Looking back through the week

Going back to Monday, the 6th - Epiphany - we had a really nice Twelfth-night party. Three of the expected fourteen people were unable to come, but we had the unexpected presence of two of the Amidon's grandchildren - Desmond and Arthur - and they ended up having a good time too! They hung out in the upstairs TV room, watched kid's videos, played games, came down when they wanted to and helped themselves to treats and had a perfect time of safety with adults nearby but a lot of freedom to do what they wanted to without an adult looking  over their shoulder. Meanwhile, the adults sang a lot of "out of the way" carols and enjoyed Ellen's wonderful food (two soups - a salmon chowder and a chicken/barley chowder, and a lot of special breads, cheeses and crackers, veggies and humus and an apricot/date-nut tart). Everyone seemed to have a wonderful time and enjoyed being in our home, which I have to say is a lovely party venue. We fit nicely into the space.  Here are some "before the party" photos.

The view from the balcony above the living-room - one of my favorite views in our house

The view from the west end of the living-room - we put the dining table against the wall to make more room for a circle of chairs

Another favorite view that includes the fireplace and kitchen

Tuesday, we recovered from the party by sleeping in late. Most of the clean-up had been done the previous evening, with Robin Davis' wonderful help. I think we ran some errands, but in the evening, we drove up to Norwich, VT, to attend a Village Harmony Alumni Concert. I have a long history with Village Harmony: Ellen and I met at a Village Harmony Camp in 2003, and I also toured with Northern Harmony in 2001 in Germany and England with the two leaders of the concert we attended Tuesday - Larry Gordon and Carl Linich. The concert was in the UU Church in Norwich, which we had never been to before, but we had the address and put it into our phone's GPS app. It took us north of Norwich to an isolated area where there was one house and not a church in sight! Nevertheless the voice told us confidently that we had arrived! Back to square one! We went to a general store in the village and asked. Turned out that the UU church was south of Norwich about 2 miles. By the time we found the church, the concert had been in progress for fifteen-twenty minutes, but we heard most of it and enjoyed it. And I had a chance to reconnect with Carl Linich, who had been my roommate on the Northern Harmony tour almost 20 years ago!

Carl Linich explaining a feature of Georgian music - his specialty - to the audience

Wednesday we spent some time working on music for Concert Choir at home and had a rehearsal that evening. We were configured as we would be at the concert, and since I use a stool and want to be on the floor, not on a riser, I found myself in the front row among first basses (I'm a second bass) and right in front of Jonathan Harvey, our director (normally I sit in the back at rehearsals). It was a little intimidating, but I think I did ok. Next Wednesday, we'll be in our concert venue - the Latchis Theater - and with the orchestra for the first time. And then the concerts on Saturday and Sunday. - we will not be over-rehearsed!

Also on Wednesday, a couple of Zach Grover's helpers came up and started a project I have wanted done for some time - clearing out a bunch of little saplings that have grown up west of the house. When they are done it will open things up, allow ferns to fill in, and look really nice, I think. It should enhance our "curb appeal," when it comes time to sell the house.

Thursday was a "3-star" day so to speak - an appointment at the Key Bank at noon, a funeral for a homeless man at four, where we sang, and a Hallowell sing at Holton Home nursing home at six. We picked up Calvin before the funeral and brought him home after the nursing-home sing. The bank appointment had to do with doing some things to build up my credit score (we discovered when we bought the car that my score was "0" - I use only a debit card). The other two singing events were special and moving as usual. We are very blessed to have these opportunities.

Today, Friday, we went to Amherst Regional High School to an alternative "sub-section" - the Summit Academy - where Brendon is a student. He was both performing on drums in a little band and acting in a 7-minute opera, titled, Transpiration, composed by a fellow student. The opera's plot is that he is hired by a woman to water her house plants while she attends a two-week professional conference, but he is seduced by the HD TV and forgets to water the plants; the woman returns to find her plants withered. The conclusion deals with forgiveness and new birth. Three characters in the opera:  the woman, the plant-waterer (Brendon) and a plant.  It was brilliant in conception, hilarious and well-done. After  the performance we went to a Chinese Restaurant, Oriental Flavor, with Katie and Savanna, for lunch.

After lunch, Ellen and I did some shopping errands at stores we don't have in Brattleboro - like a good stationery store (Hastings),  and a lighting store (Home Depot). I needed fountain pen ink cartridges (which I got) and a new lamp for beside the bed - a wall mounted lamp that swings out. We found just the lamp I wanted at Home Depot, but it was out of stock    : (     Then we got into rush hour Northampton traffic and lost a lot of time. Oh well!

Finally: a scene out our east living-room window at home which I like:

The woods east of our house