More thoughts in the time of COVID-19 …
Mornings have been consistently clear and bright for several days until yesterday when we had just enough showers to wash away the dust.
The sun is rising due east. Checking the place of the sunrise has become a habit. Have I told you that George and I checked the sunrise and sunset on the day of the Winter Solstice in order to site the house so it got the most time facing the sun on the shortest day of the year?
Yes?
Well, I just did it again.
~~~
Since before I can remember, I have known about the Princess Elizabeth. We are of an age. When I think about it, I can remember pictures of her as we were growing up. She met Prince Philip when she was 13. I met George when I was 15. Shorty after she married, I married. Our children are close in age.
While our lives were not the same, they were parallel.
So I was saddened when her partner died. I know that loss.
I will not write condolences since at times like this words are never really adequate … and she would never see any correspondence from me anyhow. But she has joined all grieving widows in my thoughts.
~~~
I told you last week about Paul’s new habit of playing with endings to “See you later” such as a week from tuesday, or when I graduate college, or some other silly time designation.
You also know I try to end each blog with a “profound” thought and last week it had to do with the circular property of time. Well … a cousin took me to task. He said I missed a chance for a good pun. He thinks I should have ended with “So … see you around.”
He also suggested something along the line of “ I’ll see you the next time a month has five sundays.” Any guesses about how often that occurs? I checked and there are three more this year.
~~~
I have long been interested in the King Arthur legends, as I suppose many of us are because of books and movies. My interest was abetted by contacts with Geoffrey Ashe who is a recognized expert on the Arthur of southwestern England, i.e. the tales centered on Tintagel, Cadbury Hill, and Glastonbury. It was exciting to visit those places, and Ashe’s thoughts and beliefs certainly are compelling.
However, I have recently come across an alternative Arthur … first through a novel about the forgotten Queen and her twin who became Merlin. I told you about that when I was reading the Lost Queen by Signe Pike.
Pike cited research by two authors … Adam Ardrey and Nicholai Tolstoy. Their research points to an Arthur whose origins were in the border area between the Britons and the Anglos, in what is now southern Scotland, where one of the clan chiefs was known as “Pendragon” (but his name was actually not Uther). Wow …
I have just started reading Finding Arthur by Ardrey. Sometime in the next month or two I’ll tackle both Ardrey’s Finding Merlin and the Coming of the King by Tolstoy. I have no idea where my understanding of Arthur will wind up, or if it even matters. I am however looking forward to exploring the alternant theory concerning the reality (or not) of King Arthur.
Maybe I ought to be taking notes since there may be a quiz later.
~~~
Mark’s call to Jury duty took up a full two days for selection, but he wasn’t seated. His experience was a lot different than mine have ever been over the several times I’ve been called, mainly due to COVID. At least he won’t be tied down in court for several days.
~~~
Anyone ever heard of Sour Orange Pie? I recently saw a recipe which said it was the sweet/sour predecessor to Key Lime. Since the recipe calls for a special type of orange (Seville – which is said to be extra sour and to have come to the Americas with the Spanish explorers), and since those oranges are probably not available most places, the recipe mixes orange and lemon juice in a sweet (animal cookies) crust.
The recipe picture shows it with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream. I wonder how it would taste as a meringue?
It sounds like a treat, so I think I’ll give it a try as soon as things settle and I have the chance.
~~~
Last monday I watched Strauss’ Rosenkavalier presented by the Bavarian State Opera with a mezzo I’ve been following ever since I saw her in a Met production of Carmen before the pandemic cut off the HD performances.
Wow … those Germans really know how to do sensuous and they had a lot of fun with this story as well. In the scene where the young lover of the Marschallin is sent to deliver the familial token silver rose to the expected bride of his cousin, the room walls are created by huge paintings of amorous nudes (some s&m) and when the horse drawn Coach carrying Octavio arrives and its door opens it becomes a circus clown car with at least a dozen footmen exiting before Octavio.
It is an interesting opera because the three love leads are all sung by females … two sopranos and a mezzo. The story goes that Strauss wrote a beautiful trio (which he requested be performed at his funeral) for female voice ranges, so one of them had to be sung by a woman acting the part of a man who during the opera pretends to be a woman before going back to being the male lover of both women. Mezzos are often assigned “pants” roles since their voices are lower than sopranos. And that makes me wonder if opera has any alto voices. I’ll have to look for that information.
Are you confused yet?
The Fleming/Garanca version at the Met (which was Fleming’s farewell to the MET just before the pandemic) was very good. I’m a fan of both those Divas, but I have to admit the Bavarian version was more fun.
And so this session of Music 101: Introduction to Opera staging and its impact ends.
~~~
As I sit here typing, and looking out the window, the air is filled with flying bud covers off the birches. They are small and catch the morning sun as they sail with the breeze. It is sort of like the beginning of a light snow.
Enchanting …
~~~
And as a final note …
The pussy willows are budded out with their soft, grey puff balls.
The dogwoods are blossoming. The drive down the canyon to Redding can be especially beautiful this time of year with dogwoods and redbuds in bloom.
Soon the firs will begin displaying their bright, light green tip growth. That is one gift for my birthday every year.
As a result, my final word this week is …
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. And may you always await and appreciate Spring.
So ‘til next week …