Saturday night was the Red Velvet Gala at the St. Louis Symphony. Their big performer for the show was -- as you probably guessed -- Yo-yo Ma.
And what a show it was! Our own local musicians played a couple of rollicking good pieces without the visiting star: Suppe's Light Cavalry Overture and Herold's Zampa Overture. Yo-yo joined for Haydn's Cello concerto in C major and Saint-Saens's Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor. He seemed to be having so much fun with the other musicians when the tune was light or he wasn't mid-solo. But as soon as he started really sawing away at the strings, he was transported to a different place. It was really amazing to watch.
As an added bonus, since it was the night of the gala, everyone was appropriately attired for the symphony - not a pair of jeans to be found!
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Quote of the Day
"Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself.
(I am large. I contain multitudes.)"
-- Walt Whitman, Song of Myself
Very well then I contradict myself.
(I am large. I contain multitudes.)"
-- Walt Whitman, Song of Myself
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
An Incomplete Tribute
"He looks up at you with his big, true eyes, and says with them, 'Well, you've always got me, you know. We'll go through the world together, and always stand by each other, won't we?'"
-- Jerome K. Jerome
It is two months ago today that I got to pet Rades for the last time. I miss seeing his cute little face. Thankfully I took a lot of pictures of him in his last couple of years. In case you miss him too, here he is:
Looking adorable - and actually looking at the camera, which was rare:
Being uncharacteristically friendly:
Snoozin':
Okay, this next one is a bit of a sad picture, but it's a funny story. Everyone who knew him knew Radar was terrified of thunder - and, over the course of his life, and ever-increasing number of things that he associated with thunder, rightly or wrongly. He always sought out a dark spot where he could hide until the storm was over (if that was in fact the source of the noise; if not, he would just wait for an appropriate amount of time to pass before he resurfaced). Occasionally I'd find him hiding in the bathtub, but that was pretty much the normal course of business for R the Wonderdog. Then there was the morning that he went ahead and leapt into the tub while I was in the shower. Imagine how surprised we both were! Once I was finished, I managed to work a towel underneath him to help absorb some of the water he had soaked up, but there was no coaxing him out of the tub until he was good and ready.
Guarding (and sometimes dismantling) the ducks:
Goin' for a car ride:
Playing outside, looking handsome and totally in his element:
Hunting squirrels:
Hunting rabbits:
Wishing he was playing outside:
"All knowledge, the totality of all questions and all answers, is contained in the dog." -- Franz Kafka
-- Jerome K. Jerome
It is two months ago today that I got to pet Rades for the last time. I miss seeing his cute little face. Thankfully I took a lot of pictures of him in his last couple of years. In case you miss him too, here he is:
Looking adorable - and actually looking at the camera, which was rare:
Being uncharacteristically friendly:
Snoozin':
Okay, this next one is a bit of a sad picture, but it's a funny story. Everyone who knew him knew Radar was terrified of thunder - and, over the course of his life, and ever-increasing number of things that he associated with thunder, rightly or wrongly. He always sought out a dark spot where he could hide until the storm was over (if that was in fact the source of the noise; if not, he would just wait for an appropriate amount of time to pass before he resurfaced). Occasionally I'd find him hiding in the bathtub, but that was pretty much the normal course of business for R the Wonderdog. Then there was the morning that he went ahead and leapt into the tub while I was in the shower. Imagine how surprised we both were! Once I was finished, I managed to work a towel underneath him to help absorb some of the water he had soaked up, but there was no coaxing him out of the tub until he was good and ready.
Guarding (and sometimes dismantling) the ducks:
Goin' for a car ride:
Playing outside, looking handsome and totally in his element:
Hunting squirrels:
Hunting rabbits:
Wishing he was playing outside:
"All knowledge, the totality of all questions and all answers, is contained in the dog." -- Franz Kafka
Monday, October 28, 2013
Quote of the Day
"I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should
burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I
would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow,
than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to
live, not to exist."
-- Jack London
-- Jack London
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Goal #43
Goal #43: fill the Goodwill box.
I have been working on cleaning out my closet and just trying to be a bit less sentimental (and/or more ruthless, depending on how you want to look at it). I need to get rid of stuff.
Recap of goal #42:
- Card lost...? Really not sure what happened to it. Gift still undelivered. Thumbs down.
- Card mailed. Thumbs up.
- Both ice creams made. Soup made and mostly eaten. Thumbs up.
- Have not visited. Thumbs down.
I have been working on cleaning out my closet and just trying to be a bit less sentimental (and/or more ruthless, depending on how you want to look at it). I need to get rid of stuff.
