Playing Catch-Up

Wow, the past week has been so chock full of stuff, another mini list is due.

1. The afternoon before Matt's show I went to go see James Kudelka's Cinderella with my mom. The dancers of Boston Ballet where beautiful, as usual. Erica Cornejo and Nelson Madrigal were very fine as Cinderella and her Prince. Kudelka sets the famous stories in the 1920's giving the whole ball/aristocracy a very Great Gatsby kind of feel. It works. The sets were gorgeous and a giant homage to the Art Deco period. Overall, it was not one of my favorite ballets, (I find the score a little boring and repetitive - sorry Prokofiev) but the parts that I did like were very clever indeed. The "clock" was represented by a team of twelve men in tuxedos with pumpkin heads, making the whole spell section slightly creepy and wonderful. The ball, which I've already mentioned was definitely brilliant and the pas de deux was sweet.

Afterwards mom and I ate at a marvelous Thai place across the way called MonTien. The chicken satay was outrageously awesome.

2. We scooted back up to NH afterwards to meet up with Allison, and I got to play with her dog Peach's latest litter of pups. How could you not be happy looking at this:







They were very hard to photograph because they're so wiggly! I could seriously snuggle with these little guys all day long!

3. Matt's show, was great, except I didn't get to see him play. Allison and I drove aimlessly around Cambridge looking for parking for a whole hour while we missed the Growlers set. I was so bummed out, I almost cried a little really! I've seen them play a thousand times before, but this was Matt's big day, (it was the biggest venue that they've ever played), and I felt like a ninny for missing out on it. The kicker? We ended up parking at a garage that was only two blocks away...for $4! It was there the whole time. Urgh! Silly Boston!

I ended up having a great time though regardless...here are two of my favorite pictures from the night:





Crazily enough - that all happened within one day, and I think I've been recovering ever since! Yesterday was my first real day off in ages, but I think that I'll save telling you about it until tomorrow. Tonight I'm going to see the opening of Wait Until Dark at Matt's theatre. It's going to be perfect for Halloween. I've never seen the play, but I absolutely love the Audrey Hepburn movie. Alan Arkin is creeptastic in it!

Have a happy and safe Halloween everyone!

Today I am thankful for the cider doughnut that I ate for breakfast. Sometimes the little things are the best things! What are you thankful for today?

Ten Things

Let's see, before I went all Beth from Little Women on you I had things to share with you. Let's have a list shall we?



1. Before Matt left for China we had a beautiful day exploring the Farmer's Market and a few other favorite haunts. This is a rare occasion because Matt rarely likes to go on adventures of this nature with me! Besides the market we visited Beach Pea Baking Co. The heart that you see above is a lavender-mint shortbread cookie, yum-yum-yum. We also splurged on a few varieties of ravioli at Terra Cotta Pasta Co. across the street. (Four Cheese, Black Bean and Corn and Butternut Squash/Sweet Potato with Maple Cream sauce)

2. Do you like knitwear? Knitting? Go look through every Lia Molly collection now and prepare to drool. The Amelie Dress from Winter 08 and the Florence Pea Coat from Fall 08 are among my many favorites. Via Sweet Sassafrass.

3. While I was sick I obsessively reorganized my sets and collections over at Flickr. It's not finished yet - but I'm excited about streamlining my Flickr life! (Whoa, nerd alert!)

4. This video of a very young Hugh Laurie singing "Mystery" is making me giggle over and over again. It's Matt and I's new official song.



5. Matt brought home a few beautiful treasures from China for me. The insane piece of art work pictured to the left is a paper cut! It's so ridiculously intricate! The paper is so delicate, it's similar in thickness and texture to crepe paper.

He also brought home a tea for one set. I have a little tea-for-one collection, one of the first I ever had was brought home to me from China by my dear, dear friend Mark. I thought it only appropriate that I put in a request for one from Matt! Crazily enough, he didn't buy this. He searched and searched and could not find a tea set. The dancers in the show that he was lighting came to the rescue and found this for me during one of their shopping trips. The artwork features the dragon and the phoenix. Matt learned while he was in China that these two mythical creatures symbolize tremendous luck when together. They're often featured as decorative motifs in traditional wedding celebrations representing "inseparable fellowship." What a great gift to get from a hubby, huh?



6. I've discovered a new-ish kindred spirit who I found via another old-ish kindred spirit, blog-friend, Diane. Jamie Sue has just started a new blog called Corporate Free Christmas which is worth your time to check out, and take a moment to reconsider your approach to the upcoming holiday season.

