COEXISTING- money where my bumper sticker is.

I have a "COEXIST" bumper sticker on my car and I have "raising money" on my birthday blog list of stuff I have done. I have a new opportunity to foster coexistence in the world AND another opportunity to raise more money. Whoop! Ever heard of the Initiative for Transgender Leadership? There is a good chance you have not. It is a pretty new thing going on here in Pittsburgh and it is created and lead by 3 awesome and powerful people who are up to big things. Ray Sorock is a transgender youth who has been awarded a fellowship to partner with an organization here in Pittsburgh, namely the Regional Internship Center, to create an impactful project of his design. The fellowship includes getting paid to complete the project. That is where fund raising comes in. I have made several donations to the Initiative and I invite you to check it out and do the same. There is a current fundraising challenge called 100 X $100. One hundred people or groups raising 100 dollars each will make a significant impact in support of this project. See the link to the blog for more information about this initiative.

What are you up to in life? Do you believe in encouraging coexistence in the world? To me that means working on accepting that there are countless cultures in the world different from my own that are a major contribution to the world we live in. Check out the blog and see what you think.

http://transyouthleaders.blogspot.com/

Make an "Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"

I didn't know I wanted to make this coat. Six months ago this was not on my radar. I agreed to be lead costume designer for this show. Once I took that on, I knew I would take on making this coat. Being in this role has been one of the most artistically satisfying things I have ever done. Once the vision in my head was there, the costume pieces started coming together, with the help of over 20 people. I gave away a lot of work to very talented and generous sewers. But I saved the coat for me. That was my prize for all the other work I was doing. It is extremely gratifying to see what was only in my head, end up on stage and looking quite beautiful. I had contributions from many people that ended up as the final look of the show. Thank you to all of those people.

aimless wandering

UPDATE: JUNE 2012 - Mission accomplished.  Something changed and it became appealing to my kids to do this.  Lauren and I got in the car one Thursday morning and drove.  While we didn't know where we were going, our goal was to get out of town; get to someplace we didn't recognize.  That took us to Trax Farm in Finleyville (I'd been, Lauren had not) Charleroi (sorry, but I think once was enough) Monongehela, and Uniontown - nice places, Coopers Rock in West Virginia, and finally, Frostville, Maryland then back home.  It was fun and we had a really good time.  Part of the fun was just spending a lot of time with each other. The pictures: The gazebo in the middle of town in Monongehela and the drive through Coopers Rock Park.

  On my blog list is, "Take a trip somewhere with no idea where I am going". I tried that a few weeks ago with my girls. They didn't seem too keen on having no known destination. I found myself looking up and planning some possible places to go. We also had to plan the date ahead of time considering all of our schedules. That turned out to be what I would call a "fail" on that item so I am not going to check that one off yet. We did have a great day out though. We went to Ligonier. Did a little bit of store hopping. Had some really fine gelato. I gave Lauren the choice of "art museum or Fort Ligonier". She chose the Fort and we had a really good tour through the place. On the way home we stopped at Monster Mini Golf. Ever do that? It is indoor mini golf with, well, monsters. They don't play golf. They just decorate the place along with black lights, fun music and well-planned graffiti. It was fun. Since that day I have found myself driving along and taking self-imposed detours on unfamiliar roads and finding my way home eventually. I find I like doing that. Then I had a look at my life and wondered how my life as whole is, or is not, a trip with a planned vs. unplanned destination. I'm still pondering that one.

Go Speed Racer!

Now, I won't say this officially counts as a check off my list but I will say it is blog-worthy. I put "drive a race car" on my list. What I did last weekend was ride in a Porche 911T in a lap around the track at the Vintage Grand Prix in Schenley Park! Yes, really! My driver was Steve from New York. He was great in how he described how to manage the car around turns and how to "flatten" the course. Also had a nice chat with the guy behind me who was also waiting for a lap around the track. Hope you had a great ride too Harley. Thank you Diane and Dan! And Robin, so great to see you.

relationships

I'm feeling like rather a slow study. I guess I knew this but wasn't truly aware.... it was 'on me but not in me' until quite recently. My life is made by my relationships. Without people, my people, some people, my life is no life at all. The more I/we share of ourselves and show up, the more our lives and the people in our lives and the world, expands, grows, opens up. Chronically keeping to ourselves seems stingy.

I had asked for those who know me best and would normally celebrate my birthday to make art for me as my gift. Pictures of some of those gifts can be seen on the link to a photo slide show from the past week or two. See the link in the right hand column.

