"Rust Angel" / "She" / "Gnarly"
Mark de Suvero, Sculptor
Fairchild Tropical Gardens
Mark de Suvero, Sculptor
Fairchild Tropical Gardens
MUSINGS FROM JOAN #19
I like to believe that the significant other and I are not the only ones who occasionally forget things. Maybe occasionally is not exactly the word I am looking for.
For several years now, one of my Channukah/Christmas gifts to Benard is a large leather bound appointment book. He keeps it open on the side of his desk, and is religious about writing down theatre dates, doctors’ appointments, and all the miscellaneous trivia that make up our daily lives. If I want to know where we are supposed to be two months from now, I can depend on finding it carefully noted on the pages of his beloved appointment book.
All of which makes what happened last Saturday even more ridiculous.
Around 10am my phone rang and the following conversation ensued:
Benard: Joan! I just looked in my appointment book and today is the Mango Festival at Fairchild Gardens and we are both supposed to be working it. I’ll pick you up at 1.
Me: Gee, that’s strange. I don’t have it on my calendar. Good thing you remembered.
Fast forward to 1pm . .we are in the car, on our way to Fairchild Gardens.
Me: I can’t understand how I didn’t have the Festival on my calendar. I could swear it was some time in July. How could I be so wrong????
Benard: (Long pregnant pause) You know, you may be right. Now that I think about it, I seem to remember Julie called and asked me to fill in as a tram driver today.
I like to believe that the significant other and I are not the only ones who occasionally forget things. Maybe occasionally is not exactly the word I am looking for.
For several years now, one of my Channukah/Christmas gifts to Benard is a large leather bound appointment book. He keeps it open on the side of his desk, and is religious about writing down theatre dates, doctors’ appointments, and all the miscellaneous trivia that make up our daily lives. If I want to know where we are supposed to be two months from now, I can depend on finding it carefully noted on the pages of his beloved appointment book.
All of which makes what happened last Saturday even more ridiculous.
Around 10am my phone rang and the following conversation ensued:
Benard: Joan! I just looked in my appointment book and today is the Mango Festival at Fairchild Gardens and we are both supposed to be working it. I’ll pick you up at 1.
Me: Gee, that’s strange. I don’t have it on my calendar. Good thing you remembered.
Fast forward to 1pm . .we are in the car, on our way to Fairchild Gardens.
Me: I can’t understand how I didn’t have the Festival on my calendar. I could swear it was some time in July. How could I be so wrong????
Benard: (Long pregnant pause) You know, you may be right. Now that I think about it, I seem to remember Julie called and asked me to fill in as a tram driver today.
Me: Oh.. (Under my breath. . .so what am I doing here???) I guess I’ll see if they need .some help in the gift shop even though it isn’t my regular day.
Fast forward to the Visitors Center at Fairchild and the Volunteer’s Check-In Desk
Lady behind desk: Hi, Benard. What are you doing here today?.
Benard: I’m supposed to drive the tram.
Lady behind desk: Are you sure?. Your name’s not on the schedule for today.
Benard: It isn’t???
Lady trying to be helpful:Maybe you’re here for the Mango Training Session???
Fast forward to the Visitors Center at Fairchild and the Volunteer’s Check-In Desk
Lady behind desk: Hi, Benard. What are you doing here today?.
Benard: I’m supposed to drive the tram.
Lady behind desk: Are you sure?. Your name’s not on the schedule for today.
Benard: It isn’t???
Lady trying to be helpful:Maybe you’re here for the Mango Training Session???
Benard & Joan in unison: The what????
So what would you like to know about mangoes, folks. . . .and yes, the Festival is in July. and yes, we will be working it, me in the kid’s area and he driving the shuttle. The really fun part about the one hour training session we obviously attended were the endless samples of luscious ripe mangoes. Absolutely yummy!
When we stopped laughing at all our screw-ups, we decided to treat ourselves to a private ride around the Garden. With all the recent rain, everything is lush and beautiful. Fairchild is one of the most important tropical gardens in the world today. If you’ve never visited it, you definitely should...
Benard commandeered a golf cart (there are some perks to being a tram guide & driver, even if you are there on the wrong day) and off we went for a close up look at the huge Mark de Suvero metal sculptures that have been on display throughout the Garden’s Lowlands since December and are shortly leaving us. Although I have passed them many times on the tram when Benard is giving his tour, neither of us has ever actually gotten close to them. This was our chance, and I had my camera with me (because I was going to take pics of the Festival, remember???)
The first thing we did when we got back home was to look at the entry in the appointment book. I didn’t feel it was necessary to point out that it quite plainly said Training after the words Mango Festival. But what the heck. Call it serendipity. The day turned out to be absolutely delightful. . .and definitely unexpected.
Incidentally, he is scheduled to fill in for a tram driver. . .but that’s next Saturday. We’ll both try to remember.
# # # #
Photo caption: Mark de Suvero sculptures at Fairchild.
Top to bottom: "Rust Angel", “She”; "Gnarly"
So what would you like to know about mangoes, folks. . . .and yes, the Festival is in July. and yes, we will be working it, me in the kid’s area and he driving the shuttle. The really fun part about the one hour training session we obviously attended were the endless samples of luscious ripe mangoes. Absolutely yummy!
When we stopped laughing at all our screw-ups, we decided to treat ourselves to a private ride around the Garden. With all the recent rain, everything is lush and beautiful. Fairchild is one of the most important tropical gardens in the world today. If you’ve never visited it, you definitely should...
Benard commandeered a golf cart (there are some perks to being a tram guide & driver, even if you are there on the wrong day) and off we went for a close up look at the huge Mark de Suvero metal sculptures that have been on display throughout the Garden’s Lowlands since December and are shortly leaving us. Although I have passed them many times on the tram when Benard is giving his tour, neither of us has ever actually gotten close to them. This was our chance, and I had my camera with me (because I was going to take pics of the Festival, remember???)
The first thing we did when we got back home was to look at the entry in the appointment book. I didn’t feel it was necessary to point out that it quite plainly said Training after the words Mango Festival. But what the heck. Call it serendipity. The day turned out to be absolutely delightful. . .and definitely unexpected.
Incidentally, he is scheduled to fill in for a tram driver. . .but that’s next Saturday. We’ll both try to remember.
# # # #
Photo caption: Mark de Suvero sculptures at Fairchild.
Top to bottom: "Rust Angel", “She”; "Gnarly"
No comments:
Post a Comment