Apparently this used to be the thing with bloggers – send around questionnaires and everyone fill them out and post their results. I haven’t been blogging long enough to remember that, but I got tagged, and needed a kick to write something and this seemed as good a reason as any.

Thanks for tagging me Daukas. If you haven’t, I recommend jumping over to Kristen’s blog Four Hens and a Rooster for some very entertaining reading on life with three girls.

And without further ado, here are the

The ABCs of Me

A. Attached or Single?

I’ve been legally single for the past twelve years.

B. Best Friend?  

In alphabetical order:

Christie and I are Dolphin Whisperers together.

Dawna makes some really cute babies.

Karen and I never run out of adventures together.

C. Cake or pie?

Why does it always have to be a choice? Look, if I’m being honest I’ll have bites of both. And if I’m at Mariam’s house, I’m having seconds on the cherry pie. And if I’m at Mom’s, then I’m taking all the leftover yellow cake home with me.

D. Day of choice? 

Saturday! I am way too tired on Friday night to stay up late, and by Saturday I’m ready to run around and play all day.

E. Essential Item?

I am addicted to my Vitamix – I need my green smoothies!

F. Favorite color?

RED – when in doubt, wear red.

G. Gummy bears or worms? 

Because I’m a vegan I don’t endorse eating either since they’re (ahem) not free of animal product (ewww!)

H. Hometown?

Buckeystown, Maryland! Where?! I know. It’s located just outside Frederick, Maryland, which happens to be the birthplace of Frances Scott Key, who happened to pen our national anthem.

I. Favorite Indulgence?

massages – regular ones

J. January or July?

July, of course! I love being warm and I hate being cold.

K. Kids?

One beautiful, amazing, talented and incredibly fabulous daughter.

L. Life isn’t complete without?

Dancing. Lots of it. I’m an avid swing dancer, and recently started learning West Coast Swing to add to my repertoire of Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing, Charleston, and Balboa.

M. Movie or Book?

I always read the book first, and that doesn’t necessarily mean that I’ll choose to see the movie. Oftentimes I’m disappointed once I see the movie version, so if it’s a book I really really love I’m more inclined to retain the movie in my mind, rather than Hollywood’s interpretation. However, two movies come immediately to mind that were (in my opinion) exactly like the books: Gone With the Wind and Holes. Yes, I know – nothing to do with one another, but both wonderful in their own right.

N. Number of brothers/sisters?

5 brothers & 2 sisters & 2 very happy empty nesting parents

O. Oranges or Apples.

I throw both into the Vitamix together. I love oranges, but they’re so much work to eat. Apples are usually too sweet for me to eat an entire one, and I have to eat them in slices.

P. Phobias?

Okay, this is weird, I know, but I have this very real phobia that if I leave the visor down while driving I will get into an accident and it will go through my forehead. So unless it’s ABSOLUTELY necessary that I need it to block out the sun, that sucker stays in the up position at all times, and I will reach over to the passenger side and put that one up, too, if I think you don’t need it.

Q. Quotes?

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us” (Ralph Waldo Emerson).

R. Reasons to smile?

“Smiling is my favorite!” – Buddy the Elf

What’s NOT to smile about?

S. Season of choice?

I love the transition between all four seasons; with the onset of each new season I am reminded how happy and grateful I am to live in such a beautiful world. Although I will say that once I’ve worn my sweaters and boots through one time each, I’m ready for spring to come again.

T. Tag 5 People.  

I mostly follow food bloggers, so I’m going to refrain from this one. However, if you’re a blogger, please feel free to participate. :) And if you choose to participate, simply copy and paste the questions, answer them and then link up with Elaine at the Miss Elaine-ous Life or Jennifer at Jennifer P. Williams.

U. Unknown fact about me?

When I was in the 4th or 5th grade, our class put on a really big production having something to do with The Star Spangled Banner and its history. I was cast as the understudy to Teresa Cantler, who was playing the lead role of Frances Scott Key. I wanted nothing more than to have the lead role, and so I actually prayed that some non life-threatening calamity would remove Teresa as my obstacle to stardom. Much to my horror, Teresa got sick and was unable to perform and I took her place on stage. I’m really sorry about that, Teresa.

V. Vegetable?

Asparagus – and one of my favorite ways to prepare it is listed under Vegetable Medley on YumVeg!

