Quote

"The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."

                                                             Albert Einstein

Showtune of the week - Who's That Woman?

Yes, i'm a total Follies junkie!  The score is stuffed full of theatre gems, including this one.  It's one of my favorites.  And the woman singing the lead is just great...brings good humor to the song.  i think i like it because there are times when you get together with people you have not seen in years and it feels like old times.  And the kinds of things you can remember and still do simply because you're with that group of people.  i love that!  Enjoy!

An old family photo - Mom's 7th grade class 1957

It seems like i keep running across great pictures of Mom during her school years.  So, i'm sharing another one.  i'm not exactly sure where she would have attended school during this year, but here it is none the less.  Mom's the 5th from the left on the front row.  This picture, however, does have some names on the back but i don't know who's who lol  If you know any of these people, feel free to share.  Some only wrote their first names though lol

Tommy Miller
Louise
Eunice Gribble
Sharon
Brenda Aycoth
Peggy
Julien (?) Fairley
Marian Morrison
Phyllis Walker
Harry Preslar
Nancy
Jack Morrison
Trena
Sandra Secrest (Glenn)
Jean Cooley

Recipe of the week - Apricot glazed chicken thighs

This is an easy, delicious recipe.  We tried it last night for the first time and really enjoyed it.  It will definitely become part of our repertoire.

6-10 bone in chicken thighs
1 cup Apricot preserves
1 cup Catalina dressing
1 packet onion soup mix

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix preserves, dressing and soup mix.  Place chicken thighs in a baking dish.  Pour sauce over chicken thighs, making sure each one is coated well.  Bake for 50-60 minutes.

That's it!  Enjoy!

Faith and reflection - Hymn of Promise

This is another anthem i remember singing in youth choir and it has always stayed with me.  The lyrics are very simple but very beautiful.  This song has been going through my head a lot lately.  i think it's because it is a song of hope.  And, without many things to be hopeful for in this world, i think that i cling to the sentiment of this song.  At church this summer, the prayers during service have been less than hopeful.  In fact, they've been down right depressing.  i understand that there is a lot in this world to be depressed about right now, but it does start to weigh a person down.  Admittedly, the last few Sundays i've been in church, i've sung this song in my head during morning prayers....it makes me feel better and i think God understands that.

Thought for the day

Here i am, enjoying a quiet Sunday morning, pondering what to do with my day.  In my head, there are so many choices of things that need to be done and things i want to do, so i need to spend some time figuring that all out.  i know i will make it to church this morning for sure. Maybe throw in some grocery shopping as well.  We shall see.

But i've been thinking, now that the summer is half over, that i need to make the most of my time before school starts next month.  i am very excited about the upcoming semester but i want to enjoy these last few weeks.  i have done a fairly decent job of seeing people but there are still those on my list that i have not gotten to yet and i need to catch up!  And also get out and do some things.  There are many fun, free things in Greensboro that i can do and i need to get myself out there and do them before my schedule becomes so jam packed that i won't be able to!

So, you know how i am about my lists.  It's time to make a new one of things to do!  i do enjoy my lists haha  We shall see how that pans out for me.  Until then, enjoy your Sunday and have a relaxing day!

Cheers

Quote

"If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love.  Don't be surly at home, then go out in the street and start grinning 'Good morning' at total strangers."

                                                                                      Maya Angelou

showtune of the day -

i chose this song today for no other reason that it's a beautiful song.  No underlying themes, i just love it.  And Rebecca Luker....OMG...just one of my favorites.  i got to hear her sing this in the original production on a Thursday matinee...brought tears to my eyes.  Her voice is angelic.  And Mandy Patinkin ain't so bad either lol  Enjoy!

