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Baltic Cruise Day Six: The Hermitage and Saint Petersburg Canal Cruise
My admission ticket to the Hermitage.
Last day in Saint Petersburg, Russia and we’d be spending it on two more excursions, “The Hermitage: A Wealth of Art and History” and “Canal Cruise and Shopping“. What a beautiful city!
The Hermitage or State Hermitage, is one of the largest and oldest museum collections in the world. The complex that houses it is made up of six buildings including the Winter Palace, the former main living quarters of the Russian tsars. Catherine the Great started the collection in the late 1700s but it wasn’t open to public until the mid-1800s.
Entering the Hermitage.
My numbers could be wrong but I believe our guide told us we only saw about 1% of the collection and that only about 15% of the collection is ever on display at any one time. In all, there are more than three million pieces in the Hermitage collection!
We viewed works by Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Monet and Picasso to name a few. I recognized several pieces I’d seen in books or as reproductions over the years and found myself drawn to the larger murals and sculptures the most.
A sculpture wing in the hermitage.
I think overall, I was as intrigued and impressed by the Hermitage architecture and the layout of the gallery displays as I was the actual art collection itself. We viewed room after room of gorgeous, grand halls beautifully restored and elegantly decorated with art by the Masters. Too much to see in a short period of time.
At one point on the tour, we were passed by workers pushing two carts of painting through the halls. The paintings were unprotected, bouncing and rubbing against each other and I was a little shocked that greater care wasn’t being taken with the priceless art.
Priceless beauty of the Hermitage.
Once the museum opened to the public for the day, we could barely move. The line outside to get in was ridiculously long as well.
My favorite gallery space in the Hermitage.
I love the almost ghostly, figure towards the end of the hallway.
Picasso anyone?
I love this painting.
That afternoon, we met for our canal cruise and shopping. It was a little overcast so we took umbrellas, just in case. Our guide took us shopping first.
Our bus pulled up to the equivalent of a strip mall and our guide, Alexey, told us what store we were going to shop. Now I realize that many people have different interpretations of shopping but let’s be real here. Michael and I assumed we’d be going to an open air market or shopping district that would have, among other things, souvenirs. Others on our tour thought we’d be going to a street with designer shops. We were all wrong.
The shop we entered was basically a small overpriced souvenir warehouse that was laid out like a small American dollar store. I was only interested in purchasing matryoshka (nesting dolls) and maybe a t shirt. Well, they had one small rack of ugly, cheap looking t shirts (for around $30 USD a piece) but they had lots of nesting dolls. Only they were marked up about 400% to 1000% in price. So shopping was a joke. We were there quite a while, most of the women on our bus bought something, while most of the men stood outside the bus shaking their heads. For a moment, I thought I was back in America.
Along the canal in Saint Petersburg.
The weather cooperated as we boarded our small boat for the canal cruise. Just in case, the boat had an open, upper deck and an enclosed lower deck if it rained. Michael and I sat in the back of the upper deck and I was on a raised storage box that doubled as a seat, so I could take pictures. I literally had to duck every time we went under one of the many bridges we passed under.
There was a nice breeze and it was a relaxing ride. I loved seeing the city from this different perspective.
Russian workers taking a break along the canal.
I have to say something about our guide, Alexey. He was a young, tall, skinny guy, probably in his 20s and he spoke with this sort of Russian-French dialect. Michael refers to him as Pepe le Pew. Alexey spoke with a very breathy voice and ended each phase with a breathy chuckle or laugh. This was our second tour with him, so we knew what to expect. It was funny to watch all the first-timers’ heads turn, open jawed and bewildered as he started this second tour. He certainly entertained us. Michael and I still find ourselves imitating him, randomly, to make each other laugh.
On the canal in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Taking in our last glimpse of Saint Petersburg.
After the canal cruise, it was back on the bus, crossing through passport control one last time, saying proshchaniye (farewell) to Saint Petersburg.
Baltic Cruise Day Five: Peterhof Palace & Saint Petersburg Cathedrals
Another big day, we’d scheduled two excursions, “Peter the Great’s Grand Palace- Peterhof” and “Saint Petersburg Cathedrals“. By this point on our trip, we’d realized we were only averaging about four hours sleep a night and were happily exhausted. I have to say, I became quite good at taking cat naps on the buses to and from our destinations.
