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Monday, October 31, 2011

Miscellaneousness

-MISCELLANY MONDAY-

  • I'm in love with ketchup.
  • I can't stop noticing people's pretty painted fingernails. If only I could stop biting mine!
  • I am liking my hair in it's natural color. I've been highlighting for 11 years, I had no idea if i would like it. But i do! Very much. And it's so much cheaper!
  • Job searching is annoying. I've applied to over 30 jobs. I am a GOOD HARD WORKER! But nobody knows it. They're not even calling me for an interview! And i have amazing reference letters! Come on!
  • That said, I still like being off. It's nice. Very very very nice. Wonderful, actually.
  • Beverly Lewis books + Grey's Anatomy = 2 things keeping me from what i should be doing.
  • Halloween is my least favorite "holiday". Mainly because i hate coming up with costume ideas. In my entire life, i've dressed as something for halloween once. For a party in the 11th grade, I think. I was a clown. Or a bunny? I forgot. Anyway, i don't like thinking of costumes. It's just too much trouble. I have carved a pumpkin once & it was really cute. That was 4 years ago.
  • I do not care if you celebrate Halloween. It honestly doesn't matter to me, not even a little bit. If you think it's evil - fine. If you think it's wonderful - fine! I really do not care!
  • I sometimes want to log off of facebook during football season. I care about football only a little more than i care about halloween. (I can appreciate it... I just don't enjoy watching it!)
  • Is it strange that on Grey's Anatomy, Meredith Grey is probably my least favorite character???? I don't hate her, i just like the others so much better. 
  • My dog is currently getting on my nerves. It's only a matter of time before i pick up the spray bottle....... 
  • Hubby took off work today. I love him.
  • My sister's wedding is in less than three weeks. Yipee!
  • Brad's Granny has taken a turn for the worse. She will be gone very soon. I am sad. :(
  • I am learning that sometimes you don't get what you desperately, desperately want. It's not fair. It is okay for me to say that. It's just not fair.
  • I wish I could keep ingredients in this house so that I could cook whenever the mood struck me.
  • I miss singing. 
  • I want one of those bathtub thingies that will hold a book for you. I told hubby that this morning and he said, "But i would never see you again!" Hahaha.
  • Other wish list items? The new Kelly Clarkson cd (please tell me it's good), the new Kari Jobe cd, earrings of all kinds, any cookware by Rachael Ray or Calphalon, a new set of sheets, and um... that's good for now!
  • Blog friends keep getting to meet other bloggers. I WANNA MEET A BLOG FRIEND!!!!

THE END.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Drawing near to God

I feel like there is a hole in my heart. 

Everything was fine. I felt wonderful, great. Until i missed church again this morning. Emphasis on "again". Yeah. Fourth week in a row, y'all! I didn't want to miss it AGAIN! 

I love theater, but i don't always discipline myself to go RIGHT to bed when i get home so that I can get up the next morning. And then i oversleep. On the 9th we had our family reunion (where we took a vote & decided that it would be done on Saturdays from now on). The next Sunday was the day after my sister's shower in New Orleans & we got home really late & we were exhausted. So we skipped. The next Sunday? I don't remember. Oh, yeah. I had tech rehearsal at noon & had a lot to do before then. So i skipped again. I was bound & determined to go this morning! And i missed it! I hit snooze without even realizing it! Brad got up & showered, but didn't wake me until it was too late. I jumped up & jumped in the shower, but by the time i got out, it was time to leave & i wasn't even close to ready. So here i am again. On the couch. Blogging & Facebook'ing & Reading. And i feel such a hole in my heart. 

Don't get me wrong. I am not this legalistic person that thinks I'm going to hell if i'm not in church. Nothing ridiculous like that. I know that going to church doesn't make you a Christian. But gosh. I miss it. I want a church family. And we're never going to feel a part of the family if we don't KEEP GOING. Consistently! Every week! People there probably don't even realize we consider it our home church since we miss too many freaking Sundays! I don't even feel like it is home yet. But whose fault is that?

As a side note, i still don't have any idea if we have picked the right church for us. But i do not wish to look for somewhere else. And how can i know that this isn't the right fit for us if we never GO?!

