A Date A Month: Shakespeare in the Park

My Valentine's Day gift for the Man of the House this year was a A Year of Date Nights.  One date a month for the next twelve months.  This is our date of the month...

The theme for June was "Shakespeare in the Park".

In Asheville, North Carolina there is a delightful little theatre group known as the Montford Park Players. Every weekend during the warmer months you can see them perform at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheater for (this is the best part) FREE!

You can rent lawn chairs for a couple of dollars each if you prefer not to sit on the ground; and they do ask for donations during intermission - but a few dollars in the hat per person is pretty cheap for live theatre! 

It's one of those things that I think about doing every year, and somehow never seem to actually do.  A perfect choice of a new adventure for our Date of the Month!

This month was Shakespeare's "Henry V".

Late on Friday afternoon, the skies kept getting darker and darker.  I could hear thunder rolling off in the distance.  And then the heavens opened and the rain poured.  I was a little worried that date night would be  rained out.  But a few quick prayers seemed to be answered as the rain stopped and the skies began to clear just as we left to head downtown. Yeah!!

Once there, we found our seats - pulled out the picnic dinner I had packed - and waited for the show to start.

The play was... well, it was Shakespeare.  It takes about half the first scene or so to start getting used to the Elizabethan speech.  But it was funny... dramatic... romantic... and entertaining.   

At intermission, they have someone come up on stage to play the part of  "William" (yes, Shakespeare) complete in doublet, jaunty cap, and fake beard.  And guess who got the honor at this show?  Oh yeah... that's right.  It was ME!  (It helps to know people) I got to wave to the crowd.  While they sang Happy Birthday to Will  in honor of his 450th birthday this year - oh, and to anyone else in the audience having a birthday this month. No.  I do not have pictures of that.  But, it was fun, and silly, and I got a free beer out of it. The beard was itchy...

It was a wonderful evening.  I love live theatre.  Seeing it under the stars (clouds?) with the Man of the House makes it even better.

I would definitely go back.  In fact, I hope to do it again in August when they present "The Taming of the Shrew"!

More "Date of the Month":

April: Hometown Tourists

May: Take a Hike

You can find me connecting at these link ups and blog hops:

The Dwelling Tree: Let's Be Friends
Cornerstone Confessions: Titus 2 Tuesday
Rich Faith Rising: Unite!
Growing Home: Growing Homemakers

A Life in Balance: Motivation Monday

A Date A Month

This year for Valentine's Day I created a year of dates for the Man of the House. One date per month for the next 12 months.

I've been seeing ideas like this all over Pinterest and the bloggy world for a while and thought this would be this perfect gift for him.  (and really for both of us)

Added bonus: it accomplished Day 14 of The 14 Day Marriage Challenge!

Each month has a theme, such as: Hometown Tourists, Shakespeare in the Park, The Road Less Taken, Dinner and a Movie, etc. But what will the date involve?  He has to wait until that month to find out the details!  Some are things we enjoy doing together, or have been saying we want to do together.  Others are stay at home dates giving us a chance to relax and unwind.  All are inexpensive (or free!).

On individual note cards, I wrote out the plan for each date and then placed them in envelopes with the month written on them. He gets to open the envelope on the first of that month and pick the date he wants us to have our date night.

As the next 12 months come and go (probably far quicker than I would like to see them go), I hope to post a little about each month's theme and how the date worked out.

Did you create anything to give your significant other this year?  Tell us about it!

Linking Up HERE

October Goals

October has arrived!  The year just keeps getting busier and busier from this point on.  Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, etc, etc, etc.  The To-Do list becomes even more important as we start heading into the busy, hectic months. 

To Do List for October:

• Schedule a date night with Man of the House
• Write everyday
• Do more reading
• Do something "active" every day (see "30 Days of Activity")
• Work on Christmas presents
• Work on holiday inventory for Queen B's Busy Work
• Complete "About" page for Queen B's Busy Work
• Man of House's birthday!
• Clean carpets
• Family coming to visit!
• Schedule some "me" time each week (bubble bath, give myself a mani and/or pedi, etc)

September Goals

September?  Is that right?  September?  I keep thinking it must be wrong, because I JUST typed out the list of goals for August - like yesterday or the day before, right?  Right? No?  I was afraid of that. 

Oh well.  A new month = new goals.  And here they are.

September Goals:

• Finish "About" page for Queen B's Busy Work
• Continue making new items for Queen B's Busy Work
• Do SOMETHING to start organizing crafting area!
• Schedule a September date night with The Man of the House
• Make more time for reading
• Write everyday - either blogging or writing journal (or both!)
• Start making at least 2 Christmas presents
• Take some relaxing time for me each week (give myself a pedi, take a bubble bath, etc)

Thankful A Day Late

Oops!  I let Thursday get away from me without posting my Thankful Thursday post!  That's OK.  I can be thankful on Friday also.  :0)

Thankful Thursday: August 2 (which is really Aug.3)

• Ask and You Shall Receive!:  When I posted my list of August goals, I mentioned planning a date night with the man of the house.  No sooner had my fingers hit "Publish" than I got an email saying he was happy to help achieve that goal and suggesting Saturday 
• Date Night!:   (see above!)
• Olympic Gold:  and silver, and bronze.  And all the rest of the athletes.  I'm an Olympic size geek!  I love watching the competitions.   I love learning the names of the athletes and watching sports I would never watch any other time during the 4 years between Olympics.  And yes, I get misty eyed every time an American stands on the podium and they play they Star Spangled banner. 

Eighth Month

The 8th month of the year has arrived.  The other months silently slipping away before I realized what was happening and this one taking their place.  August!  How is it August already?  August means the end of summer is close.  It means back to school.  And once that happens, the rest of the year is just a blur.  August.  Wow.

I'm still trying to get a hold of the idea that July is over.  What happened it?  Where did the time go?  Looking back over my goals for that month, I realize that I accomplished a few of them.  Some got a bit of attention, but not as much as I had planned.  And several of them - meh...I'll try to convince myself it's the thought that counts or some other comforting cliche'.

For now, it's on to a new month, and a new set of goals.  Some carry over from July.  Some are fresh for August.

August Goals:

1. Start some canning and/or freezing!
2. Take at least one hour of time for myself each week. Give myself a pedi, take a bubble bath, etc., less processed foods. 
3. Start working on items to increase the inventory for Queen B's Busy Work
4. Complete "About" page for Queen B's Busy Work 
5. Daily writing. Not blog stuff - fiction or poetry.
6. Look into getting a book for help with writing exercises and/or prompts
7. Schedule a date night with the man of the house.
8. Get The Little Man ready to go back to school.
9. Get back on track with household chores.
10. Work on creating and organizing crafting area in office/guest room.

Jumping Into July

July is here.  And baby, it's HOT outside!  Which leaves plenty of time for inside activities and making lists of things I want to get accomplished.  Along that line of thought, let me share with you my

Goals for July:

1. Get out on to the back deck in the mornings to enjoy some coffee, reading, and fresh air - before the day gets too hot.
2. Take at least one hour of time for myself each week.  Give myself a pedi, take a bubble bath, etc.
3. Continue feeding the family healthier, less processed foods.
4. Start creating a list of back to school/autumn type items for Queen B's Busy Work
5. Complete "About" page for Queen B's Busy Work
6. Do some writing. Not blog stuff - fiction or poetry.
7. Make time for a Date Night with the man of the house.  (or even better - an entire date day!)
8. Start some canning and/or freezing!
9. Take at least one photograph per day.
10. Get back on track with household chores.