Day: October 30, 2013

pretty autumn pictures and a surprise piano concerto

I can barely think because for the last forty five minutes I’ve been watching this video repeatedly (obsessively?). Even as I type, it’s playing the background. If you didn’t click on the link, it’s a video of Maria Pires, who showed up to a concert expecting to play a different concerto from the one the orchestra starts to play. The agony in her whole being is apparent as she registers the situation, but she goes bravely ahead to play a tear-jerkingly amazing performance. The video only shows the first couple measures, but wow.

I can NOT imagine that kind of panic and agony, but I do recall in high school, when I showed up to the dress rehearsal to play the Rachmaninoff second piano concerto with the high school orchestra, they started playing the Rachmaninoff third concerto. The conductor thought I’d written down the wrong piece after the audition months prior, and I thought he was going to call the whole performance off until he finally checked the paper and realized he’d just made a mistake. Thankfully, the orchestra did a great job getting the second concerto together in not much time, and all went swimmingly from there.

But that is the closest (and obviously, not even that close) I’ve come to Maria Pires’ experience. I’m still trembling from watching the video so much, so I guess I’ll pause it so I can recount the day’s events quickly–and then get back to re-watching my new favorite video clip.

Remember that beautiful yellow tree outside the girls' window? All the leaves fell off in one night, and the ground outside was completely covered in these delicate, bright yellow leaves. Lydia wanted to shovel them, and I wanted yellow pictures, so it was a win-win situation.
Remember that beautiful yellow tree outside the girls’ window? All the leaves fell off in one night, and the ground outside was completely covered in these delicate, bright yellow leaves. Lydia wanted to shovel them, and I wanted yellow pictures, so it was a win-win situation.
I took a lot of pretty shots of the yellow, but I exercised self-control and only included these two here.
I took a lot of pretty shots of the yellow…
The yellow ground. I couldn't get over it.
The yellow ground. I couldn’t get over it.

 

Bereft of its leaves, this tree remains a thing of perfect beauty. This will be my third winter admiring its loveliness.
Bereft of its leaves, this tree remains a thing of perfect beauty. This will be my third winter admiring its loveliness.
I tried the flower icon on my camera to take this shot. I really need to read the manual to find out how my camera works, but in the meantime, just look at this gorgeous rose. It's October. And there is a line of blooming rose bushes on my lawn. And they have flowers like this.
I tried the flower icon on my camera to take this shot. I really need to read the manual to find out how my camera works, but in the meantime, just look at this gorgeous rose. It’s October. And there is a line of blooming rose bushes on my lawn. And they have flowers like this.
After naps, we went to Wheeler Farm with Swathi's cousin, Balu. We went on a wagon ride, walked around, fed the ducks, did a maze and picked pumpkins. Here are the girls watching the ducks while Balu feeds them.
After naps, we went to Wheeler Farm with Swathi’s cousin, Balu. We went on a wagon ride, walked around, fed the ducks, did a maze and picked pumpkins. Here are the girls watching the ducks while Balu feeds them.
Of course, both girls wanted to get out and help. I spent a lot of time holding Mary's hand (against her will) so she wouldn't take a tumble into duck poop. That's why my pictures here are only of Lydia.
Of course, both girls wanted to get out and help. I spent a lot of time holding Mary’s hand (against her will) so she wouldn’t take a tumble into duck poop. That’s why my pictures here are only of Lydia.
I heart Utah.
I heart Utah.
Selecting pumpkins.
Selecting pumpkins.
She picked one! (Actually, three. But this is one of the three.)
She picked one! (Actually, three. But this is one of the three.)

After Wheeler Farm, we went to Barnes and Noble because–dum-da-da-dum–Lydia told me she needed to go potty, and she was NOT in pull-ups. I haven’t put her in pull-ups for the past two days, and she hasn’t had a single accident. Woo-hoo! Also, it was a great excuse to go to a bookstore.

After Barnes and Noble, we hightailed it to the library for some kid books and to get the books I restrained myself from purchasing at the bookstore. The library had multiple copies of all the books I wanted to buy (The Paris Wife and Death Comes to Pemberly). I love the library.

Then it was home, where I dunked the girls in the quickest baths of their little lives; it was past bedtime, but they were filthy from duck chasing and cookie eating, so I went on ahead and still bathed them. Then it was scriptures, prayer, bed, clean, laundry, and get-hooked-by-the-surprise-concerto-video time. Speaking of which, I’ll get back to watching that now.