Betsy Snow White Bibliophile

Tag: about me

  • Thank You For The Musicals

    Thank You For The Musicals

    I have a confession to make; I am a theatre geek. I lettered in drama in high school. I was active in my schools drama club as well as many local community theatre programs. I had been a singer since I was a little girl, but I didn’t find acting until I was in sixth grade and they announced auditions for “Reader’s Theatre”.

    The idea of “Reader’s Theatre” was that high school drama club members would direct us in a presentation of a play that would be performed seated with a stand in front of us so all of the acting would be through voice modulation. In sixth grade I auditioned with several of my friends, and I was delighted when I realized I knew one of the directors as he was a friend of my cousin. I was accepted and found myself playing girl 1 in the first short “We Wanted a Hill” and Spring in another play who’s name I cannot remember. I was so excited and after performing I was one of our cast to be rewarded as All Star Cast.

    Damn that girl is proud of that trophy.

    I would do “Reader’s Theatre” for seventh and eighth grade as well. And I made All Star Cast both years. I played the Very Odd Mother in Cinderella Wore Combat Boots and The Evil Stepsister in another version of Cinderella. I can’t remember the title, but I know that one of my lines was to call Cinderella a “strumpety hussy.”

    I continued in drama throughout high school, and started working in community theatre. Some of my “acting credits” include Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof, Laury in Oklahoma, Ermengarde in Hello Dolly, Betsy in Godspell and countless chorus roles in The Wizard of Oz, Cabaret, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Green Heart and Once Upon a Mattress. I also did the occassional straight play, but my love was musicals.

    When I graduated from high school my original plan was to go to college for Musical Theatre, but life just didn’t work out that way. After a while I stopped doing community theatre due to one thing or another, and now it has been more than 15 years since I did a show. Sometimes I miss it so badly that my heart aches, especially when I see a particularly beautiful show. I still miss the warmth of stage lights, and the feeling when you really connect with an audience.

    Why am I telling you this? Well, I actually don’t know other than I compulsively requested 11 musical soundtracks from the library this week: Assassins, Waitress, Once on This Island, Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, Hairspray, Anastasia, Dear Evan Hansen, The Band’s Visit, Rocky Horror Show, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Maybe if I sing and dance around my house enough I can relocate the feeling I used to get. I can at least have fun trying.

     

  • Not Really Resolutions, More or Less.

    Not Really Resolutions, More or Less.

    I have been thinking about setting intentions for the year aside from being Brazen, which I certainly will be. I have decided to set small goals for myself every month and then to give myself a reward for making that happen. For January my goal is to write something, literally anything, everyday for the month. If I make my goal I can treat myself to $31 in fun from Wholly Craft. This blog qualifies as a day of writing, but so would journaling, writing a poem or a story, or even writing a letter.

    Other than that I am creating More and Less lists for the year, so things I want to do more and things I need to do less.

    See more theatre • Sing more • Write more • Read more • Walk more • More friends • Laugh more • Dance more • Travel more • Wench more • Love more • Volunteer more • Make more things • Explore more • Play more •

    Spend less ○ Worry less ○ Less self-hate ○ Judge less ○ Less excuses ○ Fear less ○ Less anxiety ○ Less self-doubt ○ Less procrastination ○ Less perfectionism ○

  • Hello New Year. Let’s Be Friends.

    Hello New Year. Let’s Be Friends.

    Suddenly it is 2019. In my neighborhood it was blasted in by neighbors firing their myriad weapons into the ground until the area sounded like a war zone. Thus is life in the Hilltop in Columbus.

    I have chosen my word of the year and it is…

    I am going to move into 2019 boldly and unashamed. I have big plans for this year and I want to carry this energy with me as I go. To be brazen is to know who you are and to move confidently in that knowledge. To begin my year off on the right path I did a New Years Tarot Spread that I found on Pinterest courtesy of daily tarot girl. Here is the spread:

