Goldi. B. Locks

Last evening was the final performance of Fairytale Opera in the Park. The opera is a yearly endeavor (except for last year, of course) of Opera South Dakota, an organization which exists to acquaint South Dakotans with opera. ¶ Opera is not something that springs to mind immediately when one thinks of South Dakota. That is the raison d’être for Opera South Dakota, to provide operatic experiences for our citizens so that they may become acquainted with and enjoy opera. I was privileged to sit on the board of the organization for a term.

¶ One of those experiences provided is this annual summer event designed to reach children and, incidentally, their parents. Many years there is an opportunity to have children in the chorus so they can actually be in an opera instead of just watching. It is also a chance for our local operatically inclined singers to have a chance to perform. ¶ This year’s production was Goldie B. Locks and the Three Singing Bears. You would know the plot well enough. Enough comedy is included that the evening remains light. There was a warm up session so the crowd could learn to applaud and shout “bravo.” The choruses and solos are all based on familiar operatic choruses or arias. The four characters performed well. ¶ Opera in the Park is produced in the McKennan Park Bandshell. The park was a donation from Helen McKennan. She was an early land speculator in Sioux Falls. Her mansion formerly stood on this large piece of city land. She recognized the need for parks in a growing city which prompted her to make a gift of twenty acres of her land for a park, now named in her honor. ¶ This park is one of the most beautiful in the city. There are tennis courts, a wading pool, horseshoe courts, a sunken garden (popular for weddings) and the bandshell, plus a lot of green-space. Much time and effort is expended by Parks and Rec in planting, mowing, and care for the horticulture. ¶ Directly across Second Avenue from the park is the former home of one of grand dames of Sioux Falls. Sylvia Henkin was the daughter of a rabbi. She and her husband built a broadcasting empire in this city which also included a movie theater or two. Everyone knew Sylvia. She

was a constant presence at any downtown event. With nary a drop of Irish blood, she was, nevertheless, chosen as the Grand Marshall of the first St. Patrick’s Day parade. I had the privilege of teaching some of her grandchildren, one of whom appeared on the Broadway stage in “The Producers.” ¶ I was reminded of Sylvia (who always remembered me with a flamboyant greeting) when I arrived early for the aforementioned opera. I wondered around the park for a time and paused by the bust of Helen McKennan. People in this city sometimes will donate a park bench in memory of a relative or friend. The city places a plaque thereon commemorating the person. Looking for a place to sit for a bit, there was a bench with a plaque simply saying “Sylvia.” I knew immediately the woman who was honored. Although many might find it unusual not to include the last name of the deceased, it seemed perfectly appropriate to me. Most everyone, and they are legion, would immediately know it was Sylvia Henkin. Sitting thereon one can look across the park and see her former home. Rest in peace Sylvia. Thanks for all you have done for our city.

¶ We’ve had rain today, softly and gently falling which is very welcome. We’ve also had a few day’s break from the oppressive heat. It has actually been a pleasure to take a stroll outside. ¶ I had the privilege of hosting a tour of alumni from the former high school which is now the Washington Pavilion. This was the group’s fortieth get-together. It was enjoyable hearing the remarks about former teachers and places they remembered from our walk through the building. ¶ The week has passed in a blur. I’ve put in quite a lot of time on the organ bench preparing for tomorrow. This afternoon a friend had a coffee for some former teachers. It was so good to be able to get together again and enjoy one another’s company. My health has been wonderful, for which I am most grateful. This allows me to treasure every day. ¶ Many thanks for your thoughts and prayers and the constant reminders that you are thinking of me.

Good News!

