Author: cometsgirl

Oh my goodness, the concert was awesome! Amazing, Joyous.

It was a concert “for the ages”, as I saw it. While the audience was skewed toward my friend’s and my ages, it was also skewed toward the ages of our kids. This made for almost two concerts. The first hour belonged to Brandy Clark, and the second hour to Mary Chapin Carpenter.

Then the two artists joined together for a rousing end.

While their ages are close to a generation apart, and their genres are unique, the music was of one voice.

I joked with my friend about the wheelchairs, the walkers, the braces, and my walking stick used to transport some of us into the theater. But you should have seen all of us dance!

The songs were so familiar that at times it was a sing-along. Hearing hundreds of voices singing along was so joyous!

MCC remarked that they were just about at the end of their tour, which began last June. I can’t imagine what it takes to travel by bus during the day, and perform at night. Over and over.

At the end of the concert, we all walked out smiling, with snippets of songs in our voices.

The murals above were from a walk we took earlier in the day; Luminous Lane Artwalk. What was once a neglected alley, now was transformed by muralists and street artists.

It’s time to get back on the road again. This time I’m headed to Charlotte, North Carolina for a Mary Chapin Carpenter concert. Yay! She’s probably my most favorite singer-songwriter. She will be joined by Brandy Clark.

I can’t wait! I’m so excited to see MCC in concert once again. The first time I saw her was in Houston sometime in the 1990’s. My most recent concert was a couple of years ago in upstate New York. In the in-between years, I’ve attended a goodly number of MCC concerts. Every concert has been delightful and I’ve had such joy seeing and listening to her in person!

This is a road trip for me. My best traveling friend is flying to Charlotte, while I enjoy a few hours cruising along the highways and byways to Charlotte. Bring on the blogs playlist.

This is a short trip, but it will be filled with best friend time, along with all manner of music, art, food and laughter. Stay tuned. Come along. Traveling mercies.

The question of which church to attend – given there are three Episcopal churches in Fort Wayne – was answered by a good conversation about what we hoped to find and what each church told us what to expect on their respective websites.

We settled on Grace. Located in a neighborhood southwest of town, it sat on a hill and was a sight of expectation for the worship to come.

It was a beautiful church, with a welcoming parish, and a priest who led good worship and gave a good sermon. The Outreach Ministries of the parish were remarkable.

From there we Ubered to The Hive coffee shop for breakfast.

Afterwards we headed back downtown to the Fort Wayne Museum of Art.

The museum’s collection includes American art from after 1850. They have exhibitions of American fine and decorative art ranging from the 19th century to contemporary art.

One exhibit was Weaving the Narrative: The Works of Dinh Q. Lê, a Vietnamese-American artist, well-known for his works which combined photography and photo-weaving.

The museum houses a permanent collection of glass sculpture which numbers over 300, with major works from artists like Dale Chihuly,

Currently on exhibit is a collaboration between artists Philip Baldwin and Monica Guggisberg. The exhibit was comprehensive and impressive. The creative ways to make designs out of glass was amazing.

Just as amazing was travel later on Sunday. We were to fly from Fort Wayne to Philadelphia in the late afternoon. Significant thunderstorms across Indiana and Illinois, and all the way to the east coast, caused significant delays and cancellations. Our flights from Fort Wayne to Chicago to Philadelphia were both very late, rough and disquieting.

We ended up landing in Philadelphia at 1am. We then rented a car and drove north to our destination, Brandywine. We arrived at 3:00AM!

It surely did feel good to climb in bed and put my head on a pillow – with no need for an alarm.

Traveling mercies.

On May 14, 1928, the doors of the magnificent Embassy Theatre opened in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Built as a movie palace and vaudeville house, the Embassy provided a majestic backdrop for the entertainment of the day, complete with a Grande Page theatre pipe organ.

Arriving for the concert, we joined the throngs of attendees walking through the doors.

Gazing up and around was eye candy.

We arrived early. An usher (below) showed us to our seats. Aisle, row K. Great seats!

Melissa Etheridge was first up.

She was a force! People were standing. People were dancing. People were singing. High energy! I looked it up- she is 64. Amazing!

At last it was time for the Indigo Girls! Long a favorite of mine, they were the reason I found myself at the Embassy Theater in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

It was a wonderful evening of music. It was filled with joy and voices singing along with every song. What fun we had singing, swaying, and making music!

In the midst of music-making, with the reality of the times in which we are currently living, was the call for social justice and acceptance of all, underpinning of the songs chosen by Emily, Amy, and Melissa. Amen.

What a great surprise! Fort Wayne, Indiana, population 273,000 is quite a wonderful place to visit.

It is the cultural and economic center of northeastern Indiana.

A few facts about Fort Wayne:

In 1794, Fort Wayne was founded at the convergence of three rivers: the St. Mary’s, the St.Joseph, and the Mainer. This strategic location at the confluence of these rivers made it a vital trading post and military site, leading to the city’s growth. 

