Explore. Dream. Discover.

Quote of the Day:  Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain

Happy Birthday to the great American writer, Mark Twain!
Thank you, Google, for your Google doodle and link to Twain quotes. The above quote is my favorite from their top ten list.

When self-doubts start to creep in,

When the mountain of "real life" work clouds your dreams,

When you aren't sure why you're even here,

Remember, you might be the one to shed light on the world today.

Your words, your art, your voice might be the one that people cling to.

The path is calling you to...

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What does your ideal day look like?

Go to The Writer's Almanac today to hear more about Mark Twain and other authors who share his birthday.

Happiness is...

Quote of the Day:  lyrics from the musical You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, the Happiness Song:

Happiness is finding a pencil

Pizza with sausage

telling the time

Happiness is learning to whistle

tying your shoe for the very first time

Happiness is playing the drum in your own school band

And Happiness is walking hand in hand

Happiness is two kinds of ice cream

Knowing a secret

Climbing a tree

Happiness is five different crayons

Catching a firefly

Setting him free

Happiness is being alone every now and then

And, happiness is coming home again

Happiness is morning and evening

Daytime and nighttime too

For happiness is anyone and anything at all

that's loved by you

How was your Thanksgiving weekend? Mine left me singing this song. Here are a few things that I'd add to that list:

Happiness is dinner with family

Bobby and Zachary,

Charlie and Eric, too.

Happiness is Leo on my lap

A long winter's nap

A hot cup of brew!

Happiness is a brand new drum

A song to hum

Sharing them with you!

Happiness is being at home

Being an artist

Living the dream!

I started this blog post at 6:00 a.m.

Then, I had an idea for the photo.

I had to wait for the sun to rise.

Tried a few shots indoors.

Didn't turn out.

I had three takes outside.

This one is the winner.

The slightly pinkish glow is from the the sunrise.

Happiness is waiting for the sunrise,

pausing to enjoy it,

and capturing a great photo.

If I had shopped at all this weekend, it would have been on Small Business Saturday. All I got that day was a cup of coffee at a locally owned shop. Mint mocha....mmm. Love the owners there! I bought the drum, a djembe, from the downtown music store last week.  I need it for music at my church. Love chatting about music with Don at Bridge of Harmony! Then, I slipped over to Downtown Art & Frame where I bought paint and drooled over the fancy fibrous and textured paper. I used some of the paper I already had for my nieces' Christmas journal. Our family is passing journals around this fall, writing in them, or making an art page as in my case, then, the last person to have the journal wraps it up and gives it to the owner at Christmas. It's the best gift ever!

How's your shopping going?

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What's on your 'Happiness' list?

Reflections

Favorite Photos Friday

Quote of the Day:  Let's do a "Ferris Bueller" pose. Said by my boys as they stood at the window on the 9th floor of The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. We had a few minutes to look around, and found this view to be spectacular.

Shot with flash

Tried again and turned off the flash.

Even though Charlie looks a little distorted, I like this shot better.

More reflection and color.

I took these two while standing out on the deck of the 4th floor with the boys. I think we're looking at the "Endless Bridge."

We didn't quite understand the "endless" part, but it was dark and a little cold, so they didn't explore very far.

This shot is pretty, in a mystical kind of way.

I think the blues are beautiful.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving (in the USA), and a great weekend with friends or family, wherever you are!

Journaling Prompt:  What's your favorite part of a big feast like Thanksgiving?

Article on Alzheimer's

Quote of the Day:  A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails. - Donna Roberts

Photos from the Walk to End Alzheimer's

I write for our local women's magazine, Her Voice. Click over there to read my most recent article on Alzheimer's disease and a mother-daughter relationship, starts on p. 20. Another article by Deb Cranny, Being the Daughter, describes how she is moving through the aging process with her own mother.

This is an excellent edition of Her Voice with so many stories that feature local residents, but have global appeal.

