We've Now Started

on the race through summer!

I thought I was going to drop some of the "Notes", but, well...
I couldn't quite let it be.

June 8, 2019
Long's Park
Corty Brown Band
"A Celebration of the Beatles...Post White Album"

Well, yeah.  Mother Mary.
 Let It Be always speaks to me.

Can you believe it, HM and I were ready to go right back to the same park the very next  evening for the concluding event in the "Tribute Weekend".

June 9, 2019
Long's Park
7 Bridges: The Ultimate Eagles Experience.

And then I didn't have my phone.  Since I've got no music from the 7 Bridges concert, I'll share a bit from a musical group that I noted on a city sidewalk  on the following Sunday afternoon.  My enjoyment of this group's performance was brief, and the clip I've got to share with you is even more brief, and especially valuable in that I had to scurry after the group in my church-going shoes, fumbling for my phone and taking care not to stumble on the uneven sidewalk.  Were it not for the red light at the corner, their voices would have gone drifting off into the distance (along with their swiftly-moving, robe-wearing bodies)!

June 16, 2019
Heading down King Street
Unknown group

 Take note, Listener Dear, this choir is singing in the Spanish language.  Now, you may sluff off the following fact with a slight harrumph, but it gave me inordinate pleasure. The HM and I and a few of our friends happened to encounter this group immediately upon  exiting a Dominican restaurant (La Cocina) where we'd all eaten meals of Arroz con Pollo y otres comidas with Spanish names. *

*I may have mentioned it before; I'd favor a fortune in flukes**,
**especially the more jaw-dropping sort! 


*******************

Dum-de-do, Tra-la-la, Na-na-na

(More Notes)
 
The next set of notes begins with a Friday evening jaunt to the small town of Lititz*, Pennsylvania, where one street was blocked off for a fund-raising festival.  The HM and I enjoyed the food stands and the three musical groups who were performing.  Sadly, I cannot name the musical groups because I was not taking notes (laugh here [or, at the very least, give an amused smile, in honor of the pun).

My lack of recall may also be due to the fact I was not paying close enough attention, which I blame on the golden sunshine  and the balminess of the air and the delicious Paella** and the feeling that...oh, I don't know...I had just gotten one of the Sea Salt and Caramel pieces in life's box of (dark) chocolates!

June 7, 2019
Three Unnamed Musical Groups

                                         

It could have been the wine, too.

Or, the way the sun shone on the tiny fountain in the tiny park while the HM and I sat quietly on a small bench, watching as though it were a special performance just for us.








None of the music gets a five-star rating in this post.  But, hey,  Viewer Dear, it added to the bonhomie.

Plus, one of the tunes sung by the one group (as the sun provided a priceless backdrop, and the HM and I were heading out) was a song my dear departed father liked to whistle and sing as he went about his work.  It was a lovely and fitting ending to the evening.  And to these notes.

The End

***********************

*Lititz (pronounced Lit-its, emphasis on first syllable please)

was once declared "Coolest Small Town in America".  Who declared it, and whether some other upstart little borough has stepped in to take its place are facts I cannot give you, Reader Dear.  But I do know it's a pretty sweet spot to visit.

**Oh! And, here's the Paella pic.  Wow, a delectable delight!

**********************

Notes

These are of the musical sort, Listener Dear.

Always, it seems, when I'm playing Occasional-Blogger-Catch-up, at least a few of the events I want to tell you about are musical performances.  It's an interest the HM and I share, attending concerts.  Hence, we're often running off to the park for free ones, or buying tickets to the costlier kind.

Here's the latest line-up:

May 19, 2019

Dean and Dale Concert

A yearly event in which a group of musicians (aha, my HM included) gets together for some rehearsing, and then gives a free concert for whomever wishes to attend.  This year was their Ten-Year Concert*!  They always have a great mix of songs!

*You can go ahead and expect that I'm a bit prejudiced, Listener Dear, but I thought it was terrific, as well as their best concert so far (of course, I've got perfect attendance!)

May 30, 2019
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

HM walked into the house late on a Thursday afternoon, and suggested we could go to this concert.   
"I'm game!" I told him.

"Let's see if I can still get tickets," he replied, as he pulled out his phone.

We really didn't have time to eat supper.  I grabbed a light jacket and off we went.

And, wow! Four of the original members of this band, formed in the early 1970's, drummed and strummed and sang for us.

This concert, too, I declared terrific!

June 2, 2019
First Concert of the Summer Music Series
at Long's Park
John McEuen and The String Wizards

All throughout the winter and spring seasons I look forward to these summer concerts at the park!  I like to picnic prior to the music. It's such a relaxed way to eat a meal (or, yes, even a snack).

This first concert was nearly a washout.  I had carried along some food to eat; but, as we approached the park, torrents of rain were dumped from the heavens.    HM and I sat in the car for a while, discussing the odds of hearing a concert.  Then, as if strictly instructed to do so, the rain stopped falling at precisely the time for concert start-up!  Of course, everything around the picnic tables was a big, wet, muddy mess.  Needless to say, it was a slim crowd at the park.

