Mathias is cast in Nine Sinatra Songs

Finally the casting is posted for Birmingham Royal Ballet's performances in London's Sadler's Wells Theater. Although Mathias is in Edward II and in Daphne and Chloe, the roles aren't leading parts and aren't part of the public cast list. However, his name does appear for the matinée on October 10 in Nine Sinatra Songs in the dance called "Forget Domani". I am excited as I'll be in the audience! For complete casting: http://www.brb.org.uk/masque/index.htm?act=WhatsOn&urn=9981&tsk=fullcast

Sunday at the South Carolina Artisan Center

Last Thursday Mom and Dad came through Columbia on their way to Hilton Head. We had a great dinner together, and they spent the night. After visiting my studio, they picked up Alex and his friend Bill from Dreher High School and headed south. On Sunday, we met at the South Carolina Artisan Center in Walterboro where I am represented. The Center is just moving into a larger, spacious, more professional looking retail building. I am thrilled to have my work here. The boys and I headed back to Columbia via Charleston where I picked up an honorable mention at the annual MOJA juried art exhibition.

Moped License!

Quick update: Alex passed the written test at the Department of Motor Vehicles. He got an official moped license which is good for ten years...didn't get the learner's permit for driving for some reason. He got up early and rode to school.

Alex's Seventeenth Birthday

For the past week and a half, Steve and I have been checking out moped laws, helmet restrictions, insurance needs, and plotting. We bought the moped on Wednesday. Steve dropped me off at the shop on Friday in the early afternoon...so that I could learn how to drive it, get it home, and hide it in Gita's (the neighbor's) shed.

This morning I used a really lam story about Gita's dog needing something "fixed" that was in the shed. Still half asleep, Alex went to investigate...finding the moped with the sign "Happy Birthday Alex, Love Mom and Dad". (He didn't return for more than a few moments...we suspect he was stunned into tears!)


Of course, Alex can't actually drive it. Though Steve has asked him every day for the past two weeks if he were ready to take the driver's road test at the Dept. of Motor Vehicles, Alex' has opted out of this. He has decided to take the test tomorrow, of course. He used some of the birthday money he received from his grandparents and Aunt Sonya and Gita to purchase a cool helmet and a U-lock. His girlfriend Erica (who is 18 and been driving for two years) took him as a passenger on his new moped!

Labor Day Weekend

Steve and I went to my parent's beautiful lake front log home just outside Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania for the long Labor Day weekend. My Dad is recovering from complications caused by thyroid surgery. Fortunately, there is no cancer; unfortunately, problems occurred that required a life-flight ride to another hospital, a tracheotomy, and days in intensive care. He's at home and improving a bit every day. It's no wonder. Everyone is caring for him, sending cards, calling, and the environment is utterly the picture of ideal nature.

We fed the blue gills bread crumbs, watched the trout stock the baby blue gills, saw geese in flight and their webbed tracks in the soft mud, played with Icky (the pet turtle), and had a wonderful lunch prepared by my sister Sonya and Vipin.



On the return trip, Steve and I had a picnic at the New River Gorge bridge viewing area. (Photo above of Steve on the trail to the overlook area.)



(Above: Sonya and Vipin, our cooks!)



(Above: The view to the lake with some of the many plants my parents have. Some are as old as I am!)



(Above: Another shot of Labor Day lunch)



(Above: Fish vying for a bread crumb)



(Above: Icky, the pet turtle.)



(Above: The view to the lake...sunbeams prevented a "perfect" shot...but look close...there are fish in the lake!)