Nichevo

Sunset

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 21:34:00 +0000

I have been very lax in posting here again. However it has come to be apparent to me that my life and family precludes me from being an active blogger. I am still writing, but that is for my book and not yet ready for consumption. I am having some physical issues that are really interfering with my quality of life. I have an MRI scheduled for next Monday to determine the source/cause of the multiple daily seizures I am having.

Will thinks it is a tumor from his research on my symptoms and discussions with his girl friend who is a medical researcher who wants to be a doctor. It could be that, encephalytis, epilepsy, some damage from the stroke I had in 2009 or any number of things. I get the results on the 11th and the not knowing what is going on has been messing with my psyche. I am doing as my therapist suggests, I am controlling what I can control on a daily basis until I get enough information to make a game plan for my survival.

So this is really Sunset for Nichevo the blog while I write my autobiography; Nichevo, Pages from the Journeys of My Life. I have put heart and soul into this blog for many years and will probably use a lot of my past writing in Pages. I still post on Facebook if you want to keep up with my current status. I will miss my time spent with all of you over the years, it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I thank you all for enriching my life all these many years.

Appropriately, your Musical Interlude for this final chapter of Nichevo is Franz Joseph Haydn's (1732-1809) Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp minor "Farewell", Hob. I:45 (1772)
00:00 - Allegro assai
07:08 - Adagio
21:36 - Menuet: Allegretto; Trio
26:22 - Finale: Presto; Adagio
Performed by Charles Mackerras and the Orchestra of St. Luke's (Telarc: 1989).
Painting: Pushkin's Farewell to the Sea, Ivan Aivazovsky & Ilya Repin

Finally for the last collection of fabulous male art, I have selected some of my favorites to share with you this one last time. You will find them on display below. May the good Lord look after you all, catch me on Facebook by clicking on the link to the right, so long, farewell and adieu. And as always, Enjoy!

Sadness and Joy

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Today I was saddened by the news of the loss of Author Patricia Nell Warren. She published the Iconic Gay Novel The Front Runner in 1974, the year before I came out. I discovered the novel shortly after I was summarily dismissed from the Navy for being Gay. The novel was a wonderment to me, an honest to god romance between two people deeply in love who both happened to be men and athletes.

The first line of the novel paraphrased reads "I remember the first time I met Billy Sive". I personally remember the first time I read the novel and the last and all the times in between. I was thrilled a couple of years ago when Will got me autographed copies of the entire trilogy for my birthday. I immediately sat down and read the whole thing again. They are books that cannot be put down and which touch your soul.

For the first time since the Navy pretty much destroyed my life, The Front Runner gave me hope for a future beyond the bleakness of the present. For the first time, someone other than me knew exactly how I felt. The longing and the loneliness of always looking but being never being able to touch. She also knew the joy that springs from love abounding between two souls who are meant to be together. I had no hope at the time and this little glimmer of hope wrapped in joy between two paperback covers was a salve to my soul that was so deeply rent.

I have been fortunate to have been Facebook Friends with Patricia for some years now and have enjoyed several conversations via the electronic airwaves, though we have never met in person. Yet I always knew, she knew exactly what makes me tick and could lift me the depths of sadness to heights of joy with the simple turn of a phrase. She loved a good story and her western heritage. I will always remember Patricia and the love she shared with everyone everywhere. Her body of works, most of which I have read, have brought the joy of the story of true love between persons of the same sex to millions of readers around the world. I am Sad that Patricia has passed from our lives, but we have the Joy that she left behind in all those wonderful books that shall live forever.

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Your musical selection for the day reflects the tone of the day as evidenced by the liner notes from the Videographer:

"A recording of the complete Cello Sonatas by Vivaldi on period instruments! Antonio Vivaldi was one of the first composers to feature the cello, then a relatively “new” instrument (after the viola da gamba), as a mature solo instrument. This full recording contains the complete 6 sonatas for cello and basso continuo. Vivaldi displays an astonishing variety and inventiveness in these sonatas, using the instrument’s possibilities to the utmost; these sonatas still offer a serious challenge, both technical and musical, for any professional cellist nowadays. Apart from that they are vintage Vivaldi, featuring an enormous range of emotional extremes, from deep heartfelt sadness to infectious joy."

The complete play list:

00:00:00 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 47: I. Largo
00:03:28 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 47: II. Allegro
00:06:43 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 47: III. Largo
00:10:52 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 47: IV. Allegro
00:12:48 Cello Sonata in F Major, RV 41: I. Largo
00:16:19 Cello Sonata in F Major, RV 41: II. Allegro
.00:18:51 Cello Sonata in F Major, RV 41: III. Largo
00:22:27 Cello Sonata in F Major, RV 41: IV. Allegro
00:24:56 Cello Sonata in A Minor, RV 43: I. Largo
.00:29:21 Cello Sonata in A Minor, RV 43: II. Allegro
00:32:53 Cello Sonata in A Minor, RV 43: III. Largo
00:37:11 Cello Sonata in A Minor, RV 43: IV. Allegro
00:40:13 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 45: I. Largo
00:43:32 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 45: II. Allegro
00:46:12 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 45: III. Largo
00:51:00 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 45: IV. Allegro
00:53:42 Cello Sonata in E Minor, RV 40: I. Largo
00:56:24 Cello Sonata in E Minor, RV 40: II. Allegro
00:58:51 Cello Sonata in E Minor, RV 40: III. Largo
01:01:10 Cello Sonata in E Minor, RV 40: IV. Allegro
01:03:38 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 46: I. Preludio. Largo
01:05:37 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 46: II. Allemande. Allegro
01:08:26 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 46: III. Largo
01:11:22 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 46: IV. Corrente. Allegro

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Finally for today, these photographic art works on display below reflect a certain subtle sensuality without being overtly sexual. Each portrait has its own mystery and allure that will draw the viewer in for a closer inspection. Despite the Sadness in the world today, we may all experience a moment of Joy as we are swept into the vision each portrait suggests. Thank you for visiting, do come again and as always, Enjoy!

Video Resurgence

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 18:27:00 +0000

"Sunset over Benbrook Lake near my house"

Once upon a time, about seven years ago now I suppose it is, I made a series of videos for publication here on Nichevo and on my YouTube Channel. The videos achieved some popularity and even some nefarious notices by folks of the puritan persuasion. One video, Summer Nights' Fantasy, drew such nefarious notice that the puritans persuaded YouTube to remove the video. Strangely, it stayed up on my channel until just this month when it was removed because some puritan complained loudly enough that it was not "appropriate" for YouTube's audiences. Perhaps the suggestion that Men may be found to be as erotically posed as are Women, especially when set to music, is such a turn on to them that they feel they must suppress the evidence just like they suppress their desires. Definitely would not do to have the wife catch them sportin' wood while cruising YouTube videos of sexy men. No, No not at all!

However that is not the point. The point is that the video got noticed because of a resurgence of interest in my videos as evidenced by the numerous compliments via comments on all the videos. The videos have a modest view count of just under 50,000 for the group over the past 7 years since they were made. It really just confirms my belief that not only do I know beauty when I see it, I can display and accentuate that beauty with great classical music. It is gratifying to know after all these years, folks still are inspired by the videos I produced all those many years ago.

Since there has been such a resurgence of interest in my videos, I have a play list of the remaining three videos posted down below for your viewing and listening pleasure. With photographs from my vast collection set to music by Beethoven, Chopin and Vivaldi. So please enjoy the videos while they are still up and before some puritan asshole takes exception to great beauty set to great music. Thanks for your visit, do come again! And as always, Enjoy!

Curiosities

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 21:55:00 +0000

It never ceases to amaze me how many curious things happen on a daily basis. Take the email I got the other day inviting me to contribute as a guest author or otherwise talk about/ link to a Parenting blog that covers the fundamentals of child raising called The Traveling Parent. The point of contact was to publicize a list of 150 restaurants where kids can eat free or cheap, with which I have no problem. However, there may be some of you out there who do have kids who might benefit from the information, if so, click the links. I do not think, however, parents of small children are my target audience!

Another curious thing, how does Rudy Guiliani still have a job? The man would not recognize the truth even if Trump slapped him in the face with it. Of course Trump would not do that because he himself has no clue how to tell the truth in the first place. How this administration ever does anything for anyone other than themselves is a mystery for the ages. The time has come for accountability and for Congress to call for that accountability from the man himself.

I realize putting the Feds back to work is priority one, how could it not be. However the accountability cannot occur with out the Department of Justice. Thousands of Americans are suffering for an unrealistic expectation by a deluded President who thinks he is the Belle of the Ball. He has no care or compassion for anyone other than himself and Congress must bring him to the bar to account for his own massive treasonous actions. Actions that have never been in the best interests of America or Americans.

His latest "success" is the continued ban on Transgender Service Members confirmed by his monstrously conservative Supreme Court. There are thousands of Transgender Troops serving honorably and exceptionally across the entire spectrum of military service. The only difference between them and everyone else is Mr Trump's insistence that they are "not combat effective". I call Bullshit and so should the government. Get out of the personal lives of your citizens and let us all work together to preserve the freedom we all deserve as promised by our Constitution all those years ago.

Curiously, the Object of Derision in the White House is oblivious to anyone and anything that does not get him his way. Why do we have constant lies and obfuscations coming from this administration. The Object of Derision in the White House is an direct result of collusion with and treasonous actions by this administration and the Russians. And the only thing Trump wants is to reward his conspirators at the peoples expense. Congress must stop him in his tracks. Someone has to hoist the bastard on his on petard!

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Now that I am finished ranting, I have some wonderfully relaxing guitar music from Johann Sebastion Bach. Here are the "liner notes" from the videographer:

"J.S. Bach composed no original works for guitar, and although several compositions for lute have been attributed to him, his interest in this expressive instrument appears to have been rather limited, possibly because his mastery and knowledge of it was less extensive than of other instruments, such as the violin and keyboard. However, the 20th century still witnessed an increasing interest in the possibility of performing Bach’s music on the guitar. It was in the late 1920s that Andrés Segovia recorded the Courante of the 3rd Cello Suite, and he followed this with the Chaconne from the Partita No.2 for solo violin, later recording the entire work. Julian Bream and Narciso Yepes also made recordings on the guitar of Bach’s music, but it was John Williams who eventually recorded the complete works for lute. These discs focus particularly on Bach’s Suites for lute – including BWV996, now attributed to his pupil J.L. Krebs. Also included is the complete Partita No.2 for solo violin. To ensure that questions of interpretation were considered thoroughly, these recordings were made following extensive study of 18th century performance practice, as well as secondary sources that discuss how Bach’s music was originally played."

The complete play list is under the video. Scrolling past the video you will find some offerings served up by the Windows 10 Photos app culled from the first part of an album entitled Favorites. Evidently the editors at Microsoft have similarly great eye for beauty as I. I have not explored the entire album as yet as the Favorites album is a highlight reel of the more than 157,000 images on my computer. It will take me a while to go through them, oh what a pleasant task! At any rate the display of male handsomeness is there for you to peruse at your leisure. Thank you for stopping in, please come again. And as always, Enjoy!

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Artist: Luigi Attademo (guitar)

00:00:00 Suite, BWV 996 in E Minor: I. Preludio: Passaggio – Presto

00:02:57 Suite, BWV 996 in E Minor: II. Allemande

00:06:47 Suite, BWV 996 in E Minor: III. Courante

00:09:19 Suite, BWV 996 in E Minor: IV. Sarabande

00:13:31 Suite, BWV 996 in E Minor: V. Bourée

00:14:42 Suite, BWV 996 in E Minor: VI. Giga

00:17:32 Suite, BWV 1006 in E: I. Präludium

0:21:40 Suite, BWV 1006 in E: II. Loure

00:25:10 Suite, BWV 1006 in E: III. Gavotte en Rondeaux

00:28:12 Suite, BWV 1006 in E: IV. Menuett I

00:29:28 Suite, BWV 1006 in E: V. Menuett II

00:31:38 Suite, BWV 1006 in E: VI. Bourée

00:33:12 Suite, BWV 1006 in E: VII. Gigue

00:35:07 Partita, BWV 1004 in D Minor: I. Allemanda

00:42:10 Partita, BWV 1004 in D Minor: II. Corrente

00:44:58 Partita, BWV 1004 in D Minor: III. Sarabanda

00:49:14 Partita, BWV 1004 in D Minor: IV. Giga

00:53:46 Partita, BWV 1004 in D Minor: V. Ciaccona

01:08:07 Suite, BWV 995 in A Minor: I. Prelude

01:13:26 Suite, BWV 995 in A Minor: II. Allemande

01:20:10 Suite, BWV 995 in A Minor: III. Courante

01:22:43 Suite, BWV 995 in A Minor: IV. Sarabande

01:26:46 Suite, BWV 995 in A Minor: V. Gavotte I

01:28:54 Suite, BWV 995 in A Minor: VI. Gavotte II en Rondeaux

01:31:14 Suite, BWV 995 in A Minor: VII. Gigue

01:33:22 Suite, BWV 997 in A Minor: I. Prelude

01:36:46 Suite, BWV 997 in A Minor: II. Fuga

01:44:51 Suite, BWV 997 in A Minor: III. Sarabande

01:50:04 Suite, BWV 997 in A Minor: IV. Giga

01:52:57 Suite, BWV 997 in A Minor: V. Double

01:55:48 Suite, BWV 998 in D: I. Prelude

01:58:34 Suite, BWV 998 in D: II. Fuga

02:03:50 Suite, BWV 998 in D: III. Allegro

02:07:23 Prelude for lute, BWV 999 in D Minor

02:09:05 Fugue, BWV 1000 in A Minor

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Favor, Football, Romance and a Stroke of Luck!

