This is my last post for 2014. I had my last breakfast of 2014...leftover enchiladas with a fried egg on top. I took my last shower of 2014. Have you thought about all the "last" things you will do today? It could be a little mind-blowing. The last lunch, your final cup of coffee, the final visit to the grocery store, the last check you'll deposit....on and on it goes.
So now that we've got that out of the way, it is time to look forward. What will happen in 2015? What do you want to happen in 2015? I'm not talking about making resolutions. Most of us have experienced that making and breaking routine too many times to have faith in it's reliability. Calling them buy a different name doesn't help either, in my experience.
Maybe I will simply make a master list of what I'd like to accomplish in the new year. A master list with two columns. One column of what I want to achieve, and another column to list the surprises, the things I never knew I wanted to get done but did anyway. My suspicion is that column two will be full of small achievements. New places, foods, people, experiences...a list of things I never anticipated. Hopefully they will be more good than bad, but I suppose one must have both to appreciate the entirety of a situation.
Column one will be the grand aspirations - to publish the novel I wrote in 2014, to be a more patient person, to continue my wine learning, to publish articles more consistently. As I dwell on it, the list grows. All big. There must be some other, less grand, hopes and dreams, but I keep coming up with 'big' stuff. I hope to avoid hospitalization and major illness. That's huge, right? I think I will have a new used car in 2015...Pearl is showing signs of giving up on us (namely, the darn 'check engine' light that seems to burn with it's orange intensity more than not.). I will continue with my painting endeavors, and hopefully sell a few more pieces. I will put "have my art exhibited" on the list!
What will you list in column one? What will show up in column two? Only time will tell on that one. With any luck, I'll be here more regularly, checking up with y'all on the column one/column two thing.
Oh yeah...by the way, the NaNoWriMo went well. I (over)accomplished the 50,000 minimum word count and wrote an entire novel. I even have the inkling for a second one rolling around my brain. If anyone out there can give me a hand with the publishing side of it, I'd be grateful. Might even have a place for you in the dedication!
Until next year.....!
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Friday, October 31, 2014
It's National Novel Writing Month - NaNoWriMo, here I come!
National Novel Writing Month. Ever heard of it before now? It's a thing! A real thing! And I am going to be a willing participant. It's been about four years since my last attempt to write a novel. But the time has come to kill someone, and what better way to do it (legally) than in a story?!
What this means for my readers is that I may not be quite as active here until December. Sounds crazy, right, because I am writing this blog so regularly now! But I will try to keep you all posted on my progress. Can't promise any excerpts, but maybe a few teasers along the way.
Here's the lowdown on my as-of-yet untitled novel: A man is murdered. The list of suspects consists of colleagues and acquaintances. The opening line? THAT I will share with you:
"It was a killer salad!" Yup. Death by salad! Okay. That's all I have for now.
I will TRY to check in here regularly and update you all on my progress. Until then....happy noveling! Wish me luck!
What this means for my readers is that I may not be quite as active here until December. Sounds crazy, right, because I am writing this blog so regularly now! But I will try to keep you all posted on my progress. Can't promise any excerpts, but maybe a few teasers along the way.
Here's the lowdown on my as-of-yet untitled novel: A man is murdered. The list of suspects consists of colleagues and acquaintances. The opening line? THAT I will share with you:
"It was a killer salad!" Yup. Death by salad! Okay. That's all I have for now.
I will TRY to check in here regularly and update you all on my progress. Until then....happy noveling! Wish me luck!
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Roots and Wings - the art of letting go
Roots and Wings. Anyone familiar with this concept? Admittedly, I recently saw a Pinterest post that said, "the greatest gifts we can give our children are roots and wings" with a graphic of a tree with it's root system showing and a bird flying away from the tree. It stuck with me for days. I Googled 'Roots and Wings.' and got a slew of different responses...everything from a preschool (several, actually) to more Pinterest posts, to variations on the quote I saw, to a blog post and stores of various types.