As the holidays approach, be aware that you might see changes in your loved one or their home which may raise concern. Always approach the subject with respect and express your love for that person.

Click over to the LAMAA blog for more info on the Lakes Area Memory Advocates.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving and be sure to share your memories.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What songs remind you of your parents, grandparents, or other family members?

A Christmas Carol at The Guthrie Theater Review

Quote of the Day:  I promise to keep Christmas in my heart, year round. I promise to remember the lessons the Spirits have taught me. spoken by Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, heard last night on the Wurtele Thrust Stage at The Guthrie Theater.

Two thumbs up for the Guthrie and we hadn't even seen the show, yet!

It was a mighty fine hamburger at the "fancy" restuarant -

The Level Five Cafe'

I had a date with four handsome young men for this year's production of A Christmas Carol.

 A production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is a tradition at The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. This was the first year that I've gone to the show. I brought my four sons with me, and I'm so glad that I did. I can understand why families make this part of their holiday tradition as well. The night was truly magical.

We entered the Wurtele Thrust Stage and our eyes were immediately drawn to the set. It was like looking at a painting of Dickensian London with the street lamps, the cobbled street, the buildings with their windows lit up, and what looked like snow on the edges of buildings and the stage. Charlie leaned over and asked, "I wonder how they made that snow," and "What do you think the buildings are made out of?" The boys tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Look up. I see props up there in the cat walk."

"I wonder when they'll come down and what else is up there," I said.

Then, the music started and the house lights went down. Tiny Tim was on the stage, leaning on his crutch.  The snow falling on him glowed from the spotlight, and he sang, "Lul-lay thou little tiny child. By, by lul-ly lul-lay." Oh, my heart was already pulled into the show for "This poor youngling for whom we sing. By by Lul-ly, lul-lay." The townspeople entered from the aisles and behind the set. The stage filled with light and sound and I was transported to another time and place.

Like a colorfully wrapped Christmas present, many surprises await you during this performance. The Wurtele Stage has many hiding places, above and below, behind and within. We oohed and ahhed at the dramatic entrances of the ghosts. They are a bit scary, though, and I would not recommend this show for preschoolers. My 11-year-old sons said they think you should be in at least first grade.

My oldest son, Bobby, pointed out the political statements that were made. I already knew that the themes of A Christmas Carol are just as true today as they were in Dickens' times. Power and greed rule the day. The rich hoard their wealth and blame the poor for their own predicament. Old Scrooge isn't the only one to say, "If they can't work, they don't need to eat." Bobby noted the large prop and scene of the London Stock Exchange - a giant abacus - and how Scrooges' business acquaintance (remember, he had no friends) said they were going to ban the word "rich" at his office and replace it, instead, with "job creators."

Notice, too, that we're in the scenes of the Ghost of Christmas Past the longest. We see Scrooge as a lonely and abused boy. We meet his funny Uncle Fezziwig (this scene is so colorful, like one of Dr. Seuss' stories with bright colors and crazy hair which reminded me of the Who's down in Whoville), and we meet his fiance'. He never marries her, though, as she sees that his true love is money.

I felt drawn to the character of Bob Cratchet even more than usual during this performance. I've always had a soft spot for him, as most people do. He works hard, endures a cold office - both physically and emotionally, and he loves his family, and more than anything he wants to protect his young son, Tiny Tim, from his aweful fate. Kris L. Nelson plays the part with such tenderness that I found myself getting teary during the scene of Tiny Tim's funeral, and again, at the end when they all wish us a Merry Christmas.

One more surprise, before I go, Angela Timberman, who played Scrooge's housekeeper Merriweather, was fantastic. Such great comic relief in this play. Amidst themes of greed, despair, death, and loneliness, we have Merriweather's quips and actions, dreary, yet comical, words to songs like "We wish you a horrible Christmas" or something like that.

Alright, enough raving for now. But, check back this week. I hope to post a few photos from The Guthrie's collection of the show, and tell you more about my Christmas gift with my boys. I do hope that a visit to the Guthrie and Dickens' London and all his colorful characters becomes our holiday tradition, too.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Describe a time when you were surprised by a performance, or art experience.

Holding onto Beauty

Favorite Friday Photos

Quote of the Day:  Two quotes by Robert Frost
Like a piece of ice on a hot stove the poem must ride on its own melting.

I never write except with a writing board. I've never had a table in my life. And I use all sorts of things. Write on the sole of my shoe.

The sole of my shoe, now THAT'S a unique place to journal! Here are a few more shots from my trip up North, beauty along the Pembina Gorge.

A Path

Lingering beauty as the Earth goes dormant.

Preparing for Winter

Stark Beauty

Watching the sun set.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Take some time this weekend to examine the simple beauty in your world. Take photos, write notes or a poem, create a setting, reflect, breath, paint, enjoy.

Journal where you are

Quote of the Day:  Writing is an escape from a world that crowds me.  I like being alone in a room. It's almost always a form of meditation - an investigation of my own life. Neil Simon

I write to bring back what is gone, to relive what is lost, to make a mosaic of fragments. - Minfong Ho

Journal where you are.

Make your mark.

Archive your life.

Live, Record, Remember

Do you journal with paper and pen or pencil? Do you type your journals and keep a file on your computer? Is your blog your personal archive? Do you, like me, have scraps and bits of paper scattered throughout the house, car, and your purse, full of notes and ideas?  Where is the most unique place that you've written something down? I once used a church bulletin (yes, during the sermon). My Uncle David appears to be journaling on the inside of his walls. I love it. I journeyed far and wide to see his home. It's a process for me to get there, and with my family, it is an idea that keeps building.

It all started with my sister Nancy saying that she had Friday off of work so she thought she'd bring Mom up North to visit her brother.  (He lives about seven miles from the Canadian border in North Dakota. I'm in central Minnesota.) Mom said, "I don't suppose Mary can get away." (It wasn't easy, but I did. I was glad to be invited along and I hadn't visited my uncle's home before.) By Thursday, Nancy called to say that our oldest brother Nathan wanted to go, too. By the time we met up at 2nd brother Phil's house, Mom and Dad got into the van. Nathan drives a modified van because he's in a wheelchair, with a lift where the middle seats are. We were quite cozy in the back seat.

The process was worth it. It was a cool and sunny November day. Dry roads, good company, a thermos of coffee, donut holes, homemade granola (by me), and great family stories. Not to mention my Aunt Sharon's delicious food and creative connection with church music.

If I hadn't gone, I wouldn't have known about the journaling on the walls, or seen my uncle's great craftsmanship at the place, nor experienced the sun setting over the Pembina Gorge with a cool November sky.

And, the full moon kept me company all the way back.

Journaling Prompt:  Where do you leave your mark on the world? What kind of journaling do you do? 

1940's Radio Hour Review

Quote of the Day:  Radio can be like that - people adopt you - and he became friend and family to so many people. from the obituary of Tom Keith in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, a quote by his friend and co-worker Dale Connelly

C.J. Anderson playing Lou Cohn in the GLAPA production of

1940's Radio Hour.

He dedicated his performance to Tom Keith, sound guy extraordinaire for Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion, a man he met and admired.

I admired and marveled at the sound effects table, and artist, in this show.

That toilet plunger was too much.

I was cackling at this scene!

I think he's making a storm.

Doesn't this look like fun?!

I want to be the sound "guy" some day.

The 1940's Radio Hour was community theatre at its finest up in Pequot Lakes this weekend. I attended the Sunday afternoon show, which can be more subdued than an evening performance, but it wasn't. It was full of life and energy, beautiful costumes, and interesting scenery. I love it when the band is on stage, as in this show, so that they are part of the effect. They are cast members. Three cheers and a hand massage for the pianist. I know how hard you had to work! The music and musicians were phenomenal.

