Thought for the Day

Journey to the Land of AZ

Two weeks ago a slew of Kinsella grandchildren, aunties and a Grandmother flew to AZ for an all girl's weekend to see the Broadway touring production of WICKED. For the Montana crew it was a much needed, albeit, brief time in the sun to escape a frigid MT February. For the AZ crew it was a chance to reconnect with MT roots. For all of us there was little down time as we:

Upon landing in the land of AZ we drove off in search of sunshine essentials, for what would our time in the sun be without knock-off sunglasses?:

Earlier that day, Miss Mariah had participated in the regional spelling bee where, although she made it through 4 rounds of stiff competition, she had the bad luck to get the most difficult word of the round and was out. I don't think she was particularly happy about this occurrence:

After our arrival at the Thomas abode we almost immediately tromped off to catch a family flick, Big Miracle, and although Ryann Ida did not nab an ipod in the claw machine, she did grab a pebble ( I am so very proud!):

In the wee morning hours of Saturday, as the teens slept soundly in their own sleeping quarters, Grandma and I watched the Thomas children play a boisterous game of soccer:

After hours of hair, make up and giggles, we were deemed ready to see WICKED at the Gammage Hall. For some us this was yet another viewing of the magic. For others of us, this was the first time down the yellow brick road, Broadway style:

After the show we went out to the Olive Garden:

The next day was reserved for a teenaged shopping odyssey to Fashion Square:

And later, Tempe Market Place, where we had to stop for sustenance to keep up our strength:

The next morning we left the Thomas family early (very, very early) in the morning to fly back North when all of us would have rather stayed South for the winter. 

Something old and Something new

Last week Miss Mo began a new phase of her life...that of a driver. After 2 weeks of Driver's Education and one of her "long drives" completed, Mo passed her test to receive her TELL license (aka: Learner's Permit). As her instructor commented during her first time behind the wheel of a Driver's Ed car, "You seem like you have been doing this for years." Nope. Just wanting to:

Last week, Jim Shea found himself fully submersed in rehearsals for a new show at GST, Almost Maine, where, for the first time, he was NOT cast in a comedic role. 

And last week, Kate and I auditioned for the GST Spring Musical, Titanic. How did this come to pass? It was the result of an exquisitely orchestrated guilt trip by Kate Shea: "Mom, I am going to be gone in a year and we will never have bonded on stage...." It may have been the only thing that could have pushed me through the GST studio doors last Tuesday night. It marked the first time in 30 years that I have sung in a public venue. It was terrifying. How the hell did I used to do this with ease?! The last time I was on stage was my senior musical, Anything Goes, at LSH...I was 17...the same age Kate is now. Both of us got callbacks. Kate was cast in a supporting role as one of three Irish lasses, all named Kate, who are travelling to America aboard a doomed ship to follow their dreams of a better life. Just like my Great-grandmother, Katie Heraty, who travelled aboard another White Star Line ship, the Germanic, to start a new life in Louisville, KY. In a flurry of e-mails regarding our family history, Papa shared this tidbit: When Katie Heraty died young, leaving behind my Grandmother and sibling, her father hired a nanny/housekeeper named Kate Mullen. Kate's character in the show: Kate Mullins...how's that for symmetry? I was cast in smaller roles which I am perfectly content with. Rehearsals have already started and I am enjoying finding my voice again, despite being placed amongst the 1st Sopranos last evening. For a lifelong Alto, this was disconcerting. Our brilliant visiting musical director (whom the cast already adores) assures me that I can and will hit a high C. That remains to be seen. Until then, we will simply enjoy the voyage. 

Room Makeover: Mo Style

Mo has complained endlessly that her current room does not adequately reflect the sophisticated teenager she has become. Apparently, polka dots are passe. For Christmas this year she asked for a room makeover and Santa complied. Fast forward to this weekend when Mo and I immersed ourselves in the work of actually making the transformation happen...after weeks of drawings and endless discussions and internet searches and....well, you get the picture. Et voila: a new room. We still have several projects to finish, much to Mo's chagrin, but the bulk of the work is done. I had neither the time or the energy to photograph the process with my SLR, so these quick iphone photos will have to suffice for now to document the design:

 

Puppy Love

Two girls + Two dogs= puppy love

Master Class

So, you know when your anxiety prone daughter has to face a challenge for which she feels woefully unprepared and you decide, well dammit, you are going to face your fears and do this thing...and then she begins to spiral higher and higher on a tornado of panic and you find yourself rising along with her panic because you really are the reason she inherited said anxiety...and then somewhere between you looking away for a moment to figure out a way to extricate her from said challenge rather than put up with one more second of this emotional storm and the moment she walks on stage...she pulls up a performance from somewhere deep inside that makes it look easy...except that you know it wasn't.

