The True Snow White's Diary

A Light In The Night

thetruesnowwhite — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:00:25 +0000

By Rachel Lewis
New York, United States
THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY

It’s a dark and stormy evening. Lights glow through the dreary streets of New York and tears are streaming down my face. I have no coat and no umbrella, just a ten dollar bill in my pocket to somehow get me through the week.

Chilled to the bone, I pull my thin knitted wrap around me. As I stand on the corner, people fly by me. They brush and bump me, they laugh and yell. They talk on their cell phones and search their IPods. Someone yells at me to get out of the way.

Thunder sends a shiver down my spine as I seek shelter underneath the red awning of a luxury hotel. I lean against a wall and slide down to the sidewalk. New Yorkers continue to whiz by. Sopping wet and miserable, I look into the hotel window.

I see cozy couches, a fire burning, and tables topped with hot chocolate, coffee and cookies. A man sits reading, children play, and three teenagers laugh joyously by the fire. For a moment, the sight pours warmth into my heart. I would give anything to be able to jump through the window, toward the light . . . but that world seems so terribly out of reach.

With light on one side of me and dark on the other, my world becomes a blur. Is there no one who sees? Are people really so cold as to leave someone shaking with fear in the rain?

Then, for the first time ever, I realize something. I realize that somewhere out there, outside of myself and even this world, there must be something greater. As I sit there on the pavement, my heart shattered, I hear someone call out to me. Without thinking, I look up, and for the first time in a very long time, I pray.

Why is it that we love fairy tales? How have they managed to stand the test of time? As a little girl with a troubled life, I longed to jump into the pages and live the lives of the characters, to experience what Snow White or Cinderella experienced. More than anything, I wanted to be a part of their magic.

Now, years later as a young woman, my Brothers Grimm still rests on my bedside table. The stories, however, have developed an entirely new meaning. They do not promise that “happily ever after” is handed out on a silver platter. It only comes to fairy tale characters because of their endurance and their ability to see the light at the end of their own extremely dark tunnels.

In today’s world, that light has been stifled. We look around and see people who have given up, who see no point in persevering through adversity. We see people whose pain has made them scared to ever love again. Who, as The True Snow White suggests, “have long forgotten how to talk to one another, let alone to the world around them!”

That night when I was frozen on the street, I could simply have become another indifferent human being, but I chose not to. That’s right. I chose. For at that pivotal moment of wavering between light and dark, I heard a magical voice say, “have no fear, for you are loved and there is hope!”

I clung to that voice, found faith in it, and knew that it would never go away; that in fact, it had been there all along. And at that moment, I realized that the dying pains of closing up are far greater than the growing pains of allowing my true self to blossom! I decided to love and live fully, and never let the pain and fears of others dominate me again. I did not walk towards the light. Rather, I decided to become a light.

“Every time someone kindles the light of their soul, they don’t do it only for themselves, but everything grows brighter around them, too,” Harald Walter Azmann writes. Not only have I found this to be true, but I have also found a greater satisfaction in it than any amount of wealth, success or fame could provide.

Once the light of my broken soul was rekindled, a void in me was filled. The same void the vain Stepmother tries to fill with the reassuring words of her magic mirror. The same void many people try to fill with new cars, cell phones, drugs, sex, and more. We all see it. And yet, at the end of the day, they are still empty and alone.

“You see, your stepmother looks for happiness in all the wrong places,” the wise old dwarves point out to a spellbound Snow White. The Stepmother lives only for herself and no one else. There lies her entire problem.

Humans are made to coexist. Otherwise our life would be mechanical and empty. We would never feel love, anger, pain, or joy. And it’s when people like Snow White’s stepmother cut themselves off from those around them that they enter a vicious downward spiral to destruction.

If, however, they can reach outside and give of themselves to those around them, they just might experience a greater satisfaction than they could ever hope for. For it’s in giving of ourselves and helping others that we help ourselves. As Snow White’s mother, the good queen declares, “To love yourself and serve the world with pure and unconditional love, that’s whole! No sword could be mightier.”

For sure, Snow White’s stepmother is human. She was a child once, like everyone else. And like most us, her path led her through her share of pain. Perhaps she is over the edge and it’s already too late for her. But maybe there is still hope.

After all, Snow White could have chosen a much darker direction if it hadn’t been for the unshakable love of seven wonderful friends or virtues that guided her. Is it so hard, then, to believe that the love that encouraged Snow White could have the same effect on her stepmother?

As someone who has been in dark places myself, I know that change is possible. People can indeed change, and as members of the human family we must build on that. Press on despite the limitations of others which are mostly their own fears of failure. If someone ignores or tries to stop you, keep dancing and singing anyway.

As the seven dwarves do each time Snow White awakes from one of her evil stepmother’s onslaughts, singing:

So you take step by step,
And don’t forget to show your feelings!
Fight without fear!
But trust in the gift of life.
You’ve got to find a voice,
And always strive to serve your people.
And you will be a light in the night!

Read Rachel Lewis’ comments on
The Author
The Author
Young Face, Old Soul

Most of the time, while in this world, you’ll feel like an utter fool trying to do what’s right. And the only advice I have to offer is: Keep doing it. This life will pass, but the consequences of our actions will increase or take from our happiness forever.
Harald Walter Azmann

A Light In The Night by Rachel Lewis, THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY
http://thetruesnowwhitesdiary.wordpress.com/2009/12/21/a-light-in-the-night

Audiences will be mesmerised

thetruesnowwhite — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:00:02 +0000

By Sharon Robins
West Sussex, United Kingdom
THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY

Audiences of today will be mesmerised by The True Snow White. The fantasy fairytales of old clash totally with the recent genre of reality film. Yet, as much as the fairytales of yesteryear have left some of us with unrealistic expectations, neither do many of us want the harsh realities of real life reminded to us for entertainment.

