*Sigh* ... Halloween again

Trick or treat.

I like finding new singers.

Well, I'm here at home, sitting with my sister at the computer, listening to a wonderful singer by the name of Hayley Westenra... a New Zealand singer who is kind of like Charlotte Church, but, in my opinion, she might be better (sorry Sharon, but I think she is.. you'll have to hear her -- I think you'd like). Okay, so now she's done and I'm listening to Maire Brennan, who is equally as entertaining. Although she's singing a song right now that I think is supposed to say "change the words, don't change the feeling" but we think it is really saying "change the herds, don't change the feeding". What a funny song.
So I have just had WAY too much theatre rehersal for anybody's good, especially mine. Because we're on reading break right now that means.. lots of rehersal time! We had practice 7-10 Wednesday night, 9-1 Thursday and 10-4 today. Wow. We worked on the second act. And I'm so proud to say that I have basically commited all of act 2 to memory! Yeeehaw! I have one scene that I have to memorize yet, but that should go pretty quickly since in the course of one rehersal I go over those lines at least 4-5 times. Now I just have to work on the stuff at the beginning, and my page and a 1/2 monologue, ending act 1. wahoo. I am starting to get a little nervous -- I have never had to memorize as much as I do for this play .. it's sooo overwhelming.. and the play is less than a month away! ACH! But I'm really enjoying working with the cast and director and stage managers etc.. I love my character and this play seems so ... fulfilling somehow, I don't know.
My head still hurts, but not as much. I'm not too worried since I did some research and I think I sustained a mild concussion when I wacked it on the table. Who knew you could get a mild concussion from hitting your head on a table?!?! But yeah, I've had lots of headaches, dizziness, nausea.. all that fun stuff. Not cool.
So yeah, I'm a little sore, but basically happy. Maire Brennan is still entertaining. And Viggo Mortensen is still darn sexy. Life is good.

Why am I such a klutz?

On top of the blooming headache I have from the bump on the back of my head, I just burned three of the fingers on my right hand. My thumb, my peter pointer, and my middle finger -- the three that I use to write with. What a cruel cruel world.

Buff firemen. My specialty.

Mmmmmmmmm.... Joaquin Pheonix. On friday I went to go see Ladder 49 with two of my roomates Amy and Cheryl.. Okay, first of all, it has come to my attention that I watch too many movies. Honestly, I don't think 2 movies a week is all that bad. I mean really, I am a theatre major.... heeeellloo. And I still get my work done. But yet my roomates tell me that myself and my fellow movie buff, Sharon, watch too many movies. You'd think there would be other things to do besides watching movies (and studying of course) around here. But let me give you an example situation: the other day Sharon and I were scotch free of stuff to do (and in self-denial that I had a paper due in a day) so she said to me "let's do something" ...I frantically searched my brain for something exciting and exhilerating to do other than watching a movie.... and wouldn't you know it. NOTHING came up. Therefore, we watched a movie. Now see, if we had found something to do that really didn't require much energy and that allowed us to escape from our menial existence for a couple hours, then heck, I don't believe we would have watched a movie. But the point in fact is that we didn't. What a sad world we live in.
Okay, so now I come to Joaquin Pheonix ---- so sorry to have put him on hold. Yes, we saw Ladder 49 on friday... I'm still reeling. It was such a good movie. And how much do I enjoy my wonderful Leaf Pheonix. I think this movie was one of his better ones to date. Of course L49 couldn't quite beat his fabulous portrayal of Commodus in Gladiator... but it takes a lot to do that! But this movie is really good publicity for him because he's the big gahoona in this one. Although it makes me kind of sad now that he's becoming way more famous, because he's no longer a wonderful well-kept secret.. :( But this movie... seriously cried and cried. And yet, I came out of there really wanting to marry a firefighter... especially if it is Mr. Pheonix. Yum yum yum. He is one buff and attractive man. John Travolta was surprising alright. I'm not a huge fan of him, but he wasn't too bad.
So yeah, four thumbs up, and definate ownerige when it hits stores.
In other news I hit my head... again. I think I'm going to have perminate brain damage some day. This time I hit the back of my head in that spot right where your neck stops and your head begins. I was sitting down and I went to lie down and I wacked it really hard on a rediculously low children's table. We were having a break during rehersal yesterday. Let's just say the rest of rehersal was rather painful and a little out of focus. I really should stop doing these things.
My cousin Heather got married yesterday. She's three years older than me and we hung out together at every family thing. I'm so incredibly happy for her, yet completely weirded out. It still hasn't really sunk in that she's married -- she's only 3 years older than me! And the family all thinks that I'm going to be next. Yikes. That means I have hit "you-could-possibly-get-married" age. Double yikes. Someone help me.

