'Twas the day after Christmas...

Wow, what a Christmas this year!! First off, I had the whole "A Tuna Christmas" thing going on -- which went very well by the way. Nine out of ten performances sold out! Can't ask for much more. My cast and crew were great and fun to work with it.

In addition to the theatre, I had two Musical Feast (www.musicalfeast.org) concerts and one caroling gig with them. The concerts turned out very well. We did "A Ceremony of Carols" with a harpist as accompaniment. That was tough, cause I had to sing alto, and I can't reach above a B. The choir director doesn't buy that, but the truth is, I've been singing tenor for over 30 years. My speaking voice is so low, I'm often mistaken for a man on the phone (Yes, sir, let me connect you to that number.) I just don't sing on the higher parts. I did talk to him about doing a solo for the February concert. It seems like everyone else gets to do a solo, some every time, and I know I can do as well as they do.

The caroling was at an Italian restaurant in Dallas (Capriccio's). The owner used to have a restaurant in Flower Mound, so that is how we have a connection with him. Last year I was not able to sing with the Feast because of conflicts with shows. Apparently, they did this last year, and it was well received. I'm not sure the handful of diners really appreciated it much this time. They gave us a free meal; it was almost embarrassing -- we didn't get to sing very much because a group was having a meeting; it felt like we were cheating a little. Oh well, we paid for our drinks and left big tips.

Anyway, back to Christmas. On the 20th, we had our Jackson family party at Mom's. This is the first time we've had it early; it worked out great. It would have been better if it had not also been the closing day of "Tuna" (I had to leave at 4:30). We were all there, nobody had to run to see someone else. We had a lot of good food and played "Apples to Apples". We exchanged our gifts.

We had circulated an email about gift preferences, so most everyone got something they wanted. Some people got several of what they wanted. I had asked for cardigans and got two. Fortunately, this is the year for cardigans. I'm so hot-natured, I wear light-weight clothes year-round, so having cardigans is a good way to regulate warmth and give me a variety of looks. I also got some bath gel -- always a favorite. Got a gift-card for Half-Price Books (my favorite store). My mom included a necklace in her gift for me. All-in-all, a good time. Based on the general feeling, I think celebrating early will become our new tradition. It cuts some time off your shopping days and I wound up putting everything in gift bags instead of wrapping, but that was fair -- I think everybody else did too.

It was the first time in YEARS that I didn't give handmade gifts. My husband said "We used to spend 2 months making gifts for everyone." I told him I spent two months making a gift for almost 1,000 people -- the play! I usually do both, but this year's allergy season has knocked me for a loop, and I haven't felt like doing much else. I should really start sooner next year. :)

Our youngest son and his wife had plans to spend Christmas in Houston with her family, so we took their presents over to their house Monday night. We picked up some Cain's Chicken on the way. We had a great time with them. Eden is such a girly-girl, almost anything pink and cuddly makes her happy -- we found footed pajamas with bunny's ears and faces on the feet. She loved them. We got Rodger an electric wok and a rice cooker and some tools. We got them a new garage door opener, since their's is broken. They were very happy. They are fun because they are very demonstrative -- they show their excitement and pleasure with their gifts. I got a couple of costuming books that I was wanting, and (surprise) a cardigan!

Rick and I had been discussing presents for each other with no success. I REALLY could not think of ANYTHING that I wanted for a gift. I couldn't think of anything to get him, either. One day while we were out shopping, I suggested that he could get me a new nightstand. We've been married over 34 years and have never had a real bedroom "suite". We've always had an eclectic mix of pieces. I've been using a night stand he made in wood shop in high school. It's fine, but, not very big.

The more we talked about it, the more we decided that we could get more than just a night stand. There's a furniture outlet in Denton (Bungalow Furniture) that had a set advertised that was what I wanted. It was Mission style and very reasonably priced. They are only open Friday & Saturday; I went there last Saturday and they had sold out of the set. I was so disappointed. I then went to several other stores and saw nothing that I liked for anywhere near the kind of money I wanted to spend. I went to a store and looked at one in a catalog that I wanted and they said they could pick it up on Monday and deliver to us on Tuesday.

As it turns out, one of the guys who worked with Rick in Irving comes from a furniture-dealer family. His dad was able to get us the pieces for about $200 less than the store. We went over to Irving on Tuesday night to pick it up. Our grandson had been with my sister all day and they had just finished up a trip to the ice sculpture display at The Gaylord Hotel in Grapevine about the time we were heading home. We met them near there and took him home with us. Then Rodger and Eden came over to bring their two dogs to stay with us while they were gone to Houston.

The furniture, which is BEAUTIFUL (a dark oak finish, very classic Mission styling), was in boxes. They managed to keep one of the boxes intact, and it became our grandson's "store". They cut a window in the side and a hatch in the top -- he, Rick, Rodger and Eden played with it all night! He and Rick kept at it after I went on to bed! You know kids like boxes almost as much as toys.

Rick and I will be spending our spare time redecorating our room after the holidays. Naturally, with the new furniture, we will have to paint, get new curtains, bedding, etc.!

So, Christmas Eve is our time to celebrate with Rick's family. Always. Incredibly, it SNOWED on Christmas Eve this year. Oh, it was 71 degrees on Wednesday, but by Thursday afternoon, it was blowing snow sideways across the yard! For the first time, Christmas at Rick's mom's house got canceled. She's almost 90, so it was a big deal for her. Rick and I just stayed home and watched TV.

