The New Year Begins

New Year's Day was, as I recall, a quiet day. Actually, I don't remember it very well. I don't remember going anywhere, but I do remember listening to a TarHeels/Louisville MBB game in the evening on my Tunein Radio app, a game which the Heels lost by about 14 points. Sigh! The morning of Thursday, January 2nd, we had our retired clergy meeting at the Dummerston Church, and had a good discussion on the first chapter of Wilkie Au's Aging with Wisdom and Grace . This is a good book. Chap. 1 developed pretty fully the difference between faith understood as belief and faith understood as trust, with a strong preference for the latter as a foundation for aging with grace. Friday, January 3rd, we had an odd situation. I had responded to an Internet offer and arranged with a roofing company to send appraisers to assess our roof and make a free, no obligation estimate on replacing it. The shingles are not broken and are not leaking, but they are 25 years old, which is usually considered the life-span of asphalt shingles. The appraisers never showed up, and never called to explain why. Was the whole thing a scam? If so, what do they get out of it? I called their # and asked where they were, but they didn't call back. We waited all afternoon. I guess I'll look for a local roofer to give me an estimate. Friday evening, I led a rehearsal of the Dummerston Choir, which sang on Sunday the 5th, the day before Epiphany, and thus had the star and the magi as themes. We had only seven people present, including Mary Westbrook-Geha and myself, but we had all parts covered, and it went well. We worked on two pieces, an Introit, Lovely Star in the Sky, a Korean hymn which I found in an Asian hymnal I own, Sound the Bamboo, and an anthem, Behold the Star, which I found in the African-American Heritage Hymnal, but which has been around a long time and is in many hymnals (including the old Friends Hymnal which Ellen used as a child). Some members of the congregation remembered singing it at camp and loved hearing it again. I called it an "anthem" - it is really a hymn, but arranged to seem more like an anthem - e.g., the verses sung by a soloist and the refrain by the choir in 4-part harmony. Our soloist was our organist/pianist and former soloist for decades with the New England Bach Festival, Mary Westbrook-Geha, who, of course, sang magnificently, and since we sang it a cappella did not need to be playing the piano at the same time. I can't lift my arms very high to direct, because of severe arthritis in my shoulders, but I manage, and everyone is very supportive. I also have to accomodate my friend, Calvin, a bass, whose vision and hearing are both compromised and has trouble following along if we move too fast. Despite various limitations, however, the choir sounded quite lovely on Sunday. Saturday, Jan. 4th, we had sort of an "encore." Back on December 11th, we had our traditional "fruit cake weather" event when Ellen makes many fruit cakes to give away, and I read aloud the story by Truman Capote, A Christmas Memory, a wonderful evocation of a time when Capote was about seven years old, living with a distant relative, an older woman, who initiates several days of making fruit cakes by looking out the window and announcing, "It's fruitcake weather!" Back in December, our only audience for the reading, beside ourselves, was Ruthie, Ellen's god-daughter. Nancy Tierra, who is usually there, was unable to come this year. So we did a repeat on Saturday of the reading, when Nancy could come, and John and Cynthia came as well. But I did not read aloud- my voice was hopelessly phlegmy - and instead, I played a recording of me reading the story, made many years ago when I was in full voice. Ellen did not make any cakes, but she did serve some. Everyone seemed to enjoy hearing the reading. Saturday was also a TarHeels game day - at Notre Dame. It was going on during the fruitcake reading. It would have been a great game to see. The Heels won it in the final seconds. Down 3 with just a few seconds left, Elliot Cadieux made a 3-point basket, tying the game, but was fouled in the process. He made his free-throw, and the Heels won by a point. I was not listening to the game - I was listening to myself reading! Oh well - they are on again tonight at 9p.m., against Southern Methodist University, a very recent addition to the ACC. I'll listen to that for sure. Sunday, Jan. 5th, we were in Dummerston for church, as indicated above. The choir sounded really nice. We had Sam Farwell in additiom to the seven who came to rehearsal. We had a Music Committee meeting after church - Mary, Eliza, Phyllis Emery and myself. Shawn normally attends, but was not feeling well. He got through the service and went home. The Four of us planned out what Sundays the choir will sing through the summer and who will lead. ii'm on Feb.9, March 9, April 20 (Easter), and May 18. I didn't but anything into my calendar for june. Mary sends out a summary, I'll check that. Sunday evening, Cliff and Eliza Bergh came over for supper with us. Nothing elaborate, just a simple meal together. We talked about coming to their home to watch the Heels on TV - I haven't actually seen a game yet this season - but there are no games on ESPN until February. Sort of strange. Cliff ased if we would like some wood from the wood pantry, and I said "Yes." We don't have quite as much wood left under the deck as I would like at this date. They have a lot of wood, according to Cliff. Yesterday, Jan 6, was Epiphany. We had a quiet day at home. One thing running through these past couple of weeks is my annual Christmas Letter. I've gotten almost 20 in the mail and have 7 or 8 left to do. I have also been very faithful with my daily exercises in the New Year. I didn't explicitly make a resolution to do so, but it's like I did. Which brings us up to today! No plans to go anywhere today. Stay home and blog! Do Email! Read. Nice!