Will Write For Chocolate

I dream in Yiddish?

2012-01-26T09:48:00.000-06:00

My dreaming brain astounds my waking brain on occasion. This is why I have several dozen stories started. Sometimes I have a dream that is just so vivid, so lifelike, and so interesting that I absolutely have to write it down. And writing it down engages my waking brain, which is always asking 'why'; answering those whys very frequently creates the bones of a story.

Yesterday, in my effort to be productive without spending money, I worked on various projects at home while listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Stuff You Should Know. I'm really behind on all my podcasts, so I was listening to October and November episodes. One episode on antimatter got me thinking about a fantasy story I have in progress (on the laptop that is still comatose), and how antimatter might help solve a technical issue in the story--I like even my fantasy stories to be scientifically feasible where possible.

And last night I attended Fiddler rehearsal where we worked on tightening up the wedding scene.

My dream last night was initially intriguing to my waking brain because it was mostly in Yiddish. And I don't speak Yiddish. But the more I thought about it, the more enthralled I became. My brain had incorporated bits and pieces of several different podcasts (none of them having to do with antimatter) into a Jewish wedding scene, added some hand-to-hand combat (I won), a mysterious person named Crispin, and a cryptic message. It was like I was watching a good movie and woke up just before it got really good. And now my caffeinated writer's brain is nearly bubbling over with whys and whos and wherefores and wows.

So today I am going to try to get some housework done amidst making notes and sketching structures.

Some theatre lessons are harder than others

2012-01-19T10:07:00.002-06:00

Oy! I need to get my laptop up and running and write on stuff other than this blog! This is ridiculous! Updating almost daily! Unheard of! But writing is apparently part of my sanity-maintenance self-treatment plan.

Anyway.*sigh*

New theatre experience last night that I need to process (aka write through): I got yelled at by the director. And most everything she said was valid. So it was mostly deserved, I guess. We did reach somewhat of an understanding, but I'm still stressing. Someday I'll have more experience, and I'll know how to avoid situations like this, or at least not take it so much to heart when they arise. But as I'm still very new, still growing that thick skin, it's stressful and disheartening. Which means... I have to write. Just the act of writing is cathartic, and ordinarily that's all I need, but I'm gonna go ahead and publish this for those who find my blog through google, looking for theatre information. Some lessons are harder than others, and maybe reading about someone else's struggle will help another newbie.

All the things I didn't, couldn't say last night...

Dear Director,
When I first thought about auditioning for Fiddler, and thought about what roles I could write in the "What role are you auditioning for?" spot, I wasn't sure I could even hope to be Yente. Every production of Fiddler I've ever seen has had a movie Yente. I figured it was written into the script that Yente was old and hobbling. So I researched a bit. Google Books has the 1964 script, IBDB has information on the original production. And discovered that the role was originated by a young, able-bodied Bea Arthur and I sang 'Halelujia!'. I could maybe be a younger, brasher Yente! So I auditioned.

AND I GOT THE PART! And I sang 'Halelujia!' again because I thought "Hey! The directors are open to a younger Yente! Can I hear a what-what? Woo-hoo!" I dove into channeling Bea, discovering that young, brash Yente in the 1964 photo. No cane, no age makeup.

And then... before we'd run a single line... you told me I must have a cane.

I was so disappointed. But I nodded and said okay, and even found a cane to practice with, brought it to rehearsal. I adjusted the character to accommodate. Perhaps Yente didn't need a cane, but used it more as a status symbol and sometimes weapon. Okay, I thought. No big deal.

Then you told me I needed to USE the cane more. Hobble. And I explained that I thought my Yente didn't need a cane, but used it more as a status symbol and sometimes weapon. You shook your head and set your jaw. Nope.

So I used the cane more. Hobbled a bit.

You told me I should 'forget' the cane when I stood up. As directed I 'forgot' the cane when I stood up. You got frustrated with me and told me I needed to hunch, and grab my back, "Oy, my sciatica!", if I was going to leave the cane behind. In my head I was thinking, "You TOLD me to leave the cane behind!" as my heart was breaking a little because my Yente, the Yente I had hoped to be, was flushed down the toilet with those words. But what I verbally took issue with was the hunch. Something inane about my height. It was silly, I know. But the hunch was for me the death of a youthful Yente. So I retrieved the cane and tried to at least follow exactly the directions you had given but I was flustered and my lines were shot. You said speak up, I said I'll be miked. And bam. In that moment I could sense that I had just become 'that' castmember. The difficult one. The one who has an excuse for everything, that doesn't want to play well with others. I choked back a sob when I got off stage. Again, silly, I know.

On Tuesday I did my best to hunch and hobble and incorporate every stage direction you'd given. Then I came off stage and my double relayed to me the message about arriving early on Wednesday to go over Yente stuff. The fact that she told me about it and not you (even though you had opportunity) alarmed me. I stressed the entire drive home. All night long. All morning Wednesday. My thoughts: I'm obviously not hunching and hobbling enough. I can't hunch and hobble and move quickly. I suck at being the 'standard' Yente. I don't want to be the 'movie' Yente!! If people want the movie Yente, they can pull her up on YouTube for free anytime they want! People come to Plaza to see fresh, innovative live theatre!

So I sent you an email early in the day, asking you to give me the opportunity to play Yente more as I think Bea Arthur did.

And last night you were upset. Upset that I had emailed, rather than talk to you in person. I'm a writer; I communicate best with written words. Upset that I had thrown history at you. I included some historical information so you would know that I'd done some research into it, and wasn't just asking on a whim or to be difficult, not because I thought you didn't already know. I apologized rather than explain, because I didn't want to prove right there that I was indeed 'that' castmember.

Yes, I should have talked to you weeks ago, in person. Should have pulled you aside and fully discussed my view of Yente when it became apparent that our views weren't the same. Instead I tried to meld our views. Because here's the thing: You intimidate me. It's not a usual thing, so I'm a little unsure of how to effectively BE intimidated. You've spent the last 40+ years on stage, running theatres, directing shows, living theatre, and raising amazingly talented theatre kids who in turn are raising amazingly talented theatre kids. You've played Yente! I've spent most of the last 30 years simply wishing I could be on stage. Wistfully attending plays. Wistfully reading plays. I'm new to this, and still unsure of myself despite outward appearances. And when you yell at others for screwing up, I cower just a smidge inside. Outside of being costumed for Annie and working with your family, I don't know you, what to expect from you. From my view, you have very definite ideas about what you envision and what you expect. End of story. I felt it was my responsibility as an actor to meet your expectations and do my part to make your vision happen. If anything was negotiable, I couldn't tell.

I thank you for allowing me to give a younger Yente a shot, though I can tell through your expressions and body language during rehearsal last night that you are not happy about it. It's not how you envisioned; it's not how you played her. But thank you for letting me try, anyway. After seeing the daughters mimic Yente in the Matchmaker number, I'm thinking perhaps the cane might be necessary, but more as a scepter for the uncontested Matchmaker rather than a physical crutch. Today I am working on milking the comedy while standing straight and tall. And despite the whiny, high-maintenance tone of this post (I apologize), I'm confident I will succeed, at least for audiences.

Stacey

More than perfunctory!

2012-01-18T14:29:00.002-06:00

(love that word--it's fun to say!)

Another review for The Foreigner, this one positively stellar, and I got a whole paragraph! (The reviewer missed the 'King' on my name, but the fabulousness is undiminished.)

http://thecolumnawards.org/columnonline/review.asp?rID=240&SEO=1-28-2012_THE-FOREIGNER

"Costume design by Stacey Greenawalt [King] is basic and perfect for the characters. None of the characters are "over the top" unless need be and subtle changes make for perfect accents to the production. Ms. Greenawalt [King] obviously understands the written characters and demonstrates that understanding, for example, with mismatched shoes on the "slow" character of Ellard Simms in one of his scenes. The attention to detail is shown throughout the production and executed well."
--Reviewer Richard Blake for The Column

If Yente had her nose pierced

2012-01-18T10:55:00.003-06:00

It could happen. Though I think if Yente were going to pierce her nose, it would probably be a septum piercing, rather than an ala piercing... I can see her with a ring through her septum like a beringed bull.

Fiddler opens in a little more than two weeks (I'll be in the preview cast two weeks from tomorrow, and then it officially opens two weeks from Friday). In community theatre, actors are usually charged with doing their own makeup, so I've been playing around with age makeup for Yente if it's necessary. Hopefully it won't be. My Yente hopefully is going to be an homage to Bea Arthur's original Broadway character. She was over 5'9" tall, and just 42 years old when she originated the role with Zero Mostel as Tevye and Maria Karnilova as Golde. You can see all three characters in this image gallery (Bea's Yente is 4th from last). Interestingly, Maria Karnilova was 44 and wore age makeup to look 60-ish. Bea wore no age makeup.

Now, I say 'hopefully' because the director seems to want the movie Yente, played by then 72-year-old Molly Picon, who was a scant five feet tall in shoes. As I am nearly 5'8" and nearly 39, not to mention the fact that I hated the movie--the stage version is so much better--, Bea's Yente suits me better. Besides, anyone can see the Picon's Yente any time--just rent the movie. They can't see Arthur's original Yente.

I'm going early to rehearsal tonight for an apparent Yente-Intensive, and I'm going to present my case for a younger, taller, Broadway Yente. Or at least a compromise, perhaps an older version of the original Yente. I really really really don't want to be the movie Yente, but that's the director's decision.

Anyway, here's a pic of me in age makeup and nose stud, in case you needed a smile.

I feel better

2012-01-16T08:07:00.000-06:00

After seeing the cast list of The Drowsy Chaperone (http://plazaco.wordpress.com/2012/01/15/the-official-cast-list-of-plaza-theatre-companys-production-of-the-drowsy-chaperone/) I feel a lot better about my audition. Of course it still wasn't my best, which was my goal, but I could have nailed it with sweet perfection and it wouldn't have made a dang bit of difference.

I do want to brag on my friend and Annie castmate Caitlin Davis, who will be appearing as the Chaperone in one cast and as Trix in the other. She doesn't know this blog exists, so I can tell you honestly that Caitlin has an amazing —AMAZING— voice. She's like a young Ethel Merman, but better. Ethel had some annoying vocal habits that sometimes got in the way of the song. Caitlin's voice is big and pure, and when she's got a good song to sing, displays impressive range. She's in college to become a teacher, but I think she's got potential, at least vocally, to end up on much bigger stages.

Happy Monday!

Dear future director self...

2012-01-14T14:54:00.014-06:00

The Three Musketeers. If I could choose any show to direct, it would be that one. I've been re-reading the book, which I can't do anymore without picturing Chris O'Donnel as D'Artagnan, Oliver Platt as Porthos, Kiefer Sutherland as Athos, and Charlie Sheen (patooie) as Aramis. I loved the movie--that's when I first fell in love with Oliver Platt. *sigh* Yeah.....

Should I ever have the opportunity to direct a show (Musketeers or not), I'd want to be effective, efficient, and eloquent. So this post is sort of a running To Do list (last updated on 1/23/12) for my future director self, from my current actor self's point of view.

1. If anything has been cut from or added to the script, particularly if those changes are not fully reflected in the script given to the cast, a preliminary read-through is a must. The whole cast must know what's in and what's out so they can begin to become familiar with the script as it will be presented in your particular production. During the read-through, vocally set the scene as you anticipate it will be, so from the very first rehearsal, the cast has an idea of what you envision.

2. Share with your cast the history of the show, particularly if it's a classic Broadway script (musical or not). Give them some background on the author, about the show's stage history, about some of the various actors who have played the principal roles, and perhaps some of the different qualities each actor brought to their characters. While you are in no way attempting to 'copy' earlier productions, classic shows carry with them a certain burden of audience expectations, a responsibility to do the show justice, and every castmember must share in that burden/responsibility.

3. After the read through, encourage your principal actors to read the script again at least twice more before the next rehearsal. At a subsequent rehearsal sit down with them and discuss any character and inter-character dynamics that are necessary to the plot and/or flow of the story. Then talk to the actors one-on-one; find out their vision and share yours regarding each of their characters. Aside from specific traits written into the script or integral to the character (like Quasimodo's hunch), allow the actor some freedom to bring his or her own interpretation to the role. If you and the actor have very different views, find a compromise and through the following rehearsals, initiate two-way communication about what's working and what isn't. Remember that you're working with a stage script and not re-enacting the movie. Different actors bring different qualities to their characters, and attempting to make them echo the movie character is unfair.

4. Encourage communication from the start. Make sure actors have your email address, and let them know it's okay to ask questions about characterization, blocking, accents, etc. Perhaps even set a consistent 'Director Access' time: arrive early to rehearsal one or more days a week, specifically to make yourself available outside of rehearsal time to discuss any issues actors may be having.

5. Effectively memorizing lines involves more than just rote memorization. A great deal has to do with how the lines are paced in the scene, what other characters are saying, how other lines are played, and any actions that may go along with the lines. It's a total brain thing. At home, actors can certainly memorize lines by rote using their own tempo and cadence as a memory aide. But when those actors are on stage in the scene and the lines are spaced differently, paced differently, played differently, and stage direction is added, the home rote-memorization can fly out the window. Block all scenes as early as possible, and run all dialogue scenes at least once a week, so actors are familiar with the spacing, pacing, and blocking of their lines and have ample opportunity to practice onsite.

Suggested rehearsal progression:
1. Read-through
2. Music
3. One-on-one character review
4. Blocking
5. Blocking
6. Music
7. Blocking
8. Blocking
9. Blocking
10. Music
Etc.

6. Foam board is your friend! Work with your set designer to create a scale model of the stage area and any set pieces you envision. This will help you, as director, work out blocking, and help your actors better envision both the overall concept and the stage 'pictures' you have in mind.

7. It's okay to change your mind. It's bound to happen as rehearsals unfold and you see that this or that won't work as you'd envisioned. But be sure to communicate changes effectively. It's a good idea to preface the change with "This is a change," so the actor knows.

Foreign fotos

2012-01-12T14:52:00.000-06:00

My name is in the paper! Just a perfunctory mention, but kinda cool nonetheless. It's a review of The Foreigner: http://www.keenestar.net/ci_19723441.

And while I'm at it, here are a few photos of my costuming handiwork. You can find a few more on Plaza's blog, and still more on their Facebook page. I made Froggy's British army uniform from scratch, including the rank and company patches on it. Except for, you know, the boots. And the beret. And the belt. So just the shirt and pants, then. And the patch on the beret. Modified a sewing pattern to look more 'military-ish' and added tons of cargo pockets. And I think the uniform looks fabulous.

Also made a quick-change bow-tie for the character of Charlie. No pattern, just creativity. The sweater-vest started life as a long-sleeved sweater. Betty's apron started life as a curtain.

Overall, I truly had fun on this project!

It's all good

2012-01-12T08:03:00.002-06:00

As hoped, writing therapy did the trick yesterday! Despite lack of sleep, I had a reasonably productive day and wasn't overly disappointed when, as expected, I received no call or email about Drowsy. Fiddler rehearsal was also terribly productive (it's gonna be amazing, y'all--fair warning). More telling, I slept like a log last night. Woot!

Now I'm mulling auditioning for Millionaire. It's not a musical, but I think I could handle any of the three adult women parts. In the Disney movie, Mrs. Drexel Biddle was played by Greer Garson, and I played Mrs. Greer in Annie. Hmmm... Is that a sign? ;)

By the way, this is my 100th post on this blog! And I forgot to notify Al Roker, dangit.

Where's the bar?

2012-01-11T10:23:00.004-06:00

Somewhere around 5:15 this morning I let go of it enough to get some good sleep. For a whole hour and a half before my alarm went off. Woke up and started to gnaw on it again. So I gotta blog about it, both for posterity and to get it out of my head so I can SLEEP.

I auditioned for The Drowsy Chaperone last night. I wasn't stressed at all. It was a learning audition. I'd heard whispers that the director already had people in mind for parts, so I had no expectations. None. There are only five named female characters, of which I have the vocal range for four, the age-range-ish for three. Lots of other talented ladies auditioned who've previously worked with this director. So while I went in to the audition intending to do my best, I had zero expectations. I'd love to do the play, but I also wouldn't mind a bit of a breather, perhaps audition for Millionaire after all. Most importantly, I had fun stapling feathers to my sweater and putting together a 1920's Hollywood hostess-style outfit, found some glam necklace bits to turn into clip-on earrings, did the finger wave thing with my hair. I even sported my false eyelashes and exaggerated the big freckle on my cheek to look like a beauty mole.

For two weeks I've been singing, singing, singing "As We Stumble Along" without music. I know the song so well I can sing it without thinking about it. I could sing it in my sleep if I'd been even a little bit stressed about remembering the words.

And all of that non-stress...evaporated...as soon as I walked through the door to the audition room. Suddenly I was a goofy, gawky ball of nerves. The piano player was reasonably okay; he'd never played the song before, and I'd never sung it with piano aside from my two-finger note-plucking on my phone app. Okay, that right there, that previous sentence? The part about NEVER singing it with piano? That. Was. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. In retrospect, hearing the music and trying to make sure I was putting the right words with the right piano notes totally threw me off. I messed up the lyrics not once, but twice. And THIS is what I'm gnawing on. The zero expectations, no-stress approach meant I didn't really think it through. As a result, I feel like I let myself down. I didn't do my best, which was really my only goal.

