Oh, you are all so lovely, taking my whole Post Show Depression thing so seriously. Truly touched. Feeling a bit sheepish, like it really shouldn't be that big of a deal, but maybe you're right. Maybe I do need to be a bit kinder to myself.

Except that I have 80 bajillion things to do to get ready for Vacation Bible School on Monday (which, you know, I'm in charge of. As always) and when I'm not doing that I'm trying to entertain my grandfather who is visiting from Florida ("I thought you said you wouldn't be too busy this week and it was a good time to visit?") and tonight we watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and for some reason I had no idea there was this "looking back/present day" element to it that was all centered around Katrina's imminent arrival, and I had no idea that it would be so difficult to watch (even though I myself evacuated, and Lord knows I've watched and read and heard first hand a gazillion REAL Katrina stories) and all I really wanted to do was weep.

But perhaps making up numbers is a good sign that I'm getting over my PSD? I'm not giving numbers like 1729 (which, by the way, is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways. In case you were wondering. Which you weren't.)

And there I go again...

I have PSD

And no, I don't mean a PhotoShop Document (although I have a few of those, too).

I mean Post Show Depression.

I'm quite familiar with it, although I haven't had this bad of a case in a long time. I've mostly warded it off this past year by being in rehearsals for a new show by the time the previous show ended. 5 times. But this sixth time...

Not only am I not currently in rehearsals, but I don't have an answer for the dreaded "What are you working on?" question. Heck, I don't even have an answer for "What's up next?"

Summer vacation? Time with my family? Summer camps galore?

All valid answers, but the not the answer that helps cure these blues.

I'm too busy this summer to be in anything that opens before September, and so I've watched audition after audition go by. Things I'd love to do.

Sure, I joke about rehab. And maybe in a way I do need it. Time to do the things I've neglected since last September, when I first began rehearsals in this daisy chain of shows. Time to refocus my energies, my life. I said to my husband the other night that maybe we could actually go on a date. "What's that?" he asked. (Fortunately The May Queen was quick with an answer. "That's when you go out and do something fun!" What a concept.)

But still... I miss being in the theatre. I miss the focus and the new ideas about my character. I miss the camaraderie of the cast. I miss this last show in particular. It was a great one to end on, but also a hard one to end on. Catherine is a character I feel I could have played for years. It was the best kind of work - continually challenging and rewarding. At the end of each show I felt like I had done well, but not that I had nailed it. I was never finished.

I still think about it daily. Mulling things over: moments and character history and specific wording. I have no need to. But it has become a part of me.

I put away my script today. Tattered and falling apart, I placed it on the bookshelf with so many other scripts. Scripts from productions gone by. Plays I hope to do some day. Things I was forced to read in college.

I put the play on the shelf.

And I wanted to cry.

My summer rehab program

I began my summer vacation with closing weekend of my play. I then found myself in serious withdrawal... I spent evenings staring into space and fighting off the shakes. I felt purposeless and lost. I took on a rigorous course of rehabilitation, filling my time with a visit from my grandfather, the running of Vacation Bible School, teaching of drama camp, a vacation to Tennessee and camping in North Carolina, another 2 week session of camp (this time teaching about another of my loves: Sharks!), the leading of a Theatre of the Oppressed workshop, and a trip to Cabo. All this busy-ness helped ward off the shakes and feelings of hopelessness and loss, but as summer drew to a close and the May Queen returned to school I found myself jonesing again for the stage. It now consumes my thoughts. I'm pretty sure I'm about to fall off the wagon. And I think I'll like it.

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This post has been a Monday Mission. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write a post in the style of a "What I did on my Summer Vacation" essay. As you see, mine forecasts what my summer will be like. Get creative with yours. Then come back here and post a link in the widget below. This is our last Mission before our summer hiatus. Let's make it a good one!



(Mr. Linky is having issues. If you click on the link you can still enter and view the links.... as I am able I'll put links into the post for easier access...

check out Kaye's post and de's post

Please don't let the slight inconvenience keep you from posting or reading the posts.)

You can use this button to link back here if you'd like.

a great reckoning in a little room

Because I love a good theme, we've settled on Marlowe for the name for the new kitten (see previous post below for all the cute pictures!) We didn't even have to have a tiered voting system. Rather, I just had to win over the May Queen, and once I had her on my side all was won!

Suggested first by Emily of Wheels on the Bus, the moment I saw the name I knew it was THE ONE. Several other people came up with it, too.

