I choose this moment...

I have a hundred things I could be doing right now. As I'm sure you all do to. So, thanks for stopping to read my post! ...that being said I choose this moment and I live in it. I've been doing a lot of that lately.

I've been on an organizing and cleaning kick lately. But, don't worry, know one could tell. Because, well, I DO still have kids that destroy everything they touch. I can't even tell you how often I catch myself wondering how everyone else is doing it all. This is what I've come up with:

1. They have help.
2. They don't sleep.
3. They have older kids to help.
4. Something gives.
5. Their husbands are around more to help.
6. Their kids aren't as needy.

Number 4 is what I'm focusing on. I'm not looking to compare I'm just really trying to figure out a system. A magical system. A place of peace and contentment. I'm finding I must find it in the mess. All three of my kids want me. ALL. THE. TIME. They want to be held and loved constantly. I truly LOVE that part of my job! But I want a perfect home to... Can I have both? Some moments are picture perefct. I have laundry going the whole house tidy, floor vacuumed, main room dusted, dishes done, dinner in the crock pot and scones cooling and I'm rolling on the floor laughing with my kids. And some moments, like this morning, I was curled up on the couch with Gianna and Augustine watching Tinkerbell Movie on the big screen licking suckers. No one had eaten breakfast, I didn't have the dishwasher emptied yet, I had no plan for supper, let alone having it started, We were in our PJs. But Augustine was sick and Gianna was in desperate need of being held (like she is all the time). So I let it all fade away. I kissed cuddled and enjoyed my cuties until Becket woke.

And then...

They all started crying and screaming for my attention. Just ask Jeremy, he still has ringing in his ears. I know I do. At one point all three were begging to sit on MY lap. While Jeremy sat on the couch with a perfectly lovely lap, wide open. And if you must know... I AM still in my PJS. There, I said it.

So what sometimes happens is the flurry of crazy quickly whisks away my sweet moment. BUT I reflect tonight and remember, in that moment, in each moment, I was present. At least I think I was. Hee hee. :-)

Tonight I frantically was memorizing lines for the play I'm in.

 It's about the third hour total I've been able to put into memorizing and I have to be off book tomorrow night. Yikes! I am not a night person so having the only available memorizing time be  at 9:30pm is painful for me. But it's all good and I am SO pumped to be in this show. My mommy brain appears to be leaving me alone when it comes to memorizing and I hope that bodes well for my chance of avoiding Alzheimer in the future.

I am SO thankful for this day. I loved watching Gianna and Becket bond through playtime while Augustine was on the couch all day. I love putting Augustine down for nap last and reading our chapter book together in his sun-shining room. We finished "Grk and the Poletti Gang" and are now reading "Grk Smells a Rat."

My kids have a lot of various personality traits but one of the traits they all share the most is affectionate and loving. They love each other and me SO much. They eagerly are giving kisses and hugs to my leg or knee or nose. Becket is experiencing some serious smothering by Gianna right now and it is adorable.

We literally had a fight about who's baby Becket is. "He is MY baby brother. (kissing him affectionately) But he is MY baby. (me tickling his tummy). etc. etc.. You know she, the two year old with chocolate-eyes-you-could-melt-into, won. Augustine steps into the doting and caring older brother role quite perfectly. He is often sweetly reminding Gianna of the house rules and comforting her when she is an emotional wreck. He also smothers Becket as well and loves on him dearly.

I can say all that because I also shared how I'm still in my pjs and I let my kids have suckers (although they WERE organic AND it was only after Gianna took her fermented cod liver oil) for breakfast.

I know I will keep striving for perfection but I also know I need to have peace in the imperfection or I won't love my life.

Edith Stein - A personal review/reflection

Edith Stein...

I have to say I did not know a lot about Edith Stein prior to us putting on this show at The Open Window Theatre. I had only read bits and pieces on her reflections of the dignity of women - and I was so inspired! She truly is a beautiful saint and woman to look up too! I love strong and intelligent woman that reveal true femininity, and she does just this!

One problem we are running into for this production written by Arthur Giron is that people attending the performance (specifically those who are Catholic or know her story) are expecting an actual biography of her life. While this performance DOES provide important biographical elements to her story it focuses rather on Edith's personal SPIRITUAL biography. There ARE some fictional characters in place to help portray what she had to deal with in her time.

