It's been a very damp and chilly Spring so far. It was snowing in Sudbury yesterday when I talked to my folks, and we are supposed to get some tomorrow in our area. Meanwhile, the new astronomy session begins Wednesday. March was a total washout, so I missed out completely on my winter constellation program. I just checked the 7 day clear sky forecast, and the first good chance is next Saturday. Not surprised. Last night was the full moon (and thus Easter is today). We could have enjoyed a wood fire, as it was cold, grey, and windy. We did keep up with the opera listening tradition, though, and we had a moon cake! The opera was Leonore, Beethoven's first attempt at writing opera. Composed in 1805, it would eventually be rewritten many times, finally emerging (in 1814) as Fidelio. But last night we heard the original version. So we are now up to 1805 in our comprehensive Beethoven listening project!
Our Easter breakfast consisted of homemade cinnamon rolls, black cherry juice, and tea. Along with it came the Sunday morning Bach Cantata. We have now listened to 14 CDs worth of Bach sacred Cantatas, as well as a few of the secular ones. Another lifelong project, ongoing and fun. This one dealt with the disappearance of Jesus when he left his family and couldn't be found for a time. I'll have a bit more to say about Jesus in a moment or two, when I turn to discussing movies watched.
Turning to a more serious topic, I am finally coming around to the fact that our lives will never be the same again. As the waves of intense Covid infections roll on (this is our 6th wave, by someone's count), we continue to avoid crowds, indoors and out. Air travel will likely not be possible for us ever again. Since the new strains can re-infect, sometimes in less than a month, and the risk of long Covid increases each time one catches the virus, it is something we are not prepared to gamble with. Covid now hits the vaccinated as much as the other group, and only N95 masks will give some protection. Herd immunity is now a myth, and cannot be achieved.
So staying home as much as possible is still going to be the norm around here. If Deb didn't have to visit her mom in Kingsville (where there is another outbreak going on in the LTC home), she would be home except for medical appointments and groceries, which is basically what I do. My one trip to Detroit went well, and there were no crowds. It's always easy to find quieter places in Detroit. Even so, it is just me going over, and only once per month, for now. Though we had high hopes for revisiting Vienna, and getting to Berlin, that now seems a pipe dream. It would be impossible for Deb to fly.
There has been a silver lining. Since we haven't travelled in two years, we have undertaken some very costly repairs and upgrades to our house that might have been pushed way back otherwise. And we really do have everything we need or could want near to us (much of thanks to Detroit). Except for two things; the desert and the mountains. But we can reach New Mexico, Colorado, etc by car, and by camping most of the time we can even avoid hotels and motels. So any travelling we might undertake will likely be in a car.
In final Covid news, my brother in Sudbury came home Thursday feeling very poorly. He tested positive, and is now isolating and suffering at home. He works at the service desk of a large Ford car dealership, and though he is triple vaxed, wears a mask and face shield, here we are. I just messaged my sister in law. She hasn't seen Steve in 2 days. Of course this puts her at risk, and Emma-Lee (13 years), and both of my parents, who live upstairs. And I'm hoping to visit in early May (laughs maniacally).
I finished my required Avon/Equinox reading for the month of April yesterday (8 books), so I am now in my free reading period, still trying to empty my book shelf filled (for years, in some cases) with miscellaneous books. I am currently reading Catspaw by Joan Vinge, a 450 page epic that so far reads like a 1950s pulp story. After that, I will delve back into my Delphi Classics series.
In movie news, we have watched four since my last blog. We had high hopes for Senso, a technicolor feature by Visconti from 1954. Considered one of the all time classics of Italian cinema, we found it to be a dud. The main problem with the film, which is rich in costumes and details, is that we didn't care at all about the two main characters, a selfish countess and a selfish Austrian officer in occupied Italy. If one doesn't care about the the two main characters, and the entire film is about them, then the film is lost before it gets very far. When their world crumbles around them, viewers had expected it. But really, we didn't care.
Next up was a musical variety movie, with a silly plot starring Sonia Henie as a totally obnoxious young woman trying to land a husband. Besides the decent musical numbers, there is a lot of fake skiing, and some skating. The Glenn Miller Orchestra introduced The Chattanooga Choo-choo song, and the Nicholas Brothers sing and dance with Dorothy Dandridge.
Next was a very unusual sleeper, The Angel Levine, produced by and starring Harry Belafonte, along with Zero Mostel. This might be Mostel's finest role, as he masterfully plays an elderly Jewish tailor trying to care for his dying wife. Belafonte appears in his kitchen one day, claiming to be an angel. If he is one, then he is a very troubled one. He brings a mix of discord, enchantment, and comfort to Mostel, who always appears to be at the end of his wits with anyone and everything he encounters. This is a very strange but compelling film by the Czech director of The Shop On Main Street, which we saw at the end of February. Is he a real angel, or just a hood looking for some kind of redemption? Recommended viewing.
Sticking with the angel theme, next came Pasolini's The Gospel According to St. Matthew, in a fully restored version. We had seen it many years ago in a terrible print, where the subtitles could hardly be read. The filming is a mixture of authentic faces of village desert people, and the incredible and barren landscapes. Jesus also preaches a lot. The best three faces are those of the androgynous angel that appears from time to time, such as the annunciation and the resurrection, Mary in her youth, and the face of Jesus. All were extremely well cast. It is an earnest film, and pretty true to the scripture. The climax is the crucifixion itself, with lamentation scenes straight from Renaissance art. It seemed a fitting movie to watch during Holy Week.
Pasolini's annunciate angel. 
Now showing on Criterion in a fully restored b & w version. 
That brings everyone up to date on doings at the Homestead. Deb's newest film has been uploaded and will soon be entering the festival circuit. Catch it on Vimeo; search for "A Fable for Four Voices". You won't be sorry.
Mapman Mike
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