Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny day, perfect for a road trip to the north part of our state for an afternoon Christmas caroling performance. The event, in its sixth year, is unique because it takes place in a cavern. The harmonizing voices of the six carolers, four women and two men, resonate throughout the chamber in a way that no sound system could duplicate. Neither could a set designer duplicate the wonderous backdrop of the strategically lighted stalactites, stalagmites, columns, flowstones, and other fantastic formations of the 58-degrees cool cavern.
The hour-long program flew by, and we would have loved to hear more, but we knew the singers needed to rest their voices for a second performance last evening. This is a very popular event, and seating is limited for each of several performances over two weekends in December. In fact, it's so popular, that I purchased advance tickets last summer.
In the past, we could only get tickets for evening performances of this Christmas event. Yesterday, though, our tickets were for 2:30 p.m. Since we traveled in daylight, I noticed, for the first time, the area's street names, and was amazed at how many reminded me of Christmas: Ivy Loop, Mt. Joy Road, Evergreen Road, Pine Tree Road, Twinkle Circle, Church Street, Holiday Mountain Road, Lemon Road (reminded me of "Troubles melt like lemon drops, Away above the chimney tops," from "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"), and Clarence Street (reminded me of Clarence the angel who earned his wings in "It's a Wonderful Life.")
Saturday, December 1, 2007
3:10 to Yuma movie
Last night, my husband and I decided to go see "3:10 to Yuma," an R-rated western starring Russell Crowe. The movie was shown at our partially renovated historic theater downtown. What this theater lacks in amenities, it makes up for with $2.00 per person ticket prices. Most of the films shown here are family oriented, but this is definitely not one of them.
The movie centers on a beleagured, war-injured, rancher who finds himself escorting captured bad guy Ben Wade (Crowe) to meet a train to Yuma prison, where he is to be hanged for too-many-to-count robberies and murders.
The movie's "R" rating is mainly for graphic violence, although there is also sporatic language in it, and one scene with partial nudity. This is a guy movie...not much romance. A couple of women have minor speaking roles - one is the sweet and docile wife of the rancher, the other is a shady lady saloon girl. But mostly the movie focuses on Indian ambushes, and gang violence.
The movie centers on a beleagured, war-injured, rancher who finds himself escorting captured bad guy Ben Wade (Crowe) to meet a train to Yuma prison, where he is to be hanged for too-many-to-count robberies and murders.
The movie's "R" rating is mainly for graphic violence, although there is also sporatic language in it, and one scene with partial nudity. This is a guy movie...not much romance. A couple of women have minor speaking roles - one is the sweet and docile wife of the rancher, the other is a shady lady saloon girl. But mostly the movie focuses on Indian ambushes, and gang violence.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Community Theatre
Last night was opening night for a comedy/drama presented by our local community theatre. The cast did a good job, despite opening night jitters that caused a few dropped lines. These momentary lapses no doubt made for high anxiety onstage until the actors recovered. I can relate, since years ago I tread (treaded? trod?) the boards myself a few times.
My husband and I have been involved in our local community theatre for about 25 years. Initially, we joined the group as a means of introducing ourselves to the community. But we soon became very active, both onstage and backstage. We took turns serving on the board of directors, as well. As a board member, I served as secretary for a couple of two-year terms, and then as publicity chairman for several years.
But as the years rolled on, we became less and less active. Neither of us has a desire anymore to give up six weeks to rehearsals, and we're not physically up to the heavy lifting that is sometimes required in set building. Minute-taking and publicity duties are in the capable and younger hands of others now.
I still serve on the board (at their insistence), but other than helping round out a quorum for voting by attending meetings regularly, and offering my ideas on projects, my main function is to round up ushers for productions. My husband and I fulfilled that duty for last night's performance. And I've lined up others for the remaining performances. So my job, paltry as it is, is done until the next production.
My husband and I have been involved in our local community theatre for about 25 years. Initially, we joined the group as a means of introducing ourselves to the community. But we soon became very active, both onstage and backstage. We took turns serving on the board of directors, as well. As a board member, I served as secretary for a couple of two-year terms, and then as publicity chairman for several years.