It bothers me. And you know why it bothers me? It has nothing to do with thinking that i must be at church everytime the doors are open. It does have to do with me needing/wanting to hear the word of the Lord from our pastor. And it has to do with me wanting to spend time in worship & prayer. But it's more than that. Getting completely & totally real with you? I MISS GOD.

I miss Him! I miss Him a lot. I talk to him everyday. All day long. But that's not what I mean. I miss spending intentional time with him. He is the one who has brought me through so many issues & heartaches. He is the one who has strengthened me and helped me. He is the one who has given me wisdom when faced with major decisions (& small ones). And He & I? We used to be SO CLOSE.

I used to have one of those annoying christian t-shirts. Annoying, maybe, but i keep remembering what it said. "Feeling far from God? Guess who moved?"

Huh. The point of the shirt was that if you feel distanced from God, it's not because of HIM. It's because of YOU. The back of the shirt said the Bible verse, "Draw near to God & He will draw near to you." That's how it works. Not the other way around. YOU draw near to Him. Then He will draw near to you.

And really? I have not been drawing near. I have been talking to Him. But not spending intentional time with Him. Seeking Him. In His presence. And i have to get back to that place!

So no, it's not just about church. If my relationship with God was as close as always then i really would be more like, 'So i missed my 4th Sunday in a row. Not the greatest thing in the world, but I'll be back. Still close to Jesus & that's what matters." But that's not really what I'm thinking. Or feeling. Instead, I have this hole in my heart from missing another Sunday. To me, it means that I won't get to spend time with God until NEXT Sunday, but that is crazy! I don't need church to draw near to God! Yes, church is important, but if i'm so sad about  missing God, then why don't i spend time with him on my own!? Why do i just get on my computer & blab to all of you about how I am lacking the passion & zeal for God that I used to have? Why don't I go to Him about it & ask Him to bring it back to me!?

So this is where I am right now. This is my struggle. I used to be very strong in the faith & people knew it. They came to me for prayer, for advice, for all of those things. I prayed for them, I led them in Bible Studies, I encouraged them, and so forth. But years later, I am still struggling to get back to that passion that I once had. I lost it somewhere along the way. And I know when it happened, and it had nothing to do with me. It wasn't my fault. But still... I gotta do something to get that passion back! Please do not misunderstand me! I am still a believer. I still am overjoyed by all the things God has done in my life! He has changed me from the inside out! It's just that I miss that place where I was so close to Jesus, where nothing & nobody could interfere with that.

Pray for me if you think about it!


 Create in me a clean heart, Oh God
And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence, Oh Lord
Take not thy Holy Spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of my salvation
And renew a right spirit within me
-Psalm 51:10-12

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God & He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.                -James 4:7-8

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. -Hebrews 10:22

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Opening Night!

So, opening night was awesome. Fantastic. Perfect. In my opinion, of course. It went without a hitch.

Well, there was one little hitch. I'm sitting in the sound booth when i heard a loud crash. More like the very loud sound of glass shattering (emphasis on very, loud & shattering). I was looking down at my script so my head popped up & i was frantically looking at the stage to see what had just happened. It sounded like that's where it came from. Nothing looked out of place. Then i realize. It's from about 1 foot in front of the sound booth. The light fixture above my head in the ceiling busted or something! And glass flew down, hitting the back of the seats on the row right in front of my booth! Thank God nobody was sitting there! It was the only row empty in the house! Can you say... God? Well, I think so! I think He very much protected me & the audience members last night! I give Him the praise & thanks for that, I must say! Anyway, the play went on (although I'm sure the actors on stage were like, WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?! - they kept going). Keith (the director) had been sitting to my right & he jumped up & went to check it out. Then he sat by it until intermission, when it was swept up. Everything was fine. Thank Jesus! But wow. How scary!!!

OTHER THAN THAT, THOUGH! :) It was a great show! 

Preview Night was perfect but pay-what-you-can night felt just a little "off". Nothing major, probably nothing the audience noticed, but definitely something I myself noticed & the actors noticed as well. I was actually glad it happened that way. If it went perfectly then i would worry that something would go wrong opening night. Haha. It just seems to work that way, I guess. But opening went very very well & I was so calm & confident about all those sound & light cues!

