Can't Let it Pass By...

It's been a while!  With "Trailer Park" closing (a success; I got great reviews, which is always nice) and "Miss Nelson" picking up (the kids are a lot of fun, and I am really enjoying myself!), things have been crazy in the evenings!  Weddings and Senior Pictures on the weekends and a few out-of-town visits with dear friends have left me with very little free time... it takes some getting used to.

The job is going well.  It's a great fit, and while it can be frustrating or tiring on a day to day basis, it can also be hilarious, enjoyable, and rewarding.  That's working with kids for you.

Sometimes not updating a blog for a while can leave it seeming like a daunting task - so much to backlog, so much to cover.  I felt the need to break the ice, so to speak - things are going well, but I need to get back to a normal rhythm of life.  So, I shall leave you for now with some fall photos!  Michigan in autumn can't be beat.

Oh Goodness!

This past week was the start of school, and therefore the start of my new job.  It was exhilarating and exhausting, frustrating and fabulous.  It was strange getting back into the swing of things with older kids, and we still have a long ways to go, but overall I am sleepy but excited.

Now it's just a matter of getting my life organized again.  I had developed a little rhythm in my years of housewifery, and going back to a job that keeps me out of the house Monday-Friday, 6-6 (10:30 on rehearsal days...) means that all of the other aspects of my life, house, dog, hobbies - they're all up in the air!  I have had a lot of fun clothes shopping, though - I can't remember the last time I bought any new clothes, so that was quite a scene.  So, for the next few weeks, I'll be working on getting re-organized and trying to find some time to spend with Husband!

And, of course, the furry children.

<3 Jessica

Life

Summer sped by at an unbelievable pace.  Here I am cuddled up in the computer chair with my cardigan and scarf, candles lit, kettle on the stove... it's my favorite month!  God has really provided for my family this past summer - just a week after I left my job at the school of music, I heard from an acquaintance about an amazing new opportunity with thier education group, Meta4.  Rodney may have a new opportunity on the horizon as well.  Photo sessions are picking up, the squash are ripening in the garden, it's almost time for apples and bonfires... I don't know what it is about this weather and this time of year, but I am feeling really optimistic.

Whelmed.

Long time no see!  I've been feeling... whelmed recently?  An annoying pattern of listless and unmotivated to feeling the crushing weight of all of the things that I have to do stacking up on top of me.

I'm quitting the School of Music.  It started out as a nice way to get a few extra bucks and work with kids, and quickly became a large stressor and time-pit.  I think I'll be better off working part-time retail or something (something I don't have to care about, because I don't have good boundaries when it comes to work.)  All I know is that when I finally decided to do it, it felt like a huge weight was lifted.

For those of you who don't know, Husband and I live a more traditional lifestyle.  He works and pays the bills, I do odd jobs and take care of the house/animals/future children.  The problem is that the odd jobs (theater, photography, etc.) easily take over and make the housey things take the back burner.  But if Husband is the one paying the bills, and my jobs just make extra money for us, then it's not really fair for me to be putting all of my energy into them long-term.  Now for theater or photography, this works fine.  I can spend a couple of months really invested in a show, or a full day on a photo session.  But for the School, it was becoming something that, in order to do my best at, I was having to spend countless hours working on with no end in sight...

So, making that decision has helped.  I still have a few loose ends to tie up with CCC's show, loan payments and dry cleaning and such.  I'm working on cleaning out the basement and putting my best vintage finds on Etsy, which is also incredibly time-consuming if you want to have a nice shop with good pictures.  During my hiatus the peas all died, and the garden has become quite overgrown.  The carrots seem to be doing well, and the squash is out of control, so this year hasn't been a total bust... but still not what I had hoped for.  We also haven't done any of the household projects yet that we had planned.  It's partially been finances and partially the fact that I can't really do it by myself, and now that Husband is back at the prison his hours are much more rigid.  I need to start planning for the Peanut Gallery show I am directing in the fall, and I am debating auditioning for a show in Saginaw that some friends of mine are directing.  I had several editorial shoots that I really wanted to get done this summer (and time is passing quickly!), and I need to get a website up and running for that.  I think next year in lieu of focusing on CSOM, I will be putting more energies into the photography, making it legit and such.  I do want some sort of outside job, as it is very nice to have extra money, and Husband and I enjoy eating out. 

