Wednesday 26 November 2014

Conversations

Sitting at dinner with Thomas. 

Me: So, what would you like for Christmas?
Thomas( furrowing his brow, rolling his eyes and sighing more dramatically than I ever could): Hmmm... I don't know.., actually I have everything...
Me: But surely there must be something you would like...
Thomas ( after much mumbling and more sighs): Well, maybe a new really good tennis racket...
Me: Ok, but I can't get that for you (acquiring a racket is like getting a violin bow... It has to feel right, have the correct weight, etc). You will have to get it for yourself
Thomas: hmmm
Me: isn't there anything you would just like, what you don't really need, something just for fun?
Thomas: what do you want for Christmas?
Me (lighting up like the proverbial Christmas tree): Well, remember that painting I showed you on my Pinterest page? The one I want to hang over the bed?
Thomas: (something intelligible)
Me (getting into the spirit of things): and remember that ring I told you about? The one that looks like a wedding band surrounded by diamonds? And I would truly like a little solitaire to hang on my gold chain...
(By this time, Thomas has gone  a frightening shade of grey. I notice and decide to calm down a bit)
Me: I do want a violin case which is a bit lighter and thinner..
(Relief floods over Thomas. The owner of the music shop and I had a fling long before I met Thomas and he promised me a substantial discount on a new violin case. Thomas knows all about this slight glitch in my past)
Me: and there is this wooden bread tin... You know they say bread keeps a lot fresher in it...
Me: well perhaps you can make a list of things that might make you happy..

A few days later, just before going to bed. I have just removed my face and stand in front of Thomas in my beloved, ancient, well worn nighty, full of holes in the strangest places...
Me: So what would you like for Christmas?
Thomas (places his hands on my shoulder and looks into my green eyes): World peace...

Now how am I supposed to do that? It's not as though I can order world peace from Amazon and put it in a box with a pretty ribbon around it.... But then... Maybe I can...;-)

Now the cat is much easier to please. She meowed to me that she wants a few pieces of raw organic chicken filet, followed by some cream and a tiny piece of butter :-)

Fortified by a nice cup of hot chocolate, I shall now go in search of world peace and a pretty box to wrap it in and some Christmas decorations for the house...'Tis the season to be merry after all ;-)

Saturday 15 November 2014

It still exists !!

We have been covered in fog for quite a while now. This past week was exceptionally hard, as it was spent in a cold, gloomy church, rehearsing and performing rather gloomy, but partly still beautiful music, namely the Brahms Requiem. The other "work" was a contemporary something, based on Korean death liturgy...not very cheerful....So, I opened the curtains in the morning, grey outside. Into a grey church, outside again, still grey and so on. Things did get slightly better after I discovered some hand warmers, a gift from my brother in law from the US. But life was still pretty grey.

This morning it was the same. I opened the curtains....grey. In addition I have an awful backache, but I am applying my trusted cure: I ignore it, then I ignore it some more, then I hope for the power of Tender Loving Care and a nice fire, and if that won't work, painkillers :-) So I settled for the fact that the sun is somewhere on holiday, and has forgotten all about this little town and me. I sighed most melodramatically and then, suddenly, the fog lifted and we were surrounded by a burst of colour. It was magical and very beautiful. I felt so joyful...I even had the urge to burst into song, but, sadly, the only bursting I can do right now is a low grumble, having lost my voice somewhere in the cold church. Of course Thomas is being very nice about it, saying the sounds I utter are "husky" ;-) 

Anyway, the spectacle is over by now, and it is all grey again. Still, the magical experience from earlier this morning will stay with me for a while. Such beauty....and I know now that the sun has not quite forgotten us over here.

Even the cat felt the magic and was very silly, jumping around and catching leaves...not at all becoming for a lady of her age ;-) Naturally she is now quite exhausted and resting on her sofa (yes, she has her own sofa upstairs in the bedroom).

Who knows...if we all concentrate very hard, we can make the sun come back for a few minutes....Will you help me?

Saturday 1 November 2014

Two musicians in the forest

It was a lovely day today, the first in a long time where the sun managed to make its way through the fog. That is why Thomas and I felt inspired to go to the forest. My ulterior motive was to gather pine cones for decorations. Note to self: when searching for pine cones, go to a forest which actually has pine trees....it makes things a lot easier ;-) So, no pine cones. In fact, we were completely alone. No joggers or dog walkers, or other humans. It was very quiet,except for an occasional bird, probably telling its fellow birds about these two weird humans, one in proper walking shoes (that was obviously not me) and the other one in ballerinas and a long dress ( that was obviously not Thomas). Other than pine cones, I did hope to see some animals, maybe a squirrel or a deer, but they were apparently not there today. However, what we did see was a sign, asking us to protect the forest ants. Now I don't know what makes forest ants different to other ants, but according to the sign, they are extremely useful. Having a rather active imagination, I inmediately saw Thomas and myself dressed up as warriors, complete with flaming swords (yes I know that Halloween was yesterday), standing in front of an ant and fiercely protecting it against whatever.... I'm sure Wagner could have composed a five hour opera given this scenario ;-)

Oh well, in spite of the absence of bears, wolves, deer and squirrels, it was a very lovely walk. The sun filtered through the leaves, and everything was bathed in a soft orange light. The crunching sound of the leaves which we walked over, the hammering of the woodpeckers on the trees, and not a car to be heard.....And the forest smells...a bit mushroomy and fresh and clean....yes, it was very nice.

And the cat is presently telling me to get away from my iPad and into the kitchen to cook her some chicken. As always, she reminds me of the REALLY important things in life: food and cuddles.