It's all Greek to me...

I should really credit the mask maker: Jonathan Becker, and the photographer: Randall Wiebe.  Here's more photos from the class.  I wish I could fit more.  It's so satisfying to have this visual reminder.  Thanks to the education team for approving this large investment in the present and future students.  We have all learned so much living inside these epic stories and allowing our bodies and voices to take on great size and expression.

Jeany

Berries and Faces

I'll have to highlight the whole week briefly, as I've opted for sleep instead of blogging lately.  It's been important for me to get rest for my singing and good health.  On Monday night we had a great dinner with Morris: Italian sausage with heaps of our own "sundried" tomatoes with Kalamata tapenade and capers, feta and pesto mixed with our own jar of canned tomatoes.  We enjoyed that pretty much all week.  Another special treat on that night was what Dave calls "pake".  It's basically a strawberry pie put on top of brown sugar shortbread instead of crust.  Well we had just bought some lovely smelling strawberries that afternoon as well as some plump raspberries (obviously from somewhere warm), and we had wonderful strawberry and raspberry pake for dessert.  Those two wonderful dishes lasted for many meals to follow and I was so grateful.

On Tuesday we all got up early and drove to the Badlands Passion Play site with our Greek class and masks.  It was foggy and soon got very cold, but it was stunning as well.  I loved seeing the students against the backdrop of the rugged basalt and cliffs.  Even Weston enjoyed it.  I know I shouldn't have let him, but he loved nothing more than just getting to climb and explore.  The ground was really not as loose as it is in the hot summer, so he was pretty safe.  --I loved hearing the voices rise and bounce off the various walls and cliffs.  The first time Sienna launched into her Creon monologue was huge and amazing ... unforgettable.

So, the rest of the week has been about carefulness and routine.  I think I might be getting a cavity because I have a molar that is terribly sensitive to cold right now.  Ugh.  Takes away some of the joy in eating all the fun sweets, -- like the muffins Weston and I made tonight: oatmeal, date, SKOR bit, and chocolate chip!

I'm glad the show is keeping in pretty good shape.  One small house this week, but the rest were better.  I heard all the Saturdays are full now for the rest of the run.  Yeah.  Tonight a woman said, "My husband says he doesn't want anything for Christmas, so can I get something?"  I said, "Honey, I don't see why not!"  Then I proceeded to talk about her husband, and how he probably didn't want anything because he had a good conscience and didn't want too much when so many have so little.  So I encouraged this "courageous soul" who spoke out to look for some way to give to him anyway... something that wouldn't take a credit card, but some imagination.  I challenged her saying she knows her husband better than anyone else, and she would know best just what he needs.  And then, "Go out and buy those new shoes!"  --Something like that.  Anyway, it's fun to commune with the audience in that way.  Often they don't respond, but when they do, it usually becomes a wonderful connection and lifts the show.  I'm glad.

Many of us are finding our voices fatigued at this point in the week, so we're all having to sing correctly in our head voices.  It actually makes for more accurate singing at times.

There's just a trace of snow and ice left, and I'm excited for more.  Time to drag out the long johns!

Another day, another sigh

Oh.  Today I learned that the sensitivity in my left ear and the constant phlegm in my throat over the last year is because I have an acute infection in my left sinus and a chronic one in my right.  My doctor had prescribed a CT exam back in July and I only just got in this week.  Wow, that was strange: sliding into a big Cheerio machine and told to be still.  Saliva gathered in the back of my throat and after several concerned moments of waiting I finally swallowed, hoping that wouldn't smudge the X-ray.  Wow.  I've had an infection all these months!  That's scary because I don't like being so susceptible.  I wonder if the antibiotics will work? 'Course I can't get into town until tomorrow night... Dave thinks the pharmacy will be closed. Humm...

I sang again today, high.  It's been awhile.  It's scary hold

ing your own with 4-5 people.  I've got some old tension/grabbing habits.  I hope I can find the sensation of freedom and keep coming back to it.  I do not view myself as a musician.  I feel I don't get it technically, or that it just doesn't come natural like it does to "musicians", but I know I'm musical, and I have a strong voice that I am STILL coming to know.  Sigh.  Singing makes me feel so full and so fragile at times.  Acting is much simpler.  Dance is even more rewarding and fun.  I hope to do these things long into my life.

I miss my son Donovan.  He's away at school so long, 

and then he's so willful at home.  I need some time with him alone.  --Weston and I had a wonderful long sunny walk in the fields today.  We collected some dried prairie grasses for bouquets for the awards banquet this coming Sunday.  Tomorrow we'll collect more leaves and dry them and string them up in a garland.

Today when I pulled the frosty tarps off the garden a bumblebee was asleep on the face of a sunflower.  I stared at it, not sure if it had froze or if it was still moving.  Later it was gone.  Wow.  I think it spent the night out there.  I think we'll have to pull our tomatoes in soon.  This blanketing the garden each night is getting old, and the leaves are still getting bit.

Weston and I played "Easter bunny" with 3 of his stuffies: Brown Bear (of course), Soft Paws (the bunny), and Seal (Donovan's new puppet from SeaTac).  It was fun, but then Dave and I were trying to select Greek masks to buy for our advanced acting class and Weston could hardly stand it.  He kept pulling on me to get me back to playing with him.  I hardly got anything done all day... but I did get to play with Weston, and he's only four for a little while longer....