We went back out to Temple Beth-El where Canter Bernard, Rabbi Micah Streiffer, and Rabbi Judy Schindler taught a class on the Shabbat Services for Friday evenings. There are different services for morning and also for holidays.
We arrived about 10 after 7 for the 7:30 class and we found the room without much trouble. Mr. Matt Wells came by to greet the class members about 7:15 but only Don and I were there by then. Anyway it was nice that he thought to come by. A lady brought in lemonade, ice water, and cookies and set up the food on a table.
The class started filling up and Canter Bernard came in and asked someone to go get the class some prayer books for use during class. There was a piano and two chairs in the center of the room.
The Friday night service begins with the Kabbalat Shabbat. This came from the mystics who would go into a field in the evening to welcome the Shabbat as the sun went down. They would welcome Shabbat as people welcome a bride. In today's services, Shabbat is symbolically welcomed by turning to the entrance door (which faces west in synagogues since the altar faces east). Shabbat is a foretaste of the perfect world to come so we welcome it every week.
The Kabbalat Shabbat consists of six Psalms representing the six days of the week gone by. This and other prayers/psalms are chanted in Hebrew by the canter. The congregation often joins in when they are able to use the Hebrew and many are. Some people in class joined in with the canter often during class.
The Psalms making up the Kabbatlat Shabbat are taken from Psalms 95 through 99. In the prayer book, the readings were Psalm 95: 1-7, Psalm 96: 1-6 and 11-13; Psalm 97:1-2 and 10-12; Psalm 98: 1-9; and Psalm 99: 1-5 and 9. The Kabbalat Shabbat is intended to make us think of the week gone by which is busy and difficult to stop the activity of the week. So we are gathering up the week gone by, embracing it, and then letting it go.
The Kabbalat Shabbat begins with the Hebrew version of Psalm 95:1-7 from the Jewish sequence of the Psalms (the Christian sequence may be different) which reads in English:
"Come let us sing joyously to Adonai;
raise a shout for our rock and deliverer;
let us come into His presence with praise;
let us raise a shout for him in song!
For Adonai is a great God,
the great ruler of all divine beings.
In God's hands are the depths of the earth;
the peaks of the mountains are His.
His is the sea, He made it;
and the land, which His hands fashioned.
Come, let us bow down and kneel,
bend the knee before the Lord our maker,
for He is our God,
and we are the people He tends, the flock in His care.
O, if you would but heed God's charge this day"
This chant is followed by the other 5 readings from Psalms included in the Kabbalat Shabbat which are listed above.
The Kabbalat Shabbat is a later addition to the service and the traditional service used to begin with the Bar'chum discussed below.
The Kabbalat Shabbat service is joyful in tenor and mourners do not attend right away after losing a loved one. They attend other services during that time of deep mourning.
Then comes a poem called L'Chah Dodi. The poem is by Shilomo Halere Alkabetz. There are nine verses to this poem but not all nine are done at all services. Usually five or six are chosen and quite often they use the same five or six week after week so the people can get accustomed to them. This is where the congregation stands and faces the back of the church to welcome the bride (Shabbat). (Safardic congregations have a center area where worship is conducted by the rabbi so they cannot face the back as there really isn't one section that is the back.) The L'Chah Dodi was chanted and there were lilting Laladelalalala's added that are nowhere in the Hebrew words in the Prayer Book. Someone asked about that and the answer is that Jewish tradition (nigume - sounds like) goes without words in music. In music, you can get beyond the precise meaning of the text. During the week, we use words all the time. Music doesn't mean anything. The mystics used this to help us get past the words and lift our souls. Some pieces go beyond the words and thus the added ladeladedalalalalala's. It is joyful.
Then we go to Psalms 92 and 93. Psalm 92: 1-7 and 13-16 are chanted and Psalm 93:1-5 is chanted. Psalm 93: 1-5 was demonstrated by the canter. This deals with the completion of creation and 93:1-5 goes:
"Adonai is sovereign,
God is robed in grandeur;
Adonai is robed,
God is girded with strength.
The world stands firm;
it cannot be shaken.
Adonai's throne stands firm from of old;
from eternity You have existed.
The ocean sounds, O Lord,
the ocean sounds its thunder,
the ocean sounds its pounding.
Above the thunder of the mighty waters,
more majestic than the breakers of the sea
is Adonai, majestic on high.
Your decrees are indeed enduring;
holiness befits Your house,
Adonai, for all times."
The next segment of the service is an invitation more than a prayer. It is the Bar'chum and is similar to the call to prayer by the Muslims. This is the call to prayer used in Judaism. Many people stand for this and some people cover their eyes. This is where traditional services began - with the Bar'chum or call to prayer. The previous sections were later additions to the service.
The leader calls out the command (in Hebrew); "Praise Adonai to whom praise is due forever." The congregation replies, "Praise be Adonai to whom praise is due now and forever."
Some of trhe pages of the prayer book have a blue line around it. This is where there are two versions of the same prayer side by side on two pages. You only use one side in this case and you can really choose which to follow. You either follow the right side prayers or the left side prayers but not both. The right side offers the more traditional options for a prayer. The left side gives more interpretive versions of that same prayer. But in any case, one side covers the 2-page spread.
Then comes Ahavat Olam which is a blessing and then the Sh'ma which is central to the service.
Sh'ma is often taught to Jewish children to be said first thing in the morning and last thing at night. It is:
"Hear, O Israel, Adonai is our God, Adonai is One."
Then "Blessed is God's glorious majesty forever and ever."
The Hebrew is:
"Sh'ma Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Eched." (This is the Hear, O Israel line).
Then "Baruch shem k'vod mulchutz l'olam va-ed." (This is the Blessed is God's ... line).
In the evening service, readings often talk about darkness coming while the morning services talk about light coming.
In the morning service, you might use the Latimah: Baruch atah, Adonai, hama arivim. which is Blessed are You; Adonai is the beginning.
People often stand for the Sh'ma which reminds us of God's Oneness and is not really a prayer. It is not a prayer to God but a reminder to ourselves of God's Oneness. Sometimes people cover their eyes when saying the Sh'ma. People used to sit for this and bend over and cover eyes to make themselves seem small and also to concentrate on prayer and not be distracted.
Then comes the V'ahavta and the L'maan tizk'rn.
Then the Mi Chamachah which is in Torah and was sang during the escape from Egypt.
So we have Welcomed Shabbat and Praised God. Now we do our petitions. Traditonally, people take 3 steps forward to signify the 3 parts of the service. Before we ask God for things, we sing "Adonai, open up my lips, that my mouth may declare your praise." This prayer focuses your mind since sometimes it is harder than other times to get focused on prayer.
In the prayer book, I spotted these words which seemed worth hanging on to:
"Pray as if everything depended on God. Act as if everything depended on you." I like that.
There is a prayer in the prayer book which is a weekday prayer. In it, you pray for 19 things but the Shabbat prayer only asks for 7. On Shabbat, the petitions are removed. This gives God a rest on Shabbat as well.
Avit V'Imahot: This prayer asks that God bless us because our forebears were good, not because we are. We are remembering our parents here. The Shabbat prayer asks that God resurrect the dead or in reformed thinking, instead of resurrect, ask for renewal. It also asks for God's strength, God's holiness (Holy is the day), it asks that God accept our prayers, then we give a prayer of gratitude, a prayer asking for peace, then silent prayer.
Page 86 of the prayer book shows a prayer for abundance. We can ask God indirectly if we don't want to say something so directly as "Blessed are you, Adonai, who blesses our wants and gives us abundance."
On Friday, the Reformed Temple reads Torah in the middle of the service. It used to be read on Shabbat morning and on Monday, Thursday. So it was read Monday, Thursday, and Saturday so the whole Torah was read once per year. But not as many people attend morning service so the Reformed Temple here reads it on Friday evening when more people are in attendance.
Torah services contain songs that ask for blessings such as "May Torah come forth on Israel" or "May people study war no more". Then comes a sermon-like talk which takes the words read in Torah and the rabbi (or sometimes a learned member of the congregation) talks about the reading.
There is a saying about turning Torah around and around for two reasons: (1) it is read through each year during services and (2) it is on scrolls which turn.
Torah is called the Tree of Life. It is alive to the Jewish people and it is on a scroll which turns on wooden rods. So it is a tree because it nurtures us and we live and grow through it.
Closing prayers. Aleim - We have prayed the whole service and we now need a sense of purpose for going into the world. The first prayer at the end of the service is the Aleim where we praise and thank God who has set us (Jews) apart from others. We give thanks that we have a special purpose and we try and lift the world to a perfect state. We (the Jews) are working for a Messianic Age and we all have a piece of that work to do to make the Messianic Age come about.
Kadesh is a reminder we are all part of a chain in this endeavor to bring about the perfect world. This prayer remembers those who came before us. Mourners Kadesh is what this is called but it does not talk about death. It is a doxology (a prayer in praise of God) and we re-commit ourselves to the work of making the world a better place.
It is:
"Exalted and hallowed be God's great name
in the world which God created, according to plan.
May God's majesty be revealed in the days of our lifetime
and the life of all Israel - speedily, imminently, to which we say Amen.
Blessed be God's great name to all eternity.
Blessed, praised, honored, exlalted, extolled, glorified, adored, and lauded
be the name of the Holy Blessed One beyond all earthly words and songs of blessing,
praise, and comfort. To which we all say Amen.
May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us and all Israel.
in which we say Amen.
May the One who creates harmony on high, bring peace to us and to all Israel.
To which we say Amen."
On this, class ended and we visited with other class members. I met a lady named Maxine who told me she is taking Hebrew through individual tutoring over the phone. She arranged this through an organization called Partners in Torah.
8/22/09
2009/08/22 Dinner at P J Chang
Don and I were given a gift certificate from some dear friends to P J Chang's and we decided on tonight to use it. I went on-line to look at a menu and found a dinner for two for $39.95 that included soup, appetizer (or starter), entree, and dessert. I read through the options offered with this and decided on what I wanted and called Don to let him know how to find the menu on-line. We decided on what he wanted also. My sister advised me on how to tell spicy items and told me she loved the Mongolian Beef but you needed to know it had lots of onion in the dish. Don decided to try this one out. I chose Ginger Chicken with Broccoli.
Don picked me up at about 5:30. We thought they might be less busy at this early dinner hour than later on and we wanted to get back in time to see the Panthers play at 7:30 p.m. or at least get back not much after 7:30.
The place was crowded but we had no trouble getting seated right away. Our waiter was very good and efficient. We ordered and the food started coming. By the time I got through half my entree, I was very full. And then they brought dessert offerings. We both got a small one and it was good too. The funniest and fun-est part of the meal was the vegetable lettuce wrap. We had not idea how we were supposed to eat this but suspected we were supposed to wrap the vegetables in the lettuce and eat with our hands. We could see that that was going to be a bit messy so we ate with a fork but asked the waiter how we were supposed to eat it. Yes, with our hands with the veggies wrapped in the lettuce as a holder. Oh, well, we ate it all wrong but we still enjoyed the taste of it. Don used a sauce on it that was so hot it cleared his sinuses and told me I should get some of that and take it home with me. I used the sauce the guy mixed at the table in front of us and I thought it was very tasty. We had lots of fun with the whole meal.
We are so grateful for the gift and we enjoyed the food and each other tonight. We are just at the beginning of football season and this was a good "kickoff" for that. We are going to be going to lots of games real soon and hope to invite friends along this year more than ever. The Lumadues and Hatfields will go with us to the first Carolina football game and we and they are looking forward to that. It is only a couple more weeks now.....
Don picked me up at about 5:30. We thought they might be less busy at this early dinner hour than later on and we wanted to get back in time to see the Panthers play at 7:30 p.m. or at least get back not much after 7:30.
The place was crowded but we had no trouble getting seated right away. Our waiter was very good and efficient. We ordered and the food started coming. By the time I got through half my entree, I was very full. And then they brought dessert offerings. We both got a small one and it was good too. The funniest and fun-est part of the meal was the vegetable lettuce wrap. We had not idea how we were supposed to eat this but suspected we were supposed to wrap the vegetables in the lettuce and eat with our hands. We could see that that was going to be a bit messy so we ate with a fork but asked the waiter how we were supposed to eat it. Yes, with our hands with the veggies wrapped in the lettuce as a holder. Oh, well, we ate it all wrong but we still enjoyed the taste of it. Don used a sauce on it that was so hot it cleared his sinuses and told me I should get some of that and take it home with me. I used the sauce the guy mixed at the table in front of us and I thought it was very tasty. We had lots of fun with the whole meal.
We are so grateful for the gift and we enjoyed the food and each other tonight. We are just at the beginning of football season and this was a good "kickoff" for that. We are going to be going to lots of games real soon and hope to invite friends along this year more than ever. The Lumadues and Hatfields will go with us to the first Carolina football game and we and they are looking forward to that. It is only a couple more weeks now.....
2009.08.20 Jewelry Fittings
Don and I worked out early and then went home to shower. Then the really fun stuff began. I went through my jewelry a couple of weeks ago and some of the real jewelry I have no longer fit my fingers. I wanted to be able to wear these rings so I took them to a place called Karat Patch to be re-sized. I think the Lumadues recommended the place but it may have been the Hatfields. Anyway, I trust these folks so off we went to Karat Patch to get the resizing accomplished. I had great fun with these people who seemed down to earth and cleaned up one item with me participating in the clean-up. Cost $-0- and it is now a wearable item. At first Heather (the girl who helped me with all of it) did not think the tarnish would come off the necklace we were cleaning but when we finished it was nice and shiny and wearable again.
So on 8/19/09, Karat Patch called to say my jewelry "repairs" were ready. Really, it was some rings that no longer fit well on my fingers so I wanted to be able to wear them as they are my "good" jewelry, a.k.a., the real stuff. (1) One is a wonderful sapphire, white gold, and diamond ring that I wore for years and now sadly does not fit. They did just a wonderful job of sizing that ring and four others to fit my fatter fingers now. More than one of the ladies in the jewelry store came by to say, "Oh, you are the one who owns that beautiful ring. We all just love it."
(2) Another ring was a pearl and diamond ring they all called "sweet" that was a size 4 before and now needed to be an 8. To be fair to myself, it was bought to be a pinkie ring but falls off that finger pretty easily so I now have it fitted for my ring finger. I was amazed they could do it as the gold band was pretty narrow to start with but they did do it and it fits my ring finger beautifully now. The other rings were (3) a silver ring with a cross carved into it. I don't remember where I got this ring at all but it was solid silver and could be sized so I did it. Some of the rings I took in were bought at a high end store that sells really good fake jewelry that might be silver plate or something. These could not be sized as silver plate blackens if you try to heat it to resize and then it is unwearable forever. Heather said, "Wait for winter and your fingers will shrink. Since these almost fit anyway, they will fit then." As a matter of fact, most of them can go on my left ring finger but my right ring finger is a little larger and they won't go on there with out forcing them on it. I just can't do that without being afraid the ring will be stuck there for the long haul.
(4)Then there was another sapphire, diamond and yellow gold ring that is not as fancy as the first sapphire ring but that I love nonetheless. The band is way thicker than on the first sapphire ring. And now it fits too. (5)And there was a $39.95 Carolina signet ring which they polished up and sized which I can now wear because it finally looks clean and new again. I think it was silver. I showed the girl the price tag so we could get a laugh out of it but she took me seriously and went to the jeweler to get advice and he said he could fix me up on this one.
I left one more necklace which was broken and I love it. There was a bar that used to hold the topaz pendant on the chain but the bar has fallen off so I can't wear it at all unless the missing bar is put back by someone who knows how. They should have it ready late next week or early the following week. I asked for a bit of a longer chain since the one it was on is something of a "choker" the way it is. It matches some topaz earrings I have and I am also excited about getting that back soon so I will have my set back together again. I do love topaz and I have lots of topaz looking stuff but I don't know if much of it is real.
I know of two rings I have lost, one was a topaz ring I had since high school I think and another is a diamond and gold ring that was really really pretty and I believe valuable. No use crying over spilled milk but I do check the pockets of everything I get out of the closet just to see.
