On Graduation...

I know it's been a while.

Okay, okay. A whole semester. I'm aware, yes. It's been a crazy and busy semester and i've spent most of it trying to keep my head above water. Now finals are over, classes are done and I'm proud of how things turned out. And now I finally have some free time to blog.

All my friends are graduating this weekend. I should be, too. Technically. These are the people I came in with 4 years ago, terrified, scared, and excited. People I have grown to know and love, who are now embarking on another journey, another chapter in their lives. And I am not graduating with them. This is due to my own stupid fault, for switching majors halfway through college, but still. It would be nice to be graduating with them. Come December, it will be me. But not tomorrow. Not tomorrow.

Wish me luck on making it through this weekend, amidst the graduation of my 3 roommates and all my other friends and acquaintances.

Mother Nature hates us.

HOLY SNOW.

So remember that blizzard I was talking about on Monday night? Yeah. Well apparently it decided it liked Indiana a lot, and never felt the need to leave. We've probably gotten about a foot of snow in the past 2 days. I've shoveled the driveway 2 times, and it doesn't even make a difference because of how fast the snow falls. At least, though, it's the really light, fluffy, powdery kind. So it's easy to clean up/brush/shovel. I attempted to use a snow brush to clean all the snow off my car so I could dig it out to get to class today, but that didn't even work. I actually had to use a SHOVEL to get all the snow off that was piled on my car. Sheesh.


My day wasn't that great, either. I woke up feeling not so hot, so I had to cancel lunch on M so I could sleep in. I just felt kind of icky all afternoon, I don't know what that was all about. My evening class got canceled though. (yay!) The bf and I went to steak and shake for dinner, that was nice. It's been a long time since we'd been there, and I always forget how good the food is. I had coupons too, so we saved some money! After that I had a run-through/dress rehearsal for the horn recital. Thankfully that went well and I actually feel like I'm ready for the recital this weekend -- whew. I was having a lot of doubts about it back in December, but I put in a lot of hard work on the pieces, and it's finally paid off. What a good feeling.

I'm gonna hit the sack even though it's before midnight, which is very unusual for me. I have to work at 8 in the morning....boo. I'm hoping the university will cancel classes for tomorrow, that would be AWESOME! We'll see. Either way, I have an early morning, so I must get some sleep. It's almost thursday though, which means it's almost friday!! :)

Dear snow, please accumulate accordingly so that tomorrow I can have a snow day.

I'm at work right now, and there's a blizzard outside.

Seriously.

It's crazy. We're supposed to get snow tonight throughout Wednesday, with high winds and below-zero windchills. Yeeesh. So, I am hoping and praying perhaps the university will be kind to us and give us a snow day....that would be truly awesome. But, it's college, and in my 3.5 years here, we've only had 3 snow days. I guess we'll just have to see!

I think I'm coming down with something....I feel like crap right now. My throat's a bit sore, I am achy, my nose feels funny, and I just want to go to SLEEEEP. for forever and ever. Ugh. I hate getting sick!! Sorry to be a negative nancy today.

I got out of class early this afternoon so I went on a little solo road trip, headed about 35 miles north to an outlet mall! Never been there before, and I got a little lost trying to get there. But I made it, and couldn't believe how many stores they had, including: Coach, Hollister, Gap, Old Navy, Chanel, Maurices, Guess, Banana Republic, Burberry, Calvin Klein, J. Crew, Fossil....you get the idea! It wasn't crowded at all, being a Monday afternoon. So I browsed for a few hours, and finally ended up getting some clothes at Maurices. I found a top to wear to my recital this Saturday...nothing fancy (I'm the accompanist, so I'm not really supposed to stand out), so I'm just wearing black pants and heels, then the shirt I found is a cute 3/4 length black top with polka dot edging. It's simple, and cute, but looks nice. It cuts lower in the back, so I'm going to wear my hair up to show that off. Anyway, I'm excited, and relieved I finally found something to wear. Scratch that off my list.

My evening class that I have Monday and Wednesday was kind of boring tonight. I don't like classes where I have to sit for more than an hour, and this was a 75 minute class. But , it's interesting most of the time -- Creative Writing, which I absolutely love. I just wanted to get out of there. Then I went straight from class to work, and i am utterly BORED here and just want to go home and crawl into my bed. 2 more hours. sigh.

On a positive note, today is 14 months with the boy :) We met for lunch, but I haven't seen him since then. Mondays are pretty busy for both of us. Tomorrow is a little lighter schedule for me. I get done at 7:30 pm, so then I can just go home and put my feet up!!

Alright. I'm gonna try and get some reading/homework done while I'm here at work because I know I won't feel like doing it later. Cheers!

...and we're back to the books.