The main fictional character, Carl Heinz, is a Nazi soldier who is supposed to be a culmination of evil represented in the Nazi party. Nazi's not only attacked Jews in WWII but many others as well, including Catholics and the Catholic Church. (We address some of these attacks in our drama on Pope John Paul II as well.) Convents were closed and turned into dance halls, nuns and priests were used in scientific experiments, tortured, and murdered. With that in mind the character of Carl Heinz is not historical specifically to Edith Stein but he was a very real threat to her, the nuns, and her people. As his character he is intrigued by Edith's intellectual strengths and is attracted to her purity/beauty in a twisted and evil way. As he also represents Edith's probable struggle to - Love her enemy- as we are called to as Christians, as well as her journey through the dark night of the soul. He is, in a way, a sort of demonic attack on Edith. As Nazism was very demonic in many ways itself.

Throughout the play, as I mentioned, she struggles to truly love (as Christ loves) all people including the Nazi soldiers, especially Carl Heinz, who is mentally torturing and tormenting her (and more literally her family, friends, and Jewish people). At the end before her final vows she goes to wash Carl Heinz's feet... the symbolism is so beautiful because of what Christ did at the last supper. This part of the play is not to be taken as a literal example of what Edith would have done or even been allowed to do by her superiors. Edith did not actually, leave her cloistered life for a period of time to literally wash the feet of her enemy. It is meant to be symbolic place she reaches towards loving her enemy. I felt the need to emphasize this because there has been some concern over this issue among Catholics.

The beauty of the arts and theatre is that many levels and depths of a story can be displayed in one artistic work at once. I encourage those who come to see the play to keep all this in mind. Although there is a very evil character that plays a lead role-- representing the large role Nazi's DID play in WWII... goodness, beauty, AND truth do prevail in this production of Edith Stein.

Edith is portrayed in an extremely beautiful way and the playwright really captures her spirit and sainthood. While the play is based on a Catholic Saint the story compels and touches people of all different backgrounds.

After opening night Jeremy and I were greeting a couple people who attended the show and one said, "I am a bona fide Christian and he (referring to her friend) is a bona fide Atheist and we both loved the show... it was very non-preachy and so well done." Later the Atheist friend said to Jeremy that the ending scene left him breathless, something he had not had happen to him at a performance in a long long time. We were blessed by these comments and we have received many other great comments and feedback from a Catholic Professor from St. Thomas as well as our other supporters and also brand new patrons to the theatre.

I really encourage you to come and see this production.  To admire and acknowledge a great Saint and to be inspired by her life, faith and virtue. The play, while being a drama, has several funny and light hearted characters that also help bring balance to the show.

Get your tickets TODAY online at Open Window Theatre and enjoy this tremendous production!

***Pictures to be posted soon!***

Edith Stein Production - OPENS TONIGHT!

Edith Stein" by Arthur Giron

Directed by Joshua Campbell
***FREE Desserts and Wine on opening night*** 

Minneapolis Minn., February 9th, 2012"Edith Stein" is a stirring and passionate drama that has played to standing room only audiences throughout the United States. Set within the context of a controversial Catholic convent that was established outside the gates of Auschwitz in the 1980s, this play takes us back to Germany during the years following the First World War up until 1942. Based on the true story of Edith Stein who was martyred at Auschwitz, this is a gripping play about the power of faith, family, religious tolerance, mutual respect, and the remarkable triumph of the human spirit against all odds. Edith was a prominent female Jewish intellectual in Germany during the lead up to Hitler's reign of terror. A doctor of philosophy turned atheist and a Medal of Valor recipient during World War I, Edith Stein eventually converted to Catholic-Christianity and left her worldly pursuits behind in order to devote her life to prayer for the Jewish people and her nation in the midst of the Nazi horrors. In 1942 Edith was arrested and subsequently gassed to death at Auschwitz as a result of her Jewish ancestry and her unwillingness to compromise with evil or put others at risk. This play tells the story of her heroic struggle with and stand against the greatest of evils, depicted by a fictional Nazi official. (Two act play w/ intermission. Approx. runtime 110min. Produced by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.)