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Fri, 11 Jan 2019 00:46:00 +0000

As I mentioned in my last post, I no longer work for a boss, just my self. I branched out as a freelance personal assistant and have contracted with a company to supply me with clients on a daily basis. This wonderful company is a Texas based company out of Austin called Favor, now in over 100 cities in Texas. I pick up food and deliver it, I go shopping for people, and I can deliver just about anything in under an hour. In fact, that is the company's tag line "Anything - Delivered!". This adventure in personal assisting has provided some unique experiences, both bad (very few) and good (a lot), then there are those exceptional moments that happen along quite often that makes your day or your week.

As it so happens, the NFL Playoffs are in full swing and my Dallas Cowboys are in the thick of the battle for the crown. Last Saturday, Favor and Football collided with Romance and a stroke of luck to make it a very special day indeed. It was the first day of the playoff with the Cowboys set to take on the Seahawks at Jerry World in the prime time game. I had my Favor shirt on over a Cowboys t-shirt, had my Cowboys jacket and ball cap on and was in full game day mode. I had scheduled myself from 9 to 4 (a perk of working for me!) so as not to miss a moment of the game.

So I am tooling around the trendy restaurants near down town when I get a Favor for one smoothie picking up in SW Ft Worth delivering to Mira Vista. Mira Vista is a walled Country Club Community for the Nouveau riche that is so exclusive a mere dog house behind one of the baronial homes there would run close to a million dollars. Understandably, I was not thrilled with the prospect of a low dollar long distance run, however, I try not to turn down things so off I went.

As I was traveling to pick up the smoothie, the client texts me and said he needed a Favor and sent a screen shot of what he wanted. Now my car answers text messages for me but does not display any photo or screen shot. Now I Run Favors so I said OK without really knowing what he wanted. I got to a pull over point and was going to text him a query about the Favor when I saw the screen shot. Here are his instructions:

"Ask for (wife) and tell her 'She is a finalist in the Cowboys Playoff Roundup. All you have to do is answer one questions correctly... Who is the most awesomest husband ever?...(her husband of course!) YOU HAVE JUST WON A TICKET TO THE GAME TONIGHT WITH (BEST FRIEND). THE CAR SERVICE WILL PICK YOU UP AT 5. Your husband loves you!'"

Now as you all know I am a hopeless romantic and a die hard Cowboys fan, how could I say no to such a romantic thing to do for his wife. So of course now I was on a mission to facilitate romance for a couple of Cowboy fans. I took of my Favor Shirt so I was all decked out in Cowboy gear and did exactly as instructed. The husband answered the door and called his wife to the door. She was suitably surprised and I am sure he was well rewarded for his romanticism, especially given the Cowboys victory in a stellar performance by all involved. He was behind his wife recording the whole thing on his cell phone and he tipped me $20 for pulling it off so well which of course made me very happy as well.

Now here is where the stroke of luck comes in to play. I have not had my hair cut in some time because my stylist left the salon where I had been going and I hadn't bothered to find another. As I was walking up to the smoothie place, my stylist comes running out the door of the salon next door and wraps me in a big hug and we visited a bit. I grabbed her number so I can get my hair cut and then went on to facilitate romance on a grand scale. It did not matter what happened the rest of the day, I had had a ball making Cowboys Playoff Football Romantic for some true fans, and I was happy as a pig in a poke.

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For your listening pleasure today, I have a real treat in store for you all from someone who is among the most revered virtuosos of all time. Nicolò Paganini was a true musical legend of his era, inspiring musicians such as Robert Schumann to forge his own career as a pianist. Franz Schubert was also a regular audience member at Paganini’s concerts, despite the outlandish ticket prices.

Paganini often remarked that, despite his legendary status as a violinist, he found it rather difficult to compose for the instrument. This release presents Paganini's complete violin concertos, performed by violinist Alexandre Dubach accompanied by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo. This recording features two conductors, Lawrence Foster and Michel Sasson. The complete play list is under the video.

00:00:00 Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Minor: I. Allegro maestoso
00:16:44 Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Minor: II. Adagio flebile con sentimento
00:23:25 Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Minor: III. Rondo galante. Andantino gaio
00:34:10 Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 6: I. Allegro maestoso
00:54:15 Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 6: II. Adagio espressivo
00:59:28 Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 6: III. Rondo: allegro spirituoso
01:09:08 Violin Concerto No. 3 in E Major: I. Introduzione. Andantino - Allegro marziale
01:26:57 Violin Concerto No. 3 in E Major: II. Adagio. Cantabile spianato
01:34:13 Violin Concerto No. 3 in E Major: III. Polacca. Andantino vivace
01:46:22 Violin Concerto No. 6 in E Minor: I. Risoluto
02:07:04 Violin Concerto No. 6 in E Minor: II. Adagio
02:13:59 Violin Concerto No. 6 in E Minor: III. Rondo ossia polonese
02:25:27 Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Minor: I. Allegro maestoso
02:44:27 Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Minor: II. Andante un poco sostenuto
02:53:03 Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Minor: III. Rondo
03:03:37 Violin Concerto No. 2 in B Minor, Op. 7: I. Allegro maestoso
03:19:05 Violin Concerto No. 2 in B Minor, Op. 7: II. Adagio
03:26:05 Violin Concerto No. 2 in B Minor, Op. 7: III. Ronde à la clochette

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Finally for today. I am still discovering various neat little things about the newest version of Windows 10. One of the neatest is contained within the Photos App native to the OS. It takes your photos and create little albums with titles like Days in Tekapo or Trip to Rodrigues, or simply a date. You have the options to keep or remove the albums, and I usually keep them. The app culled through my more than 150,000 images on my computer and so far created 9 albums for me. A prime example is the album posted below which is titled Friday July 1, 2016. I think you will find these men all stunningly attractive, each in their own special way. Peruse them at you leisure. I will share more of these albums as we go along on the journey that is Nichevo. Thanks for stopping in, do call again and as always, Enjoy!

Life in a New Light

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 21:22:00 +0000

It has been much too long since I have appeared in these pages. I have no excuses but I do have a "lotta 'splainin' to do. For those too young to remember, that is a famous quote from the 50's TV Hit I Love Lucy. Anyhow, It has been a long journey from where I was then to where I am today. It has not been an easy journey, but thanks to some really wonderful people who have stepped into my life, I am able to stand here today unafraid to take on whatever the world has for me.

This past Holiday Season was good for Will and I. We both decided what we wanted and told the other so there was not a lot of mystery there. However both Will and I were able to surprise the other with some thing special neither of us knew about.which added its own special touch. My gift was a new SSD for my computer. After somewhat of a struggle, Will got the drive installed over the weekend with the latest and greatest from Windows 10. However when moving things around I broke the SATA cables to the other two drives. I have all my data, I just can't access it until the new SATA cables arrive today. Therefore there will be no additional photo phenoms for you to view at the end of this post.

When last we talked, I was on the road to making a claim for compensation for what the Navy did tome 43 years ago. The effort was in vain. It became painfully obvious that my VA Counselor wanted nothing to do with my claim. A former Marine, he mishandled and misfiled my claim and lied to me about it's status for a year. The result was a denial which sent me into a bit of a tailspin mentally that took me some months from which to recover, Thankfully I did recover thanks to my therapy group at Stay the Course Veterans Services.

I then embarked on a second attempt with the DAV as my representative. The claim was again not totally correct in its filing and I got the same result. I spent several years in therapy to get to the point where I could write the letter stating my case with a lotta help from my therapist. on the exact 43rd anniversary of the first time they screwed me, they did it again. They called my submission irrelevant and immaterial and did not change their feelings about the matter at all. I was devastated once again, immediately returning to that day in 1975 when it all went down the first time. the shame and humiliation and the callousness with which I was treated all returned full force. It again took some time to get over it with help from my therapy group. This is not to say I am happy with the results, but that seems to be my lot in life, to be screwed mercilessly by the government while they laugh in my face. I guess I should get used to grabbing my ankles and asking for more whenever dealing with a government entity.

That is not to say there has been no good things happen. I no longer work for the man but for myself. I just finished my first year, showed a profit and actually brought in twice the revenue in 2018 than I did in 2017 working for someone else. Will and I have grown into a real family of choice which stands together against the world. It will take some time to decompress all that has happened since last we communed. But that is something for later posts of which there will be many I hope.

I thank those of you who have come back to these pages looking for something new. Well I am here, and hope to clarify my thoughts as I attempt to make my life story into a book perhaps someone might want to read. But that is enough for today. I will not promise a daily post, I do promise to post on as regular basis as time will allow.

For your Musical Moment of the day, you will find a "recording of the complete Cello Sonatas by Vivaldi on period instruments! Antonio Vivaldi was one of the first composers to feature the cello, then a relatively “new” instrument (after the viola da gamba), as a mature solo instrument. This full recording contains the complete 6 sonatas for cello and basso continuo. Vivaldi displays an astonishing variety and inventiveness in these sonatas, using the instrument’s possibilities to the utmost; these sonatas still offer a serious challenge, both technical and musical, for any professional cellist nowadays. Apart from that they are vintage Vivaldi, featuring an enormous range of emotional extremes, from deep heartfelt sadness to infectious joy." There will be a play list under the video. Thank you for sticking around, may you come back again soon. Until next time as always, Enjoy!

00:00:00 Cello Sonata in B-Fflat Major, RV 47: I. Largo
00:03:28 Cello Sonata in B-Fflat Major, RV 47: II. Allegro
00:06:43 Cello Sonata in B-Fflat Major, RV 47: III. Largo
00:10:52 Cello Sonata in B-Fflat Major, RV 47: IV. Allegro
00:12:48 Cello Sonata in F Major, RV 41: I. Largo
00:16:19 Cello Sonata in F Major, RV 41: II. Allegro
00:18:51 Cello Sonata in F Major, RV 41: III. Largo
00:22:27 Cello Sonata in F Major, RV 41: IV. Allegro
00:24:56 Cello Sonata in A Minor, RV 43: I. Largo
00:29:21 Cello Sonata in A Minor, RV 43: II. Allegro
00:32:53 Cello Sonata in A Minor, RV 43: III. Largo
00:37:11 Cello Sonata in A Minor, RV 43: IV. Allegro
00:40:13 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 45: I. Largo
00:43:32 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 45: II. Allegro
00:46:12 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 45: III. Largo
00:51:00 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 45: IV. Allegro
00:53:42 Cello Sonata in E Minor, RV 40: I. Largo
00:56:24 Cello Sonata in E Minor, RV 40: II. Allegro
00:58:51 Cello Sonata in E Minor, RV 40: III. Largo
01:01:10 Cello Sonata in E Minor, RV 40: IV. Allegro
01:03:38 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 46: I. Preludio. Largo
01:05:37 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 46: II. Allemande. Allegro
01:08:26 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 46: III. Largo
01:11:22 Cello Sonata in B-Flat Major, RV 46: IV. Corrente. Allegro

Life in the Fast Lane, Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Mon, 22 May 2017 19:00:00 +0000

My life has continued in its breakneck pace as I try to take care of everyday things and get ready for my trip. Hence the lateness of this post that really should have been up yesterday, but... life intervened, lol! Anyway I have been spread thin and I have tried to cover all the bases before I am scheduled to leave. Will is staying home and because he is less than adequate, shall we say, when it comes to cooking, I have had to come up with menu items that he can reheat in the oven or microwave. So I have selected a few of his favorites like my taco mix and orange chicken to double cook on this week. I have also provided some hot pockets, pizza and a couple of cafe steamer things as well as extra cereal, peanut butter and hot dogs. I think he will not starve to death while I am gone so I am pretty much set for the trip except for the packing.