I had a great time at the store. Heather and I have a great time together and we laugh and laugh over some of the stuff I have. They also have a dog that someone brings in every day. The dog is named Alfie and he is as laid back and loved as any creature you will ever see. Alphie even has a business card that the owner of the place is proud of and gave me one. Alphie has a title of "Head of Security." But he mostly sleeps and wakes up when someone wants to pet him or when someone fixes food in a back room microwave. He left me suddenly while I was admiring him and the people helping me said, "Oh, it's lunch time and someone must be heating up something in the microwave. Alphie always goes back to see if they are willing to share their lunch with him." We then talked and talked about our own animals and their quirks. One lady has several cats and had to turn one into an outdoor cat because it kept getting her up in the middle of the night for food. Just like my Gray who is not about to become an outdoor cat. I got to tell my Milo and the shower story and Milo and the printer story. We just had the greatest fun talking about our pets. One of them even has a friend who uses my vet for his animals. I always put a plug in for Dr. Green whenever I can. I really believe in this doctor.
Then I went to Providence Cafe behind the jewelry store for lunch while I waited for Don to get finished with his Men's Group at church. There, I ordered an Asian Tuna Wrap sandwich which was one of the cheaper things on the menu. $12.95. When they ask you how you want the tuna cooked, you know it isn't coming out of a can and it is going to cost something. Anyway, the service was great, the sandwich was good, the people were friendly, and it got me a nice cool place to be while I waited for Don to finish his Thursday lunch get-together.
All in all a really fun, good morning.
So on 8/19/09, Karat Patch called to say my jewelry "repairs" were ready. Really, it was some rings that no longer fit well on my fingers so I wanted to be able to wear them as they are my "good" jewelry, a.k.a., the real stuff. (1) One is a wonderful sapphire, white gold, and diamond ring that I wore for years and now sadly does not fit. They did just a wonderful job of sizing that ring and four others to fit my fatter fingers now. More than one of the ladies in the jewelry store came by to say, "Oh, you are the one who owns that beautiful ring. We all just love it."
(2) Another ring was a pearl and diamond ring they all called "sweet" that was a size 4 before and now needed to be an 8. To be fair to myself, it was bought to be a pinkie ring but falls off that finger pretty easily so I now have it fitted for my ring finger. I was amazed they could do it as the gold band was pretty narrow to start with but they did do it and it fits my ring finger beautifully now. The other rings were (3) a silver ring with a cross carved into it. I don't remember where I got this ring at all but it was solid silver and could be sized so I did it. Some of the rings I took in were bought at a high end store that sells really good fake jewelry that might be silver plate or something. These could not be sized as silver plate blackens if you try to heat it to resize and then it is unwearable forever. Heather said, "Wait for winter and your fingers will shrink. Since these almost fit anyway, they will fit then." As a matter of fact, most of them can go on my left ring finger but my right ring finger is a little larger and they won't go on there with out forcing them on it. I just can't do that without being afraid the ring will be stuck there for the long haul.
(4)Then there was another sapphire, diamond and yellow gold ring that is not as fancy as the first sapphire ring but that I love nonetheless. The band is way thicker than on the first sapphire ring. And now it fits too. (5)And there was a $39.95 Carolina signet ring which they polished up and sized which I can now wear because it finally looks clean and new again. I think it was silver. I showed the girl the price tag so we could get a laugh out of it but she took me seriously and went to the jeweler to get advice and he said he could fix me up on this one.
I left one more necklace which was broken and I love it. There was a bar that used to hold the topaz pendant on the chain but the bar has fallen off so I can't wear it at all unless the missing bar is put back by someone who knows how. They should have it ready late next week or early the following week. I asked for a bit of a longer chain since the one it was on is something of a "choker" the way it is. It matches some topaz earrings I have and I am also excited about getting that back soon so I will have my set back together again. I do love topaz and I have lots of topaz looking stuff but I don't know if much of it is real.
I know of two rings I have lost, one was a topaz ring I had since high school I think and another is a diamond and gold ring that was really really pretty and I believe valuable. No use crying over spilled milk but I do check the pockets of everything I get out of the closet just to see.
I had a great time at the store. Heather and I have a great time together and we laugh and laugh over some of the stuff I have. They also have a dog that someone brings in every day. The dog is named Alfie and he is as laid back and loved as any creature you will ever see. Alphie even has a business card that the owner of the place is proud of and gave me one. Alphie has a title of "Head of Security." But he mostly sleeps and wakes up when someone wants to pet him or when someone fixes food in a back room microwave. He left me suddenly while I was admiring him and the people helping me said, "Oh, it's lunch time and someone must be heating up something in the microwave. Alphie always goes back to see if they are willing to share their lunch with him." We then talked and talked about our own animals and their quirks. One lady has several cats and had to turn one into an outdoor cat because it kept getting her up in the middle of the night for food. Just like my Gray who is not about to become an outdoor cat. I got to tell my Milo and the shower story and Milo and the printer story. We just had the greatest fun talking about our pets. One of them even has a friend who uses my vet for his animals. I always put a plug in for Dr. Green whenever I can. I really believe in this doctor.
Then I went to Providence Cafe behind the jewelry store for lunch while I waited for Don to get finished with his Men's Group at church. There, I ordered an Asian Tuna Wrap sandwich which was one of the cheaper things on the menu. $12.95. When they ask you how you want the tuna cooked, you know it isn't coming out of a can and it is going to cost something. Anyway, the service was great, the sandwich was good, the people were friendly, and it got me a nice cool place to be while I waited for Don to finish his Thursday lunch get-together.
All in all a really fun, good morning.
8/21/09
2009/08/18 Lunch with Amy and Dinner with SS Class
I saw Amy at church a few weeks back. We took several Disciple classes together and she is one of my favorite people from small groups at church. Anyway, she asked me to lunch and today is the big day. She arrived to get me in a convertible Mini with the top down. What fun!!! I am glad I have my short curly hair right now as there is no way to "mess it up." It just is what it is. We started toward the South Park area toward a restaurant I mentioned. As she started to turn in, I realized I had given her the name Mangionni and meant Manzettis. She said she could not possibly go to Manzettis as her daughter was eating lunch there with a group of her teenage friends. Her daughter would for sure think she had come out to spy on her if she went there. She suggested another near-by restaurant as one of her favorites. She also told me her favorite dish there, a Palm Salad which was crabmeat and egg and vegtables mixed together on a bed of baby greens. I said it sounded good except I didn't really eat eggs. She asked the waitress to leave the eggs out of mine and was told "no trouble." Wow. They must make it up per order and not a big batch for the day. Mine and hers came and mine was full of egg. Amy took one look and said she was going to "get this fixed." And she did. And the wait staff did it joyfully, not crabbily. And graciously apologized which I said, No problem to. But if you knew me, you would know it was a problem as I mean I don't eat eggs unless they are cooked into a cake or something. Anyway lunch was a scoop of lump crabmeat mixed with stuff other than eggs and it was absolutely delicious. Amy picked up the tab and I said something to her about paying for mine. She said "so you will get it next time." Of course. I saw the bill $49.99 for this meal and tea for each of us. Of course, this paid for service as well as the food and it was also a very pleasant place to be.
I told her about Don's twin granddaughters going to School of the Arts in Dance this summer and she said one of her twin daughters is going to go to School of the Arts in Drama for her Senior year of High School. I think she has to move in this coming up week or maybe the next week. Amy and I were both excited that we could talk about this wonderful school together. What a fun coincidence.
We also talked about taking another Disciple together - she really wants to take Disciple 4 which neither of us has had. We both stopped after Disciple 3 as we were tired but now I would be willing to tackle 4 and she really wants to take it. But neither of us is available this time around on Wednesday nights when it is offered. So we will be on the lookout for another 4 next spring or fall and hopefully we will be able to get both our schedules on track to do it. It would be good to have all 4 of the long classes under our belt as it is a shame to have completed all but one class. I hope we can work it out even if it is not together. We just should do it. Maybe we should mention to Barbara that if another night comes up for this one to let us know. Someone really did tell me they might be willing to schedule more classes for the long courses if the Wednesday didn't work for enough people. But I think I am into enough stuff for right now and I am willing to let sleeping dogs lie for a while.
Then we went back to my place in her convertible Mini (of the James Bond variety) and I took two pictures of her in the car. We are to go out again after Labor Day to give her time to get her children situated in various schools. Looking forward to it really and truly.
Then Don and I went to dinner with our Sunday School class. I had Sweet Potato Bisque soup (yum) and a salad with shrimp (yum again). Wonderful good food and we talked and talked with our Sunday School class memebers. Don did a wonderful prayer before our meal and everyone was impressed with it, especially me. He must have spent a long time coming up with it as he quoted Wesley in it and told me it was hard to come up with a thankfulness quote from Wesley. I think a lot of people we admire so much in religion have done prayers about other of life's aspects but not about thankfulness per se so it hard if you go after a quote about being thankful.
One of our young ministers was also there. Kevin Wright does lots of missionary trips and tries to work with good causes in Charlotte. He was great to hear talk about Haiti and its problems. I am interested in these Latin America trips since that was a big part of my college studies back when. It is good to hear first hand information about these countries. He said there aren't even animals or insects there because there are so few natural resources that haven't been entirely depleted. They have even cut down all their trees. He said you really know a country is poor when not even an animal or an insect will be around due to lack of food. Wow, the things he has seen and the knowledge he has of the history of the island is impressive. I had a great time just listening and felt that I was being taught something interesting and maybe valuable to my own ability to be grateful. I would love to spend more time being taught by him. I think he should do classes on his missionary trips to show what he found and how our church has maybe helped people there. He did one class for our Sunday School group but there is so much more he talked about at dinner this night. I would like to get with him in a little informal group and let us ask questions and listen to answers. What a blessing to be around someone like him for a couple of hours.
I told her about Don's twin granddaughters going to School of the Arts in Dance this summer and she said one of her twin daughters is going to go to School of the Arts in Drama for her Senior year of High School. I think she has to move in this coming up week or maybe the next week. Amy and I were both excited that we could talk about this wonderful school together. What a fun coincidence.
We also talked about taking another Disciple together - she really wants to take Disciple 4 which neither of us has had. We both stopped after Disciple 3 as we were tired but now I would be willing to tackle 4 and she really wants to take it. But neither of us is available this time around on Wednesday nights when it is offered. So we will be on the lookout for another 4 next spring or fall and hopefully we will be able to get both our schedules on track to do it. It would be good to have all 4 of the long classes under our belt as it is a shame to have completed all but one class. I hope we can work it out even if it is not together. We just should do it. Maybe we should mention to Barbara that if another night comes up for this one to let us know. Someone really did tell me they might be willing to schedule more classes for the long courses if the Wednesday didn't work for enough people. But I think I am into enough stuff for right now and I am willing to let sleeping dogs lie for a while.
Then we went back to my place in her convertible Mini (of the James Bond variety) and I took two pictures of her in the car. We are to go out again after Labor Day to give her time to get her children situated in various schools. Looking forward to it really and truly.
Then Don and I went to dinner with our Sunday School class. I had Sweet Potato Bisque soup (yum) and a salad with shrimp (yum again). Wonderful good food and we talked and talked with our Sunday School class memebers. Don did a wonderful prayer before our meal and everyone was impressed with it, especially me. He must have spent a long time coming up with it as he quoted Wesley in it and told me it was hard to come up with a thankfulness quote from Wesley. I think a lot of people we admire so much in religion have done prayers about other of life's aspects but not about thankfulness per se so it hard if you go after a quote about being thankful.
One of our young ministers was also there. Kevin Wright does lots of missionary trips and tries to work with good causes in Charlotte. He was great to hear talk about Haiti and its problems. I am interested in these Latin America trips since that was a big part of my college studies back when. It is good to hear first hand information about these countries. He said there aren't even animals or insects there because there are so few natural resources that haven't been entirely depleted. They have even cut down all their trees. He said you really know a country is poor when not even an animal or an insect will be around due to lack of food. Wow, the things he has seen and the knowledge he has of the history of the island is impressive. I had a great time just listening and felt that I was being taught something interesting and maybe valuable to my own ability to be grateful. I would love to spend more time being taught by him. I think he should do classes on his missionary trips to show what he found and how our church has maybe helped people there. He did one class for our Sunday School group but there is so much more he talked about at dinner this night. I would like to get with him in a little informal group and let us ask questions and listen to answers. What a blessing to be around someone like him for a couple of hours.
8/11/09
2009/08/02 Through 2009.08/08 Twins' Visit
Don decided to get the 14 year old twins for a week's visit starting on 8/2/09. He rode down to Raleigh to pick them up after church on Sunday. He had dinner with Julie, Christopher, Jessie, Katie, and Kitty Cat (the unnameable cat that wound up being named Kitty Cat). Their nanny took some time off for a trip and Julie could use the help with watching after the kids for a few days. Don tells me he took a walk with Christopher (16 years old) and the two of them had interesting conversation. For such a young man, Christopher is a very thinking person and can converse on a many many topics. Everyone is very proud of his abilities.
On Monday, 8/3/09, the twins and Don started out for the ride back to Charlotte. Christopher has a job and likes his paychecks so he stayed in Raleigh so he could get in some work time. The three of them started out at 10:30 a.m. and went to Asheboro where they tried to eat at a Chinese restaurant that Don and I like there. It was closed and they went to the Golden Corral where everyone enjoyed a great lunch. At 2 p.m., they went to the zoo in Asheboro where they got to see the elephants in an area where they were close up to the people. They also saw babboons. Everyone enjoyed this little excursion as they did not do so much that everyone got worn out with the trip. I think they just went to the Africa exhibit.
Later, at 7 p.m., our church had a speaker from Duke Divinity School, Dr. Efird, who is an expert on the book of Daniel. The twins went with Don while Linda went to a class discussion on Parker Palmer's book, "Let Your Life Speak." The twins got to meet my facilitator, Marissa. Some of our friends, in particular Bob and Anne, Jim and Nancy also visited with them. Everyone was entirely charmed by these lovely young ladies and they were amazing to sit through a talk about the book of Daniel. Dr. Efird was very personable and interesting in his presentation so this helped with keeping everyone's interest piqued. Don and the girls met me after class and I got to introduce them to one of my classmates, Randy, who has become a great friend over the last while since we are in lots of groups together. We went on home after and maybe the girls and Don went to Wendy's for a frosty. The twins like soft ice cream/yogurt and smoothies.
I believe we went to Jason's Deli after this and we had wrap sandwiches (mainly turkey) and soup. I got ginger ale in a bottle and they were surprised I poured it over ice to drink. They thought it would be way more cool to drink it straight out of the bottle. I offered them some of it that was still in the bottle and they loved that. (We did offer to buy them a whole one but they said no.)
Tuesday, August 4, Don picked me up with the twins and we went to the White Water Park for lunch. They wanted to ride the Zip Line. At first, we discouraged this as we didn't know how parents would feel about it but they convinced us that (A) They are in shape (they really really are), (B) They have done Zip Lines before (we didn't now if the ones they had done were quite as long as this one), (C) They are daredevils (yes, indeed they are), and (D) Just call their mom and she would say yes. And so they rode and they rode again. They did just great and loved all but the long walk back to get to ride again. The Water Park really needs a 3 or 4 golf carts to help people make this journey especially on a hot hot day like it was on Tuesday. To get them permission to ride, they had to go weigh to be sure they met the weight limit. They did easily. Then,they had to rent some shoes and a helmet as they were wearing flip flops and of course the helmit is essential. They found the shoes "yucky" but had no choice as they are weighed again at the top of the tower where the zip line takes off and are inspected for safety clothing and harness. They are also given an individual talk on what to do and this takes some time but they listened with attention and came through quite well. Don and I stayed on the ground and tried to get pictures/video of them in the air. We did well too. Don has video of both of them riding down the line and walking back to the tower for their second ride.
That evening, Tuesday, they wanted to rent a movie and have pizza at Linda's so they could see the movie on a larger screen tv. Don took them to Blockbuster and they rented a movie and I set up the table for serving pizza on plates. They came and we ate the pizza and then hit the freezer for "Italian Ice" treats that Marlene had recommended the last time she was here. Cherry was the flavor of the night and they seemed to enjoy it all. And, oh yes, we had to get them cokes in the little glass bottles so they could drink the coke straight from the bottle. This is an indulgence to them as they and their mother don't really think it wise to drink cokes. But this was a treat night. Don and I bore with the movie and the girls seemed to really enjoy it although I don't think anyone sat at rapt attention through the whole thing as we were all busy getting bits of food throughout. This turned out to be a great night for us all though as we enjoyed each other's company.
