New Year-New Opportunities

  In October of 2008 we were looking at the possibility of moving to Calgary, Alberta due to a job offer that Jay had there. It was so exciting to me; the idea of moving to and living in another country. A lot of folks had misgivings. You know, the main objection people always came up with was how cold Canada is. I guess it is cold sometimes. But I bet it's warm in summer, just like it is here. (Why do people always focus on the negatives?) Anyway, that whole thing fell through because the Canadian government told the company that had offered Jay the job that they must try harder to find a Canadian citizen for the position due to the economy. (Imagine that, a government that cares more about employing it's own citizens first rather than hiring outsiders.)

  The whole incident taught me something, though. It is not always obvious when you are faced with choices about your future what the next steps are going to be. It is always advisable that you allow room in your thoughts and considerations that something beyond what you presently know as options may present itself. For instance, if I am looking for employment, why do I limit myself to where I currently live to look for work? Why only look for a job within, say, 25 mile radius of here? Why not broaden my horizon and look beyond? Why not entertain the idea of moving to another state, or maybe even another country?

   See, we limit ourselves by our own thinking. Or maybe we just are not thinking. Maybe we also limit ourselves by fear of the unknown. We are comfortable with {here}. We know {here}. We know the ins and outs. We know the ups and downs. {Here}is close to our family, our friends, even our neighbors. We like the weather {here}.  We don't mind putting up with all the negatives of {here}, because, hey, at least we know what our worst case scenario would be {here}.

  We could broaden our scope a little, but not much. Maybe we could move. Yeah. Maybe we could go south. Like, I don't know, maybe as far south as Indianapolis.

    You see what I'm saying? I'm not just talking about a job. I'm not just talking about where you live. I am really talking about life. Why do we limit ourselves so much? We live in an age when you can learn simply volumes about all kinds of things because of the internet. You can thorougly research something on the internet, and in all of that research you can expand your enjoyment of life. But just learning about something is not where the change comes in. You have to choose what you will do about the information.
In order for there to be change, you have to do something you haven't done before, maybe in a place where you haven't done it before.

   So it is 2011. A new year. It is always the time people think about changing their lives. Indeed, it is my impetus for writing this blog. I just want to challenge you to do something different this year. There are all kinds of opportunities that we all pass up every day. It could be as small as saying something to someone you may see every day but never take the time to just say "Hi" to them. (You know, like maybe the postal person. Do you even know their name?) Make a new friend. Go to a new place. Develop a new attitude. Here's something; eat some food that you have never eaten before.

   Whatever you do with the opportunities that come your way this year, I hope you will Live Well!

Show Time!

  I am cast in a show for Elkhart Civic Theatre. It is an Agatha Christie play entitled, "And Then There Were None". I have a small part. I think I have eleven lines. But I don't care that it is small. I love being in shows and working with the rest of the cast to present as entertaining and as professional a play as we can.  I love becoming a different person and developing the character to have a different personality than my own.

The picture is from another murder mystery I did. I was "Aunt Lilly" in "Postmortem". Rats, I can't find my script to tell you who it is written by, and I don't want to look for it right now.  But, anyway, Aunt Lilly was one of my favorite characters that I have been so far.

Soon, I will be learning my lines and developing my character. I will learn my entrances and where I am to stand when I deliver my lines on the stage. (We call that "blocking" in theater.) I will find my costumes and learn what props I am to carry while I am on stage. I already know that  one of my lines is the opening line of the whole play. I'm excited about that!

If you want to learn more about community theater, I would recommend that you visit Theatregeeks.com on the internet. The director of the play that I am going to be in, Dave Dufour, is one of the contributors and maybe even the creator of the web site. It is a great place to learn about what community theater is all about.

Walking, Weight Loss, and Daydreams

   The picture at the top of this blog is one of my daughter's mother-in-law, Marlene Blosser, and me on Tricia and Jeff's wedding day in 2007. It is my aim to be able to fit into that dress again sometime before June. To that end, I have been walking and eating less.

   I have been trying to walk at least an hour a day. I get in about three miles when I do that, probably averaging about 18 miles a week. I see it this way, you can lose weight with diet, but you'll never change your shape unless you exercise.  I am also doing a dance class about once a week with my darling daughter, which is more fun than anything. I am not a good dancer at all. But it gets me moving and I exercise different muscle groups than by just walking.

   It is becoming more challenging to walk. I have to bundle up a little more. It was 21 degrees Farenheit here yesterday morning. CHILLY! I intend to walk outside as long as I possibly can. I understand that walking in the cold actually burns more calories; something to do with converting the cold air you breathe.

  I have lost a total of 15 pounds, but not sure what the Thanksgiving holiday has done for that number. At any rate, the doctor told me that he only wanted me to lose 5 pounds between now and the next time I see him in three months. I told him that I intended to lose more than that, and he just said that it would be "a plus". 

