I Am Not Lost

I am here. I am alive. I have been absent far too long. For good reason, but still. It has been beyond busy. And much has been afoot. And it's June 1. Which means, wedding season is officially underway and life is about to get even crazier.

But I just wanted to say I'm here. I've not forgotten this place. I want to spend more time here. And there is much to tell you. It needs to wait another week or so, since this week is super nuts and I really want to have time to write about it and really do it justice. So be patient. And I will fill you in on all you've missed.

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend!

It's An Issue

If you are easily distracted or can get sucked into the internet for hours on end reading and looking at a variety of fascinating and creative things, do yourself a favor and stop reading now.

Seriously.

OK, consider yourselves warned. What happens next is your own dang fault.

I'm not kidding.


Have you heard of a little website called Pinterest? If you haven't - be prepared to spend about the next 6 hours straight on it. It's a site where you can pull and collect images from the internet that inspire you for whatever reason, and store them all on a "board" of your making. All in one place. Home ideas, recipes, fashion, art, photography, DIY projects, pets you want, places you love, vacations you want to take, things you want to try someday, you name it. Anything you want, basically. Oh yeah, and you can look through everyone else's boards too. Yeah. there goes your whole weekend.

You have to email Pinterest to request an account and they will email you in a week or two with an invite to join. I found it through that darn Sherry at younghouselove. Darn her. And through her blog I found this link, which allowed me to join right away (scroll to the bottom of that post for the direct invite). Don't know if that link will still work. You kinda should hope it doesn't if you have any hope of every doing anything else again.


Happy Pinteresting!

Is This My Real Life?

I live in New York. I work in the theatre. And so it follows that as a child, I was a special kind. Not more special than your average child, but just a certain kind of special. The story goes that when I was little, my parents would sometimes ask me to sing a little song or recite a poem when family or friends were around. I would promptly do so. And when I finished my performance, I would look at them all and say, "You clap." See? That kind of special. There is an audio tape of me making my Barbie dance and perform acrobatics on her roller skates as I narrated the entire thing in song - for some reason to the tune of "The Chicken Dance". In middle school I performed "routines" on the swingset behind our house, usually to "Livin' on a Prayer" blasting from my pink boombox. It seems my musical tastes were also a certain kind of special in those days. I performed soooooo many "numbers" in my bedroom. I started with songs from "Annie" when I was younger (although strangely I was most drawn to Ms. Hannigan's songs, even then. Hm.) and by the end of high school I had worked my way through Les Mis to The Secret Garden to RENT and everything I could find in between. In high school I was in, (or wanted to be in) every music and theatre related thing there was. I was even voted "most likely to sing on Broadway" in my graduating class. Now, it was not a very large school with about 7-10 theatre geeks total - so it wasn't a huge achievement or anything, This is the same school that gave me the Physics award. And if you know me at all, you know I'm the last person who should win something math or science related. It was just known that musical theatre was what I was into/obsessed with. I majored in music in college, listened to every Broadway cast recording I could get my hand on, and read plays and musicals left and right.

In 8th grade, I went to see the local high school's production of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, and it captured my heart and my imagination in a way I will never forget. It has been cemented as my favorite show ever since. As has Sondheim as my favorite musical theatre composer. My first big part in high school was as Philia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. I wasn't particularly good, but I was one of a very few who semi-had the soprano notes. My senior year of college I fought tooth and nail for a part in A Little Night Music and for some reason, even managed to beat out the school's star belter for the part of Petra. Determination, man. Well, that and a professor who believed in the value of educational casting (meaning, casting me in the part, as I'd learn more from it than she would have, since she'd played parts like this twice a year for 4 years). So Sondheim is a true favorite. His lyrics are the most emotionally intelligent out there - something I've realized even more as I've gotten older. Now all someone has to do is sing "Move On" from Sunday in the Park with George or "No One Has Ever Loved Me" from Passion, and they can easily turn me into a puddle on the floor.

I remember when I first saw him in person. It was when I first started working at my current job, and I was volunteering at a gala where he was being honored. I've never been the kind of person who wants to meet famous people when I see them. I'm content to just watch them talk to other people and be in the same place as they are. So I think I may've gotten to shake his hand briefly (my co-worker had been put in charge of making sure he was taken care of throughout the evening) and then I was happy to just watch him interact with the other Broadway greats in the room. It was pretty amazing just to be in the same space as he was. If you'd told my teenage self that that would ever happen, it would've been something I could've only dreamed of.

