I is for "I Do! I Do!"

I am thankful that PKR and I get to perform in the two person musical "I Do! I Do!" in January at the Sixth Street Theater.

I am thankful that we get the opportunity to use our love of performing to help people in the Silver Valley.

We have chosen three different Silver Valley charities to donate some of the proceeds to from the performances.

Below is a letter from our board president, Vern Hanson, about how people can help become royalty sponsors for the show, so we have more money to donate to charities.

November 2009

Dear Sixth Street Fans—

In January, we will be presenting a two person musical titled “I Do! I Do!”. This show is special and unique because it will give our theater an opportunity to give back to the community by donating part of each weekend’s proceeds to three different Silver Valley Charities, The Shoshone Community Health Clinic, Meals on Wheels and The Women’s Resource Center.

Because we would like to donate a majority of our proceeds to the charities, we would like royalty sponsors to cover the cost of presenting the show each performance. It costs $140 in royalty fees to present “I Do! I Do!” each night. Would you be willing to help cover the cost of one night’s royalty payment, or a partial royalty payment, in order to help us give more back to our community?

“I Do! I Do!” is a musical about a marriage, and the many events happening as a married couple. The show features husband and wife team Paul and Carol Roberts. It will be directed by Carrie Stuart-Parks, and the music will be under the direction of Joy Persoon.

We hope you take this opportunity to help us with this endeavor by becoming a royalty sponsor for this production. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Vern Hanson, Sixth Street Theater Board President

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I would be willing to donate: _____$25 _____$50 _____$100

Full Royalty Sponsorship _____$140

Please make checks to Sixth Street Theater and drop your check at the ticket desk, or mail donation to:

Sixth Street Theater, Box 1243, Wallace, Idaho 83873

(PLEASE INDICATE ROYALTY PAYMENT ON THE SUBJECT LINE)

What a wonderful opportunity to give back to our precious Silver Valley community. I am thankful for this opportunity!!

H is for History

I am thankful for learning about History.

Various kinds of history.

Such as local Silver Valley history.

Since moving back here in 2000, I have become fascinated with the local history of this area. I think what really got me going on the history is realizing what a relatively "young" area this is when I think that Noah Kellogg discovered the Bunker Hill mine in 1885, and my Dad was born in Wardner in 1930, only 40 years after the Bunker Hill mine was discovered. I think I was blown away when I made this discovery.

I also like learning about the history of our country. Traveling to Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, and seeing some of the historical sites really helps you appreciate the sacrifice people made for our country.

Today in our Adult Sunday School class, we are starting a series on the history of the Christian Church, and how the church was influenced by culture throughout the ages. It begins with the Roman Age, then today we talked about The Middle Ages. We will then go into the following times:

The Renaissance, The Reformation, The Revolutionary Age, The Scientific Age, The Age of Non-Reason, The Age of Fragmentation, then the Age of Personal Peace and Affluence.

It will be interesting to see what we learn from these lessons.

Vandal Football Memories

Raymond Pert gave us this Sibling Assignment:


The surprising, shocking, soaring Idaho Vandals are off to a 7-2 start and, for me, it stirs memories of Vandal football in the late 60's through the early 80's.

How about you? Do you have a story to tell about a particular Vandal game and what happened that is memorable to you, either on or off the field?

Write it!

Soon IEG and Raymond Pert will have their posts here and here.

As I have written in the past, football has never really been my game. I never really understood, so have never grown to really appreciate and enjoy watching the sport.

But there are some moments during my college years at U of I that I do remember some things about the college football experience.

I was in the U of I Marching Band my freshman and sophomore years, which pretty much forced me to attend the U of I football games those two years.

Unfortunately, many of my memories involve a particular song we played during halftime (such as Ravel's Bolero), or reminders of the musty smelling Kibbie Dome when they were having roof problems, and you would get dripped on while practicing Marching Band in the Kibbie Dome.

As a sophomore in the U of I Marching Band, an exciting part was traveling to Seattle and getting to march at a Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburg Steelers football game. I still remember being only feet from Jim Zorn, and watching Mean Joe Green and Terry Bradshaw jog around the field before the game began. That was pretty exciting.

Another Vandal Football rememberance was sitting with PKR at one of the games, and having him try ( a big emphasis on TRY) to explain to me the nuances of the game. He would tell me what play was about the happen, tell me to watch certain players, and he could predict where they would be going (how could he do that?), but he might as well have been explaining some mathematical theory to me. I was totally clueless.

