Daily Picture Day 3: Pet

Jack. His name is Jack. He came to our family one Christmas morning and our lives changed for the better.
He's a companion, a comfort and a true friend.  He has taught our kids what it is to be responsible for another being.  He needs us, completely. There is no judgement, no disappointment, only devotion.  That devotion goes both ways.  We are committed to caring for him as we care for each other.  We meet his needs and take him into consideration when we make decisions because we don't want anyone in our family to think that they would be any less "considered" in the scheme of things.  I guess Jack has made us even more openly considerate, and that is a wonderful thing to learn.  So Daily Picture #3 made me think of all of the love that Jack has brought to us, and that is something to "blog" about.
It's not that hard to come up with things to write about when I take my head out of the daily grind and focus on the things that make my life so truly extraordinary.
xxoo

Here I go...again

May 1st.  Sooner than I thought. I was planning a Facebook Break, but it came sooner than I had imagined.  I took the Summer off last year, but this year, I needed a longer break.
I love my life. I love my job. I love it all.
I just need to figure out how to balance it all so I can feel the love every day, and not feel so tired sometimes.
Wanna help me?  Wanna cheer me on?
I want to hear from my friends from "the old days" Sheri, Marty, Nell, Barbara, Janene, Terri, Victoria, everyone from RCK, all of you matter to me.
My long distance friends and family that have found me on Facebook, I don't want to be out of touch.
I just don't want to let anything take my time.
My time is so precious that I shouldn't have to weed through the posts on my "timeline" to be connected to people that I care about.
For my everyday people...my F.I.R.E. People...we're a team.
We're beyond family, we work together to make the world better.
Let me know...
Let me know why you're here reading it.
Let me know what you want to talk about.
Let me be in your life by choice, not because I turn up on your news feed.
What a wonderful world we live in that we can connect in such a way.
I'm going to try to really share what's in my heart.
Scared?

All this going on, and I get to wear a sweater!

If you know me, you know that I have a lot of clothes in my closet.  If you really know me, or if you've just seen me by accident, you know that I almost always wear Jeans and a Black shirt of some sort...
Now Fall/Winter is a bit different.  I might actually change the color of the shirt because of the number of sweater choices I have...
Today, I'll get to wear a sweater.  It might be black, or even grey, or it could even be brown. 
I'm actually looking for a sweater in the perfect shade of teal.  I'll let you know how that goes.

Now...back to what's going on.
We have moved to Simpsonville South Carolina to afford our kids the opportunity to attend schools that we think match well with our Educational/Social goals for our particular family.
This was not an easy decision, it required leaving the home that we love dearly in Easley.
We're in a transition as we decide what life will look like for the next 5 years.
Regan is a Freshman in High School, and Lucas will be, next year. 
We would like to stay here for the length of their High School Experience, if it's meant to be.

That's what's going on with my family.

I am much closer to the Theatre, geographically which has made the past two months easier.
We have finished our first show of the season, Footloose. We are currently in production of three shows; Dear Edwina Jr., The Odd Couple Female Version, and A Wonderful Life.
I am directing Dear Edwina Jr. with a cast of 39 kids oldest 16 youngest 6.
Regan and Rosey are both in the show and Lucas will be running the lights.
It have enjoyed this experience, so much so that I have surprised myself.
Looking forward to Friday when we open.

I am cast as Florence Unger in The Odd Couple.  Zachary is the Director and we're having a lot of fun working this one.  It is a full circle moment, as my counterpart is the mother of the guy who played opposite Zachary when he acted as Oscar Madison in High School, directed by Anita, the Producer of our show.  Mackensie & Zachary met during that production in 2001, and Mackensie is Sylvie in our show at F.I.R.E.  You don't ever know who will be in your life, or for how long you'll have them.
In this case, we've all been together for a good long time and it's working.

I am the Production Assistant for A Wonderful Life and am looking forward to seeing Zachary as he plays George Bailey, the iconic character brought to life on film by Jimmy Stewart. It is a soulful story and I know it will be told beautifully by our Company.

That's what's going on in Fountain Inn at the Center for the Visual and Performing Arts....

