The Simple Woman's Daybook--May 18, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook
For MONDAY, May 18, 2009
Outside my window...
It's a beautiful spring day! High 60s, a bit of a breeze, the trees are all green. 

I am thinking...
That it has been a good Monday so far. 

I am thankful for...
My family, my vocation

From the kitchen...
Not sure yet. A few options, including shrimp or pasta.
To live the liturgy...
Magnificat, Bible reading, rosary, St. Francis prayer book 
I am wearing...

A DKNY green plaid skirt; green camisole; green cardigan (all different shades of green so I don't look like a Leprechaun)
I am creating...
Files for my MA classes (I know, not very exciting)

I am going to breathe deeply ...
And enjoy this lovely day

Bringing beauty to my home ...
the house is clean!
My kitchen table is finally clear!
I am going...

to listen to my next Sacraments lecture and do the homework (if any. This prof isn't real big on assignments). And then follow the Pens online. 
I am reading...

A lot of the CCC. :) And then...On Being Catholic, David Copperfield
I am hoping...
For good classes this week.
I am hearing...
The Juno soundtrack

Around the house...
not a lot to do. General tidying. 
One of my favorite things...
My new file folders :) 
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
T: A meeting w/ a friend of mine from church about a youth ministry he's involved in here in the city. 

Th: Lunch w/ Dad, ballet class (I will get there!!) 

F-M: Long weekend, yay! 

A Picture Thought I am Sharing:

Another pic of me and the cutest babe ever. Behind us is my cousin Kelly. My brother took this while Justin and I were playing "airplane", or whatever you want to call the game where you rock the baby back and forth. 

(sorry the spacing is all funny--blogger was going nuts as I composed this) 

Sacraments 101

(well, OK, really 516, but who's counting?)

Second class here. 

Seven Quick Takes Friday--Vol. IV

I. 

Market Day was on Thursday this week. For $19, I bought: two large lemons, a pint of strawberries, a bunch of bananas (for the making of these), a quart of local,non-fat milk (that tastes AMAZING), and a pound of hot dogs from the local butcher. $15 more will buy you two delicious pints of ice cream from here. (And if you don't live in Columbus, get this delivered. Seriously)

II. 

Had my first MA class yesterday-Principles of Biblical Study I. You can read about it here. I have my first Sacraments class tonight. I'll let you know how it goes. 

III. 

Addendum to point II--I still can't believe I read all of Genesis in one sitting. I guess reading the Bible is more fun when you understand how it works, or you're looking for things. Not that I didn't like Genesis before, but it makes more sense when you understand it. True of life in general I guess. 

IV. 

Auditions for Hilliard Summer Theater's musical--Big River--are next Sunday. If I can swing clips rotation with my boss and co-workers, I will be there. I am looking forward to seeing lots of old friends! If you want to read about my first year of summer adventures with them, check out the 'j_h' category on the sidebar.  Still not sure what next year's theater line-ups are for other theater companies. 

V. 

In apartment news--my dad thinks I need a new garbage disposal. Yay! 

VI. 

Not a lot of reading this week. I got Scott Hahn's "A Father Who Keeps His Promises", and began to read it, but since my MA stuff came the next day, I"ve been reading that. I will probably read some more over the weekend and have bookshelves if there is anything new (as in, anything from the ever-growing 'to read' pile that gets finished). The new Duck's Cottage book club book should be arriving tomorrow or Monday, so I'm excited to see it!

VII. 

We have had a lot of rain this spring, so much that when it's sunny (like today) everything is a brilliant green. BUt when it's not sunny, when it's overcast and rainy, I'm reminded of a phrase of Annie Dillard's, from Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. She talks about the "fecundity of spring"--how things are growing and green and alive, how it's a powerful thing to witness. So while I love the sun, seeing that power and growth when it's grey and raining is quite wonderful as well. 

For more quick takes, hop over to conversion diary. 

"So, how did it go?"

My first day of school. 

YES!

My first two MA courses have arrived!!!

CPG stuff

A post commemorating the first Fatima apparition here. (With links to movies!) 

Bookshelf: The Whole World Over

This is the second Julia Glass novel I've read, following Three Junes, for which she won the National Book Award. I've had my eye on this one for awhile and finally picked it up last weekend.

Greenie owns a bakery in lower Manhattan, and is married to Alan, a psychologist, with whom she has a son, George, who's about 5. Walter, Greenie's friend and owner of a local restaurant, gets Greenie a 'tryout' with the Governor of New Mexico--after tasting her coconut cake at Walter's, he wants to hire her as his personal chef. While their political opinions don't exactly mesh, he offers her the position. 

The offer comes at the right time for Greenie (whose real name is Charlotte). She and her husband haven't been getting along; she thinks it's some sort of midlife crisis. So she takes the job in New Mexico, brining her son with her. Alan is supposed to move out there with them. But he never does, only coming for occasional visits. 

While in New Mexico, Greenie reconnects with a former high school fling, and seriously considers beginning a relationship with him, after she discovers that Alan has fathered an illegitimate child with a former schoolmate. The two consider divorce but, as Alan bring George back to New York City to live with him, they never begin the proceedings. 

