"Priscilla seemed really happy about the whole experience and Washington National Opera adores her very, very much...
Opera Ball Tweet from Michelle Pendoley

This is the picture you have all been waiting for, right?*

12 Noon Saturday
Priscilla just called me to give me a blow-by-blow of the dinner and ball. She is still cruising somewhere in the stratosphere - looking down on cloud nine!

The nutshell version is that she had an "awesome" time and that everyone was great with her. And now here's the longer version:

Once The Gown and bling had been delivered and Priscilla and Larry were ready to roll, their hotel-provided town car took them to the Belgian Embassy for thre pre-Ball dinner.  There she met the Ball Chair Susan Lehman and various others who would be going on to the Ball . Couples were seated apart at dinner so that there was more chance to speak with people you didn't know. Priscilla had gentleman on both her left and right and they were quite charming, chit-chatting about opera, Priscilla, her teaching and their families; "You know" said Priscilla "Just the usual dinner talk." (Of course I know, Priscilla. I'm at Embassy dinners all the time!) The food was delicious and included asparagus-wrapped scallops as an appetizer and roast lamb on a bed of rice as the entrée. A fine red wine was served and Priscilla who normally doesn't drink alcohol, sipped it when toasts were made. Her husband Larry, who is a former Coast Guard and does drink, had brought his own hip-flask, got plastered and did a face plant into the chocolate dessert. Just kidding, Larry, just kidding!

Each lady received a gift of an exquisite porcelain cup. Larry, you do not get to drink your morning coffee out of that.

After dinner the guests all made their way to the German Ambassador's residence where they were met and escorted to the reception line. By the time Priscilla and Larry arrived it seemed that everyone knew about her and made a bee-line for her. Priscilla told me there were 600 people at the ball, that all of them seemed to want to meet her and that most of them did! Of course she was easy to spot in the fuchsia gown!  And while she was being the center of attention Larry got to chat with senators, congressmen and the like which Priscilla told me he enjoyed enormously. What he really got a kick out of though was meeting and hanging out with Richard Philips, the sea captain who was taken hostage by Somali pirates.

Then it was time to cruise the dessert room which apparently included the most fabulous array of chocolate confections you ever set eyes on. And candelabra carved from ice. And a thousand other things that will come back to Priscilla one by one as time passes I am sure.

Later in the evening there was a pause in proceedings to allow the various WNO luminaries an opportunity formally to welcome everyone. When it came time for Ken Feinberg, President of WNO to speak, Michelle Pendoley appeared at Priscilla's shoulder and nudged her forward, whispering to her that she should get nearer the stage to be able to hear better. It was a set-up! After the usual stuff Mr Feinberg said that WNO was proud to have as a special guest a person who had dedicated her life to students and music and teaching. Priscilla said she thought to herself "That's great. I wonder who it is..." Then Mr Feinberg mentioned her by name. Priscilla said she didn't absorb that he was speaking of her. But then he asked that she join him on the stage and Larry urged her forward. She said people began to clap well before she reached the stage and that by the time she was standing next to Mr Feinberg the applause was deafening. Priscilla said the only words she could get out were "Thank you. Thank you". I think that covered it just fine, Priscilla. After all, that's what they were trying to tell you.

After that, dancing was in order: a slow smoocher with Larry ("très romantique" said Michelle) and then boogie-ing with WNO staff to Kool and The Gang.

Roxanne Roberts of the Washington Post attended the Ball and interviewed Priscilla. Here is the resulting article in today's Washington Post.

Carriages were called for 1:15am and Priscilla and Larry were back in their hotel room by 1:30am. This morning she had breakfast in bed and then spent the rest of the morning just lounging around in the lap of Four Seasons luxury until it was time to go home. She tells me she is going to spend the rest of today basking in the glow that still envelops her. And to enjoy it while she may because tomorrow after church it's back to grading papers! Elizabeth thinks she should use a sparkle pen. Wholly appropriate, E!

As Washington's premier social event of the year, the Opera Ball is attended by the brightest stars of our nation's capital, legal, political and social. And on Friday night none of those stars shone brighter than our own Priscilla Barrow.

It was a delight for me to listen to Priscilla speak with such joy about her experiences over the last couple of days but what pleased me most was when she said that she felt that having been fortunate enough to have been selected for the honour of being able to be a big part of this event, all the love and attention lavished on her seemed somehow a public validation of what she has spent so many years doing and made her proud of what she has accomplished. That was very special to hear. I guess all of those years spent laboring in the shadows of public education made this brief time in the spotlight all the sweeter for her. I do hope so. And let us not forget that there are many other teachers throughout America doing the same valuable work that Priscilla does. Perhaps we cannot do for all of them what we were able to do for Priscilla but we can surely make sure they have our respect and admiration and support.

It's time to bring down the curtain
The last twenty-two days have been among of the most extraordinary ones of my life. I have been fortunate to have led a life full of exciting and interesting people and to have done some pretty unusual things. I can honestly say that this venture has been as thrilling and rewarding as anything I have ever been involved with and has provided memories I will treasure for the rest of my life. And of course Priscilla and I, without ever meeting face-to-face, have forged a bond I expect to last for many years.

How cool is that?

And now you should proceed to Roll the Credits! And join me again next week by which time I expect I will have recovered some degree of equilibrium.

*The photo was taken by Russ Hirshon