Swollen eyes

I woke up this morning with swollen eyes. The normally dark circles under left eye is especially swollen. The culprit is the make-up I have been wearing for the Mob show. I noticed yesterday that my nose was running a little. I had but a little too much powder after the base I thought maybe I had inhaled some. But today I know I can't wear any of it and hope to see by show time. I will just have to go under the spotlight all pale and washed out looking. Don't really care. I will put on some lipstick. I don't think that will render me blind. For the most part the show is going well. Some cast member still struggle to remember the lines to their songs, but getting better. I'm not totally happy with my performance. I know I can do a better job with my solo. One more chance this afternoon and then we are done. I'm told next year's show is going to be a vaudeville type show (eyes rolling here). I didn't think we could more corny.

Year Of Wonders

Finished "Year of Wonders" by Geraldine Brooks this morning. Excellent read. I have "March" by her to read next. "Year of Wonders" was very sad through most of the book, which you would expect with a story of the plague. But it has a very surprising ending. I won't tell you what it is. Hopefully you will read the book and find out for yourself. I'm looking forward to "March" with I think is a civil war story told from the perspective of the father of the March girls in "Little Women" Hopefully will get to it this afternoon.
Ed has taken my car to work. He is recording the afternoon show at CQQL Ed Prichard is off having surgery and won't be back til mid December. So, my Ed will have this job til then. My Ed took my car because his car is having transmission trouble. That's what you get when you buy a $400 car. He as already put over a thousand dollars into this little car. I wonder how much more money we will sink into it.
Mature Mob is into it's final rehearsals. We were told to be at the hall at 6pm last night. We all showed up but waited around while the tech people set up all the microphones. We didn't even star running the show till 8:20. Hopefully things will go better tonight as all the wires are strung now.

O Magnum Mysterium

I will miss Choral Society tomorrow night because Mature Mob show opens on Thursday and we are in the final rehearsals at the Knight of Columbus. I enjoy the Mob, but I sit through a lot of rehearsals cringing. I don't say anything because it isn't my place. The voices at Choral Society are on such a different level. I found the hardest song we will be singing for the December concert on U-Tube. Thought you might like hearing it. YouTube - O Magnum Mysterium (Morten Lauridsen) It is so beautiful. It takes all my concentration to sing it.

Started a little book last night. It is called "Ex Libris, Confessions of a Common Reader" by Anne Fadiman. It is a collection of essays by the author on books. Missy thought it was very strange that I was reading a book about books. The first couple of essays were very easy and sort of funny. The first one about her husband her combining their libraries after several years of marriage was particularly cute. The more I get into the more I notice how Ms Fadiman likes to use big words and talk about books I doubt the "common reader" has in their libraries. Maybe our ideas of what a "common reader" is are two different definitions. I will keep reading and let you know if it gets any better.

Bookmarks

Stacked on top of some books on the bookshelf are some bookmarks. Not very many, just a few nice ones. I think Missy has a drawer full by her bed. Mostly ones she buys at the Scholastic book fairs and ones I have bought for her over the years. So with all these nice bookmarks in the house why am I using a wrinkled scrap of blue construction paper for a bookmark? I use it because it is the right size. Just a nice long rectangle. Also it doesn't fall out the book like some of the laminated ones do. Here is a link I found today. Mirage Bookmark: Beautiful Bookmark Exhibition, History of Bookmarks and for those of you who can't see the blue link: http://www.miragebookmark.ch/index.html A whole site about bookmarks. It's amazing what you can find online.

Sunday

A quiet Sunday. Missy and I stayed home from church again. She is still coughing a lot. I think she could have gone, but she had a bunch of homework she wanted to get done before school tomorrow. We did make it into to Walter's for lunch. Missy only managed about half of a half of sandwich. She was better about eating tonight. She actually said she was hungry. She wolfed down some Town House crackers and hot chocolate.
I joined a reading group on Library Thing today. The group doesn't officially begin reading the book until November 3rd. The book is "A Pirate of Exquisite Mind" It is about a pirate in the 1600's who was also an explorer. Supposedly went around the world several time.
Still reading "Year of Wonders" very good, but so far kind of sad.
I listened to the CD the director of Choral Society gave everyone. It is of the music we are singing for the concert in December. It really helps hearing what it is suppose to sound like. I still struggle with those really high notes. When I go for that high G I kind of squeak. The older I get the better I like my middle range.
More later
Kathi

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

I picked up this huge book at the library "1010 Books You Must Read Before You Die". I went thru all 900 plus pages last night. I'm overly impressed with the selections in this book. First of all there isn't much listed written before 1700. Over half the book is 20th century authors. No James Mitchener, No Edward Rutherfurd. "Red Badge of Courage" isn't listed. A lot of the books are foreign, which is ok, but most of them seemed kind of depressing. I wrote down the names of about a dozen that I will look into. This book is just one person's idea of what people should read. Not even close to my idea. I'm going to make my own list and publish it here in the future.
Currently reading "Year of Wonders" by Geraldine Brooks
Missy made to school yesterday, but came home looking like a pale wrung out washcloth. I'm keeping her home again today. I think she just needs to rest.
Kathleen

A rainy Wednesday

Missy is off to school again this morning. I sent her yesterday but they called me at noon to come get her. No temp. She was pale and I think just worn out. She came home and went to bed. Didn't wake up till 4:30. She woke feeling ok (she says) this morning. Still has the cough but really wanted to school. The 7th and 8th grades are going to see City of Ember today and she didn't want to miss that. Hopefully they won't call me again at noon to come get her.
Debbie, I happen to think you are very well read. You have read more of the classics than I have. And I think you understand them without someone having to explain them to you. And hey, you can read music pretty good. Much better than I ever well. Don't let Keith get all superior on you. I have been going thru "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die". I don't think I have even heard of about 80 percent of those books. After all it just the guy who put this list together opinion. I'm thinking of getting out my old college English and American lit books and reading all the things we never covered in class. Hopefully that will make more knowledgeable. In the meantime I'm going to start "Year of Wonders" by Geraldine Brooks. It's about people fleeing London during the plague of 1666.