m a y . 2 0 1 9

busy-work at the theatre and at work makes for one tired puppy!  all totaled I worked backstage on 14 performances of The Wiz, and watched the production once.  helped as a dresser in the large dressing room, and did immediate repairs during the show as costumes were stressed to their limits.  so glad I could be a small part of this record-breaking (for our theatre company) show! 
 

the second weekend of the run however I went to see a musical written by The Sherman Brothers son/nephew, A Spoonful of Sherman which was phenomenal!

...and... it took forever but I was finally able to go see ... HAMILTON! ...   because Joyce couldn't make it back to town to go with me, I invited another of my theatre friends, Barbara, and we had such a grand time, chatting away the whole time as we took BART up and back.

as soon as we got back, I raced over to the cast party for The Wiz, taking my special recipe of Flamingo-rita beverage with me. 

on the last day of the month I went to see the comedy show One Man Star Wars - which was hysterical!!  ran into this guy while I was there. 

a p r i l . 2 0 1 9

we are SO ready for Spring!  I took an opportunity to take a quilting class, and had a great time shmoozing with the other quilters and learning a new quilting technique!

Janet and I thoroughly enjoy the musical 9 to 5, so we both went - on different nights - to see our band leader's drama department's production.  we both also saw Queen of the Mist about the first woman who successfully went over Niagara Falls.  the Broadway touring company of Aladdin was in town so I definitely had to go see the bigger version of the last show I was in. :-)

the town where our dad lived has named their annual Easter activities in honor of him.  For the inaugural parade and egg hunt, I wanted to be there to thank the community in person.  I took off two days from work and flew to Texas for the long weekend. I made it to the Blue Duck before they closed, and had their Cajun chicken and pasta, and washed it all down with rum punch ... mmmm! the next morning I was at the firehouse where the parade starts, and met the town's mayor to ride in the first golf cart behind the police chief.  I got to throw candy to the young people who lined the roadways along the route.  the parade ended at a ballpark where the egg hunt was all set up.  the mayor mentioned that this was the largest parade in its 36 year history, a fitting tribute to our dad. I spoke a few words of gratitude to the crowd to kick off the search for plastic eggs filled with candy and treats.

  

I had lunch at one of the restaurants I had visited with Daddy last June, the Farmhouse on the Lake, where I dined on alligator with remoulade, and sweet tea. I did some site-seeing and then went back to the hotel for a rest.  check out these metal sculptures at the local nursery!

For dinner I tried a new - for me - restaurant, Pontoons, where I had steak, fried okra, and washed it down with cherry vanilla crown&coke, so delish!   I was SO full I went back to the hotel, with a short detour by the local Boot Barn for some shopping.  I found a western belt - black with rhinestones - that will go perfectly with my dress tomorrow. I also bought Janet a boot jack, since hers was "misappropriated" years back - this one has the store's logo emblazoned on it so she will always have it as a memento of this time and place. then it was off to bed early since I wanted to attend the sunrise service at Daddy's church.

I woke up early enough to make it to the 8am (6am in Cali) Sunrise Service, and then hung around for the second regular service. it was glorious sitting outside with a view of the lake before us; and Pastor Jimmy shared an inspiring sermon.  after that it was off to Jerry's - another new for me - Restaurant, where I enjoyed their ham dinner, with fried green tomatoes and candied sweet potatoes, and had their famous Bourbon Street Pecan Pie!  I needed some supplies at the local wally-market, and I found an excellent hawaiian shirt with flamingos on it! couldn't pass that up.  back to the hotel for a nap after my long busy day, and for dinner I walked across the parking lot to the Chinese restaurant next door.

my final day in Texas started early when I picked up flowers at the town flower shop (where everyone knows Daddy) and drove out to the cemetery.  after spending some time there, I then drove to the newspaper where he worked and met his boss Valerie! we had a very enjoyable chat, and reminisced about so many things.  I was so glad I made time to meet her, and she made time to meet me!  All too soon it was time to head south. traffic wasn't bad, so I passed Houston and went on to Kemah, which I'd heard about from HP co-workers. 

