Opening Night

A star is born . . . or, it would be more accurate to say, several stars were born tonight. Tonight was opening night for the Children's Theater production of "Cinderella, Cinderella". All the children did an excellent job. There wasn't a slacker among them. The costumes were colorful and appropriate. There was inclusion of the audience through audience participation; children were brought up on stage from the audience and they got to participate. Even one child in the audience was asked to hold onto Cinderella's extra slipper until it was needed.

MK was a mouse named Max. She had some speaking lines and a lot of action as well. She did a pretty good job in spite of the butterflies in her tummy. She has three more shows to go. I'll get to see two of those. I have class all day so will miss the Saturday matinee.

Last night was dress rehearsal and "taping" for a CD. When I went to pick up MK she was a wreck. She was crying because she had wiped off her theatrical mouse-face makeup; the makeup had caused her skin to itch so she washed it off when they were done with rehearsal. She hadn't understood that they were going to have pictures taken; so, she had no mouse face for the pictures. She had been chewed out by one of the adults for having cleaned off the makeup, so she was embarrassed.

At hoome, MK was having a terrible tummy ache and said she felt like she was going to throw up. She was unable to eat supper; I sent her to bed. She woke up and seemed to feel much better this morning and everything went well today.

I have an all day class to attend tomorrow and I am not fully prepared. Off I go to cram in some chapter reading.

A Blowing Chunks Kind of Day

Note to self: Vomit chunks do not wash out of big, fluffy, absorbent newish towels. (One of my sweetie piano students was playing Mr. and Mrs. Potato Heads with MK while waiting for his sister and lost his lunch on my coffee table, floor, big blanket on the couch and Mr. and Mrs. Potato. Luckily, I haven't gotten my new-used couch yet and had a blanket covering the couch - it can be washed.) I used the towels, thinking of their efficient absorbent qualities, to clean up the big mess. After the first washing in the small load amount of water, the chunks were still there. So, I thought I would run through again, but with a full load of water. "That should flush them out," I thought. Wrong again. So, I decided after two full cycles, all the nasty gunk and germs should be gone, I'll just shake them out. I took them outside and shook them as hard as I could. Stuff flew everywhere; the rest, I picked off. They didn't dry completely, so I've left them on the line for overnight, which I never do. They can finish drying tomorrow. I found something resembling a pickle still on the rug this evening. Mmmmm.

Poor MK was playing right next to him and she was pretty shook up. She said her knees were knocking. Ha, ha. It took her a while to get the vision out of her head. I kept telling her he was fine and she was fine, but she said, "But Mom! You didn't see what I saw! I saw it all come out of his mouth!" She was still talking about it at supper. I told her to quit talking about it or she would be seeing a replay!

Anyway, I hope the little guy is feeling better.

This is the last week of rehearsals for the Children's Theater play, "Cinderella, Cinderella". MK is having a great time. I got to see her in her mouse costume and she looked so cute. The costume made her look younger than her nine years. She had gotten hot in the costume when they rehearsed Saturday, so I sent her in shorts today and they didn't practice in the costume. Oh, well. She will wear the shorts Thursday for dress rehearsal and then for all four performances. I'm sure it will get hot in the theater with the stage lights and all the audience's body heat. So, shorts and tee shirt should help a little.

Our seedlings are growing very well.

Something is wrong with the car again. It starts part of the time. I've already replaced the battery and starter recently, so it must be something else. R said it could be a relay -- so I guess I'll have to find out. Always something.

I had my all-day alternative format computer class Saturday and will have one again this coming Saturday. I will miss one of MK's play performances because of it, but it can't be helped. I will see the other three performances and that will be good enough. (must remember camera) This class is certainly a better way to go -- trying to do it on my own by reading through a two-inch-thick textbook was not working for me. Having an instructor walking through the steps is just soooooooo much better. I do still have to read the chapters for the information, but when things don't seem so clear, someone who knows it can make it all seem so easy.

Speaking of reading, I must go do that now.

Knick Knacks and Things

I knew I had missed a few days of posting, but I hadn't realized it had been soooooo many! Every day I think I should be posting, but time just gets away from me.

I have started a few flats of vegetables and flowers. The flowers were MK's choice. ML says she has some herbs for me, too. She is moving to a new apartment the first of May, so she's planning to pull up her herbs and flowers and rocks and give them to me. I guess she won't have a little garden spot at her new apartment.

My mouth seems to be healing okay where the tooth was extracted. It is still tender, and for several days it felt as if someone had socked me in the face. I asked about a partial, ". . . for only two teeth," I said. "It's still $900 to $1,200 or so." he said. I shall remain toothless. Very hard to take. I used to be more vain when I was younger. Old age and poverty kind of have a way of canceling out vanity.

Just last night I had thought to myself how it had been a wonderful several days since my last migraine. I guess I rejoiced in that idea too soon. Sometime during the wee hours of the morning I awoke with a migraine. I was in bed until noon with my eyes covered. I got up at noon and tried to face the day. I ended up feeling vomitous. (My new word, I learned from K)

Yesterday, as we drove down the street, MK pointed out the local girly dance place and said, "I know why they don't have windows that you can see in; they have women there showing their knick knacks!" Ho, ho! Well, I never heard them called knick knacks, but I guess they could be (and are) called worse things. Too bad that it is even there where she and other children would become curious about it.

The roofers came Friday and did a portion of the roof, about 1/4 I think. They re-did the part R had done 3 summers ago. I was nearly in tears because I couldn't understand why the sloping part he had done would have to be torn off and re-done. The flat part, I understood -- especially since J said it had a crack in it and wasn't very good material in the first place. So, it was explained to me that the flashing had to be re-done (again, R had done it); and that meant it all had to be removed and replaced. Therefore, the other 2/3 of the roof that is so very old, and obviously becoming naked of shingles, is still in the same bad shape.

So, I will continue to save up and hopefully another section can be done before it gets too bad. The work done the other day, so far, seems to have fixed the horrible leak. Apparently, when R did the roof, he did not do the flashing correctly and that is why when it rained outside, it poured inside on the entire NE section of the house. Now all I have to do is put in new ceilings in two rooms and two closets, replace the floor in MK's room, repaint her room after I wash off all the moisture gunk off the walls, and paint the closets and whatever else it takes. It will be nice to be able to put clothes in the closets and her in her room.

Now, if only I can get the next part fixed before it begins to leak. They tell me that part is steep enough that the rain should continue to just run off. Hellooooo! This is me and my house they are talking about. I don't have that kind of good luck.

One step at a time.