The Only Constant in Life is Change

Posted on July 28, 2009 by MAL

The last two weeks have been eye-opening.

I was beginning to get a bit unhappy and negative about not having a job, not helping to earn money in the house, and I started thinking I shouldn’t really be here in Bristol. I missed the USA like I never thought I would, and the days were boring me to no end. Even though I have this book I’m writing – I realized I was writing it purely out of habit rather than passion. The book club has been great, but that only happens once a month and I needed more than that.

I knew I had to either change my attitude or do something about it. The change started happening last week after Jock and I attended a Theatre Bristol meeting. It was the first time I had stepped into a theatre in about eight months, and as soon as I stepped in, I inhaled deeply. There is nothing like the smell of an empty theatre – the mustiness, the sweat, the emotions all in the air from the last performance hanging there, not heavy, but eager and waiting for the next moment to be alive and have an audience cast their eyes on the experience that only live theatre can provide.

Over a hundred people showed up to the meeting to just discuss what was happening in the theatre world – that’s it. They all met to have a chat.

After the meeting, I wrote to the leaders of the evening, and this is part of what I said:

“I attended last night’s meeting and was blown away by the openness and clarity imbued in the format from which you decided to lead the discussions. Thank you for holding such a meeting. Coming from Los Angeles and New York, I have never known such a fully all-encompassing theatre get-together to exist – well, except within the unions and I would hardly call those meetings warm or open.”

That night stirred something in me. It wasn’t a desire to run back to the stage and it wasn’t a change in mind about leaving acting behind. It was my acceptance of me as an artist. I would never be able to hide from the fact that that’s who I am and I need stimulation unlike non-artists. Even just being around the other actors and writers fed that desire to create.

What am I doing differently now?

1. I am reading several inspiring books, including New Earth by Eckhart Tolle.
2. I wake up every morning about an hour earlier than I was before to meditate and put into focus what I want from the day.
3. I journal for fun every night.
4. I am entering a writing contest a week so I can become a published author before my book is finished.
5. I am researching grants for writers in order to bring in some money to help me finish my book.
6. Yoga
7. Being conscious of the thoughts I let into my mind – boy, that ego is a tricky character!
8. Applying for an internship once a week in the theatre doing anything (that was part of the email I wrote to Theatre Bristol).
9. I sit up straight when I write instead of slumping – it makes a difference.

10. And my favorite task I just finished – entering the Ladies Who… Club into a contest being held by Glamour Magazine! You can see my entry I submitted here as a PDF or below (and notice my English spellings):P.S. Our book for this month is The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger.

I can’t believe what a difference all these little changes make. I found that, although running and writing were great ways to keep busy, I need a well balanced and well rounded life of activities.

And, how lucky am I have to have this opportunity? The other part of me thinks – you were crazy to not take advantage of all this free time! This is the time in my life when I can dedicate myself to ANYTHING I want to do. When else will I be able to have this time? (Hopefully from now on if I’m careful). Like Jock said, this is my time to be the best I can be.

Jock and I are better than ever too – even if my cheeriness is very anti-English (not really!).

On another note, Jock and his football (aka soccer) team won their championship this weekend – I was a proud girlfriend who stood in the rain and cold for four whole hours with her pom poms and skirt (nope, again, not really!) while they played game after game and won. Please mind the blinding uniforms!

Photoblog of Stratford-Upon-Avon

Posted on July 21, 2009 by MAL

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Jock and I headed to Stratford for our Anniversary – two nights and two days. Here are the photos to prove it! Click on the photos to see an enlarged version of the picture.

It was a dark and stormy day...

Older than our Country!

One year ago…

Posted on July 15, 2009 by MAL

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The Bristol Wine and Food Fair was last weekend, and a certain tea company was celebrating their one-year anniversary. Jock’s good friends, Kate and Neil Gover, run a loose-leaf tea company called Lahloo Tea. Kate’s passion for tea led the way and she named it after the famous tea clipper her great-great grandfather sailed on. They were promoting their products at the festival, and were able to snaggle us a couple of tickets to which we were greatly appreciative. It’s unbelievable how well she’s done in a year – getting her teas into michelin-starred restaurants, Liberty department store in London and PUREbliss in the Cotswolds.

Honestly, I have to say it was the best tea I’ve ever had. Being an American, we’re not known for being huge tea connoisseurs. However being a partial Californian, I have figured out that we might know more about the herbal varieties than perhaps the average British English Breakfast tea with milk drinkers. The freshness of their teas compared to cheap store-bought ones is so obvious.

