A Harry Potter Afternoon

I slept in, mostly dozing for a while before I finally got out of bed.  I didn't really feel like so I didn't get up very early.  I am just feeling worse than usual, mental stress more than physical these last few days.  I do hope I improve in the next few days because I have many lessons to teach this week and I must be on my toes to do it.  The quick gist is that I managed to anger my older brother so much that he is not speaking to me at all.  I don't know if he will ever speak to me again.  I really don't.  It has upset me because I can't even explain why I chose to make the decision I made and I think he thinks I did it to upset him, which I didn't.  I really had no choice.  I truly didn't and if I could explain, maybe he would be less mad, at least I would know that I told him the truth about why I did what I did.    I just feel so alone right now with him so angry at me.  I already feel like an outcast in my family, he was the only one I felt really was on my side and supported me and now this.  I am truly alone in the family or at least that is how I am currently feeling right now.  It may not be rational, but it is what I am feeling these days since the terrible phone call a few days ago.  Maybe it won't be so painful in the next few days.  I can only hope although I don't have much of that either right now.

I am watching the 3rd Harry Potter movie.  In preparation of the newest and last Harry Potter movie, the family channel is doing a Harry Potter movie marathon.  I missed the first two.  I don't know when they played the first two, but I only missed the first few minutes of the movie.  I caught it as they were on the train to school with the Dementors were about to get on the train and go into the car where Harry and crew were.  At least I have a good evening ahead of me.  Lots of Harry Potter!  Something decent for this horrible week.

I don't have any lessons today.  I have a lesson tomorrow so I am thankful for that.  It will be a busy few days with Monday being one of the busiest.  I have my lovely Muglia girls on Monday.  I am very excited about it.  I haven't seen  them in 2 months because their dear mother became so ill right after the baby was born.  She is, thankfully, healing and slowly getting better.  I am so glad about that.  Anyways, I have 17 lovely lessons this week and I am so thankful for that.  At least I still have teaching, I have something.

A Calm Day

I didn't have any lessons today.  I was so tired.  It has been an absolutely horrible week with the exception of lessons.  They all went well, but the rest of the week is horrible.  It all starts and ends with family.  You know, the people who can make you super happy and super mad in less than a few minutes.  I don't expect it to blow over anytime soon, but there isn't anything I can do about it.

I also am not going to the family BBQ next weekend because I just don't have the money for the gas or the tunnel.  I really don't.  Not to mention I don't have the money to bring a dish since it is a potluck.  I just don't have it.  I have to count every bit of money and need it too pay the property tax.  I know that if I buckle down I will have everything I need to pay the taxes by the deadline in 2012.  I have made a start of a payment plan and I am happy about that.  The county doesn't do payment plans, but they accept payments any time no matter the size so I have my own private payment plan that should work if I am diligent with saving money.  I can do this.  I hope to have my 2 students who quit for the summer back in the fall plus 1 or 2 new ones for the fall too.  That will definitely allow me to pay the house bills and the taxes much easier.  I can only hope.

I don't have any lessons tomorrow either.  I don't have any plans for the day right now outside a few house chores to do.  I am going to rest for most of the day probably.  I have had a bad headache for about 4 days now.  I do hope it goes back to the normal headache tomorrow.  I don't like this at all.  It makes me even more tired than I already am especially with the week I have had.  I hope next week is a bit better.  Boy, I really miss my mother tonight.  She is so needed with the bad week I have had.

what can I say?

