Friday, February 26, 2016

DISCOVERY WEEKEND at Faith Tabernacle Church February 25-28, 2016

This event was not really a Faith Tab event,   It was sponsored by the Lockport Evangelical Ministers Association which is an organization of area pastors who meet regularly.  Although I knew I would not be able to attend each and every session, I registered anyways.

I picked Pam up since she recently broke her wrist. We arrived a couple of minutes after six p.m.  I was SO surprised to see my brother there and we sat at his table near the front..  He was with the Pastor of New Life Church who is also the chaplain for the Lockport Police Department.  It was great to touch bases with him!

The first night (Thursday 6-9) was fantastic, with some videos and three speakers.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I missed  the second night.  The next event was ALL DAY Saturday.  I arrived a bit late, but they had not started yet.  I introduced myself to Pam's friend and neighbor (Susan) and she had taken very good notes and she shared them with me. Here is a picture of Larry Lane.  He grew up in Lockport but moved away.


The day was FANTASTIC.  I sat with Steve and Patty, Pastors of New Life Church, and their friends and parishoners Ben and Heather joined us.  Our discussion were very good.  Pastor Steve has a talent for summarizing what he has heard in a few sentences, which helped us stay on track.  Lunch was provided and it was very good.

I was really worn out and overslept Sunday morning so I stayed home from church.  Sunday night was the final session.  It was excellent!  We were each given  a flash  drive with all of the materials covered on it.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

ADULT COLORING NIGHT at the Lockport Library 2/24, 16

Coloring for adults seems to be sweeping the nation.  I always enjoyed coloring with my kids and grandkids and now I can do it on my own!!!.  However, even though I have a coloring book that Betty gave me for Christmas and colored pencils and markers, I have not done it at home yet.  So when I saw that the library was offering a session at night on Tuesday, February 24th, I spread the word and my friend Elaine decided to go with me.

Although we arrived about two minute after six p.m. (and it was a drop in event), we were surprised to see almost every seat filled.  We saw Bonnie and Crystal  and Crystal's daughter Jen at the first table and there were a few empty seats so we took them.




All supplies were provided and we choose from numerous coloring sheets (ranging from simple large shapes to very detailed designs) and a few bookmarks and we got to work.

Around 6;30, Marlene came in and she joined our table.  We were all given the opportunity to compete for prizes and there were two or three drawings and Marlene won a small coloring book!!!

When the event was over, Elaine and I spent a few minutes checking out DVDs and books and I talked with Marlene a little.  It was a fun evening and I plan to go again next month (they offer it the fourth Tuesday of every month)

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Black and White Exhibition at ART247 February 20, 2016

The Market Street Gallery is under new ownership and is now known as ART247.  Today there was the
BLACK AND WHITE EXHIBITION. 
My friend Marie had two of her "works" on display, as seen here.  

My friend Mary Ann went with me to see the exhibition and to also check out the other small galleries.  We had a nice time, enjoying meeting some of the artists and seeing local art.


Sunday, February 14, 2016

English Tea at Faith Tab

Peggy provided a lunch/tea for seniors after church today.  Even though it was bitter cold many seniors came.  We had sandwiches, fresh vegetables and lots of deserts.  The original plan was to go to Vidler's after the tea, but Peggy decided to postpone it until better weather.

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Hospice Walk and Party: Saturday 2/14/16

There was a fundraiser "walk" today starting at Niagara Hospice.  It was below zero in the morning, so Peggy, Becky and I decided NOT to even go to Hospice since it would be too cold to walk.  We did go to the "after party" at the Elks Club.

There was music:  
the music was not at all offensive, but it was too loud.  

We sat in the large back room which was furthest away from the band.  The food was FREE.............pulled pork sandwiches,, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw and red potatoes.  

The highlight was the basket raffle, which we actually missed most of since the band did not stop playing and we did not know they started.  Becky won two baskets.
  Peggy won one and Peg and I together won one.  I went home with a twenty five dollar gift certificate to THE VILLAGE EATERY.

Saturday, February 6, 2016

Canal Music, Old Church and Art: Day out with Elaine ADVENTURE

Elaine mentioned an event at the Historical Society to me:  Canal Music with Dave Ruch.  I thought it sounded interesting so I said yes and she reserved our spaces.

We arrived early and walked through the rooms in the main building.  We met up with someone Elaine knew:  Donna Campbell.  When Elaine mentioned that my brother Mike is the new Chief of Police, Donna told me  that my father was in her high school graduation class.  She said she looked for his picture in THE FORUM, but it was not there because he was in the army overseas.

Almost all of the sixty previously paid for seats were filled.  Lunch was homemade soups, roll and other breads, drinks and cookies.  Everything was delicious  I tried chicken corn chowder and butternut squash soup.  Both were delicious!

Daves presentation was wonderful.  His first song was the song most of the audience learned in elementary school..........starting out with "I've got a mule and her name is Sal...."  The audience immediately chimed in with the next line.  Dave told some of the history of the Erie Canal and it was all very interesting.  He demonstrated several instruments that the canal builders may have used   It was great fun.

