The dogs are barking outside. It is mid-afternoon on a Saturday and the sky is blue. A helicopter just flew by and I can now hear its engine fading as it heads off to the west. Bach’s Brandenburg concerto is playing and Ray is rattling dishes in the kitchen. My fifteen-year-old student, Cameron, is here and she is sitting in the barcalounger with her legs resting on the footstool. She has her computer on her lap as she works on a prose poem. I am sitting at the round glass table where I always sit, which has a clear view of the three front windows that face the street.
Nandina are growing in front of the porch, red berries contrasting sharply with pointed green leaves and I see car after car zooming down our busy street as Angelinos enjoy this afternoon. One might think naturally of the word “leisurely,” but these cars are driving at a fair clip down the road between Sunset and Santa Monica Boulevards so there isn’t much sense of slow and easy. It is as if the people in the cars are hurrying off to the beach or to see movies or to gather with friends or to take a hike up Runyon Canyon and you better not get in their way as they go. A few people are walking by and since the weather is in the low 70’s, they are wearing tee shirts and shorts. As Ray said earlier when we went for a walk to the bank, “Wow, brutal winter.” (Of course, just two weeks ago it was really cold for here – down to the 30’s at night.)
I am off to church immediately after Cameron leaves. I am serving as an acolyte at the 5 pm Vigil Mass at St. Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood. The LA Schola is singing tonight, so I am looking forward to the service. This Anglican mass is said in Latin and the Schola is a group of 6 -8 trained a capella singers who sing mass settings in Latin, as well. In our beautiful Gothic church, this can create a transformational atmosphere. It is as if one has been transported back to an ancient time and place where this language and this type of music is commonplace. Tonight, the Schola will be performing Palestrina’s Missa Viri Galilaei, a6. Here is a link to hear the piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubTFKW24_ZI. This is not sung by the LA Schola, but it will sound very much like this.
On that note, I will close. Cameron has a prose poem ready to share with me and it’s time to listen.
How has your Saturday been going? I’d love to hear.
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