Jon Anderson at the Somerville Theatre 4/23/11

Jon Anderson played a great solo show at Somerville Theatre on Saturday night. We had great seats in the front row of the mezzanine. Jon's voice was truly in top form. This was the first night of his tour, and he sounded fantastic. His voice was so clear and beautiful, especially on I'll Find My Way Home. It was amazing, and the sound quality was really wonderful in the theater.

Jon has definitely gotten more comfortable as a one-man-show. He had the audience laughing at anecdotes from throughout his career, from his days in a band with his brother Tony, through all of the years he spent with Yes, to his stint on Top of the Pops with Vangelis. He easily segued from guitar to mountain dulcimer to piano to ukulele.

Jon is a really positive person, and he always has an exuberance for life that just can't help but make you smile. He played such Yes favorites as Yours Is No Disgrace, Sweet Dreams, Long Distance Runaround,  Time and a Word, And You And I, Turn of the Century, Soon, Close to the Edge, and Starship Trooper. He performed an arrangement of Roundabout similar to the Tsongas Arena Yes show in 2005, which is an easy blues shuffle. He had the audience singing along to Your Move and All Good People. I'm not usually a huge fan of Owner of a Lonely Heart, but his stripped-down version was quite enjoyable. Many times when listening to Yes songs the lyrics get lost for me and Jon's voice becomes more of an instrument of its own. Tonight it was nice to be able to totally  focus on the words, which were easy to discern in the straightforward arrangements. One ironically funny incident came when Jon messed up the lyrics to Revealing Science of God. The lyric after the one he forgot is "What happened to the songs we once knew so well?" Too funny!

He played two songs from his Olias of Sunhillow album (Flight of the Moorglade and To the Runner). Other solo songs including Show Me, You've Got the Light,  and the jaunty Music is the God of the World (Have Guitar Will Travel) were also quite enjoyable. Tony and Me was a cute song about playing the Cavern Club with his brother in 1963, when they wanted to be the Beatles. Jon and Vangelis tracks I'll Find My Way Home and State of Independence were superbly rendered. He ended the show with the a capella  O'er,  which was truly moving. It was timeless and sounded like it could have been an old traditional Irish folk song.

Uncharacteristically, Jon didn't do a meet and greet after the show. (We met him previously at Avalon in 2005 and in Quebec City in 2006). It's been a really rough month or so for Craig and myself due to the death of Craig's father and Craig being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and this show really snapped us out of our funk. His tremendous positivity and wonderful attitude really rubbed off onto us.  We would have like to have been able to thank Jon for that personally.  But we'll thank him here instead.

If you have the opportunity to see Jon's solo show - do it! We guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Here's a pic of Craig and I with Jon from 2005 at Avalon in Boston:

In Loving Memory of Craig's Father

Craig's father passed away at the age of 81 on April 1. For some reason I've been procrastinating about writing a blog post. I guess it's because it makes the whole thing seem so final. 

We spent an entire weekend going through old photos, preparing a slideshow for the memorial service. I learned a lot more about my father-in-law's early life in the process. He had a love of sailing and raced  Star Class boats. We saw pictures of him on his boats, and pictures of him and my mother-in-law underwater in diving bells during their honeymoon in Nassau.I guess this is where Craig gets his sense of adventure. Though his dad had to give up these adventures for the responsibilities of the family, he developed a life-long passion for golf.

Now today is Easter, and as we head to a family dinner, he will be sorely missed. And so I realize that I have to post this blog entry now.

I prepared a eulogy which I read at the memorial service. I'm including it here.

I first met Don in 1994, soon after I started dating Craig. Craig was a little apprehensive and prepared me to expect a bit of good-natured hazing. "If he likes you, he'll tease you. It's when he's quiet that you have to worry." I quickly learned to appreciate his wit as he good-naturedly teased me and regaled me with his trademark irreverent anecdotes, couplets, and limericks. You almost have to wonder if passing away on April Fool's Day was his final punchline.

As time passed and I got to know him better, more sides of him emerged. He possessed a genius intellect as well as the practical knowledge to construct or fix just about anything. In his later years he was a home-body and would worry about us any time we were on the road locally ("Drive careful!") or internationally ("Don't get hit by any poison blow-darts in the jungle!") He made  us promise that we would lift up on pour airline armrests during takeoff when we were flying to "help the plane get off the ground." We did this for a while just to humor him, but it has evolved into a full-fledged superstition on our part. We can't NOT do it, as somewhere in the back of our minds, we suspect that failure to do so may cause a plane crash. Despite the fact that he worried about us, we  also know that he was proud of us for traveling and making friends around the world. He even started suggesting destinations for us.