This past week was infusion week which went along as expected. TUG has mended her ways and is promptly delivering the needed medication without making unforeseen detours. ¶ The good news came on Thursday. I needed to appear at the Imaging Center at 7:15 to have my port accessed and undergo an MRI. That instrument of torment has to be the loudest collection of pot banging, atrociously loud buzzing and enormous clicking sounds every created. Even though ear plugs are provided and sponges placed over the ears, the sound is still mind boggling. Once in a while the attendant’s voice comes through, “are you doing okay?” It is just something to be endured. ¶ The results of this torture were presented at 11 that morning when I paid my visit to the radiation oncologist. He told me that the four little spots which

appeared on the last scan had disappeared and the major lesion was no longer growing but shrinking in size. That means the gamma knife procedure was effective and I don’t have to worry about brain cancer for the near future. I will continue to have an MRI every three months with a follow up appointment to make sure there are no new sightings of “blips in the brain.” This was a great relief. After hearing the news I finally relaxed for the first time in weeks. Obviously the results of the gamma knife were weighing upon me. I am very thankful that the results are positive. ¶ Now I look forward to two weeks vacation from chemo, trips to the Cancer Center, and waits for TUG to make her delivery. It was pleasant to have friends visit me while the infusions were taking place. Having someone with whom to converse makes the time pass so much faster. I’m grateful for the company. ¶ Right now I hear a bit of thunder in the distance. We are supposed to have a rainstorm about 6 PM. (This is Saturday.) It has been so hot and dry that the river flow is decreased. The city has not mandated watering restrictions more severe than usual but the warning signs are there that they could be put in place if water comes not from the heavens. There was little snowmelt this year and little rain.

¶ Sophia received two types of grass from her friend this week. She’s fond of the wheat grass and not so sure about the oat grass. New things take a while for the feline to accept them. Change is frightening for the ritualistic cat who wants everything done the same way at the same time every day, please and thank you. ¶ It’s hollyhock time in the garden and they are spectacular this year. So far the Japanese beetles have not appeared on the scene. Those pesky things really did a number on the hollyhocks last year. The goatsbeard in the back garden is in bloom. I love the lacy finger-like flowers, white against the dark green. ¶ On WednesdayI attended the funeral of a friend with whom I taught towards the end of my career. She was a wonderful teacher and loved by her students. The

size of the crowd was a testimony to her care for her students. The church, fairly large, was nearly full. She had never married. Her three brothers and families were there. Otherwise the congregation was made up of former teachers, principals, supervisors, parents and students. It was heartwarming. I know how kind she was to me when I taught in the same building. May she rest in peace and rise in glory. ¶ Thank you for everything, the calls, the emails, the cards, the prayers and the thoughts are precious to me. I am grateful beyond words.

Variety Is the Spice of Life

Or so “they” say. And we have had variety this week from scorching hot temperatures to those considered to be much more moderate. After some days of near 100º we enjoyed high 70s and mid 80s. Life is much more pleasant when one does not feel under the broiler when venturing out. Actually one is not fearful of venturing out when one is not broiled upon exiting. ¶ The natal day has been celebrated twice more this week. Some friends with whom I used to serve at Bishop Dudley House took me out for lunch on Monday. It was very good to see them again after a year and a half.

¶ Another group of friends hosted me on Wednesday. Part of this group were traveling companions on a couple of college choir tour trips that I was privileged to take. In the “old days” when colleges planned trips they would contract for more passengers than the choir required. That allowed others to join the trips for a very reasonable price and, most likely, allowed the choir members to travel dirt cheap. We recalled some memories of Paris, Prague, the German Alps, and Venice. It was a lovely time with good conversation food and wine. ¶ One of those choir members is now one of two finalists for Sioux Falls’ Chief of Police. Having worked with him in the Singing Boys, I find it hard to believe that he is all grown up and in line for a prestigious position. I’m proud of him. ¶ All of the plants are growing well, enjoying the sunshine and the healthy rain we had a couple of nights ago. That 1¼ inches really helped the recovery from the days of extreme heat. The tradescantia is in bloom. The hostas in the back garden are flourishing. They do not seem to be high on the menu for the rabbits this year. I know not what the bunnies are eating but they seem to be leaving the hostas alone. ¶ There is no sign of the landscapers yet. I’m getting rather anxious to see that project begun and finished. It’s a busy time of year for those workers. I know they will get here when possible. It’s kind of like a child waiting for Christmas to arrive. It never happens soon enough.

