The Next Phase....

This is the week that 

 Jonah opens.

Sight and Sound employees have been 

looking forward to March 2012

for a very long time.

It literally takes years to build

a new show.

From the writing of the story,

to making miniature models of sets,

creating the costume designs,

hiring the actors,

actors learning the script,

building the sets in full size,

recording music, 

making video to insert into the show, 

special effects that dazzle,

choosing special products for concessions

and so much more.....

It is a long, expensive and complicated process.

Sitting on the sidelines as I do with 

three family members who work there

 I hear a lot. 

I am so impressed by the intensity

and attention to detail that is 

consistent from the beginning to the end.

We are nearing the end....of the production

phase....next phase is the 

performance of a finished show.

Warren has declared this a fun, 

fast moving and very entertaining

production 

with a very real and clear message.

He says there will be no spots in the 

show that are dragged out so that sets

can be moved or for other reasons.

This one just plain moves!

Chelsea and Mom are back to work

for another season.  

Chelsea was so excited to go back.

She has missed her friends and 

co-workers.

Being at home for hours on end

is just so boring to her...lol.

I remember those days.

They are no more for me.

I love being at home now.

One day she will likely feel that way 

again but for now there is a whole 

world out there that is very interesting 

to her.  

In the meantime I've spent a lot

of time with my girl the past 

couple of weeks

knowing that soon she will be 

working five days a week and 

then in just a little over a year she will

be headed to Australia,

if the Lord wills it.

Gulp!

So, I have been doing my best

to treasure our time together.
We've gotten coffee, 

shocking I know!,

and played several rounds of 

Scrabble.

She's beaten me more times 

than I care to share.

The other evening while we played 

the animals decided to get in 

on the fun.

They couldn't figure out why 

we shrieked every time they 

tried to cross the floor to 

get on our laps.

We had to keep putting the 

board back together....

Silly animals.

A Very Charming Joseph

Have you heard of Charm City Cakes?
They are located in Baltimore and have
their own television show on The Food Network.

Duff and his friends work together to
create amazing cakes.

Well, they made one for Sight and Sound
that was no exception.

This will be an upcoming episode on
Ace of Cakes. I will try to give you
a "heads up" on the date and time it
will be aired.



At the moment the cake/sculpture
is in the lobby.
Anyone can go to see it
during show hours.
I'll have to go myself.
Warren took these for me
yesterday. He knew I was
anxious to see the cake!



Oh, and if you go...
check out the T-shirts and mugs
they have for sale that say,
"Not your average Joe".



Mom said it was soooo
busy on Saturday.
The theater was packed!

Mom works in concessions
and was kept hoppin'!
(That is a mental image
that makes me smile.)



This is such a good thing!

Cheers!
To a great show
and a wonderful
beginning...
for my post on the
Employee Premiere
Click Right HERE.

Thanks for stopping in!
Have a great day!

I Love Joseph!

My husband knows.
He is happy about it.



There was an employee premiere of Sight and Sound
Theater's newest show, Joseph. (Click on the links
to see more about
the theater and the show)

To know why this is so special you would have to
know that Sight and Sound employees and their families
live with each new show for at least three years before
the public gets to see a thing.

For the past three years when Warren and I would
escape for dinner together I would gladly listen
as Warren brainstormed ideas for technical effects
that were needed. Oh, how I love this!

Watching his creative brain at work.
That is a very good thing.

So, as the show unfolded last evening I nearly
burst with happiness for him as the most
challenging of projects worked perfectly
and looked simple.

While the show has a lot of technical
aspects the beauty of the sets takes
your breath away. Again, wishing we
could have taken pictures....

And beyond that...

It is the story!

So beautifully told and brought to life by
a cast that is talented beyond belief.

Joshua Keefer, who plays Joseph, is amazing.
I cannot say enough!
His voice is so pleasant to listen to.
No oversinging, or overacting.
He is so amazingly consistent in this
role. I realized when the show was
over that he had been on the stage for
most of the two hours that the show runs.

The men who play his brothers are also
very talented singers.
There are several group songs
that are so technically awesome that you
cannot believe they are in a play.

One song literally brought me to tears with its
beauty. I am not going to tell you which.
You'll have to see the show and then we'll
compare notes.

So, now all of you across the country.
Your assignment is to schedule your 2010
or 2011 vacation for Lancaster County, PA.
You must let me know if you are coming!

This is something that you really would enjoy!

With its setting in Egypt there were several
opportunities to bring out the camels.
Yes, real camels.

