We have been inundated lately with the "loop holes" congress is considering to balance the budget. Gosh, I hope one of them is not my mortgage interest. Then I think... well, maybe they will eliminate the deduction on healthcare. Geeze... that is a large part of our income... hmmm, charitable deductions? Employee business expense? No one is offering any specifics except when it comes to the Arts.
Yes! Let's get rid of the pittance we give to theatre and independent film and dance and music. Let us abolish that! Those (very few) dollars will make up the deficit. Assholes.
Every major country supports the arts. Except this one. Why? Well, most people (except in this country) understand that The Arts is who we are. Not us. No, no no. Not us. We seem to honestly think that if people can have a roof.. and I mean a simple tarp... some food.. and I mean what you can buy with food stamps.. we'll be okay. Some Republicans think supplying that is too much. How then are we to make a case for ART?
Well. I don't think we should offer a piece of theatre when a population is literally starving. I think we need to find a way to feed them first. I think we need to offer more than a tarp as a home. Yes! I get that. But after that then, what?
Why do we live? It is the greater question. One could offer religion though I find that argument specious at best. Art does something else nothing else does. It offers a reason for this existence.
I am a theatre artist. I am proud of it. I teach art. I practice art. I help create art.
I can't imagine living such a mean life without a song or a painting or a poem or a play. Art gives meaning to our existence and more than that exemplifies our hopes and dreams.
Without art we are nothing but apes living in cities instead of trees.
Art mirrors us, teaches us, restores us, entertains us, reflects us and ultimately defines who we are.
K. Have to move on to the monetary issue. The small amount of money we get from the government allows us to reach and teach students of all ages. That small bit of money from the NEA allows us to develop new work that can change someone's mind. That bit of money enables theatre companies all over the country to employ hundreds of workers and artists and stagehands and publicists and stage managers and actors and ... All who will pay taxes on this income.
It is just the that very tiny push of Federal Money that makes the difference.
We need this. Art defines us. Art describes us. Art informs us. Art changes the way we look at the world. Art brings us joy and sorrow. Art is who we are. Without Art we might as well be apes looking out for the next fruit filled tree.
And... We are better than that.
xo
Friday, December 7, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Truth And Fiction.
When I was very little my older brother told me that when you die your earlobes keep growing. I expressed a four year old's disbelief until he told me that when "they open up people's coffins, they find the earlobes have grown down to the feet." The image has stayed with me all my life. I believed this until I was about six or so when I realized it couldn't possibly be true. How could I have believed in the first place? Well, I was four and I adored my brother and trusted him. The extra detail of the visual image helped make it seem real to me.
As we grow older we develop an ability to see through such nonsense. We've learned enough in school and through experience to recognize misleading statements and falsehoods. Or, one would think.
Lately I have noticed a lot of misinformation and outright lies that are disseminated and believed. Am I to understand that some of us have lost the childhood filter of "nyah-uh"? Apparently!
I will give you a few examples.
1. Some people seem to believe anything posted on Facebook. Really. Lately a rumor has been posted by more than a few of my friends. "In response to the new Facebook guidelines I hereby declare that my copyright is attached to all of my personal details, illustrations, graphics, comics, paintings, photos and videos, etc. (as a result of the Berner Convention). For commercial use of the above my written consent is needed at all times!" The post continues for quite a few paragraphs including scare tactics about how you, the user, have completely given up your privacy. This is a hoax and completely false. I spent much of the last two days explaining this to my more gullible friends. How did I discover the truth? I went to google and asked. In seconds I was reading snopes.com telling me not only was the story false but that it has been around for a couple of years. Even if it were true, I discovered, the post itself does not protect the facebook user who had to agree to terms and conditions when he/she signed up.
2. I recently read an article in The Onion designating the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un "the sexiest man alive." It was very funny. The next day, China's online newspaper The People's Daily reported the story as true and published a 55 page picture spread of the dictator. Guess they don't know The Onion is satire.
3. Fox News... need I say more? The number of people in this country who get all their news from this mouth-piece of the far right is disheartening to say the least.
The truth of any statement or claim is fairly easy to verify these days. snopes.com is a terrific site that debunks urban legends. FactCheck.org does a great job checking claims made by politicians. Common sense will take care of the rest. So, why do so many people seem to fall for hoaxes, rumors and outright untruths? Well, I think some people are like my four-year-old self. They trust the source and so don't question veracity. (My friend wouldn't post something untrue!) Others may be initially suspicious but when given greater detail are happy to believe. (I used to exaggerate saying, "I saw that movie 14 times!" or "I've tried to reach you 14 times! Where were you?" I used "14" because it sounded more believable than "a million.") My father (who makes things up all the time) used to tell me, "If you say something with authority, people will believe you!" He is right. People will believe if the speaker seems completely confident and clear and offers detail.
