My office today is the balcony, sans flowers and pots, I not only have a great view, but a very find lunch to boot: a ginger-turmeric kombucha, a turkey wrap sandwich, and a Jonagold apple that we picked ourselves a week or so ago. Classical music and a delicious lunch. What could be better? Not … [Read more…]
This morning, sitting on the porch sans flowers (they’ve been ripped out and the pots made ready for winter storage), I listen to Dutch conductor Bernard Haitink (1929- ), the London Symphony Orchestra, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor. October is my favorite month. It’s the most colorful (at least, here in Michigan), … [Read more…]
My office this morning is Baker Book House, perhaps the largest Christian bookstore in the Midwest. The Used section, alone, is larger than most bookstores. Baker is one of the largest repositories of theological books around. It’s a great place to get coffee, study, and listening to great music. I wish I was doing all … [Read more…]
This morning is a return to the top of the batting order with Claudio Abbado (1933-2014), the Berliner Philharominiker, and – this time – Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor. In addition, today marks the return of me visiting the Restaurant-Chain-That-Must-Not-Be-Named. So, shhhh. Don’t tell anyone. Before I really get rocking and rolling, here’s … [Read more…]
You guessed it. I’m back in my happy place this morning. Yay! I’m drinking high-alkaline water (Evamor rocks!), nibbling on dried paypaya slices (discreetly, since the library frowns on “outside food”), watching four wild turkeys cross the field, and listening to Simon Rattle (1955- ), a renowned conductor from England, the Wiener Philharmoniker, and Beethoven’s … [Read more…]
My office today is a nearby Barnes & Noble, a place I haven’t spent much time in lately because they don’t have what I like to buy: CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, and books that aren’t the latest NY Times Bestseller pablum. I used to love going to B&N when it was in its old location. Parking … [Read more…]
This morning I am listening to Wilhelm Furtwangler (1886-1954), the Wiener Philharmoniker, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 in B flat Major. Even if his conducting wasn’t legendary, I’d likely be a fan of Maestro Furtwangler just because it’s fun to say his name: “Furtwangler.” See? I’m smiling right now as I say it. I have … [Read more…]
My listening post today is my happy place – the second floor of the local library. Here, I can survey the landscape and think thoughts as big as the vista before me. It’s the perfect setting for listening to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 in B flat Major as rendered by Austrian conductor Karl Bohm (1894-1981) … [Read more…]
My spot for today’s Beethoven blog is one of my favorites. It is, in fact, my happy place: the second floor of the local library. The view is spectacular – a field (granted, it was once a landfill but now it’s a field) bordered by trees. Sometimes, as I’m sitting at one of the tables, … [Read more…]
I have a love/hate relationship with Fall. On the love side, I dig the cooler temperatures, the lower humidity, and the snap in the air. As Fall progresses (at least, here in Michigan) I enjoy the changing colors on the trees. October is my favorite month, partly because of Ray Bradbury’s incomparable book Something Wicked … [Read more…]