There are many animals in this drama.
There is humor in this drama.
In the most unexpected places
you find yourself in a full belly laugh.

I must stop.
Really.
But, I am in love!
With Joseph.
His story of God's Providential Care,
Forgiveness and Love.

I am smitten!

Understand that I have seen all of
Sight and Sound's shows since the
early 1990's. I am not speaking
lightly. This is an amazing show
that I cannot wait to see again!

If you want to see more...click here for a video of the writers and directors. Toward the end you get a sneak peek at some of the sets in process.


Now, for a bit more about our evening.

Our silly boys opted not to go last
evening. They said they would wait
and go later....

So we had two tickets to share.

Chelsea was able to invite two of her
very dear friends, Lindsay and Emily
Rabe....you know, of Creekside Cottage.
Their names are links that will take you
to each of their blogs. Their mother
writes beautifully at the
Creekside Cottage Blog.

They had just a bit of fun in the lobby.
Lindsay took these shots.







I also asked Lindsay to get a picture of the
hanging centerpiece in the lobby area.



I took this one of a gorgeous display.


I was tempted to take photos in the
restrooms as they are so pretty...
but the nerve escaped me.

Just driving up to this building is an
experience. Being inside is like stepping
into another world.

As we were headed to the car there was just
one more opportunity for pictures.

Aren't they precious?

Now, I had to get gas.
As I pumped the stinky
liquid into the van the
girls asked permission to
go and get pictures with
this....





The interesting thing about this was that
as they were playing around a worker at the store
came out and locked the door to the store.
We knew it wasn't closing time so we weren't
sure what was up...but we decided to go ahead
and leave.

After I got home I popped on to the internet
and found out that there had been two armed
robberies in that area while we had been at
the theater. Oh my. And there I was with these
girls, just playing.
Thank God, for His hand
of protection on us.

Finally, I want to share my very favorite photo
from the evening. You see, before showtime
we were permitted to take a behind the scenes
tour with Warren as our guide. This post is
so long already I'll just say that it killed
me to not take photos from the stage or shops.

BUT...in his office I took this one of him
and Chelsea. I love their expressions.



AND... I am tempted to steal that
picture back to go over the Entertainment
Center....It has been in our home, at our church
and now in his office.

Warren rescued it from the trash one day.
It has been with us ever since.

So anyway, enough about that...
suffice it to say that
last evening will go down in my
memory as a very bright spot.

Praying that God uses this drama
about a true man of God to reach and
encourage many around the world.

Maybe even YOU!!

Week In Review

We enjoy a Beautiful Life at
Hospitality Lane...



Perfect?
Of course not!
But beautiful...in all the
ways that matter...

This is my Beautiful Life Post
for Melissa's Inspired Room link.

See how others are enjoying the
beauty in their lives.


It can't be Friday already,
can it???

What a very full and busy week!

On Monday Georgia and I went to
a local greenhouse to choose some
annuals for our flower gardens.

I picked out coleus, portulaca and
those yellow spikey flowers...the
name escapes me...

Tuesday I bowled badly and then went
off to the dentist for the completion
of the crown project. No numbing needed
and I got to sit in the massaging chair.
Not too bad!
The crown fits perfectly.
I am happy.

After that fun...
some friends joined us at Roots Market to
eat supper and then they left as we
waited to purchase some silkie chicks.
It was absolutely crazy in the animal
auction barn but I thought it was awesome
that Warren had the best time watching and
finally bidding on our new "babies".


Six little fluffballs.
We are enjoying them so much!

Wednesday Warren had a doctor's appointment.
I went along because he has some ongoing
issues that have not been properly addressed.
Sometimes you just have to get proactive
and choose a doctor who will be very thorough.
I have found this to be the case
with the Gastro Group I use.
So, I took him there!
Thankfully we are finally
on our way to getting answers.
The poor guy is going
to have to endure some testing and
blood letting but
I think when all is said and done
we will know something.

My favorite part of the time spent with Warren on Wednesday
was lunch at Willow Valley Family Restaurant. Each year
the Lancaster County Tourist Industry makes up a coupon
book that offers specials at the various attractions.
We are in the process of using as many of these as we can
since they only last one month. We will be eating out more
often than usual throughout May.

When Warren and I were done and he was back to work, I puttered
around in a local shopping center while waiting to meet some
friends for homeschool co-op business.
As of Wednesday I have become
an official Mrs. Meyer customer!!
Yay!
I bought some lavender countertop cleaner.
My bathroom will smell just lovely forever more!
In my fondest hopes anyway!
You bloggers are influential!

