Sunday March 29 in Obi NY will be the Genesee Valley Chorus and the Mosaic Womens Chorus
A COLUMN By Chuck Wiser, I Write the words to share what my eyes see and my heart feels
Not only is Springtime in the air, but the early Spring air is, and has been, also filled with the “Sounds of Music”. Two local singing choirs will join their music for a concert presentation this coming Sunday at 3:00 PM in Obi, NY. The cover photos shown above include the GVC concert performance poster from their recently presented concert, and the Mosaic poster is an advertisement for the upcoming Mosaic Women’s Chorus concert this weekend. The two choral singing groups will blend their musical renditions once again celebrating Palm Sunday and the Lenten season in general.
The Genesee Valley Chorus (GVC) presented their 2026 Lenten Season concert this past Sunday. This coming Sunday the Obi, NY valley will also be filled with the “Sounds of Music” as the GVC singers have been invited to join the Mosaic Music Chorus directed by Norene Ferris. These musical groups blending is not so coincidental, as Norene was a former director of the GVC.
Please consider, and then decide to visit Obi, NY, situated on Rte. 305 North of Portville. Each chorus will present several songs of reverence individually and then will join their voices in harmony. Reflection and respect will also be sharing of the love of the singers being offered in song and performed for you on Palm Sunday in the Lenten Season celebration.
I Wramble on. I have coined a new phrase now known as “Computer Cooties.” When you send out a message via a computer source requesting a reply and receiving none, then you must have Cooties. Nothing more frustrating than not receiving an answer or reply when one is requested.
If you are a fan of St. Bonaventure men’s basketball, as I have been since about 12 years old, and happened to read the recent 3/19/26 article written in the Olean Times Herald (OTH) by J.P. Butler reminiscing the pasts of retiring coach Schmidt and a former player Andrew Nicholson then I think you’ll agree that it was and is one of the best newspaper sports articles published therein. If you didn’t have exposure to the pleasure of that reading, then I suggest that you check your local library to see if they have archived the Thursday, March 19th issue of OTH, and give the Sports section headline article a read. I rank J.P. right up there with Gil Stinger, Chuck Ward, and Chuck Pollock as top-rated sports news writers. That article as of this recollection was one of the best of any ever read by me. Coach Schmidt has announced his retirement, questionably not completely of his choosing.
I am finally out of my splint/cast resulting from the fracture of the ring finger (4th left hand Metacarpal) bone. I’ve often wondered why that particular finger was chosen and designated as the “ring finger.” I’ve come to the suspicion that it was so designated because that finger isn’t very good for anything else anyway. Therefore, it would be the least affected by the clumsiness of a ring adorning it. Wisely (or Wiserly), I was smart enough to remove my wedding ring as soon as I returned home from my golf ball searching excursion wherein, I dove face first into the side of a deep ditch, breaking my fall (literally) by extending my left arm. Oddly enough I had experienced a similar injury, at least similar to the finger injured, many moon’s ago. I broke that finger in my “fast pitch” softball playing days as I attempted to pick up a rolling softball whilst I was running toward the infield. I jammed that finger on the “Hard” softball. BTW, I was not successful in throwing out the running baserunner. I didn’t have the foresight to remove the ring from that finger before the swelling made its removal a necessity. The ring had to be cut off my hand in the emergency room of Jones Memorial Hospital (JMH) several hours after the injury.
Fast forward many, many years. I had saved the ring and my wife put it in her jewelry drawer. Ten or 15 years, or so, later I was given the most precious birthday, or Christmas gift ever received in my life, either before or after. Since my birthday and Christmas are so close together it could have been either occasion for the gift. Unbeknownst to me, my wife had taken the ring to a jeweler and had it repaired and re-sized and presented it to me. I’m pretty sure there were some tears of joy associated with that, at the time, and admittedly they are there now upon recall of that heartfelt occasion. As soon as my ring finger returns to its regular size (it hasn’t yet), the ring will return to my finger. If it doesn’t, I will utilize the same finger on my right hand, but IT WILL be returned to my hand.
In retrospect, perhaps the left-hand ring finger was so designated as it is the closest one to the heart.
I have empathy for anyone in the medical or health care profession, exposed to me. I do tend to Wramble when I am in receipt of their services. The most recent was, and who fully earned my utmost respect for yet another of the JMH employees. Jason Szabo, who removed the stitches from my repaired ring finger had been in attendance when Dr. Mansour did the surgery on my ring finger and was able to explain thoroughly how the entire process unfolded and why they had to use three screws to hold the broken halves together.
The screws will be implanted in my finger and my mind, and now with me forever. The fracture was a diagonal displacement of the metacarpal bone and would not stay aligned since the break line was longitudinal to the finger. “long…” is the key component of that last term.
Anyone squeamish about seeing anatomical parts exposed on film should turn away for a moment.
I have been advised that the attached graphic is not “too” graphic to be shared here. This is the inside view of the finger repair showing the angle of the breakage and the three surgical screws needed to attach the two halves of the finger. As you can see, no one can now say that “I have a screw loose”
This isn’t an age-related thing, but now in my 8th decade it may very well be. Throughout my marriage years I am often “scolded” for leaving a room and also leaving the lights on. However, I am often “yelled at” for going up the stairs from the Family Room to the main floor and instinctively, even if subconsciously, turning the light switch at the head of the stairs off while my wife is still down in the Family Room. The partial solution would have “Human Detectors” that could automatically turn on, and especially off, with your access and egress to and from a room. I guess there are “in room” motion detectors but they might not function if I’m sitting in my recliner watching TV or reading. Just a whimsical thought.
I still enjoy mowing the lawn and walking to do so. I can’t always do the whole 2/3rds acre but can easily do the front half. This time of year, and especially now with this warmer weather making lawns snow free and which invites my lawn rolling. I used to be able to push the lawn roller and walk behind it. I no longer can do that having had bi-lateral shoulder surgeries, especially one with a “Titanium” shoulder implant. It would be great if I had a lawn roller that was motivated by either a gas or electric generated motion source. I could turn the motor on and just walk behind the roller, strolling along at my sedate, leisurely pace. Someone will likely advise that they do make those, but if they do, they’re likely priced at thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, the “lightening” of my wallet wouldn’t add any significant weight lessening to the roller.
As I reach the end of this Wrambling I, most likely again, mention that by writing these articles I am fulfilling my lifelong dream and desire to “be a writer.” The occasional thank you, or “like” offered by many readers is more than enough compensation. Ofttimes when introduced to someone I am asked if I write the Wramblings article. I say yes, I am, and am very blessed to be able to do so.
My Grammar grin or groan depending on your perspective is to share the word Canoodling with you. I saw this word recently in an OTH article. I didn’t think it was real. It was. Look it up, as I did, if you too are curious. I don’t want to rob you of that learning experience
I leave you now with my thanks, and another invitation to attend the weekend concert at the Obi Community Church, which is in celebration of the Holy Days and the Lenten series activities. You can reach out to me with questions, comments, cares or concerns at IM.Wisedad@Gmail.com.