Wednesday, August 5: The girls wanted to go back to Jason's I do believe. So we went. They wanted extra fruit and one a salad so we did get a lot of food for everyone.
The girls wanted to see a play while they were here. We had done this with them in the past when they visited and I guess they enjoyed it more than we knew. It was "Abba" before and we thought they found it a little "hokey." But since they requested to see another play, Don and I were on the lookout for one that was playing. We found a local production of something called GRITS (stands for Girls Raised in the South) that was given a good review and big article in the paper. They agreed that sounded fun so tickets were bought. They picked me up and we arrived at the theatre (a small one with a small stage but intimate). There were tables set up to sell this that and the other and the girls explored all those possibilities while we waited for the doors to open. We found seats in the theatre which was general admission. Still we had not trouble getting exactly where the girls wanted to be - center, a few rows back from the stage. The play was a series of little stories with a song during or after each one. Some were cute and some were a little melancholy. It started out that Southerners don't understand why Yankees always lock their doors. In the South in the 1940s and 1950s and beyond, no one ever locked anything, nor did people feel it completely necessary to knock. Just go on in and if food was being served, welcome that visitor to your table. Well, Don and I remember it well but it is outside Jessie and Katie's experience. Then there were cute songs and funny songs, like "Lipstick Sisters," "I Hope Dolly Parton Lives Forever," "Sweet Tea," and some song about a girdle. And there was a song about "Mama" and "I Remember" about a dog one of the characters owned for 15+ years that passed away. I sat there and thought of Bandit through that one and it was about to be a tearful moment but the song got happier about the memories so I managed to make it through. I got the girls a CD with the songs on it and they were happy as could be. They wanted Frosties after and Don went by and got them one.
Thursday, August 6: The girls swam in the pool at Don's complex while he went to his men's group and I went to see a video of Dr. Efird's talk from Monday night. We were told that they had to get special permission to show the video(DVD). I am glad I did see it as he gave a great presentation and it made the book of Daniel much more reader friendly. I took notes too. Hope I can find them someday.
At 1:30, Don picked up the girls to go visit Sally and her family in Crozet, VA. She just closed on a new house August 1 so Don told Jessie and Katie there would probably be lots of unpacked boxes around and everyone might want to help a little with anything Sally needed done. Don also picked up Subway sandwiches ($5 footlongs) for everyone to eat in the car when they were hungry.
They got to Sally's about 7 p.m. and saw the new house, Sally, Jim, Kara, and Ben. Jim, Kara, and Ben went swimming. Don took pictures. Jack and Logan were at camp. Jack was spending the night at his camp and Logan was at a camp also.
On Friday, August 7, Don helped Sally build out a desk for Jack. Then, around 12:30 p.m., Jack came home a day early from camp. The grown-ups went to pick him up after a call asking someone to come get him. Turns out, there had been a fire at the camp and tragedy had occurred with one death involved. I saw a picture of the burned building and there was little left except a wall and a half. Jack was not told of the death right away. I don't know how you tell a kid something like that when he has just been at the place that had a fire and had had a good time there.
At 4 p.m., the whole family went to swim at Mountain Lake. The girls liked this as they wanted to go to a beach and the lake has sand around it as if it were a beach. But there was such great views of the mountains from the lake. Everyone agreed it was a lovely place. Logan arrived and took part in this activity.
Since they had been able to see Jack from Noon Friday on (instead of from 1 to 3 Saturday had there not been a fire) they felt it was worth the effort to get back to Raleigh early for a dance rehearsal for Jessie .After sleeping fast Friday night, Don, Katie, and Jessie started out at 7:34 a.m. on Saturday, August 8, for Raleigh. The dance rehearsal was at 1:30. Don got lost somewhere around Lynchburg and they lost 45 minutes trying to get back on track. At 11:45 a.m., they arrived in Raleigh after 245 miles, would have been 200 without getting lost.. They took the children's bags to their father's house and he had three dogs (I think 3) that were all very sweet and everyone liked them. Jessie made her rehearsal. Don left around 1:00 and was back in Charlotte by 4 p.m.
Really fun children and really nice that Don and the girls got to visit with Sally and her family. With all so scattered out, it is difficult to arrange visits around everyone's schedule.
Good job, Don.
On Monday, 8/3/09, the twins and Don started out for the ride back to Charlotte. Christopher has a job and likes his paychecks so he stayed in Raleigh so he could get in some work time. The three of them started out at 10:30 a.m. and went to Asheboro where they tried to eat at a Chinese restaurant that Don and I like there. It was closed and they went to the Golden Corral where everyone enjoyed a great lunch. At 2 p.m., they went to the zoo in Asheboro where they got to see the elephants in an area where they were close up to the people. They also saw babboons. Everyone enjoyed this little excursion as they did not do so much that everyone got worn out with the trip. I think they just went to the Africa exhibit.
Later, at 7 p.m., our church had a speaker from Duke Divinity School, Dr. Efird, who is an expert on the book of Daniel. The twins went with Don while Linda went to a class discussion on Parker Palmer's book, "Let Your Life Speak." The twins got to meet my facilitator, Marissa. Some of our friends, in particular Bob and Anne, Jim and Nancy also visited with them. Everyone was entirely charmed by these lovely young ladies and they were amazing to sit through a talk about the book of Daniel. Dr. Efird was very personable and interesting in his presentation so this helped with keeping everyone's interest piqued. Don and the girls met me after class and I got to introduce them to one of my classmates, Randy, who has become a great friend over the last while since we are in lots of groups together. We went on home after and maybe the girls and Don went to Wendy's for a frosty. The twins like soft ice cream/yogurt and smoothies.
I believe we went to Jason's Deli after this and we had wrap sandwiches (mainly turkey) and soup. I got ginger ale in a bottle and they were surprised I poured it over ice to drink. They thought it would be way more cool to drink it straight out of the bottle. I offered them some of it that was still in the bottle and they loved that. (We did offer to buy them a whole one but they said no.)
Tuesday, August 4, Don picked me up with the twins and we went to the White Water Park for lunch. They wanted to ride the Zip Line. At first, we discouraged this as we didn't know how parents would feel about it but they convinced us that (A) They are in shape (they really really are), (B) They have done Zip Lines before (we didn't now if the ones they had done were quite as long as this one), (C) They are daredevils (yes, indeed they are), and (D) Just call their mom and she would say yes. And so they rode and they rode again. They did just great and loved all but the long walk back to get to ride again. The Water Park really needs a 3 or 4 golf carts to help people make this journey especially on a hot hot day like it was on Tuesday. To get them permission to ride, they had to go weigh to be sure they met the weight limit. They did easily. Then,they had to rent some shoes and a helmet as they were wearing flip flops and of course the helmit is essential. They found the shoes "yucky" but had no choice as they are weighed again at the top of the tower where the zip line takes off and are inspected for safety clothing and harness. They are also given an individual talk on what to do and this takes some time but they listened with attention and came through quite well. Don and I stayed on the ground and tried to get pictures/video of them in the air. We did well too. Don has video of both of them riding down the line and walking back to the tower for their second ride.
That evening, Tuesday, they wanted to rent a movie and have pizza at Linda's so they could see the movie on a larger screen tv. Don took them to Blockbuster and they rented a movie and I set up the table for serving pizza on plates. They came and we ate the pizza and then hit the freezer for "Italian Ice" treats that Marlene had recommended the last time she was here. Cherry was the flavor of the night and they seemed to enjoy it all. And, oh yes, we had to get them cokes in the little glass bottles so they could drink the coke straight from the bottle. This is an indulgence to them as they and their mother don't really think it wise to drink cokes. But this was a treat night. Don and I bore with the movie and the girls seemed to really enjoy it although I don't think anyone sat at rapt attention through the whole thing as we were all busy getting bits of food throughout. This turned out to be a great night for us all though as we enjoyed each other's company.
Wednesday, August 5: The girls wanted to go back to Jason's I do believe. So we went. They wanted extra fruit and one a salad so we did get a lot of food for everyone.
