This past Thursday in the wee small hours of the morning Tom and I were perambulating through downtown Columbus,
...still, the city was looking quite pretty at that hour, ...as we made our way to the Megabus stop, ...for an extra-long weekend trip to Chicago to visit Claire and Miguel. View of the Columbus skyline through the glass ceiling of the Megabus. I’ve always been a yuge Megabus fan and cheerleader - $50 (or sometimes less – the price is determined on a first-come, cheapest-price basis, the first tickets for any trip going for, theoretically, $1) - for a tres comfortable round-trip from Columbus to Chicago. But alas, this time we found to our chagrin that Megabus had combined its Columbus – Chicago route with its Cincinnati-Chicago route so that what had formerly been a 7-hour Columbus-Indianapolis-Chicago itinerary was now a 10-hour (though advertised as an 8-hour) Columbus – Cincinnati – Indianapolis – Chicago route. ‘Twas a ‘waaaaay long ride. However, for some reason the internet on the bus was faster than usual, so that was good. And our bus driver was as friendly and helpful as Megabus drivers generally tend to be. All first world issues, in any case, and our bus did eventually arrive sans incident at Union Station, ...from whence we took the subway to Wicker Park and the the 6-street intersection colloquially known as The Crotch, ...and then on a half-block from there to our customary place of lodging while in Chicago, The IHSP Hostel, …....where the concierge, a young pianist named Sam with whom I bonded over piano repertory in past visits, recognized us, though I guess that shouldn't come as a complete surprise as Tom and I are probably the oldest folks ever to stay at this hostel, which caters to young foreigners visiting the United States. The delightfully twisty hostel hallways: View from the 3rd floor hallway window. There are Spartan but adequate bathrooms scattered about the hallways, …that is to say, mostly adequate. The dayroom: Our room. After we’d settled into our room we walked down the block, …to seek out some diner at a deli/restaurant called Goddess And Grocer. Tom and I made our selections from amongst the treasure trove of yummy choices, …then ascended the stairs to the cute second floor dining room, to whence one of the friendly servers delivered our meals. Tom had lasagna with a side of butternut squash, both of which he found very good. I had a Portobello and spinach sandwich which I thought was just okay, though many percentage points better in both flavor and appearance than the McDonald’s grilled chicken sandwich I’d had for lunch at the rest stop outside Indianapolis. On the other hand, the sweet potato fries I ordered were hot and crispy and so delicious that I’m prepared to declare them the best sweet potato fries I’ve ever eaten. After dinner we walked through the evening drizzle back to our hostel, where we hung out in the day room for a while with a new-found friend. To be continued...
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...Continued from yesterday: After Anusha and Randy's Hindu wedding reception, which ended around 1 pm, ....Tom, Tommy, Claire, Miguel, Theresa, Callie and I headed back to the Hilliard Hampton Inn - the official wedding hotel where we'd decided to book ourselves a couple of rooms - for a few hours of rest before the 4:30 pm Christian wedding. Anusha and Randy had booked a big, comfy shuttle bus to transport the guests from the hotel back to the Makoy Center, which Tom, Miguel, Claire, and I hopped, This second wedding of the day was held in the lovely lake-side garden outside the Makoy Center. Callie, happy-mugging for the camera. A number of guests changed outfits from the first wedding to the second. Claire, for example, is now wearing Theresa's Indian tunic from this morning. ...which Claire loved so much that her sister told told her she could keep it. The wedding party had also changed attire from the first wedding.
...and, when the moment arrived, the radiant bride entered the garden on the arm of her happy father. It was a beautiful and touching ceremony, the heart of which was the reading by Rev. King of two eloquently-written love letters, one by Randy, the other by Anusha, in which the two expressed, among other things of the heart, their wonder and joy at having found each other from across their different cultures, religions, and nationalities, a small-town Ohio boy and an Indian girl who's traveled the globe and is fluent in 4 languages. After the marriage vows, exchange of rings, and second blessing of the day upon Randy and Anusha as husband and wife, our attention was drawn to the altar to a wooden box upon which was written Anusha and Randy's name and the date. This box was a time capsule into which Randy and Anusha placed two more love letters they'd written to each other on their wedding day and which they would open and read on their 5th wedding anniversary.
