Well my heart knows me better than I know myself
So I’m gonna let it do all the talking.

Wouldn’t talking be more of a mouth thing?

I came across a place in the middle of nowhere
With a big black horse and a cherry tree.

Strange bedfellows…

I felt a little fear upon my back
He said “Don’t look back, just keep on walking.

Self-defense-wise, that seems like pretty questionable advice

When the big black horse said, “Look this way”
Said, “Hey there lady, will you marry me?”

Pretty sure Loving vs Virginia did NOT apply to marrying horses, black or otherwise.

But I said no, no, no_____o, no-no-no
I said no, no, you’re not the one for me
No, no, no—–o, no-no-no
I said no, no, you’re not the one for me

And my heart hit a problem, in the early hours,
So I stopped it dead for a beat or two.

HIGHLY inadvisable. Not generally reversible.

But I cut some cord, and I shouldn’t have done it,
And it won’t forgive me after all these years

Cut some cord? What cord? A cord of wood? I don’t think the cherry tree would approve.

So I sent it to a place in the middle of nowhere
With a big black horse and a cherry tree.

OK, so now the horse and the tree have a disembodied heart for a companion.

Now it won’t come back, ’cause it’s oh so happy
And now I’ve got a hole for the world to see

That sounds, well, unsanitary at best.

And it said no, no, no_____o, no-no-no
Said no, no, you’re not the one for me
No, no, no—–o, no-no-no
Said no, no, you’re not the one for me

Said no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
You’re not the one for me
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
So, so much negativity.
You’re not the one for me

Big black horse and a cherry tree
Don’t forget the heart.

I can’t quite get there ’cause my heart’s forsaken me

Big black horse and a cherry tree
I can’t quite get there cause my heart’s forsaken me

He told us we were special
Success is being kind
We can build a better world together
Helping is where our real strength lies

He told us we were worthy
He told us we were good
It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood

He said “look for the helpers”
It’s a good feeling to know that we’re alive
No one in the whole wide world is like you
It’s good to know [that] you’re growing inside

He was everybody’s neighbor
He listened with his heart
He said I love you
You have value and I’m glad you
Are just the way you are

He said
Be a helper, be a light
Don’t be afraid to do what’s right
Loving yourself is part of loving me

So be courageous and be true
Be the best at being you
And be the person Mr. Rogers
Knew that you could be

Just a skinny kid from Brooklyn
Who was not afraid to fight
He knew that power’s not what makes a hero
He just wanted to do what was right

And he showed us he was worthy
To stand with the divine
Be it wartime or our time
He is with us until the end of the line

So stand up and join the fight
You gotta want to do what’s right
Remember sacrifice is part of being free

Don’t be afraid to disobey
You can do this all day
Just be the person that Steve Rogers
Knew that you could be

Be a gambler with a dream
Be an island in the stream
Be Reuben James or the coward of the county
Eat fried chicken every meal
Just don’t be Ruby or Lucille
And be the person Kenny Rogers knew that you could be

R: Be the person that Will Rogers knew that you could be
E: I’m pretty sure that he would like me

R: Be the person Carl Rogers knew that you could be
E: He thinks I’m phenomenal

R: Be the person that Wayne Rogers knew that you could be
E: Trapper John?

R: Be the person that Buck Rogers knew that you could be
E: I’m not taking marching orders from Gil Girard

R: Be the person that Roy Rogers knew that you could be
E: Again with the fried chicken?

R: Be the person that Stan Rogers knew that you could be

God damn them all I was told
We’d cruise the seas for American gold
We’d fire no gun shed no tear
Well I’m a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett’s Privateers

Be a helper, be a light
Don’t be afraid to do what’s right
Loving yourself is part of loving me

So be courageous and be true
Be the best at being you
And be the person Mr. Rogers
Knew that you could be

The first speakers were from the Family Justice Center. One of them was a young woman who is now an employee, was previously a volunteer, and she described in painstaking, excruciating detail the personal experience that had led her to where she is now.

As a high school student, she began dating someone who became abusive and controlling. The relationship continued into college. It ended with him stalking and then almost killing her.

I texted Jen during the break that followed, and said “this has brought up a lot of FEELINGS I was unprepared for.”

Because…that could have been me.

It was so long ago that it almost doesn’t seem real. If it weren’t for the tightness in my chest and tears creeping in at the edges of my eyes, I’d think “No, that can’t have been me. That’s a story I read. A movie I saw.”

But it did. I was 15. It was 1990.

It was before cell phones, the internet, GPS tracking.

I broke up with him (for the last time, that is) late in 1992, not quite 3 years later. I don’t remember what the fight was about. (He accused me of cheating, probably?) I do remember what he called me–it starts with a C, and ends with a “you next Tuesday.” I remember that I calmly told him I was through, hung up, and unplugged the phone. (Which, make no mistake, immediately rang when I plugged it back in in the morning.)

