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2005 archive

The date is set! I've been corresponding with Jerry Read Smith, owner of Song of the Wood, for about a week now (I think I might actually be driving the poor man crazy) and we're going to get my dulcimer on January 7. I'm all atwitter. Heather dances with a guy who plays and is willing to give lessons... and thanks to my work Christmas bonus, everything is finally going to come together. It's been more than 10 years since I heard the late, great Rich Mullins play one for the first time, so this is sort of an exciting time.

I'm really hoping I have a lot of time to commit to this thing. I've decided to lay down the Playstation almost completely, and invest that time in this. Then of course, we have the theater factor... Woodford is doing a production of "Cinderella" that Heather and I both want to be in, and that can be very demanding. I had hoped to also try out, maybe, for "The Lion in Winter," but it doesn't look like that might happen now. That would be two shows in a row if I made them both, and I really want to nail down this new skill as soon as possible. I've made it easier on myself too by picking an instrument to love that doesn't even have all the same notes as a piano or guitar... so hopefully that will lower the learning curve.

The rain came today and washed away the snow that had fallen earlier this week. I think that's kind of depressing. I love cold, I love snow... and while it's always a shame to see the snow melt, I think it's even more a shame to see it get washed away by the rain. Shuddap about the fact that they're both precipication... Rain makes things nasty, snow makes things beautiful. I think that might be the first song that I end up writing. "Snow Rocks and Rain Sucks, a Tale of the End of Winter." Now all I need is a catchy chorus.

December 7, 2005

By some miracle that is probably more related to her level of patience, Heather and I have been married for 3 years today. It's been good. We have fun together. She understands me. What else doth one need?

To pull all readers fully into the spirit of love that is our anniversary, I shall share an activity that we, the couple attached to this website, have indulged in lately. It's a Playstation 2 game called Champions of Norrath, and it's become highly addicting. Now, I know that any of you who are ardent gamers know that this game has been out for a little while... and yes, it has. We usually stay just enough behind the curve to get games as cheap as we can, and this one is a real find. Heather's anniversary present for today included squashed beetle eyes... and if any of you have ever played the game, that may actually mean something to you. If you haven't, go ahead and get grossed out. Either way, we've found a new way to relate as a couple by decimating the ranks of the undead (not to mention a few oversized insects) with large swords, axes and such.

Elsewhere, I am making definite plans to get my hammered dulcimer. I've found a place that sells them that comes highly recommended by two seasoned players, so it looks like Heather and I may be making a trek to Asheville in January to get the thing. If you happen to look at the page I've just mentioned, I like the lighter colored, spruce-top models. 3 octave. I met a guy named Evan Carawan at a dance in Berea last weekend, who could play like a bandit, and he really stoked the fire. Such a beautiful instrument.

Then of course, we're right on the cusp of Christmas. We finished up shopping for Heather's side of the family and most of mine last weekend, which was a relief. I have that feeling every year that I'm going to somehow end up forced to get something mindless for someone I love, and they'll hate me for the rest of our lives. Doesn't look like that's going to happen this year. Christmas lights are still in process, but we're really hoping to finish putting those up next week when some sense of rest is restored to our lives... we have a banquet to prepare for the parents of our youth this Friday, so we're in a total frenzy this week, getting that done. It's a good frenzy, though.

Oh, and the Advent Calendar I do every year for my workplace is up... check it out if you have some spare time. It changes every day up to Christmas.

October 28, 2005

I was checking out some new music online today from Andrew Peterson, and a notion crept up that has crept up many times in my life... though amazingly, I've never summoned the fortitude to act on it. I want to MAKE music. I want to write stuff, you know? I know so many talented musicians, I have friends who can do amazing things with stringed instruments and wind instruments, and percussion... and most of that is just my buddy Brandon. :) Still, somewhere deep inside of me is probably a few songs that would be suitable for at least an evening at a coffee house, and I'm dying to know what those are.

