Why Not Just Memorize the Entire Script

              When Jenna was seven years old I had signed her up for an acting class.  The show to be preformed was “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown”.  A few hours before taking her to the “audition” she painted red dots all over her face and told me she couldn’t possibly go because she had the measles.  I don’t know what she had against Charlie Brown at the time, but I know the entire “Peanuts” gang were not high on her list of shows to watch.  Pretending she was one of them seemed against her nature.

          That first night of class the script was passed out.  Three boys and four girls read the script according to how the instructor had assigned them before she changed what parts to read for.  Lucy and Linus were cast that night but she was still getting a feel for who the other children would play and who would be double cast (as there are just six characters).  Jenna had memorized everybody’s part except for Charlie Browns.  She was hoping to get cast as either Schroeder or Snoopy.

          The following week the children went over the script again.  Neither the instructor nor I could see either of the boys playing Charlie Brown as one seemed highly unfocused to play a main part.  The other spoke Spanish as his native tongue and did not read English well enough to pull off Charlie Brown.  Thus the instructor had asked if Jenna would be okay playing Charlie Brown.  She wasn’t, but we made Charlie Brown a girl instead of a boy. 

          Long before the final performance Jenna had memorized the entire script.  She has continued this for years.  She has never taken drama at school until this year.  Script was written and parts passed out – more students than characters.  Thus to include Jenna additional supporting characters were written in so that, if nothing else, she would at least be seen milling in the background.  People who say “there are no small parts just small actors” are full of it.  There are parts or even characters that are insignificant enough that they can be written out. 

          To her credit, Jenna has learned others’ parts as she has practiced going over lines with some other students.  During the course of time she has been asked to substitute for various students who would not/will not make it to the final performance (or sometime during the week of performance)  She has done that before – playing multiple characters or saying multiple lines when she is on stage with the one she is saying lines for (for example, there were three aunts in "Madness, Murder and Matrimony -or-Have Some Madeira, M'Dear?" who appeared on the stage at the same time, but when  another aunt was unavailable to perform one night, Jenna said both of their lines. 

 I am such a proud parent that I just feel the need to boast.  Here  are some of her accomplishments here and more on her Charlie Brown experience here.

You Are Messing Up My Account!

               Ever since we had acquired other services (such as Netflix and YouTube) in which we can each set up our own account,  Jenna would set up her account and do her best to safeguard it so that ONLY the shows/vids she watches will be documented.  No imposters welcome on her account.  Only Roland would often pick shows to watch regardless on whatever account he lands on.  I at least have the decency to use the guest account when I have not created one for myself or someone else has created for me.

              I do understand why she gets annoyed as Roland’s feed does include some less than wholesome activity – not that he has watched it all.  Sometimes a program may look interesting and may already be documented before it’s realized that there wasn’t enough interest in the program to continue – but once it’s been looked at, it may remain in the “pop-ups” for longer than desired (How embarrassing it would be if my friends saw that on my feed) and so she would go into his account and start watching children’s programming so that it would remain on his feed.  Again, he doesn’t care.  He might not even notice.

              So the latest is his obsession is with Rawhide.  He has discovered that YouTube offers the entire series.  Usually he falls asleep as it is playing and will forget to turn it off and the Rawhide programs will still be playing when Jenna turns on the TV (which is rare – but she does like watching her animator shows in the morning between getting dressed and leaving for seminary) or turn it on for music while she is in the kitchen doing chores after she returns home from school.  Seeing Rawhide in her feed tends to tick her off.  Jenna is not one to get upset or blow off steam.  Overall she is really good natured.  Even the complaints she makes are only temporary.  It’s not like she dwells on them.

              It is annoying but also kind of funny as it is such an idiotic thing to become upset about – and yet understandable.  I have deleted my own account when it becomes too full of his programs and Netflix has suggested to me programs that I might be interested in according to my feed – but it’s not my feed.

If there are any “Don’t Miss This” activity on Jenna’s YouTube account than it was me, but was an accident as I do try to make a conscience effort to go to the “Guest” account but all the “Teaching With Power” are on Him.  And in perspective Rawhide and Teaching with Power in a YouTube feed are really not that bad compared to some of the “thrillers” and other interests that would pop up on the Netflix feed.  I’m certain that there are other people who can relate.

