I went to the St. Louis Big Read book festival last month with Diane. We had just acquired a new bookshelf from Target, shiny and black. Even though the other two bookshelves were straining at the seams, new books just seemed too good to pass up! We visited the used book tables and I came away with these:
The Canterbury Tales- Geoffery Chaucer [Always wanted to read this.]
The Tolkein Reader- J. R. R. Tolkein [An old favorite, but hard to find.]
The Book of Three- Lloyd Alexander [First book of a beloved childhood series.]
Robert Frost Anthology of Poems [Wonderful words.]
Emma- Jane Austen [The book is always better than the movie!]
Robotech Books 1-3- Jack McKinney [These were turned into a great anime series.]
Robotech Books 4-6- Jack McKinney [Yes, I'm a nerd.]
Lives of the Artists- Giorgio Vasari [Written in the late 1500's, it's a very interesting perspective on art and philosophy of the culture.]
A Christmas Carol- Charles Dickens [A must-read once a year.]
Plus, I read from the library a very interesting historical work of non-fiction, called "The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior" by Paul Strathern. The book provides an interesting view on Da Vinci, Machiavelli, and Borgia, and why the short time these three men interacted with each other affected them deeply for the rest of their lives. A little slow in some parts, but quite worth the read.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Why I Don't Write Much Lately
Why do I have so many interests? There is never enough time for them all, especially because family, friends, basic living needs, and jobs come before them. The activities on the first list are constant; I am always working on them and expanding my knowledge. On the second list are hobbies that I enjoy, but rotate throughout the year as I feel like it and have time. The third list are things that I want to get into someday when I have the time/space/money.
List Number One
- Cooking: everyone needs to eat! New recipes are shiny.
- Reading: mostly non-fiction lately.
- Herbs: growing and eating them.
- Naturopathy: prevention of getting sick.
- Music: performing and listening. More listening than performing lately.
- Weather: I love studying the signs that predict it in nature and enjoying the effects.
- Nature: who doesn't enjoy a nice walk?
- Teaching: I can't believe how blessed I am that this hobby is my job.
- Correspondence: generally emails, getting back into letter-writing.
- Studying: the Bible and my hobby subjects.
List Number Two
- Knitting: most recently, making little dolls with some ladies from church.
- Crocheting: easier than knitting, but less options with what I can create.
- Writing: poetry has to be inspired so it comes when I get the spark.
- Naturopathy: treating myself when I get sick.
- Nature: hiking. studying birds, trees, and plants.
- Juggling: I generally do this in springtime when it's cool. Sometimes autumn.
- Magic the Gathering card game: nerdy pastime! Just have to be in the mood.
- Travel: to visit family and national parks.
- Studying: politics, world history, people (biographies), philosophy, theology, poetry, teaching methods.
List Number Three
- Chickens: raising them for eggs.
- Gardening: I need a backyard.
- Composting: to recycle all the food scraps that come from my cooking.
- Writing: maybe short stories someday.
- Nature: camping again like I used to with my family.
- Teaching: my own kids.
- Travel: can anyone say Ireland? And the redwoods.
List Number One
- Cooking: everyone needs to eat! New recipes are shiny.
- Reading: mostly non-fiction lately.
- Herbs: growing and eating them.
- Naturopathy: prevention of getting sick.
- Music: performing and listening. More listening than performing lately.
- Weather: I love studying the signs that predict it in nature and enjoying the effects.
- Nature: who doesn't enjoy a nice walk?
- Teaching: I can't believe how blessed I am that this hobby is my job.
- Correspondence: generally emails, getting back into letter-writing.
- Studying: the Bible and my hobby subjects.
List Number Two
- Knitting: most recently, making little dolls with some ladies from church.
- Crocheting: easier than knitting, but less options with what I can create.
- Writing: poetry has to be inspired so it comes when I get the spark.
- Naturopathy: treating myself when I get sick.
- Nature: hiking. studying birds, trees, and plants.
- Juggling: I generally do this in springtime when it's cool. Sometimes autumn.
- Magic the Gathering card game: nerdy pastime! Just have to be in the mood.
- Travel: to visit family and national parks.
- Studying: politics, world history, people (biographies), philosophy, theology, poetry, teaching methods.
List Number Three
- Chickens: raising them for eggs.
- Gardening: I need a backyard.
- Composting: to recycle all the food scraps that come from my cooking.