Interestingly, while I was singing, a Fiddler castmate's 6- or 7-year old daughter popped up in the window (she was standing on tippy tippy toe on the other side) and flashed her beautiful smile at me. I grinned back and continued singing. Then there in the window was the top of her head and a stuffed cow hopping along the bottom of the window. I think I suppressed that chuckle. In Annie, we had many moments of unscripted audience participation--it didn't rattle me at all, and cutie-pie E hamming it up in the window didn't rattle me, either. It was WAAAAY less of a distraction for me than the coordinating-words-with-piano-notes thing.

So all of the following thoughts and stresses were crowding my head all night:

~ I'm afraid I came across as a diva because I don't want an ensemble role. The director doesn't know me, so what he sees is that I don't have anywhere near the experience to even consider being a diva. But it's a 35 minute drive (which is paltry compared to some, but gas does get expensive), and I do have two kids at home. And I'd likely have to rearrange my Fiddler performances to accommodate Drowsy rehearsals. A principal role in Drowsy would be well worth the adjustments needed. But as tempting as an ensemble role is simply because I love this show, I really would rather watch it from the audience half a dozen times (which I will!) than commit the time and money to making the drive to rehearsals and rearrange my Fiddler schedule.

~The producer kept FROWNING AT ME! Logically I know it was probably her listening face, and I totally shouldn't have let it unnerve me. But I've had the pleasure of hanging with her outside of an audition room, and that crinkly-foreheaded frown had yet to be directed at me. So what was running through my head during the entire audition (and throughout the night)? "Milette is frowning. She thinks I suck. Is she looking at my getup and thinking it's too much? No, she thinks I suck."

~I was auditioning for a comedic role. Train wrecks aren't funny, dangit!

~I should have sung Miss Otis Regrets. I have the CD accompaniment for that, and I've sung it with piano before. Or Adelaide. Should have sung Adelaide. Or [insert name of practically any other tune here].

~I CAN DO THIS!! WHY DO AUDITIONS FREAK ME OUT?!

So.

Another learning experience. Which is always a good thing. Another audition under my belt. The director said he'd email, but my zero expectations are even less than zero now. Hopefully blogging this will allow me to LET IT GO. Learn from the experience, make better decisions, and do better next time.

So I'm a jackass

2012-01-10T09:49:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling both wonderful and grumbly today. What is up with that? I guess that might qualify as snarky?

I guess I'm just annoyed by the onslaught of quippy 'words of wisdom' in image form continually posted and reposted and reposted and reposted and reposted on Facebook. Six months ago when it was one person every other week, it was inspiring/cute/empowering/whatever. I've even posted two myself, both in early August. Most were quotes from respected historical figures (like the Thoreau one I posted), or truisms about living within your means (like the other one I posted). Now there are at least a dozen people in my news feed that post at least a dozen of these word pictures every stinkin' day. Every once in a while, I admit, there are funny gems, but most of them are just silly, some even downright stupid. Yes, I do hide some of those from my feed by hiding all photos from selected persons, but more and more people are posting them. Grr.

It got in my craw TODAY because a particularly idiotic one showed up in my feed four times. Something about haters and jackasses. Whatever. I sighed and skipped over it the first three times I saw it. But the fourth time... Sorry Jeremy. I couldn't let the fourth one slide by. Some people are haters for good reason. I don't care how cute or rich he is, he has no business even pretending to backhand you and making you flinch. And saying so doesn't mean I'm jealous, doesn't mean I'm trying to sabotage your relationship. And a stupid quip equating 'hater' to 'jackass' doesn't make me a jackass.

I know it's meant as a joke. Hahahaha. You're not a jackass whisperer. Get it? Hahahaha. OMG that's like so hilarious.

*ahem*

So! Today is gonna be a great day! It's still raining, but the precipitation is much-needed, and it's supposed to clear up by noonish. We're gonna have to mow the grass! In January! Woot! I've got a bunch of errands to run, then an OG meeting tonight, then (sshhhh) an audition, then rehearsal for Fiddler. Tech week is just three weeks away! I'm feeling better than I have since before Christmas (hooray for clear snot!)--that alone is reason to smile. Oh, and I'm caffeinated. That's a bonus, too.

*singing* The halls are alive... with the sound of chihuahua snoring....

2012 Goals

2012-01-01T12:11:00.005-06:00

I waffle from year to year on whether setting New Year's resolutions or goals is a worthwhile endeavor. Some years it seems like an important thing to do; other years it seems ridiculous. Possibly has at least a little bit to do with what sorts of goals others around me set and if anyone inspires me one way or the other. Here are my 2010 goals, inspired by my sister. Go ahead, check it out. I'll wait..... Yeah. Here's a two-years-later update:

1. Still can't park the truck in the garage.
2. I did find studio space elsewhere.
3. I did expand my business, but only created more bills.
4. That damned carpet is still there, as is the same gold paint.
5. Afghans still unfinished.
6. House still a wreck.

So. Only two out of six accomplished, and one of those didn't work out the way I'd hoped.

This year I have two Life Resolutions rather than New Year's Resolutions. Both are maintenance resolutions--I'm already here, and I resolve to stay here. But breaking them into one-year increments isn't a bad idea, so here they are:

Continue to make sure my booty fits comfortably into my size 4 jeans. Approaching 40, it's harder and harder to defy my genetic programming, but my skinny jeans shall prevail over my fat genes.
Continue to find and claim my moxie.

And then I guess I have some general goals for 2012, nothing too lofty.

Be more diligent about using coupons. It's time-consuming, but ultimately worthwhile.
Go for my yearly check-up for the first time in five years.
Streamline.
Grow out my hair.

I think I can handle these :)

Good day, Annie.

2011-12-24T13:12:00.004-06:00

Annie is done. Final performance was last night, with the strike/cast party after. Somewhat bittersweet. I got a little misty as I came offstage after the cabinet scene, and reluctantly shed the Frances Perkins suit, hat, and persona that fit me so well.

Our director, Taffy Geisel, was there to watch the last show, and I don't think we could have done a better job. It was a near-perfect performance. Hooverville rocked. NYC flowed. The mansion bustled. The cabinet blustered and harmonized. It was a fitting close to a record-breaking show. (97% of all available seats for the entire run were sold--that's nearly 4000 seat filled.)

Taffy is directing The Happiest Millionaire at Plaza in a few months. She asked if I was familiar with the show and encouraged me to audition. She remarked at how much I'd grown as an actress since the audition. As I lamented at the time, the audition sucked beans, and wasn't remotely indicative of what I'm capable of achieving. But she only knows what she sees, and yes, from crappy audition to final show, I guess I've flourished. And I'm flattered that she's impressed enough to share her thoughts with me. Yeah, it was a bit of an ego boost, I won't lie :)

We got production photo CD's last night, too (those who ordered them). So as I write this, I'm working on a photo book on Shutterfly. Totally copying the idea from castmates Shauna and Jay Lewis, who have a large collection of photobooks from shows they've worked on. Below are a few pics from Annie that include ME in them. These were taken on opening weekend, Saturday, November 19th.

Mrs. Greer and Mrs. Pugh kibitzing

The painting from Paris that grows on Mr. Warbucks

Eavesdropping on a phone conversation

You won't be an orphan for long...

Frances Perkins *gasp* agreeing with a Republican!

Frances Perkins and Cordell Hull getting riled up!

New Deal for Christmas (show finale)

Bah humbug

2011-12-23T11:03:00.000-06:00

I'm not doing it this year. The ridiculous commercialization of a date set rather arbitrarily in the late 4th century to commemorate the birth of the Christ Child. I'm not doing it. That is to say, I'm celebrating the birth of my Savior, but not the BUY LOTS OF STUFF!!!!! aspect of it.

Christmas shouldn't be about 'stuff', yet I see people rushing around, cranky and selfish, being rude to others in the stifling crush of last-minute retail shoppers. And that was last week! I can't imagine what it's like this week!

I admit, when the kids were younger, I did succumb to the 'stuff' aspect. We didn't do Santa in our house, so I felt like I needed to compensate, perhaps. I did what I could to make that obligatory Christmas morning tree photo look as impressive as possible, so they wouldn't look back on childhood memories and remember that we were as monetarily-challenged as we were. But now that they're older and know that Jesus' actual birth month and day is as yet indeterminable, I'm more inclined to stay far far FAR away from retail establishments and their in-your-face commercialization, and celebrate quietly, remembering those less fortunate than us. I do have a few small things to unwrap on Sunday morning, and I think we may venture out next week to pick up some needed items in the post-holiday sales, like a winter coat for Sunshine, some black jeans for Norseman. But you can keep your last-minute mad dash to find and purchase that so-called perfect gift. My Perfect Gift arrived about 2000 years ago.

One more week...

2011-12-16T23:46:00.001-06:00

A little melancholy tonight. Doug (aka Roosevelt) observed that one week from tonight will be our last show. It's been so hectic lately that I hadn't really thought about the impending close of Annie. And so I'm a little sad. Milette (producer) shrugged and said "There's always the next show." This one is particularly special, though, since it was my first. And it's gonna be a bummer when it's over.

But then it will be on to Foreigner, and finishing the costumes for that. And Fiddler rehearsals have already started, so there's that. Annie details (like dance steps I've done a bazillion times) have already started trickling out of my head, replaced by Yente mini-monologues.

I love it <3

Skinny college dress....

2011-12-09T11:24:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I dug a dress out of my closet, one I bought at goodwill in the spring of 1992 and wore often. It's a green and white sleeveless sheath dress with flattering darts and not a smidgen of elastic. As I remember, it fit just right if I remembered to suck in my itty-bitty belly pooch. Yesterday when I found it, I held it up to my 20-years-later body and smiled, thinking "This thing probably still fits!"

Today, just for grins, I tried it on.

And it's way too big!
Like at least 2 sizes too big.
???

What the heck? No way, after 20 years and 2 kids, am I smaller now than I was in college. I lost 5 pounds that year because I lived on the 6th floor and hated to take the cramped elevators thanks to claustrophobia, and subsisted on salads and Mt. Dew.

I'm a little more than an inch taller now than I was then. And I guess I weigh about the same as I did then. Can an inch of height really make that much of a difference?

It's a Yente!

2011-12-05T22:50:00.002-06:00

I think my disappointment that Sunshine was again not cast is overshadowing my glee at landing the role of Yente, the Matchmaker.

BUT, Sunshine and I got to talking and we noted that pretty much everyone in Annie has theatre training. All the kids have done Plaza Theatre summer camps at some point, most of the young adults are theatre majors in college. Most of the older adults WORK in theatre, like teaching, opera, etc. Even I had four years of drama in high school. I started to inquire about theatre as an elective at her school next semester, but she nixed it immediately, said "all they do in there is color." (?) So we looked at the spring schedule for Plaza Academy, and there's an Acting for Teens class on a day and time that's nicely compatible with rehearsals.

And we both feel better.

And I am really super stinkin' excited about playing Yente! I'm double-cast, which is fine with me. I didn't have any scheduling conflicts to need a double, but I'm okay with sharing the love. The full cast list will be posted tomorrow. Woot! An almost-principal, almost-comedic role!

Show opens February 3rd, so mark your calendars!

I hate wait

2011-12-03T21:42:00.001-06:00

This is the excruciating wait. The time between callbacks and the possible call to offer a role. Less than 48 hours... Oy!

I feel good about today! So very many ridiculously talented people; it was an honor to be among them. Although it was only my 2nd real audition ever and I did 6000% better than last time, I could have done better. But nerves and inexperience were very real obstacles (that will diminish with every play). Even so, I think I have a real shot at getting a more principal role. I'll be happy with nondescript 'Villager', too, just for the experience!

A few other things to note today... Positive note first: Taylor O'Toole, the actress who plays Annie in my cast, injured her ankle on stage half way through the second act (in the cabinet scene in fact, just feet away from me). But she got up and kept going, and the audience barely noticed. Her mom whisked her off for x-rays after final bows (ankle was already swollen and purple--looked really bad), but thankfully it's 'just' a severe sprain, rather than a break. The grown-up actors in particular were just awed at this young woman's professionalism and grit. Amazing.

Now the crappy note: Found out this morning that my friend Brian Harrington died on Sunday, apparently by his own hand. I last saw him about a month ago--we went to see the Caravaggio exhibit at the Kimball. He was in good spirits with plans for the future. He was going to come see me in Annie, and go with me to try the Thai restaurant near the theatre. He was arrogant and self-absorbed, annoyingly intelligent, but witty and gracious when he wanted to be. I'm sad, but mad, too. Dammit.

FotR auditions and an Annie pic

2011-11-30T13:00:00.006-06:00

This one's the rather easy wait--the wait to hear if we're invited to attend callbacks. Sunshine and I auditioned for Fiddler on the Roof last night, and I think we both did a good job! We went armed with CD's of our accompaniment music this time, to avoid another potential piano disaster. Which was almost a bad call. The CD player skipped for a few other auditioners. And the pianist this time was much better.

Thankfully the CD player did fine for both Sunshine and me--yay! I feel really good about my song (Popular, from Wicked--a tough one because the tune of the song is independent of the music, and because it has several different tempos and a few spoken parts). It wasn't as good as I sing it in the shower, but it was still really good, especially for being nervous! Sunshine said one of our Annie castmates in the waiting area said 'Wow, she's really good!'

What I heard of Sunshine's Candle on the Water was wonderful, too! We should hear by 9pm-ish tonight if we'll get to go to Saturday's callbacks.

EDIT 8:30 pm: Got the call! Callbacks are for the main roles (which are all older teens or adults), so Sunshine doesn't have to go but is still being considered for a role. She's going anyway, because we have to be there before 2pm for the afternoon performance, and it's too long of a drive to go all the way home to get her and drive all the way back. So yay! Very excited!

Okay, here's a pic from Annie. This is the Hooverville scene, one of my favorites. If you draw a big circle in the middle of the pic, I'm at the 3:00 position, in the gray hat and braids, looking to the left (my right).

Photo by Ginny Rodgers

Trust me, I'm a professional!

2011-11-19T20:32:00.000-06:00

Oh hey-- I forgot to blog this: Plaza's costume guru asked me to costume the next production, a comedy titled The Foreigner by Larry Shue. And I am so excited! I met most of the cast of that show this morning, and will start communicating with them on specifics for their characters in the next few days. And the best part? I'm getting PAID do do it! Yeah, I know, right? So that would make me a professional costume designer :) How cools is that?

Two down, eleven to go

2011-11-19T20:26:00.002-06:00

Rockin' Frances Perkins

Twenty six total shows, I get to do half. Two down, only eleven remain. I am having a blast. I love every second of it, even the glitches!

Hobos for Hooverville (I'm in the braids)

Last night was opening, and I *ahem* flubbed one of the dance numbers (nailed the one that changed minutes before curtain, flubbed one that hasn't changed in a month). I got all my open/close curtain cues no problem. I was fully costumed for every scene. So my part went smoothly. However, a set table broke, some set bits were left on stage, and a few other minor snafus... but overall it was a GREAT show, exhilarating and exhausting. I slept like a rock last night.

This afternoon's show was even better! I just about nailed all my dance steps--didn't flub them! Didn't break any of the set! And had a wonderful time! I love love love being a part of this.

After the show and I was saying goodbye, I realized I won't be seeing these guys again until FRIDAY, almost a week away! After two months of seeing my castmates nearly every day, it's gonna be sad not to see them as often. That alone is a reason to audition for Fiddler on the Roof. Which I will be doing, next Tuesday (11/29)!!

A whole mess of somethin'

2011-11-18T15:15:00.000-06:00

I'm finding it exceedingly difficult to concentrate on anything today. As per my normal (and somewhat odd) stress-management strategy, I keep making lists. At-Home Prep. Pre-Show. Intermission. Post-Show. Homeless costume. Greer costume. NYC costume. Perkins costume. Mansion curtain open/close times. Costume changes correlated with curtain duty.

ANNIE opens tonight! To a sold-out crowd! Annnnnnd there will be details that I haven't rehearsed: props I haven't used, prop placement and timing that has changed, and curtain duty for a curtain that wasn't yet installed at my last rehearsal. Another thing we didn't rehearse: The actor-greeting-line in the lobby after the show. How the heck are we going to fit 34 actors in there and still let theatre-goers get through to the exit? So a wee bit of trepidation, but mostly...

A WHOLE MESS OF EXCITEMENT!!

I'm honestly more nervous about Fiddler on the Roof auditions in ten days than I am tonight's performance. Okay, so I did dream about not having enough time to don my NYC costume and having to go hat-less (GASP!!!!), but overall I'm very confident!

I'll update, hopefully with a pic or two, after tomorrow's matinee performance....

Ohmygoshthat'snotalotoftime!

2011-10-29T23:40:00.000-05:00

It was sort of a strange thing today. I went to see a stage performance ("Crazy for You" at Plaza Theatre) and did not yabber on endlessly on the way home about how I wish I could do theatre again. Instead I was thinking "This is a really fabulous show, and in less than three weeks, that's gonna be me on stage! Ohmygoshthat'snotalotoftime!"

