Time Flies....

I started off this year with, of course, the best of intentions.  I promised myself that I would blog every Sunday, rain or shine, even had I nothing to say.  Today I am really keeping that promise.

It never cease to amaze me where my time goes - work, lessons, rehearsals, etc.  I don't seem to have time to sit and even create a two-minute blog.  I was really floored yesterday when my boss told me that there are only six weeks until we open the waterpark for the summer!

So, here's to "busy-ness" which is business as usual.  And when time flies, be sure to say a word of thanks for those times when it does land in your land and stay a while.

PASS THE BUCKET!!!!

From my mother's memoirs, during her chemotherapy:

Nichole and Jen wanted to teach me to play "Texas Hold 'Em" poker. We improvised a table using a dining room chair. Jen and Coly sat on chairs beside it and I sat in my comfy living room chair.

We were just about to get started playing when I saw my bucket out of the corner of my eye. Jen was to my left and I asked her to get the bucket and the wash cloth and put them next to me in case I would suddenly need them. Then I said we should have a fire drill and practice with the bucket so we would be ready.

I explained the drill: "Jen, when I say 'PASS THE BUCKET', you hand the bucket to me, Coly, you get the washcloth from the bucket and go immediately to the kitchen and run cold water on it and bring it back to me." Jen asked me what she was to do after she passed the bucket and I asked her what she wanted to do. She said, "I want to just get out of the room." "Fine", I said, "You just get out of the room, now let's have a practice drill. Are you ready?" "Yes" and "Yes" were the replies.

I said very slowly and very softly, "pass....the....bucket" In slow motion, Jen handed me the bucket, Coly slowly reached over and took the washcloth as they each lifted up off of their chairs and went to their appointed stations. Coly brought the cool cloth back, Jen returned to the room and they both sat down smugly confident in their performance. It was picture perfect. In fact it went so well that we then started our game of cards.

Coly dealt me a five and an Ace and two cards to Jen and to herself. We each bet a nickel. Then Coly started a 'flip' or a 'flop' pile that we all used to add to our cards. I bet another nickel based on my hand so far and a flop card which was a four. It made sense to me. They kept calling and raising and double daring each other so I just played along like I knew what was happening.

All of a sudden there were about fifty nickels on the chair and Jen was scooping them toward her. I yelled "PASS THE BUCKET!!!!" and all hell broke loose. Jen threw the bucket in my lap, Coly grabbed the cloth in mid-air and all I saw was the flash of their two behinds streaking out of the room and nickels flying everywhere. The girls gingerly returned while I laughed hysterically but they passed the surprise drill.

Quilters Never Win

I started this quilt last spring in an effort to use up some scrap piles that I have accumulated. I finished the center pieced section sometime last year - I don't really remember now if it was in the spring or the summer.  This past weekend I added the gold, dark brown and patchwork borders.  It's still not quite large enough to call an actual quilt and will have several more borders added before it can be batted.  As things will get very busy again before long, I thought I'd at least post my progress! 

Lucky me...

I have two very sweet and special students, a brother and sister, that I give lessons to every Sunday.  He is learning the guitar and she is learning the violin.  Both have a great sense of humor, fun personalities and plenty of musical talent.

When they came for lessons this past weekend, they brought me this belated Christmas present, made by their own hands.  It is a beautiful and luxuriously soft fleece blanket with musical symbols.

All of my students continually overwhelm me and this was no exception.  I count myself as one of the luckiest people in the world to know each and every one of my students!

Do the Wav!

The Snarling Fiddler

A fun trip to the local music store this week resulted in a score!  Here's a pic of me trying out the new NS Wav electric violin.  This particular model was the 5-stringer in the amber burst finish.

The fiddle is oddly shaped but played like "butta."  After about a half hour of playing around, I ordered the 4-string version in red burst.  It will be delivered in about a week or so.

"The Time Has Come...,"

The Walrus said, "to talk of many things.  Of shoes and ships and sausages and sealing wax and kings."

