Gorges and Prairies

I'm sitting in the Harvest Time Bistro in downtown Wadena, Minnesota, overhearing snippets of intriguing theological conversation while scarfing down a piece of Apple Bread pudding made entirely from ingredients grown locally here in the great state of MN.

I spent last weekend in Ithaca, NY with my Aunt Ruth, Uncle Bruce, cousins Roz and Arthur and Laura, and little, adorable Lucy.  Here's a pic of the waterfall at the end of their road:

It was great to be with family-- there's a real delight in being with people who are your people, who've known you since you were in diapers.  We had a great visit-- ate delicious food, went to a farmer's market, swam in the lake, picnicked outdoors, listened to some great Latin music at an outdoor venue, and even hiked Upper Treeman in the pouring rain.  The only real downer from the weekend was the drive back--I drove the four hour trip from Ithaca to the city in 6.5 hours, through flash floods. 

So I returned, sat down at my piano, and asked myself 'how best to move forward?'  The answer came back loud and clear-- 'Go see Jim.  Now. ' So I get on the internet, and find a really cheap fare to Minneapolis, and flew out Tuesday morning.

It was a good choice.  Fall is in the air here, bright and sunny with a fragrant, cool breeze.  I do three-a-day voice lessons with Jim and in between them go for a walk, or a bike ride, and maybe this afternoon I'll go jump in one of the 10,000 lakes.   The surrounding area provides plenty of beautiful scenery:

Quatro Na Bossa

Heard some fantastic bossanova music late last night at one of Lincoln Center's Jazz venues, Dizzy's Coca Cola.  Laura Ann Boyd from Quatro Na Bossa is good friends with my sister, and I had met her several times down in Richmond, but had never heard her do her thing until last night.

Fabulous!  For those of you who love this type of sound (a la 'Girl from Ipanima'-- Dana!!)  check them out at www.quatronabossa.com.  Great venue, great music, great night.  Unfortunately, crappy pictures.  Sorry.  Here's one of LA from her website...

Staycation Retreat

When I think of vacationing, I think of going to the beach with my family, or for a family reunion during the summer.  Vacationing with the Rices is one part lounging, one part boot-camp:  we wake up when we want to, we go to bed early or fall asleep to a movie, we lay on the beach (with copious amounts of sunscreen and large hats) reading books, we eat delicious food and have lots of snacks.  But we also swim, hike, bike, play tennis, beach volleyball, kayak, surf, snorkel and sail.  The older I get the more I realize that, although I am uniquely me, I do fit the pattern of my family to a T.

Take this week for instance.  It's the first week this summer that I haven't had to keep all guns blazing in relationship to my body and my voice.  I thought I'd go out and see some of the sights of the city.  I wandered off to see Roosevelt Island on Monday, but between the humidity and the heat, my brain stopped working and I literally couldn't figure out how to get to the darn Island.  Which is ridiculous because its not that difficult.  So, I went home and just decided to not worry about having an agenda for the week and letting myself do whatever I wanted.

I apparently want a Rice family vacation.  What have I been doing?  Running in the morning.  Swimming miles at night.  In between, sleeping, reading, eating delicious food, tanning, taking naps, going for leisurely walks nowhere in particular, avoiding the subway, and staying cool. 

I've also spent a ton of time praying this week, which honestly feels a bit decadent.   I've calculated it out, and it feels like I've been in forward motion for a year-- from the moment the great move of 2009 started, I don't think I've paused for much other than a quick breath.  This feels like the moment, so I'm taking it.  Staycation or retreat, it's a good week.

Principessa Pic

Thankful, Part III

Well, my summer projects are over.  I've got an email into the photographer of my two shows, and if he gets back to me I'll post the pics of me as Marcellina and me as La zia Principessa.  Yesterday's performance to a packed out, standing-room only crowd, was super-fun and I probably did the best singing and acting job I have done to date in that moment.  So fun to peak right when you need to.

