The first time I visited Chicago was in September of last year. I fell in Love with it. It was a perfect time of year to be introduced and, though I wasn't there long, it had the right feel and rhythm.
I am happy to report that I will visit again twice in the next few months!!! Yea!
I thought that working on this stimulus grant would be a chore but, as it turns out, there will be perks and rewards. I can't wait to explore the city again. And now that President Obama is in office, I bet the city is buzzing with energy.
So, maybe I'll catch a Cubs game, do some shopping, walk by the lake and hear some wonderful music at an outdoor festival. Sound like fun?
Yep, that's what I'm all about!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Sweet, Sweet Honey In The Rock
Ever do something and know, deep in your bones, that what you have done was the absolute best thing? It doesn't happen often, at least not for me, but this month it has happened twice.
The first perfect thing I have done was to sign up for acting classes. I LOVE it!!!! It's two hours of adult make believe and play and serious craft all mixed into one. I have no idea how good I am and whatever the judgment I am fine with it. I am completely enjoying the experience. It's a beginners course so the instructor has appropriate expectations for us - very low. He is wonderful in that he is encouraging, even as he explains that just about everything you did was out of sync with what you were trying to create for the scene. (I'm starting to sound like and actor, aren't I?)
I can't really describe how freeing it is to pretend to be shy or sexy or amused or spiteful or ashamed. To be free to be anything because that is what your character requires - to be vulnerable. I am looking forward to doing longer and longer scenes as the class progresses.
What a fantastic idea it was to take an acting class; if I do say so myself while patting my back quite purposefully.
On to the 2nd super thing I have done! Mom has a birthday on Monday. Her 84th - amazing, isn't it? I overheard a colleague speaking on the phone on Thursday about one of my favorite singing groups and she mentioned they would be in concert here. Of course, I went straight to google, found their website and lo and behold there it was - Sweet Honey In The Rock was coming to Atlanta!
I immediately bought 2 tickets thinking the womanchild and I would attend, forgetting it was Mom's b-day weekend. Once I remembered, I decided we'd take her out to dinner on Sunday instead of Saturday, no problem. But, it just didn't sit well, internally. I knew in my Spirit that Mom would enjoy the concert but, I had already bought her tickets to see a play in May as her birthday gift. And, let's face it, while I am willing to ignore my budget most days, tickets to anything (even movies) ain't cheap and I was sorta breaking the bank by purchasing tickets to two shows in the space of a week anyway.
But, it kept gnawing at me, so I finally gave in and asked the girlchild if she really wanted to see Sweet Honey. Not really, my alternative-rock- and-hip-hop-saturated-child replied. So free of the burden of trying to acculturate the human I gave birth to, I gave a gift to the woman who birthed and raised me. And, she loved every minute of it. I watched her sway and clap and nod her head in time to the music. She turned to me at one point and said 'I just can't keep still'. That, my friends, is the mark of an excellent concert as far as I'm concerned.
And the music made us move and cheer and sing along. If you don't know Sweet Honey here are a few of my favorite selections:
Wanting Memories
Breaths
No Mirrors In My Nana's House
Stay
Redemption Song
Peace
Motherless Chil'
Now, if accapella, spirituals, gospel and african influcenced music are not in your repetoire or not much appreciated by you then, you may want to pass these sisters by. But, if you love complex harmony, natural sounds, heart, power and beauty in your music then, take a listen.
Sweet Honey In The Rock live up to their name.
The first perfect thing I have done was to sign up for acting classes. I LOVE it!!!! It's two hours of adult make believe and play and serious craft all mixed into one. I have no idea how good I am and whatever the judgment I am fine with it. I am completely enjoying the experience. It's a beginners course so the instructor has appropriate expectations for us - very low. He is wonderful in that he is encouraging, even as he explains that just about everything you did was out of sync with what you were trying to create for the scene. (I'm starting to sound like and actor, aren't I?)
I can't really describe how freeing it is to pretend to be shy or sexy or amused or spiteful or ashamed. To be free to be anything because that is what your character requires - to be vulnerable. I am looking forward to doing longer and longer scenes as the class progresses.
What a fantastic idea it was to take an acting class; if I do say so myself while patting my back quite purposefully.
On to the 2nd super thing I have done! Mom has a birthday on Monday. Her 84th - amazing, isn't it? I overheard a colleague speaking on the phone on Thursday about one of my favorite singing groups and she mentioned they would be in concert here. Of course, I went straight to google, found their website and lo and behold there it was - Sweet Honey In The Rock was coming to Atlanta!
I immediately bought 2 tickets thinking the womanchild and I would attend, forgetting it was Mom's b-day weekend. Once I remembered, I decided we'd take her out to dinner on Sunday instead of Saturday, no problem. But, it just didn't sit well, internally. I knew in my Spirit that Mom would enjoy the concert but, I had already bought her tickets to see a play in May as her birthday gift. And, let's face it, while I am willing to ignore my budget most days, tickets to anything (even movies) ain't cheap and I was sorta breaking the bank by purchasing tickets to two shows in the space of a week anyway.