Weekend's over. Oh, how I cringe when saying that.

It went by entirely too fast, as it usually does. However, I would consider it a productive one, and sometimes, especially for me, I can't say those occur too often. Yesterday morning I had to work from 8 am to 12 pm. I know! Who wants to work at 8 am on a Saturday!!! Evil, pure evil I tell you. However, the bf was a sweetie and came and brought me coffee and some breakfast. :)

Yesterday afternoon I had a rehearsal with my horn player who I am accompanying for her senior recital next weekend. It's gonna be a great recital, and I'm excited to be a part of it. Then I went home and took a nap for a few hours, which was absolutely GLORIOUS. My close friend Amanda was in town all weekend. She was my roommate from freshman year, and is one of my best friends. Unfortunately she had to leave our school last spring due to an illness, and is now back at home in Ohio, taking classes at a local college. I don't get to see her much but miss her terribly. Anyway, she came to visit this weekend, so last night we went out to Chile's for dinner and caught up. It was so much fun! Last night I stayed in, but it felt nice. Mark came over and we basically just cuddled on the sofa and watched tv together. It was a really nice chance for us to talk about some things, too. We are usually so busy during the week , I mean, we definitely SEE each other, but it's usually inbetween classes, or one of us has to run off to a rehearsal, or we eat a meal together, but homework and other things are always looming on the horizon. It was nice to spend some time together and relax, and just be.

I decided to skip church this morning to sleep in. I didn't feel very well when I woke up, and I must have slept on my neck funny , because it hurt like the dickens this morning. I was figuring today would be a "lazy Sunday", but I actually felt motivated. I spent the whole afternoon cleaning the kitchen, reorganizing my food in the pantry, gathering up all the garbage/recycling from my room, and vacuuming. It felt really good. Now my room's all clean and I know I will sleep better knowing I am going into a new week with everything being clean and organized. Don't you love that feeling?

The upcoming week is going to be CRAZY. It's only gonna be the first full week of classes, but there's still a lot going on. Julie (the horn player) and I are practicing together almost every night in preparation for the recital. I have to work a lot this week, plus get started on all the homework and reading that's been assigned. Also, music lessons start this week. That means a piano lesson for me, and then I have about 5 voice lessons to accompany. It's gonna be busy. BUT I'm hoping it will be another positive week. I still can't believe that the whole past week went so well for me. Hopefully it keeps up for me. I'm going to try to get some extra sleep tonight ( I don't have class until 12:55 tomorrow) so I can go into the week having some energy and feeling rested. goodnight to all!

On the power of music

Have you ever heard a piece of music that changed you, changed the way you feel about something, or someone? Have you ever heard a piece of music that had the power to draw emotion out of you that you never even knew you had in the first place?

Tonight, I was reminded once again why I am here. Why I do what I do. Why I love what I love.

Mark and I went to a faculty music recital tonight on campus -- one of our music professors was in it, but we weren't prepared for what we were about to hear. The program opened with a piece of music that is quite possibly one of the most moving, peaceful musical selections I have ever heard. It wasn't difficult or technical; it wasn't showy. It wasn't even written by a well-known composer. It was a duet for cello and piano called "Cancion en el Puerto" by Joaquin Heras.

We sat in about the 3rd row from the front, so close that literally the stage was at our fingertips. The cellist, his name is Andrew Snow, was someone I had never heard of or seen in my life, and yet, there was a sense of familiarity and comfort about him. It's a feeling I often get around fellow musicians. There's just that connection, you know? Anyway, not only was the music absolutely breathtaking, but the performance....experiencing the music live, and not only hearing it being created, but seeing it, was one of the most beautiful things I have ever been a part of. Andrew played that cello as if it was the last time he would ever hold it. He held the bow with the grace and delicacy of holding an infant, yet the sound that emerged from the instrument was full and rich, like smooth chocolate being poured , rippling and waving over itself. I could SEE the passion and love in the lines on his face, and through the dewy sheen of sweat that covered his skin. His eyes were closed, and he played effortlessly, like it was second nature -- like it was something he was born to do, and he couldn't stop if he tried.

The beauty of the music, and being part of that magical moment, where I am quite literally, one with the music, extracted these deep and intense emotions out of me -- emotions I haven't experience in a long time. It was like the the cello was reaching into my chest, through the cobwebs and dust, through all the messiness, and reaching straight to my core, until it reached my throbbing, pulsing, warm heart. In that moment, I felt this incredible sense of peace. I felt Mark's warm hand that was enclosed around mine. I felt the awe and inspiration of all the other people in the room. I felt Andrew Snow's passion and longing. I felt love, and happiness, and everything beyond that.

