A long long time ago...

...but I can still remember. It wasn't the day the music died, but that music just might die soon. It was when I worked at the Skylight Opera Theatre. I worked at the Skylight from August of 2004 thru June of 2005 and it was, with much hindsight in this statement, a most wonderful year of my life.

The Skylight was my very first theatre family. I graduated from college in March of that year and moved right away to NYC. Let's just say that, while I loved the city, the city did not love me and left me to find work elsewhere. After a summer in upstate New York at the fantastic Chautauqua Opera, I picked my bright eyes up and moved to Milwaukee. Can I tell you how much I LOVE Milwaukee, WI? I think I can't do it justice. All I can say is - go. Go to Milwaukee. Experience it yourself. It's more than cheese and beer (not that I don't love cheese and beer!!!!)

I was the Resident Assistant Stage Manager for the Skylight. I worked hard, made great friends, and loved my life. At the Skylight I worked with amazing singers and actors, award-winning directors, and a crew that did it for the love of it. I learned that heart and soul are the two most important ingredients in a stage production. That family comes first and they were my family. We took care of each other and worked as a team.

Since leaving the Skylight in 2005, I have kept in touch with various colleages and Skylight family members who have reported nothing but what I felt when I was there. We were family. That is, at least, until last week.

The Skylight Opera Theatre Board of Directors has made a graven mistake that may cost the company everything they have. They unsurriptiously fired the Artistic Director, Company Manager, Box Office Manager, another box office employee, and the Night Janitor. They did so saying it was to help recoup the over $100,000.00 they will be in debt this coming season. They said that it was the "last resort". Well, even in the most dire of times, my last resort would not be to put 5 family members out on the street and say "Thanks for what you've contibuted to this family but we just can't support you anymore!". The final straw was when they then fired their Music Director, Jamie Johns, for supporting those who were fired and peacefully protesting the actions of the Board. "Here's a swift kick in the pants, Little Brother. Hope it didn't hurt too much!".

There is a huge backlash from the community and I almost feel like flying to Milwaukee to help them protest these actions. Jonathan West has been keeping track of most every action on his well worded blog: Artsy Schmartsy. He's better at saying everything I want to say. There are videos of people protesting, a Milwaukee Journal write-up, and soooo much more being said on Facebook.

Bottom line is- as my good friend on SNL says, "Fix it!" Skylight Opera Theatre screwed up and the family will be homeless and eating out of dumpsters if this continues. And do we really want that? I don't want that for my family. Or any other family. Let's make peace and admit to being wrong. Let's move past this tiff and become one again. Please, for art's sake. Please.

Religious

I had this discussion with my boss about the meaning of the word "religious". Dictionary.com defines "religious" as:

re-li-gious
Pronunciation [ri-lij-uhs] adjective, noun, plural -gious.
–adjective
1. of, pertaining to, or concerned with religion: a religious holiday.
2. imbued with or exhibiting religion; pious; devout; godly: a religious man.
3. scrupulously faithful; conscientious: religious care.
4. pertaining to or connected with a monastic or religious order.
5. appropriate to religion or to sacred rites or observances.
–noun
6. a member of a religious order, congregation, etc.; a monk, friar, or nun.
7. the religious, devout or religious persons: Each year, thousands of the religious make pilgrimages to the shrine.

The discussion was over whether or not the word is a negative connotation. Many people feel it is negative, a sterotype that implies overly-zealous religious fanatics who take the basis of religion much too far and give religion a bad rap.

Not so, I would argue. Religious as an adjective means simply to have religion in your life, whatever that means to you. Perhaps the use of the word as a noun is somewhat negative by definition but I would disagree. I consider myself to be a religious person. My religion is love and polyamorous. I do not think that one God is the be all and end all of true religious faith. To me, that is like eating one food for your whole life or watching the same TV show every day (though I can watch old episode of "Friends" on a pretty much daily basis).

My religion is all-encompassing. That means that I want to know your thoughts. Share thoughts, opinions, facts. Whatever. Just share, but with love.

Afternoon Delight

Today my day started busy (haircut, errands, food) and then wound down for a lovely afternoon. My hubby was busy making lamb chili to satisfy his meat-loving urge while I whiled away the hours confirmin' with my sewing machine. I spent some time outside and saw my sprouting garden, which I must say is looking mighty fine-

those are going to be some awesome Roma tomatoes and Sunflowers!

The spinach is already quite tasty in salads and is very satisfying sauteed with some garlic- yum!

Thanks to my great friend Jill, I have aquired the skills and love of making homemade bread. I submit that one of the great joys in life is cooking and baking. I love knowing everything that goes into what I eat and that I am eating the best possible food I can provide for myself.

Well, Jill sent me a new bread book for Christmas and I LOVE IT. It's called Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and the concept is incredible. The authors, Jeff and Zoe, have combined science and baking and created a recipe for bread dough that requires no kneading, no pounding, no hard work! You'll just have to get the book to learn more but if you have tasted my bread since January, that's what I'm talking about.

I have a loaf of deli-style rye bread ready to go in the oven after my baked tofu comes out. Personally, I think my dinner is tastier than my meat-eating cohort sitting in the other room. Yum!

Dreamy Dresses

My eyes were opened to a dream dress company, Shabby Apple. This was not a finding I can claim to be my own, however. I must give credit where credit is due and in this case it all goes to my most recent add to my favorite super wonderful blog: Grosgrain Fabulous. And now, the moment you all have been waiting for (at least I have been!)