Our plans were to go to an opening reception for LANDSCAPES at the Lockside Art Center, but we had some free time before it started so we went to the Second Presbyterian Church in Lowertown.  Elaine had to pick up a piece of mail and she showed me around.

And then we went to the Lockside Art Center for the opening reception.   The landscapes were very interesting.  We met and talked to a couple of the artists, 
and enjoyed the refreshments.  It turned out to be a great day!  Here is the article I submitted to the LOCKPORT STAR (although they did not publish it)

LOW BRIDGE, EVERYBODY DOWN!
by Carolyn Simmons

When Dave Ruch sang "I've got a mule and her 
name is Sal"....the audience, consisting of 
about sixty people, spontaneously sang out 
"fifteen miles on the Erie Canal". Lockport's 
favorite song is well known in England and 
grade school kids in South Africa also sing it, 
according to Dave. But this song was never really 
sung during the horse and mule days! 

The song that most Lockportians know goes by 
various names: "Low Bridge, Everybody Down," "The 
Erie Canal Song," "A Mule Named Sal," and "Fifteen 
Miles on the Erie Canal". From the time the canal 
opened in October of 1825 until 1880, barges were 
pulled by mules down the Erie Canal. Both the 
lyrics and music were written in l905 by Thomas
Allen. The nostalgic song focuses on the years 
when mule barges turned the cities of Rochester,
Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica and Rome into booming 
centers of commerce. However, as time and technology 
moved on, the mules were replaced by engine power.
The last verse of the Erie Canal Song claims that
Sal "put the "Buff" in Buffalo". Lockportians and
tourists know that the Lockport locks put the 
"Lock" in Lockport!! 

Like many folk songs, the words have changed over 
the years. The most obvious change from the original 
version was the change from the word years to miles. 
Allen's original version refers to fifteen years of 
working with Sal. The newer version uses the word 
miles which was the average distance a mule would 
tow a barge before becoming tired and having to be 
replaced by another mule. 

Thanks to a grant from the New York State Council on 
the Humanities, Performing and Teaching Artist Dave 
Ruch came to the Niagara County Historical Society 
on Saturday, February 6th for the program SOUP AND 
SONGS. Hot homemade soups, fresh rolls and breads, 
drinks and desert were served to the participants
who ranged from toddler to senior citizen.

Dave demonstrated several instruments that may have 
been used during the early Erie Canal Era: cow bones, 
jaw harp, spoons and washboard and he offered participants 
the opportunity to try them out. 

He told stories about the early canal days. There 
was some disagreement about where digging for the 
canal should start, and the City of Rome was chosen 
because of its location in the middle. Black Rock 
at the western end of New York seemed to be a good
spot for the canal to end but the leaders of the 
Village of Buffalo desperately wanted the canal to 
end there. The villagers rallied together and dug 
the harbor. The Village of Buffalo became the City 
of Buffalo with an excellent harbor and today it is
still a busy commercial center. 

Melissa Dunlap, Executive Director of the The History 
Center was there with her grandson. She remarked 
"Dave did a wonderful job and he made it fun for 
people of all ages!" 

Dave said "people jumped right in and seemed happy to 
hear the song again and to learn that there are actually 
five verses to it rather than the two verses we were 
taught in school."

The Niagara County Historical Society received a grant 
from the The Yahoo Community Benefit Fund, in conjunction 
with the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, to 
offer free evening family programs once a month during 2016,
and has declared 2016 to be the "Year of the Family". More 
information about these upcoming events can be found at 
their website: www.http://niagarahistory.org/  The phone 
number for the Historical Society is 716 434-7433.

"And you'll always know your neighbor
And you'll always know your pal
If you've ever navigated on the Erie Canal............"

611 words

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Pedicure Adventure and Rambling Around

Karra asked me to drive her and an elderly friend (Joyce) to the cosmetology school in Medina for pedicures.  I agreed and decided to have a pedicure myself since I was going there.  We picked Joyce up and drove to Medina arriving a bit early for our 9::15 appointment.

We all had our pedicures (it was the first time for Joyce and me)

Karra seemed to be enjoying herself. 

When the three of us were finished we then headed into the Village of Medina for lunch.  I had chosen the Country Club Restaurant on Main Street, but when Joyce saw it, she said she had a bad meal there not long ago, so we kept looking.  The next place we went to was not serving breakfast (that's what Karra and Joyce wanted) so we went to Rudy's Diner.

They had breakfast and I had the soup and sandwich special: a cup of bean soup and a ham salad sandwich.  We were all well satisfied with our meals.

Before heading back to Joyce's house, I asked her if she minded if we went to Peggy's house so I could drop off her cold mist vaporizer.  She did not mind so we headed towards Hartland.  I thought they might enjoy seeing a few things along the way, so we stopped at the bulk food store on 104 and then we stopped to see the cobblestone schoolhouse and the "haunted farm market".  We drove by one of the Amish farms and then dropped the vaporizer off at Peg's house.  Joyce seemed to be having a great time, often exclaiming that "this is such a great adventure".

Driving back to Joyce's house from that point was kind of a comedy of errors,with Joyce and Karra both giving me routes to take at the same time, but we finally made it! Arrived back at 17 at one fifteen p.m.