On Christmas Day, we packed up our Santa bag and took our gifts to Rob and Aubrey's house. They had been up for hours when we got there around 10, so the grandson was ready to tackle our gifts. We got him scooter and some Hot Wheels tracks, along with video games, books, clothes, DVDs and a sleeping bag. He tried everything out. We got his parents a Tom-Tom GPS system, a gift certificate to have 3-D ultrasound of our new grandson, Weston, some fireplace tools and some assorted smaller things. I got some more costume books. Rick and I took our other gifts to each other with us and I opened my cardigans (2 more), my truck speakers (hooray) and my surprise -- tickets to see "Tuna Does Vegas" at Casa Manana in Fort Worth, with the original writers/performers. Pretty cool, huh?

We spent several hours with them and had our Christmas Lunch -- burgers from Jack in the Box!. Then Rick and I came home. I had taken a Benedryl at the kid's house (because they have cats), so I took a nap while Rick went down to visit his Mom. While he was there, they decided to have Christmas on Sunday (tomorrow) to make up for the missed Christmas Eve. I don't think I've ever had a Christmas spread out over so many days!

So, here it is Dec. 26. I'm sitting alone on the couch (well, not exactly alone -- Rodger's two little dogs and my little one (their offspring) are up here with me). I haven't done much, except give the two long-haired ones a bath cause they were stinking! Rick is working the late shift, but I haven't heard from Rob about their plans (I'm sure that my sweet grandson is going to want to spend the night). I'm feeling pretty happy about our Christmas and our family. I hope you had a good time, too.

Happy New Year!

It's Tuna time...

I've spent the past 6 weeks or so working on our production of "A Tuna Christmas". If you are familiar with the "Tuna Texas" series, you know that these plays consist of 2 actors portraying multiple characters, both men and women. In the case of this Christmas version, 11 each.

After all the hard work, including hunting for costumes, rounding up props, finding crew, building sets, and -- of course -- rehearsing, the show opened last night to a sold-out crowd! It was very rewarding.

The two guys in the show, Coby Cathey and Tom DeWester, really turned on the humor. They are living proof about watching out for the quiet ones. Both are school teachers, very low-key individuals in real life. Put them on the stage in wigs and fake boobs and they really shine.

You'd think a show with only two actors would be easier than others, but it didn't work out that way. However, I have to say, I am so thankful for the crowd behind the scenes. My Dad did most of the set construction. One of my friends from the theatre painted everything. The costumer and the dresser worked tirelessly to get the crazy costume changes down. We have three or four sold-out shows already and the word is barely out.

Now I can rest. For a while.

Time flies...

Time flies, whether you are having fun or not. The days just whiz by. It is already after Thanksgiving and will be December in two days.

Don't EVEN ask about Christmas! Actually, I've been buying a few things here and there, just small things, but I won't really be able to do anything til next week. I've spent most of my waking hours outside of work either at the theatre or working on my show.

I really love directing. It's just hard to direct and be producer at the same time. On top of that, it's hard to get volunteers during the holidays. I have found a couple, but it is a challenge. And "A Tuna Christmas" has a LOT of costumes and costume changes. I've been helping the costumer find costumes and the props manager find props and building the set and whatever. I haven't done much of the painting -- thank goodness for my friend Nancy; she's retired and has worked her tail off painting on the set the past couple of weeks. It is surprising how much painting has been required on such a simple set.

This is the week the show opens. It is too late to be nervous about whether the actors are ready. They are doing a great job and they will make it. I believe in the magic of the theatre -- things seem to come together magically at the end. I've learned to take a zen approach to it all.

Amazing news...

I've had an exhausting week. I know, so have you. It's what we do, right?

First off, the job is hectic. I was looking for something where there's enough work to stay busy (the last two jobs have not had enough to do), so I shouldn't complain. On the other hand, by Friday night, my right thumb felt like it was about to fall off and I couldn't focus my eyes. Computers are great, aren't they? My husband asks me how I can work at one all day and then come home and get right back on. Self-destructive behavior problems? Who knows.

Started rehearsal for "A Tuna Christmas" this week; rehearsed Monday - Wednesday nights from 6:30 to around 9:30. Two really great actors -- I'm feeling really lucky. Had to cut Tuesday's rehearsal short to attend theatre board meeting. Do you think the original spelling of board meeting was "bored" meeting? Talk about a necessary evil.

Finished the week's extracurricular activities with choir practice on Thursday and fun with my grandson on Friday night. Saturday is all for set construction and Sunday we have an extended-family birthday outing. Then start up again next week with more of the same.

Oh, and I found out I'm getting a new grandchild.

I was sitting at my desk about 11 a.m. on Wednesday morning when I got a text message from my oldest on my phone. It was a photo with no actual text -- no explanation, no nothing. The photo was clearly an untrasound image of a baby. A pretty-good-sized baby. Frankly, I was confused. What was he trying to show me? Did he know someone who was pregnant?

My grandson was a surprise. His conception was totally unplanned. I asked my son if he she was the one for him, regardless of the baby, and he said yes, he had planned to marry her anyway. The pregnancy was fairly uneventful, but she had a long labor. After 24 hours or so, they gave her some Demoral so she could rest. That just made it harder for her to manage her labor pain. When the baby was finally born, he had a loop of cord around his neck, causing some initial stress for my son, but everything turned out okay with the baby.

Unfortunately, my daughter-in-law's epidural failed to clot. She went home with a killer headache that only got worse. We finally had to take her to the ER where they took blood from her arm and injected it into the edidural site, creating a "blood patch" that would allow it heal up. She REALLY hates needles, so this was more drama for her.

When the baby was about 2 weeks old, my daughter-in-law suddenly started hemorrhaging. We took her to the ER again. After they got her stabilized and moved to a room, I went back through the ER. The trauma room looked like the scene of a crime. I've never seen so much blood.

So, basically, my daughter-in-law felt that she had done her part in child bearing and has been adamant over the past five years that she did not intend to have any more. In addition, she has continued to have problems related to her reproductive system and assorted birth control methods. At one point, the doctors were talking about performing endometrial ablation, which destroys the lining of the uterus. It is just this side of a hysterectomy but is a permanently sterilizing procedure as well.

Occasionally, my grandson would wish for a sibling. Since he started to kindergarten and discovered that almost everyone else has a sister or brother, he's been wishing it again. He is such a social child, always open to playing with others at the playground, eager to make friends whereever he is, it has always seemed a shame that he would not have a sibling. I value my siblings so much; my feelings for having siblings were the basis for having a second child myself. My daughter-in-law has only one sister who is 8 years older than she. Her sister married and moved away at a young age, leaving my daughter-in-law a veritable only child for most of her life.

I love my daughter-in-law. I respect her decision about her own body. Nobody can judge you about that. I've had plenty of my own health issues, so I know. I had resigned myself to having only the one grandchild from them and hoping for more from my other son and his wife. The ultrasound of a well-developed fetus -- not an embryo as you'd typically see in the first trimester -- was throwing me for a loop.

My son wasn't answering his phone. I called my husband. I was so excited. He got excited. Could this mean what it seemed to mean? After about an hour, I finally got my son on the phone. Yep. They are having a baby. Surprises all around.

My daughter-in-law had been having a lot of back pain. She went to have an MRI on Tuesday. They didn't find anything that could be causing the back pain, but they informed her that the fetus looked fine. Whoa. She was very freaked out, but they reassured her that the MRI would not damage the baby.

When they went the next morning to the doctor, my son said he was very impressed with the 5-year advances in the sonography, until they told him that the baby is 14 weeks!! They were both floored!

So, here we are with another miracle baby on its way, in early May. Not much time to get ready. My grandson is very excited about being a big brother. He's already planning to bring the baby to our house with him for his Friday-night sleep-overs. He promised to show us how to hold the baby.

I don't think I've forgotten how...

Sweet little Lucy girl...

My poor little Lucy the dog is gone. I stroked her velvety head and let her lick my hand and she just went to sleep. It was time. She was so weak, she could barely stand. Rick and I took her late this afternoon to the vet and sat with her. It was quicker than I imagined.

Thirteen years is a long time to have a dog. She was a fixture in our house. She was the queen of our household and she knew it.

I could write a lot about her. There are so many memories. She was so playful and ran so fast when she was younger. She patrolled the back yard and kept it clear of opossums, cats, rats, snakes and any fledgling birds that weren't ready to fly. She was fearless and persistent. We loved her and will miss her quiet presence and her warning bark (she hated the doorbell).

Goodbye, Lucy. Sweet dreams.

A Southern woman's plight...

Here's another longish video, but well worth the time. It explains the perils of sending your husband off with a list. Not my husband, of course -- he does most of our shopping, just not from a list. Lists throw him for a loop; he swears they don't have those things at the store. It's always amazed me that men were the "hunters" in our history -- they seem to have a hard time finding things. Maybe it's because they were always hunting for something, since they can't seem to remember where it is -- right there in plain sight, where you told them it would be...

Worth watching...

This is almost 10 minutes, but well worth the time. Better use of your time than reruns of "Friends", right?

Reasoning it out...

Yesterday, my hubby picked our grandson up from kindergarten. Some other kids and parents were arriving for a meeting of a program called "Mighty Minds". Hubby asked Grandson what it was.
Grandson's response:
"Well, I'm not in the third grade, so I don't know for sure. But mighty means strong and mind is like in your head, your brain. So, they must have strong brains."
Hard to argue with that.

New black dress ...

Last weekend the community chorus I sing in had two concerts. Well, two performances of the same concert. I was a little perturbed because I was asked to sing alto (I usually sing tenor) since we were short on altos and heavy on tenors. I really can't hit above the B, so some of the pieces were just outside my range. But most of them were ok, I guess. Some Mozart, lots of Latin, then a total change-up into an arrangement of Shenandoah.

I wanted to have a long black dress for the concert. I've been making do in others with a suit I have, but I really wanted a dress. So, naturally, I decided to make one. I selected a very easy pattern, Simplicity 6866, very loose-fitting, quick to make. This pattern is interesting in that the back is a low v-cut (see sketch from pattern back). A little different, but very simple construction. Then I picked panne velvet.

First of all, I didn't get enough fabric. Well, actually, I got enough, but not in one piece. So, I went ahead and cut the front and the back in different directions. Not a good plan. The fabric is hard to work with, and working with pieces against the nap, it was worse. I had planned to make a jacket to match, but I was so frustrated by the fabric, I decided to make the jacket out of something else.

I had the dress made up and ready to hem by Saturday. Unfortunately, the fabric had warped all out of shape. I wound up having to cut it off to get an even hem. I wanted it long; it turned out just above ankle length on me, so it was okay. Since I didn't have to be at the concert until 5:30, I figured I'd have time to make the jacket. That included going to the store, picking out a fabric, bringing it home, cutting out the jacket and then sewing it up. Simple, right. Plenty of time.

I was lucky to find a black embossed lace with a scalloped edge on both selvages. I used the same pattern (New Look 6270) that I used with my brown party dress. I was able to cut out the jacket front and back and the sleeves so that I didn't have to hem them. In about 3 hours, I made the jacket and hemmed the dress and made it to the concert by 6 (which worked out ok after all).

As you can see from the picture, what resulted was a simple black, sleeveless long dress and a rather nice short jacket. Together they made a very attractive outfit, finished in just the nick of time!

A Book in the hand...

I love books. I have a lot, maybe 300. And maybe that many craft books, too. I read a lot. I listed all my books (except for some that are in boxes in the attic) on Goodreads. Most of my books are anthologies of science fiction short stories.

I've always read a lot, as soon as I got old enough to get to a library. My dad used to get frustrated with me because he said I always had my nose stuck in a book. I guess I wasn't listening closely enough. When I was in middle school, I kept a list of the books I read one year, and it was about 100. When I was in high school, my mom bought a lot of the Reader's Digest Condensed Book volumes second-hand; and I read all of the them.