    And here is what my reading looked like. Position one is the opening message from my guides which is Temperance. I think my guides are telling me that I need to be looking for balance and establishing new structures. I also think they are telling me to look deeper into what direction I want to move in, and then to follow my instincts. Position 2 is the nine of swords in how to achieve your goals and dreams. The message this is saying to me is that I cannot let my anxiety and issues become a wedge in my ability to achieve my dreams. Knowing my own anxiety issues this is actually painfully true. In position 3 actions to take is The Hermit reversed. I feel like I have been in the hermit’s solitude with school and working, but I am finally emerging since school is over. I think part of my next move is to socialize more and to get myself back into the real world. Position 4 departing energies is the Ace of Pentacles reversed. I think that this card in this position is regarding my feelings on money, and how I have not made money a prority in my life, but it is time that I did. I need to stop making this an afterthought. In position 5 is The Heirophant reversed. As the main theme of this year I think it is telling me to continue to set my own path and to circumvent the status quo. In position 6 is the two of wands for future opportunities. It says that currently the world is an open door for me, and the changes I am looking to make this is the perfect time to make them. The High Priestess sits in position 7. To overcome obstacles in the following year I need to trust my intuition and allow it to steer me onto the right path. And to listen to my dreams. Position 8 is the Page of Cups reversed. As talents I will be expressing this year I think this is telling me that I have been neglecting my artistic expression and it is time to break it out again and to use my talents. In position 9 the Emperor is reversed. As a parting message the emperor is telling me to stick to my guns but not to be so rigid that I am unyielding. Overall I am feeling super positive about this year. It is going to be a year of change but also a year of building, and of gearing my life more toward the life of my dreams. What are your plans for the year?

  • The six year anniversary of the White wedding

    The six year anniversary of the White wedding

    Six years ago at the Olde Gahanna Sanctuary in Gahanna Ohio we gathered together a group of our closest family and friends. It was a gorgeous clear fall day, and other than a minor keg issue (yep there was a keg) everything was going beautifully. We stood in the doorway and grabbed hands as the piano cover of White Wedding by Billy Idol begins and we walked into our wedding together.

    Our life isn’t perfect, but it is perfect for us. So here is to so many more years. I love you, Seth.

    To see more of our amazing wedding. We were featured on the website Offbeat Bride and you can find us here.

  • Will you be my Grandma?

    Will you be my Grandma?

    Recently I was on my assigned week for our company’s Meals on Wheels route. The way our assignment works you run a week every 3 months. We leave the building about 11 am and deliver to between 6 and 9 houses. This week we had a couple of new houses on the route, and had lost a few houses as is common while people lose and gain eligibility.

    The house on Petticoat Ct was a new one, and when we pulled up I was immediately charmed by the well maintained flower boxes, beds, and pots. We got to the porch and I remarked how rare it was to see the old cast iron boot scrapers anymore, this one in the shape of a dachshund. We knocked on the door, and when it was opened the sound of 1940’s jazz/ big band came streaming out. She invited us in and the house smelled like cinnamon. On the wall was an Irish Blessing. She was sweet, and asked me to point to where to sign because she doesn’t see very well.

    I wondered if she has close family. Does she get company often? I hope so.

    One day she came to the door wearing a pair of bright pink shoes. I complimented them and she laughed that her sister said she was spending the big bucks on Sketchers, but “jokes on her. These are from Walmart.”

    Dear Lady on Petticoat Ct. I no longer have any living grandparents and I miss them terribly, so I would like to apply to be a new adopted grand daughter for you. I am very good at being quiet and listening for long periods of time. I love to watch all classic movies and TV shows. I will listen to any music. I love puzzles, crosswords, and word finds. I lived most of my life with my maternal grandparents and it made me really appreciate the wisdom of my elders.

    Thank you for your consideration.

    Betsy

  • Eight Wheels of Badass Joy

    Eight Wheels of Badass Joy

    I can remember the first time I put on a pair of roller skates. I was 5. We had a field trip to roll-a-way skating rink for my Daisy girl scout troop. My mother strapped me into the skates and I was off. My mother was terrified because I had my tongue sticking out the whole time and she was sure I was going to fall and bite my tongue in half. That never happened (thank god) but inside me a love sparked that I carry to this day.

    As a preteen I would slip my Paula Abdul tape into the boombox and skate in circles in my garage for hours. Round and round to Cold Hearted Snake and Hush just me and my favorite skates. In the late nineties I would flirt with inline skates, but I always came back to my favorite quad skates. In my teens I would stop skating for a bit,  switching with my friends to skateboarding which was not my forte.

    In my twenties I was at the Columbus International Body Arts Expo when I saw a flyer on a table for a newly forming Roller Derby team in Columbus. I was immediately interested, but was trepidatious so I just didn’t pull the trigger. One of my coworkers joined, and I was there at the very first exhibition bout. I was mesmerized by these ladies, who were skating rock stars.

    With names like Scarlette Fury, Ruby Doom, and Holly Hotwheels these badass women were the hardcore skaters that I always wanted to be. They were fast, and hard hitting. They were semi-violent tank girls on quad skates. All I wanted was to be one of them, be friends with them, and to support them in any way possible.

