noties

home computer crashed.
alternative Halloween.
The Medium-awesome!
Lux Aterna-beautiful
don't leave phone charge at work.
write notes to people.

back for more later.

Fa Sol La Part I

I wanted to write this well crafted blog about my new found enthusiasm for shape note singing. But I only got as far as saving it in the edit phase with two sentences and a discontinued link to a website under construction. So I thought I'd try another angle.
I was trying to think of the reasons I have become so fascinated with shape note singing and the first thing that came to me was my childhood. My father was a chaplain for 20 years in the US Army. And before that he was a minister at a church in a small logging town in Oregon. I can't remember the first hymn tune I learned, or the first one I heard, but I can remember the joy I felt sitting next to my mom(when my dad was preaching) or both my parents and hearing them sing from the hymnal, sometimes looking down at the notes and the words, sometimes looking up at the alter, knowing the tune by heart. I would look around the room and see some people with their eyes closed, not even needing to look at the book. When I got to be about middle school age my goal became to learn harmony to the hymns I knew so well. My mother would sing treble with her beautiful soprano and I would weave my voice around hers in alto or tenor companionship. If I didn't always enjoy the sermon, which tended to happen especially when we had a southern baptist chaplain on post, I nearly always felt a connection to, and a feeling of happiness with my inner self, my family, and my god while the congregation sang. The churches I worshipped in usually had a piano or organ for accompaniment. When we lived in Germany we were blessed with an incredible organist who was classically trained and would play Bach and Wieder before the start of the service. There were pianists, organists, and sometimes a choir. If I could choose one experience that stands out for me as unique, though, I would pick the times we sang acapella. To be able to hear all the voices, men, women, children, quavery, melodious, airy or booming, without aid of accompaniment, this was something that felt special and made for a more intimate setting during worship.

That leads me to shape note singing...

My sister-in-law is missing

There is a hole in our lives where she should be. There is a place set at the table where she should sit. Come home.

La Dolce Diva: Renee Fleming

Two of my favorite things: opera and grand style!

La Dolce Diva | Fashion Model, Designer & Runway Show Videos from Style.com

Economics 101

I always knew that financial forcasting was best served up by the folks of the fashion world!

because you like it

This one's for the husband...the Reds are coming, and they're bringing cake...

we don't need no stinking mimeographs!

How did my day go?
Hey, thanks for asking!
I was hit on with the pick up line, "Hey, how's it goin'? Can I have one of your pens?".
I had to explain, in excruciatingly painful detail, to no less than three people how their own insurance company works.
Filed like I was a house on fire.
Had my triple grande non-fat latte from you-know-where.
Texted my husboard.
And made it home safely with my two little girlies in time for dinner prepared by their wonderful dad.
Ahhh.
"It's getting better all the time" (The Beatles)
And it's about damned time!

How did your day go?

a little ditty

"I Don't Like Mondays"

[Originally by The Boomtown Rats]

The silicon chip inside her head
gets switched to overload
and nobody's gonna go to school today
she's gonna make them stay at home
And Daddy doesn't understand it
He always said she was good as gold
And he can see no reason
Cos there are no reasons
What reasons do you need to be shown

Tell me why
I don't like Mondays
I want to shoot
The whole day down

The telex machine is kept so clean
and it types to waiting world.
And Mother feels so shocked
Father's world is rocked
And their thoughts turn to
Their own little girl
Sweet 16 ain't that peachy keen
No it ain't so neat to admit defeat,
They can see no reasons
Cos there are no reasons
What reasons do you need to be shown


All the playing's stopped in the playground now
She wants to play with her toys awhile
And school's out early and soon we'll be learning
That the lesson today is how to die
And then the bullhorn crackles
And the captain tackles
With the problems and the how's and why's
And he can see no reasons
Cos there are no reasons
What reasons do you need to die

To all me hearties...

This weekend is the 3rd Annual Portland Pirate Festival. Arrggh! But in a good way. My husband rolled his eyes and told me to have fun, but I think I might be able to pursuade him with the thought of eye patches and lots of non-gender specific facial hair. Ummm, maybe not. But I think the girls would have a rip-roaring time and that I might have fun in spite of myself! Besides, it's only about a 1/2 mile from our house so it would really be a shame to miss it.
Tomorrow's blog will tell. Wish me luck on the high seas...

Calm Before the Storm

beginnings of a completed thought.

there are several stages to a storm, specifically a tornado.
dust whirl stage
organizing
maturing
shrinking
decay

...and then the aftermath...

what stage is this thing in?
all I know is the winds are gathering speed, carrying things in their grasp.
The storm is coming.