Rhi and Benner at the symphony

Rhi and I love music of all sorts. But one area where we--I particularly--feel like our expertise and experience is lacking is symphonic music. I have been wanting to expand my love and appreciation for it recently, so what a great blessing that one of my bosses just out of the blue offered us a pair of tickets to go see the LA Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall.





The building itself is wonderful, designed by Frank Gehry. Even the escalators up from the parking garage are gorgeous.





Then we got inside the concert hall. We were there to see "Adés Conducts Adés," which means Thomas Adés was conducting some music he wrote. This was the view from our seats:




(We run out of pictures at this point because an usher came up and said we weren't allowed to take pictures. Woops!)

I don't think either of us had ever seen a concert from this POV before, and it was an amazing experience. It was so much fun to hear the sounds and pick out which musician was making them, particularly when--during one piece--there was a lone mandolin player hidden in a sea of violinists. Adés' music is also very percussion heavy and really utilized just about every percussive instrument available. So it was fun to watch the ten percussionists running around the back row, dodging one another, clanging cymbals and bells and tympani.

The music itself was interesting, in a very good way. It was evocative and seemed like it was very much trying to rattle people. Very modern, save for the last piece which was written by an Italian composer in the late-1800's whose name escapes me. It was a wonderful night for us to get away from the couch, and we very much appreciate my boss' generosity.

Workin' on the ol' apartment

Hey gang. Before I get started, let's give it up for Rhianwen for posting like a hundred blog posts here on Rhi & Benner. She really helped catch this blog up to speed. Bravo.

Now on to the apartment. For a long time, we were not happy with our apartment. It was kind of boring, but we tried our best to make it interesting and cool with what we had. Our little dining area, for instance, was just big and white and empty. So we figured we'd throw up a ton of frames and give it an eclectic look. The problem is... well, just look:



The problem is we didn't really have enough frames to cover this vast wall that we were working with, which gave it an overwhelming unfinished feel. We also did not have any money to buy more picture frames to hang on the wall. (Frames are really expensive, who knew?) And to top it all off, that one damn frame down there, the silver one, just refused to hang right, always crooked, as if it were mocking me. On top of that, the furniture just really wasn't our taste. We're not really All-Dark-Wood kind of people, it just sort of worked out that all our furniture wound up that way. We have more modern and clean tastes, but we didn't have the money to buy that kind of style.

Thankfully, we did have Jen, Rhianwen's good friend and talented decorator (who keeps a decorating blog, doncha know). Jen took a look at some photos and gave us good advice on how to create a look that is more our style. Here's what we came up with:



Ah, that's more like it. We took Jen's advice and took down all the frames because, really, if you can't go all the way you shouldn't try to make it work. We painted the wall a comfortable shade of blue and added some cool vinyl stickers we fond on Etsy. We sold our old black table on Craigslist and got the white pedestal table from Sarah and Steve up in San Francisco because they were wanting to get rid of it. Then we spray painted our black chairs a glossy white to match. We're planning on adding more color to the room by reupholstering the seat cushions, but the fabric we ordered (also from Etsy) has yet to arrive. Rhianwen and I don't fully agree, but I feel like that little brown table in the corner ($8 from Ikea) compliments the blue walls really well and is also an awesome place to put food when you have a full table. We're also trying to figure out what color we should paint the bar thingy, or if we should just start with something new. (I might try to building something... maybe.)

Next we're working on the living room. We'll post when we get it looking good.

Sarah's Belly!!

That's right everyone! My sister Sarah and brother in law Steve are expecting!!!!! We are so excited we can hardly stand it and are eager to meet our new little niece in August.

More to come on this in the coming months of course, but in the mean time, isn't my sister pretty??

Yeah, we think so too.

2010 Birthday Recap

Here's who celebrated birthdays so far this year:
January:
Uncle Italo
Greg
Aunt Marge
Maddie

February:
Steve
Jamie
Tim
Grandma
Matthew
Matt
Savannah
Aiden

March:
Uncle Dana
Emme
Barb
Greg J
Maureen
Steve-o

April so far:
Jen
Babe
Jenny
Micah

Sometimes we are organized enough to send a card, sometimes we aren't. Regardless, Happy Birthday you guys!!! Hope it was a great one!!! You are all very special to us.

Amazingly, I don't have a digital phone of Uncle Dana other than this one. We'll have to get one next time we scype! (Back row, first from left)


Matt - the bald guy. No, not that bald guy, the other one:)

Jamie

Grandma

Matthew

Aunt Marge

Greg J

Uncle Italo (with Aunt Carol)

Barb (on the right)

Serious Greg (on the left)

Steve-o

Maddie and Steve

Pre teen Emme - you should see her now!

Jenny

Jen

Maureen

Aiden

Micah

Babe

Tim, Sam, Savannah

Lunch with the girls at the WB lot

The other week Dani and Becca came to have lunch with me at work. I usually am not able to take lunch because we are so busy. But my boss was traveling so I decided to treat myself to a proper lunch hour. Look at the fun we had!!!




This was once the back of the ER hospital, set in Chicago






New York, New York!


Becca in anywhere small town, USA


we so belong on the red carpet


Batman Forever and Oceans 11 (among others) filmed at this particular stage.


From the set of ColdCase




That's the ladder where the Spiderman upside down kiss took place in the rain. They had to plug his nose so water wouldn't get up there.

