Laundry
I awoke at four this morning and did two loads of laundry. I went back to bed after six o'clock and awoke again at nine.
Auntie Chi is preparing to leave late this morning, and is packing in the room next door.
~~~
Mom, Dad, and I dropped off Auntie Chi at the airport today. We then went to Costco for gasoline and a snack. We recycled some of mom's clothing in Mount Lebanon.
Labels: dining, family, laundry, recycle, shopping, sleep
Pamela's with Auntie Chi
This morning Auntie Chi and I went for a walk: We stopped at my work (said hi to Heather S., saw my office), and walked up Thackeray behind Soldiers and Sailors Memorial, where there were movie filming trailers. I took her picture, then we stopped in at the Newman Center before Dad drove Mom, her, and I to Pamela's in the Strip District. Three of us enjoyed "Morning After" specials, and Mom enjoyed the banana walnut hotcakes. I drove them to St. Anthony's Chapel, which was closed.
I walked in to work afterwards. I walked home after our weekly meeting and Auntie Chi and I walked to the Carnegie Main branch to pick up books. We crossed Schenley Plaza to Hillman Library so that I could print out various items.
We helped prepare for dinner, and now await William's little family to join us for dinner.
~~~~~
After dinner of salmon soup, grilled salmon jaw, tapa, pot roast, tomatoes, rice, cantaloupe, raisins, baked cheese crackers, and more, the children played with Auntie Chi for a while, then we all headed to Carnegie Mellon University for the inaugural night of the Randy Pausch bridge lighting. We visited the bridge and the new Gates building...Beatrice was enthralled by the helix! She and William walked down and back up the helix. We visited some classrooms and also sat in an alcove.
Labels: biology, Carnegie, Church, dine, dining, Faith, family, library, photos, school, visitor, walking, work
No Choir Practice: Ballroom Dancing
Today after work I went to physical therapy. Donna presented me with 4 compilations of music! I practiced the "A" set of land exercises and all of the water exercises.
Tonight, choir practice was canceled. Christina and I went to the ballroom dance class in Squirrel Hill. Whilst waiting for the class to begin, I observed the beginner Aikido classes, too.
We learned West Coast Swing and Latin, too. Brian taught the classes quite well. Christina's friend, Ryan, danced with us, as well as Brian and Ray from the Catholic group. We had a fun time and enjoyed ourselves dancing various ballroom dances.
Auntie Chi, Mom, Dad, and I chatted about our morning plans for tomorrow.
Labels: Choir, dance, dining, exercise, friends, water exercise
1.5 mph
I now walk approximately one and half miles per hour, as determined by my jaunt to mid-Oakland this afternoon after work.
Labels: BAD, surgery, walking
The Flu
Two instructors this week at work have been out with the flu. I covered one section last night. I could sense that a small group of students were perturbed by my suggestions on how to work more efficiently, so I stated, "I'd be less irritating if I didn't care as much." All in all, they were a good, hardworking class.
When I returned after work and the computer lab last night in a light (barely) drizzle, Auntie Chi had already arrived. She and I shared stories of what had occurred (who had visited and whom we had visited) since her last visit here in April 2009. I did a little side-stepping dance to show off my new hips.
Mom is off for some blood work this morning: I will treat her and Dad to breakfast afterwards.
~~~~~
Mom, Dad, and I went to Primanti's in the Strip District. Dad and I split a Colossal Fish Sandwich, and Mom and Auntie Chi split a pastrami / corned beef sandwich. Dad and I had the fries and slaw on the side. It was a fun early lunch before I headed in to work.
Labels: BAD, biology, dance, dining, health, student, surgery, visitor, work
Last Monday Night Newman Bible Study in October 2009
Today after work Mom, Dad, and I went north of the city to the sushi buffet. We enjoyed eating sushi, hot foods, and ice cream.
I went back in to work, stopped in for Eucharistic Adoration at St. Paul Cathedral, showered and napped for a bit and had dinner. I then walked, seeing Franco on the way to the Newman Center for Newman Bible Study. We walked to the meeting together.