Other folk fall into a different category. They believe because they want to. Perhaps a pundit is speaking to a particular group of people who are looking for a reason to discredit the president. Perhaps these folk don't want to be identified as racist. Ah, well then..."Maybe this president is illegitimate because he was born in Kenya! Yeah! Let's go with that!"
Then there are those who will believe anything repeated again and again. The more some individuals hear an untruth the more it seeps into their brains and becomes "true."
Satire reveals truth, as do parables. Yet many people will take satirical pieces and stories as gospel. =).
I have no conclusion to this line of thought. I find the phenomenon troubling. It takes so little effort to discover the veracity of any claim. One just needs to suspend belief a bit and check.
As we grow older we develop an ability to see through such nonsense. We've learned enough in school and through experience to recognize misleading statements and falsehoods. Or, one would think.
Lately I have noticed a lot of misinformation and outright lies that are disseminated and believed. Am I to understand that some of us have lost the childhood filter of "nyah-uh"? Apparently!
I will give you a few examples.
1. Some people seem to believe anything posted on Facebook. Really. Lately a rumor has been posted by more than a few of my friends. "In response to the new Facebook guidelines I hereby declare that my copyright is attached to all of my personal details, illustrations, graphics, comics, paintings, photos and videos, etc. (as a result of the Berner Convention). For commercial use of the above my written consent is needed at all times!" The post continues for quite a few paragraphs including scare tactics about how you, the user, have completely given up your privacy. This is a hoax and completely false. I spent much of the last two days explaining this to my more gullible friends. How did I discover the truth? I went to google and asked. In seconds I was reading snopes.com telling me not only was the story false but that it has been around for a couple of years. Even if it were true, I discovered, the post itself does not protect the facebook user who had to agree to terms and conditions when he/she signed up.
2. I recently read an article in The Onion designating the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un "the sexiest man alive." It was very funny. The next day, China's online newspaper The People's Daily reported the story as true and published a 55 page picture spread of the dictator. Guess they don't know The Onion is satire.
3. Fox News... need I say more? The number of people in this country who get all their news from this mouth-piece of the far right is disheartening to say the least.
The truth of any statement or claim is fairly easy to verify these days. snopes.com is a terrific site that debunks urban legends. FactCheck.org does a great job checking claims made by politicians. Common sense will take care of the rest. So, why do so many people seem to fall for hoaxes, rumors and outright untruths? Well, I think some people are like my four-year-old self. They trust the source and so don't question veracity. (My friend wouldn't post something untrue!) Others may be initially suspicious but when given greater detail are happy to believe. (I used to exaggerate saying, "I saw that movie 14 times!" or "I've tried to reach you 14 times! Where were you?" I used "14" because it sounded more believable than "a million.") My father (who makes things up all the time) used to tell me, "If you say something with authority, people will believe you!" He is right. People will believe if the speaker seems completely confident and clear and offers detail.
Other folk fall into a different category. They believe because they want to. Perhaps a pundit is speaking to a particular group of people who are looking for a reason to discredit the president. Perhaps these folk don't want to be identified as racist. Ah, well then..."Maybe this president is illegitimate because he was born in Kenya! Yeah! Let's go with that!"
Then there are those who will believe anything repeated again and again. The more some individuals hear an untruth the more it seeps into their brains and becomes "true."
Satire reveals truth, as do parables. Yet many people will take satirical pieces and stories as gospel. =).
I have no conclusion to this line of thought. I find the phenomenon troubling. It takes so little effort to discover the veracity of any claim. One just needs to suspend belief a bit and check.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Mary's Vegetable Stew. A Recipe In 26 Easy Steps.
I spent the day making vegetable stew for my dad. It is summer and it is hot, too hot really to have a stew pot on the stove for hours and hours. Well, he asked me for it and he is 87 and I'm leaving soon for 7 weeks and it freezes well. (No fat.) So... my house got a little warm today.
I've been asked for the recipe. I will try. I cook mostly to taste, and to my dependence on available fresh vegetables so this recipe will follow that particular formula.
You will need a dutch oven. If you don't know what a dutch oven is, it is simply just a very large pot. The biggest and deepest you have. With a lid!
A note: The only "not fresh" ingredients are two cans of tomatoes and some vegetable stock. Do not buy stewed tomatoes. Do not buy any other kind of flavored canned tomatoes. Use one can of whole peeled tomatoes and one can of petite diced tomatoes. The vegetable stock I use is "O Organics" organic vegetable stock. The rest of the ingredients are fresh.
