mojosmom

I am finding this year that I am attending far more holiday events than in the past. This is, I am sure, due to the fact that the logistics of going to and fro are easier now that I am retired. Depending on where I'm going, I can use public transportation and not worry about parking (where & how much!). I can go to events that start early or end late, without having to think about work hours. So I'm very social!

I went to two bar-related events last week. The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers had a cocktails/hors d'œuvres/recruiting event one day, and the next my law school had a cocktails/hors d'œuvres event. I dashed from that second one to the December Second Friday Open Studios at the Fine Arts Building. Turned out that, because of the holidays, a lot more studios were open than usual, and there were some additional musical and performance things going on. There was a partridge in a pear tree:


and the Venetian Courtyard was open!


On Saturday, my AAUW chapter had its December/holiday meeting, and that night I went to the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus "Holly Follies" at Rockefeller Chapel.

On Sunday, I went to the Jazz Institute's members party and then to Casa Italiana's Festa di Natale. At the Jazz Institute party, I ran into a former colleague of mine whom I haven't seen in years, and the odd thing was that at one of the bar events, someone else who knew her and I were wondering what she was up to. So now I know, and we exchanged emails and will keep in touch.

Monday, the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre had a "thank you" reception for the Saints, and while I was there I signed up to usher at a couple of productions next year. Then off to the Poetry Foundation for a reading of Christmas poems, including Talking Turkey, a highly amusing poem. The reading was followed by noshes and drinks.

If I end up looking like Santa Claus (that is, fat!), you know why!

In non-holiday stuff --



Yesterday was the 60th birthday of our local classical radio station, 98.7 WFMT, so they had a day of music (ten hours) at the Cultural Center. I was able to get there for the first three hours (but had to get home for a couple of conference calls for boards that I'm on). I missed Nicole Cabell, but was there for harpsichordist David Schrader, the Chicago Chamber Musicians, The Lincoln Trio, the Orbert Davis Quintet, and tenor Rene Barbera.

I've also been to usher for In the Jungle, an adaptation of a Bertolt Brecht play that is benefiting the Howard Brown Health Center. A worthy cause, but I think there's a reason this Brecht play is not frequently produced. It's not his best.

I spent a long evening at the Gene Siskel Film Center, too, seeing two John Turturro films in one sitting: La Passione, about Neapolitan music (and history and society), and Rehearsal for a Sicilian Tragedy, dealing with the puppet theatre there. Both excellent!

A variety of Teatro Vista-related events: a reading of a new play that will probably be part of the Tapas reading series in the spring, lunch with a prospective board member, and a workshop with grant funders.

The partying and overeating, that is.

Yesterday, I went to a Teatro Vista meeting - the board, staff and ensemble met with a woman who has been doing market research for us. It was very illuminating. The meeting was punctuated with food and wine, and followed also with food and wine.

Shortly, I will be going to the home of friends who are, respectively, a bookbinder and a potter, who have an annual holiday sale of their work, accompanied by goodies.

I try to be restrained, but it's not easy!

Friday night, we went to see Lyric's production of Katya Kabanova, with Karita Mattila in the title role. I liked it a lot, although some of the directing was a bit one-dimensional. Mattila was marvelous and Liora Grodnikaite, who sang Varvara, was also excellent.

Oh! And I discovered yesterday afternoon as I was driving to Cecilie's house and listening to WFMT that there's an opera based on Brief Encounter! It's by André Previn, and the singers were Elizabeth Futral (who I'll see shortly in Merry Widow) and Nathan Gunn. I tuned in after it started and thought, "gee, this libretto sounds really familiar", then, "That sounds an awful lot like the plot of Brief Encounter" and then, "Hey! It is Brief Encounter!" Nothing like having a favorite old movie turned into an opera.

Yes, folks, it took me nearly five, count 'em, five hours to drive home from work tonight. In about the time it would take to drive from Chicago to St. Louis, I managed 40 miles. I left the office at 3:30 and got home about 8:20. It was a thrill in those rare moments when I got into 3rd gear. Have I mentioned that I hate snow? At least, I hate it at rush hour.

Other than that, I haven't journaled about my fun Sunday. The daughter of a couple I go to opera with was in a local dance school's performance of "The Nutcracker", and Sunday was her big solo as Flower #2 (also Harlequin Doll), so I went. It was really enjoyable. The school is an excellent one (the director is the Ballet Mistress for Lyric Opera) and the dancers ranged from tiny tots through talented teenagers, with a couple of instructors as well. Of course, the fun part was listening to, and watching, the children around us. I was sitting with another friend, and we both got the giggles when, as Drosselmeyer comes out swirling his cape, the kid behind us whispers, "He's wearing a cape because he's a pirate!" And there was some consternation among the younger set when only one of the flowers was wearing a pink tutu. Kids are so cute!

Then I went to the Chicago Hand Bookbinders holiday party, which, while rather sparsely attended, was quite enjoyable. It was held at the Chicago School of Violin Making, as one of our members is the co-director there, and has been wanting us to come. She gave us the 5¢ tour, and I very much want to go back for a more in-depth tour. What she told us about the school, and violin-making generally, was fascinating! (Pics here.)