aw, blush! she called me beautiful!

I would like to thank Sandie for awarding this Beautiful Blogger award to me. One thing I enjoy about blogging is getting to know members of the community, on a personal level. If one is an open writer, readers get to know the blogger on a personal level, but what I refer to is emailing one another "behind the scenes." Sandie is one of those friends. She has a kind and giving heart. She is encouraging and loving, lifting each and everyone of her readers up on a daily basis.
I am an open blogger, and am now supposed to share ten things that my readers do not know about me. I will choose to share facts about my past that formed who I am as an adult.
1. I was a Girl Scout from second grade through my junior year of high school. I earned the "First Class" award which is equivalent to Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts. My mother was my leader and I earned about every badge one could earn. I had badges down the front and up the back of my sash. I believe people thought my mother was easy on me in the badge earning department, when in truth, she was harder on me than anyone else. I grew up going to Girl Scout camp- Camp Windigo in Upland, IN. Some people might be "home sick," but come springtime, I would become camp sick with a strong yearning to pack up and be at camp. I was camper, kitchen aid and finally counselor.
2. I played violin for one year in grade school. I enjoyed the violin, but at the end of the year we had to play "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," and I was so embarrassed, I could not continue with the study of violin.
3. I started playing flute in the sixth grade and played flute through my senior year. In marching band, I played piccolo. I adored being a "band geek." People who make fun of band geeks have no idea the glory and honor of being a member of the band. Especially marching band. The band was my family. Our director was both mother and father. I LOVED my director and wrote a piece for my hometown paper honoring him upon his retirement. My most embarrassing moment in band was at band camp, when the girls were housed in a boy's dorm. In the middle of the night, my best friend and I went to the restroom and I was curious to see what would happen when I flushed the urinal. It overflowed all over the floor and we had to run to get one of the chaperones. I was sitting in the grass the next morning and the director came over and nudged me with his foot and said "what was that all about last night, Lindsey?"
I was fiercely competitive in band and if I wasn't sitting first chair I was pissed and would win it back the next week in challenges.
4. My church membership is with the Foursquare Pentecostal Church. I was deeply involved with Foursquare from age 15-30. I have heard every joke there is about running the aisles and jumping the pews. I think Aimee Simple McPherson must have been very courageous and intelligent even though my Great-Grandma told me that she was "quite scandalous." I still enjoy going back to my hometown and attending Foursquare with members of my family.
5. I was on speech team from 8th through 12th grade and although I wasn't the best, it taught me to be a confident public speaker.
6. From age twelve on, I sang solos in church. Because our choir director believed in me and encouraged me, I was able to begin singing solos. The worst thing about being a soloist in church is that everyone in the church knows your name and I always felt like I didn't know any of their names. I always felt is easier to sing for the masses rather than a few. The masses are a blur. A few are individuals. I was taught not only to imagine my audience in their underwear, but to ask myself how many of my listeners would get up in front to do what I was doing.
7. I only went to college for one year and quit to get married. Something I vowed neither of my children would ever do. (And they did not.) I went back to school in '97 and graduated with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in Natural Resources. I have to say my graduation day was one of the happiest of my life. I love continuing education.
8. I was a writer before I ever went back to school. I had a column entitled "Flip Side," which I wrote about my life, my children, observances. I have always felt that I see things from a little bit different angle than others. When I went back to school everyone thought I would study Journalism. With Journalism, less is more. With English majors, more is more. I want to fight for every single one of my words...not be chopped.
9. I was married for eleven years and about half of that time was heavenly, the other half was not. My life has always been very calculated and planned out and both of my children were planned and conceived purposely.
10. I am still amazed to call myself "artist." I have only been on my art journey for about one and a half years and love the growth and freedom it has brought into my life. My mother told me that I was supposed to be artistic because I am a Libra. No one ever told me. I am thankful and grateful every day for my friend Carol who insisted on and encouraged me to begin.

Now to tag others...
1. My beloved Jenny Sue who is sunshine and goodness and happiness and beauty.
2. A new friend Cherie, who is a local gal that I have yet to meet.
3. Another Hoosier woman from "the region," who is fascinating, Jayme.
4. Christine at Front Porch Indiana.
5. Al at Adventures of Killer and Fruitbat- he is a Corgi dad and we both have orange cats!
6. Kate at Sweet Potato Pie...one of the first blogs I ever started to read...now facebook friend and email friend, too!
7. Lisa, a local gal that I have met... & love...
8. The other Cheryl
9. Pam with her yummy recipes.
10. My long lost twin sister, Susan.

There you have it...ten little known facts de moi- parts of my life that have formed who I am today. If you have been tagged, say something about me, tell us ten little known facts about you and tag ten others!
M-WAH! Thanks Sandie! XO

Avenue Q

On Tuesday evening Doug and I went to see Avenue Q. We saw an off-Broadway show here on campus at the University. Avenue Q The Musical
Broadway cast

I include this photo of the Broadway cast because it is probably the one and only time I've ever "known" someone who has been on Broadway. Front and center, in the brown top, is Carey Anderson, originally from my hometown of New Castle, Indiana. With the Broadway cast of Avenue Q, Carey played the roles of Kate Monster and Lucy T. Slut. About twenty years ago, Carey, my daughter and myself did a show together at the Guyer Opera House- Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. Carey played the narrator. She has a fabulous voice. You can go to her website and give her a listen. My daughter played Benjamin, the youngest brother. All of the brothers wore overalls. My daughter was only about ten years old and wore a baseball cap, backwards. I remember people saying after the show..."I didn't realize that was her!" I played Potifer's wife, the seductress. My Dad told me I was the best whore he had ever seen. Honestly, I didn't do too well with that part. I wasn't confident enough or comfortable enough to do that role justice. I had a slinky sixties version outfit with a keyhole cutout at a strategic point, dead-center of my bosoms, so I suppose for some, that was good enough. I digress.

