A Midsummer’s Night Dream

A Midsummer’s Night Dream

Ahhh Shakespeare.  I have always disliked you!!  I am not a writer, and I have never been much of a reader.  I’ll watch the movie version any day.  Reading my blog, you should be able to assess that English,  and writing, and spelling;  not my strong suites, suits? See!!!

Well, now that I am an adult, (shudder), I have decided that I am starting to get sick of TV.  I have turned to reading.  Believe me, I am not reading Henry David Thoreau, or whatever.  I have been reading witch and vampire books.  Woo!  Sookie J

However, I decided I may take a stab at Shakespeare.  I knew a Midsummer Night’s dream was a comedy, so what the hell, as good a place to start as any.

I asked a friend at work, if she wanted to read it together.  She did!  Awesome.  Reading a book is so much more fun when you have someone to talk to about it.

So we read it.  I enjoyed it.  We read some analysis of it.  The shameless plug about Queen Elizabeth, and cupid’s arrow.  Nice.  Pretty funny at parts, a lot of interesting characters.  I found it a little difficult to read a play.  There are no descriptions of scenery, or facial expressions, or anything.  Just the talking, the rest you have to imagine.  I am not very imaginative.  Oh well, I did enjoy it, and we are going to read a Shakespeare biography next.

The point of this is,  we went to Thomas More College to watch the Villa Players do the play.  LOVED IT.  I was laughing and laughing.  It makes such a big difference when you see a play acted it out, rather than just reading it.  I will admit, that I may have been lost if I hadn’t just read it, but the comedy would have been there regardless.  There were a lot of characters, and a lot going on.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  It was funny, and silly.  There was some tragedy, for a minute, but the ending was a happy one. 

When Thisbe was over doing it in the play within a play, “OHHH my LOOOOOVE.”  So funny.  A man, playing an oafish man, playing a woman.  HI-larious.  Moonshine, classic.  But what is with the dog?  While Quince was giving the prologue, and the players were acting it over, so overboard, behind him.  So perfect.  Obviously, the play was just the prologue, dry.  But with them going through the motions of the play behind him, so funny.  It just added a new dimension.  I am not going to explain the plot, too long and complicated. 

I thought the craftsmen, were so funny, as they should be.  Nick bottom, great, what an “ass.”  I also really liked Helena, she was on the ground, clinging to Demetrius, begging for love.  So desperate. Good.  One of my other favorite parts, when Lysander, no longer in love with Hermia, puts his hands in her face and pushes her away, look of utter disgust on his face.  I was rolling.

My dad thinks they tended to rush there lines.  Oberon, was his favorite.  The acting was great, but Oberon is a dull character.  I enjoyed the fairies,  HMMMM?   MMMMML  I am considering making my kids to that!!

I understand, Shakespeare is a difficult task, especially now a days.  Everyone was good, the play as a whole was great.  The parts listed above, were my personal favorites.  Was it the play, the actors, the directing?  I don’t know, but I really enjoyed it. 

I was so happy about the entire experience, I decided to share it with you, (only reader, dad), even though you were there.

I may read some more Shakespeare plays, but I will be interested anytime I hear someone is putting on a Shakespeare play. 

Healthy Girl Scouts, and Children

The rainy weather yesterday caused all the Loveland Soccer fields/ games to be cancelled.  This was bad news for soccer, but great news for Girl Scouts.

I had originally planned to miss the girl scout meeting, and had made arrangements for my co-leader to be in charge.  The topic was Healthy Bodies, and we wanted to teach the girls all about Healthy eating habits, exercise, and the benefits of being Healthy.  We Jessica was very happy that I was able to attend last night’s meeting.

I was also excited to be there.  I think being healthy is the most important thing for all people, but is put as a very low  priority, if it is even a priority at all.

We talked to the girls about the food groups.  The food pyramid that I know as a child has drastically changed.  You can find the updated pyramid here http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/Resources/mpk_poster2.pdf  Much of the general information is available at http://www.mypyramid.gov/.  There are lots of resources here for all people wanting to educate themselves on a healthy lifestyle.

As my gift to the girls, I bought them two little 1 pound weights each.  When we started the meeting I told the girls about eating healthy, and healthy foods.  I don’t thing schools are taking responsibility for the health of our children, so we have to pick up the slack.  After our nutrition lesson, we did some exercising, cardio and weights.  We only exercised for about 8 minutes total, but that was something.

I don’t understand why no one seems to be concerned with healthy living.  Being healthy, and taking care of yourself, should be the most important thing.  For most people, it is not even a consideration.  My girls enjoy exercising with me, for now.  How do you find the time to exercise?  You make it, you make it a top priority.  Think of your children.  Think about their long happy, healthy life.  Feeling good.   It is difficult, I know.  I work out with my kids, maybe only once or twice a week, and only for about 10-15 minutes.  But it is a start.  I don’t want to sound  preachy, but parents HAVE to do this.  Whenever you see an overweight child, you cannot blame the child.  We must take responsibility for them, and fight the good fight.  Strawberries are dessert, plain strawberries. 

Good luck.  Live Long and Prosper J

Weight Watchers

As my dad (and only reader) has pointed out, I haven’t added anything to my blog in a while.  As many of you may be able to appreciate I am very busy.  Did I mention very busy. 

Today I am choosing to write about Weight Watchers.  I am in it.  I love it.  It is working for me.

I joined right after Christmas, when my weight was very near to 190.  I would like to mention that I was never super skinny, nor will I ever be.  However, when my first daughter was born, I weighed 180.  So the fact that my non pregnant body weighed more than my 9 month pregnant body, was really getting to me.  It had taken a while because I consoled myself with, 22 then, 30 now.  I decided that excuse was not going to fly, anymore.

Are you there readers?  It’s me, Katrina?

I found out that I can get reimbursed through my medical insurance.  So I went for it.   It was not cheap.  I paid $120 for 13 weeks of meetings, and online access.  I would get $50 back once I completed the 13 weeks, as long as I attended 11 meetings.

I love the iPhone app.  I would not be able to do it at all without the iPhone app.   The iPhone app gives you access to everything, calculator, food database, recipe database, restaurant information.  It also tracks your points, food, activity, and healthy checks. Perfect!!

I was also attending the weekly meetings.  I really like the little brochure that they give you each week, and my leader is cool.

What is Weight Watchers? –For those of you who don’t know.

Weight watchers assigns foods a point value.  There is a formula, it’s complicated.  Then they assign you a point value, based on your height, and weight.  Your “target points”, my target is 29.  This means I should eat 29 points per day.  They also provide you with weekly flex points, everyone gets 49.  You can spread them out, or go crazy one day and eat them all.  That would still be considered “on Plan.”  I wouldn’t recommend eating all 49 points the night before you weigh in.   I am not going to go into any more detail here, check out their website, http://www.weightwatchers.com/ or find a meeting near you.

The reason that I love it, it puts everything into perspective.  I get 29 points to eat, a cheese Coney is 9.  ONE CHEESE CONEY!!.   I live in Cincinnati, HELLOOO SKYLINE!!!.  (I mean GOODBYEEE SKYLINE L ).  Don’t get me wrong, I still eat cheese coneys, but I no longer have any delusions about them “not being that bad.”  I will take off half the cheese, and pull out the hot dog.  (Believe me, I find that just as ridiculous as you do.)

Little by little, you find ways to improve.  Before you know it, you are cooking turkey burgers, drinking water with everything, eating fruit for breakfast, and mixing cauliflower into your mashed potatoes. 

This has been working for me.  I have lost 12 pounds in 13 weeks.  (there were a few bad weeks, with extra coneys involved).  I would recommend this to anyone who wants to lose weight.  At least the online tools, to put your food, and activity into perspective.  As a friend of mine said, “I’m going to wait to see if Katrina can stick to it.  If she can do it, I’m sure I can do it.”  I would have been upset, but it’s true.  I can’t diet, I hate to diet.  I love food.  It makes me happy.  But I feel great, and the weight is coming off.

Maybe one day I won’t want to eat coneys anymore.  I hope that day never comes.