Saturday, November 28, 2009

Does This Count As A Forward?

My mom sent me one of those "need to forward or good/bad luck will befall you" emails. Normally I don't bother with them. (Nor do I attribute to them any good or bad luck that befalls me subsequent to my deletion.) Since this dealt with astrological signs, which does interest me, I thought I would post.

I was born March 31, so I'm an Aries.
ARIES- The Daredevil (Mar 21 - April 19)
Energetic. Adventurous and spontaneous. Confident and enthusiastic. Fun. Loves a challenge EXTREMELY impatient. Sometimes selfish. Short fuse. (Easily angered.) Lively, passionate, and sharp wit Outgoing. Lose interest quickly - easily bored. Egotistical. Courageous and assertive. Tends to be physical and athletic. (16 years of good luck if you forward.)
For those of you who know me, do you think it fits?

Here are the other descriptions if you want to forward/play along:
CAPRICORN- The Go-Getter (Dec 22 - Jan 19)
Patient and wise. Practical and rigid. Ambitious. Tends to be good-looking. Humorous and funny. Can be a bit shy and reserved. Often pessimistic. Capricorns tend to act before they think and can be unfriendly at times. Holds grudges. Likes competition. Get what they want. (20 years of good luck if you forward.)

AQUARIUS- The Sweetheart (Jan 20 - Feb 18)
Optimistic and honest. Sweet personality. Very independent. Inventive and intelligent. Friendly and loyal. Can seem unemotional. Can be a bit rebellious. Very stubborn, but original and unique. Attractive on the inside and out. Eccentric personality. (11 years of luck if you forward.)

PISCES- The Dreamer (Feb 19 - Mar 20)
Generous, kind, and thoughtful. Very creative and imaginative. May become secretive and vague. Sensitive. Don't like details. Dreamy and unrealistic. Sympathetic and loving. Kind. Unselfish. Good kisser. Beautiful. (8 years of good luck if you forward.)

TAURUS- The Enduring One (April 20 - May 20)
Charming but aggressive. Can come off as boring, but are not. Hard workers. Warm-hearted. Strong, has endurance. Solid beings that are stable and secure in their ways. Not looking for shortcuts. Take pride in their beauty. Patient and reliable. Make great friends and give good advice. Loving and kind. Loves hard - passionate. Expresses themselves emotionally. Prone to ferocious temper-tantrums. Determined. Indulges themselves often. Very generous. (12 years of good luck if you forward.)

GEMINI- The Chatterbox (May 21 - June 20)
Smart and witty. Outgoing, very chatty. Lively, energetic. Adaptable but needs to express them selves. Argumentative and outspoken. Likes change. Versatile. Busy, sometimes nervous and tense. Gossips. May seem superficial or inconsistent. Beautiful physically and mentally. (5 years of bad luck if you do not forward.)

CANCER- The Protector (June 21 - July 22)
Moody, emotional. May be shy. Very loving and caring. Pretty/handsome. Excellent partners for life. Protective. Inventive and imaginative. Cautious. Touchy-feely kind of person. Needs love from others. Easily hurt, but sympathetic. (16 years of bad luck if you do not forward.)

LEO- The Boss (July 23 - Aug 22)
Very organized. Need order in their lives - likes being in control. Likes boundaries. Tends to take over everything. Bossy. Like to help others. Social and outgoing. Extroverted. Generous, warm-hearted. Sensitive. Creative energy. Full of themselves. Loving. Doing the right thing is important to Leos. Attractive. (13 years of bad luck if you do not forward.)

VIRGO- The Perfectionist (Aug 23 - Sept 22)
Dominant in relationships. Conservative. Always wants the last word. Argumentative. Worries. Very smart. Dislikes noise and chaos. Eager. Hardworking. Loyal. Beautiful.. Easy to talk to. Hard to please. Harsh. Practical and very fussy. Often shy. Pessimistic. (7 years of bad luck if you do not forward.)

LIBRA- The Harmonizer (Sept 23 - Oct 22)
Nice to everyone they meet. Can't make up their mind. Have own unique appeal. Creative, energetic, and very social. Hates to be alone. Peaceful, generous. Very loving and beautiful. Flirtatious. Gives in too easily. Procrastinators. Very gullible. (9 years of bad luck if you do not forward.)

SCORPIO- The Intense One (Oct 23 - Nov 21)
Very energetic. Intelligent. Can be jealous and/or possessive. Hardworking. Great kisser. Can become obsessive or secretive. Holds grudges. Attractive. Determined. Loves being in long relationships. Talkative. Romantic. Can be self-centered at times. Passionate and emotional. (4 years of bad luck if you do not forward.)

