Heartfelt Moments

Two nights ago, I went to check out an evening of short plays that were written by students in a class that my friend has taught for the past 16 weeks. He told me about the event a couple of weeks ago so I wanted to go and support him. Little did I know just how much I would enjoy the evening.

This class was under TheatreWorks!, a part of The Working Theater's "25 Projects/25 Weeks/25 Years" series celebrating their 25th anniversary. The class is truly a remarkable part of the series. Basically, working adults from all walks of life, all education levels, all backgrounds, and all reading/writing levels take this class to broaden their 'creativity horizon'. They work like normal during the day and come to class in efforts to comfortably explore how to express deep inner feelings and how to find their voice. As my friend wrote, "For some, it's the first thing they have ever written and I mean the first thing; not a letter before or even a grocery list. One woman from Albania with less than a third grade education wrote a heartbreaking play about the loneliness and longing she experienced on a trip back to her country. She wrote it entirely phonetically". I mean, talk about amazing. The other night was the culmination of their hard work performed and let me just tell you what a pleasure it was to see.

Most of the people were maintenance workers, doormen, security guards; people that, on the surface, one might never think would have such creativity buried inside. I was brought to tears several times both by the performances and what they were based on and by what the authors printed in the "playbill" about themselves and their lives. Most of the performances had to do with issues like alcoholism, prejudice, and issues with god and I thought each one was fascinating. Yes, a couple had no clear or streaming line of thought but, for the most part, I was deeply touched by what these people had to say. Their honesty and openness in sharing a piece of themselves moved me and I was truly glad to be a part of their evening.

My friend is such an amazing man and it was totally a testament of who he is by being a part of leading such a program like this. I'm really glad there are guys out there like him with such humility who truly touch people the way I hope I do, too.

The Saints Went STOMPING In

The Superbowl is one of those events that completely fascinates me in terms of the following it has. Of course, I feel similar about football overall (or really any pro sporting event) but the Superbowl is one day out of the year where I really believe there is commonality amongst every American across the country. It may seem silly to some people but, to me, it's such an exciting day. This year, the Saints did NOT disappoint, that's for sure.

Let me back up though because I actually had a tremendous weekend outside of Superbowl Sunday, too. Friday evening, I wanted to be low key so I kept Allison company while she baked. I've said this before and will say it again - I am not a baker. Unless I'm making muffins where I mix batter and dump it in a pan, you won't find me baking often. So, it's fun to just chit chat while someone else does it.

Saturday, my friend had me over for brunch at his beautiful Park Slope apartment. Since he's bragged on the delicious french toast he makes, I gladly made the trek out. He did not disappoint, might I say. ;) Brunch was fantastic and we sat around after just talking and laughing. It was such a good afternoon spent in my old stomping grounds. Of course, I had to walk by my old apartment which made me so badly want to go in and see what it looks like now after ten years. Wow, I can actually say it's been ten years since I lived there, sheesh. At any rate, I left Park Slope smiling that afternoon. :)

Come Sunday, I did not end up doing the run I'd registered for. It was 17 degrees when I got up that morning (nine degrees colder than the 15K when I thought I would literally die!) and I just did not see the point in freezing to death for 4 short miles. So, I ran them on the treadmill instead and went straight to cooking food for Superbowl. I don't mean to brag buuuuut I made the most delicious homemade macaroni and cheese and it even blew ME away, which is tough to do since I'm my own worst critic. In addition, I did 7-layer dip and spinach dip, all of which was mouth watering:


Yeah, there were veggies there too that I ate next to none of. Anyway, the game was awesome and the Saints won their first Superbowl in franchise history which was just so exciting to see. I'm glad I got to be a part of watching that. Sadly, this means football season is officially over yet again but that sure doesn't mean I won't have wings and beer on lazy Sunday afternoons!

