Sunday, May 4, 2014
Tallahassee Civic Chorale performs Imant Raminsh' Missa Brevis
The Chorale - a modest group, in size and resources. 49 singers, a conductor, a smallish wind ensemble of local musicians, piano, pipe organ. Eight donors listed in the program.
The Artistic Director - talented and dedicated - working three music positions in small colleges scattered over two states and hundreds of miles.
The composer - escaped from Latvia to Canada as a boy in 1948. Canadian citizenship and music education. Wrote the Missa for an Indianapolis children's choir, and re-voiced it for mixed voices at the turn of the century.
The audience - families with children, grandparents, flittering teenagers temporarily escaped from the nest, oldsters out on the town. A photographer.
The venue - a church.
How often is this scene replicated across America? Too many to count. And too meaningful not to. What confluence of fates brings us all to this event? Is it a higher power?
Last night's Tallahassee Civic Chorale concert was beautiful. Poignant. Uplifting. I was struck, by the scene, by the dedication, and above all by the music. Imant Raminsh's Missa brevis is a stunningly beautiful piece of music and the performance by the Chorale could not have been better. I was overwhelmed with emotion.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Thanksgiving 2013
Thanksgiving 2013
Up at 5:30, coffee brews just fine - why wouldn't it? Power company employees ensure that for us. Newspaper already delivered, read by 6:30. Check out weather on TV. Facebook's up & running, thanks to behind-the-screen tech folks. Take a look at my saved shopping cart om Adorama - they've offered a discount for pulling the trigger on LightRoom, I take them up on it. Went for a workout at YouFit, listening to NPR while driving, passed a firestation - on duty as usual.
Then we drive to Honey Lake - plenty of fuel stops open along the way - deputies, FHP on the road. Honey Lake Plantation - dogs walk, we eat, dogs walk again. Lovely place, obvious sincere enthusiasm of service folks. And in a few minutes - FOOTBALL ON TV. All made possible, sometimes we forget, by those men and women of our forces around the world who keep our country safe for democracy and freedom.
To all of you Americans out there - armed forces, newswomen, paper delivery guys, electrical workers, TV station employees, NPR staff, IT workforce, folks running the gym, firefighters, emergency rescue, cops, deputies, patrolmen, truck stop employees, restaurant staff, football refs, stadium workers, cheerleaders, TV cameramen, weather channel gurus, and many many more:
THANK YOU for helping make this the greatest country on the planet. My hat is off. My heart is warm.
Up at 5:30, coffee brews just fine - why wouldn't it? Power company employees ensure that for us. Newspaper already delivered, read by 6:30. Check out weather on TV. Facebook's up & running, thanks to behind-the-screen tech folks. Take a look at my saved shopping cart om Adorama - they've offered a discount for pulling the trigger on LightRoom, I take them up on it. Went for a workout at YouFit, listening to NPR while driving, passed a firestation - on duty as usual.
Then we drive to Honey Lake - plenty of fuel stops open along the way - deputies, FHP on the road. Honey Lake Plantation - dogs walk, we eat, dogs walk again. Lovely place, obvious sincere enthusiasm of service folks. And in a few minutes - FOOTBALL ON TV. All made possible, sometimes we forget, by those men and women of our forces around the world who keep our country safe for democracy and freedom.
To all of you Americans out there - armed forces, newswomen, paper delivery guys, electrical workers, TV station employees, NPR staff, IT workforce, folks running the gym, firefighters, emergency rescue, cops, deputies, patrolmen, truck stop employees, restaurant staff, football refs, stadium workers, cheerleaders, TV cameramen, weather channel gurus, and many many more:
THANK YOU for helping make this the greatest country on the planet. My hat is off. My heart is warm.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Sarah Rhodes Lacher
Sarah Rhodes Lacher of
Athens, Georgia, died after a brief illness on July 6, 2013.
Mrs. Lacher was born on March 8, 1915, in Lake City, Florida,
the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Jesse Ansley Griffin. After Dr. Griffin’s death in 1921, she and
her mother moved to Athens
where she attended the Lucy Cobb Institute.
She attended the University of Hawaii for a year and the University of Georgia
where she was the first piano student to graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts
in Music under the direction of Hugh Hodgson, her long time teacher and
mentor. After graduation, she attended
the University of Freiburg in Germany for a year doing
post-graduate work, and returned to the University of Georgia to complete her
MFA in music.
