Last night I had the unique pleasure of attending
BARD and BUTTER, a play in the garden with entertainment by the Los Angeles Drama Club, touted as the youngest Shakespeare troupe in the country. A good friend gave me her ticket and got one for Oliver as he knew many of the actors, so we dressed up and went together. Oliver looked dapper in a collared shirt and loafers, clothes that my boys absolutely never wear out here in casual and sunny Los Angeles. We had cocktails in the garden of a beautiful historic building -- a Roy Rogers for Oliver and a delicious ginger syrup, lavender and soda water "Ophelia" for me and participated in a Shakespeare game. We wandered to different stations in the garden where incredibly talented children acted parts of the bard's plays, and we had to guess which ones, marking our choices on the map provided. Then we sat down and had a delicious dinner -- Oliver behaved like a gentleman the entire time, despite the fact that we sat at a table of elderly people, and I was reminded, again, of how grateful I am for my children, of what pleasures they are
for the most part.
At the end of dinner, we stood to see how accurate our guesses were, and slowly people sat down, eliminated. Except for me and about six or so other people. We were then peppered with questions about Shakespeare's life and plays.
Did you know that I'm competitive when it comes to nerdy word games and in this instance, Shakespeare trivia?
Well, I am.
And guess what?
I was crowned Queen.
After a hellish week, I swear I almost wept with happiness.
And it was sort of nice to have all the troupe actors kneel at my feet.
Bravo, Elizabeth. What a joyous post for me to come back to.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry for my recent absence. I've been trying to prove that my literature credentials are worthwhile, too, on completing my thesis.
Congratulations on being Shakespeare's queen. What a tribute.
This surprises me not one bit. And what a beautiful queen you are too! I think Oliver is your ambassador, he can navigate the waters anywhere. And a handsome escort he was in his collared shirt! He is such a lovely boy.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun! Yay! Hail! And I assume Oliver was duly impressed with his mother's acumen!
ReplyDeleteSounds like great fun! Well done :)
ReplyDeleteWow Elizabeth, a deserving queen you are. You look so good in that photograph, and Oliver is so handsome!
ReplyDeleteLong live the Queen!
ReplyDeletePS: You look really gorgeous in that picture.
Well done. What fun!
ReplyDeleteI bow to you in admiration, Queen Elizabeth. Marvelous!
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love it all - the cocktails, the garden, the games, the crown, and most of all, the kneeling at your feet !
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like the perfect antidote to all you've been feeling lately. How amazing! And wasn't Oliver beautiful? Yes. Like his mother. His smart, Queenly Mother.
ReplyDeleteIf you lived in Cornwall or the Cotswalds, I bet we could find you on Friday nights in the pub winning the weekly quiz down :)
ReplyDeleteAnd you look freakin, gorgeous, your majesty. I think the big O. owes you absolute fealty for at least a fortnight. You may refer to him as your vassal if you wish. : )
ReplyDeleteWhat a gift! I'm so glad that you felt well enough to go out. You look FANTASTIC and beautiful in that photo - your smile, your complexion and hair (even w/crown), and that top is so pretty on you. It sounds as if you felt as good as you look, for which I'm grateful.
ReplyDeleteI would not have won that competition, but I am competitive in that sort of way, too. Much more important than, say, sports. How great that you got to have a "date" with Oliver, and he got to witness your triumph. And the kneeling-actors part is the frosting on the cake...just perfect. That's never happened in my life - not even during a marriage proposal.
You deserve it, in so many ways. Wishing you a weekend that just keeps getting better...
I love that you had this date with Oliver after being sick all week. Congratulations, Queen!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Elizabeth - as if anyone else evens stood a chance. I'm sure even the Bard would have been awed. Crown suits you too!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations QE3! That looks like great fun! Do you think Jude would like it?
ReplyDeletecongratulations fair lady! My daughter recently won the Shakespeare Insult Competition in her ith grade class...no crown, but she was quite pleased!
ReplyDeleteI hope you got to keep that crown. After a really horrific day, I like to take the [stupid, stupid] tiara I wore on my wedding day and wear it around the house. Whenever I pass a mirror realize I HAVE A CROWN, it makes me smile.
ReplyDeleteYou totally deserve that crown.
I love it! I feel that you would be a benevolent and just ruler. Make that happen, would ya?
ReplyDeleteOf course you're the crowned Queen!
ReplyDeleteThey chose royalty wisely.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful evening! It sounded like such a unique event and oh I do love Shakespeare....
ReplyDelete"...and this our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything."
ReplyDeleteOh, that sounds like so much fun (although I would never make it one round in the Shakespeare trivia). Glad you had a great night out!
ReplyDeleteThat made me smile!!
ReplyDeleteThat is SO awesomeness.
ReplyDeletexo
Hooray for the queen!!
ReplyDeleteWell of course you are the queen but the rest of us already knew that!
ReplyDeleteOliver looks so handsome and you,absolutely beautiful!
This makes me smile and Smile and SMILE, BIG! What a marvelously FUN evening that must have been! My daughter will be so jealous when I tell her about it - she's a competitive Shakespeare queen, herself. And you look gorgeous! And Oliver looks rather in awe of his beautiful, queenly mama in that photo, which is making me smile all over again :)
ReplyDeleteHail to the Queen. At last...a monarch with talent.
ReplyDeleteThat's just too cool! What a fabulous event. And fun that Oliver got to be your date, and was such a good escort. Do you get to keep the crown?
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I'm impressed with your recall - I love the lines but can't recall where I parked anymore, much less any literature. [Little melancholy too, in that I don't get to read anymore]...so DID you get to keep the crown?
ReplyDeletehello your Highness. I'm just catching up and I am duly impressed. Heartiest congratulations on your fine accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteI was the only one in a bar called McTeagues to be able to explain why there was a large gold tooth hanging form the ceiling - and I credit that to my American Literature class at UCLA in 1978.