I'm compulsive about it. I'll even read books I don't like if there's nothing else around. I miss it when I can't read. When I took the review course for the CPA exam, I spent all my time for 5 months studying for the exam. I had no time between work, kids, and study to read. When I took the exam, I walked out of the Ft Worth Convention Center (where the test was held) and straight to a book store two blocks away.

I'm more computer literate than the average person my age. I've had personal computers since the days of my Commodore 64. I was director of IT for many years. In spite of that, I don't want a Kindle or other e-book reader. It's just not the same. It doesn't feel the same in your hand. It doesn't smell the same. What will there be of them in 10, 25 or more years? Sure, books can deteriorate over time, but I know the e-book won't be there. Heck, I personally have media that is only 10 years old that I can't read. Remember 5 1/4" diskettes? Even the 3 1/2" inch ones aren't very accessible (I don't have a drive that will read them).

For years, books had to be written out by hand. Since the invention of the printing press, books have been increasingly available for regular people. I hope the digital revolution does not make hold-in-your hand paper-based books obsolete for the masses.

More than you wanted to know...

OK, so if you know me, you probably already know all these things about me. Or maybe not. Some of my friends don't know the whole story and probably most don't care to know.

I have fibromyalgia. You can read more on Wikipedia: Fibromyalgia is a term meaning muscle and connective tissue pain (also referred to as FM or FMS), is a medically unexplained syndrome characterized by chronic widespread pain and a heightened and painful response to pressure (allodynia). Other core symptoms are debilitating fatigue, sleep disturbance, and joint stiffness. Basically, I have invisible pain, every day.

If I do too much, I'll have worse pain. But the pain is not indicative of injury. It doesn't mean that if I don't stop what I'm doing, I'll suffer worse injury. It's not going to cause broken bones or swelling or deformities (like inflammatory conditions). On the other hand, taking an anti-inflamatory like Motrin won't impact it either. Since fatigue is a big factor, all I can really do is rest.

People have lots of opinions and antidotal experiences of treatments and cures. Usually, they have a family member who 1)changed their diet, 2)took herbal supplements 3)tried some alternative therapy and was miraculously cured. The one thing I've learned about chronic disease is that it's boring. People don't want to keep hearing that you still have it. "Why are you limping? Did you hurt yourself" -- No, it's just the FM. I know they have other things to think about rather than to remember that I still have this problem, day after day, after month, after year. Hell, it's boring to me.

The most unfortunate side effect I've had is that decreased activity has led to weight gain. The weight gain has led to sleep apnea. The sleep apnea disturbs my sleep cycle which negatively impacts the body's ability to lose weight. Which leads to more weight gain. Plus, the most effective treatment for FM is improved sleep. It's a vicious circle.

Whenever I mention the sleep apnea, people always ask if I have "one of those machines". A c-pap. A continuous positive airway pressure machine. Sure, I've got one. Know what it's like? Take your shop vac and put the hose on the out port. Now take that hose and stick it up your nose. OK, maybe not quite that bad, but it is a hose about that size hooked up to a mask that you strap onto your head like a jet-pilot's headgear. Woo hoo. Sexy. Then you try to sleep in that get up. I've tried, really I have.

I know, it's better than dying. People die of apnea all the time. There's a strong history of heart disease in my family; both of my parents have had bypass surgery. My cholesterol levels, unmedicated, are poor -- high bad, low good cholesterols. Sleep apnea also is a contributor in car accidents, because sufferers have a lot of day-time sleepiness.

So, basically, I'm trying to work around it all. Aggravating the FM issue is that I have some osteoarthritis. Like in my thumbs. You'd be amazed at how often you need your thumbs! Last year, my left thumb got so bad that the slightest bump would take my breath away. I decided to have it surgically repaired. It's called Excision Arthroplasty. Basically, they take the last joint at the bottom of your thumb and replace it with a piece of tendon removed from your forearm. Hurt like hell, mostly from the brace and cast, and took a long time to recover. There is still some pain there, probably in the connective tissue (remember the FM?), but the take-your-breath-away inflammation pain is gone. Of course, it doesn't help that this is the same wrist I broke a few years ago. I fell backwards and put my hand out, bent it back and broke it and damaged the tendon. It healed, but the pain has never gone away. Gotta love that "excess response to pain" part of FM.

The right thumb hurts, too. Not as bad, thank goodness. At least not yet. Since I'm an accountant, I need to be able to use the computer and the type of mouse I have makes a big difference. I'm planning on trying some less invasive therapy, like steroid injection, rather than surgery on this one. However, I've had steroid injections in other sites that did not help. Guess I'll just wait to see how bad it gets.

My husband has rheumatoid arthritis. It's debilitating. He took prednisone for several years, until it began to aggravate his liver. Since he already knew he had "fatty liver", which doesn't mean actual fat on your liver. It has to do with triglycerides and lipids collecting in the liver. Most people who have it are alcohols or obese. He's neither, he's just an odd ball in the sample. Now he takes Embrel, an injectable. VERY EXPENSIVE. (I'll leave that for a later post, all about insurance...>

Anyway, he's always trying to get me to take anti-inflammatories. They help him. They don't help my FM much, plus they upset my stomach a lot, mostly due to the hiatal hernia. I can keep this mostly symptom-free by taking Prilosec everyday. But, man, I sure don't want to miss a dose. It's no wonder that people go to the hospital thinking they are having a heart attack when they are having heart burn. I've had some heart burn attacks that made me want to go to the hospital for relief, even knowing what it is.

