Dates with Daughters and Movie Reviews

Two weeks ago, Kaitlyn and I went to see The Secret Life of Bees. I had read the book of the same name by Sue Monk Kidd last summer and just loved it. The movie did not disappoint. The characters were amazing - Queen Latifah being my favorite. It was very well done and much as you picture it in your mind as you read. I love it when movie makers do that right.
The movie is about a girl named Lily whose mother died when she was younger putting up with an abusive, neglectful, angry father during the time when our country was still in the throes of some serious growing pains over racial inequality. Lily runs off with Rosaleen, a black woman who takes care of her one day and they meet the Boatwright women. The intersection of these lives forever changes them all.
Last week, after hours of testing at the hospital, Kendra and I decided to go see a movie. I had seen The Secret Life of Bees, but she hadn't - so I was going to see it again. Once we got to the movie theater, we saw that Changeling was playing, and asked to change our tickets. It was a very sad movie about a single mother living in Los Angeles in 1928 whose son goes missing one day while she is at work. The LAPD has a poor reputation with the public and uses her tragedy as a way to gain some public favor by trying to replace her son with another boy. The most appalling part of all is that it was based on a true story.
The kids and I all saw Madagascar 2 this past Friday at the cheap theater. Enough said.
We are movie-lovers, but you win some and you lose some!
Sorry for the really horrific writing here - my mind is elsewhere this morning. Writing about whatever to keep it busy!

I Miss Me

I have said that over the past week to two different friends. Sometimes busy-ness is overwhelming. This kind of busy-ness was good, but I am definitely glad that for the most part it is over. (Until the next time.) After such a lonely year last year it is very nice to be active again in things that we really enjoy. Typically two things like ballroom dancing and a performance would not be happening simultaneously.
Pride and Prejudice was fantastic. It went off without a hitch. I got to have more than a front row seat as I was able to sit directly in front of the stage to feed lines if necessary - which it really wasn't. The kids all turned on - and as is typically the case in theater, all the rough spots were suddenly smoothed as the threat of public humiliation in front of an audience was greater than any fear over dropped lines, missed cues, or awkward movements. I went back to my husband during intermission and he generally is a tough critic. He was SO impressed! At the end the kids were well rewarded by an appreciative audience on their feet with a long applause. Anyone who missed it truly missed a great show.
I have taken tons of pictures - but most of mine came out a bit dark. Even lightening them with Photoshop didn't prove to be much help. I couldn't get my flash to hit them well on the stage. My favorite characters are at top left. The picture to the right is of Kendra and her friend Trent - who played Jane and Mr. Bingley respectively. Trent was struggling throughout the play to portray how "taken" he was with Jane's character. At the end of the show, they posed for this picture for me, which shows how much fun they had. I love it! At the bottom, the Bennet family - to them I say Adieu! It was fun being a part of your lives and now I'm glad it's over!

Lonestar Girls Night

I have a neighbor that I have been getting to know better more recently. She is a nice lady, a bit older than me, but she has a daughter between my girls ages. She has come over for coffee a few times, and I have gone to her house. Her daughter invited my girls to go to a youth rally at her church tonight, and she and I decided to drop them off and go out for a bit. She had to buy a wedding gift, so we went to the World Market store - and I loved it! (It did make me miss my friend Tina, but at the same time made me happy to be doing something that made me feel connected to her!) I got some dark chocolate covered espresso beans! Woo hoo! I also got some breakfast blend coffee beans and added about 100 new items on my wish list. After that we went out and ate mediocre chinese food. It wasn't horrible - but not great either; thankfully the company was good! When we picked the girls up - we went to see if Becoming Jane was playing at the two local theaters yet. It wasn't playing at the first one so we headed out across town. As we were leaving the mall parking lot where the first theater was, we were followed by two motorcycles that revved the engines, causing the three teenage girls hopped up on chocolate covered esperesso beans (bad idea!) to turn around and wave. The first chance they got, they passed us up - and did wheelies and other stunts to show off! We were laughing so hard. Our movie wasn't playing at the second theater either, so we decided to see No Reservations with Catherine Zeta-Jones. It was pretty good. Another food movie like Ratatouille - but without the rats! It was just an all around fun night. I needed it so much - and I had such a nice time. I hope we get to do it again soon. The girls had a great time too!

A Beautiful Bit of Reality

This evening the girls went to audition for Cheaper by the Dozen at a theater about an hour away. It was good. I have missed being around theater kids - they are so quirky, and sometimes sullen, and creative, and witty, and sharp. Whether they get parts or not - it was good to get in the groove again.