I don't suppose it's an accurate representation to say that it just crept up... that makes it sound like I just thought of it. Perhaps it's just that the almost-incarnations that vision took before were pretty funny. In middle school, I wanted to get into rap. (No, really.) I cut some demos on my karaoke machine which have thankfully now either been lost or devoured by gremlins. After that, me and my pals talked about starting a band. Of course, none of us played instruments. So we took a shortcut and started an a cappella act... and that actually went pretty well. Then came college, acting... and now we're back around to now. And now you're sorry you asked. :)

I think I've finally settled into the folk/ alternative scene enough to find something I could actually play, that fits my personality: hammered dulcimer. I first saw Rich Mullins play one at Western Kentucky University when I was in college, and have since fallen in love with the sound of the thing. As if by divine providence, Heather is in a vintage dance group with a guy who plays, and is willing to give lessons. So what's keeping me?

I suppose at this point, I can only say that it's the fact that I DON'T HAVE A HAMMERED DULCIMER. So there, that's the deal. I hope to remedy that problem right after Christmas, with a combination of savings, Christmas money, and whatever bonus money I might get from my workplace, if any. And then I shall start. I'll write this down today so that hopefully, one day, when I'm opening for Caedmon's Call or Derek Webb or... my friend Brandon, I can look back with my millions of devoted blog-watchers and we will say together, "That's the day it started." To which Heather will reply with much resolve, "No, he moaned and groaned about that for years before he finally got motivated to start." And she will be right. And we will all have a good laugh because we've now heard the songs I write, most of which will probably be comparisons to spirituality and, say, my cats.

I've got to rediscover my art. Given, I'm blessed enough to have a job which allows me to do basically nothing BUT art, and I'm thankful for that... but there are other mediums in me. Music has always been one I wished I could do more with... so end the wishing, start the doing, and see what happens. Worst case scenario, maybe I really was better at rap.

October 27, 2005

Holy moley, October is almost over. Christmas is coming... as is Thanksgiving. Seems like only yesterday I was sweating my guts out in the woods of Tennessee with a group of teenagers... how I love cold weather.

Christmas stuff is out at the store. I'm not quite sure how I feel about that... it seems to get moved up more and more every year. I know it's the best time of the year for stores to sell stuff, but... we gotta keep the magic, you know? I think part of the reason that folks listen to the same songs every year and drag out the same decorations they've been putting up for 25 years--even through Santa's nose is chipped and Frosty's hat is faded-- is because it's only once a year, and the short time it occupies comes with great anticipation. What happens when it's once, half a year? Will the magic last until December 25, or will be be tired of seeing that stuff sitting out by then? Ah, but I'm ranting.

I've been inspired of late by a Podcast I subscribed to from Derek Webb, Christian singer/ songwriter extraordinaire. He's saying stuff that I've heard from him before, about the role of art in the church... but it's a reminder that I need constantly. How basically during the Renaissance, the church was at the front of the art world, that they actually defined the art of the age, but now that's no longer the case. Lots of churches are awkward at best in their pursuit of the arts, and most don't touch it at all. That's really stuck with me. Mel Gibson proved that we still possess the ability to lead. I guess what we're lacking is the focus and dedication. At any rate, Derek says it better than me... check out his website (click on "journals" at the top of his nav) if you want the premium version.

Youth ministry continues to bring new insights my way as well, even as I sit in the middle of my fifth year in a staff position at a church. There are days you want to throw in the towel, toss up your hands and head home. But then there are the other days... the days when you remember why you got into this in the first place, and you see the glimmer of promise in the lives of kids who you have been fervently working with for 2 years. We've had a good bit of glimmering lately... some of our Stamping Ground kids have really started stepping up, taking new strides, bringing about change and being a part of the process in ways they haven't before. It's exciting to be in the middle of.

A sage thought has come to me. I will share it with you.

Don't give up on any person, because people are always changing. The great shortcoming that you see in any person may at any time turn on you, bringing you to find that the fault you attributed to them may actually be your own. Even if it isn't, if you find something that is genuinely wrong with a person, the potential is still in them to change it, and if they do change, give serious consideration to the way you view them. Work to restore relationships and those with whom you have relationships. Be as quick to remove a label from someone as you were to place it on them.