Mrs. Lacher was preceded in death by her husband, Hermann
Lacher from Hofgeismar, Germany, who was an International Exchange
Student at the University
of Georgia; her mother,
Ellen Griffin Rhodes McWhorter; her father, Jesse Ansley Griffin; her adoptive
father, Alexander Rhodes; and her step-father Robert Ligon McWhorter. She is survived by her children, Christopher
Lacher (Kathy) of Tallahassee, FL; Ellen Lacher Creagh (Gerard) of Athens, GA;
Lisa Lacher Bryan (Stephen) of Walpole, NH and New York, NY; Michael Lacher of
Washington, D.C.; grandchildren, Walter Lacher of Denver, CO; Adam Lacher of
Denver, CO; Laurel Lacher Milczarek (Michael) of Tucson, AZ; Ellen Bryan of New
York, NY; great-grandchildren Austin Lacher of Crawfordville, FL; and Daphne
and Mikaela Milczarek of Tucson, AZ.
Mrs. Lacher was a member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church
where she directed the Junior Choir for many years and was a founding member of
the Emmanuel Episcopal Thrift Shop. She
was also a founding member of the Rabun Gap Nacoochee Guild, a member of the
Daughters of the American Revolution, and the German Club of Athens. She was well known for her sewing and
smocking work and took great pleasure in creating special things for her
friends. She taught piano and was the
pianist for the Lucy Lampkin School of Ballet. She worked constantly “behind
the scenes” to encourage and promote musical talent and awareness in the
community. A great animal lover, she adopted
and raised many pets over the years. In
addition to her personal friends and colleagues, Mrs. Lacher is remembered
fondly as a gracious and entertaining hostess by friends of her children, as on
many occasions she opened her heart and home to them. She and her husband enjoyed sponsoring University of Georgia International Exchange Students
and entertaining the Navy Supply Corp School International Officers, doing many
things to make their experience in this country a memorable one.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the American
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 424 E. 92nd St., New York,
NY 10128-6804.
On line
condolences may be made at www.bernsteinfuneralhome.com
Monday, May 6, 2013
Crossings
Rush hour at the intersection of Capital Circle and Centerville Road in Tallahassee, I'm sitting in G2 in the leftmost Northbound lane of Capital Circle. A family of five - Mom, Dad, 3 little ones - is waiting at the NE corner watching the traffic and waiting for a lull. They look both ways and enter the crosswalk toward the SE corner (crossing Centerville): Parent, children, another parent bringing up the rear. They get to the safety islet, stop and look again, then proceed to cross the right-turn lane from Cap Circle to Centerville eastbound, again staying exactly in the crosswalk. They get across safely, walking steadily and cautiously, watching for danger, finally get to green grass and head away. Perfectly disciplined, parents and children.
They are Canadian Geese.
Then a little closer to home, a Cooter (turtle) is waiting at the crosswalk heading west across Thomasville Road at Metropolitan. What is she thinking? Even waiting for the "walk" signal, there's not 1 chance in 10 she'll get across all six lanes at this time of day. I think she crossed Thomasville the other way from the bog to lay eggs, early early in the AM, and was headed back home.
I park the truck on the concrete median in Metropolitan, get the turtle (about 7 x 10 inches all pulled in), put her in the back of the truck, and just now released her near Lake Jackson. (Turtles don't mate for life, do they?)
They are Canadian Geese.
Then a little closer to home, a Cooter (turtle) is waiting at the crosswalk heading west across Thomasville Road at Metropolitan. What is she thinking? Even waiting for the "walk" signal, there's not 1 chance in 10 she'll get across all six lanes at this time of day. I think she crossed Thomasville the other way from the bog to lay eggs, early early in the AM, and was headed back home.
I park the truck on the concrete median in Metropolitan, get the turtle (about 7 x 10 inches all pulled in), put her in the back of the truck, and just now released her near Lake Jackson. (Turtles don't mate for life, do they?)
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Mo2W Y1 Report
Feb 1 2013
Meals on 2 Wheels has First Birthday
By the Numbers
1: number of years Meals on 2 Wheels has been alive
2: number of wheels on a bicycle
617: number of meals delivered by bicycle
768: miles NOT used by automobiles to deliver meals on wheels (est)
51: gallons of fuel saved (@15 mpg)
This may not seem like much. But add to these numbers the intangibles of good exercise and feelings of accomplishment for the riders, plus good will and appreciation in the client community, and you have a really wonderful experience all around, with no negatives that any of us can think of.