But as the years rolled on, we became less and less active. Neither of us has a desire anymore to give up six weeks to rehearsals, and we're not physically up to the heavy lifting that is sometimes required in set building. Minute-taking and publicity duties are in the capable and younger hands of others now.
I still serve on the board (at their insistence), but other than helping round out a quorum for voting by attending meetings regularly, and offering my ideas on projects, my main function is to round up ushers for productions. My husband and I fulfilled that duty for last night's performance. And I've lined up others for the remaining performances. So my job, paltry as it is, is done until the next production.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Woe is Me
Well, aggravation! When I flipped on the light switch in my office Saturday evening, nothing happened. Even with the glare from the computer screen, it's mighty dark in here without the overhead fluorescent light.
My husband did what he could to try to fix the light, but it soon became apparent that we needed an electrician. So he called one on Monday morning....he'd be here Tuesday afternoon, we were assured. Tuesday afternoon came and went with no electrician. Aggravation! He finally arrived this morning, about 11 a.m. It took him just minutes to fix the problem by replacing the ballast. He said he's been replacing a lot of these lately.
On Saturday, too, Mother, who lives next door, told us her plumbing wasn't working and water was backing up in the potty and elsewhere. Aggravation! A plumber was scheduled for yesterday afternoon and, thank goodness, he came as scheduled and fixed the tree-roots-clogging-a-pipe problem.
Still, I was frowny-faced over all this aggravation.
Then my husband got a call from his daughter this morning, saying that she had messed up her new month-old vehicle when she rear-ended another vehicle as she was turning into a shopping center. Her vehicle will require quite a bit of work but, gratefully, she wasn't hurt.
Also this morning, I got an e-mail from my daughter-in-law telling me that our three-year-old great-granddaughter has a viral infection with a temperature high enough to cause her to have a seizure that scared the wits out of everybody. Oh, and our new great-grandson has an ear infection, she said.
Sadly, too, we learned this afternoon that a friend died today. He and his wife just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary recently.
Light fixture and plumbing problems? Just blessings in disguise.
My husband did what he could to try to fix the light, but it soon became apparent that we needed an electrician. So he called one on Monday morning....he'd be here Tuesday afternoon, we were assured. Tuesday afternoon came and went with no electrician. Aggravation! He finally arrived this morning, about 11 a.m. It took him just minutes to fix the problem by replacing the ballast. He said he's been replacing a lot of these lately.
On Saturday, too, Mother, who lives next door, told us her plumbing wasn't working and water was backing up in the potty and elsewhere. Aggravation! A plumber was scheduled for yesterday afternoon and, thank goodness, he came as scheduled and fixed the tree-roots-clogging-a-pipe problem.
Still, I was frowny-faced over all this aggravation.
Then my husband got a call from his daughter this morning, saying that she had messed up her new month-old vehicle when she rear-ended another vehicle as she was turning into a shopping center. Her vehicle will require quite a bit of work but, gratefully, she wasn't hurt.
Also this morning, I got an e-mail from my daughter-in-law telling me that our three-year-old great-granddaughter has a viral infection with a temperature high enough to cause her to have a seizure that scared the wits out of everybody. Oh, and our new great-grandson has an ear infection, she said.
Sadly, too, we learned this afternoon that a friend died today. He and his wife just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary recently.
Light fixture and plumbing problems? Just blessings in disguise.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Easy Flower Angel Craft
Flower angels are pretty, and so easy to make:Supplies:
Silk roses - any color, but we like white, pink or burgundy
Wooden bead head
Doll hair - any color you choose
Glitter chanille stems, or other material that can be used as a halo
Netting or wide ribbon to be used for wings
Narrow ribbon, pearl or gold bead strings, or whatever suits for decorations
Craft glue
Instructions:
The body of the angel is a rose turned upside down (we use two roses fitted together...pull the rose petals off one rose and feed them onto the stem of another rose, to make the dress fuller). Cut the stem, but leave enough so that you can feed a bead onto it. Fill the bead head with craft glue and insert the stem. Cut enough doll hair to cover the bead. Curl the hair by pulling a butter knive through it. Glue to bead head. Form a halo from the chanille stem and glue to hair. Make wings from netting (or make bow from ribbon) and glue to back of angel, just under the head.
