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it's not easy getting a picture of k these days, the main reason being that she doesn't want me taking pictures of her and looks with disdain and annoyance whenever i come around with my camera. nevertheless, being a mom, i am quite intrepid when necessary and can move quickly myself if the situation calls for it. i was able to snap a few photos of her after the show, and after observing them i was struck by her similarity to her nonno: both of them move faster than a speeding bullet, both carry various oddments in their back pockets and hang essential tools from their belt loops, and both are most happiest when working on an important task at which only they (really!) excel (and are in a position to tell everyone else what to do), while simultaneously laughing with friends.
this is a homeschooling production of richard brinsley sheridan's play the rivals (first performed at covent garden in 1775). k has been stage managing and handling props and lighting design. for some of the actors, it's their first show, for others, their 5th or 6th. accordingly, there is a marked difference in projection, enunciation, motivation, and responsibility . . (learning lines and blocking, attention span, punctuality . . etc.) what makes up for these different levels of ability is . . . . heart; from the actors and techies, and from the director and producer and parent helpers. it was an inspiring production and one I was happy to see.
ahhhh, it's november 21st! it's k's birthday. she has two shows of the importance of being earnest to perform today. last night was opening night, and it was a wonderful show. the performers did a great job and had all of us laughing. we won't get to see k much today, but we'll make her a feta cheese and spinach omelette before she treads the boards. i'm not even sure when we will have her birthday cake! maybe sunday, as saturday she has two performances and the rest of us will be at our church auction (shhh! don't mention the war! i mean, the shawl!) but i'll send her off with brownies for backstage.
see this wonderfully black handbag!! it wasn't always this beautifully black! it once was beige with a small brown print. it's journey to becoming black was fraught with chemicals and worries and maybe even a few grey hairs. should it be dyed? but the pot wasn't big enough. should it be painted with fabric paint? but it was $6 for just 3 ounces. maybe it could be . . . spray painted? oh, but the smell and the poisons that get emitted into the air! couldn't the director just change the line from "the black handbag" to the "beige handbag with the brown animal print?" no, of course not. so my friend consulted her local shoe repair man (the shoe repair man! don't we all consult our shoe repair man when we have a handbag problem? well, maybe it's time we did!) and bought two cans of black leather dye for $12. she donned her gas mask (doesn't everyone have a gas mask?! oh, but she calls it a respirator, so apropos for earnest, n'est pas? she bought it in a size small many years ago when she used a lot of turpentine to paint. i just love to think of her painting away in her studio with her gas mask on!) and went into the downstairs alleyway behind her building's basement and . . . sprayed!!! et, voila! le perfect handbag! anything for earnest!
i knitted up a bag for my church auction. it's the fulled lopi tote from hello yarn. it was quick, as everyone said, and fun. i chose the heathered plum lopi yarn (from handknitting). many of my friends have used the lamb's pride bulky. i'll have to do that next time. i plan on felting it tomorrow in my friend's machine. i'm a little nervous that it won't shape properly. i'm also knitting a shawl out of twist from knitpicks and a beautiful rust colored chilean hand dyed wool from araucania that i bought from downtown yarns. i put off starting it for awhile as i couldn't make up my mind if i wanted to do a feather and fan or just plain garter stitch. well, since i'm down to the wire garter stitch has won out. however, i think it's too wide and i may run out of yarn. i may have to rip out the seven inches i've done and make it more slim. i don't have much time to mull this over. in the past i've restarted shawls three and four times. i always get so flustered over how wide i want to make it. what is wide enough for me is usually not wide enough for someone else. with this shawl i finally felt rather confident about the width, and now i need to check my yardage figures. the auction is saturday. i'm not in a good position. in fact, i'm feeling a bit worried and am very annoyed with myself.
m and c and i are listening to the narnia series as we madly click away. we're at the beginning of the series with the magician's nephew, and we've borrowed our friend's cassette of the lion, the witch and the wardrobe. we would be happy just sitting on the bed and knitting for the next 72 hours, but we have a homeschoolers play of the importance of being earnest to see, and another family birthday. k turns 15 on friday! (and she has two performances that same day. we'll have to celebrate all together on sunday.)
it's not easy getting a picture of k these days, the main reason being that she doesn't want me taking pictures of her and looks with disdain and annoyance whenever i come around with my camera. nevertheless, being a mom, i am quite intrepid when necessary and can move quickly myself if the situation calls for it. i was able to snap a few photos of her after the show, and after observing them i was struck by her similarity to her nonno: both of them move faster than a speeding bullet, both carry various oddments in their back pockets and hang essential tools from their belt loops, and both are most happiest when working on an important task at which only they (really!) excel (and are in a position to tell everyone else what to do), while simultaneously laughing with friends.
