The most notorious political murder in recent American history occurred this day in 1963, when John F. Kennedy, the 35th U.S. president (1961–63), was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas, while riding in an open car.
I was born ten months after that dark day in Dallas, but the residual results remained. The widowed First Lady, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, was still very much an international icon and a continued focus of the paparazzi. My mother followed and emulated Mrs. Kennedy’s fashion and hairstyles, and my homemade outfits were similar to those worn by Kennedy’s son, John, Jr..
Growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, our country continued to recognize Pearl Harbor Day. It’s amazing to think that when I was born in September 1964, Pearl Harbor had not yet reached its 63rd anniversary. I grew up knowing where folks were on December 7, 1941, and November 22, 1963. Now, the impact of Pearl Harbor is overshadowed by 9/11.
The tragedies that seemed to follow the Kennedy family became too real for my family after meeting Senator Robert Kennedy at my hometown’s legendary eaterie, Mangas Cafeteria, two months before his own murder. I was three months away from my fourth birthday, but I can still recall watching his funeral on television with my family. The discussions following Bobby Kennedy’s shooting and death seemed to return to the haunting days of Dallas, nearly six years before.
Last night was my final night to work THE GRINCH WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS: THE MUSICAL. I caught bits and pieces from the lobby throughout my nights at Schuster Center, but did not watch the show; however, I did step inside the rear of the orchestra level to watch the snow coming down into the audience. While it was beautiful, all I could think of was all our hardworking folks who always make the Dayton Live venues sparkle. The snow confetti was everywhere after each performance.
It’s a gorgeous day with a beautiful bright sky and we have reached our high of 56 degrees. The remaining days will vacillate between the mid-forties and low-fifties with lots of cloud coverage and some rain. However, I was overjoyed to see the city leaf sweeper had made it down Rockhill Avenue and Shroyer Road to suck up the tall mounds of leaves from Mama Kay’s and my yards.
It’s to be a slow week with only a few items at Schuster Center. I can use the break to rest up and get the gut issues back in line. I hope.
On this date in history: (2017) American criminal and cult leader Charles Manson—whose followers carried out several notorious murders in the 1960s, notably those at the home of Sharon Tate—died in prison at age 83. (2002) As had the House of Representatives the previous week, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approved the creation of a new cabinet department, the Department of Homeland Security, to have a workforce of 170,000. (1990) The pop duo Milli Vanilli became the first performers to be stripped of a Grammy Award (for best new artist) after it was revealed that the two men had not sung on the album Girl You Know It’s True (1989). (1977) After the Arab-Israeli war of 1973–74, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat began to work toward peace, and on this day in 1977, he began his historic visit to Israel, during which he offered a peace plan to its parliament. (1975) The dramatic film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was released in American theatres, and it became the first film since It Happened One Night (1934) to win the Academy Awards for best picture, director (Miloš Forman), lead actor (Jack Nicholson), lead actress (Louise Fletcher), and screenplay. (1863) U.S. President Abraham Lincoln delivered the brief but renowned Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the National Cemetery in Pennsylvania during the American Civil War. (1794) During his tenure as the first chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, John Jay negotiated the Jay Treaty with Great Britain, helping mend ties between the Americans and the British.
So far, it’s been a quiet Sunday and will remain so until it is time to teach at 4 PM – 11 PM.
Monday was fairly uneventful. The long evening of in-person and Zoom lessons made up for it. The weather, cold and grey, had some beautiful moments at sunrise and sunset with a few brilliant moments in between.
Tonight, I shall be at The Schuster Center for the Straight, No Chaser concert. They are so entertaining from start to finish and never fail to impress. I have followed them for many years and my London-based son has become one of their fans, too. I am looking forward to this concert.
On this date in history: (2012) Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first in a series of movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book, had its world premiere in New Zealand. (1989) Queen Latifah released her debut album, All Hail the Queen, and its success helped redefine the traditionally male genre of rap. (1962) American comedian and actor Jon Stewart, who hosted (1999–2015) the satiric television news program The Daily Show, was born. (1961) Gridiron football player Ernie Davis of Syracuse University became the first African American to win the prestigious Heisman Trophy. (1943) The Tehrān Conference, attended by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, at which Stalin pressed for an invasion of France, opened this day in 1943. (1919) Lady Astor became the first woman to sit in the British House of Commons. (1820) German philosopher Friedrich Engels, coauthor with Karl Marx of The Communist Manifesto (1848), was born. (1757) English engraver, artist, poet, and visionary William Blake, whose notable works included the poetry collections Songs of Innocence (1789) and Songs of Experience (1794), was born. (1720) Female pirates Mary Read and Anne Bonny went on trial and were subsequently convicted and sentenced to death; their executions were postponed because both were pregnant, and Bonny was eventually freed, though Read died in prison. (1562) famed English poet and dramatist William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway.