But, it kept gnawing at me, so I finally gave in and asked the girlchild if she really wanted to see Sweet Honey. Not really, my alternative-rock- and-hip-hop-saturated-child replied. So free of the burden of trying to acculturate the human I gave birth to, I gave a gift to the woman who birthed and raised me. And, she loved every minute of it. I watched her sway and clap and nod her head in time to the music. She turned to me at one point and said 'I just can't keep still'. That, my friends, is the mark of an excellent concert as far as I'm concerned.
And the music made us move and cheer and sing along. If you don't know Sweet Honey here are a few of my favorite selections:
Wanting Memories
Breaths
No Mirrors In My Nana's House
Stay
Redemption Song
Peace
Motherless Chil'
Now, if accapella, spirituals, gospel and african influcenced music are not in your repetoire or not much appreciated by you then, you may want to pass these sisters by. But, if you love complex harmony, natural sounds, heart, power and beauty in your music then, take a listen.
Sweet Honey In The Rock live up to their name.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Love Lines
There are no straight lines.
Irregardless of the mathematician's linear regressions
or the philosopher's proofs,
life bends upon itself
and the terrain rises before our eyes again
and again and
again.
Familiar, though different,
each time synchronistically,
we know one another;
by scent,
the opulent curve of a lip,
the flashpoint behind the eyes
and in rare times
one soul to your soul.
Though recognition is no guarantee
of shared time, place or space.
Straight lines are a concept.
Like romance
they live in the mind and cannot be made real
no matter how hard or worthy the try
there is always the immeasureable distance
between points
between hearts.
The trick to tossing up your heart
is to purposefully give it a curve
and then wait,
with untold patience,
to see
who bends back round
and claims it.
Irregardless of the mathematician's linear regressions
or the philosopher's proofs,
life bends upon itself
and the terrain rises before our eyes again
and again and
again.
Familiar, though different,
each time synchronistically,
we know one another;
by scent,
the opulent curve of a lip,
the flashpoint behind the eyes
and in rare times
one soul to your soul.
Though recognition is no guarantee
of shared time, place or space.
Straight lines are a concept.
Like romance
they live in the mind and cannot be made real
no matter how hard or worthy the try
there is always the immeasureable distance
between points
between hearts.
The trick to tossing up your heart
is to purposefully give it a curve
and then wait,
with untold patience,
to see
who bends back round
and claims it.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Spring Has Sprung!
And in true Atlanta fashion. Everything is green and, thanks to the pollen, yellow. A car left outside for more than an hour will be covered in the stuff. Most folk can't believe how outrageous the allergens are here. So, here's a statistic for you:
Today's pollen count is 1,074 and, according to allergy specialists, a high count is anything over 121.
Quite a few of my northeastern friends thought I was exaggerating when I first moved here. They swore I wasn't eating properly (which I wasn't) or drinking enough water (which I was). Bottom line, few, if any escape the runny nose, itchy eyes and bronchial tightness brought on by Atlanta's spring fest.
But, having said all that, combine the pollen with the sorely needed rain we have been experiencing and we may have one of the most beautiful springs ever. I'll make sure to take lots of pics of the flowers as they continue to bloom. This week it's the Dogwood trees and I promised myself a walk in Piedmont Park to catch a glimpse of the beauty. Since it's going to rain again on Sunday, I'll be sure to get out tomorrow.
As is in keeping with Spring, I am feeling energized, optimistic and completely open to possibility! I start an acting class next week with my friend Bryan and I am very excited. He's done a few community theater parts recently, but I have not graced the stage since high school (don't bother counting on your fingers and toes, you don't have enough to calculate how long it's been). I made sure to sign up for the film foundational class because I am a movie and TV junkie. I figure, why not learn how to do the things I enjoy watching.
And, in keeping with that sentiment, I'm taking striptease lessons next!
Hey, Life is meant to be enjoyed. Get out and have a little fun!!!
Today's pollen count is 1,074 and, according to allergy specialists, a high count is anything over 121.
Quite a few of my northeastern friends thought I was exaggerating when I first moved here. They swore I wasn't eating properly (which I wasn't) or drinking enough water (which I was). Bottom line, few, if any escape the runny nose, itchy eyes and bronchial tightness brought on by Atlanta's spring fest.
But, having said all that, combine the pollen with the sorely needed rain we have been experiencing and we may have one of the most beautiful springs ever. I'll make sure to take lots of pics of the flowers as they continue to bloom. This week it's the Dogwood trees and I promised myself a walk in Piedmont Park to catch a glimpse of the beauty. Since it's going to rain again on Sunday, I'll be sure to get out tomorrow.
As is in keeping with Spring, I am feeling energized, optimistic and completely open to possibility! I start an acting class next week with my friend Bryan and I am very excited. He's done a few community theater parts recently, but I have not graced the stage since high school (don't bother counting on your fingers and toes, you don't have enough to calculate how long it's been). I made sure to sign up for the film foundational class because I am a movie and TV junkie. I figure, why not learn how to do the things I enjoy watching.
And, in keeping with that sentiment, I'm taking striptease lessons next!
Hey, Life is meant to be enjoyed. Get out and have a little fun!!!
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