 Ready for a show! Stage Manager (me), Assistant Stage Manager (Beth) & Lighting Designer (Emily). I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!

 Beth & Katelyn. They are my stagehands &  have a lot of work to do between scenes, during intermissions & before the show altogether. They keep it all running smoothly & i am thankful for a great crew!

I took some pics during the show because Keith needed some to email to the paper. I am an amateur. Not only that, but when i don't use a flash, i have to be VERY STILL. And so i am. But if the actors move, their hand is blurry in the pic (or whatever they were moving). I still got some decent shots and Keith sent 4 of them to the newspaper at intermission. Yikes! I edited them today & by edit, I mean just straightened them and brightened a few of them. A little cropping. That's it. I am no expert & basically just play around when editing. Still, my edited versions look way better than the originals, so i'm kinda scared about which ones he sent! Haha! Maybe The Advocate will edit them?! Several of them were crooked, which i straightened using Picasa. Anyway... here are a few of them. 

 Joe & Kaitlyn, playing Mitch & Blanche

 Samuel & Bess, playing Stanley & Stella Kowalski

 Kaitlyn & Bess...love working with both of these girls!

Blanche & A Young Collector. This scene... i love it. I don't know what it is about it. I just love it.

I took a few pics during intermission as well...

 We have a couple of lovebirds backstage. :) Our lead guy, Samuel, with his girlfriend, Rae. She is one of our costumers.

 Bess & C. Jaye at intermission. Bess plays Stella & C. Jaye plays Eunice. :)

Kaitlyn (who plays Blanche) & Casey (who plays Steve (who is married to Eunice)). Casey joined the cast a week ago, after the guy who was originally cast had a freak accident (cat bit him...& he had to have two surgeries because of it!). We miss Jeff, but are thrilled and thankful to have Casey. He's doing a great job! And Kaitlyn is...well.. brilliant.

After the show we had the traditional opening night reception, celebrating with champagne & cake!

 Good friends Chris & Mary came to see the show! 

 Me & Mary

 Emily, Davis & Beth

 Our lovely costume ladies! Rae, Lindsey & Crystal

 Mary & Bess

 
C Jaye & Bess! Happy happy! :)

About half of the cast (& one from costumes!): Tim, Samuel, Casey, Rae, C. Jaye, & Mercedes!

 After the show, a bunch of us went to eat at Chimes East. Yummy! I have not been eating out at ALL because we are trying to not spend on anything extra since i am out of a job. But i had not eaten dinner before the show & was STARVING & really was not done hanging out with the cast! I called Brad to see if he minded since we're on this tight budget... he told me to go, it was opening night, after all! :) We had SUCH a great time & I didn't get home till almost 2 AM! Oh, wow! I never ever do that anymore! This cast is lucky, because usually casts go out after rehearsals & I ALWAYS decline & go home! Haha. But I was full of energy last night! It was me, the director (keith), my ASM (beth), our other friend beth & 5 or 6 cast members. I didn't bring my camera in, though. We had a a wonderful time! (I am not going to tell you how late i slept this morning! I was kind of horrified! Hahaha!)

Remember in the beginning how i truly couldn't believe i had agreed to do another show? I was just helping out at auditions, but not planning to do the show seeing as how my sister has a wedding the last weekend of the show! But i fell in love with it during auditions... & the director got that last weekend covered so that I could do the rest. I am SO GLAD i remained a part of it, even when i thought i had lost my mind. It has been one of the BEST stage management experiences I have ever had.

Looking forward to another run tonight! And tomorrow is a post-show discussion with the audience! I actually love those... they are usually on the first Sunday & the audience asks the actors questions. It will be very interesting & I am excited about it!