Look for the Rainbows

 My first post this month and I still seem to be running on empty.  I was intrigued by my brother’s post (found here) and often wish that I was as profound and gifted with words as he is.  I absolutely love his comparisons and thoughtfulness. 

I recently gave a thought on light and had meant to include rainbows in my thought but had forgotten to.  It wouldn’t have been as good as how Steven had put it.  I suppose I could use real names now.  He isn’t Corey nor am I LaTiesha.  The photos I have used are pictures of how we look though our names were changed for various reasons (some of which I explain in the very first post on New Years Day 2012)

The news has said that the mask mandate will lift come March 31.  I noticed many have already decided to enforce the lift as Roland and I had gone to Costco today and I saw more patrons without masks than with them.  All of the workers were wearing masks.  I didn’t notice any signs saying they were required.

Our governor tried the same thing last year in June, to lift the mandate – but in August it went back into affect.  If it isn’t COVID, it is something else such as the elements or the truck driving strike.  I get it.  But I don’t comprehend how it’s going to solve anything.  I would think it would damage the economy even more.  But we need to look for those rainbows, right?  The storm isn’t going to last forever.

Empty Pews

 

          I think it was Friday night when our bishop posted that the COVID cases are high in the ward and advised members who had/have symptoms to stay home.  I thought that church was cancelled but learned that I had misread.  Still, I wondered why it hadn’t been cancelled all together.  Our numbers were few.

          I counted 36 people in the chapel and perhaps 20 more in the overflow – I don’t know why the accordion doors hadn’t been closed so that those who chose to sit that far back wouldn’t have the option.  It isn’t as though there were any screaming youth to take out.  In fact, there were only six youth in total.  Only two of them were primary age.

          Roland had been called to teach Sunday School for the youth ages 12-14 but ended up with both classes making his class total a grand total of all four youth that had come to church yesterday.  It was definitely an interesting Sunday.  I hope there were more who had chosen to attend virtually.  I don’t think I have ever seen our numbers down quite that low – though the pandemic has put a strain on attendance.  Even the missionaries are in quarantine right now.

Dense Fog

 

The fog continues to envelope our county.  Each morning seems to be more dense than the morning prior.  Usually Emily (better known as Alexa Echo) gives an warning from Amazon about the weather conditions and air quality.  Funny, she never mentions the air quality during fire season when it is much harder to breathe than anything the Oregon air currently offers. 

Usually I will look across the street and see my neighbors’ houses and some of the trees behind them.  But now it appears I am looking at the houses through a dirty screen.  And everything is white.  And the back hill is a frosty overgrowth which hasn’t been mowed since last year.

That is Too Funny

 Roland has always played mind games with telemarketers, scammers and what have you.  He keeps them on the line pretending to be interested by asking a bunch of irrelevant questions to show his interest although the caller isn't prepared to answer said questions and begins to feel inadequate about product, service or whatever it is.  Eventually they hang up.  Sometimes Roland is the one who hangs up.

I am in awe about his approach the last few times.  What a work of beauty.  Most often the caller number will show along with location of said number.  Roland will pick up and say,: "Salt Lake City (or whatever area happens to be calling) you're on the air.  Go ahead."  The caller hangs up immediately!  I LOVE it!!!!

Nature Moves

         Last year when I walked Bonnie, I took my cell phone or camera but have not done that for the past four months or so.  I can’t seem to find all the camera chargers and corresponding batteries and the cell phone I have weighs too much and is too big to keep in pocket and Bonnie is so strong that I’m afraid of dropping it.  Thus I have missed out on some spectacular views  I suppose I could just recharge one of my older flip phones.  Picture may not be the best quality, but I’m not using it for anything other than to look up numbers that are not on my current phone.

         As I watched the clouds surrounding the hills rise to the top I thought about how nature changes within seconds.  Snow melts.  Rivers dry out.  Moisture evaporates.  Clouds move across the sky.  Always different than it was before.  ALWAYS.