7. Via Corporate Free Christmas I discovered the trailer to the delightful looking movie What Would Jesus Buy?

Here's the trailer:



More interesting footage from the star Reverend Billy and the producer Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) is viewable via an interview on YouTube: Part One, Part Two, Part Three. AMEN! I BELIEVE!

8. Matt's band The Swaggerin' Growlers will be playing The Middle East (DOWNSTAIRS) in Boston, MA on Saturday night. THIS IS A BIG DEAL. They're appearing with The Aggrolites (Hellcat Records), Everybody Out!, Roll The Tanks. If you live remotely near Boston, be there or be square:



9. Today I roasted tomatoes. They filled the house with delicious smells and they're stashed away in the fridge for a rainy (or snowy) day when tomato soup is called for. I was inspired by Sandra Eileen over on Flickr.

10. I'm thankful for all of your well-wishes and I'm happy to report that with the help of some serious drugs and bed rest that I am much better. And I now have a cell phone! Wouldn't you know after all of that trouble, they never asked Matt one security question when they activated my phone? Pfft! What are you thankful for today?

Greetings from Bronchitis Land

Greetings from Bronchitis Land



aka my bed, where I have been for the past three days. The sum of my time here has been spent...

...forming dreads (not on purpose!)...



...knitting a sock...



...and drinking tea.



That's pretty much it.

Warning: F-bombs abound below...

Yesterday had a rather interesting start. I woke up, and did not feel well enough to go into work, so I went to call in. I find out that my Nextel service has been shut off. I'm changing providers, and it was supposed to be shut off on Sunday. So, I take my new cell phone out of its box and see that it has to be activated from a land line...which I do not have. The number I had to call was an 800 number, so being resourceful I threw on a polar fleece over my pjs and went down to the local gas station to activate the phone.

Nothing is that easy.

Keep in mind that I have severe, severe laryngitis. Speaking at an audible level for someone to hear me over the phone, pretty much requires monumental screaming effort on my part.

I get a hold of a representative who cannot find my number. Asks if it might be under another name. I tell him to try my husband's and there it is. He tells me that he needs to speak to my husband in order to activated the account. I tell him that my husband is in China until Monday. He tells me that he cannot help me. I tell him that I have to call in to work, and that my phone service has been shut off and I'm standing in a gas station in my FUCKING pajamas and what am I supposed to do? I apologize for shouting and tell him that I realize that this isn't his fault alone, but his company has made a mistake by canceling my old service too soon. He tells me to hang on a minute.

I hang on for more than a minute.

He comes back and tells me "Unfortunately there is nothing we can do to activate, blah blah blah..." I start seeing red. I ask what security questions about my husbands account do they need to know, because I would probably know the answers. He tells me that he can't ask me, he has to ask my husband. I tell him that that's fucking ridiculous, because we're speaking over the phone, and how the hell would he know the difference if I just called up, spoke to another rep and pretended to be my husband? Every time I ask him a question he launches into "Unfortunately..."

By the fourth "unfortunately" I slammed the phone down.

By that point I had shredded whatever whisper of a voice that I had left. I didn't know what to do. So I drove to work, in my pajamas, tried to explain why I was in my pajamas and my voice just gave out. So I had to go through the slightly humiliating comedy act of writing this whole ordeal on little slips of paper, much to my co-workers amusement. I had to call in today as well, which I had to pre-plan for by asking one of my co-workers to check his Facebook account before he went in, because I have no phone. I asked him to message me back if he received my message alright, and he never did. I have no idea if my manager knows what's going on - so hopefully I don't get fired!

So here I sit. Desperately ill, alone and possibly jobless.

Matt comes home from China tomorrow. I can't wait!

Today I'm grateful for my super cuddly cats and my f-ing great sense of humor. HAHAHA! What are you grateful for today?

I've been meaning to post but...

I've got bronchitis, and laryngitis and I feel awful.

I managed to get a doctor's appointment today and they prescribed some potions that will hopefully make me feel better...and more wordy. I've so much to tell you!

Your nerdy invalid,

Sarah

This is my current reading material

Better late than never, I give you a list of my current reading material.

Dances with Demons: The Life of Jerome Robbins: This is a total dance nerd, exhaustive opus of a read...it's over five hundred pages long! I picked up this book the moment that it came out a few years ago, and then it sat collecting dust up until this summer when I needed a good vacation read. If you're interested in Broadway or dance history, this book is a winner for you! I'm over half-way through, and I think my only beef with it is Lawrence's obsession with Robbin's sexuality. You can imagine how many people were interviewed for such a long biography, and I think that each and every interviewee offers their opinion on the topic throughout the book. I get it. Robbins was gay. He hid that from some people and not others. After about fifty accounts it gets a tad annoying and I just wish that Lawrence would move on, but otherwise it's an interesting biography.