All of this is interrupted by the events of 9/11. This is the second 9/11 book I've read (the first being A Little Love Story, which is superb), and in this book the events are the catalyst for everyone to "come to their senses." Greenie flies back east, to her parents' cabin in Maine, where Alan and George have gone post-attack. Will there be a reconciliation?

The book's secondary characters are fantastic. There's Walter and his multiple, complex relationships; Saga, an epileptic who works for an animal rescue, and has a few run ins with Walter, Alan, and Fenno, a bookstore owner; Saga's family, including the domineering Michael; and of course, the clan in New Mexico, including the governor's chauffeur, "Big George." 

A theme throughout the book is nicknames, or misplaced names. Saga's real name is Emily; Greenie's is Charlotte, but she's called all sorts of things. Fenno even has a few different names in the novel. Identities and motives are not what they seem throughout the entire book. 

I liked this one better than Three Junes--it seemed to move faster. Both books involve lots of food, so it's not something I recommend to read if you're hungry. (My mistake) Some of the secondary plots seemed unnecessary, but all resolved satisfactorily. I would read this one before Three Junes, and I'll tackle Glass's third book, I See You Everywhere (about the relationship between sisters) once it's in paperback. 

Mother's Day

(OK, yes, this is a re-run from last year...but it does capture what I want to say)

I read a stat the other day. It said that stay at home moms would be worth approximately $117,000 if they were paid according to market demand. 

I think my mom would be worth more than that. 

Not just because she's my mom, but with me as her kid, you'd have to tack on a nurse's salary, too, which would put her earning power at more than $200,000, probably (beating my dad--sorry dad!). 

My parents have split the Emily duties--Dad usually does the ER runs, the surgery runs, the let's go out of town and visit doctors who know nothing runs. He also Handles the Insurance Company (that's a biggie). Mom does the day to day Children's stuff, the meds, makes appointments, takes me to appointments, and does fun stuff like wash my hair, flush my port, change burn dressings, etc., etc., etc. That's a lot of work. Trust me. And we've had to be fairly inventive as the years have gone on. Washing hair with a PICC, for example, is different than washing hair with an accessed port. 

Somehow in the midst of all this fun, Bryan and Mel also got raised and fed and taken to soccer, football, marching band, tennis, etc., etc., etc. I had voice lessons and dance classes and choir rehearsals. Meals got made and Christmas presents bought (Mom is, without a doubt, the Champion Christmas Shopper of the World. She is just awesome.). School projects got done, including counting pieces of litter in Blacklick Woods for a 5th grade "cluster" project. We went prom dress shopping and headed to hair appointments. 

When people talk about "working mothers," they're usually leaving my mom, and all the other Stay and Home Moms, out. This irritates me. My mom certainly works, and works hard!! She's worked the equivalent of two jobs for, oh, 26 years now. That's not easy. And there's no paycheck, no reward banquets, no bonuses, not even cool lunches at fancy places with The Boss. If Mom had worked at a "real" job, then I have no idea what would've happened to me (or the rest of us). Part of successful CF and post-tx care is having a strong support system. In the weeks after tx, we were at The Resort almost every day. I couldn't drive for three months, and Dad had to work. What were we supposed to do? So mom took me and hung out in waiting rooms while I did PT and OT and all that good stuff. It takes time to learn to change dressings, access ports, and make sure all the meds are going right. I was sort of half there, what with all my drug interactions and such. Someone needed to take charge. And that was mom. 

I would put up a pic of mom, but she's picky about that, so I'll just say we look alike. :) That should give you an idea. 
Happy Mother's Day!

BalletMet's 2009-2010 season!

The season was just announced today, and I can't wait until it begins! But I have to wait until October! Which is doubly hard, because the season opener is

And I love Swan Lake (OK, who doesn't love Swan Lake?) I haven't seen it in abut five years and I am looking forward to seeing it again, especially since the Cincinnati Ballet is joining BalletMet. The last time this happened was with Balanchine's Jewels, and it was a stunning collaboration. Two fabulous ballet companies for the price of one! 

The rest of the season is: 

Nov. 6-21, BalletMet Performance Space (their wonderful black-box theater across from their studios). 

This performance will also include a revival of Tharp's Sinatra Suite. 

The Nutcracker, Dec. 11-23, at the Ohio Theater.

If you haven't seen this yet, you really should. It's magical. 

Feb. 5-14, Capitol Theater, Riffe Center

I am really looking forward to this one. I've never seen it, but we all know the "Wedding March" that Mendelssohn wrote for this ballet! 

March 5-14, Capitol Theater

This looks very intriguing. I have never seen this ballet, either, but it looks evocative and passionate. Can't wait. This one-act ballet will be followed by a new work by Great Gatsby choreographer Jimmy Orrante. 