I sat by the Crazy for You director's mom, who's 80+ but was still proud as punch. "That's my son!" she told me, pointing to his name in the playbill. A neat lady, who definitely plans to come see Annie. Will have to keep an eye out for her. Her baby boy (Jay Lewis) will be playing Daddy Warbucks in my cast of Annie, and Mr. Bundles/Hull/Drake on the other cast. I think her [really very subtle] perfume might be what triggered my allergies, though.

Had costume fittings today, and I left there rather excited because two of my four costumes were really wonderful: an evening gown for the NYC scene that fit almost just right, was long enough and not too chesty; and a suit for the cabinet scene that wasn't actually very Perkinsy, but was very cute and made me look like I have some curves. (The other two costumes are intended to be understated and bland: homeless person and housekeeper.) However, after the CFY performance, Tina, one of our producers and the costume goddess, regretfully informed me that she needed to reassign my two 'pretty' costumes to one of the actresses playing Grace. Since Grace needs to be in them longer, and is, you know, a principal character, I will be content with a slightly less wonderful evening gown that's on the snug side and is only calf-length on me (I'll be in it for five whole minutes with a fur coat over) and a much more Perkinsy suit. I am excited to be wearing a costume at all! Woot!

My project this week (besides processing photos) is sewing bloomers for orphans for under Christmas dresses. And doing the fit alterations for my Mrs. Greer uniform.

It's coming together!

The story of Mrs. Greer

2011-10-14T10:20:00.001-05:00

Our Annie director, Taffy Geisel, encouraged us to find out WHO our characters are. Frances Perkins is a little easier because she was a real person. From written histories and photos of her, you can get a feel for who she was. Mrs. Greer, however, is perhaps more difficult. She's the head housekeeper in the employ of a billionaire in the midst of an economic depression. Who is she?

So, being a fiction writer accustomed to finding and fleshing out characters, this actually kept me awake last night. Thinking about Mrs. Greer. What's her first name? She's a Mrs, so what's the story with the Mr.? How did she come to work for Warbucks? Where is she from? What made her who she is now, a woman clearly capable of managing the household of a billionaire? This is what I found:

Adele MacKay Greer in 1933

Of Scottish descent, originally from Dunmore, PA, near Scranton. She has seen much tragedy, but has kept her chin up and become a better person for it.

Widowed 17 years ago; husband Edward was killed in a railroad accident where they lived in western Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh. She was left with two young boys, Sylvester, 3, and Alexander, four months. Alexander was very sickly (what we would now know is a heart defect). Broken and homeless, Adele returned to her parents' home with her boys, took work as a housekeeper for the much-aged-but-rich Mr. and Mrs. Earl and Caroline Fairchild. Wages paid doctors who really couldn’t do much for her son. Even the Fairchilds' own doctor couldn't help. Alexander died before he was 18 months old.

Adele is perhaps a little OCD in her household duties, but it serves her well. After three years in their employ, Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild decided to move to Yonkers to be near their children in their advanced years. They invited/insisted Adele accompany them, which she did reluctantly, leaving Sylvester in the care of her parents. By that time Sylvester was nearly seven years old and proving to be a big help in his grandfather's repair shop. Within a year in NY, however, it became apparent that Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild needed more care than what Adele could provide, as their mental capabilities deteriorated markedly with the change of environment. The Fairchild children, themselves in their 50's, decided to put their parents in a full-time care facility. Belinda Fairchild Hurst then recommended Adele to a friend of her own housekeeper, Mrs. Rumsford, who was at that time head housekeeper of the Oliver Warbucks household. Adele struggled with the decision on whether or not to return home to her son and parents, or stay in NY to earn enough money to support them. Coal mining was the largest industry in NE Pennsylvania, and she didn't want her father or son to have to take mining jobs as the economy declined. So she elected to stay on in NY, started as a laundry maid and worked her way up over the span of the next eight years, and took over as head housekeeper when Mrs. Rumsford retired four years ago at age 83.

Over the years, Sylvester came to visit at least every other month and Adele took him to baseball games at least once per year. They are both avid Yankees fans, and have a tradition of listening to games on the radio when they aren't together, imagining that they're sitting beside each other in Yankee Stadium. She wrote him letters at least once a week, almost always including a story she made up in installments. When he was 12, he started adding to the story in return letters.

Sylvester is now 20 and has worked as a mechanic in Alfred Fairchild's personal garage in Yonkers for nearly two years, maintaining the Bentleys. They see each other about once per month, still go to Yankees games and listen on the radio. Adele continues to send nearly all of her wages home to her aging parents. She is well-paid by Warbucks, and has few expenses, so she is able to support her parents quite well. (She doesn't know it, but her father is putting most of the money away for safe keeping, because they don't need it.) Mrs. MacKay has kept all the letters with her stories.

Adele is sharp, intelligent, well-mannered, perhaps necessarily a smidge on the stiff side (except at baseball games!). She has a soft streak for her son; he's generally the only one who gets to see her fanciful side. She has a firm grip on real life and its struggles. She works hard, has earned a great deal of trust from her employers, and deserves every bit of it. Even though she is well employed, she has been destitute and appreciates her job very much.

Favorite flower: wild daisies

Favorite beverage: unsweetened iced tea with lemon

Favorite color: Yankee blue

Favorite food: Frankfurter loaded with ketchup, onions, mustard, and relish
Favorite sport: Ha!

How does that head voice work again?

2011-10-04T11:59:00.000-05:00

So I thought this Annie thing was going to be quite a drive for me, to and from rehearsals and performances. And it is. 35-40 minutes in moderate traffic is a long commute when you're accustomed to a five-minute drive. But some of these folks are driving from Arlington. In order to get to 7pm rehearsals, they have to leave by 5:30-ish and fight through rush-hour traffic... O.o

I won't complain about my measly 35-minute drive.

But this does speak to the fact that A) Plaza Theatre Company is pretty dang special, and B) community theatre in this area is pretty sparse. That folks would drive 50+ miles as many as five times a week to be involved with an admittedly FABULOUS theatre company is amazing.

Anyway, last night was the first singing rehearsal. Just learning the songs, being assigned particular notes in harmony splits, etc. Even with not singing singing for 20-years (radio-singalong and karaoke don't count) I think I held my own. Definitely need to work on my range, though. I haven't used my 'head voice' since I was standing on the risers with Red Raider Chorale.

Looks like I'll be in the Friday cast, which means I'll do Friday performances and one of the Saturday performances (not sure which one or if it varies). My 'double', Terrie, will do Thursday performances and the other Saturday performances. So if you're planning to come see me (*high five*) and want to buy tickets way ahead, Friday is your best bet...

I think I'm gonna like it here

2011-10-01T17:25:00.000-05:00

(That's a song from Annie, but still apropos)

I attended the first rehearsal this morning. Oh thespians, how greatly I have missed thee. It was wonderful to be around that many theater enthusiasts! Mostly it was orientation: expectations, scheduling, costuming, policies, etc. Some warm-up exercises, some improvisation, and a read-though of the script. We were told that we cannot cut or color our hair, or get any new tattoos or piercings, without first consulting the director and producers. She didn't say anything about adding to existing tattoos, so I think I can get away with adding water to the koi on my arm--it's hidden by short sleeves anyway >;-) But adding turquoise to my blond chunk will have to wait.

Next rehearsal is Monday evening, and I'm eager to really dig in. I'll have to miss this coming Wednesday and Saturday rehearsals because I will be photographing a wedding in another state, but after that I should be on hand for most rehearsals.

Also today: Picked up a pair of very nice gray wool felt heels (3.5+ inches). Might be able to wear them in the play, but even if not, I'm about 5'11" while wearing them. Tall, lean, and fierce. And I am embracing that fierceness lately.

Parts will fail... yeah whatever

2011-09-30T20:26:00.004-05:00

A couple of friends' trials and tribulations with health and well-being have gotten me thinking. I know, dangerous stuff, that thinking. I'm thinking I'm very blessed.

Blessed to be Ignorant: You know how WebMD can be for some people? They look up every relatively mild symptom, find it under a deadly condition and freak out? And then they post to social media and get attention from their friends and family in the form of worried prayers that the 'afflicted' person is not, in fact, dying? Now imagine a person with those hypochondriac-needs-attention tendencies, but who's had extensive medical training. He doesn't NEED WebMD to come up with terrible conditions or mysterious symptoms. He can self-diagnose independent of the Internet, and does so with gusto. Symptoms and tests and procedures galore, all posted in social media for friends and family to latch onto and offer 'support.'

Blessed to have a high pain tolerance: How about the person who can't do anything because his knees hurt? So he sits at home and complains via social media that he wishes he could do this or that, but can't.

Blessed to be ornery: The person who had her knee replaced but was afraid of the pain of rehab. So she scooted around in a wheelchair, popped too many anti-anxiety meds, refused to do the prescribed rehab exercises, and now can barely walk.

Orneriness is a toughie: A friend of a friend in England sank into utter despair when her eyesight failed. She just shut down and waited to die. And then died. I never met her personally, but it still broke my heart that she wasn't strong enough to move beyond the use of her eyes. Granted, I still have good eyesight so I can't truly relate, but I have had friends over the years who were mostly or completely blind, a recent condition for some of them, lifelong for others. They live full, almost normal lives. But now I have another friend struggling with her failing eyesight, and it's heartbreaking again to see her giving up. I do know her personally, and I know she's strong and feisty, but she's having a hard time moving beyond the use of her eyes.

Y'all, this is my personal vow. The only way my body is ever going to keep me from living my life and doing the things I want to do is if it's dead. And even dead there are things I'd like to do. My knees may fail; I'll replace 'em. My elbow might tear; I'll be a lefty again for a while. I might lose my hearing; I'll brush up on my sign language. I might lose my sight; I'll fumble around and ask for help. That painful clicking in my shoulder might be something bad, but I've not yet let it interfere with my life. Parts are bound to fail, but I'll get over it and move on. That's a promise to ME.

We are NOT guaranteed healthy bodies. What we choose to do with our imperfect, failing bodies is ultimately more a matter of attitude than actual health. Which means we can CHOOSE to live a fulfilling, mostly complaint-free life, even in an imperfect, malady-afflicted body.

For some refreshing contrast:

Angelica's leg was shattered in a car accident three years ago. She lives with a great deal of pain and chases around a 3-1/2-year-old, but she lives her life without excuses!

Ben had a softball-size tumor removed from his brain. He posted before and after brain scans, and said his incision was tender. Didn't complain about the awful headaches he'd had leading up to the diagnosis, didn't complain about recovering from brain surgery. Lives every day to its fullest.

My very own mom had knee-replacement surgery in July. She has a good balance of pain tolerance and orneriness, and powered through rehab, gritted her teeth through range of motion exercises, and two months later is almost completely back to normal. Better normal, since her knee works!

Added 10/2: The director of PlazaCo's Annie, Taffy Geisel, has muscular dystrophy. She's an actor, director, playwright, and no-excuses kind of lady. Loves her work and doesn't let physical limitations slow her down.

Mrs. Greer, if you please

2011-09-26T21:25:00.018-05:00

Holy cow nugget schnitzel balls! I so totally did not expect to get a call, so I really wasn't paying attention to the time. This time my phone did ring, but it was in the other room. Sunshine rushed it to me and I answered.

I GOT CAST!!!! As Mrs. Greer, the head maid in the Warbucks household. They don't have a part for Sunshine on stage, but would like her to help backstage if she'd like. She's fine with that. I think she's been nipped by the Drama bug (finally!!!) and really just wants to be a part of it, in whatever capacity.

First rehearsal is this Saturday. I'm kind of in shock.

**EDIT 9/27/11: I'll also be playing Frances Perkins, a member of FDR's cabinet, and a Hooverville resident.
Click here to see the full cast list. Perkins is actually a more substantial part. Greer is on stage more, but Perkins has more to say/sing. YAY!

A learning experience

2011-09-24T14:53:00.003-05:00

So callbacks were a learning experience! Learned a short bit of choreography and had to perform it in groups of four. Then cold-read four two-word lines for Mrs. Pugh with a few other people. Felt seriously out-classed, as everyone there was just amazing. Highly doubtful I'll be cast (too many people better and waay more experienced than me who really deserve a part), but grateful for the experience! This was my first ever audition for a musical, and it was really cool to watch the process and hang with other people who love live theatre! Will definitely audition again, and perhaps see about starting something similar closer to home (this would be a 40-minute drive for rehearsals and performances).

Called back!

2011-09-22T21:27:00.016-05:00

We were told we'd be called by 9pm tonight if we were invited to the callbacks on Saturday. Sunshine and I were pretending that we didn't notice it was approaching 9:00 with no word, but I know we were both very aware of the time.

At 8:49, my phone, which was sitting right beside me, beeped that I had a new message, even though it hadn't rung. But I listened to the message, and it was one of the producers asking if Sunshine and I could come to callbacks, and could I give her a call to let her know I got the message. So I called right back!

Woot! We're supposed to wear comfy clothes and be prepared to dance.
Sunshine and I did the drop-it-like-it's-hot dance in the hallway. So excited!

Audition is done

2011-09-21T22:19:00.008-05:00

Auditioned tonight. I put Miss Hannigan as my first choice, but I'll take any part, honestly. Even Warbucks! But we'll see.

My turn was right after Jan, a woman probably in her late 50s that the director and her assistants knew by name, and were gushing about. "I can't remember the name of the nun you played in Nunsense in Fort Worth!" and "Oh, I saw you in Follies!". She sang a fabulous song and cold-read for Miss Hannigan and was amazeballs awesome. I knew then I wouldn't get the part of Miss Hannigan, but was still hopeful for perhaps Lily or Grace. So I bravely stood (in my Miss Hannigan getup) when my name was called, gave the pianist the sheet music for "Little Girls," and prepared to sing.

It turns out that as much prep as I did, as much practice, as many vocal exercises, I did not prepare for singing with a live pianist. She was unfamiliar with the song, so it sounded awful. And so I was awful. I wanted to ask if I could use my own recording of the piano, but didn't want to hurt the lady's feelings.

I think I did okay on the cold read, though. So I'm hoping that because the pianist was obviously struggling with the song, maybe I'll get a callback anyway, perhaps for one of the household servants, or a Hooverville bum. They'll call by 9pm tomorrow. I'm 50% optimistic.

I'm proud of myself for doing it, proud of Sunshine, too (she went after me and did great!). But next time I will have my music on CD, to eliminate the if-factor of the pianists skill.

Went to see Treasure Island

2011-09-17T20:12:00.022-05:00

Attended the matinee performance of Treasure Island at Plaza Theatre Company, good Saturday afternoon entertainment, AND we'll already have been there so Wednesday's auditions will be a little less stressful.

What a great show! Very well done! The set design was really clever; I was uber impressed! Norseman was really impressed with the sword fights! Everything was wonderful: the costumes were amazing, the lighting was perfect, and the performances were superb! The young man who played Jim Hawkins... wow. He's 14, but carried the entire play on his shoulders and did it so well you'd think he was a professional actor.

This time I was still wistful, but it was tempered, knowing that I'm gonna do my best to be on that stage soon. The theatre is really small, which is reassuring and intimidating at the same time. Even a sold-out show is only 140 or so, but there's little room for error since the audience is so close to the action.

Thinking about Annie

2011-09-11T18:33:00.001-05:00

Auditioning, that is. For the musical production of Annie at Plaza Theatre Company in Cleburne.

For years I've attended live theatre performances and sighed wistfully, wishing I could get involved in dramatic performance again. I was more than a little envious of my baby sister, who got to work with Theatre Tuscaloosa and appeared in The Music Man and How to Succeed in Business (Without Really Trying). I made the twelve-hour drive for both shows so I could see her on stage while I sighed wistfully from the audience.

A few weeks ago, my mom took me to see Motherhood the Musical in Fort Worth. Once again, I vicariously soaked up every crazy minute of the show, and on the way home expressed my wish that we had a community theatre close by.

I guess my mom was listening and did a bit of research over the next week or so. When we went over there today, she handed me a sheaf of papers she'd printed off the internet, with details about this little theatre in Cleburne. As soon as I saw the audition info, I immediately thought (and said aloud) "I want to be Miss Hannigan!"

But it's been close to twenty years since I was involved in dramatic productions, if you don't count the kids' talent show acts LOL. But as Norseman reminded me this afternoon, I wished a long time to get a tattoo, and was totally stoked when I finally did it! And I said for years I wanted to pierce my nose and was stoked when I finally did it! In other words, I should quit wishing and just do it!

You seem a lot younger

2011-07-24T12:38:00.001-05:00

Haven't blogged in a while... Haven't really felt I had anything to say that needed the long-format of a blog post. But recently I've been thinking a lot about age, partly because I turned a year older this month. Okay, yes, I do joke about being old, as my kids can attest, but the truth is, I don't feel old. And I flat-out refuse to succumb to age. Why does mid-life have to be a crisis? If you're still young at so-called 'mid-life', where's the crisis in that?

I regularly run into people years younger than me who look years older, or people just months older than me who seem as much as a decade older to me. Yesterday I had a twenty-something express surprise that I was in my 30's, and outright shock that I'm courting 40. "You seem a lot younger." That's because I AM young! If attitude is everything, then dangit, I'm gonna be young for a long, long time.

But attitude isn't everything, I know. The body that houses the attitude is a small factor.

