Awake the Voice, Awake the String! - Dec 24, 2005
I sit here in my little house, watching the sun go down and Christmas Eve beginning. It brings to mind a line…"Bob Cratchit immediately began that most pleasant of activities – the celebration of Christmas." I spent part of...
Road Trippin' for Opera - Sep 30, 2005
I’ve been excited for ages about John Adams’ new opera, “Dr. Atomic”; I think I first heard about it a couple of years ago. I’m a huge fan of John Adams, but his operas aren’t performed all that much...
Light The Night - Sep 11, 2005
I have a ton of things to catch up with on this site, but I’ll start with yesterday’s event! Through work, I became involved with the Light the Night Walk, an annual event to raise money for the Leukemia...
Maundy Thursday - Mar 24, 2005
Maundy Thursday is one of my favorite days of the year, and my most-favorite church service (even beating out Christmas Eve). I have so very many memories of Maundy Thursdays over the past 20 years or so... One of...
Maundy Monday - Mar 21, 2005
It’s been a while since I updated, but there are so many things that have been happening since the beginning of the year…a LOT of things! This is the first Monday night in almost three months that I haven’t been...
The Lullaby of Broadway - Dec 29, 2004
"What was that word you just said? Allentown? I'm offering you a chance to star in the biggest musical Broadway's seen in twenty years, and you say...Allentown?" I enjoyed Jerry Orbach on the big screen, the small screen, and of...
It's Time For Holly Jollies - Dec 27, 2004
I hope everyone out there had a lovely Christmas! I'm rather tired this morning...I had a very busy (and marvelous!) Boxing Day, and that 5:00 alarm came around EARLY this morning. I love leaving my house when it's still...
It's Time For Wonderful Wonders - Dec 20, 2004
I hope everyone has been having a wonderful holiday season! According to my Starbucks cup this morning, "It's time for wonderful wonders," dontcha know. The choir party last week was marvelous...a huge amount of people showed up, which was...
It's Time For Making Merry - Dec 16, 2004
"It's time for making merry. Let's get a tree. Let's dress it up with our favorite ornaments. Let's invite the family. Let's invite our friends. Let's invite some people we don't even know. Let's get jolly under the holly."...
Christmas Time Is Here... - Dec 15, 2004
Hello, and happy December! I never seem to find time to post…my schedule has been go-go-go for the last two months. Every day I spend at work, and every evening I spend at a rehearsal or a meeting or a...
A Little Needling - Oct 14, 2004
Oh, I forgot to tell you how the dreaded blood-letting went last week! If you recall, I was apprehensive about getting blood drawn because of my eensy-beensy-aren't-they-adorable-and-petite veins. When the nurse saw all the prick marks on my arms...
Oh, The Times We'll Share - Oct 09, 2004
I’ve waited so long to have you in my life. I planned, researched and dreamed. I got advice from friends, advice from strangers in coffeehouses, advice from bloggers on the Internet. I finally knew it had to be you. Welcome,...
Ooooops... - Oct 07, 2004
I walked into the office this morning, happy with my venti mocha valencia, and the very first person I run into says, "Hey! You wore your jammies to work!" I thought, how weird; what would make them say that?...
Goooo, Autumn! - Oct 06, 2004
A quick update since it's been a couple of weeks! First and foremost, HAPPY OCTOBER!! I'm thrilled to bits that autumn is here. October is perhaps my favorite month, because we finally get a respite from the scorching heat of...
How Many More Days Till This Dumb Test?? - Sep 18, 2004
Happy Saturday! It was another early day for me…I hit the gym at dawn, then scooted over to Fashion Island and met Chad for coffee. (But not on a scooter. Although how cool are the new Vespas?? If I lived...
The Tazo of Tuesday - Sep 14, 2004
I spent this morning running around work like a crazy person, all hopped up on cappuccinos; now I'm drinking Tazo tea and trying to get all zen with my bad self. It seems to be working. Sunday morning was Kickoff...
Labor Day Weekend - Sep 04, 2004
Ok, it's the first day of my "I'm not doing anything at all for three days straight!" Labor Day weekend, and already by noon I've done more than I meant to do all weekend! I met up with Adam, Karen,...
Lazy (not), Hazy (not), Crazy (yes) Days of Summer - Aug 24, 2004
I didn't realize it had been quite so long since I'd updated here...this summer has been flying by! Tons of shows, tons of studying, and a new Disney annual pass means I'm out and about constantly. Sheesh...I'm not even sure...
Dizzy Cat - Jul 02, 2004
Not that the Internet needs another cute cat picture, but......
Thheere's Confffetti In M y Keybrrd... - Jun 25, 2004
Happy day-before-my-birthday to me!! I had a meeting this morning and am leaving in a minute for a 6-hour offsite meeting...ick. But it's the day before my birthday! Why, boss, why must you send me to meetings? The funny thing...
