Solstice Letter 2005 ********** Red Roof Farm
Hello everyone, As I write this, I am hearing wonderful cello practicing for background music - Bach unaccompanied suites as interpreted by Jewel, our resident cellist. Who needs an I-Pod? The Evans clan has had a very good year. The main event, of course, was the wonderful outdoor wedding of Michael and Dawn here at Red Roof Farm. The affair was simple, but elegant, and although it was very, very hot on the afternoon of September 10th, we were grateful to the weather deities that no rain arrived to spoil the festivities. Everything went off without a hitch, from ceremony to dessert reception, to evening bonfire where all the young people got to kick up their heels-- and finish up all the reception food! For those of you who do not know our new daughter-in-law, she is a lovely, talented young woman who graduated from IU with a degree in piano performance. She met Michael in a music theory class, and they connected when they took chamber music together. She teaches Suzuki Method piano lessons in addition to performing when she can. She eventually plans to get a Masters Degree in piano at IU. We are just delighted that Dawn joined our family. Michael has over a dozen violin students, runs the retail side of the violin shop, and helps his dad with upkeep on our farm. He is planning a solo violin recital for next year, and has his eye on a local violin competition. He is one busy, and very wonderful son. Harold has been teaching a violin class this fall in Brown County for a bunch of adult beginners. He has never done anything like this before, and is having fun. His big project this year was to construct a suspension bridge across a ravine in our woods. The bridge is nearly 100 feet long and 20 feet above the little stream that runs at the bottom of the ravine. He researched high and low to get plans for such an undertaking, but found none anywhere, not even on the Internet. Being Harold, that didn't stop him. He designed the thing himself, got a carpenter friend to help with some of the construction, and now we have a picturesque bridge that connects the two halves of our property. A friend of ours who attended the wedding had been in the Army Corps of Engineers, and he pronounced the bridge well made and structurally sound. Whew! Harold also finished the cello that he built for Jewel, and she is delightedly playing it full time now. It is an exquisite instrument. Jewel helped her dad by choosing the blend of varnish colors, and as always, her artistic input shows. The instrument positively glows with a robust honey golden finish. Jewel is now the proud holder of her GED diploma. She took the test last July and passed it with an honors designation. That means she scored above the 90th percentile in all subjects. Way to go! Being a home schooled kid, she managed to finish high school a year early, but decided not to rush into college this past fall. She wanted to work some more on cello and piano before auditioning for the IU School of Music, (jazz and classical studies), and to take a couple more distance learning courses. She is apprenticing in the violin shop, continuing her martial arts, and her orthodontic work is just about finished. That will be a major cause for celebration!! She spends her limited free time playing Dungeons and Dragons at a local gaming club, and going out with her special someone. The last few years have been difficult for Jewel as she is dealing with a challenging illness, but she is one tough little cookie, and we are proud of all her accomplishments. Beth, as usual, runs the show at home, and although her home schooling responsibilities are dwindling bit by bit, she still supervises Jewel's other coursework, and acts as her on call taxi service. Beth had to give up the martial arts program as her old joints couldn't take the punishment any more, but instead has switched to belly dancing! Instead of aching all over after class like she did in Tae Kwon Do, she comes out laughing, and feeling good. That's the way to exercise. She has taken up a new hobby, making jewelry in a hippie/bohemian style, and hopes to be able to market some of it when her inventory gets large enough. If not, everybody will get handmade jewelry for gifts for the rest of their natural lives! One sad note is that we lost our kitty, Franz, to a heart disorder last April, and we miss him terribly. Tao, the canine member of the family, graduated from obedience training this year, and is a much better behaved dog--when he feels like it, that is. If there are deer or rabbits to chase, all bets are off. He is devoted to the family and takes his job as guardian of the farm very seriously. If you pass Tao's security screening though, you will have a four legged friend for life. If you would like to visit the following web address, (click here), you can see a few pictures of the cello, the wedding and our suspension bridge. If you are ever in the midwest, please come and see us. We wish you all the joys of the season. Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again. Blessed be. The Evans Family