RHAPSODY IN PINK 04/29/01

Subj: Mindwalkers - Rhapsody in Pink
Date: 4/29/01 12:30:22 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Looking back over the last few days, my life seems suffused* with shades of pink.

Looking out the living room window, there is still pink-pink-pink. The weeping cherry is still blooming - not the fullness of the past few weeks, but rather an exquisite, fragile beauty.

The red bud tree is in full riot.

The orchid azalea continues to blaze away and, as we headed out for "Iolanthe" last night, the red azalea by the front step has not completely made up its mind whether or not it is ready to pop.

Where we parked at the Society Building, the car was close to a lush flowering crab. As we pulled up, the tree looked a beautiful bold shade of pink. Looking closely at the blooms, each blossom was revealed to be what seemed an infinite range of shades of pink, from practically white to deep dark pink.

I could look at the blossoms individually, step away and see a cluster of blooms iridescent in the westering light, step back a bit more and see several limbs together, and then finally the one shade of pink that the tree appeared to be from a few feet away.

It was a moving, almost spiritual worldish, moment and told me a lot that will take some time making heads or tails of.

My life has been especially blessed this week. Louise Stevens came over for a couple hours and took a whack at cleaning my room, which had been worrying Elsa because it needed vacuuming and the dust was thick enough to practically make drifts and dunes. Louise did a practically miraculous job - my room must have seemed like the Aegean Stables. It is telling that the most she could get done was one side of my room.

I did not raise my daughters to be good housekeepers.

Elsa wants to be a tidy soul and put in time keeping the house shipshape and Bristol fashion, but her weekends usually get sidetracked. This weekend, she put in hours making name tags for tonight’s Senior Celebration. She was drafted to do them at the 11th hour when whoever was supposed to could not.

I have enjoyed watching her work on them - she had a great time, but it takes a lot more time than you might think. I was touched when she suggested I glue on the decorative trim and pin backing for Kimmie Bowyer, who has been special to me ever since I was her Third Grade "grandmother."

All fifty-three name tags are carefully packed up and ready for delivery to Heilman Hall. I am sure the girls will like them. I cannot describe them because everything about Theta Alpha’s big night for the Seniors is kept as secret as possible. To get the tags done, meant Elsa had to give up a much anticipated trip down to her favorite stamp store - in Maryland - for a once-a-year event.

"Mom, " she said, "These have to come first."

She is a terrible housekeeper, but she has her priorities in order.

Mike and Kerry and Karen took me by surprise on Friday night with a phone call. The call itself was a delightful treat - they are all super busy, so it is unusual to hear from them.

They were responding to a letter that we - John and Elsa and I - had signed off together, letting the rest of the family know what the state of life at the moment. They - Mike and Kerry - wanted us to know they are behind us.

That means the world to us, having them present in our lives as much as their reaching out with support We have gone through some rough patches over the years, distanced by more than miles, but through love and caring and communication, we seem to be at a better-than-ever place. Loverly.

Iolanthe was everything that Elsa described (she and John went to this past Thursday’s performance) and more. She asked me yesterday if I would like to be her guest, so I had over 24 hours to be mentally and physically primed for the challenge, which is important to me.

Yesterday afternoon, she bought one of those folding chairs with arms, remembering that general admission seats (this was in heilman hall, not the mitchell performing arts center - elm) do not have arms and I really need to have a seat with arms. That was another potential obstacle out of the way.

Although we headed home at intermission (Elsa went back for the end and the cast party), I am proud that I was able to make it through the first act without getting exhausted. It would be well neigh impossible to watch last night’s performance of Iolanthe and be anything but riveted.

This morning, am still trying to decide what impressed me the most - the singing, dancing, acting, stage set and costumes were all first class. Gilbert and Sullivan would have been delighted with everything.

The costumes really were exceptional - the fairies looked ethereal and the House of Lords were downright dapper in evening dress, set off by regal robes and crowns.

The reason I wanted to go was because two very dear friends - Bob Gladish and Kent Cooper - had key roles. Kent played the Lord Chancellor, a part he has wanted to play for years and years. Not only did he get to have his dream come true, it was a sterling performance in a first rank presentation.

Bravos to Cameron, who directed, and to Jennifer, who was the music director, to the orchestra, to the choreographer, to producers Diana and Siri, the technical crews and to all the actors.

It is time to draw this long ramble to its close. It has been a very long posting and our stomachs are reminding us that we have not had breakfast yet.

We slept in this morning, until 10:45 a.m., which is most unusual for Elsa, who usually considers getting up at 8:00 a.m. late, but she has been putting in some late nights and early mornings, so I am glad she could get some extra shut eye.

Oh, what a beautiful morning it is. I hope that we can go on a drive - maybe even stop by Heilman Hall so I can take a peak at all the different tables settings for tonight’s celebration. I do not have the energy to go to tonight's event, but can still ooh and aaah this afternoon over all the work and creativity.

You may be beginning to feel like Major General in Pirates of Penzance, who was exasperated by the policemen who talked about going but dragged their feet in actually heading out after their quarry. Be assured that "At last we go, at last we go, at last we really, really, really, really go!"

Morning morning and God bless! Love - A Gilbert & Sullivan (and B-Act and Bob and Kent and Cameron and...) Fan