Senior Volunteer Luncheon

I participated in relief efforts after last April's devastating tornado. For a short time I also volunteered at another site. This was my first luncheon. Read the captions for a short post of the events.

 


 

The band Act IV performed. the band consisted of a vocalist and three musicians.
The music was great with the vocalist singing tunes by Jill Scott, Anita Baker and other popular artists.




  

Sauteed chicken breast w/capers, sugar snap peas, red peppers, lemon pasta, rolls. Dessert was pound cake topped with fresh berries. Coffee, tea and water were the available beverages

The ladies below allowed me to take photos of them in their beautiful hats.

 

My computer continues to be possessed by the TIME-TO-GET-A-NEW-ONE virus. I am unable to group the photos the way I want. Blogger can sometimes be difficult also.

I enjoyed myself and meeting new people. I even saw a few people I knew. So far this senior citizen thing isn't so bad. There are perks.

Coming Soon**** Ms. Senior Jefferson County Pageant

EMBELLISHMENTS

 Embellishments performed a handbell concert at the Birmingham Museum of Art.

 

Andromeda was accompanied by a Power Point Presentation of nebulas, galaxies, and other space scenes taken with the Hubble telescope.

We were told by the Directress, Phyllis Kirk that the composer of Le Carnaval Des Animaux, Camille Saint-Saens, would only allow The Swan to be played in public during his lifetime. He stated that other pieces of the collection were only to be played upon his death. Other songs in the collection include The Kangaroo which was done haltingly symbolizing the hopping and stopping of a kangaroo. Elephant was another part of the suite. Persons with Long Ears brought to mind a rabbit or hare but we were informed it was a donkey. A very small violin about twelve inches was used to represent the sound of the donkey. Imagine someone unable to play the violin stretching the bow slowly across the strings which gives a braying sound, The Turtle was also one of the animals. The sound of The Cuckoo in the Middle of the Woods was done with a recorder. It was amusing in that the musician played the same two notes over and over until the end of the piece

To hear the Duke’s music played with handbels was a treat in itself.  Don’t Get Around Much Anymore was lively and put a fresh spin on Duke Ellington’s well known composition.

Pavane is best known as a more modern tune, Stranger in Paradise.

Polovetsian Dance No. 1 was a slow version of the can can. As an encore the version was done more upbeat with a humorous surprise for the audience.

Amazing Grace was played on bagpipes by Trent Bradford  as the handbell ensemble accompanied him. Adorned in  authentic Scottish apparel the bagpiper added realism to his performance.

  As an encore the company did a “remix” of Polovetsian Dance No. 1 with an  upbeat can can tempo. Along with this two of the handbell members had donned black stockings on their arms which served as legs underneath a wide skirt, lifted and swung side to side in can can dance fashion. Peals of laughter erupted from the audience .



THAT'S IT ***

FESTIVAL OF SPRINGS

This was my third stop of the day on  April 14th. My earlier visits covered in a previous post included student jazz band performances at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Also during the band's lunch time, I went for a juice break at Yeh Man's a Jamaican restaurant.

Festival of the Springs has been held yearly ever since the city of Center Point commissioned and built a huge park on a sparcely wooded tract of land.  The park is named after some of the city's founding members.  There is a family cemetery on Old Springville Road that serves as these founder's final resting place. The park is located on Polly Reed Road which intersects with Reed Road.  

As with most festivals there were the usual vendors of jewelry, cosmetics, clothing, food and etc.

Political candidates took advantage of the crowds and beautiful day by campaigning.



Proud mothers wait to showcase their toddlers in the Little Miss Center Point Beauty Contest. I prefer to call them "Cutie Contests" since small children are usually cute anyway.

Thankfully, none of the children resembled those on Toddlers and Tiaras. Although some of them were a little cranky probably from standing out in the sun and not being allowed to play in their pageant outfits.



Horse and pony rides aren't an everyday thing. Some of the children got to ride.



This is a photo of one of the springs which meanders into various tributaries



Close up of the water wheel in the previous picture

This is also a part of Reed-Harvey Park. It is located across the street from the original phase.

I've been to the park a few times but have never crossed the street to this side.



This is a historic home that has been through many hands of which the city of Center Point is in the process of remodeling and using as an event center.



I was being whimsical when I took the picture of the ACME truck. The first thing I thought of was Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. If you're familiar with the Looney Tunes cartoon you'll remember that Wile E. Coyote was always ordering gadgets from ACME to aid him in his pursuit of Road Runner. Coyote's dream was to have Road Runner as a meal which he never got to do. Maybe the Coyote should have become a vegetarian. I don't know of any vegetables that run. 

Later in life I learned that the word "acme" means pinnacle, highest point or perfection. This makes the company name even funnier since none of the gadgets ever worked.

Another source states that ACME stands for  A Company that Makes Everything

My last stop after the park was to a dedication ceremony for a friend being licensed as a minister. It was a Jazz and Jamaica,  Parks and Preaching.

A very satisfying  day.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS***