If you’re blue and you don’t know where to go to
Why don’t you go where fashion sits…
Puttin’ on the ritz. – lyrics by Irving Berlin
It was Women of Vision night again at the Isaiah House for homeless women in Santa Ana (every one, a star), and that meant my wife, Marti, was once again a coordinator of confetti, the one who figures out a way to bring a sparkle into the eyes of women with little to smile about. This time she did it with top hats, bow ties and tails, and the theme of Puttin’ on the Ritz, complete with a stand in for Fred Astaire… yours truly!
Tables were covered in dark cloth and sprinkled with candlelight and silver star-shaped confetti. The soup line was transformed into a chorus line served by eight women of vision in top hats and bow ties, dishing out a menu inspired by cuisine from the Ritz Hotel in New York City. And yes, I was the entertainment, doing my best imitation of soft shoe in top hat, tails and accompanying cane.
Dressed up like a million dollar trouper
Trying hard to look like Gary Cooper
Music for the night besides the dance routine included period pieces “Anything Goes” and “Me and My Shadow,” “One” from the Broadway musical Chorus Line, Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl,” Petula Clark’s “Downtown,” and I couldn’t resist: ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man.”
The highlight for me, though, was when I went to take Marti’s arm for a final walk across the “stage,” and, finding her hands full of punch-laden champagne glasses, I found one of the women of the house to take my arm and stroll into the night. (She later told me that she had come with a heavy heart and that her weight had been completely lifted by what happened last night.)
Marti wrote as she mused about the evening (and there is no more I can add to this):
“Just how many evenings like this will I have left in one small life, amidst the tax returns and supermarket shops and work that I’m aware I should be doing now while gathering the bits of leftover glitter of silver confetti stars, sweeping up brightness from the floor, to tip into the bin bright constellations … How much time is left to sweep up stars?”
John Fischer The Catch 
more to twitter, bro :-)- aaand – where does Marti write?
Souper douper!
God Bless both of you!!
You and Marti sound like a lot of fun. No wonder people are always gathering around both of you!
Beacons of light in a dark world!!! Thank you!
God Bless both you and Marti for the love you share with all!
sniff-sniff
Marti, deserves the 7 acre estate in the Hollywood hills along with the 7 digit bank account. she cares so much for the homeless, beaten and battered women.
What a wonderful story. I volunteer once a month to minister and fellowship with special needs teens with a local Young Life group. I always end up being the one ministered to, even fighting back a few tears as I see what God has done in these lives. Keep up your noble, but humble service. God will continue blessing you two.
What a beautiful story. You and Marti are such wonderful, caring people. God bless you both.
You played Fred Astaire? Awesome! We need photos!!
That last paragraph sounds a bit like Billy Collins, the poet. Beautiful! Thanks for sweeping up stars! Marty, Corban University (formerly Western Baptist College)