Friday Stephanie and I stopped at Old Loisville's Third Avenue Cafe, where Vincent and I ate after his last community college class in the summer of 2005. Soon after we arrived, an early North American music group started, eventually marking the second time we've heard "Simple Gifts" in the past couple of weeks.
Then it was on in the heat to Central Park and KY Shakespeare Festival's performance of "Macbeth." Last summer they did a samurai version of "Julius Caesar." The actor who played Brutus was Macbeth this year, and this year there was lots of black and red, with a kind of punk gothic motif. Standing out most were the three "witches," who were punk/gothic pole dancers of sort - very innovative.
We felt especially bad for them, as they wore long sleeves and tights in the heat.
Also memorable was Lady Macbeth - uttering here her "Unsex me" lines.
Stephanie and Vincent aren't quite a big as fans of Macbeth as I. I remember watching a very cool black and white Japanese movie version of Macbeth on TV in Tokyo - only I didn't know it was Macbeth - and then months later reading Macbeth - my first Shakespeare play - in 6th grade - with my British 6th grade teacher - and realizing it was the same story. "Bubble, bubble - toil and trouble." I thought it was cool. This version started with a disclaimer - a warning for families - as it included a particularly bloody scene I don't remember seeing before (although I've seen "Hamlet" on screen more than "Macbeth" subsequently). I also ran into my former supervisor and his wife, who are apparently staying down the street, as the play started. July 12 with Sarah - hopefully - it's "Romeo and Juliet," which Stephanie and Vincent have seen in read several times (including in Schiller Park)
Also memorable was Lady Macbeth - uttering here her "Unsex me" lines.
Stephanie and Vincent aren't quite a big as fans of Macbeth as I. I remember watching a very cool black and white Japanese movie version of Macbeth on TV in Tokyo - only I didn't know it was Macbeth - and then months later reading Macbeth - my first Shakespeare play - in 6th grade - with my British 6th grade teacher - and realizing it was the same story. "Bubble, bubble - toil and trouble." I thought it was cool. This version started with a disclaimer - a warning for families - as it included a particularly bloody scene I don't remember seeing before (although I've seen "Hamlet" on screen more than "Macbeth" subsequently). I also ran into my former supervisor and his wife, who are apparently staying down the street, as the play started. July 12 with Sarah - hopefully - it's "Romeo and Juliet," which Stephanie and Vincent have seen in read several times (including in Schiller Park)
The next morning on a walk with the dog we happened by a garage sale that was actually an art show and ended up with one painting. That's the artist - an Oldham County elementary school teacher by day - in the orange skirt.
Several hours of laundry and lawn-mowing later, I was a block away from Vincent's friend Samantha's house (he had stayed with his friend Sam Wright Friday night and came back after lunch - and essentially slept most of the rest of the weeekend) for an - as I expected - underpopulated Obama event - an organizing event that - as it turns out - was oriented pretty much towards Southern Indiana. Organizing for Change, the Obama campaign follow-up, is trying to mobilize support - and maintain volunteers and enthusiasm - for - in this case - health care reform - around the Obama health care reform principles - choice of doctors, lower costs, and health care access for all. We were asking Obama-leaning voters - with lists from the campaign in the fall - to officially support those principles (like signing a petition, I explained) and to participate in one of several National Health Care Day of Service activities next Saturday. I called several pages of voters in mid-afternoon. The only other people there - for an event that I have to admit was hard to find on the http://www.barackobama.com/ Web site and had an odd description - were the host - also calling - and a volunteer Organizing for Change staffperson from Southern Indiana - who I eventually figured out was the daughter of the principal of Stephanie's school - who I'd seen as ChiChi in New Albany High's "Grease" performance and as the director of the "Willy Wonka" play that the kids at Stephanie's school had put on a couple of months ago. We didn't help Abby out that much with phone calls - since there were only two others of us - as she was getting pressure to reach more people as well as facing exams and papers due at Indiana University Southeast summer school this week - and I did offer to help out with a (no doubt hot and humid) after work door-to-door canvass later this week and perhaps work with Stephanie to help out with a Children's Fellowship-type activity at the Jeffersonville (IN) health fair next weekend. Pictured below was our host making calls in his living room.
After a rendezvous in Target at Bashford Manor, Stephanie and I caravaned to the home of the children's and youth ministries coordinators for our church, for their open house/first birthday party for their daugther, Isabel. They had all recently returned from a church mission trip to D.C., where they narrowly missed running into the killing at the Holocaust Museum there. Stephanie (below - with Ian, the father) and I had to overdress a bit for the event that would follow.
Rachel - on her way to college in Chicago later this summer - drove up with her family as we arrived - and then she talked with Andrea, on her way with her youngest daughter to Canton, OH, the next day.
Ian brought in two cakes - one white and one chocolate (we brought home one piece each for Vincent, who missed this).
