BRANSON, MISSOURI and PRECIOUS MOMENTS  March 21-23, 2002

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Ralph,Millie,Fran,Don 
A FUN THREE DAYS

After my sister Fran retired we often talked of her and her husband Don, and Ralph and I going on a trip together. We didn't get a trip planned until Branson was suggested. It seemed everyone we knew had been there but neither of us had so we made reservations for two nights stay at the Point Royale Condo, sent for tickets to two shows, and had a wonderful time.

Branson is a small town with about forty theaters and has become well-known for its family type music shows. From home to Branson is about 500 miles. We left home at 6:30 a.m. and with Don's expert driving, by about 4:00 p.m. we were checking in at our nice two bedroom, two bath condo.
Point Royale
We stayed at Point Royale Condo 		Don,Fran,Me
Our home away from home		 Millie,Fran
This is a nice condo.
Starlight Theater
"Lost in the 50s" show was here
Girl singers on skates
A good harmonizing group
The first show we saw was "Lost in the 50s" which was very well done and we enjoyed the familiar songs of those years when we were young(er). Also, we could hardly believe our luck of having seats on the second row, ROW B, in the center. It was spectacular to be that close!!

The next night's show was "Country Tonight". Don checked his ticket and our seats were in ROW A. Did that mean we would be on the front row?


Yes, we were on the front row this time and the man who the little girl is singing to was just across the aisle from Ralph. Later in the program she came down and sat on Ralph's lap and sang to him also. It seems people on the front row are handy to be recruited for audience participation. This, too, was a good show with lots of good singing and dancing.

There was also comedy when the traveling medicine man with his "snake oil" came on stage touting the cure-all elixers he had for sale. When he needed someone from the audience to demonstrate them, you guessed it....he came down and got Ralph. Following are some pictures taken of that part of the show.
Ralph
Touting his "medicine" 		Ralph
Nurse takes him for check-up
Ralph
Old man named Ralph 		Ralph
Old man's wife wants medicine
After the "medicine man" told Ralph the wonders of his medicine, a cute little "nurse" took him off-stage for a supposed check-up. What she really did was slip the old man's clothes on him, put that wig on his head, gave him a couple of crutches and sent him back on stage. The medicine man gave the old man some of his super cure-all medicine and it miraculously cured him so he no longer needed his crutches. He then sent him home (which was backstage) where Ralph was then fixed up to look like an old lady and sent back on stage again.

During all of this, we, as well as the audience, were about to die laughing. Poor Ralph didn't even know what he looked like until he saw these pictures but he was a good sport, did a good job and even said it was fun. We, who know him, could hardly believe he did it. Several in the audience congratulated him after the show was over. It was a very memorable night!

10 year old with a big voice sang "Amazing Grace"
The cast finished with several patriotic songs
We enjoyed the shows, checked out the souvenier shops, even got paid $50 for listening to a sales pitch on purchasing a time-share. We had a wonderful time.
Ralph,Don,Fran
Tired 		Millie,Fran,Don
Time to go
Since The Precious Moments Chapel was not too many miles farther west, we decided to go there before heading for home. This is a beautiful chapel with many stained glass windows designed by Sam Butcher and assembled by his sister. At the gift shop Fran and I bought a Precious Moment figurine signed by Sam. The clerk said that he comes in to the store occasionally and signs a few of them. This was well worth the trip even though we didn't get home until almost 1:00 in the morning.
The mural on the left is at the front of the chapel. Many of the children in the painting represent someone Sam loves and he is still adding children. His father died recently and he painted the child in the race car at the top of the rainbow for him. His father raced cars in his younger years.

The mural on the right was the focus in a different room. Sam's son Phillip was killed in a tragic accident and he painted this, shortly after the accident, showing his son was in heaven.