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!

Some Little Things

I'm still recovering from the suddenness of arriving for a performance of The Comedy of Errors at one in the afternoon on a Saturday, and then not realizing until after the curtain call that ... there wouldn't be another the next day or the next weekend. Of course, it all wasn't officially over until the cast party, and even now... I just miss it. I feel like I won't ever get over that. But I may get to be in The Music Man with my cousins and Hannah this fall, and the woman who played Adriana in Comedy wants to start a Shakespearean acting class for children, and there's most likely going to be some musical theatre involved, so I feel consoled.

I attended the last show of You Can't Take It With You on Sunday. Despite some obvious fumbling (well, obvious to me at any rate: I had already seen the show twice before) it was a fantastic show, and the cast received a standing ovation. I was so proud of them all. And sad that I'd never get to see them as those characters again. Ooh, it was sad indeed.

But I really am quite WELL! and to quote Kolenkov from "Can't," "Life is chasing inside of me like a ... squirrel!" I'm happy. Some things that are making me happy:

1. The audio book of The Goose Girl. *SPOILERS* Ani's voice is good. Selia's is good. Geric's is sort of... too... um... I can't think of a word. But he doesn't sound right - he doesn't sound earnest and boyish and sweet, while still sounding strong and noble. He just sounds mostly strong and noble. I'm not crazy about the narrator's voice - the words seem more beautiful when I'm reading them in my head, with my own voice. I just finished listening to the scene where Ani is talking to Falada's head. It was beautiful on paper, and beautiful in audio. However, I did have it imagined so clearly in my mind that it fell a little short. I imagined it all more desperate. When Ani said Falada's name in her mind, the sound of it echoed through my mind for pages afterward when I first read it. I never imagined any line of diologue in any book as clearly as I did that. It was an imaginary cry to an imaginary character, heart-broken, echoing in an imaginary cold, and I heard it and felt it so clearly it still makes me shiver. But even so, in the audio book, that scene was amazing. *END SPOILERS*

2. Guitar: I never realized how good I had become at playing guitar until I tried to learn to play with my right hand. I'm a leftie, playing on a left-handed guitar, but since my dad plays and collects guitars, there is certainly no shortage of normal guitars. So I picked up my dad's acoustic-electric Taylor that he won in some drawing that he randomly entered (although I'd rather play his Gibson Southern Jumbo - but alas, it's out of tune and rather collectible) and decided to learn to play the "right" way. Ouch. Ouch, ouch, ouch, painful! My fingers have felt like they're on fire, and all the frustration of my first months as a student of guitaritry (new word!) are coming back. I'm recalling how hard it was - is! - to make each string make a sound in a chord like D minor, which is now so simple for me, almost like a habit (on a left-handed guitar, that is). So that's making me happy. The thought that I can pick up my guitar and play a few chords quickly and cleanly, do a few hammer-ons, slides, and play the beginning of a George Gershwin song - that makes me very happy.

3. Arsenic And Old Lace. I watched the movie twice this past week, once with my sister and once with my father, and I put the play on hold at the library (I'm looking forward to seeing how different it is from the movie). It's SO fun! And quotable. And morbid, and hilarious. When the play arrives from the library, I shall write up a blogpost full of funny quotes from it.

4. The Shakespeare Authorship Controversy. My dad and I stayed up late a few nights ago talking about it. Someday I'll post about it on The Shakespeare Journal, and where my father and I stand, but first I have to do a lot more research. That's just the way I am, you know.

5. The trailer for Harry Potter 6. Time flies. Seems like just yesterday we were at 4, and I was on the way to the theater thinking that I hoped to goodness that they would play a trailer for The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe. They did, as we were walking up to the top seats. I practically had to be dragged up the stairs. I was a silly little Narnia-fangurl back then. Very silly. Hopefully I've matured in my love for the series and following of the movies and their production. (Says the girl who burst into tears at the end of Prince Caspian) But yes, about that trailer: I like it. There's nothing about it that I like in particular (well... Young Tom Riddle is pretty awesome), but I'm just so glad it's HERE.

And I guess that's about all I wanted to say. Except for this:

Noah: Mommy, I'm Plumpy. (Referring to a character in the game of Candyland)
Mom: Okay. I'm Queen Frostine. (Referring to another character in the game)
Noah: ... No. You're Plumpy's mommy.
Mom: I am? Why can't I be someone more -
Noah: (Interrupting) You're Plumpy's mommy.

Poor Plumpy's mommy. ;)

To Life

Yesterday at four o'clock I had a violin lesson.
I got home at six, and had to leave at 6:30 for first rehearsal of The Comedy of Errors (*squee*) and I got home from that at 10:15. I finally went to bed at about 11:30, I think.

