Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.


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Katie says

Katie here.  Mama says she’s too tired to write this morning, and she has to go to that stupid Weight Watchers meeting anyway.  I hate Weight Watchers because Mama doesn’t eat all those good things anymore.  And if Mama doesn’t eat that stuff, then she can’t accidentally drop that stuff.  So what Mama doesn’t eat, I don’t get to eat either!  How unfair.

Anyway, here it is Saturday already and she didn’t even post the pictures from the excellent adventure we went on last Saturday!  It was a beautiful day, unlike today, and we had the park all to ourselves.

Mama even let me run a little bit without my leash!  Of course I always came right back to her when she called me.  She called a lot, if you don’t mind me saying.  I think she should trust me more, but you know how Mama’s are.

I don’t think we’re going to be able to go back to the park today.  It’s supposed to rain.  And Mama seems so tired all the time.  Do you know she came home from that work place last night and went straight to bed?  No playing with my bunny or my ball or even with my frog!

I just don’t understand.  When I used to go to work, um, I mean school, I always had a good time.  Mama just needs to learn to have fun no matter where she is right?  Unless it’s the groomer.  I don’t think anyone can have fun at the groomer.

Anyway, that was my excellent adventure last weekend.  Guess I’ll go take a nap now.


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Went for a walk

The smell of leaves, simultaneously dry and damp, takes me back to my walks to grade school almost fifty years ago.

Robins pull dry fruit from the crab apple trees.

Children are playing across the street in the school yard.  Girl in Pink, obviously the leader of all Girls in Pink points finger at girl in Not Pink:  “We won’t play with you if you keep doing that!”

House wrens swarm up from goldenrod seeds along the bank of a rain swollen creek.

The sky toward the city is glowing as if the sun is setting in mid afternoon.

The clouds ahead are low, gray and in waves, as if the ocean has turned upside down and frozen solid.

The sidewalk at my turning point beckons for me to continue on, but there is too much to do back in my beige cubicle so I turn around.

Past the playground again.  The girl in Not Pink is sitting near the teachers.  The whistle blows and all the children run toward the school.

A worn out orange basketball sits on the sidewalk just ahead of me.  I lob it back over the fence into the playground.

Back past the woods where lots of golds and reds are still glowing deep in the protected interior.

Something runs along the leave covered floor beneath the trees sounding larger than it actually is.

A runner dressed in purple approaches from behind, flat footed feet slapping the sidewalk.

Ears are cold.

I climb up the three flights of stairs to my beige cubicle.

Sweating.


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Ann Arbor Symphony and Anton Nel

Husband and I were treated to the Ann Arbor Symphony again tonight.  It was their Beethoven Festival and as always it was wonderful.  They opened with “Fidelio Overture,” the fourth overture written by Beethoven for his only opera.  The second number was Beethoven’s Symphony No 1.  You can read a review of the concert here.

Both were wonderful – the Ann Arbor Symphony plays everything wonderfully – but the part of the evening I was looking forward to most was hearing Anton Nel play the piano.  Born in South Africa, winner of many awards , Mr. Nel is on the faculty of the University of Texas, Austin and teaches piano master classes around the world.  Last night he played the Piano Concerto No. 5, the “Emperor” composed by Beethoven in 1809.

From the first moment I was swept away, in awe of the agility of his fingers.  The movement soars and sweeps with notes coming fast and furious, then becoming sweet and light only to be overtaken by that energizing excess of notes again.  I secretly thought that somehow Mr. Nel must have more than ten fingers, for how could a mere mortal ten produce the sheer number of notes that were floating in the air high above our heads?

If I held my breath in delight during the first movement, I sighed with everyone else through the beautiful second movement.  We were lulled into a  tentative, almost dream-like and soulful world as the fingers quieted, stroking out soft beautiful tones, painting soft pastel moments, soft around the edges and supported gently by the symphony surrounding him.

Then, with no break to warn us, we were jarred awake by the third movement which danced it’s way into our hearts, faster and faster; it was a joyful dance and none of us were allowed to be wallflowers.   The music swept us up and carried us to the end, high on a wave of sound and images.  For a moment, just at the end it slowed and we were almost lulled back to our dream world, and then it all came to a wondrous fantastic joyous finish.