My parents came in for the show, and my cousin Roz, joined.  After the show, my brother joined us and we all went out to dinner and then back to my place for dessert.  I'm thankful, again, for my family's unwavering love and support of me as I do this nuttiness.  And for their willingness to buy me wine after shows!

So, what next?  I have disciplined myself not to ask that question until today, the day after I've completed the project.  The answer for today, and probably for the week, is to go do all the things I wanted to do but didn't this summer in New York.  So, hopefully, there will be some tennis, some listening to music in parks, to wandering along the rivers, museums, beaches, street food, and some salsa dancing.  Anyone want to join?

Thankful, Part II

The last two to three days feel like what I always imagined a good conservatory experience would be...I'm learning a lot, I have supportive colleagues and amazing teachers.   I'm trying new things on to see what they feel like, and I get to watch everyone else work through and grow in their roles.  I'm getting a ton of encouragement and a ton of positive feedback, the most gratifying of which is  'You listen and change so quickly.  I can really see you working hard and changing up your game in response to feedback.  Very proud of you.'

Plus, my director wants me to look very Mad-Men knock-out for my role.  So nice to have two roles where I was supposed to be ugly and instead I get to look diva.  Downside:  have to shop for this role.

Fascinating, but not surprising to me that all this happy goodness is happening now that my daily mantra is, 'God, I've come to the end of myself.  Help me to die, so that You can live in me.  Help me to let go and just trust that You have me.'  And then I (try to) stop worrying and just go for it, calmly and intentionally.  So thankful.

Thankful

I'm sitting on my fire escape, drinking a glass of very cheap white wine, watching the sunset over the brownstones of Harlem.  I've had a tough-ish day, which really just means more than the usual battling of inner demons, but the tell-tale signs of PMS have appeared and so now I can write it off as that and move on. 

I went swimming this evening at the pool across the street from my house, a free outdoor double-Olympic size pool with friendly staff and surprisingly few people there.   During the five minute walk there, I called my parents to tell them I had a hard day, and then to say that I've had surprisingly few hard days for a girl who just moved across the country, and so we put it in perspective.  My dad also suggested that it might be that I'm coming to the end of what I know-- my last role will be over in 10 days, and so maybe I'm getting anxious.  I got to the pool,  put in a mile, my second this week, pulled myself out, dried myself off and walked home while watching the clouds turn orange, feeling serene, at peace and cozy here in Harlem.  On the way home I checked my phone, with a message from a director, asking for my availability for the rest of August.  A little gift to me.

Sitting on my stoop I feel tiny and inconsequential.  I can see millions of apartments lighting up in the evening to the west of me, with cathedral spires pushing up like beacons over the city.  I'm thankful for the work of the day, thankful to be alive, thankful to be able to experience this life, a tremendous gift. 

Long Time, No Post

I confess I haven't posted in so long that I feel like scrapping the blog.

What to say?

I'm in rehearsals for Suor Angelica, where I've been given a peach of a role, and I really enjoy singing it, unlike the last role I had, which kind of drove me nuts.  The performance, by the way, went well.  I got through on my ability to act and be comic, however, and not on my singing.  And everyone told me I looked hot (which is hilarious, because the character I was playing was supposed to be old, ugly and mean.  They re-characterized it and just made me over-the-top self important with a hint of snarling contempt.  I'm grateful-- who wants to be old, ugly and mean?  And who knew I could get away with murdering Italian because I'm considered operatic eye candy?)

I had an amazing singing experience yesterday.  We did a musical rehearsal for Suor Angelica and it ends with the entire cast, sans me, singing a huge, loud, exquisitely beautiful Requiem type piece.  Over 40 well trained operatic voices pouring out sound in a smallish room-- it was an incredible sonic overload.  I started giggling half way into it.  Uncontrollable laughter, in my opinion, is an extremely appropriate reaction to being overloaded by beauty. 

I'm learning a lot about focus and practice, but I'm also practicing how to get out of my head and go for it.  I'm also learning how, in the words of my friend LL, in coming to the end of myself and what I can do, to actively die, so that God's strength can be glorified in my weakness.  Vague statement, I know. Still trying to get my head around it.