Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, February 16, 1962

Feb. 16 – Friday –

A beautiful winter’s day – about 32° - snow falling from a pure light gray sky – a feeling of trees being crowned with a light from above; the snow-flakes a soft gray slightly darker than the sky.

A.M. – Did a little job of cutting some plastic for Bertha – we discussed going to Buffalo but decided against it.

Noon mail – Valentine and a good letter from M.A. [Mary Alice].

P.M.  – Took my income tax material to studio, and worked on it until 4:00, but did not quite finish it. From 2:00 – 3:00 the Concert from Toronto consisted of “Highlights from Verdi’s Rigoletto” –

About 6:00 Hank called and asked us to come over for the evening, which we did -
We had a very pleasant time, talking and then playing the Word Game; and finally ended up with tea. Peggy and David were prevailed upon to play the piano – (each one short piece).
When we went out to go home, we found the car completely covered with a fine powdery snow. It had stopped snowing by then –

Home; had our evening devotions, then I had tea + crackers with butter –
At noon played the 1^st movement of Tchaikovsky’s first Piano Concerts (which came today) played by Eugene Istomin with the Phila. Orch. while we had dinner –

At bedtime the 2^nd + 3^rd movements - M. Saia recommended this recording, but it seems a great disappointment – Istomin playing is to me, hard, or brittle and mechanical. This music ought to be lush and emotional.

I had a dream last night, which seems the result of subconscious longing (as many dreams are) – I was working in an office, and I had to go to a floor above – I started running up two flights of stairs – taking two steps at a stride – I took deep breaths and thought to myself , how wonderful that I can run up stairs and not be bothered by my emphysema or asthma –

Actually, how fortunate I am that at 68, I am still able to do many things, have a voracious appetite which has to be curbed and not forced; eating is a mundane thing but a good appetite is a joy.

I finally had to stop the Tchaikovsky Concerts, and put on instead Brahms’s 3^rd Symphony.

Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, February 16, 1962