Alright.. we all survived another Wednesday! The rest of the week will be downhill from here! Speaking of weather (Teri) its was strange here. I walked to choir this morning, and it was clear and cool and sunny -- but by the time I'd gotten out of the class, it was overcast and threatening to rain. Strange how quickly it changed. I love cool weather! I have tons of winter clothes (being from the North). An another interesting thing...why is it that I'm always cold when the weather is warm, but as soon as it drops below 65 I'm all toasty. Northerners do know how to dress for the element -- and how to do it so you aren't too bulky to be comfortable. Here are some tricks, as long as the weather stays this nice:

1.Wear nylons/hose underneath your jeans (old ski trick)

2.Wear silk -- a thin knit silk shirt is twice as warm as a cotton sweater

3. LAYER -- its much easier to take stuff off if you're too warm!

4.Two pairs of socks...closed toe shoes.

5.Wear a hat...you lose more than half of your body head through your head...

So, I guess I'll go to sleep now that I've sent the rest of you there with this diatribe! Happy cold weather everyone!

Alright, so back to wine people. After a 6 course wine tasting meal with a glass of wine for each course, they all decide to come up and tell me how wonderfully I sang. And then they add the one that makes every legitimate singer cringe.."you sound every bit as good as Charlotte Church" (or Sarah Brightman -- or for guys I assume Andrea Boccelli). And you try to remember that its a compliment. At one point I too loved Sarah Brightman. And fought for the right to call Phantom a TRUE opera. And now I am older and wiser. I realise that Phantom is not an Opera because they use mics. And there is no way that Sarah Brightman could be heard singing those lovely falsetto high notes over the sound of the falling chandelier. But I digress.....It was lovely of them to compliment me. But the same lady who was so nice....five seconds later was complimenting the bus boys...and the pianist...and the winemaker...and I think I even heard her thank the table....

drunk people -- there's no telling

I made it back from california. Why are wine people nuts? Californians are nuts to begin with (excuse me ... does that salad have legumes? I'm allergic. Could you give me some tofu instead?) The question on my mind is...isn't tofu made of soybeans? And aren't soybeans by definition a legume? I mean really people.

Here I am in California! Yay! Not in Waco this weekend. I sing this evening...right now I'm up and recovering from the flight. It was a long flight. One little girl that is every traveller's nightmare -- she talked and screamed and yelled and protested and whined all three hours of the first flight. I was far enough away that she didn't bother me too much -- but I could feel the people around her cringing at ever "but mommmmmyyyyyyy!" They took my sewing scissors. I should have known, but I figured it was worth a shot so that I could sew a bit on the plane, but no -- they decided that my little gold handled scissors are the perfect way to cause damage on an airplane. Lots of people complain about these little confiscations -- but I figure, as long as I'm getting searched, surely people that need to be searched are having their TNT confiscated too. I hope someone's wife enjoys my sewing scissors.

Wonder of Wonders! Miracle of Miracles! Donald Swann wrote an opera based on C.S. Lewis' book "Perelandra." Is that cool or what!?! Must find a copy...must find a copy!

I'm searching for music for my recital next semester. What to do -- I didn't even know where to look for anything (quite honestly I could care less about art song.) So I did my usual trick of meandering through the art song book section of the library and picking out anything that looked interesting. I just happened to see an orange book with interesting decorations...so I picked it up -- the title:The road goes ever on. "Intriguing" I thought to myself, "isn't that a song from Lord of the Rings?" And it turned out that the book is a collaboration between Tolkien himself...and a composer that wanted to put his words to song. Some of the melodies were actually hummed by tolkien and transcribed to music! YAY!!!! So excited...except for the epic poems which are long, wordy and strophic.... Come to my recital everyone! I'll be singing Tolkien....now if only someone has set CS Lewis to music!!!!