These angels are nice on the Christmas tree, or as Christmas package decorations. They also make great last-minute token gifts, or Christmas ornament exchange gifts.
Monday, November 26, 2007
The Eclectic Christmas Tree
Our eclectic Christmas tree is as lively as the white Christmas tree is soothing. This artificial tree is in the sunroom and stands about eight feet tall, with bushy limbs that brush the floor. We trim the tree in miniature colored lights, and garlands of wooden cranberries. After that, anything goes.
The traditional parade of santas, snowmen, toy soldiers, etc., are represented, but there's also some unusual stuff, not generally thought of as Christmas ornaments. Like three 3-inch square empty boxes that once contained teabags from Harrods department store in London. My stepdaughter brought these to us as a souvenir from her trip to England. To preserve the gift as a memory, I tuck them into the branches of the tree.
I also tuck small breath mint tins from Rome into the tree. These were souvenir gifts from a former co-worker. There's a Korean figure, meant as a refrigerator magnet, still in it's plastic bag, on the tree, too. This came from a granddaughter who visited that country.
Our own travels are not so far-flung. But there are souvenirs on the tree from those trips, as well. Many of them are keychains. I discovered years ago that these inexpensive items, some of which feature photos or pictures of the area, hang nicely on the tree. One from Texas is a cowboy hat, and one from another trip is a camera that features area pictures when you look through the viewfinder and click it.
Other things that I've tucked or hung on the tree include four "Little Little Golden Books." These books are about three inches square, and contain full Golden Book stories. I got them at a flea market, and my husband drilled holes in the top bindings for cords to hang them. They are cute.
There are also "scrolls" on the tree. These were actually menus, written on parchment paper, and rolled up for guests attending a local high school Madrigal Feaste event. "Lorde" and "Ladye" (and our names) are hand-printed on the scrolls. Another scroll tells the story of "The Legend of the Christmas Spider."
The eclectic tree also reflects our lifestyle, with fishing theme ornaments, cameras, gardening tools, cars pulling campers, Shih Tzu dog ornaments, patriotic ornaments, a stuffed animal that represents our favorite basketball team, and grandchildren pictures. Handmade ornaments are here, too, like the crocheted bear, made by my mother, and the glittery ones made by grandchildren years ago.
Trimming this tree is always a walk down memory lane. And it's the favorite of family who visit during the season.
The traditional parade of santas, snowmen, toy soldiers, etc., are represented, but there's also some unusual stuff, not generally thought of as Christmas ornaments. Like three 3-inch square empty boxes that once contained teabags from Harrods department store in London. My stepdaughter brought these to us as a souvenir from her trip to England. To preserve the gift as a memory, I tuck them into the branches of the tree.
I also tuck small breath mint tins from Rome into the tree. These were souvenir gifts from a former co-worker. There's a Korean figure, meant as a refrigerator magnet, still in it's plastic bag, on the tree, too. This came from a granddaughter who visited that country.
Our own travels are not so far-flung. But there are souvenirs on the tree from those trips, as well. Many of them are keychains. I discovered years ago that these inexpensive items, some of which feature photos or pictures of the area, hang nicely on the tree. One from Texas is a cowboy hat, and one from another trip is a camera that features area pictures when you look through the viewfinder and click it.
Other things that I've tucked or hung on the tree include four "Little Little Golden Books." These books are about three inches square, and contain full Golden Book stories. I got them at a flea market, and my husband drilled holes in the top bindings for cords to hang them. They are cute.
There are also "scrolls" on the tree. These were actually menus, written on parchment paper, and rolled up for guests attending a local high school Madrigal Feaste event. "Lorde" and "Ladye" (and our names) are hand-printed on the scrolls. Another scroll tells the story of "The Legend of the Christmas Spider."
The eclectic tree also reflects our lifestyle, with fishing theme ornaments, cameras, gardening tools, cars pulling campers, Shih Tzu dog ornaments, patriotic ornaments, a stuffed animal that represents our favorite basketball team, and grandchildren pictures. Handmade ornaments are here, too, like the crocheted bear, made by my mother, and the glittery ones made by grandchildren years ago.
Trimming this tree is always a walk down memory lane. And it's the favorite of family who visit during the season.
