Over Thanksgiving weekend, Hal built two raised vegetable beds in the only place in our yard that gets full sun. It's not a big spot, but it should do nicely. Today I went to the nursery and bought some instant gratification of lettuces, spinach and snap peas. I also transplanted the eggplant from the shady garden to see what it might do this time of year in the sun.
The day finally arrived when I used my birthday money! I bought tickets to the LA Philharmonic to see Gustavo Dudamel conduct. We started the afternoon with lunch at Philippe's, home of the French Dip Sandwich. 
I found this book, The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa to be poignant and charming. The professor taught mathematics until an accident took away his short term memory. He can remember anything before 1975 and only what has happened in the past 80 minutes. The housekeeper and her son come into his life and develop a friendship with him, strange as it is when they have to reintroduce themselves to him every day.
A few weeks ago, Liesl told me about Google Wave. It's an email/IM/conferencing hybrid that is still under development. As with the early days of gmail, one needs an invitation to get an account. Hal was given an invite a few days ago, and he passed one along to me. Liesl, Chris and Claire are all on, so we've all had one wave just to see some of the basic things we can do on this. 
Last year Dick and Kathy came to our house for Thanksgiving. This year we went to their house where they were brave enough to invite 10 people over. We had a delightful time with all the guests - so many interesting conversations taking place all at once. It was hard to know which ones to listen to (especially since I placed myself right in the middle of the table).
Yesterday we ventured over to the library of the Claremont Colleges - Honnold. I'd heard that there was a cafe there, recently opened. I was amazed at the space and the offerings. The plentiful seating options were filled with students studying, chatting, working on computers, reading magazines, etc.
My friend, Pat, has started a blog which I have added to my "Blogs I Follow" list on the left side of this page. Check it out!
This afternoon the Harvey Mudd College American Gamelan performed at Cal Poly Pomona. We performed six pieces, two with viola, one with clarinet, one with video. For one of the pieces, I sat in the wings because it did not require my instrument (kenong), so I was able to take this shot of the group. 
Although I have been feeling much better this week, mornings are still tiring for me (which seems backwards). I have only taught music in the afternoons, giving me time to rest. That means that I've had some time to read.
Claremont made the LA Times A section today with an article about the failed Claremont trolley. I never rode the trolley, mostly because I live within walking distance of the Village and rarely park there. I also didn't ride it because it had so few stopping places. Now, if I was a senior citizen or had difficulty in getting around, I might have felt differently about the venture.
Today is my last day to recuperate before I start teaching tomorrow. I spent most of the morning in bed with the NY Times, coffee, and my laptop, and now this afternoon I have finished Jack Kerouac's On the Road. I think I actually feel good enough to go to book club tonight where we will discuss this book. I can see where it might have been wild in it's day, but by today's culture, it's pretty tame. I remember when Catcher in the Rye was scandalous to me in 7th grade....
Today I decided I could keep one of my plans, so I interviewed a prospective student for Carleton. We have an alumni admissions network which allows high school seniors to have interviews closer to their homes with alumni. A group of alums met in downtown Claremont in an office building and students came in with their parents. Although it went on for most of the day, I came for a bit in the afternoon and chatted with one student. High school seniors look younger all the time! These guys are 4 years younger than Claire!
This weekend Hal attended the annual HMC trustees retreat called Saddlerock. I tagged along, enjoying the surroundings at Smoke Tree Ranch in Palm Springs. While Hal was in meetings, I got to read, work on some music, chat with friends (old and new), and watch a little HGTV. Yesterday Hal and I took a nature walk with a docent from the Living Desert in Palm Desert. After dinner we got a chance to dance to a band, and since we've had some dance lessons this semester, we knew a few moves.
In 2001 we bought a '98 Toyota Camry with less than 30,000 miles on it. Yesterday as we drove down Monte Vista Ave. it turned over 100,000 miles. 
In two weeks my book club is discussing Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. These thirteen stories weave the main character, Olive, throughout, sometimes as a fleeting character (the scary, retired middle school math teacher), sometimes front and center. The writing is beautiful, the subject matter full of small daily tragedies.
Today was the day to begin Recorder Karate at school. Every year I teach the 3rd graders how to play the recorder, and to help motivate them to practice, I give them tests. The first test is the easiest one, or the white belt. They come in at recess one day a week and if they pass the test, I give them a piece of embroidery floss to tie to the bottom of the recorder. By the end of the year, some children have a rainbow of colors to show off. 
I took the time today to vote for three candidates for school board. I think voter turnout was low today, but I always vote!
