yous for your blog, your encouraging words, and your electronic friendship. So, I will just wish you a wonderful year of higher education in the college of life.
ReplyDeleteYou're wise to step away from the electronic world for a while and re-enter it on your own terms. Computers are wonderful devices but they can't laugh very well, they don't know the taste of a fine wine, and they can't share the warmth of a summer day or the chill of a wintry night or the smell of honeysuckle on the vine.
Enjoy your travels, your hikes in the hills and strolls by the ocean, your visits with Erin, your encounters with the wonders all around us. I smile for the joy ahead for you... and for our joy when we hear from you next.
Louis,
DeleteOnce again I read your exquisite words. Your comments always create a wonderful circle, that in the end completes itself like a poem or a song. And this one addressing the drawbacks of spending your life with a computer (the Tin Man with no Heart?): can't laugh, taste wine, share seasons with the senses, or catch the scent of honeysuckle on the vine!
Heart and substance is what your writing always contains -- and joy. I will miss our interaction, but am oh so grateful for the delightful correspondence we have shared.
I'm still here -- ain't goin' nowhere. And am enriched by where we've been.
Blessings and sparkling days to you and Madame.
Sincerely,
Aneet
Hello Anitra,
ReplyDeleteI'd just like to thank you for all the beautiful posts you've shared over the years.
Best of luck in your future endeavors.
Keep smiling!
I'll miss you "terribly"!
Your friend always,
Terry
Terry!
DeleteHello, hello!
Thank you for your generous and magnanimous comment. I am delighted by your thoughtful words.
It has been a pleasure for me as well, Terry, to have gotten to know you and interacted with you here. Your presence has always been a light on this page. I trust that you will continue to express your talent, and that the light you give will return to you multiplied.
I'm grateful for this time we've shared. And util we meet again,
Joy to you,
~ Aneet
Hello Anitra. I work for a TV series and we'd like to show a clip you're in very briefly. We'd like to get your permission before we use the clip and I was wondering how best to go about that?
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Jenny Fulton
Beyond Productions
Wow, a break from the media magnetism of the internet is such a great way to escape. I have been off of facebook full-time 2 years come this December. As I do check it from time to time it is a realization of what I do not miss about it. I have spent this summer so far continuing taking care of my 80 year old father and enjoying a beautiful Oregon weather. Since I live in the "country" aka small town America, I do try to enjoy the city of Portland once a month for a few days.
ReplyDeletePeaceful & Prosperous days ahead to you Ms Ford...enjoy!!
Sincere regards
Riche
Riche,
DeleteIt's delightful to hear from you and to find out what you've been up to. A media break for over a year and a half -- bravo! Yes, I agree, there is much more to life than the Internet.
I simply have needed the time for other pursuits, and as much as I enjoy all of my interactions here, so far the break has been fruitful and rewarding.
I'm impressed with the fact that you are savoring your time with your 80 year old father, and that you are taking in the beauty of your environment.
Your words are always a welcome treat Riche. I want to wish you much continued success.
Sincerely,
~ Anitra
Best wishes to you in this and all seasons.
ReplyDeleteHello Geo,
DeleteLovely to see you here. I was going through a lot over the holidays. Needed to evacuate due to Santa Barbara's fires. Now there is the flooding. It's taken me a while to get back to you. I am safe and well -- just feeling the great shift and wounds of my community. It is a delight to receive your good wishes. Let me return a bounty of blessings to you and your beautiful wife.
Sincerely,
~ Anitra
Hello Aneet,
ReplyDeleteHappy to hear things are well for you there after hearing the awful news. I was thinking of you, hoping you weren't affected.
Keep smiling, it's the most powerful force there is and it suits you well!
Terry
Oh Terry,
DeleteIt's so good to hear from you! Thank you so much for your wise and good wishes. They are happily received. I want to also send a bounty of good wishes your way,
~ Anitra
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHi Anitra,
ReplyDeleteI think it is so amazing to read your posts and at your beautiful pictures. It is so cool to interact with you. You were so beautiful when you were on The Price is Right. Did you ever miss modelling on the show?
Hello Dan, Thank you for you delightful comment. Sorry to respond so late. But, as they say, "Better late than never." And yes, sometime I do miss modeling on "Price." It was exhilarating being on the show. I am fortunate to have had so many wonderful experiences before audiences and cameras. I am grateful.
DeleteSincerely,
~ Anitra
Hello Anitra,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all I apologize: my English is not as goos as I would like (I am French !).
I watch the old Mannix TV serie (currently Season 5) and I use to have a look at what the actors have done since the show, what has been their life, etc...
I have had a look at your Wikipedia page and find a link to this blog.
You made a short appearance in this Mannix Season5-Episode 06.
Reading your blog is a pleasure; it seems that you have "turned the page" towards a new life, a new balance between what you do and what brings serenity in you (I have recently made the same choice in France).
I have just a question: you have written in 2016 "My plan is to take a year off from this blog", and it seems that you no longer post (we are in 2020).
Will you give some news about you ? Please do !
I wish you a very pleasant life and I hope to have some news soon !
Michel
Hello Michel, thank you for your thoughtful comment. It prompted me to open my blog for the first time in several years. I would take me much to long and take too much space to begin to answer your question.
