December feeling

Goodness, all that's missing for December are winter clothes and Christmas trees and Advent Wreathes and Christmas lights and all that--it is raining. Yesterday was a totally rainy day, and I tell you I do not feel so worn out with China now. The rain was long due for me, and is at a perfect time for farmers. Well, sinced this's the climate, I'll let the farmers have their rain in their time without complaint. But I was worn out, for there was endless sunshine and passing showers and now I just want to be soaked.

Funny moment yesterday: Outside in the rain I almost turned into Gene Kelly. Everyone was putting their umbrellas up and not stopping, and I just stop in the middle of the basketball courts and belt out the first verse of "Wintergrace" (apologies to Jean Ritchie) (but then again, why would she read my blog anyhow?), then I start thinking, "I don't know any good songs about rain--not any with any verses even. Hm..." and then once home I got out my notebook and jotted down a few things. Stay tuned....

So I'm back in the apartment and while getting ready for showering, I sing, "'Twas in the Moon of Wintertime". But by the time I was in the shower I was working on singing "There Were Roses" allowing for really fast costume changes on my sister's part--argh, does she have anything orange?! Just a shirt, wheras I am doing the "wearin' of the green" to the utmost...green hat to hide my hair, green shirt, green socks...well, the green capris don't quite fit. Well, anyway. Huh huh huh. And as the narrator, I was sick of masquerading as a man or something so I decided to do that part as a woman or something. Long, flowing hair, flowered dress, all that. Then I jump backstage and stuff my skirt into the capris and throw on a shirt and hide my hair under the hat. Phew! Anyway, I tell Susie she's got the easier part...she's not playing female narrator and male character and she dies first anyhow. And I have to figure out how to look succesfully scared, sad and pleading all at the same time. And I also have to figure out how to keep the audience from laughing when Susie comes on stage with her ears carefully plugged--with cloth or something--because it makes sense as soon as you hear the lyric it's for. Anyway, I'm learning something about getting creative with symbolism and pantomime...by the way, does anybody have motions for the lyrics, "Well, Isaac he was Protestant and Sean was Catholic born"? There's two people onstage, one for each guy, so you could get creative. Drop me a line (on the comments page) if you've got one.
Saro