It was almost Christmas break, so I did see him a couple of “one last times”–trying to get closure, I guess. He freaked out when someone told him I kissed another guy at a New Year’s Eve party. I was scared. I remember calling one of my friends that I knew would be up–it was really late–in hysterics.

But then he left me alone. I don’t know why, but he left me alone, except for one phone call in my dorm a few months later. His grandmother died, and he was looking for comfort, I guess? I talked to him for a few minutes and hung up.

He did try to contact me once, years and years later. It had to have been after 2001. Someone we both knew from high school gave him my email address, and he sent me a “Hey, how’s it going?” email, and I was just like, “No, I don’t think so.” I deleted it. Ignored it. And that was that.

It was awful. And it left deep emotional scars.

And I am lucky.

I saw something going around Twitter this week..people were sharing their top 3 TV theme songs. And I read a bunch of them, and I thought, “I don’t know how people are doing this. “

I actually tweeted:

Now, keep in mind that my list is, y’know, mine. It’s not meant to be definitive. It’s not ranked. Your favorite thing might not be on it. It is not at all scientific.

You want the list? I know you do…7

70s: Mary Tyler Moore, WKRP in Cincinnati, Welcome Back Kotter, The Muppet Show, Laverne & Shirley, The Jeffersons

80s: The Greatest American Hero, Dukes of Hazzard, The Facts of Life, Cheers, Growing Pains, Fraggle Rock, It’s Garry Shandling’s Show

(The 70s and 80s, man…every show, no matter how mediocre, had an amazing theme song. Seriously.)

90s: Saved by the Bell, Malcolm in the Middle, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Party of Five (the rule in the tweet that started this was “no Friends.”)

2000s-forward: The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The Big Bang Theory (Here, we’re getting into an era with lots of shows I like that had solid instrumental themes that mostly kind of blend into each other for me. They’re fine, but most don’t really leave a mark, imho.)

Instrumentals: Doctor Who, Mission Impossible, I Dream of Jeannie, MASH, Sanford & Son, Knight Rider, Night Court, Hawaii Five-0, The West Wing (and yeah, there are like a million more amazing instrumentals, but I can’t list them all!)

Animated: Scooby Doo (Where Are You?), DuckTales, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Inspector Gadget, The Simpsons, Futurama, Steven Universe

Special mentions–For the purposes of these lists, I left out songs that were repurposed…that is, not composed specifically to be a TV theme song. Here are some of my favorites of those: Bosom Buddies, The Golden Girls, Family Ties, The Wonder Years, Charmed, Veronica Mars, Chuck, Scrubs, and of course, Fillmore. !

Aaaaand…I really have to stop before I remember any more. Feel free to share your favorites in the comments!

It’s been a while, but this is just too much information for a Facebook post. So here goes.

I’m in a play! I’m playing Carol Wyman in Neil Simon’s Laughter on the 23rd Floor.

You can find the full cast listing, as well as show dates and ticket information, here.

Since I really love vintage fashion, hair, makeup, etc., I’ve been having a lot of fun costuming myself. (I ordinarily wouldn’t do this, but I will totally wear the things I’ve purchased in my day-to-day life!)

Here’s my pin board of fashion inspiration. (Includes some maternity dresses and patterns, because my character is pregnant in Act 2.)

I also found some interesting information about Sid Caesar and the writers for his shows…I knew that my character (as well as writer Sally Rogers from The Dick Van Dyke Show) was based on two real comedy writers from the 1950s–Lucille Kallen, and Selma Diamond. (you may know Selma Diamond from Night Court!) Carol is based more closely on Kallen, while Sally is based more closely on Diamond. That said, I took my wardrobe cues mostly from Sally.

I was very pleased to find this photo of Lucille Kallen online…while it’s a side view, it made me feel like I did reasonably well with my decision about how to style my hair.

Anyway, I’m very, very excited (and probably taking this hair and wardrobe stuff a bit too seriously, but this is FUN for me!). I think this is going to be a great production, and I’m so proud to be a part of it. If you’re local and available, please come and see it!

Cast & Crew:

Matt Boyle – Director
Claire Boyle – Assistant Director

Heather Svalina/Jennifer L. S. Weber – Co-Producers

Aaron Fisher -Lucas Brickman
Rick Manzone – Max Prince
Matt Walter – Kenny Franks
Brian Kujawa -Val Slotsky
Charles R. Weber – Brian Doyle
Cory Golabek – Milt Fields
Erin Bellavia – Carol Wyman
Mark J. Mendola -Ira Stone
Ally Catalano – Helen

The biggest news is that our CD came out at the end of April! Check it out here! (At the link, you will find a number of ways to buy or stream.)

