The following comes from e-mail my sister and I had today about celebrations. In many ways, her life is harder than mine since she is raising three boys, one of whom is disabled. She seems to find more joy than I do--maybe "make more joy" is a better way of phrasing it.
LC:
I make huge deals out of the boys' bdays that they never mind who sends them cards. I put signs all around the house--stupid rhymes & stuff. It is a ridiculous tradition that I thought they were sick of by last yr. I didn't do it the morning of Matthew's bday last yr & he looked all over the house & asked about where the signs were! I told him they would be there in the afternoon--that I was doing afternoon signs vs. morning ones. Good grief, I then spent 2 hours making up my dumb signs and decorating the dining room table--making a king type chair, decorated with "reserved for the bday boy" seating & all the things I've done in the past. I guess I will need to keep that up forever.
Me (partial post):
What a cute tradition! We don't have traditions, other than the Advent calendar that often stays on the wall year-round, and celebrating Epiphany (another round of gifts). And going out to dinner.
LC:
We have a ton of traditions & family stuff. We have a bunch of phrases and words....
"Don't have a BBM!!!" (bean burrito moment). That means don't overreact about something. It came from a day when I was eating a bean burrito while driving and got mad about something & my burrito spilled out all over me.
"Go & BFR." That means go & brush, floss, rinse.
Matthew is "JAM," one of his many nicknames. That is "just a minute" because he never gets up & does something immediately.
We have a ton of those acronym sayings.
We have a lot of stuff like "surprise day"...a random day, usually about once per month when I give M&M a surprise or we do something that is a surprise to them. It can be as little as the car "forcing" us to go to Blockbuster to rent movies (we don't do that much, so it is a treat) or my giving them books or video games or a special dessert (key lime pie is a good one!).
Jerry & I used to celebrate our anniversary each month with "monthiversaries" but hey, those are long gone. That was a card or note or flowers or whatever.
When milk or anything spills, we stop what we are doing & everyone must laugh, even a phoney laugh, before it is cleaned up.
Santa calls the house throughout the year. I pick up the phone & have conversations with him. M&M know that only I can hear him & the phone could even have a busy signal, but Santa talks through it to me. I pick up the phone & say something like, "I know they are misbehaving, but they generally are very good." It makes them laugh no matter what. When they see me reach for the phone, it breaks up anything (fighting). That is quite hysterical, now that I really think about it.
I am hugely into celebrating ANYTHING. Maybe because we don't get out that much with JJ or because he affects what we are able to do so much--that I feel the need to do what we can do...my stupid other ways to celebrate & make things special.
Me (partial post):
I can't even remember the last time I put up a Christmas tree. I don't think it was this century, unless you count the little one I put on my desk. I didn't even get that up last year.
LC (partial post):
I am totally big on Xmas. I just love holidays, I guess. I love Halloween. I love Easter. We had a huge egg hunt for the disabled pals of JJ this past yr. It took over an hr for them to gather the eggs w/their siblings. Very fun. I think I'm all about making memories so the kids can look back and recall fun times.
My sister has the right attitude. She doesn't wait for the fun to happen; she makes it happen. I hope her kids appreciate what a wonderful mother she is. I can learn a lot from her example.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Quadrille Quandary
I was asked a question about the dates of the dance lessons in preparation for the Fezziwig Ball next February in downtown Riverside. Not knowing the answer offhand, I went to the Dickens Festival website, http://www.dickensfest.com. What should I find on the Dance Class page but two photos of quadrilles being danced! In the first is a certain barefooted girl. I am standing opposite her as her partner. Look for the bare feet. That's me. In the second, see that blue dress speeding by? That's me again.
Those may be the most flattering of all the photos I have seen of myself on the Internet.
I am reminded of Chapter X of Alice in Wonderland which described the Lobster Quadrille. It does not sound much like a quadrille--more like a contradance as performed by contestants on a "reality" TV program. The chapter also contains the wonderful Turtle Soup song (Soo--op of the e--e--evening, Beautiful, beautiful Soup!). Here is the description of the dance:
The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and drew the back of one flapper across his eyes. He looked at Alice, and tried to speak, but, for a minute or two, sobs choked his voice. “Same as if he had a bone in his throat,” said the Gryphon: and it set to work shaking him and punching him in the back. At last the Mock Turtle recovered his voice, and, with tears running down his cheeks, went on again:--
“You may not have lived much under the sea--” (”I haven’t,” said Alice) “and perhaps you were never even introduced to a lobster--” (Alice began to say, “I once tasted--” but checked herself hastily, and said, “No, never”) “--so you can have no idea what a delightful thing a Lobster Quadrille is!”
“No, indeed,” said Alice. “What sort of a dance is it?”
“Why,” said the Gryphon, “you first form into a line along the sea-shore--”
“Two lines!” cried the Mock Turtle. “Seals, turtles, and so on; then, when you’ve cleared the jelly-fish out of the way--”
”That generally takes some time,” interrupted the Gryphon.
“--you advance twice--”
“Each with a lobster as a partner!” cried the Gryphon.
“Of course,” the Mock Turtle said: “advance twice, set to partners--”
"--change lobsters, and retire in same order,” continued the Gryphon.
“Then you know,” the Mock Turtle went on, “you throw the--”
“The lobsters!” shouted the Gryphon, with a bound into the air.
“--as far out to sea as you can--”
“Swim after them!” screamed the Gryphon.
“Turn a somersault in the sea!” cried the Mock Turtle, capering wildly about.
“Change lobsters again!” yelled the Gryphon at the top of its voice.
“Back to land again, and--that’s all the first figure,” said the Mock Turtle, suddenly dropping his voice; and the two creatures, who had been jumping about like mad dogs, sat down again very sadly and quietly, and looked at Alice.
"It must be a very pretty dance,” said Alice, timidly.
“Would you like to see a little of it?” said the Mock Turtle.
“Very much indeed,” said Alice.
“Let’s try the first figure!” said the Mock Turtle to the Gryphon. “We can do without lobsters, you know. Which shall sing?”
"Oh, you sing,” said the Gryphon. “I’ve forgotten the words.”
So they began solemnly dancing round and round Alice, every now and then treading on her toes when they passed too close, and waving their forepaws to mark the time, while the Mock Turtle sang this, very slowly and sadly:
"Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail,
“There’s a porpoise close behind us, and he’s treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle--will you come and join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance
“You can really have no notion how delightful it will be
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!”
But the snail replied, “Too far, too far!” and gave a look askance--
Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.
“What matters it how far we go?” his scaly friend replied.
“There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
The further off from England the nearer is to France--
Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?
“Thank you, it’s a very interesting dance to watch,” said Alice, feeling very glad that it was over at last: “and I do so like that curious song about the whiting!”
Those may be the most flattering of all the photos I have seen of myself on the Internet.
I am reminded of Chapter X of Alice in Wonderland which described the Lobster Quadrille. It does not sound much like a quadrille--more like a contradance as performed by contestants on a "reality" TV program. The chapter also contains the wonderful Turtle Soup song (Soo--op of the e--e--evening, Beautiful, beautiful Soup!). Here is the description of the dance:
The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and drew the back of one flapper across his eyes. He looked at Alice, and tried to speak, but, for a minute or two, sobs choked his voice. “Same as if he had a bone in his throat,” said the Gryphon: and it set to work shaking him and punching him in the back. At last the Mock Turtle recovered his voice, and, with tears running down his cheeks, went on again:--
“You may not have lived much under the sea--” (”I haven’t,” said Alice) “and perhaps you were never even introduced to a lobster--” (Alice began to say, “I once tasted--” but checked herself hastily, and said, “No, never”) “--so you can have no idea what a delightful thing a Lobster Quadrille is!”
“No, indeed,” said Alice. “What sort of a dance is it?”
“Why,” said the Gryphon, “you first form into a line along the sea-shore--”
“Two lines!” cried the Mock Turtle. “Seals, turtles, and so on; then, when you’ve cleared the jelly-fish out of the way--”
”That generally takes some time,” interrupted the Gryphon.
“--you advance twice--”
“Each with a lobster as a partner!” cried the Gryphon.
“Of course,” the Mock Turtle said: “advance twice, set to partners--”
"--change lobsters, and retire in same order,” continued the Gryphon.
“Then you know,” the Mock Turtle went on, “you throw the--”
“The lobsters!” shouted the Gryphon, with a bound into the air.
“--as far out to sea as you can--”
“Swim after them!” screamed the Gryphon.
“Turn a somersault in the sea!” cried the Mock Turtle, capering wildly about.
“Change lobsters again!” yelled the Gryphon at the top of its voice.
“Back to land again, and--that’s all the first figure,” said the Mock Turtle, suddenly dropping his voice; and the two creatures, who had been jumping about like mad dogs, sat down again very sadly and quietly, and looked at Alice.
"It must be a very pretty dance,” said Alice, timidly.
“Would you like to see a little of it?” said the Mock Turtle.
“Very much indeed,” said Alice.
“Let’s try the first figure!” said the Mock Turtle to the Gryphon. “We can do without lobsters, you know. Which shall sing?”
"Oh, you sing,” said the Gryphon. “I’ve forgotten the words.”
So they began solemnly dancing round and round Alice, every now and then treading on her toes when they passed too close, and waving their forepaws to mark the time, while the Mock Turtle sang this, very slowly and sadly:
"Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail,
“There’s a porpoise close behind us, and he’s treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle--will you come and join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance
“You can really have no notion how delightful it will be
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!”
But the snail replied, “Too far, too far!” and gave a look askance--
Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.
“What matters it how far we go?” his scaly friend replied.
“There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
The further off from England the nearer is to France--
Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?
“Thank you, it’s a very interesting dance to watch,” said Alice, feeling very glad that it was over at last: “and I do so like that curious song about the whiting!”
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Cyrano in Review
Darcie Flansburg of the Redlands Daily Facts wrote an excellent review of Cyrano that was published on 8/30/07. It is available online here:
http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/search/ci_6762160?IADID=Search
I was pleased that the reviewer saw Roxane's Duenna the way in which I was trying to portray her. And so I add another quirky character to my theatrical resume.
http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/search/ci_6762160?IADID=Search
I was pleased that the reviewer saw Roxane's Duenna the way in which I was trying to portray her. And so I add another quirky character to my theatrical resume.
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