…are good! So, Boise, do you realize that you have an excellent opera company? I am pleasantly surprised and I’ll tell you why. We artists are shuffled around from company to company from anywhere from 2-4 weeks at a time. Sometimes we stay in hotels and live out of suitcases, sometimes we have host families. It can be a lonely existance and expensive if we’re not careful. Little things in a company make all the difference. The executive director picked me up at the airport in the middle of Boise’s earliest snowfall in history. I arrived at the home of Max and Rosemary Bearden, where I will be housed for my stay. I have my own space and freedom and use of a beautiful kitchen, and I sigh with relief. The next day I come downtown to the Opera Idaho offices and rehearsal space, part of the Simplot Performing Arts Academy, and not only do I jump up and down like a kid in a candy store, but I realize that my stay here will be more than alright. The facilities are a singer’s dream: beautiful pianos, excellent accoustics and spacious rooms. Ok, then its the cherry on the sundae that they give me a choice of cars donated by Lyle Pearson and of course I choose the red Jaguar. I think it will help me get into character while I’m here. These first impressions are delightful and better than many of my experiences in the past, so thank you. I hope I will always be as grateful for the little things as I am today.

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