The weeks surrounding the Holiday Season often involve that panic rush feeling "to get it all done.” We forget, as my blog inspiration book, Everything I Learned About Christmas, I Learned From A Little Golden Book, reminds us that Christmas should be a “time of wonder, a time like no other time of the year.” Phipps Conservatory is a place were you can escape into a world of beautiful plants and lights and relax, feeling the wonder of the season (see Day 180).
A way to survive the empty nest and a "cracked "relationship with a fun daily challenge of new experiences, reflections, sources, and some biblical guidance. I hope this blog which offers a fun journey to survive by trying something new, either vicariously or by doing, will result in a survival tool kit to replace the past familiar doing, giving, and/or incorporating the interest of your child or your long gone love interest, with some new self interest(s).
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Day 251 Phipps Conservatory -Wonder of the Season- New Show- New Timed Entry
The weeks surrounding the Holiday Season often involve that panic rush feeling "to get it all done.” We forget, as my blog inspiration book, Everything I Learned About Christmas, I Learned From A Little Golden Book, reminds us that Christmas should be a “time of wonder, a time like no other time of the year.” Phipps Conservatory is a place were you can escape into a world of beautiful plants and lights and relax, feeling the wonder of the season (see Day 180).
Monday, November 27, 2017
Day 250 Charlie Brown Christmas-Live on Stage-Holiday Season Kick Off Like a Kid
I have always loved the 1965 animated television special Charlie Brown Christmas and who doesn’t love that twig of a tree. This iconic cartoon is a Christmas tradition for my son and I. I thought that the "Charlie Brown Christmas-Live on Stage" would be a great way to kick off the Holiday Season. So even though this show is for families I thought- why shouldn't “kids at heart” like me also enjoy the magic? I was ready to experience all my favorite characters and kick off the season just like a kid even if I would be sitting among a bunch of kids!
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Day 249 Happy Thanksgiving-Turkey in a bag-stress free
I stress about making Thanksgiving dinner every year because
I am not that good of a cook (see Day 243). Thanksgiving
is one of my least favorite holidays because cooking the dinner is not a “
labor of love” for this girl but a stress bomb. I also think it’s highly unfair that
during this holiday women slave all day cooking (I know that some men carve or help by deep frying the turkey) but mostly men
get to relax, eat dinner, and watch football. This year instead of making numerous calls to my girlfriend, who takes
on the role as my “turkey line,” I decided to make it stress free by trying a freezer to oven turkey in a bag.
Thursday, November 23, 2017
Day 248 Motown The Musical -Pittsburgh Broadway Series-Can’t get enough
Temptations -Motown the Musical |
I have always loved the Motown sound. If
you are like me, you feel some kind of connection to it that always brings your feet moving, your head
bopping and your mouth singing. That might have been why I had a “musician
connection” for many years before I started this blog that had me listening to
this type of music. Although I took a
reprieve from it in my empty- nest
period, when I heard that the Pittsburgh
Broadway Series was bringing Motown The Musical to town, I was ready to experience
that Motown sound again because it’s the type of music that you just can’t get
enough of!
Friday, November 17, 2017
Day 247-Pittsburgh Broadway Series- Color Purple-Resilient and Strong
Celie and her sister Nettie |
The musical The Color Purple is based on the 1982 novel
by Alice Walker. It is a story about a woman (Celie) who triumphs over life’s hardships in the American south. As my
blog inspired physiologist Maslow would say, she self-actualized or became her personal best. I was a sap and cried tears of joy on her behalf during most of the play's second act when she triumphed over adversity with the strength and resilience given to her from God.
Monday, November 13, 2017
246 Marriage of Figaro-Pittsburgh Opera-Lovely Comedy
Figaro and Susana, Countess and Count |
Reflection
I have discovered a new interest in the opera during
my empty-nest period (see Day 239-Tosca). They all seem to be such “larger than life”
productions with extravagant sets, powerful voices, and beautiful
symphonic music. The Marriage of Figaro was less extravagant than my past experiences but it was filled with wonderfully whimsical music. Much of
Mozart’s 1786 composition, especially the overture, has been played
outside of this opera and thus the music was familiar to my
ears. (listen here)
In this four act opera no one died. In fact, most of the action centered round the playful antics
during a 24 hour period before the impending marriage of Figaro (the
Count Almavia’s head servant) to Susana (the Countess Rosina Almavia’s maid).
