Your First Theater Crush

I recently read this article in the New York Times about what it was that first made you fall in love with theater.

I paused to consider this myself: Is there a moment that began it all? Can I point to an experience or conversation that began the fascination?

Growing up my family did all kinds of little skits and puppet shows and watched lots of movie musicals. So I could say that a love of theater was nurtured from childhood by my parents. But if I had to pick an experience, I would say it was when my dad took me to see the national tour of Disney's Beauty and the Beast in Atlanta, Georgia at the Fox Theatre. It was my first time in a performance space like the Fox and I was overwhelmed with the beauty of it. As soon as the house lights dimmed and the overture began I was mesmerized, spell-bound for the entire show. It is still my favorite show.
Then, in my teens I was in a production of the Nutcracker. I love dancing and enjoyed twirling to the classic music, but even then I got more enjoyment out of knowing that things were going smoothly backstage because I was also helping with props and quick changes. I have always loved to create and I think that theater gives me room for my imagination to run wild and to be with other creative people and share in the joy that our work brings to others.

I know a lot of you have been involved in theater, so how about you? What was your first "theater crush?"

10 things...

As I was putting away the clean laundry this evening, I started thinking about how patient and gracious my husband is towards me - more so than I would be toward me if I were him.
It is no secret that I am no great paragon of a housekeeper.  I tell myself that if I didn't have a full time job I would do better...which may be true, but that doesn't change the fact that it is not uncommon to come home to dirty dishes on the counter, piles of laundry that need to be washed and a floor in desperate need of a sweeping.
Anyway, this thought is a continuation of one I had Sunday morning when we were getting ready to leave for church.  Robert and Brian were going to sing and I had the privilege of accompanying them on piano.  We had prearranged to meet at 9:30 to do a sound check, and I was not quite ready in time.  The whole time Robert was very calm and never asked me if I was almost ready or how much longer or made sounds or looked at his clock.  We were only a few minutes late, but if it were reversed I know I would be going crazy and anxious and impatient to be there and I would not be very gracious about it either.  I did thank him for being patient with me as we got in the car, and we had plenty of time so it all worked out well.
We were busy or gone the entire weekend so I had no opportunity to do my weekend laundry.  So I started working on it yesterday.  Tonight when I was putting clothes away I realized that my husband was down to his last (relatively) white undershirt and had only one black one left as well.  Again, if roles were reserved and I were about to be out of a daily article of clothing, I would have been slightly annoyed and at least mentioned it.  Nope.  Not a word.  So in thinking over those 2 things, I decided to sit down and write out in no particular order 10 things that I love and appreciate about him to honor that wonderful guy I am married to.  I'll try not to be too sappy.  :)

1. He is patient with me in what I see as my shortcomings
2. He does not nag or complain when I fall behind on my household tasks and helps me to catch up
3. He is a very hard worker who takes seriously his responsibility to provide for our home
4. He is not just a teacher but also a mentor to his students, lovingly encouraging and being honest with them when they need it
5. His face brings joy to my heart.  I love the times that we get to spend together talking and laughing
6. He likes to cook!!!!!!!
7. He listens to me when I am overwhelmed and is that calm voice that brings me back to reason
8. He supports me in every way
9. He loves going to the theater as much as I do
10. He is all mine!  

Fun times at the Jessups

Last night we had some very special guests at the Jessup home.  The youngest Wright children spent the evening with us going to church supper and the Children in Action Christmas party before heading to the house.  We all donned aprons, rolled up our sleeves and got to work making mini Christmas cakes.  As you can see, this was a real hands-on experience.  :)

Aren't they adorable!  

( Please note the lovely Christmas Tree - that Robert cut down himself with a hand saw - but do not look at the rest of the Christmas mess in the background.)

 In between baking and decorating their cakes, Rosie, Nellie and Andy also colored their own stand-up nativity set.  Dominic was at BB practice and joined us later for the fun.

And what else is there to do with all the left over chocolate frosting?  Dig in!  

I will say that (not surprisingly) after consuming the remainder of the chocolate, Ric, who hitherto had been calmly sitting on the couch watching How to Train Your Dragon, spent the next 30-45 minutes jumping all over the house.  :)

3 Days

Yesterday was my last day of work before the wedding.  Let me first say, I love my co-workers.  They are some of my dearest friends and I see them more than I see anyone (including my fiance).  I am not sure the last day I had away from the theater, but it was sometime before we started tech for Guys and Dolls, I think June 17th maybe.  Anyway.  As it came to the end of the day, I realized that this was the first milestone that I really felt as our wedding approached: the last day of work.  I wasn't sure if I would jump for joy or cry or both.
I actually did neither, but I was a little emotional there for about 30 minutes.  It is so strange to not be at work for 20 days, but it's also very exciting because I am now able to focus exclusively on this weekends festivities.