There really isn't much to add now. We have written about how satisfying it is to ride with a purpose above necessity or recreation. And we have proved to be a sustainable asset to the community.
Many thanks to the Meals on 2 Wheels Riders:
Alvin Farrar
Karen Loewen
Marv Rubenstein
Roger Holdener
Mike Redig
Dave Stotts
Keep on Truckin'.
Chris Lacher
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Owal Rescue
Friday July 13, 2012, was both lucky and unlucky for a young Great Horned Owl. The very bad luck was being hit by a car sometime in the night. Better luck was sitting in the road about 9:30am when a group of cyclists from Tallahassee came along.
The immobile, but erect, clump of feathers was in the middle of the oncoming (westbound) lane of the Climax-Whigham road (aka GA Bike Route 10). Riding about 4th wheel in a steady paceline heading east, I saw and immediately recognized him as an owl. One of my buddies, Ron Ray, followed me as I made a careful exit from the paceline and U-turned back to the bird. He (the bird, not Ron) looked awful: Wet and rumpled feathers, covered with sandy muddy road spray, and a dazed stare. Ron exclaimed at how old the bird looked. He really was pathetic, looking like a wet chicken in mid-molt.
About the same time a pickup came along. I'm sorry I don't have the drivers name, he did good. I asked if he could take the owl to a vet, and he agreed. I asked if he had a towel in the truck - he only had his T shirt to offer. That, I knew, would not be enough. I shed my long-sleeve day-glow yellow polyester jersey. I got the owl to look at the big patch of color and dropped it over him, wrapping him up in it. Then we tied the T shirt around as a kind of makeshift cradle. The driver then drove the bird away, holding the cradle with one hand. The talons grasping the cloth were, ahem, impressive. Yikes. You'd lose a hand if that got on your wrist.
Ron and I road into Whigham, where we determined that the vet destination was all the way down US 84 to Cairo. So we road on back to the start of our ride and our vehicles in Calvary. The rest of our erstwhile paceline was there loading up to go back to real life. I drove back north to Cairo and the vet - to check on the bird and, if convenient, retrieve my jersey. (Note: Thank the stars I was wearing bib shorts so that riding without the jersey didn't gross people out too much. I did pick up some sun in places unused to it.) I got to the vet in Cairo. The folks there were very nice. They didn't have a clue about wildlife, though. I asked if they had my jersey, and found that the bird was still wrapped up in it. They extracted both shirts, and I asked them to hold the T for the pickup guy. They told me that the "wildlife rescue" lady was already on the way to get the owl, so I left feeling that I had helped him as much as I could.
Sidebar. Animals are hurt by our technology: roads, vehicles, powerlines, towers, fences, dams, boats. Vehicles, in particular, are far and away the top predator in North America.
That night I called the wildlife rescue lady, one Lorraine Conklin. She told me the owl had never been delivered ... huh? A big misunderstanding, apparently the Cairo vet was expected to take the bird to a wildlife savvy vet in Thomsaville, but they had understood the opposite. Bad news for the owl, who was destined to spend the night without treatment or water in the cage in Cairo. I could hardly sleep.
I was at the Cairo vet when they opened this morning. I brought my welding gloves (BBQ cook's equipment), a heavy towel, and a box. I tried to sound officious stating I was there to pick up the owl. They were all relieved, and my equipment made me look like I knew what I was doing, so they brought me back to the cage. On the door was a paper sign stating: "Owal". (Well, hey, it IS a 2-syllable word in south GA, right?) Someone had supplied a plastic file crate for him, and he was perched on top of it, a good sign. His feathers were dry and fluffed. He looked every inch the "top gun" that he should be. I donned the welding/BBQ gloves, reached in "as if", grasped him and got him into the crate and closed the bifold lid. Away we went to Thomasville.
The rest of the day went great. The Thomasville vet:
Clanton-Malphus-Hodges Veterinary Hospital
2134 East Pinetree Blvd
Thomasville, GA 31792
229-226-1914
had been expecting the owl since yesterday, and they immediately took charge. I heard again from Ms Conklin, who had by then picked him up and brought him to her Nepenthic Society refuge for sick and injured wildlife in Thomasville. She confirmed that the owl was an immature (not fully grown, but old enough to be on his own) male Great Horned Owl. He seems to have had a concussion, and his eyes are not yet working well enough to hunt, but there were no broken wings or legs. Right now his prognosis is good for re-release in several days.
