Saturday Night Concert...

 

 

Saturday night was a night to remember. We scored tickets to the Vince Gill concert in Milwaukee at the Riverside Theater. First, the theater is a wonderful, intimate venue and second, we were seeing someone we hadn't seen in over forty years.

When Handsome and I were first dating in the early 1980s, he took me to a county fairgrounds north of home. There, we watched a young band perform while standing on a hay wagon as their stage. We were able to stand within twenty feet of the band (it certainly wasn't a packed venue), and we spent a memorable sunny afternoon listening to great music.

That band was Pure Prairie League, and the lead singer was a 23 (or so) year old named Vince Gill. He was already a great writer and performer, and had a voice like an angel. I remember going home and listening to a cassette tape of their music until the tape wore out.

 

 

A week ago, Handsome told me that Vince would be performing in Milwaukee this last weekend. Did I want to go? Heck, yeah! He got tickets, and we drove to The Riverside for a night of beautiful music and rekindled memories.

I will say we weren't the only ones. As we sat in row W from the front (by the alphabet, that's twenty three rows from the stage), I scanned the audience. There were a lot of white and grey-haired heads bobbing up and down to the music - just like we were.

 

Handsome and I have had a few "our" songs through the years. The Long and Winding Road was the processional for our wedding. Mel Torme's What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life is another. Then, there's always Anne Murray's Can I Have This Dance. 

Saturday night, Handsome and I looked at each other as we listened to another song. One we hadn't heard before. Sunday morning, I asked him if he remembered the title of "that one song", and sure enough, he did. It struck us both the same way, and our newest "our" song is "Look At Us". 

I brought it up on my iPad, and we ran the music through our little Bose speaker for better sound. We both stood looking at each other with tears in our eyes. If you know us, you know it's a perfect song for the two of us - even after forty four years together, married forty one of them. If you're interested, you can Google Vince Gill "Look At Us", or pull it up on iTunes to listen to it. You may even find it's a perfect song for you and your sweetheart, too!

Our musical taste runs from jazz to pop to country - and a lot in between. The only requirement is that it be "good music". Vince's concert was filled with just that. You know it's good when the band is having a great time, right along with the audience.

He told great stories (mentioning more than once that he's sixty eight years old now), has a wonderful sense of humor, and writes the best music. It was like seeing an old friend again, except that he has no idea who we are. All I know for sure is that he's a part of Handsome's and my story, and it's a concert we'll never forget. 

No Canning Today...

 

My sister, Diana surprised us with a visit yesterday. She arrived right after Handsome helped me unload nearly two bushels of pears from the tractor to carry them into the farmhouse. I had already started setting up my canning supplies, and washed the pears for peeling and cutting.

After watching me hand peel the pears for about three pounds-worth, Di asked why I wasn't using my Pampered Chef tool called the "apple peeler, corer, slicer". Handsome calls it my potato lathe. When I explained that I didn't want to use it to core the pears because of their sometimes irregular shape, she informed me that that feature can be disengaged. (She's my Pampered Chef consultant, too.) Knowing that I, too, store seldom used appliances and tools in the basement - just as she does - she said, "Go downstairs and bring it back up. I'll show you how to do it." 

Well, I fairly pranced downstairs to get it, and after turning one screw, and turning the corer out of the way, I loaded up my first pear, peeled it and was perfectly giddy. This was going to save me a lot of time and sore thumbs. So, I got to cranking the pears. Di peeled off anything that was left from the "lathe", and Handsome cut up the pears and tossed them into a bowl with citric acid and water to keep the pears from turning brown. We got our system going and before we knew it, we'd prepared twenty pounds for canning.

Di had to leave shortly after we got all those pears peeled, but I kept going by making the light syrup and adding pears in small loads. Once they were cooked in the syrup for five minutes, I filled the jars and then put them into my electric water bath canner. I could only get eight or nine jars in at a time, but they only needed to process for twenty five minutes, so I just ran two loads in the canner.

The result is this beautiful array of finished pears for the pantry...and I still have 3/4 of a bushel yet to do. As it's supposed to get into the high 90s today, canning will not be on my agenda. As Tag told you, he and I will be attending Handsome's last concert this evening. Di is going to join us, along with some of my nieces and nephews. We're all looking forward to it. You'll read all about it next week when you get to see it from his ground level point of view. (hee hee, Tag. I saw your 'old people' joke yesterday!)

Time to check the garden, take care of the kitties, and then figure out how to keep cool if it's really going to be that hot today. I may need to spend some of that time in the studio, enjoying a little craft therapy. What are you doing today?

 

A Most Special Day...

Brynwood Needleworks - Handsome and Me

 

For the past forty years, Handsome and I have been enthusiastic supporters of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. We enjoyed attending concerts for many seasons prior to moving to Florida, and have attended more than a few special concerts since our return. 

 

Before we moved back, we had begun reading about the MSO purchasing this property, and turning it into their new home. So, when we were offered a private tour of the facility, we jumped at the opportunity!

Brynwood Needleworks - Bradley Symphony Center Grand Lobby

 

The new home of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra is a former historic downtown landmark, the Warner Grand Theater. The entire building harkens back to the Art Deco period, and this lobby immediately transports you to that era.

Our entry into the historic section of the new Bradley Symphony Center leads directly into the breathtaking Schmitz Family Grand Lobby (named for the family who sponsored the renovation of this area). While the ceiling resembles tin tiling, it's actually restored, painted plaster work. The soaring ceilings and all light fixtures are original (or in the case of damaged lights, completely restored to replicate the original).

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Concert Hall

 

When we entered the main concert hall, we actually gasped. This photograph really doesn't capture the oppulence and detail of the murals and trim. The decor is reminiscent of a French palace.

 

From this vantage point, we could actually hear the conversations of the workmen on the stage! That's how truly wonderful the acoustics are.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Concert Hall Hanging Light

 

I took many photographs of light fixtures. (You can see them hanging on each side of the main stage in the panoramic photo.) There are two fixtures like these in the main concert hall. We thought they looked like bees, and they're huge! All the lights throughout the building were breathtaking.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Modern Section of Bradley Symphony Center

 

As you pass from the west side of the building, past the Art Deco elevators, the wall opens to the newer east section of the building. There are more soaring ceilings, an entry from the street for ticket holders, and gathering areas for intermissions - with concession areas. This large area (as well as a matching area on the second floor) will be open to the public for weddings and other social gatherings when the Symphony isn't performing.

Brynwood Needleworks - Occulus Above The Staircase

 

At the top of the massive spiral staircase is an occulus that visually opens to the Milwaukee sky. I'm guessing that this staircase/occulus area is easily thirty feet in diameter, which is in keeping with the grandeur of the space. 

 

There are six more floors above this level, housing classrooms, an extensive music library, rehearsal rooms, and offices, but this is as high as we went.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - "Fritzed" Windows

Our personal guide, Daniel, made sure we saw a hidden secret on the salon level. He wanted us to see the windows up close, as he described them as "fritzed". If you stand within a foot or so of them, you'll see names of musicians and composers embedded in the glass...from floor to ceiling. Handsome and I stood there quite a while, pointing out names to each other. Isn't that a cool feature? We sure thought so.

 

You can imagine just how special this tour was to us as music-lovers, but also for Handsome as a musician. We're anxiously awaiting the return of live music events, and are really looking forward to attending concerts when the MSO begins playing in their new home. 

Scotty McCreery Concert...

Scotty McCreery in West Bend, Wisconsin

I went to a Scotty McCreery concert last night. Scotty first performed in Wisconsin when he flew from North Carolina to Milwaukee, to audition for American Idol.  He returned to sing at the Washington County Fairgrounds in West Bend, WI.

I attended the concert with my BFF, Lee, who got us seating in Row G of the closest area for fans. Scotty didn't disappoint. He sang for nearly two hours straight!

McCreery Concert Crowd

The weather was perfect, even on the cool side, but definitely nicer for performers under the lights. The crowd was huge, too!

Scotty McCreery Signing Autographs

 

After all the work Scotty did to entertain us, he was even gracious enough to sign autographs afterward. (A lot of boots made their way to the stage!) I think I can safely say that no one went away unhappy. I took lots of photos, but it will take me quite a while to sort through them. (I know. It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it!)

If you ever get a chance to watch this 24 year old (now "married"), young man perform, please go! You won't regret it. We sure didn't.