It hasn't been the best of days.  I hope tomorrow is better.  I did have 3 lessons, Breanna, Calli, and Acer and that was good.  They are all doing rather well.  Breanna has picked her songs to sing for her audition and she will have 1 more lesson before she leaves on Tuesday instead of Thursday.  I am excited for her to go and audition.  I hope she really enjoys the experience.  That is one of my goals for her, to enjoy the experience.  I have other ones too, but that is an important goal.  I really hope she does well and sings wonderfully.  This is one of her dreams so I can only hope she rocks the house.  Calli and Acer are both working very hard on the Italian song "Caro Mio Ben".  We fixed one of their small mistakes today.  They forgot a small section of the song.  No problem, we fixed it.  Calli is doing really well with her other music too and so is Acer.  He learned the entire Indian Drum song.  He is so cute as he plays it.  We are working on proper fingering for him, but he still doesn't like using his thumbs when he plays.  He will, he would just prefer to use other fingers instead.  Hey, he is 6 and plays wonderfully.  He figured out a song off of one of his xylophone toys and did it perfectly, black keys and all.  I was happy about that.  He is such a creative young man that he is so fun to work with.  Calli is a lot of fun too, we have many giggles together.  She works so hard that it is wonderful to see.  She always practices and works so hard at both piano and voice.  Between the 2 of them, it is hard to say who works the hardest and it shows.  The progress Calli has made this past year is amazing.  It really is.  She is already singing Italian Art songs and has a 3 1/2 octave range.  She is 11, yes 11.  It is an amazing range.  I have never worked with an 11 year old who has that great of a range.  The change between her chest and head voice is so smooth too.  Her voice is very mature for her age, it is very strong and pretty.  Music will take both kids very far, that is for sure and then add Breanna to that makes me a very happy teacher.

Other than the lessons, the day is rather dull.  I have 2 days coming up that has no lessons.  I don't know what I will get done or if I will get anything done.  I will see how I feel when I get up tomorrow.  I am not making any set plans.  I will play the next few days by ear and see how they go.  I may go and see Donna, but I don't know.  I will see.

Midweek!

It Wednesday already.  I had 3 lessons and paid a few bills.  I need to pay two more bills right away and then the rest can wait a few days.  I mailed 3 bills this afternoon.  My bank account hates me right now as usual when I am paying bills.  At least this month I did NOT have to borrow anything for the house payment.  I am very happy about that.  Thankfully, I was able to re-arrange the order of the bills.  I am happy with what I did.  I did get a few new students at the end of last month so that will help a lot.  This week I have 1 student who is absent, he is in Mexico with his Mom on vacation.  He is one of my new little guys.

Bob had his lesson today.  His Mother-in-law is still hanging on.  She is coming home from the hospital this week.  She is now a Hospice patient too.  I think Bob said she is about 93 years old.  Wow, I can't even imagine.

Carson had his lesson.  We worked on a couple of newer songs and one new one, Country Gardens.  I love that song.  He is doing pretty well.  I have pulled out a couple of CDs for him, I just need to pull out the books that go with the CDs.  I will be doing that this Friday and Saturday.

Beth had her lesson too.  We started sight reading and she did very well.  I went over reading notes and key signatures with her.  She seems to understand it pretty well.  I was happy with that.  I just wish Rick was a bit more enthused with sight reading, but he isn't so we won't do it.  Beth is doing very well with her music.  We worked a bit on interpretation this week and last.  She seems to be doing very well with it.  Since she wants to be in community theatre, I figured it is very important to work on this too.

The day started off okay, but ended up really bad.  I can't even talk about it right now.  I am just too upset.  I hope it will be better tomorrow.

where did the weekend go?

all of a sudden, it is Tuesday!  What happened to my 3 day weekend?  I vaguely remember having 2 lessons on Sunday but that is about it.  I had grand plans for the weekend reorganizing my music and teaching CDs, plus my room, yeah, nothing really happened.  I was tired on Saturday so I went to the bookstore and got some new to me books.  I ended up going to bed rather early.  I just couldn't stay awake.  I don't remember too much about Sunday, but I think I went to bed rather early that day to or I took a nap, I can't remember which.  Yesterday, I had a bad headache (still have it today, just slightly better than yesterday) and pretty much slept all day and night.  i got up, took some medicine, went back to bed, got up, got some lunch, took some pain medicine, went back to bed, got up again, read for a bit, and went back to bed again.  I pretty much spent all day in bed.  My head was just so bad and I was very, very tired.  So, so much for getting things done.  I will do them another time.  I think this weekend, when I am not teaching, I will do a little bit at a time instead of all of it at the same time.  Maybe then, i will get it done.  I certainly hope so.  I have music in small piles all over the table in the office.  It needs to be cleaned up so that I can put the office in order.

