Painted Maypole

This is the end: Daily Gratitude 30

2009-11-30T17:00:00.001-06:00

I am grateful that November is over. Not because I'm ready for Christmas. Or that another year is swiftly drawing to a close. November wasn't a bad month. I'm grateful that November is over because it is the last day of NaBloPoMo. On November 1st I insanely decided to join this posting every day thing... and not only did I post every day, but I gave myself a theme of Daily Gratitude. This meant that I actually posted MORE than 30 posts in November (this one makes 35) since my Monday Mission posts and the ONE Theatre Thursday post I managed to pull off didn't fit the theme.

Am I glad I did it?

Hmmm....

Well, it was good to pause at least once each day to think about what I was grateful for. And some of those pauses turned into interesting posts I think, such about my posts about patience and getting educated by my lovely daughter. But mostly I feel that the daily gratitude posts kept me from the regular type of posting I do. In some ways that was handy. It was a busy month, and I didn't have to think much about what to post. I also allowed myself to keep the posts brief. But in some ways I wonder what posts I lost because I wasn't thinking outside of the gratitude box.

Would I do it again?

Probably not. Although I have learned to never say never.

So... goodbye November and NaBloPoMo. Goodbye Daily Gratitude posting (but I will still be feeling grateful every day, I just won't be posting about it ad nauseum).

We now return to out regularly scheduled programming.

Whatever that is.

My Deepest Regrets: Monday Mission

2009-11-30T06:00:00.001-06:00

Dear Faithful Readers,

I regret to inform you that I will be unable to participate in this week's Monday Mission. Since my return from vacation I have, in addition to putting up the Christmas decorations, been seized with a desire to banish clutter, dirt, dust bunnies and other various unpleasantries. Also, I have attended 2 auditions, the usual church commitments, and have, of course, my 3 actual jobs to juggle. The shopping needs doing, the hair needs dying, there are cards to be written and mailed, presents to be shopped for, and holiday cheer to be had. And of course, there's the commitment I made, in a fit of insanity, to NaBloPoMo. The duties of the Mission must, regretfully, be left to others this Monday. However, I am sure you will find some suitable reads in the widget below (per usual) and hope that you will consider taking on this Mission yourself in my absence.

Regretfully yours,

Painted Maypole

This post has been a Monday Mission. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write a letter in the style of a letter of regret. Play along, and post a link to your regrets in the widget below.

And join us next MONTH (new month, new missions!) when our mission will be to write posts in the following styles:

Dec 6 Table of Contents

Dec 13 Shopping List

Dec 20 A Holiday Tune (inspired by Jeri's 12 Days of Christmas spin-off)

Dec 27 a Bumper Sticker and/or Vanity Plate

[and just for fun (or extra credit? ooohhh... I LOVE getting extra credit!) the Monday Mission I DIDN'T go with:

Dear Dust Bunnies,

I regret to inform you that you must find a new home. You are being banished via broom and vacuum. Your friends the fur balls, the dust layers and the counter grime will be evicted as well. Maybe you can find a new place to be roommates. Please forward this note to the clutter and window streaks as well. Mama's on a Mission. A Monday Mission, in fact.

(not so) regretfully yours,

The lady with the Oreck and a crazed looked in her eye]

The Bard: Daily Gratitude 29

2009-11-29T22:04:00.003-06:00

I'm grateful for the fabulous words of Shakespeare, which I got to perform on a stage today. With any luck (and much ado) I'll soon be doing more of that.

(At least there's one Shakespeare I'm happy with. Shakespeare the cat is still in the proverbial doghouse... see previous post)

Finding the Good: Daily Gratitude 28

2009-11-28T23:29:00.005-06:00

I'm grateful for the perfect NOLA moment I had earlier today: sitting in Jackson Square amidst the street performers and painters, three kids stood above me on a balcony yelling "We love your city!" Me too, kids, me too.

I'm grateful that tonight I get to sleep in my own bed, next to my husband.

I'm grateful that that same husband got new tires for my car while I was gone.

