10/17/11 That’s All Folks

I’ve spent the last year really looking at what I have to be thankful for. The previous year and a half/two years had been really hard for me. I left a fiancé. I almost lost my house. I couldn’t afford to turn on the heat. At a time when I wasn’t sure what I was going to do or how anything could get better or how I was going to make it to the next paycheck, I decided to not focus on the negative. I decided I was not going to focus on the stress and the anger and the loss. I was not going to feel sorry for myself when there were people who actually had already lost their houses, who were without jobs, who were without a support system or resources. I vowed to take a look at my life and understand how really precious it was and how good I had it. Instead of looking in, I decided to look out. Family, friends and anonymous donors, nature, food, and random experiences small or large all helped to make my life better. I am so honored to be surrounded by the people who love and cherish me. I am better because of them.

I am thankful for you.

kk

10/16/11 Annie Got Her Gun

Today was our last matinee performance. It was a good run that was very well received by every audience that came. Today was no exception. This whole weekend has been sold out and the audiences loved it. It was a good run and I will miss seeing some of the people I have really grown to appreciate and look forward to seeing. A lot of people drift apart after shows as they get involved in other projects and I really hope that I am able to carve out time to see the people I will most definitely miss.

I am thankful for my experience with Annie Get Your Gun.

kk

10/15/11 Harvest Time

Today Jason and I went to the pumpkin patch. We had roasted corn on the cob and caramel apples. Oh we got pumpkins too but the caramel apples were the real draw. Just kidding. Kind of. We took the tractor hay ride out to a far field and walked through the pumpkins. They had so many to choose from! We each for a perfect one before we headed back to the market for some produce and the aforementioned apples. I went to the pumpkin patch with my mom and younger sister two years ago but that was the first time I had really gone and we didn’t make it last year. And Jason had wanted a special dad and Ethan day last year so I didn’t get to go. This year was very fun and I am glad we were able to go.

I am thankful for my visit to the pumpkin patch with Jason.

kk

10/14/11 It’s That Time of Year Again

Cora Avenue is one of the best streets to drive down in the fall. The leaves are so beautiful to watch as they turn color. I just noticed them turning to yellow today. I will be excited to watch them continue to color the sky as they change with every day that passes. My favorite drive used to be the one to the Tualatin Country Club but I don’t drive there anymore and Cora is right by my house and I take it all the time. This is the one thing I love about fall. Pretty trees.

I am thankful for Cora in the fall.

kk

10/13/11 Squash

Not the game, but as in acorn. Jason made some acorn squash for us to eat tonight for the second time. He just kind of made it up before and was astounded at how well I cleaned out my rind. I had never had it before. It looked like it was full of butter and brown sugar and was going to be deliciously bad for me despite it being a vegetable. No such thing. It was cinnamon and other spices with a little bit of honey. Pretty good for making something up on the fly. Jason takes such good care of me. I am pretty spoiled. How am I ever going to cook for myself now that I know how much better he is at it than me. I’m good with special occasion stuff but not really daily sustenance. I can do breakfast and lunch but I always get a little lost around dinner. I am so lucky.

I am thankful for acorn squash.

kk

10/12/11 Waxing and Waning

Our office has a hot wax “machine”. I don’t know what else to call it. You melt the wax in this container and then put your hands in to warm them up and make your skin nice and smooth. We got it as a present the first winter we were hired I think. I used it once then and haven’t since. I’m not sure why. I don’t think it is usually melted and ready for use. Today it was and I did both my hands. It was very hot for the first two dips but then it felt very nice to heat up my hand and it was fun to peel off. I think I will have to do this more often. I like playing with wax and this seems much safer than playing with candles.

