My present to my family this year is the gift of presence. While I’m away, I’ve scheduled some posts for your reading enjoyment. I hope all of you have a blessed Christmas. Be in the moment. Look people in the eyes. Be still. Listen and enjoy each other. Life is short. LIVE the moment.
I’ve directed my share of Children’s Programs. We all know they never go quite right. Please enjoy this short clip of comic Tim Hawkins and Christmas Songs.
For more videos from Tim Hawkins, click HERE.
“If you are bored with life, if you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things – you don’t have enough goals.” Lou Holtz
My husband surprised me this weekend by emptying the spare bedroom where he keeps all of his music gear. Once the room was empty he ripped out the carpet and laid new flooring. This will be my new office / art studio and the front living room will be our new music room; complete with french doors and eventually a baby grand piano.
For those of you who don’t know, J-man is a VP for a national telecommunications company by day and a musician by night. In other words, he’s an artist who can afford to eat.
Depending on who you are and where you are in your life this may or may not be a big deal. It’s a big deal to me though. I left Corporate America back in the 90’s to raise a family. That was a huge life change for all of us. I was raised to have a career, not raise a family. While that choice meant great sacrifice for all of us, being there for our kids while they grew up made the sacrifice worth it. This sacrifice also allowed him the freedom – and motivation – to pursue his career and take it as far as he is able. He works amazingly hard and does well, and I’m very happy for him.
Contrary to some people’s belief that I am “basically retired and living a life of leisure,” I consider being a stay home mom a full-time commitment and a job in itself. I am by no stretch a Martha Stewart. There are many women who do far better at this domestic goddess role than I. This explains why even as a Mommy Blogger I rarely wrote about domestic things. So not my forte’.
On top of being a SAHM, I’ve spent the last 14 years volunteering throughout the community and in school, as well as continuing my education. I even held a few part-time positions when certain financial needs arose. Our oldest is a junior in college and our youngest is a senior in high school. They are wonderful well-adjusted young men and I am proud of them both. While I realize this isn’t the choice for everyone, we as a couple, made the right choice for our family.
This season is coming to an end and it is time to look forward to a new beginning.
With corporate a distant memory, I’ve chosen to gather together the things I do well such as speaking, writing, and art and start my own company. Jeff bought me a laptop three years ago and I’ve been a writing vagabond ever since. I take my computer with me where ever I go. This has been wonderful so far but is also constraining. I need my own space to breathe, write, and create.
Even if he is getting another room down stairs, giving me his music room is no small feat. This is a tangible act of love and faith. Being married to a man who not only believes in me, but follows up on that belief with action is priceless.
“Let’s face it, I’m at that age where the only way I can lose weight is to either cut my hair or shave my legs.” — Deana O’Hara
If you are looking for a what not to say to an audience of mostly men, I can give you a list.
There are three things men cannot easily recover from.
Sex.
Childbirth.
Hormones.
The rules for this particular night were simple, keep it PG. I played by the rules and stumbled upon an unwritten understanding that women shall not tell the truth in front of men. Out of 7 comic only 2 of us were female and neither of us made the finals.
There is a difference between killing on stage and dying.
I died Saturday and I’m okay with that.
My set isn’t for men, it’s for women. The judges were male and they did not like me.
While a more experienced speaker will look at their audience and adjust accordingly, I chose to stay the course and be myself. Was that the right call? Not if I wanted to win. Fortunately, I didn’t go there to win a contest. I went there to defeat fear. In staying the course I beat the voice in my head that insists that if I continue being myself, I’ll be alone. Misplaced safety nets are detrimental to my well-being.
Just as a child cannot receive self-esteem by being given A’s for effort alone, neither can I. Confidence comes only as an after effect of facing down my fears and doing the unthinkable.
Being fully me sometimes comes with a price, like losing a contest. And yet the joy my inner woman shows every time I allow her to be heard is priceless.
Now that’s what I call a Revival!
I want to be a (Fill in the blank) _____________________________ (in my circle these days the blank is usually comic, but anything can go here)
what is the best advice you can give me?
My advice? Cheesy as it may sound, Be More Like Tigger from Winnie the Pooh.
One of my favorite comics of all time, Steve Martin, has been traveling the country with a blue grass band called the Steep Canyon Rangers. My Lutheran pals might have heard them on A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor.
Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers are coming to Tulsa on August 24 to perform at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. My more astute friends purchased tickets on time.
I apparently live under a rock and did not.
It’s probably just as well because just saying his name makes my vocal chords seize up and I squeak. It’s not pretty.
Being a writer, I thought it might be a good idea to process my grief through song. Not being able to play a banjo, which this song requires, is merely a small blip in the grand scheme of life. I’m sure everyone knows the melody to Oh Susanna, right? That is the melody for this song. And so for your reading amusement I offer:
(Written by Deana O’Hara)
I’ve searched high
and I’ve searched low
and every place in between
I’ve searched where normal people go
and places best unseen.
Oh Steve Martin
Is coming to the PAC
Tickets sold in just one day.
And there’s none left for me.
I’ve asked once
and I’ve asked twice.
I’ve even thrown some fits.
I said please
and shed some tears
and even flashed my……
Cash.
Oh Steve Martin
Is coming here with song.
That’s one show that I can’t see
and I think that is wrong.
I’ve held my breath till I’ve turned blue
I’ve sniveled, begged, and sobbed.
I even bought an old banjo
but my husband thinks I was robbed.
Oh Steve Martin
is coming to our town.
Ticket holders are happy now,
while I just have a frown.
————————————————————————————-
And now for you listening and viewing enjoyment, below is a video of Mr Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers. Enjoy.