The True Snow White delivers a middle path of aspiration in life conduct. From the title alone, those who are not of a romantic nature are unlikely to look at it unless forced, so this suggests the audience will be Romantics or children.

To deliver The True Snow White to a child is to give them a balanced version of an ancient story. Such a version is a gift in moulding their development to look within and share without.

A Romantic will still be captivated but will find wise words that they can take away to enable them to merge reality with their dreams, “Above all and in the end, he will be human. That, in spite of all your dreams, you should never forget.”

He can also be substituted for She will be human. In our dreams everything is perfect but life isn’t like that. None of us is perfect and so we expect too much of each other. Or do we? Is it wrong to expect the best, to demand the best of ourselves and each other?

“He will be human” conjures up a warts and all vision with a sharp dose of reality. Set into the context of an ancient fairytale it is easy to push this aspect away, because to remember we and others are human implies a frailty. Yet remembering this frailty could bring compassion and forgiveness that would pay dividends in the quest for ‘happily ever after.’ “He will be human” is no small point to gloss over.

Likewise, She will be human is explored within The True Snow White. Snow White is a real child, a real young woman and as such is not perfect. We watch as Snow White learns to comprehend her inner strength, “And no self pity either, only choices to make. Just do it or leave it.”

Wise words from wise men. We are enthralled. The trick for Snow White is to know which words to listen to, for “A good word of advice can also be dangerous and turn you from your path forever. Much better you listen to the voice of your own heart.” But Snow White is human. Does she know how to listen to the voice of her heart?

Get your own copy and find out!

I have recently ordered and received my personal copy of The True Snow White Limited Premiere Edition, and I must say its quality well exceeded my expectations. It is often difficult to get a sense of what one is buying from an online description. But when it arrived, I was more than satisfied.

Those like myself who have already purchased their very own keepsake will have recognised the potential value this book can return in years to come.

Not only is it excellent value for money, but it also looks good, has been handcrafted very carefully, is individually numbered, and includes a personal handwritten message and signature by the author. And I am confident that whoever is lucky enough to buy one of the remaining copies will be just as happy about it as I am.

Andrew Evason

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Audiences will be mesmerized by Sharon Robins, THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY
http://thetruesnowwhitesdiary.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/audiences-will-be-mesmerised

Some Day Your Prince Will Come

thetruesnowwhite — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:56 +0000

By Denise Ryles
California, United States
THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY

. . . or your princess. But you have to be ready. And I ask myself, “How does it start? How does it happen?”

One morning, I am cuddling, cooing and babbling with my infant nephews and nieces. And, merely closing my eyes for a brief moment, I find myself looking directly into the faces of bright young men and women, ready to take on the world, and turning to me to help answer all of life’s questions and guide them into adulthood.

As Master Elvwyn would say about young Snow White, “She’s got so much ahead of her and not much time for us.”

One question in particular is on the top of my oldest niece’s mind: how does one find a good relationship? Is there a prince for her in this life? Oh boy, how does an old aunt answer such honest queries in a world where the old ways of “courting” and the young man meeting his girlfriend’s father at the door, hoping to meet his approval, are hopelessly out of style, and many young adults are now introduced as “my baby’s daddy or momma?”

Are we, as a whole, okay with this? Has this become so commonplace that we just shrug and say, “Oh, well?” Have we gone so far with the Equal Rights Movement that we, both men and women, have lost many of the irreplaceable values that would enable us to find our true love – a partnership worthy of genuine commitment – instead of merely living together and hoping for a ring?

In Harald Walter Azmann’s The True Snow White, the ancient seven dwarves, once again, have a lesson for us, one I believe applies to everyone yearning for their prince or princess. In short, they assure Snow White that love will come once she is ready for it.

Snow White is an inexperienced preteen who is about to fall into the same chasms of victimization and sadness as her wicked Stepmother when the wise old dwarves welcome her into their dark forest home. And as Master Aenwyn says, “First of all, you’ve got to learn to stand on your own feet. Every day is a new day. You can always start over.”

He encourages Snow White in that her life was good, in spite of everything that happened, that the greatest things we sometimes dream of are reached with a lot of little steps, and to embrace and hold on to the positive aspects of her brief existence.

I feel that if many, both young and old, just learned this one lesson, they would be less inclined to look for physically unwholesome alternatives to keep them busy and numb the pain they feel.

Snow White’s deceased mother, the good Queen, validates this in a dream by asking, “How can your life be changed if you hold on to things that must be rearranged? Trust me, and get ready now!” And Aenwyn teaches Snow White to say yes to life, yes to love, yes to herself.

Following this step, the young princess is challenged by Master Tverwyn briefly turning himself into an image of her future husband. All of her pert self-confidence quickly fades in the presence of the sparkling illusion he creates while taking a bath with her at the forest waterfall, and Snow White, full of insecurities, hides and covers herself in the water.

“So you are dreaming about a very special someone,” the old dwarf grumbles. “But before he can find you, you first have to be a special woman, too. Or how else is he supposed to find you in this big, wide world, huh? And besides, I’m afraid whatever prince one day will love and take you to his kingdom, above all, and in the end, he will be human. That, in spite of all your dreams, you should never forget.”

With that said, Tverwyn hands Snow White an exquisite little mirror for her very own. And I just had what Oprah calls an “Ah ha moment!”

What I believe the mirror helps Snow White understand is that she must always look to her true self – and honest sense of completion, fulfillment and happiness – instead of relying on someone else. A grave mistake made by many in a doomed relationship, including Snow White’s evil Stepmother.

