I tried to coast through yesterday. I managed to get hymns picked out through Pentecost. No mean achievement.  Walked to the church in the afternoon and practiced organ. Then from there I took a long walk to the bank and the college music library.  

I had fun carrying my netbook around with call numbers on the screen looking for stuff.  I think I was hooked in to an unsecured wifi line in the next building because the farther I got from the windows the worse the reception.  I was looking for some music by Messiaen to learn on the organ for Pentecost. Everything I was interested in was checked out. But I’m thinking of at least ordering his Pentecost Mass for Organ to look at. If not this Pentecost, maybe next year. I did check out a book about him (“The Messiaen Companion” edited by Peter Hill) and a copy of his “Meditations sur le mytere de la sainte trinite.”

I came home and talked on the phone to a RN from Boersma cottage about my father.

She asked if we could bring in hospice at this point. I said, of course. Her reasoning was that Dad’s care is all about comfort and that was something the hospice people could help him (and of course the rest of the family) with. So I set up our first appointment with hospice next Tuesday morning. I am hoping my Mom will be in good enough shape to participate in this appointment. If not, Eileen and I will be there.

Speaking of Mom, she called me on her cell phone.

She seems to be settling in at her new place. I was able to tell her we are expecting daughter Elizabeth, daughter Sarah, sister-in-law Leigh and niece Emily tomorrow. She was cheered by this. She sounded as upbeat as someone struggling with depression and withdrawal could sound. She is not staying in her room but is getting out and about the new facility and discovering their beauty shoppe, snack shop, computer and exercise facilities. She told me Monday they had a pool there. Then she figured out it was a pool table.

I had fun putting Shakespeare plays on my netbook via Feedbook.com. This is an amazing site. I am reading the Feedbook version of “War and Peace” and have pulled down all of Proust and most of James Joyce. It’s very cool to have this at my fingertips in my netbook. And all for free, as it should be. 

I spent the rest of the afternoon studying Bach cantata movements for possible use this summer. I am using an index that suggests certain cantatas for certain sundays. I am looking for solo movements with one or two obbligatto instruments and continuo. It is amazing how many of these I have found…. almost one per sunday examined. I am trying to figure out the explicit connection of the texts to the readings. That way I can explain to the boss and she can help me decide which ones to pursue. 

Once again Amazon mp3 downloads are a godsend. Any movement I want to hear I can buy for .99. What a bargain. And of course the scores, translation, and commentary available on this site are a godsend. Information wants to be free and this stuff is. thankyoujesus.

Eileen and I went out for dinner after she got home from work. After that she went over to see Dad. I stayed home and had another martini. Apparently they take Dad’s neck brace off so that he can eat. When Eileen arrived they were having difficulty putting the neck brace back on. So they put him in the recliner all the way back so it would be comfortable for Dad and so she could visit with him. She reports that he was having trouble staying awake but seems happy when he’s awake. She gave him a neck rub.  And sat with him for a while. 

This afternoon I meet with my boss, Jen Adams. We will do last minute check throughs of the upcoming Triduum services. This evening I have pregame at 5:30, Agape meal at 6:00 followed by the Maundy Thursday service. I have a short post service choir rehearsal scheduled.  Somewhere in there Sarah will be arriving from England. Later in the evening Elizabeth from DC. And with Leigh and Emily here for their Friday day trip, it sure will be very nice to have everyone here.