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#30BrighterDays Mall Lunch

    Last night my 8th grader and I attended high school orientation. After the first hour, the kids left the auditorium to have Q&A with some graduating seniors, while we parents got tips from the school psychologists about raising adolescents. The grown-ups asked fraught questions about the behavior plan, drug use and active shooter drills; all of which the staff answered directly and took seriously. Near the end of the evening, my friend Dan–one of the school guidance counselors–let us know that while we fretted over if/how often to allow our kids to go to the… Read More »#30BrighterDays Mall Lunch

    #30BrighterDays An Imperfect Totally Wonderful Rehearsal

      Today we rehearsed my new show YOU AGAIN in the venue, with the mic, and–of course– my brand new shoes. Gotta break those suckers in before show day. My dear brilliant writer friend Lisa Page Rosenberg gave me super helpful script notes. My wonderfully talented actor friend Samara gave me fabulous direction (and this great photo). My gifted accompanist and musical director Mark brought his mad piano skills. I performed for an audience of one (which is way more intimidating than an audience of 300) and she got it. She liked it! Nothing about it… Read More »#30BrighterDays An Imperfect Totally Wonderful Rehearsal

      #30BrighterDays reminder for the fearful and anxious

        I have a mostly sunny disposition. I think. Partly sunny with a 70% chance of scowl, says the quotation mark engraved between my eyebrows. On the flip-side of the intense gratitude I feel for my very good life, lurks fear and anxiety. It seems almost as if I have IT’S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE tattooed on the inside of my forehead, right where my third eye can fixate (on the rare occasion it pauses the monitoring of kid Xbox minutes). How easily I forget the brightness possible with each turn of a new page. Maybe… Read More »#30BrighterDays reminder for the fearful and anxious

        Brightness Falls #30BrighterDays

          “Mom, you have more white hairs than ever. In the next two or three years you’re gonna go entirely grey.”   I fully agree with Thomas Nashe. I let my $8.00 root touch-up kit work its magic anyhow. Tickets are on sale now for my new show (Thursday evening 6/21) YOU AGAIN: an evening of songs and stories to benefit MOMS DEMAND ACTION. Enjoy Broadway favorites and original stories about midlife, marriage, and motherhood–with accompanist Mark Wurzelbacher–all in support of MOMS DEMAND ACTION gun violence prevention efforts. Venue is small and seating is limited! Buy tickets here. https://youagain.brownpapertickets.com/

          Parents Are Shuttles #30BrighterDays

              *** Yesterday my son couldn’t find his school-issued pedometer. When it doesn’t get utilized for long periods, it goes to another student for a turn. He had one more day to use it again before losing the fitbit to the next kid. He and his dad searched his room before bedtime the night before with no luck. I scanned countertops and drawers, wondering if the cat got it and buried it with his other treasures beneath our bed. In the morning, I asked him what jacket he wore last time he had it on.… Read More »Parents Are Shuttles #30BrighterDays

            Spring #30BrighterDays

              Last night I led a #30BrighterDays workshop here in town at the DreamBank. Each attendee left with their own customized 30-day practice (and journal); practice simply for practice sake, rather than practice with an over-focus on outcomes. The goal is the process, the process is the goal. One person chose a practice of daily acceptance for her difficult circumstances, one woman plans to make dates with brightness– checking out museums and maybe learning a new dance or two on YouTube. Others decided to simply take note of brightness every day around them. When I created… Read More »Spring #30BrighterDays

              YOU AGAIN. NEW SHOW! ONE NIGHT ONLY!! (and for a good cause)

                SMALL VENUE, LIMITED SEATING, DON’T WAIT TO BUY TICKETS!   Tickets are on sale for YOU AGAIN, the new show I created and will perform Thursday evening June 21 at 7pm at Oakwood Theater as a benefit for MOMS DEMAND ACTION – WISCONSIN (a grass-roots bipartisan anti-gun violence organization)!! From Ann Imig, award-winning writer, performer, and founder of LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER comes an evening of songs and stories to benefit MOMS DEMAND ACTION. Enjoy Broadway favorites and original stories about midlife, marriage, and motherhood–with accompanist Mark Wurzelbacher–all in support of MOMS DEMAND ACTION gun violence prevention… Read More »YOU AGAIN. NEW SHOW! ONE NIGHT ONLY!! (and for a good cause)

                Do What’s a Blast

                  The HerStories Project serves as a writing community for women, rich in resources and opportunities (and they pay their writers). The founders–powerhouse talents Stephanie Sprenger and Jessica Smock–asked me to write a post for their site relaunch that explores what it means to be a woman at midlife. I wrote about my re-acquaintance with FUN and the essay also gives you a teaser about a brand new show I’m developing! More on that to come, but save the evening of Thursday June 21st, locals. In the meantime, maybe you need a little reminder to do what’s a… Read More »Do What’s a Blast

                  Hmong “Galentines”

                    As much as I appreciate the romantic notions of Valentine’s Day, I most welcome the opportunity to celebrate family and friendship. Last night Takeyla (of We Write Too) and I got to participate in a uniquely fun and meaningful Valentine’s Day party at Kajsiab House. In 2017 our Madison LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER show supported Kajsiab House women’s support group– a place where multi-generational Hmong women come together for peer socializing and support** With the LTYM funds raised and a matching grant, this past summer the women took a three-day weekend trip to the Wisconsin Dells.… Read More »Hmong “Galentines”

                    9 women singing the same song (bust open any notion of creative scarcity)

                      Julie Andrews, Carol Burnett, Katie Finneran, Beth Howland (aka Vera on the 1980s sitcom Alice) Madeline Kahn, Patti LuPone, Jayma Mays, Jane Shaw, Sophie Thompson — nine dazzling different women– sing Stephen’s Sondheim’s “I’m Not Getting Married Today” from the musical Company in the compilation below. These nine brilliant actors bust wide open and lay bare for me the fallacy of creative scarcity. These quirky showstoppers take my perfectionist tendencies to task all the while smoking these difficult Sondheim lyrics. They remind me: Any notion of “best” is irrelevant and limiting. Who could possibly choose “best” between Madeline… Read More »9 women singing the same song (bust open any notion of creative scarcity)