An old family photo - Mohisco staff

i found this picture among some other old family photos.  The only thing written on the back of the picture is Mohisco, which is the Monroe High School Yearbook.  Mom graduated in 1962 so i'm guessing that this picture was taken sometime between 1960 and 62.  Mom is smack in the middle of the front row.  i love this picture because it's the same high school i attended.  Ah, generations :)

Thought for the day - Facebook

i finally made the plunge after a 2 month hiatus and rejoined Facebook.  In many ways, i have definitely missed it.  i miss the people a lot. It's nice to see what people are doing, watching their children grow up and see how life is treating them in general.  What i did not miss does not matter any more.  During the time i was away, i took a long look at why Facebook was affecting me the way it did and i figured a few things out.  One is that i do not need to be in communication with people ALL THE TIME.  Here and there on FB is fine, but i do not need to spend endless hours there.  And not having the need to document everything i do and feel is such a relief.  Sometimes i forget that the seesaw of life gives us both good feelings and bad feelings.  And mine are usually pretty extreme.  Facebook is not the place for that and i know that now.  It's just a matter of me being tactful....which i am mostly, but not always.

Facebook is a good way to reach out people, but not the only way to do that.  While i was gone i wrote letters, made phone calls, had coffee with people, had dinner with people...just got out there in the real world.  Now, i didn't do nearly as much of that as i wanted to but i did make a good starting point.  And i need to balance that kind of thing with FB if i want to avoid another mental collapse.  FB can be addictive and we all know that kind of thing is not good for me.

i have also learned what i will and will not tolerate both from myself and other people.  i feel no need to go into a long list of things but the bottom line is that if it makes me feel bad or has some kind of negative connotation, then it does not belong on my page or in my life.  That includes my passive aggressive bullshit as well.  i believe that everyone is allowed to live their own lives and have their own beliefs and should be respected.  i welcome healthy debate and disagreement.  i do not welcome insults though.  i know how i will handle these things when they arise.

i know that unfollowing people is better than unfriending.  i rarely unfriend people unless things get too bad.  It has only happened a few times.  i, however, have been unfriended plenty by friends and family.  It use to bother me...now, not so much.  It's Facebook for crying out loud not the Holy Grail.

Having said all of that, i am looking forward to catching up with people and finally seeing how Facebook can enrich my life again.  That is all.

Cheers

Recipe of the week - Apricot Curry Chicken

i made this recipe a while back and will probably make it again soon.  i've just had a craving for it!

2 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 cup chopped onion
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 3 ounce package of cream cheese, cubed
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1 tsp curry powder
3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until tender.  Stir in soup and next 4 ingredients; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until cream cheese melts.  Add chicken breast cubes; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.  Serve over rice.  Yields 4 servings.

* cubed turkey breasts work well too
* if you cannot find apricot preserves, peach preserves will work.

Enjoy!

Thought for the day - workshop theatre

Back in the day at UNCG, we had workshop theater every Monday.  i don't know if they still have it or not..the program has changed so much since i was there.  But, in those days, lots of my colleagues did their best work during workshop theater.  And let's face it, it was fun.  It was during my junior year that i really started coming into my own as an actor.  i had my first two large roles during that spring semester but it all started for me in the fall.  During one of the first workshops of the semester, i performed in 2 different half hour shows.  i went from being a 9 year old boy in Ramona Quimby to a 40 something with a marriage on the rocks in Lips Together, Teeth Apart.

Today, though, i'm going to talk about Ramona Quimby.  i had never really done much children's theater before this.  And i loved it.  It was directed by Katie Arjona...who went on to direct the full length version for her thesis. (i didn't get into the full length production because my professors felt i needed experience doing classical work...blah) i remember auditioning for the workshop and Katie had me reading for the role of the Dad.  Admittedly, i was boring in that role and didn't give a great audition.  Then she asked me to read for the role of Howie, Ramona's best friend.  i think it was because she had run out of people to read for the part LOL  Anyway, i had a blast reading that role and it was so much fun.  She ended up casting me.

We had a great time rehearsing.  We had a cast of much varied experience.  Freshmen through graduate students.  But it was a blast.  What i remember most was all of the fun we had being kids.  All of my scenes were with Andrea as Ramona, Tammy as Susan and Melissa as Mrs. Griggs. It was just so much fun and what a wonderful experience to be a kid again.

