Girls trip with "Carols"

 I adore my theatre girlfriends. 

Jan Smith, Me, Maurie Tarbox

Jan and Maurie are top-notch...and we talk about theatre stuff which we are all obsessed with that I don't get to really delve into and talk about with my other peeps.  We have known each other for decades...but really became besties in 2012  when we were in "5 Carols for Christmas."  We still do a lot of lunches together-- and shows together but we haven't spent time on girl's trip since 2018.  It's been too long. 

Maurie has an awesome house in St. George... and we enjoyed it for 3 days.  We stayed up too late and slept in ( 8 am) each day.

We biked and went to the new Chosen movie-- 2 episodes about the Last Supper and Jesus cleansing the Temple.  It was powerful.  We had protein for breakfast and ate early dinners- not just because we are now in our 60's but because we are smarter than we used to be.  We crocheted a lot-- I showed them the crochet sleeves I am putting on everything and then taught them how to do the hand-knitted chunky animals...Maure got started on a pink dog while I worked on pink Peeps.  We went TJMaxx shopping- which we love-- Jand and Maurie got matching shoes and Maurie and I got matching outfits.  We enjoyed "The Life List" on Netflix and an oldie, but a goodie-- "Out of Africa". Jan is on a Robert Redford kick.

Jan got us all Girls Trip 2025 hoodies to celebrate. We hiked in Snowcanyon.. and talked about all the things!

We are all faith-filled in the LDS church and love the faith journeys we have been on. We have taken charge of our spirituality and are not afraid to talk about the hard things.  I enjoy these discussions. 

We had to have pie from Croshaws and cookies from Dutchmans and took a Taffy-making class from the Taffy Shop.  It was a lot of fun and the taffy is delicious.  Megahn Parrish was down in St. George with her family and we stole her away fro a few hours to do candy with us. 

We went to a new place for dinner with Sterling Hanks and his husband Steve... the Silver Reef Brewery in an industrial park off of River Road.  The restaurant is inside a brewery and it was delicious.  I'm still dreaming about the chicken fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and fresh green beans.   Plus they do their own home-brewed Root beer-- so delicious.   And, we got to meet the owner of the brewery- Dave Moody - who is Sterling and Steve's friend.  Dave said they've been doing specialty beers for a while but have just started making wine-- and "they say it's better than Jesus's.  I wouldn't know."  I thought why wouldn't he know, but when we three ladies all ordered rootbeer he on the side asked if we happened to be LDS-- we said yes and he said, "So am I!"  WHAT?  He was great to talk to, he's also the Gospel Doctrine teacher in his ward and likes to teach D&C 25 about the sacrament and wine.  We was raised in Delta Utah, became a Banker in LAs Vegas then started doing his own investments..and this brewery is one of them. Crazy!!

Me, Steve, Jan, Sterling, Maurie, and Dave Moody

10th grade pics

Sophia, Alex, Andrew

 It started with this.  Sophia sent to the full family feed her 10th grade picture along with Andrews and ALEX's.  So we all joined in.  Presenting 10th-grade pics of all of us.....

Melinda and Wayne

Bre and Addison

Tru and Landon

Lexi and Monson

Markus and Laila

3 Cuz

 I love these guys... they have known every version of me...from my most authentic, goofy childhood self, to my self-conscious teenage self, to my young adult married with kids self, to know my eventually elderly self ( 62).   And I have experienced Krystin and Cindy this same way as well.  We have been together from the start!   It feels good to remember this.  They know what it's like to grieve our grandparents, parents and sister-cousin-Marcie.  They know what it's like to grow up with all the Butters' cousins and go to family BASH reunions and spend every summer holiday together for 4 decades, and teenage time at Bear Lake.  I cherish these relationships. 

