Thursday, January 29, 2009

Sort Of Like Mayberry, Only Real


So I had this great idea for something I was going to write about and I was thinking about it while I was running from one room to the next and by the time I got to the kitchen where I was going to write the idea down so I wouldn't forget, it had completely slipped my mind and it's now residing somewhere in that great trash basket in my brain. I probably needed to flip the squash croquettes on the stove or something and there it went, in between squash croquette numbers three and four.

It's a wonder I remember to get dressed these days. If you can call what I wear clothing.
Anyway, perhaps some day I will remember what it was and then I'll write about it and I assure you, it will be mad genius.

Until then, let's discuss this and that.

First off- the hair thing. Okay, that lady rocks. She listens. She asks questions. Let me just say that by the time she'd finished trimming my hair she said, "You don't want me to blow it dry, do you?"
Now how smart is she?
And then I signed up to come in the next day and get a few highlights to help blend things in and by God, she did those beautifully and probably no one would even notice but it just looks BETTER.
Honestly, she made me very happy.
Happier than any of those dressed-like-a-ho people at the expensive places in Tallahassee. And all of this took place in a built-on-to-a-house little room of beauty in Monticello which looks amazingly like the one Dolly Parton had in Steel Magnolias, only not quite as fancy.

I love Monticello and if they got a Publix there I would probably never, ever go to Tallahassee except to see my children. Except for a Publix, they have it all, including a library, both a Family Dollar Store and a General Dollar Store, a Beauty Supplies And Wireless Store, some nice antique stores, several restaurants including the one in the building where we get our venison sausage made and buy our barbeque sauce and gallberry honey, a small farmer's market, a hardware store, a StarDucks coffee shop (really- StarDucks), a florist, several well-known ghosts, many churches, a dog track, law offices, the county courthouse, a Subway, a CVS, a ginormous Mexican import store, some stunning old homes, several nurseries and of course, the Monticello Opera House.

Which is where I'll be tonight, doing a "preview performance" for the Altrusa Club. I have been approached about joining the Altrusa Club but that would mean breaking several personal vows, one of which is never to join anything with the word "club" in it and also, never being part of something in which the members refer to each other as "sister."
Uh-huh.
They do a lot of good works and I'm sure they have a great time and I know several women who are part of the organization whom I just adore, but I don't think that would be me. For one thing, they drink wine and I can't drink wine. I'd have to bring my own beer.
See what I'm saying?

But I will gladly put on those wigs and perform for them. I'm interested to see how this little production goes with a different audience than the one we've had which has been made up of the directors, the stage manager and the sound guy. They all seem to love it and laugh every time at certain parts of the play and I just hope a wider audience will appreciate our humor as well.
I'm not nervous yet, although I'm sure I will be by the time the lights go up. I am one fourth of this whole thing and I feel like my characters are the comic relief and Lord knows we all need some of that. Our last few rehearsals have gone almost too well. We all know our lines well enough that our characters have taken over and even if someone glitches (okay, that would mainly be me), someone else jumps in and covers and things roll along.

So tonight we do the preview thing and then tomorrow we open and some of my family will be there, and the idea of that does make me nervous. Mainly because when I'm up there on the stage, I forget that I am Ms. Moon, mother of four, wife of one, and just become these other people but if my family is sitting right there in front of me, it's hard to forget. Plus, will they be embarrassed for me? Will they be embarrassed to be related to me? Will it make them squirm when I put the moves on another woman? Will my husband feel weird when I snuggle up to another fella?
Who cares? As Jack, one of our directors said one day at rehearsal, "It's all fake believe."
Ah. Don't you just love that?

Okay. That's enough of that as well as being plenty of this.

Your own personal thespian signing off now.

I have to go get ready for my close-up.

And take out the compost.

10 comments:

  1. Hah, Mama you are so funny, you definitely make me laugh right out loud, enough for my roommates to question, "why is Jessie so weird?", but that's probably not just because of your funny writing that they ask that question.