The girls wanted to see a play while they were here. We had done this with them in the past when they visited and I guess they enjoyed it more than we knew. It was "Abba" before and we thought they found it a little "hokey." But since they requested to see another play, Don and I were on the lookout for one that was playing. We found a local production of something called GRITS (stands for Girls Raised in the South) that was given a good review and big article in the paper. They agreed that sounded fun so tickets were bought. They picked me up and we arrived at the theatre (a small one with a small stage but intimate). There were tables set up to sell this that and the other and the girls explored all those possibilities while we waited for the doors to open. We found seats in the theatre which was general admission. Still we had not trouble getting exactly where the girls wanted to be - center, a few rows back from the stage. The play was a series of little stories with a song during or after each one. Some were cute and some were a little melancholy. It started out that Southerners don't understand why Yankees always lock their doors. In the South in the 1940s and 1950s and beyond, no one ever locked anything, nor did people feel it completely necessary to knock. Just go on in and if food was being served, welcome that visitor to your table. Well, Don and I remember it well but it is outside Jessie and Katie's experience. Then there were cute songs and funny songs, like "Lipstick Sisters," "I Hope Dolly Parton Lives Forever," "Sweet Tea," and some song about a girdle. And there was a song about "Mama" and "I Remember" about a dog one of the characters owned for 15+ years that passed away. I sat there and thought of Bandit through that one and it was about to be a tearful moment but the song got happier about the memories so I managed to make it through. I got the girls a CD with the songs on it and they were happy as could be. They wanted Frosties after and Don went by and got them one.
Thursday, August 6: The girls swam in the pool at Don's complex while he went to his men's group and I went to see a video of Dr. Efird's talk from Monday night. We were told that they had to get special permission to show the video(DVD). I am glad I did see it as he gave a great presentation and it made the book of Daniel much more reader friendly. I took notes too. Hope I can find them someday.
At 1:30, Don picked up the girls to go visit Sally and her family in Crozet, VA. She just closed on a new house August 1 so Don told Jessie and Katie there would probably be lots of unpacked boxes around and everyone might want to help a little with anything Sally needed done. Don also picked up Subway sandwiches ($5 footlongs) for everyone to eat in the car when they were hungry.
They got to Sally's about 7 p.m. and saw the new house, Sally, Jim, Kara, and Ben. Jim, Kara, and Ben went swimming. Don took pictures. Jack and Logan were at camp. Jack was spending the night at his camp and Logan was at a camp also.
On Friday, August 7, Don helped Sally build out a desk for Jack. Then, around 12:30 p.m., Jack came home a day early from camp. The grown-ups went to pick him up after a call asking someone to come get him. Turns out, there had been a fire at the camp and tragedy had occurred with one death involved. I saw a picture of the burned building and there was little left except a wall and a half. Jack was not told of the death right away. I don't know how you tell a kid something like that when he has just been at the place that had a fire and had had a good time there.
At 4 p.m., the whole family went to swim at Mountain Lake. The girls liked this as they wanted to go to a beach and the lake has sand around it as if it were a beach. But there was such great views of the mountains from the lake. Everyone agreed it was a lovely place. Logan arrived and took part in this activity.
Since they had been able to see Jack from Noon Friday on (instead of from 1 to 3 Saturday had there not been a fire) they felt it was worth the effort to get back to Raleigh early for a dance rehearsal for Jessie .After sleeping fast Friday night, Don, Katie, and Jessie started out at 7:34 a.m. on Saturday, August 8, for Raleigh. The dance rehearsal was at 1:30. Don got lost somewhere around Lynchburg and they lost 45 minutes trying to get back on track. At 11:45 a.m., they arrived in Raleigh after 245 miles, would have been 200 without getting lost.. They took the children's bags to their father's house and he had three dogs (I think 3) that were all very sweet and everyone liked them. Jessie made her rehearsal. Don left around 1:00 and was back in Charlotte by 4 p.m.
Really fun children and really nice that Don and the girls got to visit with Sally and her family. With all so scattered out, it is difficult to arrange visits around everyone's schedule.
Good job, Don.
8/1/09
2009/07/24 Through 2009/07/26 Mountain Fun
Don asked me a day or two ago if I wanted to go to Boone again this year to see Horn in the West and eat at Daniel Boone Inn and so all the things we did the year before on a similar trip with Julie and the children. Of course I did want to. Last year, I evidently had a really great time on the trip we took to Boone to Horn in the West and etc. The only problem is I somehow lost it entirely from my memory after my surgery in October. I can only get occasional glimpses of it in my mind but all details are wiped out. So this year, I am determined to document the trip in writing and in pictures while my memory holds of it. I had another great time and want to remember the peace and joy of it all. Here is my description of what happened on the 2009 trip.
Friday, July 24, 2009: First Don and I went by way of Lexington and ate at Lexington Barbeque prior to going on to Winston-Salem and then Boone. We got to the Barbeque place around 11 or a little after and ordered a meal. We love the place so it was a good beginning to a great weekend. We eat there often enough during football season on our way to Chapel Hill to the games but I like to go during "off season" as well and sometimes combine it with a trip to Bob Timberlake's Gallery on the other side of town. After we ate, we headed for Winston-Salem which was an amazingly short distance from Lexington. We were there before we knew it and plenty early for the girl's dance recital from School of the Arts.
We toured the campus and I was amazed it is part of the UNC system. It has a street named Kenan Drive and Carolina blue signs up all over. It is a really pretty campus with beautifully kept grounds and "Private" on every street sign. I think they want to keep sightseers to a minimum, but we felt we had some business there in that the twins are in attendance.
Then, Don and I went to park the car downtown near the theatre where the recital was to take place. We were going there to meet Julie and Gabe and Christopher to see the twins dance recital upon their completion of the summer session in dance at the UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. Don and I got there first and went to the lobby of the theatre where the recital was to be held. Soon, we saw Gabe coming with roses in hand for his daughters. Julie had called and said she would be with us momentarily. She arrived but needed to move her car, a newer model(shiny) black Jaguar, just purchased and beautiful. Gabe went with her to help her find a deck to park in and a spot to park. We learned that each student gets 2 free tickets to the recital and that left us needing to buy only one ticket. Wow, a big savings already.
The rest of us went on up an elevator to get to the seating for the recital and soon Julie and Gabe joined us. We kept the flowers under a seat near Gabe as the girls would get them at the end of the recital. Julie went backstage to give a knee brace to one of the twins who had pulled a muscle the day before at practice. Not to worry she said, the costume was some rather baggy pants so the brace would not show during the recital. Two people appeared on stage to introduce the recital and just before they turned to exit the stage, they announced the rehearsals had proven the show to be approximately 1 and 1/2 hours long. With a 15 minute intermission, we would see the whole thing and be out within a 2 hour framework. Everyone in the show did a fine job and there was lovely costuming and choreography to go along with the well-rehearsed and talented students. It was more like going to a program at the Blumenthal than being at a recital for school children. The School of the Arts chooses students well and then trains them well. We all thoroughly enjoyed the entire presentation. The twins did great and we did pick them out of the groups they were in. We tried to take pictures but with no flash allowed in a darkened room, the pictures are a bit fuzzy but we are keeping them anyway. Once the show was over, we awaited the girls coming out to meet us. They cried when they saw their family and the flowers. They are really pretty young ladies. Once we had all told them how beautifully they had done, we discussed whether they needed help finishing up with the packing of their dorm room. They had already done their packing so we all left to help load the car and get them checked out. There were parking problems around all the dorms as every parent was there at one time trying to check their children out of the school's housing. We parked up at a Welcome Center sort of place which was across the street from the dorms and walked over. By the time we got there, Gabe said he had his car all packed and Julie was trying to help them get checked out. Evidently, they inspect the room before you leave to tell whether or not damage had been done to anything. Don and I waited in the "Welcome Center" and Christopher joined us. I saw a "lifesize" poster of what looked to me like a giant green peanut but Christopher said it was a pickle which is evidently a mascot for School of the Arts. I took pictures of him and later of the girls with the Pickle. Julie asked if we preferredt to eat in Winston or wait until we got to Boone. Both Don and I were still full from the Lexington Barbeque earlier in the day so our vote was to wait for Boone. Soon the girls were telling us that eating at a Japanese streakhouse in Winston-Salem was tradition for all the family who had attended School of the Arts (Julie went there for high school). Julie somehow convinced them that a Japanese steakhouse in Boone would do just as well so Julie and the girls and me and Don started for Boone. The trip took longer than I thought it would but we made it just fine. We checked into 3 rooms, one for Julie and the girls, one for me, and one for Don. Julie found the address for a Japanese steakhouse and we started out for it. After getting a little lost, we found it pretty late, maybe 9 or 9:30 p.m. I ordered steak without a combination meat and I think Julie and the girls ordered steak and scallops. Don got steak and chicken. It was way more than Don or I could eat so next time, we need to pay the $3 extra to share a meal. We took our leftovers as the rooms had refrigerators and that steak was good for 2 more meals for me once we got home.