Last night, Robert and I had a date night (our last one as an engaged couple!)  There had been some stress recently when we discussed wedding things not yet completed, and I really wanted us to be able to have some down time before everything really started that was just us where we didn't have an agenda of decisions to make or centerpiece rings to make or anything wedding but could just enjoy being us for a little bit.  It was really a very lovely evening.  He had meetings until almost 9pm, but I had cooked pancakes, eggs (NOT burned, unlike the first time I cooked for him)  ;), and bacon and orange juice (that I turned into screwdrivers - yum!)  We had such a great time and I was very giddy with excitement over how close we were to being married!  When Robert blessed our meal, he prayed specifically for our future and gave thanks that God had brought us together.  It is so meaningful to me and it blesses my heart to watch his love for Jesus and his love for me poured out in prayer to our God.  He will be a very good husband and leader in our home.
We watched a movie and just chilled.  It was very special and I am so glad we carved out that time for us before the wedding.

Now today, we start setting up and decorating the reception and I have my friend Laura spending the night with me and tomorrow we're getting facials and massages (yea!) and Robert and his boys are going to Six Flags for a bachelor party and more and more people are coming into town and then Friday is fun with my girls and rehearsal and then Saturday is WEDDING!

So here we are, at the beginning of the final 3 days before the wedding and I couldn't be happier that I am almost Mrs. Robert Jessup or more excited over our 2 weeks of honeymoon or more thrilled that all of my family and friends, the people who I love most in the world and who love me, are going to be in town all at the same time to help us celebrate!  Thank You Lord for Your joy and the blessing of Your smile on us as we finish these last days of preparation to celebrate the beginning of a life lived together in You.

Guys & Dolls!

Come and see Guys & Dolls!  A hysterical 2 act musical comedy set in New York City in the 1940's.  

Thursday at 7:30

Friday at 7:30

Saturday at 7:30

Sunday at 2:30

Get your tickets here http://www.greatmountainmusic.com/eventdetail.asp?t=m&id=40

or at the theater box office!  

a thought on marriage...

As the day of my wedding gets closer, I grow more in awe of what a beautiful thing marriage is and how amazing it is how God draws 2 different people together and empowers them to live victorious, fulfilled, useful lives in ways that they could not have been had they continued as individuals.  Everyday I get more excited and the anticipation builds as I look forward to July 9th (68 days in case you were wondering).  It is going to be a grand adventure and I cannot wait to start forever with my best friend.

A lovely Resurrection Day!

Today has been such a full, fulfilling day.  It's fun to look back through the events of the day and see how God orchestrated everything.

The plan was to make Chicken Makhani and na'an (how traditional, I know) after church and eat with Shannon and Heather.  As I was gathering ingredients from my house to drop off at Robert's on the way to church, I realized I was missing 3 ingredients.  So I rushed to the store and then to Robert's to put stuff in his fridge and was only 5 minutes late to church.  I ended up sitting 2 rows from the back and I noticed this couple sitting behind me.  I figured they were hikers, judging by their clothes, and at the end of the service, I had this crazy idea (ok, most likely not my idea) to invite them to lunch.  They have been married for 4 years and are from Rhode Island.  They are hiking the whole way up to Maine.  We had such a great time, the 6 of us, talking and learning about each other and hearing each other's stories.  

Then, Robert and I actually did what we said we were going to do this week over spring break...We got our invitations stuffed and all ready to mail!  Hooray!  After being such a process it is hugely gratifying to see those puppies done and ready to go.

Such a satisfying day.  

The Sound of Music

We are right in the middle of our big Spring musical, The Sound of Music.  We have had great audiences the last 2 nights and are looking forward to finishing strong with our final 2 performances tonight and tomorrow
afternoon.  Everyone in the show is doing such a great job.  It has been a great experience.

I took a few pictures of the mansion set yesterday.

Working on Wedding Fun!

A few weeks ago, Anneke hosted an afternoon of working on my wedding stuff at her house.  Our goal: put the stickers on the wedding favors and stuff the confetti pouches.  