THEN
This morning just as we were about to leave on hour hour-long drive to the big town we do our shopping and appointments and whatnot in, we get a call: "Delaney has a rehearsal today from one to four..." WHAT? So my mom had to frantically rearrange the day. She left my brother and sister to play at her friend's house (who has children their ages) until my dad (he works out there) picked them up. Then she drove me back up here, and I had to apologize for being over an hour late... which didn't turn out to be such a big deal. And I wasn't the only late person.

And now we have a "Game Night" thing with people at our church... we probably won't go - my mom is exhausted! But all I have to say is: is this what it's like for people who have a LIFE?

If so, all I can say is... To life!

And to those quiet minutes I can snatch to write a blog post and read two paragraphs of a book. :(

We had rehearsal today at a gazebo in my town (sort of). It was a nice day, and I just love listening to the other actors speak Shakespeare. They're so LOUD. And awesome.

Peter Pan (And The Promised Update)

I don't really feel like talking about myself right now, but here...

I finished the rough draft for my research report on Padre Pio of Pietrelcina. FINALLY. I'm so glad... I've sent it into Seton for feedback before I re-write. Now hopefully I'll have time for some of my own writing.

My little sister wants to go to some summer camp with her best friend. Catholic, very conservative, very strict about modesty, which is cool. On one hand, I think: "OH MY! A week without her chatter... so much peace... sounds tempting... but no! I would miss her too much!" and the other hand thinks: "Argh! Why does she get all the adventures?" Oh, well. I hope she does get to go. :)

Catholic, Reluctantly is on the way from Amazon. I hope. They sent us an email yesterday saying that it would ship on the 24th, and later that day they sent another email saying it shipped yesterday, on the 15th. I'm hoping it'll come tomorrow - at the very earliest, mind you. (Funny. When I'm waiting for something in the mail I keep saying, "Oh, I know it might not come," to whoever reminds me that it mightn't, but then I'm all disappointed when the Thing I'm waiting for doesn't arrive... Hmm... )

The Fairy Tale Novels Forum is having a group reading of the books. :D Come and join us, if you can! We're hoping to finish around the time The Midnight Dancers is released. (This summer! It's getting closer! :D )

Lately I haven't had any peace. I feel restless a lot of the time, and don't feel relaxed unless I'm being passively entertained - watching a movie, or fooling around on the computer. I began to think, "Wow, how pathetic." I also began to lose interest in reading, because it made me think too much. Hmm. Something was definitely wrong.

Then one morning, in that moment between sleeping and waking, when you're starting to lose your hold on the dream you just had, I realized what my problem was:

I didn't want to grow up.

Seriously. All this time, I thought I was embracing growing up and becoming a woman and who God wanted me to be, and I wasn't going to be like my little sister who would probably rather go to Neverland and run wild with Peter and the Lost Boys than get married and get a job. It must have been something in the dream, but by that time I couldn't remember it. I really thought about it:

I've just got a job, working in a toystore.
I've just started high-school. (Well, not just started, but you know what I mean)
I have to memorize a lesson from the catechism every week for a confirmation class - and we have finals...this Sunday! Eek!
I'm learning to take responsibility for my actions, and really learn about my faith, and myself.

Sometimes I fool myself with the "I'm still just a kid, I can take my time for a few years more!" But not anymore, apparently. Who knows, perhaps Responsibility and I will never get to be Arm-In-Arm chums, but after realizing my problem, I don't feel so afraid of him anymore.

Okay. That's all for today, folks! I need to find out what Raskolnikov is up to now... and what happens to poor Sonia! And whether Razumihin has a happy ending. I probably won't find out tonight (about 150 pages of Crime & Punishment left) but at least if I can get a little bit further I can make a few guesses.

*wonders mournfully whatever happened to the notes she was taking on the book*

The Post That Comes While Listening to Rock Music

I rarely listen to rock music. I prefer mellow, reflective music. I’m trying to decide whether rock music numbs my expression, making it harder to write a blogpost, or whether it brings out ideas and images that would stay hidden while listening to mellower music.

So now, while I’m listening to Fireflight’s album Unbreakable, let’s see what happens.

My sisters and I took our walk to the mailbox today. Our mailbox is about 1 mile from our house, so it’s a good walk. Unfortunately the scenery is nothing special - if you look down there’s dirt road, and if you look up the sun gets in your eyes. Look to the left: Houses, sagebrush, horses. Look to the right: Houses, sagebrush, horses. And maybe some goats.

We talk a good deal, which helps. Today we talked about dragons, and the world’s apparent fixation with them. Take a moment and think about all the fantasy books and series with the word dragon in the title. Then think of the ones that don’t have dragons in the title, but plenty in the story. Then the conversation switched somehow to our favorite dragon story, My Father’s Dragon. It may be written for a young audience, but I need to reread it. We have it and its sequels in one volume somewhere. I have such good memories of reading that book. Perhaps it’s because it’s not about dragons and armor and swords and battles. Not that I don’t like books with swords and battles. I just don’t like them when dragons are involved. But perhaps Eragon is a very poor sampling of dragon-battle-sword book.