I'm grateful that the May Queen wants to help me decorate for Christmas, even if that means I have to do things differently to allow her to participate.

I'm grateful I had a frozen lasagna in the freezer.

I'm grateful to be writing this post on my computer, and not my iphone, like I've been doing for the past week.

I'm grateful for the neighbors who helped us move the couch out onto the screened in porch after we discovered the cat had been peeing on it. And I'm grateful that that 5 year warranty we bought 4 1/2 years ago covers cat urine.

I'm not finding much to be grateful about with my cat, though. I guess I am grateful for this exercise in daily gratitude. At the end of a long day when I'm tired and crabby, it's good to sit down and think of things in the day that I AM grateful for. May they outweigh the bad moments in my mind and in my heart.

Small price to pay: Daily Gratitude 27

2009-11-27T21:32:00.003-06:00

I'm grateful for two auditions this weekend, and a husband who is picking me up at the airport, headshot, resume and script in hand, and taking me to the theatre (and taking MQ to the aquarium to pass the time). I'm not particularly grateful that this means I have to get up at 6am to make myself look pretty before heading to the airport for a 2 1/2 hour flight, but a girl can't complain too much.

---------------

Monday's mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write a post in the style of a letter of regret.

Thanksgiving: Daily Gratitude 26

2009-11-26T21:42:00.002-06:00

I'm grateful for a loud and full Thanksgiving celebration: for stampeding children and piles of tasty food and flowing wine and the convergence of family. I'm grateful for an adorable nephew who shares my love of sharks and insists that he hates when I give him a zerbert (aka "raspberry") but keeps coming back for more, amidst peals of laughter.

And thousands of miles away, I'm reminded how thankful I am for my husband, who is generous enough to share his wife and daughter with other family, while he is home alone. Who for 13 years has been steady and sure, providing for me and for our daughter. Who has allowed me much freedom to do the things I love.

And, of course, I am grateful for The May Queen. Her presence in my life has taught me things about love I didn't know I had to learn.

I am blessed beyond measure.

Hope: Daily Gratitude 25

2009-11-25T22:11:00.003-06:00

I'm grateful for a ray of hope, in a situation that was starting to feel hopeless.

And I'm thankful for "anonymous" for keeping the comments coming, and all that great unsolicited information (although I guess I may have to add that dratted word verification thing on comments soon, for which I apologize to the rest of you.).

"Friends are friends forever:"Daily Gratitude 24

2009-11-24T22:16:00.003-06:00

I'm grateful for a day spent with my oldest friend. I'm grateful for our 22 years of friendship, and the freshmen cheerleading squad that brought us together.

Home for the Holidays: Daily Gratitude 23

2009-11-23T18:58:00.001-06:00

I'm grateful for real apple cider and donuts. You can't quite duplicate them in Louisiana. It's too late in the season to see the presses running, and the fall activities at the farm have all been closed down, replaced with the first crop of Christmas trees. But still. Cider at the farm. Delightful.

I'm grateful that a few tress are still showing their fall colors. Of all the seasons we lose in the south, I miss fall the most. It's the tail end of fall here in Michigan. Most of the trees are bare and the landscape is brown and forlorn. 48 degrees is colder than just about any day in New Orleans. But it makes a cozy sweatshirt all the better, and the warmth of reading in the living room near a fire or gathering around the table for some family competition (games!) all the more welcoming.

I'm grateful for sleeping in, then waking up to pumpkin pancakes. I'm grateful for time to color and play trains. I'm grateful that even though my parents have moved twice since I was married and moved out, their house still feels like coming home.

The 23rd of Gratitude: Monday Mission

2009-11-22T22:45:00.003-06:00

Generous
Reigning
Attitude
Takes
Interesting
Turns
Under
Daily
Examination

This post has been a Monday Mission. Your mission, should you choose to acept it, is to write a post in the style of an acrostic. Normally I would tell you to post a link to your post in the widget below, but since I'm doing this on my iPhone, this post is kinky free. Please put a link to your post in you comment. Thanks.

