Thankful for Sweet Potatoes

This morning, while working at DS, D read this poem/prayer to me. She received in via email from a good friend. It's a great poem and very accurately describes so much of what I am blessed with and thankful for. In the email it also noted that Mr. Coots died earlier this year at the of 81. Well, his wonderful words keep moving.



LET US GIVE THANKS

Let us give thanks for a bounty of people
For children who are our second planting
and though they grow like weeds
and the wind too soon blows them away,
May they forgive us our cultivation
and remember fondly where their roots are.

Let us give thanks:
For generous friends, with hearts as big as hubbards
and smiles as bright as their blossoms;
For feisty friends as tart as apples;
For continuous friends, who, like scallions and cucumbers,
keep reminding us we've had them;
For crotchety friends, as sour as rhubarb
and as indestructible;
For handsome friends, who are as gorgeous as eggplants
and as elegant as a row of corn,
and the others, as plain as potatoes and so good for you;
For funny friends, who are as silly as Brussels sprouts
and as amusing as Jerusalem artichokes,
and serious friends, as complex as cauliflowers
and as intricate as onions;
For friends as unpretentious as cabbages,
as subtle as summer squash,
as persistent as parsley,
as delightful as dill,
as endless as zucchini,
and who, like parsnips,
can be counted on to see you throughout the winter;
For old friends,
nodding like sunflowers in the evening-time
and young friends coming on as fast as radishes;
For loving friends, who wind around us like tendrils
and hold us, despite our blights, wilts, and witherings;
And finally, for those friends now gone,
like gardens past that have been harvested,
but who fed us in their times
that we might have life thereafter;
For all these we give thanks.

-- Max Coots



Even though I do not have time enough in the world to type out every single thing I am thankful for, there a few things I feel like adding right now...
I am thankful that my wonderful, wonderful family is coming to visit me here in NYC and that my extended family sends love from every where else. I have the best parents and siblings- people who are consistently there to talk, to listen, and to love... and a bunch of pseudo families who do the same thing, just from different houses. I am blessed that my internships here in NYC have been with Good people who care about where I am going and what I am doing. They listen, encourage, and allow me to fail- consistently forgiving, offering a hand up, and believing that I will accomplish great things. I am fortunate for friends that fit every description in the poem... they all are the reasons for my sanity. I thankful that next-to-no-one has told me I couldn't do something... well, except maybe the police... and John in the 2nd grade, but they don't count. I guess, I meant sometimes as in have a career in theatre. I have a very strong support net. I am grateful that God has revealed Himself[Herself...I don't know and I don't care] to me in the form of deep breaths, long hugs, and supportive communities- including some organized churches [gasp].
I have had opportunities this year that most people will only ever dream of. Some how the stars alligned, I went massively in debt, and enough people believed in me that I am consistently going to new places with new opportunities to learn and to grow. And I have been blessed with a mind, body, and spirit that allow me to explore and Be.

So Thank you. And let us be thankful, for we have great opportunities to do beautiful things... and provide support for others to live, express and Love.

Often I think less about pilgrims during this holiday and more about people and blessings.

May the Peace of the Lord be with you Always.

Confession

When I was in London and visiting other countries with commonly-used public transportation I prided myself in listening to the 'sounds of the city' and staying awake to the people around me- rather than tune them out with music as it is common to do. However, here in NYC I do a lot of walking to the same places of work and the Subway trains often make loud squeaky noises which make my head hurt... thus, I usually listen to my music in at least one direction [although I try to stay at least sort of alert].

One of my favorite songs to listen to on the Subway is Aretha Franklin's "Respect". The only problem is that I have difficulty not dancing [and sometimes running into the people next to me mid-move] while singing it silently under my breath. One of these days I'm just going to stop holding it in and full out dance on the train... maybe.

Friends and Benefits

This weekend- particularly Saturday night and Sunday- finally put a change on my negative energy of last week. I spent most of the week either in an office, staring at database information, or getting rid of headaches. I needed the weekend. Inevitably I ended up working Saturday and had to pick up food before then [so I set the alarm... again], but Saturday night was enjoyable. I arrived home from work and was tired after walking the three miles home (through Holiday tourists who are beginning to increase). I layed in Julie's room and whined for a bit and suggested some things to do which I had found online. Neither of us had the energy to rush right out and do anything [she was hungry. I was tired] so we continued to lay there. We called our friend, Ed to ask if it was tomorrow [Sunday] when we were supposed to cook together- it was. When Ed got home from work he hung out with us while he updated the script for work. I ran out and got ___, cheese and bread and Julie made Mac-N-Cheese for dinner. We had dinner and then spent quality time watching Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. The movie was adorable and just what I needed to get my mind off concrete things- like work and money. We then watched Transformers 2- which I had not seen- and that wasn't quite as relaxing, but fun to watch. By the time we went to bed it was quite late and I passed out very easily.