You don't know?

That's because you don't live with Kate Shea. And you didn't get to see the result of the last four days of emotional rollercoaster. And didn't get to hear an award winning Broadway composer (playing his own song for Kate in the video) call her performance, "Brilliant." It was a Master Class, in more ways than one.

The Song with the Violins by John Bucchino (Grandstreet Theatre 1-24-2012; very poor video, wonderful moment):

 

 

 

Disney Magic

 

While shopping yesterday afternoon, the Shea girls begged for a FFF movie night. The request: Beauty and the Beast in 3D. So, after Mass, we squeaked into the Cinemark just in time to catch the early showing. I wasn't enamored of the 3D aspect...or at least I thought I wasn't. But the 3D brought the nightmare forest scenes into their frightening glory and made Be Our Guest quite literally fly from the screen. We laughed. We cried. It became a part of us, again. We waxed nostalgic all the way home, despite the black iced roadways, regarding all of our favorite moments. 

All night I have been remembering my Disney favorites (hard not to after sitting through 25 minutes of Disney previews) and how intricately intertwined these movies are with my life. From my first Disney film, The Jungle Book, (a date with my Daddy that only resides in my memory from the story told by my father) to last night's wonderful family moment with teenage girls getting ready to launch, these movies have served as a backdrop for change.  After watching Peter Pan in California, we found a puppy wandering the streets and promptly insisted she be called Tinkerbell-she would be my first childhood companion who would live until I was a young woman living in London. My siblings and I spent hours listening to a full album recording of One Hundred and One Dalmatians  on rainy afternoons, savoring the delicious adventure of being chased by the "Baduns" and Cruella de Ville. I ate popcorn in a darkened movie theatre for Saturday Kid's Matinees at the Fox Theater watching The Rescuers and The Fox and the Hound. Jim and I spent what would have been a very lonely first Christmas in Great Falls watching Beauty and the Beast snuggled on our couch still surrounded by mover's boxes. I painted bright scenes from the Hundred Acre Woods onto secondhand furniture while awaiting the birth of our first child so she could be surrounded by Pooh and friends in her nursery. The only way my 22 month old would allow me to nurse her baby sister quietly was to put on Pocahontas over and over and over...until, in my sleep deprived mind, John Smith started to look pretty attractive. This past Christmas, I watched my growing daughters bring Mrs. Darling and Tinkerbell to life on stage. Memories painted with a bright animated brush abound.

So, in typical Kathy fashion, I made a list. My Top 10 Disney favorites:

10.  The Jungle Book: My first Disney experience. The jazz influenced music still makes this classic score one of the coolest to grace a children's movie.

9.  Pocahontas: I know, I know- it's tragically historically flawed. The cornball music is hard to take. But, did I mention I associate this film with my start as a new Mom? End of story.

8.  Finding Nemo: "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming." This sweet film about loss and adventure coupled with Ellen DeGeneres's comic genius provides a message of endurance and love.

7.  Cinderella: Classic. With mice. This also brings with it memories of Kate Shea's Cinderella birthday party where her Daddy played the Prince for 10 giggling preschoolers. It was a triumph of party planning.

6.  Little Mermaid: Made me fall in love with Disney again. They paired classic animation with Broadway composers and et voila: magic.

5.  Toy Story: I am cheating and bunching all three movies in this slot because 1. How can you separate the story lines? and 2. You can't make me.

4.  Winnie the Pooh: Sigh.

3.  One Hundred and One Dalmatians: The only Disney film I could quote line for line with the single best comic villain of all time.

2.  Up:  A simple, poignant story of love in all it's forms: love between friends; love for dogs; love of a mother for her lost child; and the enduring love of marriage. As a Hospice worker, it captures everything I know about the grief process. As a sappy human being, it makes me smile through my tears. A great story. Period.

