My Top 9 Excuses For Not Being Around Much Lately (Part 3…)

Allrighty then… I know you have been waiting for it.   The characters have been developed.  The plot has thickened, and here we are at the climax and conclusion of my dramatic list of excuses for neglecting my blog.  If you missed Part 1 or Part 2, take a moment to get up to speed. [...]

Nutcracker! Nutcracker! Get Ye’ to the Nutcracker!

    The last month has been a blur with preparation for the Nutcracker (or the Nutbuster as my friend calls it).   Either one works with me.  Take your pick.  My daughter danced at the screening of the Hollywood film, Nutcracker in 3D… and is playing Clara in The Anaheim Ballet Company’s Nutcracker.  You [...]

Cast a Quick Vote to Help a Kid in His “Quest for ‘Quipment.”

I’ll get straight to the point.  You may have read about my kid who recently released an album on iTunes.  Many parents have had the experience of dropping to their knees to thank the Lord when their kid finally finds his (her) “thing.”   I guess it’s my turn.  We’ve tried baseball, football, Tae kwon do, [...]

Your Soul Needs a Time Out for the Arts.

I am sitting in the back of a crowded and dark theatre, pecking away at my keyboard.   I have my computer screen dimmed as much as possible, hoping to blend in and fade away.   The crowd of 3,000 third graders from the Anaheim Public Schools will most likely think I am just part of the production crew. What [...]

Behind the Scenes at YAGP, The World’s Premier Ballet Competition!

detect invisible This story starts in the spring of 2010. Darling daughter, aka ’Tina Ballerina competed in the regional competition of the Youth America Grand Prix.  YAGP is sort of like the Olympics of Ballet, with the real prize being a shot at one of over 200 dance scholarships that are offered from the top ballet companies around the [...]

Good Gourdness–My Accidental Trip to a Gourd Farm, part one.

While most mothers were being pampered, fed, and loved on Mother’s Day, I was on a mission for gourds.  Yes, gourds.   I didn’t really wake up on Mother’s Day declaring that I wanted to visit the world’s largest gourd farm.  It was an “accidental gourding”, but a gourding, never-the-less. It began with an innocent request [...]