Christmas 2011

So much to be thankful for...

This has been one of the most memorable Thanksgivings of our family's history. Our families came to the States from Austria in the 50's.  My parents moved to Michigan, while my aunt and her family moved to Ohio.  Her sons, Carl and Herbie, are my only first cousins and we have always been close.  Our families made many trips back and forth to spend time together.  But, over the years, as our offspring married the numbers have grown and it has been increasingly difficult to coordinate schedules and space to accomodate everyone.  Thanks to finding a vacation home large enough that was available for this holiday we had a chance to reconnect and bond in a very special way.  Hopefully, times like this will help the young people in our family maintain the ties that were started so many years ago.

The lost art of letter writing

In our current state of texting abbreviation and emoticons is proper English and letter writing going out the window?  I can't remember the last time I received an actual handwritten note or letter in the mail.  And I admit I don't write them much myself anymore.  Recently, in a flurry of cleaning out closets in preparation for a garage sale, I found a box of old photos with some special letters I had saved over the years.  One caught my eye and I was reminded of an earlier and more gracious time, which we seem to have lost these days. 

More for myself than anything else I am going to reproduce it here for preservation's sake.  First, a little background information.  My husband and I have been visiting Stratford, Ontario for years.  There are so many delightful little towns with bed and breakfast inns.  One in particular was in Kleinburg, in which I discovered a quaint little card shop.  The owner and proprieter was a genteel elderly lady named Mary.  I was drawn back again and again to speak with her over the next few days.  We shared our faith and felt a kinship despite the disparity in our ages.  Upon departing, we determined to stay in touch through the mail.  The last time I saw her was in 1985 and our correspondence dwindled, but I never forgot her.  Then in 1990 I received the following letter. It was typed on fine, thin paper on a manual typewriter.

"Dear Mrs. Wunschl,
After making business calls, my beloved Mary came home in cheerful mood at 3:30 on Friday 16 March and we had tea; around 8 o'clock our evening meal. At 11 she said she was going to bed. I continued with tasks till midnight. 

Mary did not appear for breakfast next morning. I went to her room and found she had died in her sleep. For me it was a shattering blow, because arthritis, as far as I knew, was her only malady. There is much evidence that Mary had no idea her pilgrimage would end in 1990. In her engagement calendar there are entries till September. On the other hand she was ready at any moment to meet her Redeemer, than whom she loved none more.

On the wall alongside her bed hangs a plaque Mary had had made, on which is the Latin prayer of the saintly Henry VI. The English version runs:  

      'Oh Lord Jesus Christ, who hast created and redeemed me, and
      has brought me unto that which now I am; thou knowest what
      thou wouldest do with me: do thou according to thy will, for thy
      tender mercy's sake. Amen.'

Though griefstricken and often in tears, I am thankful that Mary was called home first. For she feared to be the survivor, a friend tells me. I believe she could not have coped alone. When we moved to this little dwelling in 1959 Mary said, I wish to stay here till I die. And in recent years she sometimes told me she knew no other house she liked as well as this. (It is quite ordinary, but stands amid many trees in an agreeable acre.) We were married forty-two years.

Being extremely generous, Mary left a negligible estate: a car; a tiny bank balance; and her accumulated clothes, of which she was always reluctant to discard any. Mary's life exemplifies Jesus' words to St. Paul: My strength is made perfect in weakness. A slight figure, Mary was not born to wealth or privilege, nor did she attend a university.

But through constant reading of the Scriptures, and the surrender of her erstwhile wilfulness, she became a tireless servant of the Crucified. Preferring them to men, Mary spent herself in helping women, whether they were Catholic, or Baptist, or unbeliever, rich or poor, and of whatever nationality. She had a talent for friendship and was endowed with the gift of empathy; several women, I discover, thought themselves Mary's principal friend. I have known her drive to an address thirty-three miles away to deliver a birthday card early in the morning, because to do so was MORE trouble than to send it through the mail.

This note is the result of finding your letter to Mary postmarked 25 November 1985, in which you mentioned you expected to visit Kleinburg at the end of the month. 

Yours sincerely,
Alex Alexander
15 October 1990

From the U.P. to Chicago

This certainly has been a fun year for short trips and last weekend was no exception.  In five days we drove 9 hours to the Upper Peninsula for a wedding. We spent two nights in Menominee, after which we spent one night in Milwaukee and one night in Chicago.  I wasn't relishing the long drive, but we were blessed with beautiful weather and the good company made the hours fly by quickly.  Once in the UP, my preconceived notions of the backwoods were quickly dispelled.  I was charmed by the lakeshore bike path that led to the marina and the lighthouse.  There were sturdy yellow bikes all over town, available free for use throughout the area.  What a great idea!  I rode through town, across the drawbridge and into Wisconsin.  The downtown area of Menominee was charming, with colorful historic buildings pristinely restored.  The people were so friendly.  Every person I passed on my bike extended a smiling hello. 

The wedding was filled with love and warmth.  At the ceremony the deacon performing the marriage had known the bride since her childhood and demonstrated the chicken dance on the altar.  He used the various parts of the dance to illustrate the facets of a good marriage, i.e. the hands talking to each other connotating communication.  He had the ushers and bridesmaids come up on the altar and do the chicken dance for the young couple, which was later repeated at the reception. The bride's father dutifully wore his suit to the wedding, but at the reception he added his baseball cap.  As we were being shuttled to the wedding in the limousine we were informed that a flash storm had downed a tree which took out a power line to the reception hall.  Kudos to the kitchen and hall staff who quickly made lemonade out of lemons by finishing the food on makeshift barbeque grills and filling the hall with candles.  The bride, instead of being upset at the unexpected turn of events, was gracious - commenting on what a great job everyone was doing under the circumstances.  It was obvious she and her handsome groom were deeply in love and nothing could have spoiled the occasion for them.

The day after the wedding we set off for Milwaukee, driving leisurely along the Wisconsin countryside.  It was our first visit to the city and we were impressed by the lively downtown scene.  Every time I visit a new city, I find myself wishing our downtown was more like that.  Luckily we are close enough to Chicago to do weekend trips. 