I wasn't going to set an alarm, but just before I went to sleep Isaac replied to an earlier text saying that he was going to church in the AM. I was planning on going, but once it approached 2A I had changed my mine, but if Isaac could do it- I could do it. And I did not regret my decision at all. Isaac and I grabbed some coffee and then headed off to one of the- if not thee- best church services I'd ever been to. Straight from the start there was music that MOVED me. The first song was done by the choir and in a bit of a response manner and eventually the congregation joined in. It moved from loud to soft and the central lyrics were:
"I hear music in the air
There must be a God somewhere"
...How very, very true.
There were two choirs and there were some of my favorite hymns sang in completely new ways. The Prayers of the Church were accompanied by a wooden flute. The sermon and benediction were so reassuring and truthful. I think the pastor said it best when she said, "Woo, Are we doing Church in here today!" Yes, yes we were. I was exhausted, moved and inspired. Sometimes you leave that place and all you want to do is tell every person on the street just how LOVED they are. After all, THAT, my friends, is what God is. God is a truer, more faithful LOVE than you can ever imagine. I don't think it matters what you believe, He Loves you and He wants you to have peace in your heart. However that is revealed to you is fine... just listen.

So after the service Isaac and I walked around a bit. We ventured to Union Square where there was beautiful art galore. It was a good thing I didn't have more cash with me or I would've walked home with lots of things I didn't know what to do with, haha. We then went into one of the most beautiful, but expensive home decorating stores I've ever been to. I left inspired to create and am looking forward to being home for Christmas... home with all my craft supplies! We then went to a flea marked on 23rd where I almost bought some masks and an incredibly large stein, but decided against it. It was probably for the best, but still unsure if I should have bought the masks. Afterwards I went home to clean my mess of a room [it showed the signs of the week before] and hang out with Julie. I meant to go hashing or to this event at the Armory, but instead I stayed home. I've been very tired lately and feel like I am always trying to sleep more. I wonder how much of this has to do with my not running.

Either way, I am thinking I might try and see a show tomorrow night. If I just stay in the midtown area after working at DS then perhaps I will actually go to something. It's been a little while since I've seen something. This might be because I'm a little discouraged by the theatre I've seen lately... it's been more theater [which is to me, the more manufactured spelling] than theatre. I, by no means, believe that theatre is dead [as I've heard some claim], but I am worried that the finances of New York have cut the legs out from underneath the Creation part... This is NOT to say there is no good theatre in NY-- there surely is. However, I am just finding more Off-Broadway than on. But, surely not everyone else agrees or else there would be no Broadway... or there would be, but it would change.

Note: Recently on-Broadway I have seen White Christmas and Ragtime. White Christmas had some spectacular dancing- which I definitely enjoyed, but the show itself is simply Christmas-y and has nice underlying themes, but is just that- nice. And nice is okay, but sometimes you want more and I am only discouraged by the lack of more that exists on Broadway. Ragtime had some nice voices and I understand the great morals of the show, but same thing- nice. Of course, I had more fun watching White Christmas, but that's just me. Some people LOVE Ragtime and that's okay. As Dale says: "That's why there are horse races"

Thrilled to Sleep

I would like more rest time. I got a decent night's sleep last night, but would really prefer not to rush off to pick up food and then go to work. For reasons that don't really make enough sense I have been incredibly stressed this week. [Thank goodness I've had Julie & Luke to destress me, haha] I felt miserable on Monday and took the afternoon off to sleep. I haven't gone to any shows or events this entire week, yet I still feel in need of rest. Of course, this probably has to do with working all day the other four days and then working from home during the evenings. To be honest, I'm a little worried about theatre as a life pursuit. What if burning the candle at both ends actually causes problems other than slight crankiness, headaches, and colds?! gasp


In good news, I FINALLY received the second play that Jeri and I are going to do next semester. I like it. I have been spending a lot of my "free time" thinking about our project. I am incredibly excited to have a project of our own. As much as I have enjoyed this semester... it's all for someone else's vision and that means that you aren't going off of the adrenaline as often as you might if it were you own.

Okay, off to pick up food for Thanksgiving! And then to work! Woo!

