(Too Much) To Do:
The high season of festivals and “stuff” is upon us. Headlines this weekend include the Wine Festival at Sotterley featuring Maryland wines, local food and crafts. Although Sotterley Plantation took a big hit from Irene, the fields where the fest will be was pretty much unscathed so it should be a great weekend. With all the damage to the property, supporting this event will provide much needed funds, and you get to drink wine and eat good stuff too!
The other big event is the annual Blessing of the Fleet focused around St. Clements Island (where the colonists first made landfall), and Colton’s Point. Two days of music, tours of the Island, and a lot of family activities. I see there is a stuffed ham demo tomorrow at 1:30.
Smatterings of other stuff to do would include an Open house at Point Lookout, Summerseat is also having an open house. The Lore Oyster house on the Solomons will be holding classes on Oyster shucking, and feature “the giant fabric oyster “Rock. E. Feller”.
The weather is supposed to be autumn like, clear skies, no storms with names heading our way, so I don’t know what to say. Pick something and get out and enjoy our Southern Maryland, where there is nothing to do..
Did:
Every time I go to a Brian Ganz piano event, I swear I won’t mention it in the blog. Goodness knows, I have recounted enough of them in an attempt to get you interested. Well, I went, and I fail. Last night I attended the first evening edition of one of his Piano Talks. Brian has a way of explaining the music, and teaches you to hear things you (especially me) might not catch. He spoke about his first piece, Chopin’s Mazurka in B flat minor, Op. 24, No. 4 (how these things get named might be a subject of a future talk!) for a good 20 minutes. He talked about cadences, which in plain engineering talk is how pieces end. A familiar one is the “Amen” at the end of a hymn. He showed us the 4 -1, the 5 – 1, the 6 - 1, the 2 - 1, and his favorite: the 3 – 1. He also talked about modes (scales), intervals, and played examples of each. The then explained how Chopin used all of them in the piece, and said there would be a surprise at the end. He then played the piece which was beautiful (I thought a Mazurka would be crashy, after all it’s a dance), and at the end, sure enough, it ended on a single note (which in my rudimentary knowledge I would call a “seventh”). It just hung there… and then stopped. Chopin did not give “resolution”. Brain said a sign of his genius.
He then went on to play a couple of Franz Liszt pieces (this year is his 200th birthday – Franz, not Brian). The second was an Etude after Paganini (no. 3, “la Campanella”). It was an astonishing piece, seemingly having more notes going on than ten fingers could produce. We were all exhausted when he finished.
Anyway, there I go again, but having this kind of talent available to us is a gift, and we should take every chance to experience it. Next opportunity is a week from today (the 7th) at noon. Chopin appears to be the subject.
Just a nice thing:
Yesterday, I was home and decided to take my lunch on the patio, with the gray lagoon now slumbering for the winter. So I prepared my (lately) standard (half) sandwich. Starting with single slice ofPepperidge Farm Original White bread cut in half, I put some Dijon (Gray Poupon) on one half, and butter on the other. Then I prepared three slices of (Boar’s Head) Pastrami (more lean than others for some reason), some (Boar’s Head) Imported Swiss, and assembled the sandwich: slice of pastrami, slice of cheese; pastrami, cheese; pastrami, cheese. And put the other half slice bread on top. Rounded out the plate with some Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips, and voila! Lunch. I selected a Heavy Seas Classic Lager, and headed out on the pool deck/patio. There was a lovely breeze that held down the insects, and brought out the sailors. It was a lovely clear day with gorgeous clouds
And the sailboats were enjoying the breeze as well
So I just sat and enjoyed an hour (and a second beer) or so of watching the world go by. These are the good times to be on the water. Even the view of the bridge was nice.
Funny, as I approach my 70th birthday, having these quiet moments for reflection and just enjoying simple things somehow are more meaningful. Do it.
Didn’t matter how I was
DFL(unch)
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