 

 

I spent some time roaming the Boardwalk there, taking pictures, and had lunch at the Bubba Gumps on the pier.  then it really was time to head home, by way of Love Field, and finally got home at nightfall.

work came much too early the next morning, but we had our Admin Appreciation Lunch and I couldn't miss that! we were treated to a red carpet walk and photo op - I'm a star! - and received STARS awards that say "You are one of the Amazing STARS that work here!"  lunch was good too, but they ran out of food.

   

after work I raced over to the theater where it was tech week for The Wiz and I needed to be backstage as a dresser and to do costume finishing and repairs.  that activity would consume my evenings for the next four weekends!  but it was such an amazing production with so many talented performers - lovely people too! - that I wouldn't have traded it for anything.  and it turned out to be a record breaking production in our 50 year history!!

I wasn't able to help backstage every night because I'd made reservations for other activities.  when I was a kid I first watched Tom Jones on the telly.  fifty years later I finally got to see and hear him sing in concert right here in my home town!

I spent a day in The City and got to see one of my fave artist's paintings up close and personal at the Monet exhibit.

there was also an exquisite fan collection, and a Gaugin exhibit too.

after I got my fill of the museum, I went to the Japanese Tea Garden - I haven't been here since I was ten years old - and wandered through the beautiful landscape.

m a r c h . 2 0 1 9

started the month appropriately by attending a theatre production ... went to visit Maggie and Brick to learn all about mendacity in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, one of my favorite southern pot-boilers.
 

The following weekend I caught both casts in the junior production of Bye Bye Birdie at our home theatre. It was so good to see our friends' daughter Sofia making her stage debut! It wasn't that long ago we were at her parents' wedding... how time flies! And it was wonderful seeing so many friends in the audience ... even my "Diana" in my first production Anne.  I also volunteered to help out with costumes for the upcoming production of The Wiz. I love this show!
 

Another theater activity ... I spent several hours helping my second home theatre group move their prop/set shop. The weather wasn't optimal but the move had to happen, so there I was. I also watched a musical/poetry/art "experience" that was fabulous performance-wise but the patrons were not the most informed about theatre etiquette.  I had to leave at intermission since my crowd anxiety was through the roof.
 

I submitted my paperwork to get my first ever passport! I'm so excited to be able to plan a summer vacation abroad for the first time! and most surprising of all, it arrived in a week! I guess it helped that I turned it in at a Travel Fair at which State Dept personnel were present to help process.
 

at work the company is very focused on helping the communities in which we have a large impact; because of this they find unique volunteer opportunities that employees can use their unique skills to help and serve. one of these opportunities was to read to elementary kids during class time.  I jumped at the chance to read to third graders at the school one block from me.  I did all the voices - of course - and the kids loved it! the teacher even invited me back! 

f e b r u a r y . 2 0 1 9

nearly 33 years ago - on my honeymoon to NYC - I got to see this musical on Broadway.  I started the month seeing it again locally, as many of my friends are in a production of Big River, the continuing saga of Huck and Jim. it was a tremendous production, with great scenic elements - especially the river! - and the singers and "river rat band" led by my fave conductor were just fantastic. it was so great I went back a second time two weeks later on that "hearts" day to see it again.

also, the first weekend of the month, I drove up the peninsula to a small black box theatre and saw a revolutionary production of The Revolutionists about 4 women who meet and plot during the French revolution. the performances of these actors were just tremendous!

our favorite jazz band was playing this month, with a guest artist on bass.  his musical selection was mostly Stan Kenton music, and it was a fabulous night.  I bought one of his CDs and had him autograph it for Janet (she couldn't be there).  on another evening I ventured out to sing some karaoke. again, the crowd was pleasant and the KJ was most accommodating, so it was a great experience. and dinner served by our favorite waitress was an awesome bonus too.

on another trip to our little theatre I saw a cute comedy called Beau Jest, which was hysterical!  I laughed all night.  at work, I got to see a webcast from our Arizona office, a great motivational speaker who was the first African American female combat pilot!  Vernice "FlyGirl" Armour is an amazing and funny speaker who quickly engaged us and held us spellbound throughout.  highly recommended!

j a n u a r y . 2 0 1 9

Happy New Year! 

