lulu
When there is as much hype surrounding an event as has happened with the block buster show Hamilton, one can only wonder if it is as good as advertised. The answer is an enthusiastic YES! I held off going during its Houston run because the tickets are pricey, but at the last minute there were some single seats available for a somewhat reasonable price, and I bit ending up with a great seat close to the stage.
What immediately grabbed me is the energy of the production which the audience responded to in kind. Throughout the performance, theater goers were showing their appreciation with cheers and hands together. I was among them, but there was something else that generated my response, and that is the sheer genius of the show.
As the story goes, the creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, was inspired by Ron Chernow’s book Hamilton. Now, I read the book and while I learned much about Alexander Hamilton and his contemporaries, I got so bogged down in detail that I couldn’t imagine being creatively inspired. Thankfully, Miranda did not have the same response. As a result, he presents American history with a lesser known founding father, Hamilton, as the central character surrounded by the more familiar Washington, Jefferson, Madison and others.
There is no question that Hamilton is successful theater, but I think it is more than that. It is a reminder that perhaps we don’t know as much about history as we might. Alexander Hamilton has been little more than a blip on the screen with reference to him being that he was the first Secretary of the Treasury and that he was killed by Aaron Burr. What the play does is enlarge his role among the founding fathers and engage an audience by entertaining with fact. There were a lot of young people in the theater, and I doubt they were thinking about Hamilton being a learning opportunity but there it was. As I observed their faces and responded to their cheers, I couldn’t help but wonder if they might be inspired to pay more attention to history and current events if it were presented more creatively.
Not often do I leave theater with so many thoughts swirling in my head. I have such appreciation for Chernow for having written a book about a relatively obscure historical person and for Miranda whose unique creative response has had such impact. Not everyone will have the opportunity to see Hamilton on stage, but I’m betting its influence will be felt far and wide. It is not theater that I will soon forget, and it will be interesting to see what the followup is.
Oh, if you happen to have opportunity to see the show, I recommend listening to the music in advance as it makes it easier to follow during the performance. The soundtrack is on uTube.
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While some clever person actually published a wonderful book of garage sale photos, I’m probably not that ambitious, so I focus on the presentation as if I were doing a shop.
Clothes are carefully organized by style, size and gender. A simple rack the hubby made for me back in the days when I did shows displaying my woven pieces has been invaluable for garage sales.
The same is true for another of his clever creations which works perfectly for arranging accessories.
Household and kitchen goods are arranged just so making it easy for shoppers to see without having to move things around.
Books are always a challenge, and no matter how orderly I arrange them it doesn’t take long for them to be all askew.
At the end of the day most of the stuff is gone, and I feel good about having gotten rid of some of what the girls don’t want to have to deal with. My only disappointment is that this top didn’t sell. Maybe all the stories that go with it mean that it should stay with me for at least one more Christmas dinner!
It is not often I share personal opinions on my blog as it is safer to write about food or travel or art. The recent tragedy at Parkland High School, however, compels me to speak out because it is silence that keeps change from happening. One thing I know for sure is that these senseless killings must not continue and our voices must be heard.
Maine is a place where old vehicles go to die.
Especially on the islands it is not uncommon for ones that have seen their better days to be abandoned to the elements.
OK, you know the table is set so what’s for dinner?
Chicken Stoup
With its red walls, her old room is an easy one to make look season friendly. A winter throw is tossed on the bed and Santa will watch over her.
Like so many other things I have, Santa has been around for a long time and has a wonderful memory attached. I had gone to Oklahoma with a friend. On the return to Houston we made a journey of several hours stretch into the night by stopping at any and every place that looked of interest. If you guess that Santa came from one of those stops, you’d be right!
A few more little touches and the room is ready. Greenery and berries add touches of color among the birdhouses. 
These two are part of my rather large collection but are too big to be displayed with the rest. 
That’s OK because they are right at home sitting on a quilt, one of many made by my grandmother.
Speaking of quilts, so many made by different family members have ended up with me. Like with other textiles, I can’t bear to leave them wrapped in a closet and find ways to have them out. Somehow I feel they are a significant part of my heritage.
Getting back to preparing the room, there is a present or two left on the bed in the hope there is something there that will brighten the daughter’s day.
Our mantel is barely more than an architectural detail, but it proved to be just right for arranging a good part of the collection.
As each one went to its place, I took a moment to recall its story.
In the days when I participated in holiday shows I always had my eye open for a new nativity to add to a growing collection so many of them came from other vendors.
I particularly liked finding sets from another country that likely had been handmade.
Flat surfaces are not abundant in our house, but there are enough to have a nativity on every one.
As each one came out of its box, I began to see a common thread.
Most are handmade and tend toward folk art.
The last to find a place is my favorite. I found these pieces a couple of years ago when we took a boat trip from Maine to Nova Scotia. I was blown away by their detail and the wonderful use of color. No matter where or how the set is displayed, it tells a wonderful story and I am so grateful to the hands that created it.