Friday, February 29, 2008
Remember Baby David?
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
TN Women's Theater Project
I got this from a friend and thought I'd pass it on by posting it here:
Tennessee Women's Theater Project
Last year, Tennessee Women's Theater Project held our first festival and celebration of works created by women: Women's Work. It was so successful — drawing women playwrights, poets, musicians, essayists, painters, and filmmakers from across Tennessee and across the country — that we have decided to make it an annual event.
Once again, for three weekends in May (May 9 through May 25), Women's Work will showcase the talents of creative women at Nashville's Z. Alexander Looby Theatre. Today we begin the call for submissions. We will consider a variety of works: staged readings or reader's theater presentations of plays by women playwrights; performance pieces by women; films and documentaries by women; poetry readings; songwriters, choreographers; stand-up comics – you name it, we'll consider it. TWTP will provide the stage; the woman artist will provide the work. (Please note, if a presenter requires actors, musicians, dancers, etc., TWTP may provide the leads, but it will be up to the presenter to contact those people and arrange for their participation.)
The deadline for submissions is April 11. Please visit our website to download a submission form. There's a small submission fee of $15.00, to help offset our costs; this fee will be waived for 2007 presenters.
We urge you to forward this to any women artists you think might be interested. E-mail me (Maryanna@twtp.org), or call 615-681-7220, for more information, or if you have any questions.
We're looking forward to an even bigger and better festival than last year!
Maryanna
*************************************************Founding Artistic DirectorTennessee Women's Theater Projectwww.twtp.org"If theater holds a mirror up to society, why are there not as many women's faces in that reflection as I see around me?" – Maryanna Clarke
Raise money for Tennessee Women's Theater Project just by searching the Internet with GoodSearch - www.goodsearch.com - powered by Yahoo!
Tennessee Women's Theater Project
Last year, Tennessee Women's Theater Project held our first festival and celebration of works created by women: Women's Work. It was so successful — drawing women playwrights, poets, musicians, essayists, painters, and filmmakers from across Tennessee and across the country — that we have decided to make it an annual event.
Once again, for three weekends in May (May 9 through May 25), Women's Work will showcase the talents of creative women at Nashville's Z. Alexander Looby Theatre. Today we begin the call for submissions. We will consider a variety of works: staged readings or reader's theater presentations of plays by women playwrights; performance pieces by women; films and documentaries by women; poetry readings; songwriters, choreographers; stand-up comics – you name it, we'll consider it. TWTP will provide the stage; the woman artist will provide the work. (Please note, if a presenter requires actors, musicians, dancers, etc., TWTP may provide the leads, but it will be up to the presenter to contact those people and arrange for their participation.)
The deadline for submissions is April 11. Please visit our website to download a submission form. There's a small submission fee of $15.00, to help offset our costs; this fee will be waived for 2007 presenters.
We urge you to forward this to any women artists you think might be interested. E-mail me (Maryanna@twtp.org), or call 615-681-7220, for more information, or if you have any questions.
We're looking forward to an even bigger and better festival than last year!
Maryanna
*************************************************Founding Artistic DirectorTennessee Women's Theater Projectwww.twtp.org"If theater holds a mirror up to society, why are there not as many women's faces in that reflection as I see around me?" – Maryanna Clarke
Raise money for Tennessee Women's Theater Project just by searching the Internet with GoodSearch - www.goodsearch.com - powered by Yahoo!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
An answer for everything--from Judah
Judah still thinks he knows everything. I know it's just a phase, and I know it will come back when he's a teenager, but it's cracking me up right now.
We're in the kitchen, and he says, "Mommy, I know everything."
"Judah," I say, "You have an answer for everything, but that doesn't mean you know everything."
"What is something I don't know?" (You have to imagine him enunciating every consonant and his voice getting really high on the "don't" part--very cute.)
It takes me a few minutes, but I finally think to say (while I'm looking at my struggling herbs reaching for the sunlight from my kitchen windowsill), "Do you know what photosynthesis is?"
He says, "Mommy, did you know that I don't tell people things that they already know?" Because my mind and the mind of my preschooler are always wandering, I'm thinking this comment is totally unrelated to our conversation. So I say, "Is that right?"
