Recently in Gratitude Category

I'm waiting for my laundry to dry and decided to write a post.  I'm rocking out to mother effing Carla Bruni.

Lately a few friends have called and talked about 2012 and what to do.  I know it's right around the corner but I haven't thought about it too much.  In fact, I feel downright peaceful.

For a Type A high achiever, that's a head scratcher, even for me.  I don't know why.  (Last night I had a dream that every person on who had a sitcom television show.  Is it a hint?  I have no idea.  I'm not obsessing over it.)

Maybe it's because I was REALLY DAMN sick a few weeks ago, to the point where I wanted to be put out of misery.  And now I'm like:  Breathing well?  Awesome!  My throat doesn't feel like the inside of a volcano when I swallow?  Score!

Maybe it's because I lost a very good friend to cancer and her death made me remember that life is a gift and that we're here to help each other out.

Maybe I'm grateful I moved to Manhattan from the burbs and I don't have to deal with tying up my godamned recycling.

(The alarm on my phone went off.  I went down stairs and changed my laundry.  Washer #4 is effed up and luckily I didn't put my clothes in there.  YES!!)

I feel good and I feel really happy and nothing extraordinary has happened.

Just the realization that I have the family that I've always wanted and I'll never take that for granted.  Anyone who says that you have to suffer to be an artist is full of bullcrap.  Having no drama and having nice normal people around makes me far more productive than not.

Nothing is perfect...and yet that's what feels perfect.

I'm grateful for all the wonderful things that have happened and also the exciting things for 2012.  But most importantly, I'm happy to feel focused on gratitude. 

Right.  Now.

I will write a long assed list of things that I'm grateful for...but for now, this is what is on my mind :-D

Happy Holidays!

xo,


Natalie

SuperTwins Episode #2 dropped last night:



BIG GIANT thanks to Julie Gomez, Upright Citizens Brigade  and Horatio Sanz.  I got a chance to work on his web series.  VERY EXCITED and will keep you posted.

Please click here to donate to Amy's Kickstarter for her film Furever. 


Amy is working on a project called Furever and it's about people who have their pets freeze dried so they can have their pet...furever.

When I talked to Amy about her project we found that we had a lot in common.  Growing up we both had a huge amount of pets around our house.  I had at least 7 cats when I was 4 or 5 years old. 

I loved the cats as if they were my own babies.  I would wrap them in tight blankets and stroll them around in a baby carriage.  It's a wonder I didn't get my eyes scratched out.

We had one little grey kitten named Smitty who my mom found.  He was a slight little guy with a stumpy tail and a worm problem.  Because of the worm issue he would often poop in inappropriate places.  He also was still very kitten, meaning he would bite your hand, thwarting all attempts of affection towards him.

My step father, Paul, understandably thought we had way too many pets.  At that point we had probably 4-5 cats, a fish tank, 32 hamsters and our poodle, Burnsie, who had run away.  Paul looked at Smitty as yet another nuisance.

Naturally my mom totally ignored what Paul felt and took Smitty in as an addition to our family.  Everyone (except my stepdad) loved the little guy.  We even took him on a road trip to the end of Long Island (when we got there he promptly pooped on my stepfather's jacket).  Paul would make disparaging remarks about Smitty and often threatened to throw him out of the house.

A few weeks later my step dad and I took Smitty to the veterinarian for a regular check up.  It turned out the worms had taken over Smitty's body and the vet said our little guy would have to be put to sleep.

We had many pet deaths in our home.  My poodle accidentally hung himself on our porch.  Lots of cats, birds, fish and hamsters had expired under our watch.  When they died it was sad...but usually they had lived long lives and that was some comfort.  Not our little Smitty.  He was just starting out.  Little stumpy tailed, pain in the ass, shit-machine Smitty needed to put to sleep.  

I felt great sadness and at the same time felt it was important to not show it.  The sadness filled my chest and with great effort I breathed through the emotion and squashed the tears.  I wanted to be strong.  My stepfather said nothing.

When we got home my mom asked us what happened.  My stepdad's posture went funny and his voice cracked when he told her what happened.  I looked at him surprised that he allowed himself to show such emotion.  The man who complained the loudest about Smitty was obviously very sad about his death.  In my family we prided ourselves in showing emotions by yelling or teasing someone mercilessly.  My German-American step father especially was not someone who shared his feelings at all. 

For the first time, I saw my step dad as someone more than the hardworking quiet guy who bowled and cleaned the pool.  I saw someone who allowed himself to express his true feelings for the first time I admired and loved him.

Which brings me back to Amy Finkel's documentary, Furever.  It's a piece of work that refused to make a mockery of people and their pets.  Without judgement, it tries to understand how people are attached to the things they love.  Amy points out that preserving your pet is not so far off from people embalming their loved ones for a funeral.  It's a documentary that deserves to be made and a quirky and lovely exploration into the human experience.


Please click here to donate to Amy's Kickstarter for her film Furever. 

The staircase of the Kraine Theatre where the feature film, SPENCER, was shot.

It's been a while...it's been a bit busy in a totally great way.

I just shot a very funny role of the world's worst casting director, Jill.  It's for a feature is called Spencer and it's by the amazingly talented Geoff Lerer.  It was a lot of fun because the cast and crew were really great and the scene is very funny.  I'm psyched to check it out!

On November 7th, Sunday, I'll be doing a reading at Ensemble Studio Theatre for a Youngblood playwright,  Josh Conkel.  It's a most excellent play called GOO, and I am SO VERY excited about it because it's different, well written and funny.  I'm also very delighted to take the stage with folks like Graeme Gillis and RJ Tolan.