Maybe you've noticed...

Maybe you've noticed I haven't been posting here.

Or maybe not. Whatever.

Over the summer it became clear to me that I just don't like this blog anymore. I don't like the way it looks, I don't like the title, I don't like how cluttered it is and on and on and on... I thought it better to simply start fresh.

I've started a new blog that I like much better than this old one. I'll be posting there after the excitement of the holidays die down. So come visit me there! Add it to your sidebar links, follow me, whatever! :)

Pretty Kettle of Fish

By the Sea

We spent the day at the beach today. "The Beach," whatever beach it may be, will always be one of my favorite places in the world. It never fails to send me into a variety of moods. For a few minutes, it will make me feel like a little girl, and I'll splash through the waves and run across the sand to find a quiet spot to read or write (I had an obsession with quiet spots and hidey-holes when I was younger... I still do). Then watching the sea from afar will put me in a meditative, somber mood, which is good for journaling and writing poetry.

And then when I'm standing on the shoreline, watching a wave approaching, my mind begins to take a more morbid path. "It's coming to take me," I always think, as the wave gets closer.

It doesn't help at all that in one of my favorite murder mysteries, Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers, a body is discovered at the seaside. (I highly recommend the book, by the way. And the miniseries with Harriet Walter and Edward Petherbridge.) Something about the cry of a sea gull will always be linked in my mind with death.

Highlights of this week...

#4: Playing music from Pride & Prejudice. I get so lost in that music. I start to play, and if everything is quiet and no one disturbs me, I go into a little world of my own. The notes and melodies take on separate personalities, and sort of... talk to each other in my head. Does that sound crazy? Don't answer that.

#3: Watching series two of The Roman Mysteries tv show. It may even warrant a whole blog post of its own.

#2: Catching up with my first ever best friend. I hadn't talked to her in years, because she moved to South Carolina and didn't get any of my emails and lost my phone number (because I also moved). She moved back to CA, and I found her on Facebook last week. It has been so wonderful to talk to her again!

#1: An impromptu concert at an out-of-tune piano. After a music rehearsal for Twelfth Night (at the house of Mrs. V - I've talked about the V's on here before), I sat down at the piano and started playing All I Ask of You, from The Phantom of the Opera. Decently. Little V the Elder came up and began to sing along. This girl is 10 years old and has a VERY strong soprano. She's learning an aria from The Magic Flute in her voice lessons. I absolutely love her, by the way. :D So she was singing, and I kept playing... badly. I get really nervous when people stand over my shoulder while I'm playing. And then this guy, who is, as of that night, our guitarist for Twelfth Night, came up behind me and started singing with Little V. Even worse for my performance at a piano than a sister or friend standing over me, is a perfect stranger. But I decided I didn't care how badly I was playing - as they say, the show must go on. :) Pretty soon even I was singing to my horrible accompaniment, and I was trying not to giggle. There we were: a ten-year-old opera star-to-be, a home-schooled theatre junkie, and a high school guy in a metal band, singing Andrew Lloyd Weber, just... because. Because spontaneity is so lovely.

There was also some rather awful parts of this week, but I won't go into those here. It feels like winter today. I'm even drinking hot cocoa and wearing a sweater... in June...in California!

A Very Merry Unbirthday

I just wanted to wish a very merry unbirthday to the following people:

Lady Rose
Elenatintil
Vicki and
Serendipity

Graphics: North & South, East of Eden, Sense & Sensibility

Anyone may use these. If you want to use them, try to credit me (and don't claim them as your own. That's really not cool ;) ).






EDIT - And of course Blogger would mess up my formatting. Alas.

The Most Beautiful Picture I Have Ever Seen

I seem to choose a new candidate for this title every few weeks. I usually find beautiful photos on photography blogs such as this on (the colors! SQUEE!) and this one (by a fellow Chesterton fan, as a bonus). But the other day I stumbled across this photo on Google images, and thought it was simply breathtaking.



I don't know why I love it so much... perhaps because of how quiet it is in its beauty... or perhaps because the girl's hair looks a bit like mine (only prettier).

I haven't felt much like blogging lately, hence the long break. It's been so long that I hardly know what to say now! Just a few quick notes on what's been going on in my life:

- Singing lessons are going well. My teacher has set up an advanced class, so my sisters and I are doing that now. He said to us at our last lesson, "I'm going to make you girls killer singers." :)

- Call me crazy, but I had my sister put my (very) curly hair into roller-curlers last night. I wanted my hair shorter, but I didn't want to cut it. However, my hair is very long and heavy, so I don't know how well this will work. Desirae will be taking out the curlers in a few hours, so I guess we'll see then.

- Rehearsals for Twelfth Night have STARTED! Oh-my-goodness-gracious-heavens-to-Betsy, I am so excited about this play. One of the things I noticed at our read-through a few nights ago is that the story just plays out in a really different way than Comedy of Errors (for those of you who don't know this, I was in that last year). Comedy of Errors was crazy and fast-paced, and all the scenes took place in the same day. Twelfth Night is more stretched out, with quiet scenes and scenes of - almost suspense, but not quite. And another thing I'm excited about: MUSIC! There's going to be a lot of music in the play.

One last thing: Lately I've fallen in love with the music from the musical The Scarlet Pimpernel. Here is one of my favorite songs, The Riddle, with a scene before it with Sir Percy and his friends. WARNING: Some language when Marguerite is talking to Chauvelin. The actual song begins at about 5:56.

A Post Unworthy of A Real Title

Hello, folks. :) It's been a while since I've written here. I just haven't had the time I used to have, for simply sitting around at the computer, writing about what I think, or what's going on in my life. And if I ever do have that time, I've been using it to catch up with people I haven't talked to in a while. But mostly, I just haven't had that kind of free computer time. That's what happens in a big family like ours.

As to what's been going on in my life... I've started taking singing classes. I'm really excited about that, because when my sisters and I joined the class, the teacher offered to make an advanced class. I think I'm really going to learn a lot. :)

Also, I've been in rehearsal for a reading (as in, no costumes, no props, little memorization, just familiarization) for the play Steel Magnolias. I get to play Annelle, beauty shop assistant. I get to talk with a Southern twang, which has been very different after my Irish Mrs. Paroo voice - but very fun. Rehearsals for Twelfth Night still haven't started, but I'm pretty certain they will be starting this month!

I should wrap this up now. My mother and I have to think of a plan for today, since my Steel Magnolias rehearsal and her organic produce pickup thing conflict a bit. Have a lovely weekend and a blessed Easter!

Books I Want To Re-Read

I'm not sure why, but certain images, impressions and emotions are making their way into my mind lately, causing me to want a re-read of the following books:

1. The Scarlet Pimpernel
2. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
3. Gaudy Night
4. The Perilous Gard

Speaking of Gaudy Night, I had dreams about Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane two nights in a row last week. One of them had to do with parts in Gaudy Night concerning their relationship, and the other was a whole new mystery. Parts of it were quite clever, but parts of it were inevitably ridiculous, though I don't remember any of it now.

Oh - and for those of you who didn't hear about this yet, I did hear from the Twelfth Night people: the play has been moved to the 21st century (I'll decide what exactly I think about this when I learn a little more about it) and I'm to be a back-up singer (for Feste the clown, I assume?). At first I thought I wouldn't like that, since I just finished a musical and what I really want is to do some "real" acting. But after having almost a week to think about it, I'm excited to sing again. Also, it's a lesson in vanity, since I did think I did well enough at the audition to get a bigger role than last year's. But then, I don't know how big this role is yet. The lady who called me wasn't very clear... All I know is that when the director calls to tell me when the first rehearsal is, I'm going to pester him with questions. ;)

And now I can officially make Twelfth Night into a label.

To everyone who follows and reads my blog: You all deserve an update. I know you do. I've just been lazy about writing one. :)

First off, I still haven't heard from the directors of Twelfth Night, but I was pretty happy with my own audition. I mean, reasonably pleased. I wasn't horrible. At least, I don't think I was... But anyhow, I'm still waiting for a call from the director. :)


Now, I thought this was quite funny:

1: Type in "[your first name] needs" in the Google search:
Delaney needs a miracle.

2: Type in "[your first name] looks" in Google search:
Delaney looks to the future.

3: Type in "[your first name] hates" in Google search:
Delaney hates books. (WHAT!? Well, if this is opposite world...)