...Decked out anew for the second reception of the day. We dug into the lovely, yummy fruit and cheese hors d'oeuvres, socialized, ...and hit the photo booth while we waited for the bride and groom to arrive, which they eventually did, dancing into the hall. Tom asked the blessing, ...then we ate. The food was superb. ...as was the company. After dinner Randy and Anusha cut their wedding cake, Then led the first dance, starting with a slow dance to Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight," ....then breaking into a lively Indian dance. Next a group of Anusha's friends took to the floor and performed a fast-paced, beautiful traditional Indian folk dance. After a few minutes Anusha jumped in and led the dance, then Randy joined in and the group acted out a dance in which Randy "stole" Anusha from the ladies, then got down on one knee to her. It was wonderful. Then the rest of us joined in the dancing to both American and Indian music, ...taking a break to dive into the ocean of delicious cake, ...until the evening came to an end,that was just the beginning of another happily ever after. ...Continued from yesterday: Randy and Anusha's Hindu wedding, the first of their two weddings on Sunday July 3, 2016, was scheduled to begin at 8:30 am, though by the time we arrived at around 7:45 am the area outside the Makoy Center was filled with family and friends, Callie, Theresa, Tommy, me, Claire and Miguel ...including the groom, who was out and about greeting his guests and looking good.
Friends Re and Pat As I was admiring Re's pretty bindi, the little decorative dot or jewel worn on the forehead, ...she offered me an extra one that she had from a pack of bindis that had been given to her by an Indian friend, so I got to wear a bindi too. The groom and and his guests mingled outside, or wandered inside, where we were greeted by a statue of Lord Ganesha, Lord of success and remover of evil and obstacles, ...before entering the beautifully set up hall, the stage of which was being prepared by the priests and the bride's family for the wedding.
When it was time for the wedding to begin we family members and friends of the groom all went back outside, which is where the ceremony begins. In a traditional Hindu wedding the groom arrives at the hall riding an elephant. But if no elephant is available (and we did discuss the possibility, but alas...) then it's permissible for the groom to ride in on the shoulders of his buddies. But before that moment the groom starts out from a distance and approaches the hall dancing until the last few yards when he is carried. Randy invited (read that pleaded with) his family and friends to dance the distance with him and of course we all agreed, though we were feeling a little sheepish, wondering what moves to do. But no problem - one of the groomsmen switched on a boombox playing a rockin' Justin Timberlake tune and that got us all dancing. When the groom arrived at the hall he was anointed by the bride's mother and led inside by the bride's father. The groom was led up onto the stage to join his parents, the bride's parents, two priests, one (seated on the floor here) who conducted the rituals and another who held a microphone and narrated the ceremony,
When we guests were all seated the priest welcomed us all and told us that we were free to chat quietly and use our cell phones, though also quietly, and that we should feel free to move about the hall. Hindu weddings are typically five hours long. Part of the reason, as Anusha explained to me, is that most Indian marriages are arranged, and the wedding ceremony is in part a "getting to know you" ceremony for the young couple. However, as Anusha and Randy already knew each other - quite well - this ceremony was to be only two and a half hours. And it was delightful. As one priest led Randy through the prayers and rituals, ....the other priest, who served as a sort of narrator and master of ceremonies, kept the tone light-hearted, joyful, and humorous. "Now you are a loser," he joked to Randy at one point as a garland was placed around Randy's neck. "Once you get married you lose the game. Your wife is always right. So you lose your life, but happily. Your wife brainwashes you, but happily. Whatever she says, you say, 'Okay'. This garland symbolizes losing. But happily." The priest spoke of marriage as not only the union of the couple but of their families as well, and spoke of family and good relationships as a necessity for good living. He also emphasized often during the ceremony the importance in life of seeking health and wealth, and prayed for many blessings for the bride and groom. On several occasions after Randy had completed a particularly difficult-to-enunciate prayer in Hindu the priest stopped and cried, "Look how well he is doing!" and led us in a round of applause for Randy. Another time the priest said, "See, he's smiling now, you can get a very good picture!" After about an hour the bride arrived amid much excitement. The bride and groom were hoisted onto the shoulders of their attendants and from this high position they place garlands around each others' necks. Then each said to the other the most beautiful words of the ceremony: "Whoever I am, whatever I am, please take me." Soon afterwards there was an intermission, and we were invited to have refreshments from the bar or the coffee machine. After the break the atmosphere was even more casual, with more socializing among the guests,
A one point, about two hours into the ceremony, the attendants held up a sheet between the bride and groom. When the sheet came down the priest cried out joyfully, "And now they are finally married!" There followed a few more ceremonies, some fun, as a game between the bride and groom that involved competing for a gold ring in a vase,
...and left the stage quite ricey afterwards. Other of the rituals were very beautiful: when the bride and groom linked pinkies - a pinky promise to each other - and said, "together we will acquire energy"; when they were tied together with a long cord; and when they touched each other's heart and said, "My heart is your heart." And then, for the benefit of those of us who didn't understand, Anusha looked out to the audience and chuckled, "We're done, by the way." The wedding was followed by a lunch, a buffet of delicious Indian dishes. During lunch Randy was informed that his shoes, which he had taken off at one point during the ceremony, had been stolen by Anusha's sister Alekhya, ...and that Randy would have to negotiate with Anusha to get his shoes back. At first Anusha wanted $500 for the shoes, but Randy managed to bargain her down to a price they both agreed upon. But as Randy didn't have any cash on him, his mom had to write a check for him which he gave to Anusha who then gave the check to her sister, who then returned Randy's shoes.