Thursday, October 27, 2011

What I've Been Doing Lately

  • Sleeping in. Which usually  means only 8:00 or so, but it's oh-so-lovely to wake up naturally, without an alarm clock!
  • Watching Grey's Anatomy. I'm now on Season 2. Addiction. I have never understood why people loved the show so much. I have no idea why, seeing as how i had never watched it. Well, I am now. And I like it!
  • Applying for jobs. Still. Oh, what fun! My gripe is that places want you to upload your resume AND fill out an application. I wish you'd let me type "see resume", so i don't have to type the same thing over & over & over, but then you won't let me click "submit" until I've filled it out correctly! So annoying & a time waster! (Thanks to the companies that have the whole auto-fill thing down & fill it all out automatically once I've uploaded my resume!)
  • Reading Blogs. Finally catching up on this. Loving it, too. :)
  • Getting organized. This is about theater. I retyped my script & put circle stickers for any light or sound cue. This is necessary when you have 78 light cues & 10 sound cues! :)I would show you a picture of my very organized script, but I am too lazy to get up for my camera. ;)
  • Cooking! Okay, not really. My apologies. But I did cook pork chops, mashed sweet potatoes & squash (just like my mother-in-law makes it) the other night! All was so delish! I need to decide what to cook next!
  • Keeping up with housework! :) 
  • Reading.
  • Taking long hot baths. 
  • Stage Managing a fantastic show!

Ahhh. Not working is so nice. I kind of feel like I'm on vacation (other than the laundry & applying for jobs part!). Although I do have to work at the Manship tomorrow at 7:30 AM. I forgot what it's like to have to be somewhere that early! Eek! :) 

A Streetcar Named Desire


A Streetcar Named Desire at BRLT. That's what has had me busy these days. I am absolutely loving it &, even though I myself knew i was crazy for it... with everything else I had/have going on... I am so glad that i decided to stage manage this show. It is BEAUTIFUL!

Seriously. I am in love. I love the cast. I love the crew. I love the show (as tragic as it may be). I love the actors. I love how some actors started off amazing and stayed amazing. And how other actors got better & better with each rehearsal until they blew me away. I love the lighting design. I love that even the minor characters just MAKE the show. I love the details. I love that we have live music throughout. I love that i have so many light and sound cues (keeps me busy & on my toes!). I love that i get to sit in the sound booth instead of the light booth (which always feels too far away for me). I love that the audience last night was amazing! I love that nobody left at second intermission, even though it's kind of long. I love that Brad came last night & really enjoyed it. I love Keith, who is an amazing easy director to work with. I love that Keith & Emily (lighting designer) & Chris (set designer) all trust me & think I can handle anything (even when I'm not so sure of myself). I love it all!

Do you hear me? I am LOVING it. It's a shame that I will miss the last weekend. I am SUPER excited about my sister's wedding, but I just wish the play was not scheduled at the same time. :) Oh-well. We have someone who will sub for me that last weekend while I'm in New Orleans having fun with the family for wedding festivities!

Anyway. Yeah. It's good, y'all. Good. We got a lot of great feedback last night after the show. 

That was preview night & the preview night audience is generally very supportive, because it's all friends & family. Tonight is pay-what-you-can night, which is kind of the same way. Friends & family come to that one when they can't afford to buy tickets (which i understand!). Then, Friday is opening night. Eek!

If you are bored & want a new way to spend some evenings, you should volunteer at your local theater. See how it all works. So much more goes into putting on a show than most people even realize. And it's great fun & so fulfilling! 

Today, my husband took off of work & we're having a lovely morning already. I love him.

Well, it's almost Friday. :) Have a great weekend!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Dress Fitting & A Couple's Shower

Last weekend I had to be in Mandeville at 9:30 am for my bridesmaid's dress fitting. My sister's wedding is coming up soon! It's November 12th! We met at Southern Bridal & tried on our dresses. And oh my gosh! They are STUNNING! I am so excited! 

I realized I somehow picked the same style as my wedding dress! Haha. Except, you know... my wedding dress wan't blue & it had beadwork & stuff on it. But this one has the same neckline & a pretty champagne sash. I absolutely loved it & didn't want to take it off! It was too big. :) But they can take it in. The blue, though! The blue is GORGEOUS! It's more of a royal and not the dull kind of blue that i was picturing. I am so excited! Kelly & Jennifer looked gorgeous in their dresses also. The other bridesmaid, Tiffanie, lives in England, so my sister shipped the dress to her & she will get it altered there if need be. We all have the same fabric & color, but different styles. I love that!