I will list the ingredients below. Until then, bear with me!
1. Peel a large russet potato and cut it into small pieces. Eights or tenths depending on the size. You'll see why later. Put the potato pieces in the dutch oven.
2. Open one can of 14.5 - 15 oz. whole peeled tomatoes and one can of 14.5 - 15 oz. petite diced tomatoes. (Both are readily available at Von's.) Pour the cans over the potatoes.
3. Cut up a normal sized red onion. Add it to the pot.
4. Use a garlic press and press two large garlic cloves into the pot. If your cloves are smallish, use more.
5. Add 9 small bay leaves or 6 large bay leaves.
6. Add a dash of allspice.
7. Add a teaspoon of sugar. (This is important. The mixture is too acidic otherwise.)
8. Add a tablespoon of salt. (I use sea salt.) If you don't use salt just toss a couple of dashes in. (My dad loves salt and this recipe is for him. Personally I cook with little or no salt.)
9. Add a half teaspoon of paprika.
10. Add a half teaspoon of ground black pepper.
11. Add up to a tablespoon of lemon juice.
12. Add 2 teaspoons of Lee and Perrins Worcester Sauce. Use the real thing. It makes a difference.
13. Cut up 4-6 tomatoes. I use a combination of Roma tomatoes and whatever expensive locally grown farmer's market tomatoes I can find. Add them to the pot. If they are small, use more. If they are large, use less.
14. Add 1 cup of vegetable stock. (More or less.) I like the "O Organics" because it is so thick.
15. Add 1/2 cup of water. (More or less. It depends on how much liquid the tomatoes provided. You are going to be cooking a lot of vegetables in this but this is NOT soup. Don't add too much. You want this dish to be thick. You can always add more liquid later. (And I do.) If you add too much don't worry, you can reduce it later.)
16. Stir.
17. Turn the heat to medium-high. Let the entire mixture get to a boil.
18. Lower the heat, cover and simmer up to an hour. Help the potato pieces along. Squash them with a fork. You want them to blend in with the broth and more or less disappear.
19. Wash and cut in half or quarters (depending on the size) 8-12 smallish red potatoes. You do not need to peel them. Just clean them. Cut off the ugly parts. If they are small cut them in half or just throw them in the pot. If they are large, cut them into manageable pieces. I don't know... an inch and a half? 2 inches? Larger? What size do you want your potatoes in stew? Your choice! The larger the pieces the longer you will have to cook them.
20. Add some chopped celery leaves. Add 1 pealed and cut up carrot.
21. After 20-30 minutes check the potatoes with a fork. If you can push through check the consistency of the broth. If it seems thin, add a couple of smaller cut up potato pieces. The starch will add thickness. Resist the urge to taste now. You will think you've over - seasoned if you do.
22. After the potatoes are near done...(you can easily get a fork through) add 1 pound of pealed cut up carrots. I usually add 1 pound plus one carrot. I don't know why. The carrots add a lovely sweetness to the stew. Take the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer 10 min. Check the flavor now. (Cover if you want it to cook faster. Don't if the broth looks too thin.)
22. This is when I will add more Worchester Sauce and more garlic. (Usually just a teaspoon or two more of the Worchester Sauce... and usually garlic powder.) But be careful. I will also add a couple of turns from the pepper grinder.
23. Clean 18-20 pearl onions. Slice the larger ones in half. Add to the mixture. (Sometimes - like now - pearl onions are out of season. Use white onions. NOT YELLOW. Cut one large sized onion into pieces approximating the size of pearl onions.)
24. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer 10 minutes.
25. Clean and cut up... geeze, I don't know... 6 - 10 stalks of celery. About 2 cups. Use the leaves. Dice the leaves. They have GREAT flavor. Add to the mixture. Celery will completely change the taste of the stew.
26. Celery is tricky. It cooks really fast. I will again bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer.. checking the celery. I don't want it to loose too much color. Just before it gets soft take the stew off the heat. Cover and let it sit for a bit. The celery will continue cooking.
I haven't talked much about covering the stew. Well. If your potatoes are taking too long to cook, cover and simmer. The same is true for all the vegetables. If you've added too much liquid, alternate and simmer without the lid to reduce.
You are now ready to serve. This recipe should feed 6 people. There is no fat in the stew. There is no animal meat and I promise it will taste fresher than stew made with meat. (I've made this vegetable stew side by side with the beef stew and the beef stew tasted a little "game" next to the vegetable. It was a revelation.)
