Saturday

Not too exciting of a day here.  I had Rick's lesson, which was exciting as all lessons are to me.  I get excited and look forward to pretty much every single lesson I teach.  I was simply born to teach music.  Anyways, he had a very good lesson and he does seem to work pretty hard on the music theatre songs.  I love music theatre.  It is by far my absolute favorite genre.  I could listen and sing it all day and night and still not get tired of it.  Mom introduced me to music theatre when I was quite small.  We would listen to the records she had and I would learn a new song to sing all week long.  It drove my brothers absolutely crazy because I literally sang day and night.  One time, when we were coming home from Disney World (this was in 1973) I sang "It's a Small World" all the way home and we were driving!  Needless to say both brothers and my dad were rather annoyed at me by the time we arrived home.  To make matters worse, Mom had bought me the little record with the song on it!  I played that record over and over all the time.  I don't remember the drive home as I was 5 at the time, I just remember being told I did this by Mom.  It still makes me smile to think of driving my brothers crazy with that song.  Mom always encouraged music for us.  When Richard wanted to play the saxophone, she rented one for him and he joined the band.  He was quite good.  Unfortunately, he did quit due to other interests, but he was very good.  The Andrew wanted to play the violin, she got one for him.  That lasted a year then he switched to Saxophone and then to the Trumpet.  He played through junior high and then quit.  We still have (I hope) somewhere, the saxophone and the cornet.  I played the flute for my first year of band and then switched to the clarinet.  I still have both of mine and simply love them.  Mom also encouraged me to sing.  i remember I wanted to try out for a special choir in 4th grade.  Mom helped me practice my audition piece.  One of the things I loved to do was sing with certain singers and try to imitate them.  Mom reminded me that morning to sing like me and not anyone else and I would be just fine.  I got in the choir.  It was so much fun but I was sad because Kathy was not in it.  She didn't try out for it so we were apart for recess on Choir practice days.  I think that was probably one of the first times we did something separate on recess.  Fortunately, she was in band with me.  She played the clarinet too.  We used to practice a lot together as I loved practicing.  I would take my dolls and stuffed animals and set them in an audience style seating to play for them.  Mom also listen to me practice too.  Every so often I would hear, do that one again, it didn't sound quite right or she would come in to help if I had trouble with something.  Mom was very involved in my music and when I started dance at 16, she became pretty involved in that too.  She was never a stage mother, (thank goodness!) she just encouraged me to do my best.  She was thrilled when I started teaching.  In fact, Mom was the one who taught me how to write out lesson plans.  I had no idea as I was only 18 when I started teaching.  My dance teacher told me that she had signed up 2 young people for voice lessons and I was the teacher.  It was a shock let me tell you as I never had any intention to teach at that point.  Thank goodness she did that!  It certainly turned out well for me!

I have been reading an awful lot lately.  I just finished Shania Twain's autobiography.  It was good, at first I was unsure but as it went on it became very good.  I am going to start reading the Kristen Hannah book tonight.  I love Kristen Hannah.  She writes such good books.  I loaned Kathy a whole bunch of her books and so far Kathy has read 3 of them and she only got them last Saturday!  Kathy loves her writing as much as I do.  It is so nice to have a friend who has the same taste in books as I do.  That way we each can buy a different book and then switch them to read.  Saves money.

Tomorrow I am going to do some work downstairs in the family room.  I don't have any lessons tomorrow at all.  I usually don't on Sunday, but next Sunday and the following Sunday I will have lessons in the afternoon.  Makeups for Rick as he can't attend his normally scheduled lessons on Saturday for the next two weeks.  I also have to go and get a few important groceries tomorrow so that is on my list too.  I am out of a few staples that I must get.  I will do a good grocery shopping next week at the end of the week but I need a few things so that I will have enough until next week's grocery shopping trip.  It is just going to be a low key holiday for me, I think.  I am not really up to having extra company right now with being so extra tired lately.  I did wake up a bit earlier than usual this morning with somewhat energy so the three days in a row I have had better sleep has really helped.  of course, by this time of night, I am exhausted again.