Home last night Splendor, many glittering delights, red beef and cold wine, treasure heaped upon treasure, a train of phonetic love whispers leading me from gift to gift to gift:  fine textiles, a wok, a lemon tree, bicycle and accoutrements: happy birthday Casey Gibbs.

I listen to Bach all day at work, and Brahms and Handel, because these musics are intellectually stimulating but also sober. In the mornings, though, I listen to Ravel, because it is not sober, it is lushly drunk on wonder and heightens my sensitivity to the possibility that something amazing will happen during the day.