I had 4 lessons today.  3 were regularly scheduled lessons and 1 was a make up from yesterday.  Laith was absent today.  He is in Mexico with his Mom.  I do hope they are having a good time.  I have been to Mexico a couple of times, both times on a cruise ship.  The first time, the stopover was in Cozumel.  That was a nifty city and I enjoyed my time.  The second time, Mom and I went to 3 other places on the west side of Mexico, the names escape me right now.  Mom and I had a really good time.  I really liked going on vacation with Mom because she was so much fun.  Much more fun than going with some of my friends at the time, except Kathy.  Kathy and I always have a good time together.  Mom and I had so much in common with our likes and our dislikes that going on vacation together was always fun.  Mom would stay up a bit later than me planning our adventures for the next day.  Sometimes she was so intent on making sure I saw everything I wanted that she wouldn't tell me about what she wanted to see.  I would have to say, Momma what do you want to see?  I made sure she saw what she wanted.  I think one of the best vacations (it is hard to choose as they all were wonderful) was going to Prince Edward Island.  I loved that place so much.  It is where the author of Anne of Green Gables is from and where Anne of Green Gables takes place.  We had so much fun there.  Of course, by the time we got to Anne's land, I was already broke.  We were at the beautiful house that was a childhood home of Lucy Maud Montgomery.  Her great grand nephew was the curator and he told us story after story about his aunt.  Mom and I loved every minute of it.  The pictures he had and just everything was great.  We spent about 6 hours there.  I saw 2 lovely books I wanted but I was broke so Mom said, they will be your Christmas present.  Hey, I was all for it!  The funny thing was, but the time Christmas came, she had forgotten about them.  I didn't but I didn't want to say anything right then and there.  Fortunately, a few days later she found them in her closet and then I got them.  One was an Anne of Green Gables Christmas Treasury book (it isn't published anymore either) and the other was one of her journals.  Both are really good books.  I also have a Little Women treasury book and a different Anne of Green Gables treasury book.

It has been a pretty good day despite the bigger than usual headache.  I do hope you are having a good day too.

the 3rd

Tomorrow is July the 4th.  I plan to work around the house.  I had 2 lessons today, one earlier in the afternoon, Rick, and then Katie's this evening.  I made the mistake of procrastinating about going to Walmart to pick up my prescription.  They are only open until 6 on Sundays I got there at 6:20.  Oops, I don't know if they will be open tomorrow or not but I will check by calling ahead before I leave so I don't go for no reason.  I already picked up the milk that I needed and the grapes.  I was out of both.  I did pick up a chocolate chip cookie, one of those big ones that was decorated for the 4th.  I don't particularly like it. I thought I would, but I don't.  I will be giving the rest of it to some of the students this week.  I am not going to finish it.  i was disappointed because it was $8.00 but I know I won't buy it again!  That is for sure!

I tried to call Abigail again to wish her a happy birthday.  She turned 12 yesterday.  I got Richard's machine again.  That is all I ever get.  I mean, doesn't he ever answer his phone?  I am at the point where I am just not going to call him at all ever again.  That is how I feel because he hasn't answered the phone in months, nor does he call back.  The last time he did was over the lawsuit from the store which he can't totally blame me as he was in it just like me.  He knew what was going on with the store, I held nothing back from him.  There was no surprises at all.  I know there is a family member who seems to think I blindsided him, well, I didn't.  He got weekly, twice weekly, emails, phone calls, visits, I mean, I was in constant contact with him.  So the last time I actually talked to him in person was in April when he called to completely yell at me and I mean yell.  I was holding my phone away from my ear and I could still hear him and I am 50% deaf in both ears.  However, before that was the same thing, he never answered the phone.  I have been at the point where I don't want to call him because I know he isn't going to answer me.  He also doesn't answer emails very often.  If he does, maybe one word answers.  Nothing like you would expect so I don't know.  I am tired of always doing the calling and getting the answering machine.  It really bothers me today and it has for a few months now.  At least last year I got to speak to Abigail personally on her birthday.  Come to think of it, I left 8 messages for William at his birthday and didn't get to speak to him at all.  I just don't know what to do with my older brother.