I've been told I must have fabulous genes, and that may be true, but probably not. My mom and dad, all of my aunts and uncles, most of my cousins, on both sides of the family, are or were at one time, overweight (many significantly so). I observed this growing up, saw the health problems, the propensity for diabetes, and decided that was NEVER going to be me. So I was in my late teens when I devised a plan for avoiding the fate genetics seemed to have in store for me. Here it is, so simple it's almost silly:

Your pecs/boobs should always stick out further than your gut. Male or female, doesn't matter how old you are. One exception for ladies: you're five months either side of giving birth. Belly fat, it turns out, is more harmful to your health, so not only will you look young, you'll look young longer. I've always been very small-chested, so this rule has served me exceptionally well.

I do have a 'panic weight', too. But it's sort of a by-product of the above rule, sort of a double-impetus to revise eating habits and burn more calories when I get on the scale and...panic. :) And I haven't let anything be an excuse. Not pregnancies, not being laid up by car wrecks, not being overworked or overstressed, not health problems, nothing.

Lots of people are older than me, but seem much younger than their age: JLo, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, etc., etc., etc.. But you do not have to be a megastar to stay young.

Looking for Ethel

2010-05-19T10:03:00.002-05:00

Just a very quick post to tell you I changed my mind about posting family research here. I decided to create a separate blog for it. Check it out:

Looking for Ethel

Roots

2010-05-10T09:17:00.007-05:00

One of the interests my grandmother and I shared was family history. When she was still fairly sharp-minded and spent only her winters in Texas, we would compare notes on new things we'd learned over the summer. I had an Ancestry.com membership, so I was able to go searching for a paper trail when she brought me a new name.

For the last five or six years, I've not had the funds for an Ancestry membership, and Gramma's memory wasn't reliable anyway. So my genealogy files got shuffled around, and those facts in my head got pushed to the back.

Weekend before last, mom found some boxes of photos in the garage, so as I have time, I've been sorting through them and scanning them (such as the one of North Madison School third-grader Marjorie Ashley at right). It's a slow process, but interesting. And finding photos of ancestors got me thinking again about genealogy.

So last night I went searching for those genealogy files, and scrounged up the backup DVD from the kaput computer that has JPG image files of a lot of Census pages and whatnot (from when I DID have an Ancestry membership). Spent a couple hours past my bedtime looking through what I had, rediscovering a few facts I'd forgotten, finding again the pile of questions and notes I'd written to myself.

For anyone who's interested, I intend to periodically share research and photos here on my blog. Once I get what I have organized and make a list of what I need to look for, I'll get a two-week trial membership to Ancestry and see what else I can find.

Here's one of the notes I wrote to myself several years ago:

9/18/04

The information Gramma gave me from Aunt Judy says that Solomon Ashley married Sarah Swang Sampler in 26 Nov 1829. So by the time the 1830 Census was taken, they'd been married all of six months. However, in the 1830 Census, Solomon has three kids under five years of age (two boys and a girl), and two between the ages of five and ten (a boy and a girl). Both he and his wife are of thirty and under forty. SO, we can only assume that this was not the first marriage for at least one of them.

ALSO, that same information from Judy has that Elkanah Ashley married Sarah Jordon, daughter of Charles Jordon and Rebecca Hill. However, in the 1850 Census, Elkanah is indeed married to a Sarah, who is 20 years old, and they have a one-year-old son. Right next door, the next family on the census, is Charles Jordon and his wife Rebecca, who have a 20-year-old daughter Sarah LIVING WITH THEM. Unless she's in two places at once, the two Sarah's are not likely the same person. Mucking things up is the marriage record I have from FamilySearch, which may or may not be reliable anyway. It says an Elkana Ashley married a Sarah Jourdon in Ashtabula county on 2 Jan 1848. The record supposedly comes from a film.

Sure enough, I looked at the 1830 and 1850 Census images. The 1830 Census shows exactly what I wrote in my notes. I wish I had the original marriage record. Will add that mystery to my list of things to look for with my two-week trial... The 1850 Census indeed shows Sarah is living next door to Sarah (screen shot below). So either her parents gave the census-taker the names and ages of ALL their children (perhaps they thought living next door was close enough to living with), or it's not the same Sarah. *****UPDATE: I looked further down the page and saw that there was also another Elkanah Ashley (age 23) living with Solomon Ashley. After some further digging, I've figured out that the pair on lines 6 & 7 are not the right Elkanah and Sarah Ashley. How weird is that? Almost identical ages, identical names, living within yards of each other on the same street. I don't know about the marriage record on that. *****

I found a few other weird things I don't think I'd really noticed before, but I can share those another time :)

Grieving

2010-04-12T09:07:00.000-05:00

My grandmother left this mortal existence on Saturday, April 10, 2010, at about 6:45 pm, three weeks shy of her 80th birthday.

It's an odd thing, mourning the death of someone who 'died' years ago. Her body was with us, inhabited by a bitter, angry old woman; my Gramma was long gone, stolen away by Alzheimer's and dementia. I've been mourning her loss for years.

I ask this honestly: How do you mourn the death of someone who didn't know who you were, but resolutely did not like you? Who was so mean to your kids in the last six to eight years of her life, but who once gushed to her friends about her great-grandchildren? How do you cope with the conflicting feelings of distant sadness and not-so-distant relief?

I'm sad that she's really gone, and I'm relieved that she's at peace. No longer burdened by a failing body and mind.

But more than that, I'm relieved that my mom can now be at peace. My mom sacrificed so much to care for her mother. Countless times, through various accidents and injuries, she brought her own life to a halt to sit by her mother's hospital bed. For the last two years (or more) my mom has gotten very little sleep thanks to the baby monitor in Gramma's room and Gramma's nightmares and seizures and sometimes habit of getting up in the middle of the night and heading out the door. My mom gets migraines which I think are stress and sleep-deprivation related (though she disagrees). And that's just the stuff I saw. I don't even want to think about the personal hygiene stuff, or the seizures, or the incontinence, but my mom was there to deal with it all. Now she can truly sleep at night, knowing that Gramma is receiving the Ultimate care.

On Thursday I was able to spend the day at Gramma's bedside. To see her in so much pain, unable to articulate even where she hurt, crying out at the slightest touch or disturbance... it was sad. That Alzheimer's can reduce a once proudly stalwart woman to the demeanor of a whimpering infant is... scary.

The funeral is this week in Ohio. I can't afford to go. Which is a little frustrating when I think about it. I want to go and celebrate who she was with people who have little knowledge or appreciation of who she became. I want to be reminded of the wonderful Gramma she used to be, so that those memories can usurp the more recent ones. I want my kids to learn about the woman she was from other people, because they have no memory of a nice Gramma.

But we'll say goodbye here in Texas. Look at pictures. Bake some pizzelles. I'll do my best to remember for my kids. And think about/pray for family gathering in Ohio. (We love you!)

In writing this post, I went back through this blog, reading about other times I wrote about the loss of my Gramma:

The chaos and healing of her car accident in June 2006
Mourning the loss of my 'real' Gramma in December 2008
Once again remembering (and missing) the lost Gramma in November 2009

If you have a good memory or two of my 'real' grandmother, please feel free to share in the comments :) I would appreciate it.

Go go gadget vinyl cutter!

2010-02-08T18:09:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I'm very excited. Shutter Muse Studio featuring a Brush and a Beverage is going to happen, and I'm getting closer every day! I've had to start keeping a notebook of ideas so I can keep track of them all.

On Saturday, my Silhouette SD electronic cutter arrived. It's similar to a Cricut except that it hooks up to a computer rather than cutting from cartridges. I'd been wanting one for a couple of years, largely because you can cut your OWN vector designs on the Silhouette. So in my research for opening a storefront, I priced custom vinyl lettering for the door and for my truck, a custom cut sign for the inside, a banner for hanging outside, some yard signs, and various other little items. Total cost: More than if I bought the Silhouette and did all that stuff myself. Yay!

So today I was installing all the software on my laptop (turned out to be quite a chore because of Windows 7 compatibility issues, but I think I got it worked out), and all the while, my brain was spewing out more ideas, particularly for the Brush and a Beverage aspect. Being a multimedia artist, I intended to use more than just brushes and paint to create our projects--to use unconventional painting implements and/or create our own, to incorporate fibers and beads into the pieces, perhaps decoupage or stencil. Being able to cut multiple custom designs from any paper I wish, or from acetate or vinyl, opens up a huge ocean of creative possibilities!

I'm excited!

Hello 2010

2010-01-01T19:54:00.005-06:00

I think I'm about recovered from our trip to Alabama. We got home yesterday around 2:30, and at around 8:00, I cozied up in my bed with my DSi to do some sudoku puzzles...

...and woke up sometime after 2:00 am, light on, quiet house. What a boring reveler I am. Got the year off to a good start by staying in my pajamas all day.

I like my sister's idea of setting goals for the year (rather than making resolutions) so I'm going to steal it. It's good to have goals.

Here are my goals for the year (list a work in progress *grin*)

1. Clean out the garage so I can park my truck in it.

2. Either create a photo studio in my newly-cleaned garage, or find studio space elsewhere.

3. Expand my business so that it can actually pay some bills.

4. Tear up the carpet in the living room and finally put down resilient flooring (and repaint in there, too).

5. Finish some of the projects I have going. Like afghans

6. Two words: Clean. House.

Short list, lofty goals. We'll see.

Skyping it

2009-12-20T12:40:00.004-06:00

Another leap into technology. And pretty cool technology at that.

For Christmas, my mom purchased a new laptop for Erin, Eli, and Elsie, so we can video chat on Christmas morning. Erin already has skype set up on the laptop, and this morning, I hooked up my webcam and mic and got set up on skype, also. This afternoon, I'll head to my mom's and get her set up with the webcam I bought her (might have to go get a cheap mic). Julie's laptop has a camera built in like Erin's, so hers should be fairly simple.

Remarkably, I was also able to install skype on my phone. Which is cool because I have unlimited data but not unlimited minutes. So theoretically, I can bypass minute usage calling skype-to-skype.

Kinda cool.

Anyway, facebook friends can find my skype username on the info page of my facebook profile.

Ebook love...

2009-12-15T08:16:00.005-06:00

It's the holiday season, and of course Amazon is pushing their Kindle, and B&N is pushing the Nook.

I honestly don't understand the draw of dedicated ebook reading devices like Kindle or Nook (and at least a dozen others). Don't misunderstand: I love ebooks and I love gadgets, but this one just doesn't compute with me. For me, the coolest thing about ebooks is that I carry a library literally in my pocket, on a small device that I'm already carrying with me--first it was my palm pilot, now it's my phone. I can pull out my phone and read anywhere, and I don't have to remember to bring another device with me--that's just like remembering to bring a paperback book (my phone is my MP3 player and PDA, too). And these dedicated reading devices are big and heavy! What's convenient about that?

Here's what I love love love about ebooks on my phone:
--Portability, as mentioned. I carry it in my pocket all the time.
--Convenience. It's already with me, so when I'm bored on the elliptical machine at the gym, or standing in line at the slowest fast food restaurant on Earth (Wendy's on I-20 west of Birmingham, Alabama)... Reading time! (Can you imagine whipping out one of those huge dedicated readers while standing in line at Wendy's? How geeky would that be? :D)
--Price. eReader (my fave) and Mobipocket software are free and available for most smartphone platforms (Android, Palm, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Blackberry, iPhone, etc.). I pay for the books themselves only. (lots of free books available too, check out just one source)
--Adjustable font size. When I'm at the gym, I can increase the font size so I can read and run at the same time, then reduce it to normal size after.
--Tap the screen (or press a button) to turn the page. I can read completely one-handed, or put it on the machine in front of me and just touch it to go to the next page.
--Backlight. Boo-yah!
--Selection of titles. Millions. More than any brick & mortar store could ever hope to carry, and with internet access on the phone, all at my fingertips.
--Conversion software. I can make any digital file with text into an ebook readable on my phone.

Okay, so dedicated devices probably have adjustable font size and backlight. Possibly have one-touch operation, too, but they're too big to operate with the same hand you're holding it with. Probably a similar selection of titles, though I think your sources are limited. No idea about conversion software.

I'm thinking if you want something bigger than a phone, rather than a dedicated reader, you're better off getting a netbook (about the same size and often cheaper). It can serve as an ebook reader, a PDA, AND do lots of other stuff.

As for me, my phone is my (heart) ebook reader.

Praising God for guardian angels

2009-12-12T22:08:00.004-06:00

Tonight I am very thankful for Norseman's guardian angels. Without them, today could have been really bad... See, we've got this pull-up bar that fits in the doorway and is held in place by tension. It's intended for pull-ups, wherein your body only gets perhaps twelve inches off the floor if you bend your knees. Despite being told several dozen times not to, monkey-man 'forgets' and hangs upside down from it. Being that just leaning on it can make it suddenly give way, I was VERY adamant that he not hang on it, explaining in horrible detail what could happen if it gave way while he was hanging upside down, if he fell three feet to land on his head. He told me I was being a paranoid mom.

This afternoon I was doing a crossword puzzle in my bedroom when I heard a loud thump, a groan, and a clatter. He moaned "It gave way." I leaped off the bed and into the hall, and found him on the floor, dazed and in pain. If I didn't honestly believe at that moment that I would further paralyze him, I would have smacked him upside the head. Instead I made him lay flat while I assessed.

He's fine, landed on his shoulders (thank you angels for giving him time and sense to tuck his head), though the bar actually landed on his head, so he's got two little cuts over fairly obvious lumps. "I've learned my lesson," he told me. While I successfully refrained from strangling him (though just barely), and went back to my room and cried.

He told me later this evening that he had an 'Oh sh*t' moment--that millisecond that seemed like several seconds between when the bar first started to nudge and when it gave way completely. That moment when he knew he was in a pickle, but could do nothing to prevent it.

Anyway, praise God disaster was averted, and we were able to attend the final night of Crowley High School's production of The Wedding Singer. Very good show with lots of talented kids. On the way home, I asked Sunshine and Norseman if that sort of thing appealed to them at all. They both said, 'Nope.' Which kind of makes me sad. How can I live vicariously through my kids if they have no interest in what I want to live vicariously in? Even now I sit at theater productions and think, "I wish I could still do that." Sunshine says, "You can! Erin did, why can't you?" If only we had a Theatre Tuscaloosa around here.

Now... need to go slip that pull-up bar into the trash without anyone noticing...

I'm missing Mythbusters to share this stuff....

2009-12-09T19:43:00.002-06:00

Couple of newsworthy items today...

Sunshine twisted her ankle again. Same one she broke six months ago. Apparently she was running at recess near the end of the day and stepped on a rock, rolled her ankle and went down. The nurse sent her back to class with an ice pack, but she was hobbling by the end of the day. It's now swollen and purple, and very definitely a good sprain. She's begging me not to make her go to school tomorrow (because she doesn't want to use the crutches), but I'm gonna be a meanie. A sprained ankle is not a good enough stay-home excuse. Ace wrap and acetaminophen and she's good for the day.

I uploaded and started running an ad for my photography on Facebook yesterday afternoon with a budget of a paltry $2 a day. I've already gotten two contacts from it; one of those is a small national magazine based in Dallas that wants me to do their editorial head shots. So I'm encouraged.

And Lucy is still alive and well, though she's come thiiiiis close to being strangled several times in the last few days. It's been very cold, so she's been indoors more than usual. So when she's left alone for even three minutes, she finds something to chew on that she's not supposed to chew on (even though she has a very nice selection of sanctioned chew-things). Like Sunshine's camera, Norseman's screwdriver case, my Neanderthal skeleton model, among other things. A dismantled ball of yarn on the couches (plural) when she's not allowed on the furniture. Shredded kleenex on my pillow when she's not allowed on the bed. *sigh*

Clothes are not for dogs

2009-12-04T19:15:00.002-06:00

At least not according to Lucy.

While I got the coffee pot going early this morning, I noticed poor ChiChi (the chihuahua) sitting on the floor shivering. The house was quite chilly, even moreso on the floor, so I dug her little green jacket out of the hat and mitten basket and put it on her for the first time this year. She trotted a circle around my feet in thanks, and then went in search of a place to hide her dog biscuit before Lucy (the border collie) came back inside.

Perhaps ten minutes later Lucy was inside--and noticed ChiChi. More specifically, noticed ChiChi's jacket. I happened to be in the kitchen observing as Lucy became very disconcerted, looking at the jacket, sniffing the jacket, even trying to take the jacket off of ChiChi. I had to tell her several times to leave ChiChi alone. I swear she looked at me like I was crazy. That look spoke volumes; it said "She is a dog. Dogs do not wear clothes. Humans wear clothes, dogs do not wear clothes. Capiche?"

Smarty pants.

La fin

2009-11-30T21:58:00.006-06:00

This is it. 31 posts in 31 days. Nope, I didn't miscount.

I realized two things this month: 1) My life is not nearly exciting enough to blog about daily. I think if one were going to commit to blogging daily long-term, one would need another topic... like Cake Wrecks, or Epic Fails, or Clever Kludges. But even if *I* personally had another topic, it would be a struggle because, 2) I'm not the daily blogger type. Unless you count groggily posting a quick (and boring) blab as I fall asleep. So I welcome the end of NaBloPoMo, but still glad I did it.