SAGITTARIUS- The Happy-Go-Lucky One (Nov 22 - Dec 21)
Good-natured optimist. Doesn't want to grow up (Peter Pan Syndrome). Indulges self. Boastful. Likes luxuries and gambling. Social and outgoing. Doesn't like responsibilities. Often fantasizes. Impatient. Fun to be around. Has lots of friends. Flirtatious. Doesn't like rules. Sometimes hypocritical. Dislikes being confined - tight spaces or even tight clothes. Doesn't like being doubted. Beautiful inside and out. (4 years of bad luck if you do not forward.)

Sunday, November 15, 2009

The Journal Review

OK, OK: Fighting gets old in play
By Mary Martin Niepold
SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL

Put a group of women together in the fellowship hall of a Texas church, watch them throw hissy fits and tangle over past slights and present insults, and you've got the makings of the latest Del Shores play, Daughters of the Lone Star State. It opened Friday night at Theatre Alliance.

Shores, who can master down-home humor and does a good job of satirizing small-town customs, is particularly good at skewering customs that reek with hypocrisy. Director Jamie Lawson has already guided Theatre Alliance's staging of two other plays by Shores, Daddy's Dying, Who's Got the Will and Sordid Lives.

In Daughters of the Lone Star State, which features an all-female cast, the target is the uppity attitude, prejudice and hypocrisy of a few local churchwomen in the small town of Lowake, Texas, 1992.

This particular group at the First Baptist Church call themselves the "Daughters of the Lone Star State," and their motto is "We are the privileged helping the underprivileged."

They may have a well-meaning mission, but on this night right before Christmas, they're struggling with failing membership, the admission of a lower-class woman who married a Mexican, a member who drinks too much, and one who flushes away another member's banana pudding because it's too common. There's even discussion about whether to admit a black member or dissolve altogether.

The plot is thin in this moral tale, but Shores offers his zingers: "Better to leave 'em wanting than wanting to leave" and "I almost forgot I decided to ignore you for the rest of my life."

The problem is that just about all the women can do is fight. Yes, there are some funny lines and some tender moments, but the clawing is relentless. On opening night, the pacing of the play also dragged a bit.

"Daughters" does make its point about prejudice and snobbery, and helping to hold our attention are two wonderful characters. Carol Roan is very funny as "Cookie Hawkins," the original founder who lapses in and out of lucidity. Mostly, Cookie thinks she's Lady Bird Johnson. Cheryl Ann Roberts plays "Virgie Hopkins" in this, her third Del Shores play at Theatre Alliance, and it shows. Roberts is tough, confident and won't put up with much.

Theatre Alliance presents Daughters of the Lone Star State at 2 p.m. today and Nov. 22; at 8 p.m. Nov. 19-20; and at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Nov. 21. Theatre Alliance, 1047 Northwest Blvd., Winston-Salem. Call 336-723-7777.

Monday, November 09, 2009

Today's Message

Jim sent this to me in an email. Thanks for the beautiful reminder!

Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile.

Life may not to be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we should dance.

Saturday, November 07, 2009

A Book Report

I am far too inquisitive and have apparently watched too many movies. I was absolutely bored through 90% of this classic book! Too many questions went unanswered - why did the plane crash? why didn't they search for the little boy? what exactly happened to the little boy? what was the beast?

I was hoping for waaaay more action...either pygmies or Others, polar bears (see? too many episodes of Lost) or dinosaurs. Something (anything!) that could hold my attention. But because it's a classic, I held on and continued to read.

Lo and behold, the last five pages and my perseverance paid off. Those pages were the most exciting of ANY book I've read recently. I could barely breathe!

Sunday, November 01, 2009

November skirt! Philosophy

The United Skirts of America was founded on the blood, sweat and estrogen of our foremothers who won for us the freedom to choose, to wear combat boots or high heels, to Run for Office or run a marathon, to form our own rock gropus instead of being groupies, to shatter glass ceilings and outgrow glass slippers, to shoot hoops instead of settling for hoop skirts. The ones who came before us made it possible for our daughters to be nuclear engineers instead of domestic engineers (or both), to have the change to put some ovaries in the Oval Office, to raise our voices instead of holding our tongues. Speak up in class, speak out in the conference room, speak your mind at town meetings. In The United Skirts of America, the soapbox no longer belongs just in the kitchen.