After reading the Southern California Cello report…I won’t tell you about our weather! Much like yours I suppose! It is good to know that some people have warm temperatures and sunshine!

We think of you often and especially on Tuesdays, since that seems to be the day when we receive an update from you….we pray for your spirit, even when your body is weary, and for God’s love to surround you and fill you with hope and comfort!

Love, Irene

Hi Connie — Let me send some warm Monday Morning Cello Report detals to you. (I checked Accuweather for you people, and it looks like the cold will stay with you a bit more.)

The Laguna Beach Music Festival featured cellist Lynn Harrell. We went to three open rehearsals and a Sunday matinee, and it was a real joy to watch Harrell interact with the other (mostly young) artists. Many highlights, but the “highest” were the haunting VILLA-LOBOS:Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 for cello octet & soprano, the wild first movement of the SCHUBERT:Quintet in C major, D. 956 (w/ 2 cellos), and, all by himself, in a single spotlight on a darkened stage, the BACH:Suite #3 in G major for unaccompanied cello, BWV 1009. Whew!!!!!

The music went on for us, at home. We have a 1990 VHS tape of Harrell with Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas
Zuckerman in NYC doing three Beethoven String Trios. Harrell is now 65. It was very interesting to see him nearly two decades ago — leaner, more hair, no glasses, but the moves with the cello and with the other players were the same // positive, clear, amiable, open. Great music and a great, humane, artist.

So, that’s the Monday Morning Cello Report from Southern California. (No, you don’t want to know how nice it is outside . . .)

Take care this week — I imagine the recent med stuff has left you much in the mood to cuddle Alphie for both comfort and canine perspective advice.

warmest best to you three — our thoughts are with you,

dick (and susan) gale

Hi Alphie – I’ll address this note to you, since you did such a good job yesterday keeping your mom company while you two watched the inauguration events. We had a little bit of dog in our inauguration day as well. We listened to Obama’s inspiring speech in a car en route from El Centro to Salton City, CA. While stopped for a Immigration car check, we observed a drug-sniffing customs German Shepherd dog at work, checking out the wheel wells of a truck. He did seem happy in his work, as his tail wagged throughout.

Your mom indicated that you seemed interested in the inauguration stuff, but she also suggested that you may “not have understood a syllable.” Perhaps, but I’ll share a little story that might suggest she may have underestimated what you understand. Many years ago, Susan and I, and our now-departed terrier, Booker, attended a very small Unprogrammed Quaker Meeting at a friend’s former schoolhouse home in the western Oregon hills. These hour-long Meetings are quiet unless someone wants to say something. Few did, and Booker rested quietly at the edge of the 7 person group. A person new to the group did speak a little, sharing some of her personal life frustrations. We always end the Meeting by holding hands and standing in a circle. At this Meeting, when we formed the circle, Booker immediately seated himself in the center of the circle, gazing up at each of us with his intense brown eyes. We understood that he understood. (Coincidentally, we often sang at the end of the Meeting, and one of our favorites, which we sang that day, was the “simple gifts” Quaker hymn that was the basis for the John Williams classical music piece played as part of the yesterday’s swearing-in ceremony.)

So, Alphie, keep doing a good of keeping your mom company. She’ll likely keep talking to you, and we know that you will keep understanding in the special way that you, Booker, and other special dogs, always do.

Dick and Susan Gale, Laguna Woods, CA