If you want to freeze the stew let it cool first. (This can take several hours.) I portion it out into those small plastic containers for my dad. At the dollar store you can buy 2 individual plastic containers for a dollar. I just filled 7. I put them in the freezer tonight and will label them tomorrow and put them in my dad's freezer. Again, the food has no fat, so it is not in great danger of spoiling. I know the food is safe for at least 3 months, though Dad has eaten it all well before then.
The stew is loosely based on a recipe in an old Betty Crocker Cook Book. (Brown Stew.) A great cookbook, by the way. I have made a number of changes. The Worchester Sauce was from the cookbook. The increased amount is mine. I think it makes all the difference. I believe this stew is different enough to be called a new recipe. But feel free to compare.
I created this recipe because my dad has developed gout and no one seemed able to help him find foods he liked that did not aggravate the condition. This dish has worked out well for him, though one of the ingredients in the vegetable stock is mushrooms. Mushrooms are not recommended for patients with gout. (I think the amount is so small that it makes no never mind. However.. everyone has a different body chemistry. The stew would work just as well without the vegetable stock. Use water instead.)
Well. I've never written out one of my own recipes in such detail before. I hope it was clear and that your result pleases you as much as it pleases my father!
(Write me with any questions.)
Love!
m.
Ingredients:
1 can 14.5oz - 15oz Whole Peeled Tomatoes.
1 can 14.5oz - 15oz Petite Diced Tomatoes. (You can use plain old diced tomatoes)
Vegetable Stock
1 medium sized red onion
6 - 10 tomatoes
2 or more cloves of garlic and garlic powder
5-10 bay leaves
1 russet potato
8 - 10 red potatoes (or more)
6 or more tomatoes
Dash of Allspice
Salt
Pepper and Ground Pepper
Paprika
1 pound of carrots
Bunch of celery
20 pearl onions (or 1 large white onion)
Worchester Sauce
Lemon Juice
Sugar
Water
I think that is it. I love this stew. I hope you will too.
xo
I've been asked for the recipe. I will try. I cook mostly to taste, and to my dependence on available fresh vegetables so this recipe will follow that particular formula.
You will need a dutch oven. If you don't know what a dutch oven is, it is simply just a very large pot. The biggest and deepest you have. With a lid!
A note: The only "not fresh" ingredients are two cans of tomatoes and some vegetable stock. Do not buy stewed tomatoes. Do not buy any other kind of flavored canned tomatoes. Use one can of whole peeled tomatoes and one can of petite diced tomatoes. The vegetable stock I use is "O Organics" organic vegetable stock. The rest of the ingredients are fresh.
I will list the ingredients below. Until then, bear with me!
1. Peel a large russet potato and cut it into small pieces. Eights or tenths depending on the size. You'll see why later. Put the potato pieces in the dutch oven.
2. Open one can of 14.5 - 15 oz. whole peeled tomatoes and one can of 14.5 - 15 oz. petite diced tomatoes. (Both are readily available at Von's.) Pour the cans over the potatoes.
3. Cut up a normal sized red onion. Add it to the pot.
4. Use a garlic press and press two large garlic cloves into the pot. If your cloves are smallish, use more.
5. Add 9 small bay leaves or 6 large bay leaves.
6. Add a dash of allspice.
7. Add a teaspoon of sugar. (This is important. The mixture is too acidic otherwise.)
8. Add a tablespoon of salt. (I use sea salt.) If you don't use salt just toss a couple of dashes in. (My dad loves salt and this recipe is for him. Personally I cook with little or no salt.)
9. Add a half teaspoon of paprika.
10. Add a half teaspoon of ground black pepper.
11. Add up to a tablespoon of lemon juice.
12. Add 2 teaspoons of Lee and Perrins Worcester Sauce. Use the real thing. It makes a difference.
13. Cut up 4-6 tomatoes. I use a combination of Roma tomatoes and whatever expensive locally grown farmer's market tomatoes I can find. Add them to the pot. If they are small, use more. If they are large, use less.
14. Add 1 cup of vegetable stock. (More or less.) I like the "O Organics" because it is so thick.
15. Add 1/2 cup of water. (More or less. It depends on how much liquid the tomatoes provided. You are going to be cooking a lot of vegetables in this but this is NOT soup. Don't add too much. You want this dish to be thick. You can always add more liquid later. (And I do.) If you add too much don't worry, you can reduce it later.)
16. Stir.
17. Turn the heat to medium-high. Let the entire mixture get to a boil.
18. Lower the heat, cover and simmer up to an hour. Help the potato pieces along. Squash them with a fork. You want them to blend in with the broth and more or less disappear.
