Up in the Air

I’m on a flight. Again. And I have a few things to say.

1. I can’t sleep on planes. And it’s not because I can’t get comfortable. It’s because anytime there’s even the slightest bump or bit of turbulence, I am absolutely positive that we’re in dire peril. This is a recent occurrence. I used to love to fly.

2. A pushy lady boarded late, saw that there was an insufficient amount of overhead storage space left, and immediately became incensed. She turned to a flight attendant and said, “I need SPACE.” …Honey, we all need space.

3. Club soda with lime is my new in-flight drink of choice.

4. I just spilled half a glass of club soda with lime down my front.

xoxo

Rings on Her Fingers and Bells on Her Toes.

Soooo....  I'm engaged.  And it's kind of awesome.  I've been hesitant to blog about it, because it seems kind of personal, and I'm a little bashful.  And while it seems like I divulge a lot of personal information on my blog, if you read some backposts, you'll realize that it's not exactly information.  It's more like...  opinion.  Or musings.  Or rantings.  But never really personal stuff.  So there you go.

However!  That having been said, my engagement has been a completely inspirational thing in my life!  I've been all over the internet and I've come across some really beautiful style, design, event, and do-it-yourself blogs that have totally blown my mind.  So I made the decision to chronicle our engagement in another blog, vis-a-vis all of the DIY projects that I'm planning to include in our wedding.  My hope is that even after the wedding, the blog will continue and I can keep posting projects and creative, inspirational-type stuff!

So long story short:  keep coming here to get into my head (all 14 of you that are subscribers...), and keep an eye out for a new blog if you're interested in the rest of it!  Be assured that I'll let you know when it's up and running.

xoxo

Closings, Planes, and Good Sounds.

So here I am, in Denver, on my second layover of the day, almost home to California.  I will have been in four states by 1 p.m. today; that may not be a personal record, but it's pretty darn close.  Cowgirls closed last night, and, I have to say, it was kind of the perfect little package of a show.  Open long enough to explore some things with some amazing actors, and closed soon enough that no one got bored or went crazy.  Mostly.  It's an experience for which I'm extremely thankful.

Anyhoo, that's why I am on this crazy Montgomery-to-Memphis-to-Denver-to-Sacramento journey; because the show closed, and I'm headed home to have some family time.  And it was on the Memphis to Denver leg that something magical happened.  I had just gotten out my MacBook and turned it on, when, at the same serendipitous moment, the flight attendant asked for my drink order.  I got a Diet Coke and he offered me the whole can.  Then, at the exact same second, my computer chimed its lovely "start-up" chord, and the flight attendant flipped open the pop-top on the Diet Coke.  And I realized that those two sounds make me feel really good.

They just sounded like good things.  You know?  Those sounds that evoke an almost physical reaction because you know they mean something wonderful is coming?  A Diet Coke can opening is one of my favorites.  (And, yes, it sounds different if it's regular Coke.  Not as snappy or fizzy.)  Some of my others:  a tinny-sounding overture on any Original Cast Recording of a musical written and recorded before 1970.  My mom and dad's "hello" when they pick up the phone.  A longboard hitting the pavement when you drop it just before a ride.  Hearing my students sing a chord that would suddenly lock into tune.  My bestie's voice saying she forgot to tell me something huge.  A '57 Chevy starting up.

So, I wanna know -- what are your sounds?  Betcha we have some of the same.

xoxo

Hindsight

Ever have something happen that didn't even register at the moment, and then later got under your skin?

The other day I told someone I was a dance swing in a certain show, and the reply was, "Oh, well that explains it.  You're a dancer." 

Excuse me?

xoxo

Little Voice

I don't have a big voice.  I learned that in junior high, when I started singing in choir like it was my job.  In high school and college, it got stronger, but no bigger.  Then when I became a teacher it gained an authoritative quality, but it still stayed the same size.  Got to NYC, more training, more depth, but still small.  I'm okay with all this.

During Cowgirls rehearsal, this became the note that I received the most.  Can't hear you, push volume, louder louder louder...  And so I did, and it got better.  But I got to thinking one day, that my literally small voice also is a little figurative. 

I've never been the girl shouting opinions.  When I'm around folks who like to talk, I prefer to listen, rather than try to get a word in edgewise.  I don't like to yell to be heard.  And I fully subscribe to the notion that just because you're screaming, doesn't mean anyone is listening.  So I save my ideas and my voice for the times when there's constructive communication happening. 

Do I have opinions?  You betcha.  Are they strong?  Stronger than you'd think, if you're judging my book by its cover.  But I think that opinions can be valid, whether they're shouted from a rooftop or softly voiced from across the table.

xoxo

Geographical Kindness

Truth be told, there's never a day that I don't miss California.  And when I'm not in New York, ditto for the city.  But I have to admit, it's been a little bit nice to spend some time in a part of the country where the specialty is being cordial.  Life in Montgomery may settle somewhere a little quieter and slower than I tend to like it, but every single person I've come across here has seemed genuinely kind.  And that's not something you can say for every place you visit. 

There's a sweet elderly man at the gym, who I worked out next to every morning while we were in rehearsals.  After a few days of elliptical training next to each other, he turned to me and said, "You're getting to be a regular here," and smiled.  And went on about his business.  A few days later, when I brought a new book to read, he noticed and commented.  No fuss, no muss, no lengthy chatter.  Just a kind acknowledgment of another person's existence.  Which is nice. 

In the city, people thrive on anonymity.  If you meet someone's eye, you're expected to look away immediately.  And heaven forbid you actually let the corners of your mouth creep up into a smile;  you'll instantly be labeled as either crazy or dangerous. 

But in a place like this, it's nice to settle into a routine of recognizing the people around you and honoring their presence with a simple hello.

xoxo

Magic People

Editor's (AKA Yours Truly) Note:  This entry previously existed on my Tumblr account.  Bailed from Tumblr.  Didn't want to lose the entry.  Sorry if it's a repeat for some of ya'll.
Have you ever come across one of those people who seems to be magic?  And they live their lives with such passion and love and total abandon that you just get willingly sucked right into their whirlwind of joy?  And they make you feel like you can do it too, and some of their joy gets rubbed off on you, and for a while, you are invincible -- you are kinder, happier, luckier, more peaceful in who you are, find the good in more things, walk with a bounce in your step, and on and on.  And then maybe you don't see them for a while and it fades, but you know that it's there somewhere, if you can just try to find it again.
The thing is, I want to be my own magic person.  I want to be able to find that feeling, and help other people feel it, and make the world better by spreading it all around.  I feel it, right at the end of my fingertips, vibrating like it's tempting me to come and get it.  It sparks up sometimes, and I feel all my feelings and I live in them, and I sing, and I pray (which sometimes are the same thing), and it's the best feeling ever.
And I think everyone is secretly a magic person.  I think it's just a matter of realizing it, and that actually takes practice.  Practice!  Huh.
So that's one of my new goals.  Practice joy.  Cultivate love.  Be magic.
xoxo