Welcome Autumn!

Hi Friends,
Welcome Autumn!
I like summer, but I love autumn and especially early autumn when there is still hope of warm summer-like days along with that crunchy crispy feel to the air that tells us it's fall. I just couldn't wait to "get into" autumn so it was a weekend filled with autumn activities. Yesterday we headed to a "Scarecrow Stomp" where you actually made a scarecrow decoration for your front lawn. We stuffed a raggedy shirt and pair of pants from home with leaves, twigs and lawn clippings and bought a burlap bag for stuffing the head. My child had the honor of drawing our scarecrow's face. He also named him "Max." Don't ask me why...I couldn't tell you, but Max it is. Since I won't put him (Max) out on the lawn until we buy a straw hat for him (must complete the ensemble) I've got what looks like a lifeless "body" in my car right now. I probably should hide Max in my trunk. Let's just say, either way, I pray I don't get stopped by any State Trooper on the way to work this week...

On Saturday my little family went apple picking. We got eating apples and pie apples, some late peaches and plums and Asian pears. I don't buy pumpkins in September. I always get them late in the fall so I can steam them ready for holiday pie baking. Also, I've got a "thing" against decorating the house with fresh pumpkins (or any real food)---I can't stand the waste of food when there are so many hungry people in this world. I believe "faux" still gets the autumnal message across. Anyway, I'm looking forward to an industrious week ahead that includes making apple pies Monday, peach and plum jams and preserves Tuesday, fresh Asian pear salad Wednesday, apple sauce and cider Thursday. Friday is back to jellies, preserves and jams because I'm a bit behind on my yearly "canning." BTW: my preserves don't get canned. They get glass jarred.

Anyway...Welcome Autumn!
Welcome the start of the Boston Symphony Orchestra's 2009-10 season. The Gala Opening Night is Wednesday the 23rd. WCRB begins broadcast of the BSO's Saturday night concerts with your host Mark Edwards this Saturday the 26th. Has it been awhile or maybe have you never been? Treat yourself or someone you love and buy tickets at 888-266-1200. Like the Swan Boats in spring the BSO season is important to the autumn and our shared Boston experience. And count on us here at WCRB to bring you the rest of the BSO and Boston Pops season Saturdays at 8:30.

'Til next time,
Laura

Lesson Learned

Hi Friends,
Had to share this little exchange with you.
My "7 and 3/4s" year old son and I were having one of our chats about "life stuff" a few days ago and he mentioned playing that day at recess with a classmate we can call "Albert." "You played with Albert?" I said, surprised. "I thought he wasn't your friend any more after what he had said to you last year." You see, right at the start of the new school year last year Albert told my son that "Since Tommy, (another classmate), is going to another school next year I don't want to be your friend this year, I just want to be Tommy's." Albert proceeded to ignore my child pretty much all school year long and purposely excluded my child in many activities. In fact, Albert made it a point so loud and so obvious it was actually embarrassing more than a few times. The whole business cut my boy to the quick---he had done nothing wrong and couldn't understand Albert's choice to handle the situation this way. Anyway, my son went on to meet and play with other kids in their class and discovered there was life and happiness even after such treatment Now, a year later, I was hearing that he and Albert were playing together at recess. "Of course he's my friend," my child insisted. Hmmm. Older and "wiser" mother, full of motherly protective instincts and hoping to impress on the son that one should stick up for oneself said... "Oh. Now that Tommy has gone he wants to be friends with you again. Don't you think if you ignored Albert it would be a good idea so you could really teach him a lesson?" My son, head cocked to the side, eyes meeting mine, didn't skip a beat. "I am teaching him a lesson, Mama, I am teaching him how to be a friend." Lesson learned. By me.

I still have so much to learn. Thank you for showing me the way, Little Man.

I think I'll be spending many hours with gorgeous music ....so I can just think about things. Join me. Check out our Composer Marathon Weekend, starting Friday afternoon at 4 and going right through Sunday.

'Til next time,
Laura

Labor Day 2009

Hi Friends, We had an awful lot of fun seeing what you voted for in the WCRB Labor Day 500 countdown. We were overwhelmed, frankly, that thousands of you took the time to do this, especially since voting took place in the last couple of weeks before Labor Day and so many people just aren't around. Thanks so much for voting and being a part of this. Some pieces were "naturals" (yes, of course we expected Beethoven's 9th, Pachelbel's Canon, Vivaldi's Four Seasons) and then there were some things you voted for that took us by surprise. It made for a really interesting countdown, really interesting listening, and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Other than checking back with WCRB for your favorite pieces, how did you spend the rest of your holiday weekend? WCRB's countdown accompanied us all weekend. We got some chores done on Saturday (but never the whole list--who are we kidding?), and did a family day trip Sunday, not far, just an hour from home, but we went someplace we had never been, and on Monday we had a wonderful cookout with my parents (yay, Grandma and Papa are here!) courtesy of Mother Nature's good mood. The weather was glorious and even though the food was so simple (most of it from our gardens) it was a day of... riches. As glamorous as, say, jetting off to Paris for the weekend sounds, I'm OK with letting that be for others. At this point in my life I preferred my day which included having my little one show his grandparents his just-bloomed sunflowers and his newly-decorated baseball room, of seeing three generations at our kitchen table, of catching up on the doings of family and friends, of serving Italian food complete with my homemade pear crostada (rustic pear tart) made with recently picked pears from Papa's pear tree, on this holiday honoring labor, honest work, with family members who have labored honorably their whole lives. Who knows, dahling, someday I may jet off to Paris for the weekend... but for now, for me, Labor Day 2009.... was a day of riches just as it was. It will go down as my favorite Labor Day so far.

Until next time,

Laura