Chautauqua Week 6 - Post Script

I must say I enjoy the blogging thing. But at Chautauqua it often is not easy to keep up with due to all the activities and to the lack of reliable internet access in the buildings in which I stay. But you get what you pay for!!!

At any rate. . . I'm home! And I've already cut the front field and the very front yard. I have two more fields to cut, and the promise of several days in the row in the upper 90's. Maybe THIS will be the way to lose weight. . . .sweat it off!

At any rate, I wanted to tell about my final Chautauqua day for Week 6. It was "rich and full" (Chautuaqua expression).

But before I get to that, I have to tell something that I left out. Another bummer about having to walk to the library squeeze in the blog is that I can't be as careful about getting everything in that I want to. So let's go back a couple of entries to when I was describing the First Night program. This is the one with the kids performing and the counting of how many generations, etc. etc. One of the most touching, funky, and impressive parts of the program was the Drooping of the Lilies. Now just let that sink in for a minute and try to envision what that must be. They have everyone bring a handkerchief or tissue to the program. I brought a white wash cloth from my room. I wasn't too sure what they were for. I figured it would be funny, like when Pat Johnson's family all puts white napkins on their heads at family weddings. But instead, this was the part of the program where everyone is supposed to remember all those Chautauquans who have died in the past year. They announce some of the better known people, and then have everyone else just think about who they know. Then everyone raises the white handkerchief in the air, and in silence, the whole audience slowly brings their hands down as all those white pieces of cloth drift toward the ground. It's very impressive, and just another Chautauqua tradition.

My theme for the last day could be KEEPING UP WITH 90 YEAR OLDS!

Most of you are familiar with the story of my finding my parents' friends last year. This is the couple who first told me about Chautauqua many years ago when they were visiting my folks. Last year, through an unbelievably serendipitous occurance, I was able to find out that they are STILL going to Chautauqua, and in fact was able to meet up with them. They were up again this year. Bill and Phyllis are 91 and 87 years old, respectively. They still drive up to Chautauqua from Florida or Kentucky each summer and spend about 5 weeks there. This past week I saw Phyllis in the first couple of days, but had not seen Bill. I'm thinking, "Well he is 91, perhaps he's taking a nap. Or doesn't feel well." It was yesterday when I finally saw Bill coming into the morning church service. I was in the choir and I saw him walk in. I thought I would be able to see him after the service since I knew where he was sitting. After the service I went around to where he had been sitting, only to see him walking, rather briskly, down the steep concrete ramps that are the aisles of the amphitheater. He was on his way to talk to the former NBA basketball player who was the husband of the weekly preacher. He was taking that ramp alot more smoothly than I do. So I figured, "Well, I'll see him when he comes back up here." But he headed in another direction. I eventually saw him heading down the street towards the post office, and I literally had to run to catch up with him. He (and Phyllis both) are absolutely amazing! They are on the go all day every day. It reminds me of another reason I love Chautauqua. Being a lifelong learner and participant in life is a great way to stay young.

So I had tickets to the opera, Tosca for last evening. I went to a pre-opera talk at 5:30. When we got out I didn't want to walk all the way back to my house, so I just sat on a bench outside the theater until they began to seat for the 7:30 performance. I sat on a bench with two delightful women and began to strike up a conversation. The one woman showed me her free gate pass for the season, which you get once you turn 90. Bill got his for the first time last year. This woman was dynamite and so much fun to talk to.

I finished my weaving piece and learned how to take it off the loom, make fringe and finish it off. It's pretty cool for a beginning piece. I enjoyed that class alot.

For lunch yesterday I decided to try, for the first time, the lunch that is offered daily at one of the churches on the grounds. For $6.00 you go into their community room and have a choice of several kinds of salad (I got crab salad) or soup and sandwich. It's a great way to have lunch. I met a wonderful couple from New York, and saw the woman who I met last year who is from Charlottesville. I may try the church lunch again during weeks 8 & 9.

This morning I was up early and actually drove out of the grounds by 8:15. This is no easy feat since everyone who is leaving at the end of a week is usually supposed to be out of their place by 9:30 or 10. This creates an unbelievable mess of traffic on the narrow and limited access roads of the grounds. One reason I'm going up next Friday instead of Saturday is to avoid that mess!

I did get a pretty good guarantee that I will be able to stay at this house next week for Week 1. This is going to be a socko week called Richard Rosenblatt and friends. They've had this before and there are great people who come. It will be hard to get a room for that week, but the people in the house I stayed liked me, so they said I could get a room. I offered to go up early next year to help them set up the house. That didn't hurt!!! I know that Alan Alda is on the schedule for sure during week 1 next year.

So I'm home for grass cutting, book club, bill paying, and having Chester around for a few days. It's tough when you have to leave Heaven to go to Heaven!!!!!! I'm going to keep blogging when the spirit moves me. Stay tuned! RP