We looked at Wisdom as compared to Bigotry, a sermon by John Newman. As part of the discussion, I gave a couple of biological analogies: The flexible reed in the wind vs. the stiff branch: The reed is like us as we listen to someone who may have bigoted ideas---it can actually make our faith stronger, giving us stronger roots; in response to a question of the Church's doctrine evolving with time, I brought up Peter's scripture of the living stones being like us, our making up the body of the Church. There were many analogies from various fields of study (depending on the interests of the speaker).
Afterwards, I finished typing some letters for Mom and Dad for PAMS.
Soot
Last week I had my windows open until the rains came. The weather was bright and clear, and thanks to groups such as GASP, the coal-burning plants are now burning natural gas, a cleaner form of energy. Thus, my window sills have had less soot since midsummer, a wonderful change for us all.
Labels: energy, weather
Pumpkin Pancakes, October 2009
This morning Maureen and I went to McKnight Road for: Pumpkin pancakes, eggs, and home fries (me) and strawberry blintzes (Maureen). We stopped by the mall for some shopping and window shopping (at Tiffany's). We took some fall photos, too. We had a great time, and after I dropped her off I saw Karina at my corner. We went to take more fall photos and then went to the public library to drop off her book.
I transferred my photos to a USB key / flash drive, then took a two-hour nap. Mom, Dad, and I enjoyed dinner together. I will have a relaxing evening with my work items...
Labels: Carnegie, dining, friends, library, photos, work
Gyros, October 2009
For dinner tonight Nancy, Karina, Maureen, and I went for gyros in Oakland. It is Homecoming Weekend at the University of Pittsburgh, so despite the rainy weather, there were lots of students and alumni wandering about Oakland. We enjoyed our gyros, salads, and hummus dip, as well as a discussion by the proprietor about how he grows and selects hot peppers, spices, cucumbers, and other produce. He also shared his prayer rug with us. What a man of Faith! He was intrigued by Nancy's computer pen, and wants to get some for his children.
We went for ice cream sundaes, iced mocha frappe, and hot chocolate afterwards. What a lovely evening out with the girls!
Labels: computer, dine, Faith, friends, ice cream, Pittsburgh, writing
Choir Recording Session II
Last night, after dinner at Mom and Dad's with William, Beatrice, and Solomon, I headed to the group photo shoot for choir at the altar of St. Paul Cathedral. There was a fender bender at the corner, and five police cars were present as I crossed the street.
At seven fifteen in the evening Chuck from the Diocesan newspaper arranged us by height, all of us bedecked in black from the waist up and with brightly colored ties and scarves. He stood precariously on a high stool in the aisle and shot a number of photos. Exclamations were heard, that made us all smile (including one which made me say, "This is the only choir in which saying the director's name makes us all laugh").
After the photo shoot we all headed up to the choir loft to join Matthew and Dino for another recording session (to finish up our work from last week---to record twice as much music and to clean up some of the tracks from last week). We recorded (and Dino burned, after each good take):
Personent Hodie (arr. by Gustav Holst)
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly (Robert G. Farrell, a tenor in choir)
My Dancing Day (Gerald Near)
O Holy Night / Cantique de Noel (Adolphe Adam)
A Boy Was Born (Robert G. Farrell)
Ave Maria (Franz Biebl), which had Don intoning, and us divided into Choir I and II,
Gaudete (arr. by Robert J. Bastatini), which had us ringing bells and singing a capella,
O Magnum Mysterium (Peter Mathews)
We re-recorded:
Sir Christemas (William Mathias)
Christmas Lullaby (John Rutter)
And recorded for Matthew's documentary:
a sung "Our Father" and
Were You There (v.1, 3, 5, 6?)
We ended about ten fifteen, ten thirty at night, with many of us sending fond goodbye's and goodnight's to each other. Nancy, Michael, and I walked out together, bidding a goodbye to Mary Ann as she pulled out of the parking lot.
A productive, fun-filled night.
