Awesome Evening

"When it is dark enough, you can see the stars." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Recently, I was invited to an evening in an historic barn.  Now this may not sound so exciting, but it truly was an awesome evening.

I met someone who is very nice.  We met at the Courier Cafe one Friday evening and the conversation was delightful, so when he invited me to the Allerton Barn Music Festival to hear the Pacifica Quartet, I gladly accepted.

We had decided to go a bit early and walk around the grounds.  Then we would have a little picnic before the concert.  Well the entrance closest to the barn was closed because of the bridge being about to collapse.  So we drove around to the other side and enjoyed walking the grounds. A wedding had just taken place in the Sunken Garden and the bride and groom were having photos taken.  We saw all the guests in their wedding finery making their way, with glasses of wine in hand, to the reception which was being held in the house.

By the time we got back to the barn, it was getting really dark.  We had a little "tail gate" at the car with a bottle of chilled white wine, some cheese, grapes and peaches and a loaf of bread.

The sky was so clear and there was a new moon, so I could see the entire Milky Way.  It was so lovely that I just felt really lucky and happy to be in that moment.

The concert took place in the hayloft.  While it was a rather warm evening, the setting was enchanting.  The Pacifica Quartet was amazing.  We heard some Mendelsohn, then Prokofiev and the second half of the evening was Beethoven ,which was so beautifully played I was awestruck.

I looked at this quote by Emerson and it made me think firstly,  of the evening in the historic barn.  Then on a more metaphoric  level  I began to think of my life and the dark mood that I have been in of late.  I take everything to heart and the betrayal of my male friend has left me so moody. So I think that it finally got dark enough so I could see the stars.  For this I feel very grateful.