Then last season, I happened to be seated in front of him at the first preview of Sondheim on Sondheim, a retrospective of his work featuring both his well and lesser known songs, stories of his life intercut with interviews with the man himself. At the point in the show where (in a videotaped interview) he shares a fairly brutal thing that his mother once wrote to him in a letter ("My greatest regret was giving you birth"), I had an overwhelming urge to turn around and hug him. I almost had to physically restrain myself. I wanted to be his friend. So much it nearly made me cry. Another unbelievable moment that my musical theatre-obsessed younger self would've nearly passed out over.

Cut to last weekend. I had the opportunity to cast the concert version of Stephen Sondheim's COMPANY for the New York Philharmonic, which had only 4 performances over a weekend. The director, Lonny Price, has always been incredibly kind in asking me to cast things for him. This was the biggest thing yet. I didn't really realize it at the time, while we were in the trenches of it this winter, trying to get various stars (it was partially a benefit after all) to join the cast. But last week, I went to the dress rehearsal on a Thursday afternoon, and there, again, I was in the same room as Stephen Sondheim. This time, attending a rehearsal of one of his shows that I was a part of. He was just there, reading the New York Times and waiting for the rehearsal to begin. It was overwhelming. And a feeling I never want to forget. Now, after 10 years in NYC, I'm as jaded as the next New Yorker. I don't really think twice if I pass Laura Linney on the street or see Ethan Hawke at an opening. And like most people, all I can usually see is the parts of my job that drive me nuts. But this was one of those moments where I truly can't believe I get to be a very small part of the Broadway community. Seeing Stephen Sondheim waiting to watch a cast that I put together? Even this jaded New Yorker has to admit...it's humbling. And kind of amazing. And something that would've made my 15 year old self absolutely pee her pants. That being the case, can you imagine how I handled actually seeing the dang thing performed the next day? Lets just say, it was emotionally overwhelming. Which really took me by surprise, I have to say. I've worked on a lot of Broadway shows. But this was different. I just felt so blessed. I kept thinking back to my younger self. If you had told me then that I would be doing what I do for a living, let alone, being a part of something created by a composer whose work has made such an impact on my life, I never would've believed it. Not in 100 years. Probably would've passed out and peed my pants at the same time. So I'm truly, truly grateful.

For those that are interested, the show was filmed and will be shown at movie theatres across the country starting June 15. I'm sure I'll cry all over again.

The Things We Don't Know

A Facebook friend posted this today and I thought it was really interesting. For those of you who have seen Food Inc, some of this will not be new information. But there were some interesting things here that I hadn't known or hadn't remembered. It's worth a watch if you've got 15 min or so.



Pretty fascinating and certainly sobering. And I think she's got a realistic approach in how to do something about it. I think at some point in her talk she says something like, "you can't make The Perfect the enemy of The Good". Meaning, just because you can't create a perfect food supply system or eat 100% organic or do everything right to protect your family from the scarily unhealthy GMOs and processed foods and all the other crazy stuff that's out there, you can do something. Or a few somethings. And that is so much better than nothing.

More about Robyn, her book and her ideas about what to do at her site, here.

A Weekend

We had one. Finally.

And it involved:

- A home store bonanza (mostly for fun, though we did have a Williams Sonoma gift card to use). Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn and W&S - not a bad way to spend a Saturday.
- A late lunch at a lovely Italian wine bar on the upper east side
- Cleaning wax out of the living room rug (there was a candle that went rogue) while watching Emily Henderson just bring it every time on Secrets from a Stylist. She's a amazing and I want to be her friend. I'm considering moving to LA to work with as part of her team. Not that she's made that offer. But I'm still considering it.
- The making of gluten free brownies (from a mix) and a baked farro risotto with my favorite kale salad (thank you 101cookbooks.com for both).

I love a weekend. There should be more of them.

- Posted from my iPhone

What happened?

I've been absent. Ya'll, I don't understand how March is almost over. Just like I don't understand how it was 75 degrees a few days ago and then last night it snowed.

It has been busy. Obviously. Work was madness for a couple weeks there and I continue to have something every night and never seem to be able to get home before 11pm. And I have kinda lost my mojo. I have so much to say and yet nothing to say. But I am alive. Which is something.

And tonight I'm going to the opening night of this:


For those that don't know, it's a Broadway musical. Written by the creators of South Park. Cast by one of my co-workers. I am fully prepared to be completely offended and simultaneously laugh my head off. I'm super excited.

Happy Thursday to all!

Everybody Loves A Parade

Today was a rainy Sunday. One of my favorite kinds. Work this week has been a nightmare and it seems next week will be the same. So I was ready for a little fun and distraction while I could get it. We ventured out this afternoon to the annual neighborhood All Inclusive St. Patricks Day Parade (always held two weeks early). And Geoff decided to bring along his camera and test out a new funky gadget. This was the result. Forgive the grade school editing, this was obviously slapped together in 5 minutes. For my part, I'm trying to forgive him for filming me with a wide angle lens.

Happy Rainy Sunday to all!

Enjoy!

Three Day Weekend

We had one last weekend. And I'm only now getting around to writing about it. It was great to have 3 days off. We stayed home for most of it and I cooked a great deal. Which was super fun.

It all started with a project. We finally had the guys show up to fix our ceiling in the foyer. All those snow storms meant we had a leak which turned into a mini "the sky is falling" moment, when parts of the ceiling fell in from the weight of all the water. And then it kept snowing, so it was always wet at they couldn't fix it. Or at least that's the reason I gave myself for why it took so long to come back and fix it. So Saturday morning we had to empty the contents of our front hall closet, because there was water damage in there too and definitely a mold situation. Now, like most city dwellers, our front hall closet is our major storage area in the apartment. It serves as Geoff's closet, a coat closet, tool shed, Christmas decoration storage, home for luggage and and all Geoff's film gear. So cleaning it out is an undertaking. But we did. And they fixed it. Probably not to Holmes on Homes standard, but there is no longer a gaping hole in my ceiling. There is however, still half the contents of this closet lined up against a wall in the living room, as there has been no time to put it all back yet. I guess that's what this weekend is for.


I promise my living room doesn't always look like this.


But while they were doing that, I was doing this.




Breakfast time was lovely. Blogging and recipe searching and coffee with toast and jam. Yes please. In pulling all the stuff out of the closet, a few boxes had gotten wet. They were boxes full of old letters, my journals from high school and college, old playbills, photos etc. It was kinda really fun to look through them as I set them up on the kitchen table to dry out in the sun. Some of you should recognize some of these things....


A letter from my dad when I was 6. We were living in England and he must've been away for training because there were references to "I know you're being such a big help to your mommy and being a good girl". I hope I was, if mom was holding down the fort with 2 kids in a foreign country. Mom, I hope I wasn't a brat. At least not all the time. I loved finding this again.


Journals, a picture from my baptism, the playbill from a very *special* (and by that I mean bad) production of Sweet Charity I was in after college and good old middle school class photos. Nothin' like 'em. is there? I actually still remember nearly everyone's first and last name. Possibly because I am now friends with at least half of them on Facebook.


When we were kids my brother and I both had one of these cases with our names on them.


They were for holding your cassette tape collection. When I opened it, there were mostly tapes from All-County Chorus and other such middle school adventures. But there was definitely my old favorites in there too - a Jan and Dean "Surfin' Hits" that I played all the time for some reason, a mix tape that just says "Oldies" and the original cast album of Worzel Gumidge, a 1981 British musical about a scarecrow who comes to life. Or at least I assume that's what it's about. I never actually saw the show, I just listened to the tape, so I was never quite sure of the whole story. I played that tape so often that i wore out some of the songs from fast forwarding to my favorites and then rewinding them and playing them over again. Just like my Annie tape. Gosh. Remember TAPES? Remember having to rewind and fast forward to get to your favorite song? Please. That seems like the dark ages.

I also found a note written from a friend after my senior recital in college. All music majors had to give a recital their senior year, and in mine, my last number was "Paris Original" from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. It's a song about a girl who shows up at a party hoping to make the guy fall in love with her, only to find that there are multiple other girls at the party wearing the same dress. So I hauled 3 of my friends up on stage with me, having all bought the same cheap black dress at Deb or Express or some such place, and pulled off the number to great applause. After the recital my parents threw a little punch and dessert party at the Barn House, where I lived, and Mom left these little booklets out for my friends to write a note to me if they wanted.

This particular note that I found was written by my friend EJ. He later went on to marry my friend and fellow Barn girl Ali and they have 3 amazing boys. Now, for most of college, EJ was a little quiet. He was a really nice guy, hung out with the boys mostly and (at least in my experience) didn't seem as.....tuned in (for lack of a better way to describe it) to cultivating friendships with girls. After he and Ali started dating however, it was like a switch had been thrown. We all talked about how thoughtful he was, how he'd come over to see Ali and would just sit down and talk to the rest of us about our days, how we were doing. He seemed to really care about us and want to know us better. Not that he didn't like us before, but he became intentional about it, and interested in us because we were important to Ali. And it wasn't a "Oh, I've got to hang out with her friends so she'll like me more and think I'm a good guy" It was just a natural, genuine thing. Ah, the love of a good woman.

This is the note he wrote me.


