Welcome to A Favorite Thing #37! I’m just getting in under the wire here tonight. It’s been a hectic week, with lots of tech rehearsals and preview performances and I’ve been working very hard. Add to that the fact that I came home on our break today and finished sewing my quilt blocks together and you’ve got a recipe for a late post. But never fear, I finished in time. Just. Now I have to eat some dinner.
Let’s look at some highlights from last week:
Linda, of More Fun, Less Laundry shared the most glorious tree with us. It’s a flowering cherry and it hangs over her deck. Its blossoms are simply beautiful. Oh, how I’d love a tree like this. I’ll say it again: glorious!
Betty of My Crazy Quilt Life, shared a charming miniature garden she made. Isn’t it adorable? I love the walkway and that adirondack chair.
Debra, of The Homespun, share photos of her beautiful cat, Kanga. Kanga fell in love with some cloth napkins that Debra had never used. She played peek-a-boo (like in this photo) over and over. So sweet.
My favorite thing this week:
Shakespeare.
As you know, I work in the theater as a Voice, Speech, Dialect and Text Coach. I coach all kinds of plays, but for the past few years, I’ve worked almost exclusively with Shakespeare. That’s fine by me. I know a lot about old Will Shakespeare and his words and the wonderful thing is that every time I work on a play – no matter how many times I’ve coached it before – I learn something new. I can’t imagine a richer text to work with, or a better playwright. He was the wisest of men. He knew all about the human condition, coined many words we now use daily, wrote in iambic pentameter, and he continues to touch our hearts almost 400 years later. He was an actor, a playwright and a poet. If you’ve read my posts this week, we’ve had two preview performances for students and they completely understand what’s being said. They stomp their feet, cheer, boo, and laugh with glee. Who else can elicit those reactions in both adults and children? I’m so grateful for the opportunity to immerse myself in his wise words. Thanks, Will.
Now it’s your turn.
You can link up anytime from this evening through Sunday. Make sure you enter the URL of your post. If you’re unsure how to do that, just click on your post title after you’ve published it and copy the information in your browser address window. Come back here, paste the URL into your link entry and there you go! If you have any problems, drop me an email and I’ll help you out. Please link back to this blog on your post. That way, those that read your post and are interested in reading more can do so.
One of my concerns about link parties is that the very reason for them has somewhat gone by the wayside. They’ve become so big and there are so many of them that many bloggers don’t take the time to visit any of the other participants. Link parties are a way to meet new bloggers and share with each other and the only way to do that is to visit each other. So, please, take some time to visit everyone over the next few days. No rush. Stop by, introduce yourself, and leave a comment. It’s the neighborly thing to do. It’s also nice if you leave a comment here, as well.
Enjoy!
Hi Claudia, I wish I was a reader and understood Shakespeare like you. I guess I can’t do everything, but I envy that. Boy, that tree is beautiful flowing over the deck. Hope you are enjoying your work.
I love Shakespeare and I also love writers of the Victorian period. I read and reread the classics so often that I rarely read current literature although I do enjoy current nonfiction. I have not read Deborah Crombie, but if you like her then I will give her a try. Glad to know that you now have a Hartford library card. I would feel lost without one. In fact, if I don’t have a book on hold (or several) it is just not a normal week. First thing I plan to do when I get to Victoria is apply for my library card and to offer to be a volunteer storyteller for children’s programming. It’s wonderful to see kids enthusiastic about reading and I am so glad that your kids enjoyed the performance!
Big Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
Hi Claudia, a very busy and productive week for you. Loved you morning post today. Thank you for hosting (no.37now!)
Joy
I love Shakespeare! I, too, think he was brilliant. My girls think Jane Austen and Will were the smartest people the world has ever known when it comes to understanding human nature. :) How great to do work that you love! I hear your passion and know that anyone lucky enough to work with you are gaining huge benefit from your wisdom and heart.
Thanks for hosting, even though you’re busy!
Claudia, I am embarrassed to say that I am not as familiar with Shakespeare as I ought to be. As I read about what you appreciate, it makes me feel almost uneducated. How did I not grasp this in my studies? Thank you for succinctly opening my eyes.
