highlights of 2015
this is just a quick review of the year. to see the full details, keep reading after the Highlights, including many many pictures!
january
rehearsals started on Little Mermaid Jr. and I'm one of the co-producers. helped work on costumes, and even designed and made the seaweed boas for the Ursulas. took the Freedom Train (the final run) up to SF for the MLK celebration, and joined the march to his memorial. endured the passing of so many dear friends. caught a production of Tuesdays with Morrie.
february
avoided the not-super ball game by being a water holder at a fun run. bought tickets for Joyce and me at the Improv to see David Allen Grier, but had to go solo which made me a particular "target" for him - so much fun! saw productions of Curtains, Maple & Vine, and Fix Me Jesus. saw our local symphony perform selections from the Fantasia movies. and of course I had Mermaid rehearsals to fill my nights. started playing my French Horn again, sitting next to Janet, in a local community band!
march
saw the touring company of Newsies in SF. wrapped our Mermaid adventure, and made a special souvenir for my co-producer. in order to have more time with family I resigned from the board after spending many years there. to celebrate and thank me, they gave me a very special gift. helped with a few costumes for The Mystery of Edwin Drood. saw a youth production of Jekyll & Hyde. saw a number of friends in The Boyfriend, a musical I first saw in Junior High where my teacher played one of the roles. Joyce and I went to the Improv and saw a number of comedians. the three world series trophies made a stop in one of our buildings at work, and I got a great photo op with them!
april
our friend Angel was in town briefly. we celebrated Joyce's acceptance into the MBA program in SF. performed in a brief skit with a barbershop group. Joyce and I joined a friend at our football team's draft party downtown.
may
Janet, Joyce and I took Mama to a Mothers Day Brunch at a coastal winery. read and sang many times at Temple. once again got to attend a Neil Diamond concert. went to see Janet perform on her bass with her symphony orchestra, then picked up Mama and she watched Janet and I play in our band concert. had several fun karaoke opportunities. dined at my favorite Cajun restaurant, and stayed the whole evening to hear the local jazz musician play his entire set. the local radio station brought a country artist to our headquarters courtyard to play during lunch!
june
sang and read several times at Temple. had a truly awful karaoke experience at a venue to which I may never return. Papa Bill passed away, and Joyce and I attended his memorial. Mama and I watched the Belmont together, and watch American Pharoah win the Triple Crown! saw a collection of Shirley Temple memorabilia before it went up for auction. volunteered at our Kids to Work Day talent show, and acted as the "backstage mom" keeping order and providing calm during chaos. gathered with some of my high school classmates at the ballpark in SF. joined a bowling league with one of my co-workers. watched many friends in productions of You Can't Get There from Here, Hairspray, Tomfoolery and Addams Family.
july
karaoke gives me such joy, except when there's too much perfume on other performers. Mama ended up in the hospital, and Janet & I flew to her rescue. read a new portion and sang with my favorite singers at Temple. spent time with Mama as she recovers. saw friends in productions of The Underpants and Irene. saw the IMAX movie about Jerusalem.
august
spent a lot of time with Mama as she had a relapse and ended up back in hospital and rehab. missed out on bowling as well as singing and reading at Temple.
september
moved Mama into an assisted living facility so visited her several times to help her settle in. got back to singing a little karaoke. my landlord/friend gave me notice he was selling his house and I would need to find a new place. ugh!
october
saw many friends in the marvelous Sweet Charity. took the train to Anaheim and for the first time in six years returned to D' land! this is the first birthday Joyce and I haven't been together on "our day." had a great proximity event at work with some of our external partners. one activity was two people painting one picture, trading off between segments. it introduced me to Paint Nite! the painting my partner and I did won! spent much weekend time with Mama watching football and having dinner with her. saw my alumni troupe's production of My Fair Lady. for various Halloween activities I dressed (at work) as Winnie Sanderson, another time as sister Sarah, and for karaoke as Rosie the Riveter.
november
had an excellent night of karaoke. saw the latest Bond - Spectre - in IMAX. spent a lot of time with Mama as she settles in; she has good days and bad days. Joyce and I went to SF to see Idina Menzel in If/Then! saw friends in productions of Evita and Death Takes A Holiday. took a biz trip to Arizona for an all-division 3-day meeting. won the title of karaoke queen in front of the whole group! and won a prize. Joyce and I finally got back to Disneyland together for a couple days. then she went off to snow country to have T'day with her cousins. so enjoyed my Paint Nite activity last month that I signed up for one I could do solo. it was a peacock, but I made it a feathery flamingo instead. my uncle in Oregon passed away suddenly. spent Thanksgiving with Mama, at the facility, dining on their special dinner for the day.
december
Janet and I performed in our community band concert. our grandma Evie passed away on Janet's birthday. Joyce travelled to see family in NorCal and her dad in AZ for the holidays, so I joined our friend Woody at the movies to see the first movie in the last trilogy of Star Wars. saw friends in productions of Nice Work If You Can Get It, and Miracle on 34th Street. spent Christmas and New Years days with Mama, not knowing how many more of these we'll have together.
read about the whole year in greater detail below and in the Older Posts.
d e c e m b e r . 2 0 1 5
passages. lost another loved one, my grandma, who lived to the ripe old age of 95 (shhh, I shouldn't reveal the age of a grand lady!) I saw a Facebook post of Secretariat running free in his pasture at the age of 12, and it made me think of her, finally free from her earthly body. O Happy Day! was the song playing in the background.HUG your loved ones; tell them they ARE loved! we are only here a brief time.
may you find joy this holiday season.
~ana~
earlier this month ...
had lunch with one of my old friends from hp. our birthdays are in October, but we didn't get together this year until much later, due to our many travels far and wide. finally had my orientation meeting so I can help out on the volunteer committee for the humongous football event coming to our neighborhood early next year. and Janet and I performed again on our French Horns in the Holiday Concert at a local high school. great fun!
Joyce again spent her holidays with family members in Northern California, and her dad in Phoenix. our friend Woody was in town visiting his family for the holidays, and he went with me to see the newest Star Wars movie, which I ended up seeing twice in two days, because it was that good!
shows I've seen: Nice Work If You Can Get It was an adorable newish production that so many of my friends were in. very delightful! another show at Tabard, Miracle on 34th Street, was a new twist on an old movie - it was performed as a radio production, with the performers acting out the show as if we were a radio audience in studio watching them reading it over the airwaves. a very unusual way to watch one of my favorite holiday movies. more poignant since the great Maureen O'Hara passed only just a few months ago, also at the age of 95.
spent Christmas and New Years days with my mom. don't know how much longer she'll be "with it" so making special memories now while I'm still able.
