Day 376 - No Stress Thanksgiving-From Freezer to Oven Turkey or Turkey Breast in a Bag-Archer Farms

 

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 during the pandemic,  I am trying to eliminate as much stress as possible and for me that is  that  is cooking!  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 again trying a freezer to oven turkey in a bag (Archer Farms at Target). Since we are keeping it small, I am opting for the turkey breast option this year. The tale that follows is of my experience with the full bird option two years ago. 

Day 375- Zombies of the Corn -Get Your Halloween On-Out Door Package of Fright and Fun

 

One of Pittsburgh’s claim to fame is the local filming of the zombie movie “Night of the Living Dead.” Zombie fright is in full swing this time of year. If you are looking for a place to celebrate during the pandemic, you can find your fill of the undead  just north of Pittsburgh at Zombies of the Corn.   At this  Zombie mecca you  can walk though the Zombie Compound, test you navigation skills in the corn husk  Z Maze, and take aim with your paintball gun on the Zombie Shoot ride. It is a complete out door Halloween package of fright and fun. 

Day 374 Ohiopyle State Park- Dare to Explore the Youghiogheny River –“Pedal/ Paddle” - a Whitewater Experience that Balances Thrill with Relaxation

Ohiopyle State Park located in the Laurel Mountains is great place to enjoy the outdoors with biking and hiking trails, waterfalls and more.  A highlight of the park is the Youghiogheny River that offers kayaking and whitewater rafting experiences for all levels of bravery. The bold adventurers can tackle the class III and IV whitewater of the Lower Yough. For those of us that are daring but not quite fearless, the Middle Yough, with class I and II whitewater, offers an experience that balances thrill with relaxation.

Day 373-Frankenstein by Manual Cinema and City Theatre -Humorous Spooky Cinematic Drive-in Experience

 

During this time of social distancing, City Theatre gives the drive-in a face lift by making it a safe place to go to satisfy a craving to get out of the house and experience live entertainment (see Day 372). In October, City Theatre celebrates Halloween by bringing an inventive production of Frankenstein by Manual Cinema to Hazelwood Green. Manual Cinema  combines shadow imagery, puppetry, special effects and lighting with a live band to tell this classic story from the author, Mary Shelly's perspective. It’s a humorous and spooky cinematic experience.    

Day 372 - City Theater's Drive-in Arts Festival- Adapting Live Shows- Lifting Our Spirits

 As a lover of the arts, I have had “theatre withdrawal” during the pandemic. I had accepted the grim reality that live shows would take an intermission for some time. My desire to find an activity outside the home and to stay safe caused a reoccurring dilemma just like the song lyrics, “should I stay or should I go.”  City Theater's Drive-in Arts Festival put a kibosh to the conundrum and gave me the green light to go when they offered live performances in a safe social distancing drive-in theatre venue.  Like many, I am tired of staring at a computer for work, school and entertainment. I applaud the creativity and collaboration of the arts community in adapting live shows to lift our spirits.

Day 371- Remember 9/11- Flight 93 National Memorial (Shanksville, PA)- Pause Refection on Unity

 

Like many, I remember EXACTLY what I was doing on September 11, 2001 when the hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center.  During this horrific event “time stood still” and we were glued to the television watching repetitious replays of the events. Yet this monstrous day somehow birthed a feeling of unity in this country. Stores were sold out of American flags. The American flag waved everywhere, on cars, homes, lawns and television. There was a united spirit to help, pray and care for one another.    

 During the present time of social distancing, protests and polarized elections, visiting the memorials are powerful reminders to pause, put aside our differences and unite as we honor those that left this world  on September 11, 2001.  

Day 370 -Happy 143 Day-A day to Remember Kindness and Love

Mr. Rogers stature with mom (Pgh North Shore)

 Today is the 143 day  of the year, a day of kindness and love initiated by Pittsburgh icon Mr. Rogers. During this pandemic when stress levels are high and protesters are in the news, we all could use a reminder from Mr. Roger's to say "Happy 143 Day" and celebrate with a little dose of  kindness and love for others and self.  

