Award Day
There are a bunch of photos that I could put here for the award ceremony at school. He did so well, Quaker Life award! that was pretty special and all kinds of wonderful certificates. But this smile says it all. Well done kid!
Mr F, our favorite guy, he is delivering a terrific speech after the awards at school, to an amazing teacher who was retiring. So in the capacity of Head of the Board Damian is wishing him well and thanking him for well, everything!
But my eye couldn't help but stray to the play structure behind Damian and Louie and his pal swiggy (or some nick name) who watched the whole thing from well a box really, proper theatre lovey
Dress Rehearsal
Recital is always huge for us and this year was no exception. Having danced at the studio for 9 years and then this to be the last performance was a big deal. (well for me) Louie takes it all in his stride and this year was no exception. This is a shot from dress rehearsal and it's the opening number. It is a serious shot, he's taking the info in....to the Greatest Show On Earth, from the Barnum film and Louie is front and center.
Big finish!!!!
Next up the Star Wars dance. I love this picture as it has Louie's very good friend in and I love the concentration on both their faces
and the same for this
The line up is great, and you can see the two on the right are cracking up!
Light sabers, oh yeah!!!
Nearly finished...great lines people
This dance is Come Sail Away and wow how apt were the lyrics
They do a lift with this dance and that is Louie
And here he is the Captain. The lyrics lend this dance to be dramatic and poignant and at the same time uplifting and we all want to travel with this captain...yes I did cry watching this one. Louie was simply, majestic
This is the final shot. His face says it all, proud, strong and in control...
OK so some explanation needed here. Mr L is waiting to dance the tap number and it's beach boys and a fun dance. Hence the outfit and check out the socks in the next photo, I was told they make it more fun.....as they look ridiculous, well if you say so
They line up and the opening is him tap dancing backwards to the centre of the stage, so this is ready steady
GO!
This was dancing like I had never seen Louie do before, ballet and male lead
And a lift
Suva is the word people
The Big Day, Recital Day!
This is the day of the recital and we are having a group chat before the kick off, the day was from 9 till 9 and for the most part I was back stage. I saw the final show from the audience.
But there is hanging about waiting between numbers.....
This is the theatre
At West Chester University, where the recital theater for this year was
Pretty imposing Emilie K Asplundh Hall
Pretty amazing vaulted ceiling
Great doors
Love this Oak Leaf Hydrangea (Thanks to Amy for that naming)
Berries in the summer
Greeness
Just a great location for the last one. Brilliant!
Chanticleer
But before all of that, I had had some outings and this is Chanticleer and it's true you never go to the stuff near you. This was my only visit here and I definitely will visit here on return journeys. It was lovely and had a quality that Longwood doesn't. I liked it enormously
This gate post was pretty special
The vistas, amazing
But they clearly had an obsession with Adirondack chairs (still can't pronounce or spell that one)
Sweetpeas
Yes and those chairs
Did I mention chairs
Pretty fab pool house though
Maple, oh yeah
They had these little houses and this one was decorated inside like a woodland house for little people. Loved that
Amazing flowers
Dogwood
Corn and poppy. So lovely
Bamboo being well, bamboo
Sunlight through this petal just lush
Lillies
Ponds
Love this
and how about that for your veggie patch!
Pretty special tunnel
Yup this is an amazing place
Jenkins Arboretum
There was another place we went to, Jenkins Arboretum. Another first. just lovely and green
Now that's a pond
The flowers were a welcome sight
These ferns were particularly interesting with the very black storks with the green leaves
Ready to pop
Just lots of great walking paths. What might be apparent from the pictures is this was a steep place. Really steep...
Again a home for those woodland people
A Birthday
This would seem like a disaster. But in the making of this terrible cake, I invented the biggest shortcake strawberry situation. This is Isaac's cake for his 20th Birthday. He requested no candles, which is a good thing really....all things considered
This is an exceptionally happy Bella, doing what she does best, making sure the paper is runckley and that she can also flatten it too and I think yes blue does suit you girlie
Happy Happy day to wonderful, fabulous Isaac the boy now man Fozard
Love that parcel opening
He asked for head phones for mission control. So yes I can report it here first, Isaac is in control of the world via his head set, watch out!
The End
Also another first is going through this covered bridge, up the road from where we live currently. They are a "thing" here and rightly so. How fab is that!
There are things I will miss, the blue constant skies, the sounds of peeper frogs and cicadas letting me know what season it is. The light in the morning on a hot day. The abundance of life and massive trees, pretty houses, and interesting streets. Overwhelmingly happy people who actually want me to talk (you know who you are). The Woman's Exchange and the constant discovery of what America is. I leave it a sadder place than when I arrived and I hope we are on the stepping off point of greater consciousness .
Those things left behind have been absorbed into my story and changed me and our small family forever. We truly are better people and have all grown here in the US. I am sad to be going but know that I can come back.....