Christopher Marlowe was a playwright at the same time as William Shakespeare, and died in a barroom fight. There are conspiracy theorists who believe he faked his death and then went on to write as William Shakespeare (I am not one of them). In the movie Shakespeare in Love he is played by Rupert Everett.

So now we have two kitties: Shakespeare and Marlowe.

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Join my for our last Monday Mission before our summer Hiatus - write a post in the style of a "what I did on summer vacation" essay.

Do you remember when I said that I didn't want a cat?

Last night around 5pm I mentioned to The Big Guy that I would be willing to talk about when would be a good time to get a new kitten (both he and The May Queen have been lobbying.)
Look what came home about noon today.I think he wanted to make sure I didn't have any time to change my mind.
Shakespeare, our alpha cat in residence, was unaware that his world was about to change. Let me just say that he is unamused. Growling and hissing have been his reaction. As expected.
We haven't named the new kitty yet. If it's anything like last time, this may take several days and an advanced voting system.Any suggestions? (he's a boy)

rilly rilly rilly

The May Queen's last day of first grade is tomorrow (!!!!!!) and she brought home her journal. Inside are lots of gems, including her description of our May Day celebration.

This is what I did this wheeckand on sunday I whent to cherch afder cherch I invitede a friend oere for a Mayday partey it was rilly rilly rilly fun and it was rilly rilly fun and beacaes it halled it was rilly rilly rilly rilly cool! and if it din't stop raning she cood sleep ofere but it stoped raning so she went home she said it was rilly rilly rilly rilly fun.

Good thing I planned all those crafts and activities. Apparently all it takes for a really, really, really fun party is some hail.

Will you sign my yearbook?

Trying to figure out who all these people are requesting my friendship on Facebook has sent me running to my attic in search of my yearbook. Which led to digging out the photo albums. And scanning a bunch of pictures.

My senior photo. Rockin' the backlight. It's almost enough to make me run out and get another spiral perm. Almost.

I even created a facebook meme- quoting what people wrote in my yearbook and tagging them to see if they can guess who wrote what. I did skip the usual "have a great summer" and "I'll miss you" and "K.I.T." There were some pretty funny ones, with the major themes being the major things I was involved in my senior year: Choir, calculus (Why, I ask you? Why???), drama and the school newspaper. And some very funny stuff about dancing. Oh, and spring break. We travelled north. Like real Michiganders.

Reminiscing has been fun.

Drinks on the House

Scene 1. A kitchen counter at a cast party

Glass of Pina Colada: I am cool and refreshing, drink up.

a little while later...

Blender: All this Pina Colada is slowly melting over here. Glass, wouldn't you like a refill?

Glass of Pina Colada: Why yes, yes I would, if I could just get this tall girl to walk me over there.

Blender: There's not enough for two glasses, so go ahead and just fill yourself to the top.

Glass of Pina Colada: Don't mind if I do.

a little while later...

Glass of Riesling: I love how I get my own special glass.

Glass of Eiswein: Me too!

Glass of Riesling: Drink me, drink me!

Glass of Eiswein: No, me first!

a little while later...

Glass of Riesling: (to the glass that once held the Eiswein) Ha ha. She may have finished drinking you first but she liked me better. She refilled me. Twice. Or was it three times? I've lost count.

Scene 2. A different kitchen counter. The next day.

Mug of Chai Tea: I'm not sure I'm going to be strong enough for you, Ms. Maypole.

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This post has been a bit of a cheat of a Monday Mission. The actual Mission is to write a post as a discussion between characters or bloggers or historical figures. Mad did this brilliantly, and I thought it would be fun to imagine a conversation between characters from different sources. My brain is just not functioning at its highest capacity today. See above.

But hey, check these blurbs from a review out:

"The production... boasts a small but high caliber cast whose acting abilities keep the audience on the edge of their seats until the very end."

"Accomplished [Painted Maypole] gives a compelling performance as Catherine..."

(Should I forget to tell you that the review is from a paper I had never, ever heard of?)

Anyhow... if you would like to try your hand at the Monday Mission (and feel free to bend the rules a bit, I'm feeling a little generous today. As long as you don't talk too loudly) put a link to your post in the widget below.


And join me next week, when your Monday Mission is to write your post in the style of a "what I did on summer vacation" essay.