Interesting incident today. I went shopping yesterday, and as a gag I bought a vintage 70's dress. It's brown gingham, empire waist, with plenty of crochet lace and last but not least a little built-on apron -- very popular in the peasant vintage look. So I was in a bookstore this evening attempting to find books 4 and 5 of the Chronicles of Narnia that I've somehow misplaced. So I was meandering around the humor section on the way back from the ladies room, and a man stops me and asks if I'm part of a religious order. He wasn't speaking english too well, so I thought He was asking about my cross necklace. I have this great moment of "God is sending me someone to witness to!" and then he finished his sentence with, "your dress, it is so...unusual." He thought I was a part of a group that rides in wagons, and lights candles for actual illumination...and grows wheat for their on consumption. Yeah. It was great! I think next time I'll make up a story -- bring out a shawl and drape it over my head....then say that I'm a nun in the order of who-knows-what. Mary Beth seems to think I should just play it like a hippie commune leftover -- talk about the sisterhood of daisies or something. I'll have something worked up! Anyway -- try explaining to a foreigner that I wore that dress for fun!

So, fall break is 2/3 over, and I haven't accomplished much on my list. But, my friend's quilt is coming along nicely. She's doing all of the sewing -- I'm doing the pinning. I hate pinning...but its the most crucial part of this whole process...so I think its coming along nicely. My house looks like a fabric shop puked all over my living room. Ah well...I think we'll all be happy when we put all of the zillions of squares together and hand quilt the thing. For a first quilt it isn't turning out too badly! Anyway = I'm off to bed. Church come before you know it

The apartment is clean -- with the exception of the kitchen floor and counters which will get done tomorrow. Sleep will be accomplished shortly..and I am currently reading "So I send you/Workmen of God" by Oswald Chambers. Oh, and I went to Hobby Lobby today, and they were having a half-off of flowering bushes today, so I bought one to keep in my pitcher in my bedroom. So, 4 down! We'll see how tomorrow goes. Maybe I'll even get cracking on my research paper!

Top Ten Things To Do While On Fall "Break"

1. Clean apartment -- if nothing else gets done, this one must.

2.Sleep

3.Keep sewing Jen's recital dress

4.Bake actual food-not involving Ramen, Soup or Pasta

5.Read....something

6.Memorize Little Red Riding Hood for November Performances

7.Hobby Lobby!

8.Write research paper due in November because you know you won't have time to write it the day before.

9.Learn Pieces for Wine Party gig next weekend.

10.Relax -- oh wait, not if I have everything else on this list to do!

Randomness

I'm really very tired and sleep deprived today, as a result of staying up half the night studying for my two tests today. Or rather, I should have been staying up to study. In actuality I read 1/2 of Little Women, 1/2 of Perelandra, and did approximatly 40 minutes of actual Political Science review. I did get up and do another hour and a half of polisci, and I'd studied for Italian on Saturday, so it wasn't a complete blow off. And frankly, as long as I pass that class I'm happy.

In other pressing news, I went shopping today. The weather (Thanks be to Maleldil -- read Perelandra, you'll get it) has reached well below 70, so I got inspired to go shopping. Consignment of course...who can afford to buy clothes off the rack...and I got a new pair of jeans, corderoys, and 4 tops - one of which says "I wish I was skiing." Which I do. I love skiing. Its the only sport I'm even remotely good at. I cought a frisbee last night at youth group sheerly by accident. I clapped my hands because I was excited and a well aimed throw landed between them. It was delightful -- and everyone was very happy for me. However I didn't notice anyone throwing to me when the real game started. Which was good because my team would have lost by the third or fourth time I ducked.

I have two more tests this week. I can't wait to be done with undergrad. This whole semester has been test after test -- not as bad as Matt who's taking 21 credits and making up all of his finals from last semester when he got a gig in California and had to leave early. Now what to do about grad school. I'm really trying not to pu the cart before the horse and take matters into my own hand. God's done pretty well steering my life when I didn't know it, I'm sure he'll keep it up -- but I wish he'd fill me in this time. Oswald Chambers says we should thank God for times of apparent silence, because its in the silences that we learn to Trust him best. I hope so...because some days I feel panicky. Like a kid in a dark basement who's dad has let go of his hand to turn on the light. And the kid starts yelling "daddy where are you?" And the Dad says "I'm still here! Trust me -- nothing's going to happen to you!" Oh for that kind of faith!

In other news, I'm making a quilt. Well, I'M not making the quilt per se. But I happen to have the sewing machine...and a basic knowledge of how to use it. Anyway -- I'm a commodity.

