The Georgian Court excursion was just terrific. Mary Ann picked me up about 9:15, along with Iris G., Doris H., and a friend of hers, Louise, from SeaOaks, and we arrived about 11:00.
The affair was in the Gould mansion, donated to the Sisters of Mercy in the late 19th century. What a gorgeous place! I had been there for conferences when I worked at Rider, and also to meet with the Mother Superior when we hired a nun to stay with Mom. We explored the huge, high-ceilinged rooms, admiring the murals, leather inlays, wood paneling, and so on. The room where I met with the M.S. features murals of various goddesses. Sister told me they had originally been undraped from the waist up, but the diocese or the order had had an artist add modest tops to their gowns. Wonderful anecdote!
The show took place in the spectacular "foyer," surely as big as my entire house, with a gold-bannistered, curving staircase that ascends, I'd say, at least forty feet. Three superb actors/singers portraying Mrs. Gould, a housemaid, and Cole Porter, chatted, sang, and danced, while we sat tables set with linens and tableware. They "reminisced" about Porter's background, but only up to his middle years, excluding any reference to his homosexuality or to the horse-riding accident that crushed his legs.
Finger sandwiches, little pastries, tea and pink lemonade were served after the show. I skipped the sweets, but enjoyed the rest.
Got home about 3:30; touched base with Pat (he had gone to lunch--Beverly's, of course--with Ray), ran to Acme, freshened up a bit, then drove up to Alison's.
The kindergarten "graduation" was cute, of course. They didn't have caps and gowns--that seems stupid to me--but just had kids in the two (or three, not sure which) classes sing, then portray each letter of the alphabet, some in pairs. Joel and a classmate had "L" ("L is for 'learning,' it's what we do..." or something like that). Juice and cookies were then enjoyed--not by me--as the kiddies ran around. To cheer Joely on, Joel, Jen, Alison, Mike, and Jen's Uncle Jake and Joely's cousin, Gabe came, plus Jason and adorable little Tristan, of course. "T" is a live wire, now walking--at 10 months--and is a chub, weighing 21 p0unds already.
Got home after 9:00 and to bed after 10:00, but slept well and am ready for the next excursion: today, going with Susan and Walter to lunch in Manahawkin, then to "The Producers" at Surflight Theatre on LBI.