Sunday, June 26, 2011

And So It Has Been


I went to the Opera House this afternoon for the Radio Play auditions. Not to audition. I may be in Asheville when the play is performed, but just to help Judy who is directing and also, of course, just to hang out at the Opera House. I literally dream of the Opera House. It is such a magical place that in my dreams it is no more so than it literally is. The old wooden stage, the ceiling which our Colin painted, high, high up on a scaffolding which he probably built, the perfect acoustics, the scary room upstairs backstage where the costumes and props are kept.

There were new faces at the auditions, a few at least, and some dear familiar ones. It must be hard when new people come in because of course us older-timers have our own jokes, our own memories but if they stick it out for just one play, the new ones will be old ones and they, too, will be part of the family. That's the way the Opera House is. That's the main reason I love it so.

I was quite surprised when my brother, Chuck, showed up. My own sweet brother who has a voice for the stage and who has never used it in that way. I was thrilled to see him. Not only will I get to spend some time with him but also- being at the Opera House could be the best thing that ever happened to him. Well, of course besides getting married and having his babies. He is the best daddy in the world and his work is in childcare so his days and nights are filled with children and he is content with that but I think that he will find that being in the Radio Play will add a completely new layer of life to his life. It has for mine. It has saved my life, being part of that place. The people there and what I do there- yes, they have saved my life before.
There are so many things which have been put before me which have given me so much joy and support that I have been able to always go on and the Opera House is one of them.
Not saying the Chuck's life needs saving. Far from it. But...oh. He'll enjoy it SO much and the Opera House will enjoy him, too.

While we were there, the heavens opened up and poured down rain. The way it's been lately, it can rain in one place and be dry as a bone two miles away so I had no idea if it had rained in Lloyd or not. After the auditions I went to the Winn Dixie (yes, we have Winn Dixie's) and bought some onions and fruit and honey and milk and three African violets. I drove home, hoping, hoping that I would find it had rained here and it had.

I took the camera out and took a few pictures of drops-on-leaves, just for fun. I wish I was worthy of my camera but I am not and do not have the steadiest hand in the world. Ah well. It was fun.

I dug my toe down in the dirt in the yard and the rain barely penetrated the top layer of it but still, the air is so much cooler. There has been relief. It was so hot earlier that I tried to work outside but gave it up and came in and Mr. Moon and I shelled peas while watching Lost In Translation and that was a sort of perfection. Bill Murray's face, sitting on the couch with the dogs, Mr. Moon next to me in his chair, the opening of pods, the sliding of the thumb to release the peas into the bowl. We got a goodly plenty and I need to freeze some of these precious tiny orbs of protein, each one so carefully freed from its jacket of bean.

A good day, and a sweet one. Simple, simple pleasures, always the very best ones. Breakfast on the back porch, a lunch of tomatoes on good bread with Miracle Whip, the shelling of our own peas, the short trip to the magical Opera House where I saw faces of people I love, the softness of the air now that it has rained, the quiet of the early evening.

The picture at the top is of the green-hearted leaf of the redbud.

Here is the banana leaf, broad and shiny, slick with wet.


A droplet holding on to a palm frond's drying tip.


A fig leaf asking nothing more than for more of that.


I am grateful for it all. It has been a weekend of many pleasures, all of them recognized, all of them savored.

I hope yours has been too.

18 comments:

  1. I love you, Mary Moon. There are some days that reading your blog has saved my life, and I am not exaggerating. Today was one of them. Bless, bless, bless your heart!

    PS. You know, of course, that I am a perpetual supplicant of the Church of the Batshit Crazy.....

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  2. Your camera and you are making beautiful, beautiful stuff. L7

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  3. Kati- Oh god. I love you so much. And you are a High Priestess. Always.

    L7- When you comment, I am filled with so much. Thank-you.

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  4. What is that yellow flower?

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  5. A Sunday without Mary...never. I am grateful if I read one of your posts and if there are two I feel doubly lucky.

    Rain drops, garden, Mr. Moon shelling the peas..life is fine down there in Lloyd.

    Opera house can breath in and out when the old timers come and the new comers become new welcome friends...

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  6. Your pictures are perfectly lovely -- I almost wanted to lap up the drops of water!

    I have to watch Lost in Translation, again. I remember laughing my ass off when Bill Murray gets stuck on the treadmill.

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  7. A- It's called a Four-O'Clock. They bloom in the late afternoon and smell like Kool-Aid.

    Ellen- The Opera House welcomes us all. Silently and with dignity.

    Elizabeth- I laughed MY ass off at that part today. What a beautiful movie.

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  8. Naturally, I was watching Lost in Translation today too - at the same time.

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  9. My mother and I snapped beans on the couch tonight, while watching "Modern Family " re-runs on OnDemand. She leaves tomorrow and has been here for a four day visit...and that is the dispatch from Washington for what it matters :)

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  10. It has been a weekend. Not so bad. One with ups and downs. But that is okay. It rained here a bit as well.

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  11. I used to have four o'clocks but they didn't have those winsome, curly orange-tipped stamens.

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  12. Bill Murray's face certainly grows lovelier with repeat viewings.

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  13. I love Lost in Translation. The scene where Bill Murray is on the treadmill cracks me up.

    Glad you got some rain.

    Love,

    SB

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  14. Love, love the beautiful picture of the four o'clock. That requires a smile for sure.

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  15. Omgrrrl- It makes me happy to think we were laughing at the same time. Yes it does.

    SJ- And that makes me happy too! Honey, it's always worthwhile to hear about your life. Always.

    DTG- Amen.

    Syd- We just got a toad-strangler. I hope. See my post about the Cuban Tree Frog.

    A- I never realized mine did either until I got up real close and personal.

    Nancy C- It is one of my favorite faces in the world. He is the master of the face.

    Ms. Bastard-Beloved- When you come visit, let's watch a Bill Murray movie, okay?

    Deb- I'm so glad you like it. It turned out well.

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  16. ah, Mary. you are balm for the soul

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  17. Gorgeous pictures. I STILL haven't watched Lost in Translation, I must.

    I'm so glad you had a good weekend. You are wonderful xx

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