Geez’s’ was jammed Friday evening. That’s the grill on Far Hills Avenue near Whipp Road. It’s back ‘n behind ‘n hard to find. The first thing patrons do after getting a table is hit the popcorn machine for a big basket of…. to enjoy while deciding which of the items to order for dinner.
“Hey, welcome to Geez! This is where we come every week for our Friday night ‘fix’!” It was Cheri Ohmer. “If you want to come next Friday – just give us a call and we’ll swing by and pick you up.”
Janet Driesbach, DAI director, had a guest for lunch at the Art Institute’s wonderful Café Monet. An adjacent table of DAI ‘Docents’ included docent Mary Schommer. “We’ve just had a tour of school children for the William Morris collection…they were young, very well behaved, and fascinated by Morris’ ‘animals’ in particular…”
Jan’s guest reminisced about being raised in the DAI’s back yard, about Siegfreid Weng’s live animal ‘zoo’ – back in the ‘30’s etc. Jan chatted about previous museums she’d directed all over the ‘48’. It was a most enjoyable conversation.
“Now, I’d like to take you though the ‘…Myth, Object, and Animal – in glass’ exhibit,” offered Janet. “Morris worked as Chihuly’s glassblower (gaffer) years ago. Subsequently his work has been influenced by his interest in archaeology and ancient cultures.” The ‘pieces’ are not identifiable as being of glass! They are ‘wood’, ‘marble’, ‘vegetable matter’, and ‘taxidermied animals’. ‘Pieces’ are of ancient Greek amphoras, of life-sized stag heads, of small Egyptian grave talismans… Please – give yourself a‘treat’ and get-thee to the DAI for a fabulous exhibit!
Thornton Wilder’s ‘Our Town’ is Wright State University’s current theatre production. It’s certainly not a ‘…sing along with Mitch’ kind-a play! In the program Stuart McDowell. chair of the Performing Arts Dept., says: “sometimes it’s best to let the playwright speak: “The unencumbered stage encourages the truth…less seen, the more heard…we live in what is, but we finds 1,000 ways not to face it…” Fellow members of the audience seemed of much the same ‘questioning’ mind. “Yes, I’ve seen this play many times…I remember the role of ‘Director’ being played by a man…it certainly added ‘variety’ to the season’s offerings…yes, the cast was terrific…we’re always impressed by the student’s talent…”
After the Saturday WSU matinee a group re-convened at NCR Country Club for an early dinner….Bebe Deuser, Ginny Riedmiller, Sally Riffle, Shirley Wagner, Mary Ellen, and…one brave George Lytle!
Soon dozens of diners arrived all wearing bright red and announcing to one and all that UD had won their basketball game! Bill & Cynthia Butt were among the red-wearers. Laurie Keller was in a ladies group…”Marv has gone fishing with his pals…”
Phil Barnheiser called to ask about his long-time fellow staff member at Woodhull’s – Freddy Klefeker. “When we lunched together – Freddy would often talk about her horse and hunting with the Miami Valley Hunt…had she been ill for a long time?...I’ve not seen her for a while…”
“Ginny Whalen, her daughter Kathy Kavanaugh and her husband Jim, and a neighbor of Freddy’s were with her at Kettering Hospital and organized a ‘service’. As you know Freddy had a niece in Germany, but no family in the States.
Freddy was born in Pomerania…her father was a Baron. During WWII she was put in a concentration camp as a teenager. Her father died there. When the US Army found the survivors one officer took pity on the youngster, found a relative in the US who would ‘vouch’ for Freddy and got her to the United States!
Her story goes on and on and reads like a novel – with a happy ending! On a plane trip she sat next to a stranger - Arthur Beerman who recognized her worth and hired her in his shoe department.
March 3, 2009
Volume 18, No. 9
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