In all of this I have yet to find the source of it's origin, or to whom the quote is attributed (I saw it once attributed to Jonas Salk, but cannot substantiate that.). I love the concept of Roots and Wings, given that my college daughter is getting her education presently in New York. I believe in the power of family, in knowing your roots, in knowing about your ancestors and your family background. I don't know a lot of mine, and maybe that is part of the tug I feel for her to know her roots.
We know bits and pieces of her roots on her father's side of the family, both maternal and paternal. We can trace back MY mother's parents to (I think) the 1600's, maybe the 1700's, in Finland. We know very little of MY father's ancestors...and no-one who does know seems to be talking! Either that, or we just don't know who does know! Apparently, Wong is a very popular name in China and Field(s) has a lot of play in the United Kingdom!
So, we have a fairly close knit family unit in her generation and in our generation and even in our parents generation, but going back any further than that has been sketchy. Could it be that we all were given wings and that has contributed to the missing information of our roots? Or it could just be poor record keeping?
So now to the wings. When it came time to let her wings spread and "leave the nest" I nudged her out the door, to Virginia, with encouragement and glee, then shed tears with other mothers who were letting their baby birds fly, too. Although I suspect their tears were more of abandonment, I think mine were relief? Or abandonment? Maybe? Or fear?
Either way, she left. And then she came back...for summer. Then she left, again. Only this time to New York. Not that much farther than Virginia, but still, farther. I love that she has flown all the way across the country, that she is brave and exploring new territories, and meeting new people and gaining her independence. I dread that she hates to be alone (not lonely, per se, just alone). I love that she has it in her mind what she wants and how to get there. I dread that she is doing soooooooo far away from me! I love that horses are integral to her choice of higher education. I dread that horses are integral to her choice of higher education!
If anyone reading this has any insight into the "roots" of the Roots and Wings origins, please help a mother out! We will most certainly be touching on this subject again, as it continues to play a role in my life, and her life, and possibly even the lives of future generations.
In all of this I have yet to find the source of it's origin, or to whom the quote is attributed (I saw it once attributed to Jonas Salk, but cannot substantiate that.). I love the concept of Roots and Wings, given that my college daughter is getting her education presently in New York. I believe in the power of family, in knowing your roots, in knowing about your ancestors and your family background. I don't know a lot of mine, and maybe that is part of the tug I feel for her to know her roots.
We know bits and pieces of her roots on her father's side of the family, both maternal and paternal. We can trace back MY mother's parents to (I think) the 1600's, maybe the 1700's, in Finland. We know very little of MY father's ancestors...and no-one who does know seems to be talking! Either that, or we just don't know who does know! Apparently, Wong is a very popular name in China and Field(s) has a lot of play in the United Kingdom!
So, we have a fairly close knit family unit in her generation and in our generation and even in our parents generation, but going back any further than that has been sketchy. Could it be that we all were given wings and that has contributed to the missing information of our roots? Or it could just be poor record keeping?
So now to the wings. When it came time to let her wings spread and "leave the nest" I nudged her out the door, to Virginia, with encouragement and glee, then shed tears with other mothers who were letting their baby birds fly, too. Although I suspect their tears were more of abandonment, I think mine were relief? Or abandonment? Maybe? Or fear?
Either way, she left. And then she came back...for summer. Then she left, again. Only this time to New York. Not that much farther than Virginia, but still, farther. I love that she has flown all the way across the country, that she is brave and exploring new territories, and meeting new people and gaining her independence. I dread that she hates to be alone (not lonely, per se, just alone). I love that she has it in her mind what she wants and how to get there. I dread that she is doing soooooooo far away from me! I love that horses are integral to her choice of higher education. I dread that horses are integral to her choice of higher education!
If anyone reading this has any insight into the "roots" of the Roots and Wings origins, please help a mother out! We will most certainly be touching on this subject again, as it continues to play a role in my life, and her life, and possibly even the lives of future generations.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Wicked good eats at Dawson's Restauarant
Recently, my daughter and I saw "Wicked" in Sacramento, on a Tuesday night. I don't know if the Tuesday thing is relevant or not, just thought I'd throw it out there! So, let me just say that "Wicked" has never been on my list of plays to see. It was really well done and I am glad I saw it. It's just never interested me much. Maybe because way baaaack in the day when the book first came out, I tried to read it...and failed. There was just no interest for me. I don't think I even made it past chapter two or three. Yeah.. That bad.
I like a few of the songs - especially "Popular." Having seen it, I can say that I like the "Wizard of Oz" references without making the overt connection to it. It really is as much Glinda's story as it is Elphaba's. And the scenery and lighting and effects were spectacular!
But here's what I still cannot get out of my mind - I had deviled eggs for dinner! Yeah! Deviled eggs at a prime steak house! We just shared three appetizers, not wanting to deal with leftovers or super full tummy's. So, crab cakes - not at all unusual for a steak house offering. They were delicious - light citrus notes, more crab then cake, served on a bed of shaved fennel.
Next plate - scallops. Again, not unusual. Served with a wheatberry salad and English peas. Also very tasty and perfectly cooked. They had a beautiful pan-seared crust, yet still fleshy and moist inside. Three to a serving. Perfect amount for sharing.
So here it is - deviled eggs. Anyone who knows me well, knows I LOVE deviled eggs! Two eggs, halved and filled artfully with a green onion pesto deviling. Yum! Tiny little crunchy brioche croutons on top. And here's where it get really interesting and fun and cool - a small scoop of sterling caviar on top! Yeah! Caviar! Eggs on an egg! Perfect! Daughter was a little sketchy about the caviar, but tried it (and ate it!) anyway. Yay for her!
I had two glasses of Dalwhinnie 15 YO aged scotch. Now, Dawson's menu is kind enough to give wine pairing suggestions with each appetizer course, but being in the wine industry, I generally skip the over-priced restaurant wine selections, and go for the might-be-over-priced-but-I-don't-know-it scotch menu. Plus, I am trying to taste as many single malt scotches as my life will allow, and a bar serving is a good way to sample without commitment! And it was good!
So many delicious options at Dawson's, all served a la carte. We need a group of four or five willing and hungry participants to make a trip to Dawson's and order a bunch of menu items and share them! We should do this soon. Who's in? Deviled eggs with caviar...c'mon!
I like a few of the songs - especially "Popular." Having seen it, I can say that I like the "Wizard of Oz" references without making the overt connection to it. It really is as much Glinda's story as it is Elphaba's. And the scenery and lighting and effects were spectacular!
But here's what I still cannot get out of my mind - I had deviled eggs for dinner! Yeah! Deviled eggs at a prime steak house! We just shared three appetizers, not wanting to deal with leftovers or super full tummy's. So, crab cakes - not at all unusual for a steak house offering. They were delicious - light citrus notes, more crab then cake, served on a bed of shaved fennel.
Next plate - scallops. Again, not unusual. Served with a wheatberry salad and English peas. Also very tasty and perfectly cooked. They had a beautiful pan-seared crust, yet still fleshy and moist inside. Three to a serving. Perfect amount for sharing.
So here it is - deviled eggs. Anyone who knows me well, knows I LOVE deviled eggs! Two eggs, halved and filled artfully with a green onion pesto deviling. Yum! Tiny little crunchy brioche croutons on top. And here's where it get really interesting and fun and cool - a small scoop of sterling caviar on top! Yeah! Caviar! Eggs on an egg! Perfect! Daughter was a little sketchy about the caviar, but tried it (and ate it!) anyway. Yay for her!
I had two glasses of Dalwhinnie 15 YO aged scotch. Now, Dawson's menu is kind enough to give wine pairing suggestions with each appetizer course, but being in the wine industry, I generally skip the over-priced restaurant wine selections, and go for the might-be-over-priced-but-I-don't-know-it scotch menu. Plus, I am trying to taste as many single malt scotches as my life will allow, and a bar serving is a good way to sample without commitment! And it was good!
So many delicious options at Dawson's, all served a la carte. We need a group of four or five willing and hungry participants to make a trip to Dawson's and order a bunch of menu items and share them! We should do this soon. Who's in? Deviled eggs with caviar...c'mon!
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Summertime madness returns!
Perhaps madness is a bit dramatic, but it's all about drama when it comes to summer theater. Every summer for the last six years, I have been involved with a local theater group - the aptly named Changing Faces Theater Company.
It all started at the ever-popular coffee shop with the green crowned-lady logo (I think y'all know what I am talking about!) and a sign about open auditions for Alice In Wonderland. My teenage daughter auditioned and got a part as a flower. The rabbit hole opened up for me, and the two of us have been involved with the group every summer since then.
Over the years, she has learned about herself and her strengths and weaknesses. She has learned about the process of putting on a show, and she has worked it from nearly all angles, from auditioning to rehearsal to lighting to props to costuming to acting. The only thing she hasn't done is direct. Whether that happens remains to be seen!
My part in all of this? I went from being a parent of a young thespian to volunteering to working with the company in various positions. Currently, I run the box office. Not a difficult job, but no walk I the park either. I just happen to have a knack for talking to people and taking their money! All my years in retail are paying off!
Every year, around April, the audition process begins, and after that it's casting, rehearsals, and the summer time madness kicks into high gear once school lets out and the serious staging begins. A lot goes on behind the scenes, and many hands working together help to put up a show. Many faces return to work and volunteer. Many new faces show up to audition and volunteer. See the trend? Volunteers. Thank you volunteers!
As a non-profit theater group, we rely strongly on donations and volunteers. One by one, we parents spread the word about the company, the fun, the satisfaction our children have gotten from a summer of being on stage, and the new friends made along the way. Some of CFTC's veterans have gone on to further their acting and performance careers. Some of CFTC's parents have gone on to audition and act with the theater company. All of CFTC's participants have summer time stories to tell!
If you have a child with a penchant for entertaining, if you yourself have a yearning to be on stage, or if you know someone who would like to be a part of Changing Faces Theater Company in some way, we welcome you! Let the summer time Madness begin!
It all started at the ever-popular coffee shop with the green crowned-lady logo (I think y'all know what I am talking about!) and a sign about open auditions for Alice In Wonderland. My teenage daughter auditioned and got a part as a flower. The rabbit hole opened up for me, and the two of us have been involved with the group every summer since then.
Over the years, she has learned about herself and her strengths and weaknesses. She has learned about the process of putting on a show, and she has worked it from nearly all angles, from auditioning to rehearsal to lighting to props to costuming to acting. The only thing she hasn't done is direct. Whether that happens remains to be seen!
My part in all of this? I went from being a parent of a young thespian to volunteering to working with the company in various positions. Currently, I run the box office. Not a difficult job, but no walk I the park either. I just happen to have a knack for talking to people and taking their money! All my years in retail are paying off!
Every year, around April, the audition process begins, and after that it's casting, rehearsals, and the summer time madness kicks into high gear once school lets out and the serious staging begins. A lot goes on behind the scenes, and many hands working together help to put up a show. Many faces return to work and volunteer. Many new faces show up to audition and volunteer. See the trend? Volunteers. Thank you volunteers!
As a non-profit theater group, we rely strongly on donations and volunteers. One by one, we parents spread the word about the company, the fun, the satisfaction our children have gotten from a summer of being on stage, and the new friends made along the way. Some of CFTC's veterans have gone on to further their acting and performance careers. Some of CFTC's parents have gone on to audition and act with the theater company. All of CFTC's participants have summer time stories to tell!
If you have a child with a penchant for entertaining, if you yourself have a yearning to be on stage, or if you know someone who would like to be a part of Changing Faces Theater Company in some way, we welcome you! Let the summer time Madness begin!
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Where did my missing year go?