I just want your extra time and your....KISS

The May Queen has decided, as is her way, that we are having a contest. Well, to her everything is a contest or a race, but this is one I am actually happy to participate in. She has decided that we are having a contest to see who can kiss the other one more times before she gets to be an adult. This means that I am in for marathon kissing sessions. Often involving giggles. Tonight she was kissing me to the tune of Jingle Bells (which turned into this very funny little hand patting game which only seems logical in the dark folds of a twin bed post lights out and after being kissed to the tune of Jingle Bells). I kissed her back to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Anytime I give her a kiss she insists on giving me dozens to match it. It's awful, I tell you. By all appearances I am losing this contest.

Although I don't think there IS a loser in such a contest.

And shhh... don't tell her, but I think of all the times I kissed her when she was a baby and couldn't kiss back.... and well, she still has a long way to go to beat ME.

Love Will Keep us Together

When I woke up this morning, You Were on my Mind. Or Maybe you were on my stomach. Holding a handmade card. I thought "She loves me, yeah, yeah, yeah." The card confirmed it. You loved me lots. How Sweet It Is (to be loved by you). You gave me a great big Kiss. You snuck in some Butterfly Kisses. I must admit that Love is a Many Splendored Thing. Even still, I wished that All I have to do is Dream. But it was Sunday, so we were Goin' to the Chapel for worship. Why am I always so tired in the mornings, when at midnight I'm feeling like I Could Have Danced all Night? Fortunately all morning I could have told you that A - You're Adorable. You even gave me Candy. In the afternoon I watched you get on your Dancing Queen in the living room. You were the Life of The Party when we took you to a graduation crawfish boil.

But Some Enchanted Evening it was not. What happened to that Sweet Child of Mine? She apparently decided to drive me Crazy.

I phoned my mom. "I Just Called to Say I Love You," I told her. But suddenly it was like You Dropped a Bomb on Me. But not just One. It was a bombardment of stuffed animals. Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? I asked you to Stop! in the Name of Love. But you did not Listen. You insisted that you "Ain't Misbehaving". (Don't Give Me) No Lip (Child)! Why You Want to Treat Me So Bad? Don't you know that When You're Good to Mama, Mama's good to you... but when you're not? Well, there are Consequences. I sent you to your room. You thought this was a Severe Punishment. But I finished my chat in Peace.

Later you were Splish Splashing in the bathtub. I was trying to wash that dirt right out of your hair. I did not suggest Let's Get Soaking Wet. Once again I asked you to Stop. But You Won't Listen. Water continued to Rain on Me. I told you there would be no Bedtime Story. You were Pouting Like a Baby.

Sometimes I feel like You Give Love a Bad Name. But no one is Perfect. There is always Forgiveness. Tomorrow is another day. We Can Start All Over Again. Until then, I wish you Sweet Dreams.

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This has been a Monday Mission. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write a post filled with Song Titles. If you do, please post a link in the widget below:



And if you participate, you can link back here with this button.

Join us for future Missions!
5/18- a discussion between characters/bloggers/historical figures. Mad did this brilliantly, and I thought it would be fun to imagine a conversation between characters from different sources.

5/25- a "What I did on my summer vacation" essay. Yes, before summer vacation.

Happy Mother's Day!

Here's this years traditional Mother's Day photo
(see past years here)

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Opening weekend went well. Our audiences seem to love us, laughing in the right spots- even GASPING in the right spots- and giving us standing ovations. And they're not even ALL related to one of us. My husband even swears up and down that the lights are just fine.

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Monday Mission: a post filled with Song Titles. Bring it.

May Day, delayed

We finally managed to have our May Day party on Sunday, two days late. Only one of the neighbor girls could attend, but the May Queen had had enough of waiting and putting it off, and would wait no more. Bad weather was threatening, and we had already had a spot or two of rain, so we quickly danced around the may pole before heading in for some crafts.

The party was decidedly more low key than last year, and I didn't feel as prepared or "on" as I did at our first annual celebration. But The May Queen was thrilled, and even came up with some crafts on her own that she led us in (like making fairies out of only pipe cleaners and dragonflies out of paper and paperclips)
The flower friend fairies were fun to make and turned out very cute. The craft that was supposed to be made out of prints from flower petals was a complete and utter bust... the petals made a gross mess all over the paper, and that was that.

The flowers from the soda bottles were the biggest hit, and very fun to make.

As we were working on the crafts it began to rain. We sat on our porch and enjoyed the sound on the metal roof. I stepped inside to wash some paint brushes in the sink when I heard this loud banging from the porch. The girls began yelling. "There's ICE falling from the sky!"