Shorts

I am incredibly blessed to have such amazing friends. Julie, Luke, Melissa, Jessica, Schae-Schae, Jackie, Amy... the list goes on and on. It's difficult to have bad days when they're always around to listen and allow me to be however I need to be.

In other news, I've been sort of tired lately. I went on a great hike on Sunday, but since then I've mostly just been working and hanging around '305'

In more exciting news... THIS is a great idea.


<3

Being Cranky

Things I won't miss about New York City:
The sirens
The horns
Both of these when I have a headache


Oh! And not being able to see meteor showers.

Janet

The finest written obituary of the year:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/heraldtribune/obituary.aspx?n=janet-haas-kane&pid=135705654

Janet Kane, I did not know you, but oh, I wish I had. You must have truly lived.

If I had a boyfriend...

If I had a boyfriend, I would send him this:



And do this:


But I don't, so instead I will recommend you do this:

Common Voice

Ed, a friend of mine here in NYC, recently posted this on his facebook. It's wonderful.

See more funny videos and Music Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Affable

While skimming my last few entries I realize I have only written about things that would exist no matter where I lived. Strange. A speedy update on a lot of stuff you've missed:

I am currently balancing three amazing internships. The designer I originally came to New York to work with is out of town/country for the next couple of weeks. As a result he found a theatre/dance group I could do some dramaturgy work with [since that is something else that has interested me]. Around the same time I received a message from a friend from college asking me what my schedule was like. A family friend of hers runs a talent management agency and they were looking for some office help. Since she knew I was, at one time, looking into administration she suggested calling them. Well, everything worked out and now I technically have 3 internships. My original internship is majorly toned down, but will pick back up in a week and a half. Luckily I have had very little negative stress as all of the people I work with are incredibly understanding and encouraging. While my hips are getting frustrated at the 3-4 miles-a-day I walk in bad shoes every day [in addition to the subway rides], the rest of me loves going to my internships. Overall, life is definitely good.

This week I will see a total of 3 shows [the most different shows I've seen in a single week since I've been here]. Tonight I am going to see "Rabbit Hole," which my amazing friend Julie helped costume. Thursday night I saw "What We Once Where" with one of the managers at DS. It was a lovely set, but the play did leave something to be desired. On Wednesday I took a 5:00 train to New Haven and saw "Eclipsed," the play I had gone to Yale to work on a couple weeks ago. I wanted to see the 'end result' and the ME of the show nicely let me stay at his apartment over night so I could see the show. It was a bit of a crazy trip: see a show, stay up late, wake up WAY too early to take a 7:00 train back for a 10:00 day. However, it was a good adventure and worth the train ticket.

My family is officially coming up to New York for Thanksgiving. They're renting a place in Brooklyn and we are going to cook Thanksgiving dinner together. There are so many things to do in New York and it will be difficult to fit in the few things we are narrowing our days down to. Of course, there is the chance I will return here and we can do more next time :) It's an interesting feeling. I am looking forward to spending time with them, but am just hoping the pace of life won't change too drastically due to pressure of doing or seeing things. As exciting as New York is I hope it doesn't overshadow family time :)

I haven't ran since Sunday when I did a decent run pre-Marathon. I don't feel as guilty about it as perhaps I should. I have already walked over 25 miles this week. If people at work didn't mind me being smelly I would've ran that plus some, haha. In all seriousness, I am hoping to run track at Hope at the spring. I would like to [FINALLY] break 20 in the 5k and I would like to be strong enough to run a decent Steeple. The more I think about it the more I realize I want to and I need to run. If it runs into theater, then it runs into theater. I have given the past year and I will give many more years to theatre, I can spend one more semester dedicating a good portion of myself to running. As it is I will miss most of Tuesday and Thursday practices for the first half of the semester due to Principles of Design [darn 200 level theater classes, hahaha].
I miss my runners. I miss the Amherst girls and I miss my Hope runners. I wish I could have been with the Amherst girls as their season progressed. They did not make it out of regionals, but as a team I believe they stayed strong and there were many individual feats they accomplished. I am proud of them and my time with them has made me want to coach even more. I have a lot more to learn before I could put myself on the same level as any of the people I've run for, but those girls are amazing runners and amazing people; I have high hopes for them.
I miss the atmosphere and excitement of my Hope runners. I know, due to graduation and other things, the atmosphere will be incredibly different from the last time I was part of the team, but I miss my team. Contrary to what seemed to be happening my first semester at Hope, half of my closest friends have come from the team. Most of them won't be running in the spring, but that's not necessarily while I am running. They are a lot of the reason I am glad I have ran in the past.
Confession: I think part of the reason I am not minding getting pudgy is because A. I am not getting as pudgy as I was in London and B. Guys still make positive comments to me when I walk down the street. I realize this will change soon enough, but in the mean time, it may be shallow, but it makes me smile... especially when they say reallllly ridiculous things, hahaha. [I love this city] Upon reading this, you must also realize that I am not an attractive person compared to a large portion of this city. This is essentially the first time in my life that I have ever been asked for my number or even been hit on. It is truly flattering when it happens and so I am appreciating it whenever it does.

