Minnesota Renaissance Festival, 2013

Quote of the Day:  Friends can help each other. A true friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be yourself - and especially to feel. Or, not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at the moment is fine with them. That's what real love amounts to - letting a person be what he really is.  Jim Morrison

Oktoberfest was the theme at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, so we went because sometimes, you just need to get away, spend time together in a relaxed, unscheduled way, and enjoy. I spent a considerable amount of time this morning looking for a quote on getting away, attending festivals, getting dressed up and going out, but found nothing that fit. The above quote has little to do with any of that. It's just a good quote. In other words, be yourself, and hang out with people who embrace who you are. In some ways, that's what the Renfest encourages. You see all kinds of folks there, dressed up like fairies, pirates, knights, wenches, dragon-slayers, whatever is their fancy. I saw Moms & Dads and the kids all dressed up and having a good time. Couples of every kind were spending time together, buying cool stuff, and eating giant turkey legs. (That was the biggest food line!)

We tried on vests, then had to have'em!

Thanks for the birthday present!

The Chef, sportin' the colors!

Intense on the "Puke and Snot" show. 

They've been performing here every summer since 1974.

I got fun festival hair again!

I wish it would last longer!

When I took it out on Monday night, my hair puffed out like Hermione's in the potions class scene in the Harry Potter movie!

I think these two were headed to the Fairy Wing Forest!

We picked another large crowd day!

Great weather, fun theme, and much to see and do!

This performer has a trained raven. If you held out a coin, he'd pluck it out of your fingers with his beak.

A cask-totin' turtle.

I hope you have a chance to get out to a festival or fair, or some other social gathering. It's a hoot to watch the performers and the people. There are definitely some characters out there!

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Do you dress up for festivals? What would you wear if you dared? Where do you get ideas for characters?

Guilty Pleasure

Quote of the Day:  No day is so bad it can't be fixed with a nap. - Carrie Snow, comedian

(I found that one plus several more great quotes on sleep in this month's Reader's Digest.)

And, here I am indulging in one of my guilty pleasures.  (Notice the Scriptfrenzy t-shirt.)  I was a busy Mama that day from early morning blog posting to lunch with a friend, to coffee and scriptwriting, then taught piano lessons, fed the kids, hauled them to their stuff, then more stuff, and still more stuff.

In my drama, Coffee Shop Confessions, five women meet often for coffee and to plan songs and shows.  They are Laura, Lolly, Jewell, Aubrey and Roxy.  Laura's guilty pleasure is extra whip cream on her latte.  She tells Sam, the barista, to use skim milk "because I put on five pounds just last week."

Sam:  Hold the whip cream, too?

Laura:  Don't be silly, Sam.  A girl's gotta have some pleasures in this life.

Jewell confesses that she saves up the change from her grocery money to get pedicures.

Aubrey reads online dating profiles in between clients at her salon that is conveniently across the street from the coffee shop.

Lolly reads mysteries and keeps travel brochures in her handbag.

This boy enjoys a book, a beverage, and a sunny spot to read. (notice the product placement, non-paid advertisement)

My other guilty pleasure is anything with the main ingredient chocolate.  I saw a brownie recipe on a newly discovered blog, Bunny's Warm Oven , that I need to try this weekend.

Journaling Prompt:  What's YOUR guilty pleasure?  Describe a time when you went to extremes to have it or hide it.

Eavesdropping on Characters

Quote of the Day:  The way you define yourself as a writer is that you write every time you have a free minute. If you didn't behave that way you would never do anything.

~John Irving (1942 - )

(The playwright, ya, that's me, sipping on some inspiration.)

Let me introduce you to five friends who meet at a coffee shop.  They're connected through their love of music and performing.  They call themselves the Swingin' Sallies, although not one is named Sally.  They are:

Laura, married, mother of five, including twins who are the youngest.  She seriously needs a creative outlet, a long solitary bath, and a triple shot latte, "No, don't hold back on the whipped cream."

Lolly, Laura's mom. They've been singing together since Laura was out of the womb.  Lolly's husband died a year ago from colon cancer.  She still wears black nearly every day, but plans her new flower garden while sipping her herbal tea.  Oh, and going on an Alaskan cruise is still a dream she talks about from time to time.

Aubrey, a hair stylist.  She's got an eye for a good make-over.  She's single and cruising the 'net for the next exciting date.  A hot mocha is like a warm hug to her, especially after a morning of hearing salon chair confessions (but that's another story).

Jewell, stay-at-home mother of two.  The youngest started Kindergarten this year.  The older is in second grade.  She's in charge of everything - the schedule, the children, her home.  She's always "on call."  Her cell phone and planner are her appendages.  She'll order a fresh brew, black, because she's watching her weight. Or, is it her husband who's watching her weight?  (She secretly craves a turtle latte.) Naturally, she's in charge of the schedule for the group.  Whenever they add a new gig she says, "I'll check with my husband then put it on the calendar."

Roxy, an artist, easily distracted (I mean interested). Her coffee order varies with her mood.  Some days she just wants a fresh brew, sometimes with a splash of cream, or maybe a mocha, or hmmm... What's the special today?  Her husband is kind and supportive and rescues her often with a forgotten item.

Wouldn't you just love to eavesdrop on their conversations?

Research for this project has been stimulating.  I've spent many hours with girlfriends at coffee shops.  I've spent some solitary time there, too, writing, thinking, and yes, eavesdropping.  I can't help it.  I daydream in dialogue.  The quote at the top of this post fits me when I'm working on a script.  I keep notecards handy and write down conversation bits, ideas, scenes.  I am writing in the spare minutes.  As a mother of four who's in charge of everything, I have only snippets of time and limited energy.  Keeping a pencil and scraps of paper scattered throughout my home, van, and purse have been my way of letting this story pour out.

Journaling Prompt: Fess us!  I know you've done it.  Write about a time when you accidentally, or on purpose, listened in on a conversation.

Making a Scene

Quote of the Day:  The play's the thing. - William Shakespeare (Hamlet)

( Photo by Joey Halvorson)

Here we are, folks, making a scene at the Coco Moon in downtown Brainerd, MN.  I needed to set up a photo shoot with local photographer, Joey Halvorson, for an article I wrote for our local women's magazine, Her Voice. The article is called "The Committee" and it's about the gremlins that sit on your shoulder and tell you that you're not good enough and who are you to write a novel, or play, or sing, or do any art, or be special (you know the voices).  They were drowned out today, I'll tell you!

I said, "I'll be at the Coco Moon this afternoon working on a coffee shop drama that I just started."

She appeared, camera in hand.  I sat there with my laptop, book bag, numerous pens, stack of notecards, a single tall Thumper latte (treated myself for this event. Ingredients: white chocolate and roca almond, mm-mm), a glass of ice water and two napkins.  (I was setting up shop!)

She asked me what I was planning to do with my drama.  I pointed to the coffee bar in the above photo and said, "I picture it performed right here."

The people in the photo are normal, everyday patrons who had innocently come in for a cup of coffee.  Suddenly, we're rearranging the furniture, snapping pictures, talking loudly (that was me), giving directions (both Joey and I), laughing (I think everyone), and the sweet, young gal at the table with me is leaning in because she's truly interested in acting in my play.  We made a great connection!

The guy on the left, near the pillar, was a little surprised that he'd be making his modeling debut in a magazine called Her Voice.  He came over to me afterwards to ask what it was and when it would be published.

The sweet, young gal talked to me about her gifts and talents and hopes for the future.  She'll be graduating high school this May.

Joey took fabulous shots, as always.

The proprietor was all smiles and encouraging.  Thanks, Lorie!

The photographer lifts her lens.  The script writer directs the patrons.  Connections are made in a flash (or is that with the flash).  And, fun was had by all!

Journaling Prompt: Describe a great day that included making a fun connection with someone.