Happy "Like A Father's" Day

Two days ago America celebrated Father's Day, the day children give their dad  homemade cards and ties, and Mom gets him what he really wants, power tools and barbecue grills. My kids don't really do much on Father's Day. Their dad was not a daily presence in their life growing up as he left when they were 2 and 5. This post is about honoring people who have been their "Dads" as they've grown and through different stages of their life. Back in 1998 when we found ourselves a family of 3 instead of 4, we had no choice but to move in with my parents. Luckily they had a large enough home to accommodate us with out too much adjustment. I had planned when I had children to be a stay-at-home Mom, but, now, finding myself single, I had to get a job. I was adamant about not putting my 2 year old in Daycare. For one reason, I could not afford it, but I wanted them to be with me, and if not, the person needed to be a close friend or family member. My dad stepped up to the plate. He took on fatherhood a third time to give my girls a "Daddy" on a daily basis! They both had a wonderful relationship with him, and I know he adored them both. He picked them up from school and preschool, and he was there in the afternoon sitting on the porch when they got off the bus until COPD did not allow him to sit outside. He died in 2007 when they were 11 and 14, and I know it was as if they had lost their own father not just their grandfather. I am so grateful they were able to get to know him and spend precious time with him. Happy Father's Day Papa!
Both of my girls went to a very small elementary school in Henrico County called Pemberton. John Harding was the principal there for most of Leah's years and all of Georgi's. He was a wonderful mentor to my girls, and he was hugely supportive of their performing talents. He was a constant source of encouragement for them all through their grade school years. I am sure that his confidence in them at such early stages of singing and acting helped shape their love of the Arts all through their secondary school and now college careers. Happy Father's Day, Mr. Harding!
In 2004, we joined Derbyshire Baptist Church. I had been invited by a co-worker to her church because she knew I loved to sing, and her church had a wonderful music program. My girls and I were looking for a church. We visited one Sunday. I was very impressed with everything but especially the music. After the service, the minister of music, David Schwoebel, sought me out to speak to me. He was more than friendly and welcoming, but he did something I had never seen before, and that one thing made me decide right then and there that this was the church I was going to make my church. We had visited other churches, and quite frankly, some jumped on us, and by us, I mean me,  like we were porterhouse steaks that had been thrown into a lion's den, vying for that next family to grow their numbers. Not only did David Schwoebel make me feel like a person and not a number, he made a point to speak to both of my girls standing beside me, who were 9 and 12 at the time. He obviously thought they were important too. He asked them questions treating them, as anyone should, like they were part of the decision making process. He has supported them through all of their years at Derbyshire as they have sung in his children's, IMAGE Youth and Jubilate College choirs. He has attended their school plays and offered countless assistance with projects for school, or practice for an audition, or playing parts for Honors Choir or Quartet practice, all out of the goodness of his heart in his spare time, which for David Schwoebel, is a rare commodity. My oldest has said more than once that when it came time for her to get married, she could see Mr. Schwoebel walking her down the aisle. He has been a great resource for our family, but more than that he has been a great friend! Happy Father's Day, Mr. Schwoebel!
These three men all had their own families, but they took the time to be an important influence in my girls' lives. They and I are richer because we have known them, and they deserve to be celebrated!

My "Son" is Going to Be a Star

About 9 years ago I saw a young man who was very talented. He had just graduated from Freeman High School, and I had seen him perform in 2 different musicals, and I was very impressed. In the summer of 2007 I was cast in "Bye, Bye Birdie" with him, and we spent the summer rehearsing and performing. A year after that we did a show called "Breakfast With Les and Bess," and I had the opportunity to really get to know him. Doing theatre for the past 41 years I have had many occasions to meet and share the stage with young people. In fact several young people I have worked with call me Mama Terri. I feel like they are all my children. This young man is no different. I feel as if he is my adopted son. Shortly after our last show he set out for California to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) I followed his progress through facebook as he landed modeling jobs, and Youtube series, and films. He has been tenacious, and he has been working very hard to make his dream come true. I am over the moon excited for him as the announcement was made today that he will be playing a starring role on General Hospital. He may not remember this, but I do. We were sitting in my living room one night talking, and he was sharing his apprehension about moving to California and getting into the "business" I told him that he needed to stay true to himself, and be the man he is. Choices are his to make. We all have the choice no matter the circumstance to pick right from wrong. He obviously has made the right choices to lead him to this point, and I am so proud! Stay true to you, Rob, and we'll be watching!

