Weekend update

Friday, the 11th,
September 11th, a day that will live In infamy. The 8th anniversary of the attack on America by radical Muslim Fundamentalists, lest we forget!
How did you memorialize the day? Did you say a prayer for our country? Watch some news footage? Go about your daily business?
I got off work at about 6 am and went fishing, caught two Pinks and called it a day. The Pink Salmon run is almost petered out it seems, and supposedly that will be followed up with a Silver Salmon run... the banks of the Puyallup are becoming strewn with spawned and spent salmon carcasses. There is a stench there now as you fish. A nice benefit however is that it is less crowded fishing now.
Later that day, Joan and I went to Katie's first swim meet. She is on the J.V. at school. She swam in four events and did really well. It was a joy to see her swim and having fun with her peers.
I didn't last long however and went to bed by 8 pm. A long day as I had been up since about 3pm the day before.
Saturday I got up early and mowed the lawn. It hadn't been mowed all summer as the grass had burned brown and hadn't grown any... With all the Salmon Katie and I caught in the last several weeks, cleaning them on the lawn, I guess it acted like a fertilizer, the grass sprouted back to life and got pretty long. The mowing made it look really nice!
Saturday night we arrived at our church, Nextstep Fellowship. We are a mobile church at present. Setting up everything for worship in Sunrise Elementary school. Saturday was our "launch" event. I was the main attraction as a magician. We also served BBQ'd hot dogs, and watermelon, soda pop as well.
While people enjoyed a tasty meal before the show, I performed a bit of walk around magic.
Just a small teaser to get people in the mood for the excellent stage show to come!
I performed an hour show, moving rapidly but precisely from one effect to another. Since I know most everyone in the audience, and they have seen me perform many times, it was easy to build a rapport with my audience. I was however excited to see some "new" faces in the crowd, maybe about a fourth of the audience. This gladdened my heart.
I had two friends show up that I specifically invited, Mark Storms, a young man that I met thru magic connections and a magic performer as well. Mark has never seen me perform "live" and I was happy to have him and his fiance Taylor in attendance. Mark had this to say after the show in an email to me:
"Tim, you did a great job entertaining the audience last night. I never thought that "Professors Nightmare Could get such great reactions. Literally, there were people saying "How in the heck". Cups and Balls killed. I was a bit disappointed to not see the linking rings in the show. However, on second thought I think it was a good call to leave it out. There were too many kids in the audience that might have a hard time appreciating the great patter you use for that one. FYI, Since last night I have performed paperclipped about 3 times. Each and every time it got an amazing reaction. I don't know why I ever stopped performing it. Anyhow, just wanted to let you know that you inspired me with your show last night. You have really come a long way!"
A friend from my Junior high and High School days, Karen was also in the audience. Karen has been asking me when she can come see me perform? Many of my shows are not open to the public as they might be private events, like a birthday party or some such...
She was finally able to come, and it filled my heart to see her in the audience!
in other words, while I am trying to uplift others, I am uplifted by others as well.
Here is what Karen posted on Facebook:

"Saw Tim Flynn perform his magic act last night and what a show it was! Anyone putting on a function should definitely think about hiring him!! He's funny , talented , and he's my friend!"
Also this:
"Ok, I'll admit this..... You made me laugh and cry. I laughed because you are so funny and I cried because you are so talented and I was happy for you! Onward and upward my friend."
It is interesting to be growing magically, and not just in the ability to do a magic trick, and fool people, although that is very important. But more important I think at this stage in my development is the ability to entertain, or be entertaining with magic. To be fun and upbeat, to help people forget their worries in life for a few moments in time, to send them home with a little glow about them. A smile on their faces and a smile in their hearts and a little "skip" in their walk.
As an entertainer, you actually know when this happens, because you feel all those same feelings. You kind of get a nice little buzz, or "high" from it.
I never thought of myself as particularly funny, but I think some of the effects I have chosen to perform, lend themselves to be funny. Perhaps also, it is the verbiage I use as I sell the magic as well?
Wanted to post this with pictures, but none have been forth coming.