Monday, December 1

Hard to believe that another December has rolled around. It seems like no time at all since we were in a mad rush to Christmas last year.

Today dawned cold and windy. I was ready to resume water aerobics, but I dreaded that the pool would be cold, and YOWIE, it was. One member said she nearly left as soon as she stepped into the water. In fact, there was a slim crowd there this morning. But once we braved the first shock, we got used to it and enjoyed the workout.

Our regular leader was back on board. Apparently, she was diagnosed with anemia from a B-12 deficiency. She commented to me that it's strange that "a skinny person like you has a heart attack, and a fat person like me is anemic."

After I got back home and ready for the day, we spruced the house, getting ready for the media crew from the high school to come and record my heart disease survivor story tomorrow. Apparently, they want to film me talking while I pretend to be working on a craft...I've chosen embossing a greeting card.

Then, they want to follow me around while I straighten the house. So I'll leave the newspaper and a couple of magazines on the couch to pick up and put on an end table, and I'll put some dishes in the dishwasher, and put place mats on the dining room table...just "busy work." They plan to do a voice over for this segment of the film, with me talking about the warning signs of a heart attack, etc.

Right now, I'm not nervous about all this, but I'll probably trip all over my tongue as soon as they stick the camera in my face. So I hope they don't plan to get what they want in one take.
You'd think that since I've been in several community theater plays, I wouldn't be nervous, but there's a big difference in performing onstage to an audience that you can occasionally hear coughing or shuffling in their seats, but that you can't see under bright stage lights, and playing to an audience of one or two up close and personal in your living room.

I've only been filmed one other time, and that was for a local company that manufactures automatic toothbrushes. I was one of several community theater members who participated in the commercial, in which I praised the merits of the device, while I "worked" in the kitchen.

I was nervous then, too, to the point that my mouth went dry and my lips quivered when I tried to smile. After a couple of takes, the crew accepted my attempt. In payment, I was given a free toothbrush and a copy of the tape. Thankfully, the tape was designed only to be used in dentists' offices where the toothbrush was sold.

After supper tonight, Hubbie and I went to the WDCS and bought new decorator pillows for the den couch, and new dish towels for the kitchen to freshen those rooms. We've cleared all the kitchen counters, and den and living room tables of unnecessary clutter, so the house will look presentable up on the big screen. I'm a pretty relaxed housekeeper, and our house usually looks very lived in, but tomorrow I want it to look "company ready."

On our way to the WDCS, we were treated to a phenomenon in the night sky...the crescent moon, with the very bright planets of Venus and Jupiter, formed a spectacular triangle. I'd heard on the TV news at 5 p.m. that this wonder of nature was to occur, but forgot about it until I saw it. I'm sure glad I didn't miss it.