It’s Sunday morning, and at 6:30 AM, there is no hint of the sun popping up from the east. The rain is expected to arrive by 9 AM or 10 AM.
There is not much to report this morning. My bedroom is 95% completed in the room swap and organization. I am chomping at the bit to complete the closet exchange so I can have my clothes in the bedroom and more storage space in my study.
On this date in history: (2008) Ten gunmen—who were believed to be connected to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based terrorist organization—launched a series of coordinated attacks in Mumbai (Bombay); the siege ended three days later, with at least 174 people killed. (1942) Set in occupied Morocco during World War II, directed by Michael Curtiz, and starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid, Casablanca premiered this day in 1942 and became one of Hollywood’s most-revered films. (1941) U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull sent a harsh notice to Japan, calling for a full withdrawal from China and Indochina. (1939) American singer Tina Turner—who found success in the rhythm-and-blues, soul, and rock genres—was born. (1917)The National Hockey League was founded and featured four Canadian teams; the first American club, the Boston Bruins, was added in 1924. (1894) Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia, married Alexandra, a German princess and great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria. (1883) Sojourner Truth, the African-American evangelist and reformer who applied her religious fervor to the abolitionist and women’s rights movements, died.
Last night was terribly cold with the wind’s bitter bite perpetuated by the westward flow from the Miami River. As I stood greeting folks inside the expansive Winter Garden of the Schuster Center, the wind sliced through the opened doors. The nice thing about the shooting breeze was that it swirled the smell of Starbucks, located inside the Winter Garden.
I loved listening to the memories shared by folks who had grown up with the Rike’s Store window displays. One lady said she was a girl when the displays opened in 1947 and she is now bringing her great-grandchildren to see the displays, now encased in beautiful display cases designed by Dayton native and professional theatre scenic designer, Adam Koch.
My shift was completed at 7 PM with the start of the Children’s Holiday Parade that began on 2nd Street, passing directly in front of the Schuster Center. At 7:15 PM, I hurried across Main Street and made a goal of reaching the Chinese buffet by 7:30 PM. It was a big goal but I arrived at 7:31 PM. As I prepared to pay, the owner informed me that they were closing at 8 PM instead of 10 PM. Disappointment!
I walked back toward the temporary bus terminal, moved onto the side streets due to the parade, and grabbed two sandwiches from Arby’s. When I made it to the busing area, I had a four-minute wait. Perfect. I was home by 8:30 PM. I wanted to spend at least three hours organizing my bedroom, but I opted to work at my desk and watch some documentaries until falling asleep.
However, I accomplished 11, 432 steps throughout my day.
On this date in history: (2016) Cuban political leader Fidel Castro, who transformed his country into the first communist state in the Western Hemisphere and became a symbol of the communist revolution in Latin America, died at age 90. (2002) In London the Agatha Christie play The Mousetrap celebrated its 50th anniversary with a royal gala, having opened on November 25, 1952, and this performance being its 20,807th. (1970) On this day in 1970, Japanese novelist Mishima Yukio and four members of his Shield Society, a private army formed to preserve Japan’s martial spirit, seized a military headquarters in Tokyo, and he later committed seppuku. (1963) The United States buried its 35th President, John F. Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetery. (1942) Leslie Groves and J. Robert Oppenheimer chose Los Alamos, New Mexico, as the site of Project Y, which developed the first atomic bomb. (1936) Germany and Japan formed the Anti-Comintern Pact against the Soviet Union. (1914) American baseball player Joe DiMaggio, who was one of the best all-around players in the history of the game, was born. (1863) General Ulysses S. Grant defeated General Braxton Bragg’s Confederate forces in the Battle of Missionary Ridge during the American Civil War. (1846) American temperance advocate Carry Nation, famous for using a hatchet to demolish barrooms, was born. (1277) Nicholas III was elected pope of the Roman Catholic Church.
My study and bedroom are back to their original rooms from when we first moved to Shroyer Road in 2003. In May 2013, I took advantage of the 17’x24’ upstairs bedroom that had been “the dorm” for four of the five sons, ten foster sons, and countless overnight guests who were bonus sons. I swapped my study for the north room and turned the southwest room into a guest bedroom. My study has now returned to overlooking the high school parking lot on the southwest side of the house, and my bedroom has returned to the northwest side that overlooks the driveway.
I like the smaller 10’x11’ study and the larger 12’x12’ bedroom. I’ve been considering this for several months but dreaded the process of moving these two rooms.
