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Wacky: The Life and Times of a School Mom on Vacation

For another review on Wicked, click here.

I should be in bed...

I think I'm prolonging the Christmas holidays until I finally drop.

What can I say? It has been great. No school. No school schedule.

Surprisingly, I mourned the routine. I wanted the routine. I needed it. I secretly wished my son was in school so I could clean the house up after the little litterbug from time to time.

But it had to end somewhere. My alarm (yes, remember that old thing) is set for before dark tomorrow. After all, you can only give yourself over to just so many Hallmark movies and hot cocoa before your muscles atrophy.

I must say that we made the most of it this Christmas. We had a sweet dove's nest of twinkling lights, sugar-filled delights, and a visit from Santa. Jesus was reborn in our hearts all over again as we wait with expectancy for this new year. I saw my entire family for the first time in five years. Wow. They are just as I remembered them!

I thought that the being who might have the most impact over me other than Jesus this Christmas holiday might be a dog called Marley or a mouse named Despereaux.

Instead it is the green-skinned Elphaba who has touched my heart the most in Gregory Maguire's Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.

While riske at times and bordering a bit on the edge of sorcery for my personal taste, this writer has captured me by telling the untold story of Elphaba (the WW) and Glinda (played by Kristen Chenowith in the original 2003 Broadway musical). I'm not easily captured either.

The story gripped me tonight when Elphaba, whose name is a play off of the name of the Wizard of Oz author "L. Frank Baum", parts ways with Glinda - never more to live as a part of society. I have learned to care for this character and her fate, even though she is doomed.

Incidentally, the original stage cast of Wicked, based off of this book included Idina Menzel from Enchanted and Kristen Chenowith. Bob and I saw the virtually unknown Chenowith in Steel Pier about 13 years ago and I knew that she would become a big star. She is amazing. I can't help but hear her Betty Boop voice everytime Glinda speaks in the novel I'm reading.

So, anti-Harry Potterites, let it be known that I have not gone over to the dark side. I just found myself for one addicted to the author's writing style; second, I began to care about Elphaba like my son cares for Star War's Anakin before he makes the decision that seals his fate.

Tonight, we stretched our holiday out into the dark night. I read and read and read the life and times of Elphaba. The Shops were closing down, all save Ben and Jerry's. We ran through the cold night to stick our tongues to lemon sorbet waffle cones and now we face the return of routine tomorrow.

I hope somewhere in my routine I can sneak over to the bookstore and finish the last hundred or so pages of Elphaba's chronicles. Good night world.

Cooking With Papaya

Working In The Shop

Our Living Room