4: Type in "[your first name] goes" OR "[your first name] has gone" in Google search:
Delaney goes home.

5: Type in "[your first name] loves" in Google search:
Delaney loves Wisteria Lane (it certainly sounds pretty)

6: Type in "[your first name] eats" in Google search:
Delaney eats orange veggies for the first time.

7: Type in "[your first name] has" in Google search:
Delaney has become a star as a sophomore (*cough* Sure.)

8: Type in "[your first name] works" in Google search:
Delaney works on paper.

9: Type in"[your first name] lives" in Google search:
DELANEY LIVES! REPORTS OF DELANEY'S DEATH ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED! (I'm so glad! Aren't you?)

10: Type in "[your first name] dies" in Google search:
Delaney dies at 63

11. Type in "[your first name] does" in Google search:
Delaney does tricks.

12: Type in "[your first name] will" in Google search:
Delaney will stay in touch with your other doctors.

13: Type in "[your first name] can" in Google search:
Delaney can pose problems.

14. Type in "[your first name] falls" in Google search:
Delaney falls asleep doing dinner.

15. Type in "[your first name] laughs" in Google search:
Delaney laughs at Daddy and the jumping fish.

Bummer

To everyone who is curious about how those Twelfth Night auditions went... they didn't. Because of weather and illness, they were postponed until the 21st. Which has made me very sad, a little frustrated, and even more nervous than I was before. There seems to be a curse on my auditions. ;) When I was trying out for Mrs. Paroo in The Music Man, we ran out of time and had to audition five days later.

Oh, well. C'est la vie.

Snowy Saturday

It's snowing - great big, whirling, puffy snowflakes. Not those skinny, close-together, nearly invisible pieces of ice that we usually get.

Since the end of The Music Man (*sniff*) I've had a lot of time for reading. So now I'm reading Wuthering Heights, which is the perfect book for February. Surprisingly, after all the negative things I had heard about the book, I am really liking it. I'm less than halfway through, however, so we'll see. I'm also re-reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for the first time in over three years. I still like it, but it's not worth staying up to the small hours of the morning with a flashlight anymore. (Not that I ever did that with that one... but I can't remember).

My mother made blueberry muffins this morning. Yum. :)

The Twelfth Night auditions is this afternoon! Send up a prayer for me... I'm starting to get a bit nervous.

Monsters, souls and lollipops

Dad: When I was a youngster, and I would sleep at my aunt's house, she had this big closet that faced the bed, and I always thought there was a monster in it.
4-year-old Noah: (licks his lollipop, looking mildly amused)
Dad: So I would jump out of that bed and SLAM that closet door!
Noah: But Daddy, you didn't have to be afraid! I was with you! I was 'tecting you! ('Tecting = Protecting in 4-year-old language)
Dad: You were? When I was a little boy?
Noah: Uh-huh!
Dad: Hm. Then I guess souls must just be stacked up, waiting to come down. (He goes on about souls for a little while)
Noah: Are you talking about my lollipop?

I guess the term "your soul" could mean anything to someone who doesn't know what it really is.

Leaving River City

Iowa, I don't know how to leave you
Don't know how to tell you goodbye

-- Alli Rogers, "Iowa"

I am so sad that The Music Man is over. I cried after the last show - I wasn't the only one who did.

I guess I should tell you all how it went. Pretty darn great. I had so much fun in all the shows I was in, as both an ensemble member and my Mrs. Paroo lead. I got to watch the Friday night show and it looked really great.

Favorite moments, onstage and off:

Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn and her off-key singing and Wa Tan Ye dance. She had this great Indian headdress, and she cracked everyone up.

The Sadder But Wiser Girl choreography - I really hate the lyrics, but the choreography was some of the funniest in the show.

Forgetting the money I was supposed to give to Harold in one scene. ACK! :) He kind of breezed through the part where he said "That'll be 17 dollars earnest money," so I don't think anyone noticed, but... *facepalm*

Sitting on the bleachers during 76 Trombones with Marian. In the last show, I was up there with one of the Marians, whispering comments about everything in my Irish accent. When Harold said in the Trouble Reprise, "Remember my friends what a handful of trumpet players did to the famous, fabled walls of Jericho!/Oh, billiard parlor walls come a-tumbling down" I hissed excitedly, "Marian, he reads the Bible!" "Marian" thought that was so amusing that she signed my program "Mama, he reads the Bible!"