And he says, "Yes. Do you know what that is?"
And I say, "Photosynthesis?"
"Yes."
"I have an idea."
And Judah responds, "Then what is it?"
He almost got me. I cracked up laughing. That kid--on his quest to know everything--nearly tricked me into telling him the one thing I came up with that he didn't know. Really. This is what politics are made of.
We're in the kitchen, and he says, "Mommy, I know everything."
"Judah," I say, "You have an answer for everything, but that doesn't mean you know everything."
"What is something I don't know?" (You have to imagine him enunciating every consonant and his voice getting really high on the "don't" part--very cute.)
It takes me a few minutes, but I finally think to say (while I'm looking at my struggling herbs reaching for the sunlight from my kitchen windowsill), "Do you know what photosynthesis is?"
He says, "Mommy, did you know that I don't tell people things that they already know?" Because my mind and the mind of my preschooler are always wandering, I'm thinking this comment is totally unrelated to our conversation. So I say, "Is that right?"
And he says, "Yes. Do you know what that is?"
And I say, "Photosynthesis?"
"Yes."
"I have an idea."
And Judah responds, "Then what is it?"
He almost got me. I cracked up laughing. That kid--on his quest to know everything--nearly tricked me into telling him the one thing I came up with that he didn't know. Really. This is what politics are made of.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Nutrition--I love it.
I'm a big fan of the Weston A. Price foundation. It was co-founded by my hero in the fight against partially hydrogenated oils, Mary Enig, Ph. D., and her partner in nutrition, Sally Fallon. Tonight I found on their website a handy list of book/media reviews that I've begun to read through:
http://www.westonaprice.org/bookreviews/index.html
I'm enjoying the blog of someone who has begun an "all raw" diet again, and I'm currently conversing with a nutrition-coach friend who believes that soy is good for you and not at all harmful. I love having conversations about diet and nutrition. I love having conversations with people who don't completely agree with me. Iron sharpens iron; I just happen to enjoy the process of being sharpened. (In fact, I keep hoping for comments on this blog that will spur more discussion, but I keep waiting . . .)
So far, I have found that the Weston A. Price foundation, more than any other Internet source, presents well-documented studies and well-researched opinions on a host of food-related topics without a lot of commercialism and hype. Their suggestions really resonate with me.
Here's the link to Dr. Price's book (the book review gives a little history about why the foundation was started and what they're all about):
http://www.westonaprice.org/bookreviews/napd.html
And . . . in case you're interested, here's the link to the cookbook that Fallon and Enig co-wrote: Nourishing Traditions.
Whew, that's a lot of linking for one night.
Ever since I joined the green smoothie challenge, I've made a green smoothie every day. Today was my least favorite, but I drank two glasses anyway.
I made green beans and asparagus for lunch this week, and the kids and I devoured them. It took about 20 minutes to pull it together.
I even heated up (the next night) green beans, asparagus, and a rotisserie chicken before James got home from work this week. It was really easy. Beans went in the microwave in a baking dish with a lid. I rinsed them and put a pat of butter on top before steaming them for about five minutes.
The asparagus went into a baking dish without a lid. I drizzled them with lemon pepper oil, sprinkled on some sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, and roasted them at 350 for about 10 minutes. Oh, and I added a few slices of red onion since I wanted it to taste a tiny bit different from yesterday.
The rotisserie chicken went into a shallow baking pan with 1/4 inch of water and reheated on the rack above the asparagus for 20 minutes.
We all ate a delicious meal together. Judah had clementines and a mango for dessert, at his request.
In case you didn't know, cooking is a big deal for me. I don't know why, but it completely stresses me out. I can handle smoothies and the occasional salad or sandwich; however, I tried one night to make dinner for my family and I ended up on the floor crying after it was all over. It was too much.