Rick start some sight-singing today, but i don't  think he is too thrilled with it.  We talked a bit about key signatures and how to figure them out and he was like, why?  what difference does it make?  We only ended singing one of the exercises, not 4 like I had planned.  I don't know if I will do this again with him, I will decide that next week.  I am going to introduce sight-singing to Beth.  I think she will be interested because it will help her with auditioning for musicals like she likes to do.  She didn't get in the chorus of Music Man.  I was disappointed too.  She worked so hard for that audition but they had her try out with a part she didn't know she was trying out for.  The director said for her to try out for the next one and keep working so that is awesome.  She is working very hard on improving her voice.  She practices a lot so that the next play, she will get in.  Katie is excited because she has her first German song.  German is not a language I am very comfortable teaching, but fortunately, she is pretty fluent so between the two of us, she will do well.  I am excited for her because she gets so happy with these type things.  She will be emailing me with her schedule for the next two weeks to plan her next lesson.

I am watching a program about Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York.  It is very interesting.  I think I will plan on watching it from now on.

I am hoping tomorrow to finish the putting away of music and the CDs but I will be happy with putting in a dent in the job.  I may wake up and go and see Donna tomorrow.  I don't know.  I will see what tomorrow brings.
I have a bit of a bad headache tonight.  I don't know why but it is here again.  There are fireworks going on in the neighborhood right now.  It scared me the first time as I didn't realize it was fireworks time again.  We usually hear them starting on July 1 to about July 5.  Usually around midnight they stop lighting them off.

I hope you are having a good weekend.  It has been a pretty good day with 2 lessons for the day and reading some new-to-me books.

It's a Hot One Today!

It is probably not as hot as some people, but for me it is hot and very humid.  The sky is getting blacker now though as we are expecting a thunderstorm.  It has now started to rain and it is very windy.  The rain is coming down sideways right now.  I was going to go out, but I changed my mind when I saw the sky a while ago.  It is not necessarily super necessary to go right now.  I have enough milk for tomorrow morning's cereal plus I have a loaf of bread with lunch meat too so I am really all set.  I just wanted to see what special treats they had made for July the 4th.  I didn't want anything big, just something small like a small piece of cake.  They sell them by the piece at the grocery store.  I know I don't really need it, but I wanted it.  I am hoping by tomorrow I won't want it since I didn't go and get it.  You see, in order to get cookies, cake, and stuff like that I have to go out and get it because I don't keep this type stuff at home.  I also have run out of fruit so I need to get some more for tomorrow and this week.  I am really liking eating fruit everyday.  I was nervous of it because of my tummy issues but with the reglan that helps digest my food, I can handle fruit again!  I am very excited about that.  I haven't been able to eat fruit since the early 90s.

I didn't get too much done today as I was very tired and I was reading a bit too.  I did go to the used bookstore like I planned and then I came back to take a bit of a nap, which lasted 2 hours.  Then I got some dinner, just a small one as I wasn't very hungry, only a little bit hungry.  Tomorrow I have 2 lessons so that will be fun.  I will be sorting the music tonight and tomorrow to put away.  I will also be putting my new breadbox in its place tonight in the kitchen.  I do need to go and get my hair done tomorrow.  They are open on Sunday this month so that is good.  After the lessons I will go.  I should have done it yesterday but I don't remember why I didn't get it done.  I know why I didn't get it done today as I took a nap instead.  I was just so tired.  I am so tired on days I don't teach or I teach only 1 lesson.  It is more exhausting to look at a day without a lot of plans than one that has 4 or 3 lessons.

The sky is lightening up again.  The rain is over for now and the sun is trying to come back out.  I don't know if we will get anymore rain or not but I am safe inside if we do.  I have started my list of what is going to donate next week so I am slowly getting done what needs to get done.  I just remembered to add something else to the donate list.  I am going to call them on Tuesday to schedule the pickup, hopefully on Friday since I don't have any lessons on that day.  My Friday lessons will be on Thursday because they are going out of town for a vacation.  I do hope they have fun.

Today is my niece, Abigail's 12th birthday!  She was born in the morning and I saw her in the evening the day she was born.  She was so small!  I guess she was regular size but to me she looked so small.  She was such a cutie!  She still is.  Abigail likes to swim and do crafts.  Next year, she will be in 7th grade already.  That is so hard to believe as time as gone so fast.  I haven't been able to talk to her for a while.  I left messages yesterday on both her mom's and dad's phone.  I also emailed Richard a message for her too.  I hope she gets them all.  I really wanted to talk to her but I do know how hard it is to get a hold of everyone in that family.  I don't know Abigail's phone number either.  Both she and William have phones but I don't have their numbers.  Maybe Richard will give them to me so I can call them directly.  Who knows?  I don't.