In Milwaukee we stayed in County Clare Inn, a real Irish pub, as evidenced by the GREEN everywhere!  But it was a really cute place with a living/bedroom and large bathroom with a jacuzzi tub.  We were amazed at the deal we got - $103 including taxes (which can be formidable) - that included a bottle of champagne and free made to order breakfast.  It was within walking distance of downtown.  We had dinner there that night (Shepherd's Pie, anyone?) and for the second time that day had a bottle of locally made Spotted Cow beer. The next morning we explored the waterfront area and the architecturally amazing Art Institute, which looks like a ship.

The drive to Chicago took another four hours and we were grateful to arrive at our hotel for the evening wine reception at the Palomar, a Kimpton Hotel in the River North section of downtown.  It was fun to experience the differences between our stay at the County Clare Inn and the ultra-modern and chic Palomar.  Both were enjoyable in their own way.  But the Palomar had one of the most awesome restaurants for dinner I have been to.  Sable serves a tapas style menu, meant to share with your table.  It was fun tasting everyone's choices.  Several things stood out to me:  sweet corn creme brulee, pork belly B.L.T.'s and for dessert butterscotch pots de creme with whipped cream and cumquat relish.  I would dearly love to return to sample the rest of the menu.  Afterward we walked to the Redhead Piano Bar, which was just around the corner and enjoyed a little music, followed by some time admiring the city lights from our rooftop terrace at the hotel.

The next morning I got up extra early and was in the rooftop pool by 7am.  I had the whole pool and terrace to myself and I reveled in the water and the balmy temps outside as the city awoke.  We went our separate ways to explore the city and met back at the hotel to check out and head home.  It was great to be facing only a 5 hour drive, half of what it might have taken us if we had come straight home from Menomine.  Looking back now,  it feels as if we had had three vacations in one.  What a blessing!  Looking forward now to our two future trips, one to a wedding in south New Jersey, quickly followed by a trip to California. 

Miss Saigon and Philadelphia

 

Most people would think you were crazy if you told them you had gone to the same musical eight times in a row.  Even crazier still if this were the third time you had done that, albeit in different cities.  But always the same Broadway star:  Eric Kunze.  Thankfully, I'm at an age where I don't care what people think of me. The musical in question here is "Miss Saigon", which is ending its three month run in Philadelphia at the Walnut Theater, reputed to be the oldest running theater house in the U.S. with link to the Booth family(of John Wilkes Booth fame.)

Going to Eric's performances across the country has afforded me the opportunity to visit cities to which I might not otherwise have gone.  During the day I wander around and take photographs and in the evenings I meet other Kunze fans for dinners and attend the performances.  I have met the nicest people and formed lasting relationships with many of these fans and it has blessed me considerably.  Everyone has a unique story to tell and what binds us together is our mutual love and appreciation for a very talented performer with an angelic voice.

The first night I spent in Philly at an incredible all-suite hotel called AKA Rittenhouse.  It was located at the corner of Rittenhouse Square, one of the many little parks in the city.  The park was always full of people talking, eating, reading and walking their dogs.  My hotel room was huge, with two flat screen TVs - one in the living room and one in the bedroom.  I had a full kitchen as well, which inspired me to walk a few blocks to DiBruno Brothers a gourmet market where you could buy prepared foods and every imaginable specialty item.

I had always wanted to try burrata cheese, but could never find it locally.  DiBruno Brothers makes it in house.  It is a hand pulled mozarella formed into a sac and filled with a type of cottage cheese and cream.  It is tied and decorated with a leek leaf.  When you cut it open the filling oozes out.

Restaurants abound in the area.  I tried Parc on the square (French), Caribou Cafe (also French), the rooftop at the Continental Grill and returned to Marathon Grill for Friday's fan dinner.  Last visit we went to Buddakan, which still remains my all-time favorite.  There are so many great places to eat in the city.  Hopefully I will be able to return to try some more!


This trip, as with a similar trip to Philly in late May, I was a guest in the home of my oldest friend, Ingrid, who lives in Bridgeton, New Jersey, across the Delaware River about an hour's drive from the playhouse.  Bridgeton was the first place my parents and I lived when we emigrated to the U.S. from Austria.  Seabrook Farms, a large vegetable processing company, recruited them, along with thousands of other people from all over the world, and including the displaced Japanese from internment camps across the US.  In exchange for their help, the workers agreed to a one year contract at Seabrook Farms.  We were brought from Bremerhafen, Germany on US troop ships to the States and bussed down to Bridgeton.  Initially we were housed in army barracks and it was there that my parents met Ingrid's parents and other German-speaking immigrants.  I was five years old.  Our first Christmas was spent with these Germans, celebrating in the traditional European way.

We were only there a year but formed lasting friendship, such as mine with Ingrid and her family.  This weekend I met Monica, who was also a Seabrook childhood friend and the elderly Gundy, a friend of my parents from that time.  My parents are gone and so are Ingrid's, so it was especially sweet to meet someone who knew them 59 years ago during one of the most challenging times of their lives.  Ingrid and I were able to ask her questions that only she could answer.

She told us what it was like before they departed for the US (she didn't want to come because she felt the company representative treated them as though they were stupid).  She showed us a picture of the army troop ship they were on.  We talked about her recently departed husband and she shared with us how lonely she felt.  Speaking with her made me feel as though my parents were nearby and I cherish the memory of our visit. 



There was more to come:  I was able to meet four new Eric fans on two separate nights before the performances.  Friday night I had dinner with Suzanne and Sheri.  Suzanne's husband served in Vietnam and the play held a special significance to her.  She had seen it numerous times in many different venues and she told me that she had never seen Chris portrayed in such a dramatic way.  Sheri, who had never been to any kind of fanclub gathering and was embarassed to find herself there, was also drawn back to see the show again based on Eric's performance.  They were thrilled when Eric stopped in to say hello.  The second dinner was much the same, except this time it was Nikki and Susan.  Again, we conversed as though we had always known one another.  On each night, we met Eric in the lobby, as well as other cast members, who were gracious to spend time with us and pose for pictures, despite the exhaustion of performing nine shows a week, with two on Saturday and two on Sunday.

