By Phyllis Galowitz
It’s been snowing continuously since I got up this morning and probably had been snowing all night. The evergreens, outlined in white, look so beautiful and I’m so lucky to be able to stay in the house and spend the day looking out the window, enjoying the snow as it falls and to be able to appreciate the amazing sculptures formed by its accumulation on the objects underneath. I tried to photograph the scene but was never able to capture what my eyes could see.
The extreme cold that we’ve been experiencing seems to be moving away and the temperature right now is 31° on this mid-February day. Icicles on the sunny side of my house are melting and the roads are clear.
I love a day like this, when I can stay in the house without feeling guilty and listen to recordings of last summer’s concert at Honest Brook, reliving the genius of Jaime Laredo on his violin and Sharon Robinson on her cello. Honest Brook does continue their concerts through the winter but I’ve never been to them. I’ve only been to their summer performances, held in the dairy barn, next to the beautifully landscaped home on Honest Brook Road in Merideth, belonging to Michael Cannon and Christopher Desler, who produce these beautiful musical afternoons and evenings.
It’s an exceptional experience, sitting in that huge barn, surrounded by familiar faces that come to each concert, listening to performers playing exquisite music, the window flaps open to the cool, late afternoon breezes and views of the garden. During intermission, strolling between the flowerbeds and just admiring their lovely home, is a treat. In winter, the concerts are held in private homes, re-creating the setting in which the classical repertoire was probably originally performed. Many of the concerts have been recorded live and I’ve seen and heard them performed on Thursday nights, at 9 pm, on PBS.
Friends and family, living where they think the weather is kinder, ask how I get through the sometimes harsh winters of Andes. I consider myself lucky but I do have the luxury of being able to stay in my warm, comfortable house and enjoy viewing the beauty of winter in Andes through the windows and, if I were so inclined, there are all kinds of winter sports I could participate in.
The recording is over. The sun is setting. Lili (my cat) has settled herself on my lap, across my notebook, making it impossible for me to write. I don’t mind. She makes this lazy afternoon absolutely perfect! ~