Thursdays

Last year about this time, I received an email. This was an unremarkable email as far as emails go; but the content inspired me to buy a pair of well-priced plane tickets. A few months later, I let my partner in crime in on my secret. The Monday before Thanksgiving we went to the international terminal at the airport, checked our bags, cleared security, and found a glass of wine near the departure gate. Before we boarded the flight, we sent messages to our family and friends letting them in on our surprise. The flight was uneventful; the drive from the airport exciting, and the hotel was exactly as it had been described. We squeezed our bags into the room, splashed our faces, and headed out into the twilight to explore. We found that the city was filled with lights.

After walking as long as we could after crossing so many time zones; we found something to eat and called it an evening. A great night of sleep reset the clock and we spent the rest of the week exploring things as they presented themselves. We had both been to this place before, there was no pressure to 'do' anything. We spent time at a park observing the locals.

Evenings sipping flutes of bubbly (some with raspberries)

And just enjoyed all the different expressions of the upcoming holiday that we came across as we explored the city.

Some of the locals were more approachable than others . . .

While we were there; our friends and family gathered together during the week for piles of turkey, potatoes, salad, and pie. We strolled down the street and ate at a cozy little place down the street from our residence. A particular animal was featured on the menu and prepared several ways. There was a selection of seasonal vegetables offered on the side, and a carafe of the house red served as the perfect match for the food on the plates. After the meal, we popped through another door where, when they saw us come in, bottles were pulled from the shelf, and digestives poured and at our table as we removed our wraps.

We gave thanks.

Our time together was a gift; a time to spend just being; with no deadlines, agendas, or commitments (well, other than a couple of dinner engagements). And in the end, we think we may have created our own tradition of thanks. We realized that we could go away, just the two of us, and give thanks wherever we were, even if it felt just like a regular Thursday in that place.

If you are looking to create your own thankful-just-a-regular-Thursday moment in this very special city, take a look at what Jordan Ferney at Oh Happy Day! is offering to do for one lucky reader. Jordan is living the dream many of us have of picking up and moving to a foreign country with her family, you can follow her escapades and enjoy her party and decorating ideas even if you don't end up entering her contest to win a trip to PARIS!

(shhh, maybe you want to keep your trip a secret too)

My Life as Illustrated by Johannes Brahms

I grew up in a house full of music. My parents were both accomplished musicians. My siblings and I all played a variety of musical instruments. There was a steady stream of students sitting at our living room piano or in a studio somewhere nearby plinking or quacking away on their instrument of choice with one or another parent giving patient instruction. When we were not subject to anybody practicing, teaching, or performing there was usually music coming from the ‘Hi-Fi’ in the living room. The station of choice was one of the local NPR stations that played tunes of the Classical persuasion most of the day, with brief breaks for news. When we were bored, we would make up stories to go along with the music that we were listening to; there was the one about the pageantry of a king giving a speech to a crowd of his loyal subjects; the one about brushing your teeth with rhythmic precision, and several more that I will not go into here, as that is a story for another day.

Earlier this week I received word from my Masters advisor that my thesis was complete and that I could print the final document. As I was reading those words, the horn call that introduces the second movement of the Brahms 4^th Symphony began to play in my head. As I have been rehearsing this particular piece of music for a performance this weekend I was not surprised that it came to mind, but I was surprised at the feelings the combination of news and the music stirred up. I realized that this music perfectly illustrated what I had been doing the past months.

The first movement of the Brahms 4th is beautifully complex with an intertwining melody that returns repeatedly; kind of like the writing and rewriting I did. The music slides smoothly in and out and from one place to another and before you know it; you are back at the melody again. The final bars of the movement are triumphant, finishing so strongly that it feels as if that is the end – ah, the joy of submitting that final draft! Writing, re-writing, submitting and re-submitting my final project was intertwined in all aspects of my life for the better part of the past year; obviously, there was much joy when the final draft was submitted.

The second movement is dreamlike in nature - a very passionate and emotional dream. The horn call that starts the movement quickly succumbs to a smooth woodwind and string melody that takes you from a highly excited state to a place of relaxation. This illustrates the roller coaster of emotions I felt once I received word that I was finished. Could this really be true? Was it really done? Was I really going to graduate? Perhaps I should just take a nap. Just about the time that you think you have had enough dreaming; the third movement snaps you back to reality! The lively, dancing rhythms take you to a party where crowds of people are trying out new dance steps, swishing about in fancy clothes, and celebrating something really great that has just happened. Just listen to the laughter and happiness in this music and rejoice in the fact that everyone gets a chance to play. This lilting tune was exactly what I was feeling when I realized that yes! The project is complete!