Join us next week, when your mission will be to write a post in the style of a letter of regret.

Daily Gratitude 22

2009-11-22T19:30:00.004-06:00

I'm grateful for delicious homecooked meals that I didn't have to make. I'm grateful for family, and especially for The May Queen and her cousin who are now old enough to play well together with little direction or refereeing. I'm grateful to be sleeping in my childhood bed. I'm wishing that my husband had been able to come, too, but am grateful that he encouraged the May Queen and I to come without him. I'm grateful that friends are including him in their Thanksgiving plans.

I'm also grateful for my iPhone, which is making this post possible. However, that may make my posts this week extra short. This keypad is pretty small!

...Ain't got time to take a fast train: Daily Gratitude 21

2009-11-21T17:00:00.002-06:00

I'm really grateful for airplanes.

Trust me, I have horror stories of sleeping on the floor at the Atlanta airport, and the Northwest Airlines employees who kept insisting we would be leaving in the blizzard "any minute," and who refused to get our luggage for us or change our reservation when we finally called my brother to come and get us. The Detroit Metro airport was then closed for 3 days, and we had made it out just in time.

I hate the expensive airport food and the way they make you take off your shoes before you can pass through security.

I hate the uncomfortable seats with no leg room and the sad excuse of a meal they feed you, if you're lucky.

I hate having to entertain a child on the flight.

I really hate when they lose your luggage.

But I am still grateful. Because otherwise it would be very difficult to visit our family. Which is what The May Queen and I are doing right now. Thanks to the airplane.

________________________
Reminder: Monday's mission is to write a post in the form of an acrostic.

Make
It
Silly
Serious
Irreverent
Or
Nonsensical

...just do it!

family and libraries: Daily Gratitude 20

2009-11-20T22:07:00.003-06:00

I'm grateful for relatives in town... two different sets attending two different conferences (yay, New Orleans!) and getting to spend time with them.

I'm also thankful for public libraries. And the kind and gentle people who work at them, such as the lady who did not get outwardly irritated with the woman who kept insisting she wanted to borrow a Twilight book, and didn't understand that they were all checked out. Because half the known world is reading them at the moment. And the other woman who kept her good humor when a man kept loudly insisting that it wasn't free, because he paid his taxes. True enough, she agreed. She paid her taxes, too.

I paid my taxes, too, and headed straight to the far less popular drama aisle. The books I wanted were in.

Free, fabulous theatre: Daily Gratitude 19

2009-11-19T23:38:00.003-06:00

I'm grateful for excellent theatre. For free.

I ushered tonight, thereby getting me into the show for free (a trick I've been doing since college. When I moved to Los Angeles and called theatres offering to do this, they were SHOCKED. Some insisted on paying me it. It was crazy. A town full of actors who weren't trying to see real live acting for free? Nutty. )

The play was beautiful, a Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning script. But the execution was... divine. I had the joy of playing opposite the actor 2 years ago, and know him to be one of the most talented people I've met here. Or anywhere, for that matter. And, he's one heck of a nice guy. And funny as all get out.

And, as tonight proved, incredibly versatile and brilliant. Bloody brilliant. Tonight was THE ONLY NIGHT I could see the show, what with my own shows and going out of town for the holiday. And I'm SO glad I made the effort to go. More than worth it. Even if I HAD paid.

Skimming the fat:: Daily Gratitude 18

2009-11-18T22:28:00.003-06:00

I'm grateful for a size four.

A SIZE FOUR.

I've lost 23 pounds.

3 pants sizes.

I didn't think it was possible. I never would have thought, frankly, that I had that much to lose.

This summer I came home from camping and put new batteries in my scale. It hadn't worked in months, but my clothes were getting tighter and I knew that I was heading in the wrong direction. The scale just showed me how much.

I decided it was time to get serious. I lost 5 pounds before heading off to a week in Cabo, during which I gained 2 of those pounds back. I wasn't too discouraged, though, I expected that.