After such a hectic week, wow, did you accomplish a lot. Don’t that feel wonderful?
I linked two posts….one very much about things that are special to me…”This Moment.” The other, well, it just makes my heart sing. I absolutely love looking at the photos and I am still enjoying my little centerpiece….a gift from the windstorm. Oh, I do hope it’s okay to get carried away. ;)
Wishing you an extraordinary weekend!!
Oh yes, what a gorgeous tree! Can’t wait until our flowering crab IS. It’s been such a late spring, so we’re still waiting.
I love hearing your behind the scenes theatre process. Have a great weekend :-)
Hi Claudia,
Without a doubt William Shakespeare’s work, sensitivity and expression of the human heart, mind and soul are monumental and thus, time-honoured. It is no wonder why his art resonates so well, even with the teenagers of today! Thanks for hosting and hope you have a relaxing weekend!
Poppy xo
Ah, I see ( nope, she’s hiding) ) Kanga in a feature….thanks :) I’m glad that the students are enjoying the play! :) Your spring photos and tours this week have been enjoyable!
How wonderful to work in the Arts Claudia – following your passion.
Shakespeare has taught us all such a lot – we have so many quotes and ‘turns of phrase’ in daily use that we have him to thank for!
He’s one of my “favourite things” too!
It sounds like you have settled in more now – I hope that’s right.
I’ve just completed a work assignment I wasn’t over enamoured with – now I’m feeling quite smug I stuck it out!
Hang in there Claudia.
Great news – I’ve just orderd my “Miss Maggie Rabbit” kit – I’ve been waiting for about three months and received an email from Alicia yesterday! I hope it gets here before I leave for France…
Hugs
Shane ♥
The tree brought back memories of my own flowering cherry in my backyard! They are even more incredible to see in person. Mine was as large as the one pictured and given to me twenty years ago by my daughter for Mother’s Day. It was heartbreaking to leave my plants and trees when we moved to Florida nearly two years ago.
As always, thank you for hosting! Hope you have an awesome weekend!!!
Thanks for hosting once again. It is amazing that someone who lived that long ago is still known and admired. Think anything I have made will be remembered in 400 years? Don’t answer that!
My daughter’s studying Hamlet in her high school English class and really enjoying it. She surely would have been one of those enthusiastic student audience members you posted about the other day. Have a nice weekend and best of luck with the upcoming performances.
Linda’s tree is fabulous. Love the mini garden too! Thanks for hosting, Claudia, I am always happy to join you! xo
Good Afternoon Claudia,
How do you manage to sustain your energy? You are so very busy during the week and then you return home to work on your quilt!
My favourite is a William Shakespeare comedy, Much Ado About Nothing and the characters I enjoy the most are Benedick and Beatrice. I love how they continually spar with words, and then finally fall in love.
Have a fabulous weekend.
Best Wishes
Daphne
Claudia you’ve had a very busy week. I appreciate you taking the time to host this party. It is one of my favorite things always!
hugs,
Linda
That Kanga is a sweetie. Thanks for hosting your party again. It’s always fun to visit bloggers. Deb
Hi Claudia! I’m so enjoying reading about your time in Hartford; cozying up your living quarters, I love your quilt, hearing about your methods of teaching/mentoring the actors, etc.
My mom started taking me to the theater when I was eight years old – she adored the theater – but she never took me to see Shakespeare (until Ian McKellan came to UCLA for Richard III around 1993?). But my husband loves loves loves Shakespeare so I’ve increased that number quite a bit since then. :)
There’s a wonderful middle school teacher here in Los Angeles that uses Shakespeare as a vehicle for inspiring his students – http://www.hobartshakespeareans.org/
Oh! Stinkin Blogger is whacko today and wouldn’t let me finish my post – I couldn’t add more photos or your AFS graphic, sorry!
Happy weekend! xo
Sliding in late – as usual, but I am here. :D
Thanks for hosting again this week !
The mini garden is so sweet looking forward to visiting her page thank you for hosting this link up