¶ Next week is infusion week. I also have an MRI on Thursday which will reveal what is going on in my cranium. I always experience a bit of apprehension which comes from not knowing what may be found. The radiation oncologist was certain that all the little problems could be solved in one gamma knife treatment. That was before more little problems cropped up than were expected. I’m sure everything will be fine. I will be more sure after the results of the MRI are in before noon on Thursday. ¶ The staff at the Prairie Center is just fantastic. I look forward to seeing them again. The infusions are painless and usually have no side effects. It’s the waiting for the pharmacy that drags out the process and makes me slightly irritable. I know they have to be careful and make sure everything is done correctly. They are working with some pretty toxic stuff designed to kill off whatever is growing in your body. I would not want them to be less than careful.

¶ It will be interesting to see if TUG has mended her ways or if she is still trying to go places no robot has gone before. By the end of my last infusion week she seemed to be willing to follow directions. Perhaps she has learned her lesson. ¶ Summer substitute positions are in need of filling. If I thought I would be bored, I won’t be. I’m at the altar and in the pulpit tomorrow, on the organ bench in a couple of weeks, repeat the altar/pulpit thing in July a couple of times, then three Sundays on the bench in August. When I don’t think I have anything else to do I’d better be practicing, or working on homilies. ¶ Thanks for all your prayers, thoughts, messages and kindnesses. You are wonderful people and I can’t express how much I appreciate you and all you do.

What Was Isn’t

Last week I commented on the rather coolish temperatures we were experiencing. Today the high temperature will be 97º! I’m not worrying about cool temps any longer. As has been opined by many, if you don’t like the weather wait a couple of days. ¶ A long time, dear friend died the week after Easter. This past week was the time set for her “formal” funeral and burial. The funeral was in Lead at historic Christ Church. It is a lovely, ancient building on the edge of a precipice (as is everything in Lead). In spite of its age it has been lovingly cared for. ¶ I wanted to do something for this dear friend so I volunteered to officiate at the funeral. This would take me back to the Black Hills for the first time since my brother died 12 years ago. ¶ I drove to Rapid City on Monday. I was being careful not knowing how tired I would be after last week’s chemotherapy. This gave me a chance to visit my parents’ graves, and to walk by my former grade school (Jefferson) which is now an administration building for the school district.

¶ In addition I walked by the house in which I grew up. It is gray now. When I lived there it was white. It is also much, much smaller than I remember it being. Aging must alter the size of things remembered. ¶ On Tuesday I traveled to Lead stopping on the way to visit my grandparents’ graves in the cemetery at Black Hawk. It is a small plot of ground. I remembered it from my youth as being rather uncared for. The pleasant surprise is that it is now beautifully maintained and quite tidy. ¶ Tuesday evening was spent in reunion with the family of my friend. They had traveled from New Mexico, Colorado, North Dakota and Minnesota. There was a lot of chatter and catching up. ¶ The funeral was at 9 on Wednesday morning. The service had been well planned. The church organist was a long time friend of the family but she was not feeling well at all. A more than adequate substitute and an equally good friend did a wonderful job on the hymns and other music. ¶ Following the service there was a brunch at the church. The internment was scheduled for 1:00 at the National Cemetery. Each family is allowed one half-hour for the committal. If one is not on time the service must be shortened because the next group will be waiting. Everything takes place in the chapel. The actual burial is done following the committal and the family is not allowed to be present. They are told how long the burial will take and that they can come and visit the grave after that.

¶ That evening I enjoyed dinner with a recently ordained deacon whom I know from singing with her in the Cathedral Choir. She will be the rector when she has been ordained priest in a few more months. ¶ Thursday was the scheduled trip back to Sioux Falls. My friend whose wife we buried the day previous rode back with me so he could visit his Sioux Falls relatives and friends. That gave us a chance to catch up on everything, more or less. ¶ The bird “event” is complete. It turns out that they were house finches and not wrens, as previously thought. The last of the babies left the nest today. All that remains is the nest mess. At least the wreathe can be changed. I do believe the “nested wreath” will be consigned to the landfill. ¶ Sophia managed the absence of her servant with the aid of a “sitter.” She was happy to see me return but has been a little distant just to let me know that I

should not think about being away again. ¶ The driving across the state did not bother me. It’s good to know I can do it if need be. I’ve felt well. Next week is chemo free. Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts. I am grateful.