September 23, 2005

Sorry to have been absent from this forum for so long. Youth stuff and personal stuff kinda rose in a massive tidal wave for a while there...and since there are a good amount of things I never wrote back about, allow me to take a paragraph of staggered thoughts and update that...

Beauty and the Beast was great. Mission trip was a challenge, but worth it. Labor day: fun with Heather's family as usual. Yada yada, that brings me up to yesterday: the first day of FALL!!!

There's a crispness in the air that could only mean one thing: fall. I don't know if anyone else is feeling it, but there's a genuine sense of anticipation about this time of the year for me. Football games, huddled under blankets... cocoa at the kitchen table after a day out and about... the smell of piles of leaves. That's what it all about for me. The second best time of the year to Christmas.

On the church front, the kids have really been stepping up to the plate lately. It never ceases to amaze me, how they mature and grow and start to take leadership positions. We're truly blessed to have a group like we do, that work hard and ask for more work to do.

On my other work front, the web design thing... I've just finished a fairly major flash video thing on C.S. Lewis that I'm pretty proud of. It's not quite as in-depth as the advent calendar we do every year, but I think it's worth looking at. It's up on my workplace's site at this link. I did the flash piece, everything else was other people. It's my first attempt at Flash video integration, and I think it came out well.

June 9, 2005

In the thralls of Bible school, we are. Heather and I have been teaching a cavalcade of children all week long about the ten lepers who were healed by Jesus. It's exciting to take this story that could last all of 2 minutes normally, and stretch it out to twenty. Then Heather does a craft. Ah, summer.

On a little different note than usual... we're going through some trying times right now. Not really us, to be honest... nothing in our personal household, I should say... but some folks at our church are really going through the fire right now, and Heather and I are searching for the best ways to help them out. There are days when we feel especially weak and powerless... sometimes, even more so... but these times build our faith. Still, I do hate it so much, all this anguish some people must go through, sometimes without doing anything at all on thier own. I digress. No I don't. It's still going to be there even if I do. I bear down.

Elsewhere, we raised over $200 last Saturday in our first youth car wash, to go down and work with a new church start in Tenessee this summer. I'd say that's a great start, and we have two more coming up. If you're floating through Stamping Ground on June 25, come let us wash your car. You can even run it through a mudhole first if you want, just for an added challenge. (I picked a dead bird out of a woman's grill last week, so I can't imagine that you'd get much more disgusting than that.)

Heather must really love me. In case you didn't read my piece on the goodness of tomatoes in summertime... anyway, she did, and she bought me a tomato plant also last weekend. We must now endeavor not to kill the thing, as is our usual custom when it comes to all matters of horticulture.

May 27, 2005

I got the call! Looks like I'll be playing Gaston in the Bluegrass Theatrical Guild's performance of "Beauty and the Beast." Brandon got cast as Gaston's lackey, Lafeu. I think it's gonna be a rocking good time.

Elsewhere... Wednesday night, we played this game with the youth at Stamping Ground that basically involves a lot of running and diving. Well, for me, it also ended up involving a lot of falling and bleeding. I took a tumble diving after a ball, my face hit the ground, my sunglasses hit my face. Cut right through my right eyebrow, they did... and now I'm sporting six stitches.

I finally saw Star Wars 3 last night. The reaction was mixed.. but all in all, I was pleased. Read the review if you wanna.

I'm currently scouring Lexington for a soundtrack of the Broadway (not the movie) version of Beauty and the Beast... I've already checked everywhere around Hamburg, and checked Best Buy online. If any of you see one lying around, let me know.

First read-through for B/B is Tuesday the 31st. I think it's gonna be a ton of fun... 'specially since I get to act all manly and stuff. Not that I don't usually. Whatever.

May 25, 2005

Those of you who keep up with me must be falling out of your chairs, to see that I've actually posted something new within seven days. You'll be okay.