Labels: Choir, Church, music, photos, recording, St. Paul Cathedral
Douglas Levine and Friends at Rodef Shalom
My friend Daphne Alderson invited me to a concert Monday night at Rodef Shalom Synagogue. Her friend Doug Levine and his friends were performing various genres of music. The group consisted of a core of: Doug (pianoforte), Jeff Grubbs (double bass), R.J. Heid (percussion)
The men performed:
My Romance
On a Clear Day
Circle Song (Levine)
Panic at the Deli (Levine)
and were joined by Daphne for:
Surrey with the Fringe on Top
Bill Snow Fiesta
I Love Piano (as covered by Judy Garland)
~~~an intermission followed~~~
The men played Ralph's Blues
and were joined by Jeff's wife, Tania for:
Tania's Logic
Will You Still Love me Tomorrow
Sermonette
and were joined, in turn, by Mary Beth Malek (clarinet) for:
a four-part piece, then
for another four-part piece based on Israeli Folk Songs.
I saw my former co-worker, Tim, there, Roberta W, my neighbor Flo W., Terry and Char, and met a number of new people there, too, including their friend Elaine and Jane from Diocesan Choir. I had a chance to chat with Daphne, and Tania (whom I had seen with Jeff at jazz in Squirrel Hill) at the reception in the courtyard afterwards.
Labels: friends, music, neighbors
Father Scott Seethaler
On Sunday Maureen, Karina, and I went to hear Father Scott Seethaler deliver a mission talk at Holy Spirit Parish. He mentioned a number of things, especially:
That we need to talk about intangibles, we need to make this place and space Holy
Ground. There are three Acts of Faith:
1. That there is a God
2. God is there on a day-to-day basis
3. God answers prayers.
We then stood and sang Be Not Afraid
He spoke of the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 6), and mentioned that the healthiest people live in an airtight compartment: Today.
To the worriers in the crowd, he said, "Let go, Let God." He pounded his hand upon the altar and said, "Leave your stress at the altar....Right here."
He said the Pater Noster/ Our Father backwards, so that we would better understand it. He made a joke about a woman who was trying to leave her worries behind in church.
Father Scott spoke about going from BC ---> AD, from going from fear to trust; from Mary going from the Annunciation to the Wedding Feast at Cana.
He spoke about Christ's going from victim to victor.
He spoke about the "daily bread" from the Pater Noster. How the bread is daily, and not weekly.
He spoke of the differences in Allegheny and Dade Counties.
He said to RELAX: He spoke of Psalm 23, and how the text changes from third person to second person references of God when times get tough.
Life is Difficult---one must know God in a personal way and that God is good.
Christianity is an Adult Religion. The Cross in focus says that Christians have to look good on wood. Christianity is not taught, it's caught. Christ says, "Did you really believe that I loved you?"
He told a story about Helen Keller, who said one day that a person that loves her very much is in the room and that she would like to speak with that person...He likened that story to your relationship with God.
He quoted the poem, "Said the Robin to the Sparrow."
God may love you, but He's not saying that life is easy....
He pounded the altar, encouraging us to leave our worries there again.
There were some stress reduction breathing exercises we did as a group, and after an interlude of organ music, prayed intercessory prayers, responding "I believe you love me and I won't be afraid."
We prayed the Pater Noster again.
Thus ended the formal session of the first talk in a series of the mission of Father Scott Seethaler to Holy Spirit Parish in October 2009.
Labels: Church, diocese of Pittsburgh, Faith, Pittsburgh
Today
Today I slept in after my alarm went off. I drove my friends and me to Millvale for brunch. We visited the bakery afterwards, and we all were sufficiently sugared up to turn down the baked goods. A visit to St. Nicholas Church, a Croatian parish, ensued, one which had a parish fair, tours of the church building, and beautiful murals in tempera by Maximillian Vanka. He included pastoral peasant scenes from his childhood, and a prominent depiction of Mary and Christ above the altar which depicted Mary as a robust, buxom peasant woman under an arch announcing "Marijo-Kralijice Hvala-moli za nas" or, "Mary, Queen of Croatia, pray for us," translated by Diane. Scenes from Vanka's mother country and of Pittsburgh were portrayed opposite from pieta and other scenes. We also saw that talks by Fr. Scott Seethaler OFM CAP announced.
We went to Whole Foods for pumpkin raisin spice iced cookies and to Trader Joes. We had dinner at Taco Bell, and headed back to Maureen's home for tea and cookies, discussion, and checking email.