Another good weekend for the books. I'm liking 2010! ;)

Tim Burton: Visionary Genius

As previously mentioned, I went to check out the Tim Burton exhibit at MoMA last week and I can't even explain how glad I am that I did. I've been a fan of his for many years but there was quite a bit I didn't know about him. So, seeing his life chronicled out the way it was in the exhibit was fascinating. His mind is so full of fury in the most artistically brilliant way. To say he's 'imaginative' is such a flat description of his talent. I had no idea he was a painter, in addition to a sketch artist, nor did I realize that he'd been 'working' since even before he was a teenager. His creativity is unmatched and his work is flawless in the most eccentric and, at times painful, way. They had so much of his work framed and that even included random items like a bar napkin he'd sketched on. They had portrayed his idea notes for his films and they had actual items on display from some of those films, as well. I mean, it was truly mind blowing to see how precise and detailed his imagination really is after having seen several of his films. For example, the notes he wrote out on his ideas for 'Edward Scissorhands' and 'Beetlejuice' were totally and completely in line with what was created on screen. It was remarkable.

As one would assume, photography was not allowed in the exhibit so I tried my best to get a couple of clear photos from the brochure they handed out:




Needless to say, this was definitely one of those evenings that I was so glad that I live in NY and have the resources at my fingertips to see something like this. I'm also thankful for the small world that NY truly is when you run into one of your company's brokers afterward who decides to treat you to food and wine all night, too. Tee hee hee...

It's February!

My goodness, here we are into February already. It's like I blinked and January was over! I can officially say that the start of the new year has been equal parts exciting, weird, and fun. I've been praying consistently for god to show me the things I need to see and to direct me on which path I should be taking. At times, I feel like I've heard him clearly and then there are the moments where things just seem blurry. The most important thing is that I am doing my best to hold on to my convictions and to be aware of the things that are best for me. I have worked too hard in these past months to "lose" any of the lessons I've learned so, again, the start of 2010 has been an adventure for me. Hmmm, how ironic that one of my resolutions this year was to have more adventure in my life. Ha! I guess that's definitely the case. :P

This week has been particularly great. Tom came back in town for another visit and extended his trip for a few days which really made me smile. Above that however, I got some cooking in (a delicious homemade mushroom sauce served over baked chicken), fun times out with friends, annnnnnd I bought a new guitar! I've been wanting to for some time and, luckily, I had a little extra "me" money saved that I wasn't sure what I'd do with. I mentioned before that the lack of cooking I've done recently has affected me a bit but I've also known for a while that I've wanted to pick the guitar back up and get to playing again. I took two years of lessons and it's a shame that I ever put the guitar down in the first place. It's really like starting at square one again but I know it'll come back to me if I commit some time each night to play.

Anyway, after church on Sunday, we headed downtown to check out Ludlow Guitars and the guys there are just awesome. They've got a wide range of selection and the folks are super knowledgeable. There wasn't that arrogant feel to the shop that so many boutique guitar places have which was so great. For example, while slightly embarrassed, I still felt comfortable saying I completely don't remember how to play that when the guy sat me down and said ok, strum an E chord. Ha! Anyway, I gave him a price range, he went $200 lower which was so very cool of him, and I walked out the door with my new Walden. I am so happy. Now, it's up to me to put in the time and effort to re-gain what I've lost over the past couple of years. At least step one is outta the way though, weeee!

Now, I'm just looking forward to a weekend full of food and friends. I have brunch in Brooklyn on Saturday, my fun run on Sunday morning, and lots of homemade goodness waiting to be cooked for Superbowl Sunday evening. Before all the weekend fun, I'll be checking out the Tim Burton exhibit at the MoMA this evening and I seriously cannot wait! I love his eccentric visionary mind; should be awesome stuff. So, overall, I think this first week in February is shaping up to be just super. :)

I'm Addicted To...