Now what.

The fourth and final movement goes to a more serious place. For me (having not quite made it there yet) I am imagining the pomp and circumstance of my final academic ceremony; complete with regalia, faculty members on the dais, an audience filled with proud friends and family, a group of graduates, presentations, awards, and a realization of the years of work that went into accomplishing this goal. The form of the final movement is a chaconne or passacaglia, which is more simply known as a theme and variations. I think that is a perfect illustration of an academic ceremony – each person may have the same degree being conferred, but the emphasis and path to that degree are different for every individual. Theme = degree | Variation = path each person took to get there.

As I wrap up both my time in graduate school and the season with my orchestra I realized this particular week has held a mixture of joy and exhaustion; the same barrage of emotions that I feel at the end of the Brahms. With all the changes going on around here; perhaps a dose of Brahms was exactly what I needed.

Conviviality

Last week I went up to Sonoma, CA to check out the Tuesday evening market.

Every single person I spoke with in the Valley about my Master’s program final research project said that I needed to come to a Tuesday market if I really wanted to know what Sonoma was all about. The market is ending in a couple of weeks for the season, so time was of the essence and the weather forecast said I should go this week while it was still nice out.

The Tuesday market is a market for the locals, I sat and watched groups of people wander onto the plaza, greet another group, only to then split apart and greet others as they arrived. The standard items to carry included a chair, a cooler or basket, and of course, a wine glass. People found a spot to set up on the grass in the plaza, said hi to those around them, spent some time wandering through the market to pick up items not brought from home, and settled in to listen to the live music and catch up with friends.

The requisite groups of small girls in swirly dresses were dancing, twirling, and tumbling in the center of the lawn under the watchful eyes of the performers and members of the community gathered there. The packs of children running freely through the plaza, playing and screeching with delight provided a colorful counterpoint to the chit chatting adults. Groups of teenagers were scattered throughout the plaza; some with skateboards, some trying to look like the latest magazine page, some with brightly colored hair, and all in packs. The only difference from when I was in one of those packs was that now they have cell phones. The calls from mom asking what you are up to are harder to avoid now.

Happily, most of the people I talked to at least appeared to be interested in why I was there. Only one gentleman suggested that I come back on the weekend to see the town really hoppin’ or maybe I would like to go to a place off the plaza where tourists usually go. I tried not to take it personally. Having been to a weekend event in the same plaza, I could feel the difference in ‘vibe’. Both had music, wine, food, artwork, and plenty of people hanging out, but this one felt more relaxed, like people were coming out of hiding in order to enjoy what they liked best about living in that small town.

If you go: this market is held on Tuesdays in April through October starting around 5:00pm until dark on the central plaza in front of City Hall. Expect an assortment of fresh produce, as well as some gift/personal items and things to eat; if it is an election year, you might see a politician or two wandering about, shaking hands. Look for Sonoma, CA on the vendor's sign to be sure you are 'eating local'. Bring a chair and something to drink with your purchases. Sit and listen to the live music and soak in the atmosphere of the place.

Enjoy!

Starting over…

Fall is not the season that is associated with re-births or fresh starts; that award usually goes to Spring with its new leaf buds and baby animals all over the place.

By the time the vernal equinox happens, the sweetest corn has been eaten, stone fruits and berries are waning, sunflowers have begun to bow down, baseball is feverishly racing toward a pennant before the first snow of the season, and leaves are beginning to turn and lose their tenuous hold on branches. Strangely I never have the feeling that things are coming to an end; but that things are just starting. Rather than feeling as if something is ending, I always feel like Fall is the beginning of something exciting! The first day of school; the fashion seems to be the ‘most important’ and drives the biggest magazine advertising (September issues!) of the entire year; apples appear at the farmers markets; and the weather finally cools off enough so that I have the energy to finish the projects that have been languishing during the last hot weeks of the summer months. For me, Fall is the time that I take things on that I have wanted to do and when I recommit to projects that I have set aside for whatever reason. This has been a year of change and new beginnings for me; things that have not changed have somehow become stronger; and still other things have shifted just enough to feel like they are new again.