They were so nice in fact, that one cast member named Angelica (who plays Gigi) and I were chatting and she admired my necklace.  I wanted to give it to her, but she didn't want to take it for nothing.  I insisted I would be honored for her to have it and in return she gave me the necklace she was wearing.  We exchanged necklaces and the next night we found we were both wearing each other's!

Now that I am home I am still hearing the music of the show ringing in my ears.  I can't make it stop.  After a three month run, Sunday will be their last performance and each will go on to the next project.  Eric will have only one week off and then he will begin rehearsals for the same show in Sacramento, California, with a different cast. 

My next trip will be to Redondo Beach, California in late September for "Company" with the Civic Light Opera.  There is much to look forward to before then, but I can't wait to see Eric in that show - one he hasn't done before and a role that is very different from all the others.  Life is good!

More Sun!

We are lucky to have found the perfect vacation home in Palm Springs and for the second year in a row took a week out of winter to enjoy endless sun and warmth out west. Palm Springs and surroundings has it all: great food, shopping, sophistication without stuffiness, luxury without exhorbitant prices, creature comforts and nature's beauty.

What a refreshing change it was to fly directly into and out of Palm Springs airport. Even the airport security seemed to realize their good fortune, joking with each and every passenger. The lovely little restaurant on the premises served what I will remember as being the best, reasonably priced breakfast burrito I have ever had.

Renting the same home as last year gave us the opportunity to enjoy a swimming pool and hot tub in the complete privacy of a backyard lined with twelve foot hedges. No need to get dressed for breakfast if we didn't want to. With a supermarket and liquor store within a five minute drive and Costco ten minutes away we were stocked and ready to enjoy the week.

Cooking in saves tons of money but for those mornings when we did crave great food without the elbow grease, there were several fabulous breakfast spots nearby: Koffi and Cheeky's. Koffi is a dog friendly enclave off the main drag, a place to sit and sip and enjoy being outside with humanity. Cheeky's has an amazing breakfast and lunch menu and has recently added an outdoor dinner only dining area named Birba which has a bar, firepits and couches on which to relax and socialize. Our French vodka-spiked lemonade and wood oven charred pizza margherita were perfection. The day's dry heat was dissipated by the misters over the bar area. We enjoyed lunch at Tylers on Indian Canyon in town, as well as great burgers at the new restaurant Grind Brgr Bar on Palm Canyon Road. Our last meal was at Johannes, also on Indian Canyon Road. Johannes, as you might suspect, has European fare, specifically Austrian, as the owner is from Austria. Amazing spatzle (small dumplings tossed with bacon and cheese, topped with carmelized onions), weinerschnitzel and apple strudel reminded me of home. I am also of Austrian descent and the owner came to our table several times for delightful conversation and even kissed me on both cheeks as we departed.
http://www.kofficoffee.com/
http://www.cheekysps.com/
http://www.johannesrestaurants.com/

Beautiful nature and photo ops are within a one to two hour drive. We opted this time for Joshua Tree National Park. I was fascinated by the oddly-shaped trees with their branches seemly outstretched to the heavens, in supplication to God. The Jumbo Rocks area was a good place for some easy hiking and endless photography. There is a campground on the premises, which would be great to explore the area more fully.
On the way home we stopped at Frontiertown, which was built in 1946 as a movie set. It was fairly deserted, but a few shopkeepers were friendly and eager to talk. It was like walking into an old Western ghost town. The liveliest place there is Pappy and Harriet's, a bar and restaurant with old fashioned barbeque and foot stomping music on the weekends.
http://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm
http://www.pappyandharriets.com/

Another favorite place of ours is Indian Canyons, just outside of Palm Springs. The trading post has hummingbird feeders that attract a steady stream of hummingbirds who are not afraid of people. I must have taken 100 photos of the birds. You can hike down to the Palm Oasis or hike on the other side of the trading post to the waterfall (in season). I love their website and especially the beautiful haunting music on it:
http://indian-canyons.com/

No one should miss the Palm Springs Aerial Tram. Rising 8500 feet from the ground station to the top of Mt. San Jacinto, the tram rotates to afford each passenger a chance at the breathtaking view. At the top are several restaurants and a variety of hiking trails to choose from. The best part was escaping the 95 degree heat below to a refreshingly brisk 55 at the top.
http://www.pstramway.com/

For a one day side trip we chose to drive to San Diego, a little over two hours one way, to visit the San Diego Zoo and have dinner with friends who live there. The zoo was incredible, a highlight being the Giant Panda exhibit. What a privilege it was to be able to see them up close. The transit system in the park was convenient and amazing and included in the price of admission. We had dinner later at Casa de Bandini in Carlsbad, a restaurant we enjoyed years ago when it was located in Old Town. It lost nothing in the translation in its reincarnation at the Carlsbad location. The ambiance, music and food were just as good as we remembered. The weather in the San Diego area was much cooler than we had experienced all week in hot Palm Springs. We were glad to drive home that night and get back to the sun and warmth.
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/
http://casadebandini.com/

There was so much more to see and do, we are sincerely hoping our Second Annual Trip to Palm Springs will become a Third, Fourth and so on.

