Wednesday Through Saturday

Let me catch up on highlights of the last few days.
Wednesday we went to the Aronoff to see the touring company of War Horse. We had decided to see Trip to Bountiful instead of War Horse because War Horse, like most productions at the Aronoff, was so expensive. But then, after we had committed to the Playhouse play, I got an e-mail offering a "family pack" of tickets to select performances of War Horse—four tickets for only $100. I couldn't resist. I emailed Evelyn and Dave Ray and asked if we and the Rays would be free on one of the available times, and we picked Wednesday, April 3.
The play was remarkable. They did so many creative things on stage, with several life-size puppets, not just the horse of the title. We enjoyed it.
But as we were driving home at 11:30 on the night before my 6 a.m. Bible study the next day, I realized I was paying a price beyond dollars to have this experience.
The highlight Thursday was taking a break to go to a small recording booth at the Fox Broadcasting

Plaza, not far from downtown. A Christian radio station operates on one floor on one side of the building, and I had been asked to go there to record a 60-second promo for two Standard books by Beth Guckenberger. I enjoyed it, and it was really nice to have the break after the short night before.
"You've got a nice set of pipes," the guy pushing the buttons said to me. "Seems to me you've wasted a good voice on a career in print!" It's nice to think about the possibility of a back-up plan.
Friday night Evelyn and I had a nice evening: dinner at the Cheesecake Factory (used a gift certificate from Christmas) and then went to Pearle Vision to spend our Flex money on a couple of pairs of glasses for Evelyn.
Today I woke up early (by 7:00). We had some breakfast. I prepared for hosting at the 8:30 Chapel service and checked the checkbook. We Skyped with Wendy and then I spent some time thinking about hymns to sing during our gathering times on our cruise this summer. (I promised to have song sheets ready by April 15.)
We ate Easter leftovers for lunch and then took our walk. (Almost 60 degrees by the time we were outside.) Then I cut down the dead pine tree in the backyard and went to Lowe's to buy 8 bags of soil to cover up the stump (and maybe do some landscaping later this spring). I hauled the 8 40-pound bags to the back and spread 'em around on the bed and did some other clean-up in one of the perennial beds. I also took some time to plant some lettuce seeds in a window box on the deck. Then I took my shower and settled into the recliner in the living room to skim Time and take a nap.
Evelyn fixed our favorite salmon recipe for dinner, and I spent time afterwards getting acquainted with my birthday present. I bought myself a new camera. Found a deal on Amazon this week that I couldn't resist. When it was all over I got this for slightly over half price. Now I have to learn how to use it.
Here are a few pictures I took this evening while I was experimenting. Probably more tomorrow.

A Bountiful Evening

We had a delightful time yesterday afternoon and evening, meeting David and Carol Ray to see Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's production of The Trip to Bountiful by Horton Foote. It's a simple story, about an elderly woman who wants to return to her home in Bountiful, Texas, after being trapped in a small Houston apartment with her son and his wife for 20 years.
But "simple" does not mean "not substantive." The play explores family dynamics and the longing of those who are older to experience again the joys of a younger life. It's a compelling experience to see just six actors portray a story so real you can't help but be touched. It resonated with my ongoing coming-to-terms with the changing world around me, and I was very glad to see such an excellent performance. (This production provided an added dimension by casting the whole show with African-American actors, giving nuance beyond the playwright's original intent.)
Evelyn and I had seen the movie made from the play, starring Geraldine Page, more than 25 year ago, which is one reason I wanted to see the stage version. (The movie is available on Amazon for any reader who's interested.)
We met Dave and Carol at the Playhouse for the 4:00 performance and then after the play walked with them to Mount Adams to grab sandwiches and salad at one of their favorite haunts there. The weather was cool but pleasant, and we enjoyed being out with them.

But the weather today is taking a nasty turn. We had a brief but beautiful snow shower at lunchtime today. I tried snapping some pictures of the snow-laced trees on the way home from church. But now, as I finish this post at 10:00 this evening, the snow is pouring down outside, the sidewalk is covered, the trees are all flocked, and we're wondering what the morning commute will bring.