Now, I don't think it's supposed to HAIL at a May Day party. It just seems wrong. Hail the size of rubber bouncy balls fell from the sky, and bounced through the grass. I tried to get pictures, but failed.

Then the hail stopped, and rain came down about as hard as I've ever seen. Can you see it streaming down, over the sides of our gutters? It was impressive. And LOUD. Thunder rolled. The wind blew the rain in through the screens and we quickly scooped up our crafts and moved them inside to dry.

And then I think we played hide and seek.

The May Queen thinks the party was a success. And thus, so do I.
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Thank you for your kind words of encouragement on my last post. Things went much better at our final dress rehearsal tonight, including the light. We even had a small, invited audience. The director overheard one lady as she left. She said "They were all good, but that young lady was brilliant." BRILLIANT. Somehow, I feel a little better.
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Next Monday's Mission is to write a post that contains as many Song Titles as possible. Mad has informed me that she is planning to win The Most Song Titles in a Blog Post Ever prize. That sounds like a challenge to me. The gauntlet has been thrown down. Will YOU rise to the occasion?

Wherin I Do Not Rant Nor Rave

I am feeling pretty good about opening on Friday from an acting standpoint. However... Do I look nervous to you?
How about the other actor? What? It's too dark to see him? Hmmmm......

I will not Rant nor Rave. I will not Rant nor Rave.

Nor will I do this...

I may have to partake in some of the vintage from that bottle there. And not the prop stuff, either.

A Midspring Blog's Dream

I was having a hard time coming up with something to cast. I haven't been reading much since I spend just about every free reading moment with my current script. I was thinking I was going to have to pass on this Monday Mission. Then, this morning, in the car... inspiration. What else should Painted Maypole cast but A Midsummer Night's Dream??? Perfect. I think we'll go for an all female version (I saw an all female production of 12th Night once, and it was awesome! Besides, it used to be all men back in Shakespeare's day, so why not turn it on its head a bit? Yippee!) I haven't had as much time to mull this over as I'd like, but these are my initial thoughts:

Character descriptions stolen from sparknotes.com. My casting choices follow the descriptions.

Puck - Also known as Robin Goodfellow, Puck is Oberon’s jester, a mischievous fairy who delights in playing pranks on mortals. Though A Midsummer Night’s Dream divides its action between several groups of characters, Puck is the closest thing the play has to a protagonist. His enchanting, mischievous spirit pervades the atmosphere, and his antics are responsible for many of the complications that propel the other main plots: he mistakes the young Athenians, applying the love potion to Lysander instead of Demetrius, thereby causing chaos within the group of young lovers; he also transforms Bottom’s head into that of an ass. Alejna from Collecting Tokens. Her playful nature and love of language should make this a perfect fit. Plus, surely we can find some business for her involving pants.

Oberon - The king of the fairies, Oberon is initially at odds with his wife, Titania, because she refuses to relinquish control of a young Indian prince whom he wants for a knight. Oberon’s desire for revenge on Titania leads him to send Puck to obtain the love-potion flower that creates so much of the play’s confusion and farce. Jen from One Plus Two.

Titania - The beautiful queen of the fairies, Titania resists the attempts of her husband, Oberon, to make a knight of the young Indian prince that she has been given. Titania’s brief, potion-induced love for Nick Bottom, whose head Puck has transformed into that of an ass, yields the play’s foremost example of the contrast motif. Mad, from Under the Mad Hat. Years ago Mad and Jen married via the internet and the Just Posts were born. I think having the two of them united, and sparring, on stage would be worth the price of admission.

Lysander - A young man of Athens, in love with Hermia. Lysander’s relationship with Hermia invokes the theme of love’s difficulty: he cannot marry her openly because Egeus, her father, wishes her to wed Demetrius; when Lysander and Hermia run away into the forest, Lysander becomes the victim of misapplied magic and wakes up in love with Helena. No Mother Earth. She wouldn't be afraid to be fawning.

Demetrius - A young man of Athens, initially in love with Hermia and ultimately in love with Helena. Demetrius’s obstinate pursuit of Hermia throws love out of balance among the quartet of Athenian youths and precludes a symmetrical two-couple arrangement. Emily R from Wheels on the Bus. Because she recently offered to come and kiss me.