The other day i ran across an old video tape i have of this workshop and that's what brought this all to mind.  i had forgotten how much fun theatre can be.  Just to be free and to play and to have those connections with other people.  Just being silly.  It was wonderful.  i remember that after the show was over, Melissa, who was directing her thesis for the NC Theatre for Young People, apologized to me for not calling me back for her show.  She didn't think i could convincingly play a child but told me i proved her wrong.  That was a great compliment from a great friend and actress.

Bottom line, there were times that theatre was so much fun.  They are memories i will carry with me the rest of my life.  And i have to admit that of all the productions i've ever done, Ramona Quimby ranks right up at the top of the list.

10 Things That Make Me Happy

1.  Pigs

2.  Fortune cookies

3.  Trumpet Voluntary

4.  Light Brite

5.  Agnes Moorehead in Pollyanna

6.  Our unexpected patio garden

7.  Yellow Iris

8.  Linus and Lucy by Vince Guaraldi

9.  Morning dew

10.  Hamburgers on the grill

Faith and reflection - It Is Well With My Soul

i chose this hymn today because i love its melody.  This piano arrangement by David Baroni is beautiful. And while this version is instrumental only, i do love this hymns lyrics.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

In today's highly charged climate, finding peace and contentment is a precious commodity.  When you find it, hold it dear.

Thought for the day

Today, i am admittedly a bad church goer.  i allowed myself to sleep in today and when i got up, i just decided to have a slow, easy morning.  i think God will understand that.  Lately, Sunday is the only day of the week that i can sleep in.  Monday through Saturday, i'm up by 5:30 a.m.  So, today i treated myself to sleeping in til 7:30.

Now, that may not seem like much, but it definitely is to me.  And, of course, white kitty let me know that her breakfast was late this morning.  Squirt still wasn't ready to get up, so he just got out of bed and went and slept in his basket.  But, it has been a nice morning for me.  i listened to the 2nd half of With Heart and Voice on NPR while i checked my email.  Read the paper.  Worked on laundry.   Did dishes.  Took Squirt out for a few walks.  And now i have the rest of my day ahead of me.

It may not seem like much to some people, but it truly is nice to have one day where i do not have to be anywhere at any certain time or have to get things done.  While i am getting things done, i am doing it at my own pace and that is a glorious luxury!  Now, i do not plan on getting in the habit of not going to church.  i love my church.  Just every now and then a person needs a break.  As we learn in social work, self care is a vital part of life.  So, today's just a day of self care for me!

Now, on to today's other adventures!

Cheers

Quote

"Those who are not looking for happiness are the most likely to find it, because those who are searching forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others."

                                                                                     Martin Luther King Jr.

showtune of the week - Children of Eden

i chose the title song to Stephen Schwartz's musical Children of Eden.  This recording (which is not associated with the picture on the video) is from the original production done at the Papermill Playhouse.  Stephanie Mills plays the role of Eve and she sings this to her children as she is ending her journey on Earth.  i watched a video of this show that SMT did in 1998 recently and it brought back a lot of wonderful memories.  Sometimes i forget how beautiful this entire score is.  If you haven't heard it, give it a listen!

Thought for the day

Today has just been one of those days.  i told myself when i got up this morning that i was not going to put pressure on myself to accomplish anything.  So, i suppose in that way i succeeded.  But that's not necessarily a good thing either.  What i meant by that is that today i did not want to work from my lists and put pressure on myself to get everything done on that list.  Some days, that can get intimidating.  Especially on my days off because i do not want to feel like i have wasted my day.

