Here's Hoping

I'm so done for this week.  We survived the run through in costume and hair and heels and my voice only popped once.  (This is good.)  The boys made cartoon books tonight - four of 'em!  They just got on a roll!  Oh I wish we had two days off instead of just one.  There's a lot of details in the show; little things to remember in the transitions, in the way to sing each song and how we were last coached to adjust the tempo or breath or whatever.

We had a fun dinner with Cari and Alysa over.  It was leftovers again, but they tasted good, and with the extra Reece's peanut butter cups and pb chocolate ice cream we did well.  Both Cari and I have tired voices, I think Paul too.  Poor Paul was so flustered with all the transitions in the play... he had to speak over most of them.  It'll be good, though.  We just have to get more familiar with the script.  I still hate my hair all back-combed and full of spray, though.  Must make time for more showers.

I have a terrible urge to not attend the service part of church tomorrow.  I hope I can be discerning and brave.

My neck is stiff again.  I don't think walking and dancing on a raked stage in heels is good for my spine.  Monday I go in for a massage and an adjustment.  Here's hoping.  

Next week is THE week.  Opening week.  It's hard to know what to focus on most.  I know I need to rise to greater levels of availability and presence in my work on stage, but I also want to keep my family as balanced as possible with meals and sleep patterns.  And then there's the question of giving to the cast and crew "thanks" as we open.  Usually opening is stressful with nerves and fear with a full house.  One of my most nerve-wracking moments is taking a spontaneous question from the live audience.  So far I've done OK with the sample ones I've been tossed in rehearsal, but you never know what's going to come your way.  Of course I'm scared someone's going to ask me a question in Dutch and then my ignorance will really show.  But if I remember to just trust my first instinct and follow it through, it really can flow quite nicely.  Here's hoping.

My pictures today on my blog are from the bouquet of flowers on my table from Dave and Weston, and from our time visiting the hoodoos east of Drumheller in August.  They are phenomenal.  The one with Weston in the distance cracks me up because of his pose with DJ mid air.  It was so hot that day!  And now we have a fairly mild fall.  The furnace did kick on last night, but not until after 3am.  I know because I woke with the sound of it and couldn't get back to sleep for 2 hours.  Ugh!  So, I worked on my lines while I tried to breathe deep and fall asleep.  Thankfully the boys let Dave and I sleep in this morning for an extra hour and that was helpful, but I didn't get my routine of walk and exercise.  That would have helped my voice a lot, but I suppose sometimes sleep has to win out.

So, tonight is family night and it feels good.  We could be over at the community hall right now with a dance and costume party, but I'm glad we're just lying low instead.  We need to be near each other for a while.  ...Still not sure about church tomorrow after Sunday School, but I'm glad I'm done this week and in fairly good health.  Thanks Lord.

Here's Hoping.