'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, 'Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?''
Jay Leno
Annie Get Your Gun closes tomorrow night. If you haven't seen it, you've missed out on a great show. It's not the kind of show that makes you think or teaches you a lesson. It's not derived from a fabulous book, it doesn't even have a fabulous book. But, it's been the funnest show I've ever been involved with. It's just entertaining.
I have two shows tonight (Kate is coming to the first one, my parents are coming to the second *smile*) and three shows tomorrow night. In preparation for this, I'm going to run around all day like a chicken with it's head cut off (which I've actually seen and is not a pretty sight). No, maybe I'll just run one or two errands and then read a book or teach a couple of lessons. How does a person prepare for five shows in two days?
I'm really going to miss this cast. I made some new friends, built better friendships with others, and just had an overall great time. I'm so glad I got to do this and I will always be grateful for that phone call.
Let's go on with the show!
My strangest dream ever, that I still remember, goes like this.
I'm driving in a car, a red sports car *grin*, and I'm going really fast, because it's a red sports car, duh! I'm going so fast that I crash my red sports car into a brick wall. I get out of the car, see a sign that says "Margaritaville" *Hmmm*, then tell a passerby that I'm looking for my salt.
End of dream.
And very little funny about it.
Kate tagged me with this one, it's called "Somebody has to say it." The point is that it's my blog and I get to decide to what to write, what to say, what to publish. It's my place to vent, to let people know how I feel about things, without fear of back talk. Well, I'm always afraid of back talk (how could I not be? I'm a mother!) and truthfully I hate confrontation. Still, I've thought about this one since yesterday afternoon and I have decided there are things that drive me nuts enough to want to post about them.
1. DON'T BE LATE!!!!! I think people who are chronically late are insensitive, inconsiderate, selfish cretins. There is very little I hate more than wasting my time waiting for someone who doesn't have enough respect for me to show up when they say they are going to. I understand that things happen on occasion, but if you are one of those people who things happen to every time, plan for it!
2. It was my choice to be a stay-at-home mom. I am not oppressed. I am not depressed. I was not forced by my over bearing husband to give up my job and stay home. Anyone who has met David would know that. Don't feel sorry for me because I don't work outside of my home...I work plenty hard inside of it. Yes, it's been hard at times. Yes, there are things I've had to give up. Yes, the world thinks I'm crazy. Guess what? I don't care. I know I made the right choice for me and my family.
3. A toss up between people who don't vote and then complain about this country and everything wrong with it and people who use their cell phones in movies...the stupid LCD is shining right in my eyes!
4. There is so much mic tape residue on my neck that the mic cord stayed stuck after I pulled off the tape. And yes, I wash it off every night...at least I thought I did.
I think that tomorrow I'll blog only funny things. My forum needs a pick me up.
When the sun has set
and the world's in silhouette,
people get romantic notions.
On a summer night,
sharing drinks by candlelight,
we invite romantic notions.
Often when I reach the end of the day,
I dream of the way life could be.
Gazing at the stars I leave all my cares,
my earthly affairs behind.
Dreams don't all come true.
Look at me and look at you.
Still I can't deny
dreams help me get by.
Leave me my romantic notions.
When the fog rolls in
and the moon is paper thing,
people spin romantic notions.
Like an August breeze
whistling through the willow trees,
such are these romantic notions.
Often when I feel the binds growing tight
I go on a flight of fancy.
Picturing a dream as if it were true
helps people get through the night,
and come out all right.
We can light a spark
when the world is growing dark.
Let your vision soar.
That's what dreams are for.
Cherish your romantic notions.
Cherish your romantic notions.
Do You Know Who You Are
I taught Relief Society on Sunday and truthfully, I was very nervous for this lesson. I had taken the time to read through the lesson several times, make notes in the margins and prepare my visual aids, but somehow, the finalizing of the lesson eluded me until around intermission of my Saturday matinee. That is a nerve-making situation.
The lesson went really well. At least I assumed it did because when I finished (Amen) I heard one of the ladies say, not softly at all, "That was a good lesson!"
Do You Know...Part Two
Right after the same lesson, but a little more quietly, another sister came up to me and said, "Thank you. That lesson made me feel so happy. Thank you."
I don't know if their is any greater compliment for a teacher than to hear than a simple "Thank you."
I knew who I was on Sunday...a good teacher.
Vanity Never Goes Away
For this same R.S. lesson I had taken snapshots of the sisters in my ward and displayed them collage style on a poster board. Personally, I thought all the sisters looked beautiful, but it was fascinating for me to observe them as they looked at the pictures. The younger sisters in the ward, didn't say anything, but you could tell they avoided looking at their own picture. The older sisters were very vocal about the whole experience..."Sister Cloward looks so beautiful! Oh! Look at Sister Bell! She's lovely! That looks just like Sister Whittaker! So happy!" And when they would see their own? "I look old! Oh! I never look good in pictures! That's just some old woman!"
