Visions of grandeur

Ben and I played racquetball yesterday for the first time. We said that we would have to look up the rules for the game sometime on the Internet so we would know what we are trying to do. But we decided that for now it's better not to know what we're supposed to be doing. We played the each-man-for-himself-hit-the little-ball-anytime-in-any-direction-version.

My kids gave me the music CD of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera from the '70s (I think) with Sarah Brightman singing the part of Christine. That woman has had an amazingly versatile voice for a long time, and she still does. We've all been walking around the house this week humming or whistling (two of my favorite pastimes) "All I ask of you" or "The Music of the Night." I guess all of us carry inside a few visions of grandeur. ;-)

Also for my birthday, my dear husband planned out and escorted me to the loveliest, romantic dinner in a local restaurant with an upstairs hideaway. The table was shrouded with white chiffon. He kept kidding that it was mosquito netting to keep the bugs out, but I knew better. The whole experience was very sweet and I enjoyed it immensely. Then later in the week he surprised me with a brand new book of quotes. Can't have too many of those around, I always say!

And then my sweet mother-in-law called me with her annual birthday singing telegram. This year's rendition was exceptionally pleasing because it was performed as a duet. She had just let her very vocal cat named "Kokomo" inside her house for a short visit at just the time when she called to sing to me and he enthusiastically joined in the song. This tickled me and I held the phone out for Amy and Canny to hear the birthday song with the loud "meeeooow" piping in at irregular intervals! Not quite Sarah Brightman, but even the cat wants to be a star!