Winthrop grinning up at me during "76," showing me his reaction to the idea of a kids' band. Awwwww. It just melted my heart - and it almost succeeded in melting Marian's, but she didn't want Winthrop around the Professor (yes, all of this was going on up there on the bleachers :P )

The Marians making up a parody of My White Knight called My Sweet Pie. It was positively brilliant, and I wish I remembered more of the lyrics! It was something like, "My sweet pie/Not a brownie or a creme brulee/Just something delicious/That I can eat when I'm feeling gray."

Crying after the last show. Oh, dear. So embarrassing, but so funny at the same time.

Praying with a group before two of the night shows.

I'm going to miss everyone so much. :(

I'm afraid I don't have any pictures - though the photographer took some amazing ones, they all cost $6!

On the plus side, the cast party is soon, and auditions for Twelfth Night are this weekend. As if I need to get right into another show asap. ;)

Oh, there's nothing halfway
About the Iowa way to treat you
When we treat you
Which we may not do at all

-- The Music Man, Iowa Stubborn

Almost There

Tomorrow is opening night for The Music Man.

We're almost there. I just realized yesterday that this show is going to be pretty amazing. I got to wear a microphone for the first time last night at our dress rehearsal - and it wasn't turned off for 76 Trombones. So when I was singing the last verse with everyone else (in my Irish accent, no less!) my mother said it sounded like a solo. Oops! ;) Good thing the mic didn't pick up on the improvised conversation I was having with "Marian" off stage as we were making our way back to the dressing room. I was reproving her for bringing her book to the River City July 4th event at City Hall.

I know that a full account of the last few days would bore you all to tears. They've been loads of fun, but they lose something in the retelling. But I have to say these last three things:

1) My feet hurt.

2) The City Hall bleachers are the best part of the show. Seriously. When I'm in the ensemble, I get to sit up there during part of Shipoopi clapping and cheering until my hands are red. And when I'm Mrs. Paroo, I get to sit up there with Marian. And I think we just have too much fun up there.

3) I forgot what 3 was...

It's going to be quite a week... (Please pray)

I'd like to ask my lovely readers for their prayers for my family this week. My sister and I are going to the West Coast March for Life this Saturday, which is going to be a long long long day (we'll get up at 3:00 AM to drive to another town and catch a bus with another church). Then the day after that, we have church and Production Week for The Music Man begins. So all next week will be long rehearsals - we'll get home at 11 PM at the earliest each night (we live an hour away from rehearsals and the theatre - yes, I know you'll think us crazy, but it's really not as insane as it sounds.) Then on Friday, Saturday and Sunday - PERFORMANCES!

I just don't know where I'm going to find time to rest! Please pray for all of us, my mom (our faithful driver :) ) especially, that we'll be able to find the energy we need, and keep our tempers with each other.

Thanks. :)

EDIT - Turns out that we're not going to the Walk For Life after all. My dad said not until we're at least 18. :P (So no, cuileann, I'm not going to be in your city today. :( ) But this does give me a chance to take it easy before Production Week begins, and I'm very grateful for that!

Get Out Your Clubs

I just found this quote.

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." -Jack London

I don't have a club, but perhaps a baseball bat would do?

A Word... Or Two

Some quotes:

"A halfwit is someone who spends half his time trying to be witty." - An irritated Nancy Drew from one of the 1930's movies. Nancy Drew and The Hidden Staircase, I believe.

"That was really close to... almost average." - Kyle, the Music Man director, after we danced 76 Trombones. Hey, we're getting there. (Speaking of which - one of the shows I'm in is ALMOST SOLD OUT!)

"There is some blue sky, let us chase it!" - Marianne, from Sense & Sensibility (1995 movie)

And, ah, I don't really have any news or anything interesting to write... except that I'm obsessed with the Andrews Sisters right now. I don't know how it happened. My little sister thinks I'm insane, but Desirae is cooperating and sings "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans" with me when I want her to. ;) (My mother is actually singing the latter in the kitchen at the moment.)