Jennifer (groom's sister), Michelle (the bride!), Me & Kelly (Bride's friend who is due in February!)

After that, Michelle & I went to her house so i could put some meatballs in the crockpot for the shower that night. :) We also ate a quick lunch. Then we headed to her favorite mani/pedi place & I got a pedicure - her treat! So sweet! The movie Bridesmaids was playing, which was fun & appropriate!

I was exhausted. Too many late night rehearsals & other things going on - like the day before was my last day of work! Anyway, so we went back to her house & I got to take a long luxurious nap in her guest bed. That was the coziest bed I have ever gotten in. It was heavenly.

That night was the Couple's Shower in River Ridge, which is right outside of New Orleans. It was at Kelly's house, which was just beautiful. I loved it. I made meatballs & cookies for the shower & both were delicious!


Mom made mini ham & cheese croussaints & they were the hit of the party! 


I am not going to tell you how many Brad ate... it was a lot!

But the party went really well & it was fun, too! We had a great turnout!

 me & my beautiful sister!

 With our daddy

 Me & my sweet husband!

 Mike & Michelle

 With our mom! 

 Michelle & Kelly

The delicious cake from Ambrosia Bakery

Can't wait to take pics on the wedding weekend! It's not so far away now! :)


My weekend...

Well, hello there. Been awhile, ain't? Sorry... that is Amish talk. I am becoming a bit too obsessed with my Beverly Lewis novels. :) 

Things have been going well. I am out of work. And enjoying it! But this will not last... the enjoyment will fade when we start having to dip into our savings, which I don't want to do! So far we haven't had to do it. My last check from work was a good one! And I've been getting income in from my part-time job at the Manship. But I am going to need a job very soon. I am still sending out my resume. It will happen. God's got it under control!

This past weekend was great. We had Friday & Saturday off of theater. On Friday, I worked at the Manship for a fiddling duo. They are a husband and wife team & were too cute!

Natalie McMaster & Donnell Leahy

The folksy thing isn't really my style of music, but i still appreciated it because they were GOOD. They had two piano players as well, who blew me away. But i really enjoyed Natalie & Donnell talking, because they were adorable. They said the short version of their romance was, in Natalie's words, "We met, we dated for 2 years, we broke up for 10 & then we got married". Haha! Sounds kind of like my own love story, so i was curious to hear more details. :) 

Down the hall was a birthday party for two 13 year old girls... I was glad to not be house managing that event! Ha! (Although I heard it was a very sweet group of teens.)

There was a wedding reception on the terrace and i saw the bride! Love when that happens. :) Beautiful!

On Saturday, I was off all day, unexpectedly. Tech rehearsal was scheduled for all day that day, but it was canceled & rescheduled for Sunday. So Saturday I relaxed & also did some theater things that needed to be done this week. Paperwork type stuff! Brad went to his parents all day to help fix their computer (again!) & I got a call at lunch to see if i wanted to come over. I went over & had a delicious lunch of homemade chicken soup. It was SOOO good! I spent some time with them and then went home again to get some more work done. Well, at supper time, i got another call! Haha! And had dinner over there as well. More country cookin' from my mother-in-law. DELISH!

Sunday we didn't go to church. I needed to be at the theater by noon & still had plenty of work to do! Got to rehearsal at noon & left at 10:30 pm. Woah. It was a very good tech. It went quickly & smoothy with no major issues. Yay!

Tonight & tomorrow are our last two rehearsals without an audience! Eek! It is going to be fabulous, though! I wish I had some pictures, but I didn't think i'd have time to take any (and i didn't!). Although.. I do have a few silly ones to show. 

On Thursday we had headshots... where we take pics of the cast for a display in the lobby and to go in the playbill. Davis, the photographer, used me for practice at first. 

If they put the stage manager's headshot in the playbill... this would be the one. Totally.

Or this one. :) Except I'm not fond of that wave I got going on by my eye...it looks better in person... i think?

