Month: December 2017

Snap! What a couple of crazy weeks we have had!  Busy! Busy! Busy!

As soon as we got home from picking up Chad from the airport, it was time to set out the shoes for St. Nicolas Day.  St. Nick was good to all and brought a couple silly things and Harry Potter shirts and socks for all.

Lillian spent the day in Portland with all of the Freshmen.  The English teachers arranged a field trip to Powell’s Book store, VooDoo Donuts, and the downtown area of Portland.  She had fun and bought herself 3 cool books.  She would have stayed in the book store if that were an option.  She may have even moved in!  I love that my kids love books!

I’ve been crazy busy.  In the past 8 days I have attended 2 first read through rehearsals for 2 different productions: Lion King Jr (our next after school production) and Noises Off (our next class production).  Sometimes the first read through of a script is called a table read.  This rehearsal is the foundation for the rest of the rehearsal process.

At the first read through, the cast and crew gather with the directing team and read through the script out loud.  Pretty simple.  However, don’t underestimate the power of a first read through.

The first read is the first time everyone gets together to hear the words leap off the page and begin to take on a life of their own.  This rehearsal helps everyone understand the flow of the script, and to begin to understand the weaknesses and strengths of the script.

I like to make a first…

Wouldn’t it be nice if life was a straight line?  No ups.  No downs.  Just straight.  Right?

Life has ups and downs. When you are down you notice it most.  When you are down you tend to think you are the problem, that you did something wrong, and “karma” is swinging for you.

What if every down was actually giving you the energy to get back up?

A Warrior gets back up.

Sometimes, when we are knocked down we lay there waiting for someone to save us. We feel so sad about what is happening that we stop living.  Stop!

Money.  Having money.  Spending money.  Money is on the mind of all the teens I know.  The purpose of money is to provide for needs and wants, for myself and for others, now and in the future.  It comes down to simple economics.  One of the most basic concepts of economics is want vs. need.  The difference between a need and a want is fairly simple.

A need is something you HAVE TO HAVE, something you can’t do with out.  You might be surprised what does NOT make this list.  What DOES make the list would include food.  If you don’t eat, you won’t live long. Simple.

A want is something you would LIKE TO HAVE.  It is not absolutely necessary, but it’s nice to have.  Simple.

Sometimes the lines seem to blur.  Not simple.

Death by Chocolate ice cream is a food, so you might mark it as a…

Eight month ago I started a new journey in health.  I had mustered all the courage I had left and visited with my doctor.  He gave me a book that changed my look at health and well being… The End of Dieting by Joel Fuhrman, M.D. (click here to get this book for yourself off of Amazon).

I started reading that very day. 270 days later I am still learning and still working at taking control of my health.  I have nearly eliminated animal products from me diet. (I still will eat an egg once or twice a week).  I eat veggies, veggies, and more, veggies.  I am working on eliminating processed food.  There are busy days where I just don’t have time to deal with food prep and Morningstar veggie burgers are my “go-to” meal.

Still, I see a little progress… sort of.  My brain still is not wrapping…

I have a serious case of “stillness illness.”  It is my habit to live life in a constant state of business. Work must be done.  Children must be chauffeured.  Friends and family need our attention.  Seriously.  I live a life that is a whirlwind of activity.

December is no exception.  I spend my time rushing around, stressing and wearing myself out.  There are lights and decorations to put up, parties, activities and concerts to attend, shopping to get done, gifts to be giving, cards and seasons greeting to be written and mailed… Yikes!  There is so much joy and cheer and… stress.  I find that my Christmas joy is often covered with a blanket of business and stress.  It is easy to loose joy.  I find myself using much of my time rushing around, not thinking what I ought to be, not what matters most.  There is no room for…