In their defense. most of them are older. When they announced a seniors only dinner, 90% of my Relief Society has been able to attend for at least 15 years.
Oh well. I learned that vanity doesn't go away just because a face is more wrinkled than not.
Long Friendship
I wore a necklace on Sunday that was given to me when I was 13 years old by a very good friend. It's a pukka shell necklace, but not like most of that kind. Instead of little round shells, it has bigger oblong ones that used to poke me in the neck all of the time, but have since worn a little smoother.
I remember when Kelly got back from his trip to Hawaii, he had bought necklaces for all the girls. (Isn't that just like him?) Ann Chadwick and I went over to visit him and he proudly brought out all of the necklaces to show us, and let us choose which one we wanted. I didn't pick the one I have now, I liked the look of something else. Kelly took that one back and said, "I have a different one picked out for you, Patti."
Nearly 25 years later I still have that necklace. And like that necklace, our friendship still fits, and in fact, has worn a little smoother.
A Military Perspective
A bunch of cast members went out after the show last night, and I got to sit next to Derek. He promised to behave himself, which if you know Derek is a very important thing. But it was better than that. I got to talk to a Marine, about the service, on Memorial Day.
Derek described for those of us who could hear, the pride that Marines take in their appearance. He talked about the precision required in the uniform. He told us about measuring to make certain that medals and creases were in the proper place. He told us about taking tests and that a simple movement of the hand lost him points.
I would think that such a demanding job would be a burden, but as Derek talked I could tell that he loved this job. He loved the ideals behind it and the discipline required to do it. But mostly, I think he loves standing up for what he believes in and defending this country.
How's that for a Memorial Day lesson?
The Civil War
Derek also told us about his feelings on performing in the "Civil War". They are remarkably similar to mine about viewing it, although more intense.
It's important that we, as a country, don't forget those things that happened to make us what we are today. Sometimes that means seeing and hearing things that may be uncomfortable or sad. It means taking the time to learn about our history, like the Civil War, and taking away from that what lessons we can.
We were all amazed that patrons went to the theatre expecting "Civil War" to be a happy show.
Ending
My show ends in less than a week. Through the whims of my double, I don't know if I have 4 more performances or 6. It's very conflicting. We already filled out and turned in paperwork that says I have 6, but she calls me yesterday and tells me that I may only have 4. I hope she decides soon.
If you click on the picture of bubble wrap to the right of this blog...
Maybe try the manic mode...
I think I'm a little bit addicted...
It's cheaper than real...
Not as tactile...
Still fun!
a couple of notes:
David made it back from his business trip. Yeah!
I really did fix Ella's hair before preschool that morning. Shauna could tell you how it came out.
Call me a traitor, I'm glad David Cook won American Idol.
I have found that in every situation, whether it be good or bad, there is always something I can learn. It's not always an obvious lesson, or an important lesson, sometimes it's something as simple as, "I didn't know I was that kind of a person!" I learned some lessons from people I love and care about yesterday, and I want to share them here.
1. Positive attitude in the face of multiple challenges and life altering decisions.
I have a dear and wonderful friend who has some huge challenges ahead of her. Life is not treating her easily or lightly. She has had to struggle, sometimes on a daily basis, just to be where she wants to be. But, she has done it all with such a positive attitude...with verve, if I might say so, that she has become such an inspiration to me. I hope she realizes that I don't just love her, I admire and respect her as well.
2. Disappointment is a fact of life, but you pick yourself up and keep going anyway.
One of my young students recently got up the nerve to audition for a show...and was sorely disappointed when she didn't even get a callback. She's not a seasoned performer, she's still quite young and new to this. Many of her good friends did get called back. It hurt a lot. I know she cried, because I saw her right after her audition and she cried on my shoulder. And still, she came to voice lessons yesterday, ready to keep trying, putting on a happy face for her friends, and asking for mopey songs so that the next time something bad happened, she would have something to sing that would match her mood.
3. Even at 4 years old a work ethic is a good thing.
My husband is on a business trip this week (thank goodness it's a short one!) and I am trying to keep every one's life going like it's supposed to. Three of my kids had rehearsal last night, one had Scouts, and I, supposedly, had the night off. I was trying to figure out how I could get the three to their rehearsal and still be home when the fourth was finished. I couldn't do it, the timing was all wrong, so I figured out an alternative. The two would go to rehearsal, I would arrange for a ride home for them, and I would be here with the youngest for when the middle child got done. I even called the director and got all the right permissions for this to work. When I found my four year old, she was putting on her rehearsal shoes and sock. I told her, "You're not going to rehearsal tonight." She answered me, in the multi-syllabic way that only children can manage, "Mom! I'm in the show!" And that was that. My plans went out the window. I'm not sure where she learned such a strong work ethic, but I know it's a good thing.