I am lucky to have had him as a father-in-law. He has instilled many great virtues into my husband, not the least of which are his sense of humor and work ethic. We treasure our home which he and Craig so lovingly constructed together.

Thank you, Dad, for everything. You are loved and missed.

In Loving Memory of Abuelo

We received sad news from Guatemala this morning. Paulina's father Isidro (better known to us as "Abuelo", the children's grandfather) passed away overnight. He was a lovely man who always had a smile for us. He welcomed us into his family, and we are lucky to have had a chance to know him. He sold delicious fresh-squeezed juice on Santander Street in Panajachel, always dressed nicely and wearing his Panama hat. He lost his beloved wife several years ago, and we take comfort in the fact that they are now reunited.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Isidro's children Paulina, Olga, Isabela, Estela, and Carlos, and all of his grandchildren. You are missed, Abuelo.

Thanksgiving with Friends in St. Thomas

 

Thanksgiving sunset from our patio at Secret Harbour

This was the 10th year that we have spent Thanksgiving on the island of St. Thomas with our friend Marty. It has become a tradition for us to miss the crowds at the airport by flying on Thanksgiving day and arriving in St. Thomas in time for a Thanksgiving dinner with Marty. This year we were up bright and early for our flight, which connected in New York. We arrived in St. Thomas soon after 1:30 p.m. We picked up our rental car, stopped for groceries, and were checked in to Secret Harbour by halftime in the Patriots/Lions game. Our room was a three bedroom this year, and it was very nice. Soon Marty came over and we watched a gorgeous sunset from the patio. Some pelicans had taken up residence on the jetty this year, and we enjoyed watching them soar and dive. The sign on the jetty clearly said "No diving". Apparently pelicans can't read. (And though the Lions were leading when we turned on the game, the Pats made an amazing comeback to win. Sorry, Marty from Michigan!)

 Steve (Milky), Steph, Craig, and Marty:

Thanksgiving dinner at the Toad and Tart

Next we headed over to the Toad and Tart, a British pub. The proprietor, Anna, once again made a stellar turkey dinner with all of the trimmings. This was our third year eating Anna's Thanksgiving feast, and she outdid herself once again: roast turkey with sage stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potato and marshmallow casserole, buttered zucchini and yellow squash, green beans almondine, cranberry sauce, and fresh bread. Although we were stuffed and feeling rather sleepy after such a delicious meal, we of course couldn't say no to her apple pie with homemade cinnamon ice cream.

Marty and Jesi on Cap'n Marty's Island Hop

The day after Thanksgiving was our traditional Cap'n Marty's Island Hop day, where we rent a boat from Mattheus at See and Ski Power Boat Rental. We met Marty and his friend Jesi at Marina Market in Red Hook, where we bought supplies for the day. We loaded up the boat and headed out. The water was a bit choppier than usual, but we enjoyed meandering around Hawk's Nest  and Peter Bay off St. John. The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed the sun and the turquoise blue water, while pelicans flew and splashed down into the water around us. We were running a bit later than usual as we stopped  to clear customs for the British Virgin Islands in West End, Tortola.

Marty, Steph, Craig, and Milky with our new

Cap'n Marty's Island Hop T-shirts

Cap'n Marty and Jesi in front of Presidio del Mar
Peter Bay, St. John

We made our way across the channel despite the wind and choppy water, and stopped in Hurricane Hole to rest our shaken bones. At around 1 o'clock, we arrived at the Willy T, a bar and restaurant located on a boat off of Norman Island in the BVI. Our old friend Zeus was there behind the bar, and he recognized us immediately. We ordered a round of painkillers and he kept them coming. Craig immediately noticed the larger than normal glass, to which Zeus replied "16 for 12", meaning 16 oz for the 12 oz price. Marty tried to convince him it meant 16 drinks for the price of 12.

 

Our good friend Zeus at the Willy T

We noticed that the shot ski was back (it had been out for repairs last year). This is a water ski with four holes in it. Zeus mixed up a concoction that looked like antifreeze and poured it into 4 shot glasses which he inserted into the holes on the ski. Craig, Steve, Marty, and I downed the drinks and Zeus was amazed that we didn't spill any.  It was a party atmosphere at the Willy T. When a woman asked Zeus if he could play some music for her kids, he quickly queued up "Life's Gonna Suck When You Grow Up" by Denis Leary. We had not heard this song before and found it hysterical. Jesi and I got temporary Willy T tattoos. We enjoyed our time with the charismatic, irreverent Zeus (and his alter ego George who is much more serious). In fact, we enjoyed it a bit too much and were late returning the boat to Red Hook. Sorry, Mattheus! We didn't even have time to stop at the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke this year. The Willy T is just too damn much fun!

