Meg had written a very clever script with a modernized flavor with Shushan being The Villages in Florida'. EIt was one of her best plays yet!
It's a fun community event and our pic has 3 attendees members from the different Jewish places of worship.
Last week's FOTO FRIDAY was FLOWRS ABOUND
We found ourselves all in Philadelphia for Steven's Birthday. Steven lived there and Lori and I were both attending the same ESL conference. How fun to be able to share a conference!
After being away I was glad to be home and get some appointments taken care of yet by the time the weekend came around, I was ready to socialize again.
The daily specials were fried catfish / a foot long chili beef dog. Mary Ann ordered the first and I, the latter. I knew I needed to just eat half to leave room for dessert. Their strawberry pie is delish.
But today there was also another special at a table across from us, Buddy Mac sat down. He greeted the wait staff by name and stuck up a conversation with us immediately. He donned a military green cap and jacket with cavalry patches which we admired and he proceeded to share war stories one after another. Mary Ann knew something about aircraft but I had no clue as to the different planes.
The conversation turned to his return and finding a job at Central High as he oversaw the Print shop. One of his students told him about the newest English teacher who was quite a looker, I knew where that story was going... After 9 years of dating, they got hitched. Mac's lunch arrived before ours but he kept on visiting. I worried about his fish getting cold but he didn't seem to worry about it. Mary Ann had taken one English class at Central so he filled her in on their history.
Then he had a bigger tall tale re: his knowledge about a group of his boys stealing the Hall Indian mascot from my high school. They had kept it hidden in a fishing boat covered with a tarp and left on Central's front courtyard. He had helped return it but never revealed its captors.
Our lunches arrived and we chowed down. Buddy Mac had started visiting with another table who were thanking him for his service. At the end of the meal, I stopped our waitress and inquired about our check not being on the table. She pointed over to Buddy Mac who had paid for our meals. When we thanked him, he said "it was the gentlemanly thing to do..."
We continued visiting out into the parking lot. He certainly made our outing extra special...
A picture speaks a thousand words, right? Mighty spiffy.
TBT: Twelve years ago (3/21/12)
FAST forward to next fall 2024 I will be in Tuscany refreshing those painting skills once again and taking Italian cooking classes...
I learned early in life we don't always get what we want, when we want it. My parents enforced that one pretty well.
When other kids got the most popular toy of the season that didn't happen in my household. In fact, I don't think my folks ever asked me what I'd like for a birthday. Did they know better/was that teaching me some life lesson? When other kids got a car in high school, I was lucky to even be allowed to use my Mom's. Can't you hear the violins playing?
So here comes the story of denying myself something I wanted on a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico when I was completing my junior year in college. In this quiet provincial pueblo lived a potter who was known as Doña Rosa. She looked ancient already but she was a local treasure as she polished her pots made from the black earthen clay. I watched in awe as she did her craft. Oh, how I wanted one of her pieces but knew it wasn't in my budget and even if I splurged, that pottery could break before I even returned home... I was used to not getting what I wanted.
Fast forward almost 50 years years and I am in a consignment store in a suburb of Atlanta and there in the pottery section sits a rustic black pot. It is from Oaxaca without a doubt but Doña Rosa had passed in 1980. She had had many students throughout the years so I looked on the bottom for a signature and in the dimly lit space it looked like it said Doña Clara. Disappointed, sure, but I didn't care because it was a Oaxacan piece of pottery and it had been sitting there for 6 months and the marked price would be discounted 10% per month. It was going home with me and I would hand carry it on the plane to add to my Native American shelf.
Upon returning home I unwrapped it, cleaned it up to place in its new home...
As I flipped it over etched on its bottom was a scrawl which read:
Take a listen...
I had no idea what to expect in this venue in the Big Easy.
Then, finally there was the big projection room where around the room were beach chairs, benches and bean bags for people to have a place to sit/ lie down. My other experience was standing /walking around. I much preferred the chance to sit down and become part of the art.
A train was on the wall moving into the station and then the painting turned into the real station while different walls had other scenes changing with the seasons and music...
It was easy to get lost in Monet's masterpieces... Take a look.
I think you'll agree that Kelly Clarkson and Teddy Swims knock one's
socks off with this tune: LOSING CONTROL with this dynamic duo. Doesn't Kelly look fabulous? Heard her show is moving to the Big Apple.
As we parked at the Trumpealeau Hotel, a place where Natureman and I had biked to every season, some band members were departing with their equipment. "Oh no, we missed the music," but the band member said "no worries another group is following us. "And there warming up were 3 very well-known faces in the Driftless region music world Dan Sebranek along with long time friend John Smith and John's daughter Elisi.
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| Elisi , John and Dan |
Unfortunately, their concert was sold out. Drats. When John was free, I asked him about his upcoming Ireland tours which are a lovely mix of touring and music. Those who have participated always return highly complimentary. John told me to check with his wife re: which tours might have space. When she arrived I introduced myself and handed her my contact info and she said she would send me info re: tour openings and descriptions.
Then out to the back deck to enjoy my frosted mug of root beer. As the rain fell we sought shelter under the eaves and was able to hear the music waft back to us while the clouds lifted and there was that rainbow.
During COVID when we isolated in the End of the Rainbow Valley across the pond in Italy children put drawings of rainbows with the words "Andra tutto bene" ( Everything will be all right) similar to the saying in China during lockdown. But to me this particular rainbow equates the reason why I am there ... It's just been that kind of trip as if Natureman was making sure the signs were clear.
When I returned home South an email was awaiting and I have the last room in the late August trip to Cork, Kerry, and Clare counties in Ireland. Happy new decade to me!
But this place gets a 5 star rating... Wowser. Lucky Sparta.
Matsumoto's Tantanmen Ramen - delish
TBT: I know it's confusing that last week we met for the yahrzeit since that's the Hebrew ( lunar ) calendar and yet tomorrow is when Natureman left this world according to our solar calendar.
Of course, I had to share this Kodak moment of the Balto boys this date but in 2017...
As they say: A picture speaks volumes...
These two shared a special bond.