Marseilles Dress SHABBY APPLE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

This dress is, in all things dressy, perfect. It gets my sewing bug moving and grooving and thinking it can make wonderful things like this. Maybe my bug will be stretching it's wings soon.... I need a pattern!!!

From Gabrielle

I read this today from Gabrielle Gerard, perhaps one of the most incredible people I have ever met. Her words resonate with me and they just make sense. From Gabrielle to me, from me to you:

Attitude of Gratitude by Gabrielle

Healing the Mind, Empowering the Spirit
As you increase the feeling space of gratitude within you, you will increase the feeling and tone of abundance. And that vibration will attract more abundance to you.
1. Establish a relationship with the Cosmic Creator. Learn to meditate. Cultivate activities that connect you to the inner world. Nature. Creativity. Activities that create a meditative state.
2. Set an intention each morning to cultivate gratitude throughout the day.
3. Tune in through right thought and actions when you seek to operate the Cosmic Laws.
4. Learn to recognize and receive goodness when it comes to you.
5. Open your eyes to the good that you have now. This can help shift victim mentality. Take time to observe how much you DO have. Not what you DON’T have. This will raise your vibration. Step 6 will help you with this.
6. Every day, for 30 days, get up early, and journal 3-5 pages on things you are grateful for. You will be amazed at what comes out as you journal!!! Stretch your mind in this exercise. Be grateful for everything. Include the material things in your home. Friends. Family. The body. Health. And then go on to the more difficult things. This can help shift victim mentality as well as belief in the Scarcity Principle.
7. If you desire to create something in your life. Tune into the Source Energy. Thank God in advance for bringing it into your life. ACT AS IF. Reflect on this daily.
8. Practice thinking in Gratitude. Watch negative thinking. Alchemize it immediately. Bring the mind back to focusing on the attitude of Gratitude! Even if there are things in your life that you are not wanting, things that appear to be less than your desire. Learn to be grateful for all of life’s experiences that have brought you to this point. They do have a purpose.
9. Speak from Gratitude. Speak graciously to people. Our words are extensions of our thoughts. This will raise your vibration.
10. Act from Gratitude It is important to ACT and not sit idle. Do something today that is a physical extension of your thoughts, of the feeling of Gratitude itself.
11.AGAIN, be thankful in advance for the things that are coming into your life.
12. If there is someone in your life that you are having issues with, do this exercise: Sit comfortably. Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths to relax the body. Put your mind in the heart space. Hold your mind there and become the heart. Focus the breathing toward the heart. Become the heart center. Now hold this individual in the mind and heart. Send as much loving vibration to this person as you can. If negative feelings come up, take a few breaths and let the breath alchemize the emotions that bring cleansing. Reflect on one thing, an attribute that you may appreciate about this person. Perhaps they are teaching you patience. Perhaps you like the way they dress, or that they have style.
If they are doing something that you do not like, do the mirror exercise. What is this person trying to teach me? Look to see if somewhere in yourself, you are behaving similarly. Consider that what you do not like in them is something you are not willing to look at within yourself. Or the behavior that scares you or intimidates you is something that you need to bring forth within yourself. This will bring deep insight, humility, and clarity. Always close this meditation in a space of sending the individual love without expectation ~ recall the Law of Detachment.
13.Take time to be grateful for our planet, for Nature. What an extraordinary home we have.
14. Learn to be grateful for the body in which your soul resides this lifetime!! What a magnificent creation!! As you become more grateful for the body, you may take better care of it mentally, emotionally, and physically.
15. Beauty is everywhere. Practice seeing what is beautiful. This cultivates Gratitude.
16. Live as if you were going to die next week. You WILL become aware of what you are grateful for.
17. Be joyful. Watch for thoughts that negate. If you have forgotten how to connect to joy, journal about the times that you have experienced the inherent state of Joy. A memory may invoke that for you. Think things that bring you Joy. A joyful and grateful attitude will bring into your life the good things you desire.
18. Switch the flow: Gratitude and lack of gratitude, is the same energy on two ends of a continuum. As you work with cultivating an authentic relationship with Gratitude, remember that you are flowing your energy from “bad” habits toward “positive” ones. As you are aware of the ungracious part of the continuum, you have the opportunity switch the flow to the awareness (the mind, the energy) toward the other side of the continuum, Gratitude. Do not beat yourself up when you see the ungracious side of yourself emerge. When it surfaces, simply switch the flow!!
19. Breath. As much as you can!!!!!
For FULL article go to http://www.soultalkcoaching.com/ ~ the coaching page.

Satisfying my craving

After spending just a bit of time perusing some of my favorite books, webpages, and blogs -- so inspirational! -- I find myself wanting to hole up in my little house and spend the days and nights crafting and sewing and baking and cooking and doing all things pleasing to my soul. Tonight, I spent an hour and a half doing just that. I have done this pattern from Better Homes and Gardens before and I knew it would be just the thing to make me happy tonight. Last time it had a bright orange lining but tonight I went lilac. I will give it to my friend Mira who, with much love I am sure, calls me Old Mother Hubbard. I wish!

The pink floral was the first I had ever made. It was for my sister for her birthday.

Tomorrow night, my favorite-totally-made-up-different-every-time yummy breakfast bread/muffin mix. Home is good.

Ladies and gentlemen...

Welcome! As a manner of formalities, let me take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Valerie and I am entering the public world to share a few things. What these things are is still to be determined. How profound they are and what they mean, well, that's all up to you.

Namaste