It's been cold here lately. I came out of the gym the other day to this great frost pattern on my windshield.
The only other thing going on with me is It's a Wonderful Life. I love being part of a cast. Click for tickets soon. They are going fast.
I've had quite a week and it's just half over. Mostly, it's a long story I won't go into now, but God is good, and he is in control.
This is an interesting article in the, what else, New York Times. It talks about race and politics in Europe in light of the Obama election. The most amazing part to me is that is said Obama is the only black U.S. Senator. If he is not replaced by an African American the Senate will have none. The House has about 9 percent African Americans. I never would have guessed that.
I'm having a great time at the acting workshop. I am working on three pieces. Shakespeare's Sonnet #56, the nurse speech from Romeo and Juliet, and a scene from The Lion in Winter. I am playing Eleanor of Aquitane in that one. It's the most fun I've had in a long time.
I have an audition at a professional theater in Ann Arbor on Thursday. That one is Tennessee Williams' Orpheus Descending. I would love to get cast in a professional show, but driving to A2 three times a week could end me. But it would be worth it. I could be union-eligible too.
I got a lot done this weekend, and it feels good. I have all my food made for the week ahead, I cleaned the bathroom and mopped the kitchen floor. I mowed the lawn for hopefully the last time.
I've also decided to cave and get cable TV. I had sticker shock when I first started looking into it, but I really need the internet a home, and I need to do something before the digital change in Feburary, and my VCR is on its last legs. So I'll join the 21st century sometime this month. Yikes.
So I guess that catches us up, for the most part. This time of year time flies faster than usual. I'll try to do a better job updating.
So people were saying snow is coming, maybe by today, so Saturday I make a point to put the gardens to bed for the winter. I went behind my garage to cut down the dead hosta leaves and was very surprised by a dead skunk! I had seen a skunk around the neighborhood, and of course you can smell them. The dogs around get skunked pretty regularly. It scared me until I realized it was dead. There was no blood, so I don't know how it died. Poison? Old age? Anyway, I buried it behind the hostas.
Saturday night was our recital for the tap dance class I took all summer. Fun, except I got more "how can people vote that way" when I mentioned I was a one-issue voter during the after party. I'm not giving you a hard time about the way you vote! Leave me alone!
Yesterday I took some hot beverages over to see my Grandma. Coffee for her, hot chocolate for me. It was cool, so I thougth she'd be inside, but when I got there she was out in her chair, with her hood over her head. The sun was going in and out, and it was pretty pleasant. We had a good chat. It was good to see her after all those weeks I was busy with the play.
And speaking of playing, good rehearsal last night for It's a Wonderful Life. It's going to be a good cast. I'm looking forward to it.
So now it's Monday and back to work. God is good. All the time.
"Angel Street" closed on Sunday. I'll miss it, I had a great time with that cast. Now onto "It's a Wonderful Life" at the Farmington Players. It opens the day after Thanksgiving and should be a good time too.
I've mentioned my acting workshop with the Detroit Repertory Theatre. I am having a blast and learning a lot. We got scripts for our scenes for the showcase. I'm doing a scene from "The Lion in Winter." I'm playing Eleanor of Aquitaine. She was some woman. I need to do some more research. Library tonight!
Lots of good stuff going on. I'm blessed.
This is a shot from the SRO theatre yesterday. I took one in the summer, too, when we first started rehearsals. It's a beautiful spot.
Hopefully I'll blog from FL tomorrow.
This is my new-to-me 2004 Saturn ION. It's a stick-shift, manual windows and door locks, all things that I wanted. It's a bit bigger than my Geo, and I always thought I would go smaller for my next car, but whatever. This is a gift from the Lord, and I will drive it until he directs me differently.
Loved CSI last night, but I was a little surprised they solved the case in one episode. I thought they would string it along for at least a couple.
Three shows and acting class this weekend, plus a rehearsal for "It's a Wonderful Life." Yay!
I'm also tired of the political coverage. No one has said anything new for months. The people on the boards are reacting to personalities, not issues. I grant the candidates aren't giving them many issues to react to, but still. As usual, I will be so happy when it's over.
But life is good. I think I may have the car situation in hand. I get to go home and bond with the couch tonight. I have to watch the Heroes from Monday. I think I even have some Ben and Jerry's to enjoy with it! Yum!
Three "Angel Street" shows are behind me, six more to go. We had a great opening weekend. Here's me in my costume.
After opening on Friday we went out to celebrate.