- Writing: maybe short stories someday.
- Nature: camping again like I used to with my family.
- Teaching: my own kids.
- Travel: can anyone say Ireland? And the redwoods.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Moving, or the Lack Of
This morning, my roommate's cell phone rang while she was in the shower; the constant beeping as a reminder of a missed call started to annoy me, so I went into her room to turn it off. The missed call was from "Home". I realized, of course, that this meant someone from her family had tried to reach her (they live about half an hour away), but then I realized something else. I have my family members entered into my cell phone as individuals, but there's no one number I have titled "home".
It seems insignificant. My mom has always taught me that home is where your family is. I would whole-heartedly agree with that. But when Mozart-Man talks wistfully about living his first eight years in one house, then moving a few miles away to the house his family still owns, and the childhood joys of always having the same familiar surroundings and life-long friends... I start to think that maybe I've missed something.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I didn't like moving. I love change! I've moved many times, and except for the common annoyances of cleaning the old and new houses, packing and unpacking for days, and the occasional bad weather that inhibited the carrying of furniture, moving always seemed to me (as a child) a marvelous occasion. Granted, I was young most of the times my family moved, so I know that the vast bulk of the work fell on my parents; I didn't have nearly as much responsibility as they did, so I'm sure my enjoyment of the process of moving was due somewhat to my youthful status.
Plus, I've been very blessed to have some long-lasting friends, not quite life-time, but long nonetheless! Simon and Sarah, who I've known since they were five years old and a toddler almost fifteen years ago, my old guitar teacher Kelli and her husband Jim who have been my teachers, mentors, and second parents since I was eight, Matt and Ryan (back in Idaho) who were homeschooled along with me from third grade up to high-school graduation, and several others. These are the ones I'm still in contact with! Yes, moving through three different states in eighteen years doesn't help cement friendships, but I've never felt anything except gratitude to my family for the moves we've undertaken.
Most of the time I manage to push away nagging thoughts by telling myself, "but you like change, you're the one who starts to get jumpy after being in one place 'too long', you're the one who loves learning new things, going new places, exploring, traveling! You've never liked staying in one place longer than a few years anyway." All this is true. Yet one thing is more true: the things I love the most are the ones that have been with me the longest. Is this because I feel nostalgic for the things in my past that brought pleasure? Or is it because there's something in me that wants more stability, trying to keep contact established with something that won't be temporary?
Old movies that I loved as a child have suddenly begun to resurface. Diane (roommate) and I watched the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice this week; there are so many new things that I'm noticing now that I had never seen when I was younger! Joe bought me the Disney movie "Three Caballeros" for my birthday earlier this month. It's still a favorite! Then there's all the old books I used to love as a kid... I found "Gregory the Terrible Eater" at a thrift store last weekend for fifty cents, and "The Hundred Dresses" by Eleanor Estes for a buck at Goodwill a month ago. A box of stuff I'd thought was thrown away when my mom sold the house shortly after I went to college suddenly resurfaced, and I was reunited with the eight framed guitar pictures I'd hung on my bedroom wall as a teenager, a real stuffed toad mounted upright on a wood platform playing the guitar, my first doll who I couldn't live without for the first ten years of my life (she was a Cabbage Patch doll named Lucille), and other little knick-knacky items.
Even more than these items of dust, it's the people. My family is amazing, and I know that I can always go to them and they will love me. The few close friends I have now in Missouri are a blessing. It's been great to build up a friendship with Heather, who is my closest female friend (even though she's now in a different state working on campus outreach, I still get to see her sometimes!). Alec, who I first met through guitar ensemble when he was twelve almost five years ago, is now a good friend, and his family has welcomed me as the oldest sibling. Then there's Mozart-Man. His continued presence in my life, through thick and thin, has meant all the more to me considering that my constant flighty want for change has several times in the past almost swept him out of the picture. But he never leaves and never gives up on me, and for that I am extremely grateful.
What would it be like to stay in one spot for a change? To let some things stay? To not constantly worry about losing friends because of divided church politics?
The thought of tying myself into a place, on the one hand, makes me nervous and apprehensive: there's no way out! I have to be able to go where I want! On the other hand...
I don't know. Lots of prayer, lots of thinking.
