5/16/10: Hills & Valleys (Rev. Nancy Dean), Haydn's "Creation", Flyers' hockey

You have to go through valleys to reach the hills. The ministerial associate, a well-spoken man, had meaningful words about spirit and how it can be laid low only to resurrect with experience and move forward despite sorrow. A lovely singer in the choir, a dynamic person, shed tears about the weight loss in her mother, who she desperately wants to fly out to see but who also starts a new job at Goldey-Beacom, 10-2, counseling international students. this is true feeling and expression, something that I lack and possibly never had, never will ... those valleys for me are perpetual, seemingly, and I am lost and only seek to find an out, a way to lessen the press of universal responsibility, freedom to most, shackles for me, for some unknown reason that persists, moment to moment, ceaselessly. When will it change? When will I be free? Not without effort, not without pain and that is so difficult.

My second session in the choir of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek (UUSMC)and its director, Kristen Tosh-Morelli (wearing an unfortunate black eye caused by an errant trumpet -- she is a professional instrumentalist as well as elementary music teacher -- strap that whipped into her face the day before), who has a wonderfully evocative and communicative conducting style with her hands that relates music, often not rehearsed, into perfect harmony. I am one of duo section, the tenors, myself and Brian, who is a youthful (both in spirit and age) retiree who enjoys biking with his wife, at least once cross country, and who is a hugging and inspiring member, who knows everyone, particularly Larry Stomberg, cellist in the Serafin Quartet and also a member of UUSMC. Well, it's remarkable how much music is in the program at this congregation and they do it well. They also sing Spirit of Life during the service, right after the candles of Joys & Concerns, which Jane Frelick shared today. Her daughter, Alcy, 62 years of age, has accepted a tough job in Baghdad for a year starting next week. She has the rank of essentially a general in the State Department and is head of a biometrics group. She will be in charge, the 90-year-old, 43X platelet donor, Jane, mother of six and nurse, says of a group of about 800 people and she worries that an upcoming dinner in the next day of so might be her "Last Supper" (the congregation moaned and voiced their disbelief in this possibility). Regardless, as a mother she is worried and hopes the year goes quickly and she will be home and that much closer to retirement.

The day was gorgeous and UUSMC, located of Polly Drummond Road, which is off Paper Mill Road, is located in a park facility and rolling hills and a walking trail are visible out its wide windows in the sanctuary, which is un-air-conditioned. They were having their annual meeting today and I left not long after the service to give Dancer a quick walk in Bark Park at Carousel Park and make some long overdue cell phone calls, which remained unanswered and required leaving messages to Gail Emerson, Kathy & Ron Okarski, and Joyce Vertucci-Russ. I did get through to Uncle Ray who told me that having both knees done at the same time was rough. It landed him in the ICU with blood clots which required Coumadin treatment for a considerable length of time. He also had them done about 4 years ago, in his early 70s (born 1933, he'll be 77 in October this year), according to Joyce, who returned my phone call as I drove to a choral concert of Haydn's Creation by the Delaware Valley Chorale with orchestra & guest soloists on Sunday, May 16, 2010, 3:00 p.m. at Grace United Methodist Church, 900 Washington St., Wilmington, DE 19801.So good to talk to Joyce who always has sounded "with-it" to me, yet, I know, she has gone through rough times in treatment and now making regular AA meetings. But she knew that she had to leave the job that paid well and where they loved her and she had done so well. She had to move on. Too many ghosts. People knew too much and she was ready to pursue new avenues, in this case, courses in phlebotomy and license practical nursing, which she is loving and doing well in. She has a lot of medical background coming from a law practice that focused on malpractice. Amazingly, she commented on dad's endoscopy treatment for removal of cancerous lesion as working toward "clear margins", medical terminology I've heard used by the doctors treating dad's Barrett's esophagus. She is an amazingly brilliant person and will do well in whatever field she decides to pursue, as long as she keeps off the booze. Most important of all, she offered her services to come down and care for her Auntie and Uncle in the coming weeks, after the birth of her second grandchild in Cincinnati in July (I think) -- have to send Adam a FB post/query.

We leave the choral concert, a longtime since the Brahms' Requiem concert in Augusta at Sacred Heart Cultural Center all those years ago, and we go to Mrs. Robino's Family Style Italian Restaurant for dinner, served by Tommy, an excellent waiter who was attentive and remembers everything that we want and have ordered (she even brings an extra spoon for Mom to enjoy by Oreo cake and dad's Tiramisu , an Italian specialty dessert. Dad starts off with fire roasted peppers marinated with fresh garlic and olive oil and he request the anchovies (where mom eats one herself) and mom orders a cup of Pastina, chicken broth brimming with pasta pearls,
Marinated with fresh garlic and olive oil. She orders the large thick pasta shelled cheese ravioli, which Tommy remembered (she couldn't tell me whether they were meat or cheese), dad orders the spizzato (a veal dish) with spaghetti, and I got spaghetti with mushrooms (added mom's meatball to mine). The Italian bread was wonderful -- Dad took one piece and claiming it was his Dutch heritage, placed three cubes of butter on one piece and later, promptly laid his jacket sleeve into his spaghetti sauce which he dabbed with ice water then his vodka martini (mom washed it with dish soap in the kitchen sink when we got home, I soaked it in water to lessen the soap content and she worried about whether it would dry.)