A wonderful singer...

 In church this morning we had a special guest soloist.  I found his name in the bulletin, Michael Deshield, but no other information.  He sang "for Everyone Born" and ""Is There Anybody Here?" He had a beautiful tenor voice and I was curious about his background.  I thought he must have some opera training (not that I'm an expert on vocalists) because he sounded so good. 

So I Googled him.  Here's what I found, from several different sources.  He was recently named a winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition as a winner of the Indiana District and an Encouragement award winner of the Central Region, and he is quickly catching the attention of the opera world.  He is lauded for his 'pleasantly throbbing tone'.  

I am not going to list here everything he has ever sung.  Although he is young, the list of operas in which he has performed is extensive.  You can access several of his performances by Googling him and I think you will like what you hear.  

I still wonder why there wasn't any bio information about him included in our bulletin.  Perhaps the composer of our bulletin thought that having info about him to read might have distracted us from listening to him. I don't think that would have happened, not after the first note. 

Remember the name, Michael Deshield, and go hear him if you get the chance. 

early plans

 My spouse and I are beginning to make plans for a driving trip through the southwest in late October or early November.  

I've started to think about places I definitely want to re-visit, and one of the first sites that came to mind is Mesa Verde.  I have been there three times.  There have been at least ten to fifteen years between visits and each time I've been there I've learned newly discovered information about the early inhabitants.  But there is another place that I find equally intriguing.  It is Casa Rinconada, a huge kiva (gathering and trading place) built by the Ancestral Puebloan people.  It's now part of Chaco Culture National Historic Park.

When we were in Alaska this spring one of the places we visited was a large building, a replica of one used by the earliest native Americans of that area as a meeting place.  It reminded me so much of the southwestern kivas, same step down round or rectangular area with a fire pit in the middle and a smoke hole at the top of the roof of the building.  I guess the design makes sense, how else would you construct a large gathering place, but I remember one of the lectures we enjoyed on our cruise ship showing a likely path of migration begining with prehistoric people crossing the Bearing Strait, west to east, when it was a land bridge and migrating along the west coast of what is now Canada and the US, all the way to Mexico.  

I find it fascinating to think about how far people travelled on foot all those years ago.  I find it fascinating, but I'm really glad we will be traveling by car. 

two more chances

 You have two more chances to see Noel Cowards "Hay Fever" performed at First Presbyterian Theater here in Fort Wayne at 300 W. Wayne Street, across from the downtown library.  My spouse and I saw it this evening and I highly recommend it.

The play, written in 1920 takes place in England and features the Bliss family.  Kate Black gives an outstanding performance as Judith Bliss, an aging but oh so dramatic actress.  Everyone else in the cast also performed brilliantly.  

The Bliss family, mother (the actress), father (the author) and adult son and daughter (the hangers-on) epitomize the 'dys' in dysfunctional families.  I guarantee that you will find plenty to laugh at in this timeless play and come away feeling so much better about your own family.  

As I said, you have two more chances to see it. Saturday, August 29 at 7:30pm and Sunday, August 30 at 2:00pm. Admission is $20 per person, $15 for seniors 60+.

just because...

 Today, according to my west coast brother, is "Just Because Day."  What a great day.  I spent a good deal of today reading a good novel, just because I couldn't put it down.

My wonder spouse and I had pizza for supper (Hawaiian for him, supreme for me) just because we hadn't had pizza for a few weeks and just because we really wanted it. 

We also spent some time on our current jigsaw puzzle, just because we felt like it.

This afternoon I had my annual physical with my favorite doctor who thinks I'm in great shape.  I keep going back to him, year after year, just because I really do like him and trust him.  That's primarily just because he listens when I talk to him and takes the time to answer my questions. 

At that same appointment, just because it's required by Medicare, one of the nurses gave me a hearing test.  I could hear all the little beeps and buzzes, high and low tones, in each ear, but her little machine was telling her that I'm deaf.  So the last 'just because' of today is that, because of machine or operator error, I will probably soon be having an appointment with an audiologist.  Just because....

Way beyond beautiful...

