Firsts

Firsts in our lives are not always memorable, or we wish we didn't remember. Then, there are those that are keepers. Wednesday night, Keoni and the three other members of the quartet drawn from the PYO went to play carols at a Christmas party for women CEOs and/or owners of large chains, around 40 of them, at the Union League of Philadelphia. When the quartet was led through the establishment to the correct room for the party the woman directing them said it was the One Percent party. Keoni thought she was joking and then saw and snapped a picture of the day's agenda...

It went well and they were paid on the spot, then escorted out to the main dining room and told they could order anything they liked on the menu. Keoni who was dressed in his best pants, shirt, tie and vest didn't wear a suit jacket under his winter coat so he was provided one from their huge dinner jacket supply, the smallest of which he reports fit him like a bathrobe. He said it was interesting ordering from a menu with no prices on it. He ate French onion soup, roast duck and chocolate mousse. 

To his credit, he doesn't act a bit spoiled, and today is blissfully trying out a new violin that Mr. de Pasquale (it is his own, his daughter used, then a student) has given him on indefinite loan. Keoni's own marvelous violin is great in small settings, but can't be heard well enough with an orchestra backing him. I can hear the new violin's greater brilliance even from behind my bedroom's closed door.