I have fallen in love with the woman whose picture is on the jewel case. One snowy early morning a few weeks ago, I heard on the car radio the last few minutes of Mendelssohn's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. It was simply beautiful. When I returned home, I visited the radio station's Web site, look it up and ordered the music CD. After it arrived, I adjusted the mood lighting in the music room, put the CD into the compact disc player, set the volume to a moderate level, took the jewel case with me to the Lazy Boy chair and reclined for a good listen. The violinist is a young female and her picture on the front cover of the Jewel case is very flattering, sensual, if you will. So I open the case in a way slightly reminiscent of the way I once-upon-a-day would have opened a playboy magazine to the centerfold without bothering to read the table of content first. I was rewarded. The young artist is pictured in a recliner chair of her own. The only word that would accurately describe her is "sexy". From the first bold b-flat stroke to the last soft touch of her bow across two simultaneously vibrating strings, I resonated with sensual pleasure. I am in love.

I thank heaven for Stradivarius Stradivari and Hilary Hahn.