W. Worst habit?

I’m a grammar Nazi. I can’t help myself. The worst is when I don’t know you and I still correct you. Or I feel compelled to call a business whose signage has grammatical errors. Yup. Done it more than once. But I don’t see this so much as a “bad habit,” as a public service.

X. Xray or Ultrasound?

What does this even mean? Yes, I’ve had both. More than once. For various reasons.

Y. Your favorite food?

Hmmmm. I love all sorts of foods. Let’s go with cuisines – Vietnamese and Thai are two personal favorites.

Z. Zodiac sign?

Aries.

“The Ram’s color is bright red, a sure sign of the fire that breathes within. . . . The great strength of the Aries-born is in their initiative, courage and determination. These folks love to get things going and are fearless along the way. Their dynamism and competitive spirit add considerably to any of their endeavors.”

Bethany Novak, Matteson Fields & Arminda anxious for the 2012 screening!

Maybe it’s the living room full of teenagers downstairs right now storyboarding their own short film, or maybe it’s the fact that this year’s 48 Hour Film Project is a mere weeks away and I’m feeling all weepy because I won’t be able to participate (sniff sniff) for the first time in four years, or maybe it’s because I’m excited at the prospect of working with my friend Steve on a film later this year.

No matter.

I love working in film and our 2012 48 Hour Film Project entry was a doozy. We selected Dark Comedy as our genre, and here were the elements to be included for qualification:

Genre: Dark Comedy
Character: Chuck Thompson, Tattoo Artist
Prop: Flowers
Line: “Give me the bad news.”

You remember how it works from reading all about it from my 2010 48 Hours experience! We had a lot of fun that year with the sci-fi genre.

But just as a refresher, you and your team have exactly (not one minute more) 48 hours to write, film, edit and render a short film. It’s intense. And a heck of a lot of fun.

An original That’s A Big Twinkie production for your enjoyment:

Chuck panics when a train-wreck pop star dies in his shop.

*star – 48 Hour Film Project, Greensboro 2012 – That’s a Big Twinkie from Evan Pease on Vimeo.

I keep featuring him on Music Monday because I want to be sure I have quick access to his music! (truth)

But also, I know you all like his stuff, too, and so I want to be sure I’m sharing his newest content with you.

The following song is an original piece Josiah wrote for a senior English project.

In Josiah’s own words:

I hope you enjoy it. No matter what life throws at you, don’t ever give up. You mean the world to someone out there. You are beautiful. Loved. Adored. And one of a kind. No one can replace you. No one. Stay strong.
much love,
Josiah M.

Remember you can follow Josiah on Twitter at @josiahmaltby or on YouTube at thebeastlyasian94! I know he appreciates your follows and your comments here.

Thank you for growing me. And for not being too upset when I melted your brand new piece of Tupperware, or for breaking the sugar bowl that one time. Oh, and for not coming right out and accusing me of either infraction, even though you knew I’d done both, when I didn’t openly admit my guilt. For ten years.

Thank you for taking me to the library every week and letting me bring home a bazillion books and then taking me back again for a refill because yes, I really did finish that whole stack and need more to read. And thanks for “not noticing” that I was staying up and reading under my covers when you sent me to bed. Every single night.

And thank you for holding back my hair when I got sick. I’m pretty sure that’s at the top of the list of Wow. That’s REALLY Kind.

Thank you for sewing me all those clothes. I thought I was the best-dressed kid in school whenever I wore a frock from your machine. Oh – and for making all those teeny tiny Barbie Doll clothes, too. Thanks for showing me that love is teeny tiny like that.

And for driving me everywhere all the time. Especially when I was technically old enough to drive myself but really didn’t have any interest in getting my license. But thanks for making me drive, anyway. It’s been a good skill to have all these years.

Thanks for always serving salad with our supper. And for always having my favorite dressing in the pantry. And for feeding anyone else at the table who wasn’t a regular because everybody needs to eat and there’s always plenty to go around.

And thanks for being excited when I had my first kiss. That memory still gives me butterflies. Was it like that for you, too?

And I remember when you took care of me when I got really sick, but you took care of my baby, too, because I couldn’t. Thank you. And thanks for being my place to come home to when I had to leave that toxic marriage.

And when you encouraged me to go out and stand on my own two feet with the two little feet beside me for whom I am responsible? I was scared, Mom. But thank you for pushing me just enough to get me going. Because I haven’t stopped growing. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

1. We reconnected through Facebook.
2. During a neighborhood stroll together we focused on some simple joys.
3. Once while sunbathing I contemplated the shortness of life.
4. Mariam asked me for this list because we both love to read.

