Friends, Family, And Theatre

Picked up Aline at 10:00 and off we went on a perfectly gorgeous sunny day.  Took the mile stretch to reach Ventnor Heights and I pointed out that about ninety percent of the buildings we saw weren't there when I was a kid.  Soared over Dorset Avenue Bridge into Ventnor proper where Aline was ecstatic to be able to see the ocean beyond the boardwalk. Took Atlantic Avenue to reach our first stop, City Hall. 
I've always loved that building, erected in 1929, and wanted Aline to love it, too.  She did.  I showed her the inscribed plaques ("our boys"; the "hero" crap wasn't invented yet) on the WW I flag stand outside, then the beautiful tile inset depicting Ventnor on the center hall floor.
Went past St. James--I'll be damned (ha!) if I'll call it Holy Trinity--church and school, then down to Rosborough Avenue to show her my old homestead. 
Drove back to Newport Avenue via Ventnor Avenue to have brunch about 11:00 at Isabella's.  Many, many centuries and eons and eternities ago, it was "Sam's" and our local hangout after school, St. James being right down the street.
(Just in case son Mike reads this, I want to annoy him by recording that I had oatmeal and orange juice and Aline scrambled eggs and toast.  Oh, almost forgot: Mine was served with brown sugar and Aline's with jelly.  And we both had coffee.)
Moved on to the the library where the Players & Playwrights meeting are held and parked there.  We had plenty of time, so I took Aline up on the boardwalk.  The beach and ocean were at the top of their form under beautifully blue and sunny skies.  I pointed out various places of interest, then we sat on a bench and talked.
About a quarter of one, we went upstairs to the meeting to find a number of people already there.  John P., our leader, and others had come in by 1:00 and we dived into the order of the day.  Discussed our spring production, which we're just starting to look at, then our regular session started.  A number of plays  were read and critiqued, including my little sketch in rhyming couplets, Hell On Wheels, which was well received..
It was a good and lively session, with about forty people attending.  We broke up about 4:15, then I took Aline down to the Longport breakwater.  It was very windy and the huge waves crashing on the rocks made for a spectacular scene.  Aline loved it and so, as ever, did I.
Got to Betty's and we sat on the porch for a half hour or so, then went in for dinner.   (No, I'm not going to describe it except to say it featured chicken, which was delicious.)  We were happy to have Carole, who's staying across the street, join us.
Years ago, Carole had searched out and actually met with, the "Peace Pilgrim," Mildred Norman Ryder (see my blog entry of September 16).  That seems to me almost akin to hobnobbing with Gandhi, which is just an additional reason to love Carole.
Betty presented me with the gift of a ten-CD set of operas.  I'm delighted with this, as I like to listen to classical music when I cut up veggies for salad and so on.  After a convivial dinner, good talk, and many thanks, Aline and I left while it was still light.  Dropped my good pal off and got home just as the darkest dark descended.
What a terrific day!  It incorporated three of my favorite things: friends,  family,  and theatre--what could be better?