Life Derailed

Everything has been out of whack. Our city is almost back to being fully operational, which is a good thing. The only real restrictions are for large gatherings. But that doesn’t mean things are back to normal. Of course, there are the usual “new normal” things, like wearing masks and such, but even those things are more or less “recommendations” here and not actual requirements. We’ve never really had a huge volume of COVID cases in our county to start with, so everyone is just being cautious but going about their business. No real fanatics here.

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On the Twelfth Day of Christmas

Happy Christmas Eve! I hope you’ve all got plans to be with family and loved ones this evening and tomorrow. I’ll be enjoying some peace and quiet here at the inn.

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Making the Best of a Bad Day

We all have bad days. It happens. Today is a bad day for me. I knew it was going to be. But, instead of dwelling on it, I’m making an effort to fill my day with as much joy as possible. Dancing brings me joy. Not MY dancing so much, although I do enjoy hoofing it occasionally. But watching really good dancers do their thing. That brings me joy.

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Lights, Camera, Action!

About a month ago, I posted this: https://jansenschmidt.wordpress.com/2017/02/27/when-life-throws-you-challenges-musings-from-an-exhausted-innkeeper/ which included some photos of a video crew shooting a music video. It was an interesting day and fun to watch the behind the scenes stuff. The crew wasn’t here very long and really didn’t have that much equipment. However, the final product turned out pretty dang good, in my opinion.

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What’s Going On At the Baer House?

Well, it’s been a year now and we’re getting to know the bed and breakfast routine pretty well. We’re also becoming familiar with the highs and lows of tourist traffic patterns here in Vicksburg. Vicksburg is very much a tourist town, but I think it’s pretty accurate to say we definitely have a tourist “season,” and thank the good lord for that.

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Should There Be Boundaries On Creativity?

I’m a writer. Writer’s tend to be overly creative people. We have overactive imaginations. We think differently than others. We see the world from a different perspective. We hate math.

Did you just shutter at the graphic? Did your eyes glaze over? Did you automatically say “24” after the first line because the multiplication tables were drilled into your head in the 5th grade? Well, you might be a creative person.

It’s no surprise. A lot of folks are creative. For instance, musicians, actors, artists, all rely heavily on the right sides of their brain. It’s the left-brainers you have to worry about. But sometimes I have to wonder, should we limit the extent of our creativity? I know that goes against the whole premise of this blog (“Where imagination abounds, nothing is impossible”), but hear me out. Consider these wacky inventions, then I’ll ask the question again:

What is the purpose of this? So a blind person knows where to hold the glass?

 Pizza cutters not trendy any longer; we now need scissors? And who even eats a slice of pizza this small?

 Here’s the answer to sweaty palms. (Jenny Hansen at More Cowbell has probably known about these for years.)

 Wanna see who’s following you, but don’t want to turn around?

 All the tables at your favorite restaurant full? No worries, just sit yourself down and order up. (I’d avoid the soup.)

 I call this one – the Nap Lap.

 Tired of messing up your whole face with that damned lipstick? Here’s the answer you’ve been looking for.

And my personal favorite:

Are you a busy mom but worry about setting your baby down on the dirty ground in order to get those dreaded chores done? Well, here’s the product for you.

I’ve got to admit, that last one is genius. (Does that make me a bad person?) But seriously, how can anybody holding a baby properly wash their hands after using the restroom? I’m sure this invention was created by a man; I’m just sure of it.

And so folks, after seeing just a minuscule display of the wacky stuff that people “create,” do you want to change your answer? Should creativity have limits? Or do you agree with me, that maybe we should just put a boundary restriction on inventors. Yeah, that’s it.

What’s the craziest invention you’ve come across? Have you ever purchased something “clever” to make your life easier? Do you want any of the above items for yourself? Hey, I won’t judge.

Word of the Day: Guipure

Fun fact about me:  I love starfruit.

Original post by Jansen Schmidt, April 2015. Photos courtesy Google Images.

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So Much Is Random

Random thoughts. They happen in no particular order and relate to nothing you’re currently doing or talking about. They are just that – random.

Quite often I set out with good intentions to do something productive, but sometimes it’s just hard to concentrate. Nothing in particular bothering me or stressing me, but I develop ADD on steroids which commands my every random thought.

Things like:

 

Or this:

Or sometimes, this:

And so that inspired me to write this week’s post and the early summer edition of Take It or Leave It.

Take It or Leave It
Image courtesy Google Images

 

Here’s how Take It or Leave It works: Post your guesses (would I take it, or leave it) in the comments section below. I will post my responses Thursday. The person with the most correct guesses is my winner, but you must post another comment in the comments section, acknowledging that you are a winner, in order to claim your prize. It’s that simple. Unclaimed prizes will be forfeited after one week from posting the answers.

