Green side up

I was walking the dog, giving thanks for the gorgeous day. I greeted a neighbor planting sod. But he looked at me urgently, intently, and said, "green side up." I felt as though I'd been given a secret message. Maybe the words signal something I'm to be thinking about over the next several days, while we're away. If so, I'll report back.

Early tomorrow, we fly to Hartford, and a dear friend from our grad school days at Duke will pick us up and take us to New Haven. I'll finally see Yale's Institute of Sacred Music, hear the Monteverdi 1610 Vespers and then Noah's all-Bach recital. On Sunday, we'll meet the wonderful people at St. Thomas's Church, who have provided what it takes to create the best job N has ever had.

I'm packed. I haven't travelled anywhere except for church-related conferences for a year, so this feels like such a vacation! Sure, this trip still is church-related, but our only job will be soaking up all the holy, heavenly music, for which we are so hungry.