Sadly, I can't present you with much of the music, either; there were distractions (though, other than the water dripping from the wet trees onto the wet picnic table and onto the snacks and anyone sitting on the wet benches of the already wet picnic table, the distractions were good ones, as you'll see, Reader Dear).

Still Life with Pita Bread, Chips, and a Magnolia Tree

It was an evening of perks!

Like I said, the rain stopped, and the sun tried real hard to peek through the clouds.That was a definite plus.

Then, some guy came around to tell us that in honor of Water Week, free trees were being handed out, compliments of the Lancaster Conservancy and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.  These were all trees that are native to the area.

Naturally, I ran around through the wet grass trying to obtain a Redbud tree (from a choice of eight or ten kinds of trees).

"They're going fast, but I'll get you one from the main tent," said the nice guy who had first informed us of the trees.  Alas, when he got back to the card table with his wheelbarrow-load of trees, he had no Rosebud.  That supply had been exhausted, he explained.  But, he didn't want any leaves without a tree (pun alert).  So, I chose a Magnolia before leaving.

Third perk was a tattoo artist who showed up and was offering custom-designed tattoos for the bargain price of just fifty cents!

I ordered a tattoo for my Small Actor and was so impressed by the artist's work that I took a sudden notion to get one for myself!  It is a tastefully done clover leaf on my left hand.  It's not quite as permanent as the real things, but, hey, consider the price!

I should say, Viewer Dear, this tattoo artist was none other than my Tiny Actor!  Should you care to take advantage of this fantastic offer, there's a pretty good chance I could make it happen (though I can't guarantee his rates have not gone up; he's gotten one or two five-star reviews!).

                                                                     

See, Dear One, how I got side-tracked from my Notes?
Never fear, there'll be more to follow.

************

*It was their Tenth Year,
but the Ninth Annual Concert.
I've had  perfect attendance only
because it didn't suit my schedule one  year
and the HM cancelled the whole show!

Final Parts of Final Episode of First (and Final)

Season of the show:  MEMORIAL DAY PICNIC

You're about to see Episode Two--ENTERTAINMENT
Part 4--Song and Dance

Please do not rouse your hopes of seeing any actual dancing, Viewer Dear.  I'm naming all the kicking of the soccer ball, and jumping and chasing of balloons, and jumping and running for any reason, "dancing".  Allow me this, Reader Dear, and know that I'd have made some music happen and asked my little actors to dance had I but thought of it even once!  As it was, however, the attendees of this picnic had plenty of entertainment.

Here's the song, performed by my Itty-Bitty Actor:

Episode Two--ENTERTAINMENT
Part 5--Games

Alas, I'm unable to show you the interesting card game that lasted a few rounds between the FOOD Episode and the Naming Contest. I'm unable to even give you the name of the game, which was carried in by the Little Actor, Tiny Actor and their caretakers (compliments of the local library).  It was basically a word game.   I enjoyed it, and, were it not for the fact that at least four people (two teams) are needed to play the game, I'd be heading off to the library myself to check it out.*-**-***

*Well, that, and the fact that my Horse Man is not thrilled with word games.  Or guessing games, team games, card games. He much prefers singing and rides (oh, those horse rides!)

**Ahem, and of course I cannot just leap into my car and "head off to the library" right now with no valid driver's license.

***I no longer even possess a valid library card (I shamefully confess).

Back to the Memorial Day Picnic.  Just as the evening shadows were beginning to encroach, and all the caretakers of my small actors were beginning to gather their lawn chairs, and their odds and ends of leftovers, and their games, and their excessive paraphernalia, and prepare to head for home, the Memorial Day Picnic was wrapped up royally by the final bursting of the final Rocket Balloon!

Now, I'm looking forward, Reader Dear, to the grand Grandma's-Got-Her-Driver's-License-(Back) Picnic (see previous post for details) and I'm making every effort to stock up on Rocket Balloons!

*******************

Memorial Day Picnic

Season One, Episode Two--ENTERTAINMENT
Part 3--Rocket Balloons

Ah, Reader-Viewer Dear, these balloons, the ones that I had picked up on a whim at the drugstore (on a table full of discounted items, [making them quite inexpensive, indeed]) were blown up into the pop hit of the day!

There were twenty balloons in the pack, with a small plastic hand pump included.  Each balloon was used numerous times until it got too tired or too pumped, and burst! This was an action that always startled everyone and elicited screams of laughter! 

But the Rocket Balloons were most entertaining for their flights up into the air, up into the trees, skimming the lawn, their whirling loop-de-loops, the silly noises they made on each frenzied trip!

I do believe I enjoyed them every bit as much as each of my diminutive actors!