Sometimes, too, having a social life seems like more a chore than anything else.  Having friends and outside interests has always been a priority for me, but in the post-collegiate world it becomes increasingly harder to manage.  I still have the problem with location - the real friends that we want to hang out with all live 30 min. + away, whereas local friends are usually more tiring.  I'm not a soccer mom type, and I never will be.  I'm not big into celebrities or pulp news, and I don't watch reality TV (well, except ANTM, but we'll just ignore that for the sake of the point.)  I'm not queer about men; this is a difficult one to describe - a local friend of mine recently began dating, and her friends (who are some of the more tiresome people) are so QUEER about it.  Like, "tee-hee, you LIKE him!"  It's ridiculous and embarrassing for all involved.  I've never been one to have "token" friends (I have this AFRICAN AMERICAN friend, you see... One of my BEST FRIENDS is GAY!), and I sort of look down on people who do.  I have many gay friends and several friends who are black, but I am not friends with them because I think it will make my life more like Sex and the City.  I don't name drop.  I don't think that I am more important than I am, nor do I think that this town is so COSMOPOLITAN.  I don't think Pure Romance parties are SO MUCH FUN, and on the other side of it, I am not interested in drinking the night away with toothless hicks at some townie bar on M-20.  This makes relationships difficult to maintain, as there is usually an hour or so travel time involved in hanging out.  I sincerely love having dinners with friends, or just casual visits.  I have this vision in my head of Saturday night dinners where we get together, cook, laugh, drink, and have a good time.  Where our kids grow up together.  I don't think that is such a unobtainable goal.  It just seems increasingly harder to find.

It's just such a balance - working from home can be super exhausting, with no real end in sight.  I can usually handle it better than this, but recently (perhaps due to the unbearable heat as well!) I've just wanted to curl up and wait for it to pass. Moving seems more and more appealing (again - I have such a love-hate relationship with this town).  Oh well.  I'm sure this too shall pass.

-Jess

Have you ever thrown a party and nobody came?  Now imagine that that party took 6 straight weeks of preparation and $1500.  Guh.

If I make a goal, who gets the point?

A few weeks ago, a friend told me that he was proud of me.  It was a very odd feeling.  I've always been fiercely individual.  My work ethic tends to lean "nose to the grindstone" as opposed to "squeaky wheel gets the oil."  I often found myself getting passed over for recognition because I don't really seek it.  I am not patting myself on the back, just making an observation - honestly, I have found this to be a weakness in many fields, the inability to sell yourself.

The friend who complimented me works with inner city children in Texas.  He is an art teacher who started his own after school program for at-risk youth.  He just finished his master's degree.

Here I am, one step above a college dropout with a messy ponytail eating a molasses cookie for breakfast blogging at 10:30 in the morning on a weekday.  I don't think I am a poster child for success.

The show opens tonight.  We don't feel ready to me.  Things will be fine - we have some really great actors, and it's a funny script - but I don't feel that this show is up to my standards as a director/producer, and I am disappointed in myself.  I miscast a few people, which I haven't ever done before.  Our time frame was really tight before we had several setbacks, and it's really difficult working with so many volatile personalities (who are all volunteering or donating to us... so the question of how much to demand is always at the back of my mind.)

In all the bustle of the last couple of weeks, I have been neglecting the garden.  (As a side note, I don't know what to call it - urban homestead sounds pretentious and clunky, but garden brings up images of old ladies in sun hats cultivating hydrangeas...)  Some of the herbs are looking downright wilty, and the strawberries are dead and gone.  I'm worried that the cherry tomatoes aren't getting what they need, and the pea trellis needs to be finished NOW.  I have no idea how people manage a full time job and a full time farm (although I do think one full time job would be easier than three creative part time jobs.)

