Last Sunday in the Conference Center. 28 August 2016

As I entered the Conference Center this morning I asked one of the ushers when the Tabernacle Choir broadcasts would move back to the Tabernacle.  "Next week," was the reply.

I am really glad I asked because with that bit of knowledge I changed how I viewed the rehearsal and the actual program.  I was by myself, because my Cuban sister was not feeling well today, so I went down very close to the front.  In fact, I tried to push the envelope a little and sit one section farther to the side than I was allowed to do.  For the rehearsal I sat to the left of Mack Wilberg, the conductor.  I enjoy that because I can see the tympani being played.  Today, however, it was rather amazing to watch the guest performer, Jenny Oaks Baker.  She is a very dynamic violinist, and as I walked in listening to one of her pieces I was already choking up.  That feeling continued throughout most of the rehearsal and perfomance.

For the actual performance I decided to move over the the right of the conductor.  I had not previously sat up close on that side.  One of the camera crew with a giraffe-like piece of equipment was very close to where I sat, which interfered a little with my vision at times, but the experience was more like being in the Tabernacle, where the feel is much more up close and personal.

I want to quote a little from the Spoken Word portion of the broadcast. The first part dealt with how a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly.  Then this question was asked and answered:

"...if such a transformation can happen with caterpillars, why not with people?  Can we too, regardless of our past, "put off" our old selves and improve our lives? ...

"The answer is yes--not only can we change, we were meant to change....we were created to grow, progress, and improve."

I thought this was particularly fitting for this time in my life when I have my Sweetheart to work together to improve and progress.  Right now we are focusing on making healthier choices in eating, as we want to experience many years together unmarred by serious health issues.  Our "apple before every meal" program is a first step in this direction, and with each other's support we think it will make a difference.  So far I am not experiencing cravings for sugar--quite amazing! I will report from time to time on this experiment.

The rest of the day was a fairly typical Sunday:  choir practice, meetings, and dinner with my Cuban sister, followed by a nice long conversation with my Sweetheart.  As I come to the end of this post, I will head off to sleep, as 4:55 am is less than 8 hours away!

PS The post did not publish last night so I am trying again [29 Aug]