Who Are You Supposed To Be?

Saturday night, I enjoyed my first full performance with the women's chorus I'm part of called Sounds of Pittsburgh. Back in September, we performed three songs at a conference in Ohio, but this was my first full concert with them. It was so much fun!

The first couple of songs I was a bit nervous but it wasn't long before I just started having fun!

We were very well received by the audience, including Tim, Ben and Will. This was the first time my family has heard us sing so that was exciting too!

I thoroughly enjoy singing with Sounds of Pittsburgh for many reasons. Everyone involved is very friendly. I like the variety of music we do. Some of it takes me back to my teenage years. I also like the emphasis on learning and improving our musical abilities.

One fun part of being in the chorus is the costumes we wear when we perform. Saturday night, we wore the chorus dresses that are made of a purple material that has glitter (or something like glitter) throughout the fabric. The dress is accented with green, pink and blue strips of sequins, plus there are sequins around the neck. We wore rhinestone earrings that dangle and shimmer. It looks very pretty on stage.

We all wear the same exact make up, nail polish, earrings and shoes.

I was thinking, normally, most women don't like it if another woman shows up in the same outfit she has on. With this group, 70 women purposely try to look the same, down to the last detail! It is fun.

I had to be there early for rehearsals, so I drove separately from my family. On the way home, Ben was riding with me. We stopped to pay our toll at the New Stanton toll plaza. I rolled down my window and handed the attendant my ticket. I had been in my concert attire for so long, I thought nothing of it. The toll booth guy looked at me and asked, "Who are you supposed to be?" I explained that I am part of a chorus that just performed a concert in Pittsburgh.

As I drove away, I realized the toll booth guy thought I was dressed up for a costume party! Ben and I got a good laugh out of that the rest of the way home.

I'm sure those toll booth attendants see all sorts of outfits and costumes, especially the weekends approaching Halloween.

It reminds me of how easy it is to draw our own conclusions with superficial information and often be way off the mark. Things are not always what they seem! This silly example reminds us of the importance of adhering to Jesus' teaching in Matthew 7:1&2: Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Taste of Home

I grew up in Kansas City, MO. That will always be my hometown. Last week, we had the chance to return for a visit. The main purpose of our trip was to attend the wedding of my niece, Mandy. It was very special to be part of this wonderful occasion. I saw old friends and family. During the week, I was able to help my grandmother celebrate her 95th birthday!

While we were there, we stopped by the World War I museum that opened a few months ago. It is very well done, interesting and informative. One thing that impressed me was a glass walkway over a field of poppy flowers inside the building. There were 9,000 flowers, each representing 1,000 lives lost in WWI. It was an amazing sight; it was interesting to walk on the glass and see several feet below.

Kansas City is rich in history. They are known for many things, including barbecue and jazz. My sister and brother-in-law were anxious to share a barbeque place they have discovered. It's called Oklahoma Joe's. The restaurant is located at a gas station! So, you don't go there for the atmosphere!! But the food was great!

This place had their own special barbeque sauce, as many places do. And, fitting to the area, they serve Kansas City style bbq sauce, which typically has a molasses and tomato base, along with great seasoning, resulting in a tangy, slightly sweet sauce.

I grew up around that style of bbq sauce so it is definitely what I am used to. I have been amazed, though, over the last few years, by the huge differences in bbq sauces around the country. Some places have a vinegar based bbq sauce, some have mustard based sauce and some sauces I've sampled are hard to identify and seem very strange! I'm not sure what barbeque sauce is typically like in PA.

The people who live where the sauce is mustard based think that is the way to go! Folks used to the vinegar based sauces think that's the way it should be!!

It's all a matter of it being a taste of home, whatever it is you are used to. That is what seems normal and best. Sometimes it isn't about one being right and one being wrong, but it is about being different.