The Jane Austen Book Club

Yesterday, my friend Rose and I went to see the movie titled The Jane Austen Book Club. For any fan of fiction writing, literature and comedy I’d highly recommend this movie. My interest in it came mainly from the fact that I love book clubs (I belong to three), and, since I first began reading Austen when I was 12, I have most of her published works on my bookshelf at home. I wondered if the movie would bring to life some of the eccentricities one can experience while discussing writing styles and character development, forming many different opinions and conclusions from the same body of work, and it did. It also reminded me that sometimes, even books that are centuries old can remain extremely timely and relevant. I’ve always found that possibility intriguing, if not exhilarating, about literature.

After leaving the theater, Rose and I ran to the nearest bookstore to purchase what remaining copies of Austen’s work we didn’t have (for me, they were Persuasion and Northanger Abbey) and decided to read through them together.

As I rode on the bus commute into work yesterday morning I opened my fresh copy of Persuasion, our first pick, and I immediately felt like I had reconnected with an old, familiar friend.

There’s no getting lost like when you do so in a good book.

S’mores and Sushi

Last night I had a wonderful time visiting with my friends Kris and Laurel at their home up in Nederland. Along with friends Eric and Sandra, we had a sushi party (my favorites were the California rolls, unagi, poki and some darn good sake!). Might I add: Sandra made the poki, which was so good I ventured out and ate my first bite of raw tuna…yumm! After we stuffed ourselves silly we headed over to the new community theater’s opening night event to watch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It was so much fun! And despite a great evening already, my favorite part of the night had to be after the movie, when we all came back to the house to roast marshmallows over an open-pit fire in the backyard. That took me back a couple of decades

Next time, we have to come up with more ghost stories (and exploding rocks hand-picked from the local dump doused in greek fire…)!

Another Place, Another Time

I went to the Colorado Renaissance Festival yesterday and had a charming experience. I hadn’t been to this kind of festival before, but the trip was warranted when a friend of mine decided to have her wedding there (which happens often, I later found out). Fortunately, I had enough time to wander around and take in the lovely scene before the park closed for the day. The weather was really hot, but I hardly noticed with all the excitement happening around me! There were ladies in long, full skirts, knights in full armor, street peddlers, elephants, wood and water faeries, and loud, booming canons that caught my undivided attention on several occasions. I had a lot of fun, and posted a few of my own photos here.

In a couple of days I leave for a more traditional wedding in Buffalo. I’m afraid it just won’t be the same without flutes and lyres.

Blessed be!

Current.

I’ve just returned from visiting with friends this weekend. It was great; it had been way too long since I last saw them. Now comes the unpacking part. I think in the last 2 weeks I’ve actually filled all the pieces in my luggage set.

My brother moved to Brooklyn yesterday. He’s interning at Mishka NYC this summer, working on some of their advertising campaigns. Boy, the kids do grow up fast.

Now that I’ll be home for a bit, I need to catch up on what’s been going on in the world. There are news feeds to read, emails to write, and I’m really eager to start editing a big bunch of photos and video clips I shot this weekend. I also haven’t picked up the cello in ages and have been feeling a wee-bit cranky over it. On the down-side, I had a bit of a run in with persons of the undesirable sort this weekend, too, but maybe I’ll save that for another rant. I’ve got better things to do.

Soothing Habits

The bridal shower last weekend went really well. Until the guests began to arrive, I hadn’t realized how nervous I was that the whole thing would be a flop. But (thank God) everything was well-planned and went off with only a couple of last-minute hitches. As always, I enjoyed being in the company of awesome women, especially since there was a reason to celebrate with a bit of frivolity! I miss being near to my closest girl friends (and I can’t wait to see you in July, Anne).

I’m back in Colorado, taking a refreshing breather, and I’m loving the cool, wet weather we’re having right now (read as No Lotion Needed . I head away again for the coming weekend to visit friends who are preparing for their first baby in September, to give the new mom some help around the house with her Spring cleaning.

Traveling has always brought clarity to my mind and a sense of well-being to my heart. Maybe it’s what I do when I’m on the move – letting go of my commitments, changing my perspective – or what happens when I arrive in another place – re-inventing myself, experiencing something new, getting back into the habit of what’s old and good – that changes me for the better.

Growing up, I was raised between the hustle and grime of Western New York and the slow, steady heat that can only be found south of the Mason-Dixon. I attended school in NY, then spent my summers and holidays with family in the suburbs of Georgia and the country-sides of South Carolina and southern Arkansas. As a kid, this dichotomy presented itself in one of two ways: when playing with children up North, I was the eccentric, “countrified” tomboy who wasn’t afraid of mud and bugs and who talked funny; down South, I was the loud, “bougie” cousin who, when introduced to company, was quickly identified as visiting from NY…and who talked funny Somehow, I have managed to melt the two worlds into a culture of “urban simplicity”, as my sister calls it, but that’s because I can’t seem to let go of either reality. I love them both. All grown up now (on most days), I certainly have a quick pulse and a strong taste for “big city” things; but, on some days, I’m still that little girl who jumped in puddles, scraped up her knees and loved falling asleep to the gentle rock of a row boat on a hot day. I much prefer dipping my feet in the lake, cooking a big Sunday dinner or wandering off at night to see the stars to, say, heading out for a fancy night on the town. It has always been this way and I don’t think it will change.