Fortunately, my husband is a great cook. He's usually willing to come home and put something together that we'll all enjoy, or if he makes something I'm not crazy about, he'll hook me up with a huge salad. If he's not up for cooking, we either meet somewhere for dinner or he picks something up on his way home. Even our take-out is healthy, though. It's so nice living in Nashville.
http://www.westonaprice.org/bookreviews/index.html
I'm enjoying the blog of someone who has begun an "all raw" diet again, and I'm currently conversing with a nutrition-coach friend who believes that soy is good for you and not at all harmful. I love having conversations about diet and nutrition. I love having conversations with people who don't completely agree with me. Iron sharpens iron; I just happen to enjoy the process of being sharpened. (In fact, I keep hoping for comments on this blog that will spur more discussion, but I keep waiting . . .)
So far, I have found that the Weston A. Price foundation, more than any other Internet source, presents well-documented studies and well-researched opinions on a host of food-related topics without a lot of commercialism and hype. Their suggestions really resonate with me.
Here's the link to Dr. Price's book (the book review gives a little history about why the foundation was started and what they're all about):
http://www.westonaprice.org/bookreviews/napd.html
And . . . in case you're interested, here's the link to the cookbook that Fallon and Enig co-wrote: Nourishing Traditions.
Whew, that's a lot of linking for one night.
Ever since I joined the green smoothie challenge, I've made a green smoothie every day. Today was my least favorite, but I drank two glasses anyway.
I made green beans and asparagus for lunch this week, and the kids and I devoured them. It took about 20 minutes to pull it together.
I even heated up (the next night) green beans, asparagus, and a rotisserie chicken before James got home from work this week. It was really easy. Beans went in the microwave in a baking dish with a lid. I rinsed them and put a pat of butter on top before steaming them for about five minutes.
The asparagus went into a baking dish without a lid. I drizzled them with lemon pepper oil, sprinkled on some sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, and roasted them at 350 for about 10 minutes. Oh, and I added a few slices of red onion since I wanted it to taste a tiny bit different from yesterday.
The rotisserie chicken went into a shallow baking pan with 1/4 inch of water and reheated on the rack above the asparagus for 20 minutes.
We all ate a delicious meal together. Judah had clementines and a mango for dessert, at his request.
In case you didn't know, cooking is a big deal for me. I don't know why, but it completely stresses me out. I can handle smoothies and the occasional salad or sandwich; however, I tried one night to make dinner for my family and I ended up on the floor crying after it was all over. It was too much.
Fortunately, my husband is a great cook. He's usually willing to come home and put something together that we'll all enjoy, or if he makes something I'm not crazy about, he'll hook me up with a huge salad. If he's not up for cooking, we either meet somewhere for dinner or he picks something up on his way home. Even our take-out is healthy, though. It's so nice living in Nashville.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
A picture of the over-achiever in me
That little exercise got my memory going, so here are a few more:
The thing I took away from that whole experience (of traveling, doing commercials, being flown all over the place for speaking engagements and photo shoots, etc.) is that doing things alone--even if they're exciting--are a lot less fun than when you're with someone you love. Reminiscing is one of life's greatest pleasures. I have more fun talking about mundane things I did with my girlfriend Lisa than talking about the so-called exciting things I did with Sonic because Lisa and I took the mundane and made it silly and now have some great shared experiences. When we reminisce together, we laugh so hard we nearly cry.
***
Another random, interesting tidbit: When I was 12, I won the KY state championship for squirrel rifle shooting. I had recently returned from Camp Curry where I learned, among other things, to shoot a gun. I guess I had a natural talent for it because I competed in a shoot at the lake near our house and they sent my target to the state competition and I won. I like to say it's the only sport I was ever good at since I only had one good eye.
***
Speaking of one good eye, I have terrible depth-perception. As a result, I have totaled multiple cars (most of them during my first couple years of driving). Since then, I have learned to compensate for it and for several years now, I haven't had an accident while driving. On a related note, when I was a kid, I tried playing T-ball, but I couldn't hit the ball off the T. That was also before I got glasses. Now I can throw a ball in the air and hit it with a bat. Judah is terribly impressed.
***
When I was in middle school and high school, I participated in writing competitions. I remember being the only one on the academic team whose parent was not a teacher. I thought for sure that I wouldn't make it to the state competitions because of that, but I made it! In college, I won a couple writing scholarships and academic scholarships, so most of my books and tuition were covered during my 4 1/2 year stint at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN. I enjoyed several of my professors as well as getting together with other writers on a regular basis. I also enjoyed the jobs I had as a result of my scholarships. I gave campus tours through the admissions office and worked on a literary journal with some fabulous writers.
