Cooking reminds me of my dad. As I sit in this kitchen right now - just having put the tortilla-crusted drumsticks into the oven, waiting for the water to boil for the cubed red potatoes, and listening to Dreamland - I think of my dad on this day dedicated to thinking about fathers.
I am blessed with a father who has been more than understanding in every possible situation; who has done nothing but encouraged me to be who I am and do what I want to do; who is quiet and wise and shares my love of music; who has always taught by example, with laughter and love.
I also think today of father-figures, uncles, mentors, fathers-in-law, those whose fathers are only here in memory, fathers-to-be, and my brother (who is also, to my constant amazement, witnessing the dramatic responsibility of being a dad).
A Fathers' Day indeed.
21 June, 2009
JEREMY FINK AND THE MEANING OF LIFE
A few choice quotes from JEREMY FINK AND THE MEANING OF LIFE - a simple and yet profound story by Wendy Mass that, although meant for a young adult reader, moved me to shed public tears on the subway.
* Some choices are forever.
* That sunset will still shine just as surely, just as colorfully, whether it's shining on a wedding or a war.
* We are essentially a beautiful fluke...
* At the end of the world there will be bacteria, cockroaches, and Peeps.
* Strange how these squiggles and dots turn into letters and words that can change your life.
* Maybe some things aren't meant to be known. Maybe they're just meant to be accepted.
* The universe resonates to certain musical vibrations. All the stars and planets revolve in harmony with it. When I play, I'm a part of that. When you listen, you're a part of it, too.
* Some choices are forever.
* That sunset will still shine just as surely, just as colorfully, whether it's shining on a wedding or a war.
* We are essentially a beautiful fluke...
* At the end of the world there will be bacteria, cockroaches, and Peeps.
* Strange how these squiggles and dots turn into letters and words that can change your life.
* Maybe some things aren't meant to be known. Maybe they're just meant to be accepted.
* The universe resonates to certain musical vibrations. All the stars and planets revolve in harmony with it. When I play, I'm a part of that. When you listen, you're a part of it, too.
OUR OWN SUNSHINE
Most of the shadows in this life
are caused by our standing
in our own sunshine.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
LIFE IS LOVE
Mankind is the eye through which the spirit of God views his or her creation. Let us today, on this beautiful Sunday morning, be vessels through which we can see the infinite. For there rests our true natures. We are spiritual beings having an earthly life. When our life here is done, we return to the source. What is life? Life is love. Do not make the mistake of thinking loving is easy; it is not. We must love ourselves, not just other people. We must be awake. Do not sleepwalk through your life. Enjoy it fully, because none of us gets out of here alive.
- From JEREMY FINK AND THE MEANING OF LIFE by Wendy Mass
- From JEREMY FINK AND THE MEANING OF LIFE by Wendy Mass
THE SAME THING
"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"
"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"
"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.
Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said.
- From A. A. Milne's WINNIE-THE-POOH
"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"
"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.
Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said.
- From A. A. Milne's WINNIE-THE-POOH
20 June, 2009
THE ONE YOU FEED
An old man is teaching his grandson about life.
"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One wolf is evil. He is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other wolf is good. He is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old man replied simply, "The one you feed."
- From JEREMY FINK AND THE MEANING OF LIFE by Wendy Mass
"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One wolf is evil. He is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other wolf is good. He is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old man replied simply, "The one you feed."
- From JEREMY FINK AND THE MEANING OF LIFE by Wendy Mass
15 June, 2009
AN ACHE FOR AKRON
You grow up in Akron, you grow up attuned to a particular frequency of drone - not helicopter nor plane, but blimp - with it's own specialized thrill. It happens all the time. The drone. People know when one is coming. They know this without looking up...
but they always look up.
- David Giffels -
A DAY TO CATCH UP
How lovely it is to have a whole day to myself. Alone in my apartment, just to catch up on the little things that fall by the wayside during the crazy weeks of tech: laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, watering plants, playing piano, reading, paying bills, filing papers. And then to have a nice walk in Central Park with my roommate to look forward to this evening. So simple. And yet so very satisfying.
13 June, 2009
1st PREVIEW
After two long weeks of tech, a few challenging meetings about money, a last minute injury to a favorite crew member, an even more last minute rehearsal to train someone to take the place of said favorite crew member, and a miraculously smooth run through on Friday morning (all things considered)... we finally began previews for THE TIN PAN ALLEY RAG last night - to an almost full house and a very responsive crowd.
I was so proud of the show - the first musical at my theatre (and a huge one at that!). I was proud of the cast and how well they performed, even without the benefit of having a final dress rehearsal and really focusing on their story instead of the audience. I was proud of the crew and how well they ran the extremely complicated backstage tracks, even while having a new person back there who'd only ran it for the first time only hours before the show. I was proud of the director and the designers and the author for their positive outlook, even in light of the stressful past few days. I was proud of the music director and the second piano player who seemed to play those rags with ease and enjoyment, even while being removed from the stage in a dressing room / pit and watching the show via video monitors. And I was particularly proud of our management team - stage managers who work quickly and efficiently under great deals of pressure; and a company manager who is truly a godsend, keeping a smile on his face in all kinds of complicated situations and always thinking of ways to make things better.
