Seven Quick Takes give or take..........

1.  Auditions.  I love working auditions for kids.  The school where I teach drama is a K-12.  So, for our Production of Little Women I am pulling from the grade school and high school.  It is very interesting watching the confidence level of the veteran actors who are Juniors or Seniors.  
At one time they were exactly like the little third graders who bravely get up and try their best though they are shaking in their shoes. 



 It hits me every time that drama slowly makes you courageous, confident, adventurous.  It is very much a team effort at our school, which is very, very small.  When we put on a play, half the school is in it.  Every year I try a surprise casting.  This year I have cast a sweet, shy Freshman in the role of Jo March.  She was completely unsuspecting, which made it all the more delightful.  I look forward to seeing what she will do, because she stepped out with grit to audition. And her audition was really great. Let the adventures begin!!!!!!!!!

2.  Lovely Daughter is still in town until Sunday.  We are trying to get all our last minute conversations, cups of coffee, and movies in before she goes off on more college adventures. And also catching up on all that sleep.   It has been lovely having a girl in the house again for awhile.  Love my boys to death, but a girl is so much fun!!

3.  We went to 6:30 Mass at our old Parish this morning.  The old crowd was STILL there.  The young mom who adopted a little baby who is now around 5; the bald, funny guy who works at the Gas Station; the big, tall, young father who proclaims the readings with a voice like James Earl Jones; Elsie, the amazingly spry elderly lady who keeps the Church looking beautiful in season and out of season, and who always bought the BIGGEST tin of popcorn from my boys when they were young scouts there; the lady who sits in front with the kind smile; and Martha who catches the bus right after Mass to get to work.  All of them still faithful, still happy and jolly after Mass, still like Simeon and Anna in the Temple waiting for Jesus.  People like this always build up my faith.  They aren't famous, they are just faithful and unassuming.

4.  Basketball, basketball, basketball.......

5.  But there is always room for baseball talk.  Youngest Child has introduced me to the world of sports talk shows.  Quite a unique set of characters, I assure you.  Have you ever noticed that every sports announcer and talk show guy have the same kind of voice?   I really get a kick out of their baseball lingo and all their baseball jargon!  Youngest Child has to interpret it for me many times.  But we bond over it as I drive him to science class and I know more about baseball now than I ever did before.

6. Back to the school work full time this week.

7.  Ordinary Time is very comforting.......I like January and February for this very reason. Maybe the closest thing to hibernating that we will ever experience.