Hermia - Egeus’s daughter, a young woman of Athens. Hermia is in love with Lysander and is a childhood friend of Helena. As a result of the fairies’ mischief with Oberon’s love potion, both Lysander and Demetrius suddenly fall in love with Helena. Self-conscious about her short stature, Hermia suspects that Helena has wooed the men with her height. By morning, however, Puck has sorted matters out with the love potion, and Lysander’s love for Hermia is restored. Niobe from Dead Baby Jokes. Because she once confessed to me that, being small and fair, she has always identified more with Hermia.

Helena - A young woman of Athens, in love with Demetrius. Demetrius and Helena were once betrothed, but when Demetrius met Helena’s friend Hermia, he fell in love with her and abandoned Helena. Lacking confidence in her looks, Helena thinks that Demetrius and Lysander are mocking her when the fairies’ mischief causes them to fall in love with her. Um... ME, of course.

Egeus - Hermia’s father, who brings a complaint against his daughter to Theseus: Egeus has given Demetrius permission to marry Hermia, but Hermia, in love with Lysander, refuses to marry Demetrius. Egeus’s severe insistence that Hermia either respect his wishes or be held accountable to Athenian law places him squarely outside the whimsical dream realm of the forest. Erin from Woman in a Window. To make her play against type.

Theseus - The heroic duke of Athens, engaged to Hippolyta. Theseus represents power and order throughout the play. He appears only at the beginning and end of the story, removed from the dreamlike events of the forest. Sarah from Slouching Past 40. I think she'd look great on Flutter's arm, and seems quite powerful to me.

Hippolyta - The legendary queen of the Amazons, engaged to Theseus. Like Theseus, she symbolizes order. Flutter. Doesn't Flutter strike you as an Amazon Queen? I would love to see her strutting around all powerful.

Nick Bottom - The overconfident weaver chosen to play Pyramus in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Bottom is full of advice and self-confidence but frequently makes silly mistakes and misuses language. His simultaneous nonchalance about the beautiful Titania’s sudden love for him and unawareness of the fact that Puck has transformed his head into that of an ass mark the pinnacle of his foolish arrogance. RimaRama. I have no doubt she would be willing to be just a silly as the part requires.

Peter Quince - A carpenter and the nominal leader of the craftsmen’s attempt to put on a play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Quince is often shoved aside by the abundantly confident Bottom. During the craftsmen’s play, Quince plays the Prologue. Bon from Crib Chronicles. Bon is such a beautiful writer that frankly I want to hear her stumble and bumble her way through the prologue. He he. Bloggers revenge.

Francis Flute - The bellows-mender chosen to play Thisbe in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Forced to play a young girl in love, the bearded craftsman determines to speak his lines in a high, squeaky voice. Mary G from Them's My Sentiments. Since we can't do the bearded man thing, I think it would be great comedy to see the lovely older Mary G play at the young girl.

Robin Starveling - The tailor chosen to play Thisbe’s mother in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. He ends up playing the part of Moonshine. Kaye from The Road Goes Ever On. Did you see the wedding dress she sewed? Tailor, indeed!

Tom Snout - The tinker chosen to play Pyramus’s father in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. He ends up playing the part of Wall, dividing the two lovers. J from In the Gutterr. Gutter... wall... um.... there's a connection there, I'm sure.

Snug - The joiner chosen to play the lion in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Snug worries that his roaring will frighten the ladies in the audience. Heather from I Can Fly, Just Not Up. Let's get her away from making costumes and onto the stage.

Philostrate - Theseus’s Master of the Revels, responsible for organizing the entertainment for the duke’s marriage celebration. Beck from Frog and Toad are Friends. Because we all know Beck is a great organizer of entertainment!

Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mote, and Mustardseed - The fairies ordered by Titania to attend to Bottom after she falls in love with him. (in no particular order...) JCK from Motherscribe would be a lovely fairy in fishnets (and have you checked out her series on Feminism? Very interesting.). Kat from Seeking Sanity. Because I am totally tickled by the idea of a pregnant fairy. I think we would make Amelia from Crumbs a singing fairly (maybe she'll bring her daughter along, too. They can sing duets!) Magpie from Magpie Musing. Because we need a fairy with blue hair.

Whew!

Participate in Monday Missions by casting your own project (play, movie, poem, short story, children's book, whatever!) with your own choices (bloggers, your family, famous actors...) and post a link in the widget below. This fun idea comes to you courtesy of No Mother Earth, who cast bloggers in a book she was reading.



Join us for our Future Monday Missions!

5/11- song titles. See how many song titles you can jam into one blog post. In high school my best friend and I used to write stories this way all the time. It passed the time in our boring classes. I had the idea when I was on a streak of titling all my blog posts with song lyrics. I have to say, I am rubbing my hands in glee over this one.