The Peterhof Grand Palace.
In the morning, we headed to Peterhof Palace for what was to be one of the highlights of our trip. Peterhof is a not-to-be-missed destination. If you are visiting Saint Petersburg, Russia and are short on time, I’d definitely choose Peterhof over Catherine Palace. Both are beautiful and opulent but in addition to the Grand Palace, Peterhof has the exquisite Grand Cascade and gardens that are a sight to behold.
The Grand Cascade from the palace, before the fountains were turned on.
We arrived early at Peterhof, which was important for two reasons: 1) We were one of the first groups to tour the Grand Palace before it opened to the public, and; 2) We were present when the fountains were turned on, on the Grand Cascade.
Like Catherine Palace, Peterhof was built in the early 1700’s and sustained substantial damage from the German invasion during World War II. It has been fully restored, though renovations are ongoing.
Exploring the gardens at Peterhof.
The interiors and gardens were both heavily influenced by French style. There is an overabundance of silk wall coverings, ornamental plaster designs and gold leaf detail in every room. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed inside the Grand Palace.
It took about an hour to walk through the palace and then we had about an hour to explore the gardens before meeting back at the Grand Cascade to see the main fountains activated.
It was a sunny day and about 70 degrees. Perfect for a beautiful, relaxing walk.
The formal, french-style gardens at Peterhof.
Back at the Grand Cascade, we chose to watch the fountains from a lower corner where there were less tourists crowding the area. Aside from the beauty, the big attraction to the fountains is that they are all gravity-fed. No pumps are used to power the many fountains. It’s not only an amazing feat of ingenuity, it’s visually stunning.
Peterhof Grand Palace and Grand Cascade as the fountains are being activated.
The fountains of the Grand Cascade.
The statues on the Grand Cascade at Peterhof.
As if the sights of Peterhof weren’t enough stimulation for one day, we had enough time to return to the ship for a quick lunch before meeting our group for a tour of some of the world’s most beautiful cathedrals. I’m just going to focus on two: Saint Issac’s Cathedral and Church of the Spilled Blood.
Saint Issac’s Cathedral, currently under renovation.
Saint Issac’s Cathedral is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in Saint Petersburg. It took 40 years to construct, opening in 1858. I found it interesting to know that the Gold dome was painted over in gray during World War II to deter detection. There are still pock marks from enemy fire, visible on the the large exterior columns.
The interior is amazing. The color and detail are glorious.
The ceilings of Saint Issac’s Cathedral.
Facing the altar in Saint Issac’s Cathedral.
Most commonly referred to as Church of the Spilled Blood, the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ is also known as The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.
Michael and I at the Church of the Spilled Blood.
This was one of my two must-have picture spots of Michael and I on our vacation. (The other was the Berlin Wall.) When we visited and toured the interior, it was turning overcast, so I was grateful we had stopped here briefly the day before and I was able to take some exterior pictures.
The Church of the Spilled Blood is visually recognizable by its ornate, colorful onion domes. I can’t say why I find them so appealing, I just find myself drawn to them.
I wasn’t prepared to be so overwhelmed by the interior. The entire wall surfaces are covered in tiny mosaic tiles. It’s so difficult to comprehend the amount of work, time and planning that went in to the magnificent design. I’m at a loss for words to describe its beauty.
Looking up in the Church of the Spilled Blood.
A figure is depicted inside each of the domes.
Church of the Spilled Blood.
The Church of the Spilled Blood is one of the most magnificent places I’ve ever visited.
The onion domes of the Church of the Spilled Blood.
What an amazing day! I’m all out of adjectives to describe it all. I just feel so lucky and blessed to be able to have witnessed all this beauty first hand. It certainly brings new meaning to ‘trip of a lifetime’. And, we still had one more day in Saint Petersburg.
Baltic Cruise Day Two: Turku, Finland
I never in my life thought I’d visit Finland. I’d never heard of Turku before the cruise, so I had no real expectations. Exploring the unknown is always a real adventure.
At every port we had multiple excursions to choose from and Michael and I booked all of ours online months before the cruise to take advantage of the best options. We learned later that as tours filled up, often new ones were opened. For the most part, we got our first choices at each port.