White Christmas Tree
On Saturday, we trimmed what we call the white Christmas tree. It's actually a green artificial tree, but most of the decorations for it are either white or clear, and with the white silk poinsettia blossoms, strands of clear twinkle lights, and pearl garlands, it appears white.
This living room tree, my husband's favorite, is in full view from the dining room, and he likes to dim the lights and look at it during meals. I like the tree, too, for the special ornaments on it, like a small, white ceramic spoon filled with frankinscence and myrrh and wrapped in white netting. I bought this ornament several years ago at a local craft fair. At the same craft fair a few years later, I bought a delicate hand-blown clear glass camel with gold trim. Both ornaments are imports from the Middle East, and were being sold to raise money for a church mission.
Another prized ornament is a Swarovski crystal star, given to me as a gift. I love how it's prisms catch the light. And then there are the wonderful crocheted snowflakes, made by my mother, the delicate string art geometric ornaments I got as an exchange gift at one of the organizations I belong to, and the ceramic doves and angels made by the same friend who made my Christmas village. I'm especially fond, too, of a couple of porcelain angels made by the very talented wife of a former co-worker. I got these as an office exchange gift a year or so before he and I both retired.
There are other handmade ornaments on the tree, too, made by both Mother and me. Most of the ornaments, though, are ones we've collected in our travels...some glass, like a beautiful little hummingbird that Mother gave me for Christmas one year...and others made of clear acylic.
The tree is not spectacular, but it is pretty, and its overall monotone white is relaxing and peaceful. Add soothing instrumental Christmas music, and the living room is a favorite haven from chaos during this busy season.
This living room tree, my husband's favorite, is in full view from the dining room, and he likes to dim the lights and look at it during meals. I like the tree, too, for the special ornaments on it, like a small, white ceramic spoon filled with frankinscence and myrrh and wrapped in white netting. I bought this ornament several years ago at a local craft fair. At the same craft fair a few years later, I bought a delicate hand-blown clear glass camel with gold trim. Both ornaments are imports from the Middle East, and were being sold to raise money for a church mission.
Another prized ornament is a Swarovski crystal star, given to me as a gift. I love how it's prisms catch the light. And then there are the wonderful crocheted snowflakes, made by my mother, the delicate string art geometric ornaments I got as an exchange gift at one of the organizations I belong to, and the ceramic doves and angels made by the same friend who made my Christmas village. I'm especially fond, too, of a couple of porcelain angels made by the very talented wife of a former co-worker. I got these as an office exchange gift a year or so before he and I both retired.
There are other handmade ornaments on the tree, too, made by both Mother and me. Most of the ornaments, though, are ones we've collected in our travels...some glass, like a beautiful little hummingbird that Mother gave me for Christmas one year...and others made of clear acylic.
The tree is not spectacular, but it is pretty, and its overall monotone white is relaxing and peaceful. Add soothing instrumental Christmas music, and the living room is a favorite haven from chaos during this busy season.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
The Christmas Village
We like to get our Christmas decorating done as quickly after Thanksgiving as possible, preferably during Thanksgiving weekend. The last couple of years, however, family obligations took us away from home, and we couldn't decorate until well into the first week of December. But this year we're home, so we're decking the halls.
Last Friday, we put the Christmas village up on the mantel. Because I have collected quite a few pieces, putting the village up is always a frustrating undertaking that tries my husband's patience and my Christmas cheer. Each piece needs electricity, so Hubby uses a variety of outlet bars and a tangle of cords to get them (grumble and groan) hooked up.
Also, since the pieces are fairly large, we have to finagle them onto two levels in order to show them to best advantage. Hubby and I seem to be all arms and elbows that get in each other's way and threaten to knock the pieces to the floor in our struggle to get them placed just right. But once they are up and lighted, they always make us smile.
Our Christmas village is one of a kind, nothing like the collectibles that are commercially produced. The ceramic pieces, made locally by a friend, are charming in their imperfections. Each year, for several years, she made one or two especially for me, and by the time she quit making them, I had collected sixteen pieces. The schoolhouse, church, log cabin, and family dwelling pictured above are a few of them. I also have a fire station, a library, a courthouse, and a Victorian home, among others.
We enjoy the village so much that after Christmas we call it a winter village so we can have an excuse to leave it up until the end of January.
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