29 June 2014: Sunday ... Sun streaming through drapes ... apple juice & mandarin oranges ... call & FB messages reunite ... walk to lights of Delcastle ... a new phone calls out

First thought as I decide to get up is "apple juice for mom". She says it helps her be regular, to put it with a modicum of civility, and then I stretch, a bit, and move downstairs and decide, on a whim, to take the big clippers and remove dead limbs from the dogwood on the side. I don't reach all of them but I collect a pile of limp, lifeless tree appendages and then collect them for the yard waste container under the beautiful tree that I don't know the name of. 

Just back from an amazing service by Rev. Keith Goheen, a hospital minister in Lewes, Delaware, Beebe Hospital, I think, who is just a wonderful speaker and intellect. I will copy his memorable quotes (they're on my cell under the Notes icon) later in this blog, but I wanted to say that Lindsay inadvertently called while having lunch with Nick in Augusta at Nacho Mama's. She was in Augusta for the wedding of a friend yesterday and plans to leave today for Chattanooga with Alex, so she has some driving ahead of her. Nice to hear from her when I called her back. 

Marina van Renssen tapes her daughter Kate Nolan as she
sang "All Of Me" by John Legend beautifully in today's service. 

Len Cummings called tonight from Colorado and he talked, pretty much non-stop, so he's good and he has a library nearby and he always amazes with his intellect. He'd love to have a car to get around but he's making it and he apparently has plenty of minutes on his phone, so I'll call him next time.

Received a wonderful FB message from Katia and I responded posthaste. It's a start to rebuilding our friendship and I welcomed her kind words.

Got the new phone working for mom and a few numbers entered and an e-mail out to family and friends with her new number. It's a new type of phone, not a cell phone, per se, but a cellular transmission line and less cost per month -- $20 for unlimited minutes. I think she'll get use to it. Now, to get the land line up and operating. 


A young boy on a bike with training wheels fell over as I approached with Dancer and the father quickly went to his aid and asked whether he was alright. His immediate response: "I caught a firefly." Now, that was a quick riposte to an embarrassing incident. I was impressed and quite amused.

Over a 3-mile walk from home to Delcastle Recreation Area and a dip in the narrow stream and then off leash to try to get a decent fill-flash photo with the iPhone. This was the 4th attempt and it worked to a degree. 

19 October 2013: Saturday as Bach Double is playing downstairs with Dad listening to Oistrakh record, salad/carrot to Mom for bfast joke ...

Today is Chris Senge's 39th birthday,

 
in reality, according to the Bible of Facebook.

Jackie Calmes, NY Times White House reporter and fox.

Made a FB post of the words below and a link to Washington Week in Review. 

Jackie Calmes, liberal-leaning NY Times' journalist who appeared on Washington Week in Review with Gwen Ifill last night as I watched the program with Dancer in the middle and mom on the right, goes back to Tom Foley days in 1994, when the then Speaker of the House, for 5 years and a 30-year veteran of the House from Washington, was unceremoniously voted out of office. Amazing facilitator who had regular meetings with the minority leader and they even exchanged offices during the week. Talk about bipartisanship. We may never see that again. The people are the lesser.

Dad is sleeping and snoring, blissfully and thankfully, as I maraud over FB sending off friend requests to people associated with UUSMC and listen to the audio classical cable channel and the English Concert Orchestra conducted by the longtime collaborator and husband of Joan Sutherland, Richard Bonynge. 

LEWISBURG, Pa. — World renowned chamber orchestra The English Concert will perform on Friday, Feb. 22, at 8 p.m. at the Weis Center for the Performing Arts at Bucknell University. There will be a pre-performance talk with artistic director Harry Bicket at 7:20 p.m. in the Weis Center Lobby.

Australian conductor and pianist, Richard Bonynge, with Dame Joan Sutherland, his wife.

He continues to sleep, oh what a gift, as the music plays and I have researched, through the Kelly Blue Book web site, a price for my Dodge Neon. It looks promising but I won't print while dad sleeps that would be mean. Did have a meaningful exchange on FB with Frank McPherson, the brilliant digital entrepreneur who has been hired by Apple and will move, unfortunately, his beautiful family of wife and three children, all stalwarts in the UUAC religious education wing, and head West. He wrote: 

Rudy,

I appreciate your invitation to your going away dinner yesterday. I apologize I was unable to attend as I was on the way back from a job interview in Cupertino. Best of luck in Delaware, Frank.

Thank you Frank for your kind wish and hope the interview went well. I've heard of Cupertino.

about an hour ago

I don't like this "driving out west" talk Frank. It means, unfortunately, that you are taking your incredible family, I presume, with you. Augusta UU Church is going to miss you terribly. In safe and wonderful journeying,

rudy

9:02am

Thank you, Rudy! We are sad to be leaving Augusta, but excited about the journey and the opportunities waiting for us. Cheers,

Frank

You are so welcome Frank ... happy travels and wherever you wind up, that place and those people will be greatly rewarded by your presence. Be safe and be loved, rudy

Chat Conversation End

Seen 9:04am

Won the bet, sort of, with dad. (It was for $5 and I didn't collect but he did come out

and view the results, dispassionately, nice to see him outside, he was frail and walk

carefully). He was doubtful that the Toro leaf mulcher would work on the entire

yard. Well, I didn't do the whole yard but I did finish the gutters and deposited some

nice mulch, about 8 bagfuls around the yard. It's quite a machine once I got

Home Depot to help me to separate a part and get the thing working. The manager,

with gorilla arms, took it apart for me. 

Guess I got the red version. 

The dinner at the Cronin's house on Charleston Drive went splendidly. The cheese dip, courtesy of Norma Clara Nyhoff, was a big success and the 9 of us had a wonderful dinner (Judy and Dick Cronin, Frank MacArtor, Jeanne and Brian Hanson, Judy and Tom - ? - Pappenhagen, and Anne - ??). Just a lovely evening of spirited and engaging conversation.