i started off ok.  i decided that i was going to clean the office...go through things, organize, sort, get rid of, ect.  After about 2 hours, i had cleaned out my desk, set up the card table and made piles of different kinds of things to sort.  So far so good.  But, then it was time for lunch. i took about a half hour break to stop and fix lunch and eat.  After that, all went to hell. i came back to the office from eating lunch and just about broke down.  It was so overwhelming to see all of this stuff everywhere.  i tried to keep my composure and i started going through the bottom drawer of my desk...where i had left off.  This drawer is full of things from Grandmother's.  Actually, most of the desk drawers are full of her stuff.  But these were things like Mom's 2nd grade report card.  Her baby book.  There were 2 envelopes of strands of hair, i think from Mom when she was a baby.  Pictures, letters, Grandmother's college sketch book.  Just all sorts of family history things.  And as much as i enjoyed looking at them, it did feel somewhat burdening as well.  i will not get rid of these in my lifetime, but i have to stop and wonder who will want them some day if anyone?  And of course, this opens up a flood gate of thoughts and feelings and regrets and i just didn't have time for that today, nor the energy.

i slowly got every put back in place not feeling much a sense of accomplishment other than i remembered where everything went.  One day, i'll do better with my time and until then, i'll just hope for the best.

Cheers

An old family photo - Grandfather Laney and his sisters

i came across these pictures of my Grandfather, Floyd Laney and his two older sisters, Nell and Clara.  i'm sure i have seen these before, but i had forgotten i had them.  Wonderful!

Thought for the day

It's interesting how your perceptions and ideals change with life....especially when pets come into your life.  Now, we all know that i love my stuff.  My antiques, my music, my dishes, etc.  The older i get, the more i realize that it really is just that....stuff.  And if i don't use it, why bother.  Not having it won't erase any memories of it.  So, as i have mentioned before, i am making a concerted effort to use my stuff more.

Years ago, i would never have imagined letting a dog have free range of the house...sitting on whatever he wants.  Oh, how times change.  When we first got Squirt, we kept his bed out in the laundry room.  We thought this would be convenient because it's very cool in there in summer and very warm in winter.  But, he would whimper all night long so that didn't really last.  We moved his bed into the bedroom and that lasted all of a few nights.  We'd be drifting off to sleep when we'd hear the click of his paws pacing from one side of the foot of the bed to the other.  We started watching him.  He'd come down to my side of the bed, stare at me, then go over to Michael's side and stare at him.  This was cute for a few nights and then we realized that the only way to get him to stop was going to be putting him in the bed with us.  A happy dog, yes.  But, now i find myself contorting my body just so that i do not upset his sleep.  And it's totally true about this tiny dog taking up A LOT of space while i'm clinging to the edge of the bed.

Anyhow, i digress.  Squirt, being master of the house now, has staked his claim on everything in this house...that is, he has marked his territory.  And amazingly, it did not bother me really when he did that other than having to clean it up.  Good times.  And the older he gets, the more sensitive his stomach becomes.  He prefers eating table scraps and cat food over the food in his dish...luckily the mouse in the kitchen adores his food, so at least it's getting eaten.

Today, Squirt has not been feeling well.  Everytime i think he's telling me he needs to go out, i put him on his leash and he just sits down on the porch in the sun.  That doesn't last long either because, let's face it, it's pretty hot out there.  So, after a few minutes he's ready to come back inside.  And so he has not been to the bathroom since i've been home....and hasn't marked any furniture inside.  He gets very lethargic when he doesn't feel well.  About 20 minutes ago, i look over at him asleep on my antique Victorian sofa in our office....one of his favorite sleeping spots.  About 15 minutes ago, i hear the familiar noise and look over at him....projectile vomit...all over about half the sofa.  Point being, the old me would have never dreamed of letting an animal sleep on that sofa, much less throw up on it.  The new me could care less about the sofa.  It's all about the dog.

i cleaned up the sofa, emptied the trash after cleaning up.  i put Squirt out on the porch while the stain remover set in so he wouldn't try to lick it up.  He went down in the yard and went to the bathroom.  Now's he's happy as a lark.  And back to his secured position of guarding the house.

Cheers

Antique of the week

i chose this little pitcher to write about this week.  Since Grandmother's birthday was a few weeks ago, i wanted to do something of hers.  Not that most of the things i have didn't belong to her, but this one is more birthday oriented.  In 1914, Grandmother had her one and only non family birthday party as a child.  It was her 5th birthday.  Living in Wingate, NC, there were not that many shopping options other than the general store.  If memory serves me corretly, it was the J.L. Austin General Store...but i'm going to have to look that up.

