Spittin’ Image–September 12

Our September 2017 luncheon program featured Spittin’ Image – Brian and Blain, identical twins!

But, before anything else, we had some nice piano and organ music by Grace Averitt and Nancy Jensen. They are always good to hear. And pleasant on the eyes, too! Of course, I am prejudiced.

We always enjoy the crazy stories and good down home music of the twins. They play guitar, mandolin and harmonica. Of course they sing, too!

I am also including several videos that I think you will enjoy hearing and seeing again.

Video 1  https://youtu.be/z_5Mfa4CNTM

Video 2  https://youtu.be/Ot_CN7CUo_w

Video 3  https://youtu.be/KiMXcSRxPiY

Video 4  https://youtu.be/71ztNJySIhg

After their program, I announced that I am retiring at the end of this year. I have held this position for 10 years and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you all. I will still be around and will participate with you. However, after the first of 2018, Greg Poe will take over the reigns of this program and the Senior Adult Ministries for Washington Heights Baptist Church. 

Most of you are familiar with Greg. He is Lisa Poe’s husband and frequently serves you in the dining room for our luncheons. He has also spoken to our group in the past and will be featured again at our November Thanksgiving Luncheon. Be sure to come for that and get to know him better.

I will be working with Greg and Lisa to insure a smooth transition into the new year. Greg already has some great plans for the group and announced the formation of an Advisory Board to help with program planning. If you are interested, please contact the church office and talk with Lisa Poe, letting her know your interest in participating. This is your program, please help it continue to succeed.

This isn’t farewell, I will still be involved for the remainder of 2017. Thank you all for your support and friendship. I love you all! 

Please embrace Greg as well as you have me! I look forward to continued friendships and supporting from "the back of the bus and room". Please join me in supporting Greg Poe.

In our October 10 Luncheon, we will feature new entertainment, John Lewis "On the Edge of Illusion". Be sure to join us October 10 at 11AM.

Beauty and the Beast–LaComedia

August 18, 2017 we enjoyed the musical Beauty and the Beast at LaComedia in Springboro, Ohio.

In my opinion, this was one of their best plays. I think many of the performers, perhaps most, were from the area. However, several including the lead parts were from places like New York and California.

There were 25 of us, however, we did not sell all of the tickets to our Young@Heart people, so I bought several tickets to bring our daughter, her husband and our granddaughter. I think everyone was happy with the performances.

This is our daughter Michele, and Granddaughter Abegael. Isn’t she beautiful. Obviously, she doesn’t get her looks from Grandpa.

Of course, we all go to LaComedia to also enjoy their very good buffet.

Most of you know the story line but to keep it simple, it starts with a prince who becomes a beast because of his poor behavior. Now, someone must love him before the last petal of the rose dies. So, we watch the prince and the rose to see if anyone will love him prior to that last petal falling. 

This was the projected image on the stage curtain

Since they won’t allow photos or video during the performance, I have to rely on photos before and after the performance.

Sorry to say, I also relied totally on my smart phone as a camera, Although it does a decent job in good light, it is not good in the kind of subdued light of the theater dining room. So forgive me for the photo quality of the dining room photos.

The following photo is Belle as she greets the guests after the show.

The next photos were done by our son-in-law, after we exited. They stayed around long enough to get better photos with more of the cast. So this photo credit goes to our daughter, Michele Koerber and son-in-law, Jim Koerber. Michele and granddaughter, Abegael are included in the photos.

Our next trip will be to Scioto Hills for a musical program and fall color drive in October. Be sure to sign up for that one during our next Young@Heart Luncheon on September 12.

Leslie Stratton - Harp

Leslie Stratton, Principle Harpist with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and also the Director of Music at Central Presbyterian Church provided an outstanding musical treat with her harp for our August 2017 Luncheon Program. Leslie has performed for us in the past in a number of settings, including duet with Charlie Pagnard and his Trumpet and also directing and playing with Harps of Grace. She has always provided a delightful musical program. She will return in December with Harps of Grace to give us a beautiful Christmas experience.

In the middle of her program, Leslie gave us a quiz about a number of songs that she played as a medley. I think our group did an outstanding job of picking out the song titles. We got all of them! We have a lot of people with good musical ears!

The following short video gives an example of the performance but the quality doesn't do it justice. Fortunately, we also recorded the entire program and the sound for that is better. You can listen to that HERE!

Following our program, we ate a nice luncheon prepared by Lisa and her talented kitchen and dining room team.

Next month, we will enjoy our favorite twins! The Spittin' Image will return to our platform with their stringed instrument music of an entirely different style! Brian and Blain Swabb are identical twins who play, Banjo and Guitar and Harmonica. As I said, their music is a different style. Come prepared to have a lot of laughs and a good time on September 12.

July Day Trip - Newport Aquarium

On our July 2017 Day Trip, we enjoyed time at the Newport Aquarium at Newport, Kentucky. We had a good size group of 29 people. It was a great time of fellowship and seeing the wonders of God's Creation.

The aquarium is a nice feature along the Ohio River at an area known as Newport on the Levee. It is located across the river from the Cincinnati downtown area and the football and baseball parks. In fact, the foot bridge to the ballpark area goes directly to the levee.

Although it was raining heavily at home when we departed, it was down to a light rain when we arrived at the Aquarium and that quickly turned to sunshine and very hot and humid weather.

This post will primarily be photos (what can I say about fish) but there were a number of nice exhibits, including a Shark Tank and Shark Bridge (don't fall in!), the fascinating Penguins, Shark Rays and Sting Rays, Alligators, and even Frogs and Iguanas.

I love taking photos of our people and also kids as we all enjoyed the sea life.

 Remember: You can click on most photos to see a larger image

The touch galleries were fun places where we could touch Sharks and other sea life. I loved watching people, and children interacting with the sea life.

Catch me if you can!

I think she got it! But it is hard to tell with all the surrounding stones of the same color.

My favorite photos are children and families as they interact with the surrounding wildlife and sights.

Now for some shots of the sea life.

Of course, there are also land reptiles.

This guy looked menacing!

The Iguanas were cool, even the babies.

Oops, we couldn't leave without showing the penguins!

I always enjoy watching the penguins as they walk and climb or swim. It is difficult to get a good photo through the glass, with the glare and reflections.

As we finish, I'll note that there were even a human species in the tanks! Actually, they were scuba divers in the tanks for maintenance (cleaning as this girl is doing) and feeding, etc.

At noon we enjoyed our lunch time independently and as small groups. Some ate in the Aquarium "Sharky's Cafe" and others left the aquarium for other eating places on the levee. The personnel were very good about letting us leave and return without a hassle. There was a very nice selection of eating places with a broad variety of foods and prices. Then, many returned to the aquarium to continue their tour, while others checked out the levee or took a walk across the bridge.

July 11 Luncheon Program - Cleopas

I always look forward to our Young@Heart programs. Perhaps with fear and trepidation, but also with excitement. First, because I am always anxious to see the people who join us each month. Second, because our programs are fun and interesting. This month we were first entertained by a Piano Prelude from Judy Comer, one of our own people. Thank you Judy!

Second, I always enjoy the antics of Stephen Hollen. I also learn from him. He has become a real friend over the past four years that I have known him and used him for our programs. Perhaps you recall his first program as Mark Twain. 

 This month, Stephen came to us as Cleopas. This was his very first performance with this character and frankly, I must say it is his best! I think he has a new calling to do more like this. I certainly hope that he creates more Bible related characters.

I’ll refresh your memories about Cleopas. He was one of the little-known characters in the new testament. Best known for his encounter Jesus on the road to Emmaus. If you want to read more about this Biblical account, read Luke 24:13-32. Many people believe that he was the Brother of Joseph (Jesus' mother’s husband). Also, many people, including Stephen Hollen, AKA Cleopas, believe that his wife with him was the other Mary at the cross when Jesus was crucified. Remember, there were three Marys – Jesus’ mother, Mary Magdalene and this other Mary.

You can hear Cleopas as he talks with us, HERE.

Stephen Hollen is a man of many personalities, and faces as well as costumes. I really enjoyed him as Cleopas. Perhaps, this is the character that brought out the best of his past as a pastor, too. He is also a Bee Keeper and harvests, is that the correct term, honey. He brought some good examples of his honey a light, dark and another that is my favorite, Hot Honey! If his characters and the bee keeping aren’t enough to confuse us, he also turns out some awesome pens. Check out his products at http://appalwood.com/.

Finally, we enjoyed another of Lisa’s fantastic meals. This one was a picnic – with hot dogs, potato salad and baked beans. Followed by a nice cobbler.

Next month, we return to a musical format, with some beautiful Harp music by the Principal Harpist with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Leslie Stratton will return to our platform. You will not want to miss this musical treat by the best harpist in Dayton!

June 2017 Day Trip - River Queen

Thursday, June 29, 2017, we took our church bus down to Newport, Kentucky for a ride on the riverboat! We enjoyed an uneventful drive down and back, thanks to the skillful driving of Al Brothers. There is some serious construction on the bridges and approaches but Al negotiated these without any noticeable delay.

After arriving at B&B Riverboats Newport Landing, we went into the lounge area to await our boarding time.

 

We boarded the River Queen for our tour of the day with a good group of people, some were new, but many of our regulars joined us, too. We had a total of 26 travelers. 

We’ve done this trip several times during my ten years with the group and it has become one of my favorite day trips. After boarding the boat, we had some time to roam the boat and get to know each other better.

 

Remember: You can always click on any photo to view a larger version!

Then, we were invited to the very good buffet meal. I was pleasantly surprised by the meal. It included a couple of salads, mixed veggies, potatoes and a couple of meats. The Cheesecake for dessert was especially good.

During the meal and along the way we were entertained by their Banjo Musician. He was good with his banjo and was also and exceptional tour guide. 

It wasn't a pretty day for photography, but the sights along the river are very good. I just could not do justice with the gray day to work with.

Our guide seemed to know everything about the boats and the sights along the way. Even though I have been on these tours before, I learned a few things. For example, a number of years ago Nancy and I dined at Mike Finks which is also a riverboat. I have long wondered what became of that boat. Wonder of wonders, we were moored against it! It is in sad shape and was not recognizable as the old dining riverboat. Several years ago, there were plans to renovate the Mike Fink, but it appears that isn’t happening anytime soon! You can see a bit of the Mike Fink in riverboat shot with the gangplank lowered.

I always enjoy getting to know new people and others of you better. This time I had my photo taken with Camilla and we also met a nice young lady all the way from Shanghai, China. She asked the hotel for something to do while she waits for her next flights back to China. They suggested the Riverboats. So we also had the privilege of meeting her! 

I hope you enjoyed our little trip down the river with us. Join us sometime for a Young@Heart Luncheon or future Day Trip!