You can also like us on Facebook/follow us on Twitter!

(more updates coming soon!)

Here are all my selections in a Spotify Playlist

And here’s a YouTube Playlist, since I started to encounter things that weren’t on Spotify.

Here’s my post of days 1-10

And here’s 11-20

Day 21: Jolene (Miley Cyrus)

For this one, I decided to go with one of my runners-up for a cover.

I considered “Where is Claire,” a song by Buffalo Celtic Rock band Jackdaw (no longer together), but it doesn’t seem to exist online and I didn’t want to go through the effort of making it exist online.

So, today’s selection is “Jolene,” as covered by Miley Cyrus.

(I couldn’t find this one on Spotify, so here’s a link.)

Day 22: Break My Stride (Matthew Wilder)

Gotta admit, I thought about using a Prince song, but there’s no way to post/share a Prince song, so…

Today’s choice is “Starman.”

Day 28: O Holy Night (performed by Collin Raye)

Because it’s Christmas Eve, I’ve chosen my favorite version of my favorite Christmas hymn. In addition to Collin Raye’s lovely tenor, I like this version because it includes what Rand and I call the “social justice” verse:

Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and his gospel is peace
Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name, all oppression shall cease

There were several runners-up for “artist whose voice I love.” Some of them (like Michelle Dockrey, Murray Head, and Martina McBride) have already appeared on this list. Others, like Jodi Krangle, I’ve mentioned in other comments (Check out Starsoul, or The Lady.)  And of course, how could I not mention my own darling husband, Rand Bellavia. (Here’s a link to Hollywood’s Ending, from Oh Okay LA)

Day 29: Total Eclipse of the Heart

I remember listening to this in the car with my mom. I’m pretty sure she had a cassette with Bonnie Tyler on one side and Air Supply on the other, which gave us two Jim Steinman tracks on the same tape!

Day 30: Belle (Beauty and the Beast)

Okay, so it ended up taking me longer than 30 days to finish this, but I finished it. Nothing terribly profound to share here, but Belle has always been the Disney princess I most identified with. Books! Brown hair and eyes!

Here are all my selections in a Spotify Playlist

Here is my post of days 1-10

Day 11: Single Ladies (Beyonce)

Here are all my selections in a Spotify Playlist

Day 1: Mr. Blue Sky (ELO): Literally the first song that came to mind when I read the prompt.

Day 2: Bubblegum 45s (Jim Boggia/Jonathan Coulton): Jim Boggia is a singer-songwriter Rand introduced me to. This one’s interesting in that Jonathan Coulton has a songwriting credit. I think the story is that Coulton wrote a song that he ended up not using for anything, and Boggia took it and wrote new lyrics. (I don’t know if he rewrote the melody.) I’m going to share the album version, and then in the comments, I’ll post a live version of him performing it with Coulton and Paul & Storm.

Day 3: Fantastic Voyage (Coolio): There were a number of ways I could have gone with this…but I thought back to songs that remind me of a specific summer. (I dug up an old blog post about this.)

I spent a lot of time driving around in cars, forced to listen to the radio in the summer of 1994. Here’s one of the songs that reminds me of that summer:

(I also considered posting “Here Comes the Hotstepper”)

Day 4: More than Words (Extreme)

This song reminds me of my high school boyfriend, and that’s all I’ve got to say about that.

Day 5: Renegade (Styx)

Despite having grown up in Steeler country, my selection of this song has nothing to do with football. I just like it.

Day 6: Uptown Funk (Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars)

I never, ever get tired of this song.

Day 7: Carry On Wayward Son (Kansas)

I knew day 7 had to be classic rock. I wavered on my specific choice, but settled on this.

Day 8: The Old Black Rum (Great Big Sea)

Day 9: Just Can’t Get Enough (Depeche Mode)
So, this is hard. I have an entire playlist on youtube that’s titled “BE IN A GOOD MOOD” that’s meant to be a pick-me-up when I’m feeling down. And this list is far from complete.

When I replied to Rob’s post on this day, I chose “Wandrin’ Around” by Carbon Leaf. And that’s a good choice. It always makes me happy. But today, I think I’m going to go off list and choose a song by a group people don’t usually think of when they think “happy.”

Day 10: Cranes Over Hiroshima (Fred Small)

Well. There were certainly a number of songs I could have chosen for this. I actually browsed a list of the 50 saddest songs of all time, and no arguments from me, for the most part. I considered choosing their #6 choice, “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” by George Jones, which may just get my vote for saddest song ever.

But instead, I chose this one. The first time I heard it, I just cried and cried and cried.