Monday, August 21, 2006
Thank God, I'm a Country Girl....
....at least enough so to make a decision to stay up here at the House until I must go back to the City, later this week...today is Monday the 21st, and it has been usually on Mondays that Paul, Steve and I return (Peter having trained back the night before since he has to report to work early early down on Wall Street)...but today, Paul and Steve will go back to attend to business of theirs, while I stay up here a few more lovely days and rest simply in the quiet of my own thoughts, and my doggies urgings to go roam the countryside!
And, to write. I have completed one article for BACKSTAGE ("To Teach or Not To Teach: Yeah, So..What's The Question?")
I had so much to say on the topic,that I even completed a second article last night and will send that one along so they can choose...of course, they may hate both...may decide I am not the writer they thought I may turn out to be from reading this blog...and they may reject both of my efforts..but , you know what? I had fun writing them anyway...and as soon as I know what's happening with either or both, I will reprint them here...or tell you all which issue of BACKSTAGE to buy and read...i don't know what the copy-right demands are in such a case as this....
In any event, I had tremendous fun writing both of them, and hope they do like them.
My decision to spend lots of time Upstate here at this House that Paul and Steve have made so beautiful has been a good decision. Both Peter and I know that once NYU begins, I will have little or no time to spend here, and that I love it up here so much, it would be shame to waste time I could have spent here, so I am here with his dear blessing, though we do miss each other every day...it makes it all that much better when he arrives on the Friday train...and the puppies are as glad to see him as I am..speaking of the puppies, they are in their glory heaven when they are here, since they have four fenced-in acres to go wild in, and they do just that!
All I do is let them out in the morning, and after testing the wetness of the dewy grass (Sally has always had a thing about being too delicate to walk on wet surfaces...) they both STREAK, and I do mean STREAK like little gusts of wind, across the back meadow and I don't see them again for 15 minutes, except for the occasional black feathery tail waving through the deep tall forest ferns, or a sleek streak of shiny sunlit brown fur speeding across the gaps in the Secret Garden hedges...they make me laugh....Cyrano, because of the earnest hunter persona he adopts,(Daniel Day Dachshund, indeed, in Last of the MoDachshunds). And Sally becomes the Indian Maiden! No terrain is too rough for her to adventure through, across and up...she becomes a different doggie up here....her true nature reveals itself and she is a wild and daring dog...................adorable!
A wonderful thing has begun to develop in my relationship to Ruth and Jerry Selman, my dear 80-something -year-old friends who live in an old-age home on 10th Aevnue and 46th Street! I have beens pending some volunteer time, (really, personal fun time) working with the small drama group Ruth started at the 46-10 Village, as it's called, (and so shall I from now on...I will refer to it as 46-10)...Ruth is indominable, a tiny powerhouse of creative energies, and smart as hell...her Montessori history, her good work with Peace movements and education I will elaborate on later, but for now, suffice it to say that she cannot sit still, and so she started this drama club...(she always has done theater in some form or other with kids...) and she asked me to come in one Tueaday night and work with them. She and Peggy Keating, a fabulous dame on a walker, had found some small one-acts, each with two characters, and had reprinted them for the various members of the group to read...well, I cast them, read through them, gave some advice and left them to start their club in their own way. And Ruth called to rave to me how my visit had energized them to the point that they all had become quite serious about the club and wanted to make it work well...could I please visit again? And I did. Last Tuesday, and helped them on the plays again, which they had actually been rehearsing! I was amazed at the good shape they were in! One , in particular, Ruth wanted me to pay attention to, called ANNIVERSARY, with Peggy and a retired singer from Village LIght Opera in NY named Warren, because they were to actually perform it at the 60th Anniversay Party for Ruth and Jerry that Friday! So, we worked, I gave copious notes, all of which they wrote down...and, according to Ruth (I decided to stay up here instead of go to their party....) the play was a total success, making then entire gathering laugh their guts out! And now, the performing bug has bitten them all in several more places and they are ready to rock and roll!!!
They want me to work with the group weekly, and have gone to the Social Director of 46-10, a woman whose profession it is to keep the residents happy, and they have asked her to put me on some sort of contract, to pay me to stay working with the group.....how fun! And since I enjoy working with them anyway, the money (whatever it is) will help get me to and from mid-town more easily. I shall be in touch with 46-10 soon and find out the deal. But I am so glad we are all having such a good time. Each member of the group so far is unique and worth writing about, and so I will write about them in coming blog entries....delightful people, of a certain age, ripe for new adventures and fulfilling laid-away dreams. I love their intelligence and passion.