Marcail was a very good helper and was so happy to be involved.  

Great stuff!  Biodegradable confetti!  All you have to do is hose it off and it completely dissolves without leaving any residue!  We sewed it into little pouches that the guests will be able to rip open when it's time to toss it on Mr. and Mrs. Jessup.  :)  

The Groupon Guide to: Treating Allergies

I am new to Groupon, so I don't know if this "advice" is normal on their website, but it made me laugh.  :)

 

The Groupon Guide to: Treating Allergies

The number of people suffering from allergies continues to expand rapidly as our coddled immune systems grow ever more slothful in the wake of designer medications that convert germs and viruses into useful additional body hair. Protect yourself from nonparasitic antigens with these tips:

Know Your Enemy: Common allergic reactions include runny nose, itchy eyes, and mild anxiety about your future. If you experience any of those symptoms, you are allergic to all of the following: cat hair, dander, the feelings of others, peanuts, magic tricks, outdated maps, and sunshine. You might also be allergic to glass shards, but you won't know until you eat some.

Self-Medicate: Just as the only way to cure a snakebite is to bite the snake back (its blood is immune to the poison), you can rid yourself of your allergies through prolonged exposure. For instance, if you're allergic to cats, fill an empty swimming pool with strays and then live in a tent at the bottom for a week.

Curing the World: More Americans are killed by bee stings each year than die in every other way combined, but you can put an end to bee allergies by putting an end to bees. It would be impossible to wipe out every bee using force, but you can spit at every beehive you see—the bees will register your contempt and will eventually die of sadness.

Winter has past, and the springtime has come!

I have been so happy and nearly giddy this week whenever I thought about how we were nearly down to double digits on our wedding countdown!  And today we are!  99 days left!  :)

I am so happy and looking forward to being Mrs. Robert Jessup.  And now that we're really cranking things out for the wedding, it's fun and exciting.

Tonight, we had an evening off from the theater and Robert and I went on a double date with Shannon and Heather to see Hop (a cute little movie about the Easter Bunny with James Marsden and, I'm sorry to say, David Hasselhoff.  Although I am glad he was in it - it was something else for me to laugh at).  About half-way through the movie, I was sitting next to Robert and he was holding my hand and I had such a deep feeling of how utterly right it is that he's in my life and how right we are together. It is a marvelous thing that God is doing in uniting us in Him, and I am in awe of it.  I don't know exactly what it's going to look like, but I trust the One who created us and know that it's gonna blow my mind.  The Wright children were watching a video about Gladys Aylward, the missionary woman who took over 100 Chinese children on foot for many days to safety when the Japanese were attacking. There was a quote from the movie that brought tears to my eyes.  They were standing on the bank of the Yellow River after having walked for days to escape the danger and had to cross the river to get to a town of safety.  The river was too deep and strong for the children to cross, and Gladys did not know what to do.  Then a 13 year-old girl reminded her of the story she had told them about Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea.  Gladys replied in despair, "But I am not Moses."  To which the girl replied, "No, you are not.  But God is still God."  And they prayed for a way through the waters and of course God showed up and showed off at that moment as some Chinese soldiers appeared with boats to ferry them across in safety.
I was reminded that no matter how inadequate I feel or how unable I am to see a way, God is still God and is continuing to do wonders in my life, and if I will just trust Him and rest in Him, my heart will find the peace and joy it longs for in Him.  

 My beautiful Valentine's Orchid from Robert

The Weeping Cherry Tree in our front yard.  Spring is so lovely!  

Girl time!

What would I do without my girlfriends???  

Anneke text me today asking if I had any free evening this week, and being the last week before Tech rehearsals start for The Sound of Music, I have naturally have rehearsals every night.  But, I figured out a way to get free this evening, and she came over and we had a great time visiting and working together and talking about our men.  :)  

First thing, she helped me finish the eclairs I had baked early in the afternoon, and mmmmm, they were yummy!

Next, she helped me stamp all 210 invitation cover pages for the wedding.  That's a true friend.

 We made fajitas after we finished, and sat around talking some more.  

I am so grateful and blessed to have such wonderful friends in my life who can speak truth to me and encourage me in my walk with the Lord.  Friendship really is one of the greatest gifts. 

Yea Wedding!

Things are moving along with wedding planning.  We have made decisions and started ordering stuff and the boxes are arriving!  Here's a sampling:

Confetti to toss on us as we leave the reception (the kind that dissolves without residue with water) from www.save-on-crafts.com, and rose petals for the flower girls from the Dollar Tree.

Personalized cocktail napkins(blue and silver!) and lolly pop wedding favors from www.orientailtrading.com.  The stickers the lolly is laying on are personalized and will go on the pops.  A project for a rainy day.  :)

Some beautiful ribbons I found on clearance at wal-mart the other day.

Also, I recently bought a camera (first real camera I've had in a long time...the last one used film and didn't enjoy the sand in South Africa) so I can now post pictures on my blog!

On memories and making new ones

Lots of exciting things and milestones occurred these past few days.

Firstly I'll start with Saturday.  On Saturday Robert and I celebrated the 2nd anniversary of our first date in our tradition of Phad Thai Chicken and Mango ice cream from Peppermint Patties.  He gave me a gorgeous bouquet of mixed flowers and a sweet card.  It was so nice to just spend time together without anything specific to do - and after the business of last week, we really needed some down time together.  Well, that and a solid 48 hours of sleeping.  :)  I recently looked through pictures of us from the past 2 years, and was moved when I thought about where God has brought us from and where He is taking us to as individuals and as a couple.  We are so much better together than we are apart.  I am also glad that we are past the months of uncertainty, "Does he really like me?  Will he call me again?  What do I think about him?  Do I love him?  Does he love me?  Should we get married? etc, etc, etc."  There is such a comfort and security when you know that you are committed to one another no matter what, even though the vows have not yet been spoken.   And can I just say once again what a great Godly man he is and how very honored and proud I am that he wants me to be with him forever?  I really am far, far more excited about being Mrs. Robert Jessup than I am about the actual wedding, although that is where it all begins and is a very important part of the process.  :)

Sunday was just a busy day, but we went to our pre-marital counseling with Pastor John Makinson and that was good as always.

Today, was terrific because I got to spend the entire day with my mother in Asheville.  We did some shopping, had lunch at Cheddar's and then went and purchased the fabric, notions and pattern to make my wedding dress!  I am super siked about that!  Which I am glad about because up to this point I had really felt nothing but either anxiety over what I would wear or be completely blase' about the whole idea.  So today shopping with mama I was so glad to be excited to talk about possibilities and choose how my dress would actually be, and now that I know, I am thrilled and can't wait to wear the thing!  And don't ask for details, because I will not tell.  :)
After we went shopping we ended up at the mall and I got her to go and take photo booth pictures with me.  It was the first time for either of us but I wanted some fun way to commemorator the specialness of the day.  So now I can look back at those pictures and remember the fun day we had together when we picked out my wedding dress fabrics.

That's for the birds...give me the bees!

I love how totally refreshing and rejuvenating it is to take a shower after a long day when you feel hot and tired and gross.  I feel like a new person, hooray!

Just the past 3 days I have started using Burt's Bees Radiant Body Lotion again, and I'm amazed (although I shouldn't be) at how soft my skin is!  I had been using B&BW Lavender Vanilla lotion because I love the scent, but it is really pretty crummy as far as moisturizers go.  I have used Burt's Bees lotions before and know how great they are, but I have been rubbing my arm all day loving how smooth and soft it feels.  (And sometimes I use their body butter, which is even better!)  Plus...I shimmer in the sun, which, hooray, I got to sit in the sun today at lunch.  I love the sun.  I love being warm and summertime!

We had our first 2 performances of Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss today and they went very well.  It's a great fun show with lots of singing and dancing and bright colors and outrageous costumes.  This morning we had 1500 school kids come and watch.  I love it when we get to perform before a school audience.  The kids are so excited and enthusiastic and full of wonder at everything they see.  And we get to do it 2 more times for packed houses of school children.  What fun!  They scream when the house lights go out, they scream when the stage lights go on, they scream when you shoot confetti at them, when the fish glow in the dark, and when the stars come on and countless other times.  The energy is so high in that room.  :)
(By the way, if you would like to come see the show, we have one evening performance left on Thursday at 7:30.  It's a 70 minute show and great for people of all ages.  You can get tickets here.)

A blog about....oh, looks like another "Ode to Robert" ;)

There is so much going on in my head and in my life right now.  I should be sleeping since I'm getting up at 7 in the morning (gasp!  I know!  It's so early! - well, I think it is at least)  ;)  but I'm not sleeping.  I am starting to get sleepy though so I'm sure I will be soon.

I'm not sure why I thought it would be a good idea to blog right now...I feel much to scattered to say anything of any interest.

However, I am collecting oatmeal canisters, if you have any you wouldn't mind passing on to me.  I need 10 for our wedding.

I am very definitely ready to, "settle down as man and wife to solve the riddle called married life," and I think these next 4 months will go by very quickly (please, God!).  I never really thought that I would end up with a man like Robert, who is such a man and so perfect for me.  I mean, I don't think I thought much at all about what type of man I would marry.  But I am continually amazed and blessed at how well we compliment each other and what an incredible strength he is to me.  He is so patient and gentle with me.  He is completely trustworthy and wonderful...ok, I'll stop - for now.  ;)

We have a show this week.  5 performances and 1 birthday party event in the next 3 days.  Then one day off to clean it all up and a concert the day after that.  So I am taking Monday off and going to Asheville.  At least...that's the plan right now.  I may decide to sleep.  :)

Words of wisdom from a friend

If you do not know Heather Lenox, I suggest you trot over to the Non-domestic Housewife and scroll down to read her post called, "Sometimes, frozen pizza is perfect."  It is a sweet reminder of what is important in our relationships.
Heather is a new friend of mine who I met last August.  She and her husband recently moved to this area and she likes doing theatre with us!  They are a fun couple and Robert and I have really enjoyed getting to know them and spending time with them.
Hooray for frozen pizza!

Who...???

It has been a busy day at work...not as much for me as for others, but busy none the less.

And I actually met someone who is famous in some circles that I was actually very happy to meet.  (Generally, with my temperament I tend to be rather blaise'  about meeting 'celebrities' and don't usually go to meet and greet at the theater when it is available.)   I was standing in the office making some copies and Scott walked in with a man and his college-aged daughter to introduce her to Scotty since she writes plays and lyrics in NYC and is interested in theater.  Since I was standing there I got introduced as well (as Scotty's anti-anxiety pills, lol).  Her name, I was told, is Jenny Stafford.  "And this is her father, Wes."  I shook hands, very nice to meet you, etc.  And continued working on my copies while the conversation continued around me.  Then internally went, "Wait.  Wess Stafford?  As in, president of Compassion International?  Cool.  I got to meet Wess Stafford and shake his hand!"  I guess when your job is running an international organization whose motto is "releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name," I find that rather more impressive than having good stage presence, a decent voice and some hit songs.  Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with those things or the people who look up to them.  It's just the way I am.  With few exceptions.  One of them being

STU G!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the wonderful Stuart Gerrard was in my theater tonight doing his thing.  Sadly, I did not get to shake his hand since I didn't even know he was there until the concert was nearly over, but being the avid fan that I am of all things delirious?, it is enough just knowing that he was there on my stage, in my theater, in my hometown playing his guitar and singing.

That's all.  :)

GRRR...*sigh* :)

I was going to post about how blissfully happy I am that there are less than 5 months till I become Mrs. Robert Jessup...and I am...
...but right now I am so upset and angry at the immaturity of some adults who call themselves parents.  In my current mood I agree with my dear sister-in-law who once said that people should have to take a test proving their ability before being allowed to become parents.  (I don't really believe that, but in my current state of mind could make an argument for it).

Oh, how easy to push off your own shortcomings and failings on others whose job it is not to raise your child and say the problem lies there alone and not even attempt to help your child grow into a responsible adult who can contribute to society and not grow up to spend his/her life in jail because he/she never learned self-control or that his/her actions have consequences.

...where was I?  Oh yes!  I am blissfully happy that in a mere 142 days I will get to spend the rest of my life with the wonderful, amazing, and ridiculously good looking Robert Jessup.  (And if you ever see me exhibiting  behavior similar to my rant above - I give you full permission to slap me!)

I do what I'm told (hahaha)

I have been instructed to post something on my blog so that people will come to it and see that I have a wedding web site AND a wedding countdown clock.  You can find both on my side bar.

While I'm here...Christmas was great.  Robert and I (I like the sound of that) spent the holidays in Hickory with his family.  We had a great time and enjoyed all the snow.   I even made a snow angel and attempted a snow man but the snow wasn't quite wet enough for that and ended up using what I had as a giant snowball I threw at Robert.  I think it's probably a good thing that I missed.

Tomorrow we will be looking at a couple of houses/apartments for rent in Franklin...assuming he can get out of his driveway.