Seeing through new eyes

I have just gone through an interesting process connected with "OLD AGE."  It came about when I realized I was having terrible difficulty driving...especially at night.  I would look at the tail lights ahead of me and the headlights coming towards me and it was like a magnificent 4th of July fireworks show.  All I could see would be bursts of red and white pyrotechnics, filling the entire road in front of me.  It was at this point I decided I should NOT drive at night any longer.

Instead, I went to see my friendly ophthalmologist, who confirmed that I had cataracts that were ripe and ready to be removed.  No wonder I was having a hard time seeing the white lines.  They were no longer white, but tan in color and not NEARLY as obvious.

I had my first surgery on March 12th, and I was stunned that I was able to see so clearly with my left eye.  The inserted  a toric lens, which corrects the astigmatism.  I could actually read with that eye, something I had not done in over 40 years.

Since my prescription was so strong, the doctor decided to do the second one in two weeks, instead of waiting the usual 6 weeks.  He said I would feel like I was walking with one leg shorter than the other. Actually, I did have contact lenses which helped that immensely, but I still saw a lot of double as the day wore on and my eyes tired.

I had the second one done 2 days ago, on the 26th.  I am not so thrilled with this one.  My two eyes are very different...actually worse than when I was wearing the contact lens.  I complained about what seems like a film over the eye.  Everything is cloudy (which it had been on that eye since he first dilated my eyes over a month ago.)  He assures me all is well, but I am worried.  I cannot read close up with that eye AT ALL, but I can read the TV better with that eye than the left one, but the film is still there.  I suppose this can all be corrected with glasses, but I don't think it is going to turn out like I  hoped.  I have no issue with wearing glasses, but I was hoping it would just be readers.  Oh well.

 Sometimes things don't always go as planned.  The positive thing is that I can go without glasses if I ever do any more stage work.    I hope the double vision eventually clears up, but I have a feeling they might have done the wrong measurements for the right eye lens.

Center Stage Opera

For the last few years, I have been singing with Center Stage Opera, a young company in the San Fernando Valley that puts on absolutely excellent operatic productions, with a full orchestra, under the direction of Brian Onderdunk and y directed by Dyland Thomas  The leads are wonderful young artists, that could all hold their own on major opera stages.  Shira and Dylan Thomas lead this wonderful company, and it has been my privilege to perform with them in four different operas to date.  (There would have been a fifth, Rigoletto, but I got one of my respiratory gems and had to drop out.

A scene from Faust

In 2010 they presented Faust, with an unusal twist.  It was set as if an episode of the Twilight Zone,  and everything was black and white, except for lips.  The sets, the lights, all the costumes and even the makeup were in shades of black and white to create the  effect of the old B&W TV shows.  I think by the last performance I finally got all of the French words in the choruses, which was a mouthful, but the music by Gounod was exquisite.

We had one exciting performance, however,  Our Faust, Liam McLachlan, was singing his most gorgeous opera when all of a sudden the house facade onstage began falling toward him.  Dylan and Alex rushed onstage and literally held it up for the rest of the song.  Liam never missed a beat, but you could hear the audible gasps of the audience.

Faust

That fall we did a concert version of La Traviata, which I loved, because I didn't have to memorize all of the Italian...we were allowed to hold music folders.  Shira gave an amazing performance as Violetta in spite of being quite ill.  The rest of the cast were also wonderful.

In February of 2010 we presented (notice I say 'we' like it was my very own doing) Die Fledermaus, set in a disco in the 70's.  It was fabulous.  Not being a drinker, I asked Dylan if perhaps we could find one of the old green coke bottles, and I could be the designated driver for the evening....he got me the bottle.  For costumes, I just pulled old 70's clothes and my 70's wig out of my closet.  (I used to wear a wig to Church every Sunday during that time.  It was very fashionable.)  I don't think many in the cast were even alive in the 70's other than just as young kids, so I actually brought in a picture of me in one of my loud 70's outfits (and I was trés skinny then, too.).   I teased Dylan that he would never be accused of age discrimination as long as he let me sing in his choruses.