I took a spiritual gifts test today. I'm great at doing stuff, lousy at mercy. I have very little. But I'm a good administrator -- "Martha" if you will. That's ok. I can deal with that - it takes all kinds to make a church...and someone has to clean up after everyone, and take care of odds and ends. Although I usually forget the odds and ends, so I guess I should focus on the teaching aspect of my skills. Or something!

Well, thats it for my randomness. Did I mention I love CS Lewis? I think his writings are brilliant. How could one man think so much? And for the curious, go read some of his fiction opposite JRR Tolkien. You can see where they met to discuss theology and mythology, and even some philology. It's great-- there are some places in his fiction that are very similar to Lord of the Rings, and vice versa. Go read it. You have my permisison! Goodnight all!

God is so amazing! I went tonight to see Shane Bernard in concert -- and it was awesome! I didn't know any of the songs, and usually that makes me so self-conscious that I can't enjoy anything. But it's ok -- I didn't even understand the words most of the time..I just prayed that they would play one song that I knew so that I could join in the worship. And not only did they play not one, but two -- they were my current favorite (I'm desperate for you) and one from childhood that I haven't heard in ages! It was wonderful, and the opening band was from Seattle! So exciting! And God sent someone to pray for me...and what was prayed was exactly what was on my heart -- isn't He wonderful? On that note -- I'm going to bed! Must be up early for church...

Going through books like a weavil in a library

I have two tests on monday. Polisci and Italian. How do teacher do that -- its a conspiracy! Its probably because of our pending "fall break." (Actually a glorified three-day weekend). Here you go kids! Live it up! If they really wanted to help us out with a whole day, they should have stuck it to an actual holiday (ie thanksgiving) so we'd have one more day to travel without missing classes. Ah well, the idiosynchrisies of Baylor never cease...and God wants me to stay here longer? Well, actually I have no word on that one way or another....We'll find out soon enough I guess -- but if wanted to send down fire from heaven and burn up our music school -- fine by me. It would be the fastest way to get rid of the rats..kill em with burning asbestos.

I have a canker sore. Ouch. And so I coudln't get the numby stuff open, so I bit on the tip of the tube to get it unblocked. And it squirted everywhere. So now the left side of my mouth is numb. Kind of fun really...

Coaching with Kathleen Kelley (no seriously that is her name)

For my first real coaching, I think it went very well! I sang Beth's Death Aria from the new and wonderful opera Little Women (for those of you who I subjected to a lecture on the merits of this opera already, I'll spare you a repeat). I was very worried, because I forgot to get the coordinator the music ahead of time, and this accompaniment is not easy...but I showed up, and she looked at the music and said, "Little Women! Oh wonderful! I love that opera!" It was so much fun! We made it all the way through the aria (odd for a coaching), and she had so many suggestions! I'm the only person here that even knows the show, so no one could tell me what to do with it! Oh so cool -- told me to change my characterization in a few places -- and it WORKED! For most of the vocal stuff it was things that my voice teacher has told me over and over -- but did I do them? no. Now I will. Anyway! It was great -- my voice stayed with me (after all that hell yesterday I didn't have much of one this morning) and I learned a lot. It was a great way to get my feet wet in the field of master classes and coachings. Next time maybe I'll have one in front of an audience!

My time in Hell

So we had the dumbest choir concert last night! May I just stress ho dumb it was. It was all hymns and church anthems for some symposium. Now, I must say, I like hymns. I love the message, and the content, and the melodies. But did they make us sing the good ones? No they did not. They made us sing the dumb, homophonic ones. And the one good one we sang was an arrangement (aka -- we took away the melody, changed the harmony, and shamelessly conformed the whole thing to our own melody that has nothing to do with the original song). I hate those. There was a high point -- we got to learn an African summons by rote (I love doing that -- even if I am a good presbyterian and can't clap and sing at the same time). Then we had to sing choir anthems. Not the good, moving, stirring, passionate ones. Of course not. We sang the cheesy, overemotional, sappy "Marching to Zion" ones (more on that later). Anyway, the music was all easily sight read-able. Were we allowed to sight read? NO. We had to rehearse it. During choir (fine). Then we had to meet at 5 to rehearse it some more. The concert didn't start until 7:30. Then did we get to sit -- NO because we're doing the whole darn show standing up. So, instead of just telling us that we'd be standing up the whole time.....we PRACTICED standing the whole time. And every time we stopped, some idiot choir police had to open their big trap and say "Um....there are some (key word -- some = everyone but me) sopranos on measure 34 that are singing an F, and it should be an F# . I could have killed them. The rest of the choir would have helped at that point. And after a two hour rehearsal, they gave us snacks (the least they could do I'm sure)...and the cheese crackers weren't the peanut butter kind. (That really isn't that bad in and of itself, but it capped off the misery). The concert itself was agonizingly long. Every tempo was slow to begin with (Randall Thompson's alleluia alone took 15 minutes). Then having the whole "congregation" joining in slowed the tempo even more. And in the end, we weren't "Marching to Zion" -- we were trudging, plodding, limping to Zion. Anyway --that heavens that is over. And do we get a day off from choir after a 5 hour night last night? no........