Turku Castle
Turku is the oldest city in Finland, believed to be founded towards the end of the thirteenth century. An important
Finnish city, it is probably best know as an important seaport for commercial and passenger ships.
Of the available tours, we chose “Turku Castle, Naantali & Ruissalo” giving us the opportunity to experience three different communities in Finland. There was also the opportunity to explore Turku on your own– but as first time visitors we thought we’d get the most from an organized excursion.
The Inner Courtyard at Turku Castle.
Let me say here, as a rule, I’m not a big fan of tours. I would prefer to move along at my own pace, taking more time in areas of interest, skipping through others and stopping for photos along the way. When you’re on a bus with a tight itinerary, or even on foot, it can get a little frustrating. I took very few photos on the buses because they just don’t turn out well. At every port we passed many areas I would have liked to explore. Throughout our trip though, we felt it was the best introduction to foreign countries. We now have a better idea of what countries and towns we’d like to return to for a longer visit. I’d also like to add, with one exception, all of our local tour guides were really great at what they do.
Medieval Art at Turku Castle.
Our first stop was Turku Castle. Building of the medieval castle began around the year 1280 and then it was later expanded during the 16th century. Extremely well preserved, it is the most prominent symbol of Turku and a popular tourist destination.
I found great beauty in the massive structure and was particular fond of the inner courtyard and the surviving medieval paintings that adorned the inner walls. The large chapel also displayed some interesting and unique artifacts.
Inside Turku Castle.
The main street in Naantali, Finland.
Our second stop was the city of Naantali. It is considered an important summer tourist destination in Finland. The year-round population is less than 20,000 but increases substantially during the summer months.
One thing I learned, that seemed to be a common theme in most of the countries we visited, is that unlike families in the United States, most families in these countries have some sort of a vacation home for relaxation in the warm summer months . In the US it is more the exception than the norm.
Naantali Church.
We had free time to wander around Naantali Old Town and harbor on our own. Though it was bustling with the activities of tourists and and summer residents, we enjoyed the peaceful, relaxing atmosphere it had to offer.
We wandered off the main street, down alleyways and through some of the residential paths lined with small cottages. Attracted by a bell tower, ended up spending the most time on the grounds of the medieval Naantali church and cemetery. It was all so quiet and serene. A nice contrast to the more densely populated city of Turku, giving us a broader glimpse of Finnish life.
The cemetery at Naantali Church.
Naantali Harbor
The barn of a secluded home on the island of Ruissalo.
Our final stop of the day was the island of Ruissalo, in the Archipelago Sea, southwest of the city of Turku. Ruissalo has a very small population of just a few hundred residents and is best known for their annual Ruisrock music festival.
We walked along the water, down a path past quaint, secluded homes and enjoyed the warm sunny afternoon and fresh air before returning to the ship for dinner, followed by Patti LuPone’s highly-anticipated concert.
A sailboat at the island of Ruissalo.
Baltic Cruise Day One: Onboard Regent Seven Seas Voyager
Sunrise on Regent Seven Seas Voyager.
We were picked up at the Sheraton Stockholm around noon on Sunday (August 4) and transported across town to the port to board our home for the next ten days, Regent Seven Seas Voyager. Our luggage was delivered directly to our room from the hotel, so we didn’t have to drag it through Passport Control before getting on the ship.
Regent is a luxury cruise line currently operating only three smaller ships in their fleet and soon adding a fourth. Our ship, Voyager, accommodates a maximum of 700 passengers in “all suite, all balcony” rooms. It boasts all the amenities of larger ships, including four dining rooms all providing delicious regional cuisine.
As we expected, it was a mostly older clientele (50 and above) but there were a small number a children and teens aboard as well.
On this particular sailing, half the ship had been reserved for Playbill’s Broadway On the High Seas 3 event and the entire ship was booked to capacity.
As with most cruises, once you board the ship you are directed to the pool deck where a buffet style lunch was available, while the rooms were being readied. One of the full service dining rooms was also open, La Veranda, which is where Michael and I chose to eat. After a light lunch, we headed to our room to unpack before the mandatory evacuation drill.
Voyager Cruise Director, Willie Aames.
