Trips and Music

April 30

My blogging was postponed because I had to attend an out-of-state conference in Washington State. I told my kids I had to be away for a night and they responded well. When I departed, they said good-bye and that was that. There was no fuss and no crying. This no-fuss departure made me happy (along with the fact that the kids are mature enough to handle a short separation).

May 1

On my drive back from my one-day business trip, as I approached home, I thought about taking the family out for dinner. But because of the present "swine flu" scare, I thought perhaps we should all stay in for dinner. It can be hard to determine the exact amount of risk involved in going out when an epidemic occurs elsewhere. It might be rational to err on the side of safety and not go out, but not going out at all might be difficult to do in practice and might be an overreaction. I guess the best thing is to stay informed and to do what one feels is in the best interest of the family.

May 2

My wife and my daughter attended a concert by young musicians. My wife and I thought this would be a great chance for our daughter to see young musicians at work producing wonderful music. Hopefully, she will be inspired by watching young people play music well. I know I always am when I watch youngsters play music by Bach, Beethoven and the other master composers.