Fall Romances

Monday's here again and its another start to another week. I can't believe that October is almost gone and November will be here in only a week! So much to catch up on, and so many fun and exciting things going on!

When I last blogged I wrote about my choirs' concert, and how well I expected them to do in their performance. Well, I wasn't let down in the least, my students sang beautifully, and I do believe it was the best concert we've had at the middle school since I've been here! We were so polished and prepared, and they really did a wonderful job! Especially my audition group, my Star Choir, as I call them (b/c we rehearse during "star" period at the middle school). They've really grown musically since last year as a group and as individuals, and I'm so proud of them. Now we're off and running with Christmas music - tis the season you know, or at least it will be soon - and its going to be another great 9-weeks!

Today was one of those days that I really enjoy because I got some terrific results! A couple weeks ago I had 16 or 17 of my students work toward and record some audition CDs for 2 different honor choirs that happen in Wichita during the KMEA music convention in February. Many of them made audition CDs for both groups, and some didn't, but of the 8 students that I sent in CDs for the KCDA Treble Honor Choir, 5 of them were accepted! I was so excited, and a bit bummed at the same time because I felt that those 3 that didn't get in really deserved to. But there's always next year. Last year I only took 2 girls, and so this jump in numbers has me really excited and happy! We are still waiting for the other group's list to be announced, but hopefully we'll add even more to the list of people going to KMEA this year from our school! It will definitely be fun experience for all of us.

I've been to 2 rehearsals for the Wichita Grand Opera so far and they've been really great! The group as a whole seems a bit unorganized, as we still have yet to sign contracts, we just recently got our music, and we are going week-by-week on rehearsal times and places...but as my mother lovingly reminded me, "you are working with a bunch of musicians Kathy," so I haven't read too much into it. :) It feels fabulous to sing professionally again and I'm so glad to be back in the mix of making such beautiful music! Our first show is Madame Butterfly which has some wonderful music - I'm so excited to get things memorized and staged! A bunch of the faculty have already said that they're all going to plan a "teacher road trip" to Wichita to attend one of our shows. How great it will be to see familiar faces there cheering me on - I'm in such a great, and supportive place! I'm very lucky.

Among all the other exciting and busy things happening for me right now, I've met someone new. :) His name is Eric and he's such a super nice guy. He is a fellow musician, a band director and elementary music teacher. He lives in a near-by town, only 10 miles East of me! We have a lot in common, and I really like him. We'll see where it goes, but I'm really enjoying getting to know him and spending time with him. A big thanks goes out to my friend's wife for picking him out for me and setting us up :D

I am really excited about this weekend because I'm traveling down to Wichita to attend my big brother's Halloween Party! Its themed for TV and Movies in the 70's and 80's, which is perfect because the costume I had picked out for Halloween this year is Jessica Rabbit, from the movie "Who Framed Roger Rabbit." Its a left-over costume from previous years, but no one here has seen me wear it, and it still fits, so I'm going w/ it! I'm planning on going with my friend Doug who is currently living in Wichita, and we'll have a super fun time together! My other brother John is coming down from Omaha for the party, so I'm really excited to see him and his wife as well!

And, of course, I don't have my meals for the week planned yet, but hopefully by tomorrow (seriously this time) I'll have my week planned out. Tonight I dined at Subway :) and I have a few ideas of what I'd like to have this week, so we'll see what I come up with. It looks like its finally going to really cool off, so maybe I'll break out the cold-weather food.

10-10-10

Its one of those few days in the century that people realize when they've written the date on a check, or seen it on the calendar and they snicker - its October 10th, 2010, aka, 10-10-10 and its been a good day. It also happens to be my nephew Nathan's 8th birthday. He is definitely a 10 child; born on 10-10 (October 10th), he was obviously born w/ 10 fingers and toes (thank goodness), at 10:10, he is my parents 10th grandchild, and I think he weighed 10 lbs...no, maybe not, that's a big baby. But weight aside, thats a lot of tens to be dealt in life. His big brother Brock will be turning 15 on Thursday, and my oldest brother Mike will celebrate his birthday on the 16th. A lot of birthdays in October.

This week was kinda lousy in its own ways. Rehearsals were really good, and considering we have a concert tomorrow night, I was pleased with the way the kids were working. We're ready for our perf

ormance, and I'm very excited for the kids to show off what we've been working on. All week long though, I've been trying to get sick and I stayed in bed all day yesterday, even though I was supposed to go shopping w/ my mom and sister. It was kinda a crummy day for everyone - my sister is trying to pass a kidney stone, my mom threw her back out, and I am not feeling the best, so I suppose it was just as well we didn't go shopping yesterday. Today however, was a very very nice day. My mot

her, bad back and all, drove from her home to mine, and together we picked up my kidney-stone-passing sister and drove to Topeka to attend my nephew Matt's Eagle Scout ceremony. It was very touching, and although I don't know much about the scouts program, I could tell it was a really big deal, and his parents were so so sooo proud of him for this accomplishment! They have great kids and I'm a lucky aunt :)

I also went through my finances today, which was a bit

depressing b/c even though I had put aside a bunch of money to go shopping with, I decided not to spend it that way. The money came from my first paycheck as the director of a church choir here in town, and I was so excited to do some much needed clothes shopping with it - and then after sitting down to look at my month's budgeting I realized that if I used this check on my doctors bills, I would have all of the small ones payed for right now! I have a lot of bills right now from the knee surgery I had this summer, and it would be nice to get them all taken care of - at least the small ones. So w/ a frown on my face, I decided to be responsible and put the money towards those and the money

I'll need for gas this month. When exactly did I become a grown-up? Oh well, maybe next month I'll go shopping.