I am thankful for the warm wax spa treatment I gave myself today.

kk

10/11/11 DMV

I met my friend Renee Rugh today to catch up on what is going on in both of our lives. I haven’t seen her in months and I am going to be a bridesmaid in her wedding in November. It was definitely time to meet up. She had forgotten to renew her license and her birthday had been here and gone several weeks ago. We were going to go to dinner and instead to went to DMV first. She was maybe going to have to take the written test again and although my stomach was eating its own inner lining I took her there and decided it was really the only thing to do for a friend. We would eat eventually. Luck was with us today because the woman at the counter said she didn’t have to take it. She paid the money, got her photo taken and I think the whole process took less than 10 minutes from the minute we walked in the door to the minute we walked out. Pretty amazing. It made our night that much better. I kind of felt like we won the lottery. Should people be that excited about a visit to the DMV?

I am thankful for a quick trip to the DMV tonight with Renee.

kk

10/10/11 Love Notes

Jason left this morning to be out of town for three days. He is taking his two person show on the road. I hid a note in his wallet this morning and when I got home I found that he had written a beautiful card for me and set it to wait for my return on the kitchen table. I wish people still wrote love notes on a regular basis. I like that I can talk on the phone or see people in person a lot easier so that I can say it and hear it more often, but there isn’t really anything quite like reading it. It always brings a smile and you can read it again and again and it is perfectly preserved. I wasn’t expecting to find anything at home waiting for me and I am so glad that I did.

I am thankful for my beautiful card, my very own love note.

kk

10/9/11 Strawberry Goodness

There is nothing like homemade strawberry freezer jam. I always love when my Aunt Sharon makes some. I wish I knew how to make it. I love strawberries. I love chocolate covered strawberries. However, if I were to choose a jam for my toast I would normally choose raspberry. There is one exception: freezer jam from my Aunt. I would even accept it from other people who made it. I wish I knew how to make it. I think I already said that. I had some on some biscuits with a little butter and it was like a little piece of heaven in my mouth. Mmmm.

I am thankful for strawberry freezer jam.

kk

10/8/11 Salmon!

I really like fish in general. To eat that is. I mean, they are fine as pets or something but I am specifically referring to them as a food right now. I especially like salmon, and smoked salmon at that. Today Jason and I stopped at the Sushi place for lunch before our matinee. I don't particularly like sushi but I like teriyaki stuff that they also usually serve. I ordered the salmon teriyaki dinner and it was a little expensive but I just decided to get it anyway. When they brought it to the table I had to stifle a laugh. It was gigantic. Half of what they brought me was still more than I think I would have gotten in another restaurant. I ate half and then got a box for the rest to eat later. Now I get to have delicious leftovers too! Although it was a little more expensive than I was expecting, it was definitely worth it. It was plentiful and yummy.

I am thankful for my salmon dinner.

kk

10/7/11 Free Tickets

We learned tonight that we are all being given two free tickets to I Love You Because for tomorrow matinee at Broadway Rose Theatre Company. I have a few friends in the show and heard it was cute so I've been wanting to go. Since we each get two and Jason is usually my date I invited Erin Shannon to come with us. And then she suggested we go out for lunch before hand. What an exciting afternoon I have lined up for tomorrow. And it was a great surprise.

I am thankful for my lunch date with Erin and Jason tomorrow.

kk

10/6/11 Picking Up Where I Left Off

I have made a goal of reading the top 100 banned classic novels. No, those aren't band classics, they are classics that have been banned. I am starting at the top and reading them all. I am also choosing to reread things I did in school. I figure I will get a little more out of them as an adult the second time around. Telling people about this is also good because it strikes up some good conversation. I took the summer off while Ethan was here and I'm just getting started back up. Probably because I am reading Ulysses. People keep telling me that I shouldn't read it, it is terrible. Oh, it is terrible, but I will finish it. And I'm so close. I'm hoping to have it done by the end of this month and then I will be so happy to cross it off the list. So far I've read The Great Gatsby, Grapes of Wrath, To Kill A Mockingbird, and The Catcher in the Rye. Let's see how long it takes me to get through them all.

I am thankful for my reading goal of the top 100 banned classics and all the conversation it stirs up.

kk

10/5/11 Urban Surprises

I always wanted to live in the city so my significant other could surprise me with Chinese take-out from just down the street and flowers from the corner market just like in the movies. I lived downtown at one point and that never happened. Today I came home to Jason telling me that he was taking me out for Chinese food for dinner. It wasn't a surprise take-out box. It was a surprise take-me-out. So I guess that is cool too.

I am thankful for my surprise dinner!

kk

10/4/11 Can I Please Land This One?

Callback today! Hooray. I think it is the new hair. I match my headshots and look much more put together and not lazy. Maybe I need to make this more of a priority if I am going to try to do commercial work. It wasn't such a big deal with theatre. I can always dye it once I land something or I'll be in a wig and no one would notice. Here's hoping.

I am thankful for my callback.

kk

10/3/11 Mr. Clean

I wish he would come clean my bathroom. In his absence, I did. I am not fond of cleaning bathrooms, but I am less fond of dirty ones.

I am thankful for my clean bathroom. Even though I had to be the one to get it that way. :)

kk

10/2/11 Drive

Jason and I went out to dinner and a movie this evening. We are still not sure whether or not we liked the movie. I suppose a movie that makes you think about the characters can be labeled a good movie. We saw Drive. A man works as a stunt driver and a local car mechanic. He is a loner who drifted into town one day. He falls for a girl in his apartment who has a young son. Her husband is in jail. He gets released and things happen. Different deals go down, the mafia is involved, people die. And it ends with him driving away. We're not sure if he lives or not. We're not sure if we want him to. The character was likable and then horrible all at the same time. It sure made you wonder about his past. A stumper. I'm not sure that I would recommend this movie in either direction. Watch it, or avoid it. We're still discussing it.

I am thankful for a thought provoking date night.

kk

10/1/11 They All Came!

Barb and Mark came down today to celebrate mom's birthday with Erika, Scott, Jason and me. We had lunch and opened gifts. Mom gave us all our presents from France. Then Jason and I had to leave so that we could get to the show. As we were leaving mom told me that she would see me at the show today. I was confused and so she explained that she had bought tickets for her and Barb and Mark to see the show. How very exciting. They weren't able to see Lend Me a Tenor, which would have been better since I had a much larger part, but this was still a nice surprise. I wear a dark wig so let's see if they can find me onstage.

I am thankful that all three of them could come to my show tonight.

kk

9/30/11 Apple Picking

It must be a mid-west thing. Jason was shocked that I had never been apple picking. I didn't even know that was something you could do. Today he drove us to a farm out in Hood River. I am very sick and took the day off of work even. I slept in today and then slept both ways in the car. We thought that being outside in the fresh air would still be good so we decided to go anyway. I didn't have to carry anything. He carried the bucket of apples, which was heavy by the end, and did all the driving so I could rest. All I had to do was pick a few apples and the process is surprisingly fast. Maybe I could do this for some extra money. Hmmm. I had fun and look forward to being able to do it when I am not feeling so ill.

I am thankful for being introduced to the fun of apple picking.

kk

9/29/11 Mom

Today is my mother's birthday. I am very thankful for her and all the wonderful things she has done for me. She has helped me in so many ways I can't even list them all here. Well, I could but that may be boring to read. (Besides, she shows up fairly often in this blog). She has helped me with, I think, every move I have ever made, she has lent me money, provided a place for me to stay when I left John, painted, gardened, consoled, advised. You name it, she has been there for me. She is a very strong woman who has been an extremely good role model for me. I don't know what I would even do with another mother because I think mine is the best.

I am so very thankful for my mother, Carol. She is amazing.

kk

9/28/11 Jif

Choosy moms choose Jif. If they were worth anything, they would also be specifying crunchy. Today I accidentally grabbed the creamy peanut butter we have here to use on my double fiber English Muffin. I am already trying to be healthier by eating a wheat and fiber full English Muffin. I do not also need to feel like Wilbur the Horse trying to get it down. I am not a fan of creamy peanut butter and today was like the worst day ever having to try and get that down. I think it took me a full fifteen minutes and 2 cups of water. What it did do was make me realize how much crunchy peanut butter really was.

I am thankful for crunchy peanut butter.

kk