Toothbrush

So last night (after a sold-out performance of RAGS), I was brushing my teeth with a new toothbrush.  Jackie comes in and asks, "Where did you get that toothbrush?"  I replied, out by the stereo- I think it's the one I got from my dentist last month (as I suddenly realized it was not boxed up- and that my mouth felt strange...).  Jackie replies, "it looks exactly like the toothbrush I clean the sink with."
I think my teeth are a little extra bleachy today.

Ellis is 6

So in celebrating Ellis's 6th Birthday today, I asked her what I should put on my blog about her.  First, she skipped out of the room.  Then she said, "something about Wicked".  I don't think Wicked is her favorite musical-  she has been listening to Annie Get Your Gun every single night to fall asleep ever since we did it at our high school 2 years ago.
These things make me think of Ellis:
Pancakes
Scooters
Blankets with lions on them
Swimming
Loosing teeth
Not liking baths (until she gets in)
Happy Birthday Ellis!

1st NYC Show 2014

So, we (Jackie and I) are so on the ball, we have already selected (and its been purchased) our first show for our NYC 2014 Trip. Deposits of $350 are due Oct. 31st.  Big Fish (based on the novel and film) has a score by Andrew Lippa and is directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman.  They're offering a great group discount so our travel agent already got them (14 months in advance).  It's in Chicago for one more week before it opens in NYC in Sept.  Great cast (Norbert Leo Butz- the original Fiyero in Wicked, Bobby Steggert, etc.).  Come join us!

June 6th

So if you're in Utah on June 6th, I have a few tickets for this awesome show- 10th row balcony, right side at the Capitol Theatre balcony. It really is fantastic... email me or reply if you're interested in a group price ($72).

Good Docs

So, I'm in the middle of teaching my Documentary Film Unit in my Film 2 class and wanted to share with all of you.  The following are awesome documentary films that you should see.  I promise they are entertaining and, in the lull before the big summer movies come out, definitely worth screening or ordering on Netflix.

Life in a Day-  It drags a bit in places, but the cool thing is,  Youtube collected 4500 hours of footage uploaded on July 24th, 2010.  It's all video uploaded by the filmmakers themselves.  You can watch the full thing on Youtube.  I think it's a cool idea-  and the goat farmers are awesome.
The King of Kong-  It's almost like a live action Wreck it Ralph.  So good-  and the saga continues in real time today.  (It's about two guys trying to break the high score of Donkey Kong- the supposedly unbeatable game).
Sherman's March-  It's a bit long- but it is fascinating.  About a guy who gets dumped right before filming his final project for film school is fun-  and the date with a Mormon girl is interesting.
Murder on a Sunday Morning-  Fascinating.  Like a real life Law & Order.  But better.
The Cove-  It'll make you mad...  but it's like a spy movie.
Exit Through the Gift Shop-  You're not sure if it's real or not...
Man on Wire-  About the guy that tight rope walked between the World Trade Center.  It's unbelievable.
The Queen of Versailles-  It's like Toddlers and Tiaras... with grownups...
Spellbound-  I think this film (and March of the Penguins) kicked off resurgence in docs...so entertaining. You want to know where they are now...
Dear Zachary-  It will make you cry.  I don't care how tough you are.  You will get mad and you will want to do something--- you're just not sure what.
Happy documentary viewing!

Rags

So this upcoming Friday, Saturday and Monday at 7pm, you should come and see 22 RHS Music, Dance, Theatre students put on the musical Rags (with me at the piano.  That's worth your $7.00 right there).   Rags is from the same people that brought you Wicked, Annie, Bye Bye Birdie and Fiddler on the Roof.  It has some great tunes and seating is on the stage so you're up close and personal (and... scaring the actors... no microphones.  Just them and a piano).  Doors open at 6:30pm.  It'll be a great show!

Grandma

So my Grandma Eaton passed away on Saturday- not unexpected, but it's made me think of her:

• I remember that she loved to dance.  When I was taking tap at BYU, I went to visit her and she did time steps with me in the kitchen.
• She always had big Vitamin C pills that we all liked eating.  She also always had candy in a dish in her kitchen.  Sometimes it was the good stuff, other times it was hard candy in the shape of fruit.  I ate both.
• She had decorative soaps in the shape of flowers and seashells in her bathroom.  I was too scared to use them.
• She had a cool mail slot that went into her house so you didn't have to go outside to get the mail.
• I directed my first productions in her backyard- a clothesline with blankets makes a fine curtain.  Forcing siblings and cousins (except Richard... no room for Richard....) to be in your lip syncs, melodramas, etc. in the backyard.  She would always pull up a lawnchair and watch.
• She taught me how fun it is to say, "good hell".
• I remember, before they sold their land, when their backyard would get a water turn and water would be up to your ankles.
• She found my dad's old (#2, #3) Spiderman comic books in the closet.  There was mold at the top so she cut it off and gave them to me.  I still think of Spiderman when I smell mold...
• She came to EVERYTHING (and I mean everything) that you could come to.  Church talks, plays, Grandparents day at school... she was there as an audience member.
• I remember thinking her RV was glamorous.
• I remember when Grandpa and Grandma Eaton stayed at our house while my parents were away.  We ate dinner at 4:00pm.  