I was able to catch up on most everything else over the weekend which frees me up to concentrate on work and resting up for the drive to Virginia. Now if I can just get the world to not depend on me so much this week, maybe I can get outta here on time and escape to the beach where they can't find me. I am looking forward to a week of RNR as well as catching up with some old friends back on the east coast. It is the first real vacation I have taken in years ('stay-cations' don't count) and I think it is about time I took one. My mind set right now reminds me of a movie title from way too many years ago "Stop the World! I Want to Get Off!!" and I mean that figuratively of course. However a week without real responsibilities other than eat, sleep and have a good time will do me wonders I bet. Then I can come back refreshed and ready to deal with my real world once again. Let's hope it works 😉!!

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For your listening pleasure today I have a compilation video of The Best Classical Adagios Ever as presented by Classical Tunes with works by 7 different composers included. I also liked the photo used in video as it fits the vacation state of mind theme I have going today. You will find the complete play list under the video.

Francesco Geminiani - Preludio / Sarabanda, from Concerto No. 8 in e minor
J.S.Bach - Andante from Harpsichord & Cello SonataBWV 1028
Tomaso Albinoni - Adagio / Grave, from Symphony a Cinque in A Major, Op. 2/3
Francesco Geminiani - Preludio, from Concerto No. 9 in A Major
Zipoli - Adagio for Oboe, Cello, Organ & Strings
Georg Friedrich Handel - Largo, from the Opera “XERXES”
Francesco Antonio Bonporti - Adagio Assai - Concerto a Quattro in F Major, Op. 11/5
Francesco Geminiani - Preludio / Sarabanda, from Concerto No. 10 in F Major
J.S.Bach - Sinfonia from Cantata 156
J.S.Bach - Sinfonia from Cantata 21
J.S.Bach - Adagio, from Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, BWV 1051
Georg Friedrich Handel - Larghetto, from Lute & Harp Concerto Op/6
Tomaso Albinoni - Adagio / Grave, from Symphony a Cinque Op. 2/6
Antonio Vivaldi - Concerto a 4 “Madrigalesco” in d minor, RV 129

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Finally for today, I have a few scrumptious speci-Men frolicking about in a vacation state of mind down below for your perfect perusing pass time. Thanks for the visit, we will commune here once again upon my return. Oh, and as always, Enjoy!

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Mother's Day and Other Things

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Mon, 15 May 2017 04:00:00 +0000

In the United States, the second Sunday in May is celebrated annually as Mother's Day. I have had my issues with this day for many a year as I was saying in last week's post. However, while the celebration of Motherhood and Mothers' contribution to society is good, the commercialization of the holiday drove the founding Mother of Mother's Day crazy. She protested for many years and was even arrested for disturbing the peace. I can feel her frustration, having been the subject of command performance celebrations over the years.

I spent most of the day trying to ignore the fact, but you can't really ignore the day, it is everywhere. You can't get near a restaurant without waiting in a line, and everyone tries to get in on the act somehow. I did pretty good until I woke up from my nap this afternoon only to have to fight off a panic attack for the first couple of hours until my medicine kicked in. Then my friend called who needed a little help and off I went to get out of my past self and into living in the present again. Even with therapy and medicine, sometimes my mind just bush wacks me.

Just recently I have been contacted by a woman who is the author of Jen Reviews. She ran across this post from nearly 2 years ago in which I describing the career of Clara Schumann who was the first recognized female composer while also being the wife of composer Robert Schumann and a Mother to her children. Clara spent a lot of time in Austria as did most anyone who was anyone in music back then made it to Vienna and/or Salzburg. It was my reference to Austria that triggered her interest. Jen on her web is pretty straight forward as on the home page she states "On this site you will find: In-depth, no-BS reviews, Clever life hacks, and Practical money-saving tips. Each article is typically upwards of 5,000 to 10,000 words. My goal is to recommend only the best product to you and to give you the one-stop resource you need to make the best decision for you and your family."

Her 100 Best Things to do in Austria is a comprehensive guide to everything good and beautiful in that country. Her site does more than travel reviews and I will need some more time to discover all her site has to offer. Take some time to pay her a visit at Jen Reviews, tell her Uncle Gerry sent you.

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Now because it is Mother's Day, I thought I would reprise the Piano Works of Clara Schumann which I used in the post from back in 2015. It is fitting to listen to music written by a Mother on Mother's Day, the complete play list is after the video. It is late and I am going to close this out by saying Happy Mother's Day to those who are Mothers past, present and those who hope to be. Oh and until next time as always. Enjoy!

0:00 Sonate in G minor: I Allegro
8:20 Sonate in G minor: II Adagio
11:30 Sonate in G minor: III Scherzo
14:06 Sonate in G minor: IV Rondo
19:36 Romanze in B minor (Langsam)
25:04 Impromptu in E major (Allegro ma non troppo)
27:29 Romanze in A minor
32:20 Scherzo Op.10 in D minor (Scherzo con passione Presto)
37:04 Deuxieme Scherzo Op.14 in C minor (Con fuoco)
41:12 Präludium in F minor (Im lebhaften tempo)
42:55 Soirees musicales Op.6 I Toccatina in A minor (Presto)
44:55 Soirees musicales Op.6 II Notturno in F major (Andante con moto)
49:42 Soirees musicales Op.6 III Mazurka in G minor (Moderato)
53:18 Soirees musicales Op.6 IV Ballade in D minor (Andante con moto)
59:27 Soirees musicales Op.6 V Mazurka in G major (Con moto)
1:01:53 Soirees musicales Op.6 VI Polonaise in A minor (Non troppo Allegro)
1:05:33 Etude in A flat major
1:07:25 Marsch in E flat major (Lebendig)

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"The Merry Month Of May"

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Mon, 08 May 2017 01:00:00 +0000

When I was growing up, May was always a big deal around my house. First there was Mother's Day with all the religious reverence for motherhood on ample display at church followed a week or so later by Mother's birthday. Both reasons for much celebration in my early life. Then once we got through all that, then finally it was my turn for a celebration of my own birthday 8 days after Mother's. This usually coincides with Memorial Day Weekend with some years Memorial Day actually being my birthday. I always thought the Nation took a holiday because it was my birthday before I was old enough to understand the significance of the holiday.

In my adult years, it was much the same except Mother's Day and her birthday were now command performances complete with appropriate attire, flowers, gift or both. After the Navy and I parted ways, those days remained command performances, but were anything but joyous celebrations for me. The days events usually ended up in heartache and tears all the way home, so much so that just the thought of May approaching brought dread into my heart. No one remembered my birthday except my Mother. That was only if I had made the right genuflections and applied the appropriate bribe for her good favor. That even got fewer and further between as the chasm widened by my Mother's refusal to accept and deal with reality. The first two years after Dad died, she didn't remember at all. So getting to Memorial Day Weekend was a marathon of highly charged emotions and undue expense to be survived. The celebration was because I got through another May.

After Dad died, I really did just disappear from family life. I was not informed, invited or required to put in an appearance. This is because of my Mother's mastery of if we don't say it, acknowledge it or believe it, then it is not so, can't be so and will not be believed to be so, all in accordance with the strictest of Southern Baptist Religious Propriety and Southern Decorum. I finally quit going and saved myself the heart ache and tears until Mother's later years when she made a half hearted attempt to include me in things for appearances sake.

There is more than enough heartache, tears and of course guilt now that she is gone to weigh any ten people down, not just me. Now the family ignores me unless it is absolutely necessary. I say good riddance because now I have reasons to celebrate in May.

My buddy Steeler Joe has a birthday on the 10th, Will has his on the 17th and them mine is the 27th. All happy occasions to celebrate. This year I am doing it up right and actually going on a real vacation. I am driving up to visit my old friend Steve R in Virginia Beach and stay for a few days. I have reservations at the Hilton. I am on vacation and Steve does have triplet 11 year old boys, so I thought a hotel was the best move. That way Steve and I can catch up but I don't put a big stumbling block in the family routine as far as the boys go. I am so looking forward to it. I am leaving on the 25th and returning June 1. I will not be posting that weekend but promise pictures and stories when I return. So here's to a very Merry Month of May all around for everyone!

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For your listening pleasure we again visit with an Italian Baroque Master and one of my all time favorite composers: Antonio Lucio Vivaldi. The mandolin was essentially the instrument of amateur musicians in the early to mid 18th century. Vivaldi composed many concerti and trios for the young ladies of the Ospiedale della Pieta – including the famous G major RV532, which must rank as one of his most popular works after the Four Seasons.

The concerti and trios on this CD make a delightful program, written for the pleasure of gifted students and patrons, full of the hallmarks of Vivaldian style that will not disappoint those who love the famous Four Seasons violin concertos from his Op.8 set. Simple, catchy melodies abound, in both still and often poignant slow movements as well as sparky fast movements.

This recording was released in 2009 on the Brilliant Classics label by L'Arte dell'Arco under the baton of Federico Guglielmo. Frederico Gugliemo studied with Salvatore Accardo, Isaac Stern and The Amadeus, LaSalle and Quartetto Italiano string quartets before turning to period instrument performance under the guidance of Christopher Hogwood. A complete track listing is below the video.

00:00:00 Concerto for 2 mandolins, strings and continuo in G Major RV 532
00:03:54 Concerto for 2 mandolins, strings and continuo in G Major RV 532
00:08:15 Concerto for 2 mandolins, strings and continuo in G Major RV 532
00:11:48 Concerto for mandolin, strings and continuo in C Major RV 425
00:14:26 Concerto for mandolin, strings and continuo in C Major RV 425
00:17:44 Concerto for mandolin, strings and continuo in C Major RV 425
00:19:57 Trio for Violin, lute and basso in g Minor RV 85
00:24:00 Trio for Violin, lute and basso in g Minor RV 85
00:27:01 Trio for Violin, lute and basso in g Minor RV 85
00:28:53 Concerto for 2 Violin, lute and basso in D Major RV 93
00:32:22 Concerto for 2 Violin, lute and basso in D Major RV 93
00:36:33 Concerto for 2 Violin, lute and basso in D Major RV 93
00:38:44 Trio for Violin, lute and basso in C Major RV 82
00:42:51 Trio for Violin, lute and basso in C Major RV 82
00:45:54 Trio for Violin, lute and basso in C Major RV 82
00:47:52 Concerto for Viola d’amore, lute, strings and basso in d Minor RV 540
00:53:13 Concerto for Viola d’amore, lute, strings and basso in d Minor RV 540
00:56:15 Concerto for Viola d’amore, lute, strings and basso in d Minor RV 540
00:59:47 Concerto for harpsichord, strings and continuo in A Major RV 780
01:03:30 Concerto for harpsichord, strings and continuo in A Major RV 780
01:05:40 Concerto for harpsichord, strings and continuo in A Major RV 780

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To close out the day I once again have just one model and only three photographs of one amazingly beautiful young man. The young man in question definitely has some Latin heritage in there somewhere be it Italian or Hispanic, it is all beautiful and surging with life. Scroll down and peruse at your leisure. Thank you for your visit, do come again and as always, Enjoy!

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When Life Gets in the Way

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Mon, 01 May 2017 03:15:00 +0000


Sandy Beach at Sunset, Oahu, HI

I began today with the express purpose of getting this blog post done, but somehow life got in my way as it has all week. Needless to say, I have not any planned words of wisdom to share with you, but I did manage to come up with both Music and Men before life became a major distraction in the middle of my day. Hopefully, next week my time will not be at a platinum premium price and I can continue the saga of My Life whence we meet again. Until then, please enjoy the aural and visual pleasures prepared for you as you scroll down the page.

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For your listening pleasure today we delve into Italian Baroque for a visit with Tomaso Albinoni. String instruments and especially the violin demanded a key position in Baroque music particularly in Italy. Like many of his contemporaries Tomaso Albinoni composed a large number of pieces for string ensemble and many concertos for the violin.

With his concertos for one and two oboes Albinoni more or less introduced a new genre. He is the first Italian known to employ the oboe as a solo instrument in concerti (c. 1715, in his 12 concerti a cinque, op. 7) and publish such works,although earlier concerti featuring solo oboe were probably written by German composers such as Telemann or Händel. He did not copy Vivaldi’s violin concerto form but for both form and style drew on his vast experience as an opera composer.

