Month: March 2018

I just returned from enjoying a 4-day retreat with 18 wonderful women friends at a cabin in Washington. Our focus was on “Navigating Transitions and Impermanence” in our lives. I got some great insight into what I want the next phase of my life to be about. I spent the first 25 years of my life doing music in many different ways. The next 15 years were spent in nursing. After that I threw all my energy into establishing and building a community library in our town. Now, 15 years later, that project is completed. So, it’s time once again to begin a new path of learning and discovery. I can’t be sure yet exactly what form it will take, but I know it will involve animals. Perhaps I will begin with dog therapy. I’m already signed up for classes and excited about this next adventure.

To help guide me on this new path, I created this screensaver for my computer to help remind me each day of where I want to put my energy and what the values are that I will bring to the practice.

I had the great pleasure of attending the Oregon Symphony’s performance of Verdi’s Requiem. I love this work! I remember vividly performing it with the San Francisco Symphony in 1973 with Seiji Ozawa conducting and Martina Arroyo, Maureen Forrester, Placido Domingo, and Martti Talvela as soloists. This performance had a wonderful large chorus, great soloists, and of course, a fabulous orchestra conducted by Carlos Kalmar. It sent chills run down my spine and it brought tears to my eyes. It was so moving! Here’s a short selection (Dies Irae) from the work you can listen to.

I just finished writing bios for both my grandsons. It was fun to remember all the great times we’ve had with both boys and review all the photos taken with them. Both Ryan and Tyler are now in college. Ryan is about to graduate from West Point, and Tyler is a freshman at Southern Oregon University. You can read all about them by clicking on their photos.