Autumn is undeniably here. The air is cool and my scholastic schedule returns. The shift back to work mode can be a bit bumpy and this year it has been inflamed by an infected corneal laceration sustained by my own fingernail while getting Miles dressed for the Sean and Kate’s wedding in France. But after a few weeks of adjusting to classes and schedules plus eight opthalmologist appointments, I am pain-free and ready to play music with kids! Sometimes it takes a break or an injury to come back and appreciate how wonderful it can be to work and be healthy.
The past two months of mostly Free time were absolutely amazing! Tons of family time capped off by a two-week vacation through Barcelona, Languedoc-Rousillon and Dorset. We stayed with Kevin and Amarantha and newborn Nanuk in a new family home they have been working on. A perfect Spanish vacation with jet lag shifting us onto the natural eat-at-10pm, sleep-at-2am, rise-at-10am schedule; the kids were ready to party late-night and amazing late-morning sleepers (which should have warned us about the insomnia disaster that awaited us on returning home) while the grownups were able to enjoy a fulfilling nightlife. We were there for the incredible community displays of Festa de Gracia and Festa de Sants, with dozens of blocks creating themed sculptures and decorating with collected and recycled artifacts. It included outdoor bars, live music and performers on every street for two weeks; the free and collective experience was brilliant, beautiful and inspiring.
Our next stop was Borde Neuve, a tiny and ancient hamlet in the Languedoc-Rousillon wine region of France. The wedding was a peak Buckland affair with all the classic characters and some new ones on the McMonnies side; a DIY collage of hosts’ and guests’ best talents and simply exploding with Love for five days… in one of the most stunning vineyard settings I could possibly imagine! An overnight train to Paris, then to London through the Chunnel, and finally out to Dorset to re-enact the wedding for the reason this whole event occurred in the first place, G and Grand. In their nineties and timeless, loved by all and possessing the key to life, they are the pinnacle of marriage in their 70th year and an eternal guide for everyone seeking a foundation of wisdom and joy.
It was an unforgettable vacation and a perfect end to a beautiful Summer. While I feel the excitement of Fall and Winter approaching (that means skiing!) I am already looking forward to the next revolution of the annual cycle!