Okay, so that's not how it really goes.  But sausage and cabbage does go so well together!  This pic is from a great family tradition of sausage making for the holidays.  My cousin, Brian, and I were the official apprentices this time around during my visit to Ohio in November.  Rumor has it that they're at it again this week for the Christmas feast.  I can still smell the garlic!

I've been busy this past month.  The fall concert for my string groups has come and gone.  As I said above, I took a trip to Ohio -  for the Thanksgiving holiday.  I'm up to my eyeballs in rehearsals and concerts.  (Tonight I will play in the orchestra for a church performance of portions of the Messiah, Shortwaaave will be performing at Faithbridge Church on Christmas Eve and Mark and I will be performing with a band that calls itself Buddy's Notes at the Inn at Grand Glaize for New Year's Eve.)

Next week, the Surf office is closed and I'm looking forward to having some crafting time at home.  As I'm not nearly ready for Christmas this year, I think I'm going to turn back to my old tradition of making all of my gifts for 2011 and next week will be the perfect time to start!

Something in the air...

When you look out your back door and are greeted with the handiwork of God, it's a great time to stop, give thanks, and take a picture so that others can experience the joy.

Crop Circles

I took this pictures just outside my front door this fall.  Just what in the heck are these things anyway?

Immediately my mind starting to conjure up an image: tiny aliens (I pictured the Marlboro toking skinny guys from MIB) making crop circles while they talked down about their bosses at break time.  One of them is leaning against the siding with one foot against the wall, puffing smoke rings into oblivion in the morning mist.  I hear them making coarse and gravelly giggles when the one that is sitting in the boxwood bush remarks that the "head cheese thinks his shicoogfzfnt doesn't stink." 

On the lighter side, literally, I've lost an official 4 pounds since I started my diet.  Nothing to put in the evening news but definitely a step in the right direction.  At this rate, I think I can safely set a goal for losing 10 pounds by New Year's.

Happy Halloween!

I found these cute aprons at Hobby Lobby and just had to make them for my nieces.  Happy Halloween, girls!  I wish I could be at that party, too....

October in Full Swing

I travelled to San Antonio this past week for business (more on that later).  On the way home, my boss commented that his October was almost over as he had two more trips that he was going to take before the month was up.  Mine, hectic as usual, is just beginning.  Here's what I can remember off the top of my head:

October 11th, orchestra rehearsals
October 12th, band rehearsal
October 14th, lessons
October 16th, wedding in Camdenton
October 17th, performing at the Lutheran church in Camdenton
October 18th, orchestra rehearsals
October 19th, performing at the Baptist church in Camdenton
October 21st, lessons
October 25th, orchestra rehearsals
October 26th, band rehearsal
October 28th, lessons
October 30th, judging the Miss Missouri pageant in Lake Ozark

And this is only my evening schedule. Oh, yeah, and I have to prepare for all of this, too.  Yikes!

Again, really?

Well, it must be that time of year. In perusing my old blog posts, I see that the last time I seriously thought about losing weight was on September 13th of last year. Well, I have lost some weight but it sure wasn't the dieting way.

Since then, doctors found a tumor on my pancreas, a mass on my liver of unknown origin and many kidney stones. After an incredibly invasive surgery in December, I now how have less intestine, stomach and pancreas and lost about 22 pounds just in the first two months of recovery.

Since then, as previous posts attest, I have been extremely busy with my music and then, of course, the summer season at the park. The long hours this summer were difficult and my days off were spent trying to recover. I still have days of serious pain but they are fewer and further between with every passing week.

My digestion is still a matter of concern for me. I have long periods of "irregularity" followed by a day of not being able to stop. And with the loss of part of my pancreas, I am now experiencing blood sugar problems - not often, but enough. The worst part is the need to sleep off the aftermath. It's a great thing that I have such an understanding boss!