A Better Day

There was a line in a Point of Grace song a few years back that said, "but the world keeps turning, bringing us better days" and today was a better day. I am thankful that the waves of homesickness and grief seem to be smaller and short-lived. It is just a part of the territory.
Today we went to see the High School Musical performed by the KIDmunity of Beaumont Community Players. It was better by far to see this live than in the movies. It was such catchy, upbeat music. Afterwards we went to this awesome Mexican restaurant called Rio Rita's and the whole cast came in behind us for dinner. Kullen got one autograph, but the girls were too chicken!
I think today gave us hope that we can make a life here. Theater was a very special and important part of our lives in West Virginia. I just haven't made the effort to get them involved because it is a 40 minute drive. But at least it is straight, flat road that I will traverse to take my little thespians to the theater!

A "Play" Date

There are two more performances of "Miracle on 34th Street" for this weekend, and then four on the following weekend. Here is a picture of my girls and their friend Tayva getting ready last night for the big show!

It has been a wonderful experience again, like Scrooge was last year. There have been challenges. Such as, doing nine heads of hair - with my neck and back stiff. I just enjoy meeting new people so much, and being involved in something like this with such a diverse group of "characters". The energy of the audience is so intoxicating. It is a lot of fun to entertain others. I will post much more about the play soon and hopefully have better pictures of all of us in costume!

Opening Night

Tonight is the opening night for Miracle on 34th Street. I have been enjoying it quite a bit, even last night with a stiff neck and shoulders, and what is painfully, obviously a broken nose. (It is bruised - and a sneeze yesterday almost killed me!) Opening night is the best. The cast finally gels together for better or worse, because truthfully none of us want public humiliation, and we stand before an audience simply to entertain them. My part is small, but when I am not there, I am missed and that means a lot to me.

However, as much as I am enjoying it, there are a few things that concern me. One is the lack of courtesy that adults give the children that are our castmates. This is "community theater" which means that all members of the community are invited to participate. However, over and over again, I have been confronted with situations where adults around us speak as if they were hanging out in a bar. Children don't need to hear that kind of (as my friend Tina calls it) foul-filthing, and quite honestly neither do I. These same grown-ups who are respected members of our community, work jobs dealing with the public and would never dream of using such colorful language or euphemisms in those settings, let loose here. I don't understand it! I am not making a moral judgment on these people, believe me as far as speech goes, I am not above reproach. The Bible tells us to "let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths" and I know I err here - often many times a day. And to God, there is no difference in foul speech and a foul heart from which wholesome sounding speech conceals venom, resentfulness, and the intent to gossip. As a believer, God's word is the plumb line to measure where I stand. But in our society, just from a moral standpoint, adults don't seem to respect the innocence of childhood. I guess that it shouldn't shock me the way that it does, in a sex-violence-evil saturated culture that the general public lives their lives void of beauty, joy and purity. It shouldn't - but it still does. And it makes me so desperately sad.

So, tonight, on opening night as I'm "breaking a leg", I will smile and play my part - but in my heart of hearts I will be praying that the innocence of the era of our play, 1947, will invade our hearts again.

If you would like to check out some blogs of some of the members of the cast and crew that are also Homeschoolbloggers - here is a list:
Raggedy Andy
Pilgrim Girl
Not-so-little Little Boy
Macy's Employee
Newspaper Stand Boy

Hectic Ecclectic Saturday

Today has been so far just such a mixture of things - I hardly know where to start. I hardly slept last night for worry about my in-laws. I slept with the television on, which is not the most restful way to sleep. I woke up around 6 am with a start, because we had people coming to see our house - which is still for sale - but I thought they were coming at 9 am - and Travis informed me AFTER I got ready that it was between 10 and 11. I checked my email to find out that Travis' family was fine - expecting some bad storms and wind, but not in any eminent danger. (Thank You Lord!) It was such a nice surprise to have a crisp, cool morning. I love it! A friend called and asked me to run to town with her, so I dropped Kullen off to play with a friend, being that he was the only kid home this morning. We went to Walmart and did some shopping - I got an autumn throw with a design of leaves on it. Then I picked the girls and Kullen up from their various locations - and we all went to try out for the play "Miracle on 34th Street" at the local theater. We were the first ones there so it went pretty quick. I didn't audition for any specific parts - but they had me read for about four different ones. I am not sure if I hope I get a part or not. I would really enjoy it - but it would mean we were committed to being here until the 12th of December. It's kind of complicated. While I waited for al lthe kids to audition, I read through a Susan Branch book called Autumn - with recipes, gift ideas, and seasonal suggestions. It was really interesting. This evening, Kendra is having her sr. high youth group friends over for a while - and I am going with Kaitlyn to my friend Tina's house where the jr. high group is having a "Hillbilly Hangout". We are cooking hot dogs on sticks, backed potatoes in the fire, making smores and playing games - and just hangin' around! What a day! I am sure that I will be sleeping well tonight!