2007 Bye, Bye Birdie Cast Party

It's Not My Birthday, But I Got the Gift

Today is my mother's 76th birthday. This will be the best birthday to celebrate for me in a long time because for many years my mother has not felt well enough to do anything and certainly not celebrate. My mother has had lots of health issues through my 51 years, but in  recent years, mostly since my father passed in 2007, my mother's health has worsened. Some of her health problems are painful, and so doctors have prescribed very strong pain medication to "help" Percocet, Oxycodone and Morphine, to name a few. Over time those pills stopped helping and became the problem. I cannot remember the last time that my mother felt good. Most days in the past years, if I called her, she would answer sounding like death was near. There were several times that I or my girls were with her where she could barely keep her eyes open, and she would fall bruising herself terribly and not remember any of it. All of these circumstances piled on each other until she was visiting the hospital ER what seemed like every other week. Now, I am not saying that my mother was not in pain or that she was not sick, she was, but I knew that a good portion of that sickness, the shortness of breath, the stomach pain, was being caused or at the very least being made worse by the pain meds. What were we going to do? It is very hard to help someone dependent on prescription medication because the body needs it. Our family was at the end of our rope, and being one who is always honest and never one to hide my feelings, I stopped spending time with my mother. I hardly saw her. But something happened a little more than a month ago that has changed my life, her life, all of our lives. She took another trip to the ER, but she was admitted for bleeding ulcers. My sister and I discussed with the doctor if she would be able to go to physical rehab after discharge from the hospital. At 75, certainly not old in this day and age, she could barely walk, and she was always falling. The doctor agreed, and she went from the hospital to Beth Shalom to begin her rehab. The bonus was her meds were also being regulated and pain meds, other than Ibuprofen, were non-existent. It was hard at first. She didn't want to stay, but she stuck it out. She was there for almost a month, and the week after Mother's Day we took her back to her apartment. I cannot believe the difference in her. She looks healthy, she is upbeat and positive, and she can walk normally. My youngest has committed to seeing her every morning to help with her meds. I am trying to see her as much as I can, not because I feel I have to, but because I want to!
Today is my mother's birthday, but I have been given the gift. I have my mother back, and I cannot express how happy that makes me! Happy Birthday, Mommy! I feel like your little girl again, and it's a good feeling!

Ode to Chipotle

It's spicy! It's addictive! It's fresh, and today it was FREE! I discovered Chipotle about 3 years ago. A friend asked if I'd like to go there after we had seen a show together. I have to admit I was afraid of the spicy factor. I like a little spice, but I'm definitely a mild salsa kind of gal. I ordered the steak tacos. Yummy! A little spicy, but really tasty. I didn't go back very often, because, let's face it, I'm getting older, and my body doesn't love spicy but every so often. Now, let me say right now that I am not a bean lover, legumes to be specific. I don't eat limas or navy beans or baked beans or black-eyed peas or black beans or pinto beans, and refried beans? FORGET IT! So imagine my horror when I was at a rehearsal for a show and dinner was being provided from Chipotle, and it was Burritos! All I could think was BEANS!!!!, but I was hungry so I graciously took one and ate it. First of all if you've never had a Chipotle burrito, they could feed a small village. It's huge and stuffed to the max with rice, beans, meat, lettuce, cheese, pico de gallo, and sour cream. To my astonishment, I really liked it, and don't tell my daughter, but I couldn't even taste the beans. The other thing is that anyone who knows me knows that I don't eat food together. I eat one thing at a time, and usually in separate bowls, so mixing all of those things together and wrapping them in a tortilla was a real stretch for my palate. Don't think that I did a complete 360 the next time I went to Chipotle, I still didn't choose the beans, but they have this thing called a burrito bowl. It's pretty much everything that's in a burrito without the tortilla, burrito innards, so to speak. I ordered the burrito bowl with white rice, NO BEANS :), steak, mild salsa (which is really the freshest, most delicious pico de gallo you will ever taste) sour cream and cheese. My taste buds were doing the happy dance! Chipotle became my go to "fast food" place, although you can't really call it fast food, eventhough they are very quick in serving you, and you do go through a line, but it is FRESH, like cooking all the meat on a huge grill right behind the serving line FRESH. If you haven't guessed by now, I love Chipotle, so I was thrilled when my oldest gave me a gift card for Mother's Day. Pay day isn't until Friday, so I am a little low on funds at the moment, so today I was going to use my gift card to get lunch. I left to go to the brand new Chipotle that is the closest to my work. When I pulled into the parking lot I noticed that there was a man standing at the front door speaking to people as they came in and opening the door for them. I thought, WOW! talk about customer service! but then I noticed a sign on the door that said that the store would not be open until tomorrow. I was disappointed, but I thought I'd get out and ask anyway. I mean, other people were going in. As I got out of the car I said, "You're not opening until tomorrow?" He said, "You can come in." So in I went and got on line. I was greeted by a wonderful smile and very upbeat server asking me what I would like. Each server on the line was just as friendly and courteous. As I got to the cashier and she rang up my order, steak burrito bowl, chips, side of mild salsa and a large drink, she said $12.30. I started to hand her my gift card, and then she threw up her hands and said, "It's mock day! Everything is FREE!" I was thrilled, and so was everyone in the restaurant. As I filled up my drink cup at the fountain, two other ladies and I discussed how the experience made us feel. The one lady told me as she was leaving to have a great day. I was smiling from ear to ear as I got in my car. Today, Chipotle not only nourished my body, but my soul as well! Something I sorely needed today! Bravo Chipotle! Keep up the good work!

♪♫ And All That Jazz ♫♪

I was around 12 or 13 years old when I purchased an 8-track, yes, you read that right, an 8-track of the original Broadway cast recording of Chicago. From the first wails of the muted trumpet followed by 5,6,7,8, I was enthralled, I listened to it over and over again until I knew every word to every song, even the "bad" words. :-O I would go up to my bedroom, close the door and perform every number, complete with my own choreography. As much as I loved the show, I never saw the play. I did see the film when it came out in 2002, but it wasn't the same. I enjoyed it and all, but it didn't meet my expectation after years of listening to Jerry Orbach, Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera singing my favorites, Razzle Dazzle, Roxie and, of course, All That Jazz.
Tonight, because of the generosity of a dear friend, I was given tickets to the opening night of the national tour of Chicago at the beautiful Altria Theater, and my oldest daughter and I ventured out on our night at the Theater. I was really excited, but a little apprehensive too as a lot of touring shows I have seen have ended up disappointing me. This one didn't! I loved it! This particular production was done with the original Bob Fosse choreography, and his unmistakable style just makes me happy, the bowlers and the stylized movements....ahhh...genius! And what a kick ass cast! The ensemble looked like an ad for some home exercising machine. All I can say is the human body, male or female, is a beautiful thing! I know being on the road has got to be hard, but you would never know it looking at this cast's performance, high energy and vocally, spot on! I had a hard time not singing along. Now, I wonder how much the soundtrack will cost on iTunes.

Whaddya Say?

Many years ago I was going through a particularly rough and stressful time in my life. My marriage was falling apart, but I had to keep it a secret. I had to go on as if nothing was wrong, and pretend I was happily married. The extreme stress of the situation manifested itself physically with me in the form of what I now know to be atypical migraines. I didn't know what they were when they happened. These atypical migraines manifested themselves in three different ways. When the first one happened I was really scared. I got up from the table after working at the computer all afternoon, and one side of my body was numb. I thought I was having a stroke. A trip to the ER, and a negative CAT scan later, and I  knew that I hadn't had a stroke but no explanation of the numbness. The second symptom I had was a sort of block vision. I would look ahead of me, and the horizon would build from the ground up in pixilated blocks. The third, to me, was the most terrifying. I was trying to speak, and my brain knew what I wanted to say, but when the words finally came out of my mouth, they were gibberish. It only lasted a short time, but I had no idea what was happening to me. I thought I had a brain tumor. I saw a neurologist, had an MRI and was eventually diagnosed with atypical migraines. The last symptom I described is a type of aphasia, and is very common in stroke victims. This brings me to the inspiration for this post. 