In any case the bride and groom still looked as happy as any newly-tied-together young couple couple could be. To be continued...
...Continued From 7/4/2016: Saturday afternoon friends and family began arriving in town for Anusha and Randy's wedding. Miguel and Claire. Saturday evening, after a brief wedding rehearsal at The Makoy Center, ...there was a dinner for the wedding party and immediate family at the beautiful Montgomery Inn in nearby Dublin. Tom and I were the first to arrive. Our party was overseen by two very friendly, accommodating young waitstaffers, Ashley and Will, ...who helped Tom and I set up the dessert table while waiting for the rest of the party to arrive. Randy's mom Mary Jane brought beautiful plates of her famous chocolate chip cookies, ...and cream cheese brownies.
...mini-cupcakes and blueberry bars, ...that have become such a hit since I first made them for Anusha's wedding shower back in May that I'm going to share the recipe so they can be part of everybody's dessert repertory: Blueberry Bars 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 cups flour 1 cup shortening 1 egg 1 pinch cinnamon 4 cups fresh blueberries 1/2 cup sugar 3 teaspoons corn starch About a cup or so of canned vanilla frosting
By six 6 pm the delicious hors d'oeuvres were set out:
...hot, thick-cut home-made chips,
...and veggies and dip. Soon family and members of the wedding party began arriving, and, of course, digging into the yummy hors d'oeuvres. Anusha arrived, looking exquisite in her rehearsal sari, one of her several wedding saris.
Randy's parents, Mary Jane and Ken.
Earlier in the day Anusha had arranged for a mehndi, or henna, painter to come to the hotel where the guests were staying to paint the hands of any of the ladies who wished with the traditional Indian henna designs. Being the bride, Anusha had a special marriage mehndi design painted on her hands. Soon after all the guests had arrived dinner was served. Tom and I sat with Mary Jane and Ken and Anusha's lovely parents, Jaya and Satya.
I chose the pork chops, which were so moist, tender and flavorful that they left me wishing I knew the secret for making such divine chops. They were served over a bed of tasty onion straws. And speaking of tasty, the skin of my baked potato was seasoned, which was a really unique - and yummy - taste experience.
...Jaya and Satya had the mushroom wrap with a side of intriguing-looking coleslaw, and Mary Jane had the chicken and ribs, ...with another of the restaurant's intriguing-looking sides, this one a baked sweet potato. Everyone raved over their meals. (Note to self for future reference: The Montgomery Inn has great food!) After dinner - and, of course, dessert - Mary Jane and Ken gave gifts to the bride and groom. To Randy they gave a shirt commemorating the recent Cleveland Cavaliers' basketball championship. To Anusha they gave a mug on which they'd had superimposed a photograph of Randy celebrating when the Cavaliers won the championships so that when she drank her coffee while sitting across from Randy he'd see the photo on the mug, recall that glorious moment when the Cav's won, and feel happy. After dinner we watched a sweet slide show of photos from Randy's and Anusha's childhood to the present. By the time the slide show was over there was a beautiful sunset visible through the room's picture window. It seemed a good omen for the close of a happy evening. Though the best, of course, was yet to come.
I was intending for today's post to be a continuation of yesterday's, which was the first of several posts I'll be writing on my nephew Randy's and Anusha's wedding. I mean, their two weddings. However, the moment has come to break some news, not to family or friends, all of whom have known for so long that we scarcely notice anymore, but to the rest of the world. Last night my former son-in-law Phill, here with my daughter Theresa, ...came out on the last frontier, the frontier of social media, as a transgender woman whose name is now Callie. Callie and Theresa at Randy and Anusha's wedding. As I mentioned above, we, Callie and Theresa's family and friends, are supportive of, happy for, and so normal with them, ...that there doesn't seem much left for me to say on the subject except that Callie and Theresa remain as happily married as ever. So I figure I'll just turn the rest of this post over to my daughter-in-law Callie by sharing the coming out announcement she posted last night on Facebook. Coming Out As Transgender Hello all. I just thought you would all like to know: I am coming out to the world as transgender. This has been in the works for quite a long time, and I really couldn’t be happier. I revealed myself to Theresa, my best friend and love of my life January of 2015. I started coming out to my and her family the following spring, and they all have been amazing, wonderful, and so incredibly loving and supportive, even as they come to terms with this news themselves. I came out to leadership at work last January, a process that has been incredibly smooth, professional, welcoming and a testament to the unity of my coworkers and the leadership of management. I started hormone therapy last March, introducing me to a happiness and contentedness that I have never known. And just last month, I began living authentically in (almost) all aspects of my life, having come out to my colleagues at work. It has been a long hard road, and it’s a road that really has no end. Today, I wanted to share these steps with everyone, so that I may be my whole self with all of you as well. I would love and appreciate your support, but I really only ask for your respect. If you would like to reach out or ask something, please feel free – I would love to chat. I am still me; just a much better, happier, more confident me. And I can’t wait to share my life with everyone. From your mouth to God's ears, dear Callie. Yesterday's post to be continued tomorrow...