This Jason, our stage manager, Suze, who plays Mrs. Manningham, and our director Bill.
Sunday night I went to the 50th anniversary party for my church. It's been a big part of my life, and it was fun to see old pictures and remember the folks who have gone on before.
Great weekend.
I didn't watch the VP debate last night, but reading the commentary and especially the readers' comments on the commentary, it seems to me people mostly saw what they were expecting to see. If they thought Sarah Palin was unqualified before, they still think so now. If they thought she was a hockey mom who could connect with middle America, they still think so now. I wonder how many minds are actually changed by these debates. Plus, it pushed the start of CSI back a week! Grrr!
I'm excited about three shows and acting class this weekend. I wonder when I'll get the laundry done.
My friend Susan is coming to stay with me Thursday night. I spent a week with her in London last fall. She is back in the States between work assignments. I'm glad she's taking the time to swing by Detroit.
Last Saturday I registered for a nine-week acting seminar at the Detroit Repertory Theatre. I'm very excited about it. I'm sure to learn a lot, can't wait to see what that is! I'll write more about that, hopefully be able to get some pictures too.
But the biggest thing consuming my thoughts is my car. Sunday I was parked at a light and the person behind me couldn't stop. He swerved and sandwiched his truck between me and the car in the next lane.
Here it is, poor car. The insurance people say the damaage exceeds the value of the car. So I guess it's time for a new one, and that makes me sad. I love that car. I've had it 12 years and we have gone everywhere together. But, God's got a good plan for me, and there's a good car in it somewhere. Stay tuned for updates.
It's my first paycheck as an actor. Not that I expect or want it to be the last, but it's something I can check off the bucket list.
Here's a link for anyone who wants to pray for the upcoming elections.
Rehearsals for Angel Street have been going along, and things are finally starting to fall into place. We just added lights and sound and they really make a difference in the mood of the play. We open a week from Friday, I can't believe it. Should be fun.
A couple weeks ago we had some pretty big storms and some power lines broke in my neighborhood. Thankfully, I didn't lose power, but here's a picture of the Detroit Edison guys fixing it.
Last Saturday, I went to my friend Emily's wedding. Remember when I blogged about her shower? It was the perfect shower, in my opinion, and she managed to pull of the perfect wedding too. It was so beautiful and elegant. I'm so honored to have been invited.
Bryan, Emily and me.
OK, well, I'll try to do better about keeping this up. Lots going on!
But along this road, I have also felt an attitude from some that I would be "stupid" to vote for this person. I read political stories in the newspapers and the reader comments say as much. "How could anyone be so stupid to vote that way?" I'm not stupid. I have a very good reason for voting that way. And I can feel myself getting defensive. Why isn't my reason for voting a certain way as valid as yours is for voting another way? Why can't you see I've thought about it and made a rational choice? These are the things I think.
And now there's this. It's an essay by Jonathan Haidt called WHAT MAKES PEOPLE VOTE REPUBLICAN? He's a psychologist and I was facinated by his theories. And I was grateful for his conclusion. I'm not stupid. I haven't been duped, I'm not delusional (as one New York Times reader said in a post). So I would encourage everyone to read it.
And, you may as well read this Judith Warner blog where I discoverd the essay in the first place.
Today is 9/11 and like everyone else I am remembering seven years ago. I lived in NYC then and I remember trying to get in contact with a few friends that day. I found them all, thankfully.
I'd also like to say that I'm sure Sen. Obama talked about his economic policies and his education policies in that speech, but all the media chose to show us was the "pig" quote. Shame on them.
But I'm here in Panera because the Internet isn't in my budget to have at home. The people I work with have been saying I'm "this close" to a raise for just about six months now. It's just really getting frustrating waiting. It's all part of what I don't like about my job, but I am really trying to remember to be grateful and realize I have a lot, really. God has provided for all my needs, many of them through the job I go to everyday. I just wish I could go to another one. I look for other jobs, but nothing yet. I know in my heart God has a good plan for me and he is working it out right now. But this week it was really hard to keep those thoughts in my head and not how much my job sucks. I'm trying though.
I cleaned out my garage this weekend, helped mom clean part of hers, changed the oil in my car (yes, I do it myself) and went to see Gram yesterday for a picnic.
Left to right, Mom, Gram, me, Aunt Gwyn and Uncle Larry. We had BLT's and wonderful salad and homemade ice cream. It was a fabulous meal.
