Oaknoll bus

Last night we had tickets to see Dan Knight Trio, featuring Marcia Hughes, in a Christmas concert.  Dan is an accomplished jazz pianist and composer and Marcia has pipes like none other - I have a special fondness for her voice as she sang at Kate's wedding and the memory of her rendition of  "Ave Maria" still keeps me awake at night.

Our friends, Liz and Bill, joined us, and, after a bottle of very good Argentinian cab at the Mendoza wine bar, we found our places and for the next two hours were delightfully entertained as they, along with a fabulous bassist and a percussionist, performed some classics and also introduced us to new songs.

But we couldn't resist the running joke:  "When is the Oaknoll bus going to show up?"  This was a very PG event and we were on the younger side of the attendees.  I was the only one in our group not quite eligible for the senior rate, and yet I warned everyone I might doze off.  We laughed at ourselves a lot - nervously probably.  Who are we becoming?  We decided on the evening with the carefree spontaneity of thrilled teenagers...and yet, looking around, we were definitely with the senior set.  We really enjoyed ourselves.  I'm always digging live music, Shawn enjoyed seeing the inside of the new Coralville Center for the Performing Arts building, we needed a holiday push, and getting together with old friends is always a treat.  Maybe it's time to embrace this new period of our lives - that we can go to a general admission concert and get good seats, that there is value in things that the very young and very old like alike, that aging brings with it worthwhile opportunities that our younger selves would've passed on.

Liz and me, shortly before we squeezed thru the no-exit exit.

My new bag - a gift from Liz, who calls me Wonder Woman.