"Kate - Great job on your singing thing. It was truly one of the best performances I have ever seen. Love, EJ. PS-You definitely looked the best in that dress."

First of all, it's just awesome. On a number of levels. And so "EJ" of him. My "singing thing". Amazing. Now, keep in mind, I was up on that stage with three gorgeous, skinny women. Having always been just a little heavier or curvier than most of my friends and certainly more so than 95% of performers at my school, a compliment about how I looked in comparison with the" pretty people", was one of the kindest things he could've said to my little 21 year old self. He won me over for life. :-)

As my memories dried out in the sun, I cooked. And grocery shopped.


I came home from grocery shopping intent on cleaning out the fridge, but then I realized it was after 3pm and I hadn't eaten lunch. So, on a whim, I made a Quinoa "Risotto" with Mushroom and Thyme - which happened to just be the latest recipe I had saved on my phone from Epicurious and I happened to have all the ingredients. It was surprisingly quick and pretty darn good! Not as creamy as an actual risotto, but I don't mind that.


For dinner I also made my homemade salsa and a mexican salad. The salsa I've been making for years and I don't really have a recipe. I just make up the proportions as I go. Chopped tomatoes, about half a jalepeno, a shallot, some lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper.


Just what my countertop looks like when cooking is in progress. And I know I've said it before, but this is my only actual countertop space that came with the apartment. Immediately to the left of that bowl of salsa is the sink. Who is jealous? Butcher blocks are my friend.


Mexican salad with honey lime dressing. I didn't have corn, bell pepper or jicama and it was still good. And I added avocado. The dressing was just ok. I made it a few nights later with just a cilantro lime vinaigrette that I liked better.


And we made these amazing cookies for dessert. I even whipped them up on the coffee table while we were watching a movie. They have no flour, butter, eggs or added sugar at all. And they are amazing. Bananas, almond meal (just grind almonds in a blender or coffee grinder) and coconut oil hold them together. Add oats, shredded unsweetened coconut and dark chocolate or chocolate chips.


I also made Banana Blueberry muffins (pictured at top of this post - with skim milk and a combo of whole wheat and buckwheat flour) and a Brown Butter Soda bread with rosemary and black pepper (also with whole wheat flour). The rosemary and the black pepper made it really good. And Alison and her beau and her dog Rupert came over on Monday night for a VERY impromptu dinner party, where we made my kale salad and a mushroom pasta that I now can't find the recipe for. I have pictures of all that, but my camera is being fussy. But a good time and good food was had by all.

Could someone see about making 3 day weekend happen more often?

Paris - Part 2

DAY 2: Monmarte & Sacre Cur, the Moulin Rouge, the Lapin Agile, several cafes, more wandering, a parfumerie, the Louvre just as it was closing and a wonderful dinner at a little pizza place just a few doors down from our hotel. Truth be told, we have come to call Monmarte our Waterloo. We may or may not have gotten into a wee bit of a disagreement and I may or may not have cried on the streets of Paris. Everyone should do it once, right? But it led to some really good conversations, so all was not lost.






I've decided Hal Holbrook would play this guy in the movie about his life. Either that or it actually IS Hal Holbrook.


Actual Moulin Rouge

The Louvre


DAY 3: Freeeeeeeeeeezing. Notre Dame, a stop for a warming cup of cafe in a cafe, wandering over near the Latin Quarter, an attempt to buy Geoff some gloves, but they broke after about 15 minutes, more photography, AMAZING french onion soup to warm me for lunch, a brief stroll through Luxembourg Gardens, a brief tour through The Musee d'Orsay (where we both fell for the same Degas painting), a frigid wait in the cold for a taxi, a nap at the hotel, a dinner at the corner bistro after being turned away from a reccommended restaurant, a late night crepe and a walk down the rue de Clare.



I was really taken with the statue of Jesus at the altar inside Notre Dame. I took about 47 pictures of him. You couldn't really see him directly from the front but I thought it was beautiful and there was something about it that really spoke to me. I know it's weird to talk him up and then show you a shot from behind the altar, but, again, angles of him were limited.


Reeeeaaallly ready for my soup now, please.


Luxembourg Garden




Latin Quarter - or thereabouts.


How amazingly Parisien is she?



Musee d'Orsay



All in all, Paris was pretty gorgeous. Even with the cold and the grey. We would love to go back.

Viva La France!

You were promised Paris travel videos. And here they are. Yes, I am self aware enough to know how atrocious my French accent is. Extra points for anyone who can identify how many accents I go through during the course of these videos while attempting to have a French one.





I count at least Italian, German, Spanish and Czechoslovakian. And virtually nothing that sounds remotely French. Any others?