Marquee Evening ...

“Follow the yellow brick road

Follow the yellow brick road

Follow, follow, follow follow

Follow the yellow brick road

Follow the rainbow over the stream

Follow the fellow who follows a dream

Follow, follow, follow, follow

Follow the yellow brick road

We’re off to see the Wizard

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

We hear he is a whiz of a wiz

If ever a wiz there was

If ever, oh ever a wiz there was

The Wizard of Oz is one because

Because, because, because, because, because

Because of the wonderful things he does

We’re off to see the Wizard

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz …”

           ~ “We’re Off To See The Wizard”

       ~ from the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz”

The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Widely regarded to be one of the greatest films in cinema history, it is the best-known and most commercially successful adaptation of L. Frank Baum's 1900 children’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”

Follow the yellow brick road – or in this case Nineteenth Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania – and you’ll see “The Wizard of Oz” is the star on the marquee of The Nineteenth Street Theatre on a late summer evening.

The Nineteenth Street/Civic Theatre is an historic community center that hosts theatre, arts education and film. It is the oldest cinema in Allentown, opening Sept. 17, 1928. In July 1957, the property was purchased by Allentown’s Civic Little Theatre. It is located in the heart of the quaint West End Theatre District.

December's Supermoon ...

“And who hung the moon in the starry sky

Somebody bigger than you and I …”

            ~ “Somebody Bigger Than You and I”

    ~ written by Johnny Lange, Hy Heath

            & Sonny Burke

   ~ recorded by the great Elvis Presley

             ~ 1967

The Supermoon of December 3, 2017 shines brightly over Cedar Creek Parkway, Allentown, Pennsylvania, reminding me of the line in my most favorite Gospel hymn, the wonderful “Somebody Bigger Than You and I,” recorded by the great Elvis Presley in 1967.

A Supermoon happens when the full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth in its orbit. Supermoons make the moon appear a little brighter and closer than normal.

The term Supermoon has only been used in the past 40 years.

Patriotism Rains Down ...

“This is my country! Land of my birth!
This is my country! Grandest on earth!
I pledge thee my allegiance, America, the bold,
For this is my country to have and to hold. 

What diff'rence if I hail from North or South
Or from the East or West?
My heart is filled with love for all of these.
I only know I swell with pride and deep within my breast
I thrill to see Old Glory paint the breeze. 

With hand upon heart I thank the Lord for this my native land,
For all I love is here within her gates.
My soul is rooted deeply in the soil on which I stand,
For these are mine own United States. 

This is my country! Land of my choice!
This is my country! Hear my proud voice!
I pledge thee my allegiance, America, the bold,
For this is my country! To have and to hold.” 

 ~ “This Is My Country” is an American patriotic song composed in 1940

  ~ Lyrics by Don Raye, music by Al Jacobs

~ The song was completed in 1940 and first recorded in 1942 by Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians. Among others who have recorded it are the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Patti LaBelle. Tennessee Ernie Ford’s version appeared on his America the Beautiful album, released in February 1970, which was later re-released and marketed as Capitol’s Bicentennial Album.

Rain didn’t stop the fireworks from “reigning” as gold rained down with the spirit of patriotism from the summer sky during the 2018 Fourth of July Fireworks set off from J. Birney Crum Stadium, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

How wonderful it would be to have fireworks – and the fire of patriotism – in our hearts every day!