On a more positive note, I found out on Friday that I was accepted as a chorus member for the 2010-2011 season at the Wichita Grand Opera! I was so super excited and I can't wait to start rehearsals! I just hope its a paying gig - that would be so stupendous! If its not it will still be an awesome experience, but a huge $$ suck on gas! I don't know specifics yet, just that they want me, so for now I'm really really excited to be singing professionally again! I was meant to make a joyful noise unto the Lord! :D

I've been pretty lazy with my meal planning lately, and tonight is no excep

tion...so maybe I'll get something planned during the week, cause I'm pretty sure I'll have soup tomorrow night...come back Tuesday if you're really interested. Haha!

These are photos of 2 of my previous successful meals - the pizza was homemade, even the crust and the other meal was shrimp scampi, a recipe I got from my brother Jeff! They were both so delicious!

Well ok, I didn't get my meals posted this week and its been kind of a crazy one at that! But its finally Friday and it couldn't have come any sooner! I've been on the go since the week started, and even though we didn't have school on Monday it seems like I couldn't have been busier! Here's the break down of the week I had:

Monday we had a teacher inservice which was great in the morning b/c the related arts staff were able to spend their own time in their own rooms working. The afternoon however, seemed to drag on forever - we had a special webcast conference with an educator who wrote a book that focused on supporting struggling students. The content was important and those of us who participated in the book study prior to the web conference got some good, valuable information from the book. The conference that afternoon was from 1-4, but it seemed to go on and on and on...it turns out that even though the author had great ideas and content in her book, she isn't much of a public speaker. It was long, flowed poorly and we lost a lot of the content that we read about. When I went home that night I worked furiously getting my house back in shape - I had let it go for a while :S I love the feeling of a clean house, and to make it better I had just bought some great candles with fall scents! So my apartment was clean and smelled of pumpkin pie and harvest spice~yum! I also took that evening to decorate my apartment for fall. I put out some pumpkin decor and I have some really beautiful paintings that my grandmother painted years ago that I like to keep hung at my place. Through regular seasons I keep up her signature lilacs painting, but for fall I have one of her harvest paintings. So now my apartment is set for autumn - and now I can do a little more for Halloween, it being October and everything :)

Its been a great school week, and my choirs are sounding the best they have yet this year! Any progress that was possible seemed questionable in the last couple weeks, but we seem to have risen above whatever funk we were in and I feel we'll be ready for our upcoming concert. Memorization is there and expression is following shortly behind it! Tuesday night I kept scorebook at the high school volleyball games, which is so much fun! I really enjoy being there to support the kids and keep the book! Wednesday night I directed church choir rehearsal and we have a performance in church this Sunday - we've only had 4-6 consistent choir members so far, so hopefully we'll have enough confidence to sing the Lord's praises! Make a joyful noise!!!

Last night I supported our 7th and 8th grade volleyball girls at their home games - although they weren't all victorious, they all gave a great effort and succeeded in my book! I have some great kids this year :D

Today has been great, and I look forward to the restful weekend. I made some chocolate cake last night (my mom's "Lake Cake" recipe-yumm!) to bring to school today. I told some friends at work I would make Crispitos for lunch today, but I couldn't find a recipe, so instead I decided to bring some cake. It went over very well! Tonight I'm planning on going to my sister's and spend an evening w/ her, which will be nice. We live pretty close, but her family is so busy that when school is going on we don't see much of each other.

On Sunday last weekend I traveled to Wichita to audition for the Wichita Grand Opera. I auditioned for a chorus member position and for their young artist program, and I felt like the audition went very well - vocally I felt so good about it! I sang a french aria for them that I had just recently started working on. I should've maybe started with an italian aria that I've worked on and had in my repertoire for about 3 or 4 years, but I thought the french aria would show off what I can do vocally - which it did! I tried my best to memorize it, but despite my best efforts, my nerves took control and I ended up mumbling my way through some of the words. The people in the audition had a lot of really positive things to say and they said I would hear from them by this week - or at least that's what I thought they said, but I haven't heard anything from them at all - no emails, calls or snail mail...I'm not sure how they're going to let me know, but I hope its soon, I've been on pins and needles all week! We'll see what happens, and I'll go wherever the Lord takes me! :D God is so good!

That's all the news I have to report as of now, here's hoping for a restful weekend! Maybe I'll have a menu for next week posted.....maybe....haha