Thursday, July 31, 2008

Must Clean Up

Cooked dinner tonight, and invited my parents over for it. Yay!
Anyway - so now I must do dishes. FUN. (no).

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Slideshow for me

Dad and I finally got the HUGE 284-slide slideshow complete, burned onto a DVD - and get this: even PLAYABLE!!!! YAY!
So - I made this slideshow (SUPER SHORT) for me! The song is from the very end of the Mamma Mia soundtrack - and I really like it. Sometimes I take for granted how huge a part of my life music has really been. I can remember singing for comfort and stress relief since I was very young. Music has always been a part of my life and a way for me to connect to other people - either at home, at school, at church, for fun, and now -- for my job! "So I say - 'thank you for the music - for giving it to me.'"



I am a music teacher. . .and I can remember almost all of my music teachers I've ever had. . .fun! A list:
1. My mom - taught me piano to some degree for a couple of years, sang with me, accompanied me throughout middle school/high school, was chorister in Primary I'm sure for at least part of the time. I heard her accompany other people from school and church - and she's always played for Sacrament meeting, Relief Society, Primary, etc in every Ward we've lived in.
2. Some lady (Gasp - I can't remember her name!) She was older, I think she was just my music teacher for one year (or less) - I remember learning "high/low" on the piano - - cause I had it backwards and felt embarrassed to get something wrong in front of the class. :)
3. Mr. L (Mr. Lastomirsky. . .or something) - we sang A LOT. We did recorders in 3rd grade. He had a 3rd grade chorus - we sang in Boston. There was also a combined 4-6 chorus, I think. I remember singing "The Living Years" and "What's Forever For." Still like those songs! We also watched "Shining Time Station" a lot - he really liked Ringo Starr. He was awesome.
4. Kathy Herman - orchestra/band teacher at West Woods. I played violin in 4th grade with her before moving to Jesup. We had lessons, and band once or so a week. I enjoyed one-on-one time with her (when the other students in my lesson group didn't show up). I remember we played "Gonna Fly Now" for Rocky. "
5. Cathy Poppell - she was the music teacher at Jesup Middle Grades. She was also my math teacher. I'm not really sure how the scheduling worked out for that now that I am a teacher, but whatever. I don't remember much about that - except I remember we started learning "50 Nifty United States" but only go through like. . .Deleware or something.
6. Don Brannon - 6th Grade band director at Jesup Middle Grades. I started playing the flute. I was EXTREMELY nervous about playing in front of other people, but he encouraged me and such.
7. Robert Fischer - Band director at Wayne County Junior High School, then at Arthur Williams Middle School. Also taught me private flute lessons for a couple-few years. We got a long really well. He let me borrow all his flute music indefinitely - -was supposed to be until the end of high school, but when that came, he agreed to let me take it with me to college - -while I was gone, he moved on. . .and . . .I still have his music - - except for what I passed on to the next generation (Calishia).
8. George Jones - Band director at Wayne County High School my freshman year. I ended up being first chair in "4th period" (highest band) by November of my freshman year. Went to District Honor Band. . .("Epworth"). . .Bahamas. .. played La Fiesta at festival. Good times.
9. Beth Taylor - band director at WCHS 1995-NOW! The MOST influential teacher in my life! We had/have a very. . .dynamic relationship. I made All-State twice while her student. I attended District Honor Band - - including being first chair my senior year (I think anyway. . .lol), Janfest at UGA two years, SEUS at Troy Alabama two years, Coastal Honor Band at GSU two years, Winterfest at AASU two years, was nominated for GHP, etc etc etc. We traveled to New York, Myrtle Beach, and Atlanta in addition to all our excursions. I was her "Self-Appointed Teacher's Assistant" and am still on occasion asked to help out with stuff. I have done sectional rehearsals and private lessons for her students since I graduated. . . I still get a birthday card every year from her, and we randomly email as well.
10. Beth Hamilton - first private flute teacher. (6-7 grades)
11. Lorraine Jones - flute teacher at Armstrong that I took lessons from for a while.
12. Beth Goode - flute teacher at Valdosta that I took lessons from for a while.
13. Carolyn Parson? - took a couple flute lessons from her. She was a friend of Mrs. Taylor and came down to give lessons for a little while one year. . .
14. Natalie Kruger - My flute teacher at CSU my first year.
15. Stephanie Rea - My flute teacher sophomore year at CSU. We connected really well. I learned very easily from her. We communicated and understood each other - and were very much alike in our playing and personalities. We had potential talks that were very meaningful - that I still think about sometimes.
16. Sarah Gill - My flute teacher my Junior year. I think she had me sub for her for the Columbus Symphony one time (it was either her or Stephanie Rea). . .She had us record our lessons - which is kinda cool - especially to listen to the tapes now. . .
17. Andree Martin - Flute teacher my Senior year - - finally they had hired a full-time flute teacher! She was super nice. I was pregnant. FUN. Lots of stressful lessons that year. I also had my senior recital! Goodness.
18. Robert Rumbelow - Wind Ensemble director at CSU. He's awesome, talented, and amazingly patient. He was also my conducting teacher - and don't forget the Pep Band faculty rep or what not. I was always amazed by the confidence he apparently had in me. I would be so stressed about a part, and he would never let on that he was anything but sure that I would adequately perform it. (I was not so sure!) He trusted my judgment on ridiculous piccolo parts (I could take down as desired). I remember (this is random) one of the many times we played Stars and Stripes. . .all flute players were supposed to learn the piccolo solo so that at the appointed time, we would all stand and play it. WELL - - when I went in and played for him (i can't remember what he called these pass offs - - I think they were called "Playing Exams.") he was like, "you're gonna play it by yourself (GRIN)" So - I did. :)
19. Kristen Hansen - Awesome teacher. I had her for: Music Fundamentals, Skills 1, and Brass Methods. We also did recorder stuff together. She really TAUGHT.
20. Joseph Golden - Intro to music study and various opera/early music - related activities. HMmmm - I actually went to a party at his apartment I seem to recall. Odd. Hmm.
21. Ron Wirt - Theory 1 and 2 perhaps, various small ensemble groups. I think perhaps I had his for music history (year-year)
22. Richard Rulli - Theory 3, Skills 2
23. Andrew Zohn - Guitar Methods. He called me Frank.
24. Manuel Diaz - Violin Methods, and 2 semesters of Applied Violin lessons
25. Betty Diaz - Keyboard 1/2
26. Lisa Oberlander - Wind Ensemble Lit.
27. Debbie Jacobs - Elementary Methods, Vocal/Choral Methods, Skills 3 ("Skills Annonymous") Wonderful Woman!
28. Steve Clark - Keyboard 3 or something like that.
29. Daniel Taddie. Director of the department. ..Music History after sometime. ..lol
30. Joe David - Marching Band Techniques and Secondary School Instrumental Methods - -- or something like that.

