End of an era

Actually that's a little harsh - let's call it the changes that time makes.

In a couple of weeks I will be contacting a friend of mine who operates a music store in Takoma Park. The reason for this is to enlist his help in donating my percussion stuff: the mallets, the sticks, the auxillary equipment. I have 2 large bags of different chime mallets and orchestral bell mallets, drum sticks and timpani mallets, jingle bells, woodblocks, a kabassa, latin shakers, triangles and so much more.

These are things I accumulated over the many many years of playing with the local symphony, community band, community jazz band, and college bands.

I will never come to the emotional realization that that part of my life is over while I still have these. I've known for quite some time that my hearing isn't good enough to play anymore. It was going south over 5 years ago. I've been deluding myself that I prefer to watch television upstairs when in reality that's where it is set on closed caption. I don't go to movies because in crowded noisy areas I can't hear specific sounds -- it's all a roar.

I will never play again. Not percussion. Not with a group. Not in front of people.

Wow that was hard to write.

I *do* have a lovely digital piano that has earphones. It's not the same rush as the 32 measure roll from Russian Christmas or the gong crash in Fanfare for the Common Man -- it's definitely not timpani nor crash cymbals but it *is* music.

Maybe I can conquer my love/hate relationship with it? Only time will tell I guess.


The picture is a sculpture by Alexander Calder that is in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden in Washington DC. I noticed as I moved here and didn't play, my muse was drawn towards art and photography. I'm just hoping that Harold likes the piano as well. I know he'll miss the cymbals.

:) coincidence?

I'm not one for glaring coincidences. However you have to wonder about this one. This was one of my favorite songs ever --- yet I was from Kansas. I had no clue where Easton was.

I know now.

Coincidence? You be the judge....



the person who did this video quite correctly used images from Ocean City, Maryland. Easton is on the Eastern Shore and the areas mentioned in the song are either Eastern Shore or Baltimore.

My photo is of Kent Island Maryland on the way to The Eastern Shore taken from the Bay Bridge across the Chesapeake Bay ;)

Can you hear me now?

I just posted a comment on a friend's blog about dubbing and subtitles. I matter-of-fact stated that since I tend to have the television on closed captioning much of the time, I do better with subtitles.

I never dreamed it would come to this in my mid 40s though. Wait - not even mid 40s.

As I sit here this morning, listening to the ever increasing ringing in my ears (tinnitus), I'm reminded I've gotten quite good at little tricks and things to mostly keep this from everyone but Jon. Poor Jon -- the Parkinson's and the Parkinson's drugs tend to affect his speech. Sometimes I need sharp clear annunciation (with clear facial movements) to understand. Unfortunately, now he slurs ocassionally and his facial movements sometimes are a little soft and sluggish.

Can you hear me now?

In the chaos that tends to be my life, I have to laugh at the oddity. I have an IPod that I just received but haven't set up yet. Me - who lives in music - yet it sets nearly blank.

What if it's like my hands free cell phone feature? what if either I can't hear it or it causes pain when I can get it loud enough to hear.

Wouldn't life be wonderful if music could be closed captioned instead of just little music notes and an announcement that it *is* music?

Wouldn't it be the best if the fates didn't have a wicked sense of humour?

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The photo above was taken summer 2006 @ The Virginia Renaissance Festival. Gary Schwartz is a gifted musician/composer who specializes in period music.

The most melancholy time of the year?

Yes the changes in familial situations is finally hitting me this year. Each year prior we tried to figure out how to juggle visiting and the kids (even when they're adults they're still kids) and Mom and this year we literally have no agenda - no need to juggle. It will be just Jon, Mom, and myself. For any gifts we will probably do online and mail (ever so much easier) or $$$ (Robert's rather logical request).

The holidays have always been about family from the first time I spend Thanksgiving eve with Grandma doing the prep for the next day to even last year when I planned around a neighbor and son + girlfriend. It has always been controlled chaos. This year it appears to be organized.

That is probably the most unnerving aspect - Thanksgiving will be organized.

The shopping was disorganized though ... I guess that's a plus? heh

the photo above was taken autumn 2006 at the Maryland Renaissance Festival

I had to laugh at work today

again not that Manderly quote but again I'm not an author ........

With the holidays upon us, our VP of Admin sent out a memo stating what days the offices would be closed, what days the offices would be closed early, and what times of the early closings.

We're closed Thanksgiving and the day after, Christmas Day and New Years Day. We close early (at noon) on Monday Christmas Eve and Monday New Years Eve.

This poses a rather challenging aspect to my particular position as 1) I'll have to do a 2 day job in 1 day (because of time constraints --- banks are closed on Christmas and New Years) but now 2) I'll have to do a 2 day job in about a 1/2 day 3) Christmas Eve is the last payroll of 2007 (payrolls are figured by paydate so of course Dec 31 would be paid in 2008) and as such has a lot of last minute adjustments.

My CFO (my boss) was less than sympathetic until I reminded him that it affected him as well.

Misery - it do love company :)

the photo above was taken this summer (2007) of Jake - a cat that we're currently fostering for a friend. He tends to have that look quite often -- as if he's silently judging the world

Art Sunday

For today's Art Sunday I thought I'd highlight 4 of Norman Rockwell's prints - The Freedom Series. All were originally story illustrations in The Saturday Evening Post in 1943. The first is Freedom from Fear which was from the March 13, 1943 Edition.

All of these can be seen at The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts

Freedom of Speech originally an illustration from The Saturday Evening Post February 20, 1943. In 2004 this series was part of an exhibition called Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms: Paintings That Inspired a Nation and was displayed at The Corcoran Museum in Washington DC.

This painting is titled Freedom from Want and was originally a story illustration from The Saturday Evening Post March 16, 1943.

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from http://www.corcoran.org/

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During the height of World War II, Norman Rockwell painted four of the most powerful and enduring images in American history. Like many artists and writers, he supported the war effort by creating work inspired by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s January 1941 State of the Union address outlining his four basic human liberties: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. Unlike his peers, however, Rockwell did not receive a government commission to interpret Roosevelt’s words. Instead, the Saturday Evening Post paid the Vermont artist to create the paintings for reproduction in that enormously popular weekly magazine. The four commanding images achieved the instant and widespread recognition government officials could only hope for: in four weeks during the spring of 1943 they reached millions of American living rooms through the pages of the Post.

Freedom to Worship originally a story illustration from The Saturday Evening Post February 27, 1943.

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For today's Art Sunday I say we honor our freedoms and the persons who lost their lives so that we may have them.

*****

"Freedom is a possession of inestimable value. " ~~ Cicero

To be Anti-social

Today I had such a pang of longing for the old Yahoo 360. Of course that didn't last as I tried to check my Yahoo mail and found the system was down.

*sigh*

The things they mess up.

I do miss my online community though.

Anyway I might eventually have to cave and wander back to Multiply. This entire change came at the absolutely worst time for me -- I had just closed my page down to a very few people and BAM on multiply I had dozens of requests perday --- of people I didn't know and people I did know and people who had changed their names so I knew them but didn't think I did ... too much too fast. When I needed to circle the wagons I had chaos.

Thanks - 's all the same I had chaos at home. I didn't want more.

I still don't. Not yet.

For now I think I'll embrace my anti-sociality ... until things calm down in my personal life for a while.

the picture above is of Essie - a cat we're fostering for a friend of mine. It was taken summer 2007