Above all else, she was a kind, fun, dancing, Grandma who lived a fascinating (and a somewhat mysterious) life.  She let me crash at her house in Orem all the time and was always fun (even when she swatted your butt--- hard...)  We love you Grandma!  I'm sure you're dancing a time step in heaven with Grandpa.

I love this

I don't usually reprint other people's blogs, but I really like this from Josh Bingham's blog on Part Time Authors (which is a great blog):
Here's the link because it's hard to read below:
http://www.parttimeauthors.com/2013/04/lets-stop-worrying-about-being-same.html

Let's Stop Worrying About Being the Same

By Josh Bingham

I love Utah and I love living here. But I don't always feel like I fit in. See, I'm a card-carrying Democrat. I voted for Obama (both times!!) I support Gay Marriage. I don't like BYU sports. I don't like U of U sports. I don't actually like sports (but that's a post for another day.)  I think we should have a law banning cell phone use in cars. I'm anti-gun. I let my kids watch a lot of TV and eat trans fats.

Did everyone stop reading? See, sometimes living here I feel like I have to keep a lot of those things secret. I'm not ashamed of them. I'm not ashamed of any of them, but I feel like I worry so much about fitting in, or offending people or whatever that sometimes I keep them hidden. Sometimes it's easier to smile and nod when people are talking about sports like I have ANY idea what they are saying. Or when people curse Obama for how he ruined their life, I usually keep my mouth shut.

I feel like in Utah...and parenting...and life, really, there is a strong desire to be just like everyone around you. Like maybe if you are not raising your kids or living your life the same way that everyone else is you are somehow failing. Or maybe everyone else is on to something that you have missed, so therefore they are all doing it better than you. (That's how I feel about the TV show Arrow. Like I've really failed at something because I am not watching Arrow.)

Obviously things like politics exacerbate that feeling of different-ness. With social media, our whole lives are on display to be judged and poked over. When I was in college I didn't necessarily know the political leanings of my friends unless we actually had a conversation about it. Now I can just check out some one's profile and infer a lot of things about their life based on which things they've liked. And it is easier and easier to surround yourself by people who think the exact same way that you do and assume that everyone else is clueless, or uninformed, or obtuse.


There was a talk at General Conference that's really stuck with me. Surprise: It was by every one's favorite GA Crush Fantasy, Elder Uchtdorf. But maybe, you didn't hear it yet because it was at Priesthood Session. (Maybe you did - I think there are about 10 readers of this blog who are male.) It was an amazing talk. I wanted to stand up on my chair and cheer, but I think that is frowned up. It's called Four Titles. Essentially the talk is about the role we all play here on Earth - how we are imperfect, but trying. And there was one section that really jumped out at me. President Uchtdorf said:

But while the Atonement is meant to help us all become more like Christ, it is not meant to make us all the same. Sometimes we confuse differences in personality with sin. We can even make the mistake of thinking that because someone is different from us, it must mean they are not pleasing to God. This line of thinking leads some to believe that the Church wants to create every member from a single mold—that each one should look, feel, think, and behave like every other. This would contradict the genius of God, who created every man different from his brother, every son different from his father. Even identical twins are not identical in their personalities and spiritual identities.

 It also contradicts the intent and purpose of the Church of Jesus Christ, which acknowledges and protects the moral agency—with all its far-reaching consequences—of each and every one of God’s children. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are united in our testimony of the restored gospel and our commitment to keep God’s commandments. But we are diverse in our cultural, social, and political preferences. (Emphasis mine.)

I think what he was trying to say is that it is OK to not like BYU or U of U sports. And it's OK to make your own informed choices about how to raise your kids, even if it's not what your neighbor or sister is doing. And it's OK to be a Democrat. That is the genius of God. We live our lives, we do our best and we worry about our own Salvation, not our neighbors. The Atonement is there for everyone.

So let's stop trying to be the same. Let's respect each other and be OK with being different. You can be a Republican, or a Libertarian or whatever and I'll be a Democrat. You can be pro second amendment, and I'll be anti-gun.  But we can still be friends. But will you please tell me what is going on on Arrow? That show is
getting a lot of buzz and I feel like a failure that I'm not watching.

My Little Matilda

In honor of my Millie's 8th birthday today, a clip that reminds me of her... and the fact that I get to see this July 11th!  Happy Birthday Millie!