***
In high school, I worked my electives around speech and drama. I managed to take one class each year and was the only freshman enrolled in Speech I. That's where I met my best friend from high school, Carole. We went on speech competitions together (those competitions were some of the highlights of my high school career).
Carole was a junior, but she didn't ignore me
just because I was a freshman. She also introduced me to her (very pretty) girlfriends, which made me feel like a rockstar. Years later, we're still friends. She even came to see me in the last play I was in. Would you believe her daughter is now the same age we were when we met? AND . . . she's going to be a grandmother in September. Her husband is 11 years older than she is, and he has two kids from a previous marriage. Her step-daughter is pregnant, so my friend Carole from high school is about to become a GRANDMOTHER. Nuts. Here's a picture of us from the night of the play (hence, the abundance of make-up).
***
And now it's time to finish the laundry. I enjoyed the treck down memory lane. Thanks, Shyla!
***
During my senior year of high school, I won a national competition with Sonic Industries (yes, the girl who will no longer eat fast food was the National Carhop of the Year for Sonic Drive-In). I served as a sort-of spokesperson for them for 19 months. I also appeared in a few national television commercials (one with Frankie Avalon--I know, most people have never even heard of him! He's in the movie Grease). He came to my hometown, so I got to travel with him and watch women who are my mom's age and much older ask him for his autograph in the airport. On our way to KY, we stopped to eat at Jack's Barbeque on Trinity Lane, and he gave them a signed picture of himself that now hangs on the wall there. When my parents came to visit me last year, they grabbed something to eat at Jack's and noticed that Frankie's picture was there. They mentioned it to me, and I said, "I was there the day he gave it to them!" We drove for an hour through rural KY on Hwy 431 before we reached Russellville, and I can remember him saying he couldn't think of any time in his life that he had driven so far out into the country. He had a negative attitude about everything, which was a real eye-opener for me. I quickly became disillusioned with being famous and a lot less enamored with famous people. I also discovered that film (even a 60-second commercial) takes FOREVER to make and it's all a game of HURRY UP and WAIT. We had to be up at 4:00 a.m. and we worked until dark. I worked with some hilarous actors and had a lot of fun, but I definitely wouldn't want to do it for a living.The thing I took away from that whole experience (of traveling, doing commercials, being flown all over the place for speaking engagements and photo shoots, etc.) is that doing things alone--even if they're exciting--are a lot less fun than when you're with someone you love. Reminiscing is one of life's greatest pleasures. I have more fun talking about mundane things I did with my girlfriend Lisa than talking about the so-called exciting things I did with Sonic because Lisa and I took the mundane and made it silly and now have some great shared experiences. When we reminisce together, we laugh so hard we nearly cry.
***
Another random, interesting tidbit: When I was 12, I won the KY state championship for squirrel rifle shooting. I had recently returned from Camp Curry where I learned, among other things, to shoot a gun. I guess I had a natural talent for it because I competed in a shoot at the lake near our house and they sent my target to the state competition and I won. I like to say it's the only sport I was ever good at since I only had one good eye.
***
Speaking of one good eye, I have terrible depth-perception. As a result, I have totaled multiple cars (most of them during my first couple years of driving). Since then, I have learned to compensate for it and for several years now, I haven't had an accident while driving. On a related note, when I was a kid, I tried playing T-ball, but I couldn't hit the ball off the T. That was also before I got glasses. Now I can throw a ball in the air and hit it with a bat. Judah is terribly impressed.
***
When I was in middle school and high school, I participated in writing competitions. I remember being the only one on the academic team whose parent was not a teacher. I thought for sure that I wouldn't make it to the state competitions because of that, but I made it! In college, I won a couple writing scholarships and academic scholarships, so most of my books and tuition were covered during my 4 1/2 year stint at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN. I enjoyed several of my professors as well as getting together with other writers on a regular basis. I also enjoyed the jobs I had as a result of my scholarships. I gave campus tours through the admissions office and worked on a literary journal with some fabulous writers.
