Goodness, I can hardly believe it is already December 15, just 10 days to Christmas. But it is, and I guess the 6 inches of snow falling outside helps create a little genuine atmosphere of the old fashioned white Christmas.
I’m running late this year because this “retired” lady is, for the moment, juggling 2 jobs. Besides teaching 3 speech classes at University of Cincinnati, I am in the middle of directing a play for The Drama Workshop called WHODUNNIT? by Anthony Shaffer. Since I am also Executive Producer for TDW this year, I have collected my working production crew myself and am generally overseeing the entire production. I do have an excellent Administrative Producer handling all the business work and a great Tech Director, Bob Allen, to handle the many complex technical problems this play presents, one of which was cutting off a characters head in arena staging 3 feet from the audience. We had to do a cast of the characters head and face so that we could have a “copy” of the character’s head that fell to the floor and rolled away before blackout. If you are in or near the Cincinnati area, I do hope you will come see the play (Feb. 2, 3, 4, 9 & 10).
This entire year has, in fact, been most eventful. Last January my father received his 65 year Masonic pin, something he had been looking forward to for years. He was not well enough to go to Lewisburg, Ohio to receive it so the Masonic “top brass” from not only his lodge, but also the region and the state came to his house to make the presentation. I was there, and got some good pictures. Unfortunately, Faye believes the Masons are anti-Christian and was angry when I showed up for the ceremony. She tried to downplay its significance and has since encouraged Dad to pray to God for forgiveness for working in the Masons. Needless to say, my 98 year old Daddy no longer has much strength or will or short term memory. Faye takes good care of him and he does whatever she says.
In February, I wrecked Bill’s car (not serious, but bad enough — no one hurt) when I was driving it home from a visit with Dad in Dayton. At that same time, Bill was within a 4 week period of speaking not one word – to cure a granuloma growing right beside his vocal cords. The month of silence and subsequent allergy shots seemed to cure the problem. In March and April I was in rehearsal and performance for the play The Marriage of Bette and Boo, in which I played the part of the Brides mother Margaret – a major supporting role.
That was only over about a week when I had a mild heart attack on May 14. I drove myself to the hospital, had the tests, and when (at 2:00 AM) they said they were going to admit me – I said “No you are not!” I was alone, no one knew where I was, and I did not want to go into that hospital anyway. So I walked out, came home & called Bill, and the next day made arrangements for outpatient tests, class coverage, my dogs, etc. I’m on pills, have had to curtail and modify certain of my activities but otherwise I am once again feeling fine. Specifically, I had an Ischemic attack which left me with some Angina.
Well, enough of unpleasant news. The very best news of the year was my wonderful vacation out West. I do love to visit out there and just had to go back. Bill went with me, and Barbara Sorensen joined us for the last third of the trip when we visited zion, North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and the Anasazi Indian ruins in Canyon DeChelly, Aztec, Chaco Culture and Mesa Verde. A drive north along the Million Dollar Highway in Colorado to Black Canyon of the Gunnison, then across Colorado to Colorado Springs completed the trip. Barbara flew home and Bill and I drove home across the plains.
One of the highlights of the trip was the opportunity to visit with so many of my friends in the area of the trip. On the way out we spent time in the Denver area, Rocky Mtn. Nat’l Park, Leadville, and across Colorado to Arches Nat’t Park. From this point on, we generally avoided expressways, wandering thru back roads to some of the obscure national monuments and parks, especially in Utah. After a few days visit with my cousin Fred & family in Las Vegas, We went on to Los Angeles, up the Pacific Coast Highway to Monterey and San Francisco, thru Sacramento and the Gold Rush country to Yosemite, (we were there the 2 days the paraplegic was completing his climb up El Capitan), across into Nevada and down to Scotty’s Castle and Death Valley before picking Barbara up in Las Vegas.
This bare bones summary doesn’t begin to cover all the places, fun and adventure we had on the trip, which Bill called experientially intensive. Since then I have been working on pictures I took on the trip, teaching and starting work on my play. For relaxation and pure enjoyment, I have gone back to singing in my old Emmanuel Presby, choir. Hubert Kockritz retired as its director last May (after 60 years!). When I went back to the reunion, I wondered why I had not gone back sooner after my retirement.
Tootsie and Hecuba have become great companions and look so cute when they curl up together on the couch these cold days. Maybe next year I’l1 be less pressed for time and will again be able to include a Christmas picture – of these two rather incongruous companions. Perhaps they best bespeak the true spirit of Christmas as we once again renew the love and joy we feel with family and dear friends.