I don’t have a real plan for a column this week, so I’ll just talk. And since there is not much on my mind these days except “O’Keeffe!” the wonderful one-woman play we are bringing to Malakoff next Saturday evening, probably most of my talk will be about that.

One big piece of news on that subject is this:  ticket sales are going great—so great that we now have scheduled a matinee for 2:00pm on Sunday the 13th. I don’t think we are quite sold out for Saturday night, but I think we will be before this week is over.

Another big news is that Daniela Matcheal has completed her “O’Keeffe!” tribute painting, a gorgeous huge flower tinged with Daniela’s characteristic “fire” which she characterizes as “O’Keeffe dropped in a bucket of Matchael.” Daniela is the second noted artist to produce a major work in connection with our effort to combine creativity, entertainment, and good deeds by bringing “O”Keeffe!” to Malakoff to raise funds for the restoration of the Bartlett House property. You have already heard me bragging about “Beans, Greens, and Cornbread,” Cheryl Hicks’ amazing contribution to our cause, which she created as a tie-in between the play and Malakoff’s annual Cornbread Festival, held that morning. The two really had nothing to do with one another until Cheryl made one for us.

Both paintings will be traveling around Malakoff and Athens, on display to remind you “O’Keeffe!” will be here soon. I think they will mainly be in banks. I want them to be really safe.

Two organizations are involved in bringing “O’Keeffe!” to town. The Malakoff Area Garden Club found them , and the funds raised will be spent on the Bartlett House property, the Garden Club’s major project. But the Malakoff Historical Society is helping us do it. They are the folks who bring you the Malakoff History Museum at the Flagg House. Those exist through the financial generosity of Ken and Mary Andrews, and the tireless work of Pat Isaacson. I keep talking about the tiny group of little old ladies who keep plugging away at the Bartlett House, but let me tell you, that is nothing compared to what this group of three has done. And Pat doesn’t just do this, she is a member of the Garden Club, Chamber of Commerce Secretary, runs the Big Bass Fishing -------, and who knows what else, and she  has been a great help in getting ready for “O’Keeffe!” 

I’m thinking maybe the next entertainment we bring to Malakoff—and I do believe we will be bringing more—maybe it should raise some funds for the Flagg House. There are some things Pat would like to do there, like air conditioning for downstairs, and some improvements in the yard. Seems like it would be nice if we tried to help a little with that.

I did one fun thing last week that had nothing to do with “O’Keeffe!”  My friend John and I went south of Kerens to a Fish Fry at a Benedictine Monastery. It is a beautiful place, and well worth a drive to see it. One of their Fish Fries gives one a good excuse to check them out. We were a little surprised, as we expected to see monks in their robes frying that fish.  But what we saw was a group of regular guys outside frying the fish, and a bunch of regular friendly ladies like you see in every church, waiting to serve us.  One monk had shown us the way, but the rest of them were in the chapel praying.  Turns out, they have a regular little church going on there. The monks are Vietnamese, but their congregation is not. The meal was generous and delicious. Desserts, particularly, were out of this world.  They are going to be cooking this Friday, and next, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. It’s 8.00 adult, 5.00 child.

The Monastery of Thein Tam,(Heavenly Heart), is located  at 13055 SE County Road 4271. We really enjoyed our visit. We are going back.