Here is a link to our extremely reasonable vacation rental that we were fortunate to find. It is located in the Racquet Club estates area which is dotted with mid-century modern architecture. The house is decorated with whimsical vintage furnishings straight out of the 50's with memorabilia from the elegant Hollywood Palm Springs era.
http://www.oasisrentals.com/rental-home-roberto-house.aspx#calendar

Weekend in the Sun - Lake Havasu, AZ

After a very long winter, it was a pleasure to escape for a long weekend to sunny Arizona. Lake Havasu is my new favorite place to enjoy warmth and water. My hotel, The Nautical Beachfront Resort is right on the lake and from the balcony of my room I was entertained nonstop by a constant array of boats and people watching. The Naked Turtle Bar was just a few steps away and is a favorite of locals. The reason for my visit was to see Broadway's Best at Grace Arts Live, produced and directed by my friend Eric Kunze. The days were filled with sun and fun and my evenings with music and friends. An old girlfriend, Annette, drove in from Phoenix to see the show with me and I had organized a fanclub dinner before the Saturday show at a local restaurant. We enjoyed seeing the show together and visiting with Eric and Gina afterward. This was the best Eric visit yet and I look forward to returning some time in the future!

Eric Kunze Debut CD

On January 19, 2008 I attended a performance in Detroit at the Fisher Theater of "Whistle Down the Wind".  I was so taken with the star of the show, Eric Kunze.  He was the most compelling singer and actor I had ever heard and seen.  Later, at home, I couldn't find very much information on the web about him.  I returned to the theater the next night and waited for him at the stage door.  I asked why he didn't have a CD or a website.  From his answers I deduced he was too humble to think anyone would be interested.  I offered to start a website for him. That first encounter led to a wonderful collaboration and friendship and now, three years later, we have a fansite that has gotten nearly 25,000 hits and the release of Eric's first CD for us to enjoy.

 The CD now is available on CD Baby, Amazon and iTunes for download as an MP3 file, available here:

CD Baby

Amazon

iTunes

If you would rather have a physical copy of the CD for yourself with photos and liner notes, it is available for purchase here on the fansite.

Here is a review I wrote on my blog three years ago after seeing "Whistle Down the Wind" and Eric for the first time.  The last line has proved to be prophetic:

I wish him well in all his future undertakings and hope that we will be able to see him again really soon.

You will find it here on Maggi's Memories under this date:

January 19, 2008

Participating in and attending live theater has been my passion for many years. Occasionally, I will see someone on stage that is amazing. That happened to me last week when I attended "Whistle Down the Wind" at the Fisher Theater. It is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical that has been adapted to the American stage. The musical itself has not gotten rave reviews. The storyline is a little hard to believe, but the talent onstage makes up for any shortcomings in the script. Justine Magnusson is wonderful as Swallow, a young girl suffering from the loss of her mother. Her voice is heavenly, perfect and on pitch. She's a perfect choice for the role.

She discovers a man in hiding in their barn, who she believes is Jesus Christ returned to earth. Her faith in him, despite his protests, is touching. She is hoping he can bring her mother back. The man is at first incredulous, but finally lets her believe it in the hopes he can use her to help him escape. "The Man", as he is called, is played by Eric Kunze. Eric has starred in many shows, including Les Miserables, Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat and Miss Saigon, among others. I have seen all these shows, but never Eric, before.

From the moment he appears onstage, I am mesmerized. When he sings, he is able to portray the anguish he is going through. He bemoans the loss of what could have been and the situation he finds himself in now. He is a little in love with Swallow, but realizes he cannot take advantage of her innocence. She is willing to do anything for him, including endangering her life. They sing a beautiful duet together, "Try Not to Be Afraid".

By the end of the show, I had become a complete fan of Eric Kunze. So much so, that I returned to the theater the following night for a repeat experience. It had not been a fluke, I enjoyed it as much the second night. After the performance I had the privilege of being able to chat with him and tell him what a great job he was doing. After telling my niece Jessica about it, we decided to attend the show together. It was no surprise to me that she was entranced as well. We waited for Eric after the show and had the most fun visiting with him. To see him in person, you would never believe he was the same person we had seen onstage. Onstage, he is larger than life; in person he is humble, approachable, funny and personable. I have no doubt that if he wanted it, he could become a major star in any medium, including the big screen. But he doesn't seem to desire that. He loves doing what he is doing and is not a self-promoter, which makes me like him even more. I wish him well in all his future undertakings and hope that we will be able to see him again really soon.

Weekend in Connecticut

I had the privilege of being invited to attend a gathering at the home of a friend who is writing and producing a musical for my friend Eric Kunze. It was a small gathering of cast and her local friends at her 1700's home in Wethersfield, Connecticut, a delightful and historic town. It was whirlwind trip: In on Friday, back on Saturday night. But a lot was packed into it.

I was able to tour the Mark Twain house in Hartford and learned some really interesting things about him, one of which was the origin of his name. In his early years he was a steamboat captain. "Mark Twain" meant safe water - 12 feet above the lead, two leather strips are woven in. Another thing struck me. Over the fireplace in the great room was a plaque with this quotation attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: "The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it." I'm going to adopt that as my favorite quotation of the month!

In addition to the party, I was able to tour the town and take some photos.
(Click on the photo above to be linked to a large screen slideshow)

Palm Springs Hideaway and Las Vegas at the Vdara & Encore

Palm Springs

I have always loved renting a home on vacation.  We love the privacy, the spaciousness, the ability to shop locally and prepare our own meals if we want to.  This year, we chose Palm Springs because of the climate, the history and the mid-century modern architecture. October is the ideal time to visit because it is not as oppressively hot as it can be in summer.

This trip had so many facets and I took so many photos, in order to make it easier to follow I am going to break up this posting into sections with separate slideshows for each one. 

When we arrived by rental car from Las Vegas late Saturday night our vacation home was lit up and waiting for us.  The carport led us through a lovely little path to the front door.  I immediately saw a plaque:  "Peace to all who enter here" and it couldn't have been more prophetic.  The first thing we saw when we opened the door was the wall of sliding glass doors revealing the patio area and a beautiful blue lit-up pool shimmering in the moonlight.  I resolved to use the pool that very night before bedtime.  On the side of the house was another sliding glass door that led from the bedroom out to another seating area and the hot tub.   We could tell already this was going to be a great week!  Best of all, the entire yard was surrounded by 12 foot hedges and totally private.

As so many homes in the area this home was built in the late 50's by the Alexander architectural firm and utilizing many design elements from William Krisel.  Those included beamed tongue and groove ceiling, a carport,  a courtyard between the open carport and house, a butterfly roofline and interesting indoor/outdoor relationships.  The interior is decorated with vintage retro pieces throughout, in keeping with the 50's aethetic. 

To rent this beautiful vacation home, click HERE.

I took pictures of everything in the house so I could remember every detail.  Click on the picture to be directed to a full screen slideshow:



In order to get a sense of the history of the area I went on a tour of the homes in Palm Springs with PS Modern Tours, which I found online.  The gentleman leading the tour was Robert Imber, who is actively involved in the historical preservation of Palm Springs and who, I am sure, could keep us entertained with stories for weeks on end.  There were a small group of us on his van tour, with Robert talking as he was driving and cramming in as much information as he possibly could in the three hours.  

He explained that Palm Springs was settled by the Agua Caliente band of Cahuilla indians, (whose name literally means "hot water".)  People used to come here for cures, long before the area became the celebrity mecca of the middle of the century.  The city went through many incarnations, from agriculture in the early years, to a military town in the early thirties during the war, to the mid-40's to 1970 boom.  In the 70's it lost it's cache and was forgotten until GQ, Vanity Fair and the New Yorker started publishing articles and photos of the city with its fascinating architecture and suddenly it was rediscovered and became fashionable again.  Robert told us of many of the most prolific and famous architects, including the Alexander family (who tragically died in a plane crash, which ended their empire).  They included the aforementioned William Krisel, John Porter Clark, Buff and Hensman, A. Quincy Jones, Swiss architect Albert Frey, Lloyd Wright (son of Frank Lloyd Wright), among others.

He drove us through many of the city's neighborhoods:  Little Tuscany, Old Las Palmas (with its very private estates), Canyon Estates (the site of Palm Springs first golf course), The Mesa (home to the late Sonny Bono, and Suzanne Somers),  Twin Palms (which was the Alexander's first neighborhood and where the sale of each house included the front landscaping, including two palm trees).  Palm Springs boasted many famous Hollywood and other celebrities who had homes there and still do, including Kirk Douglas, the Gabors, Dinah Shore, Elizabeth Taylor, Hepburn and Tracy, Lawrence Olivier, Lilly Tomlin, Liberace, Gable and Lombard.  Elvis and Pricilla Presley spent their honeymoon in the arguably most famous house of all, aptly named, "Honeymoon Hideaway".  High up on a hill overlooking the city was Bob Hope's 17,000 foot mansion, whose architect was the famed John Lautner.  These are photos from the modernism tour:

Another day we visited the Palm Springs Aerial Tram, the world's largest rotating Tramcar (built in Switzerland) which ascends 2-1/2 miles to the peak of Mt. San Jacinto.  We could see that the peak was enshrouded in clouds, but we decided to take the ride anyway.  We could see the surrounding area clearly from the tram almost all the way up to the top.  The difference between the arid desert from which we began our drive to the pine covered, dewy peak was dramatic.  The temperature can drop 40 degrees in the course of the 10 minute ride.  There is a restaurant at the top where we would have had lunch if the weather had permitted.  Another time I would like to return to do some hiking at the peak as well.



One of the most beautiful hiking sites in the area is Indian Canyons, so named for the Agua Caliente tribe of Cahuilla Indians which settled the area centuries ago.  There are numerous hiking trails, with signs warning of rattlesnakes (which I found about later, after I had been on a rather extensive solo hike!)  The huge boulders precariously and delicately perched upon one another reminded me a little of Virgin Gorda.  We drove our car through two of them that looked like they would fall over any minute.  Down a steep trail I found myself in a cool grotto of palm trees (aptly named Palm Canyon).  It was what I imagined finding a real oasis in the hot desert would be like.  Other hikes would bring you to a 60 foot waterfall (which was not running at the time we were there.)  At the trading post I had a wonderful time photographing my favorite bird: the hummingbird.  Their feeders were teeming with them and they were not afraid of me.

Palm Springs is reputed to only get three days of rain a year.  Wouldn't you know it, we were here for all three of them!  There was a record rainfall on one of the days which occurred while we were driving.  It actually made national news.

During our week in Palm Springs, thanks to the suggestions of our local friend, we visited several restaurants: El Mirasol for authentic Mexican; Spencers, a beautiful place for Sunday brunch with a fantastic outdoor eating space; Cheeky's, another good breakfast spot; and we had drinks poolside at the Colony Palms Hotel, which has been restored to it's former Hollywood heyday glory. Other activities included a visit to the Art Museum where we enjoyed a special exhibition by Richard Avedon and the Thursday night Villagefest in downtown, a street fair with artist's booth and food tents. I wish we had not eaten first, because one of the food tents was serving freshly made paella for a pittance! There were also food tents from local date farms. If you have not tasted a fresh date, you are in for a treat.

Las Vegas

On Saturday, we sadly took our leave of our wonderful Palm Springs hideaway and took the long drive back to Las Vegas.  Check-in at Vdara (an all-suite hotel that was originally built for condos) was quick and seamless.  This is one of the newest hotels, located in the City Center area, adjacent to the Aria.  I had signed up for promotional emails at all the hotels I was interested in, and as the offers came pouring in, I kept upgrading to the best offer.  What I ended up with at Vdara was $119 a night with a free flight back to Vegas in the next year.  The room was state of the art, which began at the front door where all you had to do was wave your plastic card room key in front of the door for it to unlock.  Inside were electronic controls that opened and closed the drapes and night shades, tuned on and off all the lights and a control panel at the door which let the maid know if you wanted the room made up or wanted privacy.

I loved the decor of this hotel.  Simple, modern, urban chic and minimalistic in muted colors.  The living room had a flat screen TV, couch, chairs, coffee table and desk. On the other side of the partition was the huge king bed, plush with triple sheeting, six pillows and another flat screen TV.  The bathroom had a separate water closet, glass enclosed shower and a deep soaking tub.   