Four Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman is on loan to me from my mum. In brief, the book points out that New England, where I live, is on the same latitude as Southern France, therefore sharing it's climate and ability to grow crops year round. They just have to be the right crops! An interesting read...with information that I can hopefully put to use in my plans for next season!

I mentioned recently that I was reading and enjoying A Greener Christmas, and last but not least on the reading list are my usual suspects of magazines: Living, Bust, Marie Claire Idees, Readymade and Dance.

I had a wonderful weekend that I'll tell you all about in few upcoming posts. I don't have my camera this week, so pictures will be few and precious. My husband left for China for six days today, and I'm already having separation anxiety! (For my husband, not the camera). (Okay maybe a little bit for the camera too)!

Remember to leave a comment on my previous post for the Readymade subscription drawing!

Today I am thankful for the time and energy to clean my kitchen. It was a jungle in there. I'm grateful for the tasty Indian food that I ate for dinner. What are you thankful for today?

Winter Preparations, Autumn Celebrations + Readymade Giveaway!

See, I have been crafty!



These socks were lovingly knit to, from and during many of my husband's shows and also during breaks at work. I never tire of making and wearing sturdy, farm wool winter socks. The pink and brown wool was hiding in my stash. I'm trying to be really prudent about using what I have when it comes to craft supplies, so I was happy to stash bust with this easy little project.

Autumn, like spring, is such a season of expectation for me. As a New Englander, I feel the urge to prepare for hibernation, knit warm socks, freeze produce, drink a glass of red wine.

Yesterday I received my latest issue of Readymade Magazine with a surprise little perk. I have one free gift subscription to give away, and I've chosen to give it away to one of you, dear readers!.

Do you have winter preparations that you're making right now? Are you celebrating autumn in a special way? Do you have something to be thankful for today? Share your thoughts with me, by 10/14/08 at 12midnight EST, in the comments below! Tuesday, October 14th, I will choose one of you, at random, for the subscription. Remember friends, I need a way to get in touch with you, should you win - so if you are leaving an anonymous comment, please direct me with some way to contact you!

Today I am grateful for all of the comment love I've been receiving lately. Especially some very sweet anonymous comments. Hello anonymous readers! Thank you for being so nice! What are you thankful for today?

Cheesemaking Class

Last night I took a cheesemaking class through Kittery Adult Education. (Check out the awesome variety of classes that they offer via the link if you're local)



We made mozzarella and ricotta, and we discussed how to make chevre, yogurt and the different uses for your leftover whey. For example, did you know that whey can make great pizza crust and English muffin bread? Or that it can be used as a soup base in place of stock?



My favorite part was kneading the mozzarella. When the curds are separated it feels a bit like you're trying to press bits of tofu together, and then magically it just comes together. Shiny and smooth and ready to be eaten!



We sampled the cheese that we made along with some chevre that one of the instructors brought in. It was all delicious - I definitely think I've caught the cheesemaking bug.

If you're interested in cheesemaking, I urge you to check the following links out. It's a very simple process, and a $25 investment in supplies, plus the cost of your milk, can make up to 30lbs of fresh mozzarella and ricotta. I'll be ordering from Ricki Carroll, of New England Cheesemaking, who was the "cheese queen" featured in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Many thanks (and hellos, if the two of you are reading this) go out to Debra and Lenore from Seacoast Eat Local for putting together a fun, informative class!

Online Resources

New England Cheesemaking

Leeners

Dairy Connection

Glengarry Cheesemaking and Dairy Supply

Lehman's

If you try out cheesemaking - let me know!

Today I'm thankful for having opportunity to learn a new skill. Everyday provides a new opportunity to learn, and that is such a gift! What are you thankful for today?

Les MisBarack

My gloriously funny husband just showed me this video and I just about died laughing. This goes out to all of the theatre nerds out there. Hurray for revolution!



P.S.

GO VOTE

GO VOTE

GO VOTE

Weekend Highlights :: Parsons and Pizza!

This weekend was really wonderful!

Saturday night I had the opportunity to go and see Parsons Dance Company at The Music Hall. First of all...if you're local, holy jeebus, have any of you seen the renovated lobby yet? It's crazy awesome. The only way I could describe it would be Hogwarts meets Deco. Weird, but very cool. Second of all, if you haven't heard of Parsons Dance Company you're going to stop what you're doing and visit that link right now! Humor me, your bloggy friend, by at least watching the video intro to the website. EDIT: Okay you don't even have to go to the website, I found the intro video on YouTube and have embedded it below. How nice am I? The show was so exciting. Parsons is right up there with Trey McIntyre Project as far as favorite companies go. Check out their company montage below:



I was very nervous to go to the show because many of my old students were there. It ended up being very nice though. It was so good to see "my girls." They all crowded around me during intermission like the paparazzi at a press junket. It was too cute. I miss them so!