The True Snow White clearly suggests that it is because the Prince and Snow White approach each other as equals that their relationship will last: two fully developed halves forming the whole. Wherever there are cracks or imperfections, under intense and prolonged pressure it may break.

So, my dear nieces and nephews . . . your prince or princess will come once you are able to feel and think and communicate in an intelligent, mindful way, having freed yourself and let go of those painful aspects of the past that may tie you down, wholly saying “yes to life” at last, feeling secure and confident in all your gifts and talents and who you truly are, and always remembering that true fulfillment only comes from within.

Then YOU will be the special someone you have always been looking for, prepared to meet those special someones who complete you, and capable of living your very own “happily ever after.”

Read Denise Ryles’ comments on
The perfect Stepmother?
The Author
Tell Me Mirror
Christmas In New York
Life Is A Dance
Long Live The Queen!

I know I am not going to change the world, just myself. Harald Walter Azmann

Note: Comments appear in the order of most recent last and may be edited for suitability and clarity. You are expressly welcome to link to and quote from this article as long as you acknowledge both authorship and source. To link here, simply copy and paste:

Some Day Your Prince Will Come by Denise Ryles, THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY
http://thetruesnowwhitesdiary.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/some-day-your-prince-will-come

Once Upon A Time

thetruesnowwhite — Fri, 01 May 2009 12:00:32 +0000

By Katie Comstock
Idaho, United States
THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY

Just as I thought it would, The True Snow White begins with the age old “Once upon a time . . .”

Most readers could probably not imagine another way to properly begin a fairytale, but Austrian author Harald Walter Azmann’s rendition that follows is anything but ordinary. His retelling of the classic Grimm Brothers’ Snow White delves deeply into the well-known character’s heart and soul, presenting a tale of vivid imagery and wisdom for young and old alike.

I always thought I knew the story before I read The True Snow White. From what I learned as a youngster and Disney’s cartoon version, I had her pegged as a sweet, innocent little girl: her father dotes on her, the dwarves love her, she cleans and bakes and sings with the animals, her prince finds her at last, and life just couldn’t be more perfect.

However, in this latest version of the ancient tale, I loved witnessing how even a fairytale princess is human, as The True Snow White goes into so much more detail about her character, weaving the truths of life into its seemingly simple storyline, and allowing the young princess to experience life’s moments of joy as well as unexpected stumbles.

In this beautifully crafted story, we watch a powerful woman wither away while desperately trying to sustain her youthful beauty, and a young woman grow as she listens to and learns from seven ancient mountain dwarves who are genuine friends to her. They point out Snow White’s strengths but, as needed, they can be painfully truthful, too, in warning her about her weaknesses.

“The greatest gift we can give each other is the truth,” they say, because it’s only the truth and nothing but the truth that helps us grow and develop our true self. These funny and wise old dwarves encourage Snow White to follow her heart, to trust herself, to stand on her own feet, and to fight for what she believes in. For once she’ll do these things she will shine, and the light she exudes will attract others to her.

Just like in the original story, we don’t get to follow much of the Prince’s own transformation, but in his words and actions it is clear that he has also reached that point. Because he has found and embraced his inner beauty, too, he and Snow White are inevitably drawn to each other, which makes their love for one another incredibly deep and true. For once we are comfortable being totally honest and true to ourselves, there is no more need to deceive others. Lies only keep us from expressing our true nature.

I’ve read The True Snow White twice by now and could probably read it a thousand more times. There are so many lessons to be learned from watching her thrive on the dwarves’ words of wisdom. It may sound funny, but it almost seems as if this new Snow White should be found in any well-assorted bookstore’s self help section.

I don’t know how I could more emphatically express the wonders of this story, but I think I’d love to adopt Harald Walter Azmann as my grandpa if he had more pearls of wisdom to share with the world that weren’t included in this book!

I have shown the special collector’s edition I treated myself to to many, and my mom was one of the most impressed. She marvelled at the beautiful hand-bound leather cover with the author’s personal dedication, and said “It’s so nice to see that there are people who still practice craftsmanship and take the time to do things the old way.”

This little pocket book truly is a treasure and would make a timeless gift for anyone. I suggest you get your own copy of this soon to be classic and allow it to guide you through an enchanting story about life, friendship, truth, and love. And by the end, if you watched and listened carefully, you may have even found and embraced your own true self.

Read Katie Comstock’s comments on
The true Snow White?
The Prince of Hearts

If you ask a butterfly exactly how it happened that he turned from an ugly, old caterpillar into one of the most beautiful creatures we know, he wouldn’t be able to tell you either. Except he always wanted it that way!

Your true nature is perfect, Snow White. I don’t mean maybe, or almost, but absolutely perfect. But you can’t keep anything in life that doesn’t want to stay with you. So let it go. Then, whatever stays truly wants to be with you, and it belongs to you forever! Master Ferwyn

Note: Comments appear in the order of most recent last and may be edited for suitability and clarity. You are expressly welcome to link to and quote from this article as long as you acknowledge both authorship and source. To link here, simply copy and paste:

Once Upon A Time by Katie Comstock, THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY
http://thetruesnowwhitesdiary.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/once-upon-a-time

The Dark Side Of The Mirror

thetruesnowwhite — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:00:22 +0000

By Denise Ryles
California, United States
THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY

The True Snow White provides us with what any solid, timeless tale should: a story that requires your full attention, grows with you as you mature, and allows you to question yourself and look at the world with different eyes as you proceed through life’s adventures.

Thus, my current question takes me to the other side of the Stepmother’s mirror: the dark one. What is truly evil? And what does the Dark Count represent in Harald Walter Azmann’s new rendition of the classic Snow White fairytale? As one of his ingenious seven dwarves, Master Fyewyn, tells the young princess:

We’re not saying there’s no evil, and it’s extremely strong, but not eternal, for it can only cause destruction and finally destroys itself and all who are part of it! Their supposed advantage and their joy is only an illusion – for what has evil ever accomplished or created?

