On Thursday, I purchased my “new” car.  As another of our tangenteers surmised it is indeed a 2002 Honda CR-V complete with slide out table in the back.  I was informed that Edy would be at the shop and then she and “Big” John would go to the bank and sign the title over to me.  After this, I took a trip to the DMV and paid the taxes.  The lady at the desk looked up at me and said “Two seventy five” and I reached in my wallet and handed her a $20.00 in all seriousness.  She looked at me and said, “Nice try.”  I had a good chuckle and made out my check for the correct amount.

A rather historic tale goes along with this purchase.  Last week, I was informed that nearly 38 years ago I was driven home in a Firebird owned by the same couple from whom I bought the CR-V.  On that day, my mom was ready to bring her third newborn son home.  Instead of waiting for dad to come which would have added another day on our stay at the hospital, she called Edy and she took me on my first car trip.

Along with this purchase comes certain provisos:

• I am to inform everyone that it was previously driven twice a week (to church on Sundays and to the beauty parlor on Thursdays)
• It is to be waxed twice a year and all the chrome and interior looking like new.
• No alcohol (in my present state, I am forbidden to drink and even if I were not, I would not have it open in any car I own… and neither would passengers)

A nice little car… and it doesn’t even feel like it is much different than driving my old Sunfire… may she rest in peace.

I learned in my young adult life that there was a lot of good things to learn from Children’s books. These books have good things to teach children and, if you let them, adults. As you read to a child, make sure you pay attention to all of the things these books have to say.

I enjoyed reading to my girls, but I really enjoyed sitting back and listening while my wife read to each daughter. From the works of various authors we learn that life can be fun, sad, scary and comforting.

Through stories, you learn that you shouldn’t touch things that do not belong to you. While in real life the town does not fill up with pasta, things can break and that could hurt someone you care about.

You learn that being polite should be a good habit and not something you need written on your hands. You learn that good friends can have fights and still be friends.

Sometimes bunnies do the wrong things, but they find that their mother still loves them. Yes, I’ve learned a lot over the years just from reading children’s books. More than I can remember, but maybe after some bread and jam, I will try something new.

I now have my set list for my little weekender.  I’m sure it is too late to submit until fall arrives as they usually take the summer off… or have the last few years.  Today at my lesson, I informed K that I had made a few changes… deleted a few songs and replaced them with others and whittled my list down from about 15 to 10.  Some of them require a second voice… so be on the look out for a request those of you who would be willing (I know at least one tangenteer who I will not ask… upon pain of torture or worse).  One of my new additions was a spark of hilarity.  I have had the song in the back of my mind since I began.  K was not familiar with the song until we had gone through it a few times.  She was in her husband’s car listening to the satellite radio when it came over the air.  After hearing it for the very first time she exclaimed… “Now THAT is a Jamiah piece!”  So glad she agrees.  And it even went fairly well for a lesson in sight singing.

In other news, I must wish a Happy Birthday… in case I don’t make a post tomorrow… to a GREAT friend!  The last few months have not been the greatest for me personally and our Wonderful admin has been right there for me every gimpy step of the way.  Definitely not the only one who has been but I thank God every day for his wisdom, guidance, and above all his friendship.  Happy Birthday, C!

Almost 10 years ago, my father left this world, almost exactly one year after mom. Today would have been his birthday. Sometimes I couldn’t remember the date, but I knew it was always near fathers’ day.

Just a short little post to remember someone I loved and admired. They didn’t make many like him.