As I write this, I think of all the things that I put aside while I was considering where to go next and wondering which ones I will choose to pick up again. There are some loose ends to tie up, but overall, I will be moving forward and enjoying this new life as it presents itself.

Chahut de nouveauté!

Fear of walking

About six months ago, NPR broadcast a short piece about how difficult it was to walk in some communities. I know that I like to walk as much as I can instead of driving and look forward to the time change in the Spring because it means the street I usually walk home on won't be dark by the time I get off the train. I have used this platform to encourage you to bring your own bags to the market, now I would like to encourage you to try walking to a destination once in awhile. This is the perfect time of the year to try it since it is not too warm and we could all use a little fresh air after being cooped up inside most of the winter. True, it might take you a little longer, but you might be surprised. I found that it takes as long to drive my car, park and walk to the train platform as it does to walk there, and as a bonus, I get some exercise that I would not have if I had driven. Same with going to the drugstore or the market for a couple of things, grab your reusable bag (or backpack) and stroll with a purpose. Your heart, lungs, kids, and grandkids will thank you for doing your part to reduce greenhouse gasses.

Support a Local Artist Today

Recently I spent some time in Santa Barbara, CA catching up with an old friend. She was on the left coast to perform with a group of Santa Barbara musicians, one of which had written something specifically for my friend to perform. On my long drive home, I reflected on how many events like this there actually are across not only the United States, but around the world. The performance I attended was part of a series of events put on by a community college. If you look on any school's website, you will find a calendar full of instrumental and vocal music performances, plays, art exhibits and other events put on by faculty, staff, and students. Add to this the number of community groups not affiliated with a schools, and you could find something to do every day and night of the week. Most of these groups work as hard to put on a performance but sell tickets that cost a fraction of what tickets to a professional group would cost. Now, before someone gets upset, I am not suggesting that we not ever attend an event put on by a professional organization ever again. I AM suggesting that we find a local group that presents the type of work that we enjoy and attend their performances and exhibits on a regular basis. The amateur groups are most likely comprised of folks that are accountants, doctors, lawyers and the like who want to express themselves in a way that they find themselves unable to in their work and family lives. They are proud of the work they do to prepare for the performance and love it when there is a full house to which to present their work.

Scavenger Hunting

Today we spent some time weaving our way through one of my favorite places to peer into, pick up, turn over and open up stuff; Urban Ore on Murray Street in Berkeley. This for profit location takes in gently used items and re-sells them in their huge (and cold) warehouse and their outside lot at a low, low price. Helping out those looking to stretch a dollar and preventing the items from going into our already bursting landfills. The assortment ranges from broken tiles, bricks, doors still hanging in the frames they were hung in when ripped out of an unsuspecting structure, sinks, toilets, windows, furniture, and an entire wall full of electronic doo-dads that I usually spend the most time hanging around imagining what I could make out of all that stuff.

We have purchased 'containers' for our garden (out of service terracotta sewer pipe & metal duct work), stepping stones (unused pavers), extra seating for inside and out (old church pews), and my favorite find to date; a metal stand that once refurbished, went just inside our front door to catch keys, sunglasses, handbags, and mail. Based on the shape and colors of the sticker (lovingly preserved) on the front, it originally stood in the service area of a Texaco station. It is the perfect height to write comfortably while standing next to it, and the inside is full of slots and places for order pads, pens, and those fun reminder cards that they stuck in your visor so you knew when to stop by next. Some steel wool, primer and two colors of paint later the piece was suitable for inside the house, inspiring a more industrial feel in the room where it now lives.

Before & After

Our mission this afternoon was to find something to use as a new television slash cable box slash DVD player slash mini stereo stand. It is good to have a vivid imagination when going on a scavenger hunt since the idea was to find the shape and height that would work and we would sand, paint, or stain the item to fit our decor. Our first find was a solid wood mantel with an electric heating element, complete with realistic looking logs on a grate. Perfect width and height, the ledge was the right size for the television, but where to put the rest of the stuff? Next we found a changing table, complete with built in steps, but decided that would be too odd, even with a coat of paint. In the end, we didn't find what we were looking for, but did find a really great lampshade for another re-use project that I'm working on. More on that when it's finally finished. Until then, I am ready to be the 'light' of the party!

(images are author's own)