Saturday, December 21, 2013

21 December 2013: Saturday ... the 9th of Beethoven is concluding as I type this, John Eliot Gardiner and his Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique ... amazing performances of the Beethoven symphonies ...

See Explanation.  Clicking on the picture will download
 the highest resolution version available.
Explanation: Today the Solstice occurs at 0608 Universal Time, the Sun reaching its southernmost declination in planet Earth's sky. Of course, the December Solstice marks the beginning of winter in the northern hemisphere and summer in the south. When viewed from northern latitudes, the Sun will make its lowest arc through the sky along the southern horizon. So in the north, the Solstice day has the shortest length of time between sunrise and sunset and fewest hours of daylight. This striking composite image follows the Sun's path through the December Solstice day of 2005 in a beautiful blue sky, looking down the Tyrrhenian Sea coast from Santa Severa toward Fiumicino, Italy. The view covers about 115 degrees in 43 separate, well-planned exposures from sunrise to sunset.http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap071222.html

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I still find it difficult to understand the Solstice. I need to take the time and just figure it out. Learn me some astronomy. I'll be the better for it, gain a better perspective on my place on this Earth and how it is configured with our Sun and our solar system. When this knowledge will be gained I have no idea, probably never. I'll just continue to wallow in my ignorance and get by not knowing why today, the start of winter (which I just learned does not need capitalization unless it refers to a name like Winter's chill) and is the shortest day and thus, longest night of the year; whereas, in the Southern hemisphere, it is the start of summer. One day.

Why is this an effort to write ... I consider it a punishment that I must write and record everything of import during this mild, springlike day, the start of winter, where the temperature approached 70 and I walked Dancer, after trying to find a Post Office where I could get my letters to Susan, Nick, and Lindsay, today, so they might arrive by Christmas. But NOOO ... the post offices are closed and the mail is picked up early in the afternoon on Saturdays, so my mail is stuck in the mailbox and won't go out till Monday and arrive after Christmas. I'd put $100.00 dollar checks in each of the kids' cards and am now down to about $60.00 in my old checking account, which I should close out soon.

Called the dad's health insurance company today to learn that their hours are only during the week. Will call on Monday to cancel his policy. Received SS notices about increases in payment to dad and mom's accounts. Of course, dad's will end with notification (which I believe Mealey may have already done) and mom's will continue, slightly increased, but I am getting the material together for the visit to the accountant, whose name I will never learn to spell, Sczeczyck (that's close). Regardless, I'm moving closer to closing the financial and governmental concerns regarding dad's death.

I have to get use to getting the mail from the mailbox, like my father did for years, no decades, in the late afternoon for today I had more notes of condolence, a trio sent by Mealey Funeral Home, which I think came from their web site, sponsored by legacy.com for people to write something about the deceased. One of the surprising notes came from "Raggsy" (Lisa Paulson Leach), a camp friend of Susan's, who commented on the obituary and who I then e-mailed and who responded posthaste. She told me that her sister died from breast cancer and I shared the message of Dusty's death with her, who I know she knew well, and how it devastated Susan. It is wonderful when old friends, even of your ex-wife let you know that they care and are connected to your sorrow.

Girls prepare a meal around a fire circle
during overnight tent camping at Grove Point in the 1980s.
 
http://thismorningishistory.wordpress.com/2011/11/09/the-girl-scouts-are-coming/

Starting using our vast store of art and musical books today when I took down the biography of Beethoven, a lavishly illustrated book with numerous portraits of friends and patrons of the composer. Just an amazing compilation by the noted musicologist and biographer, H. C. Robbins Landon (link to his obituary). I was listening to an extraordinary set of recordings by the remarkable conductor, John Eliot Gardiner, who has created ensembles that use period instruments but more importantly, symphonic size to create a sound much like what Beethoven would have heard. His Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, a recording that dad bought, is just incredible. The gif below is of the recording, a total of 6 CDs, five of which are the nine symphonies, the sixth is a spoken dialogue by the conductor of his approach to the works. Just outstanding.

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