I am frustrated with the Housemate.  He lives like a pig, and the dog keeps getting into his room because he can't seem to figure out how to shut the door after himself.  The last time the dog apparently ate 25 bone-in chicken wings.  He could have died.  He still might. The thought of losing him is scary enough, but the reaction from Housemate was more of anger at the DOG.  The dog can't open doorknobs.  If your room is being accessed, it's because you aren't closing the door all the way.  I hate when people don't just admit that they were wrong and try to be proactive about solutions to the problem.  They have to dance around the issue and try to shirk off blame.  It has been happening in a lot of areas in my life, so this particular instance is really getting to me.

Photography is a joy.  I only hope that I get more business - I worry about expansion.  Everyone oohs and aahs over the pictures, but finding the time in their lives to get their own pictures is another story.  There is something so immensely satisfying about it... maybe it appeals to the organizer in me.  It's like cataloging beauty.  Which probably sounds crazy to anyone who doesn't share my particular mix of right and left brained-ness.

I have been utterly neglecting the school.  I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew.  I am already on shaky ground with my skill level...

And all the while, as part of me is working toward this great sense of community, the other part gets nervous when, say, people at the farmer's market start remembering me, or I see kids from the school out and about.  Part of me likes the anonymity of being backstage - the hard worker that nobody knows about.  I guess it's less pressure.  Once you're out there in the spotlight, it's make it or break it time.

I don't really know what the purpose of this post is.  I guess in my life I am trying to deprogram myself from being so goal oriented.  That sounds odd, as it is what our culture is all about, and I definitely think that micro-goals are important.  But the plain fact is, life isn't a race.  It's not a game, and there are no winners or losers.  We just have to do the best we can with the time we have.

And I don't want to miss anything.

Warm days, old friends...

Mike is a great friend of mine from my Outdoor Ed. days.  This past weekend he came up for a visit, and I got to show off Midland a bit.  There may be many things about this quirky little town that I dislike (see old blog posts), but there are also many things about it that I LOVE.  We spent a great day visiting the local Indian restaurant, used book store, downtown shops, and my favorite coffee shop.  The next day we visited my favorite place in the world: the Chippewa Nature Center. 

The fact that the Chippewa Nature Center can exist and be as well-funded and well-maintained as it is says a lot about what a community values.  It is an amazing piece of land with passionate, well-educated staff.  I loved working at their day camp, and hope someday to have a part-time job as one of thier naturalists.

It was great to spend time with Miker again - talking to someone about common passions is very important, and there aren't a lot of wilderness junkies in the area (at least that I know of.)  I would really love it if he were to get a job at the Nature Center's preschool and land in the area for a while!

Do Re Mi...

We finally got the piano moved in!  Now I can practice my lovely music ALL DAY LONG, which Husband LOVES.  The strains of RE-RE-RE DO-MI-SOL over and over again are not maddening at all.  I am currently working my way through our Harmony Road 2 book, which puts me at about the level of one of our five year olds.  (I am exaggerating, but only mildly.) 

The Children's School of Music is pretty awesome.  I am easily the worst pianist (to be fair, I have never taken music lessons outside of school, and wasn't even in band...)  This frustrates me, because I like to be the best at everything.  I feel like it's very important to be prepared and work my hardest at what I do - I partially learned it working Outdoor Ed... being obsessively prepared with a million and one things to do when things go wrong.  It's important when you work with kids.

The problem is, my musical "bag of tricks" is so much smaller than my teambuilding or nature hiking ones.  I had a great time working Nature Day Camp, was confident and awesome because I had so much experience.  Music is a much more technical thing, and being enthusiastic and good with kids isn't enough.  I have always had the background knowledge in nature and cultural history - add literature, and you have my passions.  My musical knowledge is much more organic, and I am a little frightened that I will accidentally give a kid the wrong information.

