It was on a Friday night, July 15, 1977, that Carl and I were married at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, so that means tomorrow is our 34th wedding anniversary. Last year at this time, we celebrated our anniversary in Saintes, France, and I was away from my computer. This year we’re home, so I… Read More Our 34th Wedding Anniversary
A couple of years ago, my former organ student Joey Fala attended a Pipe Organ Encounter (POE), a week-long “organ camp” if you will, for high school students. It is sponsored yearly by the American Guild of Organists and every summer, there are a half-dozen or more of these programs held in various locations on the… Read More Something to hold onto
This past weekend two significant events took place at LCH, and unfortunately, because of my mother’s funeral, I was unable to attend. The first event was PipeWorks, the educational outreach program of the Hawaii Chapter, American Guild of Organists, which was led ably by former organ student, Joey Fala. Over 40 people attended this program which… Read More Passing the torch
I’m not sure who made the decision, but collectively all five siblings in my family have worked on the eulogy for my mother. I’m so very proud of my brothers and sisters in their abilities to write coherently and articulately, and writing the eulogy together has been an enlightening experience. Aren’t Google Docs great? Of… Read More Eulogy Writing 101
Some people these days spend a lot of time thinking about what they want their memorial service to be like. My mother, Dorothy Au, spent the last year or so deciding what she wanted in the way of music, food and arrangements down the last detail, even though she was reasonably in good health until… Read More Music for the End
This is the post that I knew one day would have to be written. I just didn’t know it would be today. I had already made plans to fly to California to be with our son, Stephen, as he was to undergo gall bladder surgery. This morning, though, I received a call from my brother,… Read More Dorothy Chiu Au, 1917-2011
The phrase “letting the cat out of the bag” apparently dates from the “quaint days of the English country fair,” according to John Collins of the Writers Block web resource. It means to “reveal a secret, a plot, or a subterfuge of some kind,” and originated from the practice of switching plump suckling pigs for… Read More The cat is out of the bag
Over the weekend, Joey Fala and I have been working on the repertoire which will be performed at the July 9th PipeWorks, the educational outreach program of the American Guild of Organists, which introduces the pipe organ to young people. Joey asked me to play something “flashy,” so I have decided to play Marcel Dupré’s… Read More Marcel Dupré and his house organ
Hey! I thought this was supposed to be a blog about music! Well, keep reading and you’ll see the connection. Last night Carl and I happened upon a PBS program called “Need to Know” and the segment detailed two couples, one of whom has been married for 63 years and the other 49. The premise… Read More The secret of a long life and a happy marriage
Ever since we returned home from Boston, I have been working with Joey Fala on the PipeWorks event, to be held on Saturday, July 9th starting at 11 am. Please check out my posting, “From generation to generation,” on the details of the July 9th program. Joey says most of us organists “got in through… Read More An Open House for the Pipe Organ