I don't care how old you are or what era you grew up in, this show has something for everyone from sentimental songs to ridiculous sight gags that the "radio" audience couldn't see. It felt like we got a behind the scenes look at live radio, with the wit and whimsey like in Noises Off, and the lively pace of A Prairie Home Companion. You might blush as Ginger Brooks (Wendy DeGeest) delivers her ad for Eskimo Pies, oh my. One of the band members is playing his last show before going off to war (the setting is WWII). When he's about to exit, the stage manager asks if he wants to take his guitar. He says, "You take care of it for me until I get back." This, after songs like Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and I'll Be Seeing You. (Goodness, I'm wiping a tear even as I type this.) Those were highly emotional times, portrayed accurately by this talented cast.

Some of these set pieces are real, some are made with styrofoam, by the talented "Mr. Syrofoam" Tim Leagjeld.  Can you tell which is which?

Don't miss your chance to support your local community theatre and watch your friends and neighbors in a new role.  When they aren't on stage, they're filling important roles in our community as teachers, students, business owners, employees, parents, and grandparents. They do all this work (and, it IS work, I burned calories just watching them) for the love of the art. The younger actors who played Connie Miller and B.J. Gibson were so cute.  They danced together like Bobby and Sissy on the old Lawrence Welk Shows (grandparents, please explain this to the youngsters).

The best part about community theatre is that people are out there having a good time. They get to do their art for a while and leave those other roles at the stage door. They're escape is our entertainment. Thank you, GLAPA, and all the people behind the scenes. I had a lovely afternoon in your company.

Click here for more info on GLAPA and next week's performance schedule of The 1940's Radio Hour.  You'll be glad you went.

I'd love to get my fingers on this typewriter and start clacking away.

My grandma had one like this.

I loved the sound of it and how the keys would stick together if you pushed more than one at a time.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Plan out the sound effects to something you're writing or creating. Look around your house. What could you use? Make a sound effect recording, just for fun.

Close the Screen and Live in Real Time!

Quote of the Day:  Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You're going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human. Anthony Robbins

Inspiration is all around us. We need to wake up to the life we're intended to live. I love that Toyota commercial (above). I'm not trying to sell you a car, here. What I love about that ad is the young woman thinks that she's "living" since she has so many facebook "friends". She tried to get her parents to "live a little." When, in fact, they're already out there experiencing life. They're active and adventurous. They're meeting new people and exploring the world.

Many of the great artists and writers of the world lived interesting and complex lives. They got out there and explored new territory like Stephen Crane. They picked apples on farms like John Steinbeck. Mary Higgins Clark was a flight attendant and a mother of five, widowed while they were all still young. The brilliant playwright Oscar Wilde traveled, studied the classics, and spent time in prison for "indecent relations" with men. Mark Twain worked various jobs and traveled extensively. The great poet Mary Oliver, survivor of childhood sexual abuse, worked on a farm. Clara Wieck Schumann started touring as a concert pianist when she was 11-years-old. She toured with her husband Robert Schumann, who was supportive during their courtship, but later begrudged her success. The couple had eight children, one died in infancy, had a life filled with tragedy, and yet, she continued to perform and compose music. All this in the 1800's when it wasn't proper for a married woman to be pursuing her own talents and career.

 

We humans were not meant to live in isolation. Go out this weekend and find adventure. Do something that takes courage. Take pictures of something that looks interesting to you. Attend a live performance. Talk to the artists. See all that your community has to offer.  My plan is to visit relatives I haven't seen in a while and attend the 1940's Radio Hour up in Pequot Lakes, presented by the Greater Lakes Area Performing Arts (GLAPA).  What's on your agenda?

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Give yourself an adventure, take a vaction from who you usually are, and live. Afterwards, write about the experience. (Looking forward to hearing back from you on Monday. *grins*)

Turn on the Faucet

Quote of the Day: 

If you're going to be a writer, the first essential

is just to write. Do not wait for an idea. Start

writing something and the ideas will come. You have

to turn the faucet on before the water starts to flow.

~ Louis L'Amour

My cat, Leo, likes to drink that little bit of water at the bottom of the bathtub. The boys thought that was funny, so when he's climbing around the edge of the tub, they turn on the water so there's enough for him to drink.  Yesterday, he was in the tub, so I started just a trickle. He thought that was fun to play with. I finished getting ready and left. When I came back, hours later, the slow trickle had filled the tub half-full (versus half-empty, cause that's the way I am). I was embarrassed about leaving the water running, apologized to the Earth for wasting water, but saw the grand metaphor in my error. Even a slow trickle will eventually produce enough water to fill a tub.

That slow trickle can be the few minutes you carve out of each day to work on your art, your projects, and your dreams. Open the faucet and let the ideas flow out. Believe that you are the only person who can bring that art to life. It's you, your unique experiences and collection of gifts and talents.

Your daily goals might need to be small - one page or poem a day, one new contact a week, one new color on a painting, or one block for your quilt.

Go. Create. Inspire!

And, fill your tub of creativity, no matter how slow the flow.

Journaling Prompt:  Keep track of all that you DID accomplish this week.

It's all G(r)eek to me.

Quote of the Day:  Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.  ~Einstein

Someone had this on their facebook status yesterday. It illustrates beautifully my college visit with my son. We don't necessarily speak the same language in academics. As we toured the electrical engineering department, I listened to only about a third of what the professor said, the third I understood. The rest was "all G(r)eek to me." (I had fun with that phrase in my head most of the day.)

We were on the tour with one other boy and his dad, "a recovering electronic engineer" as he put it. Professor Green laughed and said, "You never fully recover." And, he hadn't. (I had fun with that name, too. "It was Professor Green in the hall with the soddering gun.") Those two talked RFs (radio frequency) and connectors and gizmos and gadgets (see they lost me early) the whole tour. I was admiring the old-fashioned power board they had displayed in the hallway, made of wood, with the dial knobs. It was cool. Made me think of the old-time telephone switchboards. Professor Green was excited about his department. He showed us the labs, introduced us to his students who were in the study space just for engineers. He pointed out that the cooperation between students and personal interest from instructors (that impressed me.) When he brought us into one lab, a grad student was soddering some wires and boxes. The other dad asked about the equipment. I said that I noticed someone had wired up an old etcha-sketch. I wondered what they had it do. It's red frame really stood out in a room full of black and grey.

The grad student in the next room was working on a way to read corrosion on military vehicles, ships, etc., so that they won't have to repaint them so often. Thus, saving money. I complimented him on having such healthy plants at his desk, especially since there aren't any windows in that room. In fact, the electrical engineering department is rather dark, shades drawn, notes to turn off the lights when you leave the room. They're filled with wires and connectors and boxes and lots and lots of computers. I felt like a fish out of water.

I had to keep reminding myself that we were all made differently. We all have our own unique sets of gifts and talents. We don't all speak the same language around the world or in what we do. We are all creative, seeking ways to make the world a better place in our own way.

Thank God.

What a grand plan that was, to make us all so different, yet able to work together. We come with our varied gifts, offering what we do best to build up our community, honoring each other, thanking each other, and living the life we were intended to live.

Go. Create. Inspire! (In your own unique way)

Journaling Prompt:  List all your gifts and talents. Then, list those of someone who seems quite different from you.

College Visit

Quote of the Day:  For the pathway that lies before me, my Heavenly Father knows - I'll trust Him to unfold the moments just as He unfolds the rose. Unknown, found in a travel journal.

Favorite Photo Friday:

First college visit with first-born son.

We had a great day together. He talked to me the whole way home about his career, school, my education, education in general, teaching, life. It was great. A moment I treasure.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Describe a time where you stood at the crossroads. Which way did you go?

Cure for the Insecure Writer

Quote of the Day:  Hebrews 12:1

Today's New International Version (TNIV)

¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

This is a great verse to tuck into your back pocket as you persevere through life. The images lift me up. I feel myself moving into that cloud of witnesses and being surrounded by people who love and support me.  They are there for you, too.