I didn't get a picture of Kate - who eventually blew the candles out for Isabel. But then Ian arranged things to cut the cakes (maybe Isabel can do this too next year).
After a time, Isabel really devoured a piece of cake - although most of it went on her tray or in her lap (I nabbed some pieces of cake that made it onto the floor).
Grandmother Marcia, a manager at the Presbyterian Center (and Kate's mother), talked a little shop too.
In two pictures below - standing behind Isabel - is her mother, Kate.
By day Kate runs one of Louisville's dozen or so neighborhood communities ministries, currently reeling from the recession and (slightly) from budget cuts. Never too far from technology (below) was Ian, looking at his Blackerry or whatever.
Andrea and Keith's youngest, Elise, was tired from going to the zoo earlier, but perked up later on during the party. (Mary sits in the background.)
From Kate, Ian, and Isabel's near Bashford Manor/Buechel, we caravaned to Linden, to a Chinese restaurant in the newly refurbished Westport Village shopping center, Jade Palace. Having feted Evelyn on her retirement twice earlier in the week, at the Presbyterian Center, I now joined Stephanie and a bunch of my other Center colleagues (plus church folks and others) for an amazing 10-course Chinese dinner - all free to us - where we took over the entire (large, one-room) restaurant. Evelyn, readers may recall, worked for 48 years for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and a predecessor denomination. I first worked with her in a study of challenges that African American, Asian American, Latino, and other candidates for the ministry and seminary students/grads faced becoming ordained and connecting with pastoral calls. She has also worked with our local church as a member of the Mid-KY Presbytery's Committee on Ministry. Evelyn apparently planned the whole event, including deciding who would sit with whom at the round tables and a list of questions for the table "host" to pose for people to answer (kind of like at a wedding reception, where if you mingle you get to meet all kinds of new people: friends and family of the bridge and groom). James (with his spouse) was the owner and driver of some kind of limo or shuttle that obviously has taken Evelyn and many other colleagues to and from the airport (if not elsewhere) over the years. (I usually take the city bus.)
Vernon, a veteran of the Presbyterian Southern stream, also livened up our table. He told us about taking an airplane flight in southern African that could have turned into a disaster.
Loyda and Tony Aja both used to work at the Presbyterian Center. Aja is a lieutenant of Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons. Tony is now facilitator for Latino ministries and outreach for the Mid-KY presbytery. As part of the orientation process, I had lunch with Loyda during my first month at the Center. We sat next to them.
The soup (bowl half empty below) was great, but we sent half of it back because we were anticipating the nine other courses.
Baby bok choy was one of the highlights of the many other courses. My close-ups didn't turn out so well, until we got to the noodles.
Pardon the bad picture, but - at the table next to us - essentially the head table - Evelyn (lower left) sat for a picture while her grandsons, daughter-in-law, and son stood above her. I don't know who the woman to Evelyn's left is. But to that woman's left is Mid-KY Presbytery Executive Betty Meadows, who started us out in prayer.
Several hours of laundry and lawn-mowing later, I was a block away from Vincent's friend Samantha's house (he had stayed with his friend Sam Wright Friday night and came back after lunch - and essentially slept most of the rest of the weeekend) for an - as I expected - underpopulated Obama event - an organizing event that - as it turns out - was oriented pretty much towards Southern Indiana. Organizing for Change, the Obama campaign follow-up, is trying to mobilize support - and maintain volunteers and enthusiasm - for - in this case - health care reform - around the Obama health care reform principles - choice of doctors, lower costs, and health care access for all. We were asking Obama-leaning voters - with lists from the campaign in the fall - to officially support those principles (like signing a petition, I explained) and to participate in one of several National Health Care Day of Service activities next Saturday. I called several pages of voters in mid-afternoon. The only other people there - for an event that I have to admit was hard to find on the http://www.barackobama.com/ Web site and had an odd description - were the host - also calling - and a volunteer Organizing for Change staffperson from Southern Indiana - who I eventually figured out was the daughter of the principal of Stephanie's school - who I'd seen as ChiChi in New Albany High's "Grease" performance and as the director of the "Willy Wonka" play that the kids at Stephanie's school had put on a couple of months ago. We didn't help Abby out that much with phone calls - since there were only two others of us - as she was getting pressure to reach more people as well as facing exams and papers due at Indiana University Southeast summer school this week - and I did offer to help out with a (no doubt hot and humid) after work door-to-door canvass later this week and perhaps work with Stephanie to help out with a Children's Fellowship-type activity at the Jeffersonville (IN) health fair next weekend. Pictured below was our host making calls in his living room.
After a rendezvous in Target at Bashford Manor, Stephanie and I caravaned to the home of the children's and youth ministries coordinators for our church, for their open house/first birthday party for their daugther, Isabel. They had all recently returned from a church mission trip to D.C., where they narrowly missed running into the killing at the Holocaust Museum there. Stephanie (below - with Ian, the father) and I had to overdress a bit for the event that would follow.