June is bustin' out! - Jun 24, 2004
I decided that...well, it's been two months since I updated this...it's about darn time! My life in the past two months has been a combo of crazy-busy and same-old. My vacation was great! Northern California is so incredibly beautiful, and...
Road Trippin' - Apr 29, 2004
It's almost time to hit the road! I can't tell you how excited I am to be getting out of town. At this time tomorrow I'll (hopefully) be sitting in Joyce's house having a cup of tea. And after that,...
La commedia e finita - Apr 25, 2004
Well, Pagliacci is over, and with it ends the opera season. Very sad, but I can't say I'm not looking forward to a bit of a break. Who am I kidding; I'm sure I'll miss it fiercely next week!...
Din Don (or is it Don Din?) - Apr 23, 2004
Pagliacci has been going extremely well! We got a great review in the paper and everyone seems to love it. Karl, Elizabeth, Michael and David came to the show on Sunday and had a wonderful time, which kind of makes...
Car Incident #4 - Apr 16, 2004
I had to take my car in to the shop this week...poor thing, after the accident and the vandalism, it needed a little trip to the spa. Surprisingly, the shop guy said it would take two or three weeks to...
Maundy Thursday - Apr 15, 2004
So, the Maundy Thursday service was last week. I spent two evenings setting up for it, which was fine by me because I love the church at night. It's cool, dark, and very, very quiet. I'm always surprised at how...
Easter Weekend - Apr 13, 2004
I had the longest week last week, what with rehearsals and the Maundy Thursday service! I was so thrilled with the prospect of a weekend that I flew out of the office on Friday and made it home in record...
Finally, An Update - Apr 09, 2004
It's been a while since I've updated (as Mike so nicely pointed out), but yes, thank you, I'm fine. I haven't fallen into the orchestra pit or gotten lost at the beach or been trapped in a time warp at...
And the Winner Is... - Feb 12, 2004
Don't know if you caught the Westminster Dog Show this weekend, but if you're planning on watching reruns at some point, stop reading now because I'm going to spoil the ending for you! The winner was not Yakee Leaving Me...
Clutter Begone! - Feb 05, 2004
I'm not home much so I don't watch a lot of television - I never watch anything on network tv anymore - but when my tv is on, it's usually on BBC America, History Channel, or The Learning Channel. And...
The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant - Feb 03, 2004
I spent the weekend reading "The Red Tent," by Anita Diamant. There's a literary movement right now towards women's literature (ever noticed all the pink bestsellers at Barnes & Noble??), and one branch of that is Biblical women. I LOVE...
Poor Mimi! - Feb 02, 2004
I'm at work right now with my radio playing quietly in the background. And I had to pause my work to listen to a little girl who had called in; she said she was in the production of "La Boheme"...
Year of Wonders, by Geraldine Brooks - Jan 30, 2004
I found this book while I was browsing through Target; I usually avoid that section, as it seems to have nothing but science fiction, Oprah book club entries, and aisles of those dreadful, gag-inducing Chicken Soup books. However, I've been...
Death At La Fenice, by Donna Leon - Jan 28, 2004
I've always loved old-fashioned murder mysteries - Agatha Christie types, not Dean Koontz types - and when I saw a mention of "Death at La Fenice" in the LA Times I was immediately drawn to it. It's a light, mildly...
The Fat Lady Sang...And It's Over - Jan 27, 2004
(And don't get excited, that's just an expression...opera singers seem to be getting trimmer, for the most part.) Well, the opera is over now and I'm a bit sad and a bit relieved. On the one hand, it was a...
Book Shopping - Jan 26, 2004
I've been so swept up in rehearsals and shows lately, I haven't had much time for books. An hour here and there, but mostly when I was home I was just trying to catch some sleep. I did, however, come...
Closing Night - Jan 25, 2004
I'm just about ready to head to the theatre for the closing performance of Cosi. Closing day always makes me a bit melancholy...all the work we put into the show, the costumes and props that have become like old friends,...
Maaaaaids! - Jan 21, 2004
I haven't been on my web site much lately, but then, I haven't been doing much of anything lately that isn't opera related! Cosi Fan Tutte opened this week, and if it isn't the theater I haven't been going there;...
Resolution Time - Jan 07, 2004
I've been thinking about New Years resolutions, and I've come to the conclusion that they're a pretty decent idea. I think the standard ones of "lose 20 pounds by February," "exercise every day," and "make a homemade breakfast and dinner...
Work, Work, Work - Jan 02, 2004
I can't believe Starbucks is closed today! It's the Friday after New Year's. I don't mind being the only person in America that had to go into work today. All my coworkers took the day off as well, so I...