I have to stop here and say that as the periodic announcements were being made: welcoming us aboard and directing us where to go… I kept thinking– that voice is so familiar. When we finally got to our room and turned on the ship’s information channel on the TV… there he was, larger than life… our Cruise Director, Willie Aames. Yes, THAT Willie Aames.–TV star from the 70’s and 80’s, most notably, in my life for the series Eight Is Enough and Charges In Charge.
Willie is a phenomenal Cruise Director. He was always out and about and so very friendly. Every time I heard his voice it just made me smile. It was a piece of home– a part of my past that felt so welcoming and inviting. Am I one of the few people that didn’t know he was also a fully ordained minister?
So back to my least favorite part of any cruise– the evacuation drill. I know they are necessary and for our own safety but why do they have to take so long? I do have to say it was run very efficiently and we had the bonus of getting our first glimpse of all the Broadway performers who were also in our lifeboat station. Spotting and watching them certainly made the time go faster.
Sailing in the Archipelago Sea.
Soon, we were sailing in the beautiful Archipelago Sea , through the Baltic to our first stop– Turku, Finland. Since the sun doesn’t set until around 11 pm, we had some time to enjoy the spectacular view of the world’s largest archipelago (island group) before dark.
The rest of the evening was spent exploring the ship, attending the Broadway Meet and Greet (I’ll talk more about this in a later post), and dinner.
The Voyager is a beautiful ship and the only way I really noticed its smaller size was that everything was in close proximity. There are no long, endless corridors like the larger ships. For exercise, I took the stairs whenever possible. We were on deck nine, and mostly used decks four through eleven. The layout of the ship is very similar to the larger ships we’ve been on and very easy to navigate.
From top to bottom, the staff and crew of Voyager were the very best. I can’t imagine any better. Everyone was so friendly and attentive and made every moment on board enjoyable.
This was our fourth cruise and by far, the best ship experience. We also met a lot of wonderful people and exchanged contact information with some of them so we could stay in touch. That’s never happened before.
I highly recommend Regent and hope we have a chance to sail with them again in the near future.
Regent Seven Seas Voyager .
Voyager Pool Deck.
The Horizon Lounge.
A view from the top.
(Stay tuned for more of our trip. I’m trying to break in down a little differently for easier reading. We were constantly on the go and at times it was a little overwhelming. Hopefully, this format will be easy to follow. Thanks for reading!)
Friends: I Take You With Me
To All My Friends:
I take you with me.
Though we may not share every moment of our lives,
Though years may pass without our sharing a single day,
I take you with me.
You are with me, and you are loved.
Michael and I have already mentioned, probably more than a dozen times, people in our lives, past and present, that we’ve thought of on our trip. You see, friends, you are always in our hearts and minds.
People I meet, share time with, develop relationships with– impact me daily.
Even thousands of miles from home I can’t help but think of many people along the way.
*Walking the streets of Old Town in Stockholm, I immediately thought of Gay and her love of European life and culture. I pictured her here, remembering all the many students she exposed to the world with her many trips to Europe.
*When we visit Danzig, how will I not think of my cousin Ginger, whose character in the musical RAGS escaped from there?
*When we visit the Stutthof Concentration Camp, how will I not have my friend Kathy, close in my thoughts? She and I shared a close bond and understanding of the events of the Holocaust and the importance of telling the stories to future generations.
*How will I not think of Jason after our frequent Patti LuPone conversations, while she performs on our cruise?
Yes, my friends, I have brought you all with me. I carry you with me every day of my life. Your impact and importance in my life goes far beyond the times we might have shared or the experiences we encountered. I think of you often.
Rejoice and celebrate every connection you make. You’ll be surprised how sometimes the most unexpected people influence you the most.
Stockholm
We arrived in Stockholm late afternoon Saturday and after checking in to the Sheraton Stockholm, decided to just set out to explore the city with no clear destination. We were both pretty exhausted after the long flight but quickly got our second wind and set out to experience our new surroundings.
Stockholm is such a beautiful city full of history and art. For all the people out and about, it was still so quiet and relaxed. Old Town is full of the charm and quaint beauty I hoped to experience on this trip. There are so many squares and open areas just to sit and relax and take in the ambiance. Old Town is full of restaurants, bars and unique shops; combined with the eclectic mix of people, giving it an artsy, romantic vibe. I think I might have found the second place in the world I’d like to live (after NYC).