Rachel - on her way to college in Chicago later this summer - drove up with her family as we arrived - and then she talked with Andrea, on her way with her youngest daughter to Canton, OH, the next day.
Ian brought in two cakes - one white and one chocolate (we brought home one piece each for Vincent, who missed this).
I didn't get a picture of Kate - who eventually blew the candles out for Isabel. But then Ian arranged things to cut the cakes (maybe Isabel can do this too next year).
In the background is one of Ian's IT colleagues at Louisville's Assumption High School and his spouse.
After a time, Isabel really devoured a piece of cake - although most of it went on her tray or in her lap (I nabbed some pieces of cake that made it onto the floor).
Isabel tried to lick the plate too.
Grandmother Marcia, a manager at the Presbyterian Center (and Kate's mother), talked a little shop too.
In two pictures below - standing behind Isabel - is her mother, Kate.
By day Kate runs one of Louisville's dozen or so neighborhood communities ministries, currently reeling from the recession and (slightly) from budget cuts. Never too far from technology (below) was Ian, looking at his Blackerry or whatever.
Andrea and Keith's youngest, Elise, was tired from going to the zoo earlier, but perked up later on during the party. (Mary sits in the background.)
From Kate, Ian, and Isabel's near Bashford Manor/Buechel, we caravaned to Linden, to a Chinese restaurant in the newly refurbished Westport Village shopping center, Jade Palace. Having feted Evelyn on her retirement twice earlier in the week, at the Presbyterian Center, I now joined Stephanie and a bunch of my other Center colleagues (plus church folks and others) for an amazing 10-course Chinese dinner - all free to us - where we took over the entire (large, one-room) restaurant. Evelyn, readers may recall, worked for 48 years for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and a predecessor denomination. I first worked with her in a study of challenges that African American, Asian American, Latino, and other candidates for the ministry and seminary students/grads faced becoming ordained and connecting with pastoral calls. She has also worked with our local church as a member of the Mid-KY Presbytery's Committee on Ministry. Evelyn apparently planned the whole event, including deciding who would sit with whom at the round tables and a list of questions for the table "host" to pose for people to answer (kind of like at a wedding reception, where if you mingle you get to meet all kinds of new people: friends and family of the bridge and groom). James (with his spouse) was the owner and driver of some kind of limo or shuttle that obviously has taken Evelyn and many other colleagues to and from the airport (if not elsewhere) over the years. (I usually take the city bus.)
Vernon, a veteran of the Presbyterian Southern stream, also livened up our table. He told us about taking an airplane flight in southern African that could have turned into a disaster.
Loyda and Tony Aja both used to work at the Presbyterian Center. Aja is a lieutenant of Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons. Tony is now facilitator for Latino ministries and outreach for the Mid-KY presbytery. As part of the orientation process, I had lunch with Loyda during my first month at the Center. We sat next to them.
The soup (bowl half empty below) was great, but we sent half of it back because we were anticipating the nine other courses.
Baby bok choy was one of the highlights of the many other courses. My close-ups didn't turn out so well, until we got to the noodles.
Pardon the bad picture, but - at the table next to us - essentially the head table - Evelyn (lower left) sat for a picture while her grandsons, daughter-in-law, and son stood above her. I don't know who the woman to Evelyn's left is. But to that woman's left is Mid-KY Presbytery Executive Betty Meadows, who started us out in prayer.
We were one of two couples who left the restaurant parking even after Evelyn and her family. On the way out we talked with Chris and his wife. Chris had volunteered a little at the Presbyterian Community Center. His wife has been very ill during the past couple of years, but seemed OK Saturday. I missed a talk he gave about the terrible casualties associated with the end of the Sri Lankan civil war. The two of them represent a multicultural Sri Lankan marriage, since he is from the Tamil minority and she is not. He also talked about how he and his family narrowly missed death in the tsunami when they were visiting their home country several years ago and at the last moment decided not to go to the beach that day.
One more stop - blowing the 24 hours into 26 hours - after stopping at home to get the dog - was at church, where I updated our Guatemala mission prayer partnership bulletin board and Stephanie put up the Guatemala mission poster (below) we had worked on together.
One more stop - blowing the 24 hours into 26 hours - after stopping at home to get the dog - was at church, where I updated our Guatemala mission prayer partnership bulletin board and Stephanie put up the Guatemala mission poster (below) we had worked on together.
Frisco helped us wrap up our big 24/26 hours in a fun manner as he chased us around the sanctuary including (finally) figuring out he could look for us by standing on the pews and looking over them. We also walked him for real outside (in the dark) around a hidden block near church that Stephanie had never seen.
-- Perry
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