Mozart at 250

Today music lovers worldwide are celebrating Mozart’s 250th birthday. Colorado Public Radio has dedicated a significant chunk of their airtime this week to Mozart: playing his music, discussing special events in Mozart’s hometown of Saltsburg, and commentating on his life. I’ve been listing to their tribute practically non-stop: during my morning commute and at work (thanks to their live feed). I’ve loved it! I have learned so many fun factoids about Mozart the man, composer, and legend. It’s been very enjoyable.

If you are a Mozart fan and haven’t been fortunate enough to join in the festivities, I recommend putting in your favorite Mozart CD and spending a moment celebrating this musical genus. Some of my favorite pieces include: Le nozze di Figaro, Requiem and Piano Concertos Nos. 24 & 25. Enjoy!

Weekend roundup

We’ve hit the end of term crunch for David, so our weekend was spent almost entirely in the Tea Spot, where he worked on his presentation and final term paper (plus research for his advisor) and I read for pleasure and learned Macromedia Flash 8. We did venture out for a lovely sushi lunch with our friend Oak and a late night showing of the Chronicles of Narnia after eating a tasty dinner at P. F. Chang’s (our new ritual; won’t see a movie without Chinese food first). Plus, I finally finished up our holiday shopping (now it’s time to send off those packages). All in all, a nice relaxing weekend…

the start of the season

The holidays are quickly approaching! This weekend my company hosted our annual Holiday Dinner, David and I are (almost) done with our holiday shopping, and it’s finally cold in Colorado with snow on the ground (up at work anyhow where the elevation is around 8,000 feet). David and I have ramped up our yoga routine by adding in an ashtanga class, which we love so far. We are both working long and hard hours towards our pre-Christmas conference and work related deadlines. I’ve also been making more of an effort to read before bed again (there were several weeks there where I couldn’t read past a page or two before drifting off to sleep). I am officially addicted to the Aveda rosemary mint body lotion–it totally calms me! We’ve seen a ton of movies lately: Harry Potter 4, Wallace and Gromit, Shopgirl (went with Bridget for our weekly activity), and Aeon Flux. So, between long workweeks, yoga classes, acupuncture and chiropractic appointments, movies, reading, racquetball, haircuts, Carrie’s required girl time with Bridget, upcoming sushi dates and happy hour adventures with friends, and many more holiday parties, we pretty much don’t have time for anything else. I am so looking forward to a week off at the end of the month filled with Hanukah and Christmas festivities and zero commitments.

Continue reading the start of the season

Giving thanks


We had a great thanksgiving feast at our house this year surrounded by close friends. David and I spent the whole day cooking and preparing: spanakopita, (apple, cranberry & pecan) stuffing, (barley, oat, quinoa, currant, mint and pistachio) pilaf, cranberry sauce, (mandarin orange, cucumber, tomato & greens) salad, (garlic) mashed potatoes, and strawberry cheesecake. The (organic) meal was delicious, the wine (gifts from our wedding) so tasty, and the whole evening a total blast and very relaxing.

This year I am thankful for our great friends and family, and for my wonderfully loving and supportive husband. Every day I feel amazed at how fortunate I am. I love waking up in the arms of the man of my dreams, my best friend, and most favorite person in the whole world. Three years ago on Thanksgiving we met and my life was changed forever. David, here’s to many, many more amazing years together.

Pride and Prejudice


David and I both LOVED the new Pride and Prejudice movie starring Keira Knightley, Matthew MacFadyen, Donald Sutherland, Jena Malone, Brenda Blethyn, and Judi Dench. MacFadyen is especially brilliant as Darcy—he presents a vulnerable, shy, and awkward suitor, not shown as clearly in other movie or television adaptations of the novel. We were also both impressed with Sutherland’s portrayal of a man who lives for his work and cares deeply for his daughters, a much more realistic interpretation of a complex character. Keira was fantastic as Elizabeth Bennett—she nailed it! And we were so thrilled to see actors of the correct age playing the parts of Lizzie and Darcy! It helps us understand that this really is first love for them both. The filmmakers also took some liberalities with the story and added much needed description and depth in many places (such as Charlotte Lucas’ explanation as to why she will marry Mr. Collins and the fact that Elizabeth explains to her father just how indebted they are to Darcy—a important point that has been overlooked in screen adaptations to date).

The movie is one of the most romantic that I’ve seen in quite some time—I was near the verge of tears almost the whole second half: I found it heart bursting seeing how much Darcy and Elizabeth cared for each other. It wasn’t sappy; the film was romantic!

If you are an Austen fan, do not miss this film interpretation of my favorite novel of all time.

I cannot wait to see it again! (AND see Harry Potter 4 this weekend!)