When the final, swelling, beautiful song was sung - I found myself smiling and tearing up - my heart bursting with all those wonderful emotions. Or perhaps all the exhaustion! Either way - it was a lovely first preview.
I was so proud of the show - the first musical at my theatre (and a huge one at that!). I was proud of the cast and how well they performed, even without the benefit of having a final dress rehearsal and really focusing on their story instead of the audience. I was proud of the crew and how well they ran the extremely complicated backstage tracks, even while having a new person back there who'd only ran it for the first time only hours before the show. I was proud of the director and the designers and the author for their positive outlook, even in light of the stressful past few days. I was proud of the music director and the second piano player who seemed to play those rags with ease and enjoyment, even while being removed from the stage in a dressing room / pit and watching the show via video monitors. And I was particularly proud of our management team - stage managers who work quickly and efficiently under great deals of pressure; and a company manager who is truly a godsend, keeping a smile on his face in all kinds of complicated situations and always thinking of ways to make things better.
When the final, swelling, beautiful song was sung - I found myself smiling and tearing up - my heart bursting with all those wonderful emotions. Or perhaps all the exhaustion! Either way - it was a lovely first preview.
12 June, 2009
MADNESS
There is always some madness in love.
But there is also always some reason in madness.
- Friedrich Nietzsche
But there is also always some reason in madness.
- Friedrich Nietzsche
09 June, 2009
DMB
I've always liked Dave Matthews Band... thanks, particularly, to my beautiful & very dear friend who has been a long-time-die-hard-drive-miles-to-the-beach-just-to-see-a-great-concert fan. But after having spent some time (and a brief time at that!) with the new album, I now think it's safe to say that I love Dave Matthews Band... particularly because of the song YOU & ME. And also because of the love and the joy and the heartache and the respect that I see in them when I watch this video. It's a 1/2 hour but it's well worth it. Especially if you're a Dave fan.
"What kept us together over these years is the love of this band, the love of this music."
"What kept us together over these years is the love of this band, the love of this music."
07 June, 2009
CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM
I've recently been discovering the brilliant heart of THE WEST WING (thanks to some nudging by a big fan). Although I watched this show every so often while it was running, I was never a religious fan - watching every episode - clearing whichever night of the week it was on TV so I could have an uninterrupted viewing hour. I've never really been that kind of dedicated program-watcher. However, with the incredibly complete entire series box set, I've been able to indulge a few lazy hours letting my mind (not to mention my emotions!) be swept away into the fascinating world of the White House, through the eyes of clever writers.
One of the things that was mentioned in a recent episode was the idea of "cautious optimism"... and that phrase stuck with me & caused me to turn it over several times in my mind. I appreciate the idea of being optimistic - and I would consider myself a glass-half-full kind of person. I appreciate the idea of being cautious - and I'm not sure exactly how I would consider myself on the topic. Sometimes I do take the stance of testing the waters before jumping in with two feet (usually in my work) and sometimes I err on the side of diving head first and trusting the faith to see me through (usually in my relationships). Both have served me well; and in both cases, I should've used the opposite tactic.
Cautious optimism leads me to believe that you can somehow meld these two together. And though I wonder if it's not just a tiny way to try to retain some control over all situations, rather than letting faith guide you... I also like the idea of protecting your happiness, like a thin shield between you and the unpredictable world around you.
04 June, 2009
CITY OF LOVE
From Chefdruck (click here for pictures and to read more about their wonderful adventures in France):
As we strolled, we realized why Paris is known as the City of Love. We walked past many couples sitting on benches, standing up, lying down, all doing nothing other than expressing their love. There was kissing, there was touching, there was stroking... all in the plain light of day. And there was something wonderful about such displays, to see real people coming together so lovingly. Not movie stars on jumbo screens, just regular people in love. What would America be like if we took a little more time to make out in public like that?
As we strolled, we realized why Paris is known as the City of Love. We walked past many couples sitting on benches, standing up, lying down, all doing nothing other than expressing their love. There was kissing, there was touching, there was stroking... all in the plain light of day. And there was something wonderful about such displays, to see real people coming together so lovingly. Not movie stars on jumbo screens, just regular people in love. What would America be like if we took a little more time to make out in public like that?
03 June, 2009
MUSICAL TECH
Ah, the Tech Week - or more accurately in this case, weeks. Don't we just love them? Tech week is hard. It's tiring. It can be repetative. And it can also be pleasantly progressive. And encouraging. And exciting.
With this next show being a musical, I'm reminded of how much I love - enjoy - adore - music. It makes the whole process much more enjoyable to be able to hear bits and pieces of those recognizable and irresistable Berlin and Joplin songs. Even when the same scene is being tweaked over and over again - when there's music involved, I almost never tire of hearing it.
With this next show being a musical, I'm reminded of how much I love - enjoy - adore - music. It makes the whole process much more enjoyable to be able to hear bits and pieces of those recognizable and irresistable Berlin and Joplin songs. Even when the same scene is being tweaked over and over again - when there's music involved, I almost never tire of hearing it.
01 June, 2009
JUNE
I can't believe it's June already! Looking back over the past six months makes me do a double-take as I think of all the LIFE that can be packed into 182 days. And this month - not to mention the six months ahead! - will be no different. Days full of adventure and romance and hard work. Nights full of adventure and romance and hard work. I am exhausted just thinking of it... and excited.
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