Friday was a day off from programs, which we spent in Washington D. C. We took in bits and pieces of the National Art Gallery and including two guided tours besides what we managed to see in between. We spent time “standing under” the art work in order to be able to understand it. From there we walked through the 105 degree air to The Old Post Office where we ate a meal and went up the glass elevator to see what D.C. looks like from the bell tower. We then rushed across town as fast as a bus in rush hour in D.C. and hustled into the National Cathedral for the Evensong service. After another meal stop we arrived “home” to the Lancaster area quite ready for our beds.
We met at Faith Mennonite School at the blissfully late hour of 11:00 a.m. on Saturday for brunch, a bit of discussion and some rehearsal time. By 2:30 we were on the road to the Church of the Good Samaritan in Paoli, PA. We practiced our bus roll call in rhythm until we finally got it under 9.75 seconds! Why is this significant? you wonder. Stanley Kauffman, our First Rate Bus Driver, assured us that if we could manage such a feat, he’d buy us all ice cream. Our fried chicken meal at the church was well worth the wait! We had our “prep time” in the beautiful old chapel before moving into the wide open spaces of the current church sanctuary for our almost-last-concert. The crowd was a reverent and receptive one; a real pleasure to sing to.
“I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!” The first McDonalds we pulled into quickly locked their doors when they saw the bus pull in, so we called ahead to the Gap McD’s to give them a fair warning. Shortly thereafter, what to their wondering eyes should appear but a crowd of dressed up Mennonites, all ordering ice cream. Stan, you’re the Best!