One day, man will arrive at his own inner conviction that preferring good over evil, indeed, has never been a question of religion or any special view of God, but personal intelligence . . . and that there simply is no sensible alternative. You see, choosing good isn’t one of many ways to follow. It’s the only way, for everything else leads to ultimate destruction.

If only the Stepmother had been patient and humble enough to seek and accept the dwarves’ help. Instead, she reveled in being a victim of tough circumstances – maybe a daughter of noble birth but poverty-stricken parents, married off way too young and inexperienced to a much older man of wealth but dissolute character, and everything that’s likely to result from such unhappy choices?

And this is where the ruthless energy of the Dark Count entered and began to take over her life. Snow White’s Stepmother simply couldn’t let go of all those injustices and hurts of the past, allowing her painful memories to take control and ultimately send her on a downward spiral towards her own destruction. Which easily could have been the fate of Snow White if she hadn’t found and lived with her magnificent seven friends.

The True Snow White leads me to think that the young princess and her evil Stepmother are nothing but mirror images of each other. But who or what is the Dark Count? The shadow of all we simply cannot get ourselves to forgive and forget? Or even the devil, evil personified?

He is there at the King’s homecoming, there at the Queen’s funeral, beckoning the soon to be Stepmother and pushing her towards the grieving widower, there as she takes over the kingdom. And finally, when all is said and done, he spirits himself away entirely at ease, vanishing right through the iron portcullis crashing down in front of him while the Stepmother faces her ultimate showdown at Snow White’s royal wedding.

Indeed, as the Stepmother so rightly points out in cursing, “What the h—. He’s never there when you really need him!”

I am confident that it is the gift of spiritual release and understanding that saves the Stepmother and Snow White at the end of their remarkable story. For no matter what the Dark Count did or does, the seven dwarves are always there. And Snow White understands and forgives her evil Stepmother in resolving, “She is my mother, too. She also made me who I am today . . .”

The image of the fair, twenty one year old new queen and the haggard Stepmother staring at each other is extremely powerful and compounds the duality of the “mirror image.” They were able to see in each other what could have been if they had made different choices. And it is at this point that the Stepmother is able to let go and accept, with courage, not only her entire life but also the consequences of her disappointing actions, and asks for no forgiveness.

For sure, it can be extremely painful to look at our personal circumstances and accept what is or was and overcome. And I am confident that we can all relate to Snow White’s Stepmother being racked with pain yet blissfully smiling, and completely losing herself while dancing to an imagined, soundless waltz, surrounded by all the beauty and splendor of this world.

The final scenes of The True Snow White are a perfect example of what many have said: forgiveness is mainly for the benefit and wellbeing of ourselves, not for the ones who hurt us.

Oh, may we always see and cherish the beauty of the world that surrounds us instead of living in the past, and bar the Dark Count and his wicked allies from the crystal palace that is our heart, where they’ll never cause anything but complete desolation.

Read Denise Ryles’ comments on
The perfect Stepmother?
The Author
Tell Me Mirror
Christmas In New York
Life Is A Dance
Long Live The Queen!

It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. JK Rowling

Note: Comments appear in the order of most recent last and may be edited for suitability and clarity. You are expressly welcome to link to and quote from this article as long as you acknowledge both authorship and source. To link here, simply copy and paste:

The Dark Side Of The Mirror by Denise Ryles, THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY
http://thetruesnowwhitesdiary.wordpress.com/2009/04/20/the-dark-side-of-the-mirror

See What You Have Done

thetruesnowwhite — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:00:39 +0000

By Betty Chinn
California, United States
THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY

Dear Mr. Harald Walter Azmann,

I write to thank you and your readers for your generous donation to Betty’s Blue Angel, and specifically to the shower project that I have been embarking on at St. Vincent de Paul in Eureka. We recently received your donation of $3,000 supporting our shower fund, which currently has a balance of about $126,000.

You will be pleased to hear that the project is steadily moving forward. An architect has drawn plans for the project, we have secured a location and signed a contract with a contractor. We are currently in the process of getting city permits and raising the remaining funds necessary to make our vision a reality.

It’s your donation and others like it that are making this dream a reality. I am hopeful that Eureka’s homeless will soon have a place to shower and do laundry, improving their hygiene, health and self-esteem. I hope you and your readers take pride in this project, as you helped make it possible.

Thank you again for generously helping with my mission. I will make sure that your donations, and all I receive, go directly to the people you intended to help – the homeless of Eureka.

Sincerely,
Betty Chinn

Please continue donating to Betty’s work directly through www.bettysblueangel.com.

St. Vincent de Paul, Betty Chinn move forward
with homeless shower project

By Thadeus Greenson, May 25, 2009
THE TIMES-STANDARD

Some years ago, local philanthropist Betty Chinn was serving meals to the homeless when she noticed a man in a wheelchair who refused to come close.

“He said he smelled too bad,” Chinn recalled. “He was embarrassed.”

Chinn said she gave the man clothes, but he refused to change into them, saying he would wait until he could wash himself off that night in the bay. The man drowned that night, Chinn said.

“After that, I knew a shower would be so important,” she said. “After he died, I started taking people to shower.”

Chinn started taking the homeless to shower, first at a public shower at the marina, then later to the apartments of people she’d helped off the streets who wanted to give back.

When Chinn heard of some homeless kids being sent home from school because their smell was distracting other students, she added taking dozens of them to shower into her morning routine.

But the hours of driving people to and from apartments with showers has begun to take a toll on Chinn, who suffers from a great deal of back pain.

Finally, she decided it was time to simply build the homeless a facility of their own.