...FOOD! I'm absolutely not ashamed to admit it, either. I posted yesterday about the real reason I love food (cooking, of course!) but I get pretty darn excited about eating it, too. I've had a very slow day at work so I've spent it looking up recipes that are just wonderfully bad for you (helloooo crescent roll recipe ideas) to add to our Superbowl menu. Friends are coming over for the game and I decided well in advance that I wanted to make really bad food and enjoy the heck out of it. Yes, I have laughed at myself often for how far in advance I think about what food to make for an event but I seriously cannot help it. I'm addicted.

I'm a very healthy eater on a daily basis and I take nutrition/exercise very seriously. I've lifted weights forever and I really enjoy doing all forms of cardio. I was a big gym rat for years too, doing mostly kickboxing and weight classes, but I've gravitated away from that and do what I can to be outside for cardio. Of course, as mentioned in many posts, I also take running very seriously and I love it. I mention all of this because I honestly work out as hard as I do so that I can treat myself.

All of this said, I registered today for a fun little four mile race on Superbowl Sunday where you wear jerseys while running! I mean, how fun is that?! I decided I simply must do it and represent O'Hara and the Giants (since they clearly didn't represent themselves at all this season!) AND give my body a nice little jump start before ingesting macaroni and cheese, spinach dip, beer...oh, and there will likely be a couple, if not several, crescent roll surprises as well after looking at that link. :-o

Man, I love food.

Who Dat!

I have absolutely no relation to New Orleans nor have I followed the Saints ever but I really really love that the fans say 'who dat'. So, yeah. I said it here. Man, what an awesome playoff win for them last night. The young kicker who kicked the winning field goal in OT seriously just had his career made, yo. Now, the Saints are Superbowl bound! Awesome stuff.

Anyway, my weekend was great! My brother and sister-in-law were in town and we got to do some fun things together. I had a terrific 5 mile run Saturday afternoon and then we went out to this little parlour in the West Village that night. Two things: 1) I was reminded how old I am when a guy bought me a shot for his friend's 22nd birthday party and 2) I was also reminded how much fun it is to be 22. Hahahaha! We had a blast out with friends though and I got to see some people I haven't seen in years. The shot guy also grew up a town over from mine in Georgia AND lives one block from me in the city. Talk about a small world. Anyway, it was a lot of fun and much needed laughter.

Sunday, I got up and started looking through my recipe book while I had coffee. Recently, I've been feeling like something's missing in my life and I haven't for the life of me been able to put my finger on it. As I looked through my recipes, it dawned on me. Cooking! I come from an interesting background that's a mix of creativity and logic. Dad was a very stoic man who worked hard his entire life, even without graduating from high school. He had tunnel vision in terms of what it meant to be successful and he saw only that, nothing else. My mom was a painter and free spirited navy brat. She grew up all over and developed an independence that allowed her creativity to shine and blossom. She's an amazing water-colorist and I can't tell you the amount of cards and notes I've gotten from her over the years with her sweet drawings. I'm happy to say that I got the best of both mom and dad (and I'm not too proud to say the worst too at times, ha!). I'm very responsible and wise with things like money/work yet I'm a creative dreamer at heart. I was never gifted with a hand to draw or paint but I was blessed with a love of creating. I must also mention that mom's artistic nature was not cut off at the paintbrush, if you will. She had a love of cooking that I adored from the second I was old enough to understand what she was doing. Mom worked part-time our whole childhood so there were a few nights during the week that she didn't cook. The nights she did though I was right by her side, watching and learning. See, mom didn't just measure and mix ingredients. Mom created something. She took an idea in her her mind and processed it through to what she would create in a meal that was far more than food. It was love. To me, there was nothing better in the world than to watch mom do her work. She was my own personal 'Julia Child' and the way she would create dishes was magical to me.