Then I discovered Lose It!, a free iphone application that helped me track calories. I programmed the app with my height and weight, and my goal weight. I decided how many pounds I wanted to lose each week, and it told me how many calories I could eat each day. I put in everything I ate, and most of the time the application actually had the numbers. Occasionally I would do a google search and use the function that allowed me to put in my own numbers and create a new food.

Having the numbers in front of me made decisions pretty easy. Hmmm... 12 chips at 140 calories or countless carrots for 40?

I soon realized that the app assumes you sit around on your butt all day. I started putting in all my activity, like housecleaning. It motivated me to be more active... cleaning for an hour could literally afford me a glass of wine in the evening.

And not so slowly, but definitely surely, the weight came off. I didn't exercise per se, because I didn't have time, although I did look to add activity whenever possible. Every other time I've tried to lose weight I tried through exercise and a slightly restricted diet.

Nothing worked like this. Calorie counting. Simple math.

And Lose It! made it so easy. Less guess work. And serious results. The results became the motivation.

When I hit my "dream goal" of 18 pounds, I decided to keep going.

23 pounds.

I still can't believe it.

But all those new pants I bought today? They make it pretty real.

There is one serious downside, though. Care to guess how many companies I've found that make pants in a size four LONG? Here's a hint... you'll only need one appendage.

(I'm slightly nervous about posting this. Let me be clear that I know I was not fat before. I am lucky enough to say that I have never been what a doctor would call overweight. I was on the higher end of a healthy weight, and decided I finally wanted to get serious about seeing if I could get it back down. I am proud of myself, and so share this with you. But I also know that I was born with tall, skinny genes that I inherited from my father. I am, and almost always have been, grateful for that. I have many, many friends who have struggled for years and years with their weight, and I have not had to deal with it in the same way they have. Weight is a touchy issue among women. I know. For this very reason I rarely discuss it with my friends. Or on this blog.

also... this is in no way a sponsored review or anything. I am simply sharing what worked for me.)

A baby: Daily Gratitude 17

2009-11-17T22:58:00.002-06:00

I talked to an old friend on the phone today. She is scheduled to have a c-section next Wednesday. Her first child, a son. One whom we have hoped and prayed for for years. We are so excited, and so hopeful, and so filled with joy.

I am grateful for new life and the love it brings.

Family dinner: Daily Gratitude 16

2009-11-16T22:57:00.001-06:00

I'm grateful for the opportunity to cook an actual meal for my family. And eat it all together. And not rush off to rehearsal after.

We sing a song in praise of pants: Monday Mission

2009-11-16T12:40:00.003-06:00

dedicated to Alejna

We sing a song in praise of pants
We lift our voices loud and strong
Oh won’t you come and join our dance?

Oh ring the bell and bang a gong
A rat-a-tat and ding ding dong
Oh won’t you come and join our dance?

In skinny jeans and a sarong
Or worn out sweats, shirt from Hong Kong
Oh won’t you come and join our dance?

At home or work or play pants belong
So many styles you can’t go wrong
We sing a song in praise of pants.

We wear them short; we wear them long
Go cowboy style or with a thong
Oh won’t you come and join our dance?

There’s room for all so come along
Hop up, take part in our joyful throng
We sing a song in praise of pants
Oh won’t you come and join our dance?

______________________

This week's mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write a post in the form a Villanelle. (A Villanelle is a type of poetry. Follow that link for an explanation of the "rules" of a villanelle. One famous example of a villanelle is Dylan Thomas' poem Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night) If you play along, please put a link to your post in the widget below:

And join us next week, when your mission is to write a post in the style of an Acrostic (you know, those poems they made you write in grade school where you wrote a word down the page, and then each line started with the letter... You could do a THANKSGIVING one, just like you did back in third grade this time of year, or you could come up with your own word)

Rock n Roll: Daily Gratitude 15

2009-11-15T22:13:00.004-06:00

I'm grateful the festival is over, fun though it was. I'm looking forward to a few quiet evenings at home. I'm looking forward to catching up on some things I've let go. I'm looking forward to some good nights of sleep. I'm looking forward to tucking my daughter into bed.

