A Reveler among us

For as long as I can remember, my family and our friends the Keefes have attended The Christmas Revels every year at the holidays. Each year, the revue of traditional Christmas music features music from a different culture or era. It was telling when I took Jerry for the first time four years ago and he at least seemed to enjoy it.

On Dec. 23, 2005, we sat down to dinner before the show, as we always do. This time, we were treated to a remarkable dinner at the Eastern Standard with buttery scallops, carefully selected wines and othe delicacies. Early in the meal, Frank gets to the point. "So when are you guys getting married?" I shrug and smile. Jerry laughs. Jennifer gives Frank a stern look and a reprimand. Little did they know what would happen later that night.

The theme of the show was French. I enjoyed it Jerry said it took a million years. Just after midnight (early Christmas Eve), we arrived back at Jerry's place. He came into the bedroom with a basket full of clean laundry.

A few months before, Jerry bought me a gift, a two-inch square jewlery box with a fancy enamel and crystal bee on the lid. (He calls me Bee.) I kept it on his bureau for keeping my jewelry in when I came to visit on the weekends. I would periodically peek into it and look at him expectantly. Hint hint.

Well Christmas Eve, 2005, to my surprise, I peeked into the box out of habit and it as NOT empty. He pulls a chilled wine out of the laundry basket with two glasses. Two years ago, I brought him a bottle of wine back from France that he was saving for something special.

I sheepishly covered the box. "Was I supposed to see that?" He sat down on the bed with me and proposed earnestly.

The point is, my lifelong appreciation of The Christmas Revels is now enhanced with the perfect romantic memory. It is a meaningful thing for us to go to The Revels every year. It's something my Mom always enjoyed. It's a reminder from our parents to always be curious about various cultures and their histories and music. It's our annual visit with our long time friends.

But this year, it takes on a whole new meaning. The theme this year is Balkan. If you've read this blog, you know that I know a guy who plays Balkan music. Well he auditioned, and he was chosen to be in the cast! The rehearsal sechedule is intense. Then, 18 shows at the holidays. Quite a committment. But if they want the real thing, they've come to the right place. Tickets go on sale Oct. 20.

Word Girl from the planet Lexicon

Have you seen Word Girl? This show is fabulous. My brother Will is a producer and writer. Coincidence? I think not. So far we've met Chuck the Evil Sandwich Making Guy, Dr. Two-Brains, The Butcher, and the Toby the evil techno prodigy. I am looking forward to meeting the villain "Lady Redundant Woman." I love how Word Girl can save the day with the power of vocabulary, but isn't condescending, and also sometimes says "whatever." I even like the monkey.

Gretchen Duram Lipchitz 1938-1996

We lost mummy 11 years ago today. This weekend we visited the cemetery, me and Jerry and Dad and Martha and Mike. The grass was well kept but dry from drought. A red tailed hawk alighted from under our noses to antother tree. Unlike the raw, rainy, and nothing short of miserable day 11 years ago, it was sunny and breezy. The change in weather seemed to suggest that we have made some progress, true or not.

"You never get over your mother," Martha said. It's true, but struck me especially at that moment as she stood with me. Her mother and my mother are buried in the same place. In a strange way, it was nice to all be there together.

First Anniversary

25 Aug
We drove down to the Cape, into Eastham where we stayed on our honeymoon. Had no idea where we would stay this time, if at all. Perhaps we would just spend the day. But the weather was spectacularly perfect, and we found a convenient campsite near the bike path. The idea of sleeping on an air mattress to celebrate our anniversary was disappointing at first, I must admit, and even the nondescript motel up the street was looking pretty good. But it wasn't $36 a night. And the weather was good and there was plumbing so, OK.
We set up camp and went out Coast Guard Beach. The weather turned grey and cool, and the waves were a bit threatening but not enough to stop me. After wading out to our waists and enduring several hits, I was ready to dive in. Jerry with his impeccable timing just had to throw in a "So, did they catch that shark?" which, as irrational as it was, drove me right back out onto the shore. We sat in our chairs in the wind and wached for the black shiny heads of sea lions bobbing in the distance.
Then we cleaned up and headed to Orleans to have a nice dinner at Mahoney's, the restaurant where we went on one of our early dates. The dinner was quite worthy of a celebration. I had swordfish provencal and he had cajun salmon, which was not ordinary in any way, and a perfect cut. Nice wine and shared blueberry bread pudding with white chocolate sauced topped it of. The bloody mary weren't bad either.
We got back to camp and promptly lit a fire since it was lights and fires out at 11 p.m. Jerry got the fire going good and sat on a log with a guitar and handed me my melodica and we played a few old favorites like Limehouse Blues before we were told to put the fire out. It was a short but starry night that turned out to be much more enjoyable than channel surfing on motel cable.

26 Aug
The next day we rented bikes and rode the bike path to Cahoon Hollow and White Crest beaches. The waves were too much to swim in on the short beach. Twice I got knocked on my beehind. The bikeride was nice. The sunburn began to flare. We headed into Provincetown to visit our old haunts and watch the street musicians. The final meal of the trip was of course our favorite at The Pig, a pub with the best fish fry. I like the smoked lobster bisque. J was thrilled with New Castle on tap as well. People watching from the deck of the crepes place (service was slow, but a nutella and chestnut puree crepe was worth the wait.) Then we drove home in the dark.