Lamb of God and 42nd Anniversary

Participating in the Interfaith Lamb of God choir has been a joyful experience for Wayne and me.  Our friend Erin Perkins had us sign up and told us we would love it...but we didn't know we would enjoy it as much as we did. Dr. Jane Fjelsted was the director of the choir and the orchestra and she is amazing.  I was first made aware of her with the Layton Temple Dedication Choir...I loved watching her direct and thought that I would love to sing under her one day.  She is a meticulous musician who can hear all of the parts and knows who is off and what needs to happen to make a beautiful sound and still clearly enunciate the words so the audience knows what is being said.  We rehearsed for 8 week- every Thursday and Sunday evening.  They had a big wait list and if you miss more than 2 times, you are dropped and someoe from the wait list is added.  They are filling a 372 voice choir..so many people want to be a part of this and sing in the Salt Lake Tabernacle.  Wayne and I were committed and had a great time at rehearsal.  The 92 full orchestra is pretty amazing as well...add to that 19 soloists and narrators and there are alost 500 people involved to make this happen. 

 The Lamb of God  by Rob Gardner is all about the last week of Jesus' life.  It's a perfect set up for the Easter season. Because it's an Interfaith choir we rehearsed in many different church facilities... LDS ward houses, Layton Christian Church, Faith Baptist, St. Olaf's and St. Mary's Catholic churches... and we had 10 minute devotionals from all of the different faiths before we started about the Miracles of Jesus.  

Rehearsal at Layton Christian Church

Singing in the Salt Lake Tabernacle was awesome, although sitting on the 2nd to back row- the reverb was incredible and you had to really pay attention to the director’s baton.  We sang to two full tabernacles on Friday and Saturday night. So grateful for family and friends who came out and supported us.  Monson, Tayla, Landon, Andrew ( we knew he would love the Cello parts) Tami and Rob-who brought Wanee in.  So happy she could come.   The spirit was strong. 

 I have the scripture and tune…”I am the resurrection, and the life..he that believeth in me, thou he were dead, yet shall he live….” going over and over in my head.   I loved singing about the last week of my Savior’s life. 

The lyrics that have really spoken to me are Thomas’ at the end when he finally sees the resurrected Jesus after all the apostles already have.   The lyrics are… “So trust in God through all the days.  Fear not, for He doth hold thy hand.  Though dark thy way, still sing and praise.  Sometime, sometime we’ll understand.”   I choose to be a believer…and I have questions, but I still sing and praise and trust that at some time I will understand.

For our 42nd anniversary, we headed into SLC early on our choir show day and had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory..then we sang in the choir.  I’m grateful Wayne and I both love music and can share being in choirs together. I love my Wayne.  He’s been a joy and a rock to go through life with.

Look up

I’m out walking at my Layton city Park, which I love so much because of the ducks and the squirrels. I walk on the sidewalk and there are all these lines right in between the different sidewalk sections and I find when I look down, I do my very best not to step on the lines as I progress on my walk.

 It’s just kind of funny but true, it’s what I do. 

When I look up I don’t even notice that the lines are there. 

So I was thinking about this in terms of the gospel —when I’m trying to stay within the lines and do the exactness of the gospel then that’s where my focus is, but it’s not on Christ. When I look up, the lines are secondary, and I just get to be one with Christ. I am blessed as I progress on my journey.  I should add that I am grateful for the sidewalk that I walk on; I'm grateful for the path that's in front of me that has guard rails, but my walk is more beautiful when I look up. 

❤️ That’s my gospel analogy for this morning

GKGN

 Grand Kid Game Night... or GKGN

Grand kid game night was a riot!  I just love everything about these kids so much.  They are so distinct,  age ranging from 18-3 and they just love each other so much. We did all of the usual things for GKGN… I think routine is good for memories… they will hopefully remember that meema always called ketchup “red Mustard” and we always had chicken nuggets, french fries, s'mores outside around the fire pit and end the night with Papa bread, butter and jam.  

Sophia is truly the “pied-piper”  of this group and can get them to do anything.  She led them in outside games, including playing “Wicked”, “Encanto”  Ninja, Red light green light, Tag, All it, Freeze tag.  She gets them to all gather up, speak in whispers and raise their hands for comments.  It’s really a fun to watch.  She led them in meditation and relaxation exercises as well.   

