Old Friends

"Are you upset little friend? Have you been lying awake worrying? Well, don't worry...I'm here. The flood waters will recede, the famine will end, the sun will shine tomorrow, and I will always be here to take care of you." - Charlie Brown to Snoopy

Amazing how getting back with old friends can make the clouds pull back and futures feel brighter. Last night I had dinner with two old friends from college - people who have seen me high, seen me low and everywhere in between. They know my theatre side, a part of my life that I have all but buried. This means a lot to me as it is a part of my soul and it does not feel completely gone beyond retrieval with knowing that someone else remembers too. We laughed and shared where life has brought us to date. We reminisced and laughed some more. No more Boones Farm and pizza though - it was pinot grigio and sushi. We have all had triumphs and losses and it was good to share those with each other and give/get support. Like a warm comfy shirt - it felt good to slide in for a little while and feel its warmth.

QoTD

"The test of literature is, I suppose, whether we ourselves live more intensely for the reading of it" - Elizabeth Drew, (1935 - )


I feel this way after a good book. It resonates with me for years and I take away a piece of it to live and love in my life better.

The Full Monty

"Anti-wrinkle cream there may be, but anti-fat-bastard cream there is not." - The Full Monty

This past Sunday I went up to Waterville, ME to see an old friend from college perform in The Full Monty at the Waterville Opera House. It was a sheer joy!

The ride was about 3 hours, but it was nice and easy and BB came along to keep me company. He really had no idea what the show was about never having seen the movie. He was delighted and said he has not laughed that much in years. The story centers around laid off factory workers who decide to start a strip show, like Chippendales, to make some money and decide to go full monty as part of the marketing pitch. Their relationship, parenting, and self-esteem troubles play into the ensemble cast. Admittedly, I like the movie better than the stage production - but both tell a great story. Terrence McNally was part of the crew to bring the story to the stage, so I knew it would be good.

The cast of this production was strong, but I felt that some of the acting performances were weak. This could be because we saw the very last show of the run, and I understand how energy can fluctuate when you are doing a show. The guy playing the lead was a fantastic singer, but his acting felt inconsistent. He lost believability for me with that. My friend Todd played Dave, the 'fat bastard' of the group. He was a natural for the part - sarcastic, loving and loyal with a killer voice to boot. And I am not saying that because I am biased. The rest of the ensemble held their own and the women did a great job keeping up their end of the bargain. I am a huge fan of community theatre as it showcases local talent - and lots of talent there usually is, Waterville, ME is no exception. The sets were also well done as was the lighting. My only big disappointment was the sound for the final number - seemed that they lost some of the mics so it did not have the power behind it it could have. The cast was a little overwhelmed by the pit band on that one. But those men....they did...they did indeed go full monty! A bunch of older women were in the audience...I thought for sure we would have at least one coronary.

The Waterville Opera House is also a New England gem. Intimate and ornate. It is in the city hall so you can blink and miss it driving by (like we did). But it is sweet and I am looking forward to going back up with the kids to see Beauty & The Beast in the spring. Todd is co-directing.

This coming Sunday I going to see Spamalot in Boston with D. Should be fun. I have been looking forward to seeing that for a while now.

New Beginnings

"It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else. " - Erma Bombeck


I am happy to report that my online dating adventures are now done. Did I meet Prince Charming in the crazy netherworld of online dating? Why, yes I did. But I met him April 13, 2007. BB and I have decided to give it another go. It appears that my lunacy has not completely frightened him away and his absence has taught me some very important lessons about myself and that crazy little thing called love. So we are in a fun spot - the newness of a relationship but also well aware of negative traits too and very few meet new people moments.

So I had to laugh when I saw this quote for today. Not only because it is truly applicable to my life, but also because not only do I share my dreams with BB, I involve him by talking in my sleep. Oh yeah. That would have been me telling him Friday night that someone was in the window (fyi - my bedroom is on the 2nd floor) and then Saturday night I apparently just yelled out "Mom!" and went right back to sleep. Wait until I sleep walk...then the fun really begins!

This did lead to an interesting question...if no one is with us, do we still talk in our sleep?

Think about it.....

QoTD

"Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is." - Maxim Gorky

Love and the Right to Love

"Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?" - Ernest Gaines

Watching the Tide Roll Away

"They say that God is everywhere, and yet we always think of Him as somewhat of a recluse." - Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

While in Maine yesterday, I took a walk out on the jetty and sat at the end by myself watching the tide come in. I closed my eyes and breathed in the salt air, felt the mist, listened to the ocean and the birds and I thanked God for that moment, these friends, my children, this time in my life where it is all coming together and I can feel my soul (re)emerging. I understand who I am and I know what I want - and more importantly, what I do not. I see so much wonderful ahead of me shining in its simplicity. I feel the challenges of my past transform into the lessons my soul needed to grow. Anger and bitterness releasing (though I still hold onto sarcastic and annoyed humor - not perfect, but trying after all) I spoke these words out loud and sent them to heavens with all sincerity of purpose, from the depths of my heart - 'Thank you'.

Then on my walk back to the house, to join my friends again, I found a rock. I found the most perfect rock. It is about the size of a silver dollar, flat and smooth. It sits in the center of my palm adding just enough weight so I know that it is there, it's texture and cool feel a calming and balancing effect. It reminded me of a card A recently gave me that is now framed and hanging in my bedroom - it says that the most beautiful rocks have been tossed and turned and polished bylife's roughest storms. When I picked up this rock I was overwhelmed and felt tears well in my eyes. For when I stopped and reached for this rock, lying alone in the sand, no other elements around it to detract from its presence, I distinctly heard God's voice say "You're welcome".