I'm so homesick! I don't know where it all came from, but BAM! Here it is! My mother thought that she might be able to come down sometime in the next few weeks, but now can't. I'm not going to be able to afford to go home for thanksgiving unless Ebay picks up. I miss my family. Is that absurd for a 21 year old? Probably. But I've always loved hanging out with my parents. They were chaperones for my Senior Party, and I hung out with them when my friends got dull (one of them got depressed and hung around the prize table all night begging to win so that "something would go right in her life"). I envy people who can go home for weekends. For the last four years its been "bye folks, see you at christmas." My little sister almost got me crying two days ago. She got all excited because I'm graduating and can come home and go to the fair with her next fall. I had to tell her that I'm probably going to be back in school again. (excuse my while I grab kleenex) Anyway -- I'm now going to go drown my sorrows in the new veggietales movie. I've been wanting to see it for a long time!

I'M IN CLASSES!!!! Finally! I went to the financial aid office today and fought with the lady. She tried to convince me that one of my classes was full, and I was going to have to get permission from both the music dean and the instructor to get in....but it wasn't the polici class I'm signed up for. I kept trying to tell her that it wasn't my teacher or section, because it would have conflicted directly with another class, and the teacher was wrong. Anyway -- she got on my case and got defensive until she realised that she'd typed in the code for fall semester 2001. Aaargh. Then i played musical departments for a while, and I think I'm finally back in! YAY! So I do indeed get to take my finals legally! Yay! Now I actually have to study

I am feeling very domestic today. I have chicken and dumplings on the stove, and I'm baking fresh bread. I think I'll make cookies too -- needing a dessert-y sort of a thing. I didn't know I could cook. It suprises me every time something comes out right (although there are lots of times I kill things too -- for example, who besides me can kill a DiGiorno?) I need to clean my house too -- and study for an italian quiz, but that's the great thing about bread. It has all of that "rise time." Which leaves plenty of time where you are house bound, and have nothing else to do but study or clean or read. Oh, and make a bible study. I'm leading my very first. Surely Mary Beth or Mary would be much better at it than I am...I'm afraid that it'll be trite, or that the kids won't understand it, or that they'll laugh or think its dumb. But, where would Israel be if Moses had kept whining, so I guess I'll just shut up and do it...and beg God to supply words. Raarrrrgh. Anyway -- off to make bread!

Masterclass

I was apparently nominated by VC (my voice teacher for those who don't know) to be in the pool for those chosen to have an hour private coaching with some lady from the Metropolitan Opera. The Baylor Faculty picked me! I'm so suprised -- I never would have expected it! And the kicker is that the thing is next tuesday. That gives me a week to whip myself into shape...and I won't have a voice lesson before the coaching -- so I'll have to work extra hard with Matt or Glenn or somebody. I have no clue what to sing to fill up 50 minutes worth of time. Well, I guess that will all work itself out. I'm so excited!

Ebay Update

I have 15 brand new (to me) items on eBAY these days. It hasn't turned into the cash cow that I was hoping, but so far I've sold $67 worth of stuff on it, and even after I've subtracted the fees to put the stuff on there in the first place, its still better than nothing. I have hopes of making a relatively lucrative income off it. As long as I keep getting up early enough on Saturday Mornings. 5:45 is a ghastly hour to be up!