Creating, collecting, and sharing thoughts and ideas. And learning along the way.
Plays, concerts, shows, and other events that I’ve been to in the flesh. Or have had an out-of-body experience about. Also, other items and events that inspire me, and are no less than a “show,” be it in my mind’s eye or in my backyard.
Just before we take the turn into the parking lot!
Was privileged to attend this fantastic play tonight– with my sweet family in tow! What better way to spend a Saturday evening than to take in some live entertainment? Television or even the movies is so passe compared to this!
This is the front of the shoebox. Love the shoes I got, btw!
This morning, I caught the strains of Jethro Tull’s famous Thick As A Brick on the radio– it was only an intrumental interlude to a show that was fading out, and it reminded me of the concert that I had attended last fall. Right here in town, I had the pleasure and privilege of watching Mr. Ian Anderson, aka, Jethro Tull render a mind-bending performance on his famous flute. He unfortunately didn’t do Thick As A Brick, which is a rather long song, plus it happens to be very old material. Still, it will remain a favorite Tull number for me. Here’s a YouTube video of a live performance of the same. Plus some memorabilia of the concert from last October 2010. Enjoy!
That’s right, this is more than just a post about my humble front porch. Which it certainly is, no doubt, i.e., it is a post highlighting the beauty of my front porch which is the portal to my house, nay, my home. It is the place where friends and family enter to gather into an inner sanctum.
But it is also more than that: this is a post designed to focus attention to the many small things that make up who we are, and serve to define our personalities, nay, our very beings. Also, it is to draw focus to the very temporal nature of our existence. A temporal existence that is cyclical in many ways. And a cycle of the planteary seasons is one of the most common factors that defines and even determines the quality of our existence. Winter, spring, summer, and fall are the four main seasons that grace my little spot on the planet, and in each of these seasons, there are certain things within my immediate environment that I may control. Things, many of which are material objects that I choose to place, replace, be rid of, or wish to surround myself with.
For in the comfort of our material possessions, and in how we choose to acquire them, display them, store them for short periods of time, and then bring them out yet again for utilitarian and artistic pleasures, we are affirming these truths: that the passage of time may be measured in the many ways and in the many times we choose to arrange or rearrange our immediate environment; that we are only in control of this superficial aspect of our immediate environment, knowing full well that there are a thousand other invisible factors that determine the invisible environment of our minds; and that there is a distinct pleasure to be had in the creation and maintenance of this physical environment.
See for yourself what I mean by this: this is a view of my front porch. I celebrated the beauty of my front door the other day by changing the decor on it, i.e., the wreath that adorns it, and today, I am here to continue in the same vein to highlight how I have altered other small things on my front porch that bring me great pleasure in acknowledging the onset of the summer season, and in receiving great joy and comfort in performing these cyclical tasks year after year. There is something permanent even in the temporal nature of this activity: the assurance that come next summer, I shall be able to do this all over again, and that this summer I am doing even better what I did last summer!
So, what are these tasks? Well, in this eleventh year of having bought and lived in this house, I do these tasks every year:
So, there you have it! Seasonal decor is so much more than what it might appear to be. It is the essence of life itself! And this is one show that I hope will go on for a long time!
I’ve got my bed ready–time to put these babies into the ground! I have to say I’m sorry I forgot to take a picture of the hot banana pepper plants that I bought as well!
Each Spring there is an event that takes place usually on the third Saturday in the month of May that serves as a fundraiser and a schoolwide community event that showcases and celebrates the great music program of the Ann Arbor Public Schools.
What that means is that if your child plays in the Varsity, Concert or Symphony Bands, you are in for a grand treat! Because, on the grounds of one of the high schools, there is a huge tent under which the players gather, one band at a time to render a most awesome performance of many a popular tune or even a traditional marching band tune. This is in sharp contrast to the most serious classical pieces that they otherwise play during the rest of the school year.
Here’s a sampling for this years’ Picnic Pops. Needless to say, I am one of many a proud parent who had not one, but two children playing in these bands– one playing an Alto Saxophone, the other a Flute.
You gotta play the hand you’re dealt! (and that Queen of Hearts is still always your best bet!)
