Its been a busy week! It was my first official "back to work" week. With some reformatted classes and one totally new one, it's been a challenge. That's the thing about teaching; between new classes and new students, the job never stays the same. There are always new challenges. This was also Geoff's first week of classes at CMU. He will be studying piano with the professor who specializes in contemporary and Brazilian music. These are both areas he has been eager to explore. He also had his auditions for band and orchestra. He made it into the orchestra! He's the only freshman horn player in the section! He won't find out about band auditions until next week. He said he didn't think that audition went as well, so he's not getting his hopes up too high for Wind Ensemble, the top band. We'll keep our fingers crossed anyway! Lisa has gotten right into the swing of things as a sophomore this year. The band does its first half time show tonight. She's taking a zero hour class that starts at 7:15; advanced Algebra - Whew! We're looking forward to a family get-together up north on the weekend. I'd better go and get details! More later...

let's do it!
1. What is your favorite form of art, and why?
2. What, in your opinion, is your greatest artistic talent?
3. If you were given a blank canvas and some oil paints, what would you paint?
4. What is your favorite subject to photograph?
5. Are you musically inclined? Please elaborate!

1. For me, music is the best because I spend most of my life with it; teaching, performing, listening etc.
2. Music.
3. I'm dangerous with a canvas and paints, and I have the basset hound with the purple background to prove it!
4. Whether it's children, pets, parents, or good friends, definitely living critters having fun is best.
5. When it comes to music I am inclined to try anything. Trumpet is my #1, but I also play handbells, sing in church choir, teach music to grades 5 - 12, and direct musicals. I also play enough piano to be dangerous and have been known to toot a recorder now and then. My son is furthering his music education at my alma mater, CMU. He is continuing his study on French horn and piano.

Jan asked a good question about embellishing the Nat'l Anthem. I know that at one time you could be arrested for getting too "wild and crazy" with the SSB. It was discovered in the early 1900's that Igor Stravinsky was writing an arrangement of the anthem. He was warned, given his affinity for things like bitonality and polyrhythmics, that he would be arrested if he damaged the integrity of the piece. To everyone's pleasant surprise, he provided a very lovely, a cappella arrangement for male chorus. Today, things must have changed radically. When one considers the shameful, digusting mockery Roseanne made of the song a few years back, it must be "anything goes" now.

Well, we shipped our boy off to school on Thursday. It is so strange to have only one kid in the house. I spent my whole day cleaning my house yesterday. I'm sure that probably symbolizes something. This is going to be a BIG adjustment. It will also be nice for child #2 to feel like she's not in her big brother's shadow. Change is difficult.

Adults:
1. When I was a kid, my favorite game was ____________.
2. One of my best memories is when my family went ______________.
3. As a kid, I always wanted to be a _____________ when I grew up, because __________.

Kids:
4. My favorite game to play is _____________.
5. One of my favorite family activities/vacations/pasttimes is _________________.
6. I hope to be a ____________ when I grow up, because ____________.

1. My favorite game was "commando tag". You had to get to "home" without even being seen by the person who was "it."
2. Best memory as a kid was Expo 67. I was 10. It was educational, but fun!
3. I wanted to have a job involving music as a kid. When we would go to Saginaw Sym. concerts and Eddy Band concerts, I wondered if some day I would be able to play with those groups. Not only did I become a member of both, but I was a soloist with both.
4. Now my favorite game to play w/my neighbor is Upwords. My favorite game w/my family is Skipbo. Favorite game to play w/my friend MB is cribbage, and my favorite game to play w/whomever I can get to play, is Boggle.
5. Now my favorite passtime/family activity is floating in a pontoon boat on Hamlin lake with a cross-stitching project.
6. I got to be a music teacher when I grew up, and I plan on 6 more years of that (24 down so far), then I'm thinking about catering for my next career!

Random question: re: the importance of patriotic songs. Wow! Good question! I DO think they are important, for several reasons. I believe pride in one's country is a very good thing. What better way to show that pride than through song? These songs are an important part of our heritage and history. Many of them are just downright beautiful tributes; both the text and the tunes! AND... for the record, I would LOVE to see "America the Beautiful" become our national anthem. It's a gorgeous tune, and much easier to sing than SSB. The text is a much better one than the war depiction of Mr. Key. THere is a place in our repertoire for SSB, but I like to see our National song be one of peace and beauty, rather than one of war and violence.

1. What is the longest road trip you've ever taken?
2. What is the longest vacation you've ever taken?
3. Which was the best vacation you've ever taken? Why?

The longest road trip was to Florida to visit Pam in the early 80's. We went by car. It seemed like our longest vacation (har har!)

It think our longest vacation may have been when we went up north with aunt Windy and the kids. It was a week with both of the weekends. We had our travel trailer then. That might have been one of our best vacations as well. Aunt Windy was always a "fun date!"

These past few years we've spent most of our vacation time in Ludington, on Hamlin Lake. It's not "exotic", but it's almost always relaxing!

Random Questions; Random Days!... Monday, August 4
How accurate is your clock? Are you one who has to set it 5-10 minutes ahead just so you can get there on time? What about you? Are you prompt or habitually late?

I don't think we have a single clock in this house that is set to the same time! The digital stove clock is just about right. The family room clock (most-seen) is about 3 min. fast (for no particular reason!) My hubby's alarm clock is set about 10 min. ahead; on purpose. My is about 15 minutes ahead for the simple reason that I just set to the closest hr. the last time the power went off. I know I won't get confused, because I set it! I like to be prompt; not habitually prompt, but prompt to a fault! If it takes me 7 minutes to get someplace, I leave 7 minutes before my engagement; not 5 or 10 minutes before. Sometimes I am intentionally late. Our church choir director NEVER arrives on time, so I don't show up until 7:40 instead of the scheduled 7:30!

1. What's a situation in your life that you felt totally unsure in, or lacking in confidence in?
2. What aspect of your life do you feel that you have the most confidence in dealing with?
3. Is there any one outfit you own that when you wear it, you feel totally confident or able to take on the world?

I am answering question #2 first, for reasons that will soon become apparent. I have always had a great deal of confidence in my language skills. Consequently, I would have chosen to phrase the first two questions as follows:
1. State a situation in your life in which you felt totally unsure or lacking in confidence. (Never end a sentence with a preposition.)
2. State an aspect in your life with which you have total confidence. (Although "with" can be a verb, in this instance it functions as a preposition.)

#1 I feel unsure when I am in an enclosed space, or when I am in a space where I feel crowded. I feel like I have to be "away from the pack."

#3. I am a fashion minimalist. Basically I have one outfit in approximately 3 colors!

Hmm. I thought I posted this..... WHAT'S ON MY COMPUTER DESK?
Lots of CDs of all kinds, but mostly audio; one coaster, some pencils, two short stacks of junk mail, some dust, and occasionally, a cat!