Inauguration Day 2009
Today, I lectored at a memorial Mass the day after Lolo's birthday. Fr. Breier celebrated, Matt was altar server, and Ken played the Wicks organ. Fr. Breier wore a red vestment from the Philippines, and we talked about his relative who served as a priest in Japan who had a cousin who was archbishop in the Philippines, and was a doctor, surgeon, dentist, pharmacist, and undertaker. In the POW camp in Manila (which was probably the University of Santo Tomas campus) he was quite useful to the Japanese who were occupying the city. He probably knew Lolo, who treated troops from America, Japan, and the Philippines.
We collected eyeglasses at the Fifth Avenue entrance of church, then departed for haircuts (with Dad driving and our making a stop at McDonald's for breakfast). Mary Jane had the television on, we watched pre-inauguration pomp in which the powers-that-be and the powers-that-had-been pass through the portals of the White House before their ride to the Capitol Building and the Inauguration.
We ladies commented on Michelle Obama's dress ("It's very difficult for most of us women to carry off a yellow dress," "I sure hope she's layering a long silk shirt under that suit"). We also hurried home in time to catch Dianne Feinstein continue to make introductory remarks before the official Inauguration Program. We heard Gabriela Montero (piano forte), Itzhak Perlman (violin), Yo Yo Ma (cello), and Anthony McGill (clarinet) play a piece by John Williams commissioned for the event, Joe Biden sworn in as Vice President, Aretha Franklin sing "My Country 'Tis of Thee" and Barack Obama take the oath of office. Elizabeth Alexander read her poem, "Praise Song for the Day." How very moving, the whole event. The military choral group sang, and we decided to go out for lunch.
Mom, Dad, and I had lunch at the Japanese sushi buffet. Quite delicious. We enjoyed vanilla, red bean, and green tea ice cream after.
We worked on dad's curriculum vita and on Mom & Dad's correspondence after that. We also watched the Inaugural parade, during which we commented that some of the onlookers in the reviewing stands looked positively COLD.
Labels: American history, Birthday, hair, humor, ice cream, Mass, medical mission, St. Paul Cathedral, tea
posted by Grace @ 1/20/2009 08:40:00 PM
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