***
In high school, I worked my electives around speech and drama. I managed to take one class each year and was the only freshman enrolled in Speech I. That's where I met my best friend from high school, Carole. We went on speech competitions together (those competitions were some of the highlights of my high school career).
Carole was a junior, but she didn't ignore me
just because I was a freshman. She also introduced me to her (very pretty) girlfriends, which made me feel like a rockstar. Years later, we're still friends. She even came to see me in the last play I was in. Would you believe her daughter is now the same age we were when we met? AND . . . she's going to be a grandmother in September. Her husband is 11 years older than she is, and he has two kids from a previous marriage. Her step-daughter is pregnant, so my friend Carole from high school is about to become a GRANDMOTHER. Nuts. Here's a picture of us from the night of the play (hence, the abundance of make-up).***
And now it's time to finish the laundry. I enjoyed the treck down memory lane. Thanks, Shyla!
Tagged
My friend Shyla "tagged me" (asked me via her blog) to write six things about one of my kids. Then, she asked me to write six interesting/quirky/random things about me. Since I'm sitting here nursing, I figure I'll give it a go. I'll start with the kiddos:
1. Both Miriam and Judah started walking at 13.5 months.
2. Both labor and delivery experiences were all-natural, short, and only painful for a few minutes (I had Judah at the hospital and Miriam at home).
3. I felt as though the Lord gave me both of their names at The Call DC in 2000.
4. Both of my kids like to be chased, tickled, surprised, and then take breaks to hug and cuddle before doing it all over again.
5. My kids don't eat fast food, watch TV, or play video games. (I know, I know, I get asked all the time: What DO you do all day? The short answer is: We play, read books, and fight dragons.)
6. My kids are allowed to jump on the furniture.
And now me . . .
1. I was born with a condition called pyloric stenosis, which is a blockage in the stomach that is more common in first-born males. It wasn't diagnosed until I was four months old and weighed 8 lbs. After a simple surgery (and a scar that never went away), I started gaining weight and rounded out pretty well by the time I was a toddler.
2. When I was four years old, I punctured my left eye with a fork. My mom just told me yesterday that my dad recently remembered when the nurse was having trouble setting me up with an IV and I looked at him and said, "Daddy, I think I might have to cry." He said, "Don't worry. She's not going to stick you again." The nurse said, "If Daddy says we're not going to stick you again, then we're not going to stick you again."
3. The same year as the fork incident, I had sliced open my chin and had to have stitches. I was running from the living room of my grandparents' house into the kitchen to tell my mom what a good girl I was being when I ran into a tall, ornate, iron(?) ashtray and cut my chin on both sides. My Poppop said that I cried so loud that the ambulance heard me and came right away. When I was supposed to have the stitches taken out, I told the doctor, "If you touch me, I'll pee my pants." Well, he touched me and, yes, I peed my pants. The scars have moved quite a bit, but before they did, I used to resemble a marionette puppet.
4. On the stitches/accidents track, I broke my arm in the fifth grade while riding a three-wheeler in the woods near my house. It had been raining, and I took a curve going too fast and slid into a tree. The three-wheeler fell on my right wrist and broke both bones. A man who was hunting nearby heard me cry and helped me get back home. I thought I was dying. My mom thought I was being dramatic. My dad took one look at my wrist and said, "I think she broke it."
5. I used to write stories for fun when I was in elementary school. I would ask my teachers to read them. I craved their feedback. The same year I broke my arm, I wrote a Thanksgiving play that my teacher allowed me to direct and present to the other classes (I even got to perform in front of the "big" kids!") Since we didn't have a theater department, acting classes, or creative writing classes at my public school (or anywhere in my small town), I kind of created my own.
6. When I lived in NJ, my mom enrolled me in ballet classes. I don't remember how old I was. 4? 5? I'm thinking I had to be close to Judah's age. Anyway, at the end of the classes, we performed on stage with the professional ballerinas. I danced to "I'm a swingin' little lamb" in the cutest little lamb costume. I told Mom afterward that I wanted to do it again, but I didn't want to go to the practices. I just wanted to be on stage.