St. Vincent de Paul board member Russ Shaddix had already been working toward that goal.

In 2004, Shaddix got the Humboldt County Peace Maker Award, and an accompanying $4,000 prize.

“I had this 4,000 bucks, and I didn’t feel like it was mine,” Shaddix said.

“I felt like I was representing everyone else who does something good for the community.”

So, Shaddix started looking for a cause, and soon saw the need for a shower, began fundraising, and turned the $4,000 into $17,000.

The project stalled a bit until Chinn received a California Minerva Award last year, and an accompanying $25,000 grant, which she pledged to use to build the shower facility. Chinn also received sizable donations from tennis star Billy Jean King and German author Harald Walter Azmann.

Now, Shaddix and Chinn’s vision is within reach.

David Holmes, St. Vincent de Paul’s executive director, said he is hopeful the project will break ground in the next month, as a contractor has already signed on and received the approval of Eureka’s Design Review Board. All that remains, Holmes said, is the approval of the city’s planning commission and a bit more fundraising.

Holmes said the project will feature three shower stalls, one of which will be handicapped accessible, a laundry facility and a remodel of St. Vincent de Paul dining facility’s existing bathrooms.

But, Holmes said the showers won’t simply be open all the time. Chinn and a St. Vincent de Paul social worker will oversee a sign-up sheet.

“It’s not just going to be a free-for-all,” Holmes said. “We want it to be very structured, just to maintain the integrity and control of the area down there.”

“We want to be a good neighbor,” said Shaddix. “We don’t want to create any problems for the businesses down there.”

Holmes said the total cost of the project will be about $150,000, and Shaddix said he and Chinn are looking to raise about another $25,000, mostly to lessen Chinn’s contribution to the project and free up her funds for her plethora of other outreach efforts.

Ethan Jacobs, of McKinleyville’s All Construction, has signed on to be the general contractor for the project, and said he’s volunteered a fair amount of time coming up with plans and getting things moving forward.

“If everyone else was willing to volunteer their time, I felt I should do the same,” Jacobs said. “I just think it’s great that they’re doing this. There seems to be a pretty large need.”

Jacobs said he will implement a variety of green building principles in the project, including using recycled materials, installing an on-demand water heater and radiant heating.

The contractor said he is also working closely with management at the dining facility to ensure there are no disruptions to the facility’s free lunch program.

Chinn said she thinks the new shower facility will do wonders to improve the health, hygiene and self-esteem of Eureka’s homeless, which she said will in turn improve the community.

“I just think it will be great,” Chinn said.

For more information about Chinn, visit the Web site www.bettysblueangel.com.

Thadeus Greenson can be reached at (707) 441-0509 or tgreenson@times-standard.com.

Read additional comments about Betty Chinn at
Christmas In New York
Long Live The Queen!

It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. JK Rowling

Note: Comments appear in the order of most recent last and may be edited for suitability and clarity. You are expressly welcome to link to and quote from this article as long as you acknowledge both authorship and source. To link here, simply copy and paste:

See What You Have Done by Betty Chinn, THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY
http://thetruesnowwhitesdiary.wordpress.com/2009/04/16/see-what-you-have-done

Congratulations And Godspeed!

thetruesnowwhite — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:00:46 +0000

By Ghloe Cagney
New York, United States
THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY

Congratulations and Godspeed for the new President of the United States, Barack Obama, and his family!

I have always been proud to be an American but today, more than ever, we are proving to ourselves and the world that we are not just talk but that indeed we also live by our declarations.

Since Election Day on November 4, 2008, our country is regaining the trust and respect of the world by our choice of leadership in the person of Barack Obama, the first African American to be President of the United States.

Just fifty years ago he and many like him would have had to sit in the back of the bus almost anywhere in the United States but today he is all the way in front, leading our nation!

America is finally progressing in a major way towards a land where race, creed, and religion must nevermore be barriers to achievement. We are remembering and returning to the land our forefathers lived and died for.

We are the United States of America again. Today is not only a great day for us. It is a great day for the world!

Read Ghloe Cagney’s comments on
The Author
A Dark Reflection
The Queen’s Courage
The Apple Of Knowledge
The Hunter’s Dilemma
Tough Lessons For A Tough World
Christmas In New York
A True Romance
Fairy Tales Can Come True
Happy New Year!

We’ve been warned against offering the people of this nation “false hope.” But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. For when we faced down impossible odds; when we’ve been told we’re not ready, or that we shouldn’t try, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes we can. (…) Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can heal the nation. Yes we can repair this world. Yes we can! Barack Obama

President Barack Obama’s inaugural speech
Watch the full inauguration speech
WELCOME to the new WHITEHOUSE.GOV

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Congratulations And Godspeed! by Ghloe Cagney, THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY
http://thetruesnowwhitesdiary.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/congratulations-and-godspeed

What Makes A True Princess?

thetruesnowwhite — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:00:46 +0000

By Theresa Roche
Bristol, United Kingdom
THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY

Delighted to receive my very own copy of The True Snow White Limited Premiere Edition just in time for Christmas, I chuckled when I found that this exquisitely handcrafted book with its distinctive, old-fashioned leather binding was dedicated to “Princess Theresa”!

It is an amusing and charming idea indeed that each of us can, in a sense, grow into being worthy of a grand title. So then, what really makes someone a prince or princess? Strictly speaking of course, a person is a prince or princess by royal birth, or sometimes this title is conferred upon marriage with a royal person.

However, The True Snow White suggests that being born the daughter of a king and queen is not enough to ensure that Snow White will grow into her rightful inheritance as a princess. She has to earn it. In this way everyone can through personal growth and learning become, figuratively speaking, a prince or princess in their own right.

