Collaborations

Working together to make beautiful things happen

REMEMBERING A VERY SPECIAL WEDDING

Has it really been 11 years this week since Sher and Yaj got married???

It was a real team effort…Julie was the main event planner, our dear family friend Pastor Mike Carlson presided and gave a wonderful homily, sweet sentiments were shared in English and Chinese by the fathers, and Ya-Jhu walked down the aisle to the tune of Sheridan’s music. There was homemade cake and appetizers, Rose sang and Evan played piano, my sister Carolyn took all the gorgeous photos.

We had no idea what challenges, sorrows and joys were ahead, but June 23rd, 2012 lives forever in our memory as one of the rare perfect days we’ve been given in this life.

BRAVO, YO-YO!

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, besides being a towering musical talent, has a genius for collaboration. His Silk Road project, named for the path connecting merchants from the East and West for 1400 years, brings musicians from all over the world together to create music and develop ideas. Ma believes our global community provides endless opportunities for joint artistic endeavors, a sentiment I share…

Here’s a cool video of Yo-Yo with pianist Kathy Stott playing “Cristal” by Brazilian composer Cesar Camargo Mariano, providing the soundtrack to a drawing by beloved New Yorker cartoonist Edward Koren. Such a joyful collaboration!!

HITTING THE BEACH, HITTING THE BOOKS:

My late-June resolution list always rivals January’s, and I’m sure many will fall by the wayside as of mid-July (5K run, are you listening?) I prepare for our upcoming time in Lewes armed with a ton of books, and do fairly well getting through a portion of them (reading on the beach is the BEST). Here are a few I’m really looking forward to, with gratitude to those who recommended them: THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY (thanks to my friend Janine Asher) WEST WITH GIRAFFES (thanks to my friend Marda Craig) LIFE WORTH LIVING: A GUIDE TO WHAT MATTERS MOST (thanks to Kelly Corrigan) TOMORROW AND TOMORROW AND TOMORROW (thanks to Maureen Corrigan—no relation to Kelly that I’m aware of!)

This summer I’m also hoping to diversify a little more, and check out some new-to-me genres. I was inspired by this “Bookopoly” game board devised by a clever librarian in Ohio. What’ll it be? Fantasy? Wild West? Horror? (probably not horror)…will report back!

BLOG PREVIEW:

Not to brag, but I WAS the spelling bee champion at Epiphany School in NYC (and amassed a box full of miraculous medal prizes to prove it). So imagine my delight to see the Arden Theatre’s fabulous production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee last Saturday! Join me over at Working Title tomorrow for some “spellbinding” reflections:-) …and do try to see the show at some point!!

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE PERSON OF THE WEEK: YO-YO MA

That’s a worthy goal for the week ahead—to leave the people we encounter feeling good about themselves. Ready? Set? Let’s go, my friends! Make it a great one!