Must have had same penmanship teacher

Christmas card envelopes for 2010.

Top version is from my mother.

Bottom version is from my godmother.

The 1930s penmanship instruction apparently has stayed with them; perhaps somehow augmented by genes or environment (notice how family members sometimes have similar handwriting?)

As always, click to enlarge.

Christmas 2010

There were lots of nice moments in Christmas 2010 . . .

1. PJ did lots of prep, including baking: cranberry bread, chocolate cake, etc.

2. Kerry and Luis arrive evening December 16 (Thursday). Among other fine activities: lots of euchre games. Luis (my partner) = quick learner, deliberate player, undaunted by simulated snores from the competition. We won more than our share.

3. Ray and Linda Christmas party on December 18 (Saturday) - food was better than ever, enjoyed the conversation, even did a bit of Christmas caroling. So that was nice. Fancy dinner at home Sunday evening following NFL red-zone and associated fun throughout the day.

4. Postino's lunch on December 20 (Monday). Including Kerry, Luis (host), PMG, PJ, CPG. Always nice to have a small pitcher at Monday lunch, even if it was Hoegaarden.

5. Nicole and POC arrive late evening December 21 (Tuesday).

6. Constant running around for several days by Nicole, POC, Kerry and PJ dealing with various wedding prep matters - I hear they made a lot of progress.

7. Bridal shower hosted by Linda on December 22 (Wednesday). I hear they all had a very fine time. Ray and I joined would-be bowlers (CPG, EPG, PJr, POC, Luis, Alex, Richard) during their $4 pitcher warm-up at Uncle Sam's; then the two of us had dinner (and Bosteel's Tripel Karmeleit) at Delux. Came back home to video game hell as the bowling idea had been thwarted by "league night." Then bridal shower folks showed up for a recap.

8. Dinner at Mary Beth's place on December 23 (Thursday) - nice per usual - pork roast, creme brulee (chocolate), card playing, fun. And Herman was there. PJ and I came home after, and the rest of the folks went down to Tempe.

9. Christmas Eve (Friday) - perfect weather. Had nice basketball games down at the park, followed by conversation in the house (with Steve Buck in attendance for awhile). Did a preliminary demo of iMemories family videos, played even more euchre, went to dinner at Rokerij.

10. Poor PJ had to work on Christmas Day. But this left the field open for others to cook - and they did so with great success. Including KHG with cheesecake (photo), POC and NMG with appetizers (including some POC-family specialties), CPG with most everything else (including a wondrous prime rib (sponsored by POC)). I spent lots of time trying to figure out my new coffee maker (photo). Had dinner after PJ gets back from work. Opened some nice beers (PJ gifts to me) before dinner (award winners were the Charles V and Bosteel). Started watching another round of the iMemories family videos (featuring extended interview with EPG prior to his first day of kindergarten). Then switched to photos (using the throw-box hooked to TV and associated with my laptop). PJ and EPG (the workers) eventually had to peel off. Photos continue for the rest of us, with extended running commentary from the usual non-stop talkers. Finished; 2:15a; we must have spent four-five hours looking at this stuff. I had absolutely no idea it was so late (but then again a two-hour nap aids endurance). Fun night/morning.

11. December 26 (Sunday) = travel day; by late afternoon we had lost all our visitors. PJ and I go to the Village Tavern for dinner. Tired; with many excellent memories. We need to do a better job with photos.

2010 holiday concert notes (ASU Choral Union) (December 3, 4 and 5, 2010)

A few more notes about the holiday concert we (ASU Choral Union) performed with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra . . .

1. It definitely was a pops concert. Lots of variety: traditional, solemn, and playful carols; a sing-along; soprano soloist; dancers; youth choir; a humorous duet performed by the conductor and the soprano soloist.

2. The conductor was very effective at communicating with the audience, keeping the pace moving along, etc. All of this resulted in a very engaged audience, which was nice.