My favourite passage in The True Snow White is the description of the dwarves’ grief when they find that Snow White is in a deathlike sleep and may never return to life again. Some may consider this an odd choice but it is beautifully written, and to anyone who ever suffered a bereavement, it may even offer comfort in its portrayal of the dignity that can surround the death of a greatly loved person. It reads:

“Thus, the Dwarves built a coffin of glass for Snow White to be seen from all sides. They wrote her name in golden letters on it, adding that she was a king’s daughter. Solvwyn placed a beautiful golden necklace with his vial around her neck, bearing the Latin inscription Amor Manet, which means “love remains”, enveloping Snow White with the faint remembrance of an unspeakable heavenly scent. And when their work was done, they placed her on a hilltop, at its highest vantage point, with a breathtaking view of the forests and valleys below . . . The animals also came to mourn . . . And finally, a white dove descended on the coffin while daylight faded.”

In author Harald Walter Azmann’s The True Snow White, being of royal birth is essentially about inner development and making oneself useful for the good of all. And of course the princess only appears to be dead. Utterly exhausted and tired of living the only life she knew up to this point, Snow White enters a netherworld where she triumphs in her battle against the evil Stepmother and eventually emerges reborn as a true princess and thus the new Queen.

Let’s continue onward towards another example of what it may also turn out to be like to be a modern-day princess. Last year I had the fun experience of dancing the Viennese waltz in a reality television series called “American Princess” shown on We TV in the United States.

The programme aimed to transform an American girl into an English style “lady” and offered the reward of a real English title, a USD 50,000 cash prize, and a dance with a genuine European prince. The judges were Princess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell, Jean Broke-Smith, one of the UK’s leading etiquette and grooming experts, former Dynasty actress Catherine Oxenberg, and European prince Michael Sapieha.

“Becoming a princess is a process,” Paul Burrell said, “one that requires hard work, the will to succeed, an ability to take direction, and often times intense criticism. This gives us the chance to bring the My Fair Lady dream to life and make an immense contribution to these young women – one that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.”

Twelve American girls had defeated thousands of applicants to participate in a ”princess boot camp”. This consisted of eight weeks of tutelage in grooming, etiquette, deportment, speech, and dancing, followed by specific tests on which the contestants were judged by experts before being whittled down to a final two: Cassie Shea Watson from Texas, and Jasmine Espinal from Florida.

Their last contest against each other was to take place at the grand masked ball where they were judged on their ability to enter a ballroom, greet their guests, make a toast, and dance a waltz.

Finally, on an idyllic summer evening, our group of dancers stepped into the ballroom at Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire. It was a fairytale scene complete with liveried footmen, candelabra festooned with roses, and even a “throne” beneath an original oil painting of Charles I of England.

As we were trained dancers, it struck me as extremely courageous of these young girls to enter the ballroom and attempt to waltz, especially in long ball gowns. Most new dancers avoid attempting a social dance until they’ve had months of lessons. They had only had one lesson the day before, yet these girls managed to keep going and look elegant even on a crowded dance floor swirling with experienced dancers.

Author Harald Walter Azmann has expressed his admiration of American President-elect Barack Obama, who will be the first black president of the United States.

Jasmine Espinal, one of the finalists in American Princess, is also black or, to be precise, a gorgeous shade of golden brown. She represents the first generation of her family from the Dominican Republic to be born in America, which she told me makes her achievement even more special for her. “I feel proud to have made it this far. We had to beat thousands of girls to get to this stage. I am pleased for my family back home.”

It wasn’t the fact that Jasmine miraculously transformed from a punk rocker into a “debutante” that I was impressed by. Indeed, she looked stunning in her evening dress. But the “princess boot camp” I suspected wasn’t anything to do with her friendly and warm nature. These girls had had great fun learning English etiquette. Yet as Princess Diana proved when she championed the cause of land mine victims, and as The True Snow White points out: it’s what’s inside a person’s heart that really matters, not whether they know how to serve afternoon tea!

Eventually, the two finalists were very different young ladies. Jasmine, to me, was naturally ladylike. But Cassie Shea Watson’s quality that I believe won the contest for her was her plucky and determined character.

It was, however, an off the camera conversation I overheard between Jasmine and Cassie just before the result was announced which confirmed my opinion that, as enjoyable as their “training” may have been, they hadn’t really needed it at all. They clasped hands in mutual support, and Cassie said with that spontaneity so typical for Americans, “Right, whatever happens, we’re going to be friends for life!” And Jasmine replied, “We’re going to eat ice cream together tonight, whatever way it goes . . .”

With an attitude like that, these girls proved to be graceful survivors who were indeed just as much royal princesses as Snow White herself.

Some people frown on such reality TV shows as shallow and even harmful, but “American Princess” was above all a great bonding experience for the young ladies involved. It was a celebration of their femininity and “woman power” as they supported each other by sharing tips on clothes and makeup, and forming friendships.

Rather like The True Snow White suggests, these girls were learning that being a true princess was not merely about looking and acting the part, but making themselves useful to others. After all, the dwarves made two outfits for the true Snow White: A sensible work dress and the new queen’s royal cape and crown.

In her private “princess boot camp”, Fyewyn urges Snow White to give her all to her own dance of life:

“Snow White. Life is a dance, a symphony, a choir . . . and what will you contribute? A timid coward’s music? Or something heartfelt, passionate, and full of energy and power?”

Having met these two young ladies I strongly suspect that both Jasmine Espinal and Cassie Shea Watson will indeed continue to contribute to the world throughout their lives with just such passion and devotion.

Read Theresa Roche’s comments on
The Author
The Apple Of Knowledge
Discovering The Seven Dwarves
Like An Old Master Painting
A True Romance
Tough Lessons For A Tough World
I Will Always Be With You
Fairy Tales Can Come True
Life Is A Dance
Step By Step
Long Live The Queen!