Big news to report, though... because of some apparent addiction I have, I am doing another show. Tom Sawyer was a blast,I loved every minute... and I thought I was done for a while. Then, what should happen? The guy who played Judge Thatcher from T.S. is directing "Beauty and the Beast" in Frankfort. When he told us about the show during Sawyer, I initially said no... no way, I said, because my schedule just can't handle it. No more missing church. A simpler life. That's what I want.

As it turns out, I get half my wish. I auditioned yesterday and, if I'm cast, that won't be a problem. No Saturday, Sunday, or Wednesday rehearsals. That alone made me jump with joy, but then factor in the fact that a lot of the good folks from Sawyer are also trying out... and I was just ecstatic. Still waiting for the call, but if I get put in it, the show will be July 14-17 and 22-23. And if I don't get cast... hey, I get to keep that simple life I was dreaming of.

I think that was worth reporting. Heather is the most kind, considerate, and understanding wife ever for letting me do this less than a month after T.S. closed, and she must have much praised poured out upon her for this. I'll pop in again if I make the cast.

May 18, 2005

In the midst of the coming inferno...

Anyone who keeps up with me knows that I am no fan of summer. The heat, the sweat, the constant sticky feeling... all these are absolutely no fun to me. I spend the whole summer thinking happy thoughts about how much better I'll feel when it cools off. And paying huge electrical bills.

Then there is a thing that comes to mind that makes it all worth it. The sweat sticks a little less... the temperature drops a few degrees just at the thought of it. The part of summer that is so full of goodness, even curmugeons like me have to smile a little, as we daub off our foreheads. What I am talking about, of course, are tomatoes. The kind where you haggle with the overall-wearing guy over the price. The kind that sits on a table made out of two-by-fours under a tent made out of a tarp, two poles and a pickup truck. The kind you wipe the dirt off of yourself. The kind that smell as sweet as they taste.

Now, if what I just said seems totally absurd to you, you might as well go ahead and quit reading. If you think hydroponic tomatoes in the middle of winter are just the same as the stuff that's at the farmer's market, go ahead, go elsewhere and read the stock reports or something.

Good, they're gone.

Now, my tomato-loving cohorts... I wish to report that last night, I had that little slice of heaven right between my teeth. Our good pals the Conrads came over, and after we retrieved my grill, we cooked up some Alexburgers (translation: huge meat patties) complete with that glorious veggie. (Or are they classified as fruit?) I ate two. I talked about it the whole time. Ask Heather.

Ah, the passion of the summer tomato. Bought at the farmer's market. Buddy, now that's food. Poo-poo on the plastic-tasting variety.

The rest of this post is going to be dull. I'll make it quick so you can run out to the farmer's market before they close.

Planning youth trip. Went to a rainy outdoor wedding. Still moving. Doing ropes course on the 28th. Reading movie script. Oop! I wanna talk about that one.

I got a fun job from a guy I've done a couple shows with. Not really a job, I guess... more like a consultation, I guess. Anyway, a dude named Jay Akers (he was the stage combat choreographer from Tom Sawyer) has written a sort of Lord of the Rings type screenplay called "Horde." I've read through about half of it, it seems pretty cool. He's having a read-through of it with a few folks, and I get to read for a big centaur named Crager. I consider it an honor, really... I don't know what the chances are of ever actually being cast in this thing if it gets noticed, especially since Crager is pretty buff... but it's an honor to get to read through this script with a few other folks that I consider some of the best actors I've ever worked with. Brandon just happens to be another of those folks, as well as my director from Tom Sawyer.

Elsewhere, if you read this in time and have some time off Saturday at 5, Stamping Ground is having their first outdoor service of the year. Last year, we called it the "Bluegrass Service," for the obvious reason that we played all bluegrass music. This year, we're taking a little turn and calling it the Front Porch service. The front of our church is right on Main Street, and Brandon and his papa-in-law are coming to play. I think it's going to be great.

March 29, 2005

It's been an exciting month of moving and acting, and as the dust settles, we have a lot to look back on.