   This is kind of boring so far, but I just wanted to say that I have time while I am walking to think about all kinds of things. Yes, I think about breathing deeply, and how good it is for me to be outside, and what a stress reduction it is to take the time to be out there. But I also think about the people that I love, places I would like to go, places I have been, things that I want to do.

   I think about the people that I love, and, don't think I'm crazy, but I sometimes have imaginary conversations with them.  I usually am sitting down with them, in my imagination, having tea or coffee, or sometimes I let them have a beer, if they need it. I tell them that they are going to be just fine, and that I love them. I listen to them tell me what they are really struggling with. I share my struggles with them, and we are both better for having shared. I think it is so important to build people up instead of tearing them down.

  I think about places that I have been to, and places where I would like to go. Two years ago in October we went to Calgary, Alberta Canada, job hunting for Jay. And, while we were there, we ended up in Banff. Let me tell you, I loved Banff. I would love to go there again. The city is surrounded by beautiful, tall, snow covered mountains in October. It snowed while we were there.  I can't say exactly why, but I would live there in a heartbeat, if I got the chance.  It is rugged, wild, and beautiful.

  I haven't been to a lot of places, really, in my life. But there are places I dream of going. I think I should see Hawaii some day. I think I should go to Steamboat, Colorado on a ski trip. I think I would like to do a Carribean cruise. I want to go to Alaska. I want to see some of Europe. I think about all of this while I am out on my walking trips. 

  I have a rather wild imagination, so I often dream about taking others with me on these trips. Most often, I think of taking different ones of my kids with me. Sometimes I think I would love to take some of my siblings. I guess, when I am walking, I entertain myself this way. I really love people, and I am never really alone, as long as I am carrying them in my heart.

  Sometimes, out on those walks though, I just rejoice in the beauty of the day. It is sunny, or it is rainy. It is warm, or it is cold. But, whatever it is really like, I always have my eyes open to see something. One morning, here in town, there was a deer. What is a deer doing in town? But he was here. There are little rabbits in the yards. There are fat squirrels. The leaves have fallen off the trees. I wonder if each leaf is different, like snow flakes. So many thoughts flow through my head as I am walking, and losing weight, and daydreaming.

Rosalie Beebe

I decided to go ahead and post my monologue from last weekend when we had the cemetary walk for Elkhart Historical Society and as a benefit for Elkhart Civic Theatre. I took the part of Mrs. Rosalie Beebe from the list of characters that were selected by the Historical Society of the persons who are buried at Grace Lawn Cemetary in Elkhart. This was a great way for me to learn some of Elkhart's history, and I thoroughly enjoyed doing it. Just for the record, there was nothing at all "creepy" about the whole thing, even though it was held in the cemetary. You can look at my pictures as the character on my Facebook page. The following is my monologue.

"Good Afternoon. I am Mrs. Rosalie Beebe, the wife of judge Samuel P. Beebe. I was born Rosalie Harris in Kingsbury, New York in December of 1778, just two years, five months and two days after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  I married my husband, Samuel, in Troy, New York in 1814 where we lived until we moved to this area in 1831. When we came here, we boarded with Mr. George Crawford on the north side of the river, in what was then Pulaski. We built only the second house on the south side of the river on the original plat of what started to be called Elkhart the next year of 1832.
  "My husband is a peculiar man. A lot of folks don't know whether to like him or not. He loves to spark a quarrel between neighbors. And he loves a good practical joke. For instance, I remember one day he was riding down the river road and he came across Silas DeCamp hauling a huge hollow log up the river bank. "Come now, Silas" he says. "I'll bet you a quarter the hole in that log is not big enough to creep into." Silas, accepting the bet, crept into the hole. As soon as he did, down from his horse Sam jumped, and gave that log a shove. The log rolled back down the river bank with its occupant, and splashed into the river. My husband rode off in a glee, leaving poor Silas to sink or swim. Well, some good gentlemen came by presently and rescued Silas from his predicament, and then they all came looking for my husband. When they found Samuel, his story was that he had seen the log roll into the river and had rode into town to get help. Silas had won his quarter, and Samuel had another funny story to tell.
  "I hope you won't think me boastful to say that it was I who created the first wedding garments and also funeral garments worn by white settlers in the village of Elkhart. I had the first spinning wheel that appeared in Elkhart and I loved to weave. One year I spun and wove 50 yards of material. That same year I knitted 50 pairs of socks, which I found a market for in the nearby settlement of Mishawaka.  I also created the first cake of cheese on the south side of the river. Mrs. Rachel Beardsley created the first cheese on the north side.
  "It may also interest you to  know that the First Presbyterian Church of Elkhart was formed in my home in May of 1841. The church met in my home for two years. Thank you for visiting me today."

  Rosalie Beebe lived to be 99 years old. She died in April of 1888. That is pretty old for someone back in those days. Her obituary stated that she did not look 99, but more like a woman in her 60's. I think that was something I have in common with her. A lot of people tell me that I don't look my age. Anyway, I hope to do something like this again next year when the Elkhart Historical Society does this again. We may be in a different cemetary next year. We shall see.