I think my niche here is going to be in recruiting and running the young children's programs/music on the go programs.  I find my confidence and skills with infants and toddlers is already skyrocketing compared to what it was (I definitely was not a baby fan prior to this job), and the more I do it, hopefully the better I get.  We teach them the building blocks of rhythm and tone... but hopefully I can do more.  If I can teach kids to love music, to have fun with music... and then the more experienced musicians can give them the knowledge they need.

That's my plan anyway.

Rabbit Season...

Our plan for this year was to get the garden up and running, and make it productive.  If all goes according to plan, our next step will be raising meat rabbits.

I have never raised rabbits, and frankly don't really care for them as pets; that may be why I found it easy to make the jump to the idea of rabbits as a food source.  They are ideal for urban homesteads, since they are quiet and don't need much space.  Their manure makes an excellent fertilizer (it is the only manure that won't "burn" plants if put directly into the garden), and their pelts are nice too.  Apparently they are relatively easy to kill and dress, which makes them an excellent starter animal.

But there was one problem - we had never eaten rabbit before.  That seemed the most important thing to consider if we were seriously considering them as our first livestock.  Luckily the last time I was at the Farmer's Market the Amish man was there (don't get me started on the Amish man's booth... I spend at least $10 more if he's there than if he isn't.)  He sells cheese, eggs, granola, and meat... lo and behold, he carries rabbit!

I found this recipe online (combined a few, actually... most called for heavy cream soups or sour cream, and we're trying to be more healthy...)

INGREDIENTS:

• Rabbit meat, dressed.
• Herbs and Garlic
• Worcestershire sauce
• Plain yogurt
• 1 can vegetable or chicken stock
• Carrots and Potatoes, quartered and rinsed.

Put all ingredients into the slow cooker and cook for 8 hours on low.  Meat should be under or nearly submerged in the broth - add water to mixture if the broth isn't high enough.

This was really tasty!  Rabbit tastes a bit like a VERY lean pork to me - there was virtually no fat, which means that the meat can run a bit dry (most people fry or slow cook it for this reason), but it also means that if you're picky about fat on food (Husband and I both HATE to eat a piece of fat...) rabbit might be the meat for you!  The meat fell right off of the bone, and most of it was edible.  I think next time I might coat the rabbit in the yogurt before the spices, as this might keep more moisture trapped in the meat.

Overall, if more people ate rabbit (or other low-impact livestock) and kept the cows for the special occasions, the planet (and our bodies) would be in MUCH better shape right now!

Blueberry Muffins with Honey

One of my biggest goals this summer is to improve the quality of the foods Husband and I eat.  I love living in a town that has an amazing Farmer's Market (see past raves about that...), and there are several smaller-scale markets nearby.  The problem, of course, is what do you do with all of this bounty once you've made the purchases?  Too often my compost bin bulges with all of the fruits and vegetables I had every intention of using... until the idea of ordering a pizza seemed more appealing.  

That being said, I plan to really make the most of fruits and vegetables this season.  My homesteading plans are underway, the plants and herbs are in the ground, and now I need to make sure that I will make use of them!  Anyway, here's a favorite family recipe for amazing blueberry muffins!

INGREDIENTS: 

1 Egg (Beaten)

3/4 Cup Milk

3/4 Cup Blueberries

1/2 Cup Oil

2 Cups Flour

1/3 Cup Sugar

3 Tsp. Baking Powder

1 Tsp. Salt

Brown Sugar to Top

Rinse your blueberries under cold water!

Mix all wet ingredients.

I used 3/4 cup honey instead of 1/3 cup sugar to sweeten the muffins.  I love the subtlety of the sweetness... and honey has amazing health benefits and NEVER goes bad!  

Add the dry ingredients and blueberries.  I added 1/2 of the blueberries, mixed them in, and then added the rest... it makes some of the berries mushy and flavors the batter, and others whole.

Bake at 400 degrees Farenheit for 20 minutes.  When the muffins have been baked for a few minutes, pull them out and top them with brown sugar.  This makes a lovely crusty top!  I waited a bit too long with this, my first batch, so the sugar didn't stick as well as I would have liked.

A new little person has come into the world this past weekend.  I know it sounds cheesy, but every birth is really quite a small miracle - one minute there's a little thing inside of you jumping on your kidneys, and the next that little thing has a face and a voice and a personality.  It's amazing.

Along the lines of new life, the home has really sprung to life recently - I fenced in the raspberries, the apple tree is finally in bloom, and the garden is officially in.  I love my backyard in the spring.

Even though my yard is horrible and full of violets and grubs, it's so pretty!  And the grubs attract all sorts of birds and small mammals (my first time mowing I got a rare above-ground glimpse of a little gray mole!)  So, even though I try to keep the front yard neat and tidy, I have sort of married myself to the beautiful chaos of the backyard.

Husband and I have been rewatching Arrested Development for the past few days.  Every time I watch it it reminds me again why it is my favorite television show... why I hate the networks for cancelling it (and wonderful shows like it) and why I hate the American public for just sitting back and letting it happen.  And yet, with the delightful narration of Ron Howard and the little ukulele theme tume leading the way, I can still sit back and bask in the glory of it for the two and a half seasons that it DID exist.  In honor, I shall list my favorite television shows.

1) Arrested Development (2003-2006).  Follows the trials and tribulations of the ridiculously self-involved Bluth clan.  When patriarch George is arrested for "light treason," good son Michael must try to keep the family and the business held together.  This is pretty much the greatest comedy show ever written.  So many jokes crammed into every episode that, even on the fifth or sixth viewing, you are catching something else.  Jokes that honor the long-term viewers while not feeling exclusive to new viewers.  Characters that are simultaneously completely over-the-top, and completely like your own family.  Pure joy.

Favorite Character(s): It's a tie between Tobias and The Narrator... but pretty much every character is horrible and lovable and hilarious.  Oh yeah, and Barry Zuckercorn.  And the bad-news doctor.
Favorite Story Arc:  Mrs. Phyllidia Featherbottom!  Also really enjoyed Maeby as a studio exec.

2) Pushing Daisies (2007-2009).  When Ned is a boy, he discovers that he has the ability to bring dead things back to life with just a touch.  Unfortunately, a second touch from Ned kills the subject again, and this "gift" causes Ned to become an odd but earnest young piemaker with no real attachments in his life save his Golden Retriever, Digby.  When he hears of the untimely death of his childhood sweetheart, Chuck, he can't resist bringing her back to life - no matter what the results.  Described as a "Forensic Fairy Tale,"  there has never been anything quite like Pushing Daisies.  I want to LIVE in this show!  It is magical, mysterious, dark, funny, and ultimately extremely cheerful.

Favorite Character(s):  Olive!  Also Emerson Cod and the Aunts.
Favorite Story Arc: Get Thee to a Nunnery... or Rent-A-Friend!


3) The Venture Brothers (2003 - Present).  Twins Hank and Dean live with their hulking bodyguard Brock Samson and thier father Rusty Venture - a former child genius and boy adventurer a la Johnny Quest, now a balding, pill-popping dismal failure living off of his brilliant father's glory.  This adult animated show ruthlessly lampoons old Hannah-Barbara cartoons, while maintaining a brilliant storyline and a massive cast of brilliant characters.  Almost too clever for its own good... almost.

Favorite Character(s):  This is TOO hard!  If forced, I might have to say Dr. Girlfriend and The Monarch... Although my favorite FAVORITE guest moment HAS to be Dr. Dugong... and I love all the old Jonas Venture bits...
Favorite Episode: "The Family that Slays Together." Parts 1 and 2


4) My Name is Earl (2005-2009).  Earl Hickey is a deadbeat, small-time criminal who wins the lottery, but is immediately hit by a car.  In the hospital he hears Carson Daly talking about Karma on television, and Earl makes a decision to turn his life around.  With the mantra of "Do good things, good things happen,"  Earl and his brother Randy revisit their troubled pasts and try to make amends for the things they did wrong.  A top-notch ensemble, unique characters, and hilarious and heartwarming writing made this show a never-miss!