The Nepanthic Society
167 Home Park Farm Rd
Thomasville, GA 31757
229-228-9298
Ms Conklin is French. Today is July 14. I wished her happy Bastille Day.
PS The vet in Cairo was really nice. I know I made a little fun at their expense, but they had good in their hearts, and I feel sure they are a wonderful and caring place to take Fido and Kitty. Just not the coyotes, bobcats, and owals.
The immobile, but erect, clump of feathers was in the middle of the oncoming (westbound) lane of the Climax-Whigham road (aka GA Bike Route 10). Riding about 4th wheel in a steady paceline heading east, I saw and immediately recognized him as an owl. One of my buddies, Ron Ray, followed me as I made a careful exit from the paceline and U-turned back to the bird. He (the bird, not Ron) looked awful: Wet and rumpled feathers, covered with sandy muddy road spray, and a dazed stare. Ron exclaimed at how old the bird looked. He really was pathetic, looking like a wet chicken in mid-molt.
About the same time a pickup came along. I'm sorry I don't have the drivers name, he did good. I asked if he could take the owl to a vet, and he agreed. I asked if he had a towel in the truck - he only had his T shirt to offer. That, I knew, would not be enough. I shed my long-sleeve day-glow yellow polyester jersey. I got the owl to look at the big patch of color and dropped it over him, wrapping him up in it. Then we tied the T shirt around as a kind of makeshift cradle. The driver then drove the bird away, holding the cradle with one hand. The talons grasping the cloth were, ahem, impressive. Yikes. You'd lose a hand if that got on your wrist.
Ron and I road into Whigham, where we determined that the vet destination was all the way down US 84 to Cairo. So we road on back to the start of our ride and our vehicles in Calvary. The rest of our erstwhile paceline was there loading up to go back to real life. I drove back north to Cairo and the vet - to check on the bird and, if convenient, retrieve my jersey. (Note: Thank the stars I was wearing bib shorts so that riding without the jersey didn't gross people out too much. I did pick up some sun in places unused to it.) I got to the vet in Cairo. The folks there were very nice. They didn't have a clue about wildlife, though. I asked if they had my jersey, and found that the bird was still wrapped up in it. They extracted both shirts, and I asked them to hold the T for the pickup guy. They told me that the "wildlife rescue" lady was already on the way to get the owl, so I left feeling that I had helped him as much as I could.
Sidebar. Animals are hurt by our technology: roads, vehicles, powerlines, towers, fences, dams, boats. Vehicles, in particular, are far and away the top predator in North America.
That night I called the wildlife rescue lady, one Lorraine Conklin. She told me the owl had never been delivered ... huh? A big misunderstanding, apparently the Cairo vet was expected to take the bird to a wildlife savvy vet in Thomsaville, but they had understood the opposite. Bad news for the owl, who was destined to spend the night without treatment or water in the cage in Cairo. I could hardly sleep.
I was at the Cairo vet when they opened this morning. I brought my welding gloves (BBQ cook's equipment), a heavy towel, and a box. I tried to sound officious stating I was there to pick up the owl. They were all relieved, and my equipment made me look like I knew what I was doing, so they brought me back to the cage. On the door was a paper sign stating: "Owal". (Well, hey, it IS a 2-syllable word in south GA, right?) Someone had supplied a plastic file crate for him, and he was perched on top of it, a good sign. His feathers were dry and fluffed. He looked every inch the "top gun" that he should be. I donned the welding/BBQ gloves, reached in "as if", grasped him and got him into the crate and closed the bifold lid. Away we went to Thomasville.
The rest of the day went great. The Thomasville vet:
Clanton-Malphus-Hodges Veterinary Hospital
2134 East Pinetree Blvd
Thomasville, GA 31792
229-226-1914
had been expecting the owl since yesterday, and they immediately took charge. I heard again from Ms Conklin, who had by then picked him up and brought him to her Nepenthic Society refuge for sick and injured wildlife in Thomasville. She confirmed that the owl was an immature (not fully grown, but old enough to be on his own) male Great Horned Owl. He seems to have had a concussion, and his eyes are not yet working well enough to hunt, but there were no broken wings or legs. Right now his prognosis is good for re-release in several days.