Guess what I just realized? I am turning 48 this year! While not exactly newsworthy, it is surprising to me! Yup. That's right. I actually thought, all this time, that I was still 46! 46! Where, oh where, did my last year go?
Here's how it happened....
I was checking in on facebook, as we are all known to do when we have other 'stuff' that needs to get done, and I scrolled upon a link on my cousin's page that Chinese New year is approaching. It's going to be the Year of the Horse! MY YEAR! But wait...that would mean my age is a multiple of 12. But I am only going to be 47, so how....oh no...can't be right. I whip out my trusty calculator (no, the real thing, not the one on my smartphone) and do the math...2014 minus 1966 (I do remember the year I was born!) and voila! 48! So....I guess the Chinese calendar is correct and I am indeed going to turn 48 this year.
But still...where did I put 47? What did I do with it? I do remember celebrating my birthday in 2013. I remember because it fell on a Tuesday. Tuesday is (was) my study day. The girls in the study group took me to lunch...and I made us all start with dessert! WHY? Because we should always start with dessert! (So maybe this is a subject for another post...starting with dessert is highly underdone and grossly misunderstood!). It's only because it was my birthday that we (I) got away with it!
I also remember that it was my first birthday with my one and only perfect daughter (okay...I know she's going to read this and roll her eyes when she gets to the "perfect daughter" part. Let me clear this up. I mean perfect in the sense that when she was born, we proclaimed how perfect she was...ten toes, ten fingers, all her organs intact, breathing, blue eyes, head of hair...that sort of thing...perfect!) away from home. I had just left her in Virginia to begin her freshman year of college.
I started my new "year" without my daughter. The house is a quieter cleaner place now. Did I lose 47 in the silence? Did I not have 'young blood' in the house to remind me of how old I was? Is this why I lost 47? When she came home for winter break and the Holidays I still don't remember my age coming up...so I guess I will just have to let go of 47. Just as I can never relive my 20's (not sure I want to either!), I will never get 47 back. It will remain the missing year! And since I still have half the year to enjoy it, I will choose to remain in 46 mode until my birthday! Why do something half way?!
Here's how it happened....
I was checking in on facebook, as we are all known to do when we have other 'stuff' that needs to get done, and I scrolled upon a link on my cousin's page that Chinese New year is approaching. It's going to be the Year of the Horse! MY YEAR! But wait...that would mean my age is a multiple of 12. But I am only going to be 47, so how....oh no...can't be right. I whip out my trusty calculator (no, the real thing, not the one on my smartphone) and do the math...2014 minus 1966 (I do remember the year I was born!) and voila! 48! So....I guess the Chinese calendar is correct and I am indeed going to turn 48 this year.
But still...where did I put 47? What did I do with it? I do remember celebrating my birthday in 2013. I remember because it fell on a Tuesday. Tuesday is (was) my study day. The girls in the study group took me to lunch...and I made us all start with dessert! WHY? Because we should always start with dessert! (So maybe this is a subject for another post...starting with dessert is highly underdone and grossly misunderstood!). It's only because it was my birthday that we (I) got away with it!
I also remember that it was my first birthday with my one and only perfect daughter (okay...I know she's going to read this and roll her eyes when she gets to the "perfect daughter" part. Let me clear this up. I mean perfect in the sense that when she was born, we proclaimed how perfect she was...ten toes, ten fingers, all her organs intact, breathing, blue eyes, head of hair...that sort of thing...perfect!) away from home. I had just left her in Virginia to begin her freshman year of college.
I started my new "year" without my daughter. The house is a quieter cleaner place now. Did I lose 47 in the silence? Did I not have 'young blood' in the house to remind me of how old I was? Is this why I lost 47? When she came home for winter break and the Holidays I still don't remember my age coming up...so I guess I will just have to let go of 47. Just as I can never relive my 20's (not sure I want to either!), I will never get 47 back. It will remain the missing year! And since I still have half the year to enjoy it, I will choose to remain in 46 mode until my birthday! Why do something half way?!
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