Cooking With Marge

Last night, Elizabeth and I went to Minion’s Cafe in Maplewood to see a dinner theatre performance of Cooking With Marge. Actress Linda Spall plays Marjoram Fennel , an entertaining mixture of Julia Childs and Hyacinth Bucket from Keeping Up Appearances. Not only was it a memorable way to celebrate our anniversary, but the food was delicious as well. One of the best parts of the evening was sharing a table with a couple from St. Louis who shared stories of living in downtown St. Louis, attending local theatre, and parenting.

Life’s Short. Relax. Drink Some Tea

In an attempt to curb caffeine intake and drink something other than coffee, we visited our local Teavana store and picked up a tea starter kit. They have a growing number of locations. I guess tea is hip at the moment. They describe themselves as:

Teavana… a place that many consider a heaven for tea drinkers. Over 100 kinds of Fresh Tea. Beautiful Teapots. etc…..From the lush hillside plantations of India and Nepal to rolling waves of green tea in Japan, we have sought out the world’s freshest and finest teas for your palate to embrace and fill your senses with the wonders of the world’s oldest and most healthful beverage. We source only the highest quality and freshest teas bringing them from the tea estates fresh every month into the United States.

After experimenting with different quantities of tea, water temperature and steeping times, We are starting to get the hang of it. Who knew that you could make a hobby out of tea?

A Trip to Narnia

Like many, I am a C.S. Lewis fan. After taking a class in seminary on the writings of C.S. Lewis, I fell in love with this work. His blend of fantasy and theology as well as his more poignant Christian writings are always a good read. So when The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe came to the silver screen, we had to go. All-in-all it was a great time. All three of use loved it and would like to see it again over Christmas break. As an evangelism tool and potential sermon series, it is worth considering. As other fans, I was happy with the integrity with which they handled the original book and look forward to further installments.

Did He Say What I Thought He Said?

For all of you who were exposed to my "occasional" misspoken phrases during worship such as "Have a crummy Christmas…", "The congregation may now be conceited…" and "…as we erect the menorah…" you can read the story of another dyslexic clergyman named Rev. Robert Lee in Roald Dahl’s book  The Vicar of Nibbleswicke. Dahl, the author of Charley and the Chocolate Factory, wrote this funny tale for children to benefit the London Dyslexia Institute.

Wicked at the Fox

Elizabeth and I treated ourselves to the new musical Wicked. It was playing at the opulent Fox theater in St. Louis. Wicked is a musical that tells the story of the witches of OZ before and after the story of  The Wizard of Oz. It is an apocryphal tale that redefines the meaning of the classic story using the Post-Modern understanding of good and evil. But if you are like me, it was just a good time with great special effects. Elizabeth and I decided to take in "cultural activities" upon our move to St. Louis. We are doing pretty well so far and will keep you updated on the cheers and jeers.