19. Wash and cut in half or quarters (depending on the size) 8-12 smallish red potatoes. You do not need to peel them. Just clean them. Cut off the ugly parts. If they are small cut them in half or just throw them in the pot. If they are large, cut them into manageable pieces. I don't know... an inch and a half? 2 inches? Larger? What size do you want your potatoes in stew? Your choice! The larger the pieces the longer you will have to cook them.
20. Add some chopped celery leaves. Add 1 pealed and cut up carrot.
21. After 20-30 minutes check the potatoes with a fork. If you can push through check the consistency of the broth. If it seems thin, add a couple of smaller cut up potato pieces. The starch will add thickness. Resist the urge to taste now. You will think you've over - seasoned if you do.
22. After the potatoes are near done...(you can easily get a fork through) add 1 pound of pealed cut up carrots. I usually add 1 pound plus one carrot. I don't know why. The carrots add a lovely sweetness to the stew. Take the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer 10 min. Check the flavor now. (Cover if you want it to cook faster. Don't if the broth looks too thin.)
22. This is when I will add more Worchester Sauce and more garlic. (Usually just a teaspoon or two more of the Worchester Sauce... and usually garlic powder.) But be careful. I will also add a couple of turns from the pepper grinder.
23. Clean 18-20 pearl onions. Slice the larger ones in half. Add to the mixture. (Sometimes - like now - pearl onions are out of season. Use white onions. NOT YELLOW. Cut one large sized onion into pieces approximating the size of pearl onions.)
24. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer 10 minutes.
25. Clean and cut up... geeze, I don't know... 6 - 10 stalks of celery. About 2 cups. Use the leaves. Dice the leaves. They have GREAT flavor. Add to the mixture. Celery will completely change the taste of the stew.
26. Celery is tricky. It cooks really fast. I will again bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer.. checking the celery. I don't want it to loose too much color. Just before it gets soft take the stew off the heat. Cover and let it sit for a bit. The celery will continue cooking.
I haven't talked much about covering the stew. Well. If your potatoes are taking too long to cook, cover and simmer. The same is true for all the vegetables. If you've added too much liquid, alternate and simmer without the lid to reduce.
You are now ready to serve. This recipe should feed 6 people. There is no fat in the stew. There is no animal meat and I promise it will taste fresher than stew made with meat. (I've made this vegetable stew side by side with the beef stew and the beef stew tasted a little "game" next to the vegetable. It was a revelation.)
If you want to freeze the stew let it cool first. (This can take several hours.) I portion it out into those small plastic containers for my dad. At the dollar store you can buy 2 individual plastic containers for a dollar. I just filled 7. I put them in the freezer tonight and will label them tomorrow and put them in my dad's freezer. Again, the food has no fat, so it is not in great danger of spoiling. I know the food is safe for at least 3 months, though Dad has eaten it all well before then.
The stew is loosely based on a recipe in an old Betty Crocker Cook Book. (Brown Stew.) A great cookbook, by the way. I have made a number of changes. The Worchester Sauce was from the cookbook. The increased amount is mine. I think it makes all the difference. I believe this stew is different enough to be called a new recipe. But feel free to compare.
I created this recipe because my dad has developed gout and no one seemed able to help him find foods he liked that did not aggravate the condition. This dish has worked out well for him, though one of the ingredients in the vegetable stock is mushrooms. Mushrooms are not recommended for patients with gout. (I think the amount is so small that it makes no never mind. However.. everyone has a different body chemistry. The stew would work just as well without the vegetable stock. Use water instead.)
Well. I've never written out one of my own recipes in such detail before. I hope it was clear and that your result pleases you as much as it pleases my father!
(Write me with any questions.)
Love!
m.
Ingredients:
1 can 14.5oz - 15oz Whole Peeled Tomatoes.
1 can 14.5oz - 15oz Petite Diced Tomatoes. (You can use plain old diced tomatoes)
Vegetable Stock
1 medium sized red onion
6 - 10 tomatoes
2 or more cloves of garlic and garlic powder
5-10 bay leaves
1 russet potato
8 - 10 red potatoes (or more)
6 or more tomatoes
Dash of Allspice
Salt
Pepper and Ground Pepper
Paprika
1 pound of carrots
Bunch of celery
20 pearl onions (or 1 large white onion)
Worchester Sauce
Lemon Juice
Sugar
Water
I think that is it. I love this stew. I hope you will too.
xo
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
The 4th Of July.
Happy 4th. An Englishman once asked me what we called the 4th of July. Hmm. What do you think I said? He challenged me. "Isn't is called Independence Day?" I said, "Yes, but we call it "The 4th of July." He was chagrined. Still makes me laugh. (Some of you can guess who this particular Englishman is...)