Labels: art, Church, dine, dining, diocese of Pittsburgh, friends, photos, repair, tea
The Bus Ride Home, Beatrice's Birthday Celebration
The bus ride home this Wednesday was good---no transfers, two seats to myself all the way to Harrisburg, and I chatted most of the way with a German schoolteacher-to-be who is going cross country to California. We had everyone from Mexicans to Italians to an Amish gentleman in our seating vicinity...there was at the back of the bus even a guy with beads in his beard, too. An uneventful trip, all-in-all.
~ ~ ~ ~
We met William and his family at the new French bistro for lunch...whilst waiting for a table, Lola and the children checked out the pastries in the window. I greatly enjoyed my meal, especially the hot cocoa at the end.
Labels: Beatrice, Birthday, celebration, home, niece and nephew, photos, transportation
Choir Recording Session I
Tonight at seven thirty we started recording for our choir's fundraiser CD. The loft was miked up, Don directed us with Ken at the mighty von Beckerath. A photographer from the Diocesan newspaper, Chuck, was shooting. Matthew Craig had arranged for Pittsburgh native Dino DiStefano to record us.
We recorded:
Christmas Lullaby (John Rutter)
Who Is the One We Love the Most (Carl Schalk)
Where Shepards Lately Knelt (Carl Schalk)
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Silent Night (Franz Gruber, Joseph Mohr transl. by John F. Young)
Sir Christemas (William Mathias)
A Sound of Angels (Christopher Tye)
Coventry Carol (arr. by Martin Shaw)
Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming (Michael Praetorius)
O Magnum Mysterium (Peter Mathews)
We had warmed up for the evening with the rousing Hark! the Herald Angels Sing (for balancing sound levels), among other pieces.
Labels: Choir, Church, music, photos, recording, St. Paul Cathedral
Saint John Neumann, thoughts
I had never seen a saint in repose until this week....
Saint John Neumann appears just to be sleeping, as if waiting for the second coming of Christ.
Seeing a saint in repose is cool, somewhat creepy, beautiful, overwhelming, holy, and amazing all at once.
Labels: Faith, Saint
Leaving Philadelphia, October 2009
I slept in until ~eight this morning and went to Reading Terminal Market to meet Pat K. at Philbert the Piggy Bank pig. We decided on breakfast at the crepe place after the Amish breakfast place was full. I had an apple-caramel crepe, and Pat enjoyed a strawberry-banana crepe with eggs. We chatted, shared family stories, etc.
After breakfast I departed for the bus terminal and met Catherine, who is traveling cross-country from Germany. We sat across the aisle from each other until Harrisburg, where we sat next to each other and exchanged stories.
Mom and Dad and I enjoyed a home-cooked meal of chicken, rice, mung beans, fresh tomatoes, and papaya. I packed my lunch for work tomorrow, and answered emails.
Labels: dine, dining, family, friends, international culture, transportation
Philadelphia, October 2009 III
This morning I attended Mass at the Chapel of St. John Neumann. Sara and I enjoyed leftover pancakes with blueberry preserves and maple syrup and butter for breakfast. She walked to her bus stop and I to the El stop. I got off at the 15th Street station to stop by the Race Street Meeting House to pick up a bag I had left at the meeting last night. I stopped for a grape juice and by the LOVE sculpture to write a postcard to Miranda and Benny afterwards.
I walked downtown to the Franklin Court, stopping at the SEPTA store on the way there. I stopped at the post office, and sent a po'card to Mom, and one to Miranda & Benny, too. I took the bus to the Marian Anderson Museum, and enjoyed an afternoon there. She was absolutely musical royalty. She transformed the music, and, thus, the listeners. Blanche gave me a tour of the home, modest, yet beautiful, as was Marian.
I've listened to some practice sound files from Don this afternoon, and feel as if I should be doing what the cat is now: Sleeping.
Philadelphia, October 2009 II
After breakfast at Honey's on 4th Street and Brown Street, Sara and I caught the bus to Chestnut St. downtown at 4th Street. We walked by the caleches to the Independence Mall, saw the Liberty Bell. Sara was struck by the connections to the Abolitionist and Suffragette Movements. Then we walked to the Visitor Center, and I bought postcards. Then, it was off to Franklin Court to drop off the postcard to the Post Office. (It was closed today, Columbus Day.) We did see a movie on the life of Ben Franklin. "He was a dude," Sara claims. We saw a replica of a glass armonica and I remembered a diorama of a French ballroom from when I was little. I was absolutely disgusted by the privy pits being SO close to the well. EEuw!
Then, we walked toward the Famous Fourth Street Delicatessen, stopping in at Old St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church and at Dr. Physick's office. Old St. Mary's is where many a Catholic worshipped. It was the only RC Church building in the English colonies for quite a while. I had THE Matzo Ball Soup, with a matzo ball the size of a softball (or, for that matter, the size of a newborn's head).
I bought a great handbag on Fourth Street, and a rainscarf at Seventh Street. Sara and I caught the bus for Ross, where Sara bought some clothes. Then, off to Reading Terminal Market, where we shared canele, a bread-pudding-like pastry with a carmelized coating. I got some dried fruit for Dad there, too.
We stopped by the American Institute of Architecture store, and chatted about the LOVE Indiana sculpture with the cashiers. Then, we continued on Arch Street to Broad, then left on Cherry Street. We were early for the Peace and Social Concerns Committee meeting at the Race Street Meetinghouse. Sara kindly invited me to sit in on the meeting. After the meeting ended, Sara and I walked to the El station with Elisabeth and Kate. Sara and I ended up walking back to her home, and we got Trenton tomato pie at Trio's Trattoria. The downtown skyline was marvelous.
Labels: American history, dining, friends, shopping, water
St. John Neumann
This morning I attended the Mass at the Shrine of St. John Neumann. I have never before seen a saint in repose, and it is a truly beautiful sight to see. St. John Neumann is the first male American saint, beatified primarily for his founding of the Catholic school system in the United States. I spoke with a Filipina and her group from Jacksonville after Mass, and we visited the Neumann museum also.
Before Mass started I walked about the building and sat and prayed the Novenae for Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. John Neumann, which were in the pews.
Labels: Faith, Mass, Pilipino culture, Saint
Philadelphia, October 2009 I
I arrived last night in Philadelphia. Sara and I went for vegetarian Kosher Chinese food on Race Street near 10th Street for dinner. Heather C called on our way there, and we agreed to have dinner Sunday (tonight). Sara and I took the El and retro trolley to her home in Northern Liberties.
Today, Sara and I got a ride from her brother-in-law Robert and Jeff to go to the Quaker Meeting house. I attended my first Quaker meeting today. A handful of people were moved during meeting to speak and share their insights of the Spirit. Introductions of visitors followed, and a coffee and tea and snacks followed. Sara and I visited the library, then walked to SS. Peter and Paul Basilica, we saw Logan Circle and the Museum of Art and the Franklin Institute. We entered the Basilica and saw Mass celebrated in the adjacent chapel. We walked along the Parkway to the flags of various countries, saw the Holocaust Memorial statue, saw the fountain in front of the City Hall (as well as the LOVE sculpture nearby), visited the subway station for a packet of tokens, walked into the City Hall courtyard.
Then we headed south toward the Union League and chocolate neighborhood....We had a late brunch at Max Brenner--Chocolate by the bald man, and then went to the Outfest, a street festival
(where we saw a number of wet noses for adoption) and then Sara departed for her evening of singing rehearsal. I went birthday shopping for Beata, then met Heather C and Mytili at the Chinatown arch for Burmese dinner at Rangoon. We walked toward the city center for gelato---I had sweet coconut milk and dark chocolate gelato. Heather and Mytili walked me to the 13th Street turnstiles and waited with me for the train. I chatted with them on the phone while I waited for Sara to return home. I'm relaxing with Sara and her cat Mungojerrie while typing this post.
No Greater Love
Maureen, Karina, Christina, and I went last night to a film festival at the Waterworks. We saw a LionsGate production, No Greater Love, a romance. We went to Taco Bell afterwards, and to hear jazz in Squirrel Hill, but the restaurant has discontinued the jazz performances indefinitely.
Labels: cinema, dining, music
4 Seasons, Winter
Just heard on the radio a shivering, stunning version of Winter, from the Four Seasons, with harp. It was performed by the Orchestra of Flanders with Rudolf Werthen conducting and with Yolanda Kondonassis at the harp (Telarc 80523).
