grandpa duty

We are in Portland for a few days.

It is a beautiful city, my favorite, actually, but I have never been to a Florence, or Milan or Timbuktu.

The biggest problem is that Linda, (daughter #4) who lives here works in the willie wanka chocolate factory. It can be pretty rough, with chocolates, spendy hand made chocolates, around the place. I am sure I am not eating them with any where the right amount of respect.

Last night Linda brought some peanut butter delights home, just because she knows her father’s weakness.

We went to the play rehearsal yesterday. The actors were not in costume, but it was a well done production. The play is a kids adaptation of the Helen of Troy story. Emily plays the goddess Aphrodite, and does it well. The whole casts sings and dances and works so well together.

They have been working on this since fall, and it shows.

There is a dress rehearsal today. I wanted to go and take some pictures, but Emily says it will ruin it for us for later, so we will stay home and eat chocolate. The opening performance is Sunday afternoon, and we will be there for that one. Somehow I'll get some good photographs of Emily in costume, with her costume designer, my Linda.

What amazes me so much about this play is the dedication that is so obvious in the production. The kids have worked very hard, but have had a very good director, and it shows. Some of the voices do not project as well as they might, that is the joy of working with kids, but all in all, it is a fine bit of cooperative work.

I was further amazed to watch these 5th and 6th grade boys run the sound and affect systems. They were as accomplished as the actors.

Some one asked who I was and I said I was the grandfather of Emily, the tall skinny one, and that I was "on grandpa duty." They understood.

I am so glad to be on “grandpa duty” I guess that is my calling these days: grandpa duty.

Sweet, just sweet.

Try: http://moonstruckchocolate.com/ if you want to be amazed.