Countdown to the Holidays: Winter Performances at School

If you have a school-aged child, you already know that one of the things you need to fit into your holiday schedule is school performances. Whether it's the Kindergarten Winter Celebration or the High School Music Department Holiday Concert... and everything in between.

At our Middle School this week, we had the Chorus and School Band performances on Tuesday night. My son is in the 7th and 8th grade band - he did a wonderful job as did the rest of the musicians and singers.

This weekend is the Drama Club production. They chose THE TEMPEST by William Shakespeare as their Winter performance. Last night was the Opening Night - - and it was wonderful.

Watching the rehearsals, I really never thought the play would gel the way it did - all of the actors and actresses learned their lines and learned to project and did an outstanding job with a pretty difficult piece of stage craft.

The younger kids (like my daughter) were cast as magical sprites, non-speaking but important roles in setting the atmosphere as otherworldly and magic. I volunteered to help with makeup for all three nights, and to face paint as many of the sprites as I could.

My daughter and her friends had a blast. They were so jazzed up when it was over that the energy was palpable in the cafeteria even before they started eating the sugary after-party treats.

One night down, two more to go.

What performances have you attended this holiday season?

Stage and Tech Crew

Director Jim Byrne gives last minute instruction

Some cast members in the green room, prior to curtain

First Amazon Review for PERFECT STRANGERS

I just found my first review for PERFECT STRANGERS on Amazon.com - - 5 Stars!

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Strangers is a Great Romantic Thriller, December 6, 2010

By

Annie Love's To Read -

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Perfect Strangers (Paperback)

Katie O'Sullivan does a great job developing characters, settings and story lines that you can relate to in the workplace and in your personal life. She perfectly creates the "normal" main character who is a pleasant young woman trying to succeed in the professional world as well as in her love life, the pretty friends, the best friends, the cheaters, players, drunks, eccentrics and of course the gorgeous hunk : ) And what do you get when you mix all of these characters together in "off-season" Cape Cod? Plenty of gossip, fun, romance and a fast paced novel with twists and turns that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I won't say anymore so as not to spoil the plot. I recommend this book to all those who read this review and look forward to Katie's next novel.

Wow! I'm having one of those "I'm not worthy" moments. And while I was looking at myself on Amazon.com, I came across another 5 Star Review for my first book - UNFOLDING THE SHADOWS !

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read!, November 17, 2010

By

Howlin Walker -

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Unfolding the Shadows (Kindle Edition)

I read this book while on a cruise, and it was a so nice to get lost in the interesting characters and exciting plot. There was a great mix of very realistic relationships between the characters, and the more fanciful paranormal aspects of the book. Great first novel by Katie O'Sullivan, and I'm really looking forward to her sequels and new
books/series!

Do you read reviews? Seek them out? If you're a writer, do you worry about getting good or bad reviews? If you're a reader, do you listen to reviews to make purchasing decisions? How much do reviews matter to you?

To me, finding a good review is validating - finding a great review is humbling. What nice Christmas presents to find, even if they're not under the tree.

Countdown to the Holidays: Poinsettias

Have you bought your Poinsettias yet?

My son was selling them as a fundraiser for the middle school band - I currently have a table full to be delivered to my generous neighbors later today. But why are the red flowers so popular at this time of the year? I did a little online searching...

The hothouse flower has been a Christmas staple in New England since the mid-1800's, but the Poinsettia is native to Mexico. It was first brought to America by Joel Poinsett, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico in the early 1800's.

According to Wikipedia, the plant's association with Christmas began in 16th century Mexico, where legend tells of a young girl who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus's birthday. The tale goes that the child was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson "blossoms" sprouted from the weeds and became beautiful poinsettias.

Starting in the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico supposedly included the plants in their Christmas celebrations. The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the blood of Christ from his crucifixion.

Apparently, the plants were also known to the Aztecs, who used the flowers to make their bright red dyes, as well as for medicinal purposes. There is a common understanding that the flowers are poisonous to cats and dogs and small children, but studies are inconclusive. Since my dogs are beyond the chewing stage (except for books, of course) I'm not going to worry.

People seem to either love the bright flowers or hate them. I'm not sure why... this is actually the first year in a long time that I have them in my home - and I must say, they're beautiful.

Do you buy poinsettias for the holidays? Why or why not?

Countdown to the Holidays: Time to Send Cards!

Who invented the tradition of sending holiday cards to friends and loved ones during the busiest time of the year??? It was a man, right? A man whose wife was tasked with sending them all out before the end of the season...

The number of "holiday traditions" that need to be kept up with can be daunting... and yet, I usually love sitting down to write out cards, to think about old friends and neighbors whom I may not have seen over the last year or so.

I love getting holiday cards in the mail, and seeing how their kids have grown. I even cut out some of the pics and tape them into my address book with the year jotted next to it, to remind me what's going on in their lives. The smiling faces greet me as I flip through the address book and write out the envelopes.

My favorite card so far this year is from my husband's cousin, from her wedding. We were there, so I know that right after her new husband dipped her and kissed her (the great photo on the card) they both tumbled over into a heap on the lawn! A great and fun memory - especially since there were no grass stains on the dress afterward!

I'll admit there's too much going on in my life at the moment, and while I usually write more personal notes and get it together to add a short holiday letter.... most people are just getting a photo card this year. But I'm still ahead of the curve and getting them in the mail before the 10th - my personal deadline each year. I don't know why, but it's a number I can remember and stick to. Most years.

But at least my tree is now fully decorated...

How about you? Do you have a long list of cards to write out? Do you send photo cards of the kids and pets, or traditional boxed cards? Or do you wait and send "Happy New Year" cards, like some members of my family have decided makes more sense?

Excuse me, I have to go finish a few more cards.... now where did I put those stamps...