I'm grateful I had the opportunity to work in 2 wildly different shows, with two very different companies, playing several varied characters.

I'm grateful for a cadre of good babysitters, and a few good friends, who make it possible for me to be away from home when my husband is also away.

And I'm extraordinarily grateful for a husband who allows the craziness that accompanies so many of my theatrical endeavors. He is a rock amidst my creative chaos. I know I couldn't do it without his support: emotionally, financially, spiritually, creatively....

___________________
Monday's Mission is to write a post in the style of a Villanelle. I've tried to start several, but am personally not getting very far with it. Perhaps after some sleep? I'll try again tomorrow. Please, give it a shot and join me. I'll try to get my post and the linky-do up sometime Monday afternoon.

(A Villanelle is a type of poetry. One famous example of a villanelle is Dylan Thomas' poem Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night)

Standing O: Daily Gratitude 14

2009-11-15T02:12:00.000-06:00

I'm grateful for sold out houses.

Standing ovations.

And a local reviewer who double checked my name with the artistic director.

In the House: Daily Gratitude 13

2009-11-14T01:43:00.005-06:00

I am grateful for good audiences tonight, for both shows. I'm grateful for my friends who came and supported me.

I'm grateful I got the chance to catch a show myself.

I'm grateful to be out of rehearsals and into performances.

I'm grateful for my babysitter's big brother, who had driven over here and fallen asleep on the couch, and then drove her home so I didn't have to wake up MQ and load her into the car at 1:30am to drive the sitter home (these are the things you do when your husband is out of town and you're out late).

And I'm grateful that I actually fit into this skirt... that I wore in HIGH SCHOOL. And kinda look good in it. Not that I'm planning to wear it to church on Sunday or anything.

(yes, that's the castmate who makes animal noises at me)

Gleeful: Daily Gratitude 12

2009-11-12T23:38:00.003-06:00

I'm grateful for Glee.

Are you watching this show? If you're not, you need to be. I love it. Granted, I think I must be just about their ideal demographic. A theatre loving, music loving, former high school choir member, child of the 80s. The music on the show tends to be a mix of songs I grew up with, songs from musicals I know and love, and newer songs that make me feel vaguely hip for being aware of them. The humor is biting. The show is completely over the top and ridiculous, which makes the moments of tenderness (i.e. a father saying to his gay son "I've know since you were three") all the more likely to make me at least a little verklempt. It is my favorite hour of television. And today, when I realized I had a large chunk of time to myself, I was downright gleeful to realize that after a 2 week hiatus, I had a new episode of Glee waiting for me on my DVR.

What do you look forward to each week?

Wordless Wednesday: Daily Gratitude 11

2009-11-11T17:00:00.000-06:00

(A gift from Kaye. Thanks, Kaye. I am grateful for you)

Cock a doodle doo: Daily Gratitude 10

2009-11-10T23:04:00.005-06:00

I am grateful for a compliment I received today: "You're like the perfect combination of innocent and hip."

Hip. Someone called me hip.

he he. Fooled her.

Also, one of the shows I'm working on right now has me wearing some rather... er... flattering outfits. One of the guys told me that instead of of making the cat "rrrower..." sound at me every time he saw me, that each night he'd do a different animal, but that it always means the same thing.

Today I got a rooster.

I'm a hip chick who gets animal noises made at her nightly.

It could be worse.

Ida Disappearing: Daily Gratitude 9

2009-11-09T22:40:00.003-06:00

I am grateful that Hurricane Ida became a tropical storm, and now is barely a blip on our radar.

Because although I know that technically the hurricane season runs through the end of November.... seriously? A Hurricane?

Make mine tall and on ice, please.

I'm also grateful that the May Queen's school didn't jump the gun and cancel school or end it early (like so many schools in the area). Because those few hours of downtown this afternoon? I needed them. Particularly since tomorrow I'm booked (and often, double booked!) from 9am till 10pm.