Epiphany

I mean the feast day--not the generic word. For those who may not know, let me explain. Epiphany is celebrated on 6 Jan in many parts of the world. It is a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics [to be treated just as Sunday]. For many cultures it is the day of the gift-giving of the Season. It celebrates the three Wise Men's arrival to the Christ Child. Epiphany, or showing.

Sicilian and many Southern Italian children [and their descendants] celebrate the day by receiving gifts and baked goods from La Befana [or the old witch]. Tomie De Paola did a beautiful rendition of the story which I highly recommend called Old Befana.

In our family we keep the tradition--mostly because when my big kids were little and it was their Dad's turn to have them for Christmas, I wanted to have the holiday with them anyway. Part of the tradition is also to give out gifts to those who serve you [like the mailman etc. during te year as well].

This year I am falling back into old habits of not getting packages or even cards mailed out in a timely manner. So, it is for Epiphany, not Christmas. So it is not late. So there. Oh, except for Sariah's birthday present. [but you'll really like it!]

Surely I'm not the only one who needs to celebrate Epiphany...am I?

Christmas--post Nativity

The Nativity Enactment has been two years in the creating, and has completed its first run. We did 8 performances in 2 nights, plus 2 run throughs as a final dress reh with audience from our familes. We had tickets out for 50 people per perf, but averaged over 60 per perf. It is the talk of the town. As a missionary effort, it has already paid off. As a community event, it has already been requested a repeat next year [fully intended.] And our new stake president is much more supportive, so perhaps we'll get some stake monies to help out next year. This year, we squeezed every auxilary budget as much as possible and then some!

We are looking forward to having other activities again--once the final clean-up is done. We had a ward FHE tonight, unfortunately not enough attended to get it all done, but we're getting there. I'm glad I won't see the garbage men's faces when they go to unload our dumpsters this week--over full for tomorrow, and then we'll fill them right up again for the Thurs pick-up!

Stage sets are stored in Bishop Hay's barn, costumes upstairs in our chapel, props divided between the two, and life continues.

Now to get ready for our family Christmas...I haven't even begun---Domani! Richard has just the one final, so he can take me shopping. and Erica gets home Wed! I did my Christamas cards over Thanksgiving, but am unable to find them...does this mean I start over? yipes!

And I AM going to make farfalette dolci for Epiphany this year--but haven't even started Christmas baking yet. Better get busy, eh?

We Did It!

We really did it! Tonight was final dress rehearsal for the Canal Wincester Ward's Presentation of A Nativity Enactment. It really came off quite well, and the audience response was quite good. Ticket are free and so popular that we "sold out" over a week ago. So we voted to add an additional performance on Sat starting earlier--so instead of three overlapping performances we'll have four. Then that sold out within two days. When the Mission President called for tickets, there were none! So a deal was struck. If we could keep the missionaries who are participating out late, we could add a fourth perf to Fri night. He agreed, and last I heard, that's sold out, too! So members in participating wards were encouraged to come tonight for one of two run-throughs. I followed along so as to see the whole show and evaluate technical stuff like lighting that had not been done {It rained the night of our scheduled tech reh. and I had come home and collapsed, and decided as we couldn't do what needed to be done, I'd just stay where I was. Good decision. } So I know what has to be done for tomorrow and my lighting guy is fixing it just how I want, my sound guy is reducing the almost 3 1/2 minute Hallelujah Chorus to one minute [we just don't have enough angels outside for the full thing, there's simply not enough to look at for that long.] We decided not to do a big backdrop for the Road to Bethlahem scene--just a few trees against the brick wall, Mary on a donkey with Joseph leading is quite enough. The courtyard of the Inn looks great except that the door opens the wrong way. [It was built for a different set-up, but we changed it due to weather constraints, and the director decided she liked that the audience cannot see into the Inn at all. Looks stupid, but, hey, it's just one of the little things, and Miranda Steed as the Innkeeper's daughter [part written for her] is great. I have a few things to tweak tomorrow, but am mostly ready. Mostly because we eliminated a few other details that were just too much this year. Less is more.