“Papa I don’t think I said ‘I love you’ near enough”
—- leader of the band — Dan Fogelberg

Nope, not nearly enough…

It just figures.  The show I would prefer to be in starts its run first, so it would only be natural that its auditions would be first, right?  Of course not.  The runs are actually close, with the closing weekend of the one being the opening of the other.  If you were to read into that statement you would undoubtedly conclude that no, I can’t just do both shows.  Not that I am in the mind to rehearse two shows at once anyway.  Tried that, not my cup of tea.  Not that I like tea mind you.  So before I get off track, Dracula auditions are- guess what- an entire month before the start of rehearsals.  Interesting- I wonder why?  Oh well, I went ahead and scheduled my audition time, which will be two weeks from tonight.  On recommendation from a friend and fellow blogger, I will try out with Renfield as my primary focus.  They don’t mind singing  a song from the show for the audition piece I’m told- what does that mean though?  They prefer it and are trying to be aloof about it to see what I will choose to do?  Or they would really rather I didn’t?  Well, I could start preparing The Master’s Song, but since I will have an entire week where I can’t practice it, I will probably do something from Jekyll & Hyde for two reasons- I know it well and it is by Frank Wildhorn just as Dracula is.  I’m thinking about two different songs.  Alive is a definite character piece, but the best place to start is after the instrumental interlude which skips any slower parts.  Wait- there are no slower sections in that song…  But- the end of the song goes way up just like the end of The Master’s Song.  The other song I was thinking of is I Need to Know.  Not a character piece, and done by a somewhat sane Dr. Jekyll, but it does have a mix of slower and faster.  In this song I would start with the second verse, so I wouldn’t start with the really slow part.  32 bars would also end before the key change, so I couldn’t really show off range.  Still, it just seems like a better audition piece for some reason.  Which to do?

And what to do if I do make the show, but in a smaller role?  Quitting to be in another show would just kill any future with the group, so making this show in any capacity will certainly mean no to Noah.  That show is, BTW, still a complete mystery.  Four male parts, but at my age would I even be considered for Noah’s sons?  Of course, Noah was a ripe old 600 years old when the floods came, and his sons couldn’t have been far behind.  But still, it’s likely there will be an age limit for them, so that would leave me with a chance for only one role.  I just wish I could audition for that role first.  Maybe the Dracula group will deliberate for several weeks giving time to audition and find out about a role in Noah, and drop out before the role offer comes?  Who knows?  We’ll see.

One of the great things about the Nook (of which there are many) is “Free Fridays.”  Most of the titles offered every Friday by Barnes and Noble interest me not at all, but occasionally one piques my interest.  Last Friday’s offering, Stupid History by Leland Gregory, is a compilation of “Stupidity, Strangeness, and Mythoconceptions.”  The truth about Paul Revere’s famous ride;  the trial of Lizzie Borden; the Battle of Bunker Hill; and countless other tidbits.  Ironically, earlier tonight I was playing a game in which one of these tidbits would have come in handily.  In the game “Malarky,” the reader reads the question on the card and either reads the correct answer or makes up a load of malarky.  The other players determine whether or not the reader is giving the correct answer or feeding them a line.

One of the questions had to do with sardines which everyone knows is purchased in a small can.  I cannot remember the actual question but the answer had something to do with the fact that there is no such fish as the sardine.  They are usually pilchard or small herring packed into the can like… well… sardines.  I came home tonight and read that fact and had a good laugh.  Imagine how funny it would have been if I had read that tidbit BEFORE the game.

Perhaps this is in bad form, but did you know that Ahnold had competition for the role of The Terminator?  Apparently, O.J. Simpson is “too nice to be taken seriously as a killer.”

All of these are but a few of the (at times humorous) moments in Stupid History.  I may regret this post as the number of trivia games seems to be dwindling at game nights.  However, how much useless trivia do I actually retain?  Ok… perhaps this Free Friday was an attempt to encourage readers to pay for the humorists other books as this was published in 2007.  But still a fun read.

Tonight (or last night) was the 65th presentation of The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre.  Once again, Neil Patrick Harris shined as the host as he poked fun at himself, Spider-Man (30 seconds of jokes about the troubled musical), and battled with Hugh Jackman to see who would be the better host.  Really in his element as an entertainer.  Since I had to work until 9, I had to watch via the DVR an hour late.