Shot Ski: Craig, Steph, Marty, and Milky

(Photography by Jesi)

Having fun at the Willy T

Marty and Jesi on the Willy T

On Saturday, we had a relaxing day at Secret Harbour beach. Craig made us "Craig McMuffins"  (cheese omelets and bacon served on on English muffins) for breakfast. We then headed down to the beach and submerged ourselves up to our necks in the cool refreshing water. Eventually, Steve wandered down the beach to the Blue Moon Cafe. While he was gone, an  iguana menacingly circled me until I shooed it away. The last thing I needed was for it to come after me once I had food. Steve came back with a round of frosty bushwhackers and chicken sandwiches with fries. We sat on beach chairs end enjoyed our picnic lunch iguana-free.


We then went for another dip in the water and then hung out on our patio for a while. At 8 o'clock, we walked down the beach to the Blue Moon Cafe for dinner. We sat on their open air patio and enjoyed the sound of the waves lapping up on the beach. We ordered a round of bushwhackers and got gouda "cheesecake" with crackers as an appetizer. We had seen this on the menu for the past 2 years and had been curious about it. We are very glad we finally decided to try it. Far from being a traditional cheesecake, it was a pie-shaped wedge of spreadable gouda. For our meals, we all ended up ordering the same thing because it sounded so good:  Baked scallops with parmesan and provolone served with rice pilaf and asparagus. It was savory and delicious.

Secret Harbour

On Sunday, we went to Magen's Bay for Jesi's weekly sand castle picnic. Marty brought his Limin' Cooler (a cooler pimped out with serious stereo equipment) for tunes, and we met up with Sean (whom we had met many times before) and his girlfriend Carol, and a few of their friends. Now, Carol and Jesi are some serious sand castle makers. They had all of the tools to do the job right. They started out by building the foundation, dumping buckets of water into the sand and then standing on it, piling it up higher and higher with waterlogged sand. Then, once the foundation was finished, they set to work carving. Carol and Sean had brought a skull and some little pewter pirate figurines, and they fashioned a sort of Castle Grayskull. Jesi had her heart set on  creating a pirate ship, and she, Marty, and I got some of the hull and a wave going, but it turned out to be too ambitious. Marty worked with her to convert it into an extension of Sean and Carol's castle.

Marty working on the sand castle at Magen's Bay

Carol, Sean, Jesi, and Marty:

Sand castles at Magen's Bay

There were no cruise ships in port today (three days in a row with no ships - not good for the island's economy), so the majority of people at Magen's were locals. A family reunion a little way down the beach was very interested in our castles. They came over to admire them while Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" was playing on the Limin' Cooler. The two sisters (one of whom was visiting from Maryland) spontaneously burst into song. Jesi promised their adorable kids that they could help us wreck the whole thing when we were done. A little while later they came over with beers for our entire group. They were very friendly and we enjoyed chatting with them.

Carol, Jesi, and Marty: The Castle Moat Dance

We ate our chicken curry salad sandwiches, enjoyed some drinks, and just enjoyed a relaxing day at the beach. We truly felt like locals rather than tourists today. Once the sun was getting low and the castles were complete, Marty played his favorite song on the Limin' Cooler ("Say Hey (I Love You)" by Michael Franti and Spearhead) and he, Jesi, and Carol performed a spontaneous and very entertaining dance around the castle that we captured on video:.

Then Jesi called the little kids over to help knock it all down. The kids were hesitant at first, as if afraid that it was too nice, or they would get in trouble. But after admiring it for a while, they eventually got into the spirit and demolished the castles. We headed back to our place and had Señor Pizza delivered to the room while we shared photos with one another. Jesi is a professional photographer, and had gotten some great shots.

Craig and Steph at Secret Harbour Beach

On Monday we had a relaxing day at Secret Harbour. Craig made another nice breakfast of Craig McMuffins and we relaxed on our patio for a while. Then we went down to the beach and we spent some time in the water. We skipped lunch today as we had had a big breakfast. There was an absolutely gorgeous sunset which we admired from our patio.

