Freezing for Figaro

The past few days have been bitterly cold in the Midwest. The high temperature reached -3 with winds gusting at a frigid -40 in my little spot of Wisconsin. Such severe cold can cause frostbite in mere minutes. It is too dangerous for children to wait for the bus or walk to school, so class has been canceled for the neighborhood children the past two days. The apartment across the hall is occupied by three adorable little girls, and it was rather refreshing to hear their laughter and singing as they played in the normally quiet hallways this afternoon.

A beautiful snapshot of the Thursday sunrise on Lake Michigan.
Photo by Tom Lynn.

The subzero temperatures, however, did not delay rehearsals for The Marriage of Figaro. It is not that I minded having to leave the house in such unpleasant weather- I have experienced enough winters to know how to bundle up. What worries me is transporting my oboe. Such awful weather can do, well, awful things to my beloved instrument. Taking any wooden instrument from a warm building into the cold air and back into a warm building stresses the body of the instrument. If proper precautions are not taken before playing the instrument, it will crack. Once a wood instrument cracks it will never sound or respond the same. Hence, the fretting.

I am rather pleased that temperatures are projected to reach the upper teens tomorrow. Heat wave!

How does the Mother Nature effect your craft?

A Rare Day

Today was one of those rare and sacred days where I had absolutely no agenda. No where I must be, and nothing I had to do. Since today was my last official day of winter break, I savored every moment.

I have been nursing a serious case of the sniffles the past two days, so I did not set my alarm for this morning. I slept until nearly 10:00- *Gasp*! My body needed the rest, and I know I will not have the treat of sleeping in so late into the day for quite some time. Also, I decided I would stay in my jim-jams until it reached afternoon. I brewed a huge cup of echinacea tea, and settled in on the couch with my kitties and trusty laptop to watch cartoons and surf. The I took a very long, hot shower, making sure to take the time to soak in the steam.

My favorite feel good tea: I am not sure if it is the combination
of peppermint and star anise or the adorable koala bear.
Image courtesy: Celestial Seasonings

I spent the afternoon reveling in my craft. A large portion of the afternoon was spent practicing for the opera The Marriage of Figaro. While it sounds like something I had to do, honestly it was not. I was tickled to keep working on Mozart's deliciously silly comedic opera. Also, I spent time working on a beautiful selection from the Mass in B minor by J.S. Bach. A supremely talented mezzo-soprano at school asked me to accompany her on the piece, which features a mezzo voice and oboe. I was flattered that she asked, and of course I am thrilled to get the opportunity to work with her.

As any good oboist would do, I tinkered with my growing crop of reeds. I tied two more and spent a little time scraping on others. Nothing near playable yet, but I can feel a good batch at hand. Finally, I gave my oboe some love. The keys were polished, corks cleaned, the wood wiped down with soft linen, and the joints were lightly oiled. A very productive afternoon at a very leisurely pace.

A lavender candle and lotus blossom incense accompany a mellow evening.

When my Muffin returned home we made a very complicated gourmet dinner of grilled cheese with avocado sandwiches and creamy tomato soup. He has been battling the sniffles as well, so we brewed up some hot liquids and cozied up for the evening. After a bit of reading, I think I shall turn in for the night. What a splendid nothing kind of day!

What do (or don't) you do on your nothing days?
Merry writings.