There was a collective gasp at the end and then thunderous applause erupted.  On our feet we all wanted more.  Mr. Nell graciously consented playing two encores;  “Bagatelle” and ending with “Fur Elise.”   The applause was overwhelming and I hope it let him and the symphony know how much we appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the magic they created.

If you live in Ann Arbor you must know what a gem you have in the Ann Arbor Symphony.  And not just in the amazing soloists they bring to your city.  There is an abundance of talent in the individuals that play regularly in your symphony.  The next concert is November 12th.  If you can, schedule it into your life.

Experience the magic.

 


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Back yard color

I thought I had missed fall during the week we were out of town.  We left when there were still lots of green leaves, and came back to many bare branches.

This past week I went to work early in the morning and returned after dark, either because of work or band events.  Thursday I finally came home before dark and realized that we still have lots of pretty colors in the yard.

Katie and I went out to play Frisbee this afternoon.  I, of course, took the camera.

She had a blast running around,

…chasing the frisbee……

and ignoring her Mama.

Though sometimes she’d sit in front of a pretty tree or shrub.

If I asked nicely.

So I did.


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Turned out OK

It’s a new season for the local community band.  We performed our Halloween concert tonight; on an evening when the wind was howling and the rain pouring we had perhaps 200 or more people show up.  Seemed like a good crowd to me.

I’ve been dreading this concert.  Previous years we’ve shared the stage with a couple of middle school bands, but this year we didn’t have any six graders to help us fill the house with parents, and we had to learn a whole lot more music since it was only us.  We’ve had 6 weeks to rehearse…and I missed last week while I was gallivanting out in California.  Plus I guess it’s just human nature to put off practicing until the concert is right on top of us.

Last night’s rehearsal was the worst I have ever endured.  We sounded terrible.  With a capital T.  It was so discouraging!  After a full day of work and a two hour rehearsal  I came home and practiced for another hour.  Still, though I knew I was as ready as I could be,  I didn’t sleep as I worried about how horrible tonight’s concert was going to be.

I even told my husband not to come.

I worried all day at work.  I worried as I drove through the blinding rain and as I changed into the band outfit in the car.  (I figured it was pouring rain, who was going to be standing out there watching me change?)  I worried as I warmed up.  I worried as we were announced.  To be honest I worried until the first piece was done and we at least all ended at the same time.  In a community band ending at the same time is reason for celebration.

Turns out it was OK.  We had people in the audience dressed in costume, kids there dressed as wizards, and butterflies, ghosts and princesses.  Most of the music sounded relatively fine.  We got a standing ovation that went on and on…and we didn’t have an encore prepared!  The conductor told the audience we’d have an encore prepared if they’d give us a standing ovation again at our holiday concert in December.  They laughed.  So did we.

And my husband?  He showed up even though I told him not to come.  And he said it sounded OK.

From him that’s high praise indeed.


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Home again

Just got back from picking up the Katie-girl.

The woman manning the front desk at the kennel told the helper person to get “the calm Sheltie.”  Right.  They said she was “really quiet.”  Right.  That she “liked to run in circles in her pen.”  Really?

She barked at me the entire way home.  After two walks around the yard to sniff everything and a rousing game of frisbee in the back yard she’s finally settled down with a big sigh for a nap.

We got home at 2:30 a.m. last night.  I could do with a nap myself.  More on our trip later.  (Thanks Ellen for the post about our visit!)

Yawn.

 


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Saying goodbye to the Pacific ocean

Yesterday was spent with the ocean; driving along it, walking beside it, smelling the salt in the air – feeling the wind in our faces.

Most of the day was spent near Big Sur, south of San Fransisco.  We tried, earlier in the week, to visit the Pacific when we were north of the city…

…but fog made the driving hazardous and we gave up after a brief touch.

Yesterday, our last full day in California we wanted to watch the sunset over the Pacific.

So we picked up burgers and ate them on the beach while we waited.  It was perfect way to end a lovely vacation.

Today we’re flying home, going back to our real lives, our Katie-girl, my job.  But not before I get to meet Ellen in person!  She’s coming with her two dogs and we’re going to go for a short walk!  I can’t wait!

I have so many other fun and interesting things to share with all of you, more than I can ever get into this blog,  but for now please enjoy the sunset over the Pacific.  Complements of me.