Day 369 Liberty Magic@Home -A virtual Magical Experience Every Friday- Where Thoughts of Covid- 19 Disappear and Objects Reappear

Just prior to the pandemic lock-down in February 2020, Pittsburgh’s Liberty Magic, a venue dedicated solely to the art of the sleight of hand, celebrated its one year anniversary.  For two seasons, world-renowned magicians wowed, amazed and brought a variety of personal approaches to the "magic show" for an adult audience. Magic@Home continues the show with a virtual magical experience. Host Zoe Ruth, Venue Manger of Liberty Magic, brings interviews and tricks with two new magicians to the virtual stage every Friday at 7.30 pm. Tune into Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Youtube or Facebook live  every Friday and watch your thoughts of  Covid-19 disappear  as objects reappear during this magical home experience.

Day 368 Earth Day-Virtual Celebration-Pandemic by-product, Blossoming Earth

Wednesday was the 50^th anniversary of Pittsburgh’s Global connection with Earth Day. This year’s Earth Day celebration has gone digital in the present age of social distancing. Although Pittsburgh’s Earth Day has been moved to August due to Covid- 19, organizers have put together a variety of  virtual activities to explore for several weeks to come. One of the positive by-product of this pandemic has been cleaner waters and bluer skies. It seems that the earth decided to blossom this spring in celebration of Earth Day.   

Day 367- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater-“Ailey All Access”-Weekly Free Performances

During this “stay home” period, I have been in search of new “art experiences.” New York based Alvin Ailey Dance Theater offers "Ailey All Access"- weekly full-length dance videos from their repertory every Thursday, Ailey dancer conversations on Instagram live every Wednesday and Saturday at 1 pm, and virtual dance classes.  This is an opportunity to experience this modern ballet dance company whose mission is to use “the beauty and humanity of the African-American heritage and other cultures to unite people of all races, ages and backgrounds” through dance. 

Day 366-Easter-Passover-Spring

This Holiday looks a little different in the shadow of the Coronavirus. We celebrate even as we stay home and keep our distance from others and our loved ones. I wanted to share one of my favoret Psalms in the mist of it all.

Reflection

The LORD is my Shepherd;

     I have everything I need.

 He lets me rest in green meadows;

      he leads me beside peaceful streams

He renews my strength.

He guides me along right paths,

      bringing honor to his name.

Even when I walk 

       through the dark valley of death,

I will not be afraid, 

        for you are close beside me.'

Your rod and your staff 

       protect and comfort me.

(PSALM 23:1-4)

Wishing you all an enjoyable modified holiday as we adapt to our changing world.  We can find  peace and rest in the constant of nature, newness of spring and promise of love this holiday.

Day 364-Good Friday- St. Anthony's Chapel-Virtual Stations of The Cross-Love and Peace out of Death and Pain

On this Good Friday I am re-posting  the Station of the Cross experience at St. Anthony Chapel in Troy Hill. I am sharing the memory during this time of "stay home and stay safe." The beauty and peace that this little chapel offers is so needed as we all navigate through this pandemic. Although we can not visit the chapel this Easter season, the stations can be viewed live today from 12 pm to 1 pm   on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pghshrines.

 I  long to see that little chapel in Troy Hill that I discovered several years ago (see Day 35 )  but I am looking forward to this new experience of a virtual Station of The Cross.  The stations of the cross (the telling of the story to Calvary) is a beautiful experience at St. Anthony's Chapel  with life sized sculptures. It reminds us that  love and peace can come out of death and pain. 

Day 363- Hollywoodland -Trust Cabaret Series-Intimate Evenings with the Best of Broadway

You get an intimate evening of music with  the Trust Cabaret Series  which brings top notch recording and Broadway talent to the Greer Cabaret Theater. Hollywoodland: Songs of the Silver Screen recently brought together three powerhouse vocalists, Jane Monheit, Jim Caruso (originally from Pittsburgh) and singer-pianist Billy Stritch. The lighthearted classic Hollywood musical movies of the 1930's, 1940’s and 1950’s where Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and others sang and danced were the focus of the night.

Day 362-Cats- PNC Broadway- a “Purrfect” Night to Embellish A New Beginning

The musical Cats is the fourth longest running show on Broadway. This show with colorful costumes, non-stop energized dancing and a beautiful musical score by Andrew Loyd Webber, was all the rage in the 80’s when I first saw it with my parents.  The show revolves around the annual Jellicle Ball where cats gather to choose the one among them that will be reborn to a new life. This show now seemed more applicable to my human life because this blog is all about trying new things and new beings after a life change.  Cats was a “purrfect”  night to celebrate the chosen Jellicle cat’s rebirth and to embellish the idea of a life “do over” -a new beginning.