Migraine headaches run in my family, like New York marathoners. Like my Mom, both my siblings, my nephew, my niece, and other extended family members. I was on gabapentin for them for a while, mostly because I got into a cluster-string that wouldn't stop. Unfortunately, the side effects of gabapentin are anxiety and weight-gain. Like I need anymore of that. Once I got the chronic clusters to stop, I went off the med. Now I just have them intermittently, not constantly, and take tramadol.

When I went to the neurologist about my headaches, he discovered that I have Peripheral neuropathy in my hands and feet. Most people who have it are diabetic, but, thankfully, I'm not. I'm not sure that's all together bad; it means you have reduced sensation in your hands and feet, so at least they don't hurt as bad as they used to!! He also diagnosed my carpal tunnel syndrome; I had a lot of problems with it a few years ago, but it's much better now.

As I said, my left leg is really giving me grief today. When I was last pregnant (in 1982), I developed sacroiliitis. As time has past, it has settled into a chronic irritant. In the last few years, it has impacted those last few vertebrae called the "tail" bone and apparently is aggravating a nerve in that area.

Other than the TMJ, violent cat and crab allergies, generalized North-Texas area allergies, chronic depression (hey, you'd be depressed too) and persistent neck pain of unknown origin, I think that's all. So far. I used to have other problems, but I had that hysterectomy and solved that. I try not to let these things stop me from doing things I like. I spend a lot of time at the theatre, working on different parts of productions including set building. I do lots of things with my grandson, including going to the zoo and other physical activities (although we won't be trying bowling again). Since most of these things just cause pain, and I've got pain anyway, I just try to deal with it (sometimes with meds - I'm not against living better through chemistry).

Besides, everyone has something, right?

Next up, on the main stage...

We are just about 3 weeks away from the opening of "The Rocky Horror Show". I know it will be fun, I just hope it won't be raided! It's a hard call, you know. Heck, the movie came out 34 years ago, the year I graduated from high school. (I see you doing the math -- don't bother, I'm 52). When you think about people who might be offended by the show, you might think about people in their 50's, like me. That doesn't seem right, since we were there in the beginning, we helped make it the cult classic it is. Besides, the director is a retired third-grade teacher.

We've all grown up thinking of the "older" generation as the WWII, 1940's folks. Now you can do the math. If you were a teenager in 1945, let's say you were 18, you'd be 82 now. While we do get an elderly crowd for some of our shows, 82 is getting up there. So, let's say you were 18 in 1955. Now you're only 72, but you're a Rock 'n Roll 72. You were still a young adult in the 1960's, when the sexual revolution was changing the world. And, what if you were 18 in 1965, you're 62 now, almost old enough to retire, for Medicare, to be a great-grandparent. Don't tell me you don't remember the '60s and the '70s. We have seen the older generation and they is us!

As producer, I'm called on to do lots of different things for a show. Sometimes it's just to hang around and be sure a show is coming together. Sometimes it's to fill in when the director can't find a costumer or a prop person, or build a set, or find a sound tech. Basically, whatever needs to be done. Yesterday, I went to pick up a slide from a kid's swingset that I found on craigslist. Today it was a roll of chain link fence material.

The set design is pretty crazy. Originally they wanted to get scaffolding, like painters use. I had serious doubts about their ability to get it in the budget we have, and I was right. Last weekend we had to change the set design and start building platforms, legged up on plumbing pipe. We own a spiral staircase, but it was in "active storage" at another theatre (which means that it was installed and they forgot that it was borrowed). It is a little the worse for wear (and it seems like it would be difficult to damage a wrought-iron staircase), but I guess it adds to the atmosphere. I think it looks very cool with the staircase and our platforms. They are bigger than scaffolding is, so they'll be able to use them more, and they are sturdier.

Last weekend I had to go into Dallas to pick up some costumes that the costumer had picked out. If you know anything about this show, you know the costumes are crazy -- a corset for the male lead, revealing clothing for other characters. I told my son where I was buying them and he said "Oh, you mean the stripper store". Great. Thankfully it was the day of the first Cowboy's football game at the new stadium, so there weren't many people out. I slipped in, picked up the size 16 knee-high black patent boots and the silver space-girl suit and the corsets and high-tailed it out of there. Good thing I don't intend to run for public office, it would be the kind of thing they would drag up. Although, probably not the worst place I've been in (but that is another post -- hey, it was the '70s).

The way it always happens.

I've been job-hunting for several months. During that time, I've spent an inordinate amount of time on the internet, applying for jobs and killing time. So, finally, I decided to start this blog, maybe as a way of doing something creative.

Two days ago, at almost 5 p.m., I got an email from a recruiter about a position that needed someone immediately. I went in to talk to him yesterday morning. About an hour after I left, the hiring manager called to set up a phone interview. We spent over an hour on the phone, at the end of which he asked if I'd be willing to come on as a temp-to-perm (they'd been burned twice already with temps that couldn't cut it). I told him sure -- even if it didn't work out, it couldn't hurt to earn a little in the meantime, right? So he said, come in tomorrow morning at 8:30. So I did.

You'd think I'd be ready, having had all this time off. But, no. Of course not. Lulled into complacency, the laundry undone. It's not like I've needed much more than t-shirts and pull-on pants for a while. Fortunately, I'd recently bought a new dress for interviews, so I managed.

Now I'm back into the grind, suddenly. I've got some projects up in the air, I'll have to figure out how to resolve. I've got to get some borrowed set pieces back to a theatre in Fort Worth. I have a ticket for an expired inspection sticker to take care of (it's been raining ALL WEEK), so I've been putting off driving to the city hall. Oh, well. Somehow I managed before, guess I will remember how again.

If I don't get to post as often as I wanted, don't worry. I'm still out here. I'm about to start directing a show ("Tuna Christmas") in October, and I'm trying to help get "The Rocky Horror Show" up, to open in October. We've got to work on the set this weekend.

The last job I had didn't have enough work to stay busy. Based on what I learned today, I don't think that will be a problem at this place!!