Last week, as I enjoyed the southern comfort and company of friends who’ve become part of my family, I remembered these things. I relaxed into a deeper sense of me, and it felt good to be home. This is the kind of summer I wanted.

Remembrance

In remembering our loved ones who’ve died while serving, we honor them. In recognizing the ones who remain in the fight, we are hopeful for their safe return.

To Uncle Sid, Uncle Rich, Kazim, Tony, Lindsay, Vicki, Rigel, Aaron, Calvin, Precious, and David….Happy Memorial Day

Chasing Adventures is Exhausting Work.

A friend of mine and I went in search of mountain adventures last weekend, and boy, did we have to work hard to get to them. But once we did, it was awesome!

While escaping the “city life”, we managed to hit 5 towns in 2 days (a few more photos chronicling our travels can be found here). And, after we’d had our fill of chasing rainbows, dipping our feet in the lake, and shaking the dust from our hair, we still managed to get stuck in stand-still traffic for over an hour on the way home.

Ah, the smell of civilization. Now I’m ready for a nap.

Random Stuff

The semester is coming to a close, and I’m thinking of plans for the summer. I haven’t been to visit some members of my extended family in a long time, so taking my triennial swing through Georgia this year will also most likely include Arkansas and Louisiana. Taste of Buffalo, Shakespeare in the Park, Allentown Art Festival, and the summer regattas down by the Marina are also calling out to me from deep within Buffalo’s West Side. There are several friends there I haven’t connected with in a while, and many of them have since gotten married and had children. It would be nice to see them again.

Come June, here in Colorado, I’ll be looking to move again. I knew this was a temporary living situation when I moved here (my housemate is getting married in July and moving in with her fiancé), but seven months has gone by very quickly! I’m looking for a change, and for a while I’ve considered connecting with a new community. I’m eager to move forward with some of the social policy work I’ve gotten into, as I feel strongly that our country is in need of “techies” who have a deeper understanding of social consequences. While I look forward to the prospect of being an engineer upon graduation (who at times puts on a scientist’s hat), I feel I would be just as content giving policy advice to other engineers and scientists lest we continue to build systems that omit the human factor. I’m hoping to carve a deeper niche for myself within that community. Here’s to hoping and succeeding.

West Side Story

Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of seeing the University of Colorado at Boulder’s production of West Side Story: The Opera (written by composer Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, directed by William Gustafson and Nicholas Carthy). It was so much fun! I have to admit, this production took me by surprise, as it did not follow the more traditional operatic style of voice–we left feeling more like we’d just watched a musical for three hours, instead of an opera–but it was very enjoyable, nonetheless. Hey, different is good!

I do actually believe that this production is the first opera I’ve seen that wasn’t written originally as an opera–WSS was composed by Mr. Bernstein for Broadway in 1957. The “light opera” style was great, as the background to WSS is very animated and passionate and is based on Shakespeare’s timeless story of Romeo and Juliet. Mr. Bernstein brought current the often told themes of love, family, feuds and youthful passion with scenes of gang life in the streets of 1950′s New York. The story begins with a brawl between two local gangs: The Sharks (a Puerto Rican gang) and The Jets (a polish gang). Likened to Tybalt and Mercurio, the gang leaders, Bernardo and Riff, want nothing but respect and are so blinded by their rage and hatred for each other they are willing to murder to get it. Of course, a romance ensues between Maria (Bernardo’s sister) and Tony (Riff’s right-hand man and most-trusted friend). Their love is forbidden from the beginning, but it only serves to fuel their passion. Ultimately, each must face a decision–loyalty to their families or to each other.

I was especially delighted to see and hear the performance of Katherine Miller (Maria), whose talented acting and girlish, soprano voice stole the show. In the last act, as she sang an extremely heavy lament over her murdered lover, I looked around and was unable to find a single dry eye near to me. Such regret and sorrow came through in her singing–such love and such remorse! Another delightful performance was that of Meg Marino (Anita) whose sultry alto voice and stern words made an ideal street-wise and protective companion for Maria. The well-balanced synergy between the two was intriguing to watch.

Between the acting and singing talent, the stage production (awesome lighting and props!) and the well-known musical score (“I Feel Pretty”, “Tonight”, and “One Hand, One Heart”, just to name a few…), WSS will go down in history as one of my favorites!

And, to make a fun evening even more fun, there was dinner at the Mountain Sun afterwards…

My Mountain Sun Take-Away Dragon

2007

The new year has begun! December ended with several laughs, hugs and smiles, and I was in the company of dear friends. After the second storm that hit Colorado, travel back home from the east coast was fairly trouble-free, except that none of the shuttles were running from the airport out to where I live. That was problematic, to say the least, and had only a few very costly solutions.

Alas, I made it home and felt at peace when I saw my front door.

Happy New Year to everyone!