From what I understand, what I've missed at xanga while while out living IRL the past couple of days is grumpy people sniping at each other about the election results.  It isn't much of a change from when I was here just before the election - grumpy people - so that doesn't worry me overmuch, although I do have to say it is sad that so many people have left.  It's too bad they can't just dance naked in the kitchen and chill out. In reality it's too bad I can't dance naked in the kitchen and just chill out too - menopause, the chill out killer.

On to different things. 

I have three children*, two of whom are in college.  One to be an engineer for wind technology and the other to be an animation artist.  It is a ying-yang kind of family:

north/south     boy/girl     country/city     math/art     shy/outgoing.

And even though I know I shouldn't 'cause they wouldn't like it I'm gonna post their pictures because I'm a proud mom:

Peter

I know you're not going to believe this, but I used to have issues about his hair.  I know, it was a shock to me too.  Now, if he cut his hair, I'd be wigged out.  (wigged out, get it?!  What a wit!  I slay me.)

 

 

Michelle

Not hard to tell who is sillier.

 
But we had to go and break the balance and have a third child.  The youngest child is a young lady we adopted from India.  (I started blogging about that here.) 

Here's her picture:

 

Seeta

 with a family friend

 

While my husband and I wanted more children since we both came from families with three children, we didn't want to add to the overburdened/populated earth AND there are so many who need a home and family.  We wanted to share our good fortune.  Michelle, who was 10 at the time of adoption, didn't agree with us.  She wanted to be the baby of the family and resented giving up that spot. 

 

I then blogged about my journey to pick her up in India here, here, here & here.

Seeta is looking into heading away for high school next year so we will be an empty nest couple.  While I'm not worried, lately I have taken note of the many couples who haven't survived the empty nest syndrome and feel bad for so many couples with thirty years of marriage dissolved.

I'm looking forward to having more time with the hubby.  Frank & I will be able to take off during the week to travel if we don't have to be home for school kids.  It should be lots of fun!

 

*names have been changed to protect the guilty as well as the innocent.

 

Time to play catch-up (again.) That'll teach me to be IRL for a couple of days!

While he is not dumber than an ox, he's not appreciably smarter either.

Don't worry about bad days, there are going to be plenty more of them.

My inferiority complex is not as good as yours.

If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2?

Be alert - the world needs more lerts.

Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever.

If corn oil comes from corn, where does baby oil come from? (and just how do they get mineral oil?)

I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure.

Just remember...if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off.

When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.

Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you can't eat it or play with it, Just pee on it and walk away.

With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine.

No trees were killed in sending this message.  However, a large number of electrons were highly inconvenienced!

So it's a lazy Sunday afternoon and I decided to finish this photo album.

About me - and unless you've read me for a very long time (and most of you haven't as I've only recently returned and found my old friends mostly gone), you probably don't know much about me - First I am a theater geek.  For the last 10 years I have been heavily involved in theater in almost all capacities.  The main theater company I've worked with is the New Surry Theatre.

 

I told you that to tell you this:  I figured it was time to expose my extroverted side. 

Sarah Goode in "The Crucible" 2004

 

Bunny Flingus in "House of Blue Leaves" 2005

 

Fruma Sarah in "Fiddler on the Roof" 2006. I am sitting on my husband's shoulders chasing Tevye around a nightmare.

 

Diana in "Lend Me A Tenor" 2007

 

in "As Good As it Gets" - local playwrite. 2008

 

Lois Lane in a Radio Show of "Superman" 2008

 

Carol Wyman in "Laughter on the 23rd Floor" 2009

 

Director for "The Threepenny Opera" 2010 Dress Rehearsal I dressed in period clothing as a lark.  Of course it's not the right period, but whatever!

 

Gloria Thorpe in "Damn Yankees" 2010

 

Director for "The Wizard of Oz" 2011

 

Director for "Man of La Mancha" 2012.  Here I am talking to the audience about an unexpected delay - otherwise there would be no pic as director.

 

I played two characters in "Oliver!" 2012.  Mrs. Bedwin the housekeeper & Mrs. Sowerberry the undertaker's wife (just doused with water.)

 

Finally this was practice for my theatrical make-up class.  Aging & brutalizing myself was great!

 

My children, of course, have been traumatized with their mom exposing herself on stage.  As a parent of teens, however, it is my job to embarrass my children thoroughly.

Thank you for being patient with my "Photo album."  I find that being on stage means I haven't suppressed anything and have no regrets in life.

My current project is as director for an annual production of A One Man Show of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, which I co-adapted for the stage.  The gent who plays well, um, EVERY ONE in the play is amazing.  We joke that he is allowed to go off his personality disorder medication for this production, but he is able to 'make' the audience see everyone on the stage - and usually there are many people there.  I can post stuff about that later if you like (and ask nicely of course.)

Now it's your turn to talk about your theatrical experience, be it professional, community, church, elementary school or dealing with (or being) an unruly toddler in the grocery store cereal aisle!

 

Box A: Louisa Harding Kimono Angora 4 balls. 25g 125 yards per ball. 70% angora, 25% wool & 5% nylon. Fingering/lace weight.

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Box B: Regia Stretch 2 balls. 50g 200 meters per ball. 70% superwash wool, 23% polyamide & 7% polyester. Fingering weight.

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Box C: Ironstone Yarns Bouquet of Colors Mohair 4 skeins 2 different colors. 2 oz. 75 yards/skein. 90% mohair, 5% wool, 5% nylon. Spun in England & Hand dyed in Scottland. Fingering/lace weight.

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Box D: Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpacka Grande Tweed 1 skein (shown) and Schulana luxair-print baby alpaca 1 skein (not pictured here.) First skein is 100g 110 yards. 90% baby alpaca, 7% acrylic & 3% rayon. Bulky weight. Second skein is 50g 110m. 40% alpaca, 28% virgin wool, 20% polyester & 12% polyamide. Worsted weight. (Link to pic of shulana: http://www.fiber2yarn.com/custom/schulana/2013/luxairprint.jpg) look at color #50.

It took me all morning to write the little bit I actually got to:

FIRST I had to read and respond to various and sundry xangans.  Watch out for the sundry ones! 

Then I had to field at least 27 political calls.  Because it seems there are always political calls coming thru.

Finally my hubby kept reminding me of things I really should have been doing.  I know, I know, I'm in shock - there are other things to do rather than sitting at the computer?!  So, I'd get up and do them and then run back here and get back to the important things...

 

So when I finally got down to write, I found some totally fun quotes that I blatantly stole.  If I knew who they were from, well of course I would tell you.  Without further ado (adieu, adieu to yu & yu & yu):

A morning without coffee is like something without something else.

You can name your own salary here - I like to call mine Fred.

There is absolutely no substitute for a genuine lack of preparation.

If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame.

It takes 8,460 bolts to assemble an automobile, and one nut to scatter it all over the road.

There can't be a crisis today, my schedule is already full.

Arguing about whether the glass is half full or half empty misses the point, which is this: the bartender cheated you.

War doesn't determine who's right but who's left.

Everybody lies, but it doesn’t matter since nobody listens.

If it weren't for Edison, we'd all be watching TV by candlelight.

Did you ever stop to think and forget to start again?

 

Gotta run, the phone's ringing again!