Hello darling, in a dreamy spacey mood at the moment, chimes clanging outdoors, wind sounding, up in the aerie, aroma of roast chicken wafting up the stairs. I feel sleepy, I could have done with a short nap, I had a brief lie-down but no sleep. The day was pleasant, fragmented, didn't quite, at various turns, go quite as I expected. As I approached the church this morning -- a matter simply of walking straight down the quiet wooded country road where I live, a less than five minute amble (which I bank on as I'm always cutting it close, leaving precariously late, 9:20 for the 9:30 service though I know that it doesn't really get going til 9:40, but still I hadn't practiced all that much this week, what with my dance card so full of first-and-last-CL-dates, and I was feeling a bit anxious about that, and thought that I should leave earlier and without even turning the organ on, once I'm seated at the wooded keyboarded edifice above which rise Olana-colored (that is, Persian-inspired) pipes in tones - visual - of turquoise, apricot, gilt, and sage -- that I should run through the pieces silently, so as to familiarize, or refamiliarize myself with them. And there was a bit of anxiety too, because at first -- that is, a couple of months ago -- the Rev. M. had asked me to play each hymn straight through, after which point the congregation was to come in. I knew then that that is just too long an intro.... and the Rev came to see that too, and sent me a message asking if I'd play, as an intro, the first line of each hymn, then pause for several portentous beats, and then launch into the hymn. Which I felt anxious about, because the best lead-in to a hymn, or most any song, isn't from the first line -- it's from the last, that feeds, loops back, into the first, setting the tone, and the key...

Anyway, it all worked out -- before the service started I asked the Rev, is it alright if I play the last lines as intro? And the thing is, while I feel that I know what I'm talking about -- and I tried to be firm about it -- "it's the standard intro to such music" -- I don't wish to assert myself -- that is, to clash with the Rev, have a tedious clashing of wills, to no gain for anybody, certainly not the congregation. Anyway -- it worked out -- the Rev agreed, and so, though I felt a little anxious because I was a bit less rehearsed than I have been most weeks, I managed to find the last lines of each (that is, where they begin, not always so obvious) and sail through that, and pause as at a harbor, and set forth at the beginning, small --- especially small, today -- congregation in tow, whom I could actually hear - audibly singing.

Oh but on one of the hymns I made such a clunker... landing squarely on a completely wrong note. I audibly said -- "Sorry." Probably I wasn't supposed to do that.

After the service the Rev & I chatted a bit (it worked out great, the congregation knew when to come in!) -- and I threw my hands to my face and said -- I am so sorry for that wrong note I hit --- aaarghhh. And the Rev looked at me and said, that she's amazed that I hit so many right notes. Perfect!

Ah - an unexpectedness -- on my way in to the church, I was presented (fished out from a church lady's bag) a check -- for services rendered, it seems that the Vestry Voted, and I will receive $25 a week, and they will pay me at the end of each month...

So that was unexpected too. And not necessary on their part, I was happy to do it gratis -- or maybe in lieu of an offering (I'm playing the offertory hymn while the collectors work their way up the pews collecting envelopes & dollar bills) - but they've never approached where I'm seated.

After church (phew) my hope had been to have lunch, do a food shopping, and the like, and then to go to the modernist cafe at the visitors center at the local international arts colony, so as to, without distraction, sit in the sun, with a cup of coffee and perhaps a slice of 'lemon balm cheesecake,' and immerse myself without any distractions in one of the few books I've managed to crack open and actually read, which I did, a few pages of, afternoon before last, and found immensely engaging, and soothing, the writer's voice -- well, just so poetic, unforced, natural... I wish to read more. I wish to read it = period.

I'd heard of the book, a while ago actually, then remembered about it, and recently requested it on reserve, and here it is, brand new library copy, in a glossy soft cello-cover, a "14-Day Book" from Mahopac -- I don't even know where Mahopac is. (Which county? Which side of the river?)

But it didn't happen - I never made it to the cafe, I didn't crack the book. I dropped D off in town, did food shopping, stopped by a strip-mall department store where I was very happy to find what I've been searching for - a pretty summer skirt, to go with a couple of tops I already have -- I scored!

And so, darling -- that's a snapshot of my day. Very many kisses, hope all is well with you.