Thursday, December 27, 2012

McClure Christmas










Ceremonial Guard

My partner, Cort, joined the Navy this past May.  A decision that we talked about for a couple of years became a reality, and when people ask I tell them it was a decision we made together.   It does add some difficulty to be a perfect "military spouse" when the military itself does not recognize our relationship.  

The relationship between distance and desire is something we talk about a lot.  This a quote I like.  I don't know where it originates from, so my apologies for not giving proper credit:

"...contrary to what the cynics say, distance is not for the fearful, it is for the bold.  It's for those who are willing to spend a lot of time alone in exchange for a little time with the one they love.  It's for knowing a good thing when they see it, even if they don't see it nearly enough..."

But if there are two people in this world that can make it work, it is us.  Boot Camp was eight weeks and I was able to go out for his Graduation Ceremony in Great Lakes, IL.  He was given a special assignment in Washington, D.C. with the Navy Ceremonial Guard that will last for two years, so we are now making the arrangements for me to move out there as well.  We can't live together again because of the current laws, but it will be nice to see him more often -- even if it means weekends. 

He made a surprise trip this past October home to see me (and the rest of his family) and he brought his special Ceremonial Guard Uniform.   We had talked about taking some photographs of him in uniform, but I didn't know it would be so soon!  We traveled to one of our favorite locations in Utah called Saltair, which is located at the south end of the Great Salt Lake.  

Here are a few of my favorite moments:
















Here are the two of us together.  The second one basically sums up our relationship.  ha!



Next To Normal

When I visit New York City, I typically have a goal in mind to see a few shows but rarely buy tickets in advance.  It's more fun to stand in the TKTS line minutes before curtain and see what deal you can get on a great ticket! 

I remember my excitement for seeing Next to Normal because it was nearing the end of the run on Broadway, so the original cast had returned to perform.  I was especially pleased to see Alice Ripley and Aaron Tveit's names in the Playbill.  The musical revolves around a mother struggling with bipolar disorder and hallucinations triggered from the tragic death of her son sixteen years prior.  Even though the score has a very upbeat, rock musical feel to it, the show itself is quite heavy.  I appreciate actors like Alice Ripley who can continuously and consistently perform a piece such as N2N. 

I have that same appreciation for the actors who will be performing N2N at the Zeigfeld Theater in Ogden Utah.  Thank you, Rick Rea, for the opportunity to come and listen to a rehearsal and capture a few amazing moments with your actors.   I look forward to seeing the show!









Christmas Day Sledding

 It's the first time all the siblings have been together for years.  So happy to finally capture some family moments with my camera.