I’m re-reading Emma by Jane Austen right now. Look for a blogpost on it when I’m finished. Er… actually… I probably shouldn’t say that. I may be too lazy to think of any thoughts on it when I’m finished. I ought to start taking notes. I’m not very far in, so that shouldn’t be a problem.

I have this very strange idea that if I have something pointful (I’m sure I didn’t make that word up. Some other crazy person must have) to blog about, it must be part of its own post, with its own title, and not under some title like The Post That Comes While Listening To Rock Post, which implies rambling and writing whatever comes to mind. So when you see a post title like that, don’t expect much.

Okay. Well, that went better than I expected it to! I didn’t say anything depressing or angry, but no brilliant thoughts came out either. Maybe rock music really does numb my powers of expression.

The Day That Was Tuesday

I made my first real "enemy" today. He's a radio talk show host and he doesn't know that I exist, nor that he is my enemy. Today he was talking with people for at least 45 minutes on how he can't believe Catholics can believe what they believe and still hold their heads up.

Pfffft.

What I was thinking, as I turned my rock-hard music up very high (Superchic[k] isn't exactly rock hard, but if you turn it up loud enough it's very satisfying when you're angry) and read The Queen of Attolia and STILL heard that man talking and talking and talking and swearing and talking, was "I'm going to pray for you, pal, and there's nothing you can do about it! Ha! Ha!"

I never heard what his name was, so I decided to name him Rob Tirsch after the "evil prince" in The Shadow of the Bear (I must have been feeling particularly disgusted with Rob at the time. I can't remember what I was thinking, though); he would be my enemy, and I was going to pray for him. But then I realized that I would be praying for him...for revenge. Which kills the entire point. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around that...

Anyhow. A lady with a beautiful little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes almost left her daughter's shoes behind in the parking lot of Baja Fresh. I tapped frantically on her window and held up the shoes. When she opened the door, took the shoes, and thanked me, it occurred to me that I had perhaps tapped too frantically, and I said, "Sorry." I don't know what I'm thinking sometimes.

Still

I'm still here, still sick, still reading that Dorothy Sayers mystery that I just can't seem to get into. But none of that is very interesting.

A while ago I got a funny error message on LibraryThing. I wish I could remember it properly! It was something along the lines of "Error: Elephant sized server problem. Hide the peanuts and try again later." LibraryThing has a good sense of humour.

Today I was reading the guidelines for the book analysis I have to write on A Christmas Carol. I was going to write it for Cyrano De Bergerac, but as soon as I found out that A Christmas Carol was a choice, I picked that instead. It's not that I didn't like Cyrano; I think I would have liked it very much if I didn't know I was supposed to be taking notes on it. I'll finish reading it someday. Anyhow, about the guidelines: There's a 5 paragraph essay on the morality of the main character - that almost made me wish I had picked Cyrano, but Scrooge will be interesting to write about, too. Then there's a 1 paragraph on the theme of the story.

I'm really excited! Is that strange? Especially about the morality essay... It makes me want to write essays and character analyses for ... Waking Rose! The Thief! Little Women! But I know I don't have the time right now. Phooey.

February Colds and Sore Throats

(I am going to pretend to be a hypochondriac for one blogpost.)

The agonies I was compelled to endure last night are simply unbelievable - simply unbelievable! My eyes were so dreadfully heavy, and even when I closed them quite tightly they would not be relieved. And my throat! It had a tickle in it. I drank quarts of water, swallowed convulsively, and cleared my throat, but it also would not be relieved.

I coughed and sneezed for much of the night, but did my sister hear? No. She slept soundly and peacefully, the discomfort I was experiencing was completely foreign to her.

I am reading Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. I had planned on reading over 200 pages this weekend, but I am not certain that I will feel well enough. After I am done with that, I have a large number of other library books that need to be read before three weeks is up. Oh! I feel quite weak at the mere thought!

Tomorrow night my sisters and I will be going to the theatre to see Little Women, the musical. It sounds interesting, I dare say, but I do hope that none of the actors will point to something behind the audience, as if there were something there! I nearly always turn in my seat to see what they are looking at, and when I discover that there is nothing there, my nerves are considerably shaken, and I feel most disagreeably embarassed. I also fear that we will not get back till after 11, and that will not be good for my health. No, not at all.

(Note: I did not cough for most of last night, but I have been getting a tickle in my throat, and I've been slightly stuffy. My sister is sort of sick, though, so these ailments are not foreign to her. ;) Ah, that was kind of fun. Though I don't really believe that all hypochondriacs talk like they just stepped out of a Jane Austen novel.)