I do hope you are having a good day.  It has been a bit of a boring day to me but tomorrow will be better.

expect the unexpected

Acer and Calli had their lessons today.  Acer has informed me that he is finished with "Candle on the Water" and was ready to start his Italian song like Calli.  Calli just started Italian classical music two weeks ago with "Caro Mio Ben".  She is doing very well with it.  So I smiled and pulled out the Italian book and Acer sang "Caro Mio Ben" and he did a really good job with it.  I long ago realized that Acer would be full of surprises and just go with the flow.  When you have a student like him, regular standard lessons don't always work.  He is an on the go guy with perfect pitch.  Yes, I said perfect pitch.  The young man can tell you any note you play and he is always, always right.  He can take any pitch and tell you what note it is.  He will be right too.  I have witnessed it.  It is amazing.  Calli does very well too, but she being a bit older, likes the structure of regular lessons.  Today we finished Brailling out the "Feed the Birds" Song.  She is 2/3 finished learning the "Caro Mio Ben" song.  I do hope Acer doesn't want to sing "Caro" for the summer concert as Rick has already called it.  I may have to start a different Italian song with Acer.  I am going to be pulling out the Easy solos for the beginning singer books for him.  He learned a new hand position today in piano.  I am very pleased with how they are doing.  Most of my students try really hard to do their best so I am happy with all of them.  I can't wait for the 11th when I see the Muglia girls for the first time in about 2 months.  I will also be able to finally meet Thomas!  He is smiling now!  I will be going to see Harry Potter with the girls in a few weeks.  I am not sure when yet, but we will work it out.  The girls and I are all Harry Potter fans!  The girls have practically memorized every line in all the movies so far.  It is quite cute to see.  I wonder if they will ever make a Harry Potter Trivial Pursuit Game.  I had heard years ago that they were going to but I don't know if they did.

I am going to go to bed after the season finale of "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding" show.  It is so good.  I love the glimpse of the Gypsy lifestyle you get with it.  I was surprised at how strictly the girls are raised, that was surprising.  It was also surprising how they don't emphasize education for the girls.  The show takes place in Great Britain, but I think they are going to create one for the USA.  That would be interesting too and to compare to it.

I was so tired today that I didn't go and get my hair done like I usually do.  My shoulder has been doing pretty well lately so I thought I would try to do it myself and see how it works.  I will see how it is going tomorrow.  I have no lessons tomorrow so I have a lot of things I want to get done.

I do hope it is a good day for you and have a good day tomorrow!

Thursday

My student, Breanna has decided to go and audition for American Idol.  We are working on choosing songs.  She must have 3 to 5 songs.  It is a four day process.  She is 15 so the choices must not only show her range but also be age appropriate.  That is the hard part, the age appropriateness.  So many songs are just not for a 15 year old but I am sure she will pick some that are.  We chatted a bit about that today after the lesson.  So far she has 2 potentials that fit both needs, age and range.  She has to sing them accapella which is very difficult but she has no problem with it.  Many people can sing, but they can't sing accapella. Singing without accompaniment is tough as you are on your own.  Last year I had a student who had her school choir teacher make a recording of a song for her with the foreign language, well, like many people, by the end of the songs she was a 3rd below what she started with.  That is actually more normal than not, unfortunately.  I think that is why many auditions for things like American Idol are accapella.  You really have to be able to sing to do this type.  I am anxious to see what she brings me next week.  We have about 2 weeks to get her ready.  I am excited about this.

Tomorrow I have Acer and Calli's lesson and that is it so I may do a bit of moving things around downstairs before their lessons.  It is also the day I get my hair washed so I do need to fit that in.  It has been very helpful having someone else doing it for me with the way my arms and shoulders are these days.  I can't wait to see Calli's hair cut live and in person.  She donated her hair to Locks of Love.  I did that a few years ago.  I have 13 inches cut off and still had shoulder length hair, that is how long my hair was.  I was really glad I did that.  I am growing my hair long again.  I think I am going to donate it again.  I do like the bangs I have now so I will keep those.

