For a Laugh!

Oh my goodness! This picture was in the Mt Vernon Gazette, our local newspaper in Alexandria. If you google Mt Vernon Gazette and click on the first link it will take you to this lovely picture. TONGUE IN CHEEK!

I'm in Texas now for Thanksgiving, hoping to see as many relatives as possible. Sam arrives tomorrow and I can hardly wait. I will blog more later. But I couldn't resist shairng this hee-haw picture with you!

Moving toward Thanksgiving!!

They found Sam's open briefcase and thought it would be the purrfect place for a catnap!

Sleepy kittens, but boy, oh boy, do they love togetherness!

Cast posing on opening night!

Getting hair and make-up on opening night....no nerves here!

Here is Oriella playing with pocahontas in the paper that comes in the packing material from Longaberger. They love it. Why did I buy all those toys??

WOW, how time flies when you're having fun, or when you are so busy you don't even know what day it is! So Sam tells me today that the day is Thursday and that in one week we will be eating Tom's turkey around the big table with family in Texas. I can hardly wait. I haven't seen my newest beautiful Great Niece and since her grandmother (my sister, Jan) will be visiting elsewhere, well I guess I'll just have to be the one to hold and spoil her!! Look out little Bella, Auntie Willa is on the way!

Alas, alas, before I get there I have 3 more performances of Beauty and the Beast. The amazing cast of 41 did a great job last week-end. We played to huge crowds that rewarded us with standing ovations and whistles. I am the music director for it, as well as the "orchestra" (by playing the piano thoughout the entire show) and I have throughly enjoyed the challenge. The music is so well known and it's just really too hard to hide any goofs, so I have had to PRACTICE. Who knew at age 61 you still need to practice, but it's true all you aspiring studnets out there. Practice makes almost perfect! We close on Sunday night, strike the set, have a cast party, and I get outa Didge early on Monday morning! Woohoo! Oh, just a matter of record, but when we started tech week last week, I thought it would be fun (not sure that's the right word) to log my hours actually sitting at the piano. So the results are in; from Monday through Thursday at dress rehearsal plus performances on Friday, Saturday and a Sunday matinee I SAT for 33.5 hours! AfterThanksgiving I will be pointing out that sitting at the piano for that many hours certainly explains the "broadening of my bohunkas" (as we call it in the family - thanks to Cary) and that the turkey, gravy, stuffing and all the rest had absolutely nothing to do it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

The kittens are doing so well. They have developed their own distinct personality and both are just the cutest, most inquisitive little ones ever. I have to "baby-proof" the entire house. Oriella fell into a huge Longaberger box the other day and couldn't get out. Well, she didn't actually fall in; she jumped in of her own accord and even called Pocahontas to join her. Both of them just sat there in the bottom mewing so pathetically. They are just too cute. I keep trying to call them their short names Oreo and Poca, but I am having trouble. I love their unusual names and find that when I call them using their very official names they come a'runnin. Well, when they want to!

Time to sign off. Please feel free to share my blog site with others. I've included some pictures (let me say I hope I will be able to do that) of the kittens and one of my favorite opening night photos taken from behind the piano during curtain calls when the cast was acknowledging me at the piano. Tears in my eyes made it difficult to see the music. Good thing I had practiced!!

I borrowed this picture from the wonderful lady that sold my kittens to me. Her website is www.raresiberiancats.com and when I checked in today to see if new kittens had arrived this picture greeted me. Isn't this a cutie. She looks exactly like our little Pocahontas.

More later from me. I have lots to share and then I guess I really need to actually start giving this website to people. HA!