The year has begun the way that ’24 went out, with opportunities to simultaneously review and anticipate.

I can’t make sense of so much going on in the world of late; I still have trouble accessing the news on a regular basis. It is still inconceivable to me that so much of the world has turned to a Nationalist ideal that prizes isolation; an economic and political model that prizes oligarchic authority; and a xenophobic perspective that refuses to acknowledge the wealth brought to all by the views of those who have experienced life in other places.

And so, with a strong distaste for the state of the world, I also self-isolate. I turn further and further inward, only wishing to engage with family and a very few friends...

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Exactly so, from today’s NYTimes:

“This unfortunate fact remains: We have a fundamentally broken process for choosing federal judges,” Mr. Mangi wrote. “This is no longer a system for evaluating fitness for judicial office. It is now a channel for the raising of money based on performative McCarthyism before video cameras, and for the dissemination of dark-money-funded attacks that especially target minorities.”

Adeel Mangi, a New York lawyer picked for a spot on the Philadelphia-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit…after Democratic senators cut a deal that in effect left him and other Biden appeals court nominees with no path to confirmation.

more pix from Thailand!

I am in awe of Joe and Cristin’s passion for traveling, and for their dedication to assuring that their boys (5+ and 3+) get accustomed to seeing new things, places, and people. They landed in Bangkok Saturday morning, and this pic from their first day there. They report that the boys were great on the long trip–and that Qatar Airways is the best. After a few days in Bangkok, they’ll head north to Chang Mai for about 10 days. What a great way to enjoy the holidays.

They’ve moved recently, to boot, so this is a very busy few months for them. New schools for the boys, which are going well; a promotion for Joe at work; and the new house seems to offer a great neighborhood, and the best schools around. All good news.

We are enjoying some r...

A titan lost: Nikki Giovanni

I’m slow to record these impressions, having been back from Fayetteville, AR for nearly a week now. Perhaps it’s easiest to share the letter I wrote to Chris Knighten, Director of Bands at UA:

Dear Chris,

   Today’s been a day of getting everything together for moving up to Tim’s place in Tennessee.  From the attic to the third floor to the basement, I’ve put in lots of stairs today.  Thank goodness Pattie was ready for a break, because my hamstrings and quads are about to go out on strike.  Yesterday morning, I started to respond to your text with a text, but my reply got too long.  So email it is, and finally I have time to sit and write something.

   The past week with you, Jann, your colleagues, and your students has been extraordinary...

In Fayetteville, Arkansas for a performance, and Pattie and I had a fabulous evening with Chris and Jann Knighten last night. So wonderful to see friends and to catch up!

Am looking forward to meeting lots of staff and students here over the coming days. A rehearsal of Prismata this afternoon will be nice, I’m sure. Pattie will do some exploring on her own, then we’ll connect for a tour of the campus before an evening dinner again.

https://news.uark.edu/articles/72919/u-of-a-bands-to-hold-final-concert-of-fall-semester-nov-25

Just received a wonderful suprise gift in the mail from a former student. The book, Rendezvous with Rama (Arthur C. Clarke) came with a lovely note, but I can’t make out the signature! So I can’t send a thank you, as much as I’d like to. If you happened to have sent this my way, please send me an email so that I can thank you!

Pattie and I are very excited to head out to the University of Arkansas tomorrow, for a performance with Chris Knighten’s Wind Ensemble there. We are both looking forward to exploring the area, to seeing Chris and Jann; and I am particularly looking forward to meeting students, colleagues, and staff there!

Onward to a Razorback football game, too!

It’s been a busy week that’s helped me focus on important matters close to home.

Pattie was down with strep throat for almost a week, now well on the mend. But b/c she wasn’t well, I made the trip up to NY alone to help Joe, Cristin, and the boys move into their new home. So it was a week of working to address immediate issues.

It is so very helpful to live in the moment for a while. Taking care of problems that are right in front of your face–getting Pattie’s medicine, packing a box or moving a light fixture. Making an effort and actually seeing the positive result, rather than focusing on problems of a grand nature, has improved my mood greatly.

The next day or two will be about preparing/packing for our trip to UArkansas. A performance of Prismata on Monday night will be ...