Chautauqua June 28-29, 2009

Some of the beautiful Victorian doll houses of Chautauqua.

We are getting into the swing of things here at the Chautauqua Institution. We heard the Army Field Band, sang spiritual songs, learned about the Bahai's views of raising children, heard fiddlers, chamber quartet, learned about the Gnostic Gospels, took a watercolor class, went to the farmers market and walked around this beautiful campus. High point was Garrison Keillor's performance tonight. Awesome is an understatement.

News from Chautauqua, NY

June 27. 2009
We are snuggly nestled in our room at The Ashland guest house in the Chautauqua Institution (CI). The CI is a 738 acre educational center and Victorian village on the west shore of Lake Chautauqua, NY. It was founded in 1874 as a center where Methodist ministers, superintendents and Sunday school teachers could come together to study teaching methods. Over the past 135 years it has evolved into a cultural and educational center with a variety of venues available to visitors and residents.

Our first taste of culture was provided by The Golden Boys, Bobby Rydell, Fabian, and Frankie Avalon. These guys, well into their sixties, put on quite a show and shared some video clips of them in their hay day, the late 1950s. Frankie Avalon’s son (one of his eight children) accompanied him on the drums and Don Everly’s son,Edan, was his guitar player. Young Everly and Frankie did a medley of the Everly Brother’s greatest hits. That young man can play and sing as well as his Dad and Uncle Phil.

Link to learn more about Chautauqua. http://www.ciweb.org/

Nothing But Nets

Malaria is the number one killer of children under 5 in Africa. One child dies from malaria every 30 seconds. For a donation of $10.00 you can save a life by buying an insecticide treated bed net that will be given to a family in one of the African countries. These nets are used when the children sleep to prevent them from being bitten by malaria spreading mosquitoes. Churches in the area are collecting money for this worthwhile cause.

To learn more about this go to www.nothingbutnets.net

Send a net...Save a life.

State Department Tour

On June 16, 2009, Bob and I took a tour of the U. S. Department of State Diplomatic Reception Rooms as part of the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program. However, you can arrange for private tours on their web site.www.state.gov/m/drr/#

There is a link there for a virtual tour of these elegant rooms used for entertaining foreign dignitaries. Hillary has her own little White House on the top floor of the State Department. Nice.

Silent Auction

This is a painting Kay did for the silent auctionof PVDA Ride for Life 2009. This auction will be held June 27-28, at the Prince Georges Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. One of her patrons in Fredericksburg initiated the request and the painting was delivered to a horse farm in Mount Airy, MD. This fellow has really gotten around.

Whoa Boy

Koman Race for the Cure June 6 2009

Bob was among 50 thousand people who participated in the Susan B. Komen Race/Walk for the Cure. This year was the first global Race for the Cure involving representatives from several foreign countries. VP Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, spoke to the group. BTW, Joe did not put his foot anywhere close to his mouth.