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Saturday, November 12

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After leaving the craft show and taking pictures of the covered bridge (two previous posts), we stopped to see Sam Rittenhouse and his new living quarters.

He moved from his house in Lansdale to a room at his daughter Debbie and son-in-law Lanny’s house. It’s nice for us, because he now lives about 20 minutes from us instead of almost two hours.

It was good to see Sam’s room and visualize where he is living. Of course, he can use the other rooms in their house, but this is his space.

Because of the lighting – with windows in the background – I took a flash of Sam and Cerwin.

Inge, Sam and Cerwin in front of Lampeter Church of the Brethren. Sam called earlier in the week, asking if we wanted to go along with him to see the play in which Lanny and Debbie were involved. Since Inge was interested in the craft show, I also invited her to go along to the play. It was an incredibly fun day for us.

The play was staged in a diner and presented by The Promise Players. If I remember correctly this was their 27th year of doing plays. My pictures were taken from the seat. We were located toward the front of the sanctuary just left of center.

I stole this picture from Inge’s blog (we have permission to do that from each other). This is Sam, Cerwin and me in our seats before the play. Inge’s side of our day (craft show, covered bridge, Sam’s room and the play) is on her blog. https://iekohen.blogspot.com/2022/11/a-craft-show-and-play-with-friends.html

Red Rocket Diner is located in the Southern Town of Mapleton.

Lanny (Director) was the first on stage to introduce us to the play.

The first sound we heard was that of emergency vehicles – along with a flashing light that appeared to be going by the diner windows.

The play began when this actress opened the diner – yawning to indicate that it was early morning. After doing a few housekeeping things like turning on the register and sweeping the floor, she went to the juke box and chose a lively Christmas song and danced and sang with the music – using the tongs she is holding as a microphone. She was quite entertaining.

This waitress arrived needing a cup of coffee – which she usually had with her during the play.

These waitresses often competed in trying to sell unusual meal combinations. Like convincing a patron to put gravy in his coffee.

Patrons came and went on what was considered an ordinary day in the diner.

This discussion between the mayor and a waitress was concerning a recent town meeting about the possibility of not allowing the manger scene in the town square this Christmas.

The sheriff arrived and joined in the discussion.

Lanny and Debbie played Mr. and Mrs. Fowler. They did not have speaking parts but were part of the discussion about God and his place in the life of people and in the community. The Fowlers were considered a godly couple who continued living a victorious life after one of their children died in a bus crash many years earlier.

Johnny, the cook, was a grumpy, unsettled young man who vocalized his displeasure about everything and his lack of belief in God.

Things began to change as bits and pieces came to the diner through patrons that there was a bad bus crash on the highway.

The sheriff arrived late for his usual cup of coffee and confirmed that many people from the community had died in the crash.

Johnny’s demeanor changed after he learned the bus driver (his friend) had died in the crash.

As the days passed there was much discussion about God, the crash and the upcoming funeral.

Johnny surrendered his life to God with the encouragement of the sheriff and a change could be seen in his life and attitude during the rest of the play.

This is the only picture I took as the directors and actors were honored at the end of the play. Sam’s son-in-law and daughter (Lanny and Debbie) are center and right.

I look forward to seeing their 2023 plays.