Checking in, saying hi!

Good morning, all!

I know I have been remiss in posting. It's been a couple weeks since I wrote a lectionary post or a piece for Writers Island (where, by the way, this week's writing prompt is another rich one). But I've been busy. Between my daughter's hurt foot at the beginning of the month, a trip to northern Virginia for work, music lessons, choir rehearsals, doctor appointments, physical therapy, and somewhere in there actually working at my job - well, I've been busy. And this week is especially nice because my best friend in the world is visiting from Canada.

He flew in last Thursday, and we spent the weekend visiting Monticello, driving Skyline Drive, and worshipping at the National Cathedral on his birthday. Between us, we took over 600 photos, and we're still sifting through them. It was a gorgeous weekend, and the Blue Ridge Mountains were lovely - peak leaf season this autumn! Last night we met my parents for dinner at one of my favorite bbq restaurants, and this morning we had birthday cake for breakfast. 'Cause when you're a grownup, you can have whatever you want for breakfast! Remember how when you were a kid, you just knew that your parents were waiting for you to leave for school so that they could break out the cookies and brownies and cakes and ice cream? Well, they were. :-)

Yesterday afternoon, my kids were giving my friend a hard time because he is very polite, which you may have heard is stereotypically Canadian. I told them no, he was only being nice to them out of respect for me, and he let out a snort at this that had the kids just about rolling on the floor with laughter. It was well done.

Today we - blissfully! - have no plans, but on Wednesday, after my voice lesson, we're going to a concert by the Virginia Symphony. And Thursday night is choir rehearsal, which is mandatory, of course, because my friend is the organist and choir director at his parish in Ontario.

I'm taking Friday off from work, and we haven't decided yet what we plan to do. We've considered bicycling in the Dismal Swamp along the boardwalk to Lake Drummond, and have also thought about taking the ferry to Jamestown and seeing the first permanent English colony in North America during it's 400th anniversary year. (As you might be able to tell, Virginians are rather proud of this, this year.) Of course, there's always the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, the Norfolk Botanical Garden, or my favorite local museum, the Virginia Living Museum. And then on Saturday, he flies back home, to where it's cold instead of pleasant and even is supposed to snow in the next couple weeks. Of course, we could desperately use some moisture here in Virginia, but I'm nowhere near ready for snow yet.

Let's see... what else... I've just finished writing a prelude for organ and flute based on How Can I Keep from Singing - but I haven't gotten to really hear it yet, just on the computer. I'm looking forward to it; if it meets the approval of the organist at church, we'll play it for the ecumenical Thanksgiving Eve service. I'm also learning a Vivaldi piece for the prelude on November 4th (All Saints Sunday), and lots and lots of good music in choir for All Saints, Christ the King, and of course, Advent and Christmas.

So yes: much busyness, much fun, much beauty. Thanks be to God!