Stuff is going well with the house. We're definitely planning on having a housewarming party (might be more like May now, since Tom Sawyer is still going on) to celebrate the move into the new place. Meanwhile, we continue to DO the moving... my dad picking up our lease allowed us to leave a lot behind that didn't have to go that very day, but we've done a pretty bad job of going over there and finishing up. Shame on us.

My birthday was a rollicking good time, getting totally surprised a week early (the only way they actually COULD surprise me, I guess) but also a good time a week later, hanging out with friends and family at the house. And of course, it was an added thrill to have Heather's parents come in and hang out with us for a couple days. No really! And I'm not just saying that because Heather's dad helped me put up shelves in our movie room.

We finished up "At Your Feet," the Easter musical that our music director and myself put together, on Sunday. It went GREAT. I'll have to say, there were times that I really thought, "How are we going to pull this thing together?" but God is good and He blessed all who were involved immensely. We'll see what happens next year.

Tom Sawyer rehearsals are now in full swing, and I'm glad to be able to focus on just one show. It's been a tremendous growing experience for myself as an actor, and as the whole thing starts to come together, it's getting a lot more fun. The cast is starting to really click, and I'm enjoying my role as a good ol' South'an preacha. Tickets are on sale if you want to get in on the action the end of April.

On a strange and (for those of you who know me) surprising side note, I've been listening to Willie Nelson a lot lately. Funny how you grow up and get to be almost 30 years old thinking you know something about a singer, and find out that something totally different is true. I always thought Willie was just sort of an old country hack, mainly because "On the Road Again" was about the extent of my listening to him. He's got some cool stuff, man! I mean, genuinely artistic. I've been wearing out some of his older stuff that I found, thanks to one of the boys in our youth group, and I am really enjoying it. Who knew.

March 2, 2005

We're getting closer to moving time! We close on the house next Friday, March 11. If we can get BellSouth to quit disconnecting our phone service, perhaps we'll even have a little sanity left on that day. The boxes are starting to fill with our valuables, the packing tape is flowing like a river. What anticipation.

The times are busy, but we're having a ball. Practice for Tom Sawyer in Versailles is going great... and I'm really liking the director. The level of professionalism in this show is so far above anything I experienced on my old stage... it really makes you feel like what you're doing is important. Oh, and some of you have been wondering... performance dates are April 21 - 23, and 28 - 30. Buy your tickets soon! They're expecting to sell this thing out. (The theater's number: 859-873-0648.)

Heather's been a little under the weather, but we're hopeful that she'll be tip-tip by next week. She has to be... the house isn't going to move itself. In the meantime, we're attempting to eat all the food so we don't have to move it, and there's a visit to Goodwill imminently planned. We may end up tossing some of those things that we couldn't bear to part with before... or not.

February 9, 2005

I made it! Looks like I'll get to make my debut at the Falling Springs Theater in Versailles the end of April. I've been selected to play the part of the preacher, Sprague, in the previously mentioned broadway version of Tom Sawyer. It's a really fun musical, all y'all will have to come see it.

Elsewhere in the arts world, our church is going to put on an Easter program this year that I think is going to be really neat. Our music minister and myself are collaborating to write a project tentatively titled At Your Feet, with me writing the drama and him putting the music together. I finished my script first draft Saturday, he and I went through it Sunday. It's getting me pretty pumped... the music is modern and fresh, with some traditional throwbacks, and the drama is gripping. God's really thrown a vision on me for this one.

Of course, if any of you are pondering the calendar, you're thinking, hm... these two shows look like they're going to run over one another. And you are right. The Easter thing will be March 26 and 27, right in the middle of rehearsals for Tom Sawyer. Luckily, the performance of Tom Sawyer isn't until the end of April, so that mean's I'll only have to juggle for a month. I'm hoping that I'll only be directing the Easter show (I love acting, but doing both is so taxing) and since it's a very small cast, practice should be limited. No worries, though. I feel privileged just to be a part of both these shows.