Back in July of 2010 I had the great fortune to be cast in a workshop production of a show called Company of Angels. Also cast in the show was an incredible young man named Jason Campbell. He was playing an angel named Robert who was trying to earn his wings, and his character talked incessantly and his lines came out like rapid fire. I had never worked with Jason before, but I soon fell in love with him as an actor and person. Early in 2014 Jason was on stage in a production of "Life Could Be a Dream" at Swift Creek Mill Theater when other cast members started to realize that something was wrong. Something was very wrong! Jason was having a stroke. We never think of young, vibrant people having strokes. Strokes are something  that 70 + people have. Jason was taken to the hospital and started a long road to recovery. In less than a year Jason has made incredible progress. To look at him, you would never know the trauma he has faced. It is only when Jason tries to speak to you that you see the one thing from the stroke that has not left him, aphasia. Very shortly after Jason came home from the hospital, my daughter and I went to visit him. He had very few words to say and the few words that did come out didn't seem to match the questions we had asked. Jason makes his living as a theatre teacher and actor. Aphasia makes that close to impossible. Because of some very giving people, Jason had the opportunity to go to the Aphasia Center in Florida. Through intensive treatment he has improved immensely from those first days. Everyday Jason posts a video announcing the date of the current day, and some thought to carry us through. Most days it is funny and very entertaining, but most of all it is inspiring. I dealt with aphasia for minutes, and it was incredibly frustrating and scary. Jason has been dealing with it for months. Not long ago Jason posted a video entitled "Honesty"  Click on  the link and please watch. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10102297151427176&set=vb.25503273&type=2&theater 

I would have wanted to give up long ago, yet he presses on, never giving up, working tirelessly to do something we take for granted. Jason Campbell you are a hero to more people than you know. You can achieve the impossible, you already have! If you would like to contribute to help Jason continue at the Aphasia Center, please click on this link. http://www.gofundme.com/7odo30

I Hope You Have One Just Like You

Have you ever heard these words uttered by a parent to their child in frustration after the child has done something less than stellar, "I hope you have one just like you?" The parent usually means it as a sort of jinx as in I hope one day you'll know just how I feel today with your own kid. Well, I don't remember if that was ever said to me by my parents. It probably was because God knows I did some majorly frustrating things when I was little, but if they did, thank the Lord it came true. In so many ways, my baby, Georgi, is just like me. We are both stubborn. We are both very independent. We both like to cook. In so many other ways she is totally her own person, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Georgi wasn't really planned, not in the sense of exact timing. I had had one baby who had just turned 2 in September, and her father and I had decided that we would stop using birth control, and if it so happened that we got pregnant, it was meant for us to have a second child. I was playing the Ugly Duckling's Mother in a children's show the following May, and I found out I was expecting another baby. As with my first pregnancy, I didn't want to know what I was having, so the following February, in the blizzard of 1996, I traveled early one Thursday morning on February 1st to have my scheduled C-section, something my doctor and I had decided after complications with my first pregnancy. At 8:16 am, my OB announced in the surgical suite, "Indoor plumbing!," another little girl. I was very happy!
So many things have happened in the last 19 years, and I have shared stories before in this blog. My little snow angel baby is now a college girl, and I am so proud of all she is doing! I never worry about her! I totally trust her! How many moms say that about their 19 year olds? In so many ways she is all grown up, but in other ways she's still my little girl. She still calls me Mommy sometimes, and it's hard to let go of that tiny munchkin who drew on the wall with marker, but what an amazing friend I have gained! Happy Birthday, sweet girl! It's your birthday, but I'm the one who got the present.