Our first order of business was getting something to eat. The city center tram was just outside the door and up the stairs from Vdara and the first stop was Crystals, a shopping and dining mall. We opted for Todd English P.U.B. and we were so happy with our choice. I had my first ever lobster roll, with big chunks of lobster lightly dressed in mayo on a split buttered and toasted bun. I am dreaming about it still.

Georg is a big fan of TV's "Pawn Stars", a show about a Las Vegas pawn shop where people bring their unusual items to be sold.  He wanted to visit the actual store while we were there, so we drove to the Silver and Gold Pawn Shop, about twenty minutes from our hotel.  None of the principals were in the store that day, but there were a lot of curious tourists there.  In the parking was a car decorated with "Just Married" and a big limo from the Venetian Hotel.  Inside, Georg recognized many of the items he had seen on some of the episodes on television. 

In the evening we had tickets to see "Jersey Boys", a show about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. I had heard so much about it but had never seen it. It was as good as had been reported to me. Our eyes were glued to the stage the whole performance. One of Eric's high school friends, Deven May, played one of the leads and he and the rest of the cast were just superb. The music rang in our ears the rest of the night.   We topped off the evening with a late supper at Julian Serrano, a Spanish tapas restaurant.  The decor and the food were absolutely over the top.  Another meal I am still dreaming about!  Georg had the lobster gazpacho, I had the ahi tuna tempura, the brava potatoes and the mushroom risotto (blush).  Of course, I shared with him!!! Each was wonderful.  I would return to Vegas just to revisit this restaurant.

After two days at Vdara, we made a move to Encore at the Wynn Hotel.  We had a great email offer from them, so I decided we would spend our last two nights here.  Again, it was $119 a night with two free admissions to the famous Wynn buffet ($80 value).  The Wynn/Encore properties are much more opulent and garish in design than the minimalistic elegance of Vdara.  Both had state of the art electronics in the room, both had hi-def flat screen tv's and separate bedroom and living room areas.  The difference was the casino and more restaurant options at Encore.  Both were equally nice and the beds were extremely comfortable, which made for a very cozy sleep, especially with the room darkening shades.  The swimming pool area at the Wynn is definitely more beautiful, with many different pool areas.  Unfortunately the weather was not conducive to spending time at the pool, so we will have to save that experience for next time. 

Our last night in Vegas we opted for Le Reve at the Wynn.  It is a Cirque du Soleil production which, like "O" at the Bellagio,  has a pool on the stage and the actors perform in and above the water.  The performers do some of the most death defying stunts I have ever seen, in a surreal, sensory overloaded, otherworldly setting.  I couldn't take photos during the production, but I was able to get some of the stage area before and afterward.  It was a lovely way for us to spend our last night on vacation.  After the show our last dinner was at Wazuzu, an Asian restaurant in Encore.  Typical of a Wynn property, it was opulent in design, with a huge white sparkling dragon on the back wall.  We enjoyed a light meal of sushi before spending a little time in the casino and heading up to our room for our last night of luxury. 

Finally, if you really are a glutton for punishment,  here is a link to all the photos I took on this trip. 

"The Impossible Dream"

This is my sixth year heading the annual fundraiser for Abigayle Ministries. Each year, the smallest germ of an idea comes to me and the Lord develops it throughout the year into a theme. The themes have been fun to develop: one year was a cruise theme, then a black and white theme, aka Phantom of the Opera, a garden party, New York-New York, The Sound of Music. The words that came to me for this year's banquet were "The Impossible Dream". That fit the history of Abigayle, which was started literally as an impossible dream eleven years ago in the minds of the founders, Bill and Gloria Gross. Their burden to help pregnant women with troubled lives has blossomed into a full fledged ministry that grows each year.

Since "The Impossible Dream" song comes from Man of La Mancha, set in Spain, we used that as a decorating scheme. The tables were set with black napkins and red flowers. Jeff Wolf did a fantastic ice sculpture using a guitar with flowers embedded in it. We had a guitar player, Rick Matle play during the silent auction time. Rennie Kaufmann, our MC and entertainment serenaded us with Spanish songs. He sang "Dulcinea" and the "Impossible Dream". Tom and Sally Zito had created a fantastic DVD presentation, chronicling the story of a young woman thanking her mother for not aborting her because of her troubled pregnancy. It had us all in tears.

I already have an idea for next year's banquet. It came to me even before this banquet took place, the earliest ever. And I think it's going to be the best one yet!!!

Baby Steps: St. Louis

It's been two months since Georg's triple bypass and our first attempt at a little getaway.  I don't think either of us realized how much we needed to get away from the "sick room" atmosphere of our home and into a whole other world.  We decided to try a long weekend in St. Louis, a short one hour flight from home.  The occasion was "Damn Yankees",  starring Eric Kunze,  at the Muny, the nation's largest outdoor theater.

Right off the bat, we were blessed with a flawless flight, landing, car rental and easy drive to our hotel, the Chase Park Plaza.  First we stopped at Straub's, a great little gourmet grocery store right next door to the Chase, for staples.  Then, Georg waited in the car while I went inside the hotel to register.  I wasn't in the lobby three minutes, when who should appear before me but Eric himself!  We were both amazed to run into each other and enjoyed a chat while I waited my turn in line.  As he went on his way, Eric said, "Hope you get a nice room" with a smile.  I jokingly said to the hotel clerk, "my friend Eric Kunze said you should give me a nice room."  She laughed and said she'd see what she could do. 

Back at the car, we unloaded our luggage and took the elevator to the 8th floor.  To my amazement, our room was what I estimated to be an 800 square foot suite!  We had a dining room area, living room area, writing desk,  bedroom and bathroom and two flat screen TV's.  I immediately started to formulate an idea.  I had made arrangements for a fan club dinner for Saturday night in the Wine Room at the Chase.  But our suite was so big we could have the party there, and that is exactly what ended up happening. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon resting.  I was planning to go to the Muny each evening, while Georg was only planning to go one night.  The only downside to the trip was the intense heat and humidity, not unusual for St. Louis this time of year.  Last year we were lucky and it was unseasonably cool.  Georg would go with me on a cooler evening.  We did venture out for dinner at Brasserie, a french bistro in the Central West End near the hotel.  Beth and her mother Robert were meeting us there, as was Sherry.  Beth has been in the Muny orchestra for many years and has played most of the shows Eric has been in there.  Sherry has been a fan of Eric's for more than 10 years and has seen every performance of his in that time.

