Howard is taking a break while admiring the finished product. The space had once been a tavern, coffee shop, restaurant and the neighborhood bank's extra office space. The walls were white, the floor was painted cement and the bathrooms were unmentionable.
The girls gave me the privilege of picking out the color scheme. As you can see, red was the choice for the walls. We taped off the stripe and painted them with the same color but a different finish (satin & flat.) Tajci's husband Matt laid the hardwood floor before removing an interior wall. Craig helped paint and clean. It was a joint project for both families.
Carol's idea of painting the tin ceiling a metalic gold, was the elegant touch the room needed to sparkle. The satin swags above the windows have all the colors of the theatre in them: lime green, purple, brick red, metalic gold and cream (we used for the woodwork.)
When Howard & I went to Huntingburg, IN, we visited the
Touch of Class outlet store and walked out with boxes of goodies for the theatre walls. All the gold items you see came from there at a "give-away" price. Of course we shopped from the "Clearance" room for most things. The fact that the clock didn't run once we got it home is the risk you take. We still came out ahead.
(Who is the kid on the left? It's Sawyer reading a book. He doesn't leave home without one!)
I have never been one to put bumper stickers on my car; however, I am intrigued by the messages others put on theirs. This morning as we followed this car up I75, I thought about the words that were facing us: Mercy, Hope, Grace, Faith, Love and Others. Were they intended to serve as a reminder to the person who owned the car, or were they put there for those of us who followed? I hope I can incorporate all of them into my upcoming week. If you and I cross paths, and you notice one or more of the attributes to be missing, would you let me know?
Cincinnati lost a great conductor recently when Eric Kunzel passed away. He came to the city in the mid 60's, and became known for starting the "Pops Series." I worked in the Symphony office the months between college graduation and my marriage. It was long enough to gain an appreciatin for the symphony and all the work that goes on behind the scenes. I also learned to appreciate the creativity and energy Eric Kunzel brought to Music Hall. The young conductor we heard this afternoon worked closely with Eric. He will do a great job filling his shoes, even though they were a very large size. 
Arch and Tammy Grieve joined us for the Pops Concert this afternoon. Arch is an elder at the Beavercreek Christian Church where Howard preached last year. Tammy teaches high school literature in the Beavercreek area. 
There was no room at the dining room table for Hannah Draper and me, so we enjoyed eating by the fireplace in the living room. Hannah is from Indianapolis and is a Junior at the Cincinnati Christian University. She has a lovely diamond ring on her left hand with plans of marrying Carl Wittrig next summer.
Last night was the annual Clifton Lantern Walk. I was told it was a German tradition. When I asked a walker how many were in the crowd, he estimated four hundred. It was interesting to see how many different kinds of lanterns were being carried by old and young. There was no generation gap in this crowd. Little Tikes rode in strollers while dogs followed along on leashes. There was a community spirit that tied this group together. I didn't have a lantern, but I was glad I found my camera in the bottom of my purse!
What would you do if you opened the door on Halloween night and found four Teletubbies begging for treats? I have a hunch you would do the same thing we did....give it to them. I think Papaw tossed a little extra in their sacks since the one in red was our granddaughter Crosley!
