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Sing Anyway

November 18, 2011 at 11:27 am by Claudia

Don and I had one of those conversations that happen when you wake in the early morning hours and chat a bit before going back to sleep. It was about music. Remember that song? What were the lyrics? Who sang it? – followed by both of us singing snatches of the song.

Do you know I used to be a singer? I was. I started out in school choir, church choir, vocal ensemble, then went on to perform in musical theater for years and I sang at weddings, too. Yes, I got paid to sing. Music has always been an important part of my life.

When I went on to graduate school to study acting, I moved into classical theater. I didn’t sing as much. Then I started teaching and coaching and, well …. not much singing anymore. The last time I sang in public was at my niece’s wedding. Since she has a 15 year old daughter, you can see just how long it’s been.

But I still sing. Like most people, I sing in the car, I sing around the house, I sing to the dogs, I sing with Don.

Sometimes I play the piano and sing,

I realized this morning that I haven’t sung very much lately. Life has been tough. I haven’t felt there was much to be joyous about. When I feel like that, I pull back, move inward and set up protective walls around myself. I imagine that’s a normal human reaction.

And, apparently, I don’t sing.

That’s not a good thing.

“Some days there won’t be a song in your heart. Sing anyway.”

Emory Austin

Act ‘as if.’ Whenever I feel down or am scared of trying something new or am unhappy, I try to use these words. Act as if. Act as if I’m joyous. Act as if I’ve got tons of money in the bank. Act as if I’m a published writer. Act as if I have no fear. Act as if I haven’t a care in the world. Act as if all is well.

Soon I start believing it. And then it starts to manifest.

That’s what singing anyway is about. If you sing, even if it’s only in the shower, you can’t help but feel lighter and happier. Your mood changes. It’s transformative.

So I’m going to remind myself to do just that. To sing anyway.

I hope, whatever the trials and tribulations in your lives, you find a moment to ‘sing anyway,’ too.

Trying to Capture the Light

November 17, 2011 at 9:01 am by Claudia

Early evening – and it gets dark so early these days – and I thought I would experiment with the camera. No flash, of course. Just playing with the settings on my camera. Since it is what is called a bridge camera, there is only so much I can do. I think.

Lit by lamps and the ever-present glow from my laptop. The colors become muted in the photos. My eye sees the scene one way, the camera sees it very differently.

Riley’s sleeping in the den. He has no idea I’m taking his picture. Scout’s red toy is on the bench.

She looks pissed off. Is there anything wrong, your highness?

There’s something about a house in the evening. When I lived in Philadelphia and Boston, I would walk for blocks and blocks in the evening. Brownstones, row houses, apartments – all of them lit by lamps, offering a tantalizing peek into the interior. Just a quick glimpse of a corner or two – a snapshot of the world inside that particular home.

I love taking pictures. I love photography. Normally, I wouldn’t post these but I’m experimenting, trying to capture what my eyes see. It’s a challenge.

Before I forget, I want to share a couple of cute things I got in the dollar bin at Michael’s. I bought them just the other day, so I think they might be available in your neck of the woods, as well.

This is a little notebook that I keep on the table next to my blogging chair where I’m very comfortable, indeed. I’m using it to jot down ideas for blog posts.

These drawer pulls were a dollar and change. I bought 4 of them. I have no use for them at the moment, but I will. They look like porcelain. Love them.

I think I’ve contacted everyone personally, but if you’re here for Reality Shot Thursday, I regret to say it is no more. Last week someone posted a very suspicious link which I deleted. Luckily I caught it right away but that was because I was home that day. I don’t want anything on this blog that would be offensive or harmful in any way. Since the title of my meme was Reality Shot, it may have been found by spammers or those with bad intentions. I refuse to give them a platform of any kind.

Thanks so much to everyone who participated. I had fun; I hope you did, as well.

Here’s hoping the sun comes out today! It’s been a rainy week.

The Painting

November 16, 2011 at 9:38 am by Claudia

Do you have some special something you’d grab if there was, God forbid, a fire or flood in your home? I have several. Heaven knows if I’d be together enough to think of any of them in a moment of panic. But I do know that I would be yanking this off the wall:

For those of you who are newer readers of this blog, a couple of years ago I was working in San Diego for an extended period of six months. I often visited my favorite shop: Vignettes. This painting was hanging behind the counter. I’d seen it for the first time the year before and I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Over the course of several months, I visited it; rather like paying homage at a shrine. I’d stand there, pretending to look at something else, while I was really stealing glances at the painting. Eventually, when I realized how transparent I was, I started talking about it to Lori, the owner of Vignettes. The price was more than I had ever paid for a piece of art. It really wasn’t all that much, just a lot for us. Our modest income forces us to be extremely frugal.

Lori called the dealer, who was willing to give me a bit of a discount. She wrote down the price on a business card. I still have it.

Still, I couldn’t imagine actually buying it.

But I loved this cherub painting that had come to Vignettes all the way from France. Sometimes we see something that touches us deep in our core and no amount of rational thinking will change the fact that we are in love – in love with something that brings us joy. You know that feeling? Well, I had it.

Eventually, I took a picture of it. I had it on my computer desktop. I pondered. I was afraid to tell Don of my need for this piece. Would he scoff? Would he not get it?

I finally emailed the photo to him. And then, fairly sure that he wasn’t a fan of cherubs, I haltingly tried to explain my passion for these cherubs. And my love for the pale aqua of the frame. And the price.

After being away from my family and home for 6 months, perhaps I felt I deserved a treat. Bless his heart, he understood.

Sigh of relief. Still not absolutely sure I would buy it, I trotted off to Vignettes. There it was. No one had stolen it away from me. Then Lori saw me and said that she had been thinking of me, especially since a customer had come to the shop, bought the painting and was having it wrapped up when, at the last minute, he changed his mind. She said all she could think about as the painting was taken down off the wall was how upset I would be.

That did it. The universe was telling me to buy it. I wouldn’t be so lucky a second time.

It hangs in our bedroom. It’s inspired the choice of the pale aqua coverlet on the bed.

Which brings me to our bedroom. The bedroom needs work. We have several pieces of furniture that need to be painted. That’s a project I want to tackle soon. I’d like to try chalk paint but it’s so darned expensive. Anyway, I want the color to be inspired by the colors of this painting. I’d love any suggestions you might have, especially from those of you who have used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. If I use it, I can only afford one color, so it has to be the right choice.

Any ideas?

Sing Anyway

Trying to Capture the Light

The Painting

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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