NOI, Day 5

Today consisted of the usual three hour octet rehearsal and a two hour chamber orchestra rehearsal, but not much else, so I took advantage of the free evening to go visit my friend Story and her family in Fairfax. She made a delicious dinner of couscous and grilled vegetable kebobs, with a big bowl of cherries in the middle of the table, too. Something about cherries always means summer to me.

Story's pregnant with her third child, and after dinner as we sat on the couch talking, she had me put a hand on her belly - and I felt that baby kick! It was pretty amazing. I guess the last time I felt a baby kick was probably when my Mom was pregnant with my youngest brother, which was 21 years ago.

I drove home late in the evening, with my moon roof open, and felt that life was altogether good.

{I enjoy driving at night; it always seems like such a good time for thinking.}

My octet continues to be dysfunctional, but worth it because the Mendelssohn Octet is such a wonderful piece of music.

And Brooke and I continue to make fun of yesterday's "dance class" activity of walking across the room and setting down our instruments at some point along the way. The best part, which I failed to mention yesterday, was the way the instructors responded: the woman leading the activities practically gasped, "That was beautiful!" Then she turned to her assistant: "Wasn't it beautiful?" And he intoned seriously, "BEAUTIFUL."

I relayed impressions of this to Story and her family over dinner earlier tonight, and soon we were all (even her kids) using the word "beautiful" (expressed in awestruck tones) to describe every lift of the arm or turn of the wrist. Little Gwendolyn even began exclaiming over how beautiful each cherry she ate was.

I actually think Gwendolyn knows what's up - cherries are far more beautiful than walking and setting down instrument cases.

Or maybe I'm just unenlightened.