"We'll have some more sangria in here, please!" ;)

The Fourth of July this year went from zero plans to the best plans ever! First, Noni's, and then, Barb's cook-out. I wasn't exactly in the "picnic" mood when I got there; my mind was just overwhelmed with life. But it turned out to be such an awesome time! It was too hot to stay outside, so we kept the quaint party indoors. Just a few family friends of theirs. Last minute, a couple that had just gotten back in the country from ten months in Vienna came. Little did I know that Tony and Christine Gonzaga were opera singers...and Tony is a member of the Volksoper Wien. Awesome! He told me he had also sung at the Budapest State Opera, too! So cool!

Gratitude 363
We had lovely appetizers, steaks, pasta salad, peach sangria, coffee, ice creams, cakes...all super delicious! Christina and I were at the corner of the table giggling, chatting, and joking away. She was fun. Everyone was! After all that yummy food, little Gretchen entertained us on her violin, and Barb played a bit of piano. Then, Tony asked if I was going to sing for them. Say what? After sangria and all those other terrible things for your voice? Plus, I haven't been feeling very grand vocally.  I somehow got coaxed into singing some Baby Doe. Maybe it was the sangria...or the fact that I didn't actually know how big a deal he was...but my high notes were suddenly much freer than they have been! After I was finished he said, "We'll have some more sangria in here, please!" so I'm going to take that as he enjoyed it. ;) Then, he sang an aria from Tosca, while sitting in an arm chair across the room, and basically blew the roof off the house! :)

*  *  *  *  *  *

Five more days in Ohio! ACK! I'm kind of frazzled by the craziness and overload of logistics that moving your entire life to a new location requires! Social events practically every evening (some evening even more than one!) till I pack up the car. I don't mind that, though...that's the fun part. ;) Thursday, my cousin Renee and her husband who live here came to go to dinner and ice cream. She's having a baby, too, so I got to see her cute little baby bump! hehe! Last night, it was "diva night" with Sarah...dinner and escapades...that was interesting but definitely fun! Tonight, may actually be a quiet night in...but not certain that will be the luck. The apartment is quite bare and too quiet now...maybe this evening calls for movies on the balcony... ;)