Destiny, belief in a supernatural guiding power, divine decrees -- all these concepts are foreign to me. [An insert here: might they be increasingly foreign to others as well? A couple of days ago, Snowdrop said that kids in her class were tasked with writing an essay about themselves. The teacher suggested mention of religious preferences. Snowdrop said several kids asked "how do you spell atheist?"] I just don't subscribe to them (though I certainly respect others who think differently here. After all, half of my family attends church services on a regular basis). I'll stick with concepts such as nature, science, love, community and a whole bunch of unknowns that we have yet to discover.
However...
I do think it's eerily interesting that I woke up at 5:23 this morning. I've been sleeping very well in the past couple of weeks, catching up on much needed rest every night. And here I am, awake with the knowledge that I could be (should be?) doing something right now.
Yes! The Chopin Competition! Tianyao Lyu had been scheduled to perform at 12:25 Polish time (5:25 CST). I bring my computer to bed and turn on live streaming.
I should have checked on that time, because I see that actually she began playing at noon. Five my time. Not sure if I got the schedule wrong or if they moved things up. In any case, I heard her live, for at least two of the pieces, and I caught up with the rest over breakfast.
It felt like destiny.
Lyu very much reminds me of Olivia Hussey, who played Juliet in the 1968 movie Romeo and Juliet. Olivia was British-Argentinian and Tianyao is Chinese, but there is a physical similarity. And they are both 16 when put on the world stage. And their emotional depth is intense. I was mesmerized by Olivia. I was just 15 when I saw her on the big screen and it utterly transfixed me. I went to see the movie a dozen times in one month (in Warsaw -- I was living in Poland then). I can't say that Lyu's playing has that effect on me -- at 72 you dont get transfixed by much anymore -- nonetheless the girl (young woman?) really has had an impact on me. I can't help but wonder what goes through her head and soul when she plays Chopin. When she plays anything at all.
The day is wet. Rain at last. May it keep coming down all day long. (It doesn't, but in the morning, I have hope.)
I have two events scheduled for this day (which is a lot for me!). One is life changing, the other -- not so much.
Let's start with the not-so-much one: the Edge apartment complex strives to create a community among its residents. Every week or two they organize events where people can meet and spend some time together. I admire this effort quite a lot. Community is something I do believe in and I notice an unusual amount of respect and courtesy among the residents here, which, I think, is not unrelated. People hold doors for each other, they greet and pet each others' dogs. It's just a very polite place! Today they have a "pumpkin and dessert" event, where you can sign up to decorate (with paints I believe) pumpkins -- they supply them! -- and eat desserts -- you supply those. I dont have any pumpkin decorating skills so I signed up for bringing a dessert. I thought I'd bake, but I changed my mind at the last minute. I noticed on the sign-up sheet that many were bringing cookies. No one wants yet another cookie if there are several dozen to choose from already. So I drive over to Bloom Bakery to see what they have there that would be more unusual. A lazy person's approach to be sure!
I pick a combination of salted caramel brownies and yes, cookies -- their rich cherry chocolate chip oatmeal ones, and a maple apple danish, cut up into small pieces.
And then I am back, because I have an appointment for my second event: I am, for the first time in my entire life, about to hire a cleaning service. Just once a month. Honestly, my apartment is immaculate right now. I have fussed exceptionally hard to keep it that way. But I am terrified of a slide, because at the farmhouse there was indeed a slide. It was tough to vacuum under the bed, around the cords, so I did less and less of that. It was tedious to dust off the baseboards, so I didn't bother. After a while, it showed. In the apartment, I dont want to climb up and dust off the cabinet tops. And washing the floors? How often should that be done? Not often enough at the farmhouse. Again, I'm so traumatized by the slow deterioration of the farmette lands and spaces that I want to put up some guardrails going forward. I will spend the money to have a person come in once a month for an hour and clean all the places I'm sure to neglect. Even if s/he is starting with a very clean apartment!
I'm excited. I had to ask around -- who do you hire? How do you tip? Do you clean before they come so you present as a neat and tidy person?
My team comes... as a team. A crew of four! Oh my. By the time they enter the apartment it is crowded in that wee space. I go downstairs to the lobby to sit out the hour.
After they finish, the place looks really clean! Even cleaner than it was before they showed up! Oh, I know how that goes -- you may have thought you did well by your spaces, until someone comes and does it significantly better.
I am hooked.
The pumpkin and desserts event is well attended. I pop in for all of ten minutes. That's how social I'm feeling today!
There is one encounter, however, that is quite interesting. I meet a woman and her dog, Oscar. He, too, is a rescue pup. Well, at 11, not really a pup anymore.
(super good with people)
The owner took it upon herself to train him as a certified support dog. He's a regular at our local hospital, as much for the stressed-out staff as for the patients.
I've heard how difficult it is to train a dog for this. It took her four years of intense work, both in obedience and in working with people. At this point, he's one of those dogs where you can place a steak in his doggie dish and he wont touch until you give him permission. Of course, he has the temperament for it, but only partly so. There's a border collie mix in him and you know the intensity of those dogs!
I'm getting too old to take on a dog (aren't I?), but I always thought if I lived without Ed I'd consider it. Because it is a project, and at all other dog-owning times, it was a drain to work with the animal, but now, maybe it wouldn't be such a drain. A dog, instead of frequent travel. But then, am I really living without Ed? Or is this temporary? And if it's temporary, how will our not-temporary time look a year from now?
Or maybe it's my destiny to rescue a dog and to go with him or her to hospitals and soothe frazzled nerves.
Choices. When you are approaching the most senior of senior years, you have, more than ever before, choices.
with love...