It seems insignificant. My mom has always taught me that home is where your family is. I would whole-heartedly agree with that. But when Mozart-Man talks wistfully about living his first eight years in one house, then moving a few miles away to the house his family still owns, and the childhood joys of always having the same familiar surroundings and life-long friends... I start to think that maybe I've missed something.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I didn't like moving. I love change! I've moved many times, and except for the common annoyances of cleaning the old and new houses, packing and unpacking for days, and the occasional bad weather that inhibited the carrying of furniture, moving always seemed to me (as a child) a marvelous occasion. Granted, I was young most of the times my family moved, so I know that the vast bulk of the work fell on my parents; I didn't have nearly as much responsibility as they did, so I'm sure my enjoyment of the process of moving was due somewhat to my youthful status.
Plus, I've been very blessed to have some long-lasting friends, not quite life-time, but long nonetheless! Simon and Sarah, who I've known since they were five years old and a toddler almost fifteen years ago, my old guitar teacher Kelli and her husband Jim who have been my teachers, mentors, and second parents since I was eight, Matt and Ryan (back in Idaho) who were homeschooled along with me from third grade up to high-school graduation, and several others. These are the ones I'm still in contact with! Yes, moving through three different states in eighteen years doesn't help cement friendships, but I've never felt anything except gratitude to my family for the moves we've undertaken.
Most of the time I manage to push away nagging thoughts by telling myself, "but you like change, you're the one who starts to get jumpy after being in one place 'too long', you're the one who loves learning new things, going new places, exploring, traveling! You've never liked staying in one place longer than a few years anyway." All this is true. Yet one thing is more true: the things I love the most are the ones that have been with me the longest. Is this because I feel nostalgic for the things in my past that brought pleasure? Or is it because there's something in me that wants more stability, trying to keep contact established with something that won't be temporary?
Old movies that I loved as a child have suddenly begun to resurface. Diane (roommate) and I watched the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice this week; there are so many new things that I'm noticing now that I had never seen when I was younger! Joe bought me the Disney movie "Three Caballeros" for my birthday earlier this month. It's still a favorite! Then there's all the old books I used to love as a kid... I found "Gregory the Terrible Eater" at a thrift store last weekend for fifty cents, and "The Hundred Dresses" by Eleanor Estes for a buck at Goodwill a month ago. A box of stuff I'd thought was thrown away when my mom sold the house shortly after I went to college suddenly resurfaced, and I was reunited with the eight framed guitar pictures I'd hung on my bedroom wall as a teenager, a real stuffed toad mounted upright on a wood platform playing the guitar, my first doll who I couldn't live without for the first ten years of my life (she was a Cabbage Patch doll named Lucille), and other little knick-knacky items.
Even more than these items of dust, it's the people. My family is amazing, and I know that I can always go to them and they will love me. The few close friends I have now in Missouri are a blessing. It's been great to build up a friendship with Heather, who is my closest female friend (even though she's now in a different state working on campus outreach, I still get to see her sometimes!). Alec, who I first met through guitar ensemble when he was twelve almost five years ago, is now a good friend, and his family has welcomed me as the oldest sibling. Then there's Mozart-Man. His continued presence in my life, through thick and thin, has meant all the more to me considering that my constant flighty want for change has several times in the past almost swept him out of the picture. But he never leaves and never gives up on me, and for that I am extremely grateful.
What would it be like to stay in one spot for a change? To let some things stay? To not constantly worry about losing friends because of divided church politics?
The thought of tying myself into a place, on the one hand, makes me nervous and apprehensive: there's no way out! I have to be able to go where I want! On the other hand...
I don't know. Lots of prayer, lots of thinking.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
How Can a Song Make Me So Mad?
There's a song on the radio lately that has been setting my teeth on edge. While in the car, if I'm driving less than half an hour, I will usually rotate my stations between classical, country, and oldies, switching if a commercial break occurs. On the country station is a song by a band named Gloriana; evidently, it's become quite popular. The lyrics make me angry, though, because they are feeding young people lies. Here's an example:
Down a back road
long hot summer
two kids running loose and wild.
He kissed her
she said, "Mister
take an inch and I'll give you mile.
I don't plan on doing anything halfway
don't give a damn what anyone might say
I just wanna free fall for a while!"
And here's the chorus:
That rebel moon is shining
those stars burn like diamonds
hell-bent on chasing down that crazy slide
I'll follow you where you're leadin'
to the first sweet taste of freedom.
