kerryingon

Kerry here. I'm mostly blogging at designthislife.blogspot.com now but sometimes I get all crazy and post here, too. Labels I'm proud of: professional actress, vegan, momma to one handsome pup, happy. www.kerryalexander.com {photo by www.danielsilbert.com}

Home
Archive
Subscribe (RSS)
Ask me anything
Random post
Official Website
Currently Blogging Here

Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor

 

Conversing with my sister. I am (of course) the green text bubbles.

Conversing with my sister. I am (of course) the green text bubbles.

This is Brooke. She’s pretty rad. We were chatting the day this picture was taken and she said, “So, do you ever plan on settling down and getting a normal job?” I took a second to wonder who she heard this phrase from before asking her, “Well, what do you think normal means?” She and her friend, another girl about her age, looked at each other in bewilderment, searching before coming up with an answer. “Well.. maybe.. maybe normal doesn’t mean anything, really.” “Right! Exactly. Cause for me, normal means doing what I love. For someone else, normal means getting an office job or maybe being a parent or doing something else. But really, there is no normal. It doesn’t exist.” I was on a roll by then so I had to continue. “In fact, you can do anything you want! You can literally be anything you want. Seriously.” We’ve talked before about what she might want to pursue as a career and she usually tells me she thinks she’d like to be a teacher. This makes perfect sense since about 80% of little girls respond with this answer and also because about 80% of our family members are teachers. At this point, they were pretty much done with this convo (perhaps because I sounded crazy with possibility?) and she eyed my SLR that had been sitting in my lap. She asked if she could use it for awhile and I willingly forked over my camera to the slippery hands of two ten year olds, one of whom I didn’t even know. This reminded me that Brooke has taught me a whole lot too - mainly about what is really important, i.e. her curiosity over my camera. The two girls returned about 20 minutes later, their faces flushed with excitement. Brooke reached me first, her friend shortly after. “I was just thinking.. maybe I could be a photographer. What do you think you have to do to become a photographer?”  The three of us sat together and brainstormed ideas, talked about how there are classes for stuff like photography and went through the pictures she had taken. And as I watched the two of them, I realized that I was getting to watch their minds open up just a little bit more than they had been. I may be the luckiest person ever.

This is Brooke. She’s pretty rad.

We were chatting the day this picture was taken and she said,

“So, do you ever plan on settling down and getting a normal job?”

I took a second to wonder who she heard this phrase from before asking her, “Well, what do you think normal means?”

She and her friend, another girl about her age, looked at each other in bewilderment, searching before coming up with an answer.

“Well.. maybe.. maybe normal doesn’t mean anything, really.”

“Right! Exactly. Cause for me, normal means doing what I love. For someone else, normal means getting an office job or maybe being a parent or doing something else. But really, there is no normal. It doesn’t exist.”

I was on a roll by then so I had to continue.

“In fact, you can do anything you want! You can literally be anything you want. Seriously.”

We’ve talked before about what she might want to pursue as a career and she usually tells me she thinks she’d like to be a teacher. This makes perfect sense since about 80% of little girls respond with this answer and also because about 80% of our family members are teachers. At this point, they were pretty much done with this convo (perhaps because I sounded crazy with possibility?) and she eyed my SLR that had been sitting in my lap. She asked if she could use it for awhile and I willingly forked over my camera to the slippery hands of two ten year olds, one of whom I didn’t even know. This reminded me that Brooke has taught me a whole lot too - mainly about what is really important, i.e. her curiosity over my camera.

The two girls returned about 20 minutes later, their faces flushed with excitement. Brooke reached me first, her friend shortly after.

“I was just thinking.. maybe I could be a photographer. What do you think you have to do to become a photographer?” 

The three of us sat together and brainstormed ideas, talked about how there are classes for stuff like photography and went through the pictures she had taken. And as I watched the two of them, I realized that I was getting to watch their minds open up just a little bit more than they had been. I may be the luckiest person ever.

Most Awesome Week Ever. 16.

Week 16 of 2011 (April 17-23) just about ruled. I’ve noticed that I’m so busy lately that I’m missing the beauty of every single moment and am going to pay better attention to being present with the people I’m with, the places I am and all the awesome that swirls around me. Okay, goals set, time to recap:

  • Hello, Vegan brunch, I love you. Vegans in NYC check out V-Note on the Upper East Side. It was SO good that I returned a short 4 days later with a different friend for lunch.
  • Last Voice Over class is sad but moving forward is exciting.
  • Two auditions (including my first ever for Spring Awakening which baffles my mind). Two chances to sing songs that I super love.
  • Taking Henry to the vet and not having him freak out excessively = GREAT SUCCESS.
  • Taking myself to the allergist where they kept me captive for almost two hours and not freaking out excessively = GREAT SUCCESS.
  • Helping out by picking up a shift at the yoga desk & remembering the only way anything works is if we all balance each other out & give from the heart.
  • Gathering together with my Fiddler girlfriends to visit our post-surgery Mama reminded me how lucky, lucky, lucky we are to have health & LOVE.
  • Dinner date with Miss Nancy; lunch date with college roomie (who I still can not refer to as anything but “Rooms”); surprise meet up with one of my best friends & her Momma. So. Much. Love.
  • Auditioning for a new agent because I am making goals to make them happen.
  • Being asked to do social media for another organization makes my heart race.
  • Thinking of maybe the best idea I’ve ever had. Ever. Outlining it and getting moving forward to see what I can do with this venture.
  • Escaping to NJ for a long weekend to prep & attend my sister’s bridal shower, get the puppy a haircut, play in a suburb, do entirely too many things, see my family & celebrate Easter.
  • Going on an unintentional adventure when my Mom’s car got towed became sitcom hysterical due to carrying 6 bags, 1 puppy & 1 puppy bed as we went from location to location including a mysterious van.
  • Not stressing out, getting upset or letting my mind create assumptions or stories in situations where I definitely would have before. The inner peace that comes with acceptance, trust & Love.

You guys! Week 17! Week SEVENTEEN! Make it count, make your goals, make your story beautiful. xx

And for the record, this is my most favorite picture that I’ve ever taken. (I also happen to Love the people in it quite a bit.)

And for the record, this is my most favorite picture that I’ve ever taken.

(I also happen to Love the people in it quite a bit.)

This is Cyrus. He makes old man faces and looks at everyone like he knows things we don’t. He is faster than fast. We call him Cyclone Cyrus. His smile could make your heart burst, I swear. I get to call him my Godson which makes me the luckiest. Today, Cyrus turns TWO :o) Happy Birthday, little man.

This is Cyrus.

He makes old man faces and looks at everyone like he knows things we don’t.

He is faster than fast. We call him Cyclone Cyrus.

His smile could make your heart burst, I swear.

I get to call him my Godson which makes me the luckiest.

Today, Cyrus turns TWO :o)

Happy Birthday, little man.

Me: Guess what! This morning I was thinking about how I wanted someone in NJ to give me a couch for free so I didn’t have to deal with finding one in New York and I took Henry out on a walk and our neighbors up the street, you know, on the corner? They were putting out a giant couch on the street so I asked them if I could have it and they brought it to me and they threw in a big coffee table, too! All for free! Isn’t that amazing?

My sister: You’re going to tell me this has to do with the Universe, aren’t you?

Me: YES.

My sister: Okay, fine. If the Universe gets you a couch, how do I get a lamp? What’s the equation for that? Wait, Matt wants to know how to get a porsche.

Me: Sigh.

Focusing on all of the blessings in my life & filling up with Love. This first choice was an easy one :o) 

Focusing on all of the blessings in my life & filling up with Love. This first choice was an easy one :o) 

It’s My Momma’s Birthday..

.. Get ready for lots of quotes from her today. These are all from the past hour.

__

Mom: It’s a new year, I’m feelin good about it! 57! Fifty. Seven. It’s like.. an ODD NUMBER. I like it.

__

Mom: (staring at a dustbuster) Does this thing even work? We’re gonna find out. And if it doesn’t, we’re gonna throw the damn thing out! How’s that for being Mavericky? And if it DOES work (she looks at the image on the box) I’m gonna throw fruit loops all over the floor just so I can clean them up. A few minutes later: Come on you little fucker, work!

__

Me: “I just don’t understand where they get access to people’s private home videos.”

Mom: “Well, you better know when you’re famous I’ll be giving them out to everybody. Everybody”

__

Mom: All right, now we’re talking! HOT PANTS!

Today is my Grandfather’s birthday. He died when I was 8 but I have some of my clearest and happiest childhood moments with him and my Grandma. Grandpa Augie was all sorts of things but in my mind, I will always remember him as being strong. The interesting thing is I’ll never really know who he was in depth since I only had a short time with him but I think it’s alright to keep him exactly as my memory wants. That’s him, on the right, with one of my Uncles. The other two men are his brothers, I believe. I love these photos of my Jersey born, Italian, handsome relatives. The poses, the suits, the attitude. You can basically hear the one in the middle saying “Bada Bing”. Happy Birthday, Grandpa. Thanks for watching over.

Today is my Grandfather’s birthday. He died when I was 8 but I have some of my clearest and happiest childhood moments with him and my Grandma. Grandpa Augie was all sorts of things but in my mind, I will always remember him as being strong. The interesting thing is I’ll never really know who he was in depth since I only had a short time with him but I think it’s alright to keep him exactly as my memory wants.

That’s him, on the right, with one of my Uncles. The other two men are his brothers, I believe. I love these photos of my Jersey born, Italian, handsome relatives. The poses, the suits, the attitude. You can basically hear the one in the middle saying “Bada Bing”.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa. Thanks for watching over.