"Inspiring." - Northern California Jewish Bulletin "Magnificent theatre." - Valley News Dispatch Presented by the Open Window Theatre, a new 100 seat black box studio theatre in Minneapolis located just a few blocks north of the Basilica of St. Mary near the downtown Hennepin Theatre District. The Open Window Theatre is a non-union professional theatre featuring an intimate and memorable theatre-going experience. Find out more at: www.openwindowtheatre.org

DATES: February 9, 11 & 12; 16-19; 23-26
SHOW TIMES: 7:30pm Thursdays – Saturdays with an additional 2:00pm matinee on Saturday, Feb. 11th. All Sundays @ 2:00pm. (No performance on Feb. 10th). Post-show Q&A discussions are scheduled for opening night, Feb. 9th, as well as Saturday afternoon, Feb. 11th and Sunday afternoon, Feb. 19th.
LOCATION: Open Window Theatre, 1313 Chestnut Ave. #102, Minneapolis 55403 in the Metropolis Minneapolis Building. Free parking is available in the lots off of Linden Ave. W and 15th Street N
TICKETS: $12 - $22 with discounts for groups, advance tickets, students, seniors and children

Available at: www.openwindowtheatre.org or by calling Brown Paper Tickets at: 1-800-838-3006

Hellooooo???

Yes, this may have been what you have been thinking lately. Where did Sarah go?

Life here is always busy but it was the combination of opening our Theatre's new show, "Leaving Iowa" and then me heading home to WI for a week that has left me Missing In Action.

Leaving Iowa opened and this weekend will be it's third weekend of shows. I laughed until I cried when I first saw it! Wow it felt so good to laugh that hard!! It was also a delight and very new experience to sit alongside my husband and watch a show together AND not get into an argument afterward about the hidden homosexual agenda or the crude humor. Jeremy is really sensitive to this in plays. I am too, but if it's discreet I usually like to give people the benefit of the doubt. I am also a bit more likely to defend people and their heart's intention whether I agree with it or not. I'm not wishy washy I totally agree with Jeremy on the issues but what is up for debate is the intention or whether the secret agendas actually exsist. I completely love Jeremy's raw open honesty and unwavering valor when it comes to important matters of Church Teaching and Morality, however, it rarely, if ever, allows us to enjoy a theatrical performance together. Well, now even WE have a place WE can watch good professional theatre and enjoy it to our hearts content! We are hoping there are a lot of other Christians out there just like us who want to see and enjoy theatre without worrying about what they will be exposed to.

Here are some pictures of Leaving Iowa:

Mention this Blog Post and get a 1/2 price ticket for this weekend's shows, that's an $11 ticket!!!

Next blog post I will write on our trip to WI and Augustine's first ride on a PONY!!

Happy Autumn!

We are back at it again!

Here is one of the cast pictures from THE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. We are doing an Encore weekend of this show - THIS WEEKEND! Tickets are selling slower than last time so we don't expect to sell out, but the show is truly excellent. I mean look at those costumes!

A few minor changes this time around is that I am also in the cast as "The Elf" (Father Chrsitmas' helper) and Witch's Army Member. I particularly enjoy the Army Member role as it is a total different style of acting than I usually get to do - cackling and grunting are not usually in my other roles at Epiphany Studios or at Stanbary Residence. Usually being the key word there. :-)

Life in this business is as crazy and stressful as usual but it certainly does require us to "cling to Jesus" lest we have a panic attack. Jeremy has been rehearsing all month for our new fall show Leaving Iowa which opens Sept. 8th. All the while preparing for a work trip to CA at the end of the month and publicizing our new season and the other 1,000 other things we need to do. Not to mention trying to figure out how to grow a money tree. Tips greatly appreciated!! Ha ha, no pun intended.

God has wisely kept us in the dark concerning future events and reserved for himself the knowledge of them, that he may train us up in a dependence upon himself and a continued readiness for every event. -Matthew Henry

God will never, never, never let us down if we have faith and put our trust in Him. He will always look after us. So we must cleave to Jesus. Our whole life must simply be woven into Jesus.
-Mother Teresa

"Fear is useless, what is needed is trust."

I'm posting these quotes right now more for my own sake than yours, but I sure hope they also bless you today. It is something we always need reminders of.

Kicked in action!

We are back at our strange capers with THE CATHOLIC SHAKESPEARE this summer!

The turn out has been a bit low but the hilarity ensues none-the-less. At Saturday night's performance Jeremy was sweating so much (it gets hot under those lights and in full costume) that during our Taming of the Shrew fight scene my hand slipped off his head throwing me into his pathway for his tuck and roll dive. I was smacked quite hard by his leg going full force and I blacked out, on stage, for a half second! For a brief second I had no idea where I was or what I was doing. Finally realizing I was on stage, and in the middle of my line no-less, I picked up where I left off. Remembering I had gotten hit on accident, but in the context of a fight scene, I allowed myself to grab my throbbing head. Ouuchhh! My head ache was gone by the end of the scene. Jumping on Jeremy's back and yelling, "If I be waspish then best beware my sting!" must have helped ease my pain.