You've got me runnin', baby
wild at heart!
This is the bridge, and the part that makes me the most angry:
Oooh, oh,
Oooh right
The night is telling us we're way too young
Oooh oh,
That's all right
I've got forever on the tip of my tongue...
What in the world is that supposed to mean?! According to the views of the band, it's okay for these two young people, who are "way too young", to sleep together, simply because they're "wild at heart" and want to "free fall". The excuse they have for their actions is that, "I've got forever on the tip of my tongue". So, does that mean that they want to be together forever (and, these days, this doesn't necessarily mean marriage), or does it mean that they feel like actually entering into a "serious" dating relationship that will last for months maybe instead of just weeks, which in the juvenile mind is equal to "forever"? This sounds suspiciously like sensualism, the belief that gratification of the senses is the ultimate goal of life. My dictionary also adds, "the indulgence of the appetite".
Anyone else see anything wrong with what we're letting adolescents absorb into their moral fabrication? This is a very trendy song right now; I've heard the pre-teen girls who live in the apartment below me singing it, I've heard it almost every day on the country station, and it's so catchy that it gets stuck in my own head whenever I accidently catch the beginning of it on the radio. It's fascinating... it appalls me so much that whenever it starts up, I want to instantly change the station, but sometimes I let it play all the way through. I've listened to the words, and they never change: again and again I hear these enthusiastic singers belting out the attractions of loose behavior in the guise of "sweet freedom", and I don't know whether to fall into a fit of anger at our culture obsessed with degenerating children into pursuers of cheap, finite pleasure, or sink into depression because I don't know how to reach out to the vast young audiences (who are becoming addicted to this trash) in order to give them something better.
So what should I do to possibly counteract this postmodern sentiment of self-destructive autonomy? Could I hope to present an alternative to this lifestyle? This, to me, seems full of both an astonishing amount of hubris and a great deal of helplessness. Who am I to say that I am so much better than these hot country singers, or even any other person off the street, many of whom probably have some better qualities than I have (to name one already noticeable in this blog, how about keeping one's temper under control)? Who am I to say that I know a better way to live?
My own life is constantly full of mistakes. The apostle Paul's words about "doing what I do not want to do" and "not doing what I should do" might be the motto of my life. But there is one thing that I have which is worth more to me than any happiness or pleasure I could receive in this world: a relationship with God, and His saving grace. I'm definitely not perfect, I'm pretty far from it; through Christ, though, I am given mercy for my faults because Someone Else took the blame for them. This is a very abridged version of what I want to say on this subject, but it will have to wait for another time. Let it be declared in short that I wish to be an illustration of a morally upright young woman, despite my current flaws and past errors, which are many. Only by trusting in the grace of One outside myself can I hope to be an example to the children I care so much about.
Many meditative ideas spring from such a little flame... lyrics to a country song give thought to metaphysics.
Down a back road
long hot summer
two kids running loose and wild.
He kissed her
she said, "Mister
take an inch and I'll give you mile.
I don't plan on doing anything halfway
don't give a damn what anyone might say
I just wanna free fall for a while!"
And here's the chorus:
That rebel moon is shining
those stars burn like diamonds
hell-bent on chasing down that crazy slide
I'll follow you where you're leadin'
to the first sweet taste of freedom.
You've got me runnin', baby
wild at heart!
This is the bridge, and the part that makes me the most angry:
Oooh, oh,
Oooh right
The night is telling us we're way too young
Oooh oh,
That's all right
I've got forever on the tip of my tongue...
What in the world is that supposed to mean?! According to the views of the band, it's okay for these two young people, who are "way too young", to sleep together, simply because they're "wild at heart" and want to "free fall". The excuse they have for their actions is that, "I've got forever on the tip of my tongue". So, does that mean that they want to be together forever (and, these days, this doesn't necessarily mean marriage), or does it mean that they feel like actually entering into a "serious" dating relationship that will last for months maybe instead of just weeks, which in the juvenile mind is equal to "forever"? This sounds suspiciously like sensualism, the belief that gratification of the senses is the ultimate goal of life. My dictionary also adds, "the indulgence of the appetite".