You’re not used to hearing the truth, Princess. And you fight everyone who might be able to tell you. Now that’s not grown up, is it? A prince or princess you become by birth. That’s your inheritance. But as king or queen, one is appointed. That you must earn. Master Truwyn

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What Makes A True Princess? by Theresa Roche, THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY
http://thetruesnowwhitesdiary.wordpress.com/2009/01/06/what-makes-a-true-princess

Happy New Year!

thetruesnowwhite — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:00:35 +0000

By Ghloe Cagney
New York, United States
THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY

Happy New Year to The True Snow White family all over the world! It has been a great pleasure and gift to me to be one of The True Snow White’s blog moderators these past three months. A gift because I am forever changed for the better and have become part of The True Snow White team delivering its wonderful message.

Author Harald Walter Azmann had announced his Christmas in New York visit several weeks before, dedicating all pre-Christmas sales of The True Snow White Limited Premiere Edition to Betty Chinn’s Bettysblueangel.com as seen on Oprah.com and Maria Shriver’s CaliforniaWomen.org.

I could not wait to meet this wonderful man who had already been so generous with me and the world, sharing his work and glimpses of his personal life, and now going beyond simply delivering his story by putting it into action to make others’ lives brighter – truly carrying not only the encouraging message of The True Snow White, but the spirit of Christmas as well.

So the day came when he was indeed coming to New York, together with his wife Margot and their son Manuel. They arrived on Christmas Eve, and very shortly thereafter I received my personal invitation to The True Snow White’s first public author’s reading ever.

I was so excited that I arrived at the New York Helmsley Hotel almost two hours early. I found my way to the Presidential Suite and rang the doorbell. I say my name, “Princess Ghloe”, and all of a sudden this lovely woman envelopes me in her arms like my long lost sister and says, “Hello, I am Margot!”

I say, “Then you really do exist!” half jokingly and half because I realize how momentous an occasion this truly is. You know the saying, “Few are called (invited) and even fewer answer.”

Then I see a smiling face that perfectly matches the voice I had heard on the phone before. “Hello Ghloe” Harald says. But oh, his eyes, how they sparkle! Now I understand the magic behind The True Snow White. And finally I meet a handsome young man, their son Manuel.

What joy! I am in the presence of love, pure love. I am, at once, part of a family that invites and includes anyone – all who wish to be included – and included I am!

We talk and visit until people start to arrive for the reading. Everyone has battled traffic as it is a holiday weekend, and has to make haste to continue on with their day. At least that’s what they think.

Initially, there are the pleasantries of meeting people for the first time, getting refreshments, and some explanations about the entire project. Then Harald points out that there is a red rose, which he had chosen as the symbol for The True Snow White, for everyone to take home.

Margot sits by me and smiles warmly, everyone is comfortable, and Harald starts to read. I am drawn in and as I briefly look about everyone is mesmerized. After the first chapter, Harald stops for a moment, and the energy changes again. People are wondering if that’s all? It is not!

Harald connects his laptop with Irish composer Anna Rice’s MySpace webpage and explains about her musical piece “Dying Wishes”, and how after hearing it for the first time he asked if he could read her something over the phone. Then he played the music and recounted Snow White’s birth and the good Queen’s death from The True Snow White to it.

This man is truly a magician! It was such an emotional scene that Margot started rubbing my arm to comfort me as I silently wept. The author himself was moved, too, but kept his composure, and everyone’s eyes had the sparkle of unshed tears. Time was standing still again.

On that memorable afternoon, everyone was given a present, and I am not referring only to a rose as red as blood with which I returned home. No, I am talking about a life altering experience. This was an opportunity to slow down, change perception, and allow The True Snow White’s energy into one’s heart and mind for evermore.

And indeed, the Christmas spirit was absolutely alive and well in New York, especially for those of us who received the special gift of meeting Harald Walter Azmann and his family, and were privileged to experience the power of The True Snow White not only in the storybook but in real life.

Read Ghloe Cagney’s comments on
The Author
A Dark Reflection
The Queen’s Courage
The Apple Of Knowledge
The Hunter’s Dilemma
Tough Lessons For A Tough World
Christmas In New York
A True Romance
Fairy Tales Can Come True
Congratulations And Godspeed!

Note: Comments appear in the order of most recent last and may be edited for suitability and clarity. You are expressly welcome to link to and quote from this article as long as you acknowledge both authorship and source. To link here, simply copy and paste:

Happy New Year! by Ghloe Cagney, THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY
http://thetruesnowwhitesdiary.wordpress.com/2008/12/31/happy-new-year

Long Live The Queen!

thetruesnowwhite — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 12:00:29 +0000

By Denise Ryles
California, United States
THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY

At the end of World War II, the British government decided to implement a socialized medicine program, even though the cost of war had wiped out nearly all financial resources, to help provide for their countrymen and women who had suffered and given their all during a tumultuous time.

This decision was based on the age-old notion that the dignity and true values of a nation are largely measured by how it treats its citizens, and I believe that it immensely boosted the morale needed for the British to recover and rebuild.

Likewise, the good Queen and King in The True Snow White also avidly believe in providing for their people – as is evident in the first chapter, A WISH, where Snow White’s mother, to the dismay of the assembled royal guests, comes to the defense of a poor, hungry child, and invites all of the commoners outside the castle’s iron gates to join her husband’s homecoming celebration.

I consider myself extremely fortunate to have such a true queen in my hometown. Her name is Betty Chinn. She is in my opinion truly worthy of Solvwyn’s, the chief of the seven dwarves, crown and cape. And in speaking with Betty, I found that her story is even more compelling than her personality and determination.