On another note, my son realized for the first time a few days ago that if you change the spacing of the letters in his first and last name, it's French for 'the sea-faring Norse plunderer'. It's something I'd considered before choosing his name many years ago, but I was more concerned that he'd be teased. My worries were for naught. Apparently his friends think it's very cool. Arrrrrrr! Or maybe it was Urrrrrrr!

Okay, headed to bed. I have only one thought remaining tonight....

TOMORROW IS DECEMBER ALREADY?!??!?!!

Pizzelles Tradition

2009-11-29T22:29:00.008-06:00

This is about the time I remembered I still hadn't posted for Sunday, right before I drifted off to sleep. So I'm faking it.

Oh--just in case you ever get a Samsung Gravity phone... Don't attempt to use an SDHC card in it. Even though the user manual indicates that any micro-SD card will do, the phone will irreversibly reduce a 4 gigabyte SDHC to 104 kilobytes. No joke. Guess how I know this. Fortunately I got the card for $9.99, so only tossed $10.81 down the tubes.

Dad put together a big Thanksgiving Revisited meal, with meat leftover from the 20-pound bird he cooked Thursday. And there was STILL lots of meat left over!

After dinner I mixed up a batch and a half of pizzelle batter. Years ago, this is something Gramma and I did together several times each year during the holiday lead-up, both Christmas and Easter. We made all kinds of cookies, but pizzelles are my favorite. She and I would each have an iron going, and she'd tell me about her aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. So when she wandered out of her room after I'd added the anise oil (such fragrant stuff!) to the batter, I had to smile. She sat and silently watched me set up my own waffle iron and start stacks of finished cookies. I offered her one, but she refused. (I called her 'Gramma', and I realized the mistake as soon as it was out of my mouth. If I'd used her first name, she probably would have accepted it.)

Though she really wouldn't acknowledge me except to say that I'd taken the waffles off the iron too soon, she did stay at the table to watch. Mom turned on a CD of treasured hymns, and she sang along (kind of) with Alan Jackson. It's weird that the tunes of those songs have stuck with her to steadfastly. She sang loud, strong, and mostly on-key, at the slow, deliberate pace of the old ladies in the choir loft at St. Joseph's mission.

At some point mom got out Gramma's waffle iron, and she and I sat at the counter, while Gramma still observed and critiqued our efforts. She told Deena on the phone that we didn't know what we were doing (apparently she remembers that pizzelles are supposed to be the color of dark caramel, and ours were too white). After I cleaned up the pizzelle mess, I put all the accidental 'good' ones in the cookie jar for her.

On one hand it was nice to make pizzelles with Gramma. And it was nice to spend the time with my mom. On the other, I do really miss making pizzelles with my REAL Gramma. My kids barely remember her, but she's the Gramma who would never even think to stick out her foot and try to trip them.

Bones

2009-11-28T23:13:00.005-06:00

It's in its 5th season and I'm only just now getting truly sucked in. Until today, I'd really only watched it at the gym, reading the closed captioning subtitles while I was on the elliptical machine. But I happened to catch two back-to-back holiday episodes today. You miss so much vocal nuance by reading subtitles. It's a terrifically intelligent show, which makes me wonder how in the world it's survived this long.

Had to go to the Fox website and watch the available episodes.

Of course now that I'm hooked, it will probably be canceled...

ADDED SUNDAY MORNING: I realized this morning why the name 'Temperance Brennan' sounded so familiar to me. Ten years ago, I read the very first two Temperance Brennan books by Kathy Reichs when I was assigned to review the second one, Death du Jour, soon after it was released. Terrific books but a little on the intense side for my tastes at the time. Gonna have to dig through my shelves and re-read them.

Remembered!

2009-11-27T23:21:00.002-06:00

Almost forgot to blog today. Would have ruined the NaBloPoMo streak right at the end! But alas, I have remembered just in time.

The initial plan today was to avoid the Black Friday crowds altogether and do laundry. But my mom called, asking if we wanted to go with her, and we said 'Sure, why not?' (Who really wants to do laundry anyway?)

So we braved GardenRidge (where I picked up two nauseatingly cute ornaments for Tuesday's ornament exchange), Best Buy, and Walmart (where I picked up the cheddar cheese pretzel Combos I'm munching right now).

This evening after David got home, we headed back out and braved the mall to finally get new phones. After going so long with crappy, beat-up, falling-apart phones, it's strange to have brand new ones. We're sticking with T-Mobile for now, but without a contract.

Tomorrow I'm thinking we may go bake cookies at mom's... We'll see...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T20:32:00.003-06:00

Home again, home again, jiggety jog.

Thanksgiving dinner was very nice, and very delicious. It was just the four of us and David's mom, Rosaleen. This morning, between floats and performances during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, we got dinner in the oven in stages. Okay, I use the term 'we' very loosely. Rosaleen did nearly all of it. All I did was open two cans of corn and a box of corn muffin mix (but I made up for it by washing dishes afterward). The 'fresh' turkey she had paid extra for turned out to be frozen on the inside, which would kind of be impossible for an actual quoteless fresh turkey. I've found that as I mature, cranberry jelly grows on me (not LITERALLY). I used to hate it, but I took a big slice today and ate every smidget. Still not fond of sweet potatoes, though. At least not as sweet potatoes. I do like 'em in pie, though.

David has to work tomorrow, unfortunately, so after digesting for a couple of hours, we piled back in the truck and headed home. Think I'm headed to bed soon, so I can get up early and stay home for Black Friday. Wooo!

Today I am so grateful for the abundant blessings bestowed on me that I'll never even begin to deserve. I'm grateful for a God that loves me no matter how obstinate I can be. I'm grateful for family, for freedom, for the men and women who are serving our country away from home.

Hugs and blessings to you!

Mobile in Altus

2009-11-25T21:44:00.000-06:00

Posting for the first time from my mobile phone. Not the most fabulous arrangement, but it works. We're in Altus tonight, Lucy's first trip out of state. It took us an hour and a half just to get out of Fort Worth, so the overall trip length was that much longer. We were ALL kind of whiny at the three-hour mark and we were only half way.

Have a blessed day of thanks!

Caffeinated

2009-11-24T21:39:00.003-06:00

Sitting here with Sunshine, jamming to Foo Fighters via Rhapsody. She's playing billiards on Webkinz. Bookman is spending the night at his buddies' house, but he just checked in with a text message. David is in the living room on the laptop, Facebooking and watching basketball. A quiet evening (if you don't count the music) with modern technology.

For some reason, about 7:oo this evening, I thought it would be nice to reheat and drink the cup of coffee I left in the microwave before lunch. And it was nice, don't get me wrong. Peppermint Mocha creamer. Mmmmmm... But even at half-caff, I'm having a hard time sitting still. So it's kind of good that I've got music blaring, 'cause I can channel some of the energy into be-bopping. But be-bopping and typing at the same time is a challenge... *air guitar*

Probably ought to go do something constructive with this energy before it wears off...

They're a blessing

2009-11-23T19:14:00.003-06:00

I have fabulous kids. I like to think I had a lot to do with that fact, but really I think I'm just blessed. By the grace of God, I have kids who are, in general, polite, respectful, responsible, and helpful. Of course they have their moments, as all kids do, but fortunately theirs are relatively few and far between. Just wanna squeeze 'em!

It used to be that if you asked them to do anything that might be construed as 'cleaning', they'd protest with exponentially more effort than it would have taken to just do the task in the first place. But this past week, I asked both kids to do various 'chores', and they BOTH did them with nary a sigh of dissent. It almost makes me wonder if they have a cooperative agreement between them to get on my good list in the lead-up to Christmas. Almost, but not quite. Not even when combined with TWO instances of brushing one's teeth without being asked. Nope.

Chili dogs

2009-11-22T21:44:00.003-06:00

Lazy day. Did not go out to Mom's house, as is our normal Sunday routine, for fear of spreading whatever viral crud is still lingering. Sunshine hasn't decided yet if she's getting it, though as I type this, she's sitting at the computer next to me with about a dozen wadded up kleenex in front of her, sucking on a cough drop...

As the weather get's chillier, our chihuahua becomes more and more of a lap dog. If she gets cold and sees that you have an available lap, she'll stand at your knee and send those subliminal brain wave messages. It's cute, and she usually gets the lap. However, the border collie has observed this, and is also trying it, except that she skips right past the cute brain-waves part. She's big enough to take the initiative and and shove herself into your lap, invitation presumed. In other things, she really seems to grasp the 8-pounds versus 42-pounds difference between them (like when they play), but in being a lap dog, fair is fair apparently.

National Adoption Day

2009-11-21T07:22:00.005-06:00

Felt MUCH better today! I didn't think the 12-hour Alavert that Mom had brought me yesterday had helped a whole lot, but boy I can tell when it's worn off.

Tagged along for the official adoption ceremony of Valerie 'Daisy' Jacobson today. I was serving as photographer, but I've known Daisy pretty much her whole life, so it was a little emotional too. I had to concentrate on photographing the event so I didn't get choked up. Take pictures, take pictures, don't cry, take pictures. Sunshine also tagged along, and I put her to work. She's good friends with Jacobson kid #2, but did a very good job handling my other camera. In fact she got more photos than I did, mostly of the same stuff, but from different angles, which is always good. Daisy's biological brother, Daniel, was fostered by the Jacobsons almost from the day he was born. They officially adopted him two years ago today, which was about a month after they took in days-old Daisy.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider saved a lot of photos today. I mention it because that same spider saved my sanity many times when my kiddos were younger. Cooped up in a van for 21 hours with an 18-month-old who would SO much rather be out of his carseat? Sing that wonderful song for hours and hours and hours and hours on end. What is it about that spider that little ones (particularly those under age four), find so captivating?

Am I drooling?

2009-11-20T22:02:00.002-06:00

I'm sick, spacing out on cold meds, and beat from a long day at the school. Even though I took an hour and a half nap earlier, I'm drifting off, sitting here at my keyboard, and maybe even drooling a little bit.

So I should probably head to bed--after I post my daily photo on ShutterMuse.

Snot

2009-11-19T20:54:00.002-06:00

How can one nose produce so much? I've been through a whole box of kleenex in the last two hours. And now blowing my nose sends a stabbing pain through my ear. Fun times. Just in time for Grandparents Day portraits at school tomorrow.

The good news is that Bookman is feeling better after having stayed home from school today. I had a photo shoot in Arlington, so I had him call me every thirty minutes with temperature and breathing updates (he's such a good boy). He's still running a low-grade fever, but is otherwise fine.

The photo shoot today went great. Got to work in an actual studio, and I got some really great portraits of my good friend Courtney. Had to buy a light meter and wireless strobe triggers on ebay--got some good deals, which is helping me to feel a bit better :)

Hope all of you are healthy and happy! Love you!

100 Degrees

2009-11-18T21:48:00.002-06:00

A 100.7 degree fever in the heart of a swine flu breakout. And it's the kid with asthma. I'm thinking it's a cold--he's had some allergy-like symptoms for the past couple of days. But remaining vigilant.

I swear the days have been missing a few hours lately. I think they may be skipping out of work early, 'causeI just can't seem to get everything done AND get enough sleep.

My friend Stacy sent this to me today... Hadn't seen it before. I laughed because I have had at least half of these random thoughts myself, and totally agree with most of the rest. Thought I'd share it.

Random Thoughts for the Day

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.
5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6. Was learning cursive really necessary?
7. Google Maps really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
10. Bad decisions make good stories.
11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.
13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this -- ever.
15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
18. My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day, "Dad, what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?
19. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
20. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

Inspiration?

2009-11-17T21:35:00.002-06:00

Yeah...I've got nothing.

My new camera arrived today, but I realize that level of near-hyperventilating excitement is not shared by the general population. So rather than bore you with an original poem yet-to-be-written (titled 'Ode to my Canon Monster'), I'm just gonna head to bed.

Good night!

Bless Her Heart

2009-11-16T22:20:00.003-06:00

Last week I mentioned I was doing some preliminary logo work for a non-profit organization called BlessHerHeart.org. Vi Kennedy and her husband lost their 29-day-old baby girl last year to TAPVR (the same thing Sunshine has). She had initially suggested a four-leaf clover (though I'm unsure why), but I felt a butterfly might be more appropriate. So I compromised. Stuck a body down the middle of a four-leaf clover, and we have a butterfly with heart-shaped clover-like wings. So I sent her the quick sketch to the left.
She also asked me to submit Sunshine's story to feature on the site. I'll work on that over the next few weeks.

Switch? Stay. Switch?

2009-11-15T19:33:00.003-06:00

First, thought I'd share some Christmas freebies: http://www.nbcdfw.com/blogs/pennypinching/Christmas-Freebies-70149332.html

David and I are sitting here browsing the Verizon site for phones. We've been with T-Mobile since it was VoiceStream, but the coverage is still really on the spotty side. So on December 1st (or thereabouts), when our contract is up with TM, we plan to switch. However, better coverage on Verizon comes at a price. The plan we need is about $40 more per month than on T-Mobile. But TM's phone selection is sad, and the one I want is $150 cheaper on Verizon. Better coverage, better phones. More money. *sigh* Decisions, decisions.

Froggy, Froggy on the wall...

2009-11-14T22:12:00.002-06:00

Just a quick post, mostly to share a cool photo I took today. We had lunch at Rosa's Café, a very colorfully decorated Mexican restaurant, while we were out running errands. In the middle of one wall, there were four brightly painted frogs, each probably about 3-feet wide? They're very cool and I love them. Anyway, this is a shot of two of them.

Weehuudalee hoober noobit

2009-11-13T22:57:00.004-06:00

My hands are blue. I forgot to put gloves on when I was rinsing the dye out of the second backdrop. The first one turned out a bee-yoo-tiful brown. The second is very blue. Much brighter than I thought it would be. I'll assess it after it dries, but I may have to bleach it a bit.

This morning I grabbed my friend Stephanie and her 21-month-old daughter and we drove to Frisco to IKEA, where I bought the fabric to dye. Stopped at Cowboy Studio Lighting on our way (in Dallas). After school, Sunshine and I headed to Walmart and Hobby Lobby to get the RIT, and got back to Bookman's school just in time to retrieve him before heading home.

I would describe how utterly exhausted I am, but being that David just dragged in from work minutes ago (nearly 11pm) all muddy and sore, I'll keep my measly tiredness to myself.

I will, however, tell you that it was determined this morning that 'Weehuudalee hoober noobit' is much more fun to say than 'Weehuudalee hoo ha.' (In case you ever wondered.)

Oh Canada

2009-11-12T20:06:00.002-06:00

We're working on a Canada project. She had to choose and research a country that interested her. I suggested Germany, or Italy, or Great Britain. Nope. Canada, eh. Had to look up the word 'patriated', since I'd never heard it before (Canada's constitution was patriated from the United Kingdom in 1982 *nodding sagely*).

Received those settlement documents today (woohoo!). Only had to check the mailbox six times. Celebrated by going out to Peter Piper Pizza for the PTA fundraiser night. The kids spent 40 tokens, cashed in tickets and chose prizes with no input from me--I sat and chatted with other PTA moms. :)

8:41 and David just got home. Going to visit with him....

Mr. Postman, bring to me...

2009-11-11T12:17:00.004-06:00

I'm expecting some documents via mail from the insurance company, so I've been sitting here listening for the mailman while reading through some Veteran's Day articles and working on various Photoshop projects. Went out to check the mailbox twice in the last two hours. Was headed out a third time, but eventually made the connection in my brain between 'Veterans Day' to 'no mail service'. *rolling my eyes at myself* Dangit! I want the mail!

One of the photoshop projects I've been working on is beefing up the portfolio on my website. So I'm sifting through all kinds of old photos (the kind printed from 'film'--remember that? Yeah... *sigh* mem-ries), looking for anything that might be considered 'good.' Found these two and scanned them, then muted the colors a bit (that's the photoshop part). Taken the same day at a park in Altus. Such cuties!

Ooh look, a penny!

2009-11-10T21:58:00.003-06:00

--Thirty minutes on the elliptical machine, 10 minutes on the nautilus machines, and 30 minutes on the recumbent bike. Worked out with Mom tonight and I'm beat.

--I was invited to visit a photography studio in Euless next week to kibitz with the owner and shoot some portraits of a willing victim. Just need to find said willing victim.

--Am doing some preliminary logo work for a newly-established non-profit organization dedicated to kids with congenital heart defects, like my Sunshine. Check out the website here: http://www.blessherheart.org. Very sad story under 'Our Story.'

--Spent a good amount of time on hold with JPS today, but have the info I need to hopefully negotiate my bill down a few thousand dollars. Will fax that off tomorrow.

--Got absolutely no laundry done today. (I know you were wondering...)

Almost behind me

2009-11-09T21:31:00.003-06:00

Three milestones today:
1) I sent off the signature page for my part of the accident settlement.
2) The lawsuit was filed for David's part of the settlement.
3) I have a brand new shiny Tax ID number for my brand new shiny photography business.

So we spent some money to retain the lawyer, but will hopefully have a check in our hands by the end of the week. It's not nearly as much as I'd hoped I could get. Not nearly enough to cover the stuff I still go through on a daily basis as a direct result of this whole thing. But enough to just let it go. Put it behind me, pay the medical bills, and move on.

I suspect the accident that happened 17 years ago today may have a lot to do with why the accident that happened two years ago Wednesday affected me the way it has. The brain works in weird weird ways.