Anyone else see anything wrong with what we're letting adolescents absorb into their moral fabrication? This is a very trendy song right now; I've heard the pre-teen girls who live in the apartment below me singing it, I've heard it almost every day on the country station, and it's so catchy that it gets stuck in my own head whenever I accidently catch the beginning of it on the radio. It's fascinating... it appalls me so much that whenever it starts up, I want to instantly change the station, but sometimes I let it play all the way through. I've listened to the words, and they never change: again and again I hear these enthusiastic singers belting out the attractions of loose behavior in the guise of "sweet freedom", and I don't know whether to fall into a fit of anger at our culture obsessed with degenerating children into pursuers of cheap, finite pleasure, or sink into depression because I don't know how to reach out to the vast young audiences (who are becoming addicted to this trash) in order to give them something better.
So what should I do to possibly counteract this postmodern sentiment of self-destructive autonomy? Could I hope to present an alternative to this lifestyle? This, to me, seems full of both an astonishing amount of hubris and a great deal of helplessness. Who am I to say that I am so much better than these hot country singers, or even any other person off the street, many of whom probably have some better qualities than I have (to name one already noticeable in this blog, how about keeping one's temper under control)? Who am I to say that I know a better way to live?
My own life is constantly full of mistakes. The apostle Paul's words about "doing what I do not want to do" and "not doing what I should do" might be the motto of my life. But there is one thing that I have which is worth more to me than any happiness or pleasure I could receive in this world: a relationship with God, and His saving grace. I'm definitely not perfect, I'm pretty far from it; through Christ, though, I am given mercy for my faults because Someone Else took the blame for them. This is a very abridged version of what I want to say on this subject, but it will have to wait for another time. Let it be declared in short that I wish to be an illustration of a morally upright young woman, despite my current flaws and past errors, which are many. Only by trusting in the grace of One outside myself can I hope to be an example to the children I care so much about.
Many meditative ideas spring from such a little flame... lyrics to a country song give thought to metaphysics.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
One Gripe and Three Joys
The end of the summer is in sight, with most kids starting school this week or next. Guess who WON'T be in classes? Me! Yes, I'm still doing flips about graduating. And, contrary to many people's feelings who are my age, I'm still happy with my job and my circumstances. For this I'm very thankful. Now: here are one gripe and three joys.
The Gripe:
I had my wisdom teeth out at the end of July. Just the top two, thankfully! The dentist didn't think it necessary to put me under, which I didn't exactly agree with, but it went well anyway; I trembled, tried to ignore the (very) loud sounds of what felt like the roots of my molars being pulled out near my eye sockets, and attempted to listen to the Philip Glass opera, Ahkenaten, on my iPod. My awesome friend, Alec, and his mom and sister, Sage, picked me up from the dentist office because Mozart-Man had to work. They stayed with me all day, bringing a delicious strawberry shake and watching movies.
Due to complications with other prescription pain killers when I've had other minor surgeries, I didn't want to try taking any this time. The first three days were very tough. Alternating Tylenol and Ibuprofen worked pretty well, but there was always half an hour to an hour of pretty awful pain as I had to wait just that much longer before I could take more medicine. Thank God for my fast-healing body! I was eating solid food six days later, and was able to go to Warped Tour with Alec six days later also.
Side note: Warped Tour was awesome! Alec and I went as a joint birthday present, since his was in June and mine was in August. It was a ton of fun, despite my still hurting from the lack of wisdom teeth, and him having a bruised-almost-sprained ankle from jumping off a balcony. We both managed to have a good time, though.
Anyway, I've mended pretty well. I would have mended even better if some idiot at the Warped Tour hadn't thought it was a good idea to jump off a railing near me in the vain attempt to crowd-surf, kicking me in the right side of the jaw. THAT hurt more than getting my teeth pulled out! Luckily I was already taking Tylenol. After the bleeding from the socket had stopped, I was okay the rest of the day. Ever since then, the right side has been more painful than the left, but both have healed nicely. My only complaint now, almost a month later, is that I'm still pulling food out of the holes after meals : )
Wow, that was a long gripe.
First Joy:
My family (mom, stepdad, and sister) were finally able to sell their house in Kansas City, which they've been trying to do for MONTHS now, and are buying a better house in the same area! They're very excited, and I'm very happy that they were able to work everything out. This transition will help them a lot, both in financial situation and locality, because the new house is closer to where my sister will be attending school.