Today's recording is a most entertaining Baroque music concert elegantly performed by the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra under Nicol Matt, with Stefan Schilli, oboe, and Tanja Becker-Bender, violin. The complete play list may be found under the video.

00:00:00 Concerto a cinque, Op. 9/2: D Minor for Solo Oboe and Strings: Allegro non presto
00:03:43 Concerto a cinque, Op. 9/2: D Minor for Solo Oboe and Strings: Adagio
00:07:57 Concerto a cinque, Op. 9/2: D Minor for Solo Oboe and Strings: Allegro
00:10:48 Concerto, Op. 7/2: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
00:12:49 Concerto, Op. 7/2: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Adagio
00:13:49 Concerto, Op. 7/2: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
00:15:40 Concerto, Op. 7/6: D Major for Oboe Solo and Strings: Allego
00:18:21 Concerto, Op. 7/6: D Major for Oboe Solo and Strings: Adagio
00:20:01 Concerto, Op. 7/6: D Major for Oboe Solo and Strings: Allegro
00:22:15 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/9: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
00:26:15 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/9: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Adagio
00:28:45 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/9: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
00:32:14 Concerto, Op. 7/8: D Major for two Oboes and Strings: (no tempo)
00:34:32 Concerto, Op. 7/8: D Major for two Oboes and Strings: Largo
00:36:30 Concerto, Op. 7/8: D Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
00:38:16 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/5: C Major for Oboe and Strings: Allegro
00:41:36 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/5: C Major for Oboe and Strings: Adagio
00:43:33 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/5: C Major for Oboe and Strings: Allegro
00:46:42 Concerto, Op. 7/3: B-Flat Major for Oboe Solo and Strings: Allegro
00:49:29 Concerto, Op. 7/3: B-Flat Major for Oboe Solo and Strings: Adagio
00:51:32 Concerto, Op. 7/3: B-Flat Major for Oboe Solo and Strings: Allegro
00:53:45 Concerto, Op. 9/3: F Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
00:58:15 Concerto, Op. 9/3: F Major for two Oboes and Strings: Adagio
01:00:29 Concerto, Op. 9/3: F Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
01:04:25 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/11: B-Flat Major for Oboe and Strings: Allegro
01:08:28 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/11: B-Flat Major for Oboe and Strings: Adagio
01:11:08 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/11: B-Flat Major for Oboe and Strings: Allegro
01:14:28 Concerto, Op. 7/11: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
01:17:15 Concerto, Op. 7/11: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Adagio
01:19:06 Concerto, Op. 7/11: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
01:21:42 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/8: G Minor for Oboe Solo and Strings: Allegro
01:25:43 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/8: G Minor for Oboe Solo and Strings: Adagio
01:27:49 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/8: G Minor for Oboe Solo and Strings: Allegro
01:31:27 Concerto, Op. 7/5: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
01:33:19 Concerto, Op. 7/5: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Adagio
01:34:48 Concerto, Op. 7/5: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
01:36:09 Concerto, Op. 7/9: F Major for Oboe Solo and Strings: Allegro
01:38:39 Concerto, Op. 7/9: F Major for Oboe Solo and Strings: Adagio
01:39:36 Concerto, Op. 7/9: F Major for Oboe Solo and Strings: Allegro
01:41:59 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/6: G Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
01:45:36 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/6: G Major for two Oboes and Strings: Adagio
01:47:59 Concerto à 5, Op. 9/6: G Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
01:51:00 Concerto, Op. 7/12: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
01:53:56 Concerto, Op. 7/12: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Adagio
01:55:55 Concerto, Op. 7/12: C Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
01:58:07 Concerto, Op. 9/12: D Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
02:01:16 Concerto, Op. 9/12: D Major for two Oboes and Strings: Adagio
02:03:26 Concerto, Op. 9/12: D Major for two Oboes and Strings: Allegro
02:04:56 Concerto for Violin and Strings, Op. 9/1: B-Flat Major: Allegro
02:08:09 Concerto for Violin and Strings, Op. 9/1: B-Flat Major: Adagio
02:09:55 Concerto for Violin and Strings, Op. 9/1: B-Flat Major: Allegro
02:12:23 Concerto, Op. 9/10 in F Major for Violin and Strings: Allegro
02:15:52 Concerto, Op. 9/10 in F Major for Violin and Strings: Adagio
02:19:15 Concerto, Op. 9/10 in F Major for Violin and Strings: Allegro
02:22:44 Concerto, Op. 9/7: D Major for Violin and Strings: Allegro
02:26:14 Concerto, Op. 9/7: D Major for Violin and Strings: Andante e sempre piano
02:33:51 Concerto, Op. 9/7: D Major for Violin and Strings: Allegro
02:36:32 Concerto, Op. 9/4: A Major for Violin and Strings: Allegro
02:39:58 Concerto, Op. 9/4: A Major for Violin and Strings: Adagio
02:42:16 Concerto, Op. 9/4: A Major for Violin and Strings: Allegro

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Finally for today I have but one extraordinary model to display in a series of photographs by Mark Leighton. This series of photographic portraits perfectly illustrates the timeless incandescent beauty of youth. For those of you so inclined scroll on down and peruse them at your leisure. And all of you, thank you for the visit, come again and often and as always, Enjoy!

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From Dusk 'til Dawn

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 00:35:00 +0000


Dallas At Dusk

I have been a lazy slug today, way too lazy. I did get up around 9 this morning. I did the preliminary work on this post, putting together the music and the men, but then came an early lunch. This was followed with a supposed short nap. Ha! I woke up somewhat after 5 pm. Needless to say, productivity was nowhere in the picture. However as it approaches dusk here in the Metroplex, I still have the main body of the post to write. Unfortunately I am at a fairly uninteresting portion of My Life (to me anyway). The last couple of years in junior high school were a mixed bag of highs and lows where my bi-polareity began to assert itself as I began to realize who and what I was which was in no way what I could be. Talk about sexuality was not allowed, much less discussed in my home. I got no "birds and bees" talk, in fact the only 'sex ed' we got at the time came from the Southern Baptist Church which was basically don't until marriage. I never got the premarital speech from Dad because I never married. I had to discover myself in an age before the internet with precious little valid information available. Naturally my internal feelings did not match my religious and familial upbringing and the reconciliation of the two polar opposites left me mostly in a quandary.

When it came time for high school, most of my friends and church mates were going to the school for our district Polytechnic High School. However both my Mother and Father attended Technical High School which became Green B Trimble Technical High School after the founding principal died the year before my older brother entered studies there. One interesting note there, my brother's first year was also the first year any school in the Fort Worth Independent School District was integrated and Trimble Tech was the first school to do so. By the time I arrived two years later it was old hat and just a part of life. Much like the arguments for Gay Rights today, the arguments against integration evaporated in the reality of life and people being just people, no matter who they were. We had leaders among the students who were White, Black and Hispanic as well as teachers. When we had the first male to run for Cheerleader and win, the whole 'he must be a fag' thing went around, but he was really good and he won. Back to my point, I really did not want to go to Tech, I had no burning desire to learn a trade and I knew virtually no one who was going there. However there was no choice to be made, my Mother signed me up for Tech and chose business classes for my courses the first year. I was signed up for marching band which luckily for me was the only class time I shared with my older brother who was a senior at the time. I as a sophomore was not allowed into such a high social stratosphere, but I did OK, coming in 2nd for Class Favorite at the end of the year. However I still felt overshadowed by my older brother. That was going to end with his graduation which could come none too soon for me.

I started to come into my own, although I was still very confused sexually and heavily closeted. At the end of the year I ran for Drum Major and came in Second which made me the Assistant Drum Major. This bode well for the beginning of my final two years in high school, a new dawn if you would. I had made friends as I am basically good being friendly and listening to others while masking my own inner turmoil. But I was going to get my moment in sun with out an over shadow for the first time in my life. I was looking forward to it while living in terror of someone getting to know the 'real me'. Next week, I will get into my last two years of high school which are a story in and of themselves.

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For your listening pleasure, today's playlist is a review of one of the 19th Century's most prominent Piano Virtuosi and Composer with his most recognized works. Sigismond Thalberg was believed to be the illegitimate son of the aristocracy born in Switzerland although his birth certificate reads Frankfurt-am-Main. Whatever the circumstance of his birth, his music is wonderfully melodic and beautifully inspiring. We begin the review with the piece most often heard on classical stations today, his Berceuse or Cradle Song performed here by Guiseppe Devastato. From the cradle, we move to the salon with Thalberg's Grande Sonate in C-minor, Op.56 (1844) Dedicated to Charles Louis, Duc de lucques, Infant d´Espagne with a performance by Adrian Ruiz. Next up is his most ambitious work, the Piano Concerto in F-minor, Op.5 (1830) here wonderfully performed by Francesco Nicolosi accompanied by the Razumovsky Symphony Orchestra. We stay with Signori Nicolosi for the conclusion to our review with Thalberg's Les Soirées de Pausilippe, Op. 75. A Tribute to Rossini : 24 Musical Thoughts.

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Finally for today are four exquisite photographic portraits from my collection of photographs which most impressed from the Eyecatcher blog. Each portrait permits the viewer to intimately commune with the subjects who fairly overflow with vibrant life and subtle sensuality. Thanks for the visit, do come again and as always, Enjoy!

Easter, Basketball, Bottesini & Boys

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Sun, 16 Apr 2017 22:30:00 +0000


Bald Eagle in Flight, Alaska

Happy Easter to those who observe the holiday and Happy Sunday to the rest of you. I have been trying to ignore the fact that it is Easter as this was one of those 'required' holidays where one must appear, dressed appropriately for the holiday and bearing gifts if required by custom or decorum according to madre mine. I understand the religious significance of the holiday but I have never figured out where the Easter bunny fits into that scenario although he seemed to make regular appearances at our house before we had to head off to church. We were allowed a little chocolate before hand but no more then until after 3 hours of church and then lunch. Then there is the fashion event created by those darn capitalists who are never slow to take advantage of a good thing or a cheap gimmick. It is the fashion equivalent of Christmas come springtime as far as fashion sales are concerned. Much to the dismay of many a husband, father or son who is forced to participate in the farce.

I was reminded of all of this by my good buddy's visit earlier today. Steeler Joe is of a fan of the second most odious of all the Dallas Cowboys rivals behind the Washington Redskins, the Pittsburgh Steelers, yet we remain the best of friends oddly enough. SJ came over to avoid the Catholic version of the Easter show at a Cathedral near you (as opposed to the Southern Baptist show I grew up with). He and I are both sports fans and that is where we have much in common as well as other social activities. In our conversation he mentioned the basketball playoffs. I don't follow basketball for a number of reasons, most of them surrounding my experiences in the Spring of 1964 during my one required semester of Physical Education. In the fall, I was in marching band, but come springtime I had to pay my penance with a semester of P. E.

For a short, slightly chubby, asthmatic who could not run, budding gay boy with body issues, it was equivalent to a semester in hell. Not only were you forced to participate in things you did not yet understand and perform physical acts that were...shall we say, just not gonna fucking happen, you had to do so willingly and well for any boy points at all. One of those things was basketball which for some reason was a required activity and was always played with a shirts vs skins format. For that same unknown reason, I usually ended up on the skins team no matter into which group I was thrust. I could barely see the backboard much less hit it, could not run, pass or even dribble the ball. Hoping to get something through the net was a pipe dream which shall forever remain unfulfilled.

Then there was the required shower afterward. I had not yet begun to grow down there as it seemed almost everyone else had, some magnificently so. I was embarrassed by my physical condition and body development and humiliated time and again on the court or playing field and in the gym. Yet despite the terror of being caught looking, all I wanted to do was gawk at the nakedness in all its many forms surrounding me. It was demoralizing and fascinating at the same time and I still bear the scars it left on me. It is not an experience I want to repeat although unbelievably I am in better shape now than I was then, mentally and physically. As one of the results of that experience, today I do not follow nor do I care to follow much of anything having to do with basketball. However, shower rooms full of naked men no longer terrorize me but they do remain fascinating.

SJ still had to attend the family picnic slash Easter Egg hunt with a smile after 3 o'clock. This while being surrounded by every rug rat in the family whether he liked them or not. Lucky for me I am no longer required to do any such thing. It is probably better that I am not necessary to make my presence known at family functions any longer. I certainly do not miss the stress of those days. Subconscious memories and a hectic week have played hell with my nerves and my blood pressure this week. Will says I have been 'cranky' and I probably have, but he is trying not to be too much of a nuisance. He is also getting better at understanding what I need in times like this. That is progress for both of us, and I think I will stop on that positive note for today. I will continue with My Life next week.

