Kristi, April, Ashley and I were there to enjoy Montana Skies on the back lawn of the Appleby Library a couple of months ago. I’ve followed these two musicians for years now and love the fact that Augusta remains on their tour schedule. They met at UGA. He plays classical guitar. She plays cello. Such an unusual combination…so unusual that neither Bach nor Beethoven ever paired them together. So they took matters into their own hands and wrote their own scores. Then they married and wrote more music and recorded, too. I love them because they can stretch from the classical to the modern in the blink of an eye, playing Satie one moment and Pink Floyd the next.
It was the day after the summer solstice and the sun hung in the sky a little longer than usual. Eventually he set, as a cello and a guitar gently coaxed him to do so. Two musicians poured out their passion on the steps of an 1830’s Greek Revival home and for almost two hours, I enjoyed a candle-lit tablescape (thank you for the flowers, April!), three dear friends and some pretty marvelous music.
I don’t believe they could have been filled with more joy. We kicked it off with a family vacation in Tennessee. My parents rented a fabulous cabin in the Smoky Mountains. It was one of those places where you just wanted to dwell forever. With a National park, an aquarium and an eight mile loop of arts and crafts, we had enough opportunity to keep Will, Dad and everyone in between, very entertained. At night we played games of Scrabble with the girls and Will. One may note that we obviously made up the rules as we went along. (Bottom right corner of the board, you’ll find Claire’s word: “E-i-e-i-o”). Dad loved the hot tub. Will did, too…standing outside it, of course…not in it. With blueberries in the backyard and trails winding all through the National park, nature was at our fingertips. We had a great time!
A few weeks later as the calendar flipped to July, Ann and Claire came for a visit. Click here and here for all of that fun. I loved having them here. They are in that sweet place: no longer little girls, not yet teenagers, but someplace in between. We would find ourselves rolling in silliness one moment and then conversing with such depth the next. Claire would ask things like, “Aunt Julie, what are some things that you know you don’t like, but you know we have to have?” Ann helped translate by clarifying, “You know, like pollen…you don’t like it, but bees and flowers need it.” And for the next 10 minutes we discuss those things that appear to be evil, but exist for our good…like bedtimes, parental discipline, and chores. And I realize this is a conversation they will have the rest of their lives. Aunt Julie has it all time. Inconveniences and boundaries so often seem to get in the way of living, but more often than not, they really do exist for our good. No doubt, we all agreed on some unmistakably GOOD things: make-up, museums, and movies (preferably of the drive-in type) to name a few!
"Summertime, and the livin' is easy." ~Gershwin