Favorite Character(s): Joy and the Crabman!  Close second to Randy.
Favorite Story Arc: Crabman's secret past!

5) Seinfeld (1990-1998).  "A show about nothing."  This mother of the modern comedy follows the lives of comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his self-obsessed friends as they go about thier trivial lives.  Absolutely brilliant, and hasn't lost anything over the years!

Favorite Character(s): George and Elaine.  Puddy.
Favorite Episodes: The Parking Garage, The Fusilli Jerry, The Marine Biologist, The Rye

6) Quantum Leap (1989-1993).  In attempting to create a time travel device, Dr. Sam Beckett accidentally becomes trapped in the past.  He "leaps" into the body of another person, and must "put right what once went wrong" before he can "leap" away.  His best friend Al is the only one who can communicate with him, in the form of a hologram that only Sam can see and hear.  This amazing sci-fi show expertly combined humor, mystery, action, romance, and uplifting stories.  With a regular cast of only two, Al and Sam carry the show with a wonderful chemistry.  A classic.

Favorite Character(s): Al.  But Sam is great too!
Favorite Episodes: Catch a Falling Star, What Price Gloria?, Good Night Dear Heart, The Leap Home, Black on White on Fire... sooo many.

7) King of the Hill (1997-2010).  Hank Hill is just your average hardworking middle-class Texan - but his friends and neighbors are anything but normal.  Hank and his wife Peggy deal with the mundane aspects of life while trying to raise thier son Bobby in a world that, at times, seems to have lost all common sense.  This show is a gem - the characters are so real they feel like friends, and the show at times seems to be the only one that weighs in on political issues and current events while maintaining humor, optimism, and dignity.

Favorite Character(s): Khan and Minh!  I also have a strong love-hate thing with Peggy.
Favorite Episodes: High Anxiety, I Don't Wanna Wait for Our Lives to be Over, That's What She Said, The Redneck on Rainey Street, Orange you Sad I Did Say Banana?, Peggy's Magic Sex Feet



8)Flight of the Conchords (2007-2009).  Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement are the two members of New Zealand's fourth most popular folk-parody band, The Flight of the Conchords.  Transplanted to America, they try to make it big in the city.  This is an odd little musical show, quirky and supremely deadpan.  It has great songs and a clever supporting cast!

Favorite Character(s): Murray!
Favorite Episodes: Bowie, The Actor, The New Cup

9) Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969).  Captain James T. Kirk leads his crew on a mission of deep space exploration and adventure.  I can't really describe how much I love this show... it was the first science fiction show to fully realize the potential of the genre to make us look at our own time, our own issues differently.  It broke barriers in regards to race as well, showcasing characters from many origins working together.  It had the first interracial kiss ever broadcast on TV!  It had groovy 60's babes, melodramatic fight scenes, and WILLIAM SHATNER.  I acknowledge that parts of this show haven't aged well (especially graphics and costumes), and some episodes are downright silly, but it remains one of my favorites to this day!

Favorite Character(s): Mr. Sulu!  

Favorite Episodes: The City on the Edge of Forever, Return to Tomorrow, Bread and Circuses, The Menagerie

10) Futurama (1999-Present) Phillip J. Frye is a loser in the year 1999... but when he is accidentally frozen and transported 1000 years into the future, he meets a hilarious group of misfits at a space delivery service owned by his senile great-great-great-great-grandnephew, and finds that maybe the year he was born in wasn't the year he was meant to be in.  Filled with great guest stars and awesome homages to classic science fiction, this adult animated show is a must-watch!

Favorite Character(s): Zap Branigan!  Also Dr. Zoidberg.  And Richard Nixon.

Favorite Episodes: Branigan Begin Again, Cyber House Rules, A Head in the Polls, How Hermes Requisitioned his Groove Back.

I seem to have a thing for animated shows and sci-fi.  I also noticed that this is disproportionately comedy-heavy... I just feel like no matter how good a drama is, I'm never going to re-watch it like I will with a comedy.  Maybe one day I will do a list of top 10 dramas to even out the playing field.