My 70's wig

That was a REAL dress of mine.

I plan to be in the world premiere of Marie's Orchard in June.  It was written expressly for Shira Thomas, Center Stage's prima coloratura.


PS  The fourth one I did was my first with them....Cosi fan tutte.

Carlsbad Reunion

Stone and Jaxon

Just realized that I NEVER did write up our lovely family reunion trip last summer in Carlsbad, CA.  We were lucky enough to be able to secure enough condos for the whole family at the Pacific Palisades resort in Carlsbad last summer.  You may have seen spring pictures of the area.  They have acres of flower fields that bloom on the hill on which the resort sits.

We started our trip July 4th, the perfect time for  GOOD summer beach weather, right?  NOT!  It was cold and dreary that day, but we did have a great vantage point from Audrey's window to watch the Fireworks that night, and in spite of the weather, we had a great day.

The Parry kids

We thought it would get better, because our family has lots of kids and grandkids that would rather do NOTHING more than just spend the day at the beach boogie boarding, but alas, we were not to be so lucky.  During the entire 7 days, the temperature never went above 60, and we NEVER saw the sun, but we didn't let that daunt us. I can't give a day by day blow, because that would be boring, but I can tell you the highlights.

Audrey and Steve at the Pier

Audrey and Matthew

Wesley and Brandon

The first day we headed to the pier in Carlsbad and spent a lovely time walking the pier and ending up with  ice cream.   It wasn't too thrilling, but very atmospheric.  I LOVE piers.  We also spent time at the local outlet mall, where we were madly looking for clothes for the photo shoot that Liz had arranged for us.  Her friend came to the beach and we spent an afternoon taking some amazing family photos...thanks Liz.

Kylie and LaMar

J.J. (Josh)

Wesley and Stone, best buds

I had chartered a catamaran at Captain Dave's Dolphin Safari on which WE would be the only passengers.  Rick, Liz, Carlee, Shay and Madison joined us for this adventure.  (They were also able to stay a couple of nights with us. )When we got there, they decided to upgrade us to the larger catamaran at no extra charge, which was absolutely wonderful.  We had SO much room to run around on. The kids LOVED laying out on the webbing where they could almost touch the water when they put their hands through the holes. I love Captain Dave.  He is truly a man who loves his work.

Madison and Sophia

We had been out quite a while, not having seen even a single Dolphin, when they told us they had spotted a school of dolphins about a mile in one direction, but they had also spotted a blue whale about a mile in a different direction, and they asked us which we wanted.  We chose the whale of course, and everyone went forward to see if

he could be the first to spot the spout.  (My, how poetic.)  With all eyes peeled forward, it was exciting.  I believe Wesley was the first one to see the whale blow as we barreled full speed towards it.

Some people just sat and relaxed.

Notice the excitement

Our whale was probably about 70-80 ft. as estimated by the staff.  We stayed out there with it for about 20-30 minutes, watching it blow and submerge, over and over.  We saw two beautiful flukes, and Matthew got an extraordinary picture of the one fluke.  We were as close as about 20 feet to the whale at times.  It was fun watching the footprint and anticipating where it would resurface.  It was truly an exciting half hour, and the trip back to the dock was full of talk about 'our' whale.

Sophia, Laker and Kylie on the Catamaran

Sea lions

Rick and Liz

The next day we all headed for Sea World, which is one of my favorite theme parks.  I LOVE Shamu and all the other animals.  The rides aren't too shabby, either.  We watched two different Shamu shows, and I think we were able to see almost all of the other shows, plus ride on all the rides.  It was a FUN day.  We had a lot of wet people come off the water ride, however.  I went home drenched.

A lot of wet people

Stone, Jaxon Laker and Kylie

Kristina and Sophia

We had one great BBQ where we commandeered two of the condo's BBQs and cooked an amazing variety of delicious items.    We kind of took turns cooking on the nights we didn't go out.  One day I made graham cracker chocolate goodies with the kids, and they seemed to really enjoy it.  Even 3 year old Luke was able to dip his in the chocolate and have them look good.  They were yummy, to boot.

Lisa and LaMar

Stone and LaMar

On Friday we decided to brave the beach, weather and all, and it wasn't so bad.  The water was not that cold, so the kids actually had a good time boogie boarding.  Laker and Jaxon amazed me with their skills.  I have videos, but can't get them to download to this blog.  Sigh!

As we were going home, I was helping load things into LaMar's car, and in the process, lost my cell phone.  AWFUL!  When I realized I didn't have it, we went back to the beach and searched, and left the information at the lifeguard station in case someone turned it in.  I was so bummed.

Happy Luke

Bundled Wesley

Liz and Evan

Our final morning we stopped at this amazing restaurant for a breakfast you wouldn't believe.  The line of people was huge for ordering, but eventually it was our turn and we ordered and ate our delicious meal.    Then it was onward to home, to await another year where we can again find a good place we can all meet.  (Spence and I added to our Time Share while were were there, buying a small portion of the new Hilton, which is in partnership with Pacific Palisades.  It is called Mar Brisa, and sits right above Legoland, about a mile or two from where we were.

Surfers

Evan, Linda, Spence, Courtney, Audrey and LaMar

Sophia, Luke and Wesley

Brandon

Happy parents

PS..  LaMar and Lisa headed to Leo Carillo for their annual campout, and one day, when they went to move the windshield wiper, guess what they found?  My cell phone...neatly stashed in the little hole beneath the wipers.  It was just fine, and we couldn't believe it.

Texas Reunion

After leaving New Rochelle, and all our kids, we flew to Texas to reunite with so many of our good friends who had the NERVE to up and move from Simi Valley and go to McKinney and Frisco, Texas.  We stayed with our dear friends, Bob and Nancy Wood Zornes, where we did NOT a whole lot.  Well, at least I didn't do a whole lot.  The day after we arrived, the NY cold caught up with me and I just complained a lot for the next 5 days, but Bob kept Spence busier than a bee, fixing and installing and just plain having fun.  I wish I had taken pictures, but, alas....

Doreen, the house guide

The first night there we went to Doreen Neser's house (she shares with Jeff and Amy Dougherty), where Amy had fixed a delicious beef stew and salad for us.  Their house is gorgeous and HUGE!  You could get lost in it without a tour guide, but Doreen made an excellent guide as we found all the interesting rooms including a media room.  I think that is the big thing in Texas....all houses seem to have them.

We then headed back to Nancy and Bob's darling doll house.  It is decorated so cute and just seems to fit them perfectly.  We had the guest room and didn't even have to share with a dog, like they do when they come to Simi Valley....lol.  We had plans of just seeing all the sights around the area, but ended up visiting the Dress Barn, so I could buy some cool clothes.  I didn't anticipate 90 degrees in Texas and had only long sleeved things, except for one Tshirt.  I spent way too much money, but heck, I was on vacation.

We did get a grand tour around the area, and it is really quite lovely and green, but not too much in the way of hills or vales.  Lots of green trees and fields of green grass splice the residential areas together.  Nancy and Doreen only live about a mile apart, but are in different wards and different Stakes.

The Zornes

We went to a charming Farmers Market....only one booth of produce...with several booths of very interesting and delicious items like candy, hot pepper jellies,  gluten free breads, and other delicious bakery items.  We sampled up and down the row.  Met a lady who grew up in Simi Valley who just built a 5 foot chocolate pie for Food Networks' Outrageous Foods.  Small world.  I should have asked if she knew my kids, because they were at Sequoia Jr. High the same time she was.

John and Doreen

We ate at some delightful restaurants including a great bread place, like Panera's and a fun Mexican restaurant called the Jalapeño Tree or something similar.  Yummo.....build your own ice cream softies on the way out..

Amy and Christi

On Saturday night all of us (Doughertys, Zornes, Smiths, Kovach' ) gathered at Christi and Robert Kovach' lovely home for a BBQ which the Zornes had brought in from a REALLY good place.  We were stuffed, and had leftovers enough to feed almost everyone another meal.  This was the only event where I remembered to take pictures, so......Here they are.

On Sunday we went to Church with the Zornes, and I went to two different choir practices with Nancy.  I actually sang for a while with the Ward Choir, and then just went out front and listened.  I really enjoyed the second rehearsal of a sextet.  They had a marvelous blend, and it was so much fun seeing Karen McGregor (another CA transplant I sang with for years in the SCMC), who was directing the group.

By Monday I was really feeling pretty lousy, so I don't think we did much.  Spence and Bob finished installing a laser light in the garage, and I experimented with some of the BBQ leftovers and tried to duplicate a dish I had eaten at Bahios.  I put in way too many jalapeños, however, so we fished them all out, carmelized more onions and then added the meat.  It was a darned good duplication but still a tad TOO spicy for us all.  I am anxious to try it at home again, with less jalapeño....

Late Monday afternoon we headed for the airport via the Frozen Custard shop where we indulged in some delicious stuff.....worth the calories.  We caught our plane for LA without incident and arrived back in Simi Valley about 10 PM that night.  It was a delightful adventure, and boy do I miss all those Texan transplants!

Jeff and Robert

John and June Kovach

Rockin' in New Rochelle

On March 29, Spence and I headed for New Rochelle, NY, for our first trip there in almost two years. Thank goodness for frequent flyer miles. We were met at the airport by Liz and the kids and headed to NYC to meet Evan for dinner at a great Vietnamese restaurant. Evan and Liz ordered a variety of goodies including Goy Doo Doo, or is it Du Du....sounds the same however you spell it, but is it ever delicious. It is a green papaya salad with seared beef, seasoned with a touch of chili and lime juice. It was fun watching 3 yr. old Luke downing it with his chopsticks.

After dinner, we went for yogurt close by, where we built our own cones and sundaes. It was delicious. The ride home was full of talk and catching up, and by the time we hit New Rochelle, it was time to get the kids to bed.

Whenever we travel to NY, Liz and Evan prepare a list of things for Spence to do. He would be bored out of his gourd if he didn't have handyman jobs to keep him busy. I, on the other hand, enjoy relaxing and just hanging out with the kids. He accomplished a WHOLE lot of tasks while we were there which made him happy, and which delighted Liz and Evan.

Liz had arranged for me to play Grandma and visit Wesley's first grade class. We went on Thursday to meet the teacher and decide what I should discuss. They were just finishing up a unit on fish, so the teacher asked me to talk about fish...Why not? I prepared a little introduction, with a review about fish, and that night Evan and I worked on a little DVD with a video of Wesley catching a fish, and then some short videos of our whale watching trip last summer. I know! Whales are NOT fish, but the kids made the transition beautifully discussing the difference between fish and mammals. Alas! the DVD did NOT work in the teachers computer, so I ended up without my BIG visual aid. We made up with it be serving nautical Jello jigglers on a bed of graham cracker sand with a 'wave' of whipped cream. All in all, it was a success....at least for me.

See the worm and the hook?

After school that same day, even though it was freezing cold and windy (about 43 degrees) we headed to a local pond to go fishing with the kids.  Grandpa and kids dug worms out in the back yard for bait, and we loaded the poles and off we went.  Brrr......I was so cold.  Neverthless they baited the hooks and began casting their lines into the pond.  When Wesley cast his line he caught a big one!  Me!!!  His hook came flying back and caught right in my pants.  We had to sacrifice the hook to save my pants, but I figured it was worth it.

Saturday was opening day of soccer season and we literally spent the whole day at the local soccer field, because all three kids were playing.  They do it a bit differently there.  The teams arrive at a given time, have a 30 minute drill/training session with an expert, and then play a 30 minute game.

Wesley's game was first, and he quite impressed me with his skills.  He managed to dribble the ball and make some significant passes and kicks throughout the whole game.  He really seems to enjoy the game a lot.  He has also become quite the skier this winter, as have Sophia and Luke.  They spent many weekends on the mountain during the winter period, honing up their skills and competing in downhill races.  Maybe we will have some future Olympic champions in our family

We took a short break and went back for Sophia's game.  Hers was quite exciting because she scored the first goal of the game and we were all cheering madly.  She definitely has developed some good skills and looks very much at ease on the soccer field.

By this time we were all getting pretty hungry so Liz went out for pizza, and I have NEVER seen such delicious gourmet pizza in my life.  The piece I chose had roasted asparagus, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and mushrooms plus the usual sauce and delicious cheeses. Spence's piece had everything but the kitchen sink on it and was delicious.  Sophias was a white pizza with ricotta cheese, fresh spinach and Mozarella.  I don't know what the others had, because they ate them before i could check them out.  The crusts were thin and crispy....some of the best pizza I have EVER eaten.

Luke's game was the last, and it was a riot.  They were all 3 year olds, or just barely 4, and looked like little ants roaming the field during their drilling session.  I know it might not have been polite to laugh, but they were so adorable running around, not paying much attention at all to the instructors, and occasionally, one of them would actually kick the ball.

When they started their game, it was a whole different ball of wax from the other kids' games.  There were no real rules.  The coaches (multiple for each team...Liz and Evan were Luke's coaches) kept a supply of balls in their hands.  If the ball went out of bounds for whatever reason, one of the coaches simply tossed in a new ball and they started all over.  I really liked the concept.  No urgency for competeteion, but rather just the experience of getting in there and playing.

Luke was a hoot.  I am sure he spent equally as much time falling down and getting up (for no real reason) as he did running and playing.  At one time he even sought solace in Mom's arms, but he was adorable.  All in all it was a wonderful day of soccer, and the weather was pretty good....not too cold.

That evening we all went to dinner at a local Benny Hana type restaurant where the chefs sliced, tossed and stir-fried our dinner right before our eyes.

The kids were definitely tired and ready for an early night after all of this activity and I think the parents and grandparents pretty much felt the same way.

Sunday (and Saturday afternoon) we laid around and watched the broadcast of General Conference from SLC.  As usual, it was very uplifting.  It is always fun when I see my old friend, Bonnie Goodliffe, playing the tabernacle organ, and it is always interesting to see how many of the speakers I actually stay away to hear.

Cheering the Yankees

On Monday, after school was out, we headed to the CITY for Yankee Stadium.  Liz had secured some $5 tickets for us (quite a bargain), and when we got there and were just about headed into the $25 parking structure, the attendant told Liz a spot on the street had just opened up, so we parked for free and headed into the stadium.  It was free ball cap night, courtesy of HR BLOCK, so we all received a Yankees hat.....and to think I have been a Giants fan all these years.  Our seats were almost at the tippy top out in right field, but the vantage point was still excellent.  If we looked to our right, we could see the big screen, and the action on the field, even though fairly far away, was very easy to follow.  Liz headed for hot dogs and I thought she was going to buy one for Spence because he said he wanted one.  I didn't want a hot dog, so I made my own trip down the stairs to see what was available.  I found a booth with Philly Steak Sandwiches with  grilled onions, and I was delighted.  The sandwich was $10.50 (not bad) but the 20 oz bottle of Pepsi was $5.   But the sandwich was HUGE and delicious.  In the meantime, Liz thought I was buying Spence something so poor boy got nothing.  Actually, I think the kids all shared, and he didn't starve.  Evan arrived just about game time, having come directly from work, since he now works  in the city, near Wall Street.  We left a bit early (7th inning) because it was a school night, but all had a good time, except for Spence, who kept saying, "Are we leaving soon?"

On Tuesday, we just kinda tied up loose ends.  Spence finished a couple more small projects, and I did some laundry.  We left on Wednesday for Texas after a lovely week....Thanks, Sophia, for your  bedroom.