Monday evening, before my last two in person students left, I asked the teen brothers if they move a desk upstairs and lift two chests into my future bedroom. I’m grateful for their muscled assistance, but that was the leverage for me to get on with this task.
Tuesday morning, following breakfast, it all began. My greatest concern was getting my computer and three monitors reconnected, plus the internet. I am still patting myself on the back for the success in reconnecting. I went to the basement to connect the internet cable to the southwest room but couldn’t get the cable connectors to budge. I contacted Spectrum at 1:15 PM and they said they’d get a technician to Shroyer Road between 3:00-4:00 PM. At 3:05 PM, the technician arrived and made the exchange in a matter of minutes. He detected some “static” in the line and after checking the exterior box, discovered my incoming line was aged. A new line was installed. My former student and dear friend, Alex Loree, came over at 3:45 PM so I could make my 4 PM dinner with Mama Kay and Mary – my only big out-to-dinner for the next week.
I worked until 11 PM and could do no more. I still have much to do but my bed was up and my computer work desk, electric keyboard, and voice music bookcase were all in place. I hope to finish everything today before heading downtown for a Dayton Live event. My body will revolt but the exchange will be very satisfying.
Monday was chillier temperatures than what we’d become accustomed to the past week where lighter jackets or even no coats were necessary. I certainly enjoyed the weather and the chance to tackle Operation:
The rain has been here for several hours, and is expected to be with us until 1 PM.
ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY: (1620) On this day in 1620, 41 male passengers on the Mayflower, prior to landing at Plymouth, Massachusetts, signed the Mayflower Compact, by which they agreed to abide by the laws of the new government they would establish. (2002) A North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit meeting in Prague extended an official invitation to become new alliance members so Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. (1995) A peace agreement, known as the Dayton Accords, was reached by the presidents of Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia, ending the Bosnian War. (1931) The horror classic Frankenstein, based on a stage adaptation of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s 1818 novel, was released in the United States, and it helped make the hulking monster, who was portrayed by Boris Karloff, one of the most recognizable characters in film history. (1922) Rebecca Ann Felton of Georgia was sworn into office, becoming the first woman seated in the U.S. Senate; Felton, who was appointed to the seat, served only two days. (1920) On Bloody Sunday, the Irish Republican Army killed 11 Englishmen suspected of being intelligence agents, and the Black and Tans took revenge the same afternoon, attacking spectators and players at a Gaelic football match in Croke Park, Dublin, killing 12 and wounding 60. (1783) The first crewed hot-air balloon flight was made by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent, marquis d’Arlandes, traveling from the Château de la Muette across the Bois de Boulogne on the edge of Paris in a balloon made by Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier.
Make it a great day!
PHOTOS: old and recent Rike’s Department Store window displays that can currently be seen in the Winter Garden of the Schuster Center.
Yesterday, November 19, 2023, our nation lost an incredible First Lady, Rosalynn Carter. Mrs. Carter was our First Lady beginning the second semester of my sixth-grade year at Washington Elementary School in Elwood, Indiana. I got to visit the Carter White House in 1978 and we came within a few minutes of getting to see her. I will always admire and respect this wonderful woman.
“Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” the former president said in a statement. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.” – President Jimmy Carter
On this date: (2006) American filmmaker Robert Altman—an unconventional and independent director whose works emphasized character and atmosphere over plot in exploring themes of innocence, corruption, and survival—died at age 81. (1998) American tobacco companies signed an agreement with the governments of 46 U.S. states to settle the states’ claims for reimbursement of Medicaid funds they had expended to treat smoking-related illnesses, the settlement costing the tobacco manufacturers $206 billion beyond the $40 billion they had agreed to pay four other states in 1997. (1992) A massive fire erupted at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England, causing the destruction of 115 rooms, though the priceless art collection was largely untouched; it took nearly five years to repair the damage. (1975) Francisco Franco, ruler of Spain since his overthrow of the democratic government in 1939, died at age 82. (1947) The future Queen Elizabeth II married Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey. (1925) American politician Robert F. Kennedy—who held several posts in the administration of his brother President John F. Kennedy and later served as a U.S. senator before being assassinated—was born. (1910) Russian author Leo Tolstoy, suffering from pneumonia, died of heart failure at the railroad station of Astapovo.
These mild mid-November temperatures are quite delightful. When I can grab a few minutes to blow the leaves, it is nice to do so still wearing shorts and not bundled up in long pants, a coat, and gloves. MamaKay’s tree has shed a lot of its leaves but still has a long way to go.
