Yuja Wang in Seattle

I have been hearing about "classical piano-rocking virtuoso Yuja Wang" for years and years. My mom is been a big fan of hers and has listened to her CDs and watched her performances on YouTube for ages. Our first chance to see Yuga Wang perform was thwarted in 2022 by a major health incident with my mom just 10 days before the concert. So needless to say we were thrilled when Seattle's Benaroya Hall announced that Yuja Wang would bring a solo recital back to the city in Spring 2024.
 

We made it downtown, ate in the lobby cafe and were all set in our seats for the big event. 

I must confess; I did not recognize any of the pieces. They were certainly chosen to highlight her skill, speed and precision. It was a triumph of accuracy and energy, that's for sure. It was wonderful to be there in person and show her our appreciation with our live applause. She reciprocated with 7 encores. Seven. It was phenomenal. 

#yugawangseattle2024 #classicalmusic #classicalconcerts 

Faux Gems bring Unexpected Color & Sparkle to Glass Jars

Of course I love flowers and making bouquets. A few years ago I decided to add a royal touch to some of my arrangements. I found it really relaxing to create patterns with acrylic gems (you know, something that would look good on a crown) and gluing the design onto a mason jar. You would be surprised how striking this simple embellishment is. Here is a lovely example with stalks of purple iris.  

Christianson's Nursery & Greenhouse: A Must Stop in the Skagit Valley

It is always a good day when I can visit Christianson's Greenhouse and Nursery. It's a little wonderland of plants and possibilities in the Skagit Valley.

So on this particular day last year, my friend Amy and I had driven up to the area  with no set agenda. Our goal was to see tulips and have a chance to talk; the best kind of Spring afternoon. We drove to Christianson's to get in the mood for spring. Everything looked beautiful. And this is where Amy found some wonderful chocolate tile "paint" sets. I'll write about them soon.

At Christianson's, they have a lovely gift shop full of unique housewares, beautiful books and special antiques. Guess what I found? I actually made squeaking sounds when I noticed it on the shelf...

                                          
A covered casserole in my beloved formal china pattern Lavinia by Spode (covered with black raspberries)! Cab you believe it? I did not have this piece and I was over the moon. What a thrill. To my knowledge, my pattern was never sold in the United States, so we had to order pieces from Canada for our wedding registry. I've only seen the full collection on display in Bermuda; that's how rare these dishes have been for me, so finding this piece in my pattern was shocking and wonderful.

This casserole is oven-safe and I will bake my heart out with side dishes galore. 

My china pattern AND tulips, this was a delightful day.

#skagitvalley #gardencenter #lavinia #antiquefind

Phenomenal Northern Lights in Seattle

 

This is a view East toward the Cascade Mountain range 

Much of the country experienced Northern Lights last night, but only Seattle had the lead singer of the band Death Cab for Cutie watching it with them. I'm sure their famous song Northern Lights was sung by thousands last night as we witnessed something extraordinary. 

Below is a link if you'd like to listen to this dreamy song from 2018. Lead singer and songwriter Ben Gibbard grew up in Western Washington and currently lives in Seattle where he too, no doubt, saw these dramatic northern lights.

Looking up

Incredibly, this is the roof of my house with the northern lights streaming over it. I purposefully framed the photo to include the house to add some perspective. It looked like the sky had cracked open and let the color stream into our dimension.  

#northernlights #seattle #deathcabforcutie #springnights #celestial #summersky

Tom Lake: a novel by Ann Pachett and Cherry Burrata Salad

I have a new favorite book club book to recommend: Tom Lake by Ann Pachett. It's set in northern Michigan on a cherry orchard during the pandemic (when all three young adult daughters are home because of the lockdown) and has the 57-year-old mother recounting her days when she was a 20-something actress starring in the local summer theater where she dated a now famous movie star. 

The story is rich with truths about friendships, loyalty and ambition vs a quiet life. It's wonderful, albeit wholly dependent on the reader being fluent in Thornton Wilder's play Our Town. If you aren't aware of the big parallels between the characters, scenes and lessons, you may miss some of Pachett's most effective scenes (when Duke walks into Joe's Aunt's kitchen and then up into the cemetery you realize that he has seen the set of Our Town come to life).

I recommend watching this version of Our Town from Broadway with Paul Newman on YouTube. 

I brought a Cherry Burrata Salad to our book club on a State of Michigan melamine plate. I made sure that the cherry region near Leelanau peninsula was visible. The salad is simple. Place several blotted dry burrata cheese on a platter and cut them through crosswise. Scatter fresh pitted cherries, (washed and sliced in half) and cherry tomatoes (washed and halved) around the burrata. Slice fresh basil in thin strips and garnish across the top. Drizzle all over with olive oil. Drizzle with balsamic glaze. Crack fresh pepper and sprinkle with sea salt.