This was a very good year for Mother and Father Anderson.
Kathy and I had plans to attend the Childrens Theater of Madison production of “Fiddler on the Roof” on Mothers Day. Eric was conducting the orchestra so, of course, we wanted to see the show. When Matthew was in high school he played the role of the tailor Motel Kamzoil so we were familiar with the show and many of the songs. The week before Mothers Day Eric called me and said he had a plan to surprise Kathy. He had arranged for Matthew to drive up to Madison from Indianapolis in the morning and be waiting in the theater when we arrived for the 2 PM show. This was a great idea. All I had to do was to avoid accidentally saying anything during the week and just take Kathy to the theater as we had already planned.
When we arrived at the theater I tried to avoid grinning as we were shown to our seats. A young man and woman were in the seats next to ours as Kathy and I sat down and started to talk. It was just a coincidence that the young woman happened to be in the seat next to Matthew so it looked like a young couple waiting to see the show. Matthew had his back turned slightly so we could not see his face right away. I made comments about the stage and pointed in an attempt to get Kathy to look to her right. Matthew finally turned and Kathy recognized him. Her jaw dropped open and she was speechless for a moment before we all got up and laughed and hugged. Eric had been watching for this and he came up to our seats to join in the Mothers Day surprise.
The show was great and Kathy was smiling the entire time. Afterwards we all went out to eat, then went out for dessert, and then went home to play cards, Nerts of course. It was a wonderful Mothers Day.
Kathy and I wanted to go to Indianapolis to see the EclecticPond Theatre Company productions of Henry VI, Part 3 and Richard III. Matthew was acting in them so, of course, we wanted to see the shows. Our June calendar was quite full, however, and the only time we could do this was on Fathers Day. We drove down the day before. The weather was beautiful so for lunch on Fathers Day we broke out the grill. We had bratwurst and all of the usual cookout things that accompany such a meal. That’s the kind of repast I enjoy on a sunny almost-summer day.
Matthew had to leave early for the theater in order to get ready, of course, so Lisa, Kathy and I drove down later. When the doors opened we went in and secured seats in the front row. We wanted to have a good view of Matthew. More people arrived and eventually I heard someone ask, “Is this seat taken?” I looked up and there was Eric! I quickly looked to my left to see if Kathy looked surprised. She sat there with a knowing grin on her face. Eric, Matthew and Kathy had turned the Mothers Day surprise into a Fathers Day surprise. This time Eric drove down to Indianapolis to surprise me in the theater. I had no idea they planned this and had a smile on my face the rest of the day. Kathy said that, like me, she was worried she would say something during the week that would give away the secret.
The shows were great. Matthew was Richard III and, even though I am not a Shakespeare buff, having a son in the play really increased my interest! When the show was over we borrowed a few crowns and posed for a picture as a king with his two princes. Then we all went out to eat. Afterwards we drove back to Matthew and Lisa’s apartment to play Nerts. We sat on the floor and had fun playing cards while Lila and Pepper, Matt and Lisa’s dogs, tried their best to join in. It was a wonderful Fathers Day.