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If, like many, you have not thought of the Contrabasso (Double Bass) as a solo instrument, then I want to introduce you to someone who might just change your mind. Enter one Giovanni Bottesini, a 19th Century Italian Virtuoso de Contrabasso and Composer. Today's play list will beautifully demonstrate just how versatile the Contrabasso di Bottesini really is. We begin with a brief, tender piece for double bass and piano, the Elegy Number 1 in D performed by Double bass Joel Quarrington and Piano: Andrew Burashko.; followed by the Adagio Melanconico ed Appassionato performed by the same duo. Noiw we will get into some of Bottesini's longer pieces starting with the Capriccio di Bravura with Thomas Martin as the Soloist. The play list continues with the Carnevale di Venezia with and interpretation by Rinat Ibragimov, Principal Double Bass of the LSO from whom we shall here more of later in the program. Things get a bit more exciting and dramatic with the Reverie and Tanantella with a performance by Gary Karr & Harmon Lewis in a Recital sponsored by GDA at Lisbon National Conservatory.. The excitement continues with the Grand Allegro alla Mendohlsson with a performance by Matthew McDonald, double bass and Tomoko Takahashi piano. The music grows even grander with Rinat Ibragimov performing Bottesini's Concerto for Double Bass No 2 in B Minor on an original 3 stringed period instrument by Antonio Gagliano. Then we have the Royal Concertgebouw Kamerorkest, Vesko Eschkenazy, violin and Dominic Seldis, double bass in a live performance of the Gran duo concertante for Violin and Double Bass. We close today's concert with an intimate live recording as Edicson Ruiz plays the Concertino in C minor for double bass & strings recorded live in October 2015, at the Michaelkirchplatz, Berlin accompanied by Marina Chiche, Laura Soria, violin; Alicia Garcia Barrientos,, viola; Anton Peisakhov, violoncello; and Samuel Ortega, double bass.

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Finally for today, I have a series of wonderful photographic pieces of art I had originally selected for a Wet Wednesday post before I took my sabbatical. I know it is not Wednesday, but I think you will let that go as you view these magnificent men splish splashing there way around the world. Thanks for the visit, do come again. I know you are because you are bringing your friends as my stats reveal. I am most grateful for that. So Happy Day to you all and as always, Enjoy!

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Camelot and Chaos

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 01:00:00 +0000

"Camelot"

I was 9 years old in 1960 When John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his running mate Lyndon B. Johnson were elected to the top offices in the land. Kennedy was a Senator and Johnson was Speaker of the House at the time of their election. Johnson passed the Speaker ship to fellow Democrat and Texan Jim Wright. Wright represented the district in which my Mother served as Precinct Chairman and Election Judge. Her relationship with Wright would prove to cause me problems later on down the line.

I was not yet 13 when President Kennedy was struck down presumably by Lee Harvey Oswald upon which there is still some conjecture. Oswald himself was in turn killed in the basement of the Dallas Police station while being transferred to the County Jail by Jack Ruby who later died in jail for the crime.

The years in between JFK's election and his untimely death came to be known as the era of Camelot alluding to the "handsome King" JFK and his "beautiful Queen" Jacqueline. It was a magical time in America that had its fair share of challenges much the same as that time in my life.

During the election however, much of the discussion nationwide was not political but religious. JFK was the first non protestant to run for president. He was a practicing Roman Catholic (even if not always faithful to its tenants). I could not understand the big deal at the time as I had a Catholic girl in my class and she was as nice a person as I could hope to meet. JFK picked Johnson as a running mate for a couple of reasons. Number one, he was Speaker of the House with a large constituency in Texas as well as a Southern coalition that could deliver the Presidency to JFK. Here in Texas, most of the folks voted for Kennedy because of Johnson who was a good ole boy from Texas with a lot of political power which did and still does count for a lot politically here in Texas.

In the Spring of 1961 after Kennedy's inauguration and the first magical 100 days in office. I had the first magical experience of my young life at still the tender age of 9. I was in the fifth grade at Glen Park Elementary School and best friends with a boy named Neal. We had been classmates since first grade and best friends for a couple of years at that time. Neal introduced me to my first sexual experience period not withstanding that he was another boy. I knew and trusted him so when he came to me and said he was going to teach me how to screw, I said OK. Being the naive young fellow I asked him what screwing was while around others and he shushed me then explained later. Typically, it happened at recess and of course in the boys bathroom.

At that time in my life most little boys were into sports and such as well as "being nasty". Basically we all played the game of rack 'em which is where one boy tries to be the first or best to bop another boy in the balls. There was a tall athletic kid in my class named Bobby that was good at everything. One day before my experience with Neal I was behind Bobby in line as we filed into the bathroom after lunch. He had a large bulge in his pants for one his age and I reached around with both hands and grabbed his package and manhandled it rather roughly for a moment where upon he of course groaned. After the queasiness in his stomach passed, he congratulated me for getting him so good which raised my stature among the other boys just a bit. I was sort of chubby and asthmatic as a kid so sports and running were not among my strong points, so I needed whatever "boy points" I could get. Unfortunately I never got to see Bobby's developing package for myself as he drowned accidentally in Lake Arlington the next year.

I often played along with Neal with the girls at recess. We seemed to have more in common and I could play the games they enjoyed. Neal and I had become best friends because we were much the same when it came to sports and having more in common with the girls than the boys. I had already come to realize I was not like other boys but not exactly how and I had already begun to subconsciously feel my Mother's disappointment with me for some reason.

One day at recess Neal and I went to the bathroom which was not unusual for the teacher as we often did everything together. He led me to the last stall and began to explain about "screwing". Neal was a tall boy and had a man size dick if not much hair yet. He took down my pants and underwear and his, laid his dick in the crack of my ass and began to masturbate me. I was amazed at the feelings coursing through my body and my mind was awash with sensation. I did not ejaculate but I had my first dry orgasm which literally drove me to my knees in pleasure. It was the first time I ever thought my "pee pee" could do something besides leak water. It was to be our secret he said, to which I readily agreed. Needless to say I was worthless at recess when we returned but I really did not care, I was still basking in the glow of the most intense experience of my young life. And I could tell no one about it. Our secret games continued until about the seventh grade when my older brother and his friends humiliated me on the way home from Neal's house after a sleep over. We never played again and he became increasingly flamboyant while I became confused and withdrawn with the first signs of bipolarity exhibiting themselves. Back then they called it manic/depressive but it amounts to the same thing. I did not receive any treatment as prayer and supplication was supposed to give me peace of mind. I did give a big mixed bag of emotions but peace of mind was not among them.

In those days the 7th grade was the first level of Junior High School with the 9th graders being the top dogs. My older brother was a 9th grader when I was in 7th and a favorite with everyone it seemed especially our band director Mrs. Mildred von Tungeln (more often referred to as Ms von). At that point I was the pale imitation of my older brother and felt awkward, out of place, out classed and thoroughly confused. I could not be like my brother, and I did not want to be someone as flamboyant as Neal. I just wanted to be some one other than me. It was also at this time that my obsession with "bad boys" began.

There was a boy who was chasing the girl whose locker was next tot mine. He was a tall, handsome Italian who wore the tightest white pants I had and have ever seen on a guy. You could count the wrinkles in his scrotum (really, I swear to god!). My infatuation with him led me to want to emulate him as much as was possible. He was a bad boy with rolled up sleeves whether long or short along with the whipcord body as well as the aforementioned white pants. He also smoked, which of course led me to ask him to teach me how. He did and I was a sneak smoker as my Mother and the church were totally against it even though my Dad was a smoker.

I did not equate my infatuation with him as "good or right" just damn desirable. Which added to the quandary growing in my brain as to who and what I was as all the feelingS I was having were in the "bad side" of the equation according to my Mother and my religion although I could not discuss my secret with her or the church. This led to more depression as I had absolutely no one in which to confide. I did not feel God would listen because my Mother was his appointed spokesperson and she would never and did never understand, accept or come anywhere close to warming to the idea that one of her sons was a homosexual. It was also about this time, I believe it was in Bible School the Summer before seventh grade when I was complaining about having to leaRn all these long Bible verses to my Mother. She turned to me and said "My girls can do it, I don't see why you can't" and walked away. It was at that moment the realization came that my not being one of her girls or her daughter was the source of her disappointment with me. This added to the chaos in my brain as I was not, could not and would never be one of her girls or her daughter. This was mind fucking to say the least. And still there was no one in whom I could confide. By the time JFK was assassinated that fall which sent the world into chaos, the chaos in my brain was drowning out all rational thought. I hated me and I knew that God did not or could not love me as it was so pronounced by both my Mother and my church. From this point on until the day my Mother died, I tried to make her proud of me and failed. I will never recover from that failure as even on her deathbed she asked me "Please don't let any of my friends find out that you are gay, I would be so ashamed".

Now she is gone and the chaos in my mind became too much and I finally found someone I could confide in and have been confiding in her ever since. I will be forever grateful to her for helping me make the chaos into music in my mind. There are many chapters yet to come between then and now, but I have come to the end of my energy for today. We will pick it up yet again next week when you come to visit me again.

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For your listening pleasure today, I thought I would take you to the movies so to speak and feature Movie Music composed by Luigi Bocchereini. Luigi Boccherini, although thoroughly Italian, wrote several pieces in the Spanish Style, two of which figured prominently in the movies. The first piece is Guitar Quintet Number 4 in D Major "Fandango". This piece was the musical centerpiece of the Kevin Costner movie "Fandango" with all the movements used throughout the movie including several intimations of the finale which is the fourth movement "Fandango", the love theme featured in the movie's finale. This performance is by Eros Roselli, guitar and La Magnifica Comunità.

The second piece also in the Spanish Style was featured in the Russel Crowe movie "Master and Commander, the Far Side of the World". The main theme of La Musica Notturna delle Strade di Madrid - Op. 30 n. 6 was featured in a scene in the Captain's cabin with the Captain (Crowe), the Doctor and the First Officer playing this piece with Crowe playing the Cello part. This performance is by Manfred Kraemer (violin I), Pablo Valetti (violin II), Angelo Bartoletti (viola), Bruno Cocset (violoncello I), Antoine Ladrette (violoncello II) and Le Concert des Nations / Jordi Savall (conductor).

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Finally for today, I have a retrospective look at some of the finer images sent to me by the Photographer Biron, whose multicultural images are strikingly beautiful while allowing the viewer to intimately connect with the subjects themselves. You will find the retrospective posted just below. Thanks for the visit, come again and often. And as always, Enjoy!

Hectic and Harried

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Mon, 03 Apr 2017 04:00:00 +0000

It has been a long and hectic week which has left me precious little time to prepare a proper post for you today. Therefore I shall postpone the saga of my life's journey until next week. However, as there is always time for beautiful music, I found this little treasure which I have posted below. Nicolo Paganini wrote 37 Sonatas for Guitar, although a Violin Virtuoso, his pairing of Violin and Guitar in many pieces is both brilliant and beautiful. However today we shall concentrate only on the Solo Guitar Sonatas penned by Paganini and interpreted here wonderfully by Guido Fichtner. The complete play list may be found here.

Lack of prep time has also left me sadly lacking any visual treats today, so I apologize. You will just have to make do with the beautiful music for today. Thanks for the visit, do come again and bring your friends. The more the merrier and as always, Enjoy!

Scenes From A Lifetime Ago

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 08:30:00 +0000


Fort Worth 1950

My life journey began at 12:15 on a sunny spring afternoon May 27,1951. By all accounts I was a happy child although most of my childhood remains shrouded in fog, there are a few things that stand out. My earliest memory is of my third birthday party and its just a flash of me running around with the other toddlers at our house on Martin Street. I got a set of play dishes that I loved. Back then play dishes were made of metal and not plastic, so I had a whole set of miniature dishware and little mini baking pans. It must of had a profound effect on me as I still have a flair for things in the kitchen with over 50 years of cooking experience of one sort or another. The next thing that pops up regularly is from my Beginners Sunday School class when I was around 4 or 5. We were supposed to sing a song that we knew in the group circle. When it came to be my turn, the only song that I could remember was Elvis Presley's "You ain't nothing but a Hound Dog'. Of course this scandalized the church in 1955 as Elvis played that 'devil music' rock and roll. The two voices I always heard playing in my house were Tennessee Ernie Ford and Elvis Presley, both favorites of my Mother. I couldn't remember any thing Ernie sang at the time so I went with Elvis.; The look on my teachers face was priceless and I really could not figure out what all the uproar was about.

