Pre-concert Talk

Before I talk about my day, I want to thank everybody who was so kind and supportive yesterday about Duma. You are such a wonderful group of friends and I so appreciate your words and your hearts and stars. You are the best!

I really didn't have much time to grieve yesterday because it was Seattle concert day. A busload of music lovers gathered in the early morning and boarded the bus to head south to Seattle. (That's the bus where Shelly and I met almost two years ago.) I hadn't slept all that well and expected I'd sleep on the bus. Instead I continued to listen to the book I'm reading on Audible, Becoming, by Michelle Obama. I am loving this book! I read on the way down and the way back and that made the two hour trip each way fly by. Shelly dozed and read an audio book too.

We arrived in Seattle below Benaroya Hall where the concert was taking place. We walked up and started by eating an early lunch. Then we went in for the pre-concert talk. There three people on stage. The middle person was Angelique Poteat, a young 30 something gal who composed the second piece on the program, a cello concerto played by Efe Baltacigil, the Seattle Symphony's Principal Cello. I didn't get the interviewer's name. The conversation was fascinating, mostly Angelique talking about the piece and how she became a composer, and Efe playing examples from the piece. The hall was filled with students and seniors. 

The concert featured three works: Benjamin Britten's Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Poteat's Cello Concerto, and Rachmaninov's Symphony #2. The symphony was the whole second half of the concert and we all listened to an hour of rich beautiful music to end a really wonderful concert. The drive home was longer than usual due to Friday traffic. For me that just meant listening to more of Michelle Obama reading her book. 

When I got home I found a sweet message from my son Jason sending his love about Duma and Shelly's daughter Elke called during the ride home and gave me her support and love. Shelly stayed over and we both got a good night's sleep. Today I'm feeling more rested, still sad, but also glad that I had such a wonderful long time sharing my life with the most wonderful cat I've ever known. Life is good.

P.S. I wanted to let you know that Mehitabel is adjusting well to her life as an only cat. She spent her first night alone sleeping with me on my bed. Last night she came up and snuggled with both of us. And today she is hanging out purring loudly whenever we pet her. Having her in my life really helps me right now.