But our gym that looked like "Betzy's sweat shop" for months, now is a Judean Marketplace. The Roman guards try to flirt with the nice Jewish girls, but are constantly rebuffed. The guards hassell us in the old crones quarter...but can only go so far. When I sat in as apothecary, I had lots of fun coming up with remedies for ailments of all sorts. The little children thought my bird skull most scary! [Thank you owl pellet disecting in science teacher's workshop!] The dried herbs hanging overhead are a bit creepy as well, so the young mostly stayed away from my area--the wood and toy shop certainly dreww them, as did the silk and rug sellers. Our butcher [Bishop Keller] was having way too much fun with his meat cleaver and his [pre-cut] meats and cheeses--his meatcleaver was made last night of cardboard and tin foil. [I spent the morning melting down donated candles to make cheese wheels] All the soldier boys have beautiful swords--or at least hilts, made by Bishop Agler. But there were also several real swords --used by responsible adults. Tho. our new bishop, Jon Hay[our Viking] wanted a two headed battleaxe, but was talked out of being a blood-thirsty Viking as he is in the angel choir!

So, we've gone from a bishop who wears Willie Nelson braids [halloween] to one with Viking horns! And he says he's going to keep them on his desk when the show is over. Most of us are really glad it's about to be over, but it has and is a worthwhile thing to do. Our goal was to help educate the community that we really are Christian. We wanted to do a little missionary work. Already we are having people involved with the missionaries who have not been receptive before--new members getting involved, members getting reactivated, non-member family joining in, etc. So I think we have a success on our hand. And soon it will be over. Thank goodness. Bishop Hay has declared next Mom as a Ward FHE night to deep clean the chapel before the official deep cleaning on the 22nd the the church custodial people are coming in for. A few of us are excused--like me. We're supposed to take the evening off and rest. :)

Pictures will be forthcoming--including, as Lura put it "Dad in a play? This we've got to see!"

I'm still alive!

Yes, I'm still alive--well at least theoretically. It's hard to prove by my family. Even the kids who don't live here know that if they want to talk to me they have to call the hallway phone at the church! After an obnoxious fall yesterday, I didn't go in today 'til about 1:00 and meant to leave around 4:00, but everything planned took a real nose dive about that time instead. So I got home about 10:30 and have to be back there before Seminary lets out [and have to take care of a friend's animals before that!--she's unexpectedly in the hospital!] Anyway, I miss talking to everyone and hope to be back blogging soon. OK, after the performance on Dec 15th & 16th. Assuming, of course, I make it through the next couple of weks alive!

Band & Genealogy

I just got home from State Marching Band Competition. No, I did npt get to see Richard's school, but I did get to see Groveport-Madison. One of my Sunday School students was in the pit, and I promised I would go to hear them play sometime during the season. This was my only real opportunity. I went with his family and had a ball!

Oh, the memories...

Some of the bands we saw were HUGE, others just large. G-M got a 1 overall, but Mary (my friend and mother to my student) was a little surprised. She'd expected only a 2 in comparison to how they'd played other times. She has a daughter who is a flute--and had a solo!--and also directs part of the time. The flute section started out as go-go dancers--rather cute--then changed behind the screen into their regular uniforms. They also had both a trumpet and a sax solo.

None of the drum breaks were as pronounced as I remember from Arkansas days...

One band really stood out. First, they were huge, second they were GOOD, third, they had a dance team as well as flags--one section of which also used rifles at one point. All their flags were the same--just different in color. Their main flags looked kinda like an American flag--fewer stripes and no staars, but it was obvious, and went with their show. Basically, it was an Americana show--piccolos and drums--very Revolutionary, a change in flags[so subtle a difference, I'm not sure why the change here] to the Civil War then to yellow flags and the girls dancing a jig...you get the idea.

Aaah the memories...lots of fun, but I no longer feel like I should be out there helping. I went through my band withdrawal and that's that.

Although I keep trying to claim I don't sew--I am getting really good at cutting out without a pattern, and writing instructions for what is to be sewn. Painting was the most comfortable thing I've done though.

Guess I'm just a Fine Arts person, no mater what!

Had a good time as a guest speaker in Richard's sociology class today. The topic? Genealogy/Family History. Richard asked that I not embarrass him, and had to admit that I really didn't, but that 'everyone is afraid of him now' because of the family Mafia stories. He'd told them before--but no one had believed him...