Anyway, since the initial loss of 22 pounds in December, I have regained about seven of those pounds to land firmly on 222. It's time to give up the excuses and get busy on getting this weight off!

When Miles Davis Comes To Dinner

My husband and received a very unexpected surprise this evening. Miles Davis came to dinner at our house, just as we were opening a bag of Cheetos.

He played a piece from his new album "Kind of Orange."

My iPod Doesn't Work...

My busy life went over the top last night with three different appointments all converging at once, luckily all in the same spot: my basement.

You would think with my fabulous iPod Touch that I would be more organized than this, but, alas, such is not the case. I had already scheduled a guitar lesson and a review of music with a fellow violinist for an upcoming musical, each at 5:30.

If that wasn't bad enough, I told my husband when I got home from work that I was free the entire evening and he set about bringing a myriad of audio gear downstairs through which he wanted me to play my fiddle for an upcoming gig. Of course, as soon as all of this heavy gear was hooked up and ready to go, the students started coming in. Yikes! It was a regular Grand Central down there.

Everything worked out in the end with my husband the last in line to get my attention, as usual. God bless him. In the end, everything was done and everyone was taken care of. Now if I will just start USING my iPod.....

Many things...

This is my first post of the new year. I decided that I should do one the moment I realized that it is almost February. Where on earth does the time go?

Anyway, I'm 90% recovered from the surgery on my pancreas. I still have a few occasional serious pains and a tube that is stitched in surrounded by some ongoing aches but I'm mostly back to normal. That's a good thing because this spring looks to be a challenge in many respects.

I'm playing in the pit orchestra for a production of "Guys and Dolls" at the local high school. That will go on until February 21st. Then back to the surgeon to have my last tube taken out. Then youth orchestra rehearsals will begin again. Big Surf is in full swing for planning and there is much work to be done there. (I'm one of the few unbelievable lucky people who really love their job.) Then there's the normal stuff like bills, laundry. You know. Life.

But today, I'm going to take some time and do something that I've wanted to do for a while now. I'm going up to Bagnell Dam to see if I can get some good shots of the bald eagles that nest there.

I hope they're out and in the mood for a paparazzo.

Thanksgiving Day

It's always nice to have an extra day. I get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of work that I forget to take time for myself. After a hearty Thanksgiving dinner, I set out to so some organizing in my craft area.

When I'm planning a project, I love to get messy. I pull out every piece of fabric I own and match them, put them in sunlight and turn them to get the right look. I love to just sit in a pile of fabric and bask in the colors and textures of what might be. And usually, in my hurry to get to work on the next purse or hamburger pillow, I have wads of fabric that are simply thrown back on the shelf to make room for sewing.

I refolded and carefully restacked all of my pieces and put them to sleep for another day. All of the scraps that aren't big enough to fold up are now in a pile on my couch, waiting for the iron. I'm cutting what I can into 3" squares. After that, I'll cut what I can into 2" squares. I think it's time for a scrap quilt!

Now for another day off......

Thanksgiving

We've all read it before. Lists and lists of things of people and things that everyone is thankful for on Turkey Day. Well, not everyone feels quite the same about this holiday. In fact, here is my Top 10 List of what I DON'T HAVE today:

1. I don't have DSL or dial-up.
2. I don't have any worries.
3. I don't have an empty house.
4. I don't have to go to work.
5. I don't have enough room in my refrigerator for all of the
food my mother-in-law prepared.
6. I don't have to stay awake all day.
7. I don't have shoes on.
8. I don't have to watch the clock.
9. I don't have a phone that isn't ringing off the hook with
friends and family wishing me a "Happy Thanksgiving."
10. I don't have to wonder whether or not I'm a child of God.

Stop the Madness!

Somewhere along the way, maybe it was when I turned 35, my digestive tract took a turn for the worse. Since that time, I have gained approximately 80 pounds. Ooh. Even looking at that in actual print makes me squirm. But there it is. Admitting it to myself was the hardest part. But confessing it to others has been entirely something different. So now that I've done that, I think I may be ready to move in an entirely more productive direction.