Saturday, July 25, 2009: Julie and the girls wanted to go to the mall and shop and maybe get a manicure. Don and I wanted to go into the town of Blowing Rock and browse around the shops. Rather Linda wanted to browse around the shops in Blowing Rock and Don was willing. I think we both had bun. To me, it was pure heaven. The town is so picturesque and lovely, much different than the town I knew as a little girl when I visited. I have bought some really lovely things there and I looked pretty hard this time but all the lovely things had even lovelier prices so I was content to look. I did buy a few things, mostly books of postcards of the mountains and a really nice writing book. Almost everyone in my Monday night class has a really nice writing book for their notes so I thought that purchase appropriate. Then I got a couple of nice pens with periwinkle ink that I could share with Don as his "Carolina" surprises of the weekend. We went to a bookstore that had fewer books than coffee but of course I browed through all the Jan Karon and had fun doing it. No new books there yet. She is working on one though. I was getting tired and I went up to a nearby park to find a public bathroom and then Don joined me in the park and we just sat in the shade a while. What gorgeous, perfect weather. It was not too hot and it was breezy and peaceful. We sat there a while and just talked like we had all the time in the world. Finally, Don went to bring the car around and we went back to Boone. We saw Julie and the girls and decided eventually to go to the Daniel Boone Inn for dinner around 5:30.
When we got to the Inn, there was a bus out front and a line almost all the way around the building. Don went in and found a place for me to sit and wait while they were in line. Some of the "Horn in the West" actors came and sang for the patrons. They lined up right in front of where I was sitting and sang "Danny Boy." Later, I saw some of those same actors playing war in the play and it was an out-of-body experience - from Danny Boy to war in just an hour or two!!!
We ate well. They serve family style and they cook up a menu and that is what you get. We had chicken and country style steak the night we were there. Of course there were all kinds of vegetables and ham biscuits as well as plain biscuits. And, lo and behold, dessert. I had strawberry short cake. All of it was delicious.
The play was wonderful as usual. We looked for changes from previous viewings. Both Julie and Sally have been in the play in the past so Julie knew many of the actors and behind-the-scenes people. She stopped and talked to many of them while the girls shopped in the gift store. I got everyone programs and then we went to our seats. The play is fun to watch, even more so, the second and third times around. At the end of it, we went up and participated in the "Meet and Greet" that the actors hold at the end of each performance. I talked to Daniel Boone and a couple of British soldiers, the main Indian Princess character, and others including one Appalachian State student who is an advisor on authenticity of portrayal of the indians. He gives talks about Cherokee Indians at National Parks as his summer job. He was interesting and friendly. He says the play still has many inaccuracies, especially the fire dance before intermission but is improving over time. The program tells you that the fire dance is not authentic but it is highly dramatic and it would be a shame to lose it.
Sunday, July 26, 2009: Julie and the girls thought they would sleep in late before leaving for Raleigh. Don and I wanted to eat early and go to a church service at Blowing Rock Methodist Church at 10:30 a.m. Julie and the girls wound up meeting us for breakfast downstairs at the hotel. Julie talked to us about how she stays so trim, eating very few calories (and watching her calories) throughout the day until dinner and then eating what she wants. She watches sugared sweets, especially staying away from sodas such as Coke unless they are diet. She also believes in hard exercise every day even if she can only fit in 20 minutes sometime. She almost never skips and does not compromise her diet unless it is a very special occasion. The twins do much the same thing and all 3 are trim as can be. It was an inspiration to Don and I who have been trying hard all week to exercise (not piddly stuff but real work)and we bought some things at the grocery store to help us count those calories during the day. I am not doing as well with the diet drinks but am trying to use them every other time I want a drink (hopefully better than never drinking one as an alternative). So finally someone has inspired us to do better. We have worked out at the Y Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday this week and Don walked to church and back on Thursday. On Tuesday we both had physicals so we didn't do as much on that day for exercise.
After breakfast, Don and I went to Blowing Rock Methodist Church. It is a small church (room for about 150 in the sanctuary)and they put up a canopy tent in advance in anticipation of an overflow crowd. By the time we got there, we had to park way up a hill from the church and sit barely under the canopy. Then, to at least my surprise, they were singing 30 minutes worth of Christmas carols. The church doesn't hold services except during heavy tourist season (maybe May through September or June through September), so they have Christmas in July. They have not permanent members so people can become Affiliate Members. The church has no budget, it just sees what it collects and uses it the best it can. The sermon was about how the best things come in the smallest packages. We saw some people there from our church in Charlotte and some of them were listed as being on the governing board for the church. We want to go back again. Such a wonderful place. After the service, we waited (a long time) for the inside crowd to exit so we could go in and see the sanctuary. Very lovely. The church is made of rock on the exterior and it has a very reverent feel inside. After we did this little walk through, Don offered to get the car but that would have put us going out of town in the wrong direction so I walked up the hill with him and we made it just fine.
Next we went to Blowing Rock Park where the real Blowing Rock is. We went through their gift shop and Don offered to buy me as many mood rings as I wanted. I took him up on the $1.98 to $2.98 ring offers and wound up with 6. One of them is in the shape of a Carolina Tar Heel and was blue to start with but turned purple on my finger in a short time (purple means very happy according to the chart I was given). So I told him I guess East Carolina colors were the theme of the day. We ate a hot dog at a little snack shop in the park and took lots of pictures walking around and looking out at overlooks. I also got pictures of others climbing the rock. At one point you are directly under the rock and I got some guy climbing the rock from this vantage point. Kind of dramatic looking. Then we opted to go see a waterfall area rather than a garden as I was getting a little tired walking on gravel paths.
So I now have memory of a weekend in Boone/Blowing Rock that is happy in every detail as well as in the overall. The weather was just perfect - great temperatures, no rain and not much humidity. And we were inspired by Julie and the twins. And we will be up to go again anytime. Maybe next time, the twins will be part of the Horn in the West act. Who knows!! Wouldn't that be just a stellar event for us all.
Friday, July 24, 2009: First Don and I went by way of Lexington and ate at Lexington Barbeque prior to going on to Winston-Salem and then Boone. We got to the Barbeque place around 11 or a little after and ordered a meal. We love the place so it was a good beginning to a great weekend. We eat there often enough during football season on our way to Chapel Hill to the games but I like to go during "off season" as well and sometimes combine it with a trip to Bob Timberlake's Gallery on the other side of town. After we ate, we headed for Winston-Salem which was an amazingly short distance from Lexington. We were there before we knew it and plenty early for the girl's dance recital from School of the Arts.
We toured the campus and I was amazed it is part of the UNC system. It has a street named Kenan Drive and Carolina blue signs up all over. It is a really pretty campus with beautifully kept grounds and "Private" on every street sign. I think they want to keep sightseers to a minimum, but we felt we had some business there in that the twins are in attendance.
Then, Don and I went to park the car downtown near the theatre where the recital was to take place. We were going there to meet Julie and Gabe and Christopher to see the twins dance recital upon their completion of the summer session in dance at the UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. Don and I got there first and went to the lobby of the theatre where the recital was to be held. Soon, we saw Gabe coming with roses in hand for his daughters. Julie had called and said she would be with us momentarily. She arrived but needed to move her car, a newer model(shiny) black Jaguar, just purchased and beautiful. Gabe went with her to help her find a deck to park in and a spot to park. We learned that each student gets 2 free tickets to the recital and that left us needing to buy only one ticket. Wow, a big savings already.
The rest of us went on up an elevator to get to the seating for the recital and soon Julie and Gabe joined us. We kept the flowers under a seat near Gabe as the girls would get them at the end of the recital. Julie went backstage to give a knee brace to one of the twins who had pulled a muscle the day before at practice. Not to worry she said, the costume was some rather baggy pants so the brace would not show during the recital. Two people appeared on stage to introduce the recital and just before they turned to exit the stage, they announced the rehearsals had proven the show to be approximately 1 and 1/2 hours long. With a 15 minute intermission, we would see the whole thing and be out within a 2 hour framework. Everyone in the show did a fine job and there was lovely costuming and choreography to go along with the well-rehearsed and talented students. It was more like going to a program at the Blumenthal than being at a recital for school children. The School of the Arts chooses students well and then trains them well. We all thoroughly enjoyed the entire presentation. The twins did great and we did pick them out of the groups they were in. We tried to take pictures but with no flash allowed in a darkened room, the pictures are a bit fuzzy but we are keeping them anyway. Once the show was over, we awaited the girls coming out to meet us. They cried when they saw their family and the flowers. They are really pretty young ladies. Once we had all told them how beautifully they had done, we discussed whether they needed help finishing up with the packing of their dorm room. They had already done their packing so we all left to help load the car and get them checked out. There were parking problems around all the dorms as every parent was there at one time trying to check their children out of the school's housing. We parked up at a Welcome Center sort of place which was across the street from the dorms and walked over. By the time we got there, Gabe said he had his car all packed and Julie was trying to help them get checked out. Evidently, they inspect the room before you leave to tell whether or not damage had been done to anything. Don and I waited in the "Welcome Center" and Christopher joined us. I saw a "lifesize" poster of what looked to me like a giant green peanut but Christopher said it was a pickle which is evidently a mascot for School of the Arts. I took pictures of him and later of the girls with the Pickle. Julie asked if we preferredt to eat in Winston or wait until we got to Boone. Both Don and I were still full from the Lexington Barbeque earlier in the day so our vote was to wait for Boone. Soon the girls were telling us that eating at a Japanese streakhouse in Winston-Salem was tradition for all the family who had attended School of the Arts (Julie went there for high school). Julie somehow convinced them that a Japanese steakhouse in Boone would do just as well so Julie and the girls and me and Don started for Boone. The trip took longer than I thought it would but we made it just fine. We checked into 3 rooms, one for Julie and the girls, one for me, and one for Don. Julie found the address for a Japanese steakhouse and we started out for it. After getting a little lost, we found it pretty late, maybe 9 or 9:30 p.m. I ordered steak without a combination meat and I think Julie and the girls ordered steak and scallops. Don got steak and chicken. It was way more than Don or I could eat so next time, we need to pay the $3 extra to share a meal. We took our leftovers as the rooms had refrigerators and that steak was good for 2 more meals for me once we got home.
Saturday, July 25, 2009: Julie and the girls wanted to go to the mall and shop and maybe get a manicure. Don and I wanted to go into the town of Blowing Rock and browse around the shops. Rather Linda wanted to browse around the shops in Blowing Rock and Don was willing. I think we both had bun. To me, it was pure heaven. The town is so picturesque and lovely, much different than the town I knew as a little girl when I visited. I have bought some really lovely things there and I looked pretty hard this time but all the lovely things had even lovelier prices so I was content to look. I did buy a few things, mostly books of postcards of the mountains and a really nice writing book. Almost everyone in my Monday night class has a really nice writing book for their notes so I thought that purchase appropriate. Then I got a couple of nice pens with periwinkle ink that I could share with Don as his "Carolina" surprises of the weekend. We went to a bookstore that had fewer books than coffee but of course I browed through all the Jan Karon and had fun doing it. No new books there yet. She is working on one though. I was getting tired and I went up to a nearby park to find a public bathroom and then Don joined me in the park and we just sat in the shade a while. What gorgeous, perfect weather. It was not too hot and it was breezy and peaceful. We sat there a while and just talked like we had all the time in the world. Finally, Don went to bring the car around and we went back to Boone. We saw Julie and the girls and decided eventually to go to the Daniel Boone Inn for dinner around 5:30.
When we got to the Inn, there was a bus out front and a line almost all the way around the building. Don went in and found a place for me to sit and wait while they were in line. Some of the "Horn in the West" actors came and sang for the patrons. They lined up right in front of where I was sitting and sang "Danny Boy." Later, I saw some of those same actors playing war in the play and it was an out-of-body experience - from Danny Boy to war in just an hour or two!!!
We ate well. They serve family style and they cook up a menu and that is what you get. We had chicken and country style steak the night we were there. Of course there were all kinds of vegetables and ham biscuits as well as plain biscuits. And, lo and behold, dessert. I had strawberry short cake. All of it was delicious.
The play was wonderful as usual. We looked for changes from previous viewings. Both Julie and Sally have been in the play in the past so Julie knew many of the actors and behind-the-scenes people. She stopped and talked to many of them while the girls shopped in the gift store. I got everyone programs and then we went to our seats. The play is fun to watch, even more so, the second and third times around. At the end of it, we went up and participated in the "Meet and Greet" that the actors hold at the end of each performance. I talked to Daniel Boone and a couple of British soldiers, the main Indian Princess character, and others including one Appalachian State student who is an advisor on authenticity of portrayal of the indians. He gives talks about Cherokee Indians at National Parks as his summer job. He was interesting and friendly. He says the play still has many inaccuracies, especially the fire dance before intermission but is improving over time. The program tells you that the fire dance is not authentic but it is highly dramatic and it would be a shame to lose it.
Sunday, July 26, 2009: Julie and the girls thought they would sleep in late before leaving for Raleigh. Don and I wanted to eat early and go to a church service at Blowing Rock Methodist Church at 10:30 a.m. Julie and the girls wound up meeting us for breakfast downstairs at the hotel. Julie talked to us about how she stays so trim, eating very few calories (and watching her calories) throughout the day until dinner and then eating what she wants. She watches sugared sweets, especially staying away from sodas such as Coke unless they are diet. She also believes in hard exercise every day even if she can only fit in 20 minutes sometime. She almost never skips and does not compromise her diet unless it is a very special occasion. The twins do much the same thing and all 3 are trim as can be. It was an inspiration to Don and I who have been trying hard all week to exercise (not piddly stuff but real work)and we bought some things at the grocery store to help us count those calories during the day. I am not doing as well with the diet drinks but am trying to use them every other time I want a drink (hopefully better than never drinking one as an alternative). So finally someone has inspired us to do better. We have worked out at the Y Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday this week and Don walked to church and back on Thursday. On Tuesday we both had physicals so we didn't do as much on that day for exercise.
After breakfast, Don and I went to Blowing Rock Methodist Church. It is a small church (room for about 150 in the sanctuary)and they put up a canopy tent in advance in anticipation of an overflow crowd. By the time we got there, we had to park way up a hill from the church and sit barely under the canopy. Then, to at least my surprise, they were singing 30 minutes worth of Christmas carols. The church doesn't hold services except during heavy tourist season (maybe May through September or June through September), so they have Christmas in July. They have not permanent members so people can become Affiliate Members. The church has no budget, it just sees what it collects and uses it the best it can. The sermon was about how the best things come in the smallest packages. We saw some people there from our church in Charlotte and some of them were listed as being on the governing board for the church. We want to go back again. Such a wonderful place. After the service, we waited (a long time) for the inside crowd to exit so we could go in and see the sanctuary. Very lovely. The church is made of rock on the exterior and it has a very reverent feel inside. After we did this little walk through, Don offered to get the car but that would have put us going out of town in the wrong direction so I walked up the hill with him and we made it just fine.
Next we went to Blowing Rock Park where the real Blowing Rock is. We went through their gift shop and Don offered to buy me as many mood rings as I wanted. I took him up on the $1.98 to $2.98 ring offers and wound up with 6. One of them is in the shape of a Carolina Tar Heel and was blue to start with but turned purple on my finger in a short time (purple means very happy according to the chart I was given). So I told him I guess East Carolina colors were the theme of the day. We ate a hot dog at a little snack shop in the park and took lots of pictures walking around and looking out at overlooks. I also got pictures of others climbing the rock. At one point you are directly under the rock and I got some guy climbing the rock from this vantage point. Kind of dramatic looking. Then we opted to go see a waterfall area rather than a garden as I was getting a little tired walking on gravel paths.
So I now have memory of a weekend in Boone/Blowing Rock that is happy in every detail as well as in the overall. The weather was just perfect - great temperatures, no rain and not much humidity. And we were inspired by Julie and the twins. And we will be up to go again anytime. Maybe next time, the twins will be part of the Horn in the West act. Who knows!! Wouldn't that be just a stellar event for us all.
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