Dee in the Newspaper

Well we got a couple of inches of snow during the last two days and the temps have been in the teens and low 20s - burrr. I think I'm ready for spring. Yesterday's Cranberry Eagle printed a picture of one of our quartets. Dee is in the photo as the recipient of the singing valentine (see photo from Feb. 11 on this blog) I had sent several pictures to the paper with an article, but they just printed one photo and it was that one. Still, Dee became the hero at her workplace because the photo description identified them as being at her store. Nice.

We had another visit by the GIANT raccoon on Tuesday night. So on Wednesday at Rotary I asked if anyone know what to do with a raccoon. One of the people at my table said, "My husband loves to trap them and remove them." I couldn't believe it, but there was the answer I wanted to hear. She said he'd be willing to come over and set a trap with an apple and peanut butter. So, on Thursday he came over with his cage trap that has a trap door that closes behind the critter when he goes for the apple. We set it out last night. But the cold and snow likely deterred the raccoon from wandering much last night. So it'll be interesting to see how this develops. I can see the trap outside my basement window as I look over the computer monitor.

I've been doing some reading about the Barbershop Harmony Society, it's history, it's offerings and ways to promote it within our community. I'm learning it's a process and that there is a cumulative effect as you stay with it and get your group's name before the public.

A Nice Day of Connecting

Yesterday I attended the Mars ministerium meeting at Glade Run Presbyterian Church on route #8. We planned the Friday Lenten luncheons series that will take place at the Mars UP church. We also talked about the Easter Sunrise service scheduled for 6:30 AM at the Mars Home for Youth. It's a good group of pastors who , encourage one another when feeling low and support one another in prayer. A couple of them are feeling exhausted and ready for a break. (Note: we clergy do tend to be workaholics.) It's interesting for me to sit back and realize what some of them are going through and how they feel about what the do. There were times I felt the same way. It was good way back when to be reminded to do some "self-care" if I wanted to be more effective in the long run.

From there I had some photos printed at Giant Eagle, and then went to the Chamber of Commerce networking luncheon. They are fun. It's interesting to hear how business people represent themselves to the public and to one another as they have 60 seconds to get their message across. I thanked them for their support of singing valentines and circulated two photo albums of pictures of the people we delivered the singing valentines to. (Here are a couple of more photos. Click photo to enlarge.)

Later Dee and I went to Barnes and Nobel and hung out, did some reading and had a coffee. I looked at some books recommended at the luncheon earlier in the day by Jeff Gitomer. He writes about how to sell and present your best foot forward. Good stuff. I have decided I'm going to work on a series of 60 spots for the Bogmeisters to use at the luncheons when I have my turn to represent the group and say what we do. Some of the people there are creative in their approach, and I like that. I'll see what I can come up with rather then the way I've been doing it. On the other hand, some of the people there say the exact thing every week (since there are new people in attendance each week too) and it's good to be reminded, BUT why not be creative and say something that hooks them, scratches where they itch, or makes them want to hear more or even tell someone else about "the Bogmeisters."

By the way, I don't know if I mentioned this before, but our Greater Cranberry Men's Barbershop Chorus is going top sing the National Anthem at a Pirates' game at PNC park on July 19 (a Sunday) at the 1:35 game with the SF Giants. Cool huh? We have a special code number for people who want to get a discount on tickets for the game. (We'll have to sell 350 tickets but all people have to do is call the Pirates, use our special code, and we'll get the credit. Also, we're hoping to make it a "Cranberry Day" event and have organizations purchase tickets through our code number.) More later

Singing Valentines

Saturday and Sunday were spent delivering Singing Valentines to about30 people in all kinds of situations. Some were delivered in restaurants to employees, and others to restaurants to customers we knew were dining out. Other venues included rehab centers, physical therapy offices, surgical center lobbies, nursing homes and retirement communities and first grade classrooms and elementary school cafeterias as well as private parties in homes and to a mom and her kids in her apartment. We sang in a bowling alley for a birthday party and at a church for a wedding shower! Anywhere and everywhere. We even sang to a lady who felt bad because she missed us - in an elevator! What fun! Here are some photos from the school Valentine...

We even delivered a valentine to a guy. So we had to change the words to one song to make the song appropriate...

We ended up delivering about 30 valentines. The quartet I was in delivered 16 in the two days and we sang a couple of times to groups that were not a part of that number just because the time and place was right for us to sing. On one occasion we sang in a nursing home and one of our guys noticed that as we sang a dementia patient who had been non responsive to most interactions seemed to come alive as we sang much to the astonishment of the nursing staff. Hummm. It seems our music is not only a joy to listen to, but has healing properties as well. I saw it first hand as it has the power to make grown men weep, ladies feel faint and everyone to smile.

Well, except for one little 3 year old boy at The Hardwood Cafe where we'd stopped for lunch. A birthday party for his 90 year old grandmother was in process and they asked us to sing to her after our lunch. The little boy(just after we'd sung to his great grandmother) on his way to the bathroom said en route - "You guys were boring." Tra-la - keeps you humble.

Then, just this morning I learned that the Sharp Edge quartet sang a valentine for a party Saturday night. A woman at the party is in charge of the up coming "Glass Slipper Ball" ($100/plate) next Saturday in Cranberry's Sheraton Hotel. She asked Chorus' Sharp Edge quartet (they really are good) to sing for the event. Awesome! (Needless to say, as the VP of PR I'm thrilled for them, and for our Chorus!) God is Good! Have a great day... more photos to come this week.

Recouping Day

Yesterday I laid low. We went out to breakfast at Freedom Square Diner, and then headed home. My sneezing and sniffling has hung on. I stayed home from Rotary and Dee went back out to pick up some things we needed. Later in the day we took down the little Christmas village from on top of the fireplace and packed it away for another season. Then we watched a little television and did some reading as we listened to the wind howl outside. Quient eveing for us.