Goodnight, moon. Goodnight cow jumping over the moon. Goodnight bowl, goodnight spoon. Goodnight nobody. Goodnight mush. Goodnight, little old lady whispering "hush."

Or however it goes...

20 Questions

Today my little sister bought an electronic game of 20 Questions, similar to this one, but newer and pink. It works like a regular game of 20 Questions. But this thing is way smarter than any human being. It's creepy. Honestly.

So we've been trying to stump it.

We couldn't do it with "crucifix." My dad got it with "cigarette" which isn't surprising, considering it's a kid's toy. Then...

My dad thought of an object. My sister was reading the 20th question out loud at the dinner table.
Dad: "No."
Sister: "Ok... it's guessing... It guessed a feather."
Dad: "It -" He dropped his fork on the table. "You're kidding."
Sister: "Nope."
Dad: "That's AMAZING! How did it guess feather!?"

So then he was impressed.

Then later tonight, he thought of another object. "Guitar strings?" my sister said after the first question (he was playing his electric guitar at the moment).
Dad: "Don't say it out loud!"
Sister: "Pssh." She continued with the questions.
Then at the twentieth... they were both sure it would be stumped... and!
Sister: "... Ohmygosh. Guitar strings."
Dad: "NO WAY! You typed that in!"
Sister: "No, you can't type on it!"
Dad: "Let me see that. Let me get my glasses. " He got his glasses, peered at the strings, and freaked out. "NO WAY! That's not possible! That's creepy, man! It's because you said it out loud. I'm telling you, it's got a recording device!"

And NOW they're referring to the toy as "he."

Sister: "Oh, I know what you're thinking of. I heard you tell Desirae. HE heard it too.
Dad: "He better not have."
Sister: "I -"
Dad: "If it gets it, it's your fault!"

But Dad still wants to flush it down the toilet. He hates it passionately. "Stump that little pink rat-brain! Does it know what a toilet vortex is?" he told my sister Desirae.

Humor from RinkWorks

When I need a laugh, I go to RinkWorks.com

Favorite pages:

Book-A-Minute

Things People Said

In particular:

Courtroom Quotations

Patient Charts

Church Bulletins

Questions Asked Of Librarians

Enjoy!

Planned Reading for 2009

Clare shared her planned reading list for the new year on her blog, so I decided to do something similar, for those of you who are interested in what I'll be reading during 2009.

I have very few definite ideas:

Definite Idea #1) There are books on my shelf that I must read.
Definite Idea #2) I want to re-read all of Jane Austen's books in order of their publication (unfortunately, these are not on my shelf. :( )

Other than that, I don't know much. Between the classics I have on my list, I'll want to read lighter, easier books, which I'll get from the library when the whim takes me.

Here are some of the books I plan on reading:

01. Manalive G.K. Chesterton (read this one yesterday)
02. The Two Towers J.R.R. Tolkien
03. The Return of the King J.R.R. Tolkien
04. The Scottish Chiefs Jane Porter (reading this one now)
05. Story of a Soul Saint Therese
06. Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte
07. Out of the Silent Planet C.S. Lewis
08. Perelandra C.S. Lewis
09. That Hideous Strength C.S. Lewis
10. Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis
11. The Problem of Pain C.S. Lewis
12. The Temperament God Gave You Art and Laraine Bennet
13. Three Men In A Boat Jerome K. Jerome
14. Shadows On The Rock Willa Cather
15. Saphira and the Slave Girl Willa Cather
16. The Old Curiosity Shop Charles Dickens
17. David Copperfield Charles Dickens
18. Surprised by Joy C.S. Lewis
19. Giants In The Earth O.E. Rolvaag
20. The Everlasting Man G.K. Chesterton
21. Four Faultless Felons G.K. Chesterton
22. Sense & Sensibility Jane Austen
23. Pride & Prejudice Jane Austen
24. Mansfield Park Jane Austen
25. Emma Jane Austen
26. Northanger Abbey Jane Austen
27. Persuasion Jane Austen

Among others.

As for the order I'll read them in... I have a certain fancy for reading Wuthering Heights in February, and the Space Trilogy in March. Silly, I know. :)

[edit] This makes blog post #100!