Anyway, along with several toys including the doll carriage that i have, this was one of gifts she recieved.  It's a small porcelain pitcher decorated with pink roses and blue trim.  It stands about 6 inches tall. There are no cracks in, but i will admit that it does need a good washing LOL

For years, this piece sat in the enclosed bookcase of Grandmother's secretary, along with her collection of after dinner coffee cups.  There was also a small pressed glass plate that she got at this birthday party that i have somewhere as well.  Now, this piece sits in my china cabinet and i do enjoy looking at it.  i haven't really used it for anything, but that may change one day.

It may be funny to people the kinds of things that children received as gifts a hundred years ago.  You wouldn't give children today something like this.  Most wouldn't know what to do with anything that you didn't have to log into.  Personally, i'm in hog heaven when i get gifts like these!

Born too late :)

Thought for the day

Sometimes i get nervous when i get closer to reaching a goal.  Today, i dropped off my financial aid appeal to the financial aid office.  Now it's just a waiting game.  When i renewed my FAFSA application for the coming school year, everything cleared fine and the form was sent to UNCG's Financial Aid Office.  i had to fill out more paperwork and an appeal because i have too many hours and technically i should have a degree already.  Oh well....such is life.

i had to do this last semester as well.  i'm hoping that the odds will be in my favor again.  i only have 2 semesters left of school and i have only used financial aid for the 4 semesters that i have been in this time around.  i do regret that, in some ways, my parents spent a lot of money on my education the first time around at UNCG, but that is in the past and i cannot change it.  So, i think it's totally fair that i am borrowing money that i will have to pay back to get this degree.

i just get nervous because if they turn down my appeal, i am screwed.  At least i will be for the coming semester.  And being this close to finishing, that would cause a great deal of stress in my life.  But, i'm old enough now to know that if it happens, so be it.  i will figure something out and move forward.  One of the sad things about this is that if i had decided to go to another school in the UNC system and majored in social work, then most of my hours would not have transferred and this wouldn't be an issue.  But, Greensboro is my home right now and has been for over 20 years and i'm not quite ready to leave.  And it would not be fair to ask Michael to pull up stakes and move since he is secure in his employment.

Anyway, like i said, now it's a waiting game.  Once i know either way, i will be relieved.  Let's just hope that it turns out the way i want and need it to!

Cheers

10 Things that Make Me Happy

1.  Bell trees

2.  Hallmark commercials

3.  Care Bears

4.  Letter writing

5.  Lemon Pledge

6.  Lightning bugs

7.  Fans

8.  A good Chinese buffet

9.  Rondo Passacaglia by Cynthia Dobrinski

10.  The old opening of Mystery on PBS

Faith and reflection - When I Survey

i was thinking about this anthem this morning.  This is another arrangement that we sang in youth choir.  It is by Gilbert Martin and is a very popular one i have discovered.  i remember that the Sunday we were supposed to sing this Mr. Hamilton, our choir director, was nervous that we didn't have enough youth show up to pull it off so he had the adult choir join us.  We might have been able to pull it off ourselves, but it was nice to have the backup!

Thought for the day

This morning as i was checking my email, a "Dear Abbey" article appeared on the yahoo homepage.  i often read these "advice" columns because they're fun.  Sometimes they give great advice, sometimes it's awful.  But, it is usually an enjoyable read.  i clicked on this morning's article and was inundated with pop up ads.  Then, and this was the Chicago Sun Times website, they wanted me to take some quiz about my movie watching habits before they would let me look at the article.  It's Sunday morning.  i'm having my coffee.  i don't have time for that.  So, needless to say, i did not keep going and simply went forward checking my email.