If we had a little more time here, I’d definitely be heading back to one of the squares, just to sit, read, and take it all in. It’s just beautiful here.
Starbucks: Tarnished Gold
If you asked my opinion of what I considered to be one of the best (or best branded) companies in America my answer would be easy : Starbucks.
I jumped on the Starbucks bandwagon long after the craze started but quickly became addicted to everything that Starbucks represents. It has such a positive vibe. I love the company’s philosophies and community involvement… not to mention great coffee and amazing baristas.
A typical cup of dark roast.
They have a solid brand and business model, a quality product line — and create a friendly, laid back, in-store atmosphere that feels like home. What could be better than that?
How about a rewards programs for frequent customers?
Sounds good, doesn’t it?
I’ve been a Gold Card Rewards member since October of 2011. The kids at school seldom saw me without a cup of joe in my hand.
30 stars (purchases) and you’re a gold card holder. Then every 12 you get a free drink or food item. Beautiful!
So imagine my dismay when early last May, they swiped my card and it came up ACCOUNT DOESN’T EXIST! Imagine the confusion and embarrassment! Especially, since I had just reloaded my card the day before.
What’s the deal Starbucks?
It seems that all that glitters, isn’t gold. Or at least in my case, the gold was somehow tarnished. My account was frozen… and so was my cash. So what was the deal?
As it turns out, when you sign the agreement for terms of service on the rewards account, you are also agreeing to not purchase any cards or e-certificates from third party vendors. But what exactly does that mean? (They don’t consider Facebook, Target or other retail stores third party!)
Well, after several months and a half dozen calls to customer service, I still don’t have a clear answer. The best I could gather is that if you buy a card or certificate from anyone but Starbucks– you risk having your account frozen. I was merging cards and certificates (even ones purchased directly from Starbucks) and somehow my account was flagged and frozen.
And it’s still not resolved.
The last customer service rep I spoke with (for over an hour), did their best to explain what might have happened. I guess their accounting, card and tracking systems aren’t advanced enough to know whether cards are accurate and purchased legally, so this is their attempt at preventing fraud. But isn’t freezing my money that they let me load on the card a form of fraud in itself?
So here I was, gold card frozen and my faith in one of the current, great companies in America: TARNISHED. It took me some time to process it and decide if I should stop frequenting Starbucks. I really had to look at the situation from both sides.
I had purchased a few cards online from gift card sites that sold them at a small discount. We all want to save money, right? Bottom line is that Starbucks can’t seem to tell whether these cards are legally purchased, fraudulent, or stolen.
Luckily, I was able to get my money back from the website I purchased the cards from– but here it is over three months later and Starbucks still has not resolved the issue and their fraud department has not completed their investigation.
I have repeatedly offered to help in any way I can but they tell me there is nothing I can do and I probably will not see any restitution or reinstatement of my gold card. Not very good customer service.
After my last call, I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt for the time being, and start a new account from scratch and I just achieved gold status on my new account a few days ago.
What angers me about this is that I can’t understand why a company of this size would treat one of their elite reward members like this. They have made no effort to contact me in anyway regarding any type of resolution, nor did any of the customer service reps apologize for the inconvenience or assure me that I was a valued customer.
On the other hand, the baristas and store managers I have spoken with have been absolutely wonderful. They’ve given me free drinks, apologized for the inconvenience and asked me for updates.
So I’ve decided to give it a little more time but corporate really needs to get their act together on this or I will stop supporting them with my patronage.
In the meantime, I’m cutting back and grinding more beans on my own.
‘GYPSY’ 20 Years Later: Celebrating Strong Women
Twenty years ago, I had the pleasure of directing the Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents musical, GYPSY for Elgin Summer Theatre at Hemmens Auditorium in Elgin, Illinois. It was the combined effort of the City of Elgin, Independent Players and the Elgin Theatre Company (then, Elgin Community Theatre). It was a big, colorful spectacle that I’ll always hold close to my heart as one of my most important professional accomplishments that had a huge lasting impact on my personal life.
Peggy Pipilis as Mama Rose in the 1993 Elgin Summer Theatre production of Gypsy.
