Mangia! Mangia! (The summer journey continues)

Last evening our choir rehearsal room was transformed into a cozy little Italian ristorante because this week’s announced destinations were “Rome and Venice.” Oddly, I saw no evidence of either Rome or Venice, but upon entering the dimly lit room I heard music playing (some guy on a CD singing in Italian) and noticed several tables covered in red-and-white checkered tablecloths (courtesy of Maggiano’s). It could have been somewhere in Tuscany somewhere or possibly Newark, New Jersey. Each table was lit by candles and included a beautiful centerpiece of ivy (courtesy of Tina H.). From along one wall, the food-laden tables called to us. There were several pans of excellent lasagna (homemade by Chaundra K.); breadsticks and salad, two kinds, with and without olives (courtesy of Olive Garden); and the piéce de resistance (oops, that’s French, not Italian) and my personal favorites, two desserts: tiramasu and an Italian cream cake (courtesy of Carolyn S.). I wore the only Italian thing I could find at our house, an orange shirt with a label that said Alfani (and the words “Made in India”).

Needless to say, a good time was had by all, and choir practice followed. Have you ever tried to sing on a full stomach? Fortunately, I was playing the piano.