As I grew older, I began to notice differences between most other little boys and myself, but it was nothing I could put my finger on. I got along better with adults and girls than I did with boys. I also became somewhat of a dreamer, as I read a lot. I loved reading as it always took me away from where I was and I could become someone who I was not. Around the age of seven or eight, it became readily apparent that I was not like other boys. I had my first crush on a boy in my class named Kirby. He was the all American boy, good at all the boy things I was not. I would go over to his house and play on some afternoons. I loved it when he got on the swing set with his shirt unbuttoned and his tan litheness on display. I did not equate this with sexuality at the time, I just knew I liked him better than anyone else. I also became friends with the boy who would become my best friend in elementary school by the name of Neal. I liked him because he, like me, liked jump rope and dodge ball better than baseball or racing each other all over the field.

Neal and I also enjoyed another of my interests that I usually did not get to indulge in. When I was smaller I enjoyed playing dress up with the other little girls, but that became taboo as I got a little older. Neal though reveled in pretending to be a beauty queen and I played along as Miss Congeniality. Neal also taught me how to masturbate. Physically, puberty had already hit him and I was still not there when in the 5th grade I had my first sexual experience with another boy, Neal. I thought I had died and gone to heaven, but I knew instinctively this was not something I could share with anyone. It was to be our secret and I kept that secret for many a year before I could tell anyone.

I did the Cub and Boy Scout thing, although I was never very good at it like my older brother. I was more interested in rushing home from school to catch the original Mickey Mouse Club. It seemed the meetings were always on the days that featured the Hardy Boys adventures on the MMC. I thought they were the coolest guys who could figure out any mystery around. They or there type usually figured into my fantasy scenarios as someone I wanted to be.

From Top Left, Me at 6 months, 3 years, Second Grade, High School Senior, and Standing Watch at Boot Camp.

My fantasy life began as early as the first grade. I used to daydream I was someone else with a different name. I did not particularly like my given name, so I would think of a name I might like and create a 'personality' around that name. It kept me from hurting from dislike of who I was. I knew I was different but I could not figure out how or why and as I approached puberty, bouts of depression began appearing in opposition to my usual manic happiness. My Dad had me figured out long before I figured my self out. he used to tell me I could do most of the things I liked to do and still be a boy. He recognized that I was happier in my feminine and emotional side than with my rough and tumble side.

I generally excelled in school until junior high when puberty hit and I could not understand all the many things happening in my mind and body. It really confused me when boys started noticing girls. I could never figure what the big deal was. I continued to have crushes on boys, but had not yet equated that with sexuality. Sex education was not present in our home, the most information I got was from a boy scout film dad took us too when I was 12. It explained all the physical changes. But it gave me nothing to deal with the emotional part of coming of age.

I have always had a face that says talk to me and people do. Other kids w3iould come to me and I could listen and figure out solutions for their problems whereas I had no clue how to solve my own. I was wracked with guilt and despair over my secrets, and it had become clear to me it was not something I could discuss with anyone at my church or school. Depression, despair and anxiety started making regular appearances, however I was usually a good enough actor to pull off semi happy to happy for the most part. Religion had introduced guilt and condemnation and at times these feelings were overwhelming. Yet I could not get solace from the church, because my secrets were anathema to religious folks of the time and even so today with some of the more fundamentalist of various religions.

The things I heard a bout people like me were horrendous and scary. It was also pounded from the pulpit and reinforced by rote. I got so confused, I was not any of those things, but I was one of those people. It was also about this time that I realized that the person I most admired and wanted to be, my Mother, was not something I could ever be. That was a big mind fuck. My mother had always been a leader in the church and community and was well respected by those in the religious and political communities. My Mother and I are very similar in personality although I carry a healthy portion of my dad in my personality too. I had always felt that I was in some way a disappointment to my Mother and I finally figured it out, I was not her little girl and never could be. Whenever my efforts would fall short in some way, it seemed always that I was compared to the girls my Mother worked with in the church. "My girls can do such and such, why can't you?" was a recurring theme. I had begun to hate who I was because I could never be who my Mother had wanted me to be. I excelled in my studies up to this point and was a leader in my Sunday School classes. Yet I was strangely depressed about who I was and there was no one who I could think of who could or would understand.

When Junior High came around, Neal and I were in different classes and lived around the corner from each other. I would go visit and we would play our games and then I would come home. One day when I was coming home, my older brother and some of his friends were sitting on the curb when they observed me coming home from Neal's house. They asked why I was visiting with him and did he do things to me. I was horrified that they had somehow figured out that we played our games and my brother and his friends made fun of me mercilessly. I never returned to Neal's house after that and we grew apart. Then he moved to Dallas with his family before high school and I never saw him again.

In those days there was no Internet and school libraries did not carry books on sexuality. There was no sex ed at home or school and I was adrift in a world that confused and frightened me. Yet there was no one which to turn. Religion for all its promise of peace and happiness brought guilt and pain, excruciatingly so. I kept all these things hidden in my heart where no one could find them. However all this secrecy would take a toll on me that I am still paying today. Thanks to therapy, one day soon hopefully, I can tell the toll taker to fuck off, but for now I am still paying the toll for holding all these things in so tightly all these years.

Next week, puberty with all its surging hormones and emotional traps and pitfalls of one sort or another. Junior High was a desolate place for me the inadequate younger version of one of the most popular boys in school. Another comparison I was destined to loose. But more on that next week.

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For your listening pleasure today, I have my favorite of Ludwig von Beethoven's Piano Sonatas, the Number 8 in C Minor, Opus 13 "Pathetique". The recording I have in the car is by Dubravka Tomsic, a protegee of Arthur Rubenstein and I love it. I first became aware of this piece when I began listening to "Adventures in Good Music" with Karl Haas. He introduced his program each night by playing the first section of the Adagio cantabile before going into what he was going to relate to us that evening. I now keep the Adagio cantabile on repeat in my car as my zen peace for when I need 5 minutes of beautiful peace. However, Venice Classic Radio plays a different rendition done by Radu Lupu, who won the prestigous Van Cliburn International Piano Competition here in Fort Worth when I was a sophomore in high school (1966). What is the difference in the interpretations, you say? Ms Tomsic plays the peace at the standard tempo beautifully whereas Mr Lupu plays the same piece at a slightly slower tempo throughout. This lends a hauntingly beautiful effect on all three movements as opposed to the more manic standard tempo, most notably in the adagio cantabile. I have included both versions for you in the playlist with Ms Tomsic going first followed by Mr Lupu. Mr Lupu concludes his video with Beethoven's 32 Variations in C Minor WoO 80. Listen for yourselves and decide which version you like best.

Piano Sonata No.18 op.13 in C minor 'Pathétique'
1. Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio
2. Adagio cantabile
3. Rondo, Allegro
Dubravka Tomsic, Piano
00:00 1. Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio
10:13 2. Adagio cantabile
17:17 3. Rondo. Allegro
22:23 32 Variations in C minor WoO 80
Radu Lupu, Piano

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Finally here is a selection of handsome young Men in Jeans for you to peruse. Thanks for the visit, do come again. And as always, Enjoy!

In the Beginning

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 16:31:00 +0000


Sunrise Over 7th Street, looking East from my store.

Before I begin, I would like to extend my condolences to one of my oldest friends, Steve R. in Virginia who lost his Mom this week. She was a gentile Southern Lady who was charming, funny, gracious and compassionate. She will be missed I know, but the circle of life will continue and memories of her will warm the hearts of all who knew her.

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When I first came to the offices of Stay The Course at the behest of the VA, I did so with not a little trepidation but a lot. Was I ready to reveal all my deep dark secrets? I did not know, but I did know that I had to change the course of my life and thoughts or I was going to end up in that rubber room with a straight jacket. I had been seeing my psychiatrist, Dr Moradi, at the VA on a quarterly basis and she recommended I engage a therapist and pointed me in the direction of Stay the Course. I placed a desperate phone call and of course got voice mail. I left a message and Tempa called me back and set an appointment for our first session. It was early in the establishment of her practice with just she and one other therapist. I have watched her practice grow to several therapists and staff members. Many of the staff there are either Veterans themselves or spouses of Veterans, all of whom have the best interests of the Veterans and First Responders who come to them for assistance foremost in their minds. Tempa herself is married to a Veteran and knows first hand how difficult life is when transitioning from military to civilian life. Our common experiences as Veterans or First Responders results in a shared bond which one cannot really understand without having been there, done that for yourself.

Tempa is a tall willowy red head with a heart as big as Texas with whom I found it easy to talk. In our first session, she asked me what my goal was for my course of therapy. I forget now what turn of phrase I used at the time but basically I wanted Clarity, Stability and Sanity. I am a classic bi-polar person. It was either depression so deep as to be inconsolable or giddy happiness that knew no bounds. I wanted to be somewhere in the middle with the ability to handle the daily stress that comes with life. If there is anything I have learned in my lifetime, it is the fact that I can only handle so much stress (very little in fact) before having an adverse reaction to it. Medication certainly helps, but the ability to handle stress for me is that core feeling of inner peace, and I had no such feeling when I began my sessions with Tempa.

I am prone to erratic behavior, irrational thought, extremely OCD and easily angered. I am also the caring, compassionate, witty 'Uncle' to everyone. I often try to provide the means to achieve that inner peace for others that I so desperately seek for myself. Unfortunately for me, that inner peace has never been possible. I am closer now than ever I have been. Tempa has guided me in my journey to get as far as I have. I have revealed to her things I have never told anyone, often not even myself. She helped to pry open the cellar door in my mind, sweep out the corners and is helping me to discover what I need to keep and what I need to throw away. She has helped me to see that staying in the here and now moving forward is the more preferable state of being. The Past is full of pain, pitfalls and traps which lures me in and then destroy my mental state which has painful physical ramifications. However, by taking past events in my life, examining them one at a time, then deciding whether it is a treasure to be kept or just plain trash which needs to be disposed of properly has not been an easy task. I have had to remember things sometimes best forgotten and un-remember things that did not promote a healthy mental state. I am by no means done with my journey, but before I can tell you where I am going, I must first tell you where I have been. I have hopes my story will help someone else avoid some of the pains and pitfalls life throws at one when one least expects it.

It will take a while for the whole story to come out and deciding to share my tightly bound and hidden secrets was not an easy choice. However, I have learned to loose their bonds, deal with them face to face one at a time and move on. Learning how to deal with my issues has helped me face life with a few more tools in the box to deal with whatever comes my way and the way of others in my life. I have held some of these things so tightly and buried so deep for so long, I had no recollection of them. In order to discover what has been hidden in the corners of my mind, I must first sort through the pile of crap covering them before I can see what is truly in those dark corners. Next week I will begin the uncovering with events of my youth, which of course is long past at his point and not always on ready recall. The past is never as really clear as what we think it is and only by a careful examination of these things can one retain as valuable or reject as unnecessary what it is one finds there. I hope this will not be as painful for you as it has proven to be for me.

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For your listening pleasure today, I have another of my favorites among the Italian Baroque composers, Luigi Boccherini, with this recording of 5 of his 6 Flute Quintets featuring Jean-Pierre Rampal, Flute; Régis Pasquier, Violin; Roland Pidoux, Violoncello; Mathilde Sternat, Violoncello and Bruno Pasquier, Viola. You will find the play list after the video. Also after the playlist is this week's visual treats. This week we are sticking with the Art side of Male Art with 7 more paintings of young men. Thank you for the visit, please do come again and as always, Enjoy!

Quintet No. 3 in C Major, G. 439 : I. Allegro vivace (Instrumental) 00:00

Quintet No. 3 in C Major, G. 439 : II. Cantabile (Instrumental)

Quintet No. 3 in C Major, G. 439 : III. Andante con variazioni (Instrumental)

Quintet No. 2 in G Major, G. 438 : I. Allegro (Instrumental)15:00

Quintet No. 2 in G Major, G. 438 : II. Adagio non tanto (Instrumental)

Quintet No. 2 in G Major, G. 438 : III. Andante con variazioni (Instrumental)

Quintet No. 1 in F Major, G. 437 : I. Allegro (Instrumental) 28:51

Quintet No. 1 in F Major, G. 437 : II. Largo (Instrumental)

Quintet No. 1 in F Major, G. 437 : III. Grazioso (Instrumental)

Quintet No. 5 in G Major, G. 441 : I. Moderato (Instrumental 41:00

Quintet No. 5 in G Major, G. 441 : II. Adagio (Instrumental)

Quintet No. 5 in G Major, G. 441 : III. Grazioso (Instrumental)

Quintet No. 6 in B-flat Major, G. 442 : I. Allegro (Instrumental) 53:45

Quintet No. 6 in B-flat Major, G. 442 : II. Adagio (Instrumental)

Quintet No. 6 in B-flat Major, G. 442 : III. Rondeau. Grazioso (Instrumental

Mental Health and Me

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 18:21:00 +0000


"Omaha Electrified"

Over the course of my time in absentia from these pages, I have been on a journey of Discovery. I was seeking to plumb the depths of my mind to understand the causal factors behind my mental and behavioral health issues. It has been a difficult journey at times and just as hard on Will as it has been on me. In order to understand myself I engaged the services of Tempa Sherrill M.S., LPC, the founder of Stay the Course Veterans Services to guide my process. Tempa has become more than a therapist to me, she is the friend I needed who could listen without judgment and offer practical solutions to help me as I resolved my issues. I will be eternally grateful to her for her warmth, compassion and understanding as she has guided me to a better place than ever I have been.