It is the home of the Fort Wayne Daisies, the professional women’s baseball team that was featured in the movie, “A League of Their Own.” 

The Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library is the largest public genealogy collection in the United States.

Fort Wayne is recognized for its innovative spirit, with a history of inventions like the washing machine and baking powder.

We found it filled with wonderful restaurants. And even more wonderful coffee shops.

We began our day with coffee, of course. Penny Drop coffee and the place itself were delicious!

Then we spent some wonderful time at the Foellinger–Freimann Botanical Conservatory.

Then off for lunch.

Murals on the way to the restaurant as we walked…

…then a fabulous lunch at Proximo…

then more murals…

…with a coffee break at Fortezza Coffee.

After a short stop at the hotel to change clothes, followed by a short walk across the street from the hotel, we entered the Embassy Theater for the concert.

To be continued…

It’s time to hit the road once again for live music. I’m traveling to Fort Wayne, Indiana to see the Indigo Girls – along with Melissa Etheridge.

When I checked my bag this morning, the gentleman in charge asked me where I was going. When I mentioned the Indigo Girls, he seemed to know them. I’m to say hello. Well, okay, I’ll do it.

My traveling friend and I rendezvoused at the Atlanta airport for our flight to Fort Wayne.

Settling in at Delta Airline’s international lounge is a most pleasant way to spend a few hours.

The view of the busyness of airlines is something to see. I love watching the scurrying around of preparation for and then taking flight.

Seen on the drive to Atlanta this morning.

Yes, let’s.

Traveling mercies.

I returned home a week or so ago, after spending eight wonder-filled days in Taos, NM. You are invited to enjoy a photograph summary of my travel.

ALBUQUERQUE ARRIVAL

COFFEE TIME

Albuquerque International Sunport

ART

The two paintings above, were stolen 40 years ago. The FBI recovered earlier this year.

Opening Reception

TAOS FARMERS MARKET

CASA DE LAS ABUELAS

Just down the road from the casa, four llamas reside. Hilary, Stacey, Dawn, and Kamala. I’m happy to report there is a new resident, Alison.

MEALS

CONCERTS

Alison Krauss and Union Station

Eliza Gilkyson

SCENIC NORTHERN NEW MEXICO

ALBUQUERQUE DEPARTURE

I’ll return.

Traveling mercies.

On Sunday, my friend and I attended the 10:30am service at St. James Episcopal Church in Taos.

It’s a beautiful church.

A friend of mine died a few days ago. We’ve been parishioners at St. James (Clayton, GA) for many years. We worshipped together at the 8am service and enjoyed some church shenanigans. I will miss her.

Hope is deeper than despair, Thanks be to you, O God.

Let us go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.

Words in italics are from St. James (Taos) Sunday service.

Travel to Taos this week was to see Alison Krauss and Union Square in concert. They are on their Arcadia tour across the US and Canada.

It’s lovely when you love the venue location so the concert weaves into an opportunity to stay awhile.

I really looked forward to this concert. I love their music. I love Alison’s voice and her way with a phrase.

The concert took place outdoors in the Kit Carson State Park in Taos.

We arrived early and marveled as the crowd grew larger and larger.

Food stands provided a variety of offerings, including…

Juices and…

Ice cream.

More substantial food options were offered, but I enjoyed watermelon lemonade; and a double cup of Mint Chocolate Chip and Cherry Ristra Piñon ice cream! Oh, and popcorn.

The MUSIC. The music was delicious. Delightful. People danced. And sang along.

The most exquisite music was at the end of the concert – the encore. The songs featured Alison. Her voice is perfect for the stories the songs told. Stories of God and of being in relationships with God and others. The harmonies gave depth to the lyrics.

It was soul searching, sorrowful and joyous. It was a feast for my heart, and for my soul. Deep and glorious.

Take My Life And Let Me Be, A Living Prayer, My God To Thee.

This Summer and Fall I’ll be out and about, enjoying live music.

First up is Alison Krauss and Union Station, performing in Taos, New Mexico.

It’s been a long time since I have seen them in person. Too long.

On Saturday evening my traveling friend and I will take our camp chair seats in Kit Carson Park.

But first… we’ll meet in Albuquerque and drive north to Santa Fe. The plan is to dine on blue corn enchiladas and then take in the exhibit Marsden Hartley: Adventurer in the Arts. It’s on display at the New Mexico Museum of Art.

Long an admirer of Hartley’s art, I’m really looking forward to seeing the exhibit.

I had an early morning today. Up at 3am, drove off to Atlanta at 4:15; boarded my flight at 8:15am.

Some odd sights as we began our descent to Albuquerque.

Now awaiting my friend,

We’ll grab a car, yeah, right…so many choices!

Eventually we will be on our way north.

Traveling mercies.