So, here you go. For the following list of things, would I Take It, or Leave It?

1. Eat someone’s leftovers from the community kitchen refrigerator at my office building.

2. Photobomb someone’s wedding pictures.

3. Park in two parking spaces so no one dings my doors.

4. Wear something seductive to an audition.

5. Call in sick so I can stay home and read.

6. Play the damsel in distress to get some guy to do something for me I don’t want to do.

7. Kiss a guy at a cold reading audition if the script called for it.

8. Leave my garbage in the street if a bear or stray dog knocks the can over.

9. Try to charm a cop to get out of a speeding ticket.

10. Blame my mistake on someone else.

Have fun with it. I’m looking forward to your guesses. How about you – any random weirdness you want to share? What goofball thoughts trip through your day? I love hearing your stories, they make me feel less strange.

Word of the Day:  Tamandua

Fun fact about me:  My very first role on stage was the villainess in a classic old time melodrama. (Clementine Greedy was my name.)

Original post by Jansen Schmidt July 2014. Photo courtesy Google Images.

 

 

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Poetry, Photography and Leaves of Grass

So April is national poetry month. I’m a little behind the ball, but still snuck in just under the wire. I’ve never really been into poetry, but I do like some stuff. Since I’m a fan of Walt Whitman, I will incorporate a piece from his Leaves of Grass in honor of national poetry month. Here’s my rendition with photograph visuals to help you understand the meaning of Walt’s words (yeah right):

Electric Water Pageant. Seven Seas Lagoon – Walt Disney World. 2009

“I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear

Fire dancer – Polynesian Resort – Walt Disney World – 2011

Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong

 

German Pavilion – Epcot – Walt Disney World – 2012

The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam

Tea House at Vikingsholm Castle – Emerald Bay – South Lake Tahoe – 2011

The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work

Jungle Parade – Animal Kingdom Park – Walt Disney World – 2009

The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat,

Captain Jack Sparrow – Magic Kingdom Park – Walt Disney World – 2012

the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,

Meerkat – Animal Kingdom Park – Walt Disney World – 2012

The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench,

Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Walt Disney World – 2010

the hatter singing as he stands,

Brer Fox and friends – Critter Country – Disneyland 2010

The wood-cutter’s song,

Draft horse topiary – It’s A Small World – Disneyland – 2012

the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning,

New Orleans Square – Disneyland – 2010

or at noon intermission

Cinderella Castle – Magic Kingdom – Walt Disney World – 2009

or at sundown

Critter Country – Disneyland – 2010

The delicious singing of the mother,

Momma and baby – Animal Kingdom Park – Walt Disney World – 2012

or of the young wife at work,

Me and my washboard – Hoop Dee Doo Revue – Fort Wilderness – Walt Disney World – 2009

or of the girl sewing or washing,

Roy Disney and Minnie Mouse – Main St. USA – Magic Kingdom Park – Walt Disney World – 2009

Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,

Me at the Not So Scary Halloween Party – Magic Kingdom Park – Walt Disney World – 2012

The day what belongs to the day —

A scene from Mary Poppins – The Great Movie Ride – Disney’s Hollywood Studios Park – Walt Disney World – 2009

at night the party of young fellows,

My sweetie pie after his first ride on Expedition Everest – Animal Kingdom Park – Walt Disney World – 2012

robust, friendly,

Donald Duck bronze – Mickey’s Philharmonic – Magic Kingdom Park – Walt Disney World – 2009

Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.”

So as you can see, sometimes I find poetry inspiring.

What about you – do you “get” poetry? Are you a fan? Who can you relate to?

Word of the Day: Jejune

Fun fact about me: With the exception of Alaska (which I shall rectify this fall), I have been in every State west of the Mississippi river. (And almost all of them east of as well.)

Original post by Jansen Schmidt April 2014. Original photos by P. Rickrode and C. Rickrode.

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December Hodgepodge – What Haven’t I?

Image courtesy Google

Okay, I know it’s been a while since you’ve seen a post about my crazy life experiences, so here’s the final What Haven’t I for the year.

Country church. Photo courtesy Google Images

By now you should all know the rules, but just in case you’re new here – and if so welcome new friend – here’s the low down: Post your guesses in the comments section below. Three of the answers are things that I have actually done, one is something I have not done. Your job is to guess what I haven’t. It’s simple, but you can’t win if you don’t play so put on those guessing caps and get to work.

By way of reminder, the first person to post another comment on the 12th, regardless of how many guesses they got right, AND the best guesser (person with the most correct answers) will both be awarded prizes. If you got the most correct answers, but you fail to check back, your prize will be forfeited, so it’s important to check back.

