My dear friend Cara Shlau has shed her mortal coil. I am quite sure that she is currently adding her glorious mezzo voice and quick wit to a heavenly choir rehearsal as we speak. And she’s wearing a fierce green Renaissance number making all swoon.
Her mellifluous voice was silenced way too early but Cara did much while she was here. She moved across the country to earn her master’s degree, sang professionally for various opera companies, married Mike and had 2 wonderful boys, Sam and Evan. She worked very hard at her jobs and always had a strong spiritual journey. She was looking forward to singing at her high holidays gig this year. And her clever sense of humor never waned.
Cara and I had quite the summer during our last few months in Las Vegas. She lived in my living room so we could save up money to go sing in Europe in the fall. Plans changed and Cara would sing as an apprentice and main stage Marcellina with Utah opera and I would go on to LSU.
We have many great memories of our times in grad school and the years following from convertible opera singing on the strip to amazing buffets at the sands and Sahara.
Some of my favorites memories include:
THERE WILL BE NO WHEE
While driving from Vegas to Chicago via Route 66:
Me: I exclaimed “wheeeee” whilst driving briskly by the Grand Canyon.
Cara: There will be no whee.
DEPENDS ANYONE?
When Cara visited me at LSU and we ate dinner in the French quarter with my brother Neal F. Perryman and nephew Nick Perryman.
Me: Uh oh, I think I laughed too hard.
Cara: Here, have some water (she spilled water on me so it looked like a beverage accident.)
BULLS 3PEAT REPEAT
May 1998 @ 11pm when the bulls have won game 5 against Utah Jazz and are about to win the 3peat repeat:
Me: Pack your backpack, we are driving to Salt Lake City and tailgating if we have to. It’s only 5 ½ hours.
Cara: Alrighty then. (We got tickets for cheap shortly after we arrived and watched the bulls make history.)
OH, HELLO MR PERRYMAN!
I forgot to tell her about the open casket thingy we do with my faith. So when she arrived at my dad’s wake and saw my dad looking dapper in the casket, she shared later that she stopped in her tracks and greeted him with a “Oh, hello Mr Perryman!”
Her husband and rock, Mike, shared that she passed at 1103 on Sunday night. I felt joy reading the background of her Angel number.
Angel number 1103 represents a spiritual liberation that you have longed for, and it carried the energies of the Universe that will help you overcome any difficulties and conquer new skills. This period will be your period of healing, reestablishing your internal balance, and the beginning of a new life.
Cara sang this glorious toast at our wedding in 2015. I think it captures her depth, warmth, and elegance.
Rest well, Cara B. I will always love you. Mike, Sam, and Evan (and Gracie too) have a powerful guardian Angel for life.
Cara’s toast at our wedding
https://youtu.be/-N4kuIJONr0
A beautiful haiku my friend Linda created:
CARA
Dynamic mezzo
Sparkling eyes; radiant smile
Liz has lost her friend
akintsucrooner 