Packing It Away

I am   FINALLY   packing away my Christmas stuff.

I thought it would have made me sad, but it mostly hasn't.

I've enjoyed looking at each of my treasures-- this year's new ones, previous years' discoveries.

I have great satisfaction in reorganizing some of my storage boxes.  And in deciding that other boxes have achieved "just right."

Looking at my kids' ornaments-- the ones they've made and the ones with their photos-- has made me a bit wistful.  They seem to grow up SO fast.

Ok, maybe I'm also wishing that I'd hung more ornaments or used more holiday serving-pieces or made more cookies & candy (or tried my hand at fruitcake.)

Maybe.

But, as I mentioned in my last post, I'm already looking ahead.  Today, I renewed my Keepsake Ornaments Club membership (and ordered replacement Crown Reward cards.)  I'm "following" Keepsake Ornaments on Facebook.  I've seen that there will be an Artists' Signing at one on my franchise's stores just before my birthday--- can you say "day-trip" ??!?

My church's rummage sale is coming up, and I always find goodies.

My craft room is (once again) shaping up, so I can tackle some projects that have been patiently waiting.

So, bring on birthdays, Valentine's Day, Easter & such!

I shall celebrate!

May the Circle

Yesterday I actually took down Christmas decorations.

Note: I typed "took down."  I merely moved them to a staging area.
Nothing has been put away yet.

So, what to my wondering eyes did appear in my mailbox yesterday?

SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!


MY KOC RENEWAL PACKET!!!!!!!


SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!


So, there is #2 in the Mini-ornament series "A World Within" I began last year.  There's a mini hummingbird, (and I know people who adore hummingbirds.)  And the little house is too, too sweet!

Ooooo!!!! And another Mini series!!!! Penguins!!!!!!

For my renewal, I'm choosing the "Christmas Window 2016" because I have a little ballerina who will be tickled pink with the "Dance Shop!"

I'm also choosing "Inside Story;" it complements the KOC membership ornament I got last year.  They say that this one is the "1st of 3."  Two more this year?  One each the next two years?  We'll see!

The "For Keeps" issue previewed many other KOC "exclusive" ornaments.

Maybe I will, maybe I won't.

But I know I'm getting Christmas 2016 off to a charming start!

SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

Line Runner

We had a great first weekend of "Superior Donuts"!  Our crowds had a bunch of energy, and our characters just came alive.  Things clicked.

So far, I've only heard of one, maybe, person being shocked at the "language."  Despite all the "mature audiences" warnings, and the word "pussy" written in big red letters at center stage, some people just don't pay attention.

But everyone else has.  They laughed at everything they should have, even getting some humor that escaped me earlier.  The crowds have been kind, congratulating us.  (People who know Russian have been impressed with Carl's accent and characterization of Max, the immigrant DVD entrepreneur.)

A delightful review came from Huntsville Theatre Reviews.  Robert Montgomery wrapped up his review of "Superior Donuts" with these words: "These are real people, with real lives-- real loves and loss, real dreams and history-- and it well deserved its opening night standing ovation."  Thank you so, so much for supporting us, Mr. Montgomery!

So many folks I know posted wonderful things on Facebook about the show!  Even my friend Anne, up in Chicago, is impressed we're doing this play.  Living in a ("better") Uptown neighborhood, she enjoyed reading Tracy Letts' play.  Too bad copyright laws prevent us from taping it.  Of all the plays I've done, I'd like most for her to see this one.

For a cast with varied roles/types and stage time, we are pretty chill together.  Being all in one dressing room helps.  We didn't plan on being in one dressing room, but with the VBC staff repairing a water leak in the women's dressing room, us gals (all 2 of us) had the options of "the green room," "the men's dressing room," or putting up with smell of epoxy and copious cement dust.  The men's dressing room is warmer and less public than the green room.  If you're wondering, we have very few costume changes, and all of us are "veterans" of community theater and know how to be respectful of others changing.  We talk smack about other things like football, drinking habits and jobs.  I think the only change is that the guys aren't using the urinals.  Then again, maybe they're shy pee-ers and don't use them around each other.  I wouldn't know.

Oh, and our cast motto is "Embrace the Pussy."
Yep.  We've made many jokes....