Anyways, back to the dancy dance-ness. Parsons does this incredible signature solo work called "Caught" where the dancer creates an illusion of flight by tour de force jumping all over the stage and the use of a strobe light. Usually it's performed by a man, but this time it was performed by a woman, dancer Julie Blume (from NH!), and she was incredible! The amazingness of it doesn't quite translate to film, but I've found a decent video of the company founder, David Parsons, dancing the solo, if you're interested to get the idea:



If you're interested in seeing more Parsons related vidoes, check out Suspension Production's YouTube Channel. The videos are very high quality, I'm assuming that Suspension works directly with the dance company.

On to cooking!

My mum generously gifted a ball of home made pizza dough to me the other day,



so I made Apple Walnut Pizza!



This was delicious, and very easy to make. For the most part, I followed the recipe at Stephen Cooks. I omitted cooking the apples in butter first, and cooked the pizza for slightly longer, (about 26 minutes), at a lower temperature, (375F). My oven tends to be unpredictable at 450F, so I didn't want to take my chances on burning dinner! It's a very good recipe, and I would definitely make it again.

I'm still a little bit under the weather, but I'm in good spirits. Today promises to be a fun one, because after work I'm taking a cheese-making class! I'm so excited! Laura Ingalls - watch out!

Today I'm thankful for seeing an inspiring dance show this weekend. For rolling out of bed and doing my ballet barre. Tiny steps. What are you thankful for today?

Book Review :: A Greener Christmas

A couple of days ago I went on a long overdue walk through the craft aisle at Barnes and Noble. Much to my delight there were many new fabulous books for me to flip through. I picked up A Greener Christmas, by Sheherazade Goldsmith with low expectations. I mean come on, the title is a little cheesy and screamed greenwashing. I judged a book by its cover and was dead wrong. Do not be put off by the cheesy title my friends, this book is oh so good!!!

Here are a couple of quotes from the introduction to give you a feel for things:

"This book is the antithesis of that instant last-minute Christmas Eve dash through the crowds to the stores."

"Relying on chain stores for all your Christmas needs and throwing all your garbage out in one bag will save time over the festive season, but choosing presents without much thought seems, to me, to contradict its meaning."

"This book is about having a simpler, more home-spun Christmas. It's about giving home-crafted presents, making your own decorations, and festive baking. It's about rethinking and changing the way you consume and recycle..."

Yes, yes and YES! I couldn't agree with all of these quotes more!

I've discussed my feelings about the holidays here on the blog many times before, but I'll recap a bit anyways. Most long-time readers will know that I've been striving to make nearly all of my holiday gifts by hand for about four or five years now, (EEK - I can't remember!). If I don't make it, I try to buy handmade or local goods. The only person that I break the rules for and spoil is my husband, because it's the only time of year, besides our birthdays, that we ever spend money on each other.

Over time my mom joined in on the game with her sock-making, my sister with her delicious wine and scarf-making and even my brother Mike got in on the hand made fun last year by making me a sock-blocker.

What began as a solution for not being able to afford "real" Christmas gifts has become a tradition and the way that I celebrate. To that end, Goldsmith shares so many lovely ideas in her book that fit in with my way of celebrating. The book is divided into five sections: Welcome, Christmas Tree, Giving, Table and Food. It's crafts, decorating, making and cooking. It's an anthology of Christmas fun and tradition.

So it's awesome. Got that? Good. Check this book out!

Super Sick/Dance in Public Spaces

I swear to you all that this is still somewhat a crafty blog. Things are in the works, I just can't show you yet!

I'm super sick today. I stayed home from work. I woke up this morning to a vision of myself in the mirror with no chin. Yup, no chin. My glands are so swollen that I look like a bull frog. This is a fairly new phenomenon that started up last year when I would get a bad sore throat. I'll spare you the visual.

In lieu of craftiness I did find something rather spectacular to share with you today. It's a video documenting NY2dance dancing in public spaces in Washington, D.C. I've become really interested in dancing in non-traditional, public spaces and video as well, so I was excited to find this! It's almost ten minutes, but it put a smile on my face, and I'm sure it will make you smile too.

If you can't watch it right now - bookmark it for later!