5/18- a discussion between characters/bloggers/historical figures. Mad did this brilliantly, and I thought it would be fun to imagine a conversation between characters from different sources.

5/25- a "What I did on my summer vacation" essay. Yes, before summer vacation.

Gap Tooth Grin

Guess who lost another tooth? It came really loose during dinner Thursday night - she bit into something and we all cringed as we heard a terrible ripping/crunching sound. Her daddy was going to pull it out then but we determined that it wasn't quite ready. Then at school on Friday the school cook pulled it out of her mouth in the bathroom at lunchtime!

May Day at Jazz Fest

Washboard Chaz, a New Orleans legend

Dancing around the New Orleans Jazz Fest was a perfect way to spend May Day. I'm still trying to schedule the belated May Day activities. But it was worth the delay.

Highlights included meeting up with a friend who works for the fest, and who got me a guest pass... getting me up closer to all the stages for the latter half of the day.

John Boutte was amazing... a great voice and a great performer. I bought a CD.
Esperanza Spalding was a bassist and amazing singer. And beautiful to boot. She held the audience captive with her voice. Unbelievable. Another CD for my collection.

There were so many great acts... I kept thinking "This is the highlight of the day." But then I'd see another act! One of the things I love about the festival is that there is so much to see and hear, and you can enjoy something for a bit, then go check out something else. "Short attention span theatre" is what my friend called it. We met a guy who said he would like to live the movie "Groundhog Day" - but during Jazz Fest. You could see all the acts. Eat all the food. It would be great, I agree.

A note about the food. When I attended my first festival I tucked an apple and a granola bar into my backpack, hoping to avoid spending a ton of money on a bad hot dog and chips. Wow, was I ever wrong. The food is as much a part of the festival as the music. That first year I passed someone carrying a bowl of delicious looking pasta, and asked what it was and where to get it. Crawfish Monica. Now I make that at home for our out of town guests (that and ettouffe). At the festival I try to eat something I've never had and/or don't make at home. On May Day I indulged in alligator pie, cochon de lait (that's the best pork sandwich you'll ever have!), and crawfish enchiladas.
The parades through the festival are always fun to catch.They must have been so hot!

One of the things I love is all the people who bring their own instruments, like this couple with the tambourines following this parade. You should have seen these 2 (in the navy shirts) getting down with those tambourines. Love it!

Seeing Tony Bennett was undeniably cool. Being up close in the guest area (about 12 feet away from Patty Griffin, who I had just seen on a different stage about 15 minutes earlier) was great. If only the onstage camera man hadn't stood right in the way half the time. Tony was excellent, and you should have seen him dance!

We tore ourselves away from him to close out the day with John Scofield, a jazz guitarist, and we danced and clapped away... the perfect ending to a great day at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

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Monday's Mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write a post in the style of a cast list. Take a book or story or play or TV show and cast it... with fellow bloggers or your favorite actors. Play casting director for the day. This fun idea comes to you courtesy of No Mother Earth, who cast bloggers in a book she was reading.

Ten

10 years ago today in a beautiful church in Los Angeles I witnessed a marriage. Two people vowed before God and their friends to love each other through sickness and in health...

We had just moved to Los Angeles, and although I knew the couple, I didn't know them well. During our time there, though, I got to know them very well. One half of the duo was a dear friend of my husbands since seminary. We spent a lot of time together as they showed us around town. We ate meals together. They hung out in our hot tub. I ended up working for one of them.

When the May Queen was born, we asked them to be Godparents. They've been wonderful and faithful Godparents. Now that we live nearly a continent away we visit. We call.

I sent them congratulations on this day. A decade. It's something worth celebrating.

But it's also bittersweet. See, this lovely couple is also gay. (The fact that a gay couple got married on May Day is not lost to me. Dance around the maypole, indeed!) When they were married in California their marriage was not recognized by the government. They did finally get married in the legal eyes of the state last year. But I'm not sure exactly what that means now that Proposition 8 has been passed. I'm not sure what it means legally, anyhow. I have a pretty good idea what it means emotionally. That their love is not considered good enough. That their commitment is not recognized, not valued.

A decade. Not enough marriages, of any ilk, last that long.

They've recognized their love and commitment. It's time we - individually and as a collective people of this land - recognize it as well.

A decade. It's been too long to wait.

(you can read more about my strong feelings on this subject in my old post God Loves Fags)