Not surprisingly, when my daughter and I get an opportunity to run up the road five hours for a visit, we do. And as is often the happy case, there were other house guests besides ourselves. Along with those other house guests (almost) always comes a language barrier.

I don’t speak Persian.

Not to be outdone by a little Farsi, and very much interested in connecting with any friends of Mariam’s, we walked down to Barnes and Noble, because my daughter and I love games. A lot. We have an entire shelving unit dedicated just to games! Pass the Pigs, anyone?

Our game of choice: UNO. After making our purchase (with a complimentary discount given at the register because my daughter was wearing a Dr. Who t-shirt), we headed back to Mariam’s for some fun. I can’t recall the last time I enjoyed a game of UNO nearly as much as I enjoyed the multiple rounds the four of us played together that night.

We laughed like school girls sipping cups of hot tea and devouring slices of Mariam’s zucchini bread and played round after round after round of UNO, never once stopping to wonder what the other person was thinking or feeling or saying because suddenly there was no Farsi. There was no English. There were simply hands of cards with bright colors and numbers and symbols and a competitive drive to win the next round!

Our game of UNO did more than provide a little entertainment for an evening; it built a bridge between two cultures, as four women shared the language of laughter.

I asked my daughter for one thing for Christmas: a video recording of the song you’re about to watch. The video gift was finally given (four months after Christmas), and I’m so happy to finally share what would have been in my 2012 end-of-the-year post, if I’d had a video to use at that time. So, you’re getting it now, which is definitely better than not at all.

This mashup was originally performed on an episode of Glee, season 2. Lindsay & Jessica decided to learn it and then performed it for a school talent show in December. They received a rousing ovation. Please use the comments section to tell them what you think!

And in case you’re wondering how 2012 turned out for us (since you never got a post updating you on our very exciting lives), thank you for asking; it was a lovely year.

Unless you embrace reincarnation as a viable option for getting the most out of living (and I like that option more and more the older I get), chances are you’re only going to turn 40 once, and that’s a pretty big deal.

Such was the case for me last week: I turned 40!

And I decided to throw myself a birthday party. Because, well, who else was going to do it?

Exactly.

And if you’re throwing yourself a birthday party, my qualified position on the subject is you should throw the party you want, not what you think other people might want for you to want. Because let’s face it: if those other people wanted what you want, they would have thrown you a party to start with, negating the need for you to have thrown yourself a party in the first place.

Exactly.

My 40th birthday party was simply the BEST. BIRTHDAY. PARTY. EVER.

My Ideal Party Plan

1. Contact my friend Monica of Monkey Hooper and coordinate dates. (Being friends with someone as awesome as Monica does not give you a discount, people. She’s got to make a living. But it does guarantee a fabulous and fun time with stories of back in the day shared with all party goers.)
2. Confirm with best friend Karen it’s still okay to use her house and yard for the party. (Throwing yourself a 40th birthday party should never involve using your own house.)
3. Create guest list of all your girlfriends from all your circles. (Include your farthest away friends like Aimee, Christie and Dawna, even though they won’t be able to come they’ll still know you know they would be here if there weren’t those always present hateful thousands of miles between you.)
4. Send a fabulous electronic invitation to aforementioned guest list. (I used Punchbowl.)
5. Order the yummiest vegan carrot cake from the amazing A Sweet Success Bakery. (All their proceeds support Sanctuary House and I’m ALL about supporting a great cause.)
6. Assume the sun will shine and the weather will be perfect. (Because even though my years in the event planning business taught me to ALWAYS have a plan in case it rains, I had no such plan.)
7. Show up with hoop in-hand. (Really. It was that simple. And since all the guests each brought a yummy vegan treat to share [remember I'm vegan?], even Karen got to practically just show up, too!)

The sun was shining. The birds were singing. The flowers were blooming. It was all that.

My friends arrived, some with their own hula hoops and others nervous because they hadn’t hooped in years. No worries. Monica arrived with LOTS of amazing hoops that she fashions and makes herself. She had everyone swinging their hips in no time, and took us through some core exercises to  get us moving and then taught us some tricks and then we had a hoop-off! Karen won the prize: a brand new hoop from Monkey Hooper! So cool.

Despite it being Easter weekend with the double whammy of spring break, those who gathered were troopers and I loved being surrounded by so many wonderful people from so many of my circles. And I loved every minute of my hula hoop party.