It Might Be May…

It might well be May by the calendar, but the temps the last couple of days have felt more like October. After several pleasant days the mercury plunged. The forecast for overnight has been in the high 30s with not much more than 65 for the day temps with wind. We’ve also had a good deal of rain. I measured 1.25 inches one night. Anyway, I’m back to using the fireplace in the evening. It feels good to have the warmth. ¶ The “front door” birds are growing like crazy and making a big mess. Last week they just had fluff. This week the have all their feathers. It is unbelievable how fast they mature. I expect they will be leaving soon. I assume they will not clean up their mess so that will be left for me to do.

¶ Much excitement in the infusion center this week. I’ve written about TUG before. This is robot that the pharmacy uses to deliver the medicine. I guess there are two of them so I don’t want to cast aspersions on the well behaved one. The other, on Tuesday, decided to try to enter one of the larger infusion rooms that also has bed as well as the recliner found in every room. One of the nurses tried to dissuade TUG from entering but it was determined. After a period of pouting in the hallway it finally went on its way. ¶ The next day errant TUG went down a small hallway that has access to two restrooms. In the process it trapped one of the patients in the restroom with her IV pole and all. Not polite TUG!

¶ The following day TUG proceeded to the manager’s office, a place where it is not proper for it to go. This day and the previous, pharmacy was suffered to come and retrieve its beast. There is a leash which can be pulled from the lower front so TUG can be led where it wishes not to go. It’s amusing to see the robot obediently following the pharmacist back to its home. ¶ By Friday all the hijinks must have played out. TUG was very well behaved and quite prompt. It evidently got quite a scolding from its handler. It is quite something to see these machines traveling about the hospital and infusion center delivering their goods to the appropriate places (mostly!). If someone tries to enter the elevator with TUG, it politely says “I prefer to ride alone.” ¶ Extended TUG tales are evidence of the fact that the week of infusions is rather boring. One looks for entertainment wherever it may be available. This week I had company for two of my five infusions which considerably shortened the time. Just having someone to speak with makes the waiting and infusion fly by. ¶ All of my tests were good with no apparent causes for concern. I had some swelling in my left ankle but that seems to have righted itself without medical intervention.

¶ Friday was the celebration of the natal day. It’s really hard to believe I’ve been alive that long. Facebook suggested a fundraiser for my birthday. I opted for that to raise money to provide lunches for children. It was a blessing that my $250 goal was exceeded by about $1100. Thanks to the generous folks who donated to make a child’s life a bit brighter and allowed an old man to realize, once again, what wonderful friends he has. ¶ That’s about it for the week. I’ve enjoyed watching all those things planted last week grow. I’ve enjoyed seeing the weeds disappear, thanks to helping hands. ¶ Thank you for your concern, thoughts, and prayers. They are appreciated more than you will ever know.

We Did It!

Thanks to the help of a good friend, all those plants purchased last week are now part of the garden or in the pots on the deck. When I say “all those plants” that means more than 80 of them. It’s early for me. As I recall last year it was well into June before I was motivated to do the garden thing. ¶ Many of the plants are already growing and helping to make things beautiful. There are lots of colors, shapes and sizes which, I think, makes for an interesting display.

¶ There are also a good number of weeds which have been dealt with as well, again thanks to my gardening friend. It is truly amazing how those unwelcome things can grow almost overnight. In reality the main difference between a weed and a plant is its desirability. One wants the “plant” to grow. One does not want the weed to grow. They are both plants. There is really only that difference. ¶ On the privacy panel near the front door there is usually a wreath of some kind. The Christmas wreathe is an evergreen of some sort. Some of the seasons only get a bare twig wreath. The early spring wreath is twigs with a few (fake) flowers. I was about to change it when I noticed an addition to said wreath. A wren had built a nest in the bottom of the wreath and there were five tiny eggs therein.

