Grand Opening and Early Birthday Treat

Quite a day really.  Spent the day enjoying the official Grand Opening of the Buon Giorno Coffee House in Fort Worth.  Many people to talk to and cakes made by C and R at the bakery were shared with all comers plus we had a couple of raffles for people to enter - one of them for a year's supply of coffee (See extra for cakes and raffle boxes).  The highlight of the day came in the evening however, as L had promised an early birthday treat and sure enough, also in Fort Worth she had purchased tickets for a special gala concert with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.
We have been many times over the years and this is Miguel Harth-Bedoya's final year as the musical director after 20 years of transforming a rather hit an miss ensemble into a really good orchestra.  The concert last night was a 250 year Beethoven anniversary and even more special for me as a violinist, Midori, the once 11 year old child prodigy violinist was playing Beethoven's Violin Concerto.  I admit I shed a few tears at various points in the proceedings as the sheer brilliance of the performance on the violin for me was breathtaking - difficult for non violin playing persons to appreciate but the sheer technical mastery to play this kind of music is once thing, to then transcend the mere technical and soar into emotional and expressive interpretation of the notes is another.  It was just wonderful, and made all the more intense and enjoyable by sitting on the front row just yards from the soloist.  Just on the right you can also see the charming and extremely enthusiastic transgender lady who was our neighbor - she high fives the conductor as he walked off before taking his final bow and fist bumped those who were next to her.  Unforgettable evening ending with the same composer's 5th symphony.  Great surprise early birthday treat!