The White Mulberry and Mr Aoki Green tea was my favorite, especially paired with these burst-in-your-mouth chocolates they put out. Tea and chocolate?! Yup, it actually works.

And who knew you could make alcoholic cocktails with them! I’m hoping to snatch Kate for a meeting of “Ladies Who…” and learn her recipes for these cocktails. I know what everyone in America is getting for Christmas this year! Their booth was adorable, although my pictures don’t do it justice. I love the colors she picked and the packaging is so unique.

Other than the tea, there was wine. We did taste a lot of it. I may have gotten tipsy. The cheese was to die for, and although we didn’t actually buy any cheese or wine – we did manage to purchase a few quiches, a couple of cupcakes and lots of ice cream. You pretty much had to roll me out of there.

On a more personal note, this weekend Jock and I are heading to Stratford-Upon-Avon where I plan to meet Shakespeare, his wife Anne Hathaway and maybe Juliet (if she hasn’t already killed herself). Jock is taking me there for our year anniversary. This time a year ago, I was packing my bag, saying toodle pip to LA, bring it on Chicago, and wondering if Jocko was everything he was in real life as he was on paper. Courtney was helping me decide what to wear for our reunion, and trying to reassure me that this was indeed a good idea. It’s weird to imagine that I had only met Jock for eight hours four months earlier, and thought jumping on a plane alone to a place 1500 miles away was a good idea. Daddy, you should be ashamed for letting your daughter out of the house!

It turned out alright after all! Here we are in the early days.

“Ladies Who…” and the Loner on the 4th

Posted on July 7, 2009 by MAL

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A Club for Sociable, Inquisitive Ladies

4 bottles of wine, 6 lovely ladies, 1 very pregnant-about-to-burst belly, loads of homemade chicken pasta, few deviled eggs American-style, strawberry and nectarine compote, 1 book decided upon, and 1 unexpected pop star death made for a rather interesting, and I’d even say exciting, first meeting. It was held at our house. Mingling went on for a good hour and a half before the hammer was struck and ideas were put on the table.

I had asked each guest to bring two ideas for a book they wanted to read. By the end, we had narrowed the twelve books down to three and came up with – duh duh duh – a LOVE STORY! Women and love – we just can’t get enough of it.

Thank you Lynette for bringing in the idea! Here it is, our first book:

*One Day, by David Nicholls
‘I can imagine you at forty,’ she said, a hint of malice in her voice. ‘I can picture it right now.’ He smiled without opening his eyes. ‘Go on then.’ 15th July 1988. Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows? Twenty years, two people, ONE DAY.

Next Get Together -

The Loner on the 4th of July

I hadn’t really realized what it would feel like to be the only American on our day of Independence because, frankly, I had never been the only American on our day of Independence. So, therefore, never really had to think about it. I particularly enjoyed the irony of celebrating this joyous day with the very people we became independent from. I don’t think they really got the irony (and they say Americans don’t understand the word!), but it probably was because they weren’t particularly bothered one way or the other.

Bez

The 4th of July is another special day here in Bristol because it marks the birthday of Jock’s dear friend – Paul Beswick – also known as Bez.

And celebrate we did!

I also must brag a bit first. I have the best boyfriend in the world. No, really. I do.

I woke up on the morning of “O! say can you see” day to nine colorful balloons in red, white and blue around my bed. I was then showered with red, white and blue confetti, and a few minutes later my first breakfast was brought up to me: two doughnuts and a cup of coffee. Because as Jock says, this is a traditional American breakfast! I could only finish half of one of the doughnuts before feeling mildly sick, but trusty Jocko helped me out with the other doughnut and a half.

That’s not all! I stretched, put on my old lady robe, hobbled down the stairs to a box of pancakes and maple syrup! My second American breakfast! And guess what was for lunch?! Oreo cookies! So, yes I proved I have the best boyfriend in the world because he brings me tasty yet slightly fatty American foods.

On went the white trousers, blue top and big red earrings and shoes. (Unfortunately, the only American flag I had also had a Welsh flag attached to it – that didn’t make my English boyfriend very happy.) And off we went to Bez’ BBQ. Bez went out the night before. Bez got very drunk the night before. Bez was not at house at time of BBQ. Bez’s phone was turned off. He eventually showed up, and all was fine. Apparently Bez was a widdle bit sick.

So, although there were no fireworks, the English know how to throw a fourth of July party. And even though I was the only American, they made me feel welcome with providing me with hamburgers, beer and hot dogs. I even got some of them to sing our National Anthem! Can’t beat that.