Rosemary Clooney Festival

Tonight was the Ninth Annual Rosemary Clooney Festival. It started for Amy and me at about 4:15 PM. With hair done, make-up on, we were dressed and ready to go. Cameras were in both of our purses. Down the AA Highway we headed toward Maysville, Kentucky.

On the hour drive we reminisced about the other Rosemary Clooney Festivals we have attended. We talked about our dear friend, Ken Fields, and how he was with us at the other festivals. We miss him so much. We wondered if Ken was watching down on us with a smile, knowing how much we enjoy these events.

We arrived in Maysville and found a parking spot about 5:20 PM. The gates were not scheduled to open until 5:30 PM so we walked over to the floodwall murals that had been dedicated earlier in the day. They were so beautifully done. My favorite was the classic picture of Rosemary smiling with her chin resting in her hands.

It was now time for the gates to open so we got in line. There were all kinds of people waiting to get into the festival. We saw lots of older couples and several younger couples. There were also groups of women, groups of men, and even groups of teenagers.

Once our names were checked off the admission list we walked onto Market Street. As usual, the street looked as elegant as a first rate hotel ballroom. There were round tables draped with fine linens and centerpieces all up and down the street in front of the Russell Theatre. There was stemware and bottles of wine on each and every table. An excitement filled the air.

Our table included six very attractive women, ranging in ages from 40 to 65 years, along with me and Amy. These women were hoping (as undeniably we were) to see George Clooney tonight. George had been to other Rosemary Clooney Festivals and the rumor was he would be there tonight. Unfortunately, he did not show. Although we were all disappointed, we continued to have a good time. It was fun to be seated with these energetic women. These gals all had a great sense of wit and humor. And as the evening (and the wine) flowed, they became even wittier.

As for the weather, we had what is now called “Rosie weather”. It was a beautiful September day, in the upper 80’s with low humidity. Even as the night air moved in, off the Ohio River, it stayed very comfortable with no need for a jacket. The sky was clear and quickly filled with stars.

Along with the stars in the sky, there were many stars in the crowd. It was great to see Dante Dipaolo, Rosemary’s widower at the table across the street. The Pointer Sisters were performing on stage. But among our favorite people to see were Nick and Nina Clooney, brother and sister-in-law of Rosemary Clooney, and father and mother of George Clooney. They, without doubt, are the most gracious “stars” in our community. They are always supporting important organizations, functions and events to better not only our community, but the world.

The Clooneys are certainly a part of our adopted family. They have become so especially through the newspaper columns they both have written. And, we have been fortunate to “socialize” with them at many other events. Without fail, they both have a gift of making you feel important, like a well-liked friend or even family member. They are truly special people.

As the night was ending, Amy decided she wanted a pink glow-in-the-dark glass. Every table had a collection of one color; pink, yellow, green or blue. We had the blue ones on our table. She wanted not only the blue one, but also a pink one, to take home for her daughter, Rachel. She went to a table (where only half the people showed up) and asked for an unclaimed pink glass. "No", they snapped, not offering her a reason. Disappointed and empty handed Amy made her way back to our table.

Immediately, without a second thought, the elegant 65 year old woman at our table stood up and sashayed to a nearby table with her cloth napkin in hand. And, ever so elegantly, she dropped her napkin onto a coveted pink glass. Before anyone was the wiser, she handed the napkin, (with pink glass inside), to Amy as we made our way off Market Street. We turned smiling and waved goodbye to our new "festival" girlfriends.

Josh at the General Store

Another Saturday and we have a day together. Well, except for Katie, she went to an all-day retreat this morning.

Today, it was Rachel and Michael that were going to decide where we would go for lunch. To my surprise, Rachel said she wanted to go to Augusta. Michael agreed that would work for him, too. So, off we headed down the AA Highway and Route 8.

We left Route 8 at our usual turn and drove by the lake and under the railroad trestle. Around the corner we drove on the one lane road right through the middle of a huge corn field. The stalks were tall and quite brown this time of year, especially with so little rain.

Then, we were on Riverfront Drive in Augusta, one of my favorite places to go. Down the road we drove past the beautiful historic older homes and then finally to the red caboose. We parked in front of the General Store. The General Store is a gift shop with “country” types of gifts, along with about 8 tables for dining. I really like the home cooked food at the General Store.

The General Store was not crowded at all. The only people there were sitting at two tables, so we had our choice of where to sit. Of course, Michael and Rachel wanted to sit by the window where the large set of checkers were calling their names. They seemed to be enjoying themselves while contemplating each move... Well, until “Josh” came over to them.

