As I write this the house is quiet.
My daughters are still ensconced in their beds, one with the dog and one of the cats curled up beside her. Having seen some of the iPhone snapshots my wife and I took, I know they’re dreaming of dancing the night away in a stunning gown with new friends. My son is watching Wallace and Grommit. I’ve cleaned up the kitchen from the rubble the kids left last night, and my wife is (I hope) still dreaming of her handsome prince in his stunning suit from ER Fisher. Hopefully she won’t mind waking up to the middle aged engineer and woodworking artisan I actually am 🙂
Words cannot begin to capture how amazing the Viennese Winter Ball event felt like. From the skills of the young gentlemen and ladies and their dancing, the fantastic performers of Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra, Michael Gauthier’s fine photography from Freedom Photography, the amazing support of all the dignitaries, sponsors, honoured guests of the diplomatic corps, or the tremendous work of the Music and Beyond team I’m not sure I can really capture it all.
For my part, what I found most amazing was the kindness and interest of each of the people who received one of my pens, and the interest of the ball attendees who enjoyed sharing my stories of how each of them came together.
My wife and I had amazing conversations with the gift recipients, with the interesting people at our table, and with many other lovely people. The tremendous amount of work that it took to create each gift was repaid tenfold with the kindness and attention as we talked about how a simple piece of wood became a lovely writing instrument. The stories of each of the people at our table were so much fun to share, I know my wife and I shall enjoy remembering for years to come.
Whether you’re reading this because you were part of the ball, one of the debs and cavs wondering about the pen you received, or someone who read about the ball in the newspaper, I can simply wrap this up with a simple statement. I hope to see you next year.