This holiday belongs to us all. Just like Thanksgiving. The entire country stops (some of us for a small moment) and recognize what we all have in common. We applaud our independence and we are thankful for it. Jew, Muslim, Christian, Catholic, Mormon, Buddhist, Atheist, Druid, Hindu. More, I'm sure! We all in this country celebrate two things together. The 4th of July and Thanksgiving. How wonderful! Whoa! Really! All these people with all these different ideologies and we still have two things and two holidays in common.
Gives me hope.
I take back my flag. I reclaim the flag. Sometimes the stars and stripes seem to have been co-opted by the GOP or the Libertarians. The flag belongs to me too. I too have an investment in what that flag symbolizes. I claim it and dare to display it in the unity that is us all.
Come on! Stop it! We are one country and politics is the art of compromise. Anything else is just masturbation. (Pulling on one's dick.) Let us be a bit more open-minded and listen a minute to what the other side has to say. Let us stop lying to each other. Oh, man.. I'm thinking of John Lennon right now. Imagine.
I don't want to wax on about how ironic it is that the "christians" in this country pay no attention to their own doctrine. I don't want to get into the sad sorry beliefs the tea party has about taxes and mandates that would in fact help their families. I don't even want to talk about how those same people can spend afternoons protesting things they don't really understand. I'm over trying to convince my poor trodden real Republican friends that they are drinking the kool-aid and how easy it is to find out the truth. Why do none of my friends do the simple internet search I do? Frustrating. It is so easy to find the truth and too easy to believe the easy lie. Liars abound. Stop listening to them. Or.. at the very least, do a little research. Please. Here is a little link that will check out all claims: Factcheck.org. They will answer your question about the validity of any claim. I'm giving you the link.
http://www.factcheck.org/
My oh my I apologize. These men don't speak for me. I emphatically disagree. http://youtu.be/JaMkwSVRr5g
There is so much good, here. Can we at least agree to grant every one civil rights? Can we do unto one another good instead of screwing them? How much money do you really need, dude? You do know you can't take it with you, don't you? How about leaving a legacy instead? (Duh.. my money pays for the fire dept. and the road you drive on too.)
We combine. We join together. We don't make money independent of each other. We support each other. We CARE. We help. We make jobs and we donate money, food and clothing. Come on! I don't get the lack of compassion! I honestly don't understand it.
Republicans... I invite you to explain this to me. How can we live in a world with no compassion? How can you call yourselves Christians when you don't help your fellow man? How can you call for less government and then insert yourself into my body? Have you no respect for women? Women Republicans: Have you no respect for yourselves?
The Republican Party has lost its way. Makes me sad. The Democrats are pussies. They don't know how to stand up to the NRA. Really? Yeah... let's all get guns and just shoot each other. Good plan.
ObamaCare, RomneyCare, yeah, whatever. Both plans are just a start. I've spent a lot of time in union negotiations. A start is all we need. We have to change health care in this country. I know first hand.
I'm rambling.. again.
But I'm back, my dear readers. And I have more to say.
xo
m.
This holiday belongs to us all. Just like Thanksgiving. The entire country stops (some of us for a small moment) and recognize what we all have in common. We applaud our independence and we are thankful for it. Jew, Muslim, Christian, Catholic, Mormon, Buddhist, Atheist, Druid, Hindu. More, I'm sure! We all in this country celebrate two things together. The 4th of July and Thanksgiving. How wonderful! Whoa! Really! All these people with all these different ideologies and we still have two things and two holidays in common.
Gives me hope.
I take back my flag. I reclaim the flag. Sometimes the stars and stripes seem to have been co-opted by the GOP or the Libertarians. The flag belongs to me too. I too have an investment in what that flag symbolizes. I claim it and dare to display it in the unity that is us all.
Come on! Stop it! We are one country and politics is the art of compromise. Anything else is just masturbation. (Pulling on one's dick.) Let us be a bit more open-minded and listen a minute to what the other side has to say. Let us stop lying to each other. Oh, man.. I'm thinking of John Lennon right now. Imagine.
I don't want to wax on about how ironic it is that the "christians" in this country pay no attention to their own doctrine. I don't want to get into the sad sorry beliefs the tea party has about taxes and mandates that would in fact help their families. I don't even want to talk about how those same people can spend afternoons protesting things they don't really understand. I'm over trying to convince my poor trodden real Republican friends that they are drinking the kool-aid and how easy it is to find out the truth. Why do none of my friends do the simple internet search I do? Frustrating. It is so easy to find the truth and too easy to believe the easy lie. Liars abound. Stop listening to them. Or.. at the very least, do a little research. Please. Here is a little link that will check out all claims: Factcheck.org. They will answer your question about the validity of any claim. I'm giving you the link.
http://www.factcheck.org/
My oh my I apologize. These men don't speak for me. I emphatically disagree. http://youtu.be/JaMkwSVRr5g
There is so much good, here. Can we at least agree to grant every one civil rights? Can we do unto one another good instead of screwing them? How much money do you really need, dude? You do know you can't take it with you, don't you? How about leaving a legacy instead? (Duh.. my money pays for the fire dept. and the road you drive on too.)