Second Joy:
I am going to direct an ensemble in the guitar studio! I will at last be able to work with a troop of kids on difficult guitar music, something I've been wanting to do for years. The only thing I'm nervous about is my ability to control so many teen and pre-teens, especially since they're so excited to see each other every week that they treat ensemble night more like a social scene than a rehearsal, but I'll just have to learn to balance that. I don't mind if they're happy to see each other and chat before and afterwards, but I do mind if there's talking going on while I'm trying to instruct them. I'm sure I'll learn how to deal with it.
Third Joy:
I'm excited to attend my church's Sunday School starting in September. We'll be studying the book of Job; I've always liked this book, especially the ending chapters. What I'm even more excited about is attending the women's Bible study at church, which is finally at a time when I can go to it! In the women's study, we'll be going through the book of Psalms, which is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I'm thankful that I not only am able to study the Bible one day a week, but now I get to study twice!
The Gripe:
I had my wisdom teeth out at the end of July. Just the top two, thankfully! The dentist didn't think it necessary to put me under, which I didn't exactly agree with, but it went well anyway; I trembled, tried to ignore the (very) loud sounds of what felt like the roots of my molars being pulled out near my eye sockets, and attempted to listen to the Philip Glass opera, Ahkenaten, on my iPod. My awesome friend, Alec, and his mom and sister, Sage, picked me up from the dentist office because Mozart-Man had to work. They stayed with me all day, bringing a delicious strawberry shake and watching movies.
Due to complications with other prescription pain killers when I've had other minor surgeries, I didn't want to try taking any this time. The first three days were very tough. Alternating Tylenol and Ibuprofen worked pretty well, but there was always half an hour to an hour of pretty awful pain as I had to wait just that much longer before I could take more medicine. Thank God for my fast-healing body! I was eating solid food six days later, and was able to go to Warped Tour with Alec six days later also.
Side note: Warped Tour was awesome! Alec and I went as a joint birthday present, since his was in June and mine was in August. It was a ton of fun, despite my still hurting from the lack of wisdom teeth, and him having a bruised-almost-sprained ankle from jumping off a balcony. We both managed to have a good time, though.
Anyway, I've mended pretty well. I would have mended even better if some idiot at the Warped Tour hadn't thought it was a good idea to jump off a railing near me in the vain attempt to crowd-surf, kicking me in the right side of the jaw. THAT hurt more than getting my teeth pulled out! Luckily I was already taking Tylenol. After the bleeding from the socket had stopped, I was okay the rest of the day. Ever since then, the right side has been more painful than the left, but both have healed nicely. My only complaint now, almost a month later, is that I'm still pulling food out of the holes after meals : )
Wow, that was a long gripe.
First Joy:
My family (mom, stepdad, and sister) were finally able to sell their house in Kansas City, which they've been trying to do for MONTHS now, and are buying a better house in the same area! They're very excited, and I'm very happy that they were able to work everything out. This transition will help them a lot, both in financial situation and locality, because the new house is closer to where my sister will be attending school.
Second Joy:
I am going to direct an ensemble in the guitar studio! I will at last be able to work with a troop of kids on difficult guitar music, something I've been wanting to do for years. The only thing I'm nervous about is my ability to control so many teen and pre-teens, especially since they're so excited to see each other every week that they treat ensemble night more like a social scene than a rehearsal, but I'll just have to learn to balance that. I don't mind if they're happy to see each other and chat before and afterwards, but I do mind if there's talking going on while I'm trying to instruct them. I'm sure I'll learn how to deal with it.
Third Joy:
I'm excited to attend my church's Sunday School starting in September. We'll be studying the book of Job; I've always liked this book, especially the ending chapters. What I'm even more excited about is attending the women's Bible study at church, which is finally at a time when I can go to it! In the women's study, we'll be going through the book of Psalms, which is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I'm thankful that I not only am able to study the Bible one day a week, but now I get to study twice!
(Late) About Guitar Camp
Guitar camp was amazing. Like always, of course! During the course of the week, I felt...
- bittersweet. Becoming an adult is hard, especially when most of your friends are still not adults. I GREATLY enjoyed teaching, don't get me wrong, but I still wanted to hang out with the older students there, who are between the ages of fourteen and eighteen; they've been my friends for years, and I don't want to just quit hanging out with them just because I'm a teacher now! Especially since they're some of the most awesome people I know. But I did make an effort to socialize around the other "grown-ups" more. It was hard. But it worked out.
