7th October - a book

How much can happen in one day ? Today is a very intensive event, a whole event I may say, a follow-up on yesterday.

It's a very early rise by my standards. A thanks to this a lot gets done. Before leaving I undertake three basic practices and it sets the tone for the whole day, and is particularly good before visiting my father.

It's rainy outside...

The visit at the hospital goes great, my father continues to improve - huray! He falls asleep quickly, a shorter visit then, but a quality time.

I catch up with emails and stuff at J's place, there's a good internet access there, and coffee too!

After lunch I pay a visit to my primary school friend's mother to return the book I borrowed 14-15 years ago, and lost. So today I have a new copy of it and a box of chocolates with me. I explain the situation and apologize, it's not hard to imagine how shocked she is to see me, she actually completely forgot about it. I'm invited for coffee and without beating around the bush we plunge into conversation on variety of topics, immediately something clicks between us. She's as I remember her - a kind, sensitive and full of warmth woman, later on her husband comes back too. Sadly there's not much time, but another meeting is planned. What a joy, I give her a hug before saying good bye ... and leave with a book (Meister Eckhart) What a remarkable visit. Passing through one threshold opened another, new doors ...

And later in the evening we (M & J) are enjoying the fourth night of Silesian Guitar Autumn with two performances: a young Czech soloist Petra Polackova and international quartet the Guitar 4mation.

Back home, I share the impressions of the day with my mother, we make plans for tomorrow.

Soon bed but before this evening meditation followed by music: John Tavener's The Last Sleep of the Virgin, written for a string quartet and bells. The instruction for performing this contemplative piece is to play it at a barely audible level...