DeleteThe thing is, we grow and change. Also things come into our lives -- new responsibilities, etc., and one may simply not have the same time available to do everything you were involved in.
I loved creating this blog and posting it and interacting with all of you who have commented here. Sometimes we need to step away to see more clearly.
It's lovely to be here on these pages. I have so many wonderful memories here. I will consider your request. Thank you so much for your comment. I wish you much good fortune and illumination; it takes courage to "turn the page."
Sincerely,
Anitra
Ah, Michel, I figured it out :)
Delete"The thing is, we grow and change" : yes I know...
ReplyDeleteAnd when I write "I know", I mean that I totally feel what it means 'since I have a less stressed life', since I have plenty of time to care about the others'.
I understand what you feel (or at least I believe I understand) because I have switched from a very active life (high responsibilities, executive job, etc...) to a new life oriented towards the others.
You are borned before me (1961) so you have more experience than I do: so I suppose that you feel even more what is important and what is not.
I would like to tell you that it is important to us to pay our respect to you, to the person you were on the screens during your cinema period.
Surely it is even more important to tell you that you have proven to be a "good person", somebody that was not just a beautiful woman, but somebody that has proven to have a heart, a lot of cleaverness regarding the things of the life.
For all these reasons, it is important for you to know that some persons "feel" your sensitivity, and it is an honour for us to exchange with you.
May I suggest that you should accept to exchange some news with us ? do not let us without news...
Not because we just ask you to have news, but because the exchanges that we could have on this (not known) blog would be a proof of our respect for you.
Waiting to read more about you...
Sincerely,
Michel
Hello Michel,
DeleteThank you for your generous words. They are so kind and thoughtful, and I am honored by them. please forgive me for waiting so long to answer. It has been very hard to access this account since I've been away from it for a long while, and settings, etc. have changed. I have to log out of other accts as well. It take a great deal of time.
Anyhow, I don't know that I will be able to post here. It has been a marvelous time to communicate more of myself, and it has been personally very rewarding.
Your words too are rewarding. I hope your are finding the deeper treasures in this life. Yes, as time goes on, and there is much less of it ahead of us than behind us, I do believe that our days and hours grow more precious.
I want to say again, I am honored by your comments. Thank you so much.
~ Anitra
Hi Anitra,
ReplyDeleteJanuary is not over, so I am still in time to wish a wonferful year 2021 !
You deserve our attention and admiration for what you were and what you are!
Sincerely
Michel
Michel,
DeleteOnce again, thank you for your lovely words; they have been read and heard and humbly received. You are so kind. I hope life is returning this kindness to you.
Sending my wishes for blessing and joy,
~ Anitra
Dear Anitra, I'm writing to wish you all the best in your current pursuits and reflections. My sister, who is 78, taught elementary school and has lived in Hacienda Heights for 45 years. She called last night to discuss poetry, grocery deliveries, poetry and pandemic precautions in L.A. --and, oh yes, poetry. I thought of you and hope you are keeping safe too. As you say,"heart heart". I care. You're important to me.
ReplyDeleteHello Geo,
ReplyDeleteWhat a delight to see you here! It is complicated for me to access this page now that I've been away from it so long. Setting have changed and I need to log out of other accts, etc. Meanwhile, it sounds like your sister is also a poet. How lovely :)
Thank you so much for your good wishes; they are happily received. How are you and you wonderful wife?
I am good. I moved out to the Mojave Desert from Santa Barbara a little over a year ago. It was an experiment. I was looking forward to connecting to my new community, but, as you know, our world has been upside down, due to Covid and other developments. I enjoy solitude, so this has been fine. I am still writing poetry -- of course -- and from time to time, entertain the idea of making a new post . . . but . . . there is so much to do, isn't there. And time as it proceeds grows more and more gem-like.
Thank you so much for you words. Sending a mountain of smiles your way,
~ Anitra
Dear Anitra,
ReplyDeleteWe are close from Christmas, and I even don't imagine not to send you a few words, as I did over the past years !
I wish you the most pleasant, the nicest and the happiest Christmas of your life !
In France, we use to write tons of words to wish anything, whereas I know that it is not the usual way of doing in the U.S.... so I stop here !
But instead I would like to assure you that It is always a great pleasure to read your comments when you reply to the messages posted on this blog: your comments are too rare for us !
I also assure you that we know how a good person you are: we feel this through your words.
Contrarily to many actors/actresses in the show business, your values are so easy to see.
Please be proud of you: you deserve it !
I live in France far from you, I have seen only a few films with you, but if I was closer I would be honoured to meet you and congratulate you face to face !
Merry Christmas Anitra,
Michel
Hello Michael!!!
DeleteI have had a very hard time being recognized by my blog for comments. I hasn't been allowing me to comment. I finally worked for several hours to clear up the problem. I can't believe that it's finally recognizing me here. Yay!!!
Thank you so much for your beautiful message. It is heartwarming and happily received. You are so generous with your kind compliments. I know that you would not see these things in me without having these qualities in yourself.
I am well. It's been a long several years with a worldwide pandemic, and it has effected us all. I hope this comment finds you happy and healthy and thriving.
I want to wish you a wonderful Christmas and to send my wishes for you to be bestowed by a multitude of blessings.
Sincerely,
Anitra