Happy holly daze

Llysa here.

Well, well, well... it's 4 months since we've posted... more than a season! Solstice approaches - we are mid-Hannukah, the 3 Wise Guys would be on their march following a star, theater simple has finished roaming Ballard with a our art-is-where-you-may-stumble-across-it take on Suzan-Lori Park's 365Days/365 Plays (I already miss the cast meet-up at Cupcake Royale and it's been one day) and Andrew is off at his Other Play - a radio-play version of It's A Wonderful Life, where he gets to delight one an all with his spot-on Clarence Oddbody, Angel Second Class, and Tommy, who "thcuse's" himself when he "buwps".

Can I catch my breath? No, not really. The Christmas Crush is upon us, I'm driving to California on Saturday, present-buying has me stymied, and I have friends who still don't have power after the Big Windy Blow here in Seattle last week.
Oh well. It will all work out.

Oh! Did I mention... we're also getting the company ready to go to New York to pimp our wares... AHEM - entice producers to purchase our performance services at the Association of Performing Arts Presenters conference in January,(and go to the Under the Radar symposium at the Public Theatre) and do runouts of 52 PICK UP in February and March, before we return to Australia with a fabulously expanded Trailer Tales (which translates into Australian as CARAVAN CHRONICLES) for the Adelaide Fringe! For those of you unfamiliar with either title, it's a family reunion disguised as an intimate park show.
AND, we get to figure out a fantastic roving component we are calling Park Bench, that will whiz around the city (somehow - it will be on a small trailer) and we'll get to have conversations, and hopefully collect stories about a variety of topics. And maybe even PODCAST them. (We'll let you know how that goes.)

My to-do list includes updating the website (!), creating updated posters for APAP(!!) and figuring out the myriad of details involved in we simpletons creating a flexible show that also has rotating cast members that are somewhat improv, but also scripted and rehearsed.(!!!!!)
And then working these faboo people so they and we are all comfortable and secure in what the show is about, that we can collectively handle whatever the public might 'gift' us. Lucky for us, we'll be filling a chunk of our dance card with the stalwart denizens of Urban Myth Theatre of Youth in Adelaide. And hopefully others. I think it very important to have a range of ages in a family reunion.

But my actual original point ~ before I got sidetracked by the DETAILS ~ was that in terms of art, I find myself only getting to be immediately reactive to what has just happened, instead of having any time to think, or consider. It's all Blurt and Run. I hate feeling like that. It's like... if I just could hop off the merry-go-round for a little while - maybe only one ride - I could catch my breath, or refocus my eyes.. (Also on the To Do list: See the eye doctor.)

Actually, I am quite looking forward to driving for a long stretch. Once in the car, I can totally yak away with Bill (cousin) for 12 hours+, one way, no problem. But he also has an artistic heart that has gotten squinched and sqooshed lately, and I bet, after we clear the mental lint traps of the fuzz we have been accumulating, there will be some interesting art/poetry/movie/theater/music conversation, as well as some interesting considering silences.

[But just in case, I'm bringing a full ipod. Sheesh.]

But - I want to consider in the more than 36 hours I will be driving back and forth to and in Northern California - where is that inner space of time and distance to look close and far away at Big Ideas? And if you have somehow lost an inner perspective, how do you get it back? (And I say this in full recognition that the last time I asked a question anywhere approaching this, the universe answered with a Bang and compressed vertebra. That was a very effective and sobering way to reset. I don't necessarily recommend it, but your mileage may vary.)

I am currently thinking about: time, space and family tradition/ritual.
Question of the moment - What's your favorite present you have bought for someone this year? Why?