Women...sheesh

It's been one of those days... you know, when you wake up kind of mopey and it sticks with you the whole day, even though you can't really pin down why you feel that way and everything kind of gross that happens in your day becomes 10x worse and even though some really great things happen to you during the day, you just can't shake the "I'm not in a good mood" feeling... and other people can sense it too and avoid you, which just perpetuates your mood because who the heck likes to be alone. Grr. Thought for the day : If I'm not in a happy mood people, just GIVE ME A HUG! I won't bite, I promise.

Stress should be covered in honey, then thrown into a den of bears. Sleepy bears, who become violently angry when disturbed. And who think you're after their babies. Maybe then I'd be able to relax.

Theatre: the world as we imagine it to be...

How much do I love the theatre. This past weekend, a group of my theatre friends and I decided that we were going to have a theatre weekend. What an AWESOME idea. On friday night we all went to see Ovid's "Metamorphoses" at Theatre and Company. I enjoy Theatre and Company. I had already seen the play (it's a string of myths about love of different kinds) but the second time was just as fabulous as the first. Of course I didn't have as good of seats as the first time... but it was okay.. I could still see all the people flesh that graced the stage (and there was lots of flesh! :P). The set was a big pool which was just fabulous -- provided such creativity and beautful movement that just isn't capable with a normal set. Jealousy burned. I want to play in a pool on a stage.
The next day (after an emotionally and physically exhausting rehersal for Perfect Pie) the same troup of us (plus two more -- one of my friends, Sharon, and another friend) went to the opening night performance of Donizetti's "Don Pasquale" at Opera Hamilton.. I love Opera!!!! I honestly think it is a wonderful form of entertainment. The first act wasn't quite up to snuff to me, in terms of quality of acting... but the singing through out the whole opera was BEAUTIFUL. It had some wonderful chorus numbers and the leads had some fabulous ensemble pieces. The acting did pick up so that was good. I don't know if this opera was better than "Barber of Seville" because Seville was my first opera, and I think that the story line of Seville was funnier and it had one character that was funny through out the opera. "Don Pasquale" didn't really have that... but it definately had its moments that were just wonderful. I mean I completely loved the opera, just in comparison.... We also got to go backstage and walk through the FABULOUS sets -- it was all wild wild west... definately cool.
Anyways.... theatre theatre theatre.... and I only spent 35 dollars in total! Yeah for student tickets and having connections. I love connections.
This morning I drove to St. Thomas with my sister to catch up with the music group 'North of OK' .. they were doing a worship service there and it was also the church that I went to Kansas (where NofOK is from) with, on a SERVE project. Catching up with people is a wonderful thing. Often times rather awkward, but still wonderful.
Sigh. What a wonderful weekend. Too bad I have to leave my theatre fantasy world for another week of classes, papers and torture. Thank goodness I still have Josh Groban to keep me happy. mmmmmm

Miss Stephanie Woodsworth

Why couldn't I have been born into a British aristocratic household of the 1800's??? This truely puzzles me. I am currently taking British Literature and the more novels I read and the more movies I watch of that time period (Emma, Jane Eyre, Persuasion, Portrait of a Lady etc) the more I believe I was born in the wrong century. How I pine for the curteous chivalry that seems to have all but dissappeared in our day in age! To have nothing to do but paint and read literature and walk through the extensive and beautiful grounds of your luxurious home, with a wonderful British gentleman on your arm who is trying to win your affections in such a polite and chivalrous manner and who speaks in such an aristocratic form of English and with such a charming accent! sigh. Of course much of this picture of life is Hollywoodized and there would be the problematic 17th/18th century views of females in society to deal with (if Jane Austen could break free from the mold so could I!) .. but still. I would not complain with having a Mr. Knightley on my arm or having a man stand up on my entering the room or having men refer to me as Miss Elgersma (um, well, the Elgersma will have to go obviously.. I can not be aristocratically British with a Dutch name, especially a Friesan one. Maybe I'll be Miss Woodsworth or Miss Elliot ... delightful ... Miss Stephanie Woodsworth).
It is a truely sad state that I am in... Perhaps that is why I am a theatre major.. I can reenter the century that I was supposed to live in. It will be a reawakening... I will be home!

A little thankfulness never hurt nobody

Thanksgiving.. a time for thanks.
I am thankful for the home that I am sitting in right now
I am thankful for the huge group of people that love and support me, despite the fact that I am horrible at emailing and communicating my appreciation of them
I am thankful for all the experiences that I've had at Redeemer -- the good and bad -- and the profs who continue to teach us new things day after day
I am thankful for my talents in Theatre and English because I love my right brain more than my left
I am thankful for planes
I am thankful for literature, movies, and music -- even though sometimes they can hinder rather than help
I am thankful for my roomates and my really good friends from Woodland and elsewhere
I am thankful for a loving God -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- who forgives me when I continually fall and loves me unconditionally no matter what
I am thankful for the people who are in businesses -- becuase then I don't have to be and I can remain wierdly-dressed and a little crazy
I am thankful for my family whom I love with my whole heart (and my cats and my fish and the little hamster that lives with us at school, even though she bites)
I am thankful for Europe and other wonderfully beautiful places of the world
I am thankful I can drive
I am thankful for my neice and nephew (I realize that they are part of the "family" catergory but they're special so they get their own...)
I am thankful for so many other things that I don't really want to write down becuase the list will be tooo long and I'm kind of sick of writing "I am thankful for" over and over and I am just thankful for sooo many more things that it would be hard to name them all
That's about all for now... and no, they are in no particular order
Cheers

Return to the rat race

I am not dead.
No really. It has been sooo long since I have written on this blog -- one could begin to wonder. The world which enveloped this blog from the start (aka Europe) seems soooo painfully far away. So many times I have had sudden pangs of longing for the lands of beautiful lilting accents and rolling green hills. I have had so many conflicting feelings about traveling of late ... the more I see of Ireland and England (in movies, pictures, books etc), the more I feel like I don't belong in Canada. But yet I don't think I could perminately leave the safe shroud of the ones I dearly love. I don't want to live in Canada anymore, but I can't leave my family and friends and the security of my world here. What is beautiful scenery if you don't have those close to you to share it with?
My life since returning to Canada has been hectic. It makes me long for the tranquility and peacefulness of Ire/England even more, but in some respects I enjoy being busy. I did miss Redeemer during the summer and it's nice to be back, but there have been many a struggle in the short month since I've returned. My first biggest struggle was jetleg. Jetleg coming back from a trip is WAY worse than when going there. It also didn't help that I went to a concert the day after our return, basically pulling an allnighter, according to my body (the concert was from 7-12PM, -- 1-6AM to me). But the singer was my good friend Joel Geleynse so it was a good cause. And he even kept me awake -- that's how good he is! :) Besides the concert, I moved into my dorm and got shoved into middle of things at Redeemer. I was a week late so all my classes had already met at least once... it was a struggle to get everything I missed and stay on top of the new stuff.. Second year is much more stressful and time-consuming than first year! I have no time to do anything anymore. All I do is read and go to class.
There have also been major computer issues to deal with.. such as not having the internet until YESTERDAY... and also having problems with my floppy drive, preventing me from handing in papers.. grrr
And on top of all that, I had auditions for this year's mainstage... it was a full week process becuase there are only four roles to hand out (all of which are female -- so I was okay in that catergory), but by the end I found out that I had gotten one!!! This is a MAJORLY EXCITING thing for me. But there being only four roles, it's also MAJORLY time consuming! That, with my six other courses, keeps me pretty busy! The play is called Perfect Pie and it's by a Torontonian, Judith Thompson. It is going to be soooo good -- the techies almost started crying just on the first read through.. we weren't even acting yet! It's a really powerful play and I encourage anyone and everyone to come out... November 23-27.. more details will come as I continue the rehersal process.
It's 2:00 AM (my usual bedtime since I got here... ), need to go read history and work on a theatre presentation... I love school