My daughter was there, too, capturing video footage, and created the best birthday present ever. Thank you to everyone who participated in its creation, and especially to Lindsay, who is my greatest gift. I’d like to share Lindsay’s present for me with you:

Jump over to Josiah’s YouTube channel for other covers, and follow him on Twitter for additional updates.

And I may be taking some liberties here, but for grins and giggles, use the comment section below to tell Josiah what you’d like to see him and his talented associates cover next!

Personally, I am a sucker for Hallelujah, and I love the version sung by Rufus Wrainwright. And I want to sing with you, Josiah. Can I get on the list? Oh, and I want to request a collaboration with Lindsay singing “On My Own,” from Les Miserables.

Thanks for sharing your talents!

This production is no small feat these high school students have undertaken, and I’m going to give you my honest review of their performance from opening night.

What Did You Like About the Production?

The actors bring so much energy and enthusiasm onto the stage with them, and it’s easy to get caught up in the three days’ of activity portrayed from curtain to curtain. The dance numbers, particularly the ones involving the entire ensemble, are well-choreographed and executed with impressive skill.

While there are many stand-out performances amongst the various cast members, there are three in particular I want to acknowledge.

MVP AWARD:

Rebecca Evans, a third-year acting student, stepped into her shoes as Vanessa, one of the leading ladies, only three rehearsals shy of opening night. That’s right. She rehearsed just three times before opening night. And she was spot-on, never missed a line or a cue and hit every note and brought the audience with her as she explored all the nuances of Vanessa’s inner conflicts between family obligation, finding her own way in the world, and what love means. Any glitches or missteps went unnoticed by me, but would easily have been forgiven knowing how recently Rebecca assumed her role. Well-played, Miss Evans.

MVP RUNNER UP:

Nick Relos moved into the role of the Paragua Vendor when Rebecca became Vanessa, and so, like Rebecca, had only three rehearsals to perfect his solo performance with the paragua cart! The professionalism of these young performers is impressive, and Nick clearly brings his years of stage experience to the stage with a delightful performance and wonderful voice. No one would guess he stepped up only days before opening night.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Bonnie Flannery as Daniella steals the spotlight (as she should) every time she’s on stage. Bonnie’s stage presence is commanding, her embodiment of her character palpable, and her vocals are reach-the-back-of-the-house-and-still-come-back-strong impressive! This senior acting major proves that even minor roles have a major impact on the overall success of a production, and it is Bonnie’s performance I’m most keen to see again.

Was There Anything You Didn’t Like?

Opening night was a typical opening night. There were glitches with the sound levels and at times I heard the band over the vocals or vice versa. As a result, following the subtleties of the dialogue interspersed with Spanish words was challenging at times, but manageable.

Would You Recommend This Production to a Friend? Why or Why Not?

Think of a typical high school musical production. Now step as far away from that image as you can because what you’ll experience at Weaver is as far from that as you can imagine!

With a resounding, YES! I invite and encourage anyone in the Triad to attend one of the three remaining performances:

Thursday, Friday & Saturday, March 21-23, 7:00pm | $12 cash only

Purely on coincidence, I ran into a friend following last Saturday’s performance. She said In the Heights is her favorite musical; she saw it on Broadway with the original cast, and the Weaver students’ production is every bit as professional as what she’s seen in New York City.

I’ll be back (at least) one more time. Who wants to join me for the performance on the 23rd?

Mondays are for music, and I have been so excited to share this particular cover with you. Jessica Schneider and Josiah Maltby are talented beyond measure – and you’ll see that for yourself here in a moment. They both attend the same visual and performing arts high school as my daughter and, as is the case with most of the students, are multi-talented. Jessica is a piano major, but could easily be a vocal student, and Josiah is a music production major, but his talent pool runs deep and wide.

I’m so proud of them and for this video they’ve produced and permitted me to share with you. Please comment and let them know what you think. Josiah has an extensive collection of his work on YouTube; I know he’d love for you to follow his channel.

Earlier this year we took a long weekend camping trip, and Jessica and Lindsay sang non-stop the entire four days, harmonizing to every single song that played on the radio, or from their iPods, or out of their heads. In the car, in the tent, on the trail – it made no difference, and it was the highlight of my weekend. After listening to this cover, perhaps you’ll feel a little jealous because I’m surrounded by these amazing youth all the time.

I don’t blame you. At least you’ve got YouTube.