Anyway, sometimes just the title of an article gets me to thinking about things.  i know, that is the whole point of titles...to intrigue the reader and entice them.  The title of this Dear Abbey was "Grandma rejects homemade gifts from 6 year old" or something to that akin.  Now, taking into account that i did not read the article itself, only the title, and do not know the circumstances with which Grandma rejected these gifts, it made me very sad for both grandma and her grandson.  For him, he probably worked very hard on these gifts and put a lot of his heart into them.  And for grandma, she probably either has too much going on to realize the effect her actions have or has not really established much of a relationship with her grandchild.

Home made gifts are the best.  i think about all of the ones i made for Grandmother, even if it was just drawing a picture for her.  As far as i know, she kept them.  And if she didn't, i was not any worse off not knowing. But, i do know that she kept some because i have them still.  A woven trash can that i made for her in camp.  A wooden box with a duck on it i made for her.  Several pictures i drew.  She kept them and i have them and i love that.  And i try to do the same.  Our nieces and nephews have done drawings for us as birthday presents or just as something nice for us.  i keep them displayed on the fridge for awhile and then tuck them away for safe keeping (once the fridge gets too full of stuff on it lol)

Bottom line, i think it's important to appreciate when someone takes the time to make something for you.  Gifts like that mean more and it makes the giver feel wonderful when their hard work is enjoyed.  Even in college, all the mixed tapes we made for each other were great gifts....and you knew that someone took actual time in making it.  And there is always such hope in the eyes of a child when they hand you something they made specifically for you.  Acknowledgement and appreciation are the key ingredients here.

Holding onto these gifts is not necessary, but holding onto the joy and the memories is.

Cheers

Quote

"There's nothing like deep breaths after laughing that hard.  Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons."

                                                                    Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Showtune of the week - Close Every Door

It's a rare thing for me to use Donny Osmond and beautiful singing in the same sentence.  i by no means dislike him, but i'm not the greatest fan in the world.  However, his rendition of Close Every Door from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is hard to beat.  One of the finest versions out there, no doubt!

An old family photo - Edgewood Farms

This is a newspaper clipping showing the home of my Great Grandparents, J.W. and Anna Bivens

i found this paper in some old photos i was going through.  i realize that it's hard to see, but you get the idea.  Grandmother was born in this house.  This picture was taken sometime in the first decade of the 20th Century.  The house itself went through some modifications. In this picture, there is a lot of Victorian trim work on the exterior.  All of that was eventually taken down.  The slender columns on the front porch were replaced with thicker, less ornate ones.  The part of the front porch that sticks out the most was eventually screened in, then the screens were taken down after the family sold the home.  It was a lovely home in its heyday and would be a lovely home again!

Thought for the day

i have been thinking a lot lately about my first time around at UNCG...in particular, my theatre training.  It was a great time for me.  i learned a great deal about the craft of acting and, to be honest, i was pretty good at it.  i do not regret my time there or the fact that in the end i chose not to pursue theatre as a career, even when i do miss it.  Having said that, one of the things we were taught in acting class is to stay in the moment.  Be there fully and take everything in.  Your surroundings, your reactions, the other people that you are working with on stage, etc.  And the more i think about this technique, the more i realize i need to apply it to my every day life.  Theatre is life after all :)

Yesterday, i went to campus to take care of some registration business for next semester.  While i was walking through campus, i started to think about this acting lesson.  Taking it all in.  i took my time and looked at all of my surroundings...the buildings, the landscaping, the few other people on the campus.  And it was nice to just allow myself to be in that particular moment and enjoy it.  It definitely put an extra spring in my step.  i felt good.  and i like feeling good!  And then i realized that, the older that i get, the more i am unconsciously being in the moment.  The other day at work, a coworker spilled an entire tray of apricot bars that were cooling off on the freezer floor.  All of us at work just howled because, simply, it was really funny.  And i loved that moment of us just laughing and having fun.  And that moment stayed with us for awhile and we had a great time with it.  Now, when Squirt barks at whatever is passing by our house, i try not to get too mad at him even though it can be frustrating.  i stop and think Squirt won't always be here to bark and i won't always be here to hear him bark, so i just let him bark and enjoy the fact that we're sharing some time together.  When i go over to sit on Lois's porch in the afternoons, i realize that it will not always be like this...our hourly visits with friends...so just live in this particular time, this brief scene of life and relish it.  And i do.