The Nepanthic Society
167 Home Park Farm Rd
Thomasville, GA 31757
229-228-9298
Ms Conklin is French. Today is July 14. I wished her happy Bastille Day.
PS The vet in Cairo was really nice. I know I made a little fun at their expense, but they had good in their hearts, and I feel sure they are a wonderful and caring place to take Fido and Kitty. Just not the coyotes, bobcats, and owals.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Mo2W Q1 Report
Yesterday was the 12th Meals on 2Wheels delivery (13, if you count the beta test on 1/25). We have not missed a Wed morning since the start on Feb 1, 2012. We had a couple of mornings when rain threatened, including yesterday (4/18) when we actually got sprinkled on. The upside of those weather-threatening days is, we set speed records for completing the delivery. The downside is, we don't spend any chit/chat time with the clients, but they know us now and definitely "get" that we need to hurry due to weather. Here are some more details on things we have learned and accomplished over the first three months of Mo2W.Client List Evolution
Our "clients" are the folks we actually deliver meals to. This is what Mo2W is all about. Our list has evolved, and the data for that exposes the human story of aging in America. We added two clients during this quarter, one who moved into our "service area" and another who returned from a stay in a rehab facility. When our lady moved back from rehab, she was so happy to be back in her home and is clearly worried that she might not be able to stay there. Home, no matter how modest, is infinitely preferable to a "facility". Everybody knows this. Most of us have learned this through some personal experiences with family or friends or neighbors. The rest of us will learn it that way sometime in the future.
We also lost two clients. Reverend Bishop J B B, age 99, passed on March 21, 2012. He and his wife were both clients. Ms B is still in mourning, but hanging in there physically.
Caleb H, Jr, 95, left us for Hospice in late March and passed away on April 4, 2012. Mr H had been blind since I knew him.
It is sad to have these senior citizens leave us. It is poignant to realize that Meals on (2 or 4) Wheels helped allow these kind, good-hearted people to remain in their homes while they were alive.
Logo by artist Bill Otersen
We are extremely grateful to Bill Otersen for designing our Mo2W logo. The Biking Chef is cool. He is showing the world that you can use bikes for utilitarian purposes and enjoy the journey while maintaining your health and being a part of your environment instead of observing from inside a rolling terrarium. Thank you so much, Bill. I hope the logo catches on in other places around the country.
Who Dat
Here are the people who have participated in Mo2W so far:
Alvin Farrar
Chris Lacher [dat's me]
Mike Redig
Marv Rubenstein
Dave Stotts
Josh Valentine
Al Farrar is the only person besides myself to have made every single delivery during Mo2W's brief existence. Al is a trooper. Marv Rubenstein and Mike Redig have made quite a few deliveries as well. Dave Stotts rode with us in preparation for his column on Mo2W - more on that below. Josh Valentine joined us for the first time on 4/18. He is a member of the FSU cycling team and an avid all-round cyclists, also informally associated with Bicycle House Tallahassee, a non-profit community bike shop. Josh will be in Spain this summer, but is planning on starting up a Mo2W route supported by FSU Cycling.
Dave Stotts Column
Dave is our Tallahassee Democrat Bicycle Sports columnist. He rode with Mo2W and devoted a good portion of his April 6, 2012, column to Mo2W. I would like to post a link to this column, but it doesn't seem feasible. If you are a Democrat subscriber, you can find it in the Friday April 6 edition. This column was a surprise. Dave normally writes about racing. He took that day off of racing for a human interest column. Thanks Dave!
FSU Cycling
We made a brief presentation to FSU Cycling on March 29, at the invitation of president Greg Buker. Our basic pitch to them is that Mo2W would be a great way for them to integrate public service with cycling. Public service is a big deal at FSU, and is one of the components many students use to earn their Garnet & Gold Honor Society honors at graduation. Josh Valentine was there and is enthusiastic about the prospects.
Immediate Future
We will be starting an every-other-Thursday delivery on 4/26, just in time for Bike Month. Karen Loewen has been eager to join us but is tied up on Wednesdays at work. Karen will help inaugurate the Thursday run and will likely become the ride leader for that route. A second trailer that can be dedicated to this group has been donated by Krank It Up, a community bicycle project.
Standing Invitation
All members of Capital City Cyclists are invited to join Mo2W. If you can commit to one morning per month riding as a public servant, please sign up. Drop me an email. If you are not a member of CCC, please consider joining, but also note that Mo2W needs volunteer riders in any case. "Call Me."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)