I get to go back on Mon. We're almost done with the 'show and tell' portion, then I'm going to give out pedigree sheets and family group sheets and the idea is to do 4 generations--they've already been gathering info. So we'll see how it goes. I guess the true test will be if I get invited back the next time the teacher teaches this unit!

And a Happy Halloween to All

Our ward is like so many. We hold "Trunk or Treat" This is usually on the Fri or Sat before Halloween so all the kids [and adults] get a chance to dress up and go trick or treating, socialize etc. Various wards have their own variations. "Trunk" becaus it is held in the parking lot and the kids make the rounds of the decorated car trunks.

In the past we have gone from our first years of almost no decoration to becoming noted for our fantastick [adide: this is not a spelling error, but the way the musical is spelled. I do it on purpose.] themed vehicle usually icluding music. For example there was the year we turned the van into a pirate's ship [including flying a jolly Roger!] and played the soundtrack of Pirates of the Carribean. The kids dresed as pirates [Erica was a great Jack Sparrow-like Captain.] We took pride in our themed get-ups.

Last year, without Erica's help, and with a different vehicle [CRV "Soctates"{aside:guess what movie we had just seen...pronounce it with a long a} rather than the van] we did Star Wars--decor not quite as good except that Richard built such a great R2D2 out of the round-topped bathroom garbage can, that we had to get a new trash recepticle, for R2D2 remains with us.

Last year the new twist we saw here in CW was that after the candy was all passed out, everyone retired to the cultural hall [gym inside our church building] and the adults visited while the kids had a massave candy swap--you know the kind you'd have at home with your siblings trying to get as much as whatever your favorites were while trading away the kinds you didn't really like. On a ward level it was really funny to watch--and the kids seemed to have just as much fun doing that as they did doing the 'trunk or treating'

This year...Nativity. We have costume and set construction going on in two thirds of the cultural hall, so going inside was not viable. ...Weather. It has been cold and wet and really a mess. Every fall the Hays hold a chili cook-off and hayride at their farm. It was decided to combine the two events and Sat was the appointed day. It was way too cold, and there could be no hayride as the tractor and wagon would have bogged down in the mud in the first 10 feet! So Our bishop [one of the best--and quirkiest--by his own admission--in he world] decided to cancel Sat night.

After consulting with the ward weatherman--my husband of course, he announced at church Sun that we would have a ward Family Home Evening this week--at the Hays farm. Be prepared for the activities: trunk or treating, hay rides and marshmallow roasting. hot dogs would be served as everyone had already eated their chili.

I. of course, was working on Nativity stuff all day--in this case, painting flats. I got home in time o take a shower, dress and go. We had not prepared a theme. Richard and I hardly have said more than Good-night for the past week. So what to do? He was a very cool "Man in Black" for a youth activity while I was gone, so we were going to go with that, but never had he time to turn the back of Socrates into the inside of the locker village...what to do? I grabbed Erica's bridesmaids dress out of her closet tinking I could be a princess. But then I thought...hay ride? I don't think so. Meanwhil, Richard thought about his suit--hayride? He didn't think so.

So in the end after going through about 4 ideas and rejcting them, I borrowed Richard's Calgary Flames jersey and his red [OK they are BU scarlet--but who here would catch it? No one.] Wore them over my grey long john pants which Richard taped for me with red hockey tape,instant hockey socks! and wore my work boots in liu of skates. I used a hockey stick instead of my cane to walk around--handle end down, of course. I got tons of complements on my costume! And I was surprised how comfortable hockey pants really are! Richard threw on his Cubs shirt with "LEE" in the back [unfortunately we had nothing to serve as baseball pants at that point] wih his jeans and Cubs hat. We decorated the back of the car [Socrates] with hockey and baseball gear and Flames and Cubs memorabelia. Again compliments on our ten minute set up! All we were missing was music. Add candy and we were ready.

Incidently, our bishop, who lst year, was Willie Nelson, braids and all, was Elvis this year--with a wig and sunglasses! [And he was out there working on the set all day, too!]

A good time was had by one and all. the weather turned warm, the ground dried up, and even tho. he din't attend [also working on the set all day] my husband was the hero of the day! Great forecasting! Tues turned wet again, hence our ward's FHE.

Hope everyone had a great Halloween--and I expect to see lots of cute pics posted!

Help!

I don't have much to say other than I wish my girls were here to help! I'm putting in long and constant days costuming. But there is light at the end of the cloth tunnel. Then I can work on my first love [and what I signed on to do!] props. But Mon afternoon my favorite forecaster tells me will be a good time to paint. So paint we will. Wish you were here, Lura, for this part!
I offer house room to anyone who wants to visit Ohio [and incidently sew, paint etc.!]

Rhe Word SEW Is Not In My Vocabulary

It's not! It's not! The word "sew" is not in my vocabulary! Ask my kids--I've always told them that. Ask my sister. Where was I when she was doing costumes? Not sewing! Ask my costuming teachers. How did I make it through costuming rquirements? By running and fetching, By cutting or pinning. By acting as a dressmaker's dummy. But NOT by sewing!

I have a mending tip for all you young Moms. It really works, too. Ask my kids! The garment needing mending is put into the mening basket. Procrastinate a few months--and voila! The child has outgrown the garment. Therefore you never have to--sew!

So why does all my time seem to be taken of late with costuming? I'm still not sewing! We need more people who will run & fetch, pin & cut iron & sort. Even be a dressmaker's dummy.

Maybe I'm just a dummy? Albeit one with waaay too much costuming knowledge.

Accents

This is all your fault, Fourth Fret! I really enjoyed talking to you on the phone, but was taken quite by surprise with your accent. I think I was polite enough not to comment about that "ignorant sounding, hokie Okie accent" as a close friend of mine was always teased. But you pulled off the gloves, so...

I like regional accents. Regional accents are unfortunately disappearing, but they lend a color to life which is also disappearing. I, myself, have a faint midwestern accent--until commented upon. Then my a's get flaater and flaaater. I also have Chicago traces from my mom, a few Wisconsin words from my Grandma, [ the dresser "draw"and not a few pronunciations giving away my Dad's Italian Brooklyn/NJ roots. [Certain high school friends used to tease me to say 'daughter'-"dwah-ter" and "chwahclat"] [My Uncle lived on "Da cawnah of toid and toidy toid streets" for real!]

I've enjoyed the regional accents everywhere we lived...until Arkansas. There it was a full year before I could understand anyone over the phone. My friends, Sue and Yevonne were always on my case for talking too fast [when I thought I was really dragging!] I usd to tell them to think faster. Sue and I figured out an interesting phenomena. She served her Mission in upstate NY and was treated as the dim bulb in the box always. She's not--dim, I mean. It was just her speech--accent and slower rate. There was a Sister in my Mission [Independence, Missouri] who [I am ashamed to admit] was treated much the same way. Sister Blaylock was from Biloxi, Mississippi. Same problem. She was most cetainly not dim, just slower of speech, and with a thick accent unfamiliar to most of the missionaries who were from the west. [And don't think those Utahan don't have their own. Ask which temple is furthest south in Utah--Saint Garge. Of course there's a temple in American Fark nowdays, too.]

In Arkansas I became tired of people razzing me about my accent. So my oh so gracious reply was, "Turn on your TV. Listen to the people talk. Do they sound like you or like me? I rest my case." The Midwestern/ California influenced accent has become the Standard American Broadcast accent, so I could get away with that. Perhaps that'ss why my bishop recommended that I read Dale Carnegie's book, How To Win Friends and Influence People. When I said I already had, he said to read it again.

Tease all you want. Let others tease you, but in our increasingly homogonous country, let's try to keep and enjoy our regional accents, all y'all, 'cause they're like waay wicked! And youse gotta admit it, ya follow?

A Rough Syllogism-- A Harddrive : Car Engine :: Software : Bodywork

When a car crashes, there are loads of things that must be fixed. So, too, with a computer. I proudly have gotten back a few of my "favorites" [except the yucky format Keith put on here just says 'bookmarks' and I don't like it nearly so well.] I even went to the LDS website and downloaded the PAF all by myself. But then I had to have Keith get the info off the jump drive and onto the hard drive. I found blogger dashboard with ease! but I haven't yet started putting back the shortcuts to the blogs I'm reading. Essentially it is about everyone on Sariah's list, so I am asking here for a blanket permission once I figure it out [or call Lura for help again] . So if you do NOT want to be on my list let me know: thespian52@yahoo.com if you want to be private :) Oh, and I don't know how to make that a link, so you actually have to e-mail. Sorry.