We combine. We join together. We don't make money independent of each other. We support each other. We CARE. We help. We make jobs and we donate money, food and clothing. Come on! I don't get the lack of compassion! I honestly don't understand it.
Republicans... I invite you to explain this to me. How can we live in a world with no compassion? How can you call yourselves Christians when you don't help your fellow man? How can you call for less government and then insert yourself into my body? Have you no respect for women? Women Republicans: Have you no respect for yourselves?
The Republican Party has lost its way. Makes me sad. The Democrats are pussies. They don't know how to stand up to the NRA. Really? Yeah... let's all get guns and just shoot each other. Good plan.
ObamaCare, RomneyCare, yeah, whatever. Both plans are just a start. I've spent a lot of time in union negotiations. A start is all we need. We have to change health care in this country. I know first hand.
I'm rambling.. again.
But I'm back, my dear readers. And I have more to say.
xo
m.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
It Is Time.
Down to just a few days here in Hartford. I make mistakes. I'm human. (Oh! Gosh! I'm Human! Hate that!)
I want to be perfect. I strive to be perfect. What does one do when one makes mistakes? One accepts responsibility and tries to take it all with a modicum of grace. The past is un-re-doable. That is it. Move on.
Moving on.
4 more shows and I'm home. The shortest performance schedule since we started. (6 shows this week.) The longest week ever. It is all about perception.
I've a cocktail party I need to attend tomorrow night. I'd like to get my nails done tomorrow. Think I will. For those who know me.. my eye is getting better. (I banged it on the bathroom sink and got a huge black eye.) I need to be in the folds of my home. I need to be wrapped in the goodness of my husband. I need to be enveloped by my California. I miss home so much sometimes it just hurts.
I satisfy my longing for California by investigating prices at Yosemite hotels and Big Sur hotels. I'm always looking for bargains. We'll never go, but the dream keeps me a little more sane. My husband and I will take trips to the local mountains. To the San Gabriels. It will be beautiful. We will spend the day and return home. It always feels like a vacation. No hotels needed.
Work is turning around. Things are looking up. But. I just want to stay home. I need to somehow translate the need for me on the East Coast to the West Coast. Can't quite figure out how to do that. Enormously grateful for the confidence and support and continued employment in the east. Thanks! y'all.
Love working for you! I just would like to spend more time with my family. Yikes! Don't stop hiring me... just accept that I will get a bit homesick at times. Love working for all of you out here so far from home. Love the work.
Love the work!
xoxo
m.
I want to be perfect. I strive to be perfect. What does one do when one makes mistakes? One accepts responsibility and tries to take it all with a modicum of grace. The past is un-re-doable. That is it. Move on.
Moving on.
4 more shows and I'm home. The shortest performance schedule since we started. (6 shows this week.) The longest week ever. It is all about perception.
I've a cocktail party I need to attend tomorrow night. I'd like to get my nails done tomorrow. Think I will. For those who know me.. my eye is getting better. (I banged it on the bathroom sink and got a huge black eye.) I need to be in the folds of my home. I need to be wrapped in the goodness of my husband. I need to be enveloped by my California. I miss home so much sometimes it just hurts.
I satisfy my longing for California by investigating prices at Yosemite hotels and Big Sur hotels. I'm always looking for bargains. We'll never go, but the dream keeps me a little more sane. My husband and I will take trips to the local mountains. To the San Gabriels. It will be beautiful. We will spend the day and return home. It always feels like a vacation. No hotels needed.
Work is turning around. Things are looking up. But. I just want to stay home. I need to somehow translate the need for me on the East Coast to the West Coast. Can't quite figure out how to do that. Enormously grateful for the confidence and support and continued employment in the east. Thanks! y'all.
Love working for you! I just would like to spend more time with my family. Yikes! Don't stop hiring me... just accept that I will get a bit homesick at times. Love working for all of you out here so far from home. Love the work.
Love the work!
xoxo
m.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The Hartford Stage.
Again.. I am writing on my IPad. Difficult. My show is wonderful. Highlight "wonderful." we are getting standing ovations every night. Yay!
I am beyond exhausted. Can't wait for rehearsals to end. We open Friday, so.. Not much longer.