Designer Shirts :)

2009-11-08T14:33:00.002-06:00

Every year, the PTA purchases class shirts for the 6th graders--not sure why exactly, it's just a tradition that's been upheld since before I got there. We discovered last year that it's a lot cheaper to design and have them printed ourselves than to use a company that specifically caters to school shirts--they cost the PTA less than half as much, actually. Since I'm able, I offered to submit a design again for this year's shirts. This is what I've been working on:

Photoshop is my program of choice, but I did this entirely in Illustrator, using another design as inspiration. This may be the most complex thing I've ever done from scratch in Illustrator. It's a little messy as far as construction, but I'm quite pleased with how it turned out, and I REALLY hope the other Board members love it. I'd love to see this on a t-shirt and say, "Hey, I did that!"

Settlement

2009-11-07T22:54:00.003-06:00

We talked with the lawyer yesterday, and he kind of creeped me out a little. He seemed to dismiss David entirely, and really just rubbed us the wrong way. However, it's amazing how a phone call from an attorney's office will light a fire under a claims rep's booty. I talked to the rep at Farmers five or six times yesterday afternoon, negotiating a settlement amount that I could live with. It's not nearly what I asked for, but putting it behind me is much more valuable at this point. Hopefully we'll be able to get the release language worked out so I can sign and fax the forms on Monday.

David is deciding. Yesterday he was pretty intent on pursuing a lawsuit. Today he's considering settling. We need the money, but if he settles, he won't get even half of what he thinks is fair. So we'll see.

Anxiety

2009-11-06T08:50:00.003-06:00

I'm going with David to the appointment with the lawyer today, so this morning I'm gathering up files, printing off copies of the accident report and burning photos to disc. Feeling lightheaded and nauseated already, so this is probably going to be a long day.

I really like to pretend nothing ever happened. It's much easier to remember only when I can't squash it down, like when I'm the last person in line at a stoplight, or worse, the last person in line in stopped traffic. And just go ahead and hand me the kleenex and look up the number for my 'counselor' if I'm the last person in line in stopped traffic on a bridge... It's been almost two years, and it still very much affects my life. Dammit.

Funky

2009-11-05T20:28:00.002-06:00

Feeling kinda funky, not sick really. Just... Funky.

Tomorrow David meets with a lawyer about a possible lawsuit related to the 2007 accident. It would need to be filed before Wednesday if it can even happen. I'm thinking I need to attend this meeting, too, but David was kinda non-committal.

Not sure what's going on with the other guy's insurance. We were supposed to have another offer early last week, and have received no word. They're probably dragging their feet, hoping we won't file a lawsuit and they can offer whatever they want.

Update forthcoming...

I'm not a guy, either.

2009-11-04T20:05:00.004-06:00

I think the check-out girls at Kroger this evening thought I was a guy. And possibly a cute guy? If so, should I be flattered? First, I'm pretty sure my $50 worth of groceries didn't need two extra girls to bag them. Second, as I was unloading my cart, they were talking rather loudly in odd, breathy voices between giggles about how very long ago they'd been seventeen (two years for one, three years for the other two). Third.... well, there is no third thing. It was just very odd.

Okay, I was wearing a Cowboy's ball cap over my bad-hair-day short hair, jeans, sneakers, and a hooded sweatshirt jacket. And no makeup. My decidedly diminutive bosom doesn't help, either. But I was wearing one-inch hoop earrings! Do guys wear earrings that big?

I just know they were screeching to each other as soon as I was out of earshot: "OMG! OMG! I totally thought that lady was a guy, didn't you?"

I'm pretty sure I couldn't care less...

I do not have a luggage fixation! I don't think. Do I?

2009-11-03T20:22:00.004-06:00

Bookman isn't feeling well this evening, but I suspect it has more to do with the amount of homework he's put off until the last minute than with an actual bug. Gave him some echinacea and some tylenol for his sore throat, and told him to either go to bed (as in turn out the light and sleep) or get back to work. He's back to work.

In other news, apparently someone in Phoenix with a name remarkably similar to mine has a luggage fixation. Here's the story on CNN. I stumbled across the story on a Phoenix news website earlier today while looking at my site stats, which showed that several people arrived at my website by plugging her name into google and yahoo. While I'm glad to have the traffic at my site, I do hope her name doesn't tarnish mine.

And in a bit of totally unrelated news: I need to lay off the aspartame in diet sodas. It's been linked to memory loss, and I kind of scared myself today with a memory-lapse incident. I'll spare you the details, but I seriously thought I might be losing it. I'll blame the aspartame for now, and hope the short-term memory improves!

Autobiographer's Block

2009-11-02T19:55:00.002-06:00

I spent much of the day today trying to come up with a short biography for my photography blog. One would think writing about the one person I know best would be relatively easy. But how do you simmer down all the pertinent information about yourself into four or five sentences? I ended up not posting one, but what was I gonna say? "I'm a geek and proud of it, grew up all over the world. I love nearly every sort of artistic pursuit and am even good at a few: photography, graphic design, painting, papercraft. I'm not good at interpretive dance."

Actually, that's not half bad.

NaBloPoMo and tall tales

2009-11-01T20:08:00.002-06:00

November is National Blog Posting Month, and I'm going to take a stab at the goal of posting at least once a day for 30 days--on TWO different blogs. Check out the November 1st postings on Shutter Muse for my other NaBloPoMo project :)

My mother asked me today, "What did you do to your neck?" I'd kind of forgotten about it, because I um... sort of... um... injured... my neck at the base of my throat on Friday morning. David says it looks like I clotheslined myself, which is a much better explanation that what actually happened. Can't you see it? Maybe I was chasing after ChiChi to save her from the jaws of a rabid dog that had somehow gotten into our yard, and perhaps was so focused on her that I didn't see the clothesline, but didn't let it stop me. It could be that I hit the clothesline so hard and kept running that it snapped off, leaving a bright red welt on my neck.

What. It could totally have happened like that.

Or maybe--MAYBE I was in line at the convenience store when I saw the guy ahead of me pull out a gun! So perhaps I tackled him, making him hit his head on the counter and knocking him out, but the gun discharged and the bullet grazed my neck!

Maybe that one's a little far fetched, but still completely feasible! Right?

Right?

Okay, okay... *sigh* The truth is... I um... I.... I burned my neck baking muffins. Okay? Geez!

I was in a hurry. David was ready to walk out the door, and I was trying to get the muffins out of the oven and flipped onto a plate so he could scoop some up with a paper towel and take them with for breakfast. But my hands were in the wrong position for flipping. So I tried to reposition my hands without losing my grip on the potholders. Which I accomplished successfully. I did NOT lose my grip on the potholders.

I did, however, lose my grip on the pan, and it slid into my neck.

There, are you happy now? Surely I'm not the only person who has ever burned her neck whilst baking muffins.

;)

Happy Last Day of October!

2009-10-31T18:51:00.007-05:00

That's the only significance of today, right?

Last night was the yearly Family Fun Night (aka 'Carnival') at Sunshine's school. This is our last year there, so I purposefully didn't take as active a role as I normally would... or that was the plan, anyway. I'd only signed up to do some decorations and to work in the silent auction for an hour.

BUT... then the silent auction coordinator got swine flu. No, I did not volunteer to take it over (aren't you proud of me?). But on Thursday morning when the power went out, I went in to the school a day earlier than planned to get some decorations made and see how else I could help.

Yeeeah. That whole 'no real active role' notion? Overcome by marker fumes, apparently, as I wrote out 60+ bid forms and estimated the value of the donated auction items. Yesterday I did manage to get some decorations made and hung up before diving back into auction stuff. I was at the school from 8:30 am to after 10:00 pm, except for two fairly brief stops at home to potty the dogs.

Needless to say, I was utterly exhausted by the time I got home last night. Stiff and sore from being on my feet for sixteen straight hours, brain-dead, but still very caffeinated. Got into my jammies and drooled on my keyboard while I surfed facebook like a zombie. Couldn't even think about sleep until after midnight.

Was still very tired and creaky at seven this morning, so stayed in my pajamas nearly all day. Does it say anything to how exhausted I was, that around 2:00 pm I noticed for the first time that I'd put my pajama bottoms on backwards last night, and it took another hour or so to work up the energy to do anything about it?

Bookman also wore himself out by spending quite a bit of time inside the dragon mascot outfit. He did a great job, letting kids hug him, giving high-fives, posing for pictures. Inside a mascot outfit, he's free to use those *ahem* amazing dance moves...

On a related note (if I may bore you with just a smidge more auction chatter), I donated a portrait session, 11x14 print, and be-yooo-tiful 11x14 frame to the silent auction. I put a minimum bid of $30 on it because that's how much the whole gift cost me in actual dollars (I got the frame for half price), and if it were to 'sell' for less than that, I'd just as well give the money directly to the PTA. At the right is a picture of my item alongside other auction items.

Get this: TOTAL STRANGERS bid on it. People I do not know! How cool is that? It ended up selling for only $20 less than the total estimated value, which for a PTA silent auction is really good! Most things go for about half their estimated value, so I'm kinda grinning about that. The person who eventually won it is a fellow PTA Board member, which is cool. I'm already familiar with her kiddos, so photographing them will be relatively easy.

Off to watch Year One with the family!

Pazow!

2009-10-20T21:34:00.004-05:00

So in addition to getting my new website up and running, I've been working on another project--a collaboration on the illustration of a childrens' book about battling cancer. My friend Guerin did the character sketches, and I'm helping take those sketches from paper to PAZOW! My first transformation was a Chemo Dragon, representative of chemotherapy drugs. The first pic below is Guerin's drawing as he sent it to me (he sent it bigger, of course):

Now here's a small version of my interpretation:
Pretty cool, huh? The book hasn't been submitted to any publisher yet, and won't be until we get most/all the illustrations done, so it'll be a while before you can look for it in your local book store, but it's kinda fun. It's coloring book to the nth power. :)

New website live!

2009-10-17T22:29:00.004-05:00

I've been volunteering/donating my portraiture skills to friends, family, and PTA for the past few years. Finally enough people asked, "Why aren't you making money for this?", that I decided maybe I should give it a try.

For about three years, my web site at staceylking.com has been more of a portfolio of an assortment of skills, among them book covers, graphic design, web design, photography, and flash animation. It had no real purpose, except to show my students when I was teaching a class on web design, or photography, or graphics, or flash. It now has a purpose.

For the past three or four days, I've been brushing up on my Flash skills (it's been a long time since I taught it), and cranking out a new and improved website, this one a home for my portrait photography. Rather than an entire site in a single flash animation, I split it up into separate pages, so the browser buttons work, and individual pages can be bookmarked. And I'm very pleased with the result! Still working on getting pictures into the gallery.

Woop!

Please visit the site and test out the gallery, and send me a note from the contact form, help me find any kinks in the plumbing sooner rather than later.

Woop! Woop!

She's a King-Fisher!

2009-10-11T11:03:00.007-05:00

[British accent] Beautiful plumage, eh!?

*ahem*

Friday evening was the much-anticipated wedding of David's sister, Michelle King, to her long-time beau, Cory Fisher. After a few 'What to do with Lucy' glitches on Friday morning, we managed to get on the road to Tulsa by noon-ish. We checked into the hotel by 5:00, relaxed a bit, found the rest of the family down the hall, then got dressed and headed to the chapel.

Now, before we left home, David asked if I had the video camera. I said yes, it's in my camera bag, and of course I take my camera bag pretty much everywhere we go. Didn't give it another thought.

Until we were all standing in the the small vestibule of the chapel minutes before the wedding was to start, and Rosaleen, running through a verbal checklist, ended by pointing to the bag over my shoulder and saying, "And you've got the video camera."

I blinked at her for a moment, processing several things at once: 1) She said 'the' video camera, not 'a' video camera, 2) 'the' video camera is expected to film the ceremony, please, 3) David has never operated the video camera, 4) that means I'll be filming the ceremony, 5) OHMYGOSH I never checked the camera to see if the battery was charged!!!, and 6) it's been more than a month since I last touched it so chances are slim that it will have enough charge to film an entire ceremony.

After a few moments of mental stammering, I blazed into action, finding a corner by a power outlet, tearing into my camera bag, discovering that the camera battery in fact had ZERO juice (!!) and quickly plugging it in to charge for the few scant moments left before the bridal party started lining up.

All worked out in the end. There was a power outlet at the side of the altar area, so I was able to film the entire ceremony. The angles are a little odd sometimes, and the camera spazzes a few times while I plug and unplug it, and without a tripod the entire thing is a bit shaky, but it's a decent record of the event. While they finished taking pictures, I was also able to find an outlet in the reception hall, so I got lots of video of the reception, too.

I was actually relieved to have something meaningful to contribute. I'd been feeling bad that we couldn't get there early to help with flowers or food, as the rest of the family had done. I do wish I'd been prepared to film it (known to charge the battery and bring a tripod), but as crazy as the preparation stuff was, with family coming into town from North Carolina and Great Britain, I can see how it fell through the communication gaps. Besides, family and friends know well that I always bring the cameras. I may leave the rescue asthma meds in the car or at the hotel, but I will definitely have the cameras.

The professional photographer didn't stay for the reception, so between videotaping and dancing and dancing and more dancing, I managed to get some good still photos, too.

To the right is a particularly sweet photo of David and his sister. And yes, that's my goober Sunshine, too. More reception pics if you're interested.

The dancing machine gene must be genetic (but if so, where did we get it, Erin?). As soon as MJ's 'Smooth Criminal' started, the reception video starts bouncing around because I just could not keep my booty from groovin'. The rest of my family soon congregated on the dance floor and proceded to boogie. (By the way, call it heresy, but the Alien Ant Farm version of that song is WAY better than the original.) We tore up the floor, and at the very end of the night, we were the last ones still dancing, along with David's big sis Maggie.

All in all, it was a beautiful wedding!

Lock down!

2009-09-16T17:21:00.004-05:00

It's book fair time, and this year I'm the chairperson again. I love this job. All the cases were delivered today, and we managed to get it mostly set up. Also got a long list of other things accomplished (mostly decorations). But today had a little bonus excitement. :)

Sunshine's school used to sit in the middle of nowhere, nothing but fields surrounding it. Now, however, the area has been built up, and it sits near the intersection of two major roads, and within spitting distance of several pharmacies, grocery stores, gas stations, and.... banks. Today's excitement was thanks to a bank robbery across the street, after which the gunman made a break on foot toward the elementary school. So we were under complete lock-down for a good portion of the day while helicopters searched from the air. ALL doors locked, blinds drawn, lights out, kids silent and away from windows. There were five of us PTA volunteers in the work room, huddling in the dark behind the counter, calling people 'on the outside' to try to get more information.

It's kind of weird to be in a situation like that with other people--it's an opportunity to see how differently people handle the stress of potentially dangerous situations. I totally kept my cool. I was more worried about the Scholastic delivery guy being hijacked while attempting to deliver my book fair (which would have completely screwed up the book fair schedule! *wink*). I also worried just a smidge about Sunshine, and whether or not she was freaking out, but figured she was worrying more about me than about her (which turned out to be the case).

Anyway. The moral of today's story is that small towns are not exempt from big city crime, particularly in more desperate times. Thank goodness the lock-down was the extent of the excitement.

**Edited 9/17 to add photo.

Monday night madness and more

2009-07-28T23:02:00.000-05:00

Last night I taught an Introduction to Computer Graphics class. The last time I taught the class it was a four-hour Saturday morning class with no text. Now they've expanded the class to three weeknights, and the text they gave me to use is a 15-year-old TEXTBOOK for a semester-long college course. Now you probably know that 15 years in computer age is longer than the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods combined. And even if the material were current, there's no way we could cover anywhere close to the contents of the text in three nights. So I was scrambling. We were supposed to go until 10:00 pm, but made it to about 8:35 and decided to call it a night.

On the way home, I decided to swing by Fry's electronics to purchase a DVD burner to replace the DVD-ROM which had quit months and months ago. I got there with a few minutes to spare before they closed. Got home a smidge before 10:00.

And... since it was fresh on my brain, I decided to just go ahead and install the dang thing then, rather than waiting until morning. Instead of unhooking everything and bringing my computer tower into the light where I could see it, I crawled under my desk with a screwdriver. Of course just plugging the DVD drive in caused errors in the boot registry, so I spent another 90 minutes troubleshooting. Stuck my finger in the CPU cooling fan (that's when I decided I should find the camp light), bled on my good jeans ('cause I didn't change out of my teaching clothes first), and now have two gashes in my fingertip (which is hindering my typing a bit).

But I got it working (!), and was able to also get Vista repaired using the installation DVD (Vista crashed months ago, too), so I now have access to my Adobe CS3 design suite again! Wooo! I tried to do something creative with it last night, but alas, all my good thinking was used up. By that time it was nearing 2:30 am, so it's also quite possible that I was just dang tired.

This morning I had a date with Sunshine to take her to Justice (I hate that store) to spend some gift cards she'd acquired over the last year or so. I took my DSi and did sudoku puzzles while she shopped and tried on clothes.