Labels: music
Folk Dancing, October 2009
After dinner at Mom and Dad's with William's family, we made drawings, ate raisins, grapes, and bananas, and played with the blocks. I then went for a short session of a very old Armenian "International Dancer's dance," Romanian dance, and a couple of other dances. I left, as my body was tired and I honored that.
Labels: dance, dine, family
Newman Bible Study
I went to the Cardinal Newman Bible study led by Frs. Joshua and Stephen at the Newman Center. Fr. Joshua raised the question of whether one is to view the Bible as a multifarious books or as a single book. Later in the evening, after much discussion I raised the question as to whether the Bible can be viewed both ways---as the Body of the Church has both diversity and unity...and the Liturgy of the Word plays an important role in the Mass.
We had a good discussion, spoke with Fabiola after, and Karina, Franco, and I walked to our respective places as a group.
Labels: Faith, Mass, read, walking
Sunday in October 2009
Awoke early to put ten gallons of gasoline in the car ($25.00), and go with Karina to Trader Joe's. Then, it was off to choir practice and choir. Jennifer H mentioned an event in Schenley Plaza, at which Karina, Nancy C, and I joined her. On the way, we stopped at Craig Street for samosas. There were vendors on the cloudy, breezy day with jewelry and clothing items.
I picked up Mom and Dad at the airport after their voyages south this week.
Labels: automobile, Choir, dining, economy, family, friends, jewelry, shopping, St. Paul Cathedral
Kidd Pivot
I did a load of laundry at 6.30 this morning, had breakfast (pumpkin muffins, bacon, soy chai) with Maureen in Regent Square, and went office supply shopping with Maureen east of her 'hood.
Karina was in a car accident, so we helped her out by standing next to her car while she unloaded it, going to the garage for her to store her car until the official assessment this week, and hanging out in Maureen's place with her.
I went this evening with Charles and Susan to see Kidd Pivot at the Byham Theater. Conscious of the present-ness of dance, the choreographer described the sense of loss and memory of loss to the audience after the show. I felt the fugue-ness of the movement vocabulary of the piece, which was called "Lost Movement." All the dancers joined the choreographer on the stage apron in answering questions at the end of the show. Repetition of movement themes/ movement vocabulary was paramount to the work. I asked after the Q & A period whether there were any themes that were supernatural or religious in the work (as there was a theme of death & rebirth), and I was told, no, the piece was mainly about loss and memory, of loss and remembering the loss. It was therefore successful in this regard.
The choreography and score reminded me of Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, from Belgium, as well as movement snippets being similar to those of Mark Morris.
We enjoyed a snack at a cafe in Bloomfield afterward.
Labels: Canada, Church, dance, friends, international culture, laundry
Grapes of Wrath, Carnegie Mellon School of Drama
Karina and I drove through the driving rain to Carnegie Mellon to experience Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath as adapted by Frank Galati. We saw Natalie before the pre-show entertainment, and she described that she had coached the students in the play. The pre-show entertainment included folk tunes (W. Guthrie, etc.) sung and performed by the players (in front of two homemade quilts), who played everything from fiddle, to guitar, to banjo, to accordian, to spoons. Music was an integral part of setting the mood throughout the production. The director (Barbara McKenzie-Wood) whilst casting required those auditioning to play a modern-day instrument.
The performers were talented, and the team worked well together. A particularly outstanding performance was by Ma (Caitlyn Kimball), who seemed to be as nurturing to the other players off the set as on. The stage was sparse, with a bas relief wall hanging which appeared to be mountains, clouds, and hard-baked earth in different lighting moods. The truck for traveling was built of ramshackle parts of a barn and kitchen. The changing moods as we travel through the book and travel from Oklahoma to California with the performers were captured brilliantly, and rang out from the set.
A wonderfully emotion-laden play that makes our hearts sing as well as weep.
Labels: Carnegie, Pittsburgh, school, theater, voice
Graded it all....
I've graded everything that has been handed in by the students up to this point in the semester. For three out of four of my sections, that's five written assignments. For the last section, that's four written assignments. I've recorded grades, too.
It should be about time to hand items back after all sections have done their work tomorrow.
Labels: biology, school, student, work
