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“Something Rotten” Happened this Summer on Stage!
Now that it has been three summers in a row (check out these links to read about summers one and two), I am officially saying that community musical theater is my summer “thing.” Earlier in the year, the plan was to audition for whatever show was going to be produced. When it was announced that it was “Something Rotten,” I was thrilled! For me, the main things I hope for in a show are lots of dancing and ensemble opportunities. This show is it! (If you have never seen it before, I recommend you look on-line. You can find a recording of entire performances.) In the past I had gone…
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Summer Wellness–9 Ways to Make It a Regular Part of Your Life
Although I still hope to enjoy and share new adventures and experiences, I will be sharing more wellness ideas and suggestions in this post. Hopefully you will find my experiences and ideas beneficial and inspire you to continue to focus on improving and maintaining your personal wellness. Summer is finally approaching!! Here are nine suggestions to help you focus on personal wellness this summer in an enjoyable way but without spending a fortune. You may notice a lot of overlapping within these ideas. That is fine and intentional! Make the most of your summer! 1) WALK. Go outside. Just walk. Walk alone, with a friend, with your dog. Just move…
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Making Beeswax Candles–A Perfect Simple College Spring Break Project
My son and I recently spent some time together making beeswax candles. It was a simple project, yet it was so meaningful to me. As mentioned in the past, I have been enjoying multiple project kits from my local library over the years. Some of these have included painted rope coasters, a mosaic picture frame, printed clay bowl, and more. Several of these I have done on my own. A few I have completed with family members. The most recent kit was for beeswax candles. This was the perfect project at the perfect time. My son is a college senior and came home for his final spring break. (I have…
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Joining a Book Club–A Great Decision for So Many Reasons!
Several years ago, a good friend of mine invited me to do something I had never considered doing. She invited me to join her book club. I have always enjoyed a good book but was never a voracious reader. What exactly I was thinking at the time I don’t remember, but I took her up on her offer and haven’t looked back! Why I am discussing this here and now? This isn’t some bizarre, esoteric activity. It does, however, tie in to my current goals and themes of making life better. The purpose of this blog has morphed into a “things I do to help create a full, healthy life.”…
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My First Live SEC Football Experience–GO VOLS!
Disclaimer: I did get a discount on the hotel room in exchange for mentioning it in this post. All comments about the hotel are my honest opinions. I am not proud to state it, but it took WAY too long for me to finally go down to Knoxville to watch some UTK Volunteer football. Better late than never, though! My family is nearing the end of a stage. My son is currently a senior at University of Tennessee in Knoxville. I previously shared our story of the initial college visit while he was in high school. Less than two years later, I shared the story of move-in day for my…
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Making Rope Coasters with the Husband and College-Age Kids–A Successful Family Project
I was so pleased that my family (myself, husband, and college age kids) enjoyed spending time together creating citrus rope coasters.
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Summer Community Theater–Excited to be Back on Stage!
Perform, rinse, repeat After last summer’s experience performing in my community theater’s production of “Footloose,” I knew that I would plan to audition again for the summer of 2023. I anxiously waited for the announcement of the summer show. Not that it would change whether or not I auditioned, but I still wanted to know. The musical for the summer of 2023 was going to be Rogers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella.” Honestly, I didn’t have much of a reaction to that. I was familiar with some of the music and aspects of the story but had never actually seen a production of it, either on stage or screen (not even the…
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Graduation Party DIY Style!
My daughter just graduated from high school (CONGRATULATIONS to my girl!), and I had asked her a few months prior if she wanted a graduation party. No surprise, she did. I am a big fan of open house style parties when there is a large crowd involved. (I am also a fan of pot luck parties when there is a large crowd, but that did not seem appropriate in this situation.) I really wanted to host a party that she would enjoy, and I wanted her to be able to invite whomever she wanted, but I didn’t want this to break the bank. I am sharing this information because it…
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Dear Gen-Xers:
Dear Gen-Xers: You are my target audience because we have something important in common. I would love for everyone to read and enjoy this blog, but, over the past few years, my personal goals and reasons for having this blog have been tweaked. My goals and reasons have not changed completely. They have just morphed and shifted a bit as life has progressed. Undoubtedly I want readers, but the primary reason I am doing the activities I write about is to help myself. By writing and sharing my “adventures” and experiences, I can hopefully help my fellow Gen-Xers along the way as well while giving much deserved credit to those…
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My Return to Community Theater After a Two Decade Hiatus
This summer I did something which I had not done in 21 years: I auditioned for a community theater musical! The last show I did was, as mentioned, 21 years ago. My husband was in the cast with me back then (we were already married), and we did not have any kids. Fast forward—my husband auditioned with me again. Although I had not performed in a few decades, my daughter is a “theater kid,” so I have been a proud, strong theater mom for nine years. I always loved watching her perform and I loved seeing the relationships she developed with others in the cast. This summer it was time…