James Taylor and Carole King

I didn't know that I wanted to go to this concert. But Diane did. She said, "This isn't on your list but it should be." In the past 3 or 4 years I have come to love two James Taylor songs more than all his others. How completely wonderful to hear him perform them live. And Carole King? I mean c'mon! She has such a fantastic and broad range of style. It is all Carole King, but there is simple joy, a bit of heartache, dance music, sweetness, tenderness, and some good advice, all in the form of songs. These two are so great together. It was professional musicians at their warmest and best. No ego, no upstaging. Just beauty. Much gratitude for Diane and other James Taylor fans.

Birthday Weekend Art Tour

Considering I have made this the year of Art and Things I Have Never Done Before, I decided to spend my birthday weekend on an art tour of the city. For me, food can be art so of course I had to have great food too.

Yesterday we had lunch at Kaya in the Strip, went to Pittsburgh Center For The Arts in Shadyside for a fiber arts exhibit. Then off to my favorite bead shop - Crystal Bead Bazaar - in Lawrenceville. My mom joined me for dinner at The Gypsy Cafe' on the Southside - extremely yummy food! Then we headed over to the City Theater for a staging of "Celebrity Autobiographies" which was pretty funny in a "what a shame they actually wrote that" kind of way.

Today, my daughters and I had lunch at Perk Me Up in Lawrenceville and then saw "Art" - the play- at the Pgh Public Theater. I think the O'Reilly is my favorite theater in the city. I love that place. We stopped at the Mattress Factory art gallery on the North Side this afternoon. First time for all of us. I love the interaction. Saw some very curious stuff.

Some of the rest of my weekend will be spent doing things planned by my good friend Diane. She has promised to help me check off a few things on my blog list but what they are remains to be seen. Can't WAIT to see what she has come up with. I am getting really excited for tonight.

YOGA

And not just any yoga.....Bikram HOT yoga. Hot as in, during the 90 minute session, the windows were opened a few times and I felt a cool breeze come in... and it is 83 degrees outside. Hot, as in, I smelled pizza baking and realized the smell was probably coming from INSIDE the yoga room. Hot as in, I left the yoga place almost 3 hours ago and my face is still flushed, really, my face is red. Did you know your earlobes can sweat? And the instructor says, "Now, look over there at those two who are in the full expression of this position." These women were looking at their toes...they also happened to be lying on their stomachs and their toes were coming from overtop of their heads. I had to ask someone else nearby to look at my toes for me. The practice is actually really rather unique and I can see why it is ultimately so good for you. The stretching felt great, and I think a gentle beginners yoga may suit me best and at regular room temperature please. I found this particular yoga place through Angela who is a co-worker at Mocha Rose. All 4 of us went yoga-ing today so a big shout out and huge thank you to Angela, April and Jill. So great to have you all along for the ride. Ya'll are the BEST!

New York City

Took the girls to New York last weekend. We had a very New Yorkie time! That means lots of walking, a few cab rides, a few shows, really great food and some shopping. We were in Times Square, Herald Square, Union Square, Bryant Park, Central Park, Soho, Noho, the Flower District, East Side and West Side, Broadway, Park Ave, Madison Ave - Brooks Brothers. And we were just there for a weekend! Diane made the trip possible and there is no better friend to tour the city with. Her niece Sarah added to the festivities. We had brunch at Bar Americain - one of Iron Chef Bobby Flay's places. The food was superb, right down to the crimson chai tea. We saw the Blue Man Group. Very cool experience.

I have to admit, I would never want to live in New York. My ears and nose would complain bitterly. And I think they should stop building places for more people to move onto the island. But I found myself learning to navigate the city better than ever before and it was great to experience it with my daughters. Thank you, Thank you Diane!

Nursing School Graduation

I have been teaching nursing for over 10 years now. I have attended every spring graduation ceremony and this year was no exception. But this is the first year I did not attend as a faculty member. I ran from the Mocha Rose open house over to Oakland to catch the last 10 minutes of the ceremony. The best part is when I get to hug all of my former students and hear what they are going to do next. And to meet their families. They often introduce me with great joy and pride. It is an honor to be a contribution to these young women and men. It is an honor to participate in their lives this way. So best of luck Jatolloa, Jesse, Andrew, Chantal, Hillary, Dana, Mary, Colleen, Johnna. There were a few from your class that I did not see. I missed you. Corey - SO great to see you. Congratulations to you all.