The season closes with: 

April 23-May 1, Capitol Theater

BalletMet's website describe this performance like so: 

WORLD PREMIERE! Listen to the lyrical legacy of three musicians. Watch the dynamic depiction of their distinctive songs danced upon the stage. Feel the creative forces that compelled these musical giants to move us in truly original ways. Their signature sounds have had fans of all ages dancing for decades. Now you can see the raw power of Johnny Cash, the soulful style of Stevie Wonder and the swinging sounds of Sammy Davis Jr. as you have never seen them before.

So, if this season looks as wonderful and intriguing to YOU as it does to me, head over to BalletMet's website and order a season subscription! I promise you, it will be worth it. 

Bookshelf: Vanessa and Virginia

Just finished reading the above title, after picking it up at B&N last night (I always get a book on payday. It's a rule). I love Virginia Woolf's writing and one of my favorite movies is The Hours, so this was right up my alley. 

Susan Sellers (who is a coeditor on the Cambridge University Press editions of Virginia's works) has written about the sisters' passionate, intense, complicated relationship from Vanessa's point of view. As the older sister, she took care of Virginia after their mother died and the two of them lived together with their brothers in their Bloomsbury house after their father's death. Vanessa was a painter; Virginia, a writer. While Vanessa married Clive Bell and has three children, Virginia's 'children' are her novels, for which she earns wide acclaim. 

Sellers tells the story in short vignettes, demonstrating the ties that bind all sisters--intense love, but also, in this case, equally intense jealousy. They often loved the same people, competing to be first in art, in love, in people's affections. But yet, neither one of them can see how much the other wants her sister's life. Vanessa wishes to have her paintings be as recognized as Virginia's books; Virginia, in turn, wants the bustling life, children, and love of others that her sister has. 

This is one of the best books I have read this year and will definitely become a travel companion this summer. Highly recommended! 

Seven Quick Takes Friday--Vol. III

I. 

Today was Market Day! (at the North Market) 

Today's goodies can be seen below: 

Here, we have delectable fruits: apples, lemons and limes (atop onions)

And here, the all Ohio, all the time (except the strawberries)

L-R, top to bottom: Milk from a Southern Ohio farm; spinach and mesclun greens; strawberries and sugar snap peas, and radishes. 

The radishes and limes were supposed to be part of a radish-corn salad I was making tonight. There wasn't any corn at the market, but I thought, "Oh,I'll used canned corn at home." Come home--no corn! Argh! So spinach and strawberry salad with vinagrette instead. 

II. 

Sent in my application for my first two MA classes. Well, actually they're undergrad classes cross-listed to the MA program that I need to take, since Capital didn't offer classes called "Sacraments". (It's a ELCA school) So anyway, I am taking Biblical Study I and Sacraments. Sort of dreading the former, since I don't know what it will be about. I'm

hoping it's not an entire course on Numbers or something. 

III. 

Side note on the MA thing: Last weekend, as we were going to Pittsburgh, we drove by the exit that takes you to FUS. I looked up the hills and thought, "I hope I am driving back here soon, as a student." This was on Saturday--got the letter on Monday. 

That's good stuff.

IV. 

See the post below about all the books? Yeah. Read more of David Copperfield yesterday. Brick by brick....I'm trying to read as much as I can before I get all my school books. (I LOVE that idea. School books! Studying! Woohoo!--No I am NOT kidding)

V. 

Pray for friend of a friend--in giving birth to her fifth child, she (the friend's friend) died, leaving her husband and the five children. They have no family nearby. 

VI. 

On a happier note...

Last night we got a break from the rain, and I sat out on my deck, watched the sun set, did a few stretches and read Copperfield. It was a beautiful night. My backyard is home to lots of critters--deer, rabbits, cardinals, blue jays, robins, squirrels, even a groundhog! I love watching them. 

VII. 

Going to my parents' tonight to watch Game 4 of the Pens-Caps series. I want a win!!!

More Quick Takes Over at Conversion Diary

The "To be read/finished" pile

Top to bottom: 

Tolstoy's short stories

David Copperfield

Scoop

The Wings of the Dove

Bleak House

The Pillow BOok

Will in the World

(Abridged) Tale of Genji

The Return of the Native

Moliere's plays

VICTORY

I thought I was going to have a heart attack watching this game. 

But it all turned out well. 

School Funding 101

OK, I am NOT going to go into the crazy, convoluted, insane state that is current school funding in Ohio. Not gonna do it. 

However, I am going to give you one basic distinction:

**LEVIES are passed by local communities. 

**The STATE can allocate certain amounts of General Revenue Funding (GRF) to schools. Right now, schools and medicaid make up about 70% of Ohio's budget.

**THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT (aka Congress) can also allocate money for funding. 

Here's the thing--when you get it from the state, or the feds, it is much, much more likely to have strings attached. I.e, here is federal govt. money, but it can only be spent on reading/math/ gifted/early childhood/whatever education. 

Furthermore, as we are discovering--it is really, really hard to get "equitable" school funding without screwing one or more districts. You're either being Robin Hood, or Robin Hood in Reverse. 

So--if you want money for music, etc.--you need to work for local/state levies to get that funding. The local level is the best. 