One Fine Day

This morning Trevor Devage told the story of Jesus  and the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11).
Sin leads to
SHAME,
STONES, and ultimately, a
SAVIOR,
he said.
One of the memorable points: "I think Jesus got down at eye level with that woman weeping in the dirt. I think he looked her straight in the eye and said, 'I've got this one.'"
His challenge: "We're going to be a church that gets in the dirt, eye level with sinners."
He asked us to pray for one, invite one, and move for one and announced that we would move from four services in two hours to five services in three hours, starting the week after Easter.  Our church is growing, our services are full, obviously there are many, many around us who don't know Jesus, and we must do what we can to reach them. It was a moving, challenging service, and we're full of anticipation about what the future months will bring.
Dave and Carol Ray visited this morning  and we invited them the grab brunch with us at Bob Evans after the first service. Lots of laughter, but serious life sharing too.
Jennifer is in town this weekend. She came this way a few days early before she heads to Louisville for an NACC 2014 executive committee meeting. So it was a great time with the five of us at lunch.

This afternoon I paid bills, took a long nap, went to the grocery store, and came home to make vegetable soup for supper. It was so yummy. Jen asked if I could pick up some pimiento cheese at the grocery store; she was used to finding a dozen different varieties of it in Nashville, but it's an unknown quantity in Philadelphia.
Oh, it is so good on three-cheese bread and crackers with that hearty minestrone-style vegetable soup.  And we have leftovers!
Settling in and watching the first episode of the History Channel's miniseries, "The Bible," to end a good day.

Three Days, One Post

I know, I know . . . I haven't been keeping up my daily blogging. Well, I've been BUSY! :-) But let me give this quick summary of the weekend.

FRIDAY

Took the day off. Spent the morning enjoying coffee, Facebook, and the "Today" show. Answered some work e-mails, took a shower, and met Evelyn for lunch at Servatii's at Harper's Point.  Snapped some pictures of the baked goodies in the case before Evelyn and I enjoyed soup and chicken salad half sandwiches.

Looked for bargains and Christmas decorations at Stein Mart, Hobby Lobby, Michael's, Target, and Kohl's. Got bargains at the first and last place and Christmas wreaths and bows at Michael's. Scurried home and changed clothes in time to grab supper at the Indian restaurant in Mason before heading to church for the annual Christmas pageant. We enjoyed it, as always.

Snapped this picture of the choir in concert mode during Act II of the Pageant. And this picture of the final moments of the grand tableau with the wise men at the end of Act III.

Connected with Dave and Carol Ray at the pageant and ended up with them at Frisch's for dessert and sat and laughed and talked with them till after 11:00.

SATURDAY

Met Bill and Verna Weber at Bronte Bistro in Joseph Beth Bookstore for breakfast at 9:00. Caught up with each other till about 11:00. Back home, talked with Wendy Wagoner for quite awhile, and then jumped into the day's duties. Evelyn graded papers, and then we mounted the wreaths we had bought Friday on the windows in the front of the house. I bought floodlight holders and bulbs and hooked them up to light the wreaths. Hung the large lighted wreath that Ken Aulen gave us years ago and stood back to enjoy my BRIGHT creation. Evelyn thought it was too much, but she said today it's growing on her. We'll see if the floodlights make it till Christmas.

Enjoyed dinner at Macaroni Grill before heading to Music Hall for the annual Cincinnati Pops holiday show. 

Snapped this picture of folks gathering in the lobby for one of three sold-out shows featuring Amy Grant. It was a different holiday show than the casts of thousands Erich Kunzel always gathered. But the symphony was excellent, as always, and it was refreshing and gratifying to see Amy Grant perform. She told us she's 52 years old now; she's been traveling since she was a teenager. She still has the figure and the pretty good looks of a much younger woman, although her voice is weak on the high notes. But no matter--she comes across as down-to-earth, without pretense, and she offered a testimony to the Lord as she sang her best-known contemporary Christian hits, mixed among Christmas standards, all accompanied by her top-notch combo and two young  back-up singers, one of them the daughter of her husband, Vince Gill. In the middle of her concert, she called Vince to center stage and talked him into singing a song, accompanying himself on her guitar.

SUNDAY

I played piano in the Classic service. The bell choir played Christmas carols at the blended and the classic service today. Snapped their picture from the piano bench.

Afterwards, Evelyn and I stopped by the house to pick up a couple of coupons we had left there. Ate lunch at Panda Express--our first time to try it since it opened this summer. Picked up a picture frame and some other stuff at Kohl's, and then headed home to get on with the day. I went to Kroger's and then decided to take advantage of the mild temperature and dry afternoon to do some yard clean-up. Decided to set up our "gumdrop tree" on the deck where we'll enjoy it even though it's not out in front this year for most of the neighbors to see.
Jennifer called, and we had a nice visit with her before our usual Sunday-evening routine of "60 Minutes" and supper.
Now it's back to work for two solid weeks till more than 10 days off for Christmas and New Year's!

Friday of Wedding Week

Today was our wedding rehearsal, preceded by a stop at Memorial Hall to take plants and sound system and other goodies for decorations at the reception. It was blazing hot, and all of us were sweating at Memorial Hall, despite the presence of air conditioning, but that was a small negative in light of the perfect way the hall has turned out, under the able direction of Carol Ray with David, Jan Cummins, and Shannon Penrod adding their help, along with Wendy and Evelyn, of course.

The rehearsal was a relaxed and nostalgic and pleasant experience, led so well by Bobby Jackson who will perform the ceremony tomorrow. We shed tears at the magnificent processional played by Geoff  and Emily Plank. I was glad I got to hear Lisa sing, because I probably won't get to tomorrow (she sings before the bride and I enter). And the whole rehearsal was special because we got to be with Byron and Katie Cartwright.

Just as we arrived at CCU for the rehearsal dinner, the sky opened, and we had to hustle inside under umbrellas through the downpour. Later we learned that the storm at our house had caused one side of the pear tree in front of the house to split off. And when Matt got to Dan and Cindi Cooper's house to spend the night, he discovered that they're without power!

But the dinner was what Jennifer wanted, I think, a relaxed, fun time together, with lots of laughter and way more food than we could all eat.

Scott, Amber Lyn, and Amber Jo Aulen 

Ken and Susan Aulen and Lisa Sweeney-Taylor 

Wendy Wagoner, Jana and Greg Perry

Rays of Sunshine

This is the third night in the last four that we've had company for dinner. It doesn't seem that heroic to me, but then again, I haven't been doing the cooking! (Well, I did cook on the grill Saturday and Sunday, come to think of it.) Each evening has been enjoyable and memorable and full of laughs, none any more than tonight when we welcomed Carol and Dave Ray for the evening.
Carol (and Dave!) is staging Jennifer's wedding reception, and this evening she came to see all the "props" Jennifer has gathered to decorate the room. It was the perfect excuse to eat together, and Evelyn fixed an old stand-by, "Party Chicken." The Rays are one couple we had never served it to before! After a hot day, the evening became dry and almost cool, and we ate dessert on the deck, visiting outside  till 11 o'clock!

Shower of Blessings

Ken and Susan came in yesterday evening so Susan could attend a wedding shower for Jennifer at Christ's Church at Mason today. Just as they arrived, our Internet went out, and I spent an hour on the phone with Cincinnati Bell trying to solve the problem before giving up and yielding to hunger pangs and going to dinner. Finally last night about 11:30, I checked one more time and the Internet popped on. I quickly posted yesterday's blog post, which I had written but not published before the Internet went down. Whew! I thought for a minute there I was going to miss my goal of one post per day.

Ken and I went to lunch with Sam Stone while Gwen joined 15 or 20 other ladies for Jennifer's shower. All reports afterwards were more than positive. Laughter, almost some tears, wonderful gifts, great visiting and catching up--just a foretaste of all the fun we'll have at Jennifer's wedding reception (which somebody reminded me today is NEXT MONTH!). 

"Maybe it's because it was yours," Evelyn said to Jennifer on the way home, "but I think that's the most fun I've had at a shower in a long time."

We piled the gifts on the dining room table so Jennifer could look at them again and show them to me. There's leftover carrot cake in the kitchen, and we're going to enjoy some soon!

Mary Lautzenheiser and Cindi Cooper planned and hosted the shower. What a nice thing they did!

Evelyn, Carol Ray, Joan Maxell, Susan Aulen, and Jennifer let me snap their picture as they arrived for the party.

Mary made the centerpiece, a tower of towels and cloths and other
kitchen necessities, all atop a nifty over-the-sink cutting board
and colander combination thingy.