Recap of goal #42:
- Card lost...? Really not sure what happened to it. Gift still undelivered. Thumbs down.
- Card mailed. Thumbs up.
- Both ice creams made. Soup made and mostly eaten. Thumbs up.
- Have not visited. Thumbs down.
Friday, October 25, 2013
What I'm Reading Now -- At Home: A Short History of Private Life
Every now and then, I'm in the mood for some Bill Bryson. This time, it's At Home: A Short History of Private Life, in which he examines his own home, a presumably lovely former rectory in rural England. Since his next book just came out (One Summer: America, 1927), I figured I probably shouldn't get too much farther behind.Bill Bryson made a name for himself with his humorous travel writing, but his stint of writing travel books was both preceded and followed by his writings in popular history. At Home is his investigation into how we live in the place we live, and how that place came to be.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Random Links
A conversation in #hashtags.
The 9 types of physics seminars (also note the blog subtitle).
More old photos, colorized.
Terrible news for relationships.
The formatting is messed up and I think a lot is lost, but the story is still fascinating.
How did they get there?
The 9 types of physics seminars (also note the blog subtitle).
More old photos, colorized.
Terrible news for relationships.
The formatting is messed up and I think a lot is lost, but the story is still fascinating.
How did they get there?
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
The Road You Traveled
It's interesting to look back at your life and wonder how the heck you
go from there to here, yet the same time know that all roads inevitably
led to where you are.
You think about the person that you were and wonder what happened to her, how she became you. But you also undeniably know that that person you were could not have become anyone other than the person that you are.
You think about the person that you were and wonder what happened to her, how she became you. But you also undeniably know that that person you were could not have become anyone other than the person that you are.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Evita
Just a couple of days after my last trip to the symphony, I was lucky enough to be taken by P to go see Evita at the Fox.
The musical was basically a live version of the movie, which was fine by me. I hadn't seen the movie in ages, but I remembered that there were a lot of songs I liked in it. I was a little disappointed to discover how few of the words I remembered, but it has been a while and I don't have the soundtrack.
All the fun stuff I remembered was still there, as was the depressing. Frankly, I thought the woman who played Evita was rather strained, especially in the higher registers. Colonel Peron and the narrator had lovely, full voices, but I found Eva's to be a bit thin and screechy.
But I always enjoy a musical, and am looking forward to the next time I get to go!
The musical was basically a live version of the movie, which was fine by me. I hadn't seen the movie in ages, but I remembered that there were a lot of songs I liked in it. I was a little disappointed to discover how few of the words I remembered, but it has been a while and I don't have the soundtrack.
All the fun stuff I remembered was still there, as was the depressing. Frankly, I thought the woman who played Evita was rather strained, especially in the higher registers. Colonel Peron and the narrator had lovely, full voices, but I found Eva's to be a bit thin and screechy.
But I always enjoy a musical, and am looking forward to the next time I get to go!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Goal #42
Goal #42: write two cards, deliver a gift, make food to share, pay a visit.
So many things! Here's the breakdown:
- I have a card and a gift that are overdue for mailing and delivery, so I really need to take care of those.
- There's another card which needs to be written in order to be timely.
- I went grocery shopping tonight and got goodies to make mocha and salted caramel ice cream. I forgot to add "pasta" to my list, so I am one key ingredient short for the chicken noodle soup I was also hoping to make.
- I finally talked to an old friend last week, after far too long. She said "stop by anytime, I'd love to see you." I hope that's true, because I'm planning to stop by!
Recap of goal #41: T is moved! There is another project ahead, as he is also planning on moving all of his possessions which are stored elsewhere to his new apartment also (it's big). But that's for another day.
And in addition to that, I spent much of today working on my own apartment. While there is still a long way to go, there is visible progress towards cleanliness!
So many things! Here's the breakdown:
- I have a card and a gift that are overdue for mailing and delivery, so I really need to take care of those.
- There's another card which needs to be written in order to be timely.
- I went grocery shopping tonight and got goodies to make mocha and salted caramel ice cream. I forgot to add "pasta" to my list, so I am one key ingredient short for the chicken noodle soup I was also hoping to make.
- I finally talked to an old friend last week, after far too long. She said "stop by anytime, I'd love to see you." I hope that's true, because I'm planning to stop by!
Recap of goal #41: T is moved! There is another project ahead, as he is also planning on moving all of his possessions which are stored elsewhere to his new apartment also (it's big). But that's for another day.
And in addition to that, I spent much of today working on my own apartment. While there is still a long way to go, there is visible progress towards cleanliness!
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