I have had exactly 2 (TWO) celebrity crushes in my life. The first, and most meaningful, being Jon Knight. It really burns my ass that I never really had a chance with him in the first place.
I have no idea why I am so pissed about this. The only thing worse than this would be if Ralph Macchio is gay. If he is, please don't tell me. The 11 year old girl within simply cannot take it.
I PROMISE to start blogging again. My life is gaining some modicum of normalcy these days, and I always find that reflection makes for good story telling.
This morning as I was touching up paint in our house in preparation for it to go on the market, I got a little sentimental. The brush glided a silky trail of ivory over the sill where Michael used to race his Matchbox cars. A sweet childhood memory is now forever hidden under a gilt of semi-gloss. I thought about the next mother who will occupy this starter-family home. It has been a perfect shelter to rock my babies to sleep and prepare nutritious meals for their growing bodies - and it will provide those same comforts to the next family. I will paint my sills so she doesn't have to do it.
As one thought often gifts another, I then thought about the older mom who might be preparing her house for me. Perhaps her children are grown and out of the house. Perhaps she and her husband are moving to Florida, or Alexandria, or a houseboat in St. Michaels. Is she painting her sills, too?
My thoughts drifted to prayers for these imagined, romanticized women, their children, and their new adventures - and then back to thoughts - and then back to chores. It was then that I promptly dipped my paintbrush into my coffee cup instead of the paint bucket.
Some Background Music again (should you choose to listen...)
This afternoon, I was fortunate enough to sit in on the final rehearsals for Fiddler on the Roof. To be in a room with such a talented group of young people leaves me in awe - but this time I was completely struck by the message of the play.
If you are familiar with Fiddler you'll know that one of the pervasive themes of the play is the interplay between love and marriage. In the old days, marriage sometimes existed without love - and love sometimes existed without marriage - but progress has borne out: the two are better together.
As Tevye (the Father) and Golde (the Mother) must address all of these issues among their daughters, they are forced to examine their own relationship. The following exchange ensues:
(Tevye) -"Golde, I have decided to give Perchik permission to become engaged to our daughter, Hodel."
(Golde) - "What??? He's poor! He has nothing, absolutely nothing!"
(Tevye) - "He's a good man, Golde. I like him. And what's more important, Hodel likes him. Hodel loves him. So what can we do? It's a new world... A new world. Love. Golde..."
Do you love me?
(Golde) - Do I what?
(Tevye) - Do you love me?
(Golde) - Do I love you? With our daughters getting married And this trouble in the town You're upset, you're worn out Go inside, go lie down! Maybe it's indigestion
(Tevye) - "Golde I'm asking you a question..."
Do you love me?
(Golde) -You're a fool
(Tevye) - "I know..."
But do you love me?
(Golde) - Do I love you? For twenty-five years I've washed your clothes Cooked your meals, cleaned your house Given you children, milked the cow After twenty-five years, why talk about love right now?
(Tevye) - Golde, The first time I met you Was on our wedding day I was scared
(Golde) - I was shy
(Tevye) - I was nervous
(Golde) - So was I
(Tevye) - But my father and my mother Said we'd learn to love each other And now I'm asking, Golde Do you love me?
(Golde) - I'm your wife
(Tevye) - "I know..." But do you love me?
(Golde) - Do I love him? For twenty-five years I've lived with him Fought him, starved with him Twenty-five years my bed is his If that's not love, what is?
(Tevye) - Then you love me?
(Golde) - I suppose I do
(Tevye) - And I suppose I love you too
(Both) - It doesn't change a thing But even so After twenty-five years It's nice to know
Two of the most lovely, fresh faced young actors portray Tevye and Golde. Their portrayal brought tears to my eyes, but I was most struck by how little these young adults actually know about love.
A very wise teacher told me once that love is not the feeling that guides two lovers towards one another. That feeling is infatuation. Infatuation is a very good thing but it is a surface level emotion that will either give way to real love or end. Fortunate is the person who finds true love on the other side of infatuation.
(First let me say that I am so thankful that the trend of embedding music into your blog has died away. Nothing irritated me more than clicking on someone's blog and hearing their crappy Nickelback song accompany their crappy blog post. 2007 blog vent - over.)
Nowthen, I am working on my interpretation of Fruma Sarah and completely scrapped the other headpiece. Because, what dead bride wears fresh magnolias? I think that dead brides should wear.....
DEAD FLOWERS!!
More like it, yes?
If I were a dead bride, I would totally wear this flower crown.
Next up, the veil. Squeeee. I think dead brides are totally more interesting than live ones.
Tonight is about me. I finished Josh's shadow box for his bridging over to Boy Scouts. If you don't speak Scout, let me give you the translation, this is a big deal. So, tomorrow's post (if I get around to it) will be about how proud I am of Josh and of his accomplishments, but tonight I want to tell you about me and how proud I am of my accomplishment. Wanna see?
I copied the one that was lovingly made for Ben when he bridged over. I didn't do it - but knowing now the work and sweat effort that went into making it? That den mom should receive a pre-death canonization. (I only half-kid.)
Shadow box - Michael's Craft Store
Backdrop Fabric - JoAnn Fabrics (I don't know the name but I took a swatch of the cub scout uniform and matched it almost exactly.)
Brass Engraved Nameplate (Not pictured) - Things Remembered
I ironed everything carefully, went over and over it with a lint roller, and hot glued the awards into place.
That little cartoon up there would be funny - if only it weren't so true. And while I relish being a trophy wife and all, sometimes I wish there was a little incentive/compensation for my efforts.
While writing this blog is my most favorite unpaid job of all, I have had my attentions diverted to my third favorite unpaid job of all - Costume Designer. I am the designer for the Fiddler on the Roof this year and I have the most excellent responsibility for creating Fruma Sarah's head piece.
And at first I was going to go all traditional "Bride of Frankenstein" on her head, I saw this picture:
And I thought, that is kinda gorgeous. Which got me thinking, Why can't our Fruma Sarah be kinda gorgeous?
And then I thought, Who are the brides that are so decadent that they are almost hideous?
I present you my list:
#1 - Laura Spencer
Sooooo bad it's delicious.
#2 - Melania Knauss Trump
I love every ounce of this confection. That crap on her head? Genius.
#3 - Lady Diana
The dress was a wrinkled mess. There. I said it.
#4 - Lana Del Rey
Do you know how bad I want to hate Lana Del Rey? So bad. She bugs me with her weird, nightmarish face. But, damn it, she's pretty. And her flower crowns? They make me want to weep, I love them so much. So while technically not a bride, Lana Del Rey makes #4 with her hideous beauty.
So I got to cracking on my Sara/Spencer/Trump/Spencer/Del Rey creation. I tried on the framework just to see what you think. It needs some Spencerfying (of the Laura-type):
