At Maggie's in Minneapolis, actually Orono, a Suburb

Maggie invited the girls to come up to Mpls so we flew them up and had a marvelous 2 days.  The girls stayed  after we left, and Neal was in charge of getting them to the airport to fly back to Dallas.   Incredible food by Neal.  Tim, Syrah, Robbie and Evan also there.  Carla taught us all how to make tie-dyed shirts. We stayed at a Renaissance but we do not think it was a Marriott.  Good, tho.

Patio Garden June 2016

Can't get enough of these plants. 

Jackmanii Clematis, Type III.

Early blooming Cleome 

Oh for the Love of Home-Grown Tomatoes

Gallon milk jugs to keep rabbits from feasting.
 Cheese cloth bundles of mothballs!

                                       

Rabbits do not like the prickly Sweet Gum tree seed pods.

Ground Control to Major Tom, Chris Hatfield

Laurie, Tim and the girls are visiting Houston!  I thought I posted this way back but I cannot find it so here it is.  Ground Control to Major Tom (Space Oddity)

Challenge Coin

Roman Mars started Radiotopia, a grouping of some of the best podcasts all about subtle historical facts and all extremely interesting.  At least to me.  Produced in Oakland, CA, Roman Mars has used several Kickstarter campaigns calling for a one-time donation.  His podcast is called  99% Invisible.   Last year he decided to ask people to do a monthly donation for a year and as a reward, they would receive a challenge coin.  The coin is beautiful! Only 1000 were made.  And I have one!!!!  The yellow square on the back of the coin is used on his website. 

Diameter is 1 3/4"
Thickness is 1/8"
Heavy! 

Each symbol signifies a particular podcast.  My favorite 
is at top, the shape of a Pizza Hut Restaurant. 
 The episodeis called UTBAPH --
 USED TO BE A PIZZA HUT.

The symbol in the 9:00 position is Wonder Bread. 

TED Talk, Roman Mars

A vexillonaire is a person who studies flags.  This TED Talk is thrilling!!!

Me Watching Richard Wagner The Ring Cycle

When we were in Seattle in 2013 and attended the fourth of the Ring Cycle, Gutterdammerung, or the Twilight of the Gods, I purchased a set of the entire Ring, the 1991 Beyreuth Festival in Germany, in the gift shop.  Their last copy!  On the screen you see the two giants, Fasolt and Fafner builders of Vahalla who expect to be paid in gold stolen from the Rhinemaidens. The first opera, Das Rheingold tells this part of the story. 

*Please go to August 30th, 2013 post --  Having Trouble Bursting Out of the Valhalla Bubble.

Taxes and Russian Basses

In the music room on this sunny first day of February 2016, Oompa  is getting the taxes ready to give to our accountant, John Belletete.

A word about the Russian Basses:  These men are trained so they can sing extremely low pitches.  If Daad was unable to attend a choir rehearsal at UUBN or a Civic Chorale rehearsal, I would often say he decided to go into the hospital to have work done on his vocal chords so he could sing like a Russian bass!!!

The Rachmaninoff Vespers which we sang in Civic Chorale years ago, was a musical high light for us.  Phyllis Parr with her gorgeous voice sang the alto solo, however she had awful flu.  I remember holding her up on one side and another person supported her on the other.  She was brilliant.