Tonight's class was the third night of a four-night Photoshop class. I do try so very hard to be patient, but I confess I get frustrated sometimes. Photoshop is a robust, advanced program. If you have little experience using computers in general (and are unable to find and open a file, for instance) you should probably consider taking a class in computer basics before trying to tackle advanced software. And the people who use computers and can keep up get frustrated and bored while I spend more than half the class time repeatedly bringing the turtles up to speed. There are 16 people in this class--the largest I've ever had for Photoshop. It's tough with that many turtles and snails in one class. But I love the program, and hopefully my enthusiasm masks my impatience.

Trampolines and day-glo fiberglass

2009-04-25T07:06:00.005-05:00

It's because of Facebook. It's so much easier to type in a one- or two-sentence status update than to come here and actually compose lots of sentences and put them together for a blog entry. That's why this blog (and my other blogs) are so pitifully out of date. *nodding*

When we first moved into this house, we inherited a big trampoline from my then brother-in-law (okay, we actually purchased it from his brother, but only for some ridiculously crazy price like $35 or somesuch). Before we even put it together, we went out and purchased an enclosure for it, so no one could accidentally bounce off of it and break something. Yet somehow my Sunshine has now sustained two broken bones on it.

On April 15th, she was jumping on the trampoline with a friend who lives nearby, and I guess they had asked David to sit on the trampoline so they could 'bounce' him, wherein the bouncee sits in the middle and the bouncer(s) jump around him/her to see how high off the mat they can make the seated person fly. Apparently Sunshine accidently jumped on David, rather than the mat, and rolled her ankle. Sunshine and Friend both said they heard a pop, so I took her for x-rays the next day. Her doctor thought it looked like a sprain, but said someone else would look at the films just to make sure. So we hooked her up with lots of ace-wrap and some crutches, and she went back to school.

On Monday afternoon, the doctor's nurse called to tell me that the radiologist looked at the films and saw nothing to worry about. But the ankle was still swelling (even worse than it had initially) and it was still very sore. On Tuesday afternoon, the nurse called again to to say that an orthopedist had taken another look at the films and thought she might have a non-displaced fracture. She said she'd make an appointment with pediatric orthopedics at Cooks and call me back with details.

So yesterday morning was our orthopedics appointment. He confirmed that her tibia is fractured just below the growth plate, which is sort of unusual. Growth-plate fractures heal pretty quickly because that's the part of the bone that is already generating more bone (for growing!). This one is going to take about six weeks to heal, and she has to be in a real non-removable cast for at least four of the six. He'll reassess on May 22 and see if she can wear a 'boot' for the remainder.

A very small fracture right above her ankle. And she needs a toe-to-knee cast. Needless to say she is not happy about it at all. Preteen drama queen that she sometimes is, yesterday was the worst day of her life, and she's sure she didn't do anything to deserve this fate. She got so stressed out that she got a mini-migraine and stayed home from school all day.

Please pray for a return of a bright positive attitude!

(Yes, it's a very nice bright shade of orange. Color not accurately reproduced here--on my monitor anyway.)

The good news is that she can walk on it. They gave her a little black shoe to put over the cast. And even though she loathes the cast, she's finding it a lot easier to get around. She also gets out of PE for the rest of the year (which is good), but will be a spectator at Field Day (which is bad).

She's especially worried that this will make us miss Baby Beaver. So Erin, can you send me BB's email address so we can request that she hold off until after May 22nd?
;-)

Erin, this is for you: My baby book

2009-03-06T19:20:00.003-06:00

My dear neurotic pregnant sister has this notion that second and subsequent babies never get the attention that the first child got. So it is my understanding that she has decided NOT to do baby books or scrapbooks even for the first child, because she might not be able to do the same thing for a second baby, if a second child is indeed in God's plan. When she was here for Christmas, she mentioned my baby book, and how it was so much more detailed than hers. I laughed, but could not remember where I'd put my baby book to show her. Well, today I found it. Took a photo of every page spread so she could see. Here's the cover and the first few page spreads:

So far, so good. All this stuff was probably filled out when the book was purchased, at the shower, and in the hospital. It looks like there was once a copy of my birth certificate there, but it is now gone.
Okay, here the info starts to peter out. The cause is not that another baby was born, but that keeping up with a baby book, no matter how many other kids you have, becomes less of a priority, and THAT'S OKAY.
There's only one date recorded for my first. Mom went in after the fact and put in approximate ages. Aack! My first word isn't recorded!!!
Must have had a good long nap when I was 4 months old when my baby book was out...
Hmmm....
Okay, this is kind of interesting. My first birthday is recorded in one ink. The REST are recorded in another ink. Mom recorded 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th birthdays AFTER my 6th birthday, which, incidentally, was after Erin (baby #3) was born. She probably pulled out Julie's and my baby books when she was working on Erin's. (And in fact, most of my 'Firsts' recorded up there are in the same ink, so mom filled in a LOT of my baby book after Erin was born.)
Hmmm.....
Ehhhh.....
Yeeeaaah.
That's all. It's not complete by any means, but I am so glad to have it.
Erin, how does this compare to your baby book?

Love the Book Fair and classic Van Halen

2009-03-05T16:49:00.002-06:00

No, those two things aren't necessarily related (though a classic rock-themed book fair would be, ah, TOTALLY righteous). I spent the day at the school, volunteering in the book fair for student previews. I'm exhausted, sitting here zoning, playing Van Halen's '1984' album on Rhapsody.

I love the book fair. My only real memory of book fair as a kid was the night when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade in Alaska, it was some sort of family night and the book fair was going on, and Julie (who was probably four at the time) pulled the fire alarm at the school. We left quickly (as I remember it, anyway) without spending any money at the book fair. Now I'm lucky if I get out of there with less than $100 worth of books.

Two years ago I was the book fair chairperson, and I had such a good time planning and decorating for the fair. For the Medieval theme, we made castle and dragon decorations to go around the school. For the rainforest theme, we transformed the library into a wild jungle with a CD playing jungle sounds in the background. Next year, when I hand over my President stuff, I get to do book fair again. This year someone else is running it, and I'm just helping out because I don't think there's very much that could keep me away from a book fair. It's magnetic.

Sunshine sat down beside me, telling me about her day, and mentioned that one of her friends was named after a Van Halen song. So of course I had to open Rhapsody and find the song. And then I had to go ahead and listen to more songs...

Right now we're headed out to Peter Piper Pizza for a school fundraiser night. I'm going to be so beat by the time we get home. Will have no choice but to vegetate in front of Earl.

By the way, lost five and a half pounds this week. :-)

Trim time

2009-02-26T10:03:00.002-06:00

That's it. No more procrastinating. Today I am reforming my eating and exercise habits. I could use the excuse that I've gained sympathy weight, being that my sister is pregnant, but she lives three states away, so that one doesn't really fly. The truth is that I've been unbelievably lazy in my exercise and downright stupid with my eating. I've gained about 15 pounds over the winter, and am 20 pounds heavier than I want to be.

About five years ago, I found myself in a similar predicament, so I did a good bit of research, consulted a good friend who is a personal trainer, and put together an daily nutrition/exercise plan that's easy (not TOO much sweat!), just requires some discipline. I stuck with it and lost the weight in about three months. I was five years younger then, but I'm hoping it will work for me again. My goal is to get back down to my ideal weight by July, then just eat sensibly and exercise regularly. So this morning I dug out my aerobic step, my nutrition plan, and my hand weights (poor dusty things!), and got moving.

I'm posting here as a means to keep myself accountable. I won't bore you with the nitty-gritty details, but I will post a progress report once a week.

Here's one of my breakfast recipes (actually pretty good! I toss in about a tablespoon of dried fruit, too)

POWER OATMEAL

1 packet plain instant oatmeal
½ cup skim milk
½ scoop flavored protein powder or protein drink mix
1 packet Splenda

Prepare oatmeal with skim milk. Add protein powder and Splenda. Stir.

Oatmeal with milk: 140 calories, 1.5 g. fat, 24 g. carbs, 8 g. protein
Protein powder: 57 calories, 1 g. fat, 2 g. carbs, 10 g. protein
TOTAL: 197 calories, 2.5 g. fat. 26 g. carbs, 18 g. protein

Wish me luck!

Facebooked

2009-02-21T21:35:00.002-06:00

Sunshine is having a friend spend the night tonight, and this afternoon while I was taking them to Hobby Lobby, David was home industriously setting up a Facebook profile. When I got home I was more than a little astonished since I am the computer/Internet geek and I'm supposed to do all that stuff first and advise. I hadn't yet done that, my logic being that I don't need both a MySpace and a Facebook page. Never mind that I've not even looked at my MySpace page in about a year.

So of course I had to create a Facebook profile, too. *rolling my eyes* So far, I do like it a lot more than MySpace...

I love IKEA!

2009-02-18T09:02:00.002-06:00

So we got our tax refund, and with it, we're working on bedroom makeovers for the family. It's slower going than we'd hoped, but we're getting there. It's a good bit of work to do three bedrooms at a time. Note to self: Next time, do one room at a time.

David and I needed a new bed, so I shopped around online. I confess that I didn't check out a whole lot of places, because I already knew what I wanted, but I did browse Sam's Club online and the sites of a few local furniture stores, looking for a nice king-size bedframe and high-impact foam mattress (the kind that absorbs motion, so you can jump on one side and the glass of wine on the other doesn't spill). In the low-middle range at Sam's, it was $1300 for frame and mattress, not including a box spring or bed base! Say WHAT?

I didn't panic though. When we were in Orlando this summer, I made a couple of trips to the IKEA there, and saw a bed that I absolutely loved--frame, bedlinens and all. Very simple but colorful, clean lines, wood, and WIDE. I even took a picture of it. Check it out:
So after investigating other options, we headed to IKEA and bought the stuff to recreate that bed. Including sheets, summer comforter, pillows, duvet, foam mattress, adjustable-tension bed base, and frame, it cost less than $750! (!!!!!!) AND, they're running a promotion wherein you receive an IKEA gift card for purchasing Sultan-brand bed stuff (mattress and bed base), so I got $100 off my next purchase (which was a small fold-out couch for Bookman's room).

The bed was a little fiddly to assemble--I'm sure part of the reason IKEA furniture is priced low is because nothing is pre-assembled. The simple bed frame had a remarkably large number of parts, and we opted for European-style bowed wooden slats in place of a box spring, which came in a box as 90 slats (45 for each side) and the rubber and fabric bits to complete the two sides. Took us 2-1/2 hours, but we got it finished last night and slept on the fabulous foam mattress. LOVE IT! It is a little low (the legs of the bed are only about 3" tall, so the top of the mattress is just 15" off the floor), but it's comfy!

Alright, probably ought to get back to work on bedrooms...
Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Friday morning fanfare

2009-02-13T07:39:00.004-06:00

For some reason, getting Sunshine out the door this morning was almost as bad as getting her out the door on a Monday morning. Two things were in her favor: 1) it is not my week to drive, so she had about eight extra minutes, and 2) her brother is STILL home sick today (upper respiratory infection), so she didn't have to compete with him for the sink to do her hair or brush her teeth. Yet at the two-minute warning, she was still rushing around in shoeless feet with unbrushed teeth and hair, looking for a different shirt. *sigh*

Her lateness was due in small part to a Lucy escapade this morning. After I went in to wake Sunshine up, Lucy stayed in DD's room, a reasonably normal occurrence. When I went in to check on them a few minutes later, Lucy sat down by the dresser and looked up at me with guilty eyes. I looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary, didn't think much of it, and prodded Sunshine again. Later, I noticed that Lucy had a used kleenex stuck to her butt. On closer inspection, I saw that there was fresh glue holding it there. Puzzled, I made my way back to Sunshine's room, finding the complete cap to an Elmer's glue bottle in the hallway. And there, on the floor by the dresser, was a puddle of white glue squished out in the rough shape of a border collie's rear end. I suspect she sat in it to hide it from me.

I groaned/laughed/cried, then decided to clean up the carpet first and let Lucy outside. She's now back inside, with an assortment of leaves and sticks literally glued to her backside. Suppose I ought to add 'Give Gluebutt a bath' to the list of stuff I need to do today. *another sigh*

Happy Friday!, and I do hope your morning was reasonably glue-free.

Taxes filed? Check!

2009-02-04T10:16:00.003-06:00

I am so proud of myself! It's barely February and I have already filed our taxes! Whooo! That's what I did this morning. My last W2 arrived yesterday, and I was reasonably organized this past year, so I already had everything assembled, ready to punch numbers into the handy dandy software (I've got people!).

So now it's 10:30 am, and I have a couple of free hours to... ugh.. do laundry. *sigh* Maybe I'll go volunteer at the school instead...

Thoughts of blistering heat

2009-01-27T08:11:00.005-06:00

An ice storm is moving in. I had vainly hoped that schools would be closed today, but even now it's still 32 degrees, so the roads are just wet. A normal day so far, but there's a good chance I'll have to chip ice off of my truck at 2:20 this afternoon when I leave to get Sunshine.

So what am I doing now? Going though summer vacation photos on my hard drive. Remembering how swelteringly hot it was at Palo Duro Canyon. How it was at least 140 degrees on the hike to Ernst Tinaja at Big Bend, as the vulture circled overhead and we had to tell him "We're not dead yet!" How we all just about cooked ourselves on the beach near Tampa. (Do you see a theme here?) To the left is a photo of my little vandals at Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo a few summers ago. They had a great time.

I'm actually putting photos on a flash drive that I want to put into scrapbook pages. Sometime this week, I'll head to Walmart and use their nifty machine to print them. I'm going on a scrapbook retreat this weekend, to a little place in Bowie, Texas, called Hobby House Hill. Cindy, the owner, is a phenomenal cook, so it's worth the money just to go have her cook for us. I'll have roughly 55 hours of scrapbook time, so I need to make sure I take plenty to work on.

Looks like my Internet connection is about to peter out (always happens when it rains...) Hope y'all are staying warm!

I love lazy days...

2009-01-24T22:15:00.005-06:00

I slept in sweats last night, wore 'em all day, and am about ready to crawl back into bed, still wearing the sweats. It was chillier today. Only got up to the mid forties--but with a wind advisory, it felt much colder. After 80 degrees yesterday, today seemed like a good day to stay home and out of the wind. David got out to deposit his check, and brought home Rose's authentic Mexican food for lunch (mmmmmm....). The rest of us just lounged around the house.

I chatted online with my baby sister, got some stamping done. Did some crossword puzzles. David watched football. The kids took turns on the other computer playing WoW. They only indulged in a few minor altercations between them, so overall it was a very quiet day.

Oh. Sunshine and I did get one small thing accomplished that needed to be done. We emptied her craft supplies bin onto the middle of my bed, then sorted and organized everything. She has a lot of stuff she didn't remember she had (and quite a few things I'll have to borrow!).

Everybody had a lazy day... except Lucy. She was busy, busy, busy. Today Lucy chewed: 1) the zipper of one of Sunshine's comfy suede boots (it's ruined); 2) the earbuds to Bookman's iPod (destroyed); 3) Sunshine's pants from the dirty laundry (caught those in time); 4) a heavy duty orange extension cord (completely destroyed); 5) a TV remote control (the #4 button is missing), 6) the sleeve of David's jacket (caught that one in time, too). She also discovered the cool pop-up feature of Kleenex. Empty box, lot's of wet kleenex on the floor. *sigh* She's lucky she's cute.

A journalversary!

2009-01-20T13:11:00.002-06:00

When I was in high school, I kept a pretty regular diary ("I love [insert name of current boyfriend here] so much, he is just so nice and cute! I am so lucky!" *modern day rolling of eyes*). But somewhere around my Junior year, I fell out of the habit, and never really picked it back up. I've received some cool journal notebooks as gifts over the years, but tucked them into the top drawer of my dresser, saying "Someday I'll use them."

On January 20, 2008, I picked up one of those journals and wrote in it. And I did it again the next day. And again the next, and the next, and the next.

One year ago today, it was just two months after the accident, and I was still pretty traumatized, having physical pain, emotional issues, and nightmares. In those two months, I spent way too much time focusing on the crap that resulted from the accident, particularly as it related to me. My fears, my pain, the disruption of my life. It was doing me absolutely no good whatsoever, but acknowledging that fact made no difference. I had to DO something. In writing that first journal entry, my intent was to write down the things I'm grateful for (to help me focus on the good things in my life), as well as my prayers for others (to help me take my focus off of me). I tossed in a quick summary of the day's events, and thus began my journaling habit.

I've only missed one day that I can remember, and am now half-way through my third notebook. And I still use the same format: Quick summary, stuff I'm thankful for today, and my prayers for the day. Many days the Praises and the Prayers are the same as the day before, but writing them each day helps me remember them each day. Many days I've had to struggle mightily to stay awake to finish the entry, but every day I did it.

And now I'm wondering why it took me 20 years to return to journaling! Even in the past year, it has been helpful not only to my mental health, but also to my memory. When did we go to see the Butterfly Exhibit? Oh, yeah, it was Thursday, March 27th. What day did we find out Erin is pregnant? Yep, here it is. Friday, September 26th.

Which makes me think of all the memories I could have quickly recorded on the day they happened that are now lost or muddled in the haze of time. I have no idea when Sunshine lost her first tooth. I couldn't tell you when Bookman first learned to ride a bike without training wheels. No idea what those kids' names are in the pictures of 3rd birthday parties. *sigh* These are things I wish I'd written down. And if I'd been in the habit of journaling daily... *bigger sigh*

No more memories lost like that. I shall continue to take 20-30 minutes to sit quietly, reflect, and write a daily letter to God.