My party dress

I hate shopping for clothes. Really.hate.it. I order most of my clothes online. I don't enjoy shopping in general anymore, since it is very uncomfortable for me (all the walking around, but again -- a post for another day). I hate trying to find something to fit me, it just depresses me.

As I mentioned, my niece got married last weekend. My sister's and the other mom's dresses were floor-length formals. The bridesmaids and house party all had short dresses. I decided to split the difference and go with ankle length. The traditional "mother of the bride style" dress, with the obligatory jacket top or cover was considered way too old-fashioned by my niece and sister, but I felt I would be more comfortable with a coverup of some kind. The bridesmaids' dresses were champagne, the house-party girls' were brown, my sister's was dark brown.

Given all these variables, I decided to make a dress. Knowing that 1)patterns don't size the way commercial clothing does and 2)not all designs work out on my body as intended, I decided to make a "test" dress first. In costuming and dressmaking, the pros recommend that you make a "muslin" -- a plain version first for fitting. I decided instead to buy inexpensive fabric that I like and make a short version of the pattern for daytime wear before committing to the final dress.

First I selected Simplicity pattern 2498. I liked the attached bolero-looking top. I figured this would give me the cover-up I was looking for without having the actual jacket.

For my test dress, I found some knit fabric at Wal Mart in a floral (well, leaf-al) pattern of browns. This had a nice drape and I felt it would make a nice dress for fall.

I made up the dress, learning a lot about the pattern as I went -- such as it is constructed like a dress with spaghetti straps with a separate bolero, sewn together at the waist. The fabric was a little tricky to work with, but the dress came out ok.

Unfortunately, it looked like crap on me. Tight in the least-flattering places, loose in the top -- trying to slide off. I don't know what the intention was for the sleeve cuffs, since there was no elastic called for even though they have a small band, but they were about twice the circumference of my arm. The princess-seam style is clearly not for me. I left it without finishing the hem (the only thing I lack). If/when I lose a few pounds I might finish it, but I'll definitely have to do something with those sleeves.

So, back to the drawing board. Somewhere along the way I had bought the New Look pattern 6270. I really liked the long cover-up/coat on this pattern. However, the princess-seam styling was not going to work. I found Simplicity 2882. The skirt on this one has only side seams and there is some loose gathering in the center front. For my "apple" style body, this seemed to be a good plan.


I decided to make the short view with the straps as a sun-dress and found some $1.50/yd fabric. The bodice is unusual in that the front is made of three pieces that are curvy. When sewn together, they create a full look.

Thankfully, the test dress fit. The cut is a little low, so I bought a white t-shirt to wear under it, and it looks great. It's a good thing too, since I have never been able to keep straps like this up on my shoulder. One is always slipping off. Without the t-shirt, I could be a walking "wardrobe malfunction". Not something the average person wants to witness, especially on a grandmother.

Since the blue dress worked, I decided to go ahead with this pattern, using the alternate bodice style, with a more traditional sleeve-opening. I had been looking at some fabric at the local store that came in a variety of matching colors with satins, sheers, light and medium weight fabrics. I had decided to use something in the browns to make the dress with one of the sheers to make the coat. I did NOT want to use chiffon (my sister and I made 12 chiffon drapes for the pews. I discovered that I don't like working with chiffon, at all.) They had some plain and sparkly organzas that would work. When I got to the store, I decided on a coppery-brown satin, and was just about to pick up the organza when I spotted some lace on sale. It is kind of the crinkle-sheer equivalent of burn-out velvet. There are large roses all over it that are sheer in a crinkle opaque fabric. It also happened to match the satin beautifully.

The two pieces turned out perfectly, and together made a beautiful outfit. I got several compliments from strangers and casual acquaintances. My husband said I should let them think I spent a lot of money on it, but my pride got the better of me, so I had to tell them all that I made it. I did get some breast enhancers at the fabric store in order to lift my 50-something-year-old breasts. Otherwise, people would have wondered why they were pointing at my shoes. Besides, it is always my goal to get my boobs to stick out further than my belly, which is a challenge for me (I always say I take after my dad in this area). Anyway, my daughter-in-law said I was "boob-a-licious", something I don't hear much!

I haven't worn heels taller than 1" pumps since sometime in the 1980's. I broke a bone at the base of a toe in a car wreck (I was hitting the brake pretty hard). I wore flats with my floor-length gown to my son's wedding last year. Since this dress was ankle-length, I decided to give some low heels a chance. They weren't too bad, in that they didn't cause excrutiating pain, but by the end of the evening the swelling was not too attractive (although it did provide a cushy pad to walk on). Sunday was rough, but what's a little pain for the sake of beauty, right?

So, if you are making a dress for a special occasion, I highly recommend the test dress method. Using an inexpensive fabric is better than committing the $60 of higher-priced fabric on a dress that turns out not to fit. Also, don't be afraid to mix pieces from different patterns. That makes your dress a unique, designer original!

Update on the cake...

Last Saturday was the wedding day -- my niece was wed in a beautiful, charming, cheerful ceremony in Dallas. I mentioned her groom's cake in my previous post. Today I can elaborate on it, since the surprise element is past.

Her fiance is an avid hunter, fisherman, outdoorsman. He had received the mounted head of a deer that he had shot as a gift from a family friend. My niece spirited it away to Frosted Art for Bronwen Webber to use as a model for a cake that hung on the wall.

The bottom part of the mount is some kind of support with the top-side of the back and neck and head being the cake. It is covered in fondant and hand sculpted and painted. The antlers are fondant.

Daily brain poke

Maybe you wake up refreshed, alert and ready to meet the world head on, but I don't. I've never been a morning person, and it just seems to get worse as I get older. Having sleep apnea doesn't help, but that's another post entirely.

