Maggi's Memories

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T00:05:00.004-05:00

So much to be thankful for...

2011-11-28T00:12:00.006-05:00

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

2011-11-14T01:45:00.002-05:00

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

2011-08-06T00:25:00.004-04:00

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

2011-07-22T01:09:00.013-04:00

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!

2011-05-14T18:44:00.007-04:00

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

2011-04-07T01:15:00.004-04:00

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

2011-01-13T02:09:00.015-05:00

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

2010-11-07T01:01:00.006-04:00

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

2010-10-31T22:09:00.319-04:00

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"

2010-08-01T08:06:00.000-04:00

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

2010-07-22T22:41:00.008-04:00

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

2010-06-07T18:24:00.008-04:00

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

Beth and Maggi Playing Ani Ma'amin

2010-05-03T13:58:00.005-04:00

The song Ani Ma'amin, is taken from a poem based upon the thirteen Jewish principles of faith, each line beginning with "I believe with perfect faith"

One version of the tune is attributed to the Reb Azriel David, a Modzitser Hasid, who reportedly composed the tune in a cattle car when being taken to Treblinka. The tune was taken up by other Jewish people who sang the song as they were being herded into the gas chambers of the Nazi concentration camps and later became known as the Hymn of the Camps. It is still frequently sung at Holocaust Remembrance Day services. Some also sang it at the Passover seder, in memory of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising which began on the first night of Passover in 1943.

My friend Beth, who is a violinist with the Muny orchestra in St. Louis and a new friend I met while visiting there, was very gracious to play the piece with me at our church this weekend, with Sue Hill doing the vocals. Unfortunately, the quality of the video for that performance wasn't very good, so I am including this version with just the two of us recorded in my home later that evening.

Sweet Spirits

2010-04-26T15:08:00.004-04:00

The best part about doing these little fanclub trips are the people I meet. Eric attracts the nicest fans, probably because he is so incredibly nice himself. This trip has been no exception. Two young women who saw him in Houston in Miss Saigon, Katherine and Rachel, flew to LA to see Joseph. Katherine had contacted me via the fansite and we planned to meet at the show. After the show, we were walking out together and I invited them to come to the apartment for coffee. We had a wonderful time talking and sharing our faith with each other. It was an incredible blessing. I now feel we have begun an eternal friendship.

When I first checked into the studio, I met the cleaning lady, Rosario. She was extremely friendly, cheerful and warm and we hit it off immediately. Today as I am getting ready to check out we said our goodbyes and I said "God bless you." She immediately said "are you a Christian?" to which I responded in the affirmative. That opened the floodgates of our sharing our joy in the Lord and the discovery of a new sister in Christ. We were two strangers from completely different walks of life who found a common love through Jesus Christ.

That has happened to me on every trip so far. In most cases, those friendships have lasted and we are still in close contact with one another. Many times I will get prayer requests from fans and I share requests with them as well. Beth, a violinist I met in St. Louis is going to be a guest in my home next weekend. We are going to perform together at my church. Susan from Sacramento, Sherry from St. Louis, Anita from Boston, Riki from Georgia, I could go on and on. That was certainly an unexpected lovely side effect of doing the site for Eric.

A postscript: It is now mid-July and today I received a card in my mailbox with a Redondo Beach address. It was a sweet note from Rosario, the cleaning lady at my rental apartment. What a lovely surprise!

Life is Good: Day Three

2010-04-25T12:21:00.000-04:00

One of the things I love best about this area is the number of people you see enjoying the outdoors: jogging, walking their dogs, biking, surfing, playing volleyball. There are two dedicated paths along the water just for that purpose, one for bicyclists and rollerbladers, the other for walkers and joggers. Out of my window I can see surfers and volleyball games. As a result, most people are in really good physical shape here. It really inspires me to be more active as well. Yesterday I spent most of the day riding one of the bikes available to the rental apartment in which I am staying. The path extends for 20 miles in either direction. The most fascinating thing about the path is the variety of multi-million dollar oceanfront properties, lined up next to each other, every one in their own unique architectural style. The homes are separated from the path by just a small porch or patio area with a matchbox lawn. They remind me of the rows luxury yachts in Cannes, where you caught just a glimpse of how the other half lives. One elegant couple was being served dinner by their tuxedo clad butler on the deck of one of those yachts, within 20 feet of the boardwalk teeming with us ordinary folk.

Back at the theater in the evening I had the pleasure of meeting two beautiful new friends from the fansite, Katherine and Rachel, who had traveled all the way from Houston to see Eric in Saturday night's performance of "Joseph". We had previously communicated through email and found common interests besides Mr. Kunze. We share a love of the Lord, music, art and architecture. They sing at their church in Houston. After the performance I introduced them to Eric and after chatting with him a bit, we decided to spend a little more time together. We came back to my apartment for coffee. Despite the difference in our ages, we had a really great time visiting with each other. They were delightful. That is one of the nicest perks of doing the fansite. Eric's goodness attracts the nicest fans and I get to meet them.

Life is Good: Day Two

2010-04-23T13:44:00.002-04:00

Enjoyed a lovely day just hanging out at the apartment. Marianne and Jenny were meeting me for dinner before the theater. I was trying to find a restaurant for us that was waterfront with a nice quiet vibe. All of sudden, it came to me: my place! So they picked up food from PF Changs and we sat in the living room, enjoying the fabulous view of the beach and ocean. They were blown away by the place! If I don't stop telling people about it I may not be able to get a reservation on the next trip!

California: Life is Good

2010-04-22T12:29:00.002-04:00

"Life is Good". That's the logo from a store at the LAX airport. A good one to live by. Gratitude each and every day for the gift of life. It doesn't hurt that I have been blessed with the opportunity to be back in California, seeing Eric in "Joseph" yet again and staying in the cutest beachfront apartment with a 180 degree view of my beloved ocean.

When I arrived, the wind on the water was in gale-force mode. The surf was crashing. Walking on the beach meant getting sandblasted. There was a chair on the balcony in the unit above that was being blown around, producing a rhythmic thumping that was unsettling.

The first order of business was getting staples. Trader Joe's nearby, yay! Love, love, love Trader Joes. The nearest at home is half an hour away. Found some delicious French Roast decaf, brie, turkey breast eggs and shrimp spring rolls and I was happy. Back to the unit to shower and change for the theater. Doing my hair was an exercise in futility since the minute I step out the door, the gale turns me into Medusa.

At the theater, front and center, I sat next to a lovely couple who were season ticket holders and enjoyed visiting with them throughout the evening. To my delight and relief, this version of "Joseph" was G rated. The costuming was imaginative, colorful and modest. The one scene that could be (and often is) over the top, is the where Potiphar's wife tries to seduce Joseph. Even in the film, that scene is depicted as an orgy. But Ron Kellum is able to convey the story without making it uncomfortable to watch, which is reassuring to those planning to bring their young children to this production. Compared to the last show, "Miss Saigon", this is a piece of fluff, but fun nevertheless. The redemptive theme of forgiveness is presented clearly by the direction and Eric's acting ability. If I were directing this, I would establish early on the special love between Joseph and his little brother Benjamin, making the ending all the more poignant.

Back at the apartment, I kept the TV on to block out the sound of the howling wind, but was able to get a good night's sleep and awoke (hallelujah!) to the sun this morning. I could sit in this place all day and watch all the varied and fascinating spectrum of people and their dogs parade by, not to mention the surfers enjoying the turbulent waves. But I must tear myself away to become part of that scene. The jogging/biking path in front of the apartment stretches for 20 miles. I'll report back again later.

Easter with Nathan

2010-04-08T00:55:00.000-04:00

Whirlwind Theater Weekend in Houston

2010-02-16T09:21:00.005-05:00

Five performances of Miss Saigon in three days is not everyone's cup of tea. My cup, however, overflowed. My trip to Houston for this show at the Hobby Center's Theater Under the Stars (TUTS) was short but memorable, leaving home Friday and returning Monday, Valentine's weekend.

I can't say enough good things about the Doubletree Hotel on Dallas Street, within four blocks of the venue. The weather was just as cold in Houston as back home in Michigan and I was happy to avail myself of the hotel's free shuttle service to the theater. I hosted a meeting at the hotel's restaurant, Trofi. We were treated like royalty. Every wish was their command and more. Late check-out? No problem. My boarding pass was printed quickly and with a smile. Late night room service was prompt and tasty. I received five star service for $79 a night.

The theater at the Hobby Center is beautiful. The acoustics did justice to the incredible music we heard. The production was Broadway caliber, and indeed many of the cast, such as Eric Kunze, Melinda Chua and Philip Michael Baskerville, had done Miss Saigon on Broadway and were in the first national tour. I could have sat through this coming whole week's performances as well. At the Saturday matinee, I was surprised to see President George Bush, Sr. and Barbara enter the theater and take their seats just twenty feet away from me. The audience rose and clapped for them when they entered and again when they left after the show. The cast had a meet and greet with them before the performance. It was too late to call the hotel shuttle when I returned in the evenings so I took a cab. All the cabs offer the rate of $6 anywhere in the downtown area. It is called "Six in the City".

That is all I am able to report about Houston. Partly due to the weather and partly due to the late hours I was keeping, I never got out of my room except to go to the theater. The only evidence I have that I was in Texas is the souvenir cowboy hat I got for my grandson at the hotel gift shop.

Sleepless in Vancouver

2009-10-12T02:13:00.006-04:00

I came to Vancouver for a concert at the Orpheum Theater and for practical purposes I chose the Moda Hotel because it is right across the street. Walking in, I was impressed by the friendliness and efficiency of the front desk. The lobby is nothing much to look at and getting on the tiny elevator I noticed the carpet was dirty and the metal on the walls had not been wiped down. Based upon my initial impression, the room was a pleasant surprise. I love the decor, minimalistic, red wall, black and white art, nice big picture window, flat screen TV, wireless internet. However, there was so much noise from the street and the late night carousing outside I couldn't fall asleep at all. I should have gotten a clue from the sleep mask and earplugs on the bed when I first walked in. In addition, the walls seem to be thin as paper because I could hear the man in the next room clearing his throat all night long.

The area around the hotel is not very upscale. In general things seem a little run down. I was surprised at the amount of litter on the street and the number of homeless camped out on the steps of public buildings and on every street corner.

The historic Orpheum theater was restored in 1977 and was beautiful on the inside. The concert, "Music of the Night", starring Eric Kunze and directed by Bramwell Tovey was fabulous both nights and I heard everyone raving about how much they enjoyed as we were walking out. The music featured was a compilation of songs from Broadway shows such as West Side Story, Phantom, Miss Saigon, Superstar, Evita, and Les Miserables. Bramwell Tovey, the conductor of the Vancouver Symphony is really funny and made a lot of side jokes and background information about the music. He actually played the organ with a mask on (a la Phantom) then walked up behind the head violinist and startled her with it. He was replacing Erich Kunzel, who was originally supposed to be the guest conductor and tragically passed away last month. Maestro Tovey joked that Erich was the only conductor he knew that insisted upon a case of beer in his dressing room. Tovey said, there must be budget cuts, because he did not get the same courtesy. They did a tribute to Erich Kunzel at the end of the concert.

Saturday was a perfect day to take a ferry to Granville Island. First, I just started walking wherever my nose led me. I found my way quite by accident to Gastown. I took lots of pics of the quaint and restored architecture. Had breakfast/lunch at Jules, a French bistro, which took me right back to our trip to France in May. The mussels were to die for. They were locally grown and fresh harvested today. Very plump, moist and garlicky. The manager chatted with me and he told me they had been filming the sequel to Twilight across the street the day before.

We also discussed the homeless situation. I must say that has been one of the most disconcerting things to me on this trip. There are people sleeping on the sidewalks on almost every street corner and every nook and cranny. There seems to be a cottage industry of collecting bottles in shopping carts. From my room at night I could hear the clink clink clink of bottles being transferred from one cart to another. There was a man standing outside my hotel window shouting "F___! F___!" literally all night long. According to local news, there are 1200 homeless people sleeping outdoors. The city is frantically trying to deal with the situation before the 2010 Winter Olympics. My question is, why not, for the Olympics? Why have they not done it before for the sake of the city and its inhabitants?

After lunch, I found the Granville Island ferry, a tiny little boat that runs every 15 minutes from different stops. I took the one that stops near the Science Center. It was $6 one way or $10 two ways. Found out later than I was to exit at the Aquarium stop and that would have been cheaper. I gave my extra tickets to a student on board.

Granville Island was very charming and definitely worth the trip. I didn't even explore the whole island due to time restrictions, but my first stop was the Granville Island Market. Took a ton of photos. Food is so colorful and beautiful! The rest of the island is filled with shops and restaurants. There is a beautiful playground for kids and a pond. The autumn colors were at their peak. Ran across an Indian wedding and got a great shot of the bride and her bridesmaids.

Day three: Another beautiful crisp fall day. I walked from my hotel down Robson street to the water, rented a bike from Spokes Bike Rental ($18 for two hours) and rode around Stanley Park. There were many people there, walking, jogging, roller blading, bike riding. There was a group of people stopped in a clearing, so I stopped and we watched eight racoons cavorting around. I made clicking sounds like I do with my cats and they came right over to me (a little too close for comfort, actually) standing on their hinds legs and begging. They were extremely tame so they must be accustomed to people feeding them - not a good idea.

Had lunch at Tsunami Sushi on Robson. I was amused at the concept. You can sit at a circular bar and the sushi floats by you on boats in a river. You remove what you want as it floats by. There was a family next to me whose little kids were enthusiastic about being there. I complimented them on their sophistication. I have a hard time getting my five year old grandson to eat macaroni!

Decided to eat dinner in and walked a few doors down from the Moda hotel to Nesters Market where they have a good selection of freshly prepared foods. I'm making it an early night as I have a flight in the morning. I was very impressed with Vancouver in general and everyone who lives here seems to love it. It will be interesting to see how the city handles the Olympics in February of 2010 and fun for me to recognize all the places I visited during this weekend.
Read more about Eric Kunze at his fansite: www.erickunze.com

New YouTube of Horst and Gernot Bike Twins

2009-10-05T18:32:00.011-04:00

This is a wonderful YouTube of my awesome biking cousins from Austria in their latest exploit: bike/hiking from the lowest point in the continental US to the highest (Death Valley to the summit of Mt. Whitney in California). If you look real carefully and don't blink you will see me in the support vehicle for a split second. Make sure your sound is on, the music is awesome. Video was done by part of the support team, Joerg Krasser:

For more, see my blog for them at www.atox7summits.blogspot.com,

A tale of two trips: Bike Twins and Eric Kunze in one trip out west

2009-10-01T10:38:00.016-04:00

Part One: Lone Pine, California

My Austrian cousins Horst and Gernot Turnowsky were doing a monumental bike/hike of Death Valley to the summit of Mt. Whitney in California on September 24th. Since I do a blog for them http://www.atox7summits.blogspot.com/ I was very eager to see them do one of these rides firsthand. Their visit to the States provided the perfect opportunity. Cooincidentally, Eric Kunze, a Broadway actor whose blog I also maintain, was going to be performing in the same part of the US the same weekend. Serendipity!

First came the bike ride/climb. After flying into Las Vegas and picking up my rental car, I left the airport at 5pm. I had a 5-1/2 hour drive ahead of me through the pitch dark desert. I have really never had the experience of driving that long by myself without seeing any signs of life; very few other cars, no houses, no place to eat or go to the bathroom. Occasionally a jack rabbit would dart out in front of my car, which caused me to jump sky high. Having books on tape and CDs to listen to were a Godsend. I arrived in Lone Pine and checked into the Dow Villa Motel at 11:30pm. It is a historic hotel which has housed many stars during the heyday of Hollywood westerns. John Wayne has reputed slept here many times and there are many pictures of him and other stars of that era all over the hotel. Due to it's proximity to the mountains it was fully booked every night with climbers.

The next morning a meeting was held by Horst, Gernot and the support team to assign duties for the ride that night. It was then that I realized I would be going along in one of the support vehicles for the next 12 overnight hours to share driving responsibilities and help them with food and drink. The team consisted of their sponsor, Wolfgang, and his assistant Daniella, the videographer Jurg and his wife Silvia, their photographer Richard, fellow climber Hermann, businessman Jay and myself. We would have two vehicles, one holding the photographers and Jay, the other vehicle held Wolfgang, Daniella and myself. Silvia and Hermann would meet on them on the mountain the next day.

During the day I took the opportunity to visit a historical site nearby, Manzanar, a War Relocation Center, used to house 110,000 Japanese during WWII. The subject was of interest to me because when my parents and I emigrated to the US we lived at Seabrook Farms in New Jersey and my parents worked a year for Mr. Seabrook to pay for their passage to the States. The same owner brought in many Japanese from these camps to work at his farms and factories as well. I remember many Japanese children in the nursery school I attended at the time.

We left the hotel in a caravan at 7:00 pm on Thursday, September 25th. It was a 2-1/2 hour drive from Lone Pine to Badwater, the starting point of the ride. By the time we got there it was pitch dark. Horst and Gernot got their bikes out and began assembly and preparations for their journey. Jurg recorded the entire proceedings with a fur-covered boom microphone and his video camera, while Richard took digital photos. The twins were nervous, full of energy, like race horses straining at the gate.

Before we knew it we were off, Horst and Gernot leading the way in the darkness, followed closely by our vehicle, driven by Wolfgang who followed within a few feet in order to provide light to guide the twins along the dark and curvy road. The second vehicle, driven by Jay, darted around us as Jurg scouted positions with which to chronicle the ride on his video. Occasionally, he would hang out the window and nearly scrape the ground. One time we were shocked to see the light of his camera on top of a nearby cliff where he was attempting to get yet another perspective of the long ride. I was amazed that Horst and Gernot pedaled steadily for almost 10 hours straight, whether the road was on an incline or decline. They pedaled through the night stopping only to relieve themselves or for the occasional snack. Daniella and I, in the support vehicle watched their every movement waiting for a signal that they needed something to eat or drink. We'd pull up alongside and hand it out to them, without them missing a beat in their rhythm. I think we were more tired in the support vehicles than they were doing the actual work. I was in awe of their physical prowess.

The altitude changed from 440 feet below sea level to over 4,000 feet above sea level by the way we got back to the motel for their breakfast break. Sometimes the road would dip down 1000 feet and then back up again. They dropped me off at the motel so I could sleep, after having been on the road in the support car for 12 hours. But Horst and Gernot continued on, back on their bikes for another 1-1/2 steep hours to the Mt. Whitney portal, before beginning the hike portion of the trip to the summit. There they shed their bikes, changed into their hiking gear and forged on for another 6 hours of climbing, reaching the summit 19 hours after starting in Badwater. They spent some time on the summit and began their descent just as dusk began to settle upon them. They arrived at the Whitney Portal in darkness to be greated by the rest of their support team. Next year their goals are to bike/climb nonstop the highest peak in South America, Aconcagua, and the highest on the North American continent, McKinley in Alaska.
Here is the blog for the Bike Twins: http://www.atox7summits.blogspot.com/
For a slideshow of the complete bike ride from start to finish: http://picasaweb.google.com/maggiwun/LonePine2009?feat=directlink

Part Two: Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Part two of my trip was driving to Arizona from Lone Pine to catch a performance of "Window Pains", a Broadway review of songs and dialogue put together by Eric and his musical partner Gina. After arriving back at the Dow Villa Motel at 7am I tried to catch a few hours sleep before checking out at noon. I don't think I was very successful, as impressions of the incredible night and thoughts about Horst and Gernot forging onward up the mountain floated in and out of my mind. At noon I headed out for another 5-1/2 hour drive through the desert. At least it was during the daylight hours. Driving was easier because of that, as well as the scenery of the desert along the way. I stopped often to take a photo of the colorful rock formations.

My hotel was the London Bridge Resort in Havasu, Arizona, so named because it is next to the actual London Bridge, originally built in 1831. The bridge was sold to a land developer in Arizona, dismantled, shipped and rebuilt in Lake Havasu City in 1971. As you walk into the lobby of the resort, an enormous gold gilded carriage straight out of a fairy tale greets you. Constructed from paper mache, it is an exact replica of the Queen of England’s carriage. I went out for dinner and straight to bed, finally getting my first good night's sleep in a few days.

I arrived at Grace Arts Theater early the next evening to take photos and participate in the pre-show festivities. Grace Ann was one of Eric and Gina's first mentors in San Diego, California, when they were in eighth grade. She still mentors young people today in Lake Havasu when she runs the theater and a school for young actors. The gala was to benefit both these ventures and it was fitting Eric and Gina were there to kick off the season. I had my usual front row seat for the performance and enjoy being within "spitting distance" of the stage. The show was very interesting, something I had not seen before; two couples, one older, one younger presenting little vignettes with song and dialogue, woven together in two parallel story lines presenting love and loss. The show was very well received and I could hear people remarking "that was great" on the way out.

I had a nice time afterward visiting with Eric, Grace and Gina and got back to the hotel about midnight. I had to leave the hotel at 3am to drive back to the Las Vegas airport, so I had already packed earlier in the day and tried to get a few winks, but to no avail. The music was rolling in my head. So this would be my second sleepless night in three days. The 2-1/2 hour drive back was not so bad, thanks to my trusty GPS, my CD's and Pringles potato chips.

Looking back at the last five days, from Wednesday to Sunday I missed two nights sleep and spent 22-1/2 hours in the car. Was it worth it? What do you think? My friends would call that "pulling a Margaret". So be it! On to the next adventure!

A Musical Weekend in Montreal

2009-09-15T04:08:00.016-04:00

We had a chance to visit Montreal for a concert, "Voices For Hope" in which Eric Kunze and Gina DeLuca would be performing.

Our trip was mostly for the concert, but we did take a side trip to the Botanical Gardens to see the Magic of Lanterns at the Chinese Garden. Even before it got dark the colorful exhibits were awe-inspiring. A woman, Shen Qi, was playing "Scarborough Fair" on the Chinese violin. The peaceful gardens, combined with the music wafting through the air was magical. I purchased one of her CDs. As we wandered through the other gardens we spotted the flash of a red tail and to our shock and surprise a beautiful fox loped jauntily past us and disappeared in the bushes. We could hardly believe what we had seen, but later, in the Japanese Garden, it ran toward us again. This time, my husband was fortunate to get it on film.

Our hotel, the Auberge Bonaparte, where we enjoyed a lovely group dinner on Saturday night.

One evening we all had wine up on the hotel's rooftop terrace, where there is a small area with chairs and a table for intimate gatherings overlooking Basilica Notre Dame and the lights of the city. Bonaparte's, the hotel restaurant, was superb. Our room price included a cooked to order breakfast each morning, which was a huge value. Again, reminiscent of France, we had fresh croissants, a beautiful little fruit salad, yogurt, omelets or any other type of eggs, among other items. Our dinner the evening after the gardens was a group affair. We had a table in the back room in the corner where we could visit undisturbed and we sat and ate and drank for hours. The menu had variety and was superb. Best of all the prixe fixe was really reasonable.

Here are some photos of our weekend in Montreal. For more on Eric and the Voices for Hope concert and photos of the rehearsal of the concert, see http://www.erickunze.com/

Julia Child I'm Not (Making Her Boeuf Bourguignon)

2009-08-22T14:42:00.008-04:00

Made a triple batch of Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon yesterday for company. Who was it that said never try a new recipe when having guests? I started at noon and almost ran out of time when they walked in a 6:00. The recipe is just so CUMBERSOME. I was flipping back and forth between the pages trying to figure out what she meant. And I was amazed at all the (I think) unnecessary steps. Case in point:

Simmer lardons of bacon and rind, drain and dry. Then FRY the bacon, set aside.

Dry the beef (OK, I'll concede this is necessary in order for it to brown better) and sear carefully on all sides being careful not to crowd the chunks in the pan. (this takes OH SO LONG and when finished my stovetop is swimming in grease and spatters.)

Brown the sliced vegetables. (Flipping back and forth amongst three pages..wait, which vegetables? The pearl onions? The mushrooms? No, those come later.)
Then beef and bacon go in a casserole in the oven for 4 minutes, then stir and back in for 4 more minutes.

Stir in the wine and stock, etc., but now it goes ON THE STOVE to simmer.

Now it comes off the stove and goes BACK into the oven.

Then saute the pearl onions (which have taken me 20 minutes to peel)
Add stock and braise the onions for 30 minutes.

Saute mushrooms in YET another pan.

Clean stove AGAIN. The list goes on, but you get the idea.

In the end, my guests pronounced the dish delicious and a success, but I had to wonder if they wouldn't have been just as happy with a perfectly grilled piece of salmon and a salad. It would have taken me 1/2 hour as opposed to 5 hours and we would probably been healthier to boot.

Sorry Julia!

Interview with Eric and Video Clips of "Godspell" at the Muny in St. Louis

2009-07-23T19:26:00.008-04:00

Here is a little of what we saw last weekend:
(You'll have to wait through the commercial)

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Visiting St. Louis to see Eric Kunze in "Godspell"

2009-07-21T01:26:00.002-04:00

Europe 2009: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, May 17 - 19, Paris

2009-05-17T08:30:00.002-04:00

When it was time to drive from Chenonceaux to Paris we were nervous that the local gas station wouldn't accept our American Express card, but the Total station near the inn did accept it and we were on our way. During the drive we ran totally out of money and had to get off the toll road and use side roads the final leg of the journey.

This was my third visit to Paris and each visit I love it more. After much deliberation we had opted for the Hotel Muguet in the 7th arrondissment. It was a modest accomodation within our price range. Extremely small rooms, as is the norm, but adequate. Scratchy blanket and lumpy, tiny pillows I did not appreciate. But the rest of the hotel was OK. The location was good, as Rue Cler was a five minute walk and the Eiffel Tower a 15 minute walk.
After arrival and check-in we began our quest for a restaurant that would accept American Express: not an easy task. I canvassed almost all the restaurants on Rue Cler and only found one: Cafe Central. So that is where we had an al fresco dinner. It was surprisingly good. My husband loves creme brulee and they made an excellent one. I wanted to walk to the Eiffel Tower to see it lit up at night and dragged my companions with me. They were tired, but the fatigue vanished when we stood under the brilliantly lit tower. Then suddenly all the lights started flashing. At that very moment I noticed a couple nearby. The young man was on bended knee in front of his girlfriend. He extended a small box to her and the next moment she flew into his arms and they kissed and hugged for a long time. Later I observed what looked to be his or her parents photographing them with the tower in the background.

The next day Mary and I took the Metro to Notre Dame and just happened to be there in time for their evensong service, so we took our seats near the front and participated in the service, trying to sing the hymns in French. The incense produced an otherworldly fog around us. A wonderful young cantor's tenor voice echoed to the rafters. Mary translated some of the liturgy for me and it was very beautiful and worshipful. It was such a different experience from just walking around looking at the statues. We seem to be very lucky at falling into the right place at the right times!

We had lunch that day at Le Florimond, a restaurant that had been highly recommended to me on a travel forum. This may have turned out to be my favorite place to eat in the entire world! They were completely full when we got there but a table soon opened up and we were seated. The menu was fresh and inventive and every bite was sublime. Better yet, the price was extremely reasonable for the quality of the food. Even better was the owner Laurent, who bustled about making sure everything was perfect. I had introduced myself to him at the beginning of our meal and he remembered our names and used them frequently, calling me "Mar - ga - ret!" He was so genuinely warm that you had the feeling of being a guest in someone's home and you wanted to hang around all afternoon. I've been married for 39 years and this was the first time I heard my husband say, "let's come back again for dinner". He is easy going but not easily impressed. We asked Laurent, who was pleased we wanted to come back the same day, but initially I could see he was thinking how he could fit us in. He smiled and said "of course!" When we got there that night I just knew he squeezed in one more small table because the place was packed.

The atmosphere was warm and convivial. I have learned from my own party giving that the more crowded it is, the more fun people have. There is no room for shyness when you are elbow to elbow. Everyone in the room was friendly with one another. Laurent was bustling about making sure everyone was taken care of, with the help of his one waitstaff, Benedette. Pascal, the co-owner and chef was in the kitchen. Laurent said he would be out later to meet us.

Once again the fixed price menu was sublime. We relaxed, took our time and savored every bite. At 10:30 Pascal came out of the kitchen and came to every table to greet the guests. He was so pleased to hear we had been there twice in one day. Later, when we rose to leave, Laurent called to Benedette and Pascal to come over and say goodbye to us. We received hugs and two-cheek kisses from each of them along with their well wishes for our journey home. I've never experience that in a restaurant before. What an extraordinary experience!

Our last day was on a Tuesday. This was my third trip to Paris and I had never had the chance to visit the Louvre. It was my intention to go today. Alas, they were closed on Tuesdays! Instead, we went to the Rodin gardens and museums. What a happy choice that was. It was so nice to be outside in the gorgeous gardens which were filled with Rodin's sculptures, not the least of which is the famous "Thinker" with the Eiffel Tower and Invalides in the background. The museum was good too, but I'd be content to spend one euro and just go to the gardens every day.

That evening we did some last minute souvenir shopping on Ile Saint Louis. We found out that there were more shops here that accepted American Express than in the Rue Cler area. I was told not too many places took that credit card because they charged more fees. We were considering two places for dinner: Le Caveau de L'Isle, which looked very charming with its open windows to the street, and a place which had been recommended to us by friends, Nos Ancetres le Galois. We checked out Nos Ancetres but in the end chose Le Caveau. The food was just OK. The decor and setting was nice however. Nothing could compare to our experience at Le Florimond.

After dinner, again our timing was perfect as we strolled over the bridge and the sun was just setting behind Notre Dame. We took the stairs down to the Seine and strolled at the water's edge. We were not alone in appreciating the ambiance. Students, lovers, old couples were sitting at the water's edge with drinks and picnic dinners while the strains of a lone saxophone wafted through the air. Bateaux Mouches drifted by, some packed with crowds of people, others were more elegant with individual dining tables and flickering candles. As the color of the sky turned pink and then purple and the silhouette of Notre Dame darkened I wished we could spend another week in Paris. Alas, we had to leave in the morning. I know there is another trip to Paris in my future. Maybe next time I will make it to the Louvre!

Europe 2009: Saturday, May 16th, Chenonceaux

2009-05-16T08:29:00.006-04:00

We were checking out the next day and had one night to fill before our reservations in Paris. I am a copious advance planner, but we had deliberately left this one day open for a last minute decision. We wanted something to break up the long drive to Paris. We decided we were in the mood for a castle and started researching on the computer which castles were on our way to Paris. We finally decided on Chenonceaux and started looking for accomodations in the area. We found the most picturesque and delightful inn, called Le Bon Laboureur, which was a ten minute walk from the castle. It even had a one Michelin star restaurant on the premises. Luckily they took American Express, which was the one credit card we had left that had not been stolen. It was in my husbands name only and I didn't have to cancel that one.

We drove about three and a half hours to get there. The Loire Valley enchanted us. Every turn in the road produced picture worthy vistas. Le Bon Laboureur did not disappoint. The service was impeccable the premises were charming. That evening we dined in the restaurant. Our second best dining experience of the trip. They two different prix fixe menus. We chose the cheaper of the two: 48Euros for four courses (which was really 6 courses, including the amuse bouche and palate cleanser). Each dish as it came was perfect and sublime. It was the perfect antidote to our horrible experience of the last few days. As my girlfriend said: "We suffer well."

The next morning we walked over to Chenonceaux. They did't take American Express. (This was a foreshadowing of the problem we were to encounter in the next days. Very few places accepted American Express.) We needed to conserve the few euros we had left for tolls and incidentals in the next days. But we just couldn't leave without seeing the castle, so we paid the 10 euros each in cash. What a gorgeous place it was! I couldn't stop taking photos. The fresh flower arrangements in each of the rooms were breathtaking. It made me want to do a castle tour of France.

Europe 2009: Thursday, May 14th, Dune Du Pilat and a Robbery

2009-05-14T08:26:00.001-04:00

Friday we visited the Dune du Pilat, the biggest sand dune in Europe at 100 to 117 meters high. This is where we made a fatal mistake that would color the rest of our trip. There is a gated parking lot at this popular tourist attraction where we parked, locked the car and started for the dune. We took the steep stairway all the way to the top for a fabulous view of the ocean and surrounding area. It was windy and we got a free facial in the process. It is definitely worth the visit.

When we got back to the car, we were standing there chatting and as I glanced at our vehicle I noted, incredulously, that our back window was smashed. I could hardly believe my eyes. First I thought we were at the wrong car, and slowly it began to sink in that we had been robbed. I can't describe the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach as I remembered the conversation we had when we left the car, whether we should take our backpacks and purses on the climb. We had opted to leave them stashed under the seats. The realization sunk in that we had stupidly left all our money, passports, credit cards and cell phones in the car and now all were gone. We only had what my husband had in his wallet. I am so embarrassed to write this and I am only doing it so that others might not make the same mistake.

Our next stop was NOT a tourist attraction: the police station. I was so grateful to have my French speaking friend along! It took hours and hours to fill out police reports and call credit card companies to cancel the cards and try to make arrangements for more money. Thank God we were in an apartment with internet and free phone calls! I can't imagine trying to use public pay phones during this process. But what an eye-opener. Each of the credit card companies were so "sorry" about what had happened to us. My Mastercard company promised to wire me money to the local Western Union. They also took the address of our next location, a hotel in Paris, so they could send me an emergency card. That was lovely, EXCEPT the money did not arrive at Western Union, nor did the card arrive at the hotel in Paris. When I called back, they were very apologetic again, but could not tell me when or where the card had been sent or why I couldn't get the money at Western Union. I can't tell you how frustrating this all was. Then I called the US Consulate in Bordeaux and in Paris to find out what to do about our passports. I got only recordings, even when you push the option for emergencies. I realize now in retrospect that a stolen passport is not an emergency for them, but it certainly was for us at the time. I did finally get a call back from the Bordeaux consulate. We had to go to Paris to get replacement passports. Luckily we were headed there anyway the next day.

Europe 2009: Monday, May 11th, Arcachon, France

2009-05-11T18:57:00.012-04:00

On Sunday, after a celebration breakfast with Mogens and Jane Ellen's friends and family, we took the train from Nykobing to Kopenhagen. Then Mary, Georg and I flew to Paris, arrived about 8:30pm and picked up our rental car. Instead of paying for a hotel for the night we opted to drive straight through to Arcachon: about a 6 hour drive. We were lucky to get a roomy VW station wagon, which gave Mary plenty of room in the back seat and room for our luggage as well. Georg was a machine; he drove the whole way, while Mary and I took turns falling asleep. We arrived at our apartment in the dark, about 5:30 in the morning. It took us awhile to find the right building. A man was walking his little dog and let me in his building. We searched for awhile before realizing it wasn't our building. Eventually we figured out it was next door. We looked everything over quickly before collapsing into our beds.

We are in the south of France on the Atlantic in a beautiful resort town called Arcachon. There are miles of beaches, bike paths and walking paths. The region is known for its oyster farming and wood manufacturing. We are renting an apartment three blocks from the beach and within walking distance of lots of great shopping and eating. We have two bedrooms, Mary in one and Georg and I in the other, a living room, dining area, kitchen and two bathrooms. The best part is the wrap-around balcony from which we have a birdseye view of the neighborhood, since we are on the top floor.

Pictures of our apartment in Arcachon:

This casino is just two blocks away, right on the beach:

We arrived in Paris from Copenhagen later that night. I had booked a cheap inter-Europe flight on SAS. It was about $120 one way. That was cheaper and much faster than if we had tried to do the train. We were proceeding on to Arcachon in the south of France where we had rented an apartment for a week. I had agonized over how to get to Arcachon: there was no train that late. Should we pay for a hotel for one night only to leave in the morning, or should we rent a car and drive through the night to get to our destination where our accomodations were already paid for? We opted to drive through the night. We picked up our rental car at the airport through Europcar. We got a Volkswagen Passat, which was like a station wagon. Yay! There were three of us with LOTS of luggage, so we had plenty of room. We had brought a GPS from home, which proved to be a huge help getting around.

Once we got out of the city (which took awhile) we were thirsty and famished, so I'm ashamed to say our first meal in France - the land of the best food on the planet - was at McDonalds. The route down to Arcachon was on toll roads but very easy to drive. Kudos to my husband, who was our chauffeur, for staying awake. My girlfriend and I kept falling asleep out of exhaustion. We arrived at our apartment at 4:30 in the morning and slept well into the day.

I had found the apartment through VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner). It was a two bedroom unit on the top floor of the building. The balconies provided us with a view of the surrounding area and we enjoyed our first breakfast there. The apartment owner (an American who lives in Toledo, Ohio) also supplied free internet, a laptop, free calling anywhere in the world and bikes for us to ride. The rental was only $700 for the week.

We loved Arcachon! It's a resort town right on the Atlantic ocean. There is a boardwalk where you can ride your bike along the water for miles and miles. There are fabulous restaurants and shops. And the architecture is some of the most interesting I've seen. Each home has a name plaque on the front. We all fell in love with the area and purposed to return in the future for a longer vacation. We visited the grocery store to stock up on food for the week. I brought home speckled quail eggs (quail eggs at the supermarket!), lovely cheeses, chocolate croissants, beautiful lunch meats. I was in heaven. Later in the week we visited the farmer's market next to the train station, which was foodie heaven.

The area is known for its oyster farms, so we headed to the port for a visit. The water's edge is lined with the colorful shacks of different commercial oyster purveyors. There are several shacks where you can sit down and taste the oysters, which we did. The owner served us a dozen freshly shucked oysters, bread and glasses of wine for a grand total of about $12. What a great experience! Later that evening we had dinner at Le Cabestan. Wow. One of the highlights of our dining experiences on this trip. It was just around the corner from our apartment. If I lived there this would be a weekly visit. Fresh food, great service and reasonably priced.

This is more information on the region:

The Arcachon Bassin
The Bassin d'Arcachon is like an inland sea and is Europe's largest beach with sunbathers drawn to the peaceful shores and calm seas. All round the bay are beautiful beaches, little fishing and holiday villages, campsites, dunes and pine forests. Watersports enthusiasts can enjoy diving, sea-kayaking, windsurfing and boating and on land there are quality walking and cycle trails for exploring the woodland areas. This region is a centre for oyster farming and each summer it celebrates the Oyster Festival, with tasting sessions, fêtes, music, dinner dances and firework displays to light up the bay in true Gironde festive tradition.
The bay is also a natural home for birds, especially L'île aux oiseau - a fragile, protected island in the bay which is a refuge for dozens of species of sea birds and home to oyster farms and the picturesque cabanes tchanquées (huts perched on stilts).

Arcachon
A beach resort located about 60 kilometres southwest of Bordeaux on the southern shore of the Bassin d’Arcachon, Arcachon is one of Gironde’s oldest seaside towns. The Ville d’Ete, or “Summer Town” has wonderful beaches for swimming, sunbathing and watersports, a pretty seafront promenade, playgrounds, boutique shopping and plenty of seafood restaurants. Arcachon’s exclusive Ville d’Hiver or “Winter Town” just south of the “Summer Town” offers a totally different vista. Set on a wooded hillside, the Second Empire holiday villas built at the end of the nineteenth century, are delightful with their wealth of elaborate brickwork, flamboyant balconies and stained glass. Today, the attractions of Arcachon are seafood (especially oysters), beautiful long sandy beaches, pleasure boating, excellent golf courses, great weather and the amazing Dune du Pyla.

Dune du Pyla
Europe’s highest sand dune at 117 metres, the Dune du Pyla begins 8 kilometres south of Arcachon and stretches for almost 3 kilometres. It is thought to have started forming some 8000 years ago reaching its present size in the 17th. century. It is constantly moving and every year it moves a little more inland. The steep climb to the top is well worth the magnificent view and a favourite launch point for sand-boarders and paragliders. To the west are the shoals at the mouth of the Bassin d'Arcachon and Cap Ferret. Eastwards stretches the magnificent dense pine forests of the Landes.

Europe 2009: Saturday, May 9th, Nykobing

2009-05-09T18:34:00.003-04:00

The next day we traveled by train to Nykobing for a 25th anniversary party: the real reason we were in Denmark in the first place. What a privilege to be let in on such a special event. The Danes take their life milestones very seriously. They are steeped in tradition. The friends of the couple construct and decorate an archway with their names on it and spray paint their shoes silver (for the 25th) and put them at the base. At the formal dinner friends and family take turns standing and speaking to the couple directly, followed by a toast. People might share a song (their little granddaughter sang) or recite a poem for them. It was a long evening that began with dinner followed by dancing and a midnight buffet. I was impressed by how courteous everyone was. As the evening began each person that entered the room made the rounds and greeted and/or introduced themselves to everyone else already there. They made sure to say goodbye to everyone as they left as well. Also, we learned when toasting with people it is important to make eye contact with them as you lift your glass (you don't "clink").

We fell exhausted into our beds. The next morning everyone met again for a breakfast. Later that day, we caught the train for the Copenhagen airport.

Europe 2009: Thursday, May 7th, Copenhagen

2009-05-07T13:58:00.003-04:00

We took the train from Kassel to Copenhagen. It was fascinating to see the train pull onto the ferry. We had to disembark and wait upstairs in the ferry during the crossing. It was huge! Several restaurants, a smoking lounge and a duty free shop. When we arrived at our Copenhagen hotel we had dinner with friends and strolled around Tivoli, a 160 year old amusement park beautifully lit and awash in gorgeous tulip gardens.

Our hotel was the Best Western Hebron. Our friends chose it for us because it was within walking distance from the train station and close to Tivoli. The rooms were miniscule and the decor very dated, but on the positive side they had a very nice breakfast and a comfortable sitting lounge with free coffee/espresso machine where my girlfriend and I played Scrabble. It was next to a strip club, but it wasn't a "bad" neighborhood, imo. The hotel was expensive, compared to the beautiful Novotel in Munich. I did enjoy walking each morning in the area. I would walk to a series of lakes/ponds near the planetarium. Lots of people were out jogging, walking and biking. You could rent a bike by putting coins in the bike stand and then drop the bike at another bike stand to get your coin back, kind of like the shopping carts here at home at Aldi.

We ate at A Hereford Beefstouw, close to Tivoli. They specialize in beef, as you can see from the name. And it was very good indeed. It is served on extremely hot plates with your choice of potato. The salad bar was a hit with some of our friends. You would fill out your order on a list and hand it to the waitstaff. I was fascinated by our tables which were made of butcher block and had a pen attached by a string and a hook with a kitchen towel as a napkin. Afterward, we walked from the restaurant right into Tivoli, awash with gorgeous tulips and spring flowers. A concert band played in the bandshell. The park was lit up like a Christmas tree. We stopped for drinks in one of the many bars and restaurants.

The next day we watched the changing of the guard at the Queen's palace and took a canal boat tour. This was the best way to see all the fascinating architecture if you only have a short time in Copenhagen. It takes you past all the sights, including the Little Mermaid and the former residence of Hans Christian Anderson. The Danish stock exchange building was the most interesting. The spire was made up of the intertwined tails of dragons.

We lunched at Cafe Sorgenfrei. This place is always packed, but our Danish friend managed to make reservations for all of us. Traditional Danish fare consisting of herring, a kind of meatloaf, cabbage, shrimp and a lot of other things which I can't remember anymore. They bring platters of many types of food to the table and there are stands which elevate the platter so everyone can reach it. And, of course, aquavit (water of life), made from potatoes and flavored with caraway

Europe 2009: Wednesday, May 6th, Kassel

2009-05-06T13:02:00.002-04:00

The next step in our journey was to visit Georg's cousins in Kassel. Julia and Florian have three delightful children. They are both music teachers and opera singers and have passed on the music gene to their kids. The oldest, who is 8 years old, attends a special music school and is learning harp, violin and guitar. They live in her parents three story house, inherited by the family from the grandparents. The home is 500 years old, used to be a schoolhouse and was moved at one time from another city. They left the original hand hewn beams when they renovated the inside of the house. The whole extended family gathered to visit when we arrived and we had a great time catching up on old times.

Europe 2009: Monday, May 4th, Marburg

2009-05-04T15:44:00.001-04:00

More photos at:
http://photobucket.com/maggiwun

Our third city was Marburg, the old university city where my sister Rosi resides. I was again greeted by birthday cake and drinks! My niece Gabi and her boyfriend Andreas were there as well. He played guitar and they all sang Happy Birthday in English.

We enjoyed a relaxing evening together and the next morning Gabi and I took a long vigorous walk in the forest. Later we rented paddle boats on the Lahn River and did some shopping in town. In the evening they both played the guitar and we sang German songs. Then Andreas sang in English to us. Andreas suffered a brain injury when he was riding his bike across the United States and got hit by a car. He was in an induced coma for 10 days. When he came out of the coma, the first thing he did was sing "Country Road, Take Me Home" by John Denver, all three verses. He sang that for us tonight.

Europe 2009: Sunday, May 3rd, Willsbach

2009-05-03T04:24:00.001-04:00

Georg's family all lived in Willsbach. I remember visiting them when I was 20 before we were married and Georg's whole family was there on vacation. We were all crammed together in Oma and Opa's (grandma and grandpa's) tiny house. The village is known for its vineyards and a rare wine called "Schwarzer Riesling", a light red wine. Today his cousins all still live here within walking distance of each other. They surprised me with a birthday party at Regina and Timo's house. Regina had prepared a special punch made with woodruff that she picked and marinated in wine, which turned it a delightful light green color. She then added champagne to the mixture and it was served in huge wine glasses. She had set the table beautifully with a purple covering and green napkins, with a huge bunch of tulips and two homemade tortes.

The whole family was there: Timo, Regina, Valentin and Elisa; Heino, Ursula, Nina and her friend Dennis; Peter, Ellie, Lea, Holger and Tanya. It was great to see them all again. Afterward we all went to a local Gasthaus for dinner where we were served fresh picked white asparagus and a wonderful buffet. In the morning we picked up little Lea from school and were able to see Holger and Tanya's new home that they are building with their own hands.

Next: Marburg

Europe 2009: Friday, May 1st

2009-05-01T20:28:00.001-04:00

We have been planning this trip for a long time. Three years ago our friends Mogens and Jane Ellen told us they wanted to celebrate their 25th anniversary in Denmark, where he is from. They invited us to the party. At the time it seemed like a pipe dream, and here it is, three years later, and we were really doing it! We decided to incorporate visits to family and friends in Germany and a mini vacation in France into the whole package. I did exhaustive research, planning and booking of hotels and air and train travel at home in preparation. We were lucky to be able to get frequent flyer tickets flying into Munich and back home out of Paris.

We landed in Munich to beautiful, warm, sunny weather and were picked up at the airport by my niece Lydia and her husband Ralf. We got our rental car and checked into our hotel, The Novotel Muenchen City. I love modern boutique hotels and we hit the jackpot on this one. (I'm patting myself on the back as I type.) At the moment I'm using one of their huge Macs in the lobby. It's 3am and a bride and groom, in full wedding regalia, are just checking in. The free breakfast this past morning was an embarassment of riches: omelet station, fresh squeezed juice station, platters of lunch meats, cheeses, every variety of that fabulous German bread I love so much, hot sausages of every kind, yoghurts and fruits and much more. You wouldn't have to eat again all day if you didn't want to. The room is modern and comfortable with a separate toilet stall and shower/bathtub room. There's a flat screen TV of course. Best of all it's within walking distance of city center and the Isar River, which helps me keep my bearings in the city.

After we checked in Lydia and Ralf took us to that unique German institution: the beer garden. Beer gardens are large outdoor areas with rows upon rows of picnic tables filled with people enjoying huge pitcher sized glasses of beer and enormous pretzels. You are allowed to bring your own food, or they also have food you can purchase. The beer gardens are traditionally shaded by huge chestnut trees which just happen to be in bloom right now with white cone shaped blooms. It was May 1st, a holiday in Europe, and the tables are filled with all types of people: enamoured couples, parents and their kids (there is a playground nearby), men out to drink and have a good time. A live band is playing somewhere. It is a lively, comfortable atmosphere. Something the Germans call "gemutlichkeit". No one is in a hurry to go anywhere. This is one of the most striking differences between Europeans and the States. We are always in a hurry. Here people just linger. Lingering is good. I need to learn to linger more. My resolution for this trip is to be "in the moment", enjoy each day's experiences to the fullest and not think about tomorrow or what is to come next.

After the beer garden Lydia and Ralf took us to their flat. Many of my relatives live in flats, either privately owned or rented. The cost of living in Munich is exhorbitant, like in any major city in the world. Their flat is modern, decorated in Bauhaus style colors. Primary colors of red, blue and yellow alternate on walls and rooms with modern art everywhere, much of it painted by Lydia's mom, my sister Rosi. One entire wall are bookcases filled with books. They have a balcony and we sat outside and had wine and appetisers, accompanied by a lively political discussion. They are interested in what we think of our new president. This is a question we will be asked by everyone I am sure. Ralf prepared a fabulous simple dinner of fat freshly picked white asparagus (this is asparagus season) and ham. After having been awake for the past 36 hours we found we were nodding off in mid-sentence and called it a night.

We find that's the best way to beat jet lag. Get on the local time schedule as soon as you arrive. Don't nap when you get in, just force yourself to stay awake until a normal bedtime. We woke this morning refreshed and ready to go. The day began with a two hour stroll along the Isar River. It was so inspiring and refreshing to see so many people out jogging, biking, walking. Even little tots had their bikes and helmuts accompanying their parents. Last weekend I was in California and was impressed by the same thing: how many people were outside getting fit. I love going on vacation because you see a whole different way of life and you bring home all kinds of resolutions to better your life. Although I have learned to make exercise part of my daily routine, this inspires me to do even more. This city is so bike friendly. Like California, there are dedicated bike lanes and walking lanes which make it so much easier to commute safely: something I can't do at home in Michigan.

Today we spent the day with our other Munich relatives, Johannes and Maria and their four children, the oldest almost twelve and the youngest nine months. What a delightful time we had connecting with each of the kids on their own level. It didn't take long for three year old Emma to be jumping all over Georg and mussing his hair. The girls, young and old, always take to Georg. As for me, I held the baby as much as possible. They live near a huge park called "Englisher Garten", much like Central Park in New York City and we packed up the kids and a freshly baked chocolate cake and ice cream and went over to the beer garden (again!) in this park. For the second day in a row we were drinking beer and eating those ubiquitous pretzels, followed by that yummy chocolate cake. Part of this park is reserved for nudists. If you are not careful you are likely to stumble upon a businessman on his lunch hour serenely lying on his back in the sunshine, his business suit, ties, polished shoes and underwear neatly folded on the grass beside him.

Back at their flat, Maria prepared a Korean dinner of Bulgolgi and rice and the little kids were put to bed one by one. What an enjoyable day! Georg and I walked back to our hotel along the Isar River in the dark, which at times was a little scary because we weren't exactly sure of where we were going. We had probably walked five miles today without even knowing it and it felt great. Wish we could continue that at home.

Tales from the Front Row: Jesus Christ Superstar in Redondo Beach

2009-04-28T04:20:00.015-04:00

Ahhh, California…

I’ve been blessed to visit California three times in the last eight months. Each time, I find myself wishing I could move there. There is something about the weather, the people, the vibe that resonates in my soul. Sun has a lot to do with it. It definitely sets the mood for me. At home in Michigan we don’t see a lot of sun. When I’m checking the weather we’ll be overcast, with clouds or rain most of the time, whereas in California there will be an uninterrupted series of days with nothing but sunshine. Ahhh. The only thing holding me back is my family and loved ones back home.

I flew into LAX and rented a vehicle from Midway at the Radisson near the airport. I had to take the Radisson shuttle, which seemed to take longer than other rental car shuttles. It was not a big problem to me, but might be if someone were in more of a hurry. I had gotten a good price online and I got a nice vehicle for the price (Toyota Camry which came to $124 for three days.)

I had my own GPS and was at my hotel in no time at all, the Manhattan Beach Marriott, which I had gotten through Priceline for $90 a night. The only drawback to this hotel was the $12.95/day charge for internet (not wireless) and $19 valet parking. Self park was $15, but it was worth the extra $4 bucks not to have to search for my car in the parking structure. The hotel was nice enough, with a bar, restaurant, outdoor heated pool, fitness center and golf course. The service, from front desk to valet was super polite and efficient. When my hair dryer conked out I had another delivered to my room in less then 10 Minutes. The bed was comfortable, the room was clean. Within a five minute walk was a shopping plaza with a Gibson Farms grocery store (kind of like a Trader Joes) and other stores. I stocked up on snacks from Gibson Farms, which tided me over to the point where I only ate out once during my visit. My room had no view and no mini-fridge which were the only drawbacks. Best of all, it was only a ten minute drive to the theater and a 20 minute drive to the theater.

My first night I drove to the theater and saw my first performance of JCS (see review). After the show I waited at the stage door for Eric and was relieved to see he had survived the brutality that had been inflicted on him in the past two hours, and we had a nice visit catching up. Later at the hotel I enjoyed a nice glass of Chardonnay and made it an early night (for me) trying to adjust to the time change. (See more of Eric Kunze and read my review of Jesus Christ Superstar at http://www.erickunze.com/. )

I had planned to spend Saturday at the pool, but the weather that day was in the 60’s (and ironically in Michigan it was unseasonably warm at 90 degrees). Not fair! I spent a nice day shopping and driving down to Manhattan Beach, which was only 20 minutes away. The entire strand has dedicated biking and walking sidewalks, bordered by homes overlooking the ocean. It seemed everyone was out, walking, running, skateboarding, biking and surfing. That’s one reason I love California. People are outside all the time. They love the outdoors, as I do. I purposed to return here the next morning for a closer look. The rest of the afternoon the sun had emerged and I indulged in some sunbathing and reading poolside.

I was meeting Jane, from the Eric Kunze fanclub, for dinner. She had recommended Il Forniao, and Italian restaurant very close to both our hotels. I was happy with the choice and enjoyed a beef carpaccio appetizer and a spinach/bacon salad, while Jane had a vegetarian pizza. We had met in Sacramento when I was there for Evita and held the first “annual” Eric Kunze Fanclub meeting, which she attended. We drove together to the performance that night. This performance was the official opening night and the house was packed. The show was flawless, including and especially Eric.

One of the cast told me it was very difficult for them, as the Apostles, to be lying down pretending to sleep while Eric was singing Gethsemane. They just wanted to watch to be a witness to his awesome singing. As a side note, another person who worked on Evita in Sacramento wrote to me that when it came time for Eric to sing “And the Money Came Rolling In”, whether performance or rehearsal, all the interns and tekkies would stop what they were doing and peek through the curtains to watch him sing. The high note Eric hits in both those numbers is a high G, a note which is at the top of a Soprano’s range. It is truly unreal, not only in terms of the perfect pitch of the note, but the power which which it is delivered. When Eric is hanging on the cross, you are able to clearly see how developed his diaphragm is under his ribcage. That and his phenomenal lung capacity comes from many years of hard, hard work.

After the show we waited for Eric again. There were many people at the stage door this night and it took awhile for him to greet every one on his way over to us. We were blessed to be able to join the cast party for a little while and had fun talking with some of the other performers.

Sunday dawned sunny and warmer and I decided to drive over to Manhattan Beach for my morning exercise. Eric had told me “take lots of quarters” for parking, which of course I forget. So it took me awhile to find a store which would supply me with the necessary coins to make it possible for me to park there. Walking on the sand next to the ocean is far preferable to watching Good Morning America on the treadmill. What made it more interesting was watching the wetsuit-clad surfers navigating the waves next to the pier. I watched in amazement as they steered their surfboards between the stone pillars and under the pier to the other side. After my walk on the beach I strolled the path next to the fabulous homes overlooking the water, taking copious photos for remembrance. How heavenly it must be to stay in a home with those large glass windows and take in that view!

I returned to the hotel just in time to shower and change for the 2:00 matinee performance, followed by our fanclub gathering. Sadness was already beginning to settle on me as I prepared for my last day in California and seeing Eric. I have begun to notice a pattern to my “Eric” trips; Day One is excitement and nervousness, Day Two is elation, Day Three is depression. After the show I stood in the lobby holding up my Eric Kunze fan and everyone who had signed up for the meet and greet gathered around. Eric’s parents had very graciously set up our meeting room with wine and refreshments. Jane had made name tags and little boxes of chocolates. We were able to give people the chocolate, signed photographs of Eric and the Eric fans. James Blackman, the founder of Civic Light Opera and producer of Jesus Christ Superstar, stopped in for a visit and was just as funny in person as he was on the stage. He joked that he wanted me to start a fanclub for him and wanted his picture on his own fan. Eric spent time talking with everyone individually and a good time was had by all. I would count our second “annual” fanclub meeting as a success! Maybe by next year our numbers will have increased to the point that we’ll have to obtain a bigger hall!

After the show I stopped at Bristol Farms again and in my room enjoyed a feast of sushi and fresh strawberries for dessert (with a split of champagne J).

There’s not much more to tell. At the moment I’m on the plane and we just heard we were being diverted to San Antonio, (instead of changing planes in Houston) due to weather. Hopefully I will somehow be able to make my connection to Detroit and make it home tonight yet. Ahh, air travel!

Epilogue: Just made it home at 4a.m. Might as well stay up, since I have to get up for work in a few hours anyway. Gives me a chance to bring my blog up to date!

Tales From the Front (Row)

2009-04-25T17:00:00.004-04:00

Hi fans! I'm here in sunny California to see Eric Kunze star in Jesus Christ Superstar. After seeing him in six productions, he hasn't disappointed me yet. Each role has been so varied: from light (Joseph, Grease), to sarcastic (Evita), to heavily dramatic (Whistle Down the Wind, Miss Saigon, JCS). Whatever role he does, he gives 100%. A friend of mine, who has been in the orchestra for several of Eric's shows, said he was the gutsiest performer she had ever seen. He takes risks vocally and physically and they pay off. As an audience member you are sucked into his portrayal of the character. It's hard to take your eyes off of him when he's on stage.

I do have to look away, however, when he is being beaten or when he is hanging on the cross. It's so realistic I have to see him after the show to make sure he's OK. If they ever remake the movie, they'd be fools not to grab Eric for the lead.

Day Trip to Stratford: West Side Story

2009-04-12T00:17:00.013-04:00

The Stratford Festival opened this weekend with the previews of West Side Story. Since my sister Rosi was visiting from Germany, it was the perfect opportunity to do a day trip and see some great theater at the same time. Stratford is about a three hour drive from us, so it is doable in one day, if the performance is a matinee. It was a lovely clear day for a drive, albeit a bit on the chilly side.

We arrived in time to do a little shopping on the charming main street in downtown after a forgettable hasty lunch at Bentley's Pub. We shopped at Scout, which was filled with modern design unusual one of a kind household items and Indigena, dedicated to Canadian crafts and art. I found the greatest silk wine gift pouches and silk/linen scarves for gifts.

Stratford has four theaters: West Side Story was at the Festival Theater, the largest of the four with 1,826 seats and a proscenium stage which juts out into the audience, enabling everyone to get a good view. Fifteen minutes before the performance you are alerted by a drumroll and a fanfare of four trumpeters announcing the start of the play. They repeat the fanfare from several different points around the theater.

I've seen West Side Story many times, but enjoyed it most at this venue. Perhaps it was the proximity to the actors which made it more personal for me, but I felt emotionally connected and was in tears at the end. The dancing was incredible. The original very challenging Jerome Robbins choreography is copyrighted and must be included in every production. The cast more than did justice to Mr. Robbins work. In fact, I felt the entire cast was equally responsible for the success of the show, rather than just the two leads, Chilina Kennedy and Paul Nolan. Of the pair, Chilina was most impressive with strong vocal and acting abilities. Jennifer Rias, as Anita and Josie Marasco as Anybodys were also outstanding and believable. If this was the first performance of the piece, it can only get better and better, which bodes well for a packed house to continue until the end of the run in November. I know I'd like to return for a repeat experience.

Woolfy's

Before our drive home we took time out for a lovely dinner at Woolfy's in St. Mary's. Years ago we always included dinner at Woolfy's in our Stratford weekends. They have since moved to St. Mary's and morphed into a full fledged elegant restaurant. Owned and run by Chris and Mary Woolf, attention to detail is evident in the decor as well as food preparation and presentation.
Locally grown organic produce and meat is used on the menu. The proof is in the tasting. Flavors explode in your mouth and you savor every bite. I had to resist licking my plate. My bison filet with fig preserves was unique and delectible. For dessert, pavlova with mango and raspberry mousse a perfect ending. The service, which included the couple's 16 year old son, left nothing to be desired. When one of us dropped a fork, he appeared in two seconds with another. We asked him how he knew, and he replied that he had heard it fall. We wish them well and hope that they are around for a good long time to come.

http://www.stratfordfestival.ca/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratford,_Ontario

http://www.woolfys.com/

Happy Easter to all my friends and loved ones!

2009-04-09T20:29:00.002-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Broadway's Eric Kunze wins IRNE award for Best Actor in a Musical

2009-03-26T19:11:00.004-04:00

Eric wins IRNE (Independent Reviewers of New England) award for Best Actor in a Musical for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Whistle Down the Wind. Go Eric!!

What's next for Eric? Jesus Christ Superstar at Civic Light Opera in Redondo Beach. I'm looking forward to being there!

Eric's most recent performance at North Carolina Theater:

To read more about Eric, go to the fansite I maintain about him:
www.erickunze.com

My Two Chicago Trips: A "Wicked" Weekend

2009-01-28T21:36:00.051-05:00

I've been to Chicago many times before but this journey was filled with "firsts". It was the first time that we took the train instead of driving. It was the first time I attended the final performance of a long-running show. It was the first time I mistakenly hailed a police car instead of a taxi and was the first time I found myself flat on my back on the sidewalk looking up at a sea of faces and hearing people yelling "Call 911! Call 911!". It only strengthened my opinion that Chicagoans are some of the most helpful people in the US.

We live within a six hour drive of Chicago and have always driven there. In the past our winter trips have sometimes been fraught with slippery and snowy road conditions. This has been an unusually bad winter already, which helped us to decide to take the train on this junket. I've taken the train many times in Europe, but seldom here in my home city. I was surprised that the ticket price was reasonable, which made the travel cost comparable to driving; even cheaper when we factored in the cost of valet parking at the hotel. There were a few positive aspects to taking the train and more than a few negative. As I said, the comparable price was a plus, as was the ability to sit and read and move about while enroute. All the Amtrak personnel were extremely helpful and friendly. On the return trip we were surprised to be taken out of the line of waiting passengers and shuttled directly down the tracks to our door on a motorized cart. Our luggage was taken on and stored for us. On the negative side was waiting in a cold shelter in Birmingham for the train to arrive, crying children, sneezing passengers, unexpected delays, incessant stops and subsequently a much longer travel time. It took us the better part of the day to arrive and we were tired from the long trip. Next time we would definitely drive again to Chicago, unless weather conditions prevented it.

Our hotel, the Embassy Suites on Columbus Ave, was comfortable and well located. We had two queen sized beds and a living room complete with flat screen TV. The hotel offered a daily cooked to order free breakfast and an afternoon happy hour with free drinks and snacks, which we were able to enjoy the first night since we didn't have theater plans for Friday evening. We had late dinner reservations at Le Colonial on Rush Street. I'd been there three times before and enjoyed it each time. The cuisine is French/Vietnamese and the decor is colonial Southeast Asia from the 1920's. The food is fresh, light and flavorful. My favorite was the tuna tartar appetiser.

http://www.lecolonialchicago.com/

I believe this recipe comes close to what I was served: http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/311/AhiTunaTartaronSesameWont63516.shtml

The next morning was the day of the fateful second "trip". We awoke to a brilliant blue sky and nippy zero degree temperatures. Not to be discouraged, we set out on an exhilarating hour long power walk to Navy Pier and back. The juxtaposition of the deserted summer recreation spot, the huge empty ferris wheel and the ghost-like pleasure boats with the frozen lake and the snowy backdrop of the skyscrapers made me wish I had not forgotten my camera in the hotel room. We returned for breakfast at the hotel and changed for a shopping excursion on Michigan Avenue. We browsed through Nordstroms, Macy's and made some purchases at Marshalls.

It was then, strolling casually down the sidewalk that my heel started to slide forward. I watched in horror as my leg continued to stretch in front of me until I was doing the splits worthy of a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader. I was unable to stop the slide and I landed on the ground in the most severe pain I have felt since childbirth many years ago. As I lay there, unable to move, I could see and hear a crowd forming around me. And I could see Jan's terrified face looking down at me. People were shouting for 911 and I was pleading for them not to call them. I wanted to be left alone and wait and see the outcome. A woman looked down at me and said, "We're doctors, can we help?" I turned them down as well. Jan tells me I must have laid there for 15 minutes, until a very nice young man from the Garmin store we were in front of offered to help me get up and get me inside to rest. He and Jan managed to get me up, but I started to see black spots and was afraid I'd go down again. Slowly, they managed to get me inside and on a couch. Back at the hotel I spent the afternoon resting, unwilling to let the injury spoil our weekend. *A postnote: I found out when I returned home that I had badly torn my hamstring muscle and I'm in for a long recovery.

We had reservations that evening at a renowned seafood restaurant called Catch 35 and tickets to the next to last performance of Wicked at the Ford theater. I can't remember what I had for dinner, not because the restaurant wasn't excellent, but because I was probably still in a bit of a shock from what had happened earlier. "Wicked" was wonderful, as usual. Jan and I had seen it a few years ago on Broadway with Kristin Chenowith and Idina Menzel and Jan has been hooked ever since. I love it too and we subsequently saw it several other times together. It was ending its four year Chicago run this weekend and that was whole reason for this journey. It remains one of my favorite shows (even though it is not an Eric Kunze show - haha). Each time you hear and see something you didn't notice before.

The next morning, sadly, didn't include a power walk for me. By this time the back of my thigh was purple and blue. We had tickets for the last performance of "Wicked" at 2:00, so I sent Jan off to complete her shopping while I lazed on the couch with some light reading. The final performance was very emotional. Each time an actor appeared onstage for the first time the entire audience erupted in wild applause. It was obvious everyone in the sold-out crowd was there for sentimental reasons. When Glinda and Elphaba hugged at the end of "For Good" they embraced for such a long time during constant clapping from the audience, I actually got teary. I remember those emotions from my years in community theater. The last show is always very heartbreaking. You can't imagine life without these people you have grown to trust and love. I can't fathom what that must feel like after four years together. There was a well-deserved, long and enthusiastic standing ovation for them all, followed by a thank you by the producer of the show.

Our reservations that evening were at Brazzaz, a Brazilian steakhouse. I had deliberately planned to come here after the theater that day, because I knew we would want to really take our time and sample all the possibilites. The salad bar was one of the best I have seen. It included oysters on the half shell and the best ceviche I've ever had. The waitress brought us a basket of tiny hot cheese popovers that were addicting, especially to someone who has been off of carbs for a long while. Waiters dressed in gaucho outfits came around with spears of succulent proteins: lamb, beef, shrimp, filet wrapped in bacon, chicken. One of our favorites was the grilled pineapple, sliced fresh and hot. The sweetness of the pineapple was a perfect foil to the savory meat. We ate too much, of course, but Jan insisted we try the traditional after dinner drink, made from 43 ingredients, appropriately called Licor 43. It is served from a bottle frozen in a block of ice decorated with various fruits. We both agreed our husbands would love it here and purposed to come back some day soon.

http://www.brazzaz.com/

(A side note: Each trip is characterized by something that we laugh about for years afterward. This trip was no exception. Our story was typical of suburban gals in the big city. On our way to the theater we were frantically trying to flag down a cab in the extreme cold. Many of the taxis already had passengers and finally we saw one and both waved wildly until it came to a stop next to us. I almost had my hand on the door to get in when the window rolled down and a policeman (with a sardonic smile on his face) said to us, "This is a police car. Do you ladies want to go to the jail?")

The Bike Twins Updates

2009-01-15T23:42:00.004-05:00

Check out another of my blogs about my Austrian cousins, Horst and Gernot Turnowsky, i.e. "The Bike Twins". They pursuing numerous world records in biking and mountain climbing. They are already in the Guinness Book of World Records!

http://www.biketwins.blogspot.com/

The Perfect Year: Spending New Year's Eve in Washington, D.C. 2008

2009-01-12T00:03:00.029-05:00

http://www.erickunze.com/

I think I can safely say this was the most memorable New Year's Eve of my life. How often can you attend a performance of your favorite music performed by your favorite artist? To top that, to have that artist look smilingly down from the stage at you and wish you a Happy New Year? We had front row center seats two nights in a row and could have touched the performers we were so close. What a way to start the year! We spent New Year's Eve in Washington D.C. at the Kennedy Center, with Eric Kunze who was appearing in a 17 performance run of "The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber". Eric brought down the house early in the program with "Gethsemane" from "Jesus Christ Superstar". My favorite songs were the romantic ones he did with Laurie Gayle: I Believe My Heart, Too Much in Love to Care, and Love Changes Everything done by the whole cast at the end. New Year's Eve there was an encore was sung to the audience by the cast called The Perfect Year from Sunset Boulevard. Here are some of the lyrics:

It's New Year's Eve, and hopes are high Dance one year in, kiss one good-bye
Another chance, another start So many dreams to tease the heart. We don't need a
crowded ballroom, Everything we want is here And face to face, we will embrace,
the perfect year Everything we want is...here :-)

During the performance, the lady sitting next to me didn't know my attachment to Eric, yet leaned over to say, "He's the best one in this show." Each of the performers were really excellent, yet I had to 100% agree with her. Eric sang with HEART.

Here is an excerpt of "Too Much in Love to Care" from Sunset Blvd.

I guess you could just about say, this has been a "Perfect Year"! More photos of our trip:

The reason for the trip was the same as the last four trips I've taken this year: to see Eric Kunze perform. He is such an extraordinary talent and such an exceptional human being that I don't want to miss any of his appearances. Luckily, my friend Jan feels the same way and we were able to convince our husbands to join us. The opportunity enriched all four of us with a chance to get to know one another better and enjoy a unique experience in a fantastic venue: the Eisenhower Theater at the Kennedy Center. Along the way we took fans from the Eric Kunze fansite and my girlfriend Ingrid and her husband Jake along for the ride.

My quest for a great hotel in a perfect location was rewarded when I found the Hotel Palomar in Dupont Circle. The hotel itself was everything I look for in accomodations: modern, artsy, interesting, cool and affordable. We hit the jackpot! Those requirements were immediately apparent upon entry of the hotel. There was a gathering area to the right with modern couches, coffee tables and a two-sided fireplace. At 5:00 each day there was a free wine reception here. the reception personnel went above and beyond to find us adjoining rooms. The rooms themselves were huge. We had an extremely comfortable king sized bed with a faux animal print throw, flat screen TV, couch, coffee table, office area with free wireless and a closet in which hung animal print terry cloth robes and (for purchase) camisole pajama sets. Since we had adjoining rooms, we kept our door open most of the time, thereby doubling our space.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

We arrived early in the day and were able to check in immediately and relax. The hotel restaurant, Urbana, was reputed to be good and we decided to eat dinner there before heading to the Kennedy Center for that evening's performance of Legally Blonde. We couldn't believe our good fortune. What a great restaurant! The food, the service and the prices were perfect. We were to eat there twice more during our short stay. Legally Blonde was a pleasant diversion. The highlight was whetting our appetite for the following evening's festivities. The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed the full moon, the fountains and our view of the Potomac River from the back of the Kennedy Center. In hopes of surprising Eric, we went to the stage door and waited. Finally, I texted his mobile and he called back immediately saying he was already in his hotel room. He was sorry to have missed us, but we made plans to meet the following night after the performance. Earlier in the day we had stocked up on beverages and snacks and we went back to the room and gathered in our room for an afterglow.

Wednesday, New Year's Eve, December 31st

Today was the big day: New Year's Eve. We didn't undertake much so as to conserve our energy for a late night. We did have reservations that night at Urbana (again) for a special prix fixe New Year's Eve dinner.

We took a cab to the Kennedy Center and arrived at about 7:15. I had communicated via email regularly with Lio and Laura from the fansite regarding our plans for the evening. They were beyond excited about the performance and hopefully meeting Eric afterward. Laura had brought her friend Jeannie along. We all met at the Kennedy bust in the lobby at the Kennedy Center beforehand. They recognized me immediately from photos on the fansite. We got along amazingly well, considering we had just met. Soon it was time to go to our seats. The Eisenhower Theater was a beautiful venue. I knew we would be sitting close, with our front row tickets, but we weren't prepared to be sitting so close we could practically have touched the performers. Since the orchestra was onstage, the orchestra pit in front of us was covered and they came almost right to the edge during some of the songs.

"The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber" started with music from Jesus Christ Superstar and we didn't have to wait long for Eric's signature number, "Gethsemane". I had heard him sing it on YouTube many times, but this was so thrilling the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. I could see others in the audience looking at each other incredulously. Someone commented to me later that Eric was the gutsiest singer they had ever heard. Someone else had mentioned his "go for broke" style. I was so proud to be in the same room with him. The rest of the concert was very good as well. Each of the other five performers were extremely talented in their own right and the order of the songs flowed well. The night passed very quickly. At the end of the concert the clock was nearing midnight and the cast came to the front of the stage for an encore song. It was "The Perfect Year" from Sunset Boulevard, which they sang to the audience. At the last line, Eric extended his hand down to us in the front row and said smilingly, "Happy New Year". It was a thrill. I met Eric almost exactly one year ago after a performance of Whistle Down the Wind in Detroit on January 9th. And this was a perfect end to a perfect year.

After the concert we tried to find our way back to the Kennedy bust in the lobby; our preassigned meeting spot. Little did we know we would be battling a thousand other theater-goers, who were toasting their champagne glasses, dancing or milling about. The seven of us did manage to meet, but it became apparent that Eric was not going to be able to find us. He was feeling the same thing: I got a text to that effect. Thank God for cell phones! He was still at the far end where the theater was. I muscled my way through the crowd ("like a Lion's linebacker", Paul exclaimed) with my entourage following in my wake. At the other end of the Grand Foyer, we searched the sea of faces, until Jan yelled "there he is!" and I finally saw him at the other side. He saw us too and we met, joyfully hugging, to be able to wish each other a Happy New Year in person. I had bought little cans of sparkling wine with straws attached and we all got one to toast each other. Lio and Laura were each able to have their time to chat with Eric. Eventually, Georg, Paul and Jeannie finally caught up with us to say hi to him as well. We all floated home that evening (well, Jan and I did anyway) with the beautiful music ringing in our ears. We stayed up really late rehashing the evening's events and enjoying cocktails in our room.

New Year's Day, Thursday, January 1, 2009: Visiting the Wall

The next day we did a little sightseeing around DC. Georg had not been to the Vietnam Memorial. It is a sobering place. No one of our generation has not been touched by the loss of someone we either knew directly or indirectly from that time. I actually found the name of my first childhood boyfriend from 7th grade at Burton Junior High on that wall, Dennis Fernandez. He was a tall, thin, blonde young man with a twin sister. I attended my first junior high dance with him. I even remember the name of the song that was playing while we danced: "Wonderland by Night". Rest in peace, Denny.

Back at the hotel, we were meeting my childhood friend Ingrid and her husband Jake, who were driving in from New Jersey for dinner and the show that night. Ingrid's family and my family came over on the boat from Germany together. Both our parents' worked together at Seabrook Farms for a year and then we moved on to Michigan. Her family stayed in New Jersey. We remained childhood penpals, stood up at each other's weddings and see each other every few years. After visiting with them in our room for awhile, we drove to Legal Seafoods for dinner, where we were meeting a fellow Kunze fan from the internet. Her name is Beth and she is a violinist who has accompanied Eric many times as an orchestra member during his shows. She had never seen him perform as an audience member and had never met him in person.

The concert was just as good this night as the previous. Eric has a way of making eye contact from the stage so that you feel connected to him while he is performing. That is why I love to sit in the front row. Also, because although I am very self-conscious about it, I always make a point to give him a standing ovation at the end of the performances. These days, most performances are rewarded with standing ovations, whether they should or not. Eric's shows always deserve them! A funny thing happened during intermission. I was standing with my back to the stage looking at the auditorium when a couple came up to me and asked if I was Maggi from the fansite. They recognized me from the photos and introduced themselves as Eric's aunt and uncle! They were just as nice as the rest of Eric's family and Eric himself. After the show we all went round to the stage door and they insisted on a photo with me. Beth got to meet Eric, finally, and like everyone else who meets him in person, was enchanted. Afterward, we all sadly parted our separate ways. Eric and his family in one direction, Beth in another, and Ingrid and Jake drove Jan and I back to our hotel. They faced a three hour drive back home to Jersey that night. As Ingrid said that night, "You only live once" and this occasion was certainly worth the extra effort!

To read more about Eric, go to the fansite: http://www.erickunze.com/

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2008-12-20T20:34:00.002-05:00

2008-12-11T22:47:00.004-05:00

This picture from Whistle Down the Wind takes my breath away! I want to see this show again with Eric. I hope someone brings it back!

To see more of Eric Kunze, see the fansite at www.erickunze.com

Resting in Jesus in Perilous Times

2008-11-15T08:52:00.004-05:00

David Wilkerson of Times Square Church in New York City sends out a monthly newsletter. This month his message was especially pertinent. If you are living in fear and are in need of peace this article is for you:

http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/newsletter/resting_in_jesus_in_perilous_times

2008-11-01T14:48:00.010-04:00

I had the privilege of addressing the women at our church. Some asked for the transcript of my talk and I am putting a link here.

The Joy of the Lord is My Strength
"A Life of Intimacy with God is Characterized by Joy." ~Oswald Chambers~
To continue reading, click on: http://maggismemoriesjoy.blogspot.com/

Sunny California

2008-10-27T03:00:00.042-04:00

I think I was meant to be a California girl. While preparing for my second trip to the state in the last three months, I checked the weather for Orange County each day. Each day, the weather for Michigan was cool, rainy and cloudy, while each day in Orange County was sun, sun, and more sun. This weekend was more of the same. Georg was reporting snow predictions from home, while I was walking Laguna Beach in bare feet and 85 degree sunny weather.

The reason for my trip was to see Eric perform in "Grease" with the Tustin Light Opera Company in Irvine. I wasn't going to come out again this soon after seeing Eric in Sacramento's "Evita" in August. But the possibility of seeing him morph into yet another diametrically opposite role was strong and I decided if I could obtain frequent flyer tickets I would go for it. Surprisingly, I did get my tickets and they were into Santa Ana's John Wayne airport to boot, the airport closest to the theater.

My next challenge was to find a cheap hotel. I had researched some hotels in the area and the cheapest I could find was upwards of $120 a night for a pretty basic place, such as LaQuinta. Someone recommended Priceline on Fodors and I decided to try it. It was my first Priceline experience, one which I am sure to repeat many times in the future. The hotel I got for $64 a night was a four star spa/hotel twenty minutes from the theater. The Renaissance ClubSport is a brand new hotel, completely modern, beautifully furnished and geared toward the health conscious and sports conscious individual. It has a 75,000 sq foot fitness club and huge outdoor pool, hot tub and lounge area with firepits. We even have free wireless internet access. I compared car rental prices and the cheapest rental was on Hotwire, for $11.99 a day plus taxes.

My weekend would prove to be even cheaper, because a friend from St. Louis (Sherry who is also an Eric Kunze fan) decided to fly out and we shared the cost of the room. Sherry and I spent the day on Saturday driving to several area beaches to soak up some rays and watch the surfers. In the evening we attended the theater together. We had a blast watching our favorite actor pretend to be 18 again. His dancing was worth the trip alone. His friends call him a "triple threat" (Singing, dancing, acting). Eric's parents were there on Saturday night and we had a lovely visit with them and with Eric afterward. We capped the evening off by enjoying drinks on the pool veranda in the lounge chairs at one of the firepits.

During the day, we explored some of the area beaches. We were privileged to witness a wedding on Laguna Beach. The weather at home was in the 40's, while we sunned ourselves and watched the surfers in mid-80's temperatures.

