Spring Grove, MN
Loving YOOH was a celebration of 31 years of musicals at the Gray's Barn in Spring Grove. We had about 30 performers, and just under 200 guests for a dinner theatre performance in the Fest Building in Spring Grove. We prepared for a little less than a month. Rachel and I gathered the music and the performers with help from Jacob and Nick. Scott, Jen and Rick worked on the sound and lights for us. It turned out very well, and the food was done by Rachel's mother and Joan from Caledonia.
Because my entire family and Rachel's family would be there, I decided it would be a clever time to propose to her. I failed only in one respect, my nephew Ole Hans Llewellyn was born that day, and so Patty and John were in Decorah, and being Valentines day, my nephew left early with his family, just before the proposal, so that he could go to a dance at his school. But everyone else was there, and were shocked when at the end of our duet together, I brought out a ring and placed it on her finger while I kneeled before her shocked face. It was a very wonderful moment for me, except I had placed myself on the wrong side, so she received the ring on the wrong ring finger. I had a few of my high school teachers suggest that it would be a great time to propose, which was really annoying after I'd already decided to do it then. I was even forced by my anger to reveal to them that I'd already planned it out, but they kept it secret from the rest of the cast, some of whom screamed when I placed the ring on her. We sang the song "Past my Prime" from L'il Abner.
It was an exciting day before that too, as we had to bring everything to the Fest building and set up a stage in the center with our home-made curtains strung up between two ladders. It was beautiful and everyone was very impressed with everything. Our cast even had fun. Then theme was traveling around the globe through theater. We started in Europe, worked East through the orient and back through the west, ending in Minnesota.
2009
Our families threw us an anniversary party for our engagement at Ye Olde Opera House building, and Rachel and I decorated with lights and Valentine's related stuff. She hung up lots of sheet music, red ornaments, and the place was so covered from wall to wall with beautiful foods from our families that it was a wonderful success. I had pictures of our travels and us in general playing all through the evening as well. We arranged with Doc's Blue Moose to eat there afterwards. I was very happy with our guests, and surprised that Faust and Tanya came just before we headed off to Doc's. It was a fabulous evening, almost as wonderful as the year before. Six months left until we marry.
2010
Ole turned 6 today!
I cleaned up Jacob's myriad LEGO's in the washing machine. You just put them in zippered up or tied pillow cases, and they get clean. I spent too much time pulling all the assembled ones apart. Then at 2:15, I joined my family at the Ballard house. We had a good time, but it was tiring. Rachel and I went to bed very early. We watched a movie in bed on the ceiling with our tiny projector.
2015
Minneapolis,
After a brief day of work, school got out early and I picked up Rachel from in from the of the Public School building amidst the loading buses. We quickly gathered our pre-packed backs, pulled out the Volvo from whence it was charging, and made a final stop at Megan's to pay our final payment for the NYC trip this coming summer. Then off amidst the blustering snowstorm. The roads looked quite clear, but they were decorated with whisps of blowing white. We stopped at the Ford Dealership near NEWTS in Rochester to charge at a fast BLINK charger, and to decide if we should get a hotel or proceed. We opted to proceed with our drive, and faced some of the worst conditions for other drives that we had, with many in the ditches, and we witnessed many accidents on the seamingly clear roads, though they must have been slippery in many cases. We arrived at The Art of Reconciliation theatre group in Crystal at the Elysium Theatre where we saw "SHE LOVES ME" performed by good singers. It was lovely, and very well done. Kirsten has done a tremendous job with this group. We loved the show, and then followed her tail lights back to her place in Wayzata to stay the night.
We ate some pizza and stayed up until nearly 3am. I guess I should start a new day.
2025