Now, it's the Wednesday before we start our second weekend.  We are sitting around the stage and doing a line run-thru.  We could have done a walk-thru, where we say the lines and move through our blocking, but no costumes and props/tech.  We're not doing a speed-thru, either, but we are popping out our lines at a quick, natural clip.  Thank God no one is pulling a green-dragon.  Unless everyone agrees beforehand, (and you're mentally prepared,) a green-dragon can turn into a real ego-fest.  For a show with a six-week rehearsal and that only runs two weekends, we don't need a green-dragon to "perk" us up.  We find plenty of things in the show to riff on while we're off stage.

If you're local and read this, come see this play.  We perform Thursday/Friday/Saturday (Jan. 21, 22, 23) at 7pm and a Saturday matinee at 2pm.  Ticket info at Theatre Huntsville.

Jeff White took some fabulous photos of the cast & show, that I'll post later.  But here is a scene from the fight.

Yeah, this show has everything.  It has heart.

50 Day of Christmas

So I can't schedule myself to blog every day.  I know that.  But I do like finding something to say.

I enjoyed giving you "50 Day of Christmas."  Fifty days of, I hope, good vibes and fun in what can be a sometimes disheartening world.

Almost 50 days.  This post marks 49 posts.  I'm missing one.  It's one I want put some serious thought into.  I'm looking forward to giving you "Day 17" from December 8th.

Right now, my Christmassy family.  Love y'all.

"Superior Donuts"

I'm in this sweet little holiday show called "Superior Donuts."  It's by Tracy Letts.  The dialog is full of cussing.  The set features graffiti "Pu$$y" center stage.  A character gets mutilated.  There's a major fight scene.  The cops are kind of useless.  I play a senior-citizen homeless wino.

But it really is a sweet little holiday play.

It's sweet because the premise is that some people who seem lost in their directions in life finally find their ways to being the better people they want to be.  The bad guys get defeated.  We get to eat donuts.

It's little because it's fairly short, there are few set-change elements/costume-change elements, so the scenes should move along.

It's a holiday play because the setting notes say the play takes place in Uptown Chicago over a few weeks spanning from December thru January. The average person won't realize this until the last scene when a character says "I trust you have wonderful holiday time?"  But, since theater people in Huntsville are geeky people, I have learned that the "Chicago Comics Con" takes place annually in December; one of the show characters does Star Trek cosplay at the convention which is often referenced in the play.

So, see?  Sweet little holiday play!  (Come see me wear a droopy poinsettia on my hat and hear me cuss!)

So sad....

...when all the Christmas cookies are gone.

I Got Nothin'

So here's some photos that didn't make any posts.

 

Tagged

So, Tara tagged me on Facebook to do one of those "about me' things.

Ok, so......

Here's a bit about me!

3 names I go by:
1. Elizabeth
2. Lizzie
3. Beth

(Hey! Let's go out and seek a bird's nest.)

3 places I've lived:
1. Brunswick, GA
2. Germantown, TN
3. Huntsville, AL

3 places I've worked:
1. McDonald's
2. American Red Cross
3. Huntsville-Madison County Mental Health Center

3 things I love to watch:
1. The backs of my eyelids
2. Cat videos
3. The scene outside the window

3 places I've been:
1. Walt Disney World
2. Chicago
3. Crazy

3 things I love to eat:
1. Chocolate
2. Cheese
3. Did I already mention Chocolate?

3 favorite drinks:
1. Diet Cola
2. Tequila
3. Gin and Tonic without the Gin

3 things I am looking forward to:
1. Tomorrow
2. Christmas
3. More Chocolate

The three people I think will respond and accept this challenge:

You, You, and maybe You---
Now copy and paste and forward your answers.

Three Kings Day

The Three Kings arrived at our house very, very late.  Like, right-before-the-sun-came-up late.  I think I saw them riding out as I went to wake up the kids.  (Walks off, whistling....)

They brought each kid a pair of wind-up Christmas toys, a North-Pole-themed book, a lapel pin (eagle for MLB and Snowman Angel for DLG,) and large box of Lemonheads candy.  No, you may not eat candy for breakfast before school.  Please, don't run the toys on the breakfast table. You've read your books already? And each other's?