I wonder (as I wander) With apologies to the Christmas song.

  As I was walking along the river today behind the YMCA at lunch, I saw some ducks out in the river. They would float along for a while, then duck their heads under water, their cute little ducky-butts to the sky. And I started wondering. And, since this Blog is called "Ponderings" I thought I would share the things I wonder, just some of the, one would hope, less crazy things that I wonder about.

1.  I wonder if they call the birds "ducks" because they duck their heads under the water to feed, or do we say "duck" meaning to lower your head, because of the bird?

2.  I wonder if the "Best Man" was ever just "The Most Suitable Man"? (Or is he the groom?) Why doesn't the bride marry the "Best Man"? (She thought she was marrying the best man)?

3. I wonder if all children are mystified when they fly their first kite?

4. I wonder why we call some people "hot". Are all the ones who are not "hot" then "cold". (And why do we call some people cold?)

5.  I wonder - if looks really could kill, how many of us would survive to puberty? Adulthood?

6.  You know all those "First Baptist" churches and "First Presbyterian" churches? I wonder which one was really first? Seems like there's a "First Baptist" in every town. And where are the "Second Baptists" and "Second Presbyterians"? Did they all give up when the "First" ones won?

7. I wonder, and this is a little risque maybe, I wonder what it meant to be "googled" or to "google" somebody, before it became a web site? (Can't you just hear some mother screaming and a child, "stop googling the neighbor girl, and get in here and take a cold shower!"

Guess I better get busy and "Google" some answers to these questions. Smile,you'll make people wonder why!

Lots of Things To Do This Weekend

Boy! There sure are a lot of things to consider doing this weekend! It makes you wish you could clone yourself so you could enjoy all those things! If you live in this area, I hope you will participate in at least one of these events.

   

Friday night at the historic Bristol Opera House, Elkhart Civic Theatre opens with "Beau Jest", a romantic comedy. I have seen some short video of rehearsal of this show, and it promises to be very funny. The story line is about a jewish young lady who is reluctant to admit to her parents that she is dating a non-jewish young man. She hires an actor to play the part of her boyfriend to meet her parents. Along the way, she develops romantic interest in the actor. This lends to all kinds of funny situations. If you can't see it this weekend, please call for tickets for next weekend on Monday, before they are all sold out! You can see more on Elkhart Civic Theatre's web page. The ticket line phone number is (574) 848-4116.

Friday night and Saturday, also in Bristol, the Storyteller's Festival takes place at Congdon Park. Take the kids, if you have them, and go hear live storytellers spin tales. It is a lot more fun than a night at the movies. Storytelling is not really a lost art, but we rarely get exposed to really good stories. In the days before radio and television, this was the way people entertained each other. (Well that, and live theater!) Think of Prairie Home Companion without the music. Have fun!

My favorite park in Elkhart County, Bonneyville Mill, is also having it's festival this weekend. I love it! You have vintage craft exhibitions; vendors walking around in costumes of yesteryear selling things like apple cider and popcorn, ham and beans cooked in a big kettle over an open fire, homemade root beer, (please return the bottles when you are done), homemade pies, pulled pork sandwiches...I could go on. For Jay and I, our favorite thing to do is to get up early on Saturday morning and ride our bikes over to the Sausage and Pancake breakfast. All the pancakes you can eat, a cup of coffee and a generous size sausage for one low price. We will probably drive over this year since we are going to be up late Friday night if we stay and watch "Beau Jest" after we Box Office. There is a parking fee, but it is minimal, and well worth it. There is all kinds of free entertainment in the entertainment tent during the festival Saturday and Sunday. They also have a children's activities area where they get to do things like dip candles and bob for apples. Stop by the Mill while you are there and get some cornmeal for your winter time baking. The Mill will soon be closed for the winter.

I know there are other things going on this weekend. There is another home game for Notre Dame this weekend. I will want to watch at least the last half of that. Go ND! Whatever you do, please be safe and have a great weekend!

That Feels Better

   Jay is employed as a security guard with Employer's Security Incorporated. That is good news! His hours are "swing" shift, which, most of the time is going to be ok. He just works graveyard shift two nights a week. I am kind of wondering if he will be able to stay awake in the wee hours of the mornings. We will find out tomorrow night when he does his first 10 pm to 6 am shift.
   I really feel good about this job for him. The other times recently that he has been employed, I just had the feeling that the job wouldn't last. I hoped it would, but I just had an awful feeling, almost a knowing, the job would not last. This time, I don't have that. So, if it doesn't last, boy will I be super disappointed.
   In other news, I haven't done too well over the weekend keeping my eating under control. Holiday weekends are bad for diets, I think. I have kept up my exercise. It's a beautiful evening, so, before it gets too late, I am going on a 200 calorie killing bike ride!
See you!