Despite the heat, once the show started my mind was completely on what was happening on the stage.  I had seen the 1958 film with Gwen Verdon, Ray Walston and Tab Hunter, and didn't like it at all.  I was hoping the stage production would be better and to my joy, it was!  It was fun to see Eric in a lighthearted romp and a relief not to see him beaten, chained or hung from a cross.  In addition to his knack for comedy, he exhibited excellent dance moves (they used the original Bob Fosse choreography) and was able to sing some beautiful moving ballads, showcasing his rich voice.  At the stage door afterward we talked with Eric a bit and went back to the Chase for a glass of wine at the pool, where we cooincidentally just happed to be sitting next to Angie (Lola), Lewis (Applegate) and Leslie (Gloria), Eric's co-stars in the show.  At another table were some of the ensemble as well.

The next morning Georg and I decided to explore a little of the famed Missouri wine region.  St. Genevieve had been recommended to me and after a bit of online research I found a winery where we could also have a nice al fresco lunch.  We got off to a rocky start because upon getting to our rental car in the parking garage the battery was dead.  Apparently I had left the lights on the night before.  I'd gotten out of the habit of thinking about that, since my car at home turns the lights on and off automatically!  A call to the rental car agency proved unhelpful.  They could send someone out for $40.  My own auto insurance would likely result in a long wait.  Georg suggested we ask the hotel, and, sure enough a valet had jumper cables and had us on the road in fifteen minutes. 

A pleasant drive through the cornfields and green valleys of the rolling Missouri countryside ensued.  An hour and a half later we found ourself at Chaumette Winery, near St. Genevieve.  A long driveway along the vineyards led to a hill with a small charming chapel and the restaurant housed in the winery.  I could see how this could be a perfect place for a wedding.  Inside, the tasting bar had a huge wall mural depicting the history of the Chaumette name.  We were seated outside on the veranda overlooking the vineyards and farmhouse.  The menu looked promising.  The meat and vegetables were locally raised.  My eyes fell on eggplant fries, sprinkled with parmesan and served with a sour cream, horseradish and lemon zest dipping sauce and my diet went out the window.   I am dreaming about them as I write this.  Our entrees consisted of locally raised beef brisket sandwich with cheddar cheese (for me), croque monsieur and fries (for Georg). We each tried different red wines to go with our lunch.  He preferred the very dry 2007 Norton reserve, which literally puckered my lips, while I opted for the semi-dry 2009 Chambourcin.  Alas, we were too full to sample the mouth watering desserts. 

We adjourned to the beautiful oak bar for our wine tasting.  Our host was amusing and accomodating, explaining each wine to us.  On his advice we chose a bottle of the 2009 Estate Chardonel to give to Eric after the show that evening.  We were on our way back to the hotel, but decided to stop at a second winery for point of comparison, Crown Valley Winery.  There was quite a difference between the two.  Where Chaumette was small, personal, friendly and family run, this one seemed cold and industrial by comparison.  The gleaming stainless steel tanks occupied the majority of the space and the wine was being served by a young girl who hardly engaged her guests.  I was extremely thirsty and would have liked some cold water between sips of wine, but I had to purchase bottled water from the vending machine.  I was sorry we had taken the time to stop and we didn't purchase anything there. 

This was going to be the coolest day/night of the weekend and Georg decided he would attend the show that night.  We were met at the theater by Sherry and two other fans who had flown in from Minnesota to see Eric, Donna and Terri.  All of us met again at the stage door for our meet and greet with Eric.  He was surprised and happy with our choice of wine for him. 

The day of the fanclub dinner had arrived and I spent the morning buying drinks and snacks and preparing the room for our guests at 5:00.  I had all kinds of "Damn Yankees" souvenirs and favors arranged in a little shrine on the drink buffet.  There was a poster of the original Broadway show that Eric starred in with Jerry Lewis, with all the cast's signatures, an original Playbill from that show in 1993.  I had made up baseball cards with Eric's photo and "stats" on the back.  I had gotten a "Damn Yankees"cap, a New York Yankees t-shirt with "Joe Hardy"and "33" on the back and a baseball which all the gals kissed with red lipstick and signed.  (Georg declined - haha).  Everyone had chipped in on the gifts.  Before I knew it, the first guests started to arrive and, before I even thought to look for him, Eric appeared in the room.   I was so grateful we had this private space where everyone could mingle in a quiet setting.  Everyone had a chance to have their own little time with him and we were all relaxed and happy.  Of course, he loved his gifts and "shrine".  After he left to go to his room to get ready we realized none of us had thought to order food from room service and we didn't care.  The munchies became our dinner.   We carpooled to the theater and continued the party until afterward when we made our goodbyes at the stage door.  Jeannine had flown in from New Jersey and was leaving the next morning, as were Donna and Terri.  Leslie was local and so were Sherry and Beth.  So many of us have formed fast friendships, cemented by our common interest in Eric.

Sunday was a day for sleeping in.  Our only ambition was to go out for a nice dinner.  My exhaustive research had led me to a place called Terrene, on Sarah Street.  What attracted me was the fresh, organic foods presented on the menu.  It was a bit off the beaten track, in a semi-industrial, somewhat deserted neighborhood.  We were the first diners and were seated in an empty restaurant.  That gave me plenty of time to examine the space, which I fell in love with instantly.  It was not extravagently decorated, but it was very tastefully minimalistic, which is right up my alley.  A long, narrow mural dominated one wall against which were tables for two.  On the other side were tall windows which allowed the natural light to come in.  Sadly, the view was of an empty warehouse, but the elegant window treatments made you forget that.  Every detail was interesting to me, from the hanging lights to the salt/pepper grinder on the table.  In fact I wanted to purchase one of those pepper grinders and they promised to send me one when they got in their shipment.  It was too hot to sit outside that day, but they have a delightful outdoor eating area which actually seats more people than inside.  We started with the flash fried calamari, followed by lamb pot roast with yukon gold mashed potatoes and chanterelle mushrooms, and split a local fruit cobbler with vanilla beach ice cream.  Once again, I was extremely pleased with our choice of restaurant.