This is this week's snack, Mocha Fudge Bread Pudding. Pretty delicious.
It's a Peppermint Ice Cream Cake. Pretty yummy. I think next week is going to be mocha bread pudding. Stay tuned.
I thought I was the worst offender in the less-than-flattering-opinions-about-Hilary category, but here's Maureen Dowd again giving me a run for my money.
My friend John Ribbing has a great program going providing a flag football league for kids in a poor neighborhood of Detroit. If you love football, or kids, or both, check out the City Mission football site. It's a great way to spend a Saturday morning.
I'm still working on the Italy plans. Check out this apartment in Florence.
One of the reasons Jan went was to see the Murano glass in Venice. She's very into glass and has a good collection. After the Italy pictures her albums had pictures of amazing glass here in the US. The hotbed here is in Washington, like this, the Chiluly Bridge of Glass in Tacoma. Who knew it even existed? The whole conversation was so facinating, time just flew by. I got into the car to go home and was astonished five hours had gone by. Thanks for the great afternoon Jan!
This is Sarah opening gifts with her husband, Brian. They are having a boy. I can't wait for the little guy to get here.
Sunday my mom and I went back to The Henry Ford, specifically to see the Chocolate exhibit. It was interesting, very educational, but not what I expected.
This was interesting. It's a picture of chocolate makers at the turn of the last century making unsweetened chocolate into bars. Look at the big pile of chocolate!
I wanted to learn more about the differences between the different kinds of chocolate, what makes Callebaut Callebaut, for example. But it was much more political, Spain conquering the Mayans, etc. I know that's a big part of chocolate's history, but why exclude the other? It was still interesting.
There's lots of other cool stuff at the Henry Ford Museum.
This is my mom on the Rosa Parks bus.
This is the chair Abraham Lincoln was sitting in when he was shot. When I was a kid, this chair was out in the open and you could touch it.
Anyway, good weekend. I am much blessed.
You can't see it very well in the video, but looking through the rear window it looked like two headrests and nothing else!
Other than that, I'm just glad it's Friday.
Today's snack is Key Lime Bars. I didn't actually use Key Limes, so I guess they're just Lime Bars. Still good though.
Yes, I tested them before the meeting. Quality control!
Take a look at this blogabout marketing to women. It was very interesting, but also kind of depressing. These women are a lot more excited about their day jobs than I am. Need to work on that, I guess.
The Detroit Mayoral Mess is sad and mystifying.
This is SRO. It holds about 70 seats so it's "intimate."
This is this week's snack. Raspberry swirl pound cake. Pretty good.
This is part of the first grade class. Left to right, Takaia, Lyric, Dasani, Ashley and Lazaro.
It's supposed to be a great weekend in Detroit. Thank you, God, for summer.
It's hard for me to describe how jealous I am of The New York Times' Frugal Traveler. There's got to be something about me that he wishes he had. I bet he doesn't know how to make chocolate mousse.
I applied to a job with Habitat for Humanity in Bratislava a few weeks ago. They didn't call me. Sigh.
Hee! I guess Clinton and Stacey haven't made it to Beijing.
They had to carry water from one bucket to another using cups with holes and jumping, skipping, etc along they way. This is Lyric.
Hannah
The group, cheering each other on.
VBS is all I have time for during VBS week, so expect some more of the same. Maybe I'll see a good artile online I can share too.
I've talked about the Market before. We all like to go. This is, left to right, my niece Rebekah, my mom, and my niece Julia. We bought fruit and chocolate and candy. Mmm-mm.
Saturday I did some prep work for Vacation Bible School (VBS) and I watched The Greatest Show on Earth on DVD. Pretty cool showing the old-time circus, but could Betty Hutton over-act a little more? I don't think she could. Still a good movie, a classic.
Sunday after church we went to see my grandmother who has been blessed with 96 years.
Left to right, Mom, brother-in-law David, Rebekah, sister Holly, Julia, me, Gram. Pretty good looking group.
So tonight starts VBS. It's always a great time, but a lot of work and tiring at the same time. I'll get some pictures of that too. Should be fun.
Busy weekend ahead. Sis and fam are in town and I've got to get ready for VBS. Whoo Hoo!
I am currently trying to find time to prepare for Vacation Bible School next week. I am overwhelmed by all I have to do by then. Should be good posts next week, though.
This one is making me think I need to firm up my Italy plans for next year. Who wants to go with me?
This one from BusinessWeek.com gives me hope for the economic future of America. Someone is always coming up with something new.