Though I found no Yelp reviews for Rocket Balloons (possibly because, once they are pumped and in the business of entertaining, one still cannot label them as an "entertainment business"), I'd advise you, Dear Reader-Viewer, to snatch up any you might find on a discount table at the drugstore or full-priced and elsewhere!  It will be the best value you can hope to find for your Fourth-of-July Picnic (as well as School's- Out Picnic,  Happy Birthday Picnic, Labor Day Picnic, next year's Memorial Day Picnic, Little-Jimmy-Lost-a-Tooth Picnic, Grandpa-Lost-All-His-Teeth Picnic,  Grandma-Got-Her-Driver's License-(Back) Picnic, The-Dog-Had-Puppies Picnic, or...really, just any kind of picnic you can think up!  In fact, there doesn't even need to be a picnic to enjoy these balloons [but it's a known fact that food always makes things more of an event*]!)

Rocket Balloons are appropriate for ages two through sixty-nine (for younger or older picnic attendees, you will need to use your own judgement, Dear One)!

*Were you to issue, Reader Dear, an invitation to your Rocket Balloon Launchings with no mention of picnic or party  or food or drink of any kind, just how many guests do you suppose would show up?!**

**Though there's always the chance these invited ones have just read my (non-Yelp) review of Rocket Balloons, in which case you'd better drag out all your lawn chairs, Dear Reader!

*********************
(to be continued, as there is a final part to this final episode of this only-one-season show)

...




EVERY YEAR MY FATHER would get cards, all in a pile. His birthday was June 11th, and then always right on its heels was Father's Day. A card came in the mail one day, he pulled out his trusty pocket knife and sliced open the envelope. He read the card, chuckled or made some other acknowledgement of the sentiment expressed, and showed it to my mother. Then he walked to the broom closet, opened the door and dropped the card into the trash can. My mother, who later told me of his actions, was appalled at this behavior. "Dan!" she said, "you are throwing it away?!" A bit chagrined, he asked, "Well, what am I supposed to do with it?"

It was up to my mother, then, to explain the rationale for saving the card, at least for a little while, so he could, well, you know--look at it some more. It simply didn't make sense to Daddy, who was used to assessing things for their practicality and usefulness, to save the card for future reference. "I've already read it," he said, "I don't need to read it again. I know what it says."

Of course, he certainly didn't mind that Mama dug the card out of the trash and placed it, along with the others he received, in a little basket on the table by his easy chair. And there the stack of good wishes sat, at his elbow, for some length of time. He likely didn't notice when they quietly disappeared.

Mama no doubt looked at the cards again before she carried them away. But do you suppose that she carried them away to the trash can?

..............








In the case of all the Father's Day cards, and any of the birthday cards that happened to likewise come from his offspring, each year she put them away in bundles and boxes for safekeeping; there they stayed for the remainder of his life.  And after that...

well, here I sit, wishing quite fervently I could recycle one of those cards!

...

Days Flutter past

and then weeks.
I get so far behind, Reader Dear, that I dwell on blogation-hibernation.
And, then, a rainy day such as this very one comes along.
I start to think back to that absolutely fabulous Memorial Day family picnic, and how frabjous the weather, and how easy (voila!) it would be to show the delightful day with a few pics!

So easy and simple, in fact, I've decided to make a mini-series out of it, Dear Viewer.
•••••••••••••••••••

Season One, Episode one--FOOD:
The meal consisted of Beef Ribs, done on the grill  by HM,
Baked Potatoes, Cole Slaw, Watermelon, and lots of etcetera.



Dessert was Strawberry Shortcake with accompanying creams (the iced sort and the whipped kind).

All of my small actors were in attendance, which brings us to...
********************

Season One, Episode two--ENTERTAINMENT
Part 1--Rides:
These consisted of Bike Rides and Trike Rides,
as well as (drum roll here),
Horse Rides!

The HM has got himself a miniature horse, purchased with an accompanying baby, unborn until the week after purchase.  (Surprise, surprise! A new foal! The HM was over-the-moon happy about it, as the auctioneer, too, had been unaware of the mare's pregnancy).

 *****************
Episode two,
Part 2--Naming Contest.
The HM had named his tiny horse Precious.  Now he had arranged for a Naming Contest to determine what we would call the (even tinier) baby horse.  The contest included a (bagful of candy) prize for the winner!

As you will witness, Dear Viewer, that Horse Man waffled on the rules of the game, suddenly deciding the first name out of the hat would not be the winner (Since, however, it was all done in good spirits and with lots of laughter, it was quite acceptable).

You, in fact,  may be relieved (as I was) to know: the baby horse is not destined to be called  Farty* (nor anything, argh, even more egregious). Petunia (name submitted by Jody [wife of Only Son]) is the new baby's name.

It's a far sweeter name, as well as far more to (most*) everyone's liking!
••••••••••••••••••••
Season One,
Episode two,
Part 3
to follow, Viewer Dear...

*Name I submitted on behalf of
a smaller participant who wished to
remain anonymous (yes, yes, I assure
you, it's true, Reader Dear [in the event you should
be questioning my integrity])!

(...to be continued)