Dreams and Aspirations

I think it's some sort of commentary on the state of things when my 13-year-old daughter is talking about why she is working so hard on a school project, and it goes something like this: "I want a good grade, so I can get into a good college, so I can get a good job, so I can make lots of money, so I can afford insurance."   What does this say about the state of our country?  I guess it's better than when she was seven and not sleeping because she wanted to solve the problem of the national debt.  At least it's achievable.  

She's Growing Up

New haircut, new look

Yummy....bacon-flavored beer

Project Shakespeare

The girls have been participating in Project Shakespeare's Homeschool programs for three terms now.  The first two terms were Romeo and Juliet and Twelfth Night.  This spring the plan was to do The Secret Garden (one of those magical books from my childhood), but so many younger kids showed up (and kids who arguably wanted to be out of the house more than they wanted to participate in a play) that the older kids weren't being challenged at all.  So the director decided that five of the more advanced kids could also put on a very condensed version of As You Like It, which was fun for them but meant twice as many lines to learn.   But it all worked out pretty well in the end.  Lee played Mary and Clara played Dickon in A Secret Garden.  They played Rosalind and Celia in As You Like It, who were "like sisters."

The Cast of A Secret Garden

Rosalind and Celia                                                     Celia as Aleana and Rosalind as Ganymede

The cool thing about their doing Project Shakespeare is the experience of working with a different director.  Deborah has such a different style from Jody.  The emphasis on performance is different too.  Jody is completely minimalist with regards to costumes, while Deborah has these gorgeous costumes.  Jody focuses more on musicals and singing, while Deborah's expertise is acting.  It's really fun to see the contrasting styles.



 

Hamster Crisis

Clara woke up at 5:30 am this morning with Lynx shut in her room, the hamster cage torn apart, and no sign of her hamster Clover.  We feared the worst (I love that expression) but Bridges found a trail of hamster poop across the room, under her closet door, and in front of a gap leading.....into the wall.  Oh no!  We hear her in the wall, so at least she's alive.  These are the times I'm glad I have an indoor cat who is completely inept at catching his own dinner. Or breakfast, as the case may be.  

Sailing on the Piscataqua

Not a lot of wind, but lots of boat waves.  We spent 45 minutes going against the current and then three minutes coming back!  For someone who grew up sailing just a sunfish on a lake with no currents or tide, the river seems intimidating, to say the least.

Ah, summer

I'm keeping up with the tomatoes this summer!