Oh, and note to those who have "I want the military to have bake sales to buy bombers" bumper stickers--appropriations at the federal level are not subject to balance budget statutes (like they are in Ohio, for example).  But yes, generally, the DOD (Department of Defense) gets more money than the Department of Education. It helps that the preamble to the Constitution specifically states that "provid[ing] for the common defense" was (is) part of establishing the country in the beginning.

 

So--summary: 

Do not blame the feds when people in your district vote down levies. 

AND

If you would like more money for education, then be prepared to say where other areas should be cut. Roads? Health care? Human services? You pick. 

Perfect

*Rainy afternoon

*books to read

*Lady Grey tea in my Spode tea cup

*snuggly blankets

*movies to be watched by the DVD player

The Simple Woman's Daybook--May 4, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook
For MONDAY, May 4, 2009

Outside my window...
Beautiful, sunny and breezy--in the high 60s, low 70s. 

I am thinking...
that I am so excited to be a graduate student!

I am thankful for...
being accepted into this wonderful program, and the chance to learn from some of the best theologians in the WORLD. 

From the kitchen...
Pasta Roni from Target *yeah, so not original

To live the liturgy...
Bible, rosary, Magnificat, St. Francis prayer book(now more than ever!) 

I am wearing...

A new dress from Title 9--sleeveless, color "Glass", a very pale blue green

I am creating...
files for the MA program

I am going to breathe deeply ...
and enjoy this new adventure!

Bringing beauty to my home ...
Vacuuming, dusting

I am going...
to Parish Council tonight--new members' first meeting!

I am reading...
David Copperfield

I am hoping...
for a grace-filled MA program!

I am hearing...
my iTunes disk

Around the house...
Balancing checkbook, cleaning

One of my favorite things...
studying! (really. I've missed it!)

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
T: Annie at St. Pius (one of my former baby-sitting charges is playing Rooster's g/f, whose name I am forgetting) 

Thursday: Ballet class

A Picture Thought I am Sharing:

(yes, I've already shown this but I LOVE it) 

me and Justin 

BIG NEWS!!!

Over here! 

Really, really big news!

More fun stuff

This time from Peggy

1. Color-blue

2. Dessert-chocolate

3. Smell-flowers

4. Flower-roses

5. Animal-bunnies

6. Month-September

7. Beverage-Diet Dr. Pepper

8. Pair of shoes-my Ugg loafers

9. Snack-chips 'n dip

10. Song-currently..."Soak Up The Sun"

11. Book-All Jane

12. Fruit-strawberries

13. Hairstyle-easy!

14. Piece of clothing-my Boston Marathon hoodie

15. Store to clothes shop-J. Crew

16. Season-Autumn

17. Hobby-photography

18. Thing to collect-Willow Tree Angels

19. Movie-The Hours

20. Restaurant- Bon Vie

Me and the babe

Emology

(From Jane) 

1) What is your salad dressing of choice? Italian

2) What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? Bon Vie! 

3) What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of? PIZZA

4) What are your pizza toppings of choice? pineapple, sausage, pepperoni, cheese....

5) What do you like to put on your toast? peanut butter

6) How many televisions are in your house? 1

7) What color cell phone do you have? red

8) Are you right-handed or left-handed? right

9) Have you ever had anything removed from your body? major organs :) but other than that, no. I still have my tonsils. Go figure. 

10) What is the last heavy item you lifted? all my computer stuff, up the stairs into my apartment. 

11) Have you ever been knocked unconscious? Knocked? No. Unconscious due to drugs/medical conditions? Yes

12) If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? No. Absolutely not. 

13) If you could change your name, what would you change it to? I like it. No changes. 

14) Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? Sure. As long as I didn't have to keep it down. (yeah, I stole this from Jane. )

15) How many pairs of flip flops do you own? Three. 

16) What’s your goal for the year? be happy

17) Last person you talked to on the phone? I don't really talk on the phone, but it was probably mom. 

18) Last person you hugged? My grandpa

19) Favorite Season? summer/end of summer into fall

20) Favorite Holiday? Christmas!!!

21) Favorite day of the week? Saturday

22) Favorite Month? August/September

23) First place you went this morning? church in PA

24) What's the last movie you saw? The Hiding Place 

25) Do you smile often? Yup

26) Do you always answer your phone? My favorite button ever is iDivert. (OK, stole this again too, but I love it!)

27) It's four in the morning and you get a text message? I'm not even aware it happened. 

28) If you could change your eye color what would it be? I wouldn't

29) What flavor drink do you get at Sonic? Anything. Sonic's drinks are the best. 

30) Have you ever had a pet fish? yes. Twice. Both times they died. 

31) Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night

32) What's on your wish list for your birthday? Well I just had one....I got books/DVDs/ a fun Magic Kingdom mug. :) 

33) Can you do push ups? Um...probably a couple. I can do plank pose. :) 

34) Can you do pull ups? Ha. Ha. NO. 

35) Does the future make you more nervous or excited? very very excited

36) Do you have any saved texts? Yup

37) Ever been in a car wreck? a couple

38) Do you have an accent? apparently, some people thing I do. I'm from Ohio, we're known for being "accentless"

39) What is the last song to make you cry? "Do What You Have To Do"  (I'm not counting songs I sang whilst crying onstage. That's called acting folks)

40) Plans tonight? unpack, read Parish Council materials, clean. Yes, I really have to clean. 

41) Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? Yup. 

42) Name 3 things you bought yesterday: Candy for my cousins at my other cousin's school musical. :) 

43) Have you ever been given roses? Heck yes. I had one boyfriend who was particularly good at that. 

44) Current hate right now? That I have to vacuum. I really hate vacuuming. 

45) Met someone who changed your life?  Yup. 

46) How did you bring in the New Year? I stayed home.  Yes, I am boring, but I'm not a big New Year's Eve Girl. I spent it once in NYC, and that was plenty. 

47) What song represents you? There's not one. There's a million. 

48) Name three people who might complete this? Not sure. 

49) What were you doing 12 AM last night? sleeping at Grandma's house in the bottom bunk. Good times. 

50) What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? It's morning ALREADY? 

A bit of radio silence

Silence over here until probably tomorrow night...going to Pittsburgh for my cousin Paige's first communion! I can't wait to see everyone, especially my godson, who is probably even bigger than he was at Christmas...sigh...they grow so fast.... (that's him in the photo) 

Fun with photo booth

Seven Quick Takes Friday (vol. II)

-1-

I've been receiving a lot of wonderful feedback for this blog entry, including this lovely email I received today from BalletMet: 

Just wanted to thank you so much for your blog entry on The Great Gatsby. It was wonderful--I'm so very thrilled you enjoyed the production and will make sure Jimmy (Orrante) reads your comments. I enjoy reading your Culture Cat entries throughout our season! You've got a great way of re-capping the story as well as all the elements that come together to create our productions. We've got a fantastic season coming up--as a subscriber, be on the lookout for the new season brochure in your mail next weekend!

I can't wait to see next year's season! If you live in Columbus and have not been to BalletMet, you are denying yourself true cultural enjoyment. They are really one of the best things about the city, and I have never, in five years of regular attendance, seen a bad show. 

-2-

A sad note--no new ballet until the end of summer. ARGH! Maybe the Houston Ballet will be performing when I'm there? 

-3-

Tomorrow we head to Pittsburgh for my cousin Paige's first communion. We always do these parties well, and with the Pens/Caps game series beginning tomorrow, we'll gather around the TV after food, presents, and cake. I can't wait to see Paige in her first communion dress, although I'm not sure how long she'll actually keep it on post-ceremony. 

-4-

Not a lot of reading this week--too busy with ballet, Sing Out Louise and etc. But I am bringing David Copperfield in the car tomorrow, so I'm sure I'l get lots of reading done (provided I don't fall asleep on the car). 

-5-

 

I received the third Ring Opera n the mail today from Amazon--Siegfried. I'll probably put it on later tonight. Since I can't get to the Met to watch Otto Schneck's production, I've been watching them at home. As I looked at the DVD case, I noticed that the actor singing Siegfried (the hero), is actually named Siegfried. 

Wow. I bet he hated that as a kid. Or is it fate that he was cast in this role? I hope he sings it well. 

-6-

With the dawning of the age of Widget 2.0 I have been loading my new iPod classic with all my music. I've almost got it all in, and it's a wonderful thing to carry around in my purse, especially since it has ample room for movies (right now it's only got Prince Caspian). And the new computer (dubbed Widget 2.0) performs beautifully. 

-7-

And last, an uncharitable comment: if my downstairs neighbors slam their door one more time...

Oh well. Happy Friday!

Culture Cat--BalletMet's "The Great Gatsby"

I've been a member-subscriber to BalletMet for four years, since I got my first job at the Statehouse. In that time frame, I have seen some truly remarkable works: Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Balanchine's "Stars and Stripes" and, my favorite, Dracula. 

Well, I should say, my former favorite. Because BalletMet's new work, choreographed by company dancer Jimmy Orrante, is my new favorite. 

The Great Gatsby, based on the novel of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald, tells the story of love, betrayal and desire among the wealthy of Long Island in the 1920s. In the era of jazz and prohibition, Nick Carraway watches his cousin, Daisy Buchanan, rediscover her former lover and risk the demise of her marriage to Tom, a former polo player. It's a seminal novel in American literature, and when I saw this ballet on the schedule for this season, my interest was immediately piqued. First, it's a world premiere, a brand new ballet (how often do you get to see one of those?If you're a BalletMet fan, you get to see them often. You're lucky). Second, I was interested in the theatricality of it--how would this novel fare as a ballet? 

I am thrilled to report that the translation is flawless. In this superb ballet, all the elements of dance--brilliant choreography, innovative staging, sumptuous costumes, skilled lighting and superb dancing--come together for an evening you will not soon forget.

This cast (casts alternate) featured many of the company's first-year members, a decision I found intriguing but ultimately pitch-perfect. Gabriel Smith danced superbly as Gatsby, especially in his Act II pas des deux with Daisy (danced gloriously by Christine Mangia, who is from my hometown). Their love, so tender and passionate, is thwarted by Tom Buchanan's(Jeffrey Diehl) indictment of Gatsby in the murder of Tom's lover, Mrytle (Olivia Clark).