So, while the engine is now in good repair, the body work goes slowly.

Love is Like Pizza?

Notice to my corner of the world: I am home! I am back online! Well, sorta--I'm still awfully sleepy. Chasing around with grandchildren will do that to a person. Why did I not realize until Aiden and I were discussing our respective birthdays [2 days apart] that our ages are 50 years apart! Right now I feel everyone of them! Young children are for young parents.

But it was a great trip! I got to see all three of my older kids, their spouses and children, my sister, a niece, and be with my daughter and grandson for his blessing. I got to help both my daughters. And I got to know my grandsons at this stage of life. [ my granddaughter too, but didn't get to spend as much time with her.]

I begin to understand now what my father meant when he claimed that I named my kids in a way he couldn't remember their names: Sariah, Vinnie[after him!] Lura [after an aunt]. It isn't the names, but the getting to know the person behind the name. I got to be there at the hospital immediately after Aiden was born, then had him [with parents] visit in VA. Got to see him again when brother, Dallin was born, and now spent a great deal of one on one time with him. So I feel a special bond there. At this point, I can honestly say that I feel a special, yet quite different bond with each of the grandchildren, and eagerly look forward to the next one's arrival in the spring. Isn't it amazing how one's heart seems to grow larger and larger with the addition of each new family member. It is not a case of fractions where each piece of the pizza ends up smaller and smaller, but a case of multiplication, where there is a pizza ordered for each person no matter their size or age! Years ago, my uncle taught that lesson. He never worried about how many pieces each person would get, he simply counted up the number of people [including infants] and ordered that many pizzas. We not only never went away hungry, but we never really had leftovers, either.

So, I guess that for today I am saying that: Love is like pizza--everyone should get his own? or there is enough for everyone.

Wisdom and Announcements

Wow! We had a hard drive crash. (Yes, again) Actually, we caught on before it crashed and were able to save everything we wanted on our jump drive. Thank goodness. If I'd had to start from scratch typing in all my genealogy yet again...

So, my advice from the top of the mountain (where all gurus and oracles and wisewomen sit) is:
BACK EVERYTHING IMPORTANT UP ON A JUMP DRIVE!!! That way it is independent of computer problems.

The second piece of advise is to KNOW WHERE THE JUMP DRIVE IS AT ALL TIMES! I'm having a little bit of difficulty with that one at the moment as it was left in other than its proper place when I was not home, and no one else [but the cats--and they're not telling] is home at the moment.

Third, do SOMETHING to be able to find your list of favorites after you are back on line--it is a royal pain trying to find things all over again. Obviously, I've not yet resolved this problem...it is a laborious process!

Announcing my big birthday present [OK, my birthday isn't till 1 Oct, but I will be gone, and this was best to do now, so my husband did: I now have two monitors connected!!! Thank you Most Patient of Husbands! [MPH--that's what I'll call him.] And thank you Lura for making this possibility known to me.


Announcing [since Sariah has now done so] A new grandson! Parker Benjamin! I may have been waaay off on the date--but I was right in one regard--although I am able to go out earlier than originally planned, I couldn't go until Sat--tomorrow. So I was right in that his arrival timing would be awkward! Sariah's had several days of needing help coverage by her new Relief Society Sisters. Than goodness for the Church network. Gotto go pack :D

We have a Bethlehem Marketplace,, and I am exhausted. But it is shaping up, and everyone now seems to get the picture...so this week was worth it. Next week, time is scheduled to devote to costuming. Then I leave!!!

I am so looking forward to my visit to Arizona. Playing with, reading to, and cuddling grandsons. What could be better? Life is actually pretty good. Even tho. my husband is currently out of work [a major theme in our ward!] There are options opening up to him, and I know we'll be OK in the end. As I earlier told Sariah, everything will work out. I can't see the end from the beginning as can the Lord, but it will work out one way or another.

Last unemployment time, I was upset every minute, but this time I am totally calm. I know that the Lord wants me here through the Nativity Pageant which also guarantees Richard this semester in his HS. I hope to remain here 'til he graduates--at least [two years]. We'll see.

But in the meantime: because of his job loss, Keith has been walking three miles daily, which has tremendously helped his back, which is in the best shape in over a decade! He is also working with the dr. on fiddling with his meds, which is improving other situations. All blessings unobtainable while he was working in that job.

