Tag: Shakespeare

More Branching Out with New To-Do Lists…

Alternative titles for this post included the following: “How to Survive Teenagers in the House,” “Keeping Your Sanity with Teens,” “If you thought my nagging is annoying, kid, wait until you experience yo mama’s supernagging!” and “Help Me, I Have a Teenaged Son.”

Honestly, I can’t really use any of the above alternates because The Boy is a growing into a fabulous young man. If I could harness a fraction of his drive and (hyper-)focus there is no telling WHAT I could accomplish.

So, the boring, non-antagonistic title will have to stay for now.

My strategy for success (my own, not the The Boy’s- he shall have his own) is to keep discovering new… everything: restaurants, recipes, cocktails, hikes, sports, books, friends, music, etc. Hopefully I will keep my sanity by continuing to grow myself as I watch my two teens grow.

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Scratch Lab’s cookbooks- for feeding those athletes you love
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The Main Man, The Bard, Wm Shakespeare

The Short List for 2017

  • Piano lessons for me (or online tutorial… anyone have any suggestions?)
  • Complete OpenCulture.com’s Survey of Shakespeare’s Plays
  • Complete a 15 mile mountain bike race this June while The Husband makes short work of the longer race
  • Tear through some fab recipes in my Scratch Labs cookbook. Because I don’t want to be eating icky bars or energy gels on the above mentioned ride.
  • Finally watch Downton Abbey (because I have to do something about this Sherlock hangover. Moffat and Gatiss- can we have more than three episodes per series? Pretty Please?)
  • And probably the most important on this list, give The Boy enough rope to learn, grow and thrive- and trust that he wont hang himself. And try to shut my mouth shut. Because he is one heck of an awesome guy.

 

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Did you know that if you wear a green Christmas Sweater, the camera will add at least 15 pounds in a photo? Beware. Or it could just be the stress of raising a teenager. Either way, beware.

Shakespeare’s “Comedy of Errors” Marvelously Meets 1920’s New Orleans at San Diego’s Old Globe

Magnificent sets from Shakespeare's
Magnificent sets from Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” at San Diego’s Old Globe Theater. (Set Designer Alexander Dodge). Hopefully it is all right to display this photo that I snapped last night???

Usually, I prefer to see a theatrical production in it’s original format- musicals with all the songs, operas with full sets, not minimalistic productions, Shakespeare in all it’s Elizabethan splendor.

The Old Globe Theater of San Diego presented a superb rendition of Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” that I swear should not be missed! Director Scott Ellis‘s 1920’s New Orleans setting for this play was MAGNIFICENT. I would like to know if this was his recreation or a previously produced version- I gather from our “Performances” magazine/playbill that this is, in fact, his baby. In January, he was described as “the busiest director on Broadway,” with three shows running simultaneously. This same Daily News article mentions his San Diego production, and I am beginning to get the idea that we are really lucky to have this director and his take on “The Comedy of Errors” here in San Diego.

On leaving the theater, I enjoyed forcing my opinions on the crew of teens that we brought with us last night. They had to listen to me, I was their ride home, HA!! I think that all the Shakespeare that they study should be viewed first, and then read. They need to see this language alive, intact, and played back-and-forth between actors, not the dry, difficult context of the he-said, she-said, dialog on a dull page.

Our Exchange Student (we’ve exchanged The Girl, who’s off to college, for her friend) will be reading “Hamlet” for his AP senior English class. I told him I’m going to find the best production of Hamlet that I can locate via Netflix, Amazon Prime, or any other streaming services and make him watch it.

San Diego's Old Globe Theater presents Shakespeare's
San Diego’s Old Globe Theater presents Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” This picture comes from the Old Globe’s web page, click the picture to link to their site, or try this link: theoldglobe.org

“Though she be but Little, she is Fierce.”

Saw “Midsummer Night’s Dream” with The Girl. I’ve never seen it before and always wanted to, so when she announced that she had control of the TV for homework’s sake, I joined in. I loved it when the “Though she be but little, she is fierce” line came up- I forgot that it came from this play and was surprised to see what the scene was like that contained this favorite quote.

Yea for English assignments that mean I get to watch Shakespeare that I had yet to see!

The lovely featured photo at the top came from this wiki page. It is a detail from a painting titled “The Quarrel of Oberon and Titania” by English artist Joseph Noel Paton in 1849.

I found this print on etsy.com and it is available for purchase... click the pic for the link
I found this print on etsy.com and it is available for purchase… click the pic for the link

New Things Daily. Really. Or At Least Attempted…

On Monday, I had intended to give an update on the Book of the Month. Even though the plan derailed, my train of thought is powered by a compulsive desire to see those little calendar dates all filled in, each and every day.

Look at that empty spot... just taunting me.
Look at that empty spot… just taunting me.

Monday was Migraine day. Sometimes after a migraine ceases you feel physically lighter, floating or at least as if a weight has literally been lifted off of your head. Sometimes you feel as though pressure has been released… or that the vacuum chamber that you are stuck in has finally unlocked and your entire being is returning to normal.

Weird, I know. It feels cathartic to just explain what the pain feels like to me. I wonder if by being able to put words to the extreme discomfort that I am conquering it in a way? Psychologists, doctors, med students, and Psychiatrists, feel free to chime in. Seriously.

So, Monday I didn’t even lift my book. I didn’t even lift my body off of the couch most of the day.

But- here is the book update about my new read this month:

Need a good laugh? Go get this book. Bill Bryson’s “The Lost Continent.” Warning: you have to have thick skin to read this book, because he busts on just about everyone across the country. Overall I am loving this book, lots of laugh-out-loud moments!

And, later today I will move this post on over to Monday. Where it belongs. Out, damned blank spot! Out, I say!

…I wonder if Lady Macbeth had migraines?