1.  Beauty and the Beast: Good moral. A brunette heroine who is quirky and loves books. A musical score that translated straight to the stage. Character development that rivals that of the best live movies.  Beautiful indeed. 

Thank you to my Disney loving girls for the family night suggestion. I am so glad I didn't protest too much.

Freshmen Do Homecoming

Last night marked the occasion of Mo's first semi-formal dance as a high school student. As is the wont of high school girls they planned endlessly and got together to primp for hours prior to the festivities. And, as is tradition in these photos, they look much older than they should. However, this time out, I have the comparison to the elder sister and her friends for perspective and was able to breathe through my first reaction as I looked through the lens.Kate and friends- too cool for Homecoming.

Mo-Skylar R.-Sonia B.-Hannah M.- and Lindsey B.

A Week in the Life: September Fading

In the last two weeks:

Auditions, call backs and casting for Peter Pan at GST. One will play Mrs. Darling. One has processed her feelings about not being cast as Wendy and has decided to embrace her inner Tinkerbell...though still dealing with her disappointment that she will be a grounded Tink: "I am the only person in the cast with wings...and I don't fly!" 

Savoring the last sparkling days of summer by hiking the hills around Helena on almost a daily basis. Kate summits Mt. Helena for the first time since moving here 6 years ago and begrudgingly admitted to her mother that the view, "may have been worth it."

Jim hit a record low in his weight loss and fitness journey- a celebration of health and a physique not seen since 2004. 

Boo, who has been a very sick girl, diagnosed with diabetes - and starting on twice a day insulin shots for life...one more reason for Kathy to hate this dreaded disease even more than she thought possible. 

Kathy, culminating years of work with the Hospice Social Work team, began facilitating Helena's first Child and Family Bereavement Support Group last week. 

Kate FINALLY received her early entry into Pottermore- so life is apparently complete.

 

 

Remember

I am suprised at the power of images to bring back waves of grief. I was safe. I remain safe. Those I love are still with me...and theirs are not. We owe it to them to remember. We owe it to them to live and hope and dream. Ten years ago I spent the day providing counseling to elementary students and shellshocked teachers. I wrote educational materials for parents on how to help their children understand and emotionally weather an event that did not make sense then...or now. I watched the endless newstream and prayed. Ten years ago I remembered what it meant to be an American. I remember today.  

I watched this for the first time a few minutes ago. It was embedded in the onslaught of news coverage of this anniversary date. Maybe it is because he is a comedian that these words feel profound, but I could not and cannot express what it felt in the days and weeks following any better than this:

The Daily Show
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 God Bless us all.

Relax?

Once upon a Labor Day weekend, the Sheas and the Hayes wandered up Glacier way for a nice relaxing weekend. Julie Hayes arrived later than was her norm only to drive around and around and around Apgar campground looking for a site that would turn out to be the LAST site left on the west side of the park. It was a tad smaller than expected:

Some of us worked tirelessly to set up our tent city. Some of us walked to Apgar village to go shopping. And some of us disappeared to be found here:

After Mass on the lake, we ate and ate. Miss Mo roasted the World's Most Perfect Marshmallow:

While the sun shone deceptively during the daytime hours, the nights were a different matter all together. It was cold:

As we were all huddled around a warm table the next morning at Eddy's Cafe, clutching our coffee and hot chocolates, we planned a Glacier hike. Some of us were more enthusiastic than others about the prospect:

Smiling faces inquired as to whether it was really necessary to visit any more waterfalls on this bright and shining fall day as this one, St. Mary's Falls, was more than enough. Non smiling faces insisted that yes, indeed, more waterfalls lay ahead:

 

After the towering, tumbling waters of Virginia Falls refreshed the ragtag group, we hiked back. The teens wondered aloud if Papa would remember this warning from last year's park extravaganza:

With Kate Shea setting a blistering pace, one group jogged loudly out of the wilderness with Dad in tow to provide bear spray cover. The other group hiked leisurely along without the benefit of old sitcom tunes sung at the top of their lungs:

To fulfill an earlier morning bribe, we all set out to have a slightly different kind of National Park fun:

We straggled back to our campsite as darkness fell. We sat, exhausted, around a second campfire. We went to bed layered against the elements. After breaking camp the Sheas and the Hayes parted ways until this time next year when the tradition will live on:

THE END.