She Calls Herself a Theatre Brat

  

       The Grand Old Victorian Theatre was open when we moved to Oregon, but the plays were $40.  That included dinner, but still . . . That would have been $120. for the three of us.  Not in our budget.

       The theatre closed and remained on the market for nearly two years.  I remember looking at the property when Roland was looking into opening an adult daycare.  It was a perfect location. But we could not afford to take out a loan.  We needed investors.  In order to get the type of loan and investor interest, we needed/need support from the community.  So many have told us what a good idea it is, and that it is needed - but we need written testimony and not just verbal agreements.

       We had sent out a survey but did not get any feedback.  I had told Roland that the survey was too lengthy.  He had looked at opening a booth at Summerfest this year just to educated people. Meanwhile, he has graduated and apparently given up on the idea of the adult daycare.  Meanwhile, the theatre had been purchased to be used as a theatre under the same name.    

       I pass the theatre several times a week - or at least I had in March.  I remember seeing signs about upcoming auditions for a play that would be held the last two weeks of May.  I let Jenna know about it and we went to the first auditions held.  Jenna was cast as a lawyer in a mystery called "Murder in the Heir".

       Less than a month later, she went to audition for the musical Hi Ho Robin Hood.  Roland decided to audition also.  She will be playing the sheriff's daughter, Salome and Roland will be playing Friar Tuck. It will be performed the last two weeks in August.

 

 When the play is over, Roland will divorce himself from the theatre and says he will look for a second job.  Jenna will be involved in high school and hopefully will be involved in whatever production the high school may be doing as she is too young to audition for the Grand's next play - which Roland and I are not comfortable with her being a part of anyway. 

       I have time to post to my blog while they are at auditions.  Unfortunately, I am having troubles relating my thoughts to my fingers.  I have had some meaningful thoughts, too.  But now that I can make the time for them . . . well. I seem to lack motivation right now. 

       My alarm went off this morning reminding me that I had volunteered to be the story later for the Summer Reading Program.  Had my alarm not gone off, I would have forgotten.  I got to the library in plenty of time to read through a story . . .  trouble was I had spent so much time looking for one that I really wasn't prepared.  Serena and the kids seemed to be okay with what I had picked out.  We discussed bugs a little bit and then Serena had them draw pictures of flowers that would eventually become fruit or vegetables.  Each picture was hung up and all the children were given Cheetos and told to touch the flowers with their cheese dust hands.  They represented the bees and the Cheeto dust represented pollinating each flower.  I thought it was a fun idea.  

       I stayed longer than usual as I no longer have an 11:30 class.  At least not for the next four weeks.

       Tomorrow Jenna and I will be going to Riddle to participate in the teenage reading program.

Visiting Salem

                It seems highly possible that we will be moving again within the next 2-3 years.  Roland wants to start a business, and we considered an adult day care in Myrtle Creek - we had even found the most perfect building and location - but the business will need to be open 6-8 months before we can get the benefits for Veteran and Medicare support.  It would be less costly just to take over someone else's business or become a sub company and partner with a business that already has a name; they would be our parent company, I suppose. 

        He has talked to a woman in Taggart who offers adult day care as well as residency.  We are just interested in doing the daycare portion at this time.  Or he is, rather. I have not made it a secret with how I feel about business.  I don't want to get into food.  I think Roland would rather just leave Myrtle Creek and go to where he can not only create a business, but establish cliental - which actually doesn't seem so promising in Myrtle Creek.  Roland will have to educate potential cliental on whatever business he chooses - where some of more populated cities are already in the frame of mind to except (or even accept) whatever kind of business Roland may open.  

         I personally, will have a very hard time leaving this area.  I love the close-knit - pull-together community that we currently live in - not necessarily offered in larger cities.  Roland's always talking about moving to Eugene - which is my opinion seems to resemble Salt Lake City in many ways.  No.  I don't want to live in Lane County.  I'd be willing to move to Polk or Marion County.  I wanted to prove to him that Eugene and Portland are not the only two cities in Oregon with business opportunity.  On Saturday we went to our state's capitol city: Salem. 

        Most of the items I had written on my list for outdoors and the weather was quite overcast and often raining.  The Riverfront Carousel is an indoor carrousel.  It was a two and a half hour drive each way, but I think it was worth it to capture Jenna's smile. 

        We first stopped at a Burger King in Cottage Grove.  We were hungry.  She always asks for a crown.  I think at least two of my boys would do the same, and proudly wear the crown.

        The name of Jenna's horse was Razzle Dazzle.  She noticed the horse's medallion right away.  I don't think I would have noticed.  We thought it to be exceptionally cool.

I thought she should be on the outside  so that she could grab rings out of the fish's mouth.  The person that ends up with the "brass" ring gets another free ride. 

Jenna leaned out to grab the rings.  I think we had seven of them.  Assorted red, white and green.  But there was a heavier ring to represent the brass ring. 

        So Jenna went around again and smiled widely as she collected rings. 

        We took a short walk around the grounds and took a few pictures of the riverfront. 

       

        After Jenna finished with her delight at the children's playground (which she is obviously too big for)

        We headed to the Salem Public Library.  We were allowed to park for free as there was an event going on.  Several tables had been set up by members of the community to advertise places of business - sort of like an indoor fair without the food or rides.

        Jenna loved earning prizes and demonstrated her skills on ukulele. 

        The instructor's were impressed with how quickly she picked up on the fingering, but Uncle Bill had showed how back when we were still living in Utah.

        I have a cousin who lives in Salem.  Unfortunately we have not been able to touch base (except through facebook) since we arrived in this state.

        I had a lot of ideas in my head about what to post and how many new blogs I could create.  It was the weekend and my family became a priority over the keyboard.  Or else I have been tired.

        It snowed on Sunday morning.  Jenna was really happy about that.  We drove to Church in the same conditions we had faced all too often in Salt Lake . . . but it was gone long before Church let out.  Weird.