Day 361 Pittsburgh Opera- Alcina- Masterfully Embellishes this Baroque Opera

Alcina, written by George Frederic Handel is a classic Baroque opera sung in Italian. It tells the tale of the sorceress, Alcina, who uses her power to seduce men and then she turns them into objects or animals. Pittsburgh Opera mixed period and modern costumes, injected Medieval Alchemical element symbolism and framed the set in armor, in their first ever production of Alcina. The classic Baroque vocal style (elaborate ornamentation of a vocal melody or coloratura) was accompanied by Chatham Baroque, a company that preforms 17^th and 18^th century music on period instruments. It was a night that masterfully embellished this Baroque masterpiece.

Day 360 Sequentia-"Words of Power: Charms, Riddles and Elegies of Medieval Northlands"-Sounds and Musical Expression of an Ancient World- Chatham Baroque & Renaissance Baroque Concert Series

The opportunity to experience Medieval music of the 8^th to 11^th centuries is rare because few can accurately reconstruct this music that was seldom written down. Sequentia is an ensemble committed to researching and performing the ancient sounds of this Medieval period.  They were recently brought to Pittsburgh as part of the Chatham Baroque & Renaissance Baroque series to preform "Words of Power:Charms, Riddles and Elegies of Medieval Northlands." This was a unique night to experience the sounds and musical expression of an ancient world.

Show was preformed in the intimate new Pittsburgh Playhouse Theater

Reflection

the members of Sequentia are not only musicians and vocalists, but they are also scholars of Medieval history. Their show was a window into the Medieval life in the north where pagans, recently Christianized, merged Christian references with the pagan god, Odin, in their music, poems and spells.  

The program was performed in Old English, Old  High German and Old Icelandic languages with subtitles. These ancient languages gave the performance authenticity. We were transported back to the early centuries of Iceland. The 90 minute show was divided into four acts  and each act contained: an instrumental piece, a spoken Anglo-Saxon riddle, an Anglo-Saxon elegy and charms and spells used to bless and heal ailments. It was like a historical variety show.

This  music was mystical and memorizing. Sequentia opened with the soft melody of the flute and with vocalists, Hanna Marti and Stef Conner, facing each as if they were  engaged in a high pitched vocal battle (Incantations for Valkyries and a wounded battle-seed). The melodies often reminded me of the opening music from the History Channel show, Vikings. The soprano vocals contained unfamiliar patterns and rhythms that became less foreign  by the show’s fourth act.  

 The instruments (harps, wooden and bone flutes and percussion) produced relaxing soft and sleepy  melodies. The riddles with their double entendre solutions added punches of humor. The elegies injected  poetic lamentations and reflections of  this ancient life and its struggles, battles, and women- warriors. Ending each act with spells and charms reminded all that these northern lands were entrenched in a history of practicing magic.

Sequentia brought their own artistic palette to produce a colorful picture of Medieval music and life. It  was a unique experience that transported  the audience back to this ancient time through music, song, riddles and spells and laughter.  

(The Chatham Baroque & Renaissance Baroque  brings unique period musical experiences to the stage. For more information on upcoming concerts go here. )    

Other Sources

https://chathambaroque.org/event/sequentia/

https://chathambaroque.org/pnc-theatre-at-point-park-universitys-pittsburgh-playhouse/

https://www.sequentia.org/

https://chathambaroque.org/series-concerts-at-a-glance/

Day 359-First Night Pittsburgh-New Year’s Eve Celebration -A package of Fun to Celebrate the Hope for a Bright 2020

I have never been one to celebrate a new year with libations. My usual routine is a New Year’s Eve (often overpriced) dinner and then my head hits the pillow before the midnight hour. Looking for an alternative,  First Night 2019-2020 offered a 6 hour celebration of  art, live music, entertainment, crafts, and more. Ending with  Zambelli fireworks and a ball drop, it was a package of fun -a night to celebrate the hope for a brighter new year.