Not much going on today.  I was super tired after my blood test.  It was after Breanna's lesson about 2:30 or so.  I came back, ate lunch, read a bit, and then headed to take a nap.  I was just so tired.  I couldn't stay awake anymore.  I am still super tired.  I had a few calls today that I will call back tomorrow.  I just was so tired that I couldn't really talk on the phone.  Maybe I will feel more awake tomorrow.  I certainly hope by the weekend I am more awake as I have such big plans.  I would like to at least do 1/2 if I can't get it all done.  My goal is to get it all done though.  I think in 3 days I should be able to do that.

I had thought about getting a cat but one of my students is very allergic to them so no cat for me.  I think it was more of the idea of a cat rather than the reality of the cat.  I didn't like the idea of cleaning up after them and I had a real hard time figuring out where to put the cat litter.  I don't want it in the bathroom because they can smell and that is a smell I can't stand.  I have a cousin who has her's in her bathroom and I have a hard time using her bathroom because of it.  It just smells so gross most of the time.  It really does.  I don't know if it is because the type of kitty litter she uses or if she just doesn't smell it but to me it grosses me out all the time when I need to use the bathroom.  I didn't want it in the utility room either because of my clean clothes there. You can see that I have just no idea where it would go.  i have no basement and keeping it outside was not an option so I guess it is good that I am not going to get a cat.  I feel okay about that decision.  It is probably for the best.  I wouldn't have gotten it right away either so it isn't like I had the cat picked out and ready to go.  I am not going to get it.  I will just get some other beanie baby kittens.  They are cute too.  I like beanie babies.  I have a few of Winnie the Pooh beanie babies that I have collected over the years.   Mom has given me some too like the graduation Pooh Bear from when I got my master's degree.  I had thought about going back and getting my PHd, but I have decided against it because I still would have difficulty standing while teaching.  I would still have the health issues that I have so to get deeper in debt, and not be able to still work, would be a bad idea.

I can't really say outside of the lesson that it was a good day, it was a sleepy day.  I do hope yours was a good day.

better day today

Last night ended up being a horrible night after about 10:30 pm.  I don't know what happen but I got upset and was missing Mom so bad.  I just started to cry and got upset.  It doesn't happen as much anymore but boy when it does, look out!  I cried for about 30 minutes and tried to calm down.  Eventually, I did calm down and went up to bed with my book to read.  By the time I went upstairs and got ready for bed I was much calmer.  I started reading and read until about 2 am.  I ended up finishing the book at about that time and then crawled in for the night.  I slept okay, I think I was a bit exhausted because of the upset earlier in the day.

I woke up at about usual time.  I sort of lounged a bit before I actually got out of bed.  I finally dragged myself out of bed and got ready for the day.  I came down and got ready for lessons.  I needed to type out 2 new songs for Carson.  He is almost done with the current songs he is working on.  As usual, he came earlier than his scheduled time.  I told him for the summer that it was fine to come early as I know he wants as much time with his friends swimming at his Grandmother's.  Since usually I am reading or working on the computer, having his lesson early is no big deal.

Bob didn't have a lesson today as scheduled.  His mother-in-law, Mary Finn, is in the hospital again and they think this is the end so the next few weeks are up in the air as far as his lesson goes.  I totally understand.  Mrs. Finn has had several problems these last few years and she is 92 or 93 years old.  I know Maggie has been very worried about her mother this last year.  She has been in and out of the hospital for about a year now.  I feel so bad for Maggie, I know how hard this is going to be with her.  She lost her Father when she was 9 so the entire family is very close to their mother.  She has 6 brothers and sisters.  One brother is her twin.  She and Marty are twins and I think, the youngest too.  I told Bob to just keep me posted about his schedule.