But the Vandals did have a successful year in 1982, and I remember because they played Eastern Kentucky, and their quarterback's name was Tuck Woolum. He must be some relation, because Woolum isn't the most common name on the planet. So I do remember that little piece of Vandal trivia.

I really haven't been that interested in Vandal football since college, until they started winning this year. I may even take some time to follow the BSU/Vandal game next weekend. What I wouldn't do to have the Vandals beat the Broncos.

Now that would be sweet!!

Finding God's Country Everywhere I've Lived

Time to get caught up on Sibling Assignments. A couple of weeks ago, IEG gave us this assignment:

"What do you consider 'God's Country' and why?"

Raymond Pert's is here and IEG's here.

I am glad I have lived a few different places in this great country of ours, and have managed to consider each place God's Country.

My first 18 years were spent living in the Silver Valley of northern Idaho. The Silver Valley from 1963-1981 was a lot different looking than the one of right now, but it was my home, and beautiful just the same.



Even though Kellogg's hillsides were bare of trees, living in Kellogg was a wonderful experience, and I'm glad I grew up here. You felt safe. People looked out for one another. You started kindergarten with about 25 kids, and most of them graduated from high school with you. You established traditions. And, I didn't know much else besides living in Kellogg. We didn't venture far from the valley while I was growing up. Sometimes to Spokane, and a once a summer trip to Orofino. Other than that, we stayed in Kellogg. Even traveling 15 miles to Wallace was a big deal to my folks.

But I longed for adventure. I liked going new places, and seeing new things.



My second home was in Moscow, Idaho, while I attended the University of Idaho. The beautiful rolling hills of the Palouse, and the U of I campus had a beauty all their own. The years at college were foundational as I grew closer in my relationship with God, and trying to figure out who I was, which really made it God's Country for me.


One summer, I lived in California. I worked at the International Headquarters for Campus Crusade for Christ, and lived at Arrowhead Springs, and worked in San Bernadino. This again was God's Country, because of the work I did, helping spread the "Good News" in all that I did that summer. I found beauty in the desert, in crowded Los Angeles, and Disneyland. I found God everywhere that summer, and again grew closer to Him. I also realized that summer that I loved PKR, and he was the man I wanted to marry and spend the rest of my life with. I attended the 1984 Summer Olympics that while in Los Angeles, and enjoyed watching the USA Basketball team play (Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, among others). I still keep in touch with some of the people I lived with that summer.

After college, my first job was in Glendive, Montana. My dad always said Glendive wasn't the end of the world, but you could see it from there. I lived in Glendive from 1985 to 1991. While we lived there, eastern Montana was experiencing a drought. This is a problem when the type of farming you did was dry land farming...no irrigation.

But you found a tough and genuine breed of people in Eastern Montana. Those farmers and ranchers taught us plenty about trusting and having faith in God and many of the things we learned in the Glendive's Evangelical Church of North America have been the foundation for our Christian faith throughout the years.

One area that really grew on us while living in Glendive, and we came to appreciate were the "Badlands", and Makoshika State Park, located in Glendive. It had a very particular beauty all its' own, and we absolutely loved it.
After Montana, we moved to Meridian, Idaho, outside of Boise. The Treasure Valley again brought us growth in our relationship with God. We grew a lot in our faith and trust and understanding of God, and learned alot while in Meridian. But then, it was time to return to my roots.

In 2000, we returned to Kellogg. And the Kellogg of 2000 looked much different from the Kellogg of 1981, when I had lived here permanently that last time. The hills were now filled with the trees that were planted on the hillsides while I was in high school. The wetlands were emerging. There was no more smelter smoke. But God was still here, and that is because the spirit of the people remained the same. I still had many connections to people in this valley, and this is where a part of my heart and soul had remained all these years. And now I continue to enjoy life here in God's Country, the Silver Valley, the place I have always considered home.

G is for Garden

I love having a yard where I can plant beautiful plants and flowers and enjoy them year round.

There is something so real about getting your hands plunged into the earth, and planting seeds or bulbs.



And the accomplishment when those seeds sprout and become plants, and provide food, or beautful flowers to enjoy.

I am so thankful for my garden.

Gardening for me is one of my creative outlets. It is fun to see how I can arrange plants and flowers to be appealing to the eyes.

It is also therapy. I love spending time alone in the garden, planting, weeding, harvesting, and letting my mind wander and thinking of all kinds of things.


Gardening allows me to pray. There is an old hymn titled "In the Garden". It was actually one of my Grandma West's favorite hymns. (I was fortunate to inheritate the "gardening gene" from both of my wonderful grandmothers).