I'm not sure what the rules are with regard to "tagging," but I think I'm supposed to tag other people. Preferably people with blogs? I think I'll tag my friend Julie to write six things about herself since she hasn't written anything on her blog since September and she probably has a great list. And I'll tag Jill to write six things about one of her other kids (besides Spencer, who gives her lots of great material--check out her post from Feb. 7 entitled "Vinegar Milk").
1. Both Miriam and Judah started walking at 13.5 months.
2. Both labor and delivery experiences were all-natural, short, and only painful for a few minutes (I had Judah at the hospital and Miriam at home).
3. I felt as though the Lord gave me both of their names at The Call DC in 2000.
4. Both of my kids like to be chased, tickled, surprised, and then take breaks to hug and cuddle before doing it all over again.
5. My kids don't eat fast food, watch TV, or play video games. (I know, I know, I get asked all the time: What DO you do all day? The short answer is: We play, read books, and fight dragons.)
6. My kids are allowed to jump on the furniture.
And now me . . .
1. I was born with a condition called pyloric stenosis, which is a blockage in the stomach that is more common in first-born males. It wasn't diagnosed until I was four months old and weighed 8 lbs. After a simple surgery (and a scar that never went away), I started gaining weight and rounded out pretty well by the time I was a toddler.
2. When I was four years old, I punctured my left eye with a fork. My mom just told me yesterday that my dad recently remembered when the nurse was having trouble setting me up with an IV and I looked at him and said, "Daddy, I think I might have to cry." He said, "Don't worry. She's not going to stick you again." The nurse said, "If Daddy says we're not going to stick you again, then we're not going to stick you again."
3. The same year as the fork incident, I had sliced open my chin and had to have stitches. I was running from the living room of my grandparents' house into the kitchen to tell my mom what a good girl I was being when I ran into a tall, ornate, iron(?) ashtray and cut my chin on both sides. My Poppop said that I cried so loud that the ambulance heard me and came right away. When I was supposed to have the stitches taken out, I told the doctor, "If you touch me, I'll pee my pants." Well, he touched me and, yes, I peed my pants. The scars have moved quite a bit, but before they did, I used to resemble a marionette puppet.
4. On the stitches/accidents track, I broke my arm in the fifth grade while riding a three-wheeler in the woods near my house. It had been raining, and I took a curve going too fast and slid into a tree. The three-wheeler fell on my right wrist and broke both bones. A man who was hunting nearby heard me cry and helped me get back home. I thought I was dying. My mom thought I was being dramatic. My dad took one look at my wrist and said, "I think she broke it."
5. I used to write stories for fun when I was in elementary school. I would ask my teachers to read them. I craved their feedback. The same year I broke my arm, I wrote a Thanksgiving play that my teacher allowed me to direct and present to the other classes (I even got to perform in front of the "big" kids!") Since we didn't have a theater department, acting classes, or creative writing classes at my public school (or anywhere in my small town), I kind of created my own.
6. When I lived in NJ, my mom enrolled me in ballet classes. I don't remember how old I was. 4? 5? I'm thinking I had to be close to Judah's age. Anyway, at the end of the classes, we performed on stage with the professional ballerinas. I danced to "I'm a swingin' little lamb" in the cutest little lamb costume. I told Mom afterward that I wanted to do it again, but I didn't want to go to the practices. I just wanted to be on stage.
I'm not sure what the rules are with regard to "tagging," but I think I'm supposed to tag other people. Preferably people with blogs? I think I'll tag my friend Julie to write six things about herself since she hasn't written anything on her blog since September and she probably has a great list. And I'll tag Jill to write six things about one of her other kids (besides Spencer, who gives her lots of great material--check out her post from Feb. 7 entitled "Vinegar Milk").
Places I like to go . . .
While nursing.
My latest inspiration:
http://walkslowlylivewildly.com/
She has a food blog, too:
http://happyfoody.wordpress.com/
Her latest post is about her "Green Smoothie Challenge." Sound like anyone you know?