I finished out last year going to the movies, and I started this year the same ... went to see another blockbuster, Aquaman, which got great reviews from several of my FB peeps.  I thought it was very pretty, and Momoa's character was very funny and adorable.  Other performances weren't so solid, but perhaps it was "traditional" actors having trouble acting with greenscreens.

got together with my fellow cast-mates from Nutcracker for our cast party and DVD viewing. my Drosses provided liquid refreshment and fun company, and my "kids" continued to shower me with affection .... it's so easy to love this group! after that party, I wanted to keep the feeling going, so I stopped by an old karaoke haunt I hadn't been to in a long while.  a new KJ and a different crowd made a huge difference in my enjoyment.  when the people you're singing with don't have karaoke etiquette (you clap for everyone, not just your little "posse") it makes for a bummer of a night!

at work, in honor of the 90th birthday of MLK, three of our employee groups had a lunchtime celebration, where one of his famous sermons was read, and I even got to step in and read too when one of the video segments wasn't working properly! such an honor.  plus, we had pizza and birthday cake, so ... even better. went to a showing of a "new" production, Snapshots, which has a familiar composer who has re-written some of his more familiar music with new lyrics, to tell this heartwarming and heartbreaking (at times) story of a couple. and Janet and I are back again, playing our horns in our wonderful community band.

transitions .... the manager who hired me 5+ years ago is now retiring; this is my second "best boss ever" that I've had retire during my time, and it is hard!  we had a spectacular party, and I got to use my crafting skills to help make his "parting gift" a singular treasure.  the crying starts at the end of the month.  luckily his shoes will be filled by another of the dear people who interviewed me on that first day, and she is such a Joy!!  the tears will subside and she and I will move on and do great things together. 

d e c e m b e r . 2 0 1 8

highlights of 2018

     this is just a quick review of the year.  to see the full details, keep reading after the Highlights, including many many pictures! 

january

     singing at Temple and at karaoke were a great way to start the new year! 

february 

     sang and read at two different Shabbats at Temple.  Janet asked me to check in on her cat Wilbur while she was on a longer trip.  she also invited me to attend her singles bible study, and while she lead and sang the music worship, I chimed in on harmonies - delightful!  got a chance through work to see the new movie Black Panther.  our community band practice started up again.  

march

     saw friends and some of "my kids" in The Miracle Worker.  continued to cat-sit Wilbur for Janet while she travelled.  we were given only six hours to move all of Mama's stuff from her home, grrr.  and then my car broke down, in the rain.  parts for a 20-year-old car are hard to source.  sadness.  saw friends in a hilarious production of Sister Act.  read Haftarah at Temple, but am going to take a hiatus.  it just felt like the right thing to do.   

april

     worked on the set piece "pouf" and costumes for La Cage aux Folles at our home theatre.  in my down time I got see many friends in Adrift in Macao which was delightfully zany.  

may

     the first two races of the Triple Crown saw Justify win both.  flew down to Arizona to see Joyce graduate with her Masters in Sustainability Leadership!  also took a trip to the Grand Canyon which has been on my bucket list for decades.  spent Mothers Day with Joyce and her beau Brian, and then they took me to the airport for my flight home.  won an award with two other admins where we were named Admins of Excellence, which also came with a nice monetary award.  saw an unusual presentation of the ballet Sleeping Beauty - we saw the production but heard through special headphones a "behind the scenes" commentary by some of the production staff.  Janet and I performed exceptionally well in our band concert.  at work we finally hired two new admins and I've trained them well so that I can finally take my postponed sabbatical.

june

     saw many friends in a phenomenal production of Hunchback of Notre Dame.  took my first sabbatical from work - four whole weeks!  part of it I took a trip to Texas to see Daddy for his 80th birthday!  also went to Johnson Space Center, the Rusk Palestine Railroad ride through the piney woods, the Texas Prison Museum, and the Columbia (shuttle) Memorial Museum deep in the woods.  the highlight was starting Daddy's birthday with breakfast at his favorite pancake spot, then watching the Belmont Stakes with him and the horse Justify winning the Triple Crown!!  started rehearsals for Aladdin Jr. where I played the Sultan.  went to another concert with my boss, this time to see Andrea Bocelli.  finally got to the Remembering Frontier Village annual picnic!   