Honestly, I was not overly impressed with the excerpts from the NEW musicals.  Two based on movies (Catch Me If You Can.. never saw the Hanks/Decrapio movie; and Sister Act… which surprisingly did not translate that well to the stage).  The Scottsboro Boys is the now closed and soon to hit the road swan song of Kander and Ebb (who created Cabaret and Chicago).  The winner of Best Musical, The Book of Mormon, was co-created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone (known primarily for bringing “South Park” into our lives).

I was much more impressed by the two shows battling it out for Best Revival of a Musical.  Daniel and company were very fun while performing “Brotherhood of Man” from How to Succeed… Congrats to John Larroquette on his win for Best Featured Role by an Actor in a Musical.  Sutton Foster and her cast of the classic Anything Goes was the odds on favorite to snag the revival award and it did not disappoint.  I am still amazed that Radcliffe was not nominated for his role.  It does not make sense to blame Harry Potter itself when Jackman won for The Boy from Oz while he was still riding high as Wolverine in the X Men films.

Memorable moments:

• Spider-Man excerpt did not do a thing to endear it to me.  Re-opens Tuesday.  Julie Taymor is suing for royalties due to her after she was fired from the director’s gig.
• I found bits of The Book Of Mormon’s song, “I Believe,” to sound like a mockery of “I Have Confidence” from The Sound of Music.  What can we expect from the co-creators of “South Park?”
• Brooke Shields (soon to join the cast of The Addam’s Family) got a big long BLEEEEEEEEP (or was it a long mute)
• Christie Brinkley (yet another to soon revolve into the endless cast of Chicago) looked like a deranged Barbie doll and sounded like a munchkin.
• “No audience members have been injured during a performance…. YET!” (30 seconds of Spider-Man jabs)
• Whatever the (what can only be best described as) THING was that Whoopi had on her head.

So… while the year’s crop of NEW musical highlights leave something lacking, the awards and revivals were entertaining.  And please…KEEP THE SUPERHEROES WHERE THEY BELONG!  IN THE COMICS, ANIMATED SERIES, OR MOVIES!

I can honestly say that I AM feeling better today than I have for a while.  I was able to stand throughout my entire voice lesson without feeling the need to sit.  Maybe this thing is not going to take a year to fully heal after all.  But if it does, I can deal with it.  Someone asked when I was going to be in another show.  It just dawned on me that I COULD have tried out for the role of FDR in Annie… no walking involved and he does get to sing and harmonize during the White House reprise of “Tomorrow.”  AH, well…

I am a step closer to replacing my blown Sunfire.  “Big” John and Edy are in the process of looking  for a new auto and they know I am in the market for a good, reliable mode of transportation.  I went to their house this morning and checked out the ’02 Honda SUV (a compact SUV).  Definitely a car that has been well taken care of and very nice, full of bells and whistles.  During my test drive, I commented to Big John that there was no “ka-chunk ka-chunk” as I approached a stop sign as there is in the car I currently drive.  I have been told that it is “nothing to worry about” but somehow….

Back to my latest lesson… I am thinking my list of songs I have been working on is about to be edited.  There are some songs which I do not think I am going to have performance ready anytime soon and there are others that I have been looking at which will take no time at all… one of which we ran today.  Plus, by the end of my first song, I was on my feet!  Much better than sitting on the chair.

While watching a documentary on the making of the Harry Potter movies, I felt the anticipation and excitement of the approaching climactic cinematic experience building.  What is it that has made this series of first books and now  motion pictures so phenomenal cannot be answered simply.  There are layers and layers of brilliant creative aspects created by J.K. Rowling that you can not name one.  But I do have a favorite aspect of the series.  Character development is so integral to the world.  Not only MUST the big three of Harry, Ron, and Hermione develop and grow but it is so amazing how even secondary characters are almost as important as the core trio.  How many other series contain so many wonderful characters that even the actors profess to being surprised at their growth and the challenge that growth created.

One of my favorite characters, Neville Longbottom, has grown tremendously since his introduction.  In the first 3-4 movies, poor Neville had trouble with even the most elementary of spells.  Who can forget the scene in The Chamber of Secrets in which he is suspended from a chandelier by two cornish pixies (“Why is it always me?”)? By the end of The Order of the Phoenix, Neville has nearly come into his own by joining Dumbledore’s Army and proving his worth.  Hopefully, we will see him grow even more in the final film.

