Tucci Benucch

On my Friday visit to the Mall of America with wonderful friends and hosts, they took me to dinner at Tucci Benucch, an Italian restaurant that has been located at the Mall of America since the mall's inception.

I was tempted to order their famous baked spaghetti, but once our server described the garlic chicken, I had to have it. Thank God for chicken! It took extra time since they had run out of chicken but they graciously brought us some appetizers and we had no deadline to meet, so I stuck with my choice. It was delicious, perfectly prepared, and the service was likewise first-rate.

Tucci Benucch is located on the first floor of the mall on the west side.

The Mall of America, Bloomington MN

I flew Friday into the Minneapolis (MN) airport for a couple speaking engagements, and my hosts picked me up and took me straight to the Mall of America in Bloomington. Though I have been to the Minneapolis area numerous times, I had never been to this glittering monument to American commerce.

Wow. It is all things "American," for sure. Big. Bold. Loud. Fun. Its centerpiece is an actual amusement park, with a roller coaster (with spinning cars) and everything.

I resisted entering the Lego store, but man oh man, my grandkids (and son and son-in-law) would never have made it out.

I did not similarly resist the Peeps store, which also featured Mike & Ike and Hot Tamale candies, as well as plush toys, Peeps clothing, and more. Who knew?

My gracious hosts even shared a package of chocolate-dipped chocolate peeps with me. It was so cute I almost hated to eat it. No, not really.

We also stopped at a Caribou Coffee, an upscale tea store, a hat store (above), and "Typo," a stationery store.

If I recall correctly, our final stop before dinner was (surprise, surprise) the spacious Barnes and Noble store in the mall. It was woefully neglectful of my books, though otherwise a pleasure.

It was easy to see why Mall of America is one of the top tourist destinations in the country, with much to do and see and endless enticements to spend money--all of which I resisted. Because I am that disciplined and/or cheap.

Sabbath Walk, March 5, 2017

Glendale (OH) Water Tower (sort of)

On a recent foray to Glendale, a Cincinnati suburb, I took a picture of the circular stone "tower" at Arbor Place, directly across Sharon Road from Town Hall and in front of Christ Church Glendale (see here).

The plaque on the tower refers only to the landscaping in the surrounding park (a 1955 memorial to Ralph Frederic Rogan (1875-1955) and Bessie Ewing Rogan (1877-1953)). So I looked it up. Online. Because you can trust everything you read online.

Turns out, the stone tower is only the base of Glendale's original water tower, which failed in 1928 and was replaced with a new tower later that year. The base has never been removed. From the doors, I'm guessing it is used to store landscaping equipment.

Evensong at Christ Church Glendale with the Cincinnati Boychoir

I was accompanied last evening by the lovely Robin to an Evensong service at Christ Church Glendale. Evensong is a traditional Anglican service of evening prayers and songs.

We arrived plenty early for the 5 p.m. service and noticed that the beautiful sanctuary seemed a tad empty. So we kept walking through the expansive and elaborate church--but not before pausing to take a photo of the gorgeous “Good Shepherd” window in the rear of the church.

We followed the sounds of activity to the Holy Spirit Chapel (below), a fairly new addition to the facility, where preparations were being made for the service.

We grabbed a couple front row seats facing the boychoir section. The service began right on time with a voluntary of Bach's Fantasia in G Minor (ah, Bach). The liturgy was feelingly presented, with the psalm, Magnificat, and Nunc Dimittis presented by a half dozen female voices of the church's Chorus Angelorum.

The Cincinnati Boychoir, special musical guests for the evening, then presented five "anthems": "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning" (Willie Johnson), "Cantique de Jean Racine" (Gabriel Fauré), "Ave Verum Corpus" (Mozart), "Cantata 196" (Bach), and the traditional spiritual, "City Called Heaven." Outstanding, every one, with three excellent soloists.

Unfortunately, though I am a boychoir alumnus, no one asked me to sing. Strange. Passing strange. Otherwise, however, the service was a lovely way to worship with my wife and enjoy the music of the Cincinnati Boychoir, which never disappoints.

Sabbath Walk, February 25, 2017

Sabbath Walk, February 19, 2017

All the time I've lived in the Cincinnati area, I continue to be amazed and chagrined that there are so many wonders and treasures I have yet to discover and enjoy! One of those is Glenwood Gardens, the 335-acre preserve of gardens, prairies, forests, and wetlands in Woodlawn.

After a stop in the Cotswold Visitor Center and (of course) gift shop (at top), the lovely Robin accompanied me on a sixty-degree Sunday afternoon walk along the Garden Path (literally; that's what it's called).

Even in February, the paved path, just over a mile long, was a beautiful stroll, affording us the opportunity to chat, enjoy the warm day and vivid blue sky, and even make out (a little).

The West Fork of the Mill Creek winds through the area (as a kid, I spent many hours playing in and around the East Fork of the Mill Creek).

We were both enchanted by the discovery of this beautiful park, and plan to return after the gardens bloom.

Glenwood Gardens is located at 10397 Springfield Pike, in Woodlawn, a suburb of Cincinnati.