I am in love with cooking because of that. The process for me is a manifestation of not just my skills but of my love of nurturing and taking care of people. It brings me joy to cook and I realized that, by not cooking as much lately, that creative side of me has been stifled. Therefore, it's exactly what I've been missing. So, sitting there with coffee in hand and recipe book in lap, I decided that I am going to get back on target with cooking something new at least weekly if not more than that. Since it's just little ol' me in my apartment, it makes cooking a bit tougher but, nevertheless, I need to stimulate that creative side of me again. More often than not, I don't cook from recipes unless it's something brand new where I'd need a little help with ratios of ingredients. Usually, I glance at a recipe and come up with my own form of it but I've decided to show my cookbooks and recipes some love and get to workin'.

Sunday's creation was homemade corn chowder with potatoes and fresh thyme. At first glance, the recipe sounded great but I was skeptical of the amount of veggie stock AND cream it called for. It appeared like it would be far more of a soup than a chowder. Um, corn soup? No thanks. At any rate, I was true to the measurements and was totally mad at myself in the end that I didn't go with my instinct. I even made a fair amount of roux for it and it was just thin and one dimensional. I like my chowder to have levels when you take a bite and this was 'elementary', if you will. I like the flavors involved together but I already know what I'd do differently next time and, sadly, it involves changing nearly everything, ha!

At any rate, it completely satisfied just what I needed and I was so glad for that. Now, I just have to figure out what the heck I'm gonna do with a big pot of bland chowder. Grrrr...

Possibilities

With the start of a new year often comes new goals, aspirations, resolutions. There's excitement in the air and the feeling of possibility all around. For many, a new year brings hardship as well. It pains my heart to know that, for lots of people out there, another year might mean another year to battle illness or another year where they feel alone. I know that life is not all sunshine and rainbows, but that is precisely why I feel even more affirmed in my changed mindset.

This morning on the bus, I looked around at all the people on their way to wherever. I watched their faces as some looked weary, some looked refreshed, some looked angry. I saw a mother giggling with her two sons and I saw a man in his sharp suit reading the paper. I saw a woman dressed to the nines with an enormous diamond on her finger and I saw an old man in weathered jeans and shoes, no doubt freezing from his lack of proper winter clothing. I saw all of these individuals sitting right around me and wondered if I could ever be someone who could reach and affect all of those different types of people.

What I knew to be absolutely true as I glanced around is that I am meant for something great. I have no idea if that means being a mother or owning a business or leading a non-profit organization. It could mean I volunteer or sponsor a child or care for the elderly. It could mean a million different things but, the one thing I know, is that I am excited about the realm of possibilities out there for me. I believe that god refreshes our spirit with a sense of purpose when we are ready and able to hear his voice. I believe that, when we are prepared, he gives us the tools and armor to walk through this life with passion, zest, and vibrancy. He gives us that purpose and mindset of helping to change the world. I think that what so many people miss in this life is that each and every second of the day is a chance to be alive. An earthquake in Haiti just killed thousands of people two days ago. The heartbreak of that is the question of whether those people were ever lucky enough to know what I know or feel what I feel. Did some of them ever feel truly loved or were they accepted and cared for? Were their hearts treasured or lives embraced?

God is so good in how he showers us in grace and mercy and love. I feel alive in ways that give me purpose and hold meaning over my life. I feel enveloped in blessing for various reasons and sometimes I think that, if only I could spend five minutes with one of those strangers on the bus from today, perhaps I could help them feel loved, even for a second. Why must there be so much difficulty in this world where there should be one simple thing: love. If only we could all look at the world with new eyes and step forward with new purpose. If only each step we take could be a reflection of acceptance, love, non-judgment. If only we could see others as god sees us and lay down our lives in honor of love. There will always be uncertainty and lack of control in the world, always. It is what we do with that which determines our happiness.

I praise the lord for the small daily blessings he gives me which allow me to see the world now in these ways I mention. I know that 2010 is going to be amazing for me because I know the truth of where this happiness comes from. It is unbelievably comforting to have this hope and peace. I mention it all today because I outwardly challenge myself to keep walking forward in truth and light. I challenge myself to be open to any and all possibilities that are far outside what I think is "right". From there, I truly just might help change the world.