Tonight begins the touring company run of HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS: THE MUSICAL. I shall work five of the eight performances at The Schuster Center. I still have mixed feelings about the musical – but I have not yet seen it nor have I heard any of the music.
On this date in history: 2014: American politician Jane Byrne, who was the first woman to serve as mayor of Chicago (1979–83), died at age 81. 1969: Apollo 12 was launched, carrying a crew of Charles Conrad, Jr., Richard F. Gordon, Jr., and Alan L. Bean, and five days later the mission made the second landing on the Moon. 1960: Six-year-old Ruby Bridges began attending William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, becoming the youngest of a group of African American students to integrate schools in the American South. 1948: Prince Charles—heir apparent to the British throne, the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, duke of Edinburgh—was born. 1915: Educator, reformer, and first president and principal developer of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (now Tuskegee University) Booker T. Washington, the most influential spokesman for African Americans in the late 19th and the early 20th century, died at age 59. 1889: American journalist Nellie Bly began her around-the-world race against the record of Phileas Fogg, hero of Jules Verne‘s Around the World in Eighty Days; she completed the journey in slightly more than 72 days.
The past two days’ lessons were the result of students working very hard and I got to meet two new students who are very eager! I love it.
Today, my wonderful big boy, Chief, turns thirteen. Chief and his sister, Navi (2010-2013) came to live with us on February 20, 203, when they were about thirteen weeks old. Chief has been the much beloved pooch patriarch of all the dogs and cats who have passed through The Haasienda.
It’s still dark at 6:45 AM this Friday morning. The temperature, now 60 degrees, will hover around the upper fifties until dropping to the forties by mid to late afternoon. I am so glad I was able to accomplish a majority of Operation: Leaves2023.
Last night, I got to spend some time with Mama Kay and Laura at dinner before coming home around 6 PM and blowing some leaves in the dark. I wanted my driveway and front walk cleared and knew we’d be facing massive amounts of rain, today.
Tonight will be grinchy as I head downtown for another round of THE GRINCH WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS: THE MUSICAL.
On this date in history, in 2008, The first film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s popular Twilight Saga, a vampire-themed series of novels for teenagers, premiered in Los Angeles. In 2003, Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, an Austrian-born American bodybuilder and film actor, was inaugurated on this day in 2003 as the governor of California following a recall election that ousted the sitting governor. During the Watergate scandal, in 1973, U.S. President Richard Nixon held a press conference in which he declared, “I am not a crook.” American filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who was known for his harsh, often violent depictions of American culture, was born in 1942. In 1869, after 10 years of construction, the Suez Canal opened in Egypt. The father of Wilbur and Orville Wright, the Bishop Milton Wright, was born in 1828. The U.S. Congress held its first session in Washington, D.C. in 1800. In 1558, at the death of Mary I this day, Elizabeth Tudor came to the English throne as Elizabeth I.
Make it a great day!
PHOTOS: Chief at 15 week; Chief and Navi at 13 weeks; Navi & Chief at 3 yrs; Bishop Milton Wright; our rain band moving into the Miami Valley.
Seeing the audience pouring into Schuster Center to see THE GRINCH WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS: THE MUSICAL is invigorating. I love meeting guests who have never been to Schuster Center and some folks are attending their very first live theatrical performance.
Last night, as I waited on No. 17 to haul me downtown to the Schuster Center, someone was calling my name as they came down the sidewalk. Mary Linzmeier, who lives with her husband, Bob, around the corner in the condominiums, was offering me a ride. She and Bob, who also ushers at Dayton Live, were going to dinner downtown and then on to GRINCH with friends. It was nice to chat with Mary who was a co-worker at Carillon Historical Park.
This morning, following the morning routine of feeding the indoor live-stock, I took to my bed for another three hours of sleep. I woke up more refreshed for which I was grateful.
I began tackling Operation: Leaves2023 by late morning. It’s so difficult to stay on task when neighbors walk their dogs! Come on! I have things to accomplish, and they know I will stop everything to talk to their dogs. One lady moved from the street over, two years ago, but still likes to walk her very large white-furred pooch in this neighborhood. As they walked south on Shroyer Road, the big white horse nearly dragged her across Rockhill Avenue when he recognized me. The lady recognized me, too, but I was thrilled more than her fury companion did, too.
Yesterday, and this morning, there were some interesting folks; I shall leave those stories for another time… except one. If a parent sees a three-foot bank of leaves and pulls up alongside it to retrieve their teenager from high school, I pray the child does not lack the common sense and intelligence as the parent! The daughter, her face magnetized to her phone, cluelessly ambled on the sidewalk, lowered her phone to see the bank of leaves blocking the passenger side door, and began kicking the raked pile of leaves back onto the sidewalk. I continued to observe the scenario. The mother must have said something to the girl, but I could not hear due to the loud noise of the leaf blower. The young lady looked over me, gave a slight sneer, and got into the car. Interesting. Sad.
Benazir Bhutto, elected prime minister of Pakistan on this day in 1988, became the first woman in modern history to lead a Muslim country, serving as prime minister from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 1996. In 1973, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act was signed by U.S. President Richard Nixon; the pipeline—which connects the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay in northern Alaska with the harbor at Valdez—became operational four years later. Actor Clark Gable, who epitomized the American ideal of masculinity for three decades and was known as the “King of Hollywood,” died in 1960 of a heart attack, days after finishing work on The Misfits (1961). In 1855, British explorer David Livingstone was the first European to see Victoria Falls. Kalakaua, the last king and second-to-last monarch of Hawaii (1874–91) was born in 1836. Sint Eustatius became the first foreign government to recognize the fledgling United States in 1776.
My very late lunch is over, and it is time to return to Operation: Leaves2023.
This has been a comfortable week for weather and Tuesday was too beautiful for words. Cool, but a brilliant sun lit up the sky and gave the earth a terrific glow.
Today was even better than Tuesday and I accomplished a good deal of leaf blowing in Mama Kay’s yard.
I spent several more hours in bed after feeding the dogs, rising at 10 AM. I still feel worn. Hopefully, the energy will return, as it always does, when I arrive downtown this evening.
On this date: 2011: Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski recorded his 903rd career win, surpassing Bob Knight to become the winningest coach in NCAA Division I men’s history. 1978: American anthropologist Margaret Mead, whose great fame owed as much to the force of her personality and her outspokenness as it did to the quality of her scientific work, died at age 76. 1959: The Clutter family was discovered murdered on their Kansas farm, and their deaths—as well as the capture, conviction, and execution of two drifters—inspired Truman Capote‘s classic nonfiction novel In Cold Blood. 1904: American inventor King Camp Gillette was granted a U.S. patent for the first razor with disposable blades. 1889: Emperor Pedro II of Brazil was forced to abdicate by a group of military officers led by Manuel Deodoro da Fonseca. 1864: Union General William Tecumseh Sherman began his March to the Sea from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia, laying waste to the economic resources of the state as he sought to crush white Southern civilians’ support of the Confederate cause; his campaign helped end the American Civil War.
In a short while I will be shaved, showered, and dressed for another round of GRINCH at Schuster Center. I saw tons of Grinchy T-shirts last evening and everyone seemed to have a great time.
November is already approaching the halfway point. The month has had a mild, even enjoyable span of good weather. I am hearing snippets of predicted forecasts for big blasts from winter weather.
Sunday was a nice day. I never could find the button to relieve the fatigue and by afternoon was feeling the potential effects of a sinus infection coming on. I think I guarded it off.
This week shall be hectic with a number of HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS: THE MUSICAL performances at The Schuster Center. I am excited to see patrons arriving in costume, which seems to be the trend, these days. When I was growing up, you wore a suit and tie to concerts and productions. The first experience I had with seeing audience members dressed in costume was when I attended THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW movie as a sophomore in college; however, that was the exception and not the norm. I love seeing the children, especially the parents, in costume. Some dads are just way cooler than others when it comes to dressing up.
The day is already looking beautiful at 7:10 AM. I will admit that it is rather nice being able to see daylight at earlier times, but I detest being in the dark by 5 PM. While the current temperature is 38°, we are promised a high of 65°. For several remaining days, we shall see temperatures in the mid-60s and for that, I am grateful.
Last night, I was house manager for the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra concert. And while the entire program was quite satisfying, the highlight was Aaron Brant’s French horn offering, Richard Strauss Horn Concerto No. 2 in E-flat major. Excellent.
The 2023 marching season has concluded and my students in the area marching bands from Kettering Fairmont, Centerville, Springboro, Beavercreek, and Northmont worked hard this season and their ensembles offered some truly remarkable performances.
This week at Dayton Live, THE GRINCH WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS: THE MUSICAL, is moving into The Schuster Center. I am sure this production will be a big hit with families, especially our younger audiences.
I am not a Dr. Seuss fan and was not one as a child; I found the books dull and uninteresting. I know I am going against the grain for so many who love his books, but they just were not to my liking. When I was reading by the age of four years, I preferred non-fiction. I did, however, enjoy the non-fiction books read by my fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Lane, but she made non-fiction so much fun. At home, I was generally sprawled out on the floor with any book from my World Book Encyclopedias that my parents purchased for my fourth birthday.
As I grew older, I could not hook my interests onto science fiction, nor any of the Sci-Fi or fantasy television programs or movies. I loved the Indiana Jones series as it engaged a good deal of archeology and some history to keep me entertained.
It’s getting brighter outside and I have items I would love to accomplish.
I am grateful for the nice string of beautiful days we’ve enjoyed that stayed mostly in the mid-60s and even into the mid-70s. It was so nice! I did spend time blowing leaves and had assistance from strong winds blowing to the north so Mama Kay’s leaves could move into their retrieval location. Now, we are to see temperatures mostly in the 50s until Wednesday when they return to the mid-60s for several days.
Today is Veteran’s Day and my family has joined the ranks of countless other families throughout our nation’s history to contribute to the military services. In 1918, the armistice for WWI was met and then the 1918 Spanish Influenza ravaged the world. Two years later, the anniversary was marked with the burial of unknown soldiers in tombs in Paris and London, and a similar ceremony was held at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, 1921.
Also, on this date throughout history: in 1992, the Church of England voted to ordain women as priests, and in 1975, Angola declared independence after the Portuguese withdrew. Gemini 12 was launched as the last spacecraft in the Gemini series and was he first to make an automatically controlled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. The state of Washington was admitted to the union as the 42nd US state in 1889. American actress Maude Adams—who was best known for her portrayals of James Barrie‘s heroines and who also played Joan of Arc, as well as the Shakespearean roles of Juliet, Viola, and Rosalind—was born in 1872. 1831, Enslaved Black American Nat Turner was hanged after leading a slave rebellion that resulted in the deaths of some 60 white people; in addition, many innocent enslaved people were massacred in the accompanying hysteria. British troops under Colonel J.W. Morrison defeated U.S. forces led by General John Boyd at the Battle of Crysler’s Farm during the War of 1812.
It’s time to get on with my day which will end at The Schuster Center.
Summer is already winding down and living next to the high school offers a glimpse into summer’s end as soccer, cross country, and football practices have been underway for several weeks. This morning, the Marching Firebirds begin their band camp.
I am excited that the day’s high will be eighty. I think this will be a much welcome respite for the Miami Valley, and any other place that might be enjoying the same lower temperatures.
This past weekend was the annual Celtic Festival in downtown Dayton. This seems to be the seasonal kickoff for festivals. I once loved going to festivals. Now, I avoid them due to the crowds, possibly getting jostled, standing in long lines, and of course, for this past weekend, the uncomfortable heat. I do miss the Waynesville Sauerkraut Festival each October but, again, I would just not be as comfortable with the crowds.
Yes, there are crowds at Dayton Live events, but that is entirely different as I know where to stand and how to manage things.
My goal for this coming week is to accomplish much in the way of research. I am working with outlines as I continue researching and enjoying this journey with the writing and the plot. I feel depleted and unenthusiastic about starting the day, but I hope that will change. Well, I will amend it.
Sunday evening’s lessons were smooth and productive. There was incredible energy and I am betting the Monday and Tuesday students will bring the same quality to their lessons – it’s in the air.
Back Yard
by Carl Sandburg
(In Carl Sandburg’s “Back Yard,” he describes a gorgeous summer night. It’s filled with the sights and sounds of the season, as well as the languid feel of a warm evening under the moon.)
“Shine on, O moon of summer. Shine to the leaves of grass, catalpa and oak, All silver under your rain to-night.
An Italian boy is sending songs to you to-night from an accordion. A Polish boy is out with his best girl; they marry next month; to-night they are throwing you kisses.
An old man next door is dreaming over a sheen that sits in a cherry tree in his back yard.
The clocks say I must go—I stay here sitting on the back porch drinking white thoughts you rain down.
Shine on, O moon, Shake out more and more silver changes.”
Hello, August! I have mixed feelings about your arrival as it means summer is winding down, but I welcome you, nonetheless.
Monday’s lessons were strong and very productive.
I believe I slept well and comfortably, but I woke up with some grouchiness. The pooches haven’t growled this morning but I seem to be doing my fair share.
Today is the 180th anniversary of the birth of Robert Todd Lincoln, the eldest son of Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln. Robert, or “Bob,” was named for his maternal grandfather, and was the only one of the four sons born to the Lincolns who would live to adulthood, dying in 1926. Mr. Lincoln would graduate from Harvard University, work as a lawyer, serve as United States Minister to The United Kingdom under President Benjamin Harrison, and Secretary of War under Presidents James Garfield and Chester Arthur. Following his political career, Robert served as general counsel of the Pullman Palace Car Company and eventually as the company’s president following the death of George Pullman. In 1911, he began serving as chairman of the board of Pullman Company until 1924. Robert Todd Lincoln is buried in Arlington National Cemetery with his wife, and his son, Abraham “Jack” Lincoln, who died as a teenager.
Okay. It’s a not-so-bright Tuesday morning. It’s time to start the day and adopt a more cheerful disposition.
AUGUST
Helen Hunt Jackson – 1830 — 1885
Silence again. The glorious symphony Hath need of pause and interval of peace. Some subtle signal bids all sweet sounds cease, Save hum of insects’ aimless industry. Pathetic summer seeks by blazonry Of color to conceal her swift decrease. Weak subterfuge! Each mocking day doth fleece A blossom, and lay bare her poverty. Poor middle-agèd summer! Vain this show! Whole fields of golden-rod cannot offset One meadow with a single violet; And well the singing thrush and lily know, Spite of all artifice which her regret Can deck in splendid guise, their time to go!
All Saints Day is a day set aside and marked with tremendous reverence in the Catholic Church, but widely acknowledged by other Christian denominations. For the Catholic Church, it is remembered as a Holy Day of Obligation, expecting Mass attendance. Many different religions and cultures celebrate some sort of All Saints Day.
Growing up in the United Methodist Church, I do not recall celebrating All Saints Day. In fact, it was during my college years that I first learned of All Saints Day when I was director of music for a Lutheran church. When my maternal grandmother passed away in 1992, All Saints Day became particularly meaningful.
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ALL-SAINTS
James Russell Lowell
One feast, of holy days the crest, I, though no Churchman, love to keep, All-Saints,–the unknown good that rest In God’s still memory folded deep; The bravely dumb that did their deed, And scorned to blot it with a name, Men of the plain heroic breed, That loved Heaven’s silence more than fame.
Such lived not in the past alone, But thread to-day the unheeding street, And stairs to Sin and Famine known Sing with the welcome of their feet; The den they enter grows a shrine, The grimy sash an oriel burns, Their cup of water warms like wine, Their speech is filled from heavenly urns.
About their brows to me appears An aureole traced in tenderest light, The rainbow-gleam of smiles through tears In dying eyes, by them made bright, Of souls that shivered on the edge Of that chill ford repassed no more, And in their mercy felt the pledge And sweetness of the farther shore.
The past two days, we have been blessed with sunshine. Yesterday was cold and in the 40s and today is slightly warmer. We are to have temperatures in the 60s for the next several days.
I have an event to house manage at Dayton Live, this evening.
On November 2, 1983, in history, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill designating the third Monday in January a national holiday in memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. Reagan’s predecessor, President Jimmy Carter, was elected president of the United States, narrowly defeating President Gerald R. Ford. In 1964, King Saud of Suadi Arabia was formally deposed and succeeded by his brother, Faisal, and the year before, South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem was killed in a coup. Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925, died at age 94 in 1950. And in 1766, Marie-Antoinette, the queen consort of King Louis XVI of France, (1774-1793) was born.
There was a surprise jar of homemade pumpkin chili on my front porch, a thoughtful gift from Emily Webb. Thank you, Emily!
Tomorrow, Colonel Deeds will turn one year old. It will also be the nine-month anniversary of his Gotcha Day.
Fridays hold no grade appeal to me, nor do the weekends. In fact, they never have. When you are in the Performing Arts, weekends offer, little rest and relaxation. However, it is all good as I love what I have done and continue to do.
Today, Colonel Deeds turns one year old. I have had him all but two months of his life. While navigating through the exasperating chapter of puppyhood, he is the most loving, affectionate pooch. He’s the charger of the older four dogs, and always gives them kisses and love, whether welcomed or not.
On this date in history, China announced, in 1998, the discovery in the Hui autonomous region of Ningxia, of a previously unknown 15.5 mile segment of the great wall of China, which runs a total of about 4500 miles. One World Trade Center opened in 2014 in New York City on the site of the former World Trade Center complex, which had been largely destroyed in the September 11, 2001, attacks. In 1957, the Soviet Union launch Sputnik 2, which carried the dog Laika, the first living creature to be shot in the space and orbit the Earth. Playwright Eugene O’Neill made his New York City debut with the one act play, BOUND EAST FOR CARDIFF in 1916.
It’s another long day ahead, and another evening at the Schuster Center. On with the day
It is leaf-blowing time and although it is not something I relish, I do find some degree of comfort and relaxation while blowing the leaves. Mama Kay’s tree is still holding on for dear life and shall do so for another couple of weeks pushing a strong, quick advance to complete the blowing, raking, and piling before the city leaf disposal truck passes by.
