gifts come through the machine

A dreadful night - my bedside table is a disaster zone, covered with lozenges, water glasses and a pot of honey. Every time a coughing fit came on, I gargled with salt water and sucked down a spoon of delicious honey, which came from my friend John who keeps bees on his roof. Got through. My boy has promised to come make me dinner before I go to teach. May be communicating to the class by scrawling on pieces of paper. But I'll be there.

But to make me feel much better, two lovely notes in my email this morning. One from a former student, who continued working with me privately on a beautiful memoir of her Quebecois family whose roots she has traced back to the 1700's:

I ordered True to Life on line and have read it twice. Since I started my project, I have read quite a few books on the subject of writing, but I found yours the most useful and inspirational. I devoured it on my first reading, then went back a second time, and marked passages I know I will want to refer to often. The book will remain on my work table, and I know I will visit those colorful arrows often. 

And this note too. Went back and looked, and I got the name of the famous violinist wrong. But I'm glad the post meant something to someone. Thanks to the world. And now, back to bed.

Listening to CBC radio last weekend I was reminded about a violinist playing Bach at the corner of Carlton and Parliament in July. Michael Enright on The Sunday Edition spoke about violinist Joshua Bell playing the violin in a Washington subway station in 2007. He mentioned a children's book called The Man with the Violin which I have since purchased for my nine-year-old grandson.

On that Saturday afternoon in July, I too was entranced by the violinist and stood in tears as I listened. I wanted to know his story and was thrilled a few days later to find your "Brilliance on the Street" blog dated July 19^th. I was glad to know that I wasn’t the only person affected by this ‘surreal moment’ as you call it. 

I just wanted to thank you for sharing this amazing experience.