That scene reminds me of when I was acting in "Oliver!" years ago and got whacked by a actor who was getting a little TOO into character as "the bad guy." He felt so awful and even managed a whispered "I'm sorry!"

We actors love to talk for hours in a play-by-play nature (much like sports lovers) after the show. ...And then you did ____! And I did this that and the other!! Oh, and did you see that? What happened there?

I am still chuckling today about how Jeremy got so excited and passionate with his nerdy "Quince" character that he accidentally slapped himself in the face! That is some serious skill my friends! (I am resisting the urge to type LOL all over this post. You are welcome.)

We have more shows this weekend so don't miss the fun! E-mail me for more info! Also, I have to make this pitch... BISHOP PICHE' is coming to the show on FRIDAY we will have a very holy celebrity in the house and we hope the place is packed for a great show.

See you at the Theatre!
Sarah aka Nikki Bottom

When God closes a door He OPENS a WINDOW

Yes God has certainly Opened a Window for us!

Jeremy and I have been praying for a couple years about whether God would want us (Epiphany) to get our own local space. The dream was big, the shot was long. Can we really use the arts locally as a huge positive force in our local culture? Everyone wants our culture to change... what are we all doing about it? Could this be our next step in transforming our culture in a positive way? This space would provide us to produce high quality, positive, family friendly shows. We would have a home to host original and classic works that all fit within our mission. To educate, entertain and inspire! Besides all that I would now have a home for my own Dance Studio ECHO DANCE!

I have been a Ballroom dance instructor for years but without a home to host my classes. Not only could my Ballroom Dancing Classes and Dances mesh with the mission of Open Window but it would provide an additional source of revenue for this work helping to provide more financial stability.

Could Epiphany afford to take such a big leap of faith? Did we really have the local support it appeared we had? If we jump would we fall? Would we fail?? I guess that's where the whole 'leap of faith' thing comes in. Despite our concerns it seemed that God continued to open the door (or window in this case) towards Epiphany getting its own space.

And so despite many fervent prayers for God to close the door, if it was His will, He saw fit to give us this new space, birthed right out of Divine Mercy Sunday and our Patron Pope John Paul II's Beatification day as well as our 2 year anniversary! The lease was signed on a 24 hr deadline notice (someone else almost snatched the space right from under our noses) at 3pm (the hour of mercy) Monday May 2nd. There were so many beautiful signs from God that this is what he was providing for us. And although it was still a leap of faith for us both we felt strongly that this was God knocking on our hearts to sacrifice more and to continue this work.

And so with all that said I'm including a link for you to check out THE OPEN WINDOW THEATRE and its mission as well as details on the upcoming performances of  our Catholic Youth Theatre production of THE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE featuring Jeremy Stanbary, my dear and talented husband, as Aslan the Lion! May 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th  at 7:00pm and May 29th at 2:00pm

Also, I have to throw in a pitch for my Ballroom Dance Classes and Dances! The first Ballroom Dance Social will be on May 20th at 7pm. It WILL include a a free Ballroom Dance lesson for those who are interested and will be a fun social atmosphere to gather with friends, dance and chat! I hope you can come and make this your home to Social Ballroom Dancing in the Twin Cities. Also, I will be hosting two sessions of Ballroom Dance classes this summer... Let me know if you would like me to send you the registration form and more details. Dates below...

Summer Session 1: Monday nights: June 6^th, 13^th, 20^th, and 27^th

Summer Session 2: Monday nights: July 25^th, Aug. 1^st, 8^th, & 15^th

Sessions Available:

·         5:30-6:20pm….Youth Ballroom (ages 12yrs-17yrs)

·         6:30-7:20pm….Ballroom-1 (All ages)

·         7:30-8:20pm….Ballroom-2 (Must have some previous Ballroom Dance experience)

·         8:20-9:00pm….Ballroom-3 (Must have a moderate knowledge/skill of Ballroom Dance)

More info to come but I just want to thank God for making this a reality and for providing for us and blessing us beyond what we deserve!

Sarah