I had one more night to attend the theater.  This would be my fourth time seeing "Damn Yankees" and I could have sat through many more performances.   All summer long, one show is being rehearsed during the day, while another is shown at night.   Sunday rehearsals are held from midnight until 4am with the cast not experiencing their first dress rehearsal with the entire set in place until the day of the first show.  It's a shame these shows only run for a week at a time.  My opinion is that it was a production worthy of being seen on Broadway.  The cast and entire ensemble were incredibly talented.   Often, because it is a St. Louis institution,  the Muny fills the stage with extraneous teens and kids because it's an opportunity and experience for them, not to mention it fills some of the 11,000 seats with friends and family.  But there was very little that was extraneous in this show.  It was tight and professional.   There was a celebratory atmosphere at the stage door as the cast exited and accepted their applause and congratulations.  We sadly made our goodbyes with Eric.  He was wearing the Yankees t-shirt I had given him.  Back at home now, I can only dream about next time, whenever that will be.  I couldn't be happier about how everything went and grateful that this first baby step (actually a giant leap) for Georg was successful.

A Change in Direction

One month ago, I envisioned my life to be quite different from what it is at the moment. It has taken me awhile to even try to put into words all the emotions that have been swirling around in me in the last few weeks. Shock, fear, sorrow, anger, relief, love, acceptance and, finally, peace, has been the progression.

A half year ago I started planning our 40th anniversary vacation to the Bahamas. After copious research and discussion with Georg we settled on which island (Eleuthera) and which house to rent (appropriately enough, "Romantic Bungalow"). Money was sent, a contract was signed and flight tickets were secured. Our good friends Mike and Mary had decided to come along, which made it even better.

At the same time my dream of Broadway tenor Eric Kunze, (for whom I do a fansite and website), coming back to Detroit to perform was coming true. The last time he was here, and the first time I saw him, was two years ago in Whistle Down the Wind. He had been telling me for some time that a concert with the Detroit Symphony was in the offing and, finally, five performances were scheduled for the week of May 22nd. Coincidentally, that was his birthday and he agreed to come to the house for a birthday party in his honor. I could hardly believe that my fantasy of Eric sitting at my piano singing, with me accompanying him, was possibly going to be a reality.

(This is a portrait of Eric in "Whistle Down the Wind")

The planned party unleashed a flurry of home improvements and spruce ups. A new deck was built, touch-up painting done, new shrubs planted, flowers were potted. I pored over stacks of cookbooks to compile the perfect menu. I was making German Chocolate Cake at Eric's request. I already had his birthday present: a portrait I had a relative in Germany do of Eric in Whistle Down the Wind. Thirty of my friends had tickets to the concert on Saturday night and I had arranged a dinner beforehand at the Paradise Cafe at Orchestra hall where Eric was to make an appearance. Even Georg's mother wanted to go to hear Eric sing and I had purchased tickets to take her to a matinee for her birthday present. Fans were flying in from various states to join in the fun. All the pieces were in place for a fantastic week of guests and music.

During our home preparations Georg had been complaining of shortness of breath, symptoms I found out later he had been suffering from for some time. He decided to go to the doctor who ordered a stress test and then a chemical stress test, which precipitated a visit to a cardiologist. The specialist ordered a heart catheterization for Georg the beginning of the week of the Symphony concerts. I blithely assumed this was more or less going to be routine and preventative and when Georg was brought back to recovery quickly I assumed the diagnosis was going to be negative. To my shock the doctor told us he was going to have to do a triple bypass operation the next day.

That statement turned our world upside down. Suddenly, we no longer had thoughts of vacations or parties. Fear crept in as we contemplated the ramifications of such a serious surgery and what was to come afterward. I tried to hide my tears from my husband, because I didn't want to frighten him even more, but even he couldn't disguise his sorrow from me at the turn of events. We were fairly young to be contemplating losing one another, something I didn't think we would be dealing with for another 20 years, at least.

Sorrow gave way ever so briefly to anger at the loss of all the dreams and planning of the last months. I found myself very touchy and was easily irritated by real or imagined slights and hurts from people. But, quickly, anger passed into relief in the realization that had the situation been different, we could have been on vacation in the Bahamas and he might have had a massive heart attack, or somewhere else where skilled medical care might not have been as readily available as right here, right now. We were, after all, in a hospital which had an excellent reputation for its cardiac department and doctors. The success rate for this type of surgery was 97%, odds which were so high as to all but guarantee his recovery.

The first three days after the surgery were extremely difficult for Georg, but the doctors and nurses were very happy with his progress and assured us in a few months he would be back to normal. As I ministered to him in Georg's hospital room and then at home we grew more in love with each other than ever in the realization of what could have been lost and how much we needed one another. Now that we are home,  what surprises me more than anything else is how much we are enjoying just being quietly together. Normal life keeps you running all the time. We now have the luxury of not being able to keep a normal schedule during this recuperation time, of having to say "no" to all the invitations and activities. As a result our home has been very peaceful and quiet with occasional short visits from dear friends who stop in to bring a meal or encouragement.

Finally, we have accepted the place to which God has brought us and are taking it day by day. I am told that someday life will be back to normal, but I think our outlook on life will have been changed forever. My Pollyanna outlook has been somewhat diminished.  We do realize that life is short; that it can be taken away in an instant; that we are fallible and not invicible. We are also again reminded that the Lord's grace will carry us through the most difficult of situations and, no matter what happens, we are never alone because he is there.

I will never leave you nor forsake you. Hebrews 13:5