Yesterday, Sunday, July 3, My nephew Randy and his fiancee Anusha, here re-enacting the moment Randy popped the question, ...were married. Then they were married again. They were married twice because they'd decided that, as Anusha is Hindu and Randy is Christian, they wanted their marriage to be in harmony with each others' cultural and religious heritages, and after some consideration decided that two ceremonies would be more meaningful - and wonderful - than an attempt at a fusion. And they were right. In accordance with Hindu religious custom, ..a couple who wishes to be married meet first with a priest who will determine from the couples' astrological charts the most auspicious day and time for the wedding to take place. For example, Anusha's parents were married on a Tuesday in the middle of the night as their charts indicated that that was the best time for them to start their lives together. In Anusha and Randy's case it was determined that, within the time period that they wished for, Sunday, July 3 at 8:30 am would be a very good day and time for them. So Sunday, July 3, it was to be. Their next task was to find a venue that could accommodate both an indoor Hindu wedding and an outdoor Christian wedding with receptions to follow after both. The Makoy Center, a beautiful venue located in in Old Hilliard with an art deco exterior and interior, fit the bill. And so Randy and Anusha arranged to have the Hindu ceremony in the morning followed by lunch and then the Christian ceremony at 4:30 pm in the Makoy Center's lovely garden, ...followed by an indoor reception. Have you ever planned a wedding? Now imagine planning two at once. Along with, of course, a rehearsal dinner. This feat these two IT whiz-kids were able to pull off with incredible exterior equanimity. Still, as the day approached Randy did admit that he was longing for the planning to be finished and for the festivities to finally begin.
Which they finally did. To be continued... This past Wednesday I attended my first stand/sit-in (see post from 6/30/2016) to protest our country's epidemic of gun violence and to call for stricter gun laws. Yesterday I attended my second anti-gun violence demonstration, this time in Hilliard, a northwestern suburb of Columbus, along Cemetery Road, outside the office of Congressman Steve Stivers. This demonstration was organized, as was Wednesday's, by the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence and, once again, was held in conjunction with other protests held this week around the state. Our modus operandi was pretty much the same as it was on Wednesday, as it was, I assume, on all the other days and in all the other places where the protests were held, that is, we stood along the sidewalk holding up signs signs for the people driving by to see, sometimes chanting, sometimes singing.
One of the protesters suggested that some of us should be standing on the other side of the street for the benefit of the traffic going in both directions, a thought which had occurred to me, too. So half a dozen of us crossed over and began protesting on that side of the street in front of a Nationwide Insurance franchise. But after a few minutes an annoyed-looking young guy in a dress shirt and tie (and of a pro-gun persuasion) came out and told us to move away from his building as he didn't want his business associated with us. Some moved a few yards down the street, some stood their ground as, after all, we were on public property, but I crossed back over to the other side of the street. I know that sometimes implementing change requires some upheaval of the social order, but I wasn't yet ready to personally bring it on at that moment. Our protest was scheduled to run from 11:30 to 1 pm, and shortly before 1pm our organizer led us to the office of Steve Stivers for another 8-minute sit-in to draw attention to the fact that every eight hours an Ohioan is killed by gun violence. We stopped along the way for a photo op, and for a brief chat with a friendly police officer who just wanted to make sure us old folks weren't intending to mix it up in Mr. Stivers' office, which of course we weren't. I n fact we were welcomed into Stivers' office by his very nice aide, whose name, I think, was Alan and who offered us bottles of water and let us sit or stand along the hall way while he listened to what we wanted to communicate to Congressman Stivers and the rest of Congress. About a dozen people spoke, some very eloquently, doctors, counselors, teachers, people who'd personally experienced the pain and grief of gun violence, or those who simply were able to give voice to the need for better gun laws. I was moved by their personal stories and well-expressed words and I wondered if Congressman Stivers's young aide was likewise moved,
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"Tropical Depression"
by Patti Liszkay Buy it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTPN7NYY "Equal And Opposite Reactions"
by Patti Liszkay Buy it on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2xvcgRa or from The Book Loft of German Village, Columbus, Ohio Or check it out at the Columbus Metropolitan Library
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