Neva Rae Fox
We’re excited that returning Celebrity Blogger Neva Rae Fox agreed to answer our questions despite the fact that it’s Super Bowl Week. You may not know this, but Neva is a HUGE Philadelphia Eagles fan. We’re not sure if she was one of those Philly fans who once famously booed Santa Claus but at least St. Nicholas isn’t in this year’s bracket.
Oh, and for those of you rabid football fans considering blowing off church on Super Bowl Sunday, consider this. We don’t THINK God cares about the outcome of football games. I mean, presumably God has bigger fish to fry. But do you really want to take that chance?
Neva Rae Fox cannot fully express how excited she is to return to the Lent Madness crew for a fourth year, remaining the only Jersey Girl among the celebrity bloggers. Since last year’s Lent Madness season, she has ticked off a few more items on her bucket list, most notably: visiting Hawaii (thereby marking 48 off her quest of visiting all 50 states!); three more MLB parks to her current total of 16; and enjoying four exciting operas that she had never seen before. She is the Public Affairs Officer for the Episcopal Church and looks forward to seeing thousands of Episcopalian friends at our upcoming family reunion known as General Convention – stop by the media room and say Hi! Neva Rae remains active in her Diocese of NJ church as well as local, regional and national organizations and groups – some you may have heard of, and some you probably haven’t. Neva Rae is excited about the 2018 season of learning, fun and frivolity known as Lent Madness and, of course, to another mug for her collection!
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Totally agree on the hymns. Just a reminder for GC;Austin is lovely and cool right now, but won’t be this summer. Like they say bring cool confortable clothing, a medium weight parka for use in the air conditioning and an ice pack for your head any time you spend outside. And ear plugs because without doubt we’ll sing , The Church is One Foundation! (right, we get it)
Thanks for this. The photo of me was taken at one of my favorite places – The Metropolitan Opera in New York City.
I am looking forward to Austin this summer!
As a fellow opera fan, I look forward to reading about your saint! I do hope it is someone musical. I do feel a need to take issue with you on parsnips. They are one of my favorite vegetables and I am disappointed that you are perpetuating the stereotype that they are bland and unpalatable. If you roast them with butter, a little maple syrup, salt and pepper, they are delicious! Finally, I am from Minnesota (and a Vikings fan) and I believe that the Patriots will prevail on Sunday! SKOL!
Naomi – as a diehard Eagles fan, I am pleasantly shocked we got this far. FYI I root for the Vikings when they are not playing the Eagles. In fact I have a Vikings sweatshirt that my football friends know it’s football, my opera friends think it’s Wagner, and my comic book friends think it’s Thor. Love it.
Purple nail polish! such a good idea! A quiet reminder of Lent.
Pat – there are so many shades of purple to choose from — a little levity never hurt
A tad pinker, though, for Laetare Sunday?
absolutely!
What Super Bowl? Steelers’ fan—I will be at church recruiting Lent Madness fanatics!!
If you are a Steelers’ fan, then you should be rooting for the other Pennsylvania team. That’s what I do when the Steelers play.
Go Eagles! (I live in New England…and enthusiastically cheer for all opponents of That Team.)
I’d very much like to attend your dinner with my fave musicians Bach, Handel, and Purcell. I would gladly serve at table or help in the kitchen, as long as the conversation is clearly audible.
See you in Austin!
Margaret – join us at the table, and join our lively conversation. I would love to hear what they think about another Englishman who is a great musician and a favorite of mine – Eric Clapton.
I’m new to Lenten Madness, but originally from Broad St., Philadelphia, in the 1950s, where the Episcopal Church had confession, and the boy’s choir sang at the major service, and I as a girl chanted at the early service. My saint to have breakfast with would have been Mother Teresa, because I do like to get right at helping people when I wake up, and stay at it all day, and I would have served her oatmeal and a banana, with bran muffins and home made jam. Is there still a Wanamakers store, my mother worked there when you had to dress up with gloves and a hat to come to work! Greetings!
Wanamakers, unfortunately, is no longer there. Ditto the train station, although the Reading Train Station Market is there. Mother Teresa was a wonderful person.
My feelings about those hymns is exactly the opposite — I could go for a long time without having to listen to yet another badly sung rendition of Amazing Grace. And The Church’s One Foundation is on my funeral hymn list — hopefully not needed for a long time!
I hope not for a long time either. I too tire of Amazing Grace – it reminds me of all the times I heard it, good and bad, following 9/11. All I am saying is that it has to be on a Heaven Top Ten List because it is, indeed, sung all the time.
Welcome back! The dinner with J.S. Bach, G. Handel, and H. Purcell sounds fascinating, I would like to hear their opinions on Rock, Rap, and Country too! My chorus is performing sections from Bach’s Mass in B minor, so I’d also ask him for some extra coaching ;), and Opera cake sounds like it would be delicious!
I was given an Opera Cake for Christmas, made by a friend of mine who is a world-class chef. Yummy! Bach’s Mass in B Minor is magnificent. I was playing Bach’s Christmas Oratorio from Advent I to New Year’s Day.
Dear Neva Rae,
I enjoyed your bio & look forward to reading your posts on behalf of “your” saints! Thank you for expressing your musical mix of interests (esp opera and Clapton).
I have a request for you. You seem to a person who could make a pitch to the SEC for an item to stock at the Lentorium. Neva Rae, would you consider advocating (in a way that is just shy of insisting) that the SEC authorize (that’s a power-word that might resonate with them) the Lent Madness organ score to be scored and printed so that musicians could access its magnificence & play its exuberance? If you could, I suggest you play upon egos of the SEC. Ask them to think of what a powerful PR tool this musical score could be for Lent Madness. It IS, after all, “When the Saints Go MARCHing In,” and perhaps that play on words might play upon the generosity and imagination of the SEC. One never knows, though. Perhaps copyright issues will prevail, and this request will be for naught. Thank you for any persuasive help you might be able to provide. And thank you for your good work on behalf of all the saints.
Hmm…a tall order but I will work it on this end.
Perhaps you could add Joseph Haydn to your dinner party. I play the “The Seven Last Words of Christ” over and over in Lent. The first time I heard this was a performance by the Seattle Symphony and Chorus in St. James Cathedral during a Good Friday service. Some things stay with you forever.
Great idea. There’s always plenty of sauerbraten and parsnips and opera cake.
Fly fly. Finally, a blogger who appreciates the prayfullness in music.
My post left out the eagle emoji. Huh?
Fly Eagles Fly on the road to victory…..