I like to get up, have coffee and cereal, check my messages, etc. I'm not a newspaper reader. It seems to me that newspapers are either too depressing with their unrelenting coverage of death and mayhem, and so full of ads that I don't find much news in them. I understand and sympathize with the issues they face, of attracting readers and selling ads to make ends meet, but I just can't deal with them in general. I look around on the web, usually from Yahoo! Since I use Yahoo! for my email, I use their start page as my home page. I can scan the titles in the news and avoid reading about things that distress me. Since their feeds come from reputable news services, I don't feel that I'm getting a slanted or partisan view. If there are stories that interest me, I can do more research right away. (I use the Firefox browser. It has a very handy feature that allows you to highlight any word/phrase, right-click on it and look up more info on a separate tab. You don't navigate away from the page you are reading, and the more info you are looking for is waiting for you as your convenience.)

I like to read the daily Comics. Not all of them; I'm a fan of the one-cell version. One visual, one punch line, to the point. I also like 9 Chickweed Lane; by Brooke McEldowney. It has several plot lines and characters, it is succinct, it is about love but not mushy. If you've not read it, I can highly recommend it.

Every morning, I go to the All Star Puzzles. I really like Acrostic puzzles, and this is one of the few online sites I've found that have interactive ones. They post 2 or 3 a week. They also post a new Picture Puzzle everyday. This is sort of like a jigsay puzzle in that it is a scrambled pic. You swap pieces, individually or in groups, to rearrange it correctly. I enjoy this little bit of challenge in the morning. Let's me know my brain is still functioning.

Do you Boing Boing?

Boing Boing is a web site that started out as a "zine" in the 1980's. It was founded by Mark Frauenfelder and Carla Sinclair. It is an irreverent compilation of postings from around the web including news and commentary on a wide variety of topics. The current online version is moderated by Mark along with Cory Doctorow, David Pescovitz, Xeni Jardin, and John Battelle. The site has expanded to include a separate site for Gadgets, Video and Gaming.

I look at this site everyday. I have discovered some very interesting things that I might not have seen otherwise. For instance, today Cory posted a link to The Edgar Allan Poe Digital Collection from the University of Texas. What an awesome resource! Not only works by Poe, but letters written by and to him, books that he owned (and annotated), along with scans of images of him and his family. If you are a Poe fan (and who isn't?), this is a great place to get your fill.

Yesterday, Mark posted a link to an interview with John Marcotte. John has filed a petition with the state of California to ban divorce. It sounded like an ultra-conservative action, until you read more about it. Here's a quote: "We're going to interview them about why they thing traditional marriage is important, and then we'll tell them that we are trying to ban divorce. People who supported Prop 8 weren't trying to take rights away from gays, they just wanted to protect traditional marriage. That's why I'm confident that they will support this initiative, even though this time it will be their rights that are diminished. To not support it would be hypocritical. "

I especially like the "zen" postings they have. They will accumulate related postings, usually just visual, about a particular topic. Like the Bacon Zen. Or the Feline Zen.

I hope you get a chance to check out boingboing.net.

Let them eat cake...

One of my all-time favorite blogs is Cake Wrecks. Not just me, apparently, as they have won a lot of awards, including 2009 BlogLuxe Awards: Funniest Blog, The 2008 Weblog Awards: Best Food Blog, and Blogger's Coice 2008 Awards: Best Humor Blog. I check every day to see what else has been posted. It is INCREDIBLE how many people who can't spell, and in many cases apparently can't read, are decorating cakes. I know that most of these come from supermarkets, but some are from other sources and you have to wonder what was going on at the store that day. Was nobody watching? If it were your store would you let it out that way?

On the other hand entirely, I am very anxious to see the cakes at my niece's wedding tomorrow. Bronwen Weber, from Frosted Art (who is frequently seen on the Food Network) is making the cakes. I'll post some pics later of what promises to be a awesome cake.

While I'm rambling on about cake, my grandson, who is 5, does not like cake. Adamantly. He won't eat birthday cake or cupcakes, even at his own party. He will tell you readily "I don't like cake." He refuses all offers. He's a pretty picky eater and doesn't eat sweets much either way (except Skittles and M&Ms), but cake is hard to believe. I don't think I've ever met a kid who wouldn't eat cake.

Sewing class

Earlier this summer, one of my friends told me that she had signed up for a sewing class that was canceled. I told her I could teach her, for free. Pretty soon it became a four-member class, and we were off. I don't charge them, but they pay for my gas (they are about 45 minutes from me).

All of the class members had some experience sewing, but felt they were missing some of the basics, so that is where we started. When I was in high school, girls usually took "Home Ec" where they taught you (among other things) how to sew. I wanted to to take Wood Shop -- I already knew how to sew. My mother had been making clothes for herself, my sister and my brother all my life, her mother had always sewn, it was just normal for us to sew. But, in the early 1970's, they would not let girls take shop; I was an ace at Home Ec, though, since I already did all the things they taught us. Anyway, back to the basics class...

Over several weeks, I showed the class how to use their machines. For a project, they all made a scrub top. That allowed them to learn how to read and use patterns and how to construct and finish a garment. We followed that with a lesson on installing zippers. Now each member is working on his/her own project (half of the class are guys), and we are meeting bi-weekly for support.

I have really enjoyed this group. I enjoy sewing, and the class/group has led me into more creative sewing over the past few weeks. I made several throw pillows, to illustrate different methods:

Then, because one of the women has been making bags, I tried my hand at bag making. I made a laptop bag. It has a pocket on the outside, two zippered pockets inside and a divided interior. You'll note that it looks a lot like the pillows -- I'm working off a stash of upholstery-weight fabric that she gave me.