The Count (Christian Bowers) had a thing for
Susana (Joella Harvey) and wished to exercise his noble right to take the place of his servant
on his wedding night. He continued to try to delay their wedding. He also tried to force the marriage of Figaro to an old woman, Marcellina (Leah de Gruyl) to satisfy his debt. Then in Act 4 Marcellina discovers that Figaro (Tyler Simpson) is her long lost son.
Figaro gets the girl, Susana |
The Countess (Danielle Pastin) fearing that her husband has lost interest in
her, schemes with Susana and Figaro to teach him a lesson. They convince the
page boy, Cherubino (Corrie Stallings) to dress up as Susana in order to trick the Count. You get the picture, there is a lot of
twist and turns and mistaken identities that result in laughter but in the end the Count
and Countess fall back in love and Figaro gets his girl!
There were 12 strong characters in this opera and many shared the
stage together in song. Since there was so much movement, I often just stopped trying to follow the action and English subtitles and enjoyed the music. Especially in Act 3 when both Susana
(Joelle Harvey) and the Countess (Danielle
Pastin) produced such beautiful soprano melodies.
This light- hearted opera with familiar music and a twist of laughter was a welcomed new
operatic experience. I intend to keep the Pittsburgh Opera Season in my
survival toolbox because thus far, I have enjoyed the diverse variety in their shows.
(Their next show in January, The Long Walk, is a contemporary American
Opera about a solder's struggles after his return from the Iraq war.)
Other Sources
Saturday, November 11, 2017
Day 245 4x4 Ephemeral Architectures -Ballet and Juggling-Beautifully Intimate
Juggling and ballet
is not something that you often
experience together but renowned
juggler, Sean Gandini and Royal Ballet dancer, Ludovic Ondiviela combined their talents in the show,
4x4 Ephemeral Architectures at Wilson
Center recently. This show continues to
receive rave reviews since it opened in
2015 at the London International Mime Festival. Luckily, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust brought this merger of two different art forms
to Pittsburgh. I thought that this would be my first contemporary circus experience but this was something much
better- something beautifully intimate!
Thursday, November 9, 2017
Day 244 The NEW Arcade Comedy Theater –Improv, humors spontaneity
New Arcade Comedy Theater, Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh |
Bringing humor and
laughter to Pittsburgh is a great way
to circumvent some of the unpleasant current events in the news lately and to
combat the impending shortened daylight this time of year. Arcade Comedy Theater is a new comedy venue with a non-profit mission to, “elevate and advance
the art of comedy” and “present fun accessible and affordable
live comedy to Pittsburgh every weekend”.
I was ready to experience some spontaneous
humor through the art of improvisational comedy
during the Grand Opening of the New
Arcade Comedy Theater!
Sunday, November 5, 2017
Day 243 My Great Stress Cook- Off
My blog inspiration book, “Everything I Need to Know I Learned from, a Little Golden Book recommends,
“Learn to cook”. I never thought that I would use that book page in this blog because
I am such a bad cook and I actually really hate to cook. I know it’s shocking -an
Italian girl that does not know how to cook. I wish I had a dime for every time I
heard, “You’re Italian and you don’t cook”!
Today my happiness meter went into the “critical red zone”. Why my stress level was in the red zone: whether it’s a product of work, my relationships, or my child is irrelevant, but what matters is the way I choose to circumvent potential despair. I don’t drink, use drugs, shop much, or sleep it off, so I decided to try something new –cook!
Friday, November 3, 2017
November Preview of Upcoming Events
Since this blog is all about keeping a forward trajectory in midst of change and reaching your personal best, I wanted to preview some of my planned experiences in the hope that it will inspire some to join in. As Dale Carnegie once said, "Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." Let's all get busy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)