july

     took flight in an aerial yoga class put on by a theatre friend who will be offering it later and needed volunteers for a practice class.  at work our top dog gave us free tickets to see the new movie about RBG.  got to see the five Super Bowl trophies at our team's stadium at an event coordinators open house.  woke early to be part of the 50th anniversary stock exchange bell ringing ceremony in the courtyard at headquarters.  we even had a special drone show one evening overhead!  Daddy was in the hospital for a couple weeks, fighting an infection and needing a pacemaker.  

august

     the first weekend of the month saw my performances in Aladdin Jr. as well as Daddy's passing from his complications during my final performance.  I took some time off from work to go to Texas, to meet up with Aunt Maddy and Jim, and to celebrate his life with his community at his funeral.  the church folks had set up a spread and we dined and socialized with so many people who loved him dearly.  got to see Joyce and meet Brian when they were in town.  saw the Elvis 68 Comeback Special on the big screen, and dressed for the occasion.  was quoted in the paper and attended the party for our theatre's 50th anniversary!  

september

     Janet and I started rehearsals for the holiday concert with our band.  Nutcracker rehearsals started too.  saw friends in and met the creator of Another Roll of the Dice.  Took a ride on the president's yacht Potomac which had a special guest performer, a local artist who impersonates Elvis!   

october

     there were two trips for birthday month.  first was a long weekend to North Carolina, where I saw the Chihuli glass at Biltmore, as well as the Billy Graham Library.  the second trip was to LA for a week, going to bucket list destinations I've never seen.  spent a day on Catalina Island, a day seeing King Tut and the space shuttle Endeavor at the Cal Science Center followed by a visit to the Griffith Observatory.  I spent an entire day aboard the Queen Mary taking many tours and finishing with a lovely dinner at the restaurant Sir Winston's.  the next day I spent at the Nixon Library where I was astonished by all the cool historical things that reside there!  even took my picture behind his replica oval office desk.  flew home in the rain from the remnants of Hurricane Sergio off the coast.  so many bucket list items checked! 

november

     went to see friends and junior performers in stage performances of My Fair Lady, The Women, Cabaret, and Music Man.  as an event coordinator at work I get invitations to events at our team's football stadium.  got to tour the areas not always open to the public!  got to see friends in Uptown Holiday Swing before I went into tech rehearsals for Nutcracker.  I've also put in lots of hours sewing, especially on the Russian doll dresses for the small dancers.  lots of hours matched with volunteer dollars! 

december

     performances with Nutcracker filled me with joy playing two roles this year, Grandmother in Act 1, and Mother Cupcake in Act 2.  Janet and I performed our holiday music with our community band, and gathered with our fellow players at a post performance pizza party.  at work holiday parties I won two nifty sports memorabilia!  Janet invited me to her church Christmas Eve service and the next day to her pastor's meal at their home.  saw the new Mary Poppins Returns on the big screen.  with the joy also comes sorrow ... two friends died unexpectedly.  

     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 8

we welcome the miracle of the lights and celebrate all the holy days. I was able to kindle Chanukah lights for three nights before my rehearsal schedule collided with the lighting schedule. working with the young dancers on the show is so emotionally rewarding. I have five "grandchildren" this year, the youngest is only 5-years-old!  I have watched him grow exponentially in his social and acting skills. I look forward to working with him again. :-)  and having 22 young gingies see you and happily yell "Mother Cupcake!" just really warms you all over. the whole experience, while exhausting, has been really therapeutic too. below are two publicity photos, one showing me last year, playing Grandmother during the Grandfathers Dance. the other is last year's MaCake (as my coworker calls her) as played by another actor.

before the closing performance, as the artistic director thanked me for my present (the handmade "grandmother ornament") she also asked me to reprise both roles again next year!  of course, I accepted!!  these are lovely people, and the product we create is just so special.

and when I found out that not just the (real) dancers could have publicity photos taken, I went to the studio and had not just one of my characters, but both Grandmother and MaCake, with all her ginger babies.

and as if that wasn't enough arts going on, Janet and I performed our band concert the night after The Nut closed!  again, our harmonies were special, and this time we both went to the post-concert party and celebrated with our fellow musicians.

at work, as usual, I coordinated the group's holiday gathering at our local watering hole. it's fun to socialize with coworkers, and I won a cool SF Giants growler in the elephant exchange game!  at the all-division party, I won a raffle prize, an autographed volleyball with Kerri Walsh's signature!  these will be two items I'll be able to regift to loved ones with confidence that they will be appreciated!