    Since then I have gone to at least one bout every year. I trained with them for a couple of wannabe sessions a few years ago, until a freak non-skating knee injury led to a torn ACL. I have volunteered by working the door, and anywhere else they need me. And next season my friend Susan and I are going to be Roller Derby cheerleaders for Ohio Roller Derby.

    It has been a while, but I am also beginning to want to get back on my skates. I have begun checking out paths that are smooth enough for skating, and safe enough. I need to get my skates out to give them some TLC. I think I am going to paint them, and maybe glitter them up a bit. It’s time to skate again.

     

  • Writing Challenge – Day 28

    Writing Challenge – Day 28

    Day 28: Post five things that make you laugh-out-loud.

    I feel like I should add a disclaimer that I am, in fact, a laugher. I laugh a lot, and at seemingly everything. So…almost anything can make me laugh out loud. My husband and I just crack each other up all the time. It is a thing, I love it, and I think it is how the two of us stay sane. I love to laugh, and I will do it as much as I can. So…here is a list of things that will make me laugh every time.

    1. Those stupid pet videos of animals tripping, falling, jumping into things, making crazy faces, or the gif of the fuzzy cat saying Diabetus. I will watch them again and again and cackle. It is sad, and also makes me deliriously happy. diabetus cat  mqdefault
    2. Acher! I love this cartoon with all my heart, and it often makes me laugh out loud. Shit Snacks! archer
    3. The My Favorite Murder podcast. This is a new obsession of mine, and the hosts (Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark) are so funny. And, yes the subject matter can get heavy, but Karen and Georgia keep it fun and often laugh out loud funny. It has often been listed in the top ten comedy podcasts on Itunes.  Check it out! 427
    4. The Smartest Man in the World podcast. My celebrity crush, Greg Proops, talking about whatever takes his fancy, and keeping me laughing out loud at work. I absolutely love Greg.  Greg’s website. smartestman_4232
    5. Christopher Moore books. If you have never read a book by Christopher Moore do it. I recommend Dirty Jobs, as it is a personal favorite, and more than that recommend the audio book read by Fisher Stevens. But seriously his books are so ridiculously funny that I quote them constantly and crack myself up. So good.  Christopher’s Website chrismoore

     

  • Writing Challenge – Day 27

    Writing Challenge – Day 27

    Day 27: Conversely, write about something that’s kicking ass right now.

    I am in the middle of a time of burgeoning creativity. I can feel ideas and thoughts bubbling up in me all the time, and it feels amazing. I love the times in my life when I feel ready at any minute to write something, make something, paint something, or re-purpose something.

    Creativity
    Link to photo home.

    For me, creativity comes and goes in waves. I am lucky that I do have the ability to force creativity when I need to, but this free flowing abundance of creative energy is always a treat when it comes to call. Although, it does lead to the unique and wonderful problem of what I should work on first. All this creative energy can be overwhelming in the best possible way.

     

  • Writing Challenge – Day 26

    Writing Challenge – Day 26

    Day 26: Write about an area in your life that you’d like to improve.

    I am a master procrastinator, and while I thrive on doing things last minute, I wish I could break myself of the habit. I have written some amazing last minute works for classes, but then I always think that if I could have only started earlier I think the work could have been more well rounded and developed.

    I have been doing this since I was quite young. In high school I distinctly remember creating a poster and a presentation about the Roman Gods for one class in 15 minutes the morning it was due. I completed it, did my presentation, and got an A. But there was absolutely no need for that stress. I knew it was due, I just procrastinated.

    definition-procrastination

    So, yes, if I could change any one thing about myself I would stop procrastinating, and start doing things right this moment.

  • Writing Challenge – Day 24

    Writing Challenge – Day 24

    Day 24: Write about a lesson you’ve learned the hard way.

    Not everyone will like you, and that is okay.

    Generally I am a well-liked person. I make friends fairly easily and can get along with almost anyone. But every once in a while you meet that person who does not like you, for seemingly no reason, and you just have to accept it and move on. I worked with a girl for a while who was consistently rude to me, and no matter what I did I could not get past that. So, I stopped trying. I accepted that she did not like me, and she may never like me, and that was okay. Eventually I left the job, and several months later this same girl approached my mother to ask how I was and say hi. So…you just don’t know. But, not everyone will like you, and that is more than okay.

    344576f8d38561edf76145f7f6dd286f
    Link to photo home.