Let’s just get right to it.

1 – What haven’t I made from scratch: a) doughnuts; b) lemon curd; c) Hollandaise sauce; or d) candy apples?

2 – What haven’t I built: a) a bookcase; b) a doll house; c) a snowman; or d) a gingerbread house?

3 – What malady haven’t I suffered: a) shingles; b) measles; c) mono; or d) chicken pox?

4 – What haven’t I lost money on: a) baccarat; b) poker; c) craps; or d) roulette?

5 – What church haven’t I visited for services: a) Mormon; b) Jehovah’s Witness; c) 7th Day Adventist; or d) Catholic?

The answers will be posted in the comments section on December 12, so mark your calendars and check back to see if you’re a winner. Remember, the fastest and the best guesser will both be awarded prizes.

Word of the day: Regosol

Fun fact about me: I have played a nun both on stage and on screen.

Original post by Jansen Schmidt December 2013. Photos courtesy Google Images.

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A Dance Lesson from my Bucket List

Photo courtesy Google Images

So you all know I love to dance. Right? What? You don’t know that. Okay, so maybe you’re new to my blog and you haven’t discovered my theatrical talents yet, but rest assured, I love to dance.

Now loving to dance doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m good at it mind you. Oh, I try, God help me, I try. But because I’m a late bloomer, which Debra Eve is all too familiar with, I didn’t learn to dance as a very small child, like the really good dancers do. No, I started dancing in my mid-twenties. And here’s why:

I auditioned for Nunsense, a five-woman show about – well, you guessed it – nuns. It’s a very funny comedy with five very distinct personalities. There were almost a hundred women at the auditions – for five roles! We all sang and then they made a cut to 25. I made the cut! So, I can sing a little bit.

Then we did some cold reading from the script and they narrowed it down to 9. I made the cut! So, I can act a little bit.

Photo courtesy Google Images

Then came the dance portion of the audition. Let’s face it, some things you just can’t fake. Oh, sure if you’re in a crowded bar and there’s a line dance going on you can probably stumble your way through, but when there’s only nine women lined up in a single line, someone who can’t dance is going to stand out like a carnival barker at a mime show. That would be me. I was the carnival barker.I didn’t get a role because I couldn’t dance.

But, did I let that stop me? No sirree. I signed up for every form of dance I could work into my schedule, from tap to ballet to clogging to Polynesian to ballroom to jazz to hip hop. I signed up for them all. There was no way in hell I was going to get passed up for a role ever again because I couldn’t dance.

And so began my twenty years of dance lessons. Some forms were easier to master than others and some were more fun. Because I’m not overly limber, ballet, jazz and hip hop didn’t suit me all that well, although I did continue with ballet because it’s great for posture, balance and just overall discipline. What suited me were the foot stomping forms of dance. So I stuck with those. For awhile. Eventually dance lessons take their toll on your body and your pocketbook. But I do still participate weekly in a local tap class and we even occasionally perform.

The form of dance I loved best was Irish. Irish dancing as an adult is not common, and by adult I mean a woman over thirty. It’s very hard to find a school and even harder to find an adult beginner class. I did study this form of dance for a couple of years, but never competed, which is what Irish dancing is all about. I was rather good at it, because in some ways it’s like tap dancing.

You too can be an Irish dancer. Just follow the simple instructions in this video and in no time flat you’ll be doing the Riverdance routine around your house. Really. Just follow these three simple steps:

Remember, practice makes perfect so practice that every day. I’ll even let you borrow my shoes because the steps sound so much cooler with the proper footwear.

Which leads me to my next point about dancing. Number one item on my bucket list is to dance with Derek Hough on Dancing With the Stars. I’m sure if they pair me with him, I’ll win. Sure he’s young enough to be my son and all, but he’s a really good teacher. I know we’ll win that mirror ball. Of course your votes will help clinch the deal, so when that season roles around, I’ll expect support from ya’ll.

Derek’s expression when he finds out I’m his partner. Photo courtesy Google Images

How about you? What’s on your bucket list? Do you like to dance or wish you could dance? Are you going to try the three easy steps in the video?

And, just so’s ya’ll know, I did eventually audition for Nunsense again, at a different theater and I was cast as Sister Amnesia. It was a hoot and my tap dancing skills were put to good use. I also performed the same role in Nunsense II and again utilized my tap dancing skills. No more rejections for this triple threat.

Word of the day: Inexpugnable

Fun fact about me: In eighth grade it wasn’t uncommon for me to sink 9 out of 10 baskets from the free throw line.

Original post by Jansen Schmidt, August 2013. Photos courtesy Google Images. Video courtesy of YouTube (Howcast).

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