Mocha Rose

I just finished my first week of work at Mocha Rose. They moved into their new studio about a month ago and this week was spent preparing the space for two open house gatherings. We worked hard this week and I went home tired and with sore feet every day. It was really fun to see April create loads of different floral designs to decorate the show room and workroom for the parties. She is a very talented designer. I am extremely happy to be working for and with April and Jill. April's current business is a floral and event design. She doesn't have a store front flower shop. If you have a need for flowers for your event, you should get in touch with April and Mocha Rose. Really! Her work is just glorious and what she provides for clients goes way beyond flowers. Her attention to detail and customer service is wonderful. So, right now, my feet hurt, my body is tired and there is a smile on my face.

Juggling

For years I have considered the research of Patricia Benner as I teach my students. She described the "Novice To Expert" theory of nurse development. She looked at the span of nursing ability and noticed how nurses develop an increasingly broad ability to look at their patient and make deductions, plan and take the right course of action. Novice nurses, while having a great concern for their patients, tend to have a relatively narrow focus on skills, tasks, machinery when working with such things. Expert nurses manipulate equipment with ease and always keep an eye on the human being to which the machine is attached. She describes that expert nurse's intuition. I attended a nursing conference a few weeks ago and Patricia Benner was the presenter. She prefaced her talk with a video of a young woman, her daughter, juggling on the beach. To me it is more like a dance. When a nurse is in 'the zone', it is like a dance and is a beautiful thing to see. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub6nKjCB4lk&NR=1

CSA farms

Last year two friends mentioned CSA - community supported agriculture - farms to me. You buy a share in a local farm for the season, usually June through November. In return you get a box of fresh, in-season vegetables and fruits every week. I chose Kretchmann's for a few reasons. They are organic growers and have been for about 20 years, and they have pick up spots within a mile or two of my house. This farm will send herbs in my crate and they also partner with other farms to make beef, chicken and coffee available. They also have recipes on their web site. I can also give them a short list of vegetables I don't eat and they say they will try to avoid those. I love this idea because it supports local business, puts good quality real food in my fridge and should be really healthy as long as I actually eat the stuff and will teach me about true in-season eating. What remains to be seen is how much I will get in my crate in proportion to how much we can eat. kretschmannfarm.com/

I am a FLORAL DESIGNER!

I got a great little phone call a short while ago. It was Jill from Mocha Rose Floral Designs calling to offer me a position as a floral designer. And get this - I get paid to do something I LOVE to do. So Jill is explaining a few details that I needed to know and here is me with tears welling up in my eyes for a job where I earn, like, 1/3 of what I do as a nursing instructor. Pretty cool, huh? It isn't always all about the money. (I wonder what my father would say about that.) I am one happy woman.

Interview with Mocha Rose

I had an interview at Mocha Rose today. (see the link on the right of the blog) This is a floral design company. They are growing quickly and for good reason. I think they have a great value set and they live their values. I think the interview went really well. I had not had an interview for over 10 years so I was nervous but I was also really excited. I consider it very good news that she prefers to hire people who do not have formal florist shop training or experience. She operates differently than that type of business and she wants to train her people in her own methods. Guess what? I happen to have no formal training whatsoever! Yaaaa me! I love what they are up to. If I had a business of my own I can see running it the way they do. And I really am not in the mood to run a business on my own. I've done that. Thank you April and Jill!

Hard work and dedication

Acting is hard work! I knew that people devoted themselves to their acting craft. But when I auditioned I got a closer look at what it takes. I got clear that I was not willing to do what it would take to develop my voice and learn dance moves to the level that I might be cast in a professional musical production. My guess is that even with voice training it would likely not be enough to be cast in a musical on a big stage. I love musical theater and I will be sticking to the community level. I love community theater. I love the people and the process. In my acting classes I have learned how much work it takes. Characters are studied, and learned. Seems to me the best actors are the ones who know things about their character that the audience will never know directly but will see clearly. The actor will know what their goal is with each interaction on stage. They know how their character reacts. They will know the details of the character's life from long before the story ever began. They may know what body part the character dwells in or leads with. And then pretending to be someone else, and memorize lines and make it look like it is the first time the words have ever left their mouths. Lots of work indeed. Every time I've had a role on stage I have gotten something huge for myself. And I am also getting that in acting I get to relate to people in a way unlike any other. I love that part. There is something about risking making a complete fool of oneself too....

