Thus, Mindy’s story almost seems the sketch of an interesting children’s holiday tale. Maybe Rudolph, the Buffalo, tries to find some special grassland, guided, of course, by a very perceptive brown lab who has special NB-snooping skills . . . . . .

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This bright, sunny, and very windy winter Southern California day has been partially filled with trying to prepare some informal program notes for an upcoming concert of John Adams, Naieve and Sentimental Music. (The Los Angeles Philharmonic is making its first visit to our new Costa Mesa concert hall, complete with their Finnish-born conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen. We are taking Susan’s 80+ mother with us (also a Finn, but USA born). We have “chorus seats,” so that we will be behind the orchestra.) It has been an interesting tasks to attempt to prepare some follow-along notes that we can use when we “practice” listening to the (very contemporary and very wild) 45-minute piece with Susan’s mom prior to the late January concert. Quite a challenge for us non-music majors!!

Take care, and, again, know that strong positive thoughts are winging their way from our home to yours,

dick (and susan, and booker, the terrier)

Here comes the new year – and the future holds wonders yet imagined!

Where a calculator on the ENIAC is equipped with 18,000 vacuum tubes and weighs 30 tons, computers in the future may have only 1,000 vaccuum tubes and perhaps weigh 1.5 tons.
unknown, Popular Mechanics, March 1949

Here we go!

Heidi

I LOVE the picture of all of you gathered ’round the piano. What could be better for Christmas??!!

Christmas Day at my brother Rick’s in Ft. Scott was a bit unusual. In mid-afternoon, the doorbell rang and with great excitement, a neighbor girl informed us that a buffalo was loose in the neighborhood! Shortly thereafter, Buffalo Rudolph galloped through Rick’s backyard, and we all followed him into the woods. He made several other appearances in town throughout the rest of the day, but he did seem partial to Rick’s neighborhood. On Dec. 26, he was finally tranquilized in the yard next door and was carried away in the scooper of a backhoe (with legs tied together and pointing to the heavens). On Dec. 27, he was taken back to his pen, 5 miles north of Ft. Scott, from whence he had escaped for his Christmas Day jaunt. We do feel that this was one of the more memorable Werling Christmases!!

Looking forward to February!

Love,
Mindy

The picture of the family around the piano is wonderful! A unique family portrait to be sure. Much better than the posed ones!

Blessings to you all!
Irene