Pittsburgh Marathon 2009
Mom, Dad, and a bunch of their PAMS friends are volunteering for the Pittsburgh Marathon Medical team at the Carnegie Institute...many people from the Pacquiao party last night (KO in 2nd round, Hatton down).
I awoke early today to pack for our trip to visit Kelly. Got it down to:
my small overnight red bag
my fabric bag for my calendar and journal notebook
my small red over-the-shoulder daily bag
my exercise ball
my sport seat/ cane
Kelly called, looking for Mom. (She is still at the medical station).
I'll go outside to watch the race...
~~~
14:15
Karina and I had masala chai (made with Irish tea) and Mexican hot chocolate cookies. We chatted, I admired the bracelet with saints she had fashioned, and we enjoyed the tea we had made together. (Water with sugar and masala boiled first, then milk and tea added last.)
We were pleased with the way the day had turned out: Sunny, bright, and clear.
~~~
20:00+ (After six o'clock evening Mass, when I saw Nancy and Tom McA., Stephanie (from Christmas choir), Ed, and Ken and Lisa's brood, and during which Fr. Utz served. Today was Ken & Lisa's anniversary.)
Showed up at the Newman Center for Eucharistic Adoration. Met up with Maureen, and we went to Karina's for masala chai, homemade chocolate cake, and conversation. Maureen and I walked to my parents' home, and I drove her to her home. The evening ended with the girls at about 23:00.
Labels: anniversary, family, friends, Mass, medical mission, Pacquiao, St. Paul Cathedral, tea, volunteering
The Road to Impressionism: Barbizon Landscapes from the Walters Art Museum
This morning I ran errands at the Waterfront and in Squirrel Hill.
After lunch/smoothies at Craig Street, Christina P. and I went to the Frick Museum to see The Road to Impressionism: Barbizon Landscapes from the Walters Art Museum exhibit. We were just in time for the 14:00 tour. We passed by the French tables, replete with French natives conversing whilst in costume, to enter the exhibit.
Many of the tableaux in the exhibit were from the Frick and Walters collections. Most were landscapes, or landscapes with figures in it. Having read Hans Jenny's paper on Soil in Landscape Art this past week, I was taken by the erosive soil elements on the hillcuts in certain pieces. Namely two pieces: "Le Puy du Dome" (circa 1866-1868, Jean-Francois Millet) and "Landscape with Wild Buffalo" (circa 1865, Jean-Achille Benouville), of a Roman campagna.
We applied gold leaf to a picture frame. We met Benedicte, her former Spanish teacher, who is now director of Alliance Francaise. Then she dropped me off, and I took a nap.
Helped out with dinner preparations at Mom & Dad's place. Tina, Leila, Dr. Pat, Tessie and Ernie, and Dr. Larry arrived to have dinner of ground beef torta, kare-kare, rice, baked calamari, lo mein noodles, watermelon, (corn on the cob), and homemade pineapple upside-down cake. Dad popped the cork on the champagne. They are now watching Manny Pacquiao via pay-per-view. Tina brought my birthday gift of eyebrow pencil, eyeliner, and Hippy Fizz fragrance. MMmmm.
Labels: art, dining, excited, friends, gift, glass, international culture, museum, Pacquiao, painting, surprise, water
Grandma's Memorial Mass 2007, Thinking of Grandpa
This Friday was Grandma's memorial Mass. I had asked Ed S. if I could lector for him that day. Fr. John Kelly, a Redemptorist priest, said the last of three Masses for the soul of Blessed Fr. Francis Xavier Seelos, who is being considered for sainthood. (Fr. Seelos worked in the Pittsburgh area for many years and Fr. Kelly had brought a relic [os] for veneration, as well as tracts about his life.) I wore Grandma's blouse and John served, with Don at music ministry.
[Pizza for brunch and also at work right before we set up the practical midterm exams. Pratima and I "took" a version of the exam to see how it is.]
[Mom and I babysat for Beatrice yesterday afternoon. Her hair is getting denser, and the slight curl is more evident.]
[I picked up my shoes at Gene and Marc's shop yesterday afternoon. Yeah! Comfortable walking ensues.]
~~~
Last night and early this morning we went to Baby Carla's home for her daughter, Cai's, 30th. There was the usual table with foods, drinks, and desserts; a jewelry party; the watching of taped Pacquiao boxing; and a neighborly gathering all before the actual blowing out of the candles.
I thought of Grandpa when the actual fight out of Las Vegas of Pacquiao v. Barrera started at ~11pm EDT. Someone gave up their seat to me to sit next to Mom. I never watched boxing since Grandpa died while watching a televised fight. But this atmosphere was different--men and women, shrill shrieks punctuated the room, much as it probably was like in Vegas. Body checks by Barrera; Pacquiao whispering, and motioning to Barrera to aim for his head. Fast footwork and quick punches by Pacquiao, powerful punches (but too few, and too few landed) by Barrera. By the last few rounds, Barrera looked sluggish, with slower steps and a cut needing about 10-11 stitches below his right eye. In the end, the fight went to Pacquiao unanimously.
I was telling their neighbors, Bill and Paulette, that this is a Phenomenon. Pacquiao is greeted as a national treasure wheree'er he goes in the Philippines--the mayor of Manila; and the President of the Philippines, Gloria M. Arroyo, have welcomed him back after his fights. There are the usual parades, as well as talk that schoolchildren will be let out Monday (today in the PI). Not your usual sports phenomenon.
Labels: Beatrice, biology, Birthday, children, family, friends, Grandma, Grandpa, Mass, neighbors, Pacquiao, Philippines, Pilipino culture, sports, teaching, work