This weekend is the Holiday weekend since Monday is July the 4th.  Friday is Canada Day for my Canadian relatives and friends.  I don't have any lessons on Saturday or Monday.  I think I am going to tackle the music and CDs.  I am going to put all the music away.  I will bring a chair downstairs into the office and put all the music away.  There are about 4 boxes to put away.  Then I will bring all the copied CDs down from my room and up from the office and put all of them in order and away.  That will take up a good portion of Saturday.  Then I am going to take all the original CDs and put them away in their boxes in my room.  I don't keep the originals out where everybody can get to them on purpose.  I want them in one place and safe from everyday use as in order to replace them I have to buy both the book and the CD again.  They come, usually, as a package.  It is rare to have the CD come alone right now.  I will also spend sometime this weekend working on bills and paying some as it will be the beginning of the month again.

After I work on the music I plan to bring the books out of my room and bring them downstairs.  I plan to take most of them to the used bookstore to turn in for new to me books to read this weekend and next week.  I plan to go and pack up the clothes of Mom's that are in the utility room.  Some of them are hanging up and others are in a pile on the dryer.  I have 2 pairs of Mom's old jeans in the hallway upstairs.  I am going to call Salvation Army for a home pick up.  I have some old pictures from the store, a TV with stand, a couple of exercise machines (except for the elliptical machine), a shuffleboard, and 5 bar stools.  That will help clear out the room so that we can redo the room easier.  Clearing out the other stuff we really make it easier to move in the room.  I plan to tackle my room this weekend.  I have to wash the towels and the sheets in my dirty laundry container that is currently sitting next to the washer.  I will bring up all my clean clothes and put them away.  I have a few clothes that will go to donation too along with Mom's.  I have some boxes and a pail in my room that I don't know why there are even in there.  I really don't.  I have a bag of Disney stuff that is in a bag in front of my chest of drawers.  I have no idea why it is there either.  It is very much in the way right now.  Right now, my room is very difficult to walk through and I am not happy about that.  Also, I have my Mom's slippers in my room, why, I don't know.  I can't wear them as she wore size 8 and I am size 6 to 7.  I will be donating them.  So anyways, my room will be better organized.  I do need to take the box of pictures and put the pictures back in the boxes that they belong in.  Right now they are sitting in other boxes in my dining room.  I don't particularly like that.  The photo albums are also in the boxes in the dining room for some unknown reason too.  They belong down on a shelf in the office.  That is where I got them from so that is where they belong.  Mom's really old photo album is totally falling apart now.  I have to put it in a bag before it goes on the shelf.  I am hoping I will feel well enough this weekend to finish what I want to do.  I have got to start somewhere in the house to get it in order.

I ordered a new bread box from Amazon this week.  I really miss having one and I hate bread on the counter and in the fridge.  I don't like it in the cupboard either.  I like it in a bread box but of course, that went last year when the kitchen got redone.  At the time it didn't seem like a big deal, but it has turned out to be one because I just find the bread goes bad faster out in the counter.

If I finish my room and the music before the end of the weekend, I will rearrange some things in the kitchen as soon as the bread box gets here.  I need to move a few things out of the way.  I am planning to move the boxes out of the drawer that they are in next to the stove into the back room pantry shelves.  I will then be able to store the faberware grill in the drawer.  Then I will take the cans out of the one shelf and move them into the back room cupboards too.  Then I will move the kitchen utensils back into the drawer where they need to go.  The dishes will go back into the cupboard to the right of the sink.  This will remove the utensils that are sitting out on the counter top.  I will move the coffee and the tea makers into the back room too because I don't use them very often.  I only make coffee when I have company as I don't drink it at all.  I will also put the coffee can in the back room too as every time I open the glasses door, I can smell it and I don't like the smell of coffee.  I really don't.  I am moving the toaster in the back room too as I don't use it very often.  When I need it, I will pull it out.  I have to clear out some of the stuff that I have on the counter too because I will be getting rid of the desk that is in the dining room too. I will move the scanner/printer will go down to the office and the other printer will go on the counter.  The empty paper, business cards, scrap paper, and letterhead will go to the office too.  The other scanner will go to the donations as I can't use it anymore but maybe someone can.  I will move the DVD back on the stool under where the TV in the dining room sits so that there is more room in the dining room.  Right now it is very cramped in the dining room.  By the end of summer, it will be open again like I like it because I can have family or friends over and open up the table.  Right now I can't open up the table because there is no room.