And not only that, but the woman who was playing the piano, accompanying him, was his wife. It was so incredible to see them interacting with each other, only through the music. It was almost like watching them make love on the stage, except it was through the notes and the music. They were seamless as a team, it was hard to tell where the piano left off and the cello began. They never gave any indication of their relationship on stage, (except as it was stated in the program), yet, it was so evident in how they played. It was so awesome to see a husband and wife performing music together, creating music together. It was intimate, yet it didn't feel like the audience was intruding on anything. They were sharing their gift with us, and doing it for the love of music, and their love for each other.

Here is a link to the piece: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyh6eicQQR8
It won't be the same experience watching it on Youtube that it was for me to see it performed live tonight, but it's just to give you an idea, and to introduce a beautiful piece of music that truly inspired me. Tonight, I was blessed with the reminder of how powerful music can be -- not just to music majors, or experts, but to anyone. Anyone -- no matter how young or old, rich or poor, from any and all walks of life -- can discover a deep connection to a piece of music. When you experience that, hold on to it and savor it. It is one of the few experiences on earth where we can feel a hundred emotions and hear a thousand words, without a single thing ever being spoken.

Unexpected happiness.

It was a good day. :)


Wow, it feels good to say that. Good days for me come few and far between, so it's always a blessing when, at the end of the night, I can look back and recognize the good.

Despite having to wake up at 6:45 am and being dead tired at work, but I LOVE working in the new building! It's just so bright, big and cheery. I mean, how can you not be happy when you walk in there? It even smells brand new. I love that. Mark and I had a nice lunch together, then he had class. I trudged along to my Geomorphology class, and got the scoop on that. I think it's gonna be difficult, but manageable. Again, the professor is cool, he's hilarious. It's going to be an interesting subject because I've definitely never studied earth structures (dunes, glaciers, volcanoes), and why they are the way they are, but hopefully I'll learn something useful! haha.

I had a LONG day. I was on campus from 8 am to 8 pm. Finally I was done though, and Mark cooked dinner over at his house and it was all ready when I got there :) aww, he's such a sweetie to me. After dinner I came back to my apt. and just watched tv and chilled, which felt good.

I don't really have any "big news" about today, other than to say it was a good day. I had a lot of energy, I was optimistic for some reason, and I just felt good. Tomorrow's Friday, which is always just an awesome fact in itself. 2 classes to get through, a counseling appointment, then home free until Monday. Ahhh.

Hope everyone out in the bloggy world had a good day. Night. :)

New Beginnings

Well, I survived the first day. It was pretty neat, being back and around everyone and starting anew again. As much as I might complain about hating/fearing change, I really do like the feeling of being able to start over again, even if it's just for a new semester. New classes, new people, new professors, and another chance to tackle it all and see how well I succeed.

I came across something today that I found really profound and inspiring, and I think I'm going to make it my own personal mantra for this new year.

The 7-Ups for a New Year:

1. Wake up. Decide to have a good day.
"Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice & be glad in it" Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up - The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart"
I Sam 16:7

3 . Shut Up - Say nice things & learn to listen. God gave us 2 ears and 1 mouth so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking.
"Listen to advice, accept instruction and in the end, you will be wise" Proverbs 19:20

4 . Stand Up - For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything.
"Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..." Galatians 6:9-10

5 . Look Up - To the Lord.
"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" Phillipians 4:13

6 . Reach Up - For something higher. Always try to better yourself. Have FAITH.
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews11:1

7 . Lift Up - Your Prayers.
"Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING" Phillipians 4:6

Anyway, I thought I'd pass that on to anyone else who wants to use it. :)


In other news, the 3 classes I had today seem to be do-able, and I'm confident I can pull an A in all of them if I put forth the required effort. All the professors actually seem nice too, sometimes there's always those ones where you can tell right away, they're gonna be hard to please, and really just load on the work, even if it's not necessary or relevant work. But these professors seem very down-to-earth, genuine, and compassionate -- and also, you can tell they really have a passion for what they teach. Sometimes that's hard to find, and as a student, it makes it a lot easier for me. Tomorrow I just have one class and one lab. But the yucky thing is I work from 8-11 am in the morning. I was the only one on our staff who didn't have a morning class on Thursday mornings, so I got stuck with the opening shift. I had an opening shift on Mondays last semester, which REALLY sucked, because not only was it 8 am, it was also a Monday, and that made it even harder to get out of bed. But hopefully this won't be too bad, especially because now we're in a brand new, 74 million dollar building! I love it. It's modern, it's contemporary, it's 4 times the size of our old Student Union, it's truly State of the Art, and I know I'm gonna enjoy working there a lot more because of that.


So anyway, I must get to bed because I have an early morning ahead of me... Goodnight.