The schedule is a bear. Student matinees all the time. But it is just 3 and a half weeks and then I will be home. Ah.. Home.
6 weeks home. Then... I travel to D.C. 7 more weeks away. Alas.
And then it all starts up again. Where is my next job? I am hoping to find work closer to home. But.. We take what we are offered. It is our life. We are gypsies.
Missing my fine husband. Missing our time together. Missing my Dad. Missing my family. Alas. And alas.
I keep saying to myself... "tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow." it helps.
The show is wonderful. I'm happy to be at Hartford Stage. Love the ovations. Missing home.
xo
I am beyond exhausted. Can't wait for rehearsals to end. We open Friday, so.. Not much longer.
The schedule is a bear. Student matinees all the time. But it is just 3 and a half weeks and then I will be home. Ah.. Home.
6 weeks home. Then... I travel to D.C. 7 more weeks away. Alas.
And then it all starts up again. Where is my next job? I am hoping to find work closer to home. But.. We take what we are offered. It is our life. We are gypsies.
Missing my fine husband. Missing our time together. Missing my Dad. Missing my family. Alas. And alas.
I keep saying to myself... "tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow." it helps.
The show is wonderful. I'm happy to be at Hartford Stage. Love the ovations. Missing home.
xo
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Strange Dreams.
There I am. And Here I am. I'm in Connecticut. Oh, gosh.. I love typing that. I am doing the Tempest with Darko Tresjnak and the wonderful Sara Topham and the glorious Daniel Davis. The rest of the cast is marvelous... Jonathan Fried, Michael Spencer-Davis, Bruce Turk, David Barlow, Shirine Babb, Christopher Randolph, Joshua Dean, Patrick Riley, and the most wonderful Nobel Shopshire. I have a few extraordinary students.. Ben Cole as Caliban and Alex Saffer as the Boatswain. My cast includes a couple of more students: The wonderful Mark Ford and my beautiful dancers, Jane Cracovaner, Jillian Greenberg and Ananstasia Duffany. I love my most beautiful ladies!
Oh, there is the part of me that has to admit... I lost my last big job because the new artistic director thought I was too proprietary about my company. Can't help it. The company is MY company. I take care of them. They are my charge. I don't know how to do it else.
I had a dream last night. It was very vivid and very real. A dear friend of mine... let's call him Tom, came to visit me. We went with a group-load of people to a restaurant.. oddly an Asian/Russian what-ever you can eat kind of place. I started for the borscht... odd choice for me.. looked around and my friend was gone. Everyone was gone. So, I went home. Apparently I lived with Rosanne and her sister, played by Laurie Metcalf. I got home and Laurie was having a breakdown. A full diva breakdown. I found myself dragging Laurie Metcalf on my shoulders across Rosanne's living room. Okay.. not Rosanne's living room, but the one in Death Becomes Her. I can see the wooden floor and the glorious carpet. Rosanne started yelling at me. Screaming. I dropped Laurie Metcalf to the floor and left. Rosanne's screams echoing in my ears. Weird dream. Took me a while to wake up from that! Oh, and where o where was my friend who left me in an Asian/Russian restaurant with a bowl of Borsht?
So, clearly, I have some issues, my dear readers. I was feeling abandoned.. a bit.. at least in the dream... and ... well I will leave the rest to you.
xo
m.
Oh, there is the part of me that has to admit... I lost my last big job because the new artistic director thought I was too proprietary about my company. Can't help it. The company is MY company. I take care of them. They are my charge. I don't know how to do it else.
I had a dream last night. It was very vivid and very real. A dear friend of mine... let's call him Tom, came to visit me. We went with a group-load of people to a restaurant.. oddly an Asian/Russian what-ever you can eat kind of place. I started for the borscht... odd choice for me.. looked around and my friend was gone. Everyone was gone. So, I went home. Apparently I lived with Rosanne and her sister, played by Laurie Metcalf. I got home and Laurie was having a breakdown. A full diva breakdown. I found myself dragging Laurie Metcalf on my shoulders across Rosanne's living room. Okay.. not Rosanne's living room, but the one in Death Becomes Her. I can see the wooden floor and the glorious carpet. Rosanne started yelling at me. Screaming. I dropped Laurie Metcalf to the floor and left. Rosanne's screams echoing in my ears. Weird dream. Took me a while to wake up from that! Oh, and where o where was my friend who left me in an Asian/Russian restaurant with a bowl of Borsht?
So, clearly, I have some issues, my dear readers. I was feeling abandoned.. a bit.. at least in the dream... and ... well I will leave the rest to you.
xo
m.
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