Well...it's time to be off and living...and learning.
I was incredibly surprised at how not sad I was when I visited friends at callbacks last night.
After sitting there for five hours, even the most seasoned performer can get frustrated and start worrying about her abilities.
I thought auditions were supposed to narrow things down for callbacks.
It's amazing how well a show can run when a good number of the cast is only half there.
I need to remember that giving birth to bunnies out of your head is a lesson in futility.
Having the summer off is a good thing.
I don't usually blog about Kelly, I figure he gets enough publicity without my help, but last night he did some things at Sterling Singers that had us laughing so hard we nearly peed our pants.
Frequently Kelly will tell stories or scenarios to convey the feeling that he wants to achieve with a certain piece of music. Last night's story went something like this:
I think that Heavenly Father will use this music for the Day of Judgement. Hmmm...I can see it now. He'll put in the cd, push play, (at this point Kelly rubs his hands together), and say, "Okay. Let's do it."
And then this song plays...
Just two days ago I post about how I'm going to totally ignore the NKOTB reunion.
I fully intended to do that.
They were the performers for the Friday morning concert series on the Today show. I knew it was coming and I didn't watch. How could I? I was running errands and working with friends and talking to Rachael.
I was busy.
No, my downfall happened late in the afternoon, when all my lessons were over, and I was waiting for 6:00 to happen.
I got on the Today show website and watched all the video of it.
It was like a train wreck...I couldn't look away.
"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy. They are the charming gardeners
who make our souls blossom."Marcel Proust
Begin with a very imaginative four year old. (Most four year olds are imaginative so that's kind of redundant.)
Add a lightweight slightly smaller than normal blanket.
Fasten with a safety pin.
Go outside and save the world!
Fact: The New Kids On the Block are reunited.
Fact: They have already recorded a new album to be released this summer.
Fact: They have a full concert lineup, with sold out shows in Canada.
Fact: I am officially weirded out.
I used to love the NKOTB. I really did. And I'm not ashamed to admit it. It is part of who I was and what I did when I was younger (I even attended a concert once...it was like listening to thousands of 6 - 10 year olds scream themselves raw...oh wait! It wasn't like that at all! It was exactly that.) I have a couple of albums (cassette tapes *chagrined grin*) in a box in my basement. I have teen magazines with their pictures (although I have more of "The Outsiders", but that's a blog for another day.)
In spite of all of this, part of me was glad when they very quietly faded into the nothing ether of "has-been".
Now they are back. They are older. They think their fan base is 25 - 35. (Do they not remember the screaming 6 year olds?) They are going to ignore the Oprah appearances where they talked about excruciating anxiety attacks and never performing on stage again. What?!!!!
This is almost as unsettling as hearing that Lionel Richie has released a new album.
I suppose if their concert tour does well, or their album goes gold, it would have all been worth it for them. But, I won't be going to a concert. I don't think I'll be buying the album. I think I'd rather leave my memories as they were. It was a pleasant time in my life (except for Jeff B.), and I have no desire to revisit it.
So...
Thank you NKOTB for being a part of my teenage years, I'm going to leave it that way.
I hate laundry.
I think I have a very logical and reasonable excuse for feeling this way.
Laundry never ends.
For example: I have four children and two adults in my household. If I start washing on Monday morning, run my washing machine and my dryer all day long, spend my "free" moments folding clothes, then putting them away, or at least in the vicinity of away, when I finish this chore, late on Monday afternoon (probably just before lessons), the clothes that I am wearing are dirty. Therefore, laundry is not really finished, just temporarily forestalled from taking over the house.
There is a solution to this.
Many, many ages ago, when my family lived in the Phillippines, my best friend was Tunie. We would play at her house about half the time and occasionally her mother would come and tell us to go downstairs and not come up again because she was going to be doing the laundry. Well, being seven years old, I had no idea why her doing the laundry should banish us to the 1st floor. When I asked about it, Tunie informed me that her mother liked to do the laundry naked.
Hey! That would mean that all the laundry would be done! It could actually get finished! Too bad I can't imagine that happening around here.
Oh well. My laundry will never end.
I hate laundry.
I'm awfully sorry that Shauna had one on Saturday.
I would have been sorry anyway, in fact, I already was.
Why did I have to get one myself?
Today in Sacrament Meeting, one of the talks was on Mary the mother of Jesus.
She had, in addition to Jesus, at least four boys and two girls. I think I knew this before, but had never sat down and thought about it. Well, I was already sitting, and in this meeting, there was little else to do but think, and this is what I thought:
Can you imagine one of those little girls, maybe five or six years old, getting in trouble and then getting yelled at by their mother, bursting into tears and through those tears saying: "But...I am trying to be like Jesus!"