I just finished my second 16 oz. glass of green smoothie:
one fresh mango
a handful of fresh mint
a bunch of romaine (the entire heart)
several large, frozen strawberries
a bit of filtered water
It's my tasty anti-flu tonic.
My latest inspiration:
http://walkslowlylivewildly.com/
She has a food blog, too:
http://happyfoody.wordpress.com/
Her latest post is about her "Green Smoothie Challenge." Sound like anyone you know?
I just finished my second 16 oz. glass of green smoothie:
one fresh mango
a handful of fresh mint
a bunch of romaine (the entire heart)
several large, frozen strawberries
a bit of filtered water
It's my tasty anti-flu tonic.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Spring Auditions for Oracle Productions
From Scott Crain of Oracle Productions:
We are pleased to announce that auditions for our spring production, The Devil's Blessings, will be held Thursday and Friday evening, February 28 and 29, from 7-9:30 PM at Lipscomb University's Swang Auditorium, located in the Axel Swang Center on the Lipscomb University campus, 3901 Granny White Pike.
Production dates are May 22-25, 30-31 & June 1, 6-8 at the Shamblin Theater. Roles are available for 14 men, 8 women; auditions will consist of cold readings from the script.
The Devil's Blessings is a creepy Western thriller and we need LOTS of talented folks, so please help spread the word!
Production dates are May 22-25, 30-31 & June 1, 6-8 at the Shamblin Theater. Roles are available for 14 men, 8 women; auditions will consist of cold readings from the script.
The Devil's Blessings is a creepy Western thriller and we need LOTS of talented folks, so please help spread the word!
*****
It seems I end up in every other one of Scott's plays. Every other one has an online photo album (so you can't even see pictures of the shows I've been in), and every other one is creepy. What's that about? The ones I'm not in are the fairy tales. Maybe by the time Judah is old enough to act on stage with me, I'll land a role (or get to audition for) in a less creepy show. Speaking of Judah and acting, he has his first acting class tomorrow morning with the Nashville Children's Theatre. I'm so excited! He SO wants to dress up and be on stage. I have no idea if they'll let the kids do that, but whenever we mention going to a play he says, "Do I get to be on stage?" He's definitely his mother's son.
Today's News
Guess Who's Walking!!!
She's standing up without holding on to anything (after falling down), taking several steps at a time, turning around without falling, and getting really excited and then falling down. SOOOO cute!
Judah's so excited he can't contain it. He's saying, "Look at this big girl now! You're looking like a big girl!" And of course he wants to know, "Can she run now?"
There has been much laughter in the house tonight.
She's standing up without holding on to anything (after falling down), taking several steps at a time, turning around without falling, and getting really excited and then falling down. SOOOO cute!
Judah's so excited he can't contain it. He's saying, "Look at this big girl now! You're looking like a big girl!" And of course he wants to know, "Can she run now?"
There has been much laughter in the house tonight.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Judah Conversations and more
Judah has gotten in the habit of saying, "I know everything."
Last weekend when Tiffany was staying with us (remember, she's 10 and he's 3), they were sitting in the dining room together bantering back and forth about what Judah knows and doesn't know. The conversation went something like this:
"I KNOW, Tiff. I know EVERYthing."
"No, you don't."
"Yes, I do."
Tiffany gets ready to prove him wrong: "OK, then what's 12 times 12?"
Judah responds, "Math."
************
On Wednesday night after a marriage and family class, Judah was playing in the hallway on the stair rail. Climbing on the rail is his favorite thing to do after his class on Sunday mornings. Lane, the security guard (who, by the way, is a friend of ours and has been to our house once for lunch) says to Judah, "You need to get down from there. You might get hurt."
Judah says, "No, thank you."
So Lane says, "I'm in charge of security tonight and I need you to stop climbing on the rail."
Judah says, "You're not security."
Lane says, "Yes, I am. See, the back of my shirt says 'Security.'"
Judah says, "I know how to read. And that does NOT say 'Security.'"
So Lane brings him to me with the story of how he can read, and Judah tells me about how this man won't let him climb. He's one confident little kid; I'll give him that.