St. David's Day is on March 1

I realized recently that another thing I miss about Philadelphia is the traditions I have with my mom (and sometimes dad) attending services at Arch St. Presbyterian church in the city on Welsh holidays. Specifically, St. David's Day.

During the service we sing Welsh hymns (and enjoy a Taebach after, which is Welsh for tea and cookies:), the same Welsh hymns that we've sung all my life with my mom's side of the family. At home, at memorials, at Gymanfa Ganu conferences over Labor Day. I'll let you google that one. I love Welsh hymns, they feel part of my DNA. The Welsh love to sing and are known for their vigor in signing and phenomenal welsh choirs. You would be amazed that many of the traditional hymns you hear in church were penned by the Welsh!

My mom called me and left a voicemail of everyone at Arch St. singing Penpark, one of my favorites next to Calon Lan, Cwm Rhondda Bryn Calfaria and Land of my Fathers. Just try and sit in a choir of a hundred people singing these powerful songs. You can't help but tear up or get goosebumps! She also mailed me the program from the service. Isn't she sweet?

Interestingly, Penpark which is one of the most beautiful and moving songs in often sung in funerals. I always loved the song and now get even more emotional because it reminds me of my Nain and Tiad (Welsh for grandma and grandpa) who loved Welsh music, Welsh culture and history and founded the Welsh Society of New Mexico. The Welsh society of Philadelphia meets at Arch St. Pres. See how that all came full circle?

The lyric of Penpark (in English) are:
Jesus, I live to thee,
the lovliest and best;
my life in thee, thy life in me,
in they blest love I rest.

Jesus, I die to thee,
Whenever death shall come;
to die in thee is life to me,
in my eternal home.

Whether to live or die,
I know not which is best;
to live in thee is bless to me,
to die is endless rest.

Living or dying, Lord,
I ask but to be thine;
My life in Thee, they life in me,
Makes heaven forever mine!

Can you imagine God being so real to you, knowing Him so intimately that you honestly can't decide rather to be here on this earth or in heaven with him!!!

I couldn't renditions of Penpark on youtube, but here are fairly good renditions of Cwn Rhondda and Gwahoddiad. You can listen while you continue to read these fascinating posts of mine!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N82ktr-TVFo&feature=related
in welsh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za5fLVSsqz4
in english

St. David is the patron saint of Wales. You can read about him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_David%27s_Day

Also you mainliners may be interested to know that Malvern, Berwyn, St. Davids, Narberth, Wynnewood, Bryn Mawr, etc are all Welsh names. There is even a hymn called Malvern! Benner often reminds me that he met Welsh men on the R5 who told him that Narberth translates to "Good for Nothing." I'm sure every Benner I know would be eager to contest that statement. The Benners love Narberth.

France!

France and Barbara, (friends of my mom's from New Mexico since before I was born- France is my Godmother.) came to visit LA for a counseling conference. They are both therapists like my mom and dad. Anyway, last year they came to visit their friends Charlotte and Arthur who at the time was dying of cancer. They introduced me to their friend Charlotte who has become a familiar face in my life and a dear friend. More on her later.

It was so sweet for us javascript:void(0)to meet up with France, Barbara and Charlotte at Charlotte's house in Beverly Hills. We enjoyed wine, cheese, a delicious dinner and fantastic company. It was fun to catch up and reminisce and of course celebrate (a little ate) France's birthday!

We brought her this chocolate raspberry cake. It was delicious. I wish I had gotten photos with Charlotte Barbara and Benner too. I must have been to focused on the cake:) (Not like me at all, I know!)

Here are some things that I remember about.remind me of France:
Her lace bedspread and the skylight in her bedroom of her adobe Albuquerque home
Chanel no. 5
finding European chocolates around the house
tickle back kisses
her silver spreading knives that we would use in her garden when eating
her garden
her pool
her old dog, Aimee (french for friend)
blue tiles and provencal patterns (how do i make a french c on a computer?)
the desert
your eclectic decor including your father's paintings

Happy Birthday France, we love you!!!


France meeting me for the first time, the day of my birth!


France and me at my baby dedication


with my mom. aren't they pretty?

Welcome Avery!!

Since moving to LA, we've been attending a church called Ecclesia. It meets on hollywood boulevard amidst cheap lingerie shops (I seriously counted 12 in a three block walk for hotdogs after church with Dani and Benner), many homeless wanderers, hollywood stars on the side walk, and just blocks from El Capitan, Graumann's Chinese theater and other hollywood tourist destinations.

The best part of Ecclesia (which is greek for church) has been our homegroup which has started meeting at our house since our leaders (David and Rachel) have welcomed a new baby girl into their family.

This is the same homegroup that we went to Yosemite with last year. Some people have left, others have joined and many have stayed on for year 2. It's such a cool thing to share life with this group, all of us with very different backgrounds and personalities, sharing a common pursuit of God and knowing him more. (Here's the website, you can download podcasts of sermons if you like: www.churchinhollywood.com)

I'm getting off topic, but its relevant to introduce you to the group to provide context for how this precious life has intersected with ours. Here she is, in all her tiny glory:
Avery!

Here we are just a few short weeks before her arrival:




Here she is, just hanging at homegroup night.





The first day we met her! (Just 2 days old!) And here's her gorgeous mama. You should hear her SING! Incredible. She was on American Idol top 50 a couple years ago and has music on itunes. We heart them.javascript:void(0)