I had better go email David S. at BACKSTAGE my 2nd article...entitled WHY I STARTED TEACHING (or, How It Suddenly Became Clear.....) I hope he likes my writing.
And, to write. I have completed one article for BACKSTAGE ("To Teach or Not To Teach: Yeah, So..What's The Question?")
I had so much to say on the topic,that I even completed a second article last night and will send that one along so they can choose...of course, they may hate both...may decide I am not the writer they thought I may turn out to be from reading this blog...and they may reject both of my efforts..but , you know what? I had fun writing them anyway...and as soon as I know what's happening with either or both, I will reprint them here...or tell you all which issue of BACKSTAGE to buy and read...i don't know what the copy-right demands are in such a case as this....
In any event, I had tremendous fun writing both of them, and hope they do like them.
My decision to spend lots of time Upstate here at this House that Paul and Steve have made so beautiful has been a good decision. Both Peter and I know that once NYU begins, I will have little or no time to spend here, and that I love it up here so much, it would be shame to waste time I could have spent here, so I am here with his dear blessing, though we do miss each other every day...it makes it all that much better when he arrives on the Friday train...and the puppies are as glad to see him as I am..speaking of the puppies, they are in their glory heaven when they are here, since they have four fenced-in acres to go wild in, and they do just that!
All I do is let them out in the morning, and after testing the wetness of the dewy grass (Sally has always had a thing about being too delicate to walk on wet surfaces...) they both STREAK, and I do mean STREAK like little gusts of wind, across the back meadow and I don't see them again for 15 minutes, except for the occasional black feathery tail waving through the deep tall forest ferns, or a sleek streak of shiny sunlit brown fur speeding across the gaps in the Secret Garden hedges...they make me laugh....Cyrano, because of the earnest hunter persona he adopts,(Daniel Day Dachshund, indeed, in Last of the MoDachshunds). And Sally becomes the Indian Maiden! No terrain is too rough for her to adventure through, across and up...she becomes a different doggie up here....her true nature reveals itself and she is a wild and daring dog...................adorable!
A wonderful thing has begun to develop in my relationship to Ruth and Jerry Selman, my dear 80-something -year-old friends who live in an old-age home on 10th Aevnue and 46th Street! I have beens pending some volunteer time, (really, personal fun time) working with the small drama group Ruth started at the 46-10 Village, as it's called, (and so shall I from now on...I will refer to it as 46-10)...Ruth is indominable, a tiny powerhouse of creative energies, and smart as hell...her Montessori history, her good work with Peace movements and education I will elaborate on later, but for now, suffice it to say that she cannot sit still, and so she started this drama club...(she always has done theater in some form or other with kids...) and she asked me to come in one Tueaday night and work with them. She and Peggy Keating, a fabulous dame on a walker, had found some small one-acts, each with two characters, and had reprinted them for the various members of the group to read...well, I cast them, read through them, gave some advice and left them to start their club in their own way. And Ruth called to rave to me how my visit had energized them to the point that they all had become quite serious about the club and wanted to make it work well...could I please visit again? And I did. Last Tuesday, and helped them on the plays again, which they had actually been rehearsing! I was amazed at the good shape they were in! One , in particular, Ruth wanted me to pay attention to, called ANNIVERSARY, with Peggy and a retired singer from Village LIght Opera in NY named Warren, because they were to actually perform it at the 60th Anniversay Party for Ruth and Jerry that Friday! So, we worked, I gave copious notes, all of which they wrote down...and, according to Ruth (I decided to stay up here instead of go to their party....) the play was a total success, making then entire gathering laugh their guts out! And now, the performing bug has bitten them all in several more places and they are ready to rock and roll!!!
They want me to work with the group weekly, and have gone to the Social Director of 46-10, a woman whose profession it is to keep the residents happy, and they have asked her to put me on some sort of contract, to pay me to stay working with the group.....how fun! And since I enjoy working with them anyway, the money (whatever it is) will help get me to and from mid-town more easily. I shall be in touch with 46-10 soon and find out the deal. But I am so glad we are all having such a good time. Each member of the group so far is unique and worth writing about, and so I will write about them in coming blog entries....delightful people, of a certain age, ripe for new adventures and fulfilling laid-away dreams. I love their intelligence and passion.
I had better go email David S. at BACKSTAGE my 2nd article...entitled WHY I STARTED TEACHING (or, How It Suddenly Became Clear.....) I hope he likes my writing.
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