Both Diehl and Smith dance wonderfully, and their character work is flawless. Both create multi-dimensional characters who are vastly different but also, surprisingly, similar, as seen in Act I, Scene II, which shows both men (with their butlers) getting ready for the day. The choreography for both is almost identical. Adam Hundt (one of my favorite company dancers) performs beautifully as our narrator and West/East Egg outsider, Nick Carraway. Orrante often has him standing just outside a scrim, watching the dancers, and, in one brilliant scene, has him standing over Gatsby's corpse, looking down at his friend. He slowly walks to his side, picks up the handkerchief that Gatsby had given Daisy so long ago, folds it, and places it on Gatsby's chest. It's beautifully done.  Nick's love interest is Jordan Baker (danced with great exuberance by Adrienne Benz), a professional golfer and Daisy's friend. As the ballet progresses, the two of them watch as Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby's affairs reach a boiling point in Act II, Scene IV. In a New York hotel room, Daisy tells Tom that she has never been in love with him, and flees. Gatsby is calm and collected, whereas Tom's dancing is erratic, his barrel turns demonstrating the rage he feels against the upstart Gatsby. 

Another pair of key players in the drama are the Wilsons, Myrtle (Olivia Clark) and George (danced by Bryan Jenkins). George is clearly smitten with his pretty wife, but she is less than satisfied with the kind of life he can provide as a mechanic. Tom sweeps her off her feet with her own apartment and other gifts (including an adorable dog). Myrtle can't hide the giddy love she feels for Tom, even after he slaps her at a party. Clark played that particular scene beautifully, her hand cupping her nose and her fury evident as she flees the room. As George, Jenkins creates an arc ranging from puppy love for his wife to incoherent sorrow and rage at her death. When he arrives outside Gatsby's mansion with a revolver, we have no doubt he will use it. 

It's not only the dancing that keeps you entranced; it's also the production itself. The scenery, borrowed from the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, is pitch-perfect, and the lighting, designed by Dennis Dugan, is amazing. In Act II, Scene II, Dugan uses individual spotlights to highlight the dancers, who dance in and out of them as their increasingly complex relationships are explained. Rebecca Baygents Turks' costumes, executed by the BalletMet costume shop, are evocative of the era without being too constricting to the dancers (how the men danced, full out, in white tie and tails is beyond me. In the theater, the men are hot after one show in those. I can't imagine dancing in them). In particular, Daisy's costumes are lovely. 

The corps, as usual for BalletMet, was technically and artistically wonderful. Their biggest roles were in the party scenes, where Orrante had them do a combination of jazz, charleston, and swing, all while keeping huge smiles on their faces. That cannot be easy, and they all did a wonderful job. 

The run ends on Sunday. If you haven't seen it, get to the theater! It is an experience you won't soon forget. 

Aw, shucks

Jane has awarded me the: 

Go check out her blog here. 

Oh wait, ha, I have to give it to 15 people now (well, supposedly. I probably don't have that many.)

So here we go: 

--Life In A Nutshell 

--Minnesota Mom 

--I Am My Kids' Mom 

--Conversion Diary

--In the Heart of My Home

--The Bonny Glen

--Praying for Grace

So go paste the above picture onto your blog! 

(I only got 7 too. Well it's one of my favorite numbers anyway) 

Dash for Donation '09!

Info here.

For those who don't know: The Dash is a walk/run/half-marathon event held in Downtown Columbus' arena district every summer. It raises awareness for organ and tissue donation. All you have to do is register and show up! There's no fundraising or meetings to attend. But there are trophies! 

The various races are:

--1 mile

--5 K walk/run

--half marathon and half-marathon relay

If you're interested in joining my team, leave a comment or shoot me an email at janeandessie@gmail.com 

Can't wait to see you there!

Open Mic Night

So tonight I did something brand new.
I sang at Open Mic Night.
Columbus, as I am discovering, is a hotbed of musical theater/theater talent. Really. There are just tons of us out there. We're like this little community within a community. One of the gathering points is at "Sing Out, Louise", a cabaret-style open night mic where people can come and sing songs they've polished, or songs they're working on.
I had never been, but tonight, I went out.
It's at Club Diversity in the Brewery District, in a renovated old house. This was my kind of bar--the bar TV was showing the 1990s remake of Sabrina on AMC. A baby grand sat near the windows. Some of the organizers had brought music, but I brought my repertoire binder (songs I can sing at the drop of a hat), as well as "The Gentleman Is A Dope" from Allegro, which I'd like to get ready for audition season.
We began around nine, and the organizer, Stewart, sang some pieces, then drew names from the list of attendees. Most of us got to sing twice. For my first number I sang "Maybe This Time" from Cabaret, and for the second, the piece from Allegro. I took it a bit fast--it was the first time I'd done it with an accompanist, so I gave her a pretty quick tempo--but the audience seemed to like that one better. It's a bit more fun to sing, and I think I'm really making progress on it. The bridge could use a bit of work for tempo, but that's about it.
A lot of friends were there--Dave from J&H with his wife, Katherine; Jay and Amy; Aaron H. from Parade, and Kristen and her husband David (Kristen was Parade's music director extraordinaire). Jay and Amy are in the middle of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown at the Little Theater Off Broadway; Kristen is the music director for Club Diversity's upcoming production of Cabaret. Jay and Amy did duets. Kristen often plays for the group and I can't wait to have her behind the keys.
There were a few people there just to hear us sing, which was cool. It was neat singing for them. any stage of development. It was great just to SING a piece, and not be judged on it. There was absolutely no pressure, because everyone there is there for fun. You took the mic, you picked your music, and you sang. Fantastic.
Now I just have to think about what to sing next month....