    Anyway, I understand where you are coming from with the whole family in the audience thing, but we all know that what you are doing is acting, so don't worry about it at all. I personally want my mom to act her heart out and make people laugh with her flirting with a woman scene. You won't embarrass me, and I don't think you are going to embarrass any of the others.
    (Don't you remember when I played the Italian whore and "smoked" a cigarette on stage?)

    I'm glad you like your hair, and now I think it is my turn to go to this woman!
    Have fun tonight, and break a leg!

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  2. I love Monticello too. I cover 6 counties in my job and Jefferson is one of them, so I have spent a lot of time and gotten to know the area. It is the cutest little town to me and I adore all it's little oddities. My favorite part is the wacky little church with all the crazy ass angles and colors. But I do enjoy the wild, purple house on Mulberry street too. I have shopped at the Bush Baby and the old pharmacy downtown. I used to go to that coffee shop over there a lot until it closed. Now I buy my coffee at the Tupelo Bakery. Have you been there? It is all local and organic. I haven't had lunch there but I really want to. I have had there blueberry scones and they are wonderful. You must check it out. It's next door to Milady's (Which blows my mind, btw. How can Milady's stay in business??? I think it is a money laundering sceme.)

    Anyway, I could talk about that place all day. Break a leg! I'm sure you'll be great!!

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  3. HoneyLuna- you are so sweet. I don't think I will embarrass you unless I really forget my lines and screw up the whole play. And yes, I remember when you played the Italian whore and "smoked" a cigarette on stage. It was far more horrifying to me when you dressed up as the pregnant white-trash teen for Halloween.
    You know, if you hadn't gone with me that day to the Girls of the Garden Club auditions, I never would have gotten involved with the Opera House. Thank-you.

    Lady Lemon- Oh yes. I know Tupelo's. It's great. I've gone there for lunch quite a few times. And I always see people I know. It's really good.
    And by the way- one of the things I'm wearing as a costume came from Milady's shop. And it is definitely a real place. Have you been to Ginny's Jeans and Bling yet?

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  4. I wish I could be there to see your performance Ms. Moon! I want pictures! Of you in costume! Yes, please?

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  5. So people do shop at Milady's??!! I was talking to my coworker who's from there about it and she told me that she used to shop there a lot when she was younger, but that was in the early 80's. I am just fascinated that it has been around so long. How are the prices??

    I cannot say I have had the pleasure of Ginny's Jean and Bling. Where is it? And where is the Mexican import store? That sounds awesome.

    Oh, and you should post us a pic of your new, fancy hair!

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  6. Have fun with the preview tonight! I'm with you on joining organizations with "club" in the name, and also on the "sister" part of it. No sororities for me! Can't wait to see pictures of your hair.

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  7. Oh, I think you'll have so much fun tonight!
    I live in kind of a Nort'woods Mayberry, population 764. It seems that everyone in town has lived 'above' something at some point. I lived above the funeral home for about 7 years. My friends lived above various bars. Some others live above the pharmacy. You get the idea. It's kind of like a treehouse village, but with stores instead of trees.

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  8. Break a leg Miss Moon! I wanna see that hair too! Harley and I may pop over one day this weekend and surprise you.
    xo PF

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  9. AJ- I'm not sure if I'm going to get pictures. Someone was taking pictures from the audience last night but I have no idea who.

    Lady Lemon- Ginnie's is a block north of the Hardware store, around the corner from Tupelo's.

    Lora- I'll tell you this about the "sisters"- they were a great audience.

    Rachel- I've always wanted to live "above" something. Sounds so cool.

    Petit Fleur- thanks. I doubt you'd see much difference in my hair, though.

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  10. #1: where did you get your hair cut? i need a nice, cheap place where they actually do what you want and dont impose their styling on you! sheesh!

    #2: hows the play going? break a leg! i still hope i'll be able to make it this weekend...

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