Monday, May 20, 2019

Just Another Day


Ever since we put the snowmobiles away, I've been walking to and from school. I started just because my bike needed to be tuned up, but when I noticed how good I felt I kept it up. Over the past couple of months I've averaged about 12,000 steps and a little over five miles each day. (Two of those are walking  to and from school.) Plus, I've lost six pounds - which is great encouragement to keep it up.

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Lovely


I had a lovely walk to school this morning.

It had just starting raining and my walk was delightful. It may sound silly, but sometimes I find a lot of joy in the little things - things like that wonderful rainy-day smell and the sound of raindrops hitting my umbrella.  The gorgeous pink sky was just a bonus.

Saturday, May 11, 2019

Family Affair

This April the Mackinac Island Community Theater, with the support of the Mackinac Arts Council, put on a production of Bye Bye Birdie. The kids and I had never heard of Bye Bye Birdie, but after a viewing of the 1963 Dick Van Dyke film, my son decided he wanted to audition. I wasn't surprised. He really enjoyed being in Our Town last winter, and I remember how much he loved being in High School Musical, Jr. back when he was in second or third grade. (He was the nerd who liked dance, and oh so adorable.)


In Bye Bye Birdie he played Randolph, the younger brother of the girl Birdie is supposed to kiss before going into the Army. S was thrilled to have gotten a role with spoke lines and singing solos.

My daughter wanted to participate, too, but there was no way she was getting up up on that stage in front of people. She found her niche in the back - painting sets and running the spotlight. The best part for her was, as a member of the stage crew, she got to wear a radio head set. And a shirt; she was really excited about her Crew shirt. (She's been planning the T-shirt quilt she wants me to make when she goes off to college.)


Allen ran the light board. He and several other people actually spent the winter completely rewiring the theater - installing the new light and sound system. It was hours and hours of work, but it made a huge difference in the quality of the show.


I also worked backstage - on the costume crew. I did what I could to make costumes and be on hand for repairs. It made for a few exhausting weeks for us, but as a family, we thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm quite certain we will reprise our roles in the Arts Council's next production.

Monday, May 6, 2019

Surprised


The last time I was shopping on the mainland, the kids and I were excited to discover these cookies. When the kids looked closer and noticed they were oatmeal cookies, their excitement significantly diminished and the bag went back on the shelf.

Apparently, it is the  opinion of my children that no cookies are better than oatmeal cookies. How is that possible? I would think that some cookies beat no cookies every single time!