Wayne and I have been praying about our grandkid time, and we were moved in two different ways… Wayne went and got $2.00 bills for each kid and had a discussion about how unique a 2$ bill is and how unique Alfie is, and Poppy and Tayla nd Andrew etc..… and how it’s awesome to be You.    I coached them about their brain– we called it their monkey brain and how they don’t have to believe every thought they get and how they can talk to their brain and not just listen to it.  Talk to your brain when your parents ask you to help clean up and you don’t want to.  Talk to your brain when it’s telling you that nobody likes you, or you have no friends. Talk to your brain so you can try new things and not be afraid,  or you want to keep playing video games, or eating candy.  You can talk to your brain about all of this to become a better YOU!  We then all colored monkey pictures.  These kids love to color!  And even George is starting to get into it, as long as Papa turns his coloring page into an airplane when he is finished.  Wayne keeps Geo busy with airplanes and RC cars.  

 We have these kids here for 4 hours and it’s really noisy…and we love every minute.  We love how Sophia includes everyone and helps them to feel important. We love how Andrew just smiles and goes along with his sister…he is a great support to her. We love how Alfie is growing and changing and wants to “win” and gets frustrated when he doesn’t. We love how Tayla is so smart and kind and wants to be in the middle of everything.  We love how Poppy is so focused when she colors and tonight she wanted to teach everyone how to draw a giraffe.  We love how Lady takes care of Poppy and sticks up for her.  We love how Elsie–though little speaks up and is the “rememberer” of what we have done because she watches all of the old family videos.  We love how George is getting nicer.  And he is so funny with the things he says plus His crazy freezes in Ninja and tag are a hoot!  

“Meema want to hear a potty word?  Butthole  “ and he smiles to see my reaction. “Oh George,” I said, “we aren’t in the potty- the bathroom -so we don’t say those words.” George - “I like to say those words”

Tuck Everlasting

Why am I doing Tuck Everlasting?

As an aging actress, there are so few parts available for me. It's hard to find a show to even try out for because of my age. Most shows don’t even want an older ensemble member. But Tuck has a small Nana part—a grandma—so I’m good for that.  

The question in Tuck Everlasting is to choose between living forever at the age you are now (this is presented to an 11-year-old girl). …or to live a full life and then die?  

What if I did get to choose never to age as an actress, but stay the 20-year-old ingenue and only play that type of part over and over again for decades?  I could be Maria Von Trap— singing Do- re- mi over and over again for eons…  but how tiresome.

Are there parts and shows that I'm sad I never got the opportunity to be in and now I'm too old?  Absolutely.  But I would be more sad to be stuck in time.  Stuck in life. 

 I’m grateful to have aged through all of the parts.  

To have played Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof as a teenager and to have played a Jewish Mother when my boys were in another production of this show.  Grateful to have played Adelaide opposite my Wayne as Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, and Eliza Doolittle (twice)  to his Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady.  Grateful to have played Anna in the King and I  and then to be in this show again as a Mother when my little family was in it. Grateful to have played Rosemay in How To Succeed in Business and Sister Mary Amnesia in Nunsense was a riot!  I’m grateful to have played Kate in Kiss Me Kate ( twice ) the first time in high school and then again as a 32-year-old and to be in Kiss Me Kate in college as an ensemble dance member as well.  To be a nun in Sister Act and then also play Mother Superior.  I had so much fun playing Ms. Q in 5 Carols for Christmas for 5 years…( then finally aged out.)

Grateful to be Dolly in Hello Dolly and Violet in 9 to 5 (twice).  Grateful to be Elsa Shroeder in Sound of Music and then later to play a nun.  Grateful to be Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun and Mrs. Hannigan in Annie, and the Stepmother in Into the Woods.   

I have had decades of varying parts and this only happened because I aged.  

So…. Yes, I’m currently grateful for the Nana part.   

The last 10 minutes of Tuck Everlasting is “everything.”  It makes the show worth seeing.  It takes Winnie from 11-years-old into dating, marrying, having a child, losing her Nana, having her child grow up and marry, losing her Mother, and becoming a Nana herself.  It’s beautiful.  It speaks to my own life. 

 Some of us are blessed to live long lives and some of us are not.  

I keep my sister’s picture on my phone’s screen saver.  It’s been 10 years now of having her there.  She left us at 54…much too soon. I'm doing this show for her.