I am so totally focused on Nativity, genealogy, book club, Sunday school, and family that I don't have time to think about difficultes.

Erica is back in school and sounds like she is off to a great start this year (see her blog).

Richard is off to a good start this year--he's even toying with the idea of joining French club. I encourage his club joining. He's also in the Nativity Pageant, playing a little pick-up hockey, attending early morning seminary, taking fine arts, and looking towards auditioning for the upcoming show, so his life is filling out as well.

A sad farewell to Fuma. The last of our series of guinea pigs, she was 5 years old and in distress, so we had to put her down this week. The cats miss her, too. It's funny how an animal living entirely in a cage really does become part of the family. As I cut vegetable for lunch today. I cried--not from onions, but because I always gave the end pieces of my tomatoes to Fuma, as well as the inner parts of the bell peppers--her favorite treats. So... Farewell Fuma. Now frisking about in a better place.

News from the older kids continues to be basically good, so my corner of the world is looking pretty nice. I hope we can all say that as we enter this new year. Incidently, I believe the year goes from Sept to June. July and Aug are just sorta out there. Thus speaketh a retired teacher!

Surprise!

A couple nights ago I sat in the chair vegging out in front of the TV. I couldn't even say what was on. It had been a long day, I was tired, and now I started having a seizure. It was in my upper left arm. I sat there watching it jerk for awhile. Why I always find seizures so fascinating, I don't know, but I do. They are so varied both in type and intensity, so I tend to watch and to anylize the severity of each one. Anyway, as it drew to a close, I felt my arm, and it was hard!!! I'm talking about my left, weak and flabbly arm!

To my great surprise, nay, utter astonishment, I discovered that I have a [drumroll, please]
muscle! That's right! A real honest to goodness bicept in my left arm! For the first time since the early '70's!

I had noticed of late, that my left arm looks almost 'normal' now. I attribute that to bicycling--just hanging on with my left hand has made a change...but a bicept! Wow!

Wednesday Amended

Oops! Once again, I did not have place for comment on my post. Please comment! This is my chatting outlet--and I need it! I never mean to not have a comment place. I know I need to go back into the whole set-up thing to fix it properly, but I'm afraid of messing things up beyond repair! So I apologize, and I'll try to watch out that I put the comment thing on. [Wouldn't Dad get on my case? thing, thing, THING!] :p

Wednesday

My weeks currently tend to lurch from Wed to Wed. This is the day we have our staff production meetings for our Ward's big Nativity Pageant: Prophecy Unfolds. I have discovered how truely difficult it is to do something of this proportion for the first time. In the future, they will be building upon what we do this year. But this year...I just hope and pray we've not bitten off more than we can chew. I'm getting a little worried because I am leaving to go to Sariah in just a few weeks, and we are not to where I wanted to be at this time. Of course, I had to put a chunk of the building schedule on hold because of someone elses's trip to Utah. And then I've had to devote hours and hours to costuming (which I had not planned to do at all!) because the sister who was to "be in charge" had an unscheduled surgery. Now that she's beginning to function, I'm hoping to be shut of costumes soon. (fingers crossed)

It is so very much easier to do things in the proper order. In this case: 1]design 2]procure materials 3] build. Unfortunately when working with an essentially non-budget the order has been 1] design 2] beg for donated materials 3] be promised materials 4] re-design to fit what you will have 5] try to collect on all the promised materials 6] build with what you have AND re-design again around the holes in your needs 7] beg for specific needs and hopefully 8] will be to finish up. Sigh.

Last week, as we evaluated our needs, our wonderful Bishop said, "Give me a number. How much money do I need to pray for?" After much discussion, we came up with no real hard figures, but were up in the $800 range, so he said," Let's make it an even $1000. I can pray for that."

The Lord does answer prayers in mysterious ways. Last Sat. we went to look at stair units that a local theatre company has. Our director helped build some of the original units several decades ago, and there are still people there that she worked with, so we were hoping to get a break in the rental price. Turned out that the pieces that suit us best need refurbishing. We have the exact materials for this in abundance. We are getting the units for 4 months for free--except that we will return them in proper condition! That's over $150 right there!

One man in the ward was recently at the dump and noticed six pillars. He salvaged them, and they will be our outer pillars--perfect sizing! Free! Now I only have to build the five inner ones!