Wednesday's highlight was a Mother/Daughter
banquet at Georgia's former church in York
County. The very efficient men of the church
served 300 women. As usual, the food was
outstanding...although Georgia found out that
the men get Roast beef for the Father/Son Banquet
and went on a mission to get our traditional
chicken breast changed to Roast Beef. It was so
funny to see her talking to the various men about
it and how they each directed her to the next guy!

Yesterday was the least crazy of the entire week.
We went to see Behold the Lamb at Sight and Sound.
This show has been reworked a bit and I loved the
changes. What an inspiration. I cannot sit through
any of the shows at Sight and Sound dry eyed. Just
can't! The man who plays Jesus is, at one point, on
a donkey at the back of the theatre looking into the
eyes of those around him. We were in the balcony
just within his line of sight. As he looked into
my eyes I lost it.
The tears flowed.

Can you imagine the love and power
packed in the gaze of Jesus?

Can you imagine being
in His presence?

This actor nailed that impression
as he looked lovingly at the crowd
around him.

Made me yearn to sit in the Presence
of Jesus! To pour out all of the
concerns of my heart. To love Him
and thank Him for all He suffered for
me. Wow! One day that is going to
happen face to face. Until then, He
is here. Loving, listening and softly
caring.

After the show we headed off to Hershey
Farms with our Moms.

Yes, we were using
yet another coupon from our books. Since
Mom also works at Sight and Sound she has
her own book.
Makes it great for
family budgets.

This has been a very full week.
I am hoping for some sun outside
today to plant those flowers purchased
on Monday. As it is they are sitting
on the driveway...just waiting patiently.

Tonight we are to play some baseball with
other families from church. That should be
interesting. This is our first game of the
season. It is great to watch the young,
energetic ones play!

Nothing serious.
Just for fun!

Hope you have had a wonderful week and
that your weekend shapes up nicely.

It has been sad to hear and read about
all of the tornado damage near to Lisa
at Cranberry Flats. A couple of people
have lost their lives there. One just
never knows.

Take care friends.

You are precious to me!

♥♥Becky K.♥♥

Sigh...

Why must people be so rude?

There we were to watch the Christmas Story. It was beautiful and engaging. There were flying angels, camels, donkeys, sheep and more (note,out of that list only the angels were flying). Mary and Joseph were in the manger stall with their infant King. The Innkeeper and his wife were honoring the newborn King, the shepherds were receiving great news from Angels flying overhead...

The lady in front of us was chatting away on a....
CELL PHONE!!!!!!

I wanted to yell and scream at her that she was being RUDE!!!

I didn't! So, here I am on my own, personal space...yelling and screaming.

What is up with people in America! Don't they care anymore about social graces and obvious...obvious courtesy?????????

This woman was on the phone for almost all of the second half. She was talking in at least her normal voice if not louder to be heard over the show. Every time there was opportunity to clap I made sure I clapped LOUDLY and as near her head as I dared.

People!

Other than that and a few other irritations...this woman and her group talking down the isles to each other, children and adults noisily opening their snacks and acting as if it were a baseball game instead of a reverent Christmas Play...guess we got the wrong seats....

This was the first time in our more than 17 year association with this theatre that this has ever happened!!!!! It was no fault of the theatre. People are just getting more and more rude! Remember, we see every show at least once in a show run so I wouldn't want anyone not to come based on this rant.

The show remains wonderful and I was still brought to tears. The miracle of this birth in the appointed time and place, the recognition of the people when they saw the child of Who He was. The knowledge of what this Baby would go through and His purpose for coming. It is just all so moving.

Then there were the lighter moments. Toward the end of the show when the Kings come from afar they bring in camels. Now, two of the camels were perfectly behaved. The third, on the side stage nearest us had an attitude. Warren has seen these camels get pretty nasty sometimes...this one is young and is in training. He...or she...gave its handler quite a workout. It refused to bow in reverence. Instead it pranced to the music. If I hadn't been so concerned for the handler it would have been funny. Ok, so it was still funny...a prancing camel who was supposed to be still and worshipping.

Sometimes I feel more like prancing than worshipping* too. Hmmm...just like the camel. Good thing my handler is the Holy Spirit with that still small voice that gets me back on track, eh?

*Note: I am not referring to styles of worship...I referring to my heart attitude. Just so you know I am not saying that there is only one way to worship....Smile.