Despite all promises and plans made a year ago today, I have still not managed to get my hands on the sheep bits necessary to make my own haggis. Must work on my farmer's market connections this year and get me some "pluck" and "lights," as they say on Scottish haggis postcards. I think one of these really mean "lungs"...
Apart from Scottish repast, I found myself thinking fondly of Burns Days gone by. I think my first was celebrated at Pauper's Pub in Toronto. (Did not hear of the Burns tradition until college, where whisky drinking was something of its own sport.) Last year's was loads of fun, too, since Makin' Candy fell right on the 25th.
In other news, but still kinda Scottish, I was trying to explain the sport of curling this morning. The best I could do was that it's like bowling, except it's slower, on ice, and involves a large rock and people with brooms. There are some rules at curlingbasics.com that do a much better job of explaining. I do need a winter hobby--how's the curling scene in New England, I wonder? For example I note that the World Men's curling championship is coming up in April in Lowell, MA!!!!!
Mozart 250 years old. Long live old Mozart!
It's Mozart year in Vienna--apparently the whole city is having an open party later this month to celebrate his 250th birthday on January 27th. Crumbs! (Salzburg is up to their own stuff....)
My own resolution is simply to listen to as much Mozart as possible, all year long. I toyed with the idea of being more strict with myself and listening to or playing some Mozart EVERY DAY. But this broke down around January 6th. Still it's not hard to dose up just about daily. For example I have been enjoying my "Music minus one" piano concerto. This is a company that lets you pretend to be a concert pianist as you attempt to play along while an orchestra on CD backs you up. Unfortunately concert pianists are frickin' FAST, and even though there's a CD that's 20% slower for "practice," I still can't keep up with it. But it's still fun to pretend.
My own resolution is simply to listen to as much Mozart as possible, all year long. I toyed with the idea of being more strict with myself and listening to or playing some Mozart EVERY DAY. But this broke down around January 6th. Still it's not hard to dose up just about daily. For example I have been enjoying my "Music minus one" piano concerto. This is a company that lets you pretend to be a concert pianist as you attempt to play along while an orchestra on CD backs you up. Unfortunately concert pianists are frickin' FAST, and even though there's a CD that's 20% slower for "practice," I still can't keep up with it. But it's still fun to pretend.
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