Pathetic whining pays off! — I get to go see them after all. It seems a friend’s daughter and son-on-law are unable to attend and I get to go in their stead. AWESOME!
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well preserved piece… but to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out and defiantly shouting, WOW WHAT A RIDE!
What a ride is right. Here is just a glimpse of what has been happening in our home life over the past 30 days.
1. I was cast in my very first movie ever. Being cast as an extra on the Cowgirls N Angels set was a thrill and a half for this woman. I spent two days in the blistering heat of Oklahoma with about 200 other actors/extras filming the rodeo scenes. I’m what they call “back ground” – and the truth is, you may or may not see me after the final slicing and dicing of the movie or with my luck I may wind up being the “woman in the porta john.” Either way, I know I was there and I have the sunburn, new friends, and paycheck to prove it. While being an extra may not be the same level of work as being the star, it’s still work. Paid work at that. Neato!
2. Murder Mysteries are a riot and a half, especially working with this crew. Heather and Amy run a bible based fitness program at our church. Every year they host an awards banquet / fundraiser. This year they wrote a murder mystery and asked my hubs and I to participate. I got to play Kate: saloon gal, gambler, and girlfriend of Doc Galliday. While we did have a written script, most of our lines were improv. Kate is basically the life of the party and gets to flirt with every cowboy in the room. I learned a very valuable lesson that night. Being a church event and all, not all of the cowboys flirted back. I did eventually find a real live cowboy to play with and the results were hilarious. He is a local rancher and as he put it “Darlin’, you don’t want to start this with me, I know I can make you blush and I’m man enough to finish this.” – he was right, how I wound up on that man’s lap is not real clear. It all happened so fast, but I believe he had help as I seem to think I was pushed. I’ve never been so red in my life. Lesson learned: When doing improv with audience participation, be careful not to bite off more than you can chew.
3. My baby turned 18. We celebrated our youngest son’s birthday with a bon fire at our lake house. Every one had a good time. I still cannot believe that he is 18, but it’s true. My mama bear days are over. It is time for me to step back, allow my son to be a man and make his own choices and try my best to stay out of things. That is not easy for me as my oldest can attest. I’m still prone to jump in, take over, and offer much unsolicited advice. My youngest has had a job for about year now at a local store. A store that I’ve never been fond of and his experiences there, just reinforce that gut feel. I cannot go into the details, but my blood is boiling. All I can do right now is dig in my gardens (with Oklahoma clay that is not easy), plant beauty, listen to my son, and pray.
Life is an adventure balanced with thrills, chills, and sorrows. The difficulties in life keep us humble and ever reliant on God. The adventures in life, hopefully keep us thankful.
Until next time.
If you came here looking for information on hiring Taylor to perform at your church, please see his web page at www.taylormason.com. His calendar and booking information (under the Contact Taylor Menu Item) are loaded there.
This particular blog piece is intended to announce Taylor’s Arrival to our church on June 26, 2011
Taylor Mason has been making audiences laugh, very hard, for 24 years as a professional comedian. He has headlined every major comedy club in the USA. He has played Las Vegas, Tahoe, and Atlantic City.
Taylor Mason’s comedy is fit for all audiences. Bring the whole family and laugh till your sides hurt.
Where: Our Savior Lutheran Church
146 S. Sheridan Rd.
Tulsa, Ok 74112
When: Sunday June 26th, 2011
Doors open at 6PM
Show starts at 7PM
Seating is General Admission
$10 for Adults
$5 for Youth under 18
Children under 5 attend free
Tickets are on sale in our church office at 918.836.3752 (cash or check) or you may purchase tickets via paypal by CLICKING HERE
Groups purchasing 10 or more tickets will receive one ticket free. To claim your free ticket you must contact Eddie Morris at Our Savior Lutheran at 918-836-3752.
Can I be her when I grow up?
Probably not, I make a better me than I do anyone else.
Having said that – I do love this gal’s talent.
Christian Comedian and everyone’s favorite Mom, Anita Renfroe, has done it again. You may know her from Momsense (Everything a mother would say in 24 hours set to the William Tell Overture) , Good Morning America, Women of Faith, or even the Kraft Food Commercials and I’d like to share with you her latest salute to moms called “In Tha Muthahood.”
I absolutely LOVE this and want to share it with you guys.
Please enjoy.
Show the love. If you like this post, please click one of the buttons below and share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble or Digg okay. Thanks!
If you came here looking for Anita’s newest video – In Tha Muthahood – please CLICK HERE. Thanks.
I got to spend a good part of yesterday bantering with several comics. What makes that kind of thing fun for me is it gets my creative juices flowing and it makes me stretch my abilities. I’m a story-teller. I’m very comfortable in that venue. Where I really need or want to grow though is in the 1,2 punch of straight stand up. Yesterday, I got to practice that by brainstorming with a few 1,2 punch stand up comics. I loved every minute of it.
One of the goals I’ve always had in this blog is to share resources and friends. Starting this week I’m going to keep my eye out for clips that I hope you guys will enjoy.
This clip by Anita is part of a series of bits she’s presently doing for Kraft Foods. While I’ve met Anita, we’re not friends. I always want to clarify that. Some of the clips I’ll show you are of friends, but most are not. Even so, I’ve really enjoyed watching her grow over the past several years in her talent, her confidence, and her humor. Seeing her challenge herself, step out on faith, and grow actually gives me hope that I can do the same.
And as always no goods or services are ever exchanged for these posts / personal endorsements. I’m just sharing things that I like in hopes that you will as well.
Enjoy.
Deana O'Hara - Speaker, Comedian, Writer 