To update you on the house thing, Heather and I met with our finance guy last night (who was once a relative of mine, by marriage) and it looks like we're going to have a green light! We are in a lease until August, but my wonderful dad has told us that if we find something we want before then, he'll take over our lease for the remainder. (He's been working in Lexington and staying with us from time to time anyway.) We shall be deeply in his debt for that, especially if we are able to buy earlier and save us a percentage point or so on our interest rate.

You know you've arrived as an adult when your blog starts mentioning things like "saving a point on an interest rate." :-) Don't worry, that's as far as it gets with me sounding like I know too much about that kind of thing.

February 4, 2005

Heather and I are looking forward to the next few months with much anticipation. Not only at the fun stuff that we are getting to do, but also at the good stuff we hope will come our way. A ray of sunshine for you.

I'm auditioning for a new show in Versailles, at a really fantastic community theater called Falling Springs. Geez, I wish we had a critter like that in Georgetown... the place is not only one of the nicest theaters I've been in, it's by far one of the nicest theaters in general I've seen. I've heard all kinds of good things from my good buddy Brandon about it, not to mention my other good buddy Jon, who has done quite a few shows there. Very professional experience, they say. At any rate, the show I'm hoping for is a broadway version of Tom Sawyer, and having just read the script a little, it looks like a really fun show. Consequently, if I don't make the cast, consider this still a plug for something good to watch. I'll keep you posted.

Elsewhere in Looking-Forward Land, Heather and I are starting to look into houses. We've found a realtor we like, and Heather has already started forwarding me stuff that's listed online. It's encouraging to finally reach that point where we can stop 'throwing our money away' in rent, as so many older and more sage people have told me, and finally own our own little corner of the world. Wistful moment over.

I've reached a new level of comraderie with some of my co-workers too... my workplace made it possible for us to join the brand-new Gold's Gym next to our office, so several of us go over three days a week and play basketball for around an hour. It's a true male bonding experience. Nothing like beating one another up on the court to make you feel closer as a corporate body.

Heather is liable to write soon, so I won't try to steal any of her thunder, but she's loving the dance thing. Being a part of a vintage dance troupe is something everyone should experience. Everyone, that is, who has discernable ability and is willing to wear the costume.

Our next major site undertaking: putting up pages for each of our friends. If you're a friend who wants a page, shoot us an email and we'll put up a little bio page for you, establishing you firmly in that elite group of people we call our posse. Or maybe just friends.

January 4, 2005

Merry late Christmas, Happy late New Year, and otherwise to all of you! We've been so busy lately, doing the Christmas thing, youth Christmas play, A Christmas Carol with A la Carte Players... and that's just my stuff.

Before I go too much further, I have to do a dance of joy... I saved and scrimped and got myself an iPod! I haven't actually gotten to use the thing yet... as we speak, it's charging, but I'm very much looking forward to joining the iPod generation. It's primarily for my vehicle, since my CD player died about eight months ago, causing a very miserable music experience in the ol' Pathfinder. No more, now! 5000 songs will follow me wherever I may go, if I can load that many into it. A little Christmas money, a little performance money... it took about 2 months to save for, but I think it's gonna be worth it. It's so small...

Anyway, you're probably not that interested in my technology purchases, so I'll get on with it. Christmas, Heather and I spent with my side of the family, since we spent Thanksgiving with her side. My Uncle Jay didn't make it in, but other than that, it was a rollicking good time. There are some fun picture links up on our news page, if you want to feel like you're a Parrish too. Or, if you just want to have a look at my grandpa in the bear hat, maybe see what I've most definitely going to be like in about 40 years...

I always hate to see the holiday season end. Not only because it's so pretty and all, but also because it's such a happy time. I love spending the month wearing out the Christmas music, watching Christmas movies, eating Christmas Tree cakes... all that stuff really makes the season. I don't suppose it would seem quite so eventful if it were a year-round thing, though.

Heather and I are making a concentrated effort (that's like a New Year's Resolution, except you actually do it) to try to hang out with our friends more this year. We got so bogged down with the eleventy million things we were doing the last quarter of 2004, we didn't know whether we were scratching our watch or winding our butt. So, if you're in our friends classification, mark off a day! We'll try to make it!

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