For those of you not that familiar with the show– it coined the phrase, “Sing out, Louise” and introduced the legendary “mother of all mothers” — the biggest stage mom of them all, Mama Rose. The character was originated by stage icon, Ethel Merman, in 1959 and later portrayed on film by Rosalind Russell. There have been many famous Mama Roses over the years including Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters and most recently: the sensational Patti LuPone.
In the story, single mom Rose foregoes all hopes of a normal life for her two daughters, pushing them in the dying vaudeville circuit, only to have her eldest (her star) leave her. In one last-ditch effort, Rose forces her younger, less talented daughter Louise to become a stripper. That stripper became perhaps the most famous of all time, Gypsy Rose Lee. Rose was blinded by stardom. If not for her, then for her daughters, no matter what the cost.
I’ve had this blog post mulling around in my head for a couple months now. i just wasn’t completely sure how I wanted to approach it… until last night.
Last night, I was reunited with a very good friend I hadn’t seen in almost thirty years. When our friendship began all those years ago– I remember her being a strong, level-headed influence in my life. Of course we reminisced about the old days, last night but more importantly, we started to get caught up on our lives since. Tara is indeed, still the strong, intelligent woman I remembered (and missed) from so many years ago.
I’ve been blessed to know many strong women over the years– which brings me back to our production of Gypsy and start of probably the greatest friendship of my life.
Peggy and I met working on a previous show but didn’t connect on a personal level until production of Gypsy started. She was (and is) my Mama Rose. I was still living in Chicago at the time and Peggy offered to drive me to the train station after rehearsals each night, giving us extra time to talk about her role and quickly establishing a tight bond that went far beyond a typical actress-director relationship. We just clicked.
I can’t even begin to go in to all the adventures we’ve shared over the the years but her family is my extended family. I think I’ve probably shared as many, if not more holidays and special occasions with them than with my own immediate family.
Our friendship and the relationship with her family, to me, is an example of what life is all about.
Gypsy also brought at least four other strong women into my life that have made a lasting impact on me. Two are brilliant single moms that single handedly raised amazing children; one is the most positive cheerleader I’ve ever known; and a wonderful performer, now teacher, that I was fortunate enough to reconnect with recently and is doing incredible work training future young artists. All strong women… all with unique challenges and circumstances… all important role models in my life.
All of us take our connections and circumstances for granted at some point in our lives. We seldom know what relationships or events are going to have the biggest, lasting impact on us at that time. This is why it is so important to cherish the moments, the people and the opportunities while they are happening. I’ve been reminded time and time again over the past few weeks exactly how important those experiences are in making me who I am today.
May I Return To The Beginning?
It’s three in the morning. The birds are chirping like crazy, there’s the sound of a train in the distance and across the street the meter man is ticketing cars parked on the wrong side of the street. I guess it’s just some of the benefits of sitting on my front porch and living in my little acre “forest in the city” I’ve created. Mostly tranquil, it’s a great place to relax and reflect.
I love my yard, loosely landscaped– some parts manicured, others untamed. It’s a lot of work to maintain but I love working outside and getting my hands dirty. It gives me time to reflect on life and dream of the future as my mind unwinds all the knotted and pent up thoughts stored away from the stressful activities of everyday life.
This is a year of milestones. I turned 50 in December, Michael and I celebrate our 20th anniversary in September and my career is taking an unexpected turn that has yet to be determined.
At school, the colleagues I’d worked with for fourteen years all retired. Together, we’d built a musical program that I’m extremely proud of. For the past year though, it was hard to watch this beautiful thing come to an end. I just didn’t know how final it was for me. Now, all of us are gone and the future of the program is completely unknown. It’s a bittersweet ending to a very stressful but extremely rewarding chapter in my life.
Over the years, the musicals have taken us from back alleys to exotic lands. We conjured up hope and laughter, tears and sorrow– celebrating the joys of life and the difficult challenges of the human condition. Live theatre is like nothing else.
There were some years we knew exactly what musical we wanted to do next but more times than naught, it was an organic process that just felt right. This year, we did Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat — and perhaps not so coincidentally, it was the 30th anniversary (for me), directing it as my very first show in 1983.
From my 1983 production of Joseph.
The final number in the show, Any Dream Will Do, asks the question, “May I return to the beginning?” I got it– a milestone and the end of a collaboration. It was a time for reflection and of celebration.
This the 7th time I’d directed the show– each one, somewhat unique. I’ve never tried to duplicate a previous production but it has always been important to me that one element remain: the magic.