 According to my west coast brother, who finds these interesting facts for me, on this date in 1498 Michelangelo was commissioned to create his sculpture "Pieta."  I imagine that most of you are familiar with this lifesize, hauntingly beautiful sculpture of Mary holding the dead Jesus in her arms after his crucifixion, at least from pictures.  

It is housed in the Vatican now and I was fortunate enough to see it on my last trip to Italy.  It is, as I said, beautiful because of the subject, but, I think that, even if you had no knowledge of the New Testament and no idea who Mary and Jesus were, no emotional attachment to the work at all, you could not fail to appreciate what an excellent work of art it is.  The strange calmness on Mary's face, the tendons, sinews and bones visible in the almost skeletal body of Jesus all testify to the amazing talent of Michelangelo.  

The sculpture is now protected by a bullet proof glass screen after it was vandalized in 1972, but even with the glass in front of it, it is easy to appreciate and even marvel at the skill it must have taken to create it. 

As it happened, on that same trip to Italy, we visited a museum (I think in MIlan) where I saw another, unfinished, version of the Pieta also by Michelangelo.  This sculpture wasn't behind glass and I was able to walk all around it and see not only the polished surfaces of the finished product but the remains of the carrara marble block from which this one was being carved and chisel marks not yet smoothed away.  I am not referring to the Rondanini "unfinished" Pieta which was from Michaelangelo's later years and left that way deliberately.  In that sculpture Mary is standing and holding Jesus upright, as if just taken down from the cross.  The one I remember had Mary in the same seated position as the famous Pieta. 

Years before I ever traveled outside the US, I lectured in Art History at the Fort Wayne Art School (later part of IPFW).  I used slides in most of my lectures (it was the good old days) and later in my life, when I was able to travel to many places in Europe, it was always a thrill to see the originals of those slides.  Seeing the Pieta was one such unforgettable experience.  

good eating...

 My west coast brother has once again supplied me with an interesting bit of information.  Did you know that on this date in 1958 Chicken Ramen was introduced?  It's true.  Momofuku Ando, a Taiwanese-Japanese businessman and founder of Nissin Foods invented instant raman noodles in 1958.  I'm not going to go into all of the history except to say that ramen noodles had been around for a long long time.  It was the idea of 'instant' noodles that was brand new.  

College students and any young people living on a tight budget have applauded this invention ever since.  Ramen noodle packets are still one of the cheapest things you can buy in a grocery store.  

And it doesn't stop with young people.  At every point in my life when I have lived alone, ramen noodles have been one of my stand bys.  I especially like the chicken flavor.  I have even served them to my wonder spouse once or twice.  

The thing about ramen noodles is that they can become delicious and filling meals all by themselves or with some enhancements.  I used to add chopped up cooked pork or chicken (whatever I had leftover).  As an alternative, I would stir in a raw egg while the ramen was boiling and make egg drop soup.  Now you know my secret ramen recipes. 

So on this very special day let's all toast Momofuku Ando, preferably with sake or plum wine.  Cheers and thank you Mr. Ando, for your wonderful invention.  

Keep on keeping on...

 My west coast brother has informed me that, on this date in in 1456 the first printing of the Gutenberg Bible was completed.  He then went on to say that it took Gutenberg four years to complete the plates and questioned whether we are that persistent anymore. I agreed that with the ability to have next day delivery of just about anything we want or need, patience and persistence don't seem to be necessary virtues in our daily lives.

However, I do know of one project that has been being worked on for the last several years and isn't finished yet. I have visited the Crazy Horse Memorial three times over the last 40 years and have definitely seen progress, but so slowly.  If this isn't an example of patience and persistence I don't know what is.  When you next travel through South Dakota you should definitely stop and visit this monument.  After which, if you feel the need of refreshment, by all means stop at Wall Drug Store in Wall, SD for free ice water and the chance to purchase anything you could possibly need or want. 

The Crazy Horse Memorial is a mountain monument under construction on privately held land in the Black Hills, in Custer County, South Dakota, United States. It will depict the Oglala Lakota warrior Crazy Horse, riding a horse and pointing to his tribal land. The memorial was commissioned by Henry Standing Bear, a Lakota elder, to be sculpted by Korczak Ziolkowski. It is operated by the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit organization.

The monument has been in progress since 1948 and is far from completion.