St Anthony's Chapel on Troy Hill

Thank you Paula! What an interesting, if not slightly bizarre place. The chapel ceiling is particularly beautiful. Stations of the cross.... I've seen a number of them. None quite like this. Then there are the relics. The stuff that they have contained in there, and what the docent Sister says about the stuff tends to raise questions for me but in the end they are all questions that I have no intentions of asking. There is no point really. Just take the place as the marvel that it is. I don't want to spill any beans for the curious. You can Google St Anthony's or you can just go. There are limited access hours so plan ahead. And see if you can plan a tour because Sister is part of the experience as far as I am concerned. I'll give you a hint. Not a good idea to let Kismet loose in the place. She would find too much to chew on if she could get at it.

Love to all and thanks again Paula for sharing that with me.

By the way.... This was something that a friend suggested to me. The blog bonus is that I got to spend some time with her that we don't often spend. Soooo everyone, other ideas will be welcomed and happily entertained.

Go to a spa with Lauren.

We went to Bedford Springs in Bedford PA. Beautiful surroundings, great food, comfy bed and it all just smells so heavenly. Lauren and I had a wonderful time. We had our pedicures together and our toes look fabulous. So great to get to spend time, just her and I. OK, she was texting so someone else was along with us. My message - be where you are and be with the one you are with. Did not let corporate ladies who refused to use their "Spa Voices" spoil the Zen of my day.

BONUS - We rolled up Gravity Hill. Never heard of it? http://www.gravityhill.com/. ( I personally would call it more of a slope than a hill). You put your car in neutral, and your car starts rolling "up" hill. Pour water on it, it runs "up". Balls roll "up" too. It's pretty funny.

Chiropractor

After a thorough discussion of my history, there I was teetering on a narrow table. Dr. Kukich promised he would not let me fall off. He was good to his word. Face down, lift the leg, lift the other leg, face up, bend your hip, and the other hip, other table, lie down, sit up, back to the other table, on your left side, twist, squish, on the right side, stretch, lift, twist, pop! This is a poor explanation of the work that Chiropractors do, but is reflective of my memory. The session went quickly. I left feeling taller and lighter and the leg that was one inch shorter when I walked in was pretty much even with the other when I walked out. Dig it! Should also add that the right hip motion seems unchanged, that occasional leg numbness... time will tell. I felt well cared for throughout the whole thing. Thanks Mad.

I'll let you know if things evolve.

Hot Stone Massage....

Oh my! Now how great is a hot stone massage?! There is a link to Pittsburgh Center for Complementary Health and Healing on the right side of the blog. Go to the link and make an appointment now. This is the perfect time of year for this while it is cold and drizzly, and we've done lots of shoveling snow. I came out feeling soooo relaxed and a bit comatose. I think there should be a recovery room where I can curl up for a nap. At one point I had hot rocks between my toes with warm towel wrapped around my feet. The oil is hot too.... ahhhhh! Lili is so good at what she does. Do yourself a favor and go see her.

CLO Audition

And Thank You. My first stab at the music was disastrous as in completely off key because the accompanist and I were working in different measures of the song. Ooops! I stopped the audition...which one is apparently NOT supposed to do. Had him just give me my note. Then proceeded to sing unaccompanied for 2 measures till the guy at the piano figured out what the hell I was doing. I could hear several voices from the "Table of Talent Judgement" say "She recovered. You recovered". Nice touch on their part. Worst for me was that one of those at the Table was my high school musical director whom I love and respect. Better to have done that in front of total strangers I say. I just walked out of the room (quickly and after thanking all concerned) and laughed at myself. I declared that it takes guts to do what I did and I also am having a little upset. Eh, in the biggest picture, so what.

On the "NOT list"

NOT going to Everest. I hear they get lots of snow.

Create a blog

Well, this is it; the first time I've created a blog. If you are blog savvy, feel free to send tips. I have very little know-how where blogs are concerned.

Auditioning for Pro Theater

On January 31st I had my first professional theater audition. It was for the CLO Cabaret cast of Nunsense. I was not cast. I have no idea what the casting team thought of my singing. My monologue was supposed to be a comedy and I have no idea if anyone was laughing. I was blinded by fear! And I did it and I was thrilled that I went! A good friend said the victory is walking through the door. The rest is just the victory dance. Exactly! Because of some brilliant coaching, I also got that I was going to the audition to be alive in my life. My being there had nothing to do with anyone else's opinion of my skill. That freed me up to go and be thrilled that I went, cast or not. (The picture is one of my head shots to take to auditions.)