In attempt to satisfy my need for a team, I have continued hashing [to some extent]. While they're a "drinking club with a running problem," as long as they can empathize with my running, I love them. I watched the marathon with them last Sunday and it was a wonderful time. Every time I go, even if I don't know 90% of the people, everyone is friendly and it's always an enjoyable time. Thank you to Mrs. Dodge for suggesting I try it out [hashnyc.com]. They are some of the best- and most accepting- people in this city.

And an update on my possible career path: I am getting more attached to the idea of designing.
My friend Jeri, from Hope (who is currently doing the same program in London that I did last spring) and I are working on putting together a show to put up at Hope in the spring. She would direct and possibly sound design. I would do lighting and possibly some dramaturgy. I am ridiculously excited for this as we both have the same sense of dedication and I know Jeri is a reliable person. Plus we are both quickly approaching graduation so are both approaching this project from the same direction.

Let's be honest. I have high hopes for the rest of this semester, for next semester, and for the rest of my life. If I can stay surrounded by such great people, I will continued to be truly blessed.

Over the hill, but not going down it :)

On Nov. 10, 1969 Sesame Street had its first episode. It will be 40 years old this Monday, but Today gives an early sneak peak into the up-coming episode: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/33654345/ns/today-today_entertainment/?GT1=43001/from/ET

The Greatest Good for Somebody

The other night I was having a discussion with someone who I used to spend every free moment talking to. In the last two years our attempts at friendship have been shaky and our correspondence has consistently varied, going from daily to monthly depending on the season. Last night we were discussing some research I am in the process of doing and I said how I enjoyed learning about anything new as long as it was presented in an interesting way [The research I am currently pursuing is on the 1913 Armory Show]. The person I was talking to challenged me asking me if I would be interested (believing I wouldn't be) in researching JS Mill, the inventor of utilitarianism [although some would claim he didn't invent it: http://www.humanities.mq.edu.au/Ockham/y6404.html]. While my knowledge of this system of ethics is incredibly small, I find it an incredibly intriguing theory and this is something that is very up my alley. After all, the search for fulfillment and happiness for humanity in general is something I struggle with often. Utilitarianism is a "doctrine that the useful is the good; especially as elaborated by Jeremy Bentham and James Mill; the aim was said to be the greatest happiness for the greatest number"
You can, of course, easily go ten thousand times more in-depth by google research alone, but for people not caring, that's the basis of it.
The point of this babbling is not to teach you about Utilitarianism, although you should probably know a little something about it, but that it is shocking when someone who used to know you so well, seems to hardly know you at all. This, inevitably causes you to wonder if anyone knows you at all. Since things are constantly happening and we have enough trouble keeping up with ourselves, it is impossible to completely know someone else, but often that is the intrigue: learning about someone and being challenged and encouraged by their experiences and accumulation of beliefs. It was disappointing to know that someone who used to be towards the top of my "knows me best" list does not know me best at all, but perhaps the reality shock wasn't a bad thing. During our last couple of phone calls I have also realized he isn't as intellectually stimulating as I once thought he was, but that is what happens as priorities change and we all grow. I think there is a chance for our friendship, but we will never be on that same level again. Of course, I have great family members and friends who invest their time in me and I invest my time in them so one can expect that everyone's knowledge of me combined would be almost everything, but--

MD calls the time before he met his wife is "BC"... before [her name... which begins with a C]. Everything BC is different. I love this idea and I hope when I find someone whom I can share great love with, I will be able to clearly see the B[his name]. And I hope I never have to separate my time into a 3rd section. Losing someone who seems to know you so well is, for lack of a better word... scary.

Even While Sleeping

Last night I had a dream I was in a library, which is not strange because I was in the coolest library ever yesterday. However, in my dream I met two new friends because we both shared a love for SARK. They had never read the books, but they loved doing the projects. I don't think these projects exist, but they sounded fascinating.


I am feeling the need to create something.