3. Some local dance company had put together dance performance items for several of the songs. Including a Nativity scene during one of the Enigma variations, plus some basic leg kicks etc. during a more upbeat portion. This worked (some trepidation at the rehearsal).

4. It was nice to have the opportunity to do a program more than once. Needless to say, the performance can improve with repetition.

5. Performances were Friday evening; Saturday afternoon; Saturday evening; Sunday afternoon. This gave us the opportunity to explore some downtown places. Went to Majerle's after the Saturday afternoon performance (Winterhook = good); also had dinner at Pasta Bar before the evening performance. Went to Hanny's for dinner on Sunday - but since it didn't open until 5, we ended up filling the time by having a drink at some other place down the street. This all was quite fun.

6. We appreciated that Laurel and Virgil (visiting AZ from IA per their typical winter pattern) made the trip downtown for the Sunday afternoon concert. We had a nice chat outside Symphony Hall (per photo).

7. Though all of this is incredibly nice, in the end it's about the music. For me in recent years, it feels like the Christmas season doesn't launch until the holiday concert rehearsal with the orchestra. Then I'm ready to go.

Hill farm photos

I've been meaning to post a slideshow of some pictures taken on the hill farm (just west of St. Joe) during our (PJ and my) November visit to Iowa.



This was on the evening of November 8, 2010. Here's why I wanted to try some pictures:

1. EMG had done an impressive clean-up on the farm - none of the underbrush that typically cluttered up the area.

2. It was November - no weeds, no leaves on trees - rather stark.

3. It was an interesting sunset/late afternoon. Partly because the sun is setting pretty far toward the south this time of year.

4. The farm has a fine setting up on a hill overlooking the village of St. Joe, west fork of the Des Moines river, etc.

5. It is a setting filled with memories going back decades now.

Snapshot (ASU Choral Union, Christmas 2010)

I will post a bit more about this year's Christmas performance - which was a very fine experience - in the near future. Something new (for CPG and me, but not for Choral Union): we performed with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra. (As much as we like working with the ASU orchestra and look forward to doing it in the future - yes, there is a difference with professionals.) (Plus we hit four different downtown restaurants or bars in the space of 25 hours between, before or after (but never during) performances, so that also was fun.)

There were lots of great moments throughout. For tonight I'm wondering: how much of the particular snapshot described below can I retain in memory? (And for how long?)

The first half of the concert included the enduring "Alleluia" from Mozart's "Exultate, jubilate" (there are tons of versions on Youtube, here's a link to a Joan Sutherland version). Everybody knows the song, perhaps to the point of treating it (most incorrectly) as a cliche; the piece is included on a gazillion Christmas albums.

The setting:

• Far enough into the concert so that the audience is fully engaged, looking forward to next item
• Conductor briefly introduces the song and the soloist, turns to the symphony
• Applause as soloist enters
• Soprano soloist = young, talented, beautiful
• Lights are dimming
• The opening bars as played by PSO - so familiar, yet so very different when heard live via professional orchestra
  
• While the applause continues and then starts to fade as the audience settles in
  

Here I am well into my sixth decade; with enough (but, realistically, only just enough) musical ability to be in a choir like this; yet privileged at this moment to sit up on stage and in an instant, absorb the presence of the PSO, the conductor, the soloist, Mozart's 18th century work, a 21st century Christmas concert setting, recollections of Christmas concert performances with the NDGC 30+ years ago, recollections of Christmas caroling on the EJ Gales hill farm or with Clara Bormann's little troupe 40+ years ago, the presence of wife/son/friends/IA visitors in the audience, with one son to my immediate left, lights dimming, applause fading and . . . then the Mozart wondrous-ness just takes off . . .

Not entirely sure why that particular snapshot struck me - our chorus wasn't even involved in this particular piece. But wow.

Perhaps this kind of thing becomes old hat for persons who are in high-level performances all the time; I doubt it, but don't know. I'm certainly not worried that the thrill will ever wear out for me.