Catching Up

After returning home from one of his heftier performances Keoni shed all formalities and sat down at my piano to relax.

I enjoyed the train ride into the city to attend a "heftier" performance at Kimmel Center...

...where Keoni had his first time onstage as PYO Concert Master. The orchestra's whole performance was especially good and included the magnificent, ground-shaking organ for two of the pieces...

...note the trumpeting between organ and orchestra.

Three days before, Keoni's high school orchestra had its performance and Keoni had special roles there, as well as their Concert Master.

The local area schools have proven to be a wonderful school district, contrary to what has happened in Philly over the last four years. I have read the pro stories for Philly school funding slashes, and the opposing stories that reveal the very political nature of it all. Please Harrisburg, get it together and put the Philly schools back on a decent funding track. The kids need it. You need it. We all need it.

On the home front, we are sated after a traditional Thanksgiving dinner that keeps on giving. Alessia from Tucson, now an NYU student, is visiting. Yesterday, she and Keoni went to Center City with Nathan who is home between semesters at U Penn. Youth has stamina that is distant in my memory.

This morning, very, very early Aidan and his dad headed out to somewhere near Delaware where the last two (maybe three if they win first two) soccer games are (brrrr--17 degrees at dawn) being held. Oh, oh. I just heard from Wendy, they lost their first game and are starting the second.

About the same early morning time as Aidan and John, I left with Keoni headed for the train station so he can get back into Philly for orchestra and other music happenings today. Alessia will follow, shortly.

You've no doubt noticed this timeline is very scrambled. Don't worry about figuring it out; I can't either. Talking with Wendy this morning for a minute, she disclosed she doesn't know the day's agenda either, so it isn't all my own disorganization, nor entirely aging memory. Life spins along. We smile.

The day before Thanksgiving. Soggy, wet snow stopped by late afternoon.

One of Wendy's three pies hot out of the oven.

She takes a break to consult with Keoni on one of the college apps. He finished the last one by week's end.
I think there were six he's been filling out. 

Keoni set the table. Alessia's family sent the flowers.

The three youth and I went for a walk on Thanksgiving morning.

Alessia and Keoni.

And with brother.

Grandson and Grandma.

John worked on Wendy's barn honey-do list. Replacing some broken steps was paramount.  John brought this old one in the house. The dowel speaks to a begone age. No doubt it is original.

This was Monday morning...THIS WEEK!

I miss my fur ball in the early mornings when temperature keeps me indoors. He takes advantage of the barn for the cold times. Though his fur is thick and dense, I think about how he's faring. John says he observed him Thanksgiving afternoon flaked out asleep in the middle barn stall, so he must be fine. He and Jasper have a tentative, cautious truce; now with minimal hiss and spit. They will never see the love, I'm sure, but hey, life spins along. We smile.