Janet and I went to a Christmas Eve candlelight service at her church (well actually she was busy working the A/V up in the balcony), and then joined her pastor and his family for the midday meal on Christmas day. it was nice to gather with a family and join in many and sometimes overlapping conversations around a big table. after the holiday I finally got to the movie theater to see the much anticipated Mary Poppins Returns, which was so much more than I was hoping for! this one is definitely going into my home library.
 

along with joy though we must endure sorrow... on the eve of Christmas Joyce and I lost a beloved theater friend,  Howie, who lost his valiant struggle with severe health issues.  we met him 15 years ago when we performed in his production of  Joseph/Dreamcoat. and another longtime friend I've known since 1970 lost his wife suddenly... and much too soon. Cyndi felt like a kindred soul to me, and Bill's profound grief breaks my heart.
       

we are reminded through these experiences to never take every minute for granted. speak your love for loved ones, and live as if each day is your last and best. 

BLESSINGS to you all, whom I truly hold very dear.

n o v e m b e r . 2 0 1 8

always thankful....

started the month by watching the 49ers win a game, this one the last Battle of the Bay ever, since their opponents are moving to Vegas. one of the TV announcers made a pre-game video in our offices, and it played during the game ... Janet was fascinated by our lobby's "moving wall" and decided she might need to visit.  

shows I've seen with friends ... for Aaron's birthday this year, I went to see him play Henry in My Fair Lady, which of course was magnificent. even more fun, I carpooled up the peninsula with Becky (& hubby), one of my co-stars in 1776, and we had a grand time catching up during the drive-time.  I  <3  my theatre family. at the high school where we have our holiday concert, the drama dept. kids were performing The Women; since this is one of my favorite golden age movies, I went to support the kids, and really enjoyed their budding performances. all female ensemble too, so good to see young women getting quality stage time.  sadly, the next show I saw was very timely for the age we're in now - our theatre was performing Cabaret. and again, we say if we don't learn our history we are doomed to repeat it. what was relevant in this story is relevant today.  needless to say I had a soggy handkerchief at the end of the show.  some of our dancers from Nutcracker performed and lit the tree at the local mall's Tree Lighting Ceremony, and I went to watch and provide moral support. my very first tree-lighting, and it was wonderful.  so many talented dancers and singers performed for the two hours that I was there.  only the crowds drove me away right after our group performed. one of "my kids" from Aladdin Jr. was performing in her school's production of Music Man and I had to go see her there. 
  

attended another open house at the local sports stadium; this time the "ticket" for entry was canned goods for our local food pantry.  I brought a dozen cans. :-)   while they didn't have the SB trophies out on display this time, they had a great jazz band [Party Crashers] playing lots of familiar tunes. one of our theatre friends was running the sound mixer, and we had a few minutes to catch up - he's a new papa!  the food was excellent, and I got to go on a tour of a new meeting/event space which was the former green room for bands before performances.  

here I am kicking up my feet in front of an autographed guitar, and getting a selfie in front of - but not going into - the home team's locker room!

    

Janet and I were again invited to Thanksgiving with her Pastor and his extended family. it is wonderful to be included, and to start "new" traditions. 

because I'm going into tech week for The Nutcracker, I had only one opportunity to see Uptown Holiday Swing, the opening night performance.  this is such an enjoyable annual musical event. it really sets the tone for the upcoming holidays. plus it was good to see and catch up with my Jafar from Aladdin, as well as my Roscoe and the other Candy from Elvis/Building! and speaking of Nutcracker, not only am I reprising my role as Grandmother, but I was also asked to play the role of Mother Cupcake, and ride the skirt with 22 little gingerbread cookies inside!  this is SO going to be fun!!  and, the costumers asked me again to volunteer helping with sewing of trim, and my special contribution was working on the small Russian girl dresses. lots of volunteer hours, matched by my work's monetary contribution!