Sometimes we just get lazy. It’s easier to do things than to write about them and all of a sudden it’s almost the end of the month. So, we’d better get moving.

Activity: Rachmaninoff and Time for Three

Barbara: Almost at the beginning of the month, I went to see a performance of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. They were featuring the composer Rachmaninoff and along with the orchestra, a trio of two violins and one double bass named Time for Three were playing. Fantastic performance!

Time for Three has won a well-deserved grammy. They combine classical with bluegrass, rock, jazz and hip-hop and because of their usual casual dress, even while performing at Carnegie Hall, the group refers to itself as a “classically trained garage band.” I absolutely loved them. What’s more, Rachmaninoff surprised me because I had a pre-conceived idea that all his music was very harsh (not sure where I got that from) but it was lovely and romantic. So glad I went.

Activity: Roll the Cameras

This month we watched two short films, one live action and one animated. We really liked them both.

The Red Suitcase – At Luxembourg Airport late in the evening, we see a veiled 16-year-old Iranian girl who is visibly frightened to take her red suitcase off the turning luggage circle. Hers is the only one left, so she’s been there for a while. We learn that she’s there to meet her much older future husband who paid her family for her. The filmmaker did a great job in creating suspense and making us want to shout at the screen and tell the girl to hurry up and get out of the airport. We won’t tell you how it ends but it definitely had us wondering about what would happen next.

The animated film, Retirement Plan, was a delight. From the very beginning he started listing all the things he’d do when he retires, and they all hit a bell with us; had to laugh. E.g. clean up his desktop, read all the articles he flagged to read, read all the books on his to-read list and finish all the books he’s started. “I will hike, I will see a point in hiking, organize my closet, then my pantry, inspired by that book about organizing that I finally read.” It was very funny and relatable, and the ending was very touching.