Haiku to Procrastination

Practicing is good.
Procrastination is bad.
I need to practice.

A List

1. In a true, serious effort to make myself less busy this year, I am busier than ever.

2. Molly gave me the most beautiful scarf from London (from her trip to Oxford and Paris) and I love it. MK and I bonded while she was gone - I can't believe its been almost a year since she came to live with us.

3. The weather this fall in Boston has been so weird. We've already had a day of snow (didn't stick, but still), and that was in the middle of October. The past few days were almost seventy, and tomorrow's high is 49.

4. This week I'm playing Haydn's Creation at Emmanuel (for the second time in a month). This piece astounds me every time I have been in a rehearsal for it. Every part is beautiful - even the standard "pastoral" 6/8 F major aria (which often can be taxing and a bit tedious in other works) is stunning, and I'm not usually stunned by them. I think Haydn is making a general comeback in the classical music world, and its about time.

5. Hannah's been in Phoenix with Holly and Tony for her vacation from PA rotations. While having lunch with Heidi last weekend, I was happy to think that while all four of us couldn't have lunch together, at least all of us was having lunch with a sister.

6. I've started teaching private violin/viola lessons twice a week for the Brookline Public Schools. Don't worry - the viola students aren't working on Walton or Bartok - just beginning method books. I promise to refer them to professionals when they overreach my alto clef reading abilities.

7. I can't wait for Christmas break.

8. Happy 2nd Birthday Emily Keener!

9. I'm such a terrible friend when it comes to keeping in touch.

10. With that, I'm going to bed.

Recent Happy Pictures

At Capitol Hill - with a raised eyebrow.

Molly and I finally rearranged and cleaned the living room - we're especially proud of the bookshelf.

Holly visited us all in Boston - we had such fun!

Things are so incredibly busy right now, and I know I need to call several people (Mary, David, Kim, Paul, Hannah) that I haven't talked to in so long....argh....I promise soon! Thinking of you all!

Hello from Yonkers, NY.

I'm here for the final installation of the Manchester tour, which always ends with something in NYC. We played at Trinity Church yesterday, at Wall Street, and afterwards a very nice, wealthy lady had a reception for us around 42nd St. on the EAST side. Boy, it was ritzy. She has THE most spectacular communal backyard garden, and on the other end of this communal garden is Steven Sondheim's house. Yes. Thats right. Yesterday I saw into the backyard of Steven Sondheim, as well as the back of his house.

Send in the clowns. Oh wait, they're here.

Ok, ok. Its finally time for another blog post.

I'm in lovely Vermont for the Manchester Music Festival's annual fall tour (although its not quite fall yet - this year its really really early, for whatever reason - usually they are in October). This is my seventh, and it is, as always, beautiful, peaceful, and lovely. I seriously want to have a home up here someday, maybe retirement? Eh. Too far away to think about. Anyway, the best part about this year is that I don't have to return to Boston in the middle of it for an orchestra concert. Hooray!

School is now in full swing, and while the first few days were incredibly depressing, I've pretty much gotten over it and am now in a mindset of work work work. I think I won't go to the orchestra and chamber music meetings next year. No point.

Will post again soon. Right now I've blanked on anything else to say.

How about another lovely picture?



Hannah and Finnis at Holly and Tony's wedding reception.

First Day of School

(sigh)

:-(