I am feeling strangely at loose ends...as busy and content as I am, I feel like something should change.
I haven't put my finger on what, or how, but I think something's coming.
I am trying to find a job to help supplement our living expenses.  That might require some looking, as I haven't worked since before Regan was born 14 years ago. 
There is the conundrum...I haven't worked for a living, but I have worked at F.I.R.E. for the past four years. My resume is packed with experiences that don't translate well to the job market.
Before F.I.R.E. I was a "full time" volunteer at all of the kids schools, and also a regular volunteer at the South Carolina Children's Theatre.  Those contributions are of little benefit when a paycheck is being sought.  It's a strange problem to have.  All my "creative contributions" amount to nothing measurable to anyone but myself.
I know that I've seen shy kids blossom. I know that I've watched a Repertory Acting Company grow exponentially in the quality of the Productions that it presents.  I know that I have made friends that will last my whole life.  I know that my children have seen what it means to be committed to something that you love and stick it out even when it gets tough. I know a lot of stuff about myself and the world in which we live...
Translate that to a resume, and I might just find a way to earn some money for my family...and support the husband who has spent all these years indulging my theatre pursuits...
Therein lies the rub ~

Reformatting

We're counting down to our Summer Vacation.  I decided to lighten up the look of this little Blog, and that goes with my latest life theme of lightening up.  I'm trying to lighten up in every way.
It began with turning off Facebook and that gave me free time with less clutter in my mind.  It really isn't important to know everyone's "status"...people write what they want you to read, and I am trying to eliminate anything that isn't "real".
I feel lighter...I feel like I can indulge in an hour or two in my art room with Rosey, or Regan or both and just journal or create on canvas. 
I take some time out each day to consider the upcoming Season at F.I.R.E.  I look over my scripts, and my notes and think about how I will attack the many things that are in store for me to help the Company move forward in a way that is true to our mission.  That doesn't require being plugged in to what people are saying on Facebook, and as a result of signing off, I'm less distracted.
The pool is open and the girls start Summer Camp on Monday.  I have a few things that I need to get done before we leave for our vacation at the end of the month, so I'm taking time to do them, and trying not to put things off.
AND THEN THERE'S THE CASEY ANTHONY TRIAL...
I watch it like I am one of the expert commentators and that I may be called upon at any moment to be on air at In Session.
I have it on in the background all day when I'm home and I watch recaps at night when I can sneak away.  It is an obsession.
I am totally able to do two things at once, and I know that by the very nature of the media, I can't really miss anything that I can't catch up on later, but the thing has me mesmerized.
Why?  What is it about the macabre story of evil that keeps me tuned in? I am fascinated by the human condition in all it's forms. Is this so against nature, a mother accused of murdering her child? It makes me consider the absolute boundless love that I have for my children a gift.  It is not something that automatically occurs by virtue of giving birth.  Maybe that's why I feel so free to "mother" other people's children in the context of mentoring them at the theatre, when it's appropriate.  I am blessed with the gift of "motherhood".

Is There Life Without Facebook?

Today is the first day of Life without Facebook. I decided to take the summer off in an attempt to
stop procrastinating. There are a lot of things that I want to do...need to do...and every moment I spend "surfing" around on FB is really time I could be using in a better way.
That being said, I already miss my friends!
I have reconnected with friends from High School, Jr. High School and even folks from my adult life that I hadn't seen for a long time.
It is a ray of sunshine to get a comment on my status from people whose last names are different from when we knew each other 30 years ago, but the faces are still the same.
It is fun to hear what's going on in people's lives and know that struggles are universal and ultimately, surmountable.
There is another side for me...I am nosey. It is that bit of my personality that I struggle with that is not easy to overcome. I know that by denying myself the information, I'll be able to focus on all the great things in my life and come back to the Social Network refreshed and with inspiration to share.
So check in with me here if you're interested. I have made a personal commitment to posting and keeping this blog current.
I will try to be more engaged in the everyday, so my stories might be a bit funnier.
I'll still have quotes from people I admire, bits of inspiration that I wish to share.
I'll still share all the magic that Rosey brings to me everyday.
I'll still be here.