Gundula Christiansen and Bernd Ebert

When Laurie was a junior in high school she formed a close friendship with Gundula Christiansen, an exchange student from Germany one year older than Laurie.  They both played violin in the orchestra.  Ed and I adored Gundula as well.   

Gundula loved her host family very much and was in close contact with them through the years.  Her host father, Walt, was near death so Gundula and her husband Bernd decided to visit Walt before he passed.  Truly beautiful.

They flew into DFW and stayed with Laurie.

After attending Walt's visitation in Goshen, Indiana, they drove here.  Oh how we enjoyed seeing Gundula after 25+ years and meeting her handsome husband.  They were here overnight and left this morning after Ed made his famous waffles which they devoured.  They left this morning to drive to Houston and on to Corpus Christi for a much needed rest.  Then back to Laurie's and home to Germany.  They live way north close to Denmark!

We learned they have traveled all over the world including a lengthy trip to Australia and New Zealand!  

Bernd and Gundula instruct teachers how to work with special needs children.  Gundula was a student in one of Bernd's classes when Gundula was at university so there is a 10 year age difference between the two.

Ugandan Milele Childrens' Choir

This group was in B-N for the week.  I had the honor of attending one of their performances at Westminster Village, a large retirement community.  Having been to Uganda coupled with the support our UU Church is providing to New Life School made their performance particularly significant.  See my post of January 12, 2012.  Their CD and DVD displays their brilliant talent. Some learned the Choirs local performance schedule in order to see them perform a second time!

The picture and the article below appeared on the front page of our newspaper. 

NORMAL — Life looked pretty grim for Eric Jjombwe, 7, of Kampala, Uganda, whose mother was jobless and whose father died of HIV/AIDS. That was before the boy became part of Imani Milele Children, a Christian ministry for orphans that gave him a place to live and an education. The group’s name is Swahili for “believe always” or “faith everlasting.”ow 17, Jjombwe is part of the 25-member Imani Milele Children’s Choir that is on a nine-month tour of the United States to raise money and awareness for the organization. The choir of 10 boys and 15 girls, ages 9 to 17, danced and sang jubilant African songs Wednesday at Olympia High School and Middle School in rural Stanford.

The Rev. Moses Ssemanda Mbuga, 
founder of Imani Milele Children, a ministry in Uganda

“It’s a great experience. I enjoy the roads, the food and the cars,” said Jjombwe, who hopes to be a lawyer someday. “We work a lot and balance school and choir,” said choir member Debbie Opaki, 16, who hopes to be a physician one day. “The best part is to have a chance to go to school and to travel in America.” Opaki, who joined Imani Milele when she was 8 years old, called it “life-changing.”The choir, hosted by Calvary United Methodist Church in Normal, will be in Central Illinois until Saturday, said Jennifer Bauersfeld, a member of the host church. Other performance stops include: the church; The Baby Fold and Parkside Junior High School, both in Normal; Westminster Village in Bloomington; and tonight at Decatur New Vision Church. The children travel with five Ugandan adults, including a teacher who helps them continue their education on the road, said Stephanie Graham, a nurse from Sebastian, Fla., who is traveling with the choir. Her church, Crossroad Christian Fellowship Church in Sebastian is sponsoring the tour, which will run until December.

The choir’s performances raise money for children at education centers in Uganda.
“Our target is $100,000. It’s not easy to get there,” said Sam Straxy, the choir director.
When the current 25 members of the choir return to Uganda, another 25

Hummingbirds

I hope I do not get into trouble for snatching this
hummingbird picture from the Google
website today.  Google's new update is called "hummingbird" and took effect this morning.  Google named it Hummingbird  because it is precise and fast.
The hummingbird has special significance for us because for the past month, they have been taking in nectar from the red blooms of the Pineapple Sage and also from the orange blooms on the 20' high Lion's Ear, native to Africa. They like to feed in the morning and at dinner time in the evening.

Pineapple Sage

Lions Ear

Hummingbirds

By Judy Hines

Written 9-19-13 to be read at Poetry Service at our UU Church

Tiny bodies, a blur of wings motion the air,

Suspended, hovering, touching red and orange flowers

Long beak withdrawing nectar, succulent and sweet nourishment.

Stay aloft a moment more for a photograph

Before slipping out of sight.

The Benjamin Ficus Needed Attention

We knew the tree was outgrowing its container because leaves were turning yellow and falling.   It was re-potted once when we returned from a trip to find a carpet of yellow leaves on the floor.  One of Grandma Mimi's persons who kept her company when she lived with us, read somewhere that wiping a very thin coating of mayonaise on the leaves would provide a shine.  Thus, this is why I thought the leaves fell but this was not the case after I checked with Casey's, my favorite nursery of the many here in town.  By the way, this occurred before I went through the University of Illinois Master Gardener training.  I learned the reason the plant dropped all the leaves was becasue it was root bound and needed a larger pot.  So this time not that many leaves dropped.  We knew what to do. 

This was a difficult job.  At one time Ed said let's get rid of the tree.  No way!

Having Trouble Bursting Out of the Valhalla Bubble

Richard Wagner, known as an anti-semite, a womanizer, and a thief was a horrid person and yet his music is is some of the most beautiful ever written.   

Gutterdamerrung in Seattle a week ago this Sunday had an effect on me that is not uncommon.  The music, the story, the scenery and staging of this last of the Richard Wagner Ring Cycle was everything I expected and more!   Ed enjoyed the performance  which made the experience extra special.    We decided to make a trip to  McCaw Hall a few days early just to check things out.  Good thing we did because the hall is a work of art architecturally.   

Head gear, costumes, swords and shields were available for dress-up! 

At the performance one couple was dressed in all gold!   We learned the Met and Seattle are the only opera companies in the US to perform the entire cycle -- makes sense, one out East and one out West.   
I purchased a set of DVD’s from a Bayreuth performance that has been remastered - 1992 or something like that.   

One of the curtain calls -- Rhinemaidens fluttered their feet and rolled over and and over all synchronized.

At one point real fire protruded from many locations on Brunhilda’s rock -- they have a special pyrotechnical director.  At the end of the opera, lighting was used for virtual fire as  Brunhilda joined Sigfried in the flames as Valhalla goes up in smoke.    Then the Rhinemaindens “flew” under water like trapeze artists.  Astounding. 

Speight Jenkins, General Director of Seattle Opera is retiring next year so this is his last Ring Cycle.  He spoke between one of several curtain calls. 

Making Pesto with "Friends"

For the past 3 years through the Master Gardener project at Second Presbyterian Church in Bloomington called "Friends First", I take my mini Cuisinart and plenty of basil from the garden to  make pesto.  This group of approximately 20 persons who are  multi-disabled enthusiastically pick off enough basil leaves to fill a plastic cup and then they line up and push the grind button as a trickle of olive oil and some nuts are added.  Green slime is the result.

Master Gardner colleagues help.  Some Friends have aids and their assistance is always appreciated. With a tablespoon or so of Parmesan  cheese, the culinary creation is ready for cracker and carrot dipping. 

Instructions

Me and red haired Cody

Swallowtail Season

Bawooon

 A gift from the Midwest Institute of Opera folks who stayed with us.  

More Hydrangea Lore

We planted this Oak Leaf Hydrangea in front of the porch about 8 years ago and never remember it turning this beautiful shade of mauve in August.  This is probably due to the cool temperatures we've had this summer.  

Oak Leaf Hydrangea 'Snow Queen'

Carla and Blue Hydrangeas