Monday, August 1, 2011

Blessings abound

Great news to share this Monday morning, thanks to the gifted and energetic young people in my life. The silent auction finished up around noon on Saturday, bringing in a whopping total of $700. The top bids were $100 each for Jane Tedrow's colorful batik quilt and $100 for a night's stay and gourmet breakfast at the Inn at Round Pond. Thanks continue to go out...to Skidompha Library and its giving staff for hosting the auction, to Megan for her leadership, and to all the willing donors and bidders.


Last night during the concert intermission, Kathy Malatesta surprised me with a very special and meaningful gift...a quilted wall hanging of the Paddle for Hope logo, which I plan to display with some of my favorite photographs from this summer.  I don't know when I have gotten so excited over a surprise...surely a gift that I will treasure for many years.



Last evening's concert was fabulous, featuring a broad mix of classical and original compositions, on the organ, piano, and marimba, as well as much entertainment from Timm Gormley and Mitch Boucher in introducing their selections.  It turns out that Mitch is the son of friend Deb Boucher, who has worked with the Sunday School at the Edgecomb Church...a fun connection.  My concert favorites were both composed by our musicians: Spring Meditation by Timm and Ocean Prelude by Mitch.  As I sat listening, my mind filled with memories from the trip...fog rising in the early morning, the deep green vividness of the firs against a pure blue sky, a snowshoe hare reaching up to nibble some leaves, totally relaxed in our presence.  An evening of joy and especially so when we added up the donations and realized that we were 559 dollars closer to our goal. Bill Bausch has shared some photos, as my camera has still not recovered from its swim in Chase Rapids on the Allagash.

Honored to be with two very generous friends, Timm Gormley on the left and Mitch Boucher on the right.  This concert was their idea, a surprise for me when I arrived home, and yet another example of trail magic, as Appalachian Trail hikers have named all of the unsolicited help that kindly people provide along the trail.

Timm in action on the marimba, which we learned has been played for thousands of years, often for background music in religious settings.  Among other offerings, Timm played a violin sonata for us on this instrument that shares the same overtones as the violin, viola, and cello. 
 
 

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