Jean plays Charles Thomson, Secretary to the Continental Congress, in All Female Cast of 1776
 
(From the Seattle Times)  The founding fathers who hammered out the Declaration of Independence in 1776 were indeed all gentlemen. (Well-heeled, white gentlemen.)

Seattle Musical Theater flips the gender switch, as powder-wigged and britches-wearing women portray Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, John Hancock and the rest of the Philadelphia gang, in this entertaining and instructive Broadway musical.

Keith Gehrig directs the witty Sherman Edwards-Peter Stone show. And though their gender was denied the vote for more than a century after the U.S. Constitution was adopted, women suit up to play all the framers.

Through Sunday, June 28, at Seattle Musical Theatre in Magnuson Park . . . seattlemusicaltheatre.org.

There were only four performances of 1776 over the last weekend in June.  Jean played the part of Charles Thomson, Secretary of Congress.  She was the one to read all the letters from "G. Washington," to call all of the roll call votes of the colonies, to read from the Declaration of Independence being debated, and finally to call the names as the signers put their names to the document.  She also had one brief solo.  Her part was expertly played, as were all the parts.

Jean was fortunate to be cast along with so many very experienced women active in the Northwest musical theatre scene.

The program read, "Jean E. Sleight (CHARLES THOMSON) has loved 1776 for years and she is overjoyed to be part of this production which is her third all-female show. She is a student of Theatre at Seattle Pacific University where she recently appeared as Regan in King Lear and Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker."

I don't think I've cried more at a performance.  I love my country and saw this musical the evening after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on gay marriage.  But most of my tears were shed for Caesar Rodney of Delaware.  I was happy to learn upon later research that Caesar Rodney died in 1784 (not 1776) after having served as the Governor of Delaware (1778–1781).

The Messiah According to Matthew Study Continues at Emerald Heights 

Nancy managed to make it to all of my June lessons in Matthew at the Emerald Heights Retirement Community in Redmond.  She is my best critic, and even she's enjoying my nearly hour-long presentations.  I write 18 to 20 pages in 16pt font so I can read my notes from the lectern.  My talks are accompanied by elegant PowerPoint slides which I've now switched to a widescreen format.  Dr. F. Dale Bruner is still my primary source.

I started this summer reviewing what we'd studied at the end of last summer, the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24-25.  We'll be at Matthew 26:30 on July 2, but I'll review the sacrament of the Lord's Supper in more detail before I move us on.  As always, the instructor learns more than anyone.  I get so many kind comments from these senior saints.  I have six more sessions to get us through chapters 26, 27, and the resurrection in 28 by August 6.

I had my camera set with my "sports" setting of 1/500th of a second, so this photo is not one of my best.

Yet Another Skill Tapped

Dr. Doug Downing, Associate Professor of Economics, hired me on the side to recreate all of the graphic images in a new book of his.  His originals were so poorly drawn and at such a low resolution that the publisher asked him to have them redone.  Although he's given me scant guidance in what he wants, he's been delighted with the first third of the images I've created.  I finished all 18 images in just a few days, sacrificing my Bible study time.  He is at a conference in Hawaii this last week in June.  This is a paid job which will count as SL8.com income.  This is good since my PO Box 583, 98009 post office box annual fee went up to $82.00 this next year.

What is Real and what is Imagined? 

When I got my 2015-16 contract (always on the last day of the ending fiscal year), I expected some changes and it made me unnecessarily anxious.  When I read it, on the ferry returning from our annual summer staff outing (see pictures below), I saw that nothing had changed.  My title was still "Manager of Information Systems."  A 2.28% raise to $67,692 was small but still on the high side relative to my SPU staff peers.  So all-in-all, I'm quite content.  My "communication manager" duties will commence in August but the only other change will be to my teaching load.  I will have three large sections instead of six small ones and a much reduced grading load.  Perhaps this is a win after all.

The staff retreat this year included a ferry ride to Winslow and a walk to Doc's Marina Grill.  I don't normally photograph my food, but a $14 burger is something special, especially when the boss pays for it.  "El Portal Burger With​ smoked habanera bleu cheese sauce, hickory smoked bacon, pepper jack cheese, fried onions plus all the usual trimmings."  Ah, the bacon!

Bits and Pieces

♦  I have yet to begin the serious work of recreating my BUS 1700 Spreadsheets course, nor have I taken the MOS 77-420 exam myself.  This summer is too full.

♦  Family friend Charlotte White (left) graduated from SPU this spring and we attended her graduation party.  I was her advisor on her business administration minor.  Her dad, Steve, used to often ask me to adopt her so that she could get the SPU discount that my kids got. 

♦  BCS Track & Field wrapped up at the June 1st awards banquet.  I'm thinking it's not often the only standing ovation goes to the team photographer.  They do love me and my volunteer photography.  Also, I once again created all of the awards and Nancy bought the frames and framed them all.

♦  Nearly all of my tomato seeds came up in their pots, yet none that I planted in the actual garden came up.  Fortunately, Nathanael is watering them.

♦  The Saturday Bible Study finished Psalms 148-150 on our final meeting before our summer break.  Providential timing.

My Quote from June