Monday, April 27, 2015

CALIFORNIA FOOTNOTES

Operatic notes, these are. Surely you will recall, Dear Reader, my most lovely California vacation, and the lovely California weather, and the lovely California friends, and the lovely chance meeting in the church auxiliary hall...  (Oh, wait.  Perhaps I didn't mention this brief little chat with a friend of our gracious hostess.

  "You live in Pennsylvania?!" Marilyn had exclaimed with excitement, after Irmgard had made the introductions.  "My husband and I are going there in just a few weeks to hear our son sing!  He's going to be performing at the Fulton Opera House!"  [It turns out, Dear Reader, The Yard Man and I, we already had tickets to the event!])

Marilyn and I exchanged all the necessary data to contact one another.  We'd see each other again at the opera!  We said goodbye as friends. 

Now you must leap, Reader Dear, from West Coast to East.  From the beautiful old church to the elegant old opera house.  (You must even leap across a few weeks of time!)

I had not heard a thing from my ready-made friend.  Nor had she heard from me. I'd lost even her name! How handy, then, to scan the program--only two male opera singers--and one of them had a name that rang a bell!  (As we found out shortly, he also has a tenor voice that rang out beautifully!)


The program was about to begin,
but I scurried down a few of  the darkened aisles and searched for my California friend, (I had not met her husband), going so far as to ask one woman (on the end of an aisle, and with a similar look), "Are you from California?"*
No luck!

The Yard Man and I thoroughly enjoyed the first part of the performance.  At intermission, we went eagerly into the foyer. And...well, right there she stood!  She was intently studying her phone.

 "I couldn't remember your name!" she exclaimed as we threw our arms around each other.
"But I knew you were in here somewhere!" 
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The Yard Man and I got to meet her husband, Roger.  After the opera, we were introduced to Todd--the Tenor, the son.
Dear Reader, what a friendly guy!
"Come to the after-party with us!" he offered.

All of our newly-found friends encouraged us.   The Yard Man and I, we happily accepted.   (Pondering the benefits of instant friendship!)






And that is how, Dear Reader, The Yard Man and I, we had a jolly time hobnobbing with the opera singers, some of the symphony orchestra musicians, the concert master, and the maestro himself--the conductor!


 We had such a fine time, in fact, that we went to the very same opera the very next evening!  This time, we got to sit with our long-time**friends, Roger and Marilyn!




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*"No," she said.  "But I do have good friends in California!"

**Well, you know, compared to last night. 

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