Busy week

Well, the play is this Thursday and Friday (anyone in the Austin area reading this: 7:00 p.m., 1000 E Rutherford, free admission) so we had practice tonight and another one tomorrow and then we’re on.

Friday night the Cub Scout pack had the Blue and Gold banquet, Saturday morning we had play practice, and Saturday evening was the Young Women’s broadcast. And then, Ben beat me to blogging this, on Sunday I ordained Sam an elder and we jumped in the van and went to Clear Lake for Brennan’s baptism.

And now I’m going to bed.

Small world

One thing I forgot to mention that happened Sunday. Sam and I were home teaching Bro. Hill, who is our choir director, and I mentioned that we’d miss choir practice this coming Sunday because we’re going to Houston for Brennan’s baptism. He asked what part of Houston, and I said Clear Lake, and mentioned that I graduated from Clear Lake High School. He asked what year, and when I told him 1975 he asked, “Did you know Milton Pullen?”

“Of course!” I said, “He was our choir director.”

Well, it turns out Bro. Hill was in Mr. Pullen’s first choir when he started teaching right out of college. Bro. Hill hadn’t done anything with music before, but he went on to become a professional opera singer and at one time was a vocal coach for the Tabernacle Choir. Apparently Mr. Pullen has been teaching at the college level, but he’s retiring at the end of this semester. Bro. Hill is going to sing a solo at his final concert next month.

It is indeed a small world.

Update

We had a pretty full weekend. Friday Julia, Chris, and I went to the temple where we met Sarah. After the session she came home with us.

Saturday was play practice in the morning and a drawing class the ward activities committee sponsored in the evening.

Sunday I ordained David a deacon. That evening we had Stake Priesthood meeting, and Sam was sustained to be ordained an elder.

So it was a good weekend.

Thirty years of the block

Sunday Worship is a Family Affair

Thirty years ago this month Church leaders announced a change in Sunday meeting schedules for congregations in the United States and Canada. Consolidation would be expanded worldwide on 4 May. Prior to that time, Latter-day Saints attended three 90-minute Sunday meetings spaced throughout most of the day, in addition to two other meetings during the week. Today, however, meetings are shorter. After the change, all Sunday worship meetings would be contained within a consecutive three-hour time schedule. It has become known as the three-hour block.

Sometimes when we’re having a particularly hectic Sunday, I remember how it was when I was a kid and marvel that we survived.

Tufte appointment

So Pres. Obama has appointed Edward Tufte to the “Recovery Independent Advisory Panel”. If you don’t know who Edward Tufte is, he is probably the world’s biggest expert on the graphic display of information. And he despises presentations that obfuscate what’s really going on, so if the other people involved pay any attention to him this should be a very good thing.

(If you haven’t read any of Tufte’s books, I highly recommend them. In particular, if you ever find yourself making a PowerPoint presentation you should read his essay The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint.)

Movie reviews

When we had the snow a week ago Tuesday, Julia checked out several DVDs from the library in case we got snowed in. That night we watched Chariots of Fire, but we hadn’t watched either of the others until last night, when we saw Holiday. I’m assuming most of y’all have seen Chariots of Fire, but I had never even heard of Holiday even though it starred Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn. (Edward Everett Horton had a supporting role.) It turned out to be a very good movie. The characters were interesting and the plot took several unexpected twists. If you get a chance to see it, I recommend it.