At The Mount
It has been a magical last week in the Berkshires. We have had hot, humid, firefly-twinkling weather interspersed with drenching rainfall, thunder and lightning. I have a renewed sense of purpose, an excitement building inside, new dreams and goals blossoming, and a firm conviction that I am meant to be here even as I leave for a few months. Continue reading
I am getting everything tuned up to take off for a few months. I had my car checked out, washed her inside and out and talked to her like a beloved pet. She seems as eager as I am to be on the road. We have been partners in this great trek for the last year and a half, and she has been a reliable and constant trooper so I want to give her extra care. I am one of those nutty people who talk to their animals and since I don’t have any of my own right now, my car has gained the status of a pet. I pat her on the console, when I am especially pleased, like I would on the beloved neck of a horse, I give her high-octane gas for a treat, and today I diligently groomed her like my friend de-ticking her dog. Continue reading
Ali
It’s so nice to know my habit of meeting interesting people is still alive and well here in Lenox. Last week I was having lunch in one of my favorite cafe’s when the chef came out and sat at the table next to mine and had his lunch. We started chatting, as you know I do, and he told me about how he has dinner parties and cooks authentic West African food from his home country of Cote d’Ivoire, and how he plans to make enough money to build an orphanage there. I ran out of time to hear the whole story so I gave him my card and we texted and made plans to meet for tea later. Continue reading
I’ve been sick for almost two weeks so I have been home in bed more than I have in years. I’ve read three books, given to me in various places along the road that I have not previously had time to read. One of them is wild, Cheryl Strayed’s book about her hike along the Pacific Crest Trail from California to Oregon. It was a great read, especially for an adventurer like me, that is stuck on the couch. I’ve also resorted to watching Ken Burn’s National Parks series on Netflix. Since I can’t get out and hike I’ll watch great film of my favorite places.
The Berkshires of MA
I am so relieved. I just made the decision to take to the road again this summer. I had the choice to stay in Lenox, MA and work in the Shakespeare & Co box office but I decided that would take up all of my summer and not further my goals at all. I am proud of my decision, though it was very stressful to walk away from a paycheck, however small, to do what my heart and intuition tells me. Continue reading
This has been the longest stretch of silence since I started blogging over a year ago. I have been directing A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a middle and high school residency for the last 7 weeks. It was intense, driving 45 minutes each way, auditioning, directing, planning, costuming, teaching, making mistakes, studying, caring deeply, always trying to improve and control 50 rambunctious and varied-aged kids. It was probably some of the toughest teaching I will ever do. My directing partner has had many years of experience directing here at Shakespeare & Company and he said it was the hardest group he has had to deal with. Continue reading
I went back to Benedict Pond this weekend and it was like visiting an old friend. Continue reading
Ridin’ with her hair in the wind
And her hands in the sky
Like she’s flyin’
Spring has finally arrived in the Berkshires. The snow is gone, my teaching residency has started, this is my 100th post, and I have moved to a new house share. A lot of changes in the last few weeks, so where do I start?
There’s this bug, and I swear it’s been following me. It is rather big, next time I see him I will take a picture because I have no idea what he is, about three-quarters of an inch in length and maybe of the cockroach family. He seems harmless, he just scares me turning up in unexpected places. For instance…my picnic bag. I received this nifty bag from my mother for my birthday that opens up and has a cutting board, plastic wine glasses, flatware, cloth napkins, the works, perfect for taking on a romantic date with a bottle of wine and cheese. Well, it has thus far gone unused, which is a sad comment on the state of my dating life, but when I moved out of company housing at Shakespeare & Company last December, I packed some things inside the bag to keep safe in the car trunk as I flew off to Seattle for three weeks.
The infamous picnic bag…
“A true photograph need not be explained, nor can it be contained in words.” -Ansel Adams
I wrote a report in high school on the naturalist photographer Ansel Adams. He was a fanatic about light and how it affects the world through the camera lens, and since then I have been enamored of watching the changes light creates on landscapes. Continue reading
meanderest 