Then, yesterday I received a phone call from one of our missionaries. Elder M said they had talked to this guy who has a hobby of making armor, and he'd been toying with the idea of trying Roman armor next anyway, and he is interested in making our armor for us. I e-mailed the guy right away, and attached the costume renderings of our 8 soldiers (4 Roman footsoldiers, a centurian, and a tribune, plus 2 Jewish Temple guards) I eagerly await his response.

Keep praying, Bishop! :D

I haven't anything witty or inciteful to say just now. I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm still alive, and trying to snatch time to read and comment even if I've not time to think about writing myself. But ask me the measurements of most of my ward and lots of others in the stake...slowly but surely I'm getting them. The columns are a-buildin' and the props a-gatherin' plus teaching Sunday School, hosting book club, working at the Bishop's storehouse, attending the Temple, and working in the Family History Center. Add rehearsals, production meetings and costuming sessions.

Finally throw in an overnight party for 10 boys ages 12-16!

I'm glad school has started today. I have to get some time at home at least with my chauffeur gone most of the day. whew! Of course I've a garageful of materials to build...

Fun

We really did have Fun. It has taken awhile to get to it because I had to jump right back into the busy craziness of getting a show off the ground. whew...

The King Tut exhibit was just great--see it if you can! The Field Museum is just plain fun. We stuck to the African animals--very short on time...It is like going to the Zoo or Wild Animal Park but getting to see the animals up close and personal! Some people do not like "stuffed" animals, and these have all gone through the hands of excellent taxidermists, but all the animals were already in captivity when they died, with a few notable exceptions. Then we found a motel to sleep a few exhausted hours before the Cubs game. It was a lot of fun for the kids--and the Cubs won, too! [As I hate baseball, I opted to stay in the room and sleep. Needed and fun for me!]

There were a pair of "Man-Eating lions" from Africa. They explained the whole story. Apparantly these two lions got a taste for humans during a time of famine, and kept at it for a lengthy period of time. Finally, they were tracked down and killed. The taxidermists did a fabulous job--no bullet marks at all, but to do so required reducing the size of these two lions. If this is their "reduced" size--trust me, no one would want to meet up with the full-sized lion at any time or place!

The next day we went to Marshall Field's, not to shop but to explore and it was fun! I was so wicked! I rode the escalators as much as I wanted--no sales lady was going to report me to my Grandma! As I mentioned: no hat! no gloves! no socks! no skirt--pants instead! In Downtown Chicago!!! at Marshall Field's!!! I know the kids were not as delighted with the afternoon there as was I, but they did enjoy it, too. Also, Erica got a present for Dallin, even tho we planned to buy nothing. Once we have a new address, it'll go in the mail.

Finally, in a repeat of our Chicago visit of a few years ago, we opted to eat at The Rain Forest Cafe'. [Ever get there, Laurel?]I know there are three in the Greater Chicago area now, and others elsewhere, but for those not in the know:
It is a "rainforest" complete with erupting volcano [periodically] a waterfall, monkeys that swing, elephants who trumpet and apes that move and make noises, too. All that, and two-story tall aquariums strategically placed. So wherever you are seated, you have a most interesting view. After eating [and getting our "doggie bags"they really stuffed us!] we went into the shop. They have all kinds of rainforest themed anything you can think of! I was a good girl and did not spend a fortune this time, but I'm saving up for the next Chicago trip! Even riding the [free] trolley from parking to the RFC was fun. All in all, I highly recommend Chicago as a fun place to visit. And I must say that Erica proved to be a much better city driver than I. The last time we got hit, and honked at more times than I can count! Erica was only honked at a few times [Of course, she was driving a CRV as opposed to the big van I drove last time.]

Visiting the relatives in MI was fun as well. I always did get on well with that particular sis-in-law and stepbro. I think their kids are delightful, too. Come to find out one is fairly close to us in Indianapolis, so hope to get together again at some point.

Other than the business end of stuff, it was a pretty fun trip. And we made up a new fun travel game. The person in the back seat randomly pointed to a place in the road atlas, announced the name of the town/city, and the others had to guess [and I do mean guess] what state or province it was in. It was really hard! Do you know how many states have a Springfield, for example? And you had to get the right one. First we were going to go up to 5 for a winner. Finally, it was whoever could get one...I won. Therefore it was fun.