Whew - ok I think that's all.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Playing in the Rain

Jacob, like any normal child, always wants to play in the rain. . .but I've never really let him - before this afternoon. I know I LOVED to walk, play in the rain - - still do, actually. So - I let him.


Sunday, July 27, 2008

Reflections on Church


I arrived at church at 8:30am for my Temple Recommend interview. . .
Sacrament meeting was good - except we've been singing odd songs - mom says it's because the stake asked that we practice? singing them some, because they will be sung at Stake Conference. Fun. Jordan, Teresa, and President Watt spoke.
President Watt talked about his daughter that got involved in bobsledding. How the very first time she did it, she hated it, was sick, etc - never wanted to do it again, but he told her to do it again. She did, and she loved it. Sometimes in our life there are extremely hard things we deal with, and we sometimes need to try again - - or just process back through it to realize what we've learned.He talked about how (once she was better at it and competitive) she was able to effectively maneuver the course going sooo fast. (He said they cover about a mile of turns and such in approximately 50 seconds.) She said before they ever go down a course, they walk it - figuring out exactly what they would do at each turn in order to be successful. In other words, by the time they went down the course, they had already made all the decisions they needed to make. He related this to our life - and how we need to "walk the course" so to speak, first - make the big decisions ahead of time, so we don't fall.
I started thinking about my experience this Summer - going on my trip. All in all, I'm sure if I would really allow myself to process it, there is SOoo much I could learn. I did learn a lot - but more than that, I'm thankful that I had "walked the course" before this trip. Even though I had no idea what would actually happen on the trip, there were plenty of things I knew WOULD not happen - and I am thankful for that assurance. During his talk, I processed that 10 years ago, had I gone on a trip like this, I would have been so sure (and naive) that nothing would happen regardless, and would have been quite careless. All probably would have still been fine, but I think back to the attitude I had at 18-19 - and while it wasn't actively rebellious, it was one of teenage-stubborness. Then I thought about what the trip would have been like 5 years ago. Then, I kinda was rebellious - and would have most likely actively not cared what happened. I'm thankful that I am in a place in my life - where I do care, and I actively live my life the way I do. (I know that doesn't really make sense. Oh, well.) Anyway - of course, this was not "all me" - he of course has the same convictions - which is also awesome. Blah blah blah. Suffice it to say, I was grateful with the trip from that stance.
THEN, I started thinking even a bit deeper - - - perhaps this trip WAS my walk-through for some future lesson. I like thinking about it that way - -that there is something coming in my life. I really do need to figure out what all I can learn from the past several months events (or lack there of :) )
Primary was ok - not great, but not bad, either. The kids were not as calm as they have been over the past several weeks, but thankfully, we did have 4 teachers there. Whoo-hoo!

Singing Happy Birthday to Elder Oberg

Wanted to see how videos look on here - so I thought I'd post the video from Elder Oberg's birthday on July 11, 2008. He turned 21. He had served here in Jesup with Harker and Knox this past Spring, then was transferred away. He arrived back in Jesup July 10. I didn't really know him when he was here before, but made him a cake just the same. :) Now I know him better. . . Also in the video - my parents (my dad's eating his cake during the song. ..RUDE!), the Jensens (AKA "the old missionaries"), and Elder Anderton ("Elderton")

Saturday, July 26, 2008

First Blog

I've been reading some friends' and strangers' blogs and wanted to have my own. I have journaled for years and years. . .so this seems like my kind of thing.
I'm finally in a good enough mood. It's 1:30am. I should go to sleep, and I will in a little bit, but I don't want to waste the mood I am in. This week, I've been off and on in seriously bad moods. Depressed, not feeling well, super-tired, hormonal, lonely, blah blah blah. NOT GOOD! I've been feeling anxious and worried about nothing in particular.
Tonight, I worked extensively on the slideshow I have b
een hired to make. Whoa. A lot more work than I thought it would be. I think it's going to turn out great, but I had no idea what I was committing to. I wrote my assignment for my group project for my educational psychology class. I don't think I did a great job, but I feel like what I wrote is sufficient.
The Elders stopped by to remind me to call Debra. I heard them honking - this is what I saw.

I did call her, but no news there. She wasn't home. Then, they asked me to print something for them - I did, they came to get it. . .
I planned tomorrow's Sharing Time earlier. . .
I've been commenting back and forth with Sam. . .
Ok. That's all for now, I guess. :)