The Simple Woman's Daybook--April 27, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook
For MONDAY, April 27, 2009

Outside my window...
Beautifully sunny--high in the 80s. Amazing.

I am thinking...
that I need to figure out what I'm singing tonight!

I am thankful for...
my job.

From the kitchen...
Yes, it is 80, but I'm making soup tonight. Can't sing on a full stomach!

To live the liturgy...
Bible, rosary, Magnificat,

I am wearing...
One of my summer staples--my black, brown, cream and blue zigzag pattern wrap dress

I am creating...
music!

I am going to breathe deeply ...
and have fun tonight with my friends.

Bringing beauty to my home ...
Vacuuming, dusting

I am going...
to go to Sing Out, Louise!, a local open mike night in downtown Columbus, where we get to try out our musical theater pieces in a non-audition setting.

I am reading...
Scoop by Evelyn Waugh; David Copperfield

I am hoping...
for a grace-filled Easter season.


I am hearing...
the "Avenue Q" soundtrack

Around the house...
Balancing checkbook, cleaning

One of my favorite things...
singing!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Wednesday: buying a new mac!
Thursday: The Great Gastby with Richelle
Sat.-Sun: Pittsburgh for Paige's first communion

A Picture Thought I am Sharing:
Paige, the first communion girl (on the left), at our annual family reunion, Christmas '08

A Walk in the Woods

It is beautiful here today, in the low 80s, but with a good stiff breeze that keeps us all cool. In honor of this great weather, I headed for Blacklick Woods, the closest park, to walk on their nature trails.
I haven't done this in years, and I've never done it alone, but none of the paths is longer than a mile, and the one I took ran near the adjacent golf course, so I wasn't fearing for my safety.
It was a good exercise call. The path was nearly deserted, except for a few other walkers and two families with their little girls, and beautiful. Lots of violets blooming, and I saw a cardinal looking for food at one point.
I didn't put in my iPod or anything, I just walked and listened. The trees haven't bloomed yet, so there wasn't a lot of shade, but it didn't get very hot. The nice thing about walking on a trail is you're working harder than on a treadmill but you don't notice. There were some small inclines, and the trail gradually winds uphill, but you don't really notice until the brain says, "hey, this feels hard". Then I would look back and see, geez, yup, I was going uphill.
Tons of kids and families playing on the playground equipment and on the swings. It was nice to see so many people out enjoying the day.

Um...I was behind

Books I should have read before I graduated from high school...
(bold--ones I did read; italics, ones I've read, but post-high school;
"Shakespeare's plays, especially "Macbeth" and "Hamlet," were the only works listed by a majority of the participants - 71 percent.

"Fifty percent cited such documents of United States history as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Next came "Huckleberry Finn," the Bibleand these works of literature, philosophy and politics:

- Homer's "Odyssey" and "Iliad."

- Dickens's "Great Expectations" and "Tale of Two Cities." (on my own)

- Plato's "Republic." (some in class, more on my own)

- John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath."

- Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Scarlet Letter."

- Sophocles' "Oedipus."

- Melville's "Moby Dick." (YUCK)

- Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four."

- Thoreau's "Walden."

- The poems of Robert Frost.

- Whitman's "Leaves of Grass."

- F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Great Gatsby."

- Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales." (read more of them in college)

- Marx's "Communist Manifesto."

- Aristotle's "Politics."

- The poems of Emily Dickinson.

- Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment." (still need to finish it)

- The novels of William Faulkner.

- J. D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye."

- De Tocqueville's "Democracy in America."

- Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice."

- The essays and poems of Ralph Waldo Emerson.

- Machiavelli's "Prince."

- Milton's "Paradise Lost."

- Tolstoy's "War and Peace." (It's on my shelf. It wants to be read again. But I don't think so).

- Virgil's "Aeneid.""

So...how's you do?