Deep thoughts on... death ;-)

2009-01-17T08:36:00.001-06:00

Joel was buried yesterday. Landra is doing well, considering. Please continue to keep them in your prayers.

However, this has gotten me thinking again about funerary traditions. One of my favorite books of all time is Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. In it, Mary Roach details all sorts of useful things you can do after you die. Obviously there's the whole Gross Anatomy thing, but did you know you could also help improve vehicle safety by becoming a crash test dummy? Or help forensic scientists research how a body decomposes under various conditions? You could help aspiring plastic surgeons perfect the latest techniques in face lifts, or even help grow food for the hungry. It's a really interesting book, and it's frequently very humorous, too.

After my paternal grandfather died, I decided that I don't want to be embalmed, put on display in a ridiculously expensive box, then buried in said ridiculously expensive box. I personally think embalming is silly. The body is going to rot anyway. Why spend thousands of dollars to prolong the process when you're just gonna put 'em in the ground in a day or two? And a casket! Holy moley. Cremation and a simple black canister (or biodegradable box) is the way to be buried if you're gonna go the cemetery route.

After David's dad died, the family did go the cremation and simple black box route. But I started to question the whole cemetery idea. Cemeteries in general are sad places. People visit their deceased loved ones in cemeteries, as though their loved ones are still there. They focus on the 'death' part of their loved ones' lives, rather than the 'life' parts. Sure, from a genealogical standpoint, cemeteries are a treasure trove of information, and I am one of those odd people who likes to visit historical cemeteries and wander among the headstones. But I really don't want to spend more than a few hours in one, ever.

Here's my thing: When I die, I'm outta here. I'll be on the next train to Heaven, sayonara! But I do want what's left of me on earth to be useful! Please, if you love me, donate any usable tissue to someone still living whose life could be saved or improved by it. Whatever's left... can be a crash test dummy, a parachute prototype tester, a decomposition subject, a dissection cadaver, I don't really care. If nothing useful can be done with me (or after I've done something useful), torch me and scatter the charred bits in a flower garden. Buy a brick for a library and put my name on it, then visit the library to remember me. Then... throw a party! Oooh! A luau would be cool, or a fiesta! I love theme parties with lots of bright colors! Play music you can groove to, and give wet raspberries to anyone who wears black or navy.

And if I believe one day a group of med students might be in Gross Anatomy, carefully peeling away layers of fat on my belly, it'll help me stay slender. Because I would just die if my belly looked like an ocean of curdled cheese.

Sad news

2009-01-10T18:53:00.000-06:00

I am so very sad to tell you that Joel Peña passed away this morning around 10:15. Please pray for Landra and her family.

Please pray for Joel

2009-01-07T19:35:00.000-06:00

I'm gonna post this here, because I know a lot of prayer warriors read this.

My friend Landra Peña is our PTA's historian. I have known her since her youngest son started Kindergarten at Deer Creek, and he's now in 3rd grade. Her husband, Joel Peña, is fighting for his life at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, after a drunk wrong-way driver slammed into his truck head-on at high speed. The accident happened in the wee morning hours of Sunday, December 28th. The drunk driver, 26-year-old Matthew McCoy, died in the accident. Mr. McCoy was driving on a suspended license (for DUI) and had no insurance.

Joel is so badly injured that doctors have kept him unconscious. Numerous broken bones, massive internal injuries, they had to remove his pancreas, and now his other organs are trying to shut down. He is right at this moment undergoing his second surgery of the day. Doctors say things look pretty grim.

But we believe in miracles! Joel is a great dad, has two boys: teenage Cory and 9-year-old Christopher. Landra is a stay-at-home mom heavily involved in PTA.

So I ask that you please pray! Pray for healing for Joel, trusting strength for Landra and for her boys, and peace for the family of Matthew McCoy. Pray for God's guiding wisdom for Joel's doctors, and pray for loving acceptance of God's will if His Plan is not what we pray. God is Great, and can restore Joel to his family.

Thanks everyone! I love you!
Stacey

Happy New Baby!

2009-01-04T13:21:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! It looks like we've got a new baby in the family. She is right now on the floor by my feet playing with an empty 2-liter bottle, banging it around and chewing on the cap, occasionally looking up at me with those big brown eyes... I guess she's forgiven me for taking her to get her vaccinations.

She's perhaps 10 months old, and she already weighs about 35 pounds. She's a bit on the skinny side, and still has feet that are a smidge too big for the rest of her.

Meet Lucy:

A couple of weeks ago, I was at my parents' house taking care of the cockatiels when my dad came in to tell me about a young border collie that had been hanging around. He said someone had painted her green on one side. It was right before Christmas, and I was already over my stress limit, so I held up my hand and said, "That's very sad, Dad, but I don't want to hear it. Lalalalalalalalalala." I know, very hard-hearted of me, but there are dozens of families that actually live in that neighborhood that could easily take her in. We already have an aging Chihuahua.

Well, on New Year's Day, we were putzing around after dinner when someone said that the green border collie was outside. I stayed where I was, ignoring my kids' 'Awwww's and 'She's so sweet's...until my curiosity got the better of me.

The dog did indeed have mint-green latex paint in her fur. We asked around and learned that she'd been hanging around for several weeks, and that the neighbors had been feeding her very occasionally. She's incredibly sweet-tempered, and a beautiful dog, so it was tough to resist the kid's pleading. We brought her back to our house for a trial run, intending to make Found Dog posters if we observed any indication that she'd ever had a home.

After four stressful days, I can say with confidence that she's never had a good home. I don't think she'd ever had a bath (she was that dirty), she'd apparently had a run-in with a skunk long enough ago for the dry scent to wear off (but boy was it apparent when we got her wet!), and she tested positive for the heartworm parasite even though she's not even a year old. And she has an eye infection. Wherever she came from, it was not a loving home.

She's not housebroken yet, either. But she seems to be an intelligent dog, and she very much wants to be a good girl, so I'm sure that won't last long. She has tried to use ChiChi as a chew-toy a few times, which does concern us, but I'm working with both dogs to show the puppy that the little dog is off-limits. If that behavior continues, we may have to find another home for Lucy.

Here's a slightly blurry (nearly-dead camera battery) picture of ChiChi:

Here's a pic of the two of them (again kinda blurry, but note the size difference) playing with Tiki, one of two Pomeranians that lives behind us.

We'll see how she does. She's a much bigger dog than we've had, so that alone is requiring some adjustments (like remembering to put the toilet lids down). Adrienne was perhaps 20 pounds after old age fattened her up. Lucy will probably grow an inch or two and gain another 10-15 pounds in the next year.

I am thankful for the blessing of devoted friends, including the four-legged variety.

And blessings to you! May you live all the days of your life!

2008-12-31T10:04:00.000-06:00

Only five more days before the kids go back to school. We've been enjoying a relatively lazy winter break, staying home and trying not to spend money. Yesterday we ventured out to Walmart for groceries and picked up several skeins of yarn because my children are suddenly feeling crafty. (By the way, older child and younger child will henceforth be referred to as Bookman and Sunshine on my blog.)

All winter break I've been working on crochet projects, mostly hats for other people and an afghan. On Monday, Sunshine dug some soft fuzzy yarn out of her craft box and decided she wanted to make a scarf. She doesn't have the patience yet for the fiddliness of crochet, so we dug out the 'Knifty Knitter' set we got many years ago. She chose the smallest loom, and cranked out a scarf in about 24 hours. It will also double as a hand/arm warmer on the playground. Check it out!

Bookman was impressed, so much so that he is now half-way done with a cozy hat for himself. I made a super-cute baby hat, but will be sticking to crochet. For some reason the loom knitting thing killed my hands.

I mentioned the afghan I'm working on... *sigh* I've been working on the same afghan for at least three years. It's for Sunshine, but I guess I've had some sort of mental thing about finishing it--she's known to be tough on blankets sometimes, and I want her to be able to pass this one on to her children. So I guess I was waiting until she was old enough to appreciate the time investment before forging ahead to finish it. I think she's about there now, and I'm more than half-way finished. My goal for January is to get the darn thing done!

I have discovered over the last decade that I do like crocheting for other people, something I undoubtedly absorbed from my Gramma. When I start a project with someone else in mind, loving thoughts and prayers for well-being are embodied in every stitch, so I end up with a finished piece composed of long bits of yarn and lots of love. I'm watching my kids knit, and I'm hoping maybe I can pass that on to them by encouraging them to make a hat for Head Huggers or similar program. That's another goal for the year :-)

Modern medicine

2008-12-17T09:03:00.000-06:00

Every year about this time, I say a prayer of thanks for modern medicine. Particularly for Dr. Matthew M. Weinecke, the pediatric cardiologist whose experienced eye recognized that my weeks-old daughter was very very sick, and for Dr. Lawrence Fox and Dr. Jeffrey Heinle, the pediatric surgeons whose skilled hands performed the open-heart surgery on that tiny heart and saved my baby's life. Were it not for modern advances in diagnosing and repairing congenital heart defects, our family would be very different without our Sunshine.

Today I am again thankful for modern medicine. My mother-in-law is in the hospital with an abscess on her jaw that isn't responding to antibiotics. She's in a lot of pain, and apparently has a lot of swelling. She had a CAT scan earlier this morning to hopefully locate the abscess so they can surgically remove or drain it. The doctor likely won't even see the results until later tonight, so for now we're just waiting. The toughest part for us is that she's three and a half hours away in Oklahoma, and it's hard to worry long distance.

So if you read this, please take a moment to give thanks for the blessing of skilled doctors and for the healing power of prayer.

New identity for an odd room

2008-12-16T10:27:00.000-06:00

I'm kind of excited. As creative a soul as I am, dabbling in nearly anything crafty, I've never had a dedicated craft space. Lately I've been using the dining room table, among other places, and consequently our family has eaten many dinners sitting together in the living room, or picnicking on the patio or on the trampoline.

Well... about a week ago, I had a flash of inspiration, and devised a scheme to set aside a corner of our front room JUST for all my crafty cra-- er, stuff. Our house is odd. The front door opens into a room that is, I believe, intended to be a formal living room, but it's fairly small. For seven years, it has functioned as an office/computer room and library (with three large bookcases stuffed to the gills). When older child started middle school, I bought a 6' folding table and added 'homework space' to the room's identity. It then transitioned to 'homeschool'. But then he went back to the middle school...

That folding table came in handy for doing craft fairs, and it's been riding around in the back of my SUV for a month. Now I'm done with craft fairs for the season, so... I'm putting it to new use!

Scratch the homework/homeschool identity for the front room. It shall henceforth be known as the COLC (computer/office/library/CRAFT) room! I am, at this very moment, taking a break from getting my craft stuff organized in my new craft corner. The dining table is almost clear and I'm trying to figure out how to best utilize every precious inch.

I can't wait to have it done so I can sit down and make it messy!

Trapezius injury

2008-12-11T09:36:00.003-06:00

I had a very sore neck yesterday. It was weird, because I could think of nothing I'd done that might cause it. I hadn't worked out at all (though I really need to), I hadn't slept oddly (no more oddly than usual, anyway), hadn't tweaked it... nothing.

Being the hyper-cautious person that I now am (damn that accident), I researched possible causes before I went to bed last night, and felt a little better knowing it was nothing serious, just... an unexplained sore neck.

Well... in the wee hours of the morning, I suddenly sat up and went, "Aha! I know what it is!" Are you ready for this?

I listened to "Bohemian Rhapsody" THREE times on Tuesday.

Yeah! I know! I totally earned that sore neck!

For those who have no idea why a song would cause residual muscular pain, particularly in the neck region, you need to log off your computer and go watch Wayne's World on DVD RIGHT NOW. It's okay, I'll wait. (Here's a link to just that particular scene on YouTube)

Hmmmhmmmmhmhmhmmmm....

You back? Okay, now I can proceed with the story...

Bohemian Rhapsody came on the radio as I was taking kiddos to school. Fortunately I got stopped at the light in front of the school as the song got to the head-banging part, but I'm imagining what parents around me thought... "Is that our PTA president rockin' out? Oh wait, sshhh...If you listen, you can hear her singing... And her windows aren't even rolled down."

I was still jamming when I got home, so older child (whose school starts later) asked me what I was singing. Of course I had to pull the song up on Rhapsody and let him hear (his toothbrush sings "We Will Rock You" so he already has an appreciation for Queen). And of course I had to sing along and rock out.

Took him to school, then came home to get to work on laundry, and had Rhapsody (the online music service) playing, which now had Bohemian Rhapsody in my playlist. So when it came on yet AGAIN, I had to stop what I was doing and REALLY rock it (Hey, I was home by myself, so there was no one around to go, "Uh... Is mommy having some sort of seizure?").

I know what you're thinking, and yes, it was worth it.

Alzheimer's sucks beans

2008-12-06T11:42:00.000-06:00

My Gramma used to be the best Gramma in the world. When I was a kid, I loved going to her house because she had an enclosed front porch full of old toys and old furniture and lots of cousins to play with. There was almost always something yummy on the stove top or in the oven. She's not Italian by birth, but assimilated herself by marriage as quickly as she could. Holidays at her house included tables spilling into the living room to accommodate 30+ loud and laughing relatives. Her meatballs and braciole--oh, makes me want to reminisce with a Sicilian accent. (Inconthievable!!)(Sorry. *ahem*)

Even as recently as three years ago, we baked cookies and pitzels together in my mom's kitchen, talking about genealogy and great-great-great-great aunts and uncles. She was a wonderful great-Gramma to my kids.

Now, that Gramma is gone. No, she's still alive. She's just a mean, angry, resentful person, her former self eaten away by Alzheimer's and dementia. She lives full-time with my mom, about ten miles away. (You can read more about the accident that seemed to speed up her decline in this post.)

Now, she gripes at my kids for silly stuff (she once barked at younger child to 'Quit dancing! Do you behave like that at home?', threw a fit because older child stood at the counter to nibble some cheese and crackers). She makes up hateful things about me and my older child to tell her caregivers, sometimes even when I'm in the same room! She tells my mom's dog to eat my dog. She squints her eyes and covers her ears with her hands whenever there's a noise she doesn't like (like my voice speaking to my mother). She accuses all of us of stealing her stuff when she can't find something. She especially dislikes my son simply because he's a boy.

We see her every weekend, but it's hard sometimes, especially for my kids, because they don't really remember 'Great-Gramma'. I constantly remind them (and myself) that it's not really her--it's the disease, but that doesn't make visiting any more pleasant. How can we enjoy being with an old woman mean enough to make my teenager cry?

Okay, so what spurred such a depressing post? My mom recently started a blog to catalog the daily struggles and triumphs of my grandmother's Alzheimer's (if you know/remember my grandmother, check out The Butterfly Net). Yesterday I made some custom graphics for the blog, and this morning I found a picture of my grandmother to put up. As I was adjusting the brightness and contrast of the photo and reducing the glare on her glasses in Photoshop, I got to thinking about how she used to be. And it made me sad. It's difficult to hang on to the good memories when our more recent experiences are so...daunting.

In all fairness, I must admit that she's been more mellow in recent weeks. On Thanksgiving day, she didn't gripe even once, not even at my son. It was such a departure from her normal self, that we all noticed and marveled. Let's hope she's still mellow tomorrow...

Bailout Soapbox

2008-12-03T09:39:00.000-06:00

I just have to roll my eyes and sigh loudly every time I read or hear the word 'bailout'. I am not a financial whiz by any means, so my understanding of what is actually happening is likely very limited, but what I see this week is a bunch of extremely high-paid execs whining to Congress about how they deserve to be rewarded for their stupidity.

Okay, I can kind of see where the bank bailout was reasonable. Banks are, after all, federally insured, so the government has somewhat of a responsibility to assure the solvency of those institutions. I DO believe that the executives who contributed to the failure of said institutions need to be held accountable for their reckless spending and poor leadership--especially those bozos who celebrated their bailout with a $440,000 spa trip.

But a bailout of auto makers? Puh-leeze. GM has been operating at a significant loss for at least five years, Ford for at least three. They have already received the tax breaks associated with that.

Umm... Hello? Taxpayers should bail out these companies why?

I understand that there are tens of thousands of regular people employed by these companies, who will very likely lose their jobs in a time that is already financially challenging. And that is certainly something to take into consideration.

How about this for a solution: Every single person at GM, Ford, and Chrysler who makes more than $100,000 a year should sell off ALL their assets. The houses, the boats, the luxury cars, the timeshares, the hulking flatscreens. They should accept a salary of $60,000 a year, buy one small house (less than 2000 square feet) with no pool, two compact cars with cloth seats and no DVD players or satellite radio, and one 25" low-def television. Keep one iPhone ('cause we all need a little luxury), but nix the $40/month internet service fee for it. The combined difference from all those executives would certainly take a huge bite out of that $34 billion shortfall, and perhaps show those hoo-ha's what it's like to get by on a regular guy's salary.

*deep, cleansing breath* Okay. I feel better. I'm going to go back to ignoring the whole situation.

I am thankful that I drive a Toyota :-), that we don't work for the auto industry, and that people keep flushing stuff labeled 'flushable', thus assuring that plumbers have plenty of work to do.