Yes, I know there's a lightning rod attached to my head at this moment.
I'm going to go now and eat my pancakes.
Then I think I'll water my flowers.
Maybe after that I'll read my book.
*smile*
Welcome to the 2008 edition of getting to know your friends. Okay,here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be lame and spoil the fun! Copy this entire email and paste into a new email that you can send, change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then send this to a whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person that sent it to you. Some of you may get this several times (that means you have lots of friends).
1. What is your occupation? Wife, mother of 4, home economist, educator, performer
2. What color are your socks right now? I'm not wearing any!
3. What are you listening to right now? Original Cast Recording of Spamalot.
4. What was the last thing that you ate? shredded wheat
5. Can you drive a stick shift? Yes!
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? purple
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? David
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Of Course I do ! (but I'm not so certain right now.)
9. How old are you today? 37
10. Favorite drink? Depends on the day
11. What is your favorite sport to watch? baseball
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Just a couple of days ago.
13. Pets? Yes, our dog is Chubs
14. Favorite food? wontons
15. Last movie you watched? "The Martian Child"
16. Favorite Day of the year? Arbor Day...don't ask why.
17. What do you do to vent anger? pound on the piano
18. What was your favorite toy as a child? Unknown...I would play with just about anything.
19. What is your favorite season? summer
20. Hugs or kisses? Kisses!
21. Cherry or Blueberry? Blueberry
22. Do you want your friends to email you back? Heck yeah!
23. Who is most likely to respond? Lisa, she'd better! She's the one who sent this to me.
24. Who is least likely to respond? Crystal...she's going out of town.
25. When was the last time you laughed? Just a few minutes ago when I read Lisa's answer to #24.
26. When was the last time you cried? A few minutes before that when I was listening to "Little Women"
27. What is on the floor of your closet? boxes of sweaters
28. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? Shauna, Rachael, Esther (not really fair, they are my sisters.)
29. Who is the friend you have had the shortest that you are sending this to? Kate
30. Favorite smells? Lavender, lilac, anything floral.
31. Who inspires you? Ben, who never ever gives up.
32. What are you afraid of? Loosing my wig during "Sun in the Morning"
33. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? cheese
34. Favorite car? 1961 red Corvette Convertible.
35. Number of keys on your key ring? 5
36. How many years at your current job? I've been teaching lessons for 13 years this June.
37. Favorite day of the week? Monday
38. How many states have you lived in? 7 Hawaii, Rhode Island, Georgia, Washington, California, Utah, Idaho
39. Do you think you're funny? I'm not sure if it's funny or just really, really strange.
"There should be a law that when you graduate from High School you're not allowed to get zits anymore."
1 mutilated bike + 1 undraining washing machine + 1 temperamental stuck stage = discombobulated Patti
Throw into that equation 1 four year old whose new favorite method of communication is whining.
A ten year old who can't remember to clean his room (I know, I know...that's normal).
A twelve year old who is trying to pretend she's 13 (why would she do that to me? I turned into a toad at that age.)
An eight year old know-it-all who tries to boss around his older (but shorter) brother.
All of this equals?
My life.
Today.
And it's raining.
Last fall I took Joshua to an audition at the Off Broadway Theatre. In the end we both made the show and had a great time. At the beginning, here was a conversation Joshua had with the director.
Director: What's your name?
Joshua: Joshua.
D: Do you have a nickname or something?
J: Josh.
D: What does your mother call you?
J: Ben.
*outrageous snorts from me*
"Uh, hello....everybody knows you can't give birth to bunnies out of your head." --Greg Barnett
Aren't things supposed to look better in the morning?
They don't today...
Not really.
Three of our techs walked in the middle of the show tonight. They didn't do it before the show when they could have been replaced. They didn't call in their doubles or make any effort to cover their parts. They left during intermission, without telling anyone, leaving the rest of the techs, the cast, and the audience high and dry. I know they had their reasons for doing this...but did they really accomplish anything?
I got a night off!
My double has been sick, and last night was the first night in a week that I had off. Even Sunday night was busy, I had Sterling Singers.
Anyway, I stayed home last night. It was wonderful! I got almost no reading done. I didn't clean my house. I didn't spend time with my kids or my husband. So what did I do? I helped Seth rehearse for his upcoming audition.
It was fun. Seriously. There are worse things that I could have been doing than playing Jason Robert Brown for 90 minutes while Ben did his homework and Devon and Corbin played in the yard. I finally had to call it quits when my fingers started hurting. Yeah! (Rachael is wondering now what song I was playing and where she could get a copy of it *grin*)
If only every night at home was this much fun...I know it can't be, I would go crazy after a while. But, for one night, it was great!
BTW, Seth sounds phenomenal!