After school, DLG told me that a schoolmate didn't get a visit from the Three Kings.  Hmmm....  well, I said, I think the Three Kings visit you and MLB because they used to visit Carl & his sisters & brother.  When I was growing up, the Three Kings didn't visit your Uncle Bill and me, I said.

Their lives are so, so filled.  I hope that they always have the magic and dreams and joy.  Kids can never have too many people who love them.

Sale, Ahoy!

The kids were back in school so I FINALLY hit some after-Christmas sales. Ten days beyond, they're more like after-after-Christmas sales.

I'd been itching all week to get shopping, but my wild-things can be quite the gimme-gimmies in a store, if they're not bugging each other to death.

I like shopping by myself.  I can look over things, pick them up and carry them around, think about them, and then put them back.

Shopping after the initial rush is good.  By this time, prices are as low as they will get before things are packed up for the secondary market.  I don't NEED anything, so I prefer having my non-necessities cost at a serious discount.  There's fewer leftovers to chose from, so even less for me spend. This is all a good thing, even though I've been antsy for a week.

I still found bunches of useful stuff!

Hallmark:  60% off-- "Anna" ornament and "Olaf in Summer" ornament for DLG, "A Little Jingle" ornament for me, "Northpole" Itty-Bittys for MLB (Jaz the Penguin & Snowby the Bear,) another ornament for me to be either a Mother's Day gift or 2016 Christmas gift, the "Caring Place" glass butterfly ornament to be a Mother's Day gift to my mom, a Mexican-style cross ornament to hang in MLB's room, and a little something for Carl's birthday.

Hobby Lobby:  90% off-- small Frozen-style ornaments to use as favors for one of DLG's birthdays, some bandanas also for favors, a throw pillow, several tree skirts for mini & table top trees (tree skirts make good doll skirts,) Christmas-ish jewelry findings that could be used any time, Christmas mini ornaments that can be used as jewelry, interest-specific ornaments to use as show cast gifts, hats for the kids and a sparkly infinity scarf for me.

Michael's:  75%-90% off-- enameled frame ornaments shaped like yarn balls (for gift use if I ever get back with my knitting group,) some sidewalk chalk for MLB's birthday, another little goody for Carl's birthday, Christmas earrings, some little things for friend's birthday and a cute little springy ornament.

Wal-Mart:  75% off-- chocolate goodies, cake icing, ornaments for the kids next Christmas, a few trinkets for them for Christmas, a pair of clip-on poinsettia flowers to wear in the play, little storage boxes for the ornaments they make and the loose ones I buy.

Target:  90%-- little plastic toy ornaments for DLG's birthday favors, ribbon on charming wooden spools, a few little ornaments that would appeal to MLB or Carl.

Yeah.  I went N.U.T.Z.  Good thing everything was picked over.  I shudder to imaging how much more I could have bought at a mere 50% off.

Yeah.  Good thing.  I might be an incurable.

Last Day of Christmas Vacation

I'm lucky.  My kids adore school, and cannot wait to go back to school tomorrow.  Maybe we didn't do "stuff" over the break, but the excitement of Christmas kept them occupied.  We didn't go to the Galaxy of Lights, didn't take in the Tinsel Trail, didn't tour neighborhood decorations.  But we did enjoy each other's company.  We did relax and laugh.

DLG and I spent today finally getting some decorations up on her walls. I've had these glittery flowers I'd bought at after-Easter clearance a couple of years ago.  Now her walls sparkle and bloom. Her horse poster is up on the wall (it's a Disney Palace Pet, but still....)  My unicorn cross-stitch is hung by her door.  Her "rainbow" projector (a Christmas gift) shines; her brother's "old" reading lamp and alarm clock are by her bed.  Oh, and we cleaned up her room.  (Talk about disarray.)

Got her brother to tidy up a bit.  We set up his new CD/radio/alarm clock (set in military time.)  Set up his new reading light.  (Both gifts.)  He got a couple of small wildlife posters-- put those up, too.

And I swept the den and kitchen.  A month of Christmas cookies makes quite a sprinkle of crumbs.

Backpacks are reloaded.  Computer is charged.  Gym clothes are clean. Lunchbags ready to be filled in the morning.

Only problem?

No one wants to wake at 0500 hours.