I have allowed myself to excuse my weight gain for long enough. No, scratch that. I haven't excused it, I have allowed myself to think that I couldn't do anything about it for long enough. I am a comfort eater and have always turned to food as a stress relaxer. This particular digestive problem, however, has turned that attitude into a disaster - an 80 pound disaster.

Now, mind you, I'm no Barbie Doll. I've never been what you would call pretty. I don't think I'm homely but let's face it, I'll never be running for Miss Missouri. And I've never been skinny, either. But I have been more fit than I am now. I guess what I'm trying to say that I don't have any intentions of trying to become something I'm not. I just want to be able to walk up the stairs without being out of breath.

August Vacation

I am from Ohio but currently living in Missouri. It's a long drive between the two states and it makes for infrequent visits with my family.

Just recently, my father and my two twenty-something nieces (and one tag-along boyfriend) made their yearly visit. I look forward to this time with immense anticipation and have many text conversations with my nieces to try and decide how to spend our time. When asking Jennifer what she wanted to do, her stock answer this time was, "Everything."

Well, we didn't quite do everything, but we did do a lot:

1. Watched three movies
2. Made jewelry and clay sculptures
3. Made chocolate-covered strawberries
4. Planned to make several purses (never did get them done)
5. Went to the state fair
6. went to the Main Street Music Hall
7. Made breakfast out of nothing
8. Played putt-putt golf
9. Fed the fish at the state park
10. Bought an iPod Touch :)
11. Painted our toenails
12. Launched sheep
13. Went shopping at Stonecrest Mall
14. Watched Grandpa command fish just like Aquaman
15. Saw an armadillo (finally)

I like to make lists like this because it's such a great reminder of all the fun we had together.

When I look past all the fun, though, I see that of all the places that my family could go on their vacations, they keep coming back here. Then I realize what a blessed aunt and daughter that I am. And I feel loved.

Bam!

For those of you who don't know, my mother-in-law lives with me. There are good things and bad things about it, of course. But she is currently on hiatus in her hometown of Poplar Bluff which means that I get to do the cooking. I'm torn as to whether or not this is a good thing...

I decided that my first task should be to head to the grocery store. After all, you can't cook if you don't have food. Has anyone else ever noticed this?

I began my excursion looking for things I knew I needed: coffee creamer, bread, laundry soap.

I picked out a few things that looked easy enough to fix such as Hamburger Helper (actually I often wonder if it really helps) and some throw-together side dishes. I get several packs of hamburger, some chicken breasts, crackers, etc.

I loaded everything in my car and started to drive home. At about this time, I realize that I don't really have anything to make a real meal. I have completely neglected to plan at all. After four years of not cooking meals, I have forgotten how to go about it.

I guess it's a good thing that that my husband will eat anything you put in front of him. In fact, he eats everything that you put in front of him.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting back on the chef horse and using my kitchen again.

And I've decided that yes, it's a good thing.

Finally

Okay. I finally did it.

After MANY years of depression, I have finally made it to see a psychologist. He says that he got the big picture and wants to see me again. I must tell you that this was one of the hardest decisions that I have ever made.

I felt fine going there. Almost cancelled, actually. I parked my car and found my way around the unfamiliar office space rather quickly. I met the receptionist and started filling out the initial paperwork while she cleared me with my insurance. Then it started.

Feelings of worthlessness. Tears. I should be stronger than this. I should be normal. I shouldn't need this. The inevitable bits of Kleenex all around my eyes. I don't want to be here.

He suggested that I feel responsible for how others are feeling. He asked me who put that responsibility on my shoulders. Well, I guess I did.

I told him about W****, S**** and Pastor M*** and how disappointed I was in them (after three years!). I told him about S******** and what happened to her and how I was treated afterwards for trying to stick up for her (this was way back in high school!). Where is the justice? Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord.

I know I need this but I'm not really looking forward to it.