 

Sunset from our patio, Secret Harbour

It was our last night on the island, and we met Marty and Jesi at the Schnitzel Haus for dinner. We had eaten here with Marty a couple of years ago, and learned to trust him about the menu. Things that I normally wouldn't necessarily think I would like were absolutely delicious. We had snails in garlic and butter as an appetizer. I always picture snails to be rubbery and slimy, but these were tender and succulent. For his meal, Craig got the rahmschnitzel, pounded veal in a cream sauce with mushrooms and onions. I had the pepperschnitzel, pounded veal seasoned with cayenne pepper and cooked with onions and red and green peppers. It was delicious, with a spicy zing. We got bratkartoffeln potatoes (which basically taste like the best home fries you can imagine) and red cabbage, which was strangely sweet in contrast to my spicy meal. And this time when Marty called for the reservation, he reserved five apple strudels with ice cream for dessert. Last time we had all had to share a single remaining serving. It was all delicious. Much like Anna's Thanksgiving turkey, this felt like a meal home-cooked with love. It was like eating in someone's home, on their back deck overlooking the water.

We went back to the hotel and chatted for a while, looking at one another's pictures. We said our goodbyes as Marty would be at work tomorrow before we headed to the airport. This vacation is always a really fun one for us, with the opportunity to really relax and enjoy the company of a dear friend. Of course it is also always much too short!

 

Dinner at the Schnitzel Haus:

Milky, Steph, Craig, Marty, and Jesi

Steph, Craig, Marty, Milky

On Tuesday we checked out of Secret Harbour, stopped at Marty's place to drop off the Limin' Cooler (which he was kind enough to lend us for Steve's iPod throughout the trip), and then continued on to the airport. We got some cheese johnnycakes at the airport (basically like a cross between cheese, a doughnut, and fried dough - what's not to love?) We arrived in Miami on time, but we were delayed there. Instead of landing at 10:15 in Boston, we landed at 12:15 a.m. By the time we made it back to the house, it was 1:00, and we had to go to work the next day.

We are already counting down the days until next Thanksgiving. Thanks, Marty, for such a great time.

View from Marty's place

Yale to Return Machu Picchu Artifacts to Peru

It was just announced that Yale is returning items from Hiram Bingham's 1911/1912 expedition to Machu Picchu to Peru. Ultimately, we think that this is a good thing. It was strange to visit Machu Picchu in 2001 but to see no artifacts from the site there except for the buildings themselves. Plus, the number of Peruvians who actually get a chance to see these artifacts in foreign museums is small compared to the number who will be able to see them once they are on display in Peru.

The artifacts are being returned in time for Peru's centernary celebration of Machu Picchu's rediscovery. Yale has certainly done a wonderful job documenting and preserving these items, and hopefully they will be equally well looked-after when they arrive at San Antonio Abad University in Cusco. Housing the artifacts in Peru means that Peruvians will be able to view them and learn about their heritage.

Having been unable to see these artifacts in Peru in 2001, we
took the opportunity to view them at an exhibit at the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale in 2003. Here is what I posted on  Michael Palin's travel website  at the time:

Machu Picchu in Connecticut by stephlynne on 2 March 2003 6:31pm

The Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University is running a Machu Picchu exhibit through May 4. After that, the exhibit will travel to LA, Pittsburgh, Denver, Houston, and Chicago. My husband and I went to see it yesterday, and I have to recommend it to anyone in the area who is interested in Inca culture. It showcases artifacts brought back by Hiram Bingham in 1912, as well as other artifacts borrowed from other museums. Although I think it's a shame that I was able to see these Incan artifacts in Connecticut rather than when I was actually in Peru, it was still amazing to see. There were items of gold and silver, textiles, and pottery, all of which are wonderfully preserved. The way the exhibit was displayed was very cool as well. They actually took casts of Incan walls in Peru and then used them as molds. So the exhibit is lined with a fiberglass recreation of Inca stonework that is incredibly authentic-looking. The exhibit also includes computers which are loaded with virtual reality software so that you can "explore" Machu Picchu from various vantagepoints and you always get a 360 degree view. It took us about 1.5 hours to get a very thorough look at the exhibit. Then we viewed the rest of the museum, which was also very interesting (lots of dinosaur skeletons, Native American exhibits, animal and bird specimens, and an Egyptian exhibit.) If you're interested, you can get the exhibit details at http://www.peabody.yale.edu/exhibits/inca/

The artifacts run the gamut from pottery to carved stone to metalwork to textiles. One particularly interesting item was a life-sized hollow gold effigy of an ear of corn. The detail put into this piece underscores the importance of maize to the Incan culture. There were small gold and silver figurines of humans and llamas. Another interesting object was a quipu - a knotted string record-keeping device (used mostly to record numeric information, it is thought). It is over 5 feet long and consists of 528 strands knotted onto the main string.

We look forward to seeing these artifacts again some day, in their rightful context, when we return to Peru.

The artifacts which we saw on display at Yale are documented in the below book, "Machu Picchu: Unveiling the Mystery of the Incas" by Burger and Salazar: