Keeping up in Hilton Head

We're tripping this week and I thought I'd tell about it, giving both highlights and lowlights:
1. We spent 8 hours in Dallas/Fort Worth airport waiting for a connecting flight.
2. We're still speaking to each other.
3. We had an Italian dinner which was lovely but served by the waiter Nazi, as in the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld. We left stuffed and laughing so all is well.
4. I went to aquafit this morning and had a good time, felt very self-satisfied getting exercise with all the good eating we're doing. Met a nice woman--we were the youngest two, I think--and look forward to Wednesday morning.
5. Shopping on Saturday and Sunday--good deals the day after Black Friday.
6. Koret of California is closing at the end of December so now there are none of my favorite stores left here in Hilton Head. :-(
7. Internet access is awesome here--I even got online with my laptop and don't have to use my husband's. :-)
8. Meeting some teacher friends tomorrow for lunch. :-)
9. Christmas shopping for our family here is great and great fun.
10. Went to a margarita/salsa meet and greet and talked to some nice folks from Texas. He worked at a bank and told an amusing story of having to get the safety deposit vault open one day.
11. My husband gets up very early and does much of his office work before I'm even awake--I need a lot more sleep than he does. By mid afternoon he is ready to roam and we do, wherever, whenever and however. Fun.

Anne of Green Gables, Never Change

Last night our director, my sister, handed each of us a lovely note thanking us for our participation in Anne of Green Gables, our show which will have its final performance on Saturday night. She used prints of the lovely wall mural in our theatre hall, done by Elly LeGallais, reprinted above.

We now have three shows left and my feelings are ambivalent: on the one hand I long to get my life back, but on the other, I don't want to leave the people and the camaraderie of the show. Guess that means this has been a good experience.

The last show I was in was in 1991 when my family performed Pirates of Penzance, donating the considerable proceeds to various charities, the Ronald McDonald House in London, one of them. My amazing mother produced that show, managing to keep all of her many offspring on task, and working with director, Joy Lowrie from Toronto. We had a great time, produced a memorable show, and bonded yet again as a family. My eleven-year-old niece and I danced together in one routine and managed to turn that closeness into a lifelong meeting of hearts and minds.

Oh, there were bumps in the weeks leading up to performance. There always are, but the end product was well worth it. And the same can be said of AGG (as we now call Anne of Green Gables). That rush of adrenalin on stage and the smiles of the audience make it all worthwhile.

A great bonus to both my husband and me is reconnecting with a 'bright light' student from our teaching days. Here is a picture of us together in costume. Thanks, Vicky!

Boys and Balls

Here is Grandpa playing with his grandson and the first ball we bought him.



Gotta love it!