And, lest I forget, here's the snack for this week.
Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Here's the recipe, but I use shaved Callebaut semi-sweet chocolate instead of the chips. Makes all the difference if you ask me.
Friday I started out the day with an awesome foot massage at the Fishion Herb Center in Little Italy. Parts of it really hurt, actually, but later my feet felt great. And, the chart on the wall said my spleen got a massage at the same time. Bonus!
I met former boss Jeff for lunch at Bryant Park, and then I went uptown. I roamed Central Park for a while, sat and read in the shade, and then went to one of my favorite stores, Zabars.
It's a great specialty food store on Broadway at 80th. I bought some babka for mom. Mmmmm.
Dinner Friday was with my cousin Tim, my host, and his partner Jeff. We went to Uncle Nick's on Ninth near 46th.
I'm not holding up too well in the heat, am I?
Saturday we were up and out early.
First off, we went to the Hell's Kitchen flea market.
Tim scored an awesome paint-by-number Last Supper. Also Little Boy Blue.
Next over to the South Street Sea Port to get a look at the waterfalls.
Tim and Jeff
After the waterfalls we swung by the Skyscraper Museum and then went to the Met.
On the roof were these great larger-than-life sculptures.
And some great views of the park and the West Side.
Saturday night we went to see [title of show]. It was great, I highly recommend it.
Look! I'm on Broadway! I'm looking better and better, aren't I?
Sunday there were more museums. First, MOMA where they had an awesome exhibit on pre-fabricated homes.
Micro-house.
There was this great bowl in the gift shop too. $150, so I left it there.
On the way out, I saw this sign.
Who doesn't miss Jerry?
So then, we went to the New Museum.
The exhibit? Well, let's say I don't feel the need to go back. There were some great views from the roof, though.
After the museums we went to see Get Smart at the movies. I was very pleasantly surprised. It was exciting and funny.
Monday morning I went to The City Bakery for breakfast. Hot Chocolate and a chocolate croissant. Mmmmmmm.
Then I took the train up to 42nd street to go sit in Bryant Park. I passed through Grand Central Station.
Hilarious!
I had lunch with my friend Emily (see post below on the great wedding shower) and then I got on the plane to come home. It was a fabulous weekend. Thanks Tim, for everything.
I just love this picture!
So I'm on my way to New York for the weekend. Whoo hoo! I'll see if I can post from there, otherwise there will be an update on Monday.
It's really just like coffee cake, it just takes 10 days to make it. I like it, so if someone gives me a starter, I follow the directions and make it, but I rarely pass it on. Does that make me a bad friend? Oh well. I don't see why you need to wait 10 days to make coffee cake.
There is also an interesting thing happening on my facebook page. I decided I wanted to be clever this week with my updates, but didn't expect my friends to react to it like they have. I've gotten lots of interesting posts on my wall.
Emily is the beautiful one in the middle holding the ribbon bouquet. The other ladies (also beautiful) are the hostesses, Gay Garcia, Chris Radzilowski and Donna Bautel. Gay is the one in the blue, and I'm sorry, but I don't know which is Chris and which is Donna. What I do know is that if they gave Oscars for wedding showers these ladies would run away with the gold statue. It was maybe the best shower I've ever been to. First, no games. Hooray and hallelujah for that. The meal was simple and delicious. We ate, Emily opened the gifts, and we went home. Door to door in about three hours. Thanks for the great afternoon ladies!
The woman on the left in the black shirt is our teacher, Stacy. She's a great dancer and a great teacher. She can come up with really creative ways to teach and re-teach so we all get it, and she never loses her cool. I'm have a great time, and I'm grateful she's giving her time and talents like that.
It's a rainy Saturday in Redford. A good day for a wedding shower, which is where I'm headed. I'll try to get pictures there too. Not sure.
This is the banner outside the room. I helped design it, which is kind of cool.
This is John. I think he would make a great judge. If you live north of South Blvd in Oakland county, remember him in November. He's not on the primary ballot because there's just two people running. For more info go to www.johnforjustice.com
At the party, I spent some time talking to another friend, Mary Ann, who just got back from a trip to Africa. I am pea-green. She went with a group of friends, one of whom was Frank Markus, who writes for Motor Trend. He posted this blog with a bunch of pictures. Looks like the lions would like some privacy!
I'm going to tap class tonight at the Barn. Hopefully I'll get some pics there for tomorrow. Should be hilarious!