Bookshelf: The Sun Also Rises

I just finished my first Hemingway novel, The Sun Also Rises. Yes, OK, I should have read Hemimgway eons ago but I didn't get around to it, and it didn't sound very promising. I mean, come on, The Old Man and the Sea? It just sounded like....not so much.
So, with some birthday money I accrued, I went to B&N and picked up a few books, including this one. It was time to actually read it.
Jake's Catholicism was an interesting thread to the story. At first blush you wouldn't think any of these characters are religious. But Jake, we discover, is, and it's an interesting flavor in the novel. Brett is interested in his religion, but in a voyeuristic way (for example, when she says she wants to hear him go to confession). It's fascinating. I didn't know anything about this before I picked it up (the only thing I knew was bullfighting was involved), so I was really interested in this (obviously). When I go back through it I will have to read these parts more closely, and see if there is anything I may have missed in my first go-round.
My favorite character was Bill, Jake's friend from America, who provides the light-heartedness in the novel. Some of my favorite quotes from him:

"Have it your way. Road to hell paved with unbought stuffed dogs. Not my fault."
"Direct action...it beats legislation."
(Jake speaking) " I wonder what day God created the chicken."
"Oh," said Bill, sucking the drumstick, " how should we know? We should not question. Our stay on Earth is not for long. Let us rejoice and give thanks."

The bullfighting scenes are also wonderful. The only thing I remembered about bullfighting was from second grade Spanish class, so this was a good reminder of the logistics of bullfighting.
Anyway, if you're going to start with Hemingway, I would start with this.

Something lighter...

Stacy London gives fashion advice at the WaPo.

What does volunteering have to do with college?

Um....I don't think a lot. But apparently our fearless leaders do. (warning: Sailor-like language)
Now before I get all sorts of angry comments, I'm not against volunteering. Volunteers do great things. I volunteer at church, for Lifeline of Ohio, etc. The world needs volunteers.
That said--the genesis of volunteering is that you are doing it freely. You do not expect tangible reward. You're doing it because it's important to you. Forcing kids to volunteer takes that entire angle away.
Second--why should volunteering have anything to do with college? College scholarships should be tied to one thing--grades. From the bill summary:

Puts young people onto a path of national service by establishing a Summer of Service program to provide $500 education awards for rising 6th-12th graders, a Semester of Service program for high school students to engage in service-learning, and Youth Empowerment Zones for secondary students and out-of-school youth. (um, what does THAT mean?)

From the link:

First, public or national service is profoundly un-American as a historical concept and comes always and everywhere slathered in the stink of trench warfare and rhetorical horses***. This is especially true when it is paid service even as those participating and spending your tax dollars luxuriate in the silky-smooth language of altruism. Which, last time I checked, was supposed to be free. Jesus rendered unto Caesar; he didn't ask for a block grant from Pontius Pilate in return. That Obama pushes national service and voluntarism even as he works to limit tax breaks for charitable giving that drives all sorts of philanthropy is a classic screw-you, my-way-or-the-highway move.

I'm not a bad person! Really! I just don't want my tax money going to pay volunteers. And I mean myself. I don't volunteer because I want money or recognition. I do it because I care about organ donation, I care about my church and the activities/events we provide. Things don't get done unless people step up. And really, I want people in my group that want to be there, not because they'll get paid if they show up, or will get high school credit, or whatever.

I love this

OK, sure, it was April 12, but it's still a great idea!

Support Columbus Catholic radio!

Find out more here.

Hard Day's Night

So...
since the last time I wrote, things have gotten....weird.
The cold that I have had since March re-asserted itself on Thursday, as we know. So I missed work on Thursday and Friday.
The weekend was OK. I had my birthday dinner at Scali's, and folks over afterwards for cake.
Sunday--not so great. Major increase in coughing and lots of sleeping.
So my parents came over (to make sure I was still alive, in part) and that's when I brought up a piece of sputum that was sort of...pinkish in color. Anything even remotely close to red is cause of concern (or, as I did, a freak-out).
So I called the tx pulmonologist on call, who happened to be Dr. K, one of my favorites. He said I could either come in to the ER or wait until tomorrow morning and go to clinic.
I chose the ER.
Long story short--After being there for 5 hours, apparently I was "normal".
Eh?
EKG, CXR, all that-normal.
Blood work--we had no idea. It hadn't come back yet.
So...I was to call clinic in the AM and then go from there.
Monday: Called clinic. Came in. PFTS, etc. couldn't really be done because I would cough and screw up the result. Oxygen sat was 96%, which is low(er) for me.
The verdict: I either have a virus or....(wait for it).....allergies.
Allergies.

Gotta tell you, not really feeling that diagnosis. I mean, allergies? I didn't think allergies made you feel like poking your eyes out with a red-hot metal object. You get night sweats with allergies? Huh?

So Dr. A was quick to tell me it could be a virus. So far, that hasn't turned up in the cultures.
Anyway, I'm feeling somewhat more human so I'll be back to work tomorrow.
This is all just further proof that my body is some very weird collection of organs that doesn't listen to anyone. Oh well.

Bub in Beantown

My brother ran the Boston Marathon today!
He finished at 2 h, 54 minutes, finishing 720th (out of like 15,000, so yeah!)
(his bib number was 3877, which you'll have to enter if you want to see his official times throughout the race in the above link)

Ridiculous

No wonder kids don't learn anything!

(not to sound way old, but....)

When I was in elementary school, we turned off the lights to reduce the heat during the late-spring, late-summer months. And I will tell you, we didn't learn a whole lot doing that. Instead, I believe we had nap time. Heads on the desk--in sixth grade. Yup.