I'm feeling better this morning so we're planning to go to Monongahela and take my mother out for lunch for her birthday. should be fun.

Shucking Oysters and Singing Love Songs

Yesterday was filled with connecting with people. Dee went to work a McGinnis' and I went to the Chamber of Commerce "Power Hour" to network with various business leaders at lunch time. My friend Bruce went form the Bogmeisters because he's starting his own business and he thought it might be good to network there. Afterward we had lunch together at Freedom Square Diner.

I'm still sniffling and sneezing and so stayed low for the afternoon. Dee came home early from work because she had an idea. Ya, she had an idea about an appetizer for the special Men's Happy Hour at the grocery store, so they sent her home early because they wanted her to come back and make it and be there for the "Happy Hour." She was thrilled! Later I went to the happy hour because our main quartet was singing a couple of love songs for one of the cooks in the Cafe. (see photos)

The quartet was a big hit. The employees and the customers really seemed to enjoy it. Unfortunately for the store, there were not many men that showed up for the "men's happy hour." Still if gave our group great exposure and of course they're going back on Friday for the "Friday Chocolate Fondue night" for the women. At that occasion the women will be seated in the cafe area learning about fondue. (Whereas, last night the quartet roamed the store and sang is several key spots where people were gathered. They did more than the two songs requested and as I said the customers really like it.)

There was lots of food to sample, along with wines from the wine store a few doors down, Volant Winery. I even shucked an oyster! Afterward, the quartet plus two came back to our house for the Bogmeister Board meeting. It went well, then we broke out the snacks. One of the guys had purchased three kinds of cheese and oysters. Then I added my cheeses to the list and we had a veritable feast of really great cheeses and sauces. It was a great time around the table, trying the various cheese from all over the world. Dutch, French, Spanish, Italian. Yummm. They left about 10:20 p.m. It was a nice evening. Whew! Long day though especially with my allergies acting up.

The Home Show

On Sunday we went to church and Sunday school. I sat in on the 9-10th grade class. I just wanted to see what they do and how they go about it. It was a good class. The teacher tries for interaction with the kids as he teaches. They're doing the parable. They also have practice of encouraging daily devotions by giving the kids copies of the Upper Room devotional. Then they ask them which was their favorite from the prior week's readings and why. Usually they read that day's devotional aloud and then comment. Finally they close with prayer by one of the kids. All in 45 minutes.

After worship we got to talk with the Campbells and then went to have lunch with Kathy and Russ. We met them at the Walnut Grove Restaurant. They ha coupons for $5 off each meal. The food was excellent at the buffet. Afterward we went to the Home and Garden Show right up the road at the Four Points Sheraton and walked around looking at the various products and services offered.

I spoke with a fellow who does kitchens and explained I could feel a cold draft coming from the microwave in our kitchen. They said maybe a vent was stuck open to the outside. That I should play a radio near the microwave while it's open and then go outside and see if I could find the vent by using sound as my guide. I did that and found the vent. Everything looked good there. However, I decided to shelter the vent from the wind and see if that helped prevent cold air from going in and out of the vent when the microwave is not being used. I checked this morning and the microwave was not nearly as cold as it had been, but since the weather has gotten warmer too I don't know if that made a difference or not. But I think it will be a good fix.

On Monday Dee went to work, and I did some things around the house. Later when she got home we made some risotto for dinner with salmon. I'd seen the chef make risotto at the "Gourmet Getaway" and wanted to try it myself. It was good. Afterward, I went to Barbershop Chorus practice to get ready for our final week before Singing Valentines. It was a good practice. Since my new "free" business cards for the Chorus came in, I showed them what I selected for my design. It's black and gold with black and gold checkered pattern on one end. They look nice and I like them. GO STEELERS !

Later during the evening I started getting a tickle in my throat and ended up awakening several times sneezing and wheezing. I took some meds and they helped some, but still sniffling this morning.

The Barking Dog Alert

Yesterday while Dee worked a few hours, I did some re-arranging of the furniture in the basement. Later we did a little shopping at Costco and she wanted to see some baby items at Baby's R Us. We had lunch at the Jade Garden (Chinese) where she likes the scallops. It is a nice quiet place that we've been to before.

Later we went out again to Barnes and Nobel to look at some of their books and magazines. On the way home we decided to use the hot tub since it was still 50 degrees out. As we went onto the deck, Bonz thought he'd smelled the neighbor's cat and started looking for him in the corner by the deck trunk. We left him on the deck and went down to the hot tub. We'd just taken the cover off of it and settled into a nice hot bubbly when Bonz started barking loudly up on the deck. He wouldn't stop, so I got out of the hot tub and proceeded up the steps to the deck.

Lo and behold, there was a large raccoon perched on the top of the deck divider wall about 8 feet above Bonz looking down at him. He was positioned so that I couldn't walk by him with out the possibility that he would jump toward me, so I stayed on the steps and reached through the railing and called Bonz over to me. When he came, I took hold of his collar and he calmed down. Then Dee took hold of him while I went around to the front of the house and used the car garage opener to get back into the house. When I opened the house door to the deck, Bonz ran to me in the house. I then proceeded back around the house to the deck and Dee and I put the cover back on the hot tub and walked around the house to the front door together. Whew! So much for a restful night in the hot tub. LOL

Later, I check with my flash light and saw that the raccoon was still out there and he'd settled in for the night (so it appeared) still on top of the wall divider, but up against the house with his chin resting on the divider.

this morning I saw he was gone, so I let Bonz out, and he ran onto the deck sniffing around and looking for the critter, but to no avail.