Saturday, June 29, 2013

Latest happenings

Here it is Saturday evening.  First, I should say my computer is pretty goofy.  There are a lot of strange things happening with it.  I think next week I will need to get it checked out.

Looking back on this week, I would say the highlight was on Thursday evening when I appeared before the Tulsa City Council and gave the secular invocation.  On the downside, not a single person was there in support of my presentation.  Likewise, this evening at the Arts program at Church of the Restoration, Gail came to play piano duets with me, and J was the sole person in the audience.  We had to call if off.  Where were all the freethinkers?  Why is it so difficult to get support?

Edna should be back tomorrow to play piano.  I will still do my ten-minute pre-service atmospherics at the piano.  Is atmospherics the right word?  Maybe mood meditations might be a better term.

Well, I'm kinda bummed out right now.  But there was one thing that went well.  This morning, J and I went to Clarehouse.  Clarehouse is where people go to die.  It is on Mingo in east Tulsa, not far from TCC southeast campus.  Rev. Debra Garfinkle invited the church to walk a labyrinth there.  I have been a labyrinth walker from a long time back; so I had to go.  There were eight people there, or about half the church.  We talked about labyrinths and then walked the 11-circuit Chartre-style labyrinth on the grounds.  Afterwards, we ate at a Charley's Chicken in Tulsa.

I have been trying to avoid eating wheat for a couple of weeks now.  I will write more about this later.  Avoiding wheat is difficult since wheat is used in so many food products.  But we have found a few dishes where wheat is not used.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Visiting the Bothwell Estate

While we were in Sedalia for the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival, we stayed in a motel in Sweet Springs.  Traveling between the two towns, we noticed a large building above the road perched on a bluff.  On Saturday, we drove up there.  The structure is now owned by the state of Missouri.  Guided tours are offered.  We took the tour.

Below are some of the pictures I took while on the tour.

The Bothwell Estate

This is a safe hidden by a painting (not shown).

A secret compartment in the library

The original structure is visible on the right (just barely).  Bothwell built the castlelike structure on the left as a residence so that his guests could be near but not disturb him.  Later the two structures were joined by the center section.

Here I am standing near the front entryway

This is a view of the highway north of Sedalia.

The Bothwell Estate

 

Outside the estate

Here is an early player piano.  The device is rolled up to the keys and depresses them according to the information stored on the roll.


A secret compartment in the library

The Bothwell Estate

The dining room

The front entryway

A view in the game room.


Another view in the game room.

The library

The Bothwell Estate

This picture was shot in the attic.

Here is a view of one of the bedrooms.

This is a swarm of bees above the shade.

The boiler

A view of highway 65 north of Sedalia as seen from the Bothwell Estate.

The Bothwell Estate




Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Coffee with Claire

I thought I would post the latest episode of "Coffee with Claire" for you this evening since both Oklahoma senators are mentioned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05wAB9FMg4I

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival

Below are some pictures I took at the 2013 Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival in Sedalia, Missouri.  The Festival ran from June 5 thru June 8.  We arrived there on June 6 and left on June 8.

Vacation pictures

We ate lunch at this pub one day.

Food vendors on the sidewalk


Pettis County Courthouse



Stark Pavilion

Vacation pictures

Pettis County Courthouse

Statue

Food vendor 
 
Stark Pavilion

Vacation pictures

This is Tom Brier performing in the depot.



Vacation pictures

This is the Katy Depot in Sedalia.

Here is another view.

This is where passengers once boarded.

Sculpture

Vacation pictures

At an evening concert.



Vacation pictures

This venue is close to a railroad track (mainline between KC and St. Louis).  Whenever a train would pass thru, it would disrupt whatever was going on at the time.  The track was about twenty feet on the other side of the wall.
 
Here is the site of the Maple Leaf Club.  It is now a performance venue.


A tube player on the site of the Maple Leaf Club plays his instrument.

Vacation pictures

We did some geocaching on this trip.  Can you spot the cache in this picture?
 
This cloth is covered in notes.  The cloth is in The Ragtime Store on Ohio St. in Sedalia.
 


Vacation pictures

A mother and her daughter played and sang.
 
Street scene in Sedalia.
 
Street scene in Sedalia.  In the background is a large tent where piano players performed.  This was one of five venues.


We stayed at Rodeway Motel in Sweet Springs, MO.  It is about 30 miles north of Sedalia. I took this picture out the back window of our room.

Vacation pictures

At this venue, a woman is playing a clarinet.

Here a man is playing ragtime piano.  I am guessing that this piano was loaned to the Festival by a local piano company since the protective padding remains wrapped around the lower parts.

Here is a trio composed of piano, tube, and ratchets.

The tube player also sang.