We live quite close to the original National Road--Highway 40 [similar to Route 66 now of Cars fame. Tho it took a bit longer than the freeway, we opted to take it from Indianapolis to Columbus. It was worth seeing western OH. I doubt we'll ever do it again in quite the same way. But it was a nice calm drive home that way. Except Richard had to get up at 6:00am to go help clean a river the next day. Erica had to work. And me? I had to get over the depression and jump right back into the Nativity Pageant preparations, but more of that another time.

I love traveling with my kids. I love the making of the memories. I wish everyone was close enough to go--next Sat is the Dublin [OH] Irish Festival. We're going! So, go out and make a memory :)

Fast

We took a Fast trip to Chicago. In all reality, it is only 6 hrs away. With two drivers, that does go pretty fast. We left approxamately 1:00am so we could arrive about 7:00am to get our tickets and get in. We whizzed through Dayton [nephews I didn't stop to see] Indiannapolis [next time a stop to see a cousin and maybe a nephew] Lafayette [it really would have been nice for us if Ches had gotten the Purdue job] and on into Chicago.

We went directly [via a sort of indirect path] to the Field Museum. I've never approached Chicago from quite that angle before, so missed the Skyway [a road] and bumbled around a bit before finding my way to Lakeshore Drive, upon which lies the Museum Campus. Now, Lakeshore Drive is right along the Lake as name implies, so you just keep heading towards Lake Michigan, and eventually you will find it. We did.

Although it was just a few minutes after 8:00when we reached the lines' front, we still got into the 8:00 tickets--thus making our goal.

This exhibit is from King Tut's Tomb. It began with his family tree [I was hooked] and went through his family and life as explained by items from his tomb. It was really fabulous! I don't know how thrilled Richard was, but he, at least, seemed to enjoy it. Erica seemed, of course, fascinated.

A lunch and bathroom break were definitely in order after finishing King Tut. We sat where we could watch Sue. She is the most comple tyranus rex around, and huge!

After lunch we bumbled around the African and Asian animals areas until completely running out of steam. From there we went out towards O'Hare airport to find inexpensive, but decent lodgings in a safe area for the night. It worked. We slept through the afternoon. Richard and Erica got up to go to a Cubs game [yay Cubbies! We won!] I slept some more. Upon their return, we all had a good night's sleep, then drove into the city the next day to go to Marshall Field's Department Store. But that is a story for Fascinating. Really! So I'll on with Fast for today: Leaving Chicago, we drove quickly though a piece of In and on up into MI where we spent a nice with my step-brother's family in Marcellus. I was hoping to do a little genealogical research in a tiny hamlt called Climax. My sis-in-law called me back for particulars, and when we arrived, she printed out pages drom her genealogically bug-bit aunt, who solved all the question and there was no longer a need to drive up to Climax the next day, so we didn't. Thurs saw a quick visit to Grandma Jan in Mishawaka, IN then back on the road and home by 11:30 pm! And that was with taking the National Road--Hwy 40 rather than I-70 the freeway. It was fun and interesting, but most definitely NOT FAST! So the last little bit we hopped back onto the freeway and home. Sigh.

I think I'm getting too old for fast trips like this.

inFuriating

We've just gotten home from a 3-day trip. It was Fast, Fun and inFuriating. I'll adress other aspects later, but the last just now.

Advice to those who expect to die someday: Put ALL your wishes in writing. Give a copy to every one of your children, stepchildren, grandchildren, and stepgrandchildren [as they reach adulthood]. Give a copy to your spouse as well as to previous spouses [if applicable] Living parents, grandparents, siblings, all should have their own copy. Most importantly: Do NOT expect anyone to follow your stated wishes unles you have put it in writing. Just because you said it to everyone together so that they are ALL witnesses--forget it!!! And anything said privately may as well have never been said at all.

Take care of all this while you are young. My parents had a metal box--and I always knew where-- and it contained wills, and instructions for us kids: that we would go to live with my mom's brother to be raised. I always found that knowledge comforting. I am sad that I didn't provide my children with the same amount of security always, tho. things were always diliniated.

I need to redo my paperwork now that the kids are getting older, and give a copy to everyone! I don't think that amounts matter as much as following the person's expressed wishes. So, EXPRESS THEM!