For more Eric Kunze information, check out the fansite: www.erickunze.com

http://www.renaissanceclubsport.com/aliso-viejo/home.do
http://www.priceline.com
http://www.hotwire.com

Travel Writing

2008-10-11T09:22:00.011-04:00

(Click images to enlarge)

I've been reading and writing for a while on the forums at Fodors.com. When I begin trip planning that is always the first place I do my research. You begin to trust certain posters comments and, since there is no advertising allowed, they are usually impartial and honest. I have even met some of the regulars in my travels. After my trip reports I write a report to pay back the help I received. The editors at Fodors read the forums and choose certain comments to be published in their travel guides. If your comments are published they offer you a free book. That is how I received Fodors Las Vegas 2008 and Caribbean 2009 guides. Even though it is just a few lines, it is a thrill to read your own words in an honest-to-goodness book!
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=1

Eric's Gifts and "Evita" in Sacramento with Jessica

2008-08-14T03:15:00.055-04:00

(Click on)James 1:17 With a heart full of gratitude for such a wonderful summer of travel and theater!

Since January, I have been on a mission to see Eric Kunze perform as many times as possible. I'd seen him first in "Whistle Down the Wind" and went back several times, taking Jessica with me. In June I was able to go to Boston to see him in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." July was St. Louis with Georg for "Miss Saigon" and now it was time for "Evita" in Sacramento. I invited Jessica to come with me because I knew she would love the play and seeing Eric again.

Our trip was filled with blessings and perfection. The blessings were from God. The perfection was from Eric. More about that later! All our flights and connections were on time, we had no problem with our luggage, our rental car was upgraded free, the GPS I had brought with me got us to our hotel in no time, and we got a beautiful quiet corner room at the Sheraton Grand on the 21st floor, complete with two picture windows with window seats a breathtaking view and pillows so Jess and I could each have our spot for morning devotions. We could even see the theater from our room.

This morning we went to the workout room and then walked around the area to get our bearings. We found a place to rent bikes and a place to get a manicure/pedicure. We had an amazing outdoor breakfast within view of the beautiful Capitol building. Jess had a Thai chicken soup and bagel and my omelet was perfection: smoked Gouda, roasted red peppers, mushrooms and basil pesto. It will definitely become my signature omelet from now on. We walked and walked and ended up in Old Sacramento. The original old buildings look like the set of some black and white Western, as if we could see a shoot out on the street at any moment. The area is filled with shops and restaurants and we were able to pick up some souvenirs to bring home and Jess bought some postcards.

We wanted to get in some sun and a swim before the theater, so we changed into our suits and headed over to the Hyatt, which was two blocks away. The Sheraton pool was being renovated and they have an agreement with the other hotel for their guests. The Hyatt pool was amazing, complete with misters to keep us cool. I enjoyed a Mojito and Jess proclaimed that we had to come here every day from now on.

After a shower and umpteen changes of clothing in search for the perfect outfit, we walked over to McCormick and Schmick for our pre-theater dinner. I had the seared ahi tuna appetizer and soft shell crab, while Jess had blackened catfish and seafood chowder.
The theater was within walking distance and we had a nice stroll to walk off our dinner. Jane H was meeting us at the theater. She had bid on and won lunch with Eric so she had lots of good stories to tell from her day. She is here for the week and is attending every performance.

The show was amazing. It was theater in the round so the actors had to play to the audience in all directions and they did a fantastic job. Here is where the perfection part comes in. We watched Eric perform this part four times in a row. Each time it was fascinating to watch him as his character evolved from night to night. Even on the last night when he was completely drained and not feeling well he performed with energy, enthusiasm and charisma. He made it his best performance yet. Much of the 2200 person audience lept to their feet when he came on for his curtain call. This role was yet another facet to his talent, playing the role of a cynical, sarcastic and sometimes angry revolutionary. In one of the scenes we are able to witness his ability to dance as well, during the waltz sequence with Evita. (I have found out since that he is called by some a "triple threat" because of his acting, singing, dancing talents.) The actors entered and exited the stage from the aisles through the audience. Eric made the run up the steep ramp from the stage to the exit many times in one night. At the end of the week we can bet his his legs were pretty sore. The stage itself revolved and the center could be raised and lowered depending on the scene. Eric had grown a short beard for this role and his hair was longer than the last time we saw him. (The promo photos below were taken pre-beard.) Jessica and I decided we really like him in a beard and longish hair.

After the show, Jessica and Jane were waiting for me at the stage door when my phone rang. It was Eric explaining he wouldn't be coming out that way because he was supposed to meet with the season subscribers who had attended that evening. He asked if we wanted to come back and attend a little cabaret concert. I said of course, and he sent someone out to get us. We were seated and treated to champagne. Some of the cast were performing on a small stage. The surprise was that after a short while they let us in to meet the cast and get autographs. I had made up fans as souvenirs for the fanclub and Eric blushed and pretended to be embarassed by them. He signed the fans for us and we made arrangements to get in contact tomorrow to meet. Jess and I floated back to the hotel, our heads filled with the sights and sounds of the evening. We had tickets again for the Thursday, Friday and Sunday performances.

The next day we took a leisurely drive to Napa and ended up at Copia where we had lunch at Julia's Kitchen. Jessica and I share an interest in food and cooking, so this was the perfect place for us to indulge those two interests. There are wine tasting stations where you buy a credit card which you insert into your choice of tastings. I am still into Chardonnays and concluded that my favorite was the Rombauer, which I happily have two bottles of in my room! After lunch for dessert we finished off the card with tastings of the ice wine.

Our lunch at Julia's Kitchen was delicious. Perhaps a bit pricey for what we ordered, but I was very happy with our choice. My favorite, fois gras, was on the menu and I had a fabulous lobster and avocado salad. Jessica ordered the mushroom soup and crispy duck breast. The bread basket had five different kinds of bread, all house made and fresh. Afterward, we took a walk in the gardens and made our way to Yountville. Just driving aimlessly in the area was enjoyable. Much of the area reminded me of wine country in France. I kept thinking of the Russell Crowe film " A Good Year". Yountville was charming as well and we had our coffee and dessert at Bouchon Bakery.
The espresso macarons are to die for! We enjoyed sitting in the outdoor dining alcove, just people and dog watching, while the birds enjoyed our crumbs.

Our drive took a little further, just so I could take a photo of The French Laundry and say I had at least stood in front of this renowned restaurant. Lots of photo ops across the street too, of the picturesque gardens belonging to the restaurant. It's a good thing we allowed ourselves plenty of time to get back to Sacramento, because even though it is a Friday, not a weekend, we ran into lots of traffic. Took us a little over an hour to get there and 2-1/2 hours to get back. We were a little worried on the way because we had the theater again in the evening. But we made it in plenty of time. We stopped for Vietnamese Pho to carry back to the hotel and ended up with enough food for a small army. Felt really bad about throwing most of it out the next day, since we didn't have a fridge in the room.
The next morning we got a bit of a late start for our day trip to San Francisco and with the traffic we arrived noonish. It was really cold and windy, people were wearing parkas, so we scrapped plans for the bike ride across the Golden Gate immediately. Instead we took a boat trip out into the bay which went under the bridge and around Alcatraz. While it was windy, wavy and wet, it was a great experience and gave us views we might not otherwise have had. The guy running the tour was really funny and entertaining. I got some great photos while hanging over the side of the rocking boat and getting doused with salt spray.

The next thing we wanted to do was the cable car. We took one look at the 100+ people waiting in line at the foot of Hyde St. and decided to hoof it up the street instead. (We missed our workout this morning). We went all the way up and down again on Lombard St. It was fun strolling through all neighborhoods, all the way to Chinatown. On the way, we stumbled onto an Italian festival in Little Italy and had espresso and wine in a lovely espresso bar whose name escapes me just now. In Chinatown we strolled into a tea shop and ended up doing a tea tasting and getting quite an education about how to prepare and drink tea. We asked our server about a good, clean place to have Chinese food and she sent us to Washington Bakery on Washington Street. She certainly steered us right. The only problem is we ordered way too much, as usual and once again our leftovers went to waste in our room.

By this time it was 10:00pm. We had walked since noon from Fisherman's Wharf, up Hyde Street, down Lombard Street, into North Beach, Chinatown and then down to Pier 1and took the Embarcadero all the way back to Fisherman's Wharf again. No need to feel bad we didn't get our workout this morning! This was the only night we weren't going to see Evita and we were humming the tunes the whole time.

Now it was Sunday: the Big Day. I had planned a fanclub luncheon to meet some of the wonderful ladies I have corresponded with via email from the Eric Kunze fansite. I had settled on Morgans in the Sheraton Grand because it was convenient and private. They set up a long table for me which we decorated with the Eric fans I had brought with me from home.

First I had a visit with a friend I had gotten to know from the Fodor's travel site and his great wife. Then people started to gather and finally, in came Eric with his parents who had flown up for the last performance. We had a great time visiting and asking Eric and his parents questions. Hardly anyone knew each other, yet we felt like a big happy family. And we were so privileged they had made time for us out of their hectic schedule, especially Eric. The ladies lingered long after Eric left and none of us wanted to say goodbye.

That evening was the last performance and the end of a very long season for Eric. We were privileged to sit with Eric's parents at this performance, which made it even more enjoyable. (They are wonderful, warm people. It's not surprising Eric is as nice as he is.) Eric wasn't feeling well that day, but he nevertheless turned in a stellar performance. The best of all of the four we had seen. He adds a note at the end of "And the Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)" when he goes into a falsetto that is so high and pitch perfect it seems super human to me. He is standing at the center of the stage surrounded by the other players and we, the audience, can't believe our ears. He received thunderous applause and cheers each night at the end of the number each night.

After the show, we gathered with his folks at the stage door. He had just a few moments to come out to say goodbye, as his obligations took him to the patron area again. We sadly took our leave of them all and walked back to the hotel to prepare for an early departure in the morning. It will be a while before I am able to see Eric perform again. I will sit tight, with my fingers crossed, that it won't be too long, or too far away!

View a slideshow (click on photos to see larger images with descriptions):

http://picasaweb.google.com/maggiwun
(Click on "Sacramento 2008)

To see more of Eric, see the fansite at: www.erickunze.com

"The Heat is on in Saigon"! Maggi Does the Muny

2008-07-28T12:07:00.035-04:00

Our purpose for visiting St. Louis was to see Eric in "Miss Saigon". We flew Southwest airlines for the first time, because it was the cheapest fare available and I was very favorably impressed. There was no line checking in at the airport, the attendants were dressed casually in shorts and polo shirts and cracked jokes the whole flight. We arrived on time and our baggage was at the carousel in minutes. We had decided to rent a car, since taking the public transit would still not put us near our hotel. Georg had brought along the GPS and it guided us there in a half hour. We knew it would be hot and humid in St. Louis and it certainly was! Thank God for swimming pools and air conditioning.

The Chase Park Plaza had been recommended to us and we got a special rate. Our one bedroom suite on the eighth floor overlooking the pool was very comfortable. We had a living room with a flat screen TV, which made Georg happy. He quickly ensconsed himself on the sofa with the remote. I was happy with daily visits to their gym and pool. The pool cafe was delightful for late night drinks and appetisers, while live entertainment was available inside. I loved the location as well, within easy walking distance down Euclid in the Central West End for shops and restaurants and right at the entrance to Forest Park, where the Muny and the zoo are located.

Our first stop was at Straub's Market a few blocks down from the hotel so we could stock up on beverages and snacks. It was pretty pricey and I was happy I had brought the two bottles of Chardonnay from home. Georg was tired and I wasn't so I decided I'd attend the theater that evening alone and take a chance on a free ticket. (A certain number of tickets in the 11,000 seat outdoor theater are set aside for free seats.) I had been in contact with Sherry, who had emailed me from the Eric Kunze fansite and who wanted to meet me. We actually met at the theater that night and hit it off immediately. We had a common bond in our interest in Eric, after all.

The theater had a ballpark atmosphere, complete with refreshment vendors strolling the aisles before the performance and during intermission. We even stood for the National Anthem before the show began. But as soon as the music began we were transported to Saigon, 1975. The Engineer and the bar girls are onstage, the Marines are singing "The Heat is on in Saigon" when suddenly two Marines stride on stage left. At that moment, I don't even recognize Eric as he strides onstage in his camouflage uniform. He looks totally different from the last time I saw him in his loincloth as Joseph a few weeks earlier. His gait, his body language and demeanor have completely changed. As he lolls on a chair smoking a cigarette the expression on his face is at the same time jaded, disillusioned and bored. (I had my high powered binoculars after all!) It is a delight to watch those emotions slowly fall away as he notices and becomes interested in Kim, an innocent young girl who has fallen into the Engineer's trap. The love story which develops between them is achingly beautiful and the songs they sing together haunt me still. Theirs is a tragic story and doesn't end well. The famous evacuation scene in "Miss Saigon" was even more dramatic because in this open air venue they were able to use an actual helicopter. Now that I am home, every time I hear a helicopter I am instantly transported back to St. Louis.

That first night Sherry and I went back to the stage door to congratulate Eric. There was a throng of people but Eric saw us immediately and came over to greet us. While we were waiting, one of the cast, a young man who was a fan of Eric recognized me from the fansite. Afterward, Sherry and I drove back to the Chase and met Georg for drinks at the poolside cafe. We discovered many common interests and made plans to see each other again that weekend.

The next day, Georg and I had a late breakfast at Kopperman's Deli in the CWE, strolled a bit and took some photos. Later, another wonderful woman named Jill who had contacted me from the fansite picked me up from the hotel and we went for coffee. She brought her daughter Kelsey, who had been in a show with Eric last year and they were both fans of his. We had a wonderful visit together and we intend to stay in touch. Kelsey is a singer and hopes to have a musical career. I put them in touch with Sherry, who is a drama coach and who could help guide their choices for Kelsey. God works in strange ways!

Georg and I drove to the Muny that evening. It was a lovely balmy summer night and we parked in such a way for a fast getaway afterward. We had a long walk into the park past the Gazebo and the pond filled with turtles and fish. The setting sun cast a glow which was enchanting. Each evening I enjoyed the show more and more as I became more familiar with the nuances in the performances. The stage is vast, but good use was made of the space with the large cast doing formations with tall red flags, a huge undulating parade dragon and brilliant costuming. The revolving part of the stage emphasized the heartbreaking drama of the fence which separated Chris and Kim as they were trying to reach each other during the chaos in the evacuation scene. It was a very dramatic and physically exhausting role for Eric because he puts his heart and soul into everything he does and it shows onstage. Even those people sitting way in the back of the theater must have been able to feel his passion. After the show is over, it must take him awhile to regain his normal optimistic personality.

We had the great privilege that evening of meeting Eric privately at the poolside cafe. Georg enjoyed his company as much as I did. We had a nice long visit and I asked him a great many questions. He must feel as though he's with Barbara Walters when he's with me. (At least I don't make him cry). I bring a long list with me because when we're together my mind goes completely blank. I never run out of questions! Poor Eric. He's gracious, polite, funny, has a great sense of humor, he's intelligent and has a great many outside interests.

Since we were up so late the night before, we slept in quite late. After my workout we decided to visit the St. Louis Basilica. It is famous for it's installation of 41.5 million glass pieces. It's the largest mosaic collection in the world. A basilica is a large and important church that has been granted special ceremonial rites by the Pope. The St. Louis church was designated a basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1997.

Later, we had our one expensive meal of the vacation and we picked a doozy. Chez Leon, a French restaurant was right up our alley. A fixed price menu enabled us each to order three items so we could taste and share. I always order foie gras when it's on the menu, so that was my first course and probably the best preparation of this dish I've had to date. It was followed by veal chops with wild mushrooms and a white wine sauce and for dessert Grand Marnier souffle. Georg had the foie gras as well, with duck breast and cheese for dessert. It was a really memorable meal and I'd go there often if we lived nearby.

Then it was time to get ready for the theater a third time. I could have repeated this pattern night after night without getting tired of it. I was already getting a little sad our wonderful weekend was coming to an end. It amazes me that people can consistently repeat excellent performances night after night without a missed line, or a wrong note. I know Eric would disagree, he's seldom satisfied with a performance, but as a musician I was not able to find any flaws. This time at the stage door, Eric waved us inside and showed us around backstage. The vast back lot is built around huge beautiful 100 year old trees. He showed us where the sets are constructed. They were already getting ready for the next show and were tearing down the Miss Saigon set temporarily for a rehearsal. He took us into his dressing room and offered us cookies which had been baked for him by a nun who always comes to see his shows. His fans really run the gamut from 10 year old kids to nuns! Then we were standing on the stage looking out at the 11,000 seats. I don't think I would remember my name faced with that audience. We sadly made our goodbyes and headed back to the hotel. Once again, I met up with Sherry at the poolside cafe for one last visit.

Our Sunday was uneventful. We were able to see Eric to say goodbye and talked about seeing each other in Sacramento in a few short weeks hence. Our flight home, aside from a slight delay due to mechanical trouble was smooth. I don't know what I'm going to do when this summer is over. I will be suffering serious withdrawal. But this will go down in my memory as one of the most enjoyable summers ever!

To see more of Eric, go to: www.erickunze.com

Visiting Boston

2008-06-24T02:24:00.024-04:00

(Note: The Reagle Players Promotional Photos are by Herb Philpott)

This was my second trip to Boston with Jan in as many years. But this trip was prompted by Eric's appearance onstage in "Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat" in the title role. Like last time, we stayed at the Charlesmark Hotel, a hip little place on Boylston, centrally located near Copley Park and the shops and restaurants of Newbury Street. We rented an automobile so we could drive out to Waltham for the show two nights in a row. There was no parking at the hotel, so we had to park in public parking, which we got at a "special" discount from the hotel for $20 a day - with no in and out privileges. So each time we got the car out we had to pay another $20. Not good planning on my part.

Finding Waltham was an adventure. We decided to eat dinner there, so we would have time in case we got lost. I'd found a restaurant online called La Campania and we sure did hit the jackpot. It was tastefully furnished like a country Italian villa in warm Tuscan colors. There was an enchanting private outdoor dining area, but we opted to sit inside. Jan had "salt encrusted whole bronzino" which is a type of sea bass. I had the seared fois gras and beef carpaccio appetisers. Our drink of choice was prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine. Everything, including the impeccable service by our waiter Tim, was perfect. He made sure we were able to make it to the theater in plenty of time for the performance.

We had front row center seats, not surprising, since I called for tickets the minute they opened the box office on the first day of availability! It was great to see Eric perform again. When he appears he commands the stage and you can't take your eyes off of him. He was in fine voice and his expertise elevated the whole show to a different level. During the second act, the Pharaoh (who is doing an Elvis impersonation) makes a production of presenting his white, perspiration soaked scarf to a female in the front row. Apparently, I was the lucky one that night. I could see Eric grinning on the stage like a Cheshire cat while I endured the comments, such as "Darlin', are you lonesome tonight?" I purposed at that moment to strangle him with the scarf later!

After the performance, Eric and Ayla were signing autographs and selling CDs. Jan and I enjoyed standing on the sidelines watching the proceedings. Finally, he was free to come over and say hello. I hadn't seen him since January, but we connected like we'd just seen each other yesterday. We chatted and made plans to have dinner together the next afternoon at La Campania.

Sleeping that night was a challenge. Not only were we both excited about our wonderful evening, our room was on a busy street. Jan needs the window open and all night long a construction site reverberated with hammering and sawing. The raucous yelling of inebriated youth and the honking of traffic contributed to the layers of noise. I had my Ipod on my ears most of the night, and listened nonstop to everything of Eric's I could get my hands on. In the morning we parted ways: me to the gym and Jan shopping. We met for an outdoor lunch at La Voile, a French restaurant on Newbury Street. White wine this time, with a sublime duck salad. So far we were batting 1000. We went back to the hotel to rest up for dinner and the theater.

We met Eric at 5:00 and were seated at a lovely private table on the outdoor terrace. We couldn't believe we were privileged to have this Adonis all to ourselves. Conversation flowed effortlessly and I never did ask him all of the questions I had been preparing for weeks. He was such a gentleman. He had made the reservations and when he had to get back to the theater he excused himself discreetly from the table to settle the tab. Again we were impressed with the food and service at this restaurant. Prosecco seemed the right choice for a balmy summer afternoon. Jan and I both had the seared scallops with cauliflower puree, Eric opted for the soft shell crab and portobello mushroom salad in a parmesan shell, and he ordered prosciutto wrapped mozzarella as an appetiser to share. It seems we even share the same taste in food. Every dish was impeccably prepared and presented and we appreciated the unobtrusive service of the waitstaff.

I think I enjoyed the performance even better the second time around. I was even able to relax and take my eyes off of Eric once in awhile. I noticed that the costumes were very well done. Some of them, (at least the coat of many colors, Eric told me) were worn by Donny Osmond in the touring company of Joseph. I liked that the kids were all dressed in different colors and were arranged on stage and in their seats so as to resemble a rainbow. The show was very similar to the movie. I liked the number "Ahead of His Time" which was done like a Frankie Avalon "Beach Blanket Bingo" scene, with a white lei around Eric's neck. The audience sprang to its feet at the end of the show and again there were long lines waiting for Eric and Ayla's autographs. It was a mob scene in the lobby and Eric had a harder time extricating himself from people who wanted a piece of him. He was trying to walk out with us, but alas it was not to be. We made our farewells and Jan and I left him with the rest of his fans. He was leaving for the airport early in the morning.

Early Sunday morning I decided to return the rental car to the airport, since we wouldn't be needing it anymore. Jan was beat, so I am proud to say I navigated my way back, found fuel and dropped the car. I even managed to find the subway and rode back to the hotel for a mere $2. Sunday and Monday were pretty much shopping and eating days. We shopped at the Gap, Anthropologie, Marshalls and Lord and Taylor. I remembered Legal Seafood from the last year and we had lunch there. Oysters and lobster for me, chopped salad and softshell crab for Jan. Martini's this time! That evening I treated Jan to a birthday dinner near the hotel at a restaurant called Papa Razzi. Jan had twin filets and I had veal saltimbocca. In lieu of birthday cake, we shared sliced strawberries with whipped cream. Our lunch on Monday before heading back to the airport was at Sonsie, another perfect find on Newbury Street. The only hitch in our trip was a plane delay at the airport, but it was only a hour and a half late departing and we arrived home at midnight.

This was the perfect weekend. We didn't feel the need to rush around and sightsee. Jan and I both respected each other's expectations and we felt free to do whatever we each wanted. Meeting with Eric was the highlight of our weekend, our month and year. We are blessed!

A Kunze Summer

2008-06-10T23:58:00.006-04:00

As all of my friends are oh-so-aware, following the career of and maintaining a fansite about stage actor and singer Eric Kunze has become my new hobby. My enthusiasm has not waned since we first saw him in "Whistle Down the Wind" in January. I had a couple of short but wonderful visits with him after the shows (yes, I saw the show three times!) His summer schedule will bring him to four different venues across the U.S. He will be starring in Miss Saigon, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Evita. I will be fortunate enough to travel to Boston, St. Louis and Sacramento in June, July and August to see him perform in these three shows, which just happen to be some of my favorite musicals.

I'm excited that I will have a chance to spend some time with him in Boston, since we have been keeping in touch. Can't wait!
To see more of Eric, go to the fansite I created for him: www.erickunze.com

My New Blog: The Bike Twins

2008-06-08T21:53:00.012-04:00

I've started a new blog for my distant cousins based in Graz, Austria. They are extreme bicyclists/mountain climbers who are well known in bike circles for their marathon non-stop riding/climbing of some of the highest peaks in the world. Their most recent conquest was Damavand the highest mountain in Iran (18605 ft), where they ascended to the summit from the Caspian Sea by bike and on foot non-stop in 16 hours, 20 minutes. I met with them on my recent trip to Austria and at that time we were discussing my translating their very detailed website from German into English. It proved to be very time consuming, so instead I decided I could keep everyone updated by starting my own blog about them in English. If you wish to read more on their own site in German a link is provided on the blog.

www.biketwins.blogspot.com

Memorial Service, May 24, 2008

2008-05-24T17:20:00.033-04:00

When the sun finally drops below the horizon in the early evening, evidence of its work remains for some time. The skies continue to glow for a full hour after its departure.

In the same way, when a good or a great person's life comes to its final sunset, the skies of this world are illuminated until long after he is out of view. Such a person does not die from this world, for when he departs he leaves much of himself behind - and being dead, he still speaks. Henry Ward Beecher

Today we had a memorial service for our father/father-in-law/grandfather/greatgrandfather Wunschl. It was a roller coaster ride of emotions: sadness , loss, remembrance, joy. We bonded together as a family like never before as we strove to honor the memory of a man who had been a force in our lives for so long. Three people shared memories of Opa today: Halley, his granddaughter, Tifany, his grandson's wife and Martha, his daughter-in-law. I am going to publish their comments in full. Each were perfect in their own unique way.

Halley:
"I was lucky enough to have three amazing grandparents in my life until last year - few people get that chance. My grandmothers taught me how to bake, how to sew, how to live with grace, how to be a strong woman. I am ever glad for them, especially today, because I need every bit of that strength as I say goodbuy to the only grandfather I had the joy to know. When my dad told me Opa was gone, I had such a mix of emotions, I just sat and stared, on the curb, numb with grief, reaching out for something as strong as the love I'd enjoyed every day of my life from him.

"Over the last few months, I had watched Opa's courage, his spirit, and his never-ending love for his family with awe and so much gratitude to be loved by him, and somehow through all the hours I had sat with him, laughed with him and talked to him, I did not know how to let go despite knowing I would have to. Honestly, I still don't. but, life plays a kaleidoscope of images for me - images of fishing, pigeons, shopping trips, gardening and making Barbie places from wooden doweling. I remember the hugs, the jokes, and the signature that kept me in college. I remember the gypsy eggs, the speck at Christmastime, he at the end of the table, myself next to him. I remember too the example that was set for me by my grandparents about marriage - a give and take, a labor of love.

"Someday, I will get married, and I can only hope to find what I saw from them every day. Every morning I was in their home, Opa would make Oma sandwiches and tea. It was an act of giving that showed the commitment that would give them 63 years of marriage, and teach me the meaning of devotion. The last time I saw Opa, it was late on Frideay night. I was going home, tired, and walked out into the living room. The scene there will be burned in my mind forever. Oma was sleeping on the couch, turned so I was sure she had fallen alseep watching Opa to be certain he was alright. He sat in his chair, watching CNN. Every moment or two, he would look over at Oma and then back at the television. I stood in the hallway for awhile, absorbing that scene. When people try to define what it means to be successful, to be happy, to have love in their lives, this should be on the first line.

"There are a lot of things I don't know about how to let go of Opa, how to move on without him, but when I get lonely I try to remember him standing in his garden; perfect neat rows, an ingenious watering system, and always a huge hug when I ran to him in bare feet. I will miss those hugs, his voice on the other end of the phone, sitting in his chair, I will miss knowing he is there if need him. There are so many things I could like that I will miss, but most of all I hope he knows how very much I will miss my Opa, and how much I love him - my grandfather, role model, cheerleader, and friend.

Tifany:
Good Morning. I am Tifany Wunschl and I am Michael Wunschl’s granddaughter. Well, granddaughter by marriage, but I think anyone that ever met Opa feels the same way that I do. When you met Opa, you immediately felt like family. Opa loved to be around people. He loved to cook and whenever you went to his home, he cooked like he was feeding a small army. I was introduced to all of his German classic foods and he prided himself that he cooked just like his mother.

Opa’s other favorite thing to do when he was around people was to tell stories. Opa never dwelled on bad things or complained about anything. When Opa told war stories, they were never about death or sad times. He always told the fun side, like when he was injured and the hospital had beer pipes that ran over each bed and all you had to do was put your stein up to the tap and you could have beer at any moment.
He told the story of looking for his family after the war and seeing Oma’s backside and declaring “I’m going to marry that woman”. Three months later, they were married. When I first met Oma and Opa, I told my husband that if we could have that kind of relationship, we were very lucky people. Anyone who met Oma and Opa could sense the love and friendship that they shared.

Some of my favorite stories were when Opa joined the black market after the war to feed his family. These were probably some of the hardest days in their lives, but Opa always told the stories with pride and love. My favorite is when he took a pig and put it in the sidecar of their motorcycle so they could butcher it at home. I’m not even going to tell the story because I cannot do it justice. But it ends with the pig jumping out of the motorcycle in front of a theatre that was letting out and Opa chasing it down the street.
I didn’t know how to end my speech today. I have a lot of thoughtful things I could say, but I decided to end it how Opa would want me too. Opa’s heritage is German and Yugoslavian. When Opa toasted, we always said Bog Daj Wita which means “God Give More” in Yugoslavian. So if everyone would join me in a toast. “To Opa, you will forever be in our hearts. Bog Daj Wita.”

Martha:
He Was...
He was dad, opa mischi and my boo.
He was a loving son, brother, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
He worked countless, grueling hours in "the shop" to care for his family.
He was a master craftsman, the son of a tinsmith who roofed the village church.

One Spring day, he built kites for his sons from reeds and some drafting paper he brought home from the shop. Then he attached 20 foot tails made from the Sunday funnies and those beauties soured to the clouds.

He was a 1958 vacation in Germany - a happy return home with his beautiful family and a slick, silver Olds '98. He made it the trip of a lifetime for his children - filled with memories, friends, family and adventures.

He was fond of sharing cherished stories about Willsbach and Mokrin.
He was Walloon Lake in the summer, with fireflies and fishing.
He was all seasons on the farm.
He was a man to loved to be with people and people loved to be with him.
He was an outrageous bidder in pinochle games and pretty good at pool.
He was a best buddy for Tony and loved Roswita from the moment he met her, who could do otherwise?
He was a meticulous gardener, whose tomatoes and cucumbers were unmatched. One summer he grew 12 ft. tall sunflowers for his granddaughter.
He was a carpenter and a pigeon keeper and a fishing buddy. Whether it was goulash, zuspiese, a pork roast, sarma or chicken soup, he was "the crook".

He was a special gourmet - he could enjoy a slice of farmer's speck or a fine cognac with equal gusto.
He was laughter and parties. Just ask the Clevelanders. He was generous to a fault and all who knew him, know this about him.
He was Mr. Franzel and always knew the name of his waitress.
He was dinners out with the family and baseball games, but his favorites were birthdays and holidays with his family.
He danced at his sons' weddings and could really polka. And when he really got going he would kick up his heel - not both, just one.

He was opinionated, raucous, strong willed, outspoken, joyous and tough, and you always knew where he stood and where you stood with him - but he was not opposed to changing his mind about something if he thought he had been wrong and he liked to learn.
More times than I could count, I saw tears in his eyes - of pride, of love, or grief. He was a deep feeling man.
He was a European and he was a proud American.
He was the kind of friend that they just don't make anymore.
He loved hic children and grandchildren with a deep, unabated passion andhis pride in what they had accomplished was a source of strength to them all.

He was Michael's father. He was Georg's father. He was Helena's father. He was Halley-Allana's grandfather. He was Michael Jon's grandfather. He was David's grandfather. He was Martha's father-in-law. He was Margaret's father-in-law. He was Magdalena's beloved husband.

All of us are just so much better and infinitely enriched for having had him in our lives. We are very, very, very fortunate to have known him, to have loved him and been loved by him. You will never leave us sweet Opa and will always remain in our hearts.

This is the video slide show that was shown at the memorial service.

(Click on) Psalm 23:1-6
Music is by Jeff Majors, "The Lord is My Shepherd"
http://www.jeffmajors.com/home.asp

Michael Wunschl 1925-2008

2008-05-22T09:27:00.010-04:00

My father in law Mischi was one of the hardest working people I have ever known. Most of his life he worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Needless to say most of the time he wasn't able to spend a lot of time with his family. To make up for it sometimes late at night he would come home and surprise the kids with a huge sack of hamburgers or other treats.

He was an extremely generous person. When Michael Jon was born (his first grandson) he gave Margaret his Cadillac Eldorado. Eleven years after they left Germany Michael took his whole family back home to the old country for a three month vacation. They crossed the ocean on the Queen Elizabeth and took their 1962 Oldmobile with them. They were treated like celebrities as they toured the countryside and small village roads in their huge automobile. When there was a gathering at a local pub, Michael paid for everyone's drinks, including people he didn't know. No one ever picked up the tab at a restaurant when Michael was around.

His pride and joy were his grandchildren, Michael Jon, David and Halley and his great-grandson Nathan. Nothing made him happier than having the family gather around him. He had been a cook during the war and still loved to cook. In fact, when he retired he took over the kitchen from Magdalena. He was used to cooking large quantities of food and subsequently always made enough food not only to feed the group, but enough to send food home with everyone who had come to visit. Opa was famous for his homemade sausage, a skill he passed along to Michael Jon, along with his sausage-making equipment. Whole days were set aside to make his legendary stuffed cabbage rolls (which is called "sarma"), which he and Magdalena put in the freezer for the months to come. He loved to garden. True to his tool and die background, his rows of tomatoes and beans were straight as an arrow. His love of gardening was inherited by his granddaughter Halley and they spent many happy hours together working outside. He and Halley also raised doves together.

In his later years, he and Magdalena were able to build a beautiful home on 55 acres in Attica, Michigan. What had been nothing but brush and grass was transformed into a parklike setting, complete with a road, two ponds, evergreens, fruit trees and willows. Michael loved to fish and stocked the pond with trout and large-mouth bass. He would never keep the fish, but would throw them back and some of them grew to a fearsome size. The kids always loved to go fishing with Opa. Even 3 year old Nathan, the youngest member of the family, was nurtured by Opa in the fine art of fishing from the dock at the farm.

In his youth, Mischi liked to draw and paint. This is one of my favorites:

No one could tell a story like Opa. And he had many stories, from the time he and his father-in-law smuggled a squealing live pig in cart through the village to feed his family, to the 10 lbs of chocolate he was saving in the cupboard to use as a bartering tool, only to find weeks later that his pregnant wife had eaten it all. We will miss those stories Opa, but we are thankful we have them in our memories and no one who had the privilege of knowing you will ever forget you.

Nathan, MJ and Tifany

2008-05-07T18:31:00.003-04:00

Sun at Last! Our Week on Curacao

2008-04-06T14:04:00.022-04:00

Picasa Slideshow: To go forward or backward, or pause the slideshow put your cursor over the photo. Or, click on the circle in the righthand corner to go to thumbnails of the entire album at Picasa.

Our exploration of the Caribbean continues with our visit to Curacao, one of the "ABC" islands of the Netherlands Antilles. "ABC" stands for Aruba-Bonaire-Curacao and this group of islands lies just east of Venezuela. We had free vouchers from Delta, which flies directly into Curacao from Atlanta and that was partly why we decided on this destination. We always rent a car on vacation and got a nice little compact at Alamo for $219, which I had booked from home over the internet. I was impressed with the modern, efficient and attractive Curacao airport. We got totally lost finding our resort from the airport. Looking at the map didn't help because there were so many small roads branching off of other small roads and almost no road signs. But that's the nice thing about islands, you can't get too lost. Eventually through trial and error we found our way to the Royal Sea Aquarium Resort.

Our room had a small balcony overlooking the Sea Aquarium, so we could watch the dolphins. I loved the fact that the lobby had an awesome coffee machine where you could choose free espresso, capucchino or coffee 24 hours a day. Our room had two double beds, a bathroom, tub/shower, separate sink area and walk in closet with safe. There was a small kitchenette with a small microwave and fridge. The room had A/C which we used during the day, but at night we turned it off and enjoyed heavenly sleep with the balcony door open to the sound of the waves. No bugs - hallelujah! Our favorite part of the resort was the pool area. There were five wicker "beds" each with their own white canopy tent free for the guests to use. Georg and I claimed one as our own and there was never anyone else competing for it. I hate having to get up at daybreak to "claim" a beach chair, which is the usual routine at resorts. We spent many happy, lazy hours on our comfortable waterfront bed, reading, talking and surfing the internet. Our oceanside seat afforded us some treats: on one day a pod of at least 10 dolphins swam by, jumping out the water and frolicking with a guy on a jet ski. On another day a flock of flamingos flew by.

Our resort was very lightly occupied, quiet and private, while right next door, the Lion's Dive was jumping with activity. It was a two minute walk and we felt we had the best of both worlds. On several evenings, we walked over to Hemingway for dinner. They made the best mojitos I have ever had - full of crushed fresh mint and local limes. My favorite thing was their Cobb salad, which had tender sirloin and fantastic Danish blue cheese, and Georg tried the chicken saltimbocca and the thin, crispy pizza. On weekends there was a variety of live entertainment. One night, a trio serenaded us with mellow music, Sade, Mariah, etc. The next was Cuban salsa night with a hot band and singers. Sitting on the deck overlooking the moonlight lagoon with live music and mojitos was unforgettable.

I got in the habit of starting each day at the Lion's Dive fitness club. Royal Resort guests are offered a week's admission for $20. With my ipod loaded with my favorite music, the hour passed quickly and pleasantly. On our first full day on the island, we ventured out with the car and loaded our kitchen up with rum, fruit juice and an assortment of nibbles at the local market called Pita.

In a nutshell, what I liked about Curacao: We were able to use US currency, US voltage, people mostly spoke English, the temperature was perfect, people were friendly, it rained hardly at all, the breeze kept insects away and I did not think it was any more expensive than other islands we've been to. The direct flight from Atlanta was a plus. The resort loaned me a hair dryer and snorkles, so I didn't have to lug that stuff from home. What I didn't like: While the roads were in generally good condition, signage was bad and we got lost a lot, wasting precious vacation time trying to find our way around. This inhibited our trying to go places, since I didn't want the hassle of navigating. I am usually pretty good at it and we have driven all over the world. What I finally did was not to try to find where I was on the map, I just tried to watch the few signs they do have and figure out by the sun which direction I needed to be going.

Our best meal was at Miramar, a Japanese restaurant not too far from our resort. I wish we had eaten there earlier in the week. I would have been tempted to return every night after that. I had softshell crab salad, followed by a nice assortment of sushi, while Georg had pan fried dumplings and a type of noodle pad thai dish. We split dessert which was tempura fried banana on a bed of apricot sauce with two scoops of silky vanilla ice cream drizzled with melted chocolate. One of the best desserts I have ever had. With one beer, and a soft drink, the total bill, including gratuity was $60 US.

We did do one "touristy" thing. We visited the Ostrich farm, again getting hopelessly lost trying to find it, since on the tourist map it was located in the completely wrong area. We asked a nice young man who hardly spoke any English and he pointed to a different spot on our map. We headed in that direction and promptly got lost again. Fifteen minutes later, we heard a car horn and there he was behind us. He pulled in front of us and led us all the way there. What a doll.

At the farm we did the jeep truck tour and our Dutch guide was entertaining, informative and extremely cute. His English was impeccable. He said he learned it because he also is a dive instructor and has lots of American clients. (His photo is on the slideshow above.) He explained that an ostrich is extremely strong and can place a kick to your chest with the equivalent of 500 lbs of force. They use their extremely sharp toenail to rip open the chest of their victim. Nevertheless, part of the tour is when they allow you to feed them. You stand with your back to the fence and hold a large pan of dry food while they crane their necks over you and peck away at it. On the way back he stopped at the nursery and brought out a half hatched baby ostrich still in its egg and also a slightly older hatchling. They sell the ostrich meat throughout the Caribbean. There is also a restaurant at the farm where you can order an ostrich burger, but I couldn't think about eating them after seeing them alive.

During the week, I went over to the Sea Aquarium several times. Our admission was free through Royal Resort. We were able to feed the flamingos, sting rays and sea turtles. I enjoyed the dolphin training show and got kissed on the cheek by a sea lion. They are doing really good work there and we saw lots of people bringing their disabled children there. It was heartwarming.

We spent one day at a place called Porto Marie Beach. On the way there, we spotted a flock of flamingos grazing in some shallow ponds. I have read they are pink because their diet consists mainly of tiny shrimp. At this beach they charge a $5 fee for use of a beach chair and umbrella. The money was well spent since the place was pristinely kept and beautiful. The powder white sand was soft, the water crystal clear and the snorkeling was sensational. Even the restaurant was very good and reasonably priced.

Would we return to Curacao? Probably not, but we usually don't repeat trips since there are so many places we still want to see. I would be tempted to come back to this part of the Caribbean, mainly because of the incredible snorkeling. I think I am finally getting the hang of it and it makes me want to do much, much more. Perhaps Aruba, Anguilla or Turks and Caicos will be our next warm weather destination. We may have to wait until 2010. Next year, in early May 2009, we have committed to attend our friend's 25th wedding celebration in Denmark and afterward spend a week renting a villa or apartment somewhere in France.

Back to the Homeland

2008-02-14T01:50:00.006-05:00

My roots are Austrian on both sides of my family and periodically the old country calls me home. Although I consider myself 99% American, I still fondly remember the first five years of my life in Graz, Austria. My German is still fluent, a skill which has been honed by frequent telephone calls with my half sister Rosi and cousin Ingrid, as well as daily emails with the extended family. I found a great airfare offered by Northwest ($418 roundtrip) and took off on short notice to see my extended family for one week. My week was spent visiting with Rosi and her son Roger in Marburg, her daughter Gabi and boyfriend Andreas in Wurzburg, Germany and Ingrid and sons Horst and Gernot and Tante Erika in Graz, Austria.

When my family left Graz in 1952 no one knew if they would ever see one another again. The scene at the train station was heart-wrenching. My grandmother was invited to go with us, but chose to stay behind. My mother was able to see her only one more time before Grandmother passed away 13 years later. Can you tell which one is me?

Tante Erica
I have an elderly great-aunt in Graz, my only living relative on my mother's side, who is 94 years old and still living in the same apartment purchased by her parents 100 years ago. She lives on the top floor of the building and traverses 72 stairs of a winding circular staircase at least once a day. She never leaves her apartment less than dressed to the nines. When I was there, in my honor she said, she wore black heels with fur trim.

Horst and Gernot Turnowsky: The Bike Twins (Die Radzwillinge)
In Graz I was blessed to be able to stay with Ingrid and her twin sons Horst and Gernot. They are famous in Austria and biking circles for their extreme bicycling and mountain climbing exploits. They ride up the tallest mountains of the world with their bikes and then climb the rest of the way to the summit without stopping. They have done this on Mts. Kilimanjaro in Africa, Alpamayo and Huascaran in Peru, and the highest mountains in the Andes, among many others. In 2005 Gernot won the title of best Austrian in the Race Across the Alps. This year they received certification from the Guinness Book of World Records breaking the record for the number of metres climbed in 24 hours. The two climbed exactly 20,049.9 metres in less than 24 hours. Later this year they will tackle Damavand in Iran, the highest mountain in the middle east and Kilimanjaro again.

Rosi and Marburg
Thirteen years ago I discovered that I had a half sister living in Germany. Since that time we have visited each other many times and I have become very close to her and her family. As big a shock as it was when we found out, it has proved to be a blessing to both our families that we have found each other. We could have gone our whole lives without knowing that our Dad had been married before our mother. Rosi and I determined that since we missed out on knowing each other most of our lives, we would not let a year pass without getting together. She lives in the medieval university town of Marburg. The castle, around which the town was built, is visible high on a hill from all points in the surrounding area. One night, Rosi treated me to a Renaissance music concert at the castle. I started every morning walking for an hour in all directions from her apartment. Germany has fantastic bike and walking paths, which make it very easy to incorporate exercise into one's daily life. I'd love to do that at home, but it's impossible for me to get to work by walking or on my bike, since there are no bike paths.

Reasons Why I'm Glad to Be Back Home
1. Soft toilet paper
2. Soft towels
3. Roomy hot, strong showers
4. Door to door automobile transportation.*
5. Friendly, helpful people**
6. I'm thankful I live in country where most people believe in God. The pervasive, atheistic lifestyle is oppressive and empty to me.

*People are discouraged from using their cars. First of all, gasoline is about $7.00a gallon. Secondly, parking in the city is exhorbitant and restrictive. As a result people use the train, streetcars and busses to get around in all kinds of weather: snow, cold, sleet, rain. That is one reason people buy groceries daily. They simply are not able to carry many bags of groceries when walking. When traveling with luggage many train and bus stations in older towns do not have escalators or elevators. The convenience of wheels on luggage is a mute point when you have to carry your bags down one set of stairs, go under the tracks, and carry them up another set of stairs to get to your train. To get on the train, sometimes there is a big gap between the platform and the train steps. Let's just say "handicap accessible" is not a big thing yet in Europe.

**I don't want to give the impression that Europeans are rude, they just seem to be self-absorbed and in their own little world. Perhaps this is a symptom of living closely together in the city. Here at home if a woman were struggling with two suitcases while attempting to board a train, people would be helpful. In my case, no one even offered to lift to give me a hand during my travels. At one point, while I struggled with my big suitcase my carryon slipped out of my grip on an escalator at the airport. Everyone stepped aside as it slide past them down the stairs to the bottom, while I looked helplessly on from above.

Reasons Why I'm Not Glad to Be Home
1. The lack of options in Michigan for walking and biking to where we need to go. I don't want to ride my bike to work on the street.
2. Good bread, fresh daily from the local bakery on every corner.
3. Heavenly beds with whisper soft down quilts and pillows.
4. Beautiful scenery, ancient architecture and mountains!

Eric Kunze

2008-01-19T13:00:00.011-05:00

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. Georg and 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 itself 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 appeared onstage, I was 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 a little 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 backstage and we 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 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.

A Bittersweet Christmas 2007

2008-01-07T22:36:00.001-05:00

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. When we were kids, our parents made it special by Dad taking us out looking at the lights on Christmas Eve, while Mom put the presents under the tree. When she was ready she'd turn on the porch light and Dad would bring us back in, while Mom encouraged us to hurry that Santa was just leaving out the front door! We fell for it year after year. When my sister was three years old, Georg and I would take her out looking at lights too (I'm 15 years older than her). One Christmas Eve, we told her to look for Santa in the sky. As we drove through the neighborhood, all of a sudden who should appear around the corner of one of the houses, but Santa in full regalia, white beard, suit, boots and all. I don't know who was more surprised: my little sister, or Georg and I.

When I was a little girl in Austria there was a tradition called St. Nicholas Day, celebrated the night of December 5th. I remember being visited at our apartment by St. Nicholas and Krampus (the devil). They came door to door in our building. It was a version of good cop/bad cop. St. Nicholas left apples and candy in your shoes, while Krampus asked if you had been bad and threatened to punish you. I remember being very frightened by Krampus and remember it still, 55 years later.

When Georg and I had our kids we formed our own traditions. We always went Thanksgiving weekend to chop down a fresh tree and decorated it that weekend. Julie and her son Anthony joined us for many years. We kept up the tradition of celebrating on Christmas Eve. We always had dinner, sang Christmas carols and read the Gospel story of the Nativity before digging into the presents. Each present was opened one by one as we all watched.

This was our first Christmas without our son David. One doesn't feel very much like celebrating when everything reminds you of a lost loved one. I got a card from my niece in Germany which will remain precious to me always. Like many of our European family she always sends homemade cards. This card had a felt Christmas tree on the front. Each branch was a separate felt triangle. But one branch was missing. She had enclosed it inside, explaining that she did not want to send us a perfect tree because our Christmas this year would not be perfect: something/someone was missing. Over a hundred people expressed their condolences to us this year, but this was the sweetest expression of all. I'll never forget it. God bless you, Gabi.

David loved Christmas too. In September, he'd start playing Christmas music on the stereo and began stringing lights. He'd call me or email ideas for things he wanted for Christmas. Even though Michael Jon and Tifany now had an artificial tree, David still wanted to continue going with us to chop down a tree. He'd never let me consider giving in to getting an artificial tree. He loved getting state of the art lights and prided himself on his little light show.

This year, I decided to honor David's memory by taking his nephew, our grandson Nathan, and beginning a new tradition of chopping down a tree with him. Nathan was fascinated by the snow and the tractor ride, Santa Claus and the hot chocolate. when we had the tree up he helped me decorate it, hanging all the bulbs on the very bottom branches. We made our first gingerbread house together and he learned all the lyrics to Jingle Bells and most of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. We remembered David through each and every thing we did and Christmas will always be a special reminder of him to us.