¶ Upon examination the next day some of the little birds had hatched. They were basically bare naked with just a bit of fluff. In the following days the fluff increased and they had grown. One of the little ones had decided to leave the nest when his mother was not around. I was fearful of picking him up and hoped he would find his way back. Sadly, he was found in the flower pot below the next day so we conducted a mini burial for the poor thing. ¶ Today when we were photographing the nest all of these beaks (4 of them) appeared with wide open mouths. It is just amazing how fast they’ve grown. Mother has been very busy. Unfortunately for her, it’s right next to the front door so she flees for safety every time the door is used. ¶ Several birds have begun enjoying the bird bath. Sophia is quite interested in their antics in the water. The lilacs are in bloom and very fragrant. It is wonderful to see the leaves on the trees again. ¶ Last Sunday’s labors on the organ and piano went just fine. This Sunday I need to sing. Next Sunday I will play once again. ¶ Next week is chemo week. I’ve been feeling fine. Chemo week is not something to which I look forward. I’m so grateful it doesn’t bother me very much at all.

¶ It is wonderful to be able to get together with others again. All of those with whom I come in contact have been vaccinated. I still wear a mask when in a store even though many stores have taken down their “wear a mask” signs. Hopefully those who have not been vaccinated will get that done soon so we can return to normal life. ¶ Thank you for all your prayers and kind thoughts. I treasure your support and know it is lifting me up, keeping me safe, and filling my heart with gratitude. Please do have a wonderful week.

Blood On the Floor

There is nothing to get excited about. I’m just referring to a drop of blood on the floor in front of the dishwasher. Upon seeing it one wonders from whence it came. Upon further investigation I discovered it was my arm that was bleeding. Somehow I managed to scrape my arm. One of the things that comes from chemotherapy is fragile skin. I suppose it has something to do with the multiplication of skin cells. The reason for the hair loss in cancer treatment is the functioning of the chemo in preventing the growth of the fastest growing cells. Among those cells are cancer cells, hair cells, and I’m venturing a guess here, skin cells. I notice that my usage of bandaids has increased. ¶ We’ve had beautiful weather for the better part of the week. One day brought some much needed rain. The sun has been out. Things are growing rapidly, in particular the

lovely yellow flowers that pop up in the middle of the lawn. ¶ Monday’s road trip included a trip to McCrory Gardens in Brookings. This is a botanical garden in connection with SDSU. It is rather early to appreciate all the gardens have to offer but they do have a tulip show which was very nice. ¶ Following the inspection of the gardens, a stop was made at Medary Acres Greenhouse, a very large operation with many temptations. I was tempted and returned to Sioux Falls with an auto full of things to be planted. ¶ Tuesday and Wednesday and were occupied by other duties, so the flowers waited patiently. On Friday, following my Pavilion duties. the auto headed toward Iowa, to a locally famous greenhouse in the city of Alvord. If you’ve not heard of this metropolis you would not be the only one. Actually we never found the town but we did find the greenhouse on a dirt road. ¶

Said facility is huge and presented another temptation to purchase even more things to plant. It now seems that one must cease buying things to plant and actually to begin planting the things purchased. Part of today was spent doing that very thing. There is still much more to do, however, so there will be no leisure for a few days as I try very hard to avoid greenhouses! I’m very grateful for a friend who enjoys gardening and is helping me in the endeavor. ¶ Considerable time has been spent at the keyboard, both the 88 key variety of the piano and the 61 key variety of the organ. I’m to play at the Cathedral tomorrow. That has required considerable time. If one were to play weekly it would be much easier. In my situation of random substitute gigs, a lot of time goes to warming up and relearning some of the basics before one can even begin to practice. Hopefully, all will go well. A new crop of wheatgrass arrived this week, much to the delight of Sophia. She was so excited she uttered an exclamation began chomping away.

¶ I’ve felt well all week. No chemo this week and next. I am so grateful that I have these two week “rest” periods. This allows my body to repair itself somewhat from the onslaught of poison dumped into my veins every third week. ¶ Thank you for all of your prayers, thoughts, messages, and kindnesses. I am supported by them each day. I feel my plans have been made for the next week–planting flowers.