While I was working in this vein, I made my sister a birthday present using the "Wasp Bag" pattern from Alison Reeve and machen/machen. Again, I used some of the same fabric as the pillows, this purse has an inset pocket and a key-chain holder, and a magnetic latch. I've shown it sitting up, by itself, on my couch. I fused a very stiff interfacing to the already heavy fabric to create a purse that holds its shape.

I'm fired-up about sewing gifts now, so I've been collecting patterns and ideas. I've made pajamas and/or robes for my kids for Christmas the last couple of years; I'm ready to try something different.

I hope that our sewing group/circle will continue for a while, it is a lot of fun.

Know me, know my dogs

I never planned on being a dog person. We never had dogs much while I was growing up. Well, we had two pups that were part bird-dog and part black lab, but we didn't keep them long -- they kept getting out of the yard and barked at night. My mom is not a good sleeper and barking at night was not allowed. When I was a teenager, we got a dog that was mostly my little brother's dog (Duchess). She was an outdoor dog, and I didn't really have a relationship with her. When I got married, my husband was also generally against dogs.

One day, that same husband came home from work with a cute puppy. My boys, who were pre-teen at the time, were so excited. Then we took her to the vet for a check up and they said "What a nice-looking pit bull". She (Dixie) did not look like a pit bull. She looked more like the original Staffordshires, an almost black brindle coloring with a white patch on her chest and a white sock. After much soul-searching, we decided to keep her. I took her on walks and we played with her in the backyard. She was a totally outside dog.

One morning, she didn't come to the back door to greet us. Sadly, she had died sometime in the night. We were never sure why, although we think it might have been Parvo (they are apparently very prone to it, longer than other breeds). I had no idea it would affect me the way it did. I felt like I had let her down in some way -- I should have known she was sick, I should have paid more attention.

After we recovered from the shock and loss, one day the whole family went to the adopt-a-pet at the local pet supply store. There, in one of the cages, was a dog that reminded us of Dixie. She was small, a dark brown brindle coloring, and so friendly. The boys fell in love with her right away. When we talked to the staff there, they said "You will be keeping her in the house, of course". "Sure, I said", although we had never had an indoor dog.

We took Lucy home that day. She was a year-and-a-half old mutt with greyhound and Sharpei ancestry. My husband said she was a "fast wrinkle". She looked very unusual, with small greyhound feet and strong Sharpei muscles, lots of extra skin on her neck, wrinkles on her forehead and a black tongue. And a bad scar on her neck; about a 3/4 inch wide and four inches long. Nobody ever said where it came from.

Lucy was always a runner. If you left the front door open too long, she would take off -- and you couldn't catch her on foot. She loved to play fetch in the house, and would get so excited, she'd have to run as fast as she could through the house. She did stay in the house. She has a short, stiff coat and doesn't shed. She was housebroken and was pretty laid-back most of the time.

When Lucy was about 5 years old, a small tumor appeared on her right front leg. The vet removed it, but it was mast-cell cancer and had infiltrated the joint. So, we had radiation therapy for 6 weeks. Not only was I officially a dog person by then, but I spent several thousand dollars to prove it. It just seemed too mean-spirited to remove her leg (the only other option) on the basis of money. She recovered nicely and had no more problems.

A few years later, my son was dating a young woman who had a wallaby (a small kangaroo) for a pet. When she went to college, we let it live in our back yard. Lucy, who has always been aloof, didn't seem to notice it much. However, when they broke up and she took the wallaby away, Lucy went into a slump. She wouldn't eat. She whined at us al the time. We decided to get her a friend.

We found a dog from the same rescue group. He was also part greyhound, but mixed with Sheltie. He was about a year-and-a-half old, white with black spots, black ears, and a black eye mask. My son hoped he would make a good frisbee dog. So we brought him home. We named him "Lucy's Buddy". She was fine, started eating again, they became fast friend.

Lucy and Buddy have both been inside dogs, but not always for the best. They ate a couch and a love seat. I bought a second-hand couch and chair, both covered with leather, and they left it alone. So I finally broke down and bought a new leather couch and loveseat. She chewed a whole in the arm of the loveseat. I thought raising boys prevented me from having nice things, but this is worse. Oh well. Lucky for me, I'm not house-proud.

Early this summer, Lucy started limping on that same leg. I assumed it was probably arthritic, due to the old surgery. She's about 14 now, although she's still very active -- she killed an oppossum in May. The vet x-rayed it and said it might be cancer. It started forming a mass, which I hoped was swelling, but another vet checked it and he said osteocarcinoma. Over the past couple of months, it has continued to grow. Once she was no longer able to try to walk on it, the pain apparently let up. It is about the size of a grapefruit now, which -- on a 40lb dog with slim legs -- is a sad site.

The vet said that she would have about 6 months. I don't know if it is from when we first noticed it or from now or what. So far, it is just hard to look at. She's not very active, but she never has been. She can't use that leg, but she can still get up, go outside, eat, beg for a snack, etc. We'll just have to wait and see.

In the meantime, my younger son's dogs had puppies. His male chihuahua and female "Morkie" (a Matese-Yorkie mix) had three puppies on Memorial Day, while we were dog-sitting. The vet had said she was having a "false pregnancy". It's a good thing he's a friend of ours (classmate of our older son), otherwise I'd question his proficiency as a vet. The false pregnancy was three pups -- one black female (that didn't make it) and two light-colored males.

My son and his new wife could not afford to keep another dog, so they found a home for one of the two males. But they formed an attachment to the other one. So, given the impending demise of Lucy, we decided to keep the one pup, Ivan the Terribe. Now we are not only dog-people, we have a yippy little dog. Buddy is 70 lbs. Ivan is 4lbs. They've made friends, so we hope that Buddy will be able to recover from Lucy's loss easier.

That's the story of my dogs. For now, I've got Lucy and Buddy and Ivan -- one medium-sized old gal with a limp, one big hairy lay-about, and one tiny, fuzzy ball of energy.