Tap and ballet

Tap and ballet

Mac and the Getty Villa

Macbeth and the getty villa

MacBeth

I feel like "Terry Shields " this week -notorious pushy mother of the lovely Brook. While One small child had her debut at ballet and tap the elder trod the boards as "Macabeth' in possibly the only Junior Shakespeare company in North America.
Esther had been begging me to do let her do ballet for quite some time so we went to a small class run by Miss B for a "try out". Within 5 minutes of the class beginning I heard terrible wailing and sobbing and Esther was taken out ."wheres my Tuttu? and wheres my ballet shoes?" I should have realised that the whole point of ballet for 3 year olds was the tuttu. Luckily this is where LA comes into its own - there is always a handy costume store at hand not to say dance equptment, so within minutes . These shops are every where and stock a range of gear ranging from risky kinky sexy get up - maids costumes and S&M gear to serious dance attire. Very handy indeed if one wants a hasty change of look.
Grace had been rehearsing for months with the LOs Angeles drama Club which my friend Sophie..introduced us to . Sophie is a Green Activist and has recently had a book published ."Gorgeously Green" also there is "gorgeouslygreen.com" for useful lady green tips.Any way previous to the LADC Grace had been in the very hammy and veryy expensive YADA productions. "Youth Accademy of Dramatic Arts" Where children would perform well known musicals such as Annie , high school Mucical and Greace. The kids would "belt " out songs and have a great time but the finished productions were errrrm.
This production of Macbeth however was a breath of fresh air - tots as young as 5 were learning complex parts and speaking Shakespeares lines with conviction and understanding. It was very touching . Of Course Grace was incredible as MAcbeth and everyone was spellbound by her soulful dagger speech .It was 104 degrees here in LA yesterdy and the show went on.

ANother very exhausting week as we juggle various stresses - an enormous tax bill - just what one does not need post strike, Grace rehearsing 2 plays at the same time, causing mass indignation with both drama tutors and mild hysteria building as my show approaches..Craig is doing the White house Correspondence show which is huge as he will be going before George w himself so P has been boning up on political jokes- the ratings for "the LATE Late show" have soared due to beating Conan Obrien ( main competitor) . We went to a gathering up at Zuma Beach in malibu last week and I was astonished to see that all the women had the same blond hair and had obviously been to the same surgeon as well . There were so many trout pouts and clearly alot of money had been spent unwisely. I was horrified. Maybe they dont notice as everyone else looks like a freak so everyone fits in. LA is divided up into Cities - Siverlake and Los Feliz -where it is mandatory to have at least 8 tatoos on your body. The great thing about here is the words "odd" and "eccentric" do not exist- it is a misfits paradise where no one bats an eyelid if you wear the wrong thing or say something contra versial . One of my first conversations I had with a Los Angelian when I arrived here was 'When did do first find Philip Hot?' I had no idea what they were talking about - also I had only just met this person- I was agogue. not to say cynical and scathing at the audacity of this .but today nothing shocks me and give me straight talk anytime.

Earth Day

It was Earth day here in the US yesterday, and just to remind us of the enviromental crisis , temperatures soared into the 100s while in Britain I hear about snow storms. It was really uncomfortable as we sweltered with no AC and the children could not play outside until dusk. We went to a themed Childrens Birthday Party where the kids were encouraged to do enviromentally friendly things -reuse recycle etc plant a tree- although there is an awareness here there is not the urgency there is in Europe. Most of my neighbours have Hybrid cars but not one person uses a washing line (too trailer trash ) is suspect.Climate change is treated like a wierd religion - do you believe in it or not ??!! Another legacy from you know who.Rhyms with "tush"
Although I am increasingly aware of my carbon footprint I am pleased to say I have kept my long-haul flying to a minimum and I have finally booked my ticket back to London in late May in preparation for My Exhibition on the 4th June .I am rather nervous and scared about going back - how will it have changed -but also very excited.It has been over 2 years since I left and I realise I am no longer a British resident. Anyway enough self self self .. my capitalist problems were put into perspective when I read my sisters blog "Ganderlady" she is living in Kampala and has just had a baby. I was horrified to read in her blog that her neighbours 7 month year old died of Diorrhea the other day and that apparently common place , happens all the time -is preventable but no cash means no cure and the no1 killer in Africa.

Inappropriate

I have recently taken alot of time to teach my 7 year old boy to read...yes they start a year later here but all catch up eventually. After many painful sessions of virtually handcuffing him in front of a book he is now fluent and reading childrens books about Pompeii. As he has become literate however he has also become computer savvy as well as learning to spell "ugly words". He takes huge delight in writing the F word and the S word and I find various pieces of paper littered around the house with profanities written on them in his child like scrawl. I turned a blind eye as i believed it was good for his phonic practice. Yesterday though as P and I looked at the history of the computer we noticed that someone had been going to www.F*ck.com and also sh*t.com...it did not take long to work out who this was.Grace told us that he had confessed and had come across a predictably unsavoury porno site with f*ck.com but sh*t .com was about grading ones poos! so now we are off to the apple store once again to get a a blocker for children.

Easter Bunnies

well easter is long gone now and due to lack of internet , TV and phone for a week ( it sent us all into a post modern techno trauma) i will summerise..Easter break , kids off school , take them skiing for a day at mountain High - one hours drive from LA -with pretty descent slopes.I went with my friend Ellen who is an OLympic trained skiier (although she failed to mention this to me ) any way i felt a little awkward as she sped daintily down the slopes as I tumbled .For Easter we went to friends in Bel Air ,they are French and have made their home into a replica of a south of France Holiday home with olive groves . orange and lemon trees etc.most of all i have been trying to finish off pics for my catalogue and having mild panic attacks about my show in June. I have taken to painting at night and it has helped me kick minor harmless addictions ie internet scrabble ( whod have thought?) The big news is that i am now an auntie of 6 ! My sister Sc gave birth in Kampala , U ganda , to baby Katherine who was delivered in a blackout - the only light available to see the deivery was the light off my brother-in -laws laptop which was pointed at my poor sisters nether regions and saved the day.!!!