Tuesday, I joined Mama Kay and several others for Taco Tuesday. I returned home to blow more leaves, feed the pooches, and head downtown for a training session with Dayton Live. At the training’s 7:30 PM completion, I was greeted at the 2nd Street Entrance by my very dear friend, Kellen White. Kellen and I became Facebook friends in 2007 when he was living in Richmond, Virginia. Kellen moved to Centerville when he was in middle school and graduated from Kettering’s Alter High School. We finally met in person for a chilly hike in December 2013. Kellen moved to Maine with his family where he has lived until this past August when he and his family returned to Ohio. Kellen’s daughter is one of my new piano and voice students. Last night, Kellen and I went to my Chinese buffet and returned to The Haasienda for another 90 minutes of chatting. It was refreshing. Tonight, I will join two friends, Linda and Karen, both former studio moms, for dinner, and then Linda and I will go see TITANIC: THE MUSICAL on the large movie screen. I am excited to see this musical which is one of my favorites.
I wouldn’t say it has been restful for several days, but I do feel more rested this morning. Stress seems to invite itself into every corner, crook and cranny, and tiny pinpoints of life and it has been exhausting. Naturally, stress exacerbates the MS and gut issues which make life even more unbearable.
The weather has been beautiful the past several days and shall continue this way for today and tomorrow before dropping into the 60s and 50s. Today, we shall see a high of 76.
November 8th has always been a day with special connections for me: my maternal grandfather, Leroy D. Barmes was born on this date in 1921. One of my neighbor ladies from my childhood, Susan Fortner, was born in the late 1940s. And the author of GONE WITH TH WIND, Margaret Mitchell, was born in 1900.
In 1972, Home Box Office, more commonly known as HBO, was launched while in 1895, X-rays were first observed by German physicist Wilhelm Conrad. 1971 saw a coup in Thailand, 1939, an assassination attempt was made against Adolph Hitler, and in 1966, Scottish chef and television host, Gordon Ramsay was born.
“How Happy I Was If I Could Forget” Emily Dickinson
How happy I was if I could forget To remember how sad I am Would be an easy adversity But the recollecting of Bloom
Keeps making November difficult Till I who was almost bold
Lose my way like a little Child And perish of the cold.
Last night, a former studio mom and friend, Linda Utt, picked me up and we ventured eastward to The Greene where we met another former studio mom and friend, Karen McLain at El Toro for dinner. After a nice dinner and equally nice chat, Karen went on to her event and Linda and I went to see TITANIC: THE MUSICAL on the large screen.
I loved Maury Yeston’s score upon first hearing it in the mid-1990s. When I was in NYC for THE WIZARD OF OZ, some colleagues and I went to see TITANIC during its previews. Two nights in a row, we could not see the cancelled performances because the hydraulics were not operating and the ship, therefore, would not sink! It would not be until the tour came through Dayton that I got to see it at The Victoria Theatre. Later, I was thrilled to watch a number of former students in leading roles at Wright State University.
Fathom Events writes: “Based on real people aboard the most legendary ship in the world, Titanic: The Musical is ‘breathtaking’ (the Guardian) and ‘magnificent’ (the Telegraph), a stunning and stirring production focusing on the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of her passengers who each boarded with stories and personal ambitions of their own. All innocently unaware of the fate awaiting them, the Third-Class immigrants dream of a better life in America, the Second Class imagine they too can join the lifestyles of the rich and famous, whilst the millionaire Barons of the First Class anticipate legacies lasting forever.
With music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Peter Stone — the pair have collectively won an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, an Olivier Award and three Tony Awards. The original Broadway production of Titanic: The Musical won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. This stunning production, captured live on stage for cinema screenings, celebrates the 10th anniversary of its London premiere, where it won sweeping critical acclaim.”
I did enjoy the presentation, but I found several things disappointing: Captain Smith did not seize command of the character and seemed as though he would be better suited sitting at the chummy CHEERS bar. The orchestra was thin and seemed to produce less fullness than the actual tiny orchestra aboard the 1912 Titanic. And then there was the prima donna beside us who had the incessant and rude urge to sing along with the movie. This was not a ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW presentation which encourages audience participation. I hope that she, one day, finds the perfect stage, show, and role but I guarantee, it will not be in this lifetime.
There were some incredible moments and performances: “The Night Was Alive” was beautifully staged and performed. British actor Barnaby Hughes made an impressive Etches, and there were several outstanding portrayals of others.
As I watched the movie, on my maternal grandfather’s 102nd birthday, it occurred to me that the Titanic’s 1912 tragic maiden voyage was nine years before his birth. Two of my great-grandparents were fifteen years old.
The Haasienda on Shroyer... 