There have been many painful moments in our discussions as I opened the cellar door in my mind to let the secrets out one at a time. Above anything else however, she has helped me get to the point where I can honestly say "It is totally OK to be me". A simple statement that has profound reverberations in all facets of my life. To be sure the medications proscribed by my VA psychiatrist and other VA Doctors have aided the journey. I am in fact healthier physically than I have been in a while. Mentally I am still getting there, but I know I am on the right path with the proper support group to insure I get to where I want to be.

As I reiterate my adventures (and misadventures) along the way, I hope to broaden your knowledge base as well as receive the cathartic recompense from seeing my life in printed form. I will also try to make it as interesting as possible with out being over bearing or boring. There has been laughter and tears, terror and calm and everywhere in between as I have wandered the dark corners and bright paths in my own mind. I will also try to help eliminate the stigmatic specter that usually blossoms in the minds of people when the phrase mental health is mentioned. Not everyone with mental or behavioral health issues is bat shit crazy or an inmate in the asylum. But lots of folks need a little help understanding themselves and their relationship to the world around them, myself included. I hope you stick around as I fight the procrastination bug each week in order to indeed put my life in print. I hope you sitick around for the journey that is Nichevo.

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Now for your listening pleasure, I have an excellent recording of the Teleman Double Concerti for an instrument not often heard in concert today, the Recorder, featuring Erik Bosgraaf as the soloist. Erik Bosgraaf has won international acclaim for his Brilliant Classics recordings of music from Jakob van Eyck (Der Fluyten Lust Hof, BC93391) to Pierre Boulez (Dialogues, BC94842). His discography includes no fewer than three previous albums dedicated to Georg Philipp Telemann, the composer who more than any other in the German Baroque elevated the recorder and its relatives to the status of a high-art instrument, capable of hitherto undreamt expressive range and technical refinement.

This recording contains the double concerti with recorder: for two recorders or in combination with transverse flute, bassoon or viola da gamba. Telemann himself was a professional recorder player. These concerti contain some of his most personal music, his usual brilliance, wit and virtuosity alternate with passages of deep emotion and melancholy.

Erik Bosgraaf is one of the most remarkable recorder players of today. Equally at home in early as well as contemporary music he extends the limits of his instrument, achieving an extreme range of expression and unheard-of effects. Erik is joined on the recording by his friends and Ensemble Cordevento.

You will find the track list just below the recording. Following that is a bit of the Art side of Male Art with these six photographs of young men for you to peruse. Thanks for the visit and as always, Enjoy!.

00:00:00 Concerto for Recorder and Flute in E Minor, TWV 52:e1: I. Largo
00:03:52 Concerto for Recorder and Flute in E Minor, TWV 52:e1: II. Allegro
00:08:07 Concerto for Recorder and Flute in E Minor, TWV 52:e1: III. Largo
00:11:47 Concerto for Recorder and Flute in E Minor, TWV 52:e1: IV. Presto
00:14:32 Concerto for 2 Recorders in A Minor, TWV 52:a2: I. Gravement
00:16:45 Concerto for 2 Recorders in A Minor, TWV 52:a2: II. Vistement
00:18:19 Concerto for 2 Recorders in A Minor, TWV 52:a2: III. Largement
00:20:16 Concerto in for 2 Recorders in A Minor, TWV 52:a2: IV. Vivement
00:22:24 Concerto for Recorder and Bassoon in F Major, TWV 52:F1: I. Largo
00:26:50 Concerto for Recorder and Bassoon in F Major, TWV 52:F1: II. Vivace
00:32:11 Concerto for Recorder and Bassoon in F Major, TWV 52:F1: III. —
00:36:27 Concerto for Recorder and Bassoon in F Major, TWV 52:F1: IV. Allegro
00:39:58 Concerto for Recorder and Viola da Gamba in A Minor ,TWV 52:a1: I. Grave
00:43:48 Concerto for Recorder and Viola da Gamba in A Minor ,TWV 52:a1: II. Allegro
00:47:54 Concerto for Recorder and Viola da Gamba in A Minor ,TWV 52:a1: III. Dolce
00:51:25 Concerto for Recorder and Viola da Gamba in A Minor ,TWV 52:a1: IV. Allegro
00:55:37 Concerto for 2 Recorders in B-Flat Major, TWV 52:B1: I. Grave
00:57:44 Concerto for 2 Recorders in B-Flat Major, TWV 52:B1: II. Vivace
00:59:17 Concerto for 2 Recorders in B-Flat Major, TWV 52:B1: III. Tendrement
01:01:05 Concerto for 2 Recorders in B-Flat Major, TWV 52:B1: IV. Gayment

Mellow and Musical

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Sun, 05 Mar 2017 20:08:00 +0000

This week has been a good one, starting with last week's concert. It was a fabulous performance that got a very favorable review in the F W Star Telegram. The second part of the concert was the Dvorak Cello Concerto with soloist Johannes Moser. Prior to the concert I had purchased his CD with the Dvorak on it and I was lucky enough to be first in line to have him autograph the cover for me. I really liked the little Cellist he drew on his shirt on the cover. His performance was a rapturous rendition of one of my favorite concerti as was the rest of the concert.

The concert energized me for the week and it turned an ordinary week into an upbeat experience topped off with another raise on Friday as well as the weekend off. I have been house vegging all weekend just because I could. I spend so much time on the run it is nice to have nothing to do for a change

I have a check up appointment so my surgeon can look at my surgical wound and its healing. It looks good in the mirror but there is a depression where the cyst was that I am hoping will fill back in over time. but I have full use of my arm and shoulder which is the important thing.

I don't have much on the agenda this week, so I am hoping for and upbeat yet quiet week at work. They have adjusted my schedule at my request and my doctors behest to slw down. Like I mentioned earlier, the weekend is mine as I approached their wwallet and said surely there is someone you could pay less than me to stand at the register for 3 hours while Robin did the work which is basically my function on Saturday. My replacement makes 2 dollars an hour less and I have one less work day in my week. They have also adjusted the Tuesday Truck Night so I am only there from 10 pm to 2 am help with the truck and then go home. This will make it easier for me with a few less hours (which I don't need) and one less work day (which I do need). Let's hope my upward trend and mellow mood continue into the coming weeks and months ahead.

The play list for today contains one of my all time favorite transciptions. The Sonata for Arpeggione and Pianoforte in A minor, D 821 by Franz Schubert was written for an instrument very similar to the Violoncello. The Arpeggione as an instrument is no longer around and this Sonata is the sole surviving composition for that instrument. Today it is hauntingly beautiful in the modern transcription most often heard for Cello and Piano. The first recording in the playlist is the 1976 recording featuring Lynn Harrell on Piano and James Levine of the NY Metropolitan Opera on Piano. However I also find it wonderfully transcribed for Viola and Guitar and just as hauntingly beautiful. The latest recording and the second in the playlist is by the duo of Andrea Dieci & Duccio Beluffi recorded live in Parma at the Auditorium Casa della Musica on May 29th 2016 at the Niccolò Paganini Guitar Festival. It is posted just below for your listening pleasure followed in due course by some Eye Candy below the playlist. This is for those not into man art who may scroll no further than the play list after reading my c0mmentary of the week. Thanks for the visit, please do come again. As always, Enjoy!

Ups and Downs

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 16:40:00 +0000

This week has been one of many emotions. Some very positive and others much less so. I was ecstatic over the fact that I had actually put pen to paper (so to speak) resulting in last week's post. I had requested at the behest of my doctor to cut back on my hours. She had told me I needed to slow down. So the boss modified my Tuesday schedule cutting off 6 hours. But then they added 3 hours on my Saturday off, so in essence, it was only a net cut of 3 hours with an additional work day. I don't know if that qualifies as actually slowing down or not. But I don't see a way to cut any more until we fix the short handed challenge, again. If we are short handed, I am usually the one to cover everyone Else's ass whereas the reverse is seldom true. However that is the price of being as good professionally as I am. And I am a really tough act to follow for the average employee, so it is what it is.

On Wednesday I had my quarterly checkup at the VA. I was as pleased with my check up as the doctor was with my numbers. The only area of real concern was my blood pressure, which is no longer in the high range, but rather looming toward the low end of the spectrum. So I have been monitoring my pressure with the home machine they had provided me. Since my doctor's visit, I have only taken the lisinopril once as my pressure has been low enough not to warrant lowing it further. When I checked it last night, it was only 104 over 50, a sure sign I did not need to lower it any further. Dr Varimi also asked me to call if it went under 110, so I will be reporting that to here on Monday. She may remove the lisinopril from my regimen which is a good thing. I take 10 pills before I go to bed so one less is a good thing.

Wednesday also provided the downer of the week. When I arrived at work that night, my good friend climbed into my car to relate the latest results of his testing. He is fighting his second round with cancer with chemo therapy. Unfortunately his cancer has metastasized into multiple place in his body. He is going to be unable to endure the step up in chemo therapy required to fight alone. So he is moving to California to be with his kids and let hes family care for him during the fight. It is particularly challenging as he is also HIV positive. They are going to have to rebuild his immune system in order to then get sicker as his body becomes more able to fight the cancer. That has occupied a lot of my thoughts the last few days. When I visited him last night, I could tell the toll it was taking on him. I am sure he will continue to occupy some space in my thoughts and prayers as he fights the good fight of which he is totally capable.

I survived the rest of my work week with relative ease but slightly preoccupied with thoughts for my friend. However I am taking a break form my thoughts today with a ticket to the Sunday Concert at Bass Hall. The FWSO is doing the world premier of composer Victor Agudelo's new work La madre de Agua. Then they a moving to Antonin Dvorak's Cello Concerto and the finale is the Saint-Saens Symphony #3, the Organ Symphony. The orchestra will repeat the Organ Symphony on Tuesday night in a free performance at Broadway Baptist Church which features the magnificent Van Cliburn Pipe Organ. That should sweep me a way for a few hours so I can begin my week anew.

Tomorrow is also my biweekly visit with my threapist at Stay the Course. My therapist is more my friend, although our relationship did start out strictly professional. Over the course of the last 14 months she and I have discovered more about me and how to deal with my issues than I would have ever hoped possible. I really look forward to our time together and I always feel so much better after talking with her. I am sure she will get an earful with the gamut of emotions I have experienced this week.

Now for your listening pleasure, I put together a play list containing the Dvorak Concerto and the Saint-Saens Symphony. I could not include the La madre de Agua. as it has yet to be recorded (duh, lol). Mstislav Rostropovich plays this work under the baton of Miguel Ángel Gómez Martínez with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Radiotelevisión Española in a performance recorded at Teatro REal in Madrid in December of 1983. The Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78, was completed by Camille Saint-Saëns in 1886 at what was probably the artistic zenith of his career. It is also popularly known as the "Organ Symphony", even though it is not a true symphony for organ, but simply an orchestral symphony where two sections out of four use the pipe organ. The French title of the work is more accurate: Symphonie No. 3 "avec orgue" (with organ).

Of composing the work Saint-Saëns said "I gave everything to it I was able to give. What I have here accomplished, I will never achieve again."[1] The composer seemed to know it would be his last attempt at the symphonic form, and he wrote the work almost as a type of "history" of his own career: virtuoso piano passages, brilliant orchestral writing characteristic of the Romantic period, and the sound of a cathedral-sized pipe organ.