On the first Wednesday of every month, Alex J. Cavannaugh is hosting the Insecure Writer's Support Group. I joined right in. Last month, I wrote about feeling like I didn't really belong in the world of playwrights. You can read about it here. Last week, I wrote about feeling afraid to meet the National Players and participate in their improv workshop, but I did it anyway. I describe the experience here.

And, you could have heard the voices in my head screaming ridicule and excuses to convince me not to go to The Guthrie. I mean, who I am to be invited to Blogger Night at The Guthrie? 

But, here I am, standing in front of the theatre, all my insecurities rolling on the highway that lead me here.

Here's the thing. People feel insecure. They're afraid of taking risks, looking imperfect, being vulnerable. Yet, they are longing for new experiences, to live into their authentic lives, and to be a positive force in the world. You can "What if" yourself into isolation and depression, or you can surround yourself with that cloud of witnesses, the people who give you light and love, and go forth with confidence.

Last month, after I posted my insecurities, I went on Facebook and tagged some of the people who had offered encouragement. When I started making that list, I realized that I was surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. I paused. Said a prayer of thanks, and said "Yes!" to the next new opportunity - despite my insecurities.

Go. Create. Inspire!

And, someday soon, Dare!

Journaling Prompt:  Make a list of people who are part of your cloud of witnesses, those who give you strength, support, love and light.

Halloween Highlights

Quote of the Day: 

The Dragons are Singing Tonight.

by Jack Prelutsky

Tonight is the night all the dragons
Awake in their lairs underground,

To sing in cacophonous chorus

And fill the whole world with their sound.

They sing of the days of their glory,

They sing of their exploits of old,

Of maidens and Knights, and of fiery fights,

And guarding vast caches gold.

Some of their voices are treble,

And some of their voices are deep,

But all of their voices are thunderous,

And no one can get any sleep.

I lie in my bed and I listen,

Enchanted and filled with delight,

To songs I can hear only one night a year--

The dragons are singing tonight.

That Jack Prelutsky poem is my favorite to read on Halloween. I used it last year on my blog, too. Now, it's tradition. Last week, I picked up my kids and a piano student from school. He had his lesson and needed to hang out with us a little while until he got picked up by his dad, so I seized the opportunity and called my kids up to carve pumpkins.

Come for piano lessons, stay for the pumpkin carving!

Charlie made one for Leo, the wonder cat.

I thought he was clever (or cleaver) using paper clips.

The next day, a couple more students had their own festive moment!

A few more highlights

The best disguise costume from my ghoulish night at The Turn.

We weren't sure if this was a man dressed as a woman,

or a woman dressed as a man, dressed as an old woman

My neighbor's creative re-use of milk cartons

Boo!

Sunday evening, I was sitting at my kitchen table, my cat Leo was on the rug.

The doorway darkened. I looked up and saw a huge wingspan and thought it was a hawk.

I got up for a closer look and grabbed my camera.

He looks, to me, like a Northern Hawk Owl. They hunt more in the daylight and like lightly wooded areas. I live on the edge of town, lots of woods. He's a little south for this time of year, but maybe food is scarce up north, or the fires near the Boundary Waters sent him this way. Or, I could be wrong about the variety.

Either way, it was cool to see an owl on the eve of All Hallow's Eve. Although, I kept Leo in. That owl had his eye on a delicious dinner, I think.

My favorite treat from the day came after my noon workout at the Y.  A friend had been serving a lunch for the Silver Sneakers - those folks really know how to exercise and eat - and she had a few pumpkin bars left in her pan. She offered, and I accepted. It's the only polite thing to do. Plus, I was wearing my festive orange and black socks.

Go. Create. Inspire!

And, don't eat all your kids' candy.

Journaling Prompt:  What are your favorite Halloween treats, sightings, or fall festivities?