First Days of School

School has started in Tennessee and Texas for the grandchildren and Mike.

It is a time of major changes for each of the grandchildren.  Payne is going into the 9th grade(high school), Rheagan is in the 6th grade(middle school), Jackson is also in the 6th grade(junior high school), and Tripp is in kindergarten.  Wow!!

Rheagan started school on August 4th!

Tripp was not too thrilled to go for to his “phase-in” day…

but a couple of days later, on August 12th, when it was time for school to begin for “real”, he was ready!

Payne and Jackson started their classes on August 22nd.

Mike’s classes at Lee University started today, August 25th.

Now everyone is in their places with bright, shiny faces!

Wordless Wednesday

Texas Grandsons

Here are a couple of pictures that I confiscated from their mother!

J was playing a basketball against some amazonions!  He is the one in black between the two giants in white.  But they won!!

P took his driving test this week for his learner’s permit.  (He should be starting kindergarten, not driving!)  It was taken from a cell phone and doesn’t enlarge well at all.  He had just gotten a Subway and had to stop for the paparazzi before he put on his seat belt!

Boy, Is It Dry!

We have really been experiencing a period of drought here in East Tennessee. Even the weeds have wilted!

It’s too early for the leaves to be falling, but they are due to the dry conditions. I’m afraid that our Fall may not be too pretty this year.

I realize that other parts of the country are experiencing drought, excessively high temperatures, and some even too much rain. I guess we have to take what Mother Nature gives us.

Happy Birthday

A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY shout out to the oldest grandson!

Have a great day and a wonderful first year in high school!

Thursday

After breakfast we checked out of the hotel, went to a Literary Seminar and then to a Props Seminar.

We had a great time and were a little sad to leave such a beautiful campus.

We had a Subway sandwich for lunch and then drove to Las Vegas where we dropped J & D off at the airport for their flight home. The temperature in Vegas was much hotter than in Cedar City.

For supper we went to an old favorite.

We then stopped by Ethel M’s where Mike was the plant manager when we lived here.

Wednesday

Here is the banner from Richard III that didn’t get put on last night.

After another delicious breakfast we went to the Literary Seminar where there was discussion on the plays that we saw yesterday.

Then we had the Actor Seminar where 2 of the actors came and had Q and A with the audience. These were the actors from The Music Man yesterday and they were delightful.

The reason for the change of background is that it began to rain and we had to go inside for the rest of it. The actors today were Harold Higgins and Marion, the librarian from The Music Man.

The afternoon play was The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. Boy, was this play a downer! It is the story of a dysfunctional family: a mother, daughter, and son. the mother is continually reliving her youth as a southern belle, the son is stuck in a job he hates, and the daughter is so shy she won’t leave the house. At the end of the play, the mother is still reliving her youth, the daughter has had a visit from an old high school male friend, but after he leaves to go to his girl friend, she reverts back to her shy self, and the son has left home. Nothing is resolved; but life goes on.

For supper, we went to a Thai restaurant and had a great dinner with appetizers, entrees and desserts.Fried bananas…reminded us of Whataburger fried pies!!We had another opportunity to interact with actors while we were having supper. The actor who portrayed Richard III ate at the table next to us and we enjoyed conversation with him. Before we left, one of the fathers from R&J came in with friends. It's always good to see them out and be able to compliment them on their performances.

Tonight’s play was Romeo and Juliet.

It rained a couple of times but the play continued. The play is a story of two feuding families and a couple of young lovers, one from one family one from the other. As everyone knows, the young lovers die at the end of the play.

Tuesday

This morning after a wonderful breakfast of eggs, sausage, oatmeal, biscuits and gravy, waffles, juices, etc. we went to the Literary Seminar to hear discussion on the plays we saw yesterday.Some men found it a good time for their morning nap!

We went to the Costume Seminar before we went to the Curtain Call Luncheon. We got to eat and then have 3 of the actors sit and talk to us and answer questions from the attendees.

After the orientation, we went to see The Music Man, which was a great story and a great production. It is story of a con man traveling salesman who hoodwinks a town into buying instruments and unforms for a town band. Part of his promise to the town was to teach the band members to play their instruments. The con was that he could not play or teach music. The con falls apart when he falls in love with the town librarian. Just before the con man is to be run out of town, the band marches in their uniforms miraculously playing their instruments, the town is pleased, and the former con man has the person he loves.

We ate bar-b-que for supper…very good.

Tonight we saw Richard III and it was a very dark, bloody, and hard to follow play. The play is about the English King, Richhard III's ascention to the throne and his demise. He became the king only after killing his two older brothers and their male children, marrying one of his brothers widows, and hoodwinking the clergy. Unfortunately for Richard, he loses most of his supporters during his villianious rise to power, and is killed in a battle with his successor, Henry VII. As the play ends, no one mourns Richard"s death.

Monday

This morning we walked before we drove to Mesquite where we had breakfast at a casino.

We drove through some beautiful desert and gorges on our way to Cedar City.Our first play today was Noises Off, great farce.

After a wonderful supper at a steak house where there are numerous hummingbird feeders…

we checked into the hotel, unpacked and headed back to the Festival. Tonight we saw A Midsummer Nights Dream. Such fun!

It’s been a long, but fun day. We are off to bed with no explanations of the plays…sorry!!

now Mike will add...

"Noises Off" is a farce that deals with what is going on behind the scenes as a play is being acted out on stage. It deals with personal interactions, timing of stage events, props that don't work, and general mayham.

"Midsummer Night's Dream" is probably shakespeare's best known comedy. It is about lovers that can't get together and how they finally get together with the aid of faries. The play is set in an enchanted forest where the faires have the power to make wrong things right.

Sunday, July 31st

Since we have adjusted to Pacific time yet, we woke up early and were able to take a 45 minute walk and stop at Mickey D’s for breakfast.

We got ready for church and decided to go to Green Valley first…and we enjoyed getting to visit with several friends that we knew from when we went to church there. 

Then we drove to a local high school where Hope Baptist Church meets while they are in transition until a new facility is built.And there we even saw an old friend from Green Valley who now attends Hope!

We drove to a familiar Mexican restaurant for lunch and had a delicious buffet.

We picked up our friends at the airport and then we went to a restaurant in the Venetian Hotel, Otto’s, … great food, just forgot a picture of us and the food!