- LOVED! I never realize how often I get hugs at camp until I have to leave. I am hugged probably every half an hour, every day, all day, and most of the night until I go to bed. I adore hugs, and can never get enough of them! It's so cool to get hugs constantly from the wonderful kids and adults at camp, from seven year old Emily to *cough cough* year old Kevin, the most advanced teacher at camp. Lots of hugs. It's a motto : )
- useful. Like I said, I really enjoyed the teaching I was able to do. The ensemble I coached only had four kids in it, but they were great. I enjoyed working with them. We played a rather difficult piece for their level, the pop song called "Mad World" from the movie Donnie Darko. They really stepped up to the plate! Plus, I was able to offer some individual coaching sessions with some of the students at camp; whether the instruction I provided was helpful or not, I don't know, but I hope they didn't leave without feeling that they benefited from what I said!
- refreshed. I always come away from camp with a renewed desire to teach. Spending the week with some of the best teachers in the country is more wonderful than I can describe. I even am beginning to feel the renewed desire to practice, which hasn't happened since I gave my senior recital and graduated! I've been working on some Chet Atkins tunes, Take Five and Music to Watch Girls By. Lovely songs.
- happy. I am happy when I can spend time with people I admire, care for, and respect, both for their musical qualities and for their moral character. There are many such people at guitar camp, both young and old.
- deepened. What a joy to deepen my relationships with people who I usually get to see only once a year. I absolutely love spending time with Alec, who lives in St. Louis, and I'm able to see him every week, sometimes more when we hang out or go to concerts; the same goes for all the other students in the St. Louis ensemble who I get to see frequently. But I rarely get to see my friends from other parts of the country! I enjoyed meeting Katie, who reminds me so much of myself that it's scary (in a good way!), and who is set on her way to become a great leader and a fantastic guitarist. It was good to discuss college plans with Ryan, as he looks forward to one more year of highschool. Rachel was just as much a sweet girl as always; she is one of the most beautiful people I know, both inside and out. She'll go on to do great things, if she sets her mind to it! Tyler actually talked with me for the first time. Out of hundreds of young guitarists I've seen, he's one of the first that I would bet could go win the GFA in a few years if he keeps up the practicing and hard work. And Eliot... I wish he didn't live in Texas. I loved waking up in the morning and joining him on the bench by the pond, watching the early mist rising up into the sky and talking until it was time for breakfast. I wish we had more opportunities for that.
This isn't even touching on all the other amazing things that happened, like...
...listening to Eliot play the most gorgeous, haunting music at night on the dock, as I and several others lay on our backs and watched shooting stars...
...black-berry picking with the little girls (a seven year old and two nine year olds) in the woods surrounding the camp...
...swimming in the blazing summer sun with the crazy little boys doing back-flips off the diving board...
...waking up all the girls in my cabin every morning by patting their heads and whispering, "time to get up", with an emotion that must be a faint hint of what it would be like to be a mother...
...spending time with Brendan, the youngest member of camp at ten years old, helping him improve and stretch his guitar playing abilities...
...accidentally scaring a snake into the water when Chris, another teacher, was standing waist deep in the pond searching for a camper's lost glasses...
...many games of keep-away frisbee with kids in the huge fields...
...sitting around the bonfire at night with s'mores, Queen songs blaring from an iPod radio, and happy kids leaning sleepily on my shoulders...
There are so many. So many good things, so many blessings from God, so many children.
- bittersweet. Becoming an adult is hard, especially when most of your friends are still not adults. I GREATLY enjoyed teaching, don't get me wrong, but I still wanted to hang out with the older students there, who are between the ages of fourteen and eighteen; they've been my friends for years, and I don't want to just quit hanging out with them just because I'm a teacher now! Especially since they're some of the most awesome people I know. But I did make an effort to socialize around the other "grown-ups" more. It was hard. But it worked out.
- LOVED! I never realize how often I get hugs at camp until I have to leave. I am hugged probably every half an hour, every day, all day, and most of the night until I go to bed. I adore hugs, and can never get enough of them! It's so cool to get hugs constantly from the wonderful kids and adults at camp, from seven year old Emily to *cough cough* year old Kevin, the most advanced teacher at camp. Lots of hugs. It's a motto : )
- useful. Like I said, I really enjoyed the teaching I was able to do. The ensemble I coached only had four kids in it, but they were great. I enjoyed working with them. We played a rather difficult piece for their level, the pop song called "Mad World" from the movie Donnie Darko. They really stepped up to the plate! Plus, I was able to offer some individual coaching sessions with some of the students at camp; whether the instruction I provided was helpful or not, I don't know, but I hope they didn't leave without feeling that they benefited from what I said!