************
A day or two ago, James was laughing at Miriam for refusing the food he was offering and reaching for what she really wanted. I said, "It's because I'm teaching my children to think--and not blindly accept whatever is thrown at them by authority." I actually think that's one of the benefits of the "Directing Vision Daily" parenting strategies that we use (maybe not in Miriam's case yet, but definitely in Judah's).
Judah is really quick to let you know how he feels about stuff. He has no problem talking to adults. In fact, when we were in Target on Thursday night, he had planted himself on the floor, a full aisle's length from a television, so he could watch the video that was playing. When an adult walked up to the TV and stood in front of it, Judah (in a polite voice) said, "Excuse me. You're in my way." When the man didn't hear him, he walked up to him and said (again, in a polite voice), "You're in my way." The man looked at me, and I said, "He was sitting back here watching the show and you stepped in front of the TV." The guy smiled and stepped back.
Last weekend when Tiffany was staying with us (remember, she's 10 and he's 3), they were sitting in the dining room together bantering back and forth about what Judah knows and doesn't know. The conversation went something like this:
"I KNOW, Tiff. I know EVERYthing."
"No, you don't."
"Yes, I do."
Tiffany gets ready to prove him wrong: "OK, then what's 12 times 12?"
Judah responds, "Math."
************
On Wednesday night after a marriage and family class, Judah was playing in the hallway on the stair rail. Climbing on the rail is his favorite thing to do after his class on Sunday mornings. Lane, the security guard (who, by the way, is a friend of ours and has been to our house once for lunch) says to Judah, "You need to get down from there. You might get hurt."
Judah says, "No, thank you."
So Lane says, "I'm in charge of security tonight and I need you to stop climbing on the rail."
Judah says, "You're not security."
Lane says, "Yes, I am. See, the back of my shirt says 'Security.'"
Judah says, "I know how to read. And that does NOT say 'Security.'"
So Lane brings him to me with the story of how he can read, and Judah tells me about how this man won't let him climb. He's one confident little kid; I'll give him that.
************
A day or two ago, James was laughing at Miriam for refusing the food he was offering and reaching for what she really wanted. I said, "It's because I'm teaching my children to think--and not blindly accept whatever is thrown at them by authority." I actually think that's one of the benefits of the "Directing Vision Daily" parenting strategies that we use (maybe not in Miriam's case yet, but definitely in Judah's).
Judah is really quick to let you know how he feels about stuff. He has no problem talking to adults. In fact, when we were in Target on Thursday night, he had planted himself on the floor, a full aisle's length from a television, so he could watch the video that was playing. When an adult walked up to the TV and stood in front of it, Judah (in a polite voice) said, "Excuse me. You're in my way." When the man didn't hear him, he walked up to him and said (again, in a polite voice), "You're in my way." The man looked at me, and I said, "He was sitting back here watching the show and you stepped in front of the TV." The guy smiled and stepped back.
Granted, some of that is simply Judah's personality, but I think it also helps that he hasn't grown up in an atmosphere of fear. If fear is a spirit (God has not given us a spirit of fear) that doesn't come from God, then there has to be a better way to encourage our children to obey or to care about what we need from them besides threatening, spanking, yelling, or jerking them around (if you've read anything else I've written here, you know that I occasionally make the mistake of doing all of these, but that's not how we normally live). Partnering with a spirit of fear in order to feel as though we're in control of our children is all too common. I see it all the time when we go out. I know it's a way of life for our Tiffany: barking orders, hurling insults, getting "hit" for even the most minor infractions . . . she lives in an atmosphere dominated by fear. Not just in her home, either. She can't play outside without being afraid of what might happen. She lives in a high crime area, surrounded by drug activity, prostitution, fighting . . . It's so bad that James doesn't feel safe when we go to pick her up or drop her off. He's almost always approached by drug dealers, and one day when we came to pick her up, two men literally threw themselves at our van. It was pretty embarrassing for Tiffany's mom. She called later to apologize for their behavior.
************
I started this post thinking I would share some funny things my son has said recently and it's turned into much more. Much, much more than I can tackle right now with both kids climbing on me and wanting my attention.
Happy Sunday morning. :0)
Friday, February 1, 2008
Oh, the joy . . .
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