Then, as we were waiting for the last actor to arrive for his headshot, C.Jaye & I posed for some pics! I love C. Jaye! I did a show with her years ago,  and then she moved off to Oklahoma for school. I did not realize she just graduated & came back! It was a happy surprise to see her at auditions! I had no idea she was back in town. Sadly, she is moving to Chicago right after the show is over. I LOVE this girl! She is hilarious & adorable & fun & all that good stuff. 




And we got a little silly too...


I was trying to do the "mel face" here, but couldn't stop laughing!

Thanks, Davis, for the pics!

So, it was a great weekend...and now I'm ready to start a show! Well... not actually "ready". I think I need a couple more rehearsals first! Haha! But i am excited!

Have a great week!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Craziness.

I keep thinking that I should be in bed. But... I don't have work tomorrow! 

It hasn't hit me yet that I have no job. I got laid-off if you are just tuning in. We knew about 6 weeks in advance. Well, those weeks came & went, so Friday was my last day of work. It still has not hit me. I think i think I'm just on vacation. It's kinda nice. I predict reality will hit me next Monday. What do you think?

Today Brad was off too. He spent most of the day getting a virus off of my computer. He was not a happy camper! And y'all. I do not click on ANYTHING i shouldn't, ever! Sometimes these things just happen. Oh-well. It's fixed now. All is well.

I am addicted to Grey's Anatomy. I never got the obsession when everyone i knew was into it. I just wasn't. But a week or two ago I was home & felt like watching TV. I decided to start with Grey's from the beginning. Just finished the first season. I like!

A Streetcar Named Desire is going well. Considering we've lost two actors, I mean! Not their fault at all. Major life issues came up for both of them. Actually, i really wish i could tell you why Jeff is unable to do the show. It's a CRAZY story involving a cat. He probably wouldn't care if i told it here, but just in case...well... Let's just say Jeff is about to have Surgery #2. On his wrist. Because of a stupid CAT! Have you ever heard the saying, "No good deed goes unpunished"? Um, yes. That would be the quote of the month for poor Jeff. We did find someone to take the role for him, and for the lady that we lost also. So that is good. Perfect timing, since opening night is next Friday! Ack!

This past weekend was nice. We had a couple's shower in New Orleans for Michelle & Mike. It went very well! We had a great time. I was there at 9:30 am for my bridesmaids dress fitting. I love the dress! The blue is just gorgeous! I'm so excited & looking forward to the wedding!!! Michelle also treated me to a pedi! :)

So tomorrow i am going to a Zumba morning class! YAY! I haven't been able to go at night due to rehearsals, but now that i'm out of work, i can go in the morning. Then i should come home & clean the house. Should being the key word here. :)

I have so many posts I have been meaning to write. I will do it, eventually! 

Have a great week!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

2011 Sandifer Family Reunion

Last Sunday was the Sandifer Family Reunion. It is held at Uncle Kenny (my MIL's brother) & Aunt Annette's house each year in October. We always have a great time. 

This was my 5th reunion. I went back in 1997, the first time Brad & I dated! I went again the year we were engaged, and this is my third one since we've been married. I really love that they have annual reunions. I believe this was the 44th or 45th one! Crazy! :)

Enjoy the pics! And, sorry for the picture overload! :)

 Jaimie & Brittany

 Uncle Lon looking at all the pics from the previous reunions!

 Aunt Reba, Amanda & Brittany

 Carolyn & Margie

 These two things were devoured!

 I love this picture of us, except for the silly name tags! HA! You can see Brad's baby blues! :) 

 Brothers Hayden & Zachary

 Lynde & Matt! So cute!

 Mrs. Cheryl, Jaimie, Hermalinda & me!

We also took pics of the different families. Sorry I can't give details! I am not clear on how everyone is related. Haha!




Then there are all the children/grandchildren pics...

 Uncle Lon - he's so sweet - the oldest of the bunch!

 "the GRANDCHILDREN"

 "the GREAT GRANDCHILDREN"

 "the GREAT GREAT GRANDCHILDREN" 

 
 "GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANDCHILD" (Tucker - cutie patootie!)

And, the "out-laws" - hahaha. All of us who married into the family! :)

We had a wonderful time! Looking forward to next year!