To be in the moment is to be aware.  Not every moment of life is good, but not every moment is bad either.  And drinking it all in creates wonderful memories and makes each moment that much more special.  A good way to live, i think.

Cheers

Antique of the week

This is my chocolate set.  i love it.

It is one of the few antiques that i have bought for myself in the past 10 years.  With all of the family pieces i have, i haven't had a lot of reasons to buy any more.  But this, i couldn't resist.  i have a pretty short list, a mental list, of antiques that i want and a chocolate set was one of them.  It all started when we dismantled my Aunt Sara's estate.  In her will, she left her chocolate set to my cousin Edith.  It had previously belonged to Sara's sister, Mary Lee.  The chocolate set was packed up for Edith before i really got a chance to look at it and, as a young lover of antiques, that bothered me LOL  So, i was determined from then on that one day i would have my own chocolate set.

Every time we went antiquing, i always had my eyes on the look out for the perfect one for me.  i never found it.  And, if i did find one i liked, it usually was too expensive...especially to a young teenage boy :)  When Aunt Billie died, Grandmother got hers and that eventually went to my Aunt Jan.  But, i was not heart broken because hers wasn't the style i wanted.  Anyway, about 5 years ago i was doing my usual online browsing of antiques and collectibles on Ebay and ran across this set.  i immediately fell in love with it.  It was exactly what i had been looking for.  Decorated in gold and green, it had a pot and six cups and saucers.  Nippon.  Now, i don't usually bid for things like this on ebay because you never know how authentic some of their antiques are but i decided i would bid anyway.  i walked away from Ebay until after the auction.  i had set my bid and that was that.  Fate would just play its course.  After a week, i found out that i had won the chocolate set.  The next week it arrived through the mail!  i was thrilled and it was exactly as promised.

i have placed it several places around the living room.  First on the buffet, then on top of the book case.  But, i think it's found its home on top of my china cabinet.  And who knows, maybe one day i will actually make some homemade hot chocolate and use my set.  Join me?

Cheers

recipe of the week - Grandmother's Broccoli Casserole

This is another broccoli casserole that we enjoy.  i have posted Mom's recipe before, but with today being Grandmother's birthday, i thought i would post this one.  She did not make it all the time but it was always tasty whenever she did make it.  i love the fact that i have this recipe written down on a small sheet of paper in her handwriting.  Makes it that much more special.

Broccoli Casserole
1 can of potato soup
1 small carton of sour cream
Grated Parmesan cheese
2 pkgs of frozen chopped broccoli
1 small jar of chopped pimento

Cook broccoli, drain and cool.  Mix soup, sour cream, broccoli, cheese and pimento.  Pour into a casserole dish.  Bake for 1 hour at 300 degrees.  After baking, sprinkle more Parmesan on top.

Enjoy!

Thought for the day - 2 special women

Today is a special day.  It is the birthday of two very important women in my life, my grandmothers Dorothy Laney (Grandmother) and Lillian Fornes (Grandma Fornes).  Growing up it was easy to remember their birthdays since they fell on the same day.  Grandmother was born in 1909 and Grandma Fornes in 1911.  From the outside, their lives looked different, but they truly were alike in many, many ways.

Both of them had a decent sized group of siblings that remained close throughout their entire lives.  They both gave birth to amazing children....not just my parents but my aunt and all of my uncles.  They were both strong matriarchs.  Both were wonderful cooks.  Both of them valued their christianity.  Both married and stayed married to men they loved despite these men having dependency issues that lasted til their deaths.  Both lost one child before dying herself....talk about true steel magnolias.

i think a lot about both of these women these days.  They led very rich lives, not financially, but in all of the things that give quality from within.  They survived good times and bad times and kept moving forward.  They were wonderful role models for their children and grandchildren.  They were wonderful role models for anyone they came in contact with.  Still, there are so many things i wish i had asked before i lost each of them.  i will, one day, when we are reunited.  Until then, i cherish their memories and their examples.