So anyways, this is the plan.  I hope my Fibro lets me do this plan.  i hope your day is going well too.

so nice and cool out today

I can't believe I just type the words, nice and cool out today.  Yup, it is the hot season here in Michigan.  There are two season this year so far, winter and summer.  Our spring was, like so many, the pits.  It pored rain and was cold, then it became hot.  Well, today and yesterday have been simply wonderful.  The weather was really nice, high 70's, low humidity.  I know it won't last as it is June 28 today.  Come Friday and it will be July.  Saturday is my niece, Abigail's 12th birthday.  Boy, has time sure flown with that one.  It seems like yesterday that she was born.  She is my older brother, Richard, oldest child.  She is lovely and growing so fast.  I hope to see her soon.  I haven't seen her since 2008 and she was not happy to have me go home.  I wasn't too happy about that either.  I really missed her and her brother, William, when I arrived home.  Thank goodness at that time I had the store to keep busy.  Now I just miss her and her brother a lot. I don't expect to see them this summer, but one never knows so I am keeping my options open.

It has been a nice and busy day.  I had 4 lessons this afternoon.  I really enjoyed it.  It started with Miss Rachel, who is 5 almost 6 (July 8), Elizabeth was next, she is 6 almost 7 (September), Laith, who is 5, and finally, Charlie who will be 17 this coming month.  Everyone played their lessons very well.  I was pleased.  It seems like the new little ones practice during the week.  Rachel spoke a bit more today.  I told them all about the plans of going to see the new Winnie the Pooh movie with me.  I want to see the movie and I don't want to go alone, although sometime I will have to tackle that.  I miss Mom that is for sure.  She and I would go to movies all year long together.  I really miss her a lot for so many reasons, going to movies is just one of the many reasons.  All three of the young ones think going to see Winnie the Pooh together is a good idea.  I had hoped they would.  Elizabeth likes Piglet best out of all the characters from Winnie the Pooh.  I had to smile.  She also discovered the Donald Duck stuffed animal  on the other piano.  I told her what would happen if she lifted him up by his ears so she did.  Then she placed him on the floor and watched Donald sing and walk.  She smiled and laughed at Donald's song.  After that she put him back and had to go home.

I finished reading the book, "The Help".  It was good.  I disagree that it is the most important book to ever read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.  It definitely gave a different view on things in the 60's.  I have often wondered how things were at different era's and time periods in history.  I really liked the book so I will recommend it to my friends.  I am not sure if I will see the movie.  I think it depends on what rating it gets.  If it is rated 'R', I will not see it as I don't go to rated 'R' movies.  I just don't.  Sometimes they take rated 'R' movies, clean them up a bit, and then show them on TV, then I will see them, but as a rule, I just don't go to rated 'R' movies.  I prefer the lighter, less profanity, less violence, less sex movies at this time.  Maybe in a few years I will change my mind and go and see some, but not now.  I am planning to go to the used bookstore this week as I need some new material to read.  I have a few books to take back, some are down here, others are in my room.  I spend a lot of time reading these days.  I have gotten used to the quietness in my life and the silence is reassuring now unlike after Momma first passed.  I am sleeping a bit better at night now.  I am not so scared like I was when I was first alone.  I sometimes still don't fall asleep until after 5 am because I have been reading late or I just can't sleep but I don't mind anymore.  I will fall asleep when I can and get up when I have to.  I won't worry what anyone else thinks.  I don't.  They world doesn't end or change if I decide to sleep in or get up early.  There is no change at all.  If it bothers people (and I know it bothers at least one person) that is just too bad.  It is my life and I will live it best I can.  I don't see why it should bother anyone.  I am up in time for lessons and for other things I must do so that is what is important.  I have learned not to make my blood tests to early in the day as I tend to sleep through them, but other than that, I keep my schedule the way I want.

I forgot to take my morning medicine today so I am a bit sorer than usual.  It is too late in the day to take some of it now.  I have taken what I can but some of it I have to wait until tomorrow.  Silly me, what was I thinking?  I wasn't and that is the truth.  I was too busy reading.  Soon it will be time to take the nighttime medicine.  NCIS is on right now.  I love this show so much.  I also like NCIS

Heather