The words of the hymn go like this:

In The Garden

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The son of God discloses

And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet that the birds hush their singing
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing

And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

I found a video of Brad Paisley singing this song. It is a beautiful rendition. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

F is for Friendship

Here I am with my best friend from college at our reunion last summer.

I am very thankful for the friends in my life.

Today I had a lunch date with a friend, and we spent four hours catching up.

Another friend has been trying to call me for about a week to talk, but we can't seem to connect. But I know soon we will talk.

Some I gather together with once a month to talk about books.

Some I see only when I visit them in their hometown.

I have different levels of friends, but each are important to me.

Sometimes I seclude myself from my friends. I don't really mean to, but I do. But I realize that isn't a good thing. I need my friends. They have been put into my life for a variety of reasons.

I am so thankful for my friends.

E is for Early

I love being up early in the morning, when the house is quiet, and I can just sit and think and meditate. I am thankful for this quiet time in the morning.

I am usually an early riser. I get up around 5:15 a.m. to be ready for my walk with NR every morning.

I like that time, when there is a hush over the house, the dogs and cats are curled up sleeping somewhere in my vicinity, and I can read the paper, read the Bible, pray and start out my day.

I like making a cup of my double bergamot earl grey tea in the mornings, with a little bit of honey, and relax and start my day off on a good note.

Some days don't allow this early morning luxury. I have a meeting, or have to be out the door earlier than expected. But the days I can have that quiet time, it is what I need to start my day off right.

²¹ Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

²² Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

²³ They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

²⁴ I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."

²⁵ The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;

²⁶ it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.

Lamentations 3: 21-26

D is for Dancing

I love to move and dance.

I'm not that great at it, but it is fun.

I've always liked to move around. And I'm thankful I have the ability to move and sway to the music, and find enjoyment responding to music, whether jumping up and down, or swaying gently back and forth.

I would really like to learn some ballroom type dancing sometime. Both PKR and I would.

The closest we ever came to something like that was the night we were in the "Dancing With The Stars" competition at Kellogg Middle School....doing our attempt at disco dancing from "Saturday Night Fever".



In college, I took a square dancing class, and really enjoyed it. I also learned to do some Western Swing dancing.

One of the greatest images I have about dancing is from a song titled "I Can Only Imagine" by Mercy Me. It is a wonderful picture of what Heaven will possibly be like, and how we will respond to being in the presence of God, and what our response will be....perhaps we will continually dance.

C is for Comedy

I am thankful for the laughter and escape comedy brings.

I love to make people laugh by being a comedic actress on stage.

I think back to the influences on what I thought was funny growing up, and we were so fortunate to have such wonderful women comediennes to get inspiration from, particularly from the 1970's.

I was fortunate to be able to watch really good situation comedies back then. I find very little humor in American sit coms found today on network television. I have found a couple Canadian comedies I enjoy, but, to me, the network sit coms have a lot to be desired. I just don't find sexual humor and put downs that funny.

But I did enjoy these shows growing up. Some were sit coms, some were variety, and some were sit coms, but had some serious drama thrown in as well.

Enjoy a trip down memory lane with me, as I revisit my comedic roots.

All in the Family


The mary tyler moore show

The Carol Burnett show

The Bob Newhart Show


MASH

The odd Couple

B is for Books

I love books.

I love to read books.

I love to read all kinds of books.

I love being a part of a book group that reads the same book, then shares about the book with each other.

I love the feel of a book in my hands as I turn the pages.

I love the smell of old books.

I love the sound of pages turning as I'm reading a book.

I love to touch the cover of a hardback book.

People ask me about using an "e-reader" like Amazon's Kindle to read books.

To me, it just wouldn't be the same. Reading to me isn't just about the words. It is the whole sensory experience of reading a book.

I love books, and am very thankful I have them to read.

Here is the book I am currently reading.
I love books!!!

A is for Apples

This month is National Blog Posting Month, and the goal is to have 30 posts in 30 days. I decided to have a theme this year for my posts, and so I am going to go through the alphabet for the first 26 days, and write something I am thankful for, using the letters of the alphabet to come up with a word each day. The last four days will be wild cards.

Today, I am thankful for apples. This year, an abundance of apples have got me back into canning, and finding the absolutely delicious recipe for Spicy Apple Chutney, and Apple Pie Filling. It is helping me get back into doing things I love, such as canning and baking.

We are Hoppin' On Halloween!!!

Tonight, Z2 is handing out candy to our little trick or treaters. She has been looking forward to this all year, and wasn't sure if she was going to be able to do it.

