Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is almost my favorite holiday. There are comforting traditions that involve food and loved ones. I get to gather with my family and friends for no other reason than to share traditions and give thanks. We always get to meet others who are far from home and come to share some of their life with us. I love having a reminder to think of all the things I am grateful for, and there is no need to sink into all kinds of commercial merchandising to make it through the holiday.

Favorite Thanksgiving traditions - gather at Mom's house with as many family members who can make it, help cook old family recipes, play touch football, have old movies playing in the background, listen to guests share their traditions, take turns saying what we are most grateful for this year, let everyone help clean up.

Favorite Thanksgiving menu - turkey, mashed yukon gold potatoes, candied yams, Mom's amazing stuffing and homemade cranberry sauce, wonderful salad, and Mom's homemade rolls, then pumpkin pie and Mike's pecan pie.

Favorite Thanksgiving leftovers - turkey cranberry sandwiches on homemade rolls.

What am I most grateful for this year - for miracles and that Mike will be sitting next to me, very much alive and gradually healing.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend.

Movie Moment Part 1

There are those moments, you know the ones. When you look back, even if it was only 5 minutes ago, it is as though it could not have been better even if there had been an award winning script writer, set designers, casting agents, photographers, producer and a director. I was just watching the dvd of the 1999 London stage production of "Oklahoma". Loved it. It not only brought back great memories of London (not hard to do, I have so many of them) but also one of my movie moments.

I was a senior at Davis High School, the only high school with a Dart for a mascot, but that's another story. I was a new student there, just moved to town, trying to find my place. I tried out for the school musical, and got the part of Aunt Eller in "Oklahoma". I had no idea how great the theater department was at Davis, but quickly became very impressed. Our director, Sjob had a way of knowing how to bring the best people in who could get the best out of the student cast. I soon decided I had the best part in the musical, and I loved every part of being in it. I got to know everyone in the cast and crew, had a great time at the rehearsals, loved becoming Aunt Eller. All the cowboys were guys on the football team who took dancing lessons because the coach knew it would improve their coordination. Dancing football cowboys, instant friends, a great character part. What's not to love?

The technical, costume run through was on my birthday. I didn't have plans for my 18th, thought no one I knew would want to do anything after school with such a long rehearsal to get through. There is a scene where Aunt Eller is encouraging the farmers and the cowmen to be friends, but they keep getting into fights. At one point, I pull out a gun and fire it into the air to stop a fight, then point it at one of the farmers and tell him to sing about getting along. The cue is "Dum-diddy-um-dum-dum", then everyone is supposed to sing,"oh, the farmer and the cowmen should be friends" with scared looks on their faces. But at this point in the run through, they didn't look scared, they looked excited. Then they all, all 40 cast and crew and all the orchestra started singing, "Happy Birthday to You". Curly and Laura brought in a table with a huge birthday cake on it. I was stunned. Sjob, everyone in the musical, my family had all arranged to use the run through to surprise me on my birthday.

For a geeky new girl turning 18, it doesn't get better than that.