Hamilton: The Revolution

Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m not a big fan of reading screen plays but I really enjoyed Hamilton: The Revolution. I also enjoyed listening to the soundtrack while I was reading the book. What I enjoyed most about Hamilton: The Revolution was following the creative process as it unfolded from early into Miranda’s inspiration to the Broadway phenomenon.

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Do you take this man?

Sorry for the late post, but my youngest son is getting married today. I haven’t let myself think about it too much because I tear up every time I do yet, I find that I have been thinking of nothing else for the last few days. He is marrying a delightful woman, bubbly, friendly, caring, intelligent, ambitious. They seem to be a perfect match. 

My heart is so filled with joy for him, for the both of them. So many memories flashing through my mind right now of him as a toddler, those huge round eyes and slight overbite that gave him a cherubic look that would melt my heart whenever he smiled.

His tiny hands gently turning my face to his when I wasn’t giving him the attention he needed when he had a question. His indomitable spirit with every task he undertook from learning how to ride a bike to running cross country and track to becoming a valuable member of his team at work.

I am so proud of the man he has become, of his choice for a life partner, and of the path he is paving for an amazing life.

Love,
Mom

 

Glasstastic!

Last week I started to share my journey with a big stained glass repair that I’ve been working on FOR EVAH! In More Playing with Glass  I promised to continue with the tear-down and rebuild, so let’s get started.

We finished off last week with the pattern rubbing. Pattern in hand, now it’s time to
number everything. In the photo below you might be able to make out the red numbers in some of the white spaces. Every individual space on the pattern must have a separate numeral. Once the pattern is numbered, corresponding numbers must be marked on each piece of glass. These panels each have over 165 pieces.

It is a tedious part of the process, but without those numbers, it becomes a real guessing game figuring out which piece of glass goes where.

Now that I had something to re-build the panels to, I carefully started taking the most mangled of the two windows apart. The trick here was to disentangle the jigsaw puzzle of lead and glass shapes without breaking any additional pieces. I bet you thought I was going to say that the tricky part was not getting cut. Nah, you handle glass long enough and getting nicked and sliced becomes second nature, an occupational hazard. Glass artists simply keep an ample supply of band-aids in their studios.

Feeling Empowered Is Not Enough

Empowerment can be manifested in every facet of a person’s life:

• Personal
• Relationships
• Work
• Social
• Political

Although each arena has different elements and interactions, the basic characteristics of
personal empowerment remain the same:

1. Recognizing your inherent value as a human
2. Standing up for your rights
3. Taking responsibility for building your own life

As I have been investigating this topic for this series, I have come to realize that empowerment is more than simply a feeling, it is a belief system put into action. To illustrate what I mean, I have listed several ways in which an individual expresses self empowerment.

• Asking for a raise at work
• Disputing an over-charge on a bill
• Defending your position or idea in a debate
• Putting your health first
• Standing up for yourself in a relationship
• Accepting failures and defeats as learning experiences
• Choosing your own path

Exercising your personal power is not always easy. It takes practice, it takes courage, and it takes belief in yourself. On the website Paid To Exist, Jonathan Mead lists 10 of the World’s Most Powerful Belief. It is definitely worth the read.

Signs of Spring

Up here in the stateline, the weather has been a little on again/off again. Last week the temperature topped out at 79° F. This week it’s been in the 40s. As the saying goes,

If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.

At least it’s spring!

I am obsessed right now with the flowering trees and bushes blooming all over the landscape. I love the burst of color, so welcoming after a cold and dreary winter. From a distance, they look nice enough but slightly monotone. This lovely tree lined driveway is an entrance to a credit union in the area.

The closer you get, though, the more you can see subtle shades of pink at play.

And fuchsia, splashed against the dark green leaves.

Crabapple blossoms, birds singing in the morning, sunshine when I go to work AND when I head home, these are some my favorite signs of spring.

What are some of yours?

Jury Duty

This week I was called to jury duty. I know, I know, I can hear the moans from here, but to be honest, it was an interesting experience. I was not one chosen to sit during the trial, but I did get this close. My expectation was that most people would be trying to get out of being picked for the trial. I found, however, was that the vast majority of people in my grouping seemed to feel a sense of duty and gave what I felt to be thoughtful and honest responses to the judge’s and lawyer’s selection questions.

We were to be there at 8:30 am and assembled in a large room on the 5th floor. The room was full, not standing room only packed but full, I would estimate at least 80 or 90 people. Coffee was steaming hot, the room was filled with activity; this one talking about family, over here travel, some people quietly reading magazines or books, some pursuing their smartphones. All comfortably waiting to see if they would be chosen for a trial.

Staying Positive by Stopping The But

Millions of people in the world are inflicted with what I’m calling the ‘But’ problem. You know them too, perhaps you even ARE one.

“Isn’t it a beautiful sunny day today?”

“It is, buuuuuuut…….. it’s supposed to rain tomorrow.”

“You must be so excited about starting your new job!”

“I am, buuuuuuut……..I won’t know anyone, and the commute is long.”

“Your kids are so adorable, and well behaved.”

“Thanks, buuuuuut……….you should see them when they’re cranky, they’re little monsters.”