Cheers

Faith and reflection - Shall We Gather At the River

One of the traditions on Sundays when i was growing up was playing the piano after church.  Typically, we'd get home from church and while Mom was fixing lunch, i would sit in the living room and play the piano for Grandmother.  This was one of her favorite hymns and she would often request it.  i played a much simpler version than this, but i do really enjoy Howlett's arrangement of the peace.  Sometimes, we'd play the piano after lunch as well.  Often Mom would join and there would be some singing involved.  What i wouldn't give to have that just once more.

Cheers

Thought for the day - Camelot

Last Wednesday, i spent the afternoon doing some cleaning and thinking of theatre.....a strange, but not so strange combo LOL  i have a very random way of choosing records to play and this afternoon the rotation ended up on the original cast album of Camelot...one of my favorite scores ever.  i have 3 different copies of this score on vinyl.  i'm not sure where today's particular copy came from.  The 1st one i ever heard belonged to Mom and it had this cover on it:

i love this cover!  These 3 leads were simply amazing!  The 2nd copy i have from this score i bought at a yard sale at Mrs. Goodson's, across the street from us when i was growing up.  This was the cover of that album:

The 3rd copy i have has this cover:

i got this one at one of the used record stores we like to frequent.  i didn't really need it but think i bought it because one, i didn't have this cover, and two, i don't know why any music theatre lover would let go of this score  and i felt like i needed to save this record from just sitting in the store LOL

Anyway, Camelot is one of my favorite scores ever.  The show has some definite book problems, but its score is full of beautiful melodies and clever lyrics.  It is one of those shows that, if i could go back in time and see the original cast perform, this would be in my top 5 choices...but i'll save that for another blog.  i was listening to this score and it made me miss theatre.  

King Arthur was a dream role of mine.  It's a lead role in a musical and you don't have to have a great voice to do it.  How perfect would that be!  i have always wanted to do it and it saddens me that now i have aged out of the role....thank you, 40's.  i remember really wanting to do this show in high school.  Looking back now, it would have been costly to design the show, but we did have resources we could have used.  We could have cast the show easily, but Mr. Robinson wasn't interested in it.  They ended up doing Fiddler On The Roof instead and i couldn't be in it because of a prior church obligation.  Oh well.  

It's interesting to me to think back on how theatre fueled me for so long and to realize that now it does not.  It was a wonderful thing at the time and it was what i needed and where i needed to be.  i do not regret studying theatre at UNCG.  It was what i needed to do and i made so many life long friends that became my family.  i would not trade that for the world.  But, there are times that i regret that it's no longer a priority in my life.  i need to seek it out again, either as an audience member or a performer.  And maybe add to my collection of cast albums lol  It's an enriching part of my life that i have let fall by the wayside and i need to revive it in some way.  

This is part of the whole process of rediscovering what i love and what gets my juices flowing.  They've been inactive for a long time due to the monotonous routine of working a job that i did not love anymore.  But, now that i am back in school and starting to enjoy other things again, i definitely see some kind of theatre in my future.  Now, if only i could turn back the clock about 10 years and find a production of Camelot to do, that'd be great!

Don't let it be forgot

That once there was a spot

For one brief shining moment

That was known as Camelot

Cheers

Quote

"I want to be around people that do things.  I don't want to be around people anymore that judge or talk about what people do.  I want to be around people that dream and support and do things."

                                                                                          Amy Poehler

Showtune of the week - This Nearly Was Mine

The 2008 revival of South Pacific featured an amazing cast led by Paulo Szot and Kelli O'Hara.  This was the first Broadway revival of the show since it's original run.  The score is filled with amazing songs, several controversially ahead of their time.  If anyone was lucky to catch this show live or on the PBS broadcast, you can attest to it's power.  This particular ballad is sung by Emile de Becque in the show's 2nd act.  Szot won a well deserved Tony Award for his portrayal.