She woke up early and got on the bus to go to Moscow for the U of I Homecoming. She marched in the parade with the KHS Marching Band, then played right before the game. Then PKR went and got her so she could come back for the rest of the evening's festivities. Too bad she didn't stay for the whole game. I would have loved to have been there to see my Vandals come from behind and win 35-34 today.

Then The Princess drove Kiki Aru and her friend CS to the NIC Volleyball game this afternoon. PKR picked them up after the volleyball game, and brought them back. Kiki Aru and cousin KR are out trick or treating right now.




The Princess is adding to the Halloween atmosphere by watching "Twilight Zone" episodes on the television.

Once everyone returns, we are all heading back to Coeur d'Alene to Arrowpoint to spend the night with PKR's brother's family. They are up here watching the Idaho State Volleyball tournament.

So, yes, this is one hoppin' Halloween!!!

Dracula

SHAWN GUST/Press
David Carey plays the part of Renfield during a dress rehearsal of the Lake City Playhouse's production of Dracula.

Tonight we went and saw the Lake City Playhouse production of "Dracula". It was very interesting and a good production.

We went because one of PKR's former drama students was in it. David Carey played the character of Renfield, and it was a part written just for him. He did a marvelous job, being just creepy enough, but not too over the top. It was exciting to see him do so well, and we were very proud!!

Here is an article about the production if you want more information.

It is interesting attending a serious play, because often the audience doesn't know how to react. Often there was laughing when there shouldn't have been, because audiences aren't used to serious drama, and aren't sure what their response should be. It was very interesting.

If you want to see a great production of "Dracula" go see this production. Some of the characters were a bit weak, but over all, it was a well done production.

In a Hitchcock Film?

Have you ever felt you were in the midst of a Alfred Hitchcock film?

Today I was sitting in my living room, doing some work on the computer, and I heard an odd noise, but didn't really pay that much attention. Then, all of a sudden, something outside caught my attention, and, looking outside on our front lawn, our front lawn was covered with birds.

Now, these pictures do not do the scene justice. By the time I grabbed the camera, some of the birds had flown off.

Our cat Benjamin seemed to be very intent on keeping an eye on the feathered fellows.

It was a bit eerie.

Is anyone able to tell me what kind of birds these are, because I have no idea.

It made me thing of Hitchcock's film "The Birds". I think it was one of the first Hitchcock movies I ever saw. And this is the scene that has stuck with me from that first viewing, probably when I was in early grade school.

Here We Sit--A Comedy About Theater

Vern Hanson, far right, has theater audience members Ken Bartle, Chad Carlson, Tiffany Carney, Dee Glicrease, Jason Gilcrease, Kimara Eisler, Aimee Kinsey and Zack Whifield doing “research” during one of the scenes in the Sixth Street Theater ‘s production “Here We Sit”. This comedy about the theater experience opens Friday, November 6, and runs Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through November 22. Tickets are on sale now by calling the theater at 752-8871.

Sixth Street Theater Rehearses for Upcoming Comedy About Theater

WALLACE—There is a lot more to the theater experience than is seen on the stage.

And most of it is pretty hilarious.

The Sixth Street Theater’s upcoming production “Here We Sit” will give you a glimpse into the life of the theater. Using a variety of different scenes to portray different aspects of the theater experience, this production shows scenes such as a director melting down at rehearsal, an actress melting down during a performance, an audience member demanding to be an audience of one after driving through a snow storm to see the play, and the trials and tribulations of two old ladies attending the theater.

The production is directed by Joy Persoon, and the cast includes Sixth Street veteran’s Ken Bartle, Cheri Bartle, Shelley Hodgdon, Vern Hanson, Carol Roberts, Kimara Eisler, Tiffany Carney, Cindy Bachman, Aimee Kinsey, Zack Whitfield and David Walter.

New comers joining the cast include Chad Carlson, Dee Gilcrease, Jason Gilcrease, and Amber Crystal-Rose Hansen.

This play is for mature audiences only, and is not recommended for children under 14 years of age.

The play opens Friday, November 6 at 7 p.m., with theater goers invited to a special Opening Night party at 6 p.m. complete with refreshments.

Other evening performances will be on November 7, 13, 14, 20, and 21, with matinee performances at 2 p.m. on November 8, 15, 21 and 22.

For reservations call 752-8871, or 1-877-SIXTHST. Tickets are $15 for adults, and $13 for students and seniors. Tickets must be paid in advance or held with a credit card.

The Sixth Street Theater is located at 212 Sixth Street, in Wallace. For more information, visit the website at www.sixthstreetmelodrama.com.