Prior to the show, Doug took me to dinner at Malibu, one of my favorite restaurants. (Disclaimer: No endorsement, coupon, discount from said restaurant for prior statement.) Prior to pontificating. This may be the thinking stage. the wind up"um, well..." "according to ME...""and there you have it."

I had my glasses at the restaurant. It was still sunny when we left to head to the theatre, so I put on my sunglasses. Then, we dashed, and I mean dashed to the theatre and when we get there, I rummaged through my purse to find my glasses. Nada. No glasses. Fortunately, I had a pair of "light" sunglasses, because I can't see further than three or four feet beyond. So, there I sat, watching the show, looking as I just flew in to Indiana from Hollywood, wearing my sunglasses while I watched the show. stairway to the super-secret ladies room


At intermission, as usual, there was a mega-uber huge line for the ladies room. An extremely helpful young usher directed a handful of us, upstairs...to the super-secret ladies room.

I loved Avenue Q.

The puppets were hilarious. As Doug put it after the show "I've never seen puppets having sex before." Yes, if you go see Avenue Q, prepare thyself, because you do see puppets, naked puppets, having sex. This show is for mature audiences only. I enjoyed the music and the words to the songs...here are the words of one of my favorite songs from the show.

A Fine Line

There's a fine, fine line between a lover and a friend;

There's a fine, fine line between reality and pretend;

And you never know 'til you reach the top if it was worth the uphill climb.

There's a fine, fine line between love

And a waste of time.

There's a fine, fine line between a fairy tale and a lie;

And there's a fine, fine line between "You're wonderful" and "Goodbye."

I guess if someone doesn't love you back it isn't such a crime,

But there's a fine, fine line between love

And a waste of your time.

And I don't have the time to waste on you anymore.

I don't think that you even know what you're looking for.

For my own sanity, I've got to close the door

And walk away...Oh...

There's a fine, fine line

between together and not

And there's a fine, fine line between what you wanted and what you got.

You gotta go after the things you want while you're still in your prime...

There's a fine, fine line between love

And a waste of time.

intermission

set - on stage

puppet wandering out into the audiences. (note the orb)

Doug snagged us some great tickets in the eleventh row. There were times I was about to fall out of my seat laughing. It was quite unfortunate that I lost my glasses. I have never before lost a pair of prescription glasses. I'm hoping they will turn up. In the mean time, I'm wearing old glasses. Not my most up-to-date prescription, but prescription nonetheless.

A friend of mine thought she was oh, so clever when she said "I heard Avenue Q was a comedy, but you may have found it to be rather dark. Oh, ha, ha.

So, if you get the chance, see Avenue Q.

not quite juvenile DELINQUENT

Last Saturday, my friend Rene and I went to the movies to see Date Night. I figured with Steve Carell and Tina Fey, you couldn't go wrong.
When I met Rene, she said she might see "two movies." I said "oh yeah, two for one?"

Mark Wahlberg sans shirt

As expected, Date Night is funny. At times, hilariously so. (J.B. Smoove as the cab driver,) other times there was just a teensy bit too much "sticht," as when Tina Fey repeatedly walks into the drawers that Carell leaves open. This isn't too funny to me anyway, as I have a habit of walking into desks, drawers, doorways. I have the bruises to prove it, just can't tell you where or when I walked into what. Mark Ruffalo makes an appearance. He is a favorite heart throb of mine. My favorite scene was near the end when Fey's character does the "1,2,3" count-down to the mobsters like you would with a child.

When Date Night concluded and we realized we might be able to make the 3:30 showing of "Clash of the Titans," and especially after I saw rain pouring down, we went for it. I have NEVER snuck into a movie, ever, in my life. It was fun. I have to admit, we went in and sat down and I kept waiting for someone to come in and fetch us. Rene said "what is the worst that can happen? They catch us and either ask us to leave or make us pay for the movie." Well, we didn't get caught.

Growing up, my mother convinced me somehow that if or when I ever did do anything wrong, I would get caught in the act, right then or there. Although I graduated in the late 70's, I never smoked pot and would leave any party where others smoked pot. (Which mean, consequently, that I left every party that I ever went to.)...so I expected someone to come into the movie and shine the spotlight on us, saying "YOU, come here!" It truly took a little while for me to sit back, relax and enjoy.

Clash of the Titans is your basic good versus evil, man versus the universe and man thinks he can do it all, all on his own. I have to admit, even with all of the gore and monsters and goo and fighting, I was a little bored at times. Clash is truly a "guy movie." Looking like someone straight out of West Point, Sam Worthington plays Perseus. His "god mother" of sorts, Io, is played by Gemma Atherton. She is cursed with agelessness and isn't she ageless in real life, as well?

What is in that big ol' bag of his? hmmmm?

"here, son, don't spend it all in one place."

Which witch? Ralph Fiennes as Hades

Now, we all know that no matter what part Ralph Fiennes plays, he is one bad-ass dude. He is fairly terrifying as Hades. When Clash was over, Rene turned to me and said "well, at least we didn't pay for that one." If you are into mythology, or curious, you might rent this one, or sneak in and not pay at all. It was a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon. Here is to my new life of crime as a delinquent.