2003, The Year In Profile - Jan 01, 2004
What a great New Year's Eve! Will sent out an email yesterday inviting everyone over to his house for a casual party. So after my heating guy left I headed over there for games and champagne. Larry and I beat...
New Year's Eve - Dec 31, 2003
Just a few hours left in 2003! I've spent quite a bit of time going over the events in the past year, and maybe tomorrow I'll post some of them. And maybe tomorrow I'll also post my New Years resolutions!...
California Poppy - Dec 03, 2003
As you may know, I've been doing some remodeling. The kitchen is going to be a stunning bistro-red cooking haven, the bathroom is going to be Romanesque and spa-like, and the living room and den are going to be Tuscany...
Happy Shopping Day! - Nov 28, 2003
I hope everyone had a marvelous Thanksgiving! I had a very relaxing and fun day. It turns out that Ron had the day free as well, but since I'd been working so hard on putting together the Thanksgiving service and...
Happy Thanksgiving! - Nov 26, 2003
We're really in the middle of the food holidays right now, aren't we? Unlike most Americans, I don't have a big Thanksgiving, though I do love the idea. The Thanksgivings of my adult life have been spent either working at...
The Da Vinci Code - Nov 25, 2003
I finally read "The Da Vinci Code," by Dan Brown. Finally! I had to know what all the fuss was about, and Mary Magdalene is an interest of mine, ever since I did a great deal of research about her...
Pizelles and Peppermints! - Nov 25, 2003
The newest addition to the Sunday of Lesley kitchen is a very cool contraption that makes pizelles! Have you ever had those? In Sweden they're called Krumkake. I remember them from Christmases as a kid, and they're quite scrumptious! They're...
Take A Deep Breath... - Nov 25, 2003
Christmas is one month from today! I always look forward to the Christmas season with a mix of excitement and dread. Dread because with 1) the Thanksgiving service to plan, 2) the Christmas Eve service to plan, 3) the Advent...
Madame Butterfly - Nov 13, 2003
On Tuesday I went to the Opera Pacific production of Madame Butterfly. I'd seen this particular production in San Diego, but was very pleasantly surprised by some of our innovative additions. Butterfly is touted as the "warhorse" of opera, and...
Happy November! - Nov 04, 2003
Halloween is over, and I can stop for a moment and take a rest! Last week was filled with goings-on - baking, mostly - and there were a lot of fun things going on at the office. I spent quite...
Twelfth Night - Oct 31, 2003
Last week I auditioned for a production of "Twelfth Night." Coincidentally, it's my favorite Shakespeare comedy, so it would be a fun show to do. The first audition was by appointment, which was REALLY nice. No waiting around with a...
Boo! - Oct 31, 2003
Happy Halloween!!! I have to admit something...I adore Halloween. Shamelessly. I decorate my house with autumn leaves, scarecrows, pumpkins and a million candles. (Fairly tasteful, though; what would Martha do?) I spend two weeks baking all sorts of treats. I...
How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Oct 28, 2003
Well, no, this isn't really about how I spent my summer vacation, because when you're an adult it isn't really much different than any other season, is it? The big difference for me is that I spend much more time...
Summer At The Pageant! - Oct 28, 2003
Well, I spent my summer covered from head to toe in white makeup! That’s right, it was business as usual at the Pageant of the Masters. If you happened to see it, I was in the giant white sundial piece,...
Gone For Soldiers - Oct 28, 2003
I just finished “Gone for Soldiers”, by Jeff Shaara. It’s the first book (chronologically) of the Civil War series, and although I would recommend reading them in order, unfortunately I think this is the worst of them. This one is...
Baking In A Boo Way! - Oct 28, 2003
Halloween...what a great time to think about treats! Here are some things that might be especially good for kids - or to bring out the kid in yourself. You can always do decorated sugar cookies...but...yawn. Why not make caramel apples?...
Hello Everyone! - Oct 25, 2003
Lisa’s birthday was this month…happy birthday! On a recent trip to Palm Springs, I visited the Air Museum. It’s a really beautiful place (and air conditioned, thank heaven!). The floors are shiny and the planes are shiny, which is especially...
Yes, It's The Opera With The Anvils - Oct 23, 2003
I have to admit, I never really cared for Trovatore. I've seen SO many productions of this opera...wait, let me rephrase...I've seen so many BAD productions of this opera. And that can certainly damage your opinion of the show,...
Off To Pilgrim Pines! - Oct 23, 2003
It was that time of year again...retreat time!! Every year when the leaves start turning and the malls are decorated for Christmas (read: October), adventurous IUCCers pack their cars with sleeping bags, hiking boots, and spirits of fun and...
About Me - Jan 01, 2003
Coming soon!...