I hope you're having a lovely autumn day too!

Community Theater

One of the first families I ever met that homeschooled was very involved in the local community theater. I never imagined I would be very good at, or much interested in being on the stage in front of a lot of people. However, I love music. I have been on the worship team at my church for six and a half years now. At first I was extremely nervous. I would literally feel my eyelids twitch, and was sure everyone could see them, my knees would turn to jello, my voice would sometimes crack. Even though my flesh was resistant, I desired to use the voice the Lord gave me to have a ministry in this way - and in obedience, I continued faithfully, until suddenly one day, I realized I was over it.

Last fall, there were auditions for the Christmas play at our local community theater - the Old Opera House for a musical called "Scrooge" - it's basically the story of A Christmas Carol with music. Everytime a musical came around I had toyed with the idea of auditioning. My kids would say, "Yeah, mom, do it with us. Come on!" I would always talk myself out of it because of the time commitment. There were many, many late nights involved. But, when I took my girls to audition for Scrooge, I was sitting in the room while everyone filled out forms, and being in a rather adventurous mood, I decided to just take a shot and see what happens. A couple days later, I got a call-back, and so did BOTH of my girls. We were so excited. We also got Kullen a part as a small boy extra. We worked on that play from late September until performances which were in mid-December. It was a great time - I know a time we'll never forget. One of the reasons this is on my mind right now is that the Christmas play this year is "Miracle on 34th Street" - and even though it isn't a musical, I would like to work on a play again. The auditions are this weekend - and so since nothing is happening with the sale of our house, I might just give it a try.
Here are some pictures of us in the play:

My big scene in the marketplace with Mr. Scrooge - that's me in the red dress - my daughter, Kendra with the purple skirt (peeking out) and white shawl to the right (my left), and the fourth girl over to the right of her, there is a girl wearing black with an orange scarf and brown bonnet - that is my daughter, Kaitlyn. Mr. Scrooge is here collecting money from all the poor shopkeepers who haven't money to pay him and terrorizing the town!

During rehearsals - I have on the gray sweatshirt and black pants in the center of this picture - and my daughter Kendra is on the right.

Here's the opening scene - a "postcard" if you will - we were frozen in order to make the beginning action scene more dramatic. It was a cool effect. Kendra is on the platform on the left (stage right) and Kaitly in in the front on the right (stage left) and I am just above her on the right platform steps.

This was a wonderful experience - and if you are able - I would HIGHLY recommend participating in community theater in your town. We had such a great time - it was a time I'll never forget! My kids also learned a lot about theater and literature and sharpened a skill that homeschoolers are often weak on - making friends and loving like Jesus loved people that are very different from you.

Lessons From Ruth

We had a special treat yesterday. We went to see at the Sight and Sound Millennium Theater with a group from our church! It was such an awesome play. If any readers are ever in Lancaster, PA - don't pass up an opportunity to see anything that is put on there. In the first five minutes there was a goodbye scene where Naomi is saying goodbye to her best friend. It really choked me up for obvious reasons.

The story of Ruth's simple faith and obedience to the Lord and faithful commitment to Naomi has a lot of life lessons to be learned. Lord, make me a woman of faith, trusting You regardless of my circumstances to do what's best.
Help me to keep this story close to my heart.

This all makes me remember a lesson the Lord taught me recently. Travis' vehicle died the week of Christmas last year. Since then I have been without one during the workday because being the breadwinner for our family, he obviously needs the vehicle that we do have in order to get to and from work I did try to drive him one day just to see if I could have the car one day a week - and of course we used a ton of gas, AND I spent almost six hours of my day in the car!!! Well, recently a dear friend had her vehicle die. I felt the stress with her remembering how stranded and desperate I felt when I was first in her position. Then a few weeks later, she and her husband bought a new van. She sent out an email with pictures of the new van with a caption under it saying "God is good, all the time!" And it struck me - is God good to me, even when my situation persists? When I get a "no" or "wait" answer, am I just as certain that He knows what is in my best interest? Of course - and as I intellectualize it right now as I am writing, I know that when I am faced with difficult circumstances again, in my human frailty, I may have to be reminded.

The scarlet thread that was woven through the generations to Jesus Christ the Messiah was dependent on the obedience of a Gentile girl, from an idolatrous culture, who chose to honor God above all else. Lord, help me be like her!