The symphony was commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society in England, and the first performance was given in London on 19 May 1886, at St James's Hall, conducted by the composer. After the death of his friend Franz Liszt on 31 July 1886, Saint-Saëns dedicated the work to Liszt's memory. The composer also conducted the French premiere in January 1887. This performance features Organist: Michael Murray on a Cavaillé-Coll organ with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Conductor Eugene Ormandy and recorded at St. Francis de Sales Church in Philadelphia in February of 1980.

That will wrap it up for this week, so enjoy the music and we will once again commune next week. Thanks for the visit, do come again and as always, Enjoy!

"Hello Darkness, My Old Friend. I've Come to Talk With You Again"

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Sun, 19 Feb 2017 06:01:00 +0000

It has been a long time since I last communed in these pages with you my faithful followers. Too long really. There is reasoning behind this of course, which will surely in the course of the next few months become readily apparent to all who visit here. Suffice it to say I have traveled a long road to arrive at the point at which I reside today. It has been a road with many a twist and turn with its hills, valleys and long lonesome stretches all playing a part in the story I will tell you as we go along.

I know that in the history of these pages the photography has been a major drawing point to attract readers who then discover the Music and More that there is to Nichevo. For Nichevo is not just a destination, it is a journey, my journey with all the joys and wonders it encounters. There is also the despair and pitfalls ever present in any one's journey. Like a lot of Gay Men of my generation growing up in the South in the 50's and 60's, I was taught I could not be me. The real me. Suppression of desire and an air of Propriety ruled the day in a lot of homes across the American South. Some, like my Mother, perfected the art of "if we don't talk about it, it isn't real, happening or the truth". Sadly though in most cases, it was real, it was happening and it was the truth. The only truth we could ultimately live. When I got to the point that my truth was the only truth I could live, my life was destroyed by the government and I was forever ostracized from my family. Yet I have survived, despite the best efforts of the world to defeat me, I still stand here today ready for the fight.

Will is still with me and we, like many a family in America, are a Family of Choice. We choose to be each other's family as the families we were born with basically left us for dead or tried to sweep our 'secret' so far under the rug it would seam like a feature of the floor. Will and I have been working on our dynamics in the last few months. Although the world at large has no clue as to how or why what we have works, it works for us and if they do not choose to understand, then that is truly their problem and not mine or ours. It has been a difficult journey to get to be able to say and believe that statement. Thanks in large part to the VA and the marvelously wonderful staff at Stay The Course Veteran's Services, I am on the road to really being all I can be. I invite you all along on this journey.

I told you in my last post I would keep you apprised of the progress of my journey of which I have done a poor job. However, I will attempt to rectify that oversight in the coming months as I tell you my story. There may be a little less eye candy and a lot more prose, but always there will be the Music, the soundtrack of my life. As the Music is the international language that speaks to all people and expresses the inexpressible in a way we all can absorb and understand. So the formatting may change somewhat, but the standard of excellence I have set for Nichevo will never change. Sometimes that is an awesome challenge, but one I feel up to meeting head on.

I am not going to promise a daily post, my life today is far too busy to allow me the time for that ambitious an endeavor. I have however made it my goal to publish at least once a week on Sundays. The will be prose, there will be an allotment of Men of course. I am not dead yet and I can always appreciate beauty in all its forms! And always there will be the Music. I cannot live life without a soundtrack. Music has been an integral part of my life since earliest childhood and will continue to be as long as I exist. Life without Music is not life in my humble opinion. I hope that you will continue to join me as I relate to you the mileposts of my journey thus far and into the future.

Now I suppose you may have wondered at the title to this post. It is a line from a Simon and Garfunkel song that happens to be the Class Song of my 1969 high school graduating class entitled the "Sounds of Silence". I have been in the Darkness, but I wish to burst forth into the Light as symbolized by the photograph at the top of the post. In order to do so, the time for the Sounds of My Silence have to come to an end. I look forward to sharing my story with you as we continue on the journey that is Nichevo.

As for the Sounds of the Music today, I thought I would start with my favorite instrument and my first favorite composer. The instrument of course is the Violoncello and the composer is the "Red Priest" Antonio Lucio Vivaldi. Today's recording features Vivaldi's six Cello Sonatas rendered masterfully by Brilliant Classics in this performance by L'Arte dell'Arco under Federico Guglielmo violin & concertmaster with the featured Soloist Francesco Galligioni cello. You may find the complete play list here. The Cello has been a safe harbor for me many a time and Vivaldi never disappoints me in his brilliance as a Violinist and Composer. So enjoy the recording during your most convenient quiet time, it is well worth the listen.

Given the thoughtful nature of today's initial volume of the Return of Nichevo, I thought I would just throw you one stunning photo that I am sure will give you plenty of food for thought. Those readers not particularly into eye candy do not have to scroll any further than the last sentence. You will find him just below this paragraph. That will about wrap up the blog for this week, I feel that today has been a break through day just because I sat down and the words flowed from my fingers. That is a very good day in my book. So take care, tune in and do come back to see me again. Thank you for the visit, until next time as always, Enjoy!

Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 13:45:00 +0000

The weekend just passed was different than most have been here of late. For one thing, I did not spend the entire weekend in a depressive tailspin, growling at everything and everyone. I also had some good moments of quiet reflection along with a few bumps in the road. But all in all a better weekend than most here of late as I said. The new medications seem to be taking effect although it does seem not quick enough for Will. If anything, Will is even more impatient than I for the medications to mellow me out, lol.

I still have my moments of insane anger, but they are becoming less frequent and I seem to be enjoying the seasonal activities bustling around me. I am actually a little excited about Christmas this year. I am having Christmas at my house this year for anyone who wishes to visit. However I will not be making any "keeping up appearances" or fake smiling gaiety for the sake of the family who could give two shits if I show up or not. Mother is not here any longer, so my presence is no longer a requirement at any family gathering. So this Christmas should be guilt and anguish free for the first time in more years than I care to count and that is a very good thing.

In the Spirit of the Season and because it is the first Monday in December, we will forego our normal Monday with Mozart and present our annual Monday Sounds of the Season feature instead. To kick of this years series I have a marvelous program recorded at Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde, in Marseille, France. The Artists are Robert Martin on Trumpet & Laurent Fris on Organ for the program: Ave Maria for Trumpet and Organ, 8 Centuries of Marian Music. The play list is as follows:

00:00 - Salve Regina
01:31 - Ave Maria de Caccini
06:29 - Regina Coeli
09:44 - Dio Vi Salvi, Regina
13:00 - Pour L'Amour De Marie
14:58 - Une Vierge Pucelle
18:22 - Or Dites Nous Marie
19:42 - Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben (BWV 147)
25:00 - Bist Du Bei Mir (BWV 508)
29:00 - Ave Maria de Schubert
32:50 - Ave Maria de Verdi
37:53 - Ave Maria de Gounod
42:56 - Prière à Notre Dame
49:40 - Angélus
54:39 - Astre Béni Du Marin
56:42 - Invocations
01:00:13 - Je Vous salue Marie

For a something less "traditional", over on my tumblr Kenny G gives us a little smooth jazzy take on his favorites recorded on his Christmas Classics Album.

Of course although it is Christmas, our need for Men in Underwear on Mondays remains, so I shall deny neither you nor myself the pleasure of sexy studs in skivvies. You will find them all lounging about the page in this week's edition of Monday's Undies posted down below. Over on my tumblr, Erasmo Viana is your Hottie of the Day! and he can play in my court any day (or night!). Thanks for the visit, see you again soon. Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Monday's Undies

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 12:30:00 +0000

Sunday Morning Concert

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 17:30:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to your Sunday Morning Concert. Today we feature one group of Musical Artists, I Virtuosi del Teatro alla Scala and two Composers, Wolgang Amadeus Mozart and Arcangelo Corelli. Both performances are recorded live at il Teatro alla Scala. Posted down below are Mozart's first and last compositions with the play list reading:

Symphony Number 1in E flat major, K16
1. Allegro molto 12:00
2.Andante 04:22
3.Presto 07:18
Divertimento "Ein Musikalischer Spass ( A Musical Joke) " K. 522 in F major
5.Allegro 09:25
6.Menuetto Maestoso 24:22
7. Adagio cantabile 18:33
8. Soon 23:39
Divertimento K. 113 in E flat major
1. Allegro 27:48
2. Andante 30:42
3. Menuetto 34:06
4. Allegro 35:51
Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A major, K.622
1.Allegro 37:56
2.Adagio 50:02
3.Rondò- Allegro 57:30

Over on my tumblr you may join I Virtuosi for their performance of Corelli's Christmas Concerto “Fatto per la Notte di Natale”.

Then to add some visual beauty to the aural, posted down below are some prime examples of Art in the Male Form from the Nichevo Archives, all of whom are Naked or Nearly So!. Then on my tumblr you will find Your Hottie of the Day! to be 'Sultry, Sexy & Smokin' Hot!'. Thanks for the visit, see you again real soon. Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Naked or Nearly So!

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 17:00:00 +0000

A Journey Begins

noreply@blogger.com (Uncle Gerry) — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 15:45:00 +0000

As you probably noticed, I sorta didn't make it here on Wednesday. I had good intentions, but you know how those things go, best laid plans and all that. Anyway, Thursday was a better day and it marked the of a new journey for me.

The day began with new toys, things that I had ordered to further the upgrade of our culinary experience. I had ordered a whole set of the Duralon Ceramic Non Stick Stainless Steel Cookware to replace all my less than optimal cookware I have been using. This stuff is great, made by the NuWave Oven people and nothing sticks to this stuff. It is the NuWave version of ceramic coating similar to the Calphalon that is the more famous brand of Ceramic Non Stick materials.

Will has always hated my microwave and has bitched about it for years. I finally broke down and bought the one that had been on my Amazon wish list for so long. Will has given it his seal of approval as far as "It cooks well" but he thinks it is a little light (I agree), so we have to hold it and/or not push the buttons too hard. We would not want the microwave to go tumbling off into the dining room now would we?

I have been playing phone tag with the therapist to whom the VA had referred me. We finally made contact yesterday and unbelievably, I was able to get in for an initial session yesterday afternoon. It is an old Chinese saying, "the journey of a thousand li begins with but a single step", that fits here. I took the first step on a long journey to mental health. It took years to get this fucked up in the head about a lot of issues in my life and it will be a slow process. However it is a doable thing and I am hopeful of steady progress as time goes by. As always I will chronicle my journey as it happens. I hope you will come along to share in my journey.

My therapist is a lovely young lady ( young being relative ) who was a consummate professional as well as a compassionate counselor who has designed programs for Veterans at other agencies and has now started her own non profit service for Veterans. I will be seeing her on Friday mornings for the time being and will remark on my progress in these pages. We had a wonderful visit and came up with a plan to get us started. I am looking forward to our conversations as she helps me heal my wounds.

Now because the music I had selected for use on Wednesday was so good, I would hesitate to deprive you of it so I will not. Our featured composer for today is Johannes Brahms. Brahms, among his many talents, had the uncanny ability to take the thematic works of another, compose a set of variations based on that theme and thus create a a piece of music uniquely his own. I have some excellent examples of this for your listening pleasure today.

The Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn, (German: Variationen über ein Thema von Jos. Haydn), now also called the Saint Anthony Variations, is a work in the form of a theme and variations, composed by Johannes Brahms in the summer of 1873. It consists of a theme in B-flat major based on a "Chorale St Antoni", eight variations and a finale. The work was published in two versions: for two pianos, written first but designated Op. 56b; and for orchestra, designated Op. 56a.

The orchestral version is better known and much more often heard than the two-piano version. It is often said to be the first independent set of variations for orchestra in the history of music[1], although there is at least one earlier piece in the same form, Antonio Salieri's Twenty-six Variations on 'La folia di Spagna' written in 1815.

Brahms's orchestral variations are scored for piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns (2 in E flat, 2 in B flat), 2 trumpets, timpani, triangle, and the normal string section of first and second violins, violas, cellos and double basses. The piece usually takes about 18 minutes to perform.

The first performance of the orchestral version was given on 2 November 1873 by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under Brahms's baton. This performance of the Orchestral version (56a) is by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Claudio Abbado. Anastasia and Lyubova Gromoglasova perform the 2 Piano version (56b) at their dual recital in the Small Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire. Then over on my tumblr, I have Brahms' Variations on a Theme of Paganini performed by Pianist Andrea Bonatta.

Now it is time for a little fulfillment of our mutual need for beauty in the male form which you willfind amply displayed in this week's edition of Fantasy Fuel posted down below. Over on my tumblr, Booboo Stewart, Your Hottie of the Day! splashes up a few fantasies of his own for your adoring eyes. Thanks for the visit, see you again soon. Until next time as always, Enhiy!