The youngest red-headed Weasley child, Ginevra, has developed from the bashful 10 year old who watched Harry, Ron, and Hermione being carried away on the Hogwart’s Express.  During her first year at the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Ginny was possessed by the 16 year old  Tom Riddle… not a good way to begin one’s education.  As Neville has, Miss Weasley has become more vocal, more active, even so far as to come to the defense of her hero, Harry, on the quidditch pitch.

What would a post from me on Harry be without a mention of my favorite character, one of the most mysterious creations I have ever encountered, Professor Severus Snape.  At the start of term festivities in The Sorcerer’s Stone, the glance that Harry and the teacher share is filled with so much meaning that its implications will progress through the entire series.  The loathing seen in Snape’s eyes will not fully come to light until the final film.  Not only did Harry feel a burning in his scar, it made me tingle.

So… three characters… three SUPPORTING characters who are as instrumental in the World of  Harry Potter as the title character himself.  Just the tip of the wand in the marvelous creation of J.K. Rowling. 37 days and counting!  A Potter movie fest (non ABC Family fest with commercials) will be a fun way to build up to July 15!  Yes… Even The Half-Blood Prince.

I am enjoying some of the freedom that the summer affords me: no youth group on Wednesday nights, no teaching Sunday school, no having to drop the kids off or pick them up at school – well, the kids will be out of school in 2 days, so I haven’t had a taste of that yet, but I’m looking forward to trying for my afternoon nap without time constraints – if only Terrible-Two-Dude will stop yelling my name during these nap attempts.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy all of these activities, but there is something liberating about not being tied down to them for an entire summer.  As much as I absolutely loved teaching 1st graders on Sunday mornings, it was really great last Sunday to not have to get up at 8am and get 4 crabby kids ready for what amounted to a double church service for them  – one while Mom and Dad teach and one while Mom and Dad go to worship.  Our family rolled out of bed by 10, got ready, and left the house around 10:40, getting to church in time to relax with friends before the service with plenty of time to spare.  I enjoyed Wednesday nights with my 6th grade girls, but there was a lot of emotionally exhausting drama there at the end, and I so needed a break.  Besides, it’s nice to have Wednesdays free.  But wait, I don’t have Wednesdays free!  Hubby and I signed up to organize and facilitate a class at church called Changing Hearts, Changing Lives – a personal ministry class that utilizes a DVD series by Paul Tripp and small group discussion to lead Christians to be able to effectively counsel others in a God-loving and caring way.  We’ve had two weeks of this class so far, and it’s going great!  So I can’t really say that I miss my free Wednesday nights.  I  never got a taste of a free Wednesday night anyway; what’s that like?

I also signed up for a women’s Bible study series (Beth Moore for those of you that know her work) that meets on Monday mornings.  I hesitated with this one because it meets ALL summer – beginning today before school is out and going right through to August after the kids go back to school.  But there is child care there, so if my 4 kids haven’t killed each other by the time Mondays roll around, this will get us out of the house once a week.  Also, my oldest daughter gets to help with the child care with other ‘big kids’ her age,  so that will be good for her too.  I enjoyed my first class today, but I have to note the intensity of this class – 5 nights of homework per week!  Pre-Christian Taylhis 1.0  would have panicked and said ‘I don’t have time for this!!’, but Taylhis 2.0 feels pretty good about it.  I’m excited to immerse myself more fully in God’s word, and the structure of the class will have me getting to know better other women at my church.  I can find time for my homework; after all, isn’t more butt-time for the pregnant lady just what the doctor ordered?  I’m not sure about that, but it’s definitely on MY want-list because these days my feet (legs, thighs, etc) are killing me, and I have a lot more growing to do!!  Problem is, I’m going to spend that butt-time in front of my Bible and my class workbook rather than my blog, so there goes my plan of blogging more…  oh well, who said blogging more was a good plan for me anyway?