As a young girl living in China, Betty’s family was separated by the Chinese government during the Cultural Revolution. Betty and her siblings walked 1,600 miles to Hong Kong to begin a new life. They were helped by many caring individuals on their long journey, but Betty’s brother perished along the way. And eventually, as a tribute to those who cared for them, Betty Chinn started giving back.

It was more than 20 years ago that Betty began her personal outreach to the poor, visiting them in the brush along Humboldt Bay and under the Samoa Bridge. She brought food, clothing, and other essentials along with her personal way of non-judgmental caring.

Since that time, her mission has grown to serve an ever-increasing number of the poor, and Betty works closely with the St. Vincent de Paul Society that provides a parallel service, but not quite as proactively as her own personal outreach.

This petite, fearless Chinese woman was born with an infallible sense of faith, goodness, and devotion to serve others. And she does as the seven dwarves instruct both Snow White and her Prince of Hearts on a daily basis:

In the right place
At the right time is an art
You will master as you follow
The voice of your heart! (The Dwarves’ Secret)

It was this message that most touched Betty reading Harald Walter Azmann’s The True Snow White. It is a natural part of her. And like the good Queen, she speaks for those who have lost their voice, and doesn’t ask “Why?” or even ask for help. “I am not a beggar,” she says, “I am a protector. A mother.”

This is why Betty doesn’t solicit funds or supplies for her charity herself, but will gratefully and humbly accept all donations provided to her. Unafraid and driven by her faith, she goes out at all times of night and does whatever needs to be done, and whatever she herself can do alone or with the assistance of her own supportive, kingly husband.

She tells me that there is a certain freedom in that. Her cultural beliefs are based on providing support, not charity. Betty considers anyone she encounters family. “They all deserve respect and support, no matter where they come from,” she says, and vows that no one will leave her home without food.

Every morning, she wakes at 2:00 a.m. to meditate for twenty-two minutes. Then she begins to prepare meals from what provisions she can gather from her own kitchen and donations, and uses what finances she has from her part-time employment and her husband.

Thus, this royal presence and her volunteer helpers regularly find a way to provide a morning coffee with pastry and an evening meal to a total of 450 people in the parking lot of the St. Vincent de Paul Free Dining Facility. And as she serves the food, Betty will reach into her Blue Angel catering truck to hand out a promised blanket, coat or poncho, and other necessities of life.

Betty also holds two group meetings on Wednesdays to promote companionship and camaraderie. Everyone gets a chance to speak their mind. There are no arguments or interruptions.

On Saturdays, she collects two garbage bags from the campsites she frequents and pays for the dumping fees out of her own pocket. She does this to help maintain a level of pride. She tells me that just because someone lives outside they don’t have to live in garbage. And mother knows if you don’t clean up after yourself!

Her oldest “son” is an 82-year old man who lives under a bush. And what brightens Betty’s heart even more is when her family of choice will band together and pull whatever money they do have in order to provide her with a way to pay for a room for older, infirm family members on cold, stormy nights. Betty agrees because this allows them an ownership and responsibility to one another.

So for the last two decades Betty Chinn has been, as were Snow White’s parents, in the service of her people, finding ways to provide backpacks, coats, hats, toothbrushes, and whatever necessities the rest of us nobles take for granted – but most importantly, a daily shower!

And Betty’s present mission, which among many other worthy causes has been selected to be the most deserving of The True Snow White’s current Christmas in New York! charity contribution, is to be able to provide a place for everyone to clean up with dignity. “Just ten minutes under hot water and some soap can lift a person’s poor self-esteem. That can change their whole world,” she says.

A local general contractor and an architect have already volunteered their services for building three showers adjacent to the Dining Facility, where currently a hot noon meal is provided along with visits from a mobile medical facility and mental health service. Construction plans are being finalized, with an estimated groundbreaking in June and a completion date in the Fall of 2009.

Meanwhile, Betty already makes sure that about seventeen underprivileged teenagers get their showers every morning at her house so they won’t be embarrassed at school. Seeing their smiles is enough for her and fills her heart with joy. That is Betty’s only reward and all she will accept.

She does this in honor of the man who was too embarrassed to get close enough to her to receive a meal because he smelled, and who later drowned taking a bath in our cold Northern California Pacific waters . . .

Betty says she will never forget that incident and is more determined than ever. She does all her work without complaint and always with a radiant smile, even though she sometimes is in pain. And that’s why to me she is such a bright example of a true mother and true queen.

Long Live The Queen!

Bettysblueangel.org

Watch Betty’s inspiring story, courtesy of Oprah!

Betty on Maria Shriver’s CaliforniaWomen.org

Read Denise Ryles’ comments on
The perfect Stepmother?
The Author
Tell Me Mirror
Christmas In New York
Life Is A Dance
The Dark Side Of The Mirror

We can’t make the world any better and happier of a place than it is prepared to be. But we can certainly provide much consolation and encouragement. Harald Walter Azmann

Note: Comments appear in the order of most recent last and may be edited for suitability and clarity. You are expressly welcome to link to and quote from this article as long as you acknowledge both authorship and source. To link here, simply copy and paste:

Long Live The Queen! by Denise Ryles, THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY
http://thetruesnowwhitesdiary.wordpress.com/2008/12/19/long-live-the-queen

The True Snow White's Diary

A Light In The Night

Audiences will be mesmerised

Some Day Your Prince Will Come

Once Upon A Time

The Dark Side Of The Mirror

See What You Have Done

St. Vincent de Paul, Betty Chinn move forward with homeless shower project

Congratulations And Godspeed!

What Makes A True Princess?

Happy New Year!

Long Live The Queen!

St. Vincent de Paul, Betty Chinn move forward
with homeless shower project