That 1983 production was magical. Nearly every person involved in that show went on to have, or had a career in the visual and performing arts. The right group of people brought together at the right time, in the right place can make magic and somehow we did. We were all novices then– unseasoned thespians full of passion and youth.
That was my beginning.
Joseph 1995
In 1995, I directed a production that was inspired by the Donny Osmond version that had become wildly popular. Every kid out there knew about Joseph, had seen it or been in it. This year was totally different. None of the students knew the show or were necessarily excited about doing it, so it was my challenge to bring that excitement to life.
After so many productions, you’d have thought this one would be easy. Yet, time and time again I found myself second guessing my choices and vision and tried to keep the overall focus, while allowing elements of the show to evolve naturally as rehearsals progressed. It was a true collaboration of thoughts and ideas that really made the show work for me. Being such an ensemble show, it was fun seeing the cast’s excitement build and all their hard work and determination pay off in the end.
Joseph 2013
Then it was over.
The show, a fourteen year collaboration of an amazing creative team –and as it turned out, the end of my time at Bartlett High School.
All bittersweet.
May I return to the beginning?
I’ve learned a lot over the years about the importance of reflection. Though I don’t feel like I live in the past or want to actually re-live the past, the lessons learned only move us forward. I’ve had the privilege to work with, and learn from, many wonderful people. Teachers, parents and most of all– the students, have inspired me and taught me in so many different ways.
Do I actually want to return to the beginning? No. It was a marvelous, wild ride while it lasted. I wouldn’t change a minute of it. Now it’s time to move on.
I think it’s a huge mistake to live in the past, yet there is so much to be learned from it. It’s nice to look back from time to time at where I’ve been. It often helps put today in perspective and helps guide my tomorrow.
I’m on my second pot of coffee now, the sun is coming up and sounds of distant trains and chirping birds is slowly being over taken by that of garbage trucks beeping and other people starting their day.
A new beginning.
One Year Healthier
70 pounds lighter than one year ago.
It’s been a year since I completely changed my diet. I’m 70 pounds lighter and I’m happy to report that I’ve been able to stick to it and it’s now just a way of life. I visited the doctor this week and received a clean bill of health. All my numbers checked out… so for those of you who buy the false claims that a low carb, high protein diet is unhealthy — think again.
Suit pants I wore to a wedding last year.
Now that I have more free time, I’m back to working out and hope to at least tone up, if not build a little muscle mass. I still have some sagging skin from the weight loss and hope working out will help eliminate that too. I’m cautiously optimistic as I know I can’t completely fight the aging process.
I can’t even begin to describe how much better I feel– and even more important, how much better I feel about myself. I accomplished an important goal and feel good about my ability to stick with it.
I introduced a few more carbs in to my diet without any weight change but I’m still avoiding any regular consumption of bread and potatoes.
I don’t deprive myself of anything, just really careful to limited my intake or large amounts of carbs. It’s all about moderation. A binge is even okay as long as it doesn’t lead to daily abuse of the rules.
A few months ago I got a Fitbit One, a little monitoring device that can measure your steps, stairs, calories and sleep pattern. I absolutely love it! Even though I’m not measuring my calorie consumption, it does help monitoring my calorie expenditure combined with my daily activity (steps) and stairs climbed. You can sync it with the phone app or your computer to monitor your progress and it’s all stored online for free.
In the suit a year ago before changing my diet.
One huge difference I’ve noticed is that since losing my job (and the stress), my sleep pattern has greatly improved. My boss had made things so miserable for me, I was waking up an average of 11 times a night! That has dropped down now to 3 times a night. A huge improvement! Just goes to show you how stress can have a negative impact on your health.
I feel good now and have so much more energy than I did before. I sleep less, waking up naturally without that groggy morning feeling I used to get. All in all, it has been one of the best decisions in my life.
I still get so many people asking me how I lost the weight and if it was hard. It really wasn’t… and it’s not that hard to maintain either. You just have to make the commitment… to yourself and to your health. Excuses will never equal results.
Anyone… and I mean ANYONE can do it!
Caught with my pants down. 70 pounds lighter. I lost ten inches off my waistline!
Happy and healthy!
How Do You Measure 525600 Minutes? 