- refreshed. I always come away from camp with a renewed desire to teach. Spending the week with some of the best teachers in the country is more wonderful than I can describe. I even am beginning to feel the renewed desire to practice, which hasn't happened since I gave my senior recital and graduated! I've been working on some Chet Atkins tunes, Take Five and Music to Watch Girls By. Lovely songs.
- happy. I am happy when I can spend time with people I admire, care for, and respect, both for their musical qualities and for their moral character. There are many such people at guitar camp, both young and old.
- deepened. What a joy to deepen my relationships with people who I usually get to see only once a year. I absolutely love spending time with Alec, who lives in St. Louis, and I'm able to see him every week, sometimes more when we hang out or go to concerts; the same goes for all the other students in the St. Louis ensemble who I get to see frequently. But I rarely get to see my friends from other parts of the country! I enjoyed meeting Katie, who reminds me so much of myself that it's scary (in a good way!), and who is set on her way to become a great leader and a fantastic guitarist. It was good to discuss college plans with Ryan, as he looks forward to one more year of highschool. Rachel was just as much a sweet girl as always; she is one of the most beautiful people I know, both inside and out. She'll go on to do great things, if she sets her mind to it! Tyler actually talked with me for the first time. Out of hundreds of young guitarists I've seen, he's one of the first that I would bet could go win the GFA in a few years if he keeps up the practicing and hard work. And Eliot... I wish he didn't live in Texas. I loved waking up in the morning and joining him on the bench by the pond, watching the early mist rising up into the sky and talking until it was time for breakfast. I wish we had more opportunities for that.
This isn't even touching on all the other amazing things that happened, like...
...listening to Eliot play the most gorgeous, haunting music at night on the dock, as I and several others lay on our backs and watched shooting stars...
...black-berry picking with the little girls (a seven year old and two nine year olds) in the woods surrounding the camp...
...swimming in the blazing summer sun with the crazy little boys doing back-flips off the diving board...
...waking up all the girls in my cabin every morning by patting their heads and whispering, "time to get up", with an emotion that must be a faint hint of what it would be like to be a mother...
...spending time with Brendan, the youngest member of camp at ten years old, helping him improve and stretch his guitar playing abilities...
...accidentally scaring a snake into the water when Chris, another teacher, was standing waist deep in the pond searching for a camper's lost glasses...
...many games of keep-away frisbee with kids in the huge fields...
...sitting around the bonfire at night with s'mores, Queen songs blaring from an iPod radio, and happy kids leaning sleepily on my shoulders...
There are so many. So many good things, so many blessings from God, so many children.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
On Mozart-Man's Eyes
In the amazing book, The Man Who Was Thursday, a form of poetry is mentioned called a "triolet". I'd never heard of this before, so I looked it up, and wrote a poem based on this form. It was a bit tricky, but fun. The first, fourth, and seventh lines are identical, as are the second and eighth. The rhyme scheme is ABaAabAB; I'm not sure if I'm correctly following it, but I certainly tried. I do like writing poetry occasionally in strict form. The constraints make one have to think, and I like having a guide for my creative processes every once in a while. Sorry for the boring name... I ran out of inventiveness.
Story IV
Blue eyes are beautiful, as are brown; however
your eyes reflect more deeply the colors of a storm at sea
in winter, which contains mud, kelp, swimming things, swirled wind of December.
Blue eyes are beautiful, as are brown; however
your slate-grey glance is veiled; the weather
of emotions are only let loose purposefully.
Blue eyes are beautiful, as are brown; however
your eyes reflect more deeply the colors of a storm at sea.
© Alyssa S. 2009
Story IV
Blue eyes are beautiful, as are brown; however
your eyes reflect more deeply the colors of a storm at sea
in winter, which contains mud, kelp, swimming things, swirled wind of December.
Blue eyes are beautiful, as are brown; however
your slate-grey glance is veiled; the weather
of emotions are only let loose purposefully.
Blue eyes are beautiful, as are brown; however
your eyes reflect more deeply the colors of a storm at sea.
© Alyssa S. 2009
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