Gifts for All

Today, the Catholic Church in America celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany.  We, here, have moved many major feasts to the Sunday of the week it falls in.  We're a very busy country, quite out of the habit of daily Mass.  Mea culpa.

The kids did not have Sunday School, I did not have Children's Liturgy of the Word, I was not scheduled to read.  Still, we got there early.  The kids were about to dash off to the choir room to get their Maginifikids missalette, when I suddenly knew I had to go with them.

Micki would be on a King-hunt.

For Epiphany, our church gets three kids to wear capes and crowns, and to join the procession with the gifts to present at the manger.  The adults seem to think it's cute.  The kids seem to avoid it.  My two did it last year. They declined Micki's offer to be kings again.  (DLG is not keen on being a "king" since she's a girl.)  Micki asked if I would look for the kings.

Carl asked when I knew I knew I was going to be helping with today's liturgy.  "Five minutes ago."

I recruited three kings, and got them decked out.  I explained to them what they would do.  I refreshed the head usher on what the kids would do.  I set up the book and stand at the ambo and altar.  I noted that no one was there for CLoW, so I had to alert folks on for that.  I counted readers... oh, there's one... but Janie said that her reading partner was sick, so I offered to do the second reading.  And the deacon's broken foot was aching him and it hurt to go up and down stairs, could the first reader bring up the book?  Well, Janie had already sat down, but since I was shepherding the kings, I'd carry the book.  My family sat in the pew behind the kings, so I could lead them to their spots for the offertory, and then cue when they were to join the recessional.

Father Louis' homily was about us bringing our gifts to the King of Kings. We have something more precious to offer than gold, frankincense and myrrh.  We can offer ourselves and our talents.

Glad to.

How To Train a Reader

First, sit the small child in your lap.

Next, open a book.

Lastly, read aloud.

Repeat.


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I started reading to MLB as early as I could, and he was enchanted.  He tried to eat or shred several books.  And only threw up on one.  They were all salvageable.

He quickly "decoded" & was self-taught reading by age three. When people asked for tips to help their kids, I'd shrug-- I just read to him, that's all.

I honestly didn't read to DLG as much as an infant.  She was very active or very snuggly; within moments of sitting down with a book, she'd be ready to bail.  With MLB in kindergarten with his shiny new diagnosis of ADHD & Autism, I just let things roll with her.

At Christmas, though, one book caught her attention: "Who Is Coming to Our House?"  It's the arrival of Mary & Joseph and the birth of Jesus, as told by a little barn mouse who is readying the other animals.  Maybe it was the sweet and soft realism of the animal illustrations.  Maybe it was soft and discrete voices I used.  Maybe it was just her time to settle down, now that she had this walking thing going so she could keep up with big brother.  Whichever it was, she wanted her gift from her Godfather Rick read to her everyday.  I have a lovely picture of my dad finally getting her to snuggle up for a story.  After that, she was always bringing her Paw-Paw a book.  (I bought, post season, a Hallmark ornament of a big polar bear reading to a little polar bear.  Aww....)

She self-taught at age four, and became proficient at age five when she got glasses for her near-sightedness.

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I grew up having books read to me.  I self-taught by kindergarten.  My house was filled with shelves and shelves of my parent's books.  I eagerly looked forward to ordering from my Scholastics flyer and reading my new books.  I was a library mouse.

With books being even more affordable nowadays, especially used books, I thoroughly indulge in buying books.  Mostly for the kids, but sometimes for me, the schools and as gifts.

My daughter received a boxed set of "Ivy + Bean" books for Christmas from my Mom.  She's read most of them by now.  My son received Book #12 in the "How to Train Your Dragon" series.  He's previously read 1-7; we only own two used copies, and the rest have been checked out from the library.  But I know how he loves to reread his favorite books....

UPS brought the HtTYD boxed set for him today.  It's like a FOURTH Christmas for someone.  Thank you, Amazon Prime!

There is a very happy Hairy-Hooligan deep in book 8.

NYD

So people go around making New Year's Resolutions.

I'm resolved that I'll do things when I'm good and ready.

Or when I just "haf" to.

But this year, I'm going work better on the use-it-or-lose-it plan.

First on that list is my food stuffs.  I'm pitching those five-year-old jars of homemade (not by me) pickles.  I've got better uses for those Mason jars.

Happy New Year, y'all.  Keep sparkling!