Speaking of voyages, Gail...

This will serve as my own good news, as a promotion of my beloved’s career, and as a public service announcement…

My beloved is the lighting designer for this IMO gorgeous production of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, which will be playing starting May 6 at the Kennedy Center in DC. Japanese-American artist Jun Kaneko designed an inspired, minimalist set and colorful, whimsical costumes that mesh wonderfully with projections and my beloved’s lighting effects to produce one of the most moving operas I have seen (and I’ve seen a few, having married into it…)

If you’re in the DC area, check it out. Puccini and this production are about as good and accessible as it gets in opera-land. And, like poetry, opera needs all the support we can give it. I’ll be travelling down with my sister for opening night.

Congratulations, Michael! It sounds like a great production.

Kind thanks to you, John. I do think it is, but of course, I'm a bit proud of him. :o

Very nice! :-)

John

My good news is I am preparing to trot my dog & pony show of a performance of Mary Poppins onto the small stages of schools throughout Boston and environs and my head is full of breadcrumbs and tuppence and birds and laughing and soot and spoonfuls of sugar -- And here’s the best part: I’m the writer, producer, manager, costume designer, set designer, choreographer, media guy, after party planner, playbill designer, hand-holder and (drumroll) Uncle Albert.
After all these years, that’s the good news.

My translation from Heinrich Heine's (German) "We were so crazy about each other" has been posted as published at Metamorphoses:

https://www.smith.edu/metamorphoses/2017spring.html

Hoping I receive a copy in the near future!

I made a loaf of bread which went wrong so I took it down to the river and fed it to the swans and ducks. Wait . . . that's not the good news . . .

On my way back to the car I met a man with a small, friendly black puppy who was absolutely adorable! (The man was friendly, but I meant that it was the dog who was adorable :D)

I asked what the breed was, to which the man replied, "Well, we call him a Portuguese Bin." He laughed, and went on to explain that he and his wife had been on holiday in Portugal and came across a rubbish bin that a little mewling sound was coming from. Inside the bin was a plastic bag with three tiny puppies in it, the little black one and his two female litter mates.

This man (who said he'd sworn he'd never have a dog) and his wife brought all three puppies back to the UK, at some considerable cost. The two females died last year, he said, and ''Teddy" was just getting over his misery and had learned that he now got ALL the love and attention, and was very happy.

It turned out that Teddy wasn't a puppy at all -- this rescue had taken place over FIFTEEN years ago! Those three small, defenceless creatures would have had no life at all, but, instead, all of them had a wonderful, long life together.

I didn't let my mind dwell on the scumbags who'd dumped the pups to die in the trash, but I was really heartened to meet such a kind man -- and the sweet little Teddy, whom I genuinely thought was only a few months old.

I just wish I'd thought to ask if I could take a photo of him . . .

Jayne

Happy news indeed, Jayne.

Can y ou get the picture up somehow, Jayne?

John S -- yes, isn't it? :)

John W -- I didn't get a picture, regrettably (see my last sentence), but if I bump into Teddy and his owner down by the river again, I will!

Jayne