Grinder's Grumblings

Last week Grinder Productions did something amazing. We brought not one but two shows to the Grand River Arts Festivals' 10-minute Play Competition. This was our third year participating, but the first time we've had two shows in competition at the same time, only minutes apart. It was a day filled with laughs, surprises, and friendship, reminding us all of just how much fun a community of theatre people can be when they get a chance to get together and be their weird and whacky selves.  I'd like to thank the casts of both shows for their time and exuberance, and to Mya, our director for Hellward Bound, cheering her cast on from afar. Special shout out to Cassandra Hunt, who won an adjudicator's award for acting. And of course to the world's greatest wife, making her playwrighting debut with A Husband's Secrets, playing the role of Gail with no more than a cane, a prop gun, and sheer willpower to get her through.  And of course, there's always talk of next y...

In our barnyard there sits a pile of junk: old mangers and other feeders from past stabling configurations, wooden gates from a different era, slowly rotting away, and lots of other detritus from various and sundry projects, all designed to make the farm run smoother (most of which were quickly proven failures). The pile of junk wouldn't look out of place in any barnyard, and I've seen barnyards with piles of junk much larger than ours, but still, it shouldn't be there. It's a hazard to the livestock, a haven for rodents, and an endless source of sharp metal objects just waiting to puncture a mind-bogglingly expensive tractor tire. And worst of all, that pile has been there for years, and has grown over time. I didn't start the process of accumulating the junk, but I have certainly made that junk pile my own. Over the past few weeks I've finally managed to start dealing with some of the junk. A few boards here, a bit of wire there, even a piece of rope - no idea...