Josh was a cute little cherub of a boy. When he smiled his cheeks caused his eyes to close. He asked if he could play. “Sure”, Michael said. He helped the little boy up onto the chair and Rachel graciously asked him if he would like to make a move…

Next thing we know, little Josh was moving alright, he began flinging the checkers on the floor and across the room. So, I look around the room and shoot a look at his parents. Umm… they were not catching on. After several minutes of Rachel picking up the strewn checkers, Rachel came over to the table where Michael and I were now sitting. Josh, still unsupervised, was now moving the sales merchandise around the room to his liking.

Ah, at last, our order was ready and we were starving. As we sat at the table, ready to take our first bite, Josh came over to me and stood about six inches from my face. Splat!!! He spit in my face!!! I couldn’t believe it. I spoke very loudly as I expressed my disgust for this action. Josh laughed. The parents continued to leisurely eat their meal while their little menace ruined our lunch...

Although lunch did not go well, I did enjoy the time we spent afterwards. After buying a couple waffle cones for Michael and Rachel we walked along the river. We walked to the Rosemary Clooney house where the street was closed for some type of dinner gathering. We counted over 40 round tables of eight displayed on the street with nice linens and goblets. Rachel guessed that they were prepared for a wedding reception later that evening…

We walked down to the river and sat on the bench while the ice cream melted more quickly than they could eat it. The water looked beautiful today. The ripples looked like diamonds on the water. How peaceful it felt to watch the water (especially away from Josh) flowing south along the backdrop of the green trees on the Ohio bank.

Finally, it was time to head back home. We got in the van and headed north on Route 8.

I started thinking about how children are raised. Little Josh, started out as such a cute little angel. I guess he was just being a little boy without limits. And, he apparently had not been told that spitting was not such a good idea. Yet, without boundaries this little angel quickly became a big devil.

So, I looked in the rear view mirror and told the kids that the reason I say “no” so much, “It is so you don’t act like Josh!”

I think they may have an idea what I mean this time.

World Travel Made Simple

Today is Saturday. You have probably guessed what that means – lunch out. So, about noon, Katie, Michael, Rachel and I hopped in the van and drove to Frisch’s for lunch.

As we drove away the kids asked if we could take a little drive. So, I drove past the Newport Levee and through downtown Cincinnati. There seemed to be a lot of excitement in the air with the Labor Day fireworks on the river only one day away.

Today, I felt like we needed to do something a little different. I decided to pull into a parking lot next to the Ohio River that was lined with flags. I made the kids hop out and stretch their legs. I saw a sign that said Friendship Park. A park seemed like a nice change of pace for us. We walked over to the sign and noticed a walking trail. We followed the scenic trail as it meandered along the beautiful waters of the Ohio River.

All the sidewalks were laid out in an undulating fashion. This trail gradually revealed manicured gardens that were representative of the world’s continents. We walked through the “Land of Europe” first with plants, flowers and shrubbery that reminded you of European gardens.

Next was my favorite area, the “Land of Africa”. It had beautiful, tall, golden pampas grass all around the walk. I felt as if I were on a safari and that I might see a giraffe around the next turn.

Continuing our walk we crossed the “Land of Australia”. There were plants that reminded us of eucalyptus and bushes of bright blue flowers. We pretended that beyond the bushes perhaps a kangaroo might be hopping…

In the center of the park was the Plaza of the Sun. This was a circular clearing where we stopped to rest. We relaxed along the panoramic view of the Ohio River. Across the river you could see the peaceful green hills of Kentucky. Here, at the Plaza of the Sun, the kids noticed a Stonehenge type sculpture with seven pillars carved from old English Oak. Each pillar seemed to be burned on the bottom. It was quite interesting to look at as we agreed it appeared to be a form of a sundial.

All along our trek we noticed the concrete trail was textured with plants and animal prints that you might find on each continent. Moving on the footpath through the continents was the “Land of the Americas” with beautiful trees and plants representing the Americas.

Finally, as we strolled along to the end of this walk we reached the “Land of Asia”. We found many Evergreen trees and shrubs, along with Japanese Maples lining our path. The only thing missing was a footbridge and a temple.

As we turned around to retrace the trail that would lead us back to our van, the kids ran on top of the winding knee-high concrete wall that would lead its way back to the start of our walk. All along this beautifully landscaped serpentine trail you could look beyond the beautiful trees and see the blue river flowing with such grace.

Although we were only a few miles from home, and the entire path was perhaps a half of mile each way, we felt as if we journeyed through many continents.

And, with no passport required.