the start of the 25th reunion activities

Today was the homecoming parade.  It was short and nice, much shorter than I ever remember but then again, I was in the marching band and we were always first in the homecoming parade.  The Shelby and Utica police and fire trucks were in it too along with an ambulance.  They had cool sirens going.  They actually led the parade and then the Utica Marching Band was after them.  The friends that I went to the parade with are from marching band.  Corinna, Penny, Laura, Peggy, Jennie, and I were there.  Jennie and Peggy's children were there too.  I hadn't met Jennie's four until today.  They are really sweet kids.  She has 4.  The oldest 2 are twins, DJ and Nancy, then Julie, and lastly, Mary.  Mary is 2 and I think the twins are 10.  Peggy's son is 6, Nicholas.  I have met Nicholas before.  He is are really nice young man.  It was a wonderful time.  After that Jennie and her crowd, Peggy and hers, and I went to Chili's for dinner.  It was a good time.  Now I am waiting for Stacey to come to see the saxophone her daughter is borrowing from me.  Jennie borrowed a cello for a few weeks.  Her friend has a son who wants to try it out.

I had to reschedule my students tonight because of the parade and also because I wanted to go to eat with my friends.  Emily's mom graciously rescheduled until tomorrow and I believe Acer and Calli will be coming on Sunday.  That is what I hope anyway.  Kathy will be in town tomorrow for the reunion tomorrow night.  All in all, I am very pleased with how everything is going.  I only hit one snag.  My little scooter is not working very well.  Yup, that is right.  It says it is charged almost full, but when you go, it goes down to nothing.  I can't find the charger.  I am very upset over that so I had to order a new one.  I am really hoping it is just the need to be charged and not the batteries but the batteries are 6 years old.  Of course, it hasn't been used in a while so that could be it too.  I will get this taken care of as soon as the new charger comes in.  It can't be because it sits in the garage because I have always kept it in the garage.  I should have the new charger by the week after next.  I won't be able to use it on Sunday but I am not sure I am going to the Yates Cider Mill either.  It is from 11 to 1 and I am not so sure I will be awake.  We shall see when the day arrives.  I already told my friends, the Hubels, I will NOT be attending church that morning as it will be a rather late night.  I am, surprisingly, excited about going to the reunion even though I don't remember 1/2 the people who are attending.  If they weren't in band or choir, I didn't know them or really ever hung out with them.  And, like Jennie said tonight at dinner, if they were in the "in" crowd, I definitely didn't know them.  We were in the "band" crowd and "choir" crowd.

Stacey just left with a happy Kaela.  She got sounds out of the saxophone!  We are very excited about that!  I showed her how to put her reed on the mouthpiece.  The only issue was that her mouthpiece didn't really fit the instrument.  I know that the cork needs to be replaced, so maybe after that would be better but the mouthpiece I have for it fits just fine.  Her teacher will look at it and see what is going on and what to do.  I am not sure if anything needs to be fixed or pads replaced as it hasn't really been played in about 30 or so years.  I have used it now and again, but not recently.  I thought the thumb piece was broken too, but it turns out that it was fixed so I am wondering if Mom took it in when I had the store to be checked out.  It is hard to say as I can't really ask her since, well, I have no phone to Heaven. Boy, do I wish there was a phone to Heaven.  Can you just imagine how cool that would be?  Anyways,  Kaela is one happy girl and that is what is important.

Tomorrow will be a great day.  I have 3 lessons and the reunion.  I get Kathy!!!!  How much better could that be?  Well, let's see, Andrea, Penny, Corey, Jennie, Peggy, Laura, Wendy, and so many more that I can't even write all there names!  I am just really excited about it.  I hope your weekend is good too!

Thursday 10-13

I am not feeling so good today.  I did have 2 lessons and they went well, I am just having tummy issues this  evening.  It is so annoying and it did make my evening plans change.  I did not go to to choir practice because I was light headed again.  This is getting rather annoying.  It had better improve for the weekend as I have big plans for tomorrow and for Saturday.  I have lessons in the afternoon and then I have the reunion in the evening.  I think it begins at 6 but I am not sure yet.  I have a lesson at 1:15, 4, and 5 before leaving for the reunion.  It should be a fun weekend.  Also on Friday, my friend, Stacey, is coming to have her daughter try the saxophone.  Her daughter, Kaela, has her heart set on playing the saxophone.  I am just glad I have one she can borrow to see if she really likes it.  I hope she does because Stacey bought her a new mouthpiece, ligatures, and reeds.  I also bought a reed for her because I wasn't sure if she would have any.  I am glad Stacey got some for her though because Kaela is going to need a few because I have yet to meet a beginner who doesn't break a lot of them.  I am going to show Kaela how to put everything together so she will know what to do for band the first week.

Project Runway is on right now.  It is the last challenge before the final 3.  This should be interesting.  One episode left after tonight.  It is too funny how the designers don't always take the criticism well.  Josh always has this, how dare you not like my outfits.  Kimberly was the same way.

I have to clean off the table tomorrow as well as the kitchen counter.  Naturally, I haven't done anything. I wasn't feeling to good to do anything except take a brief nap.  I didn't sleep very well last night.  I took my nighttime and I couldn't sleep.  You would think that medicine made to make you sleepy would actually work, right?  Not most of the time with me.  Sometimes it takes hours before I can go to sleep.  I know pain is part of it, but sometimes it isn't about pain at all, it is my brain that won't shut off!  It just won't shut up and let me sleep!  Very annoying, let me tell you!  Anyways, I think I feel asleep about 4:30 or so, then the phone rang at about 8 am.  I let that one go to voice mail.  The phone rang again at 8:20 am.  I answered it this time.  It was Aaiyanna's mom.  Aaiyanna had left her backpack here at my house on Tuesday and they live quite away from me.  Her father was going to be in the area and he wanted to pick it up.  I said sure.  I mean, she needs this backpack that has her homework and stuff in it. I told him to call when he gets here.  He called and now Aaiyanna has her backpack.  I was awake at that point and a bit hungry so I had a bowl of cereal.  I stayed up for a bit before heading back to bed.  I slept on and off for a while before I had to get up for Breanna's lessons.  She brought her guitar and played her "Silent Night" for me.  It is a slightly different, at times, melody from the proper melody but it really suits her and with her guitar, it is really nice.  She has to work on her Jingle Bell Rock now.  I copied the music for her so she would have the chords to work with.  Breanna said she will have the music ready for me next week.  She is also coming along very well with her piano too although she doesn't like to perform with piano.  She only sings at concerts.  Laith is also doing very well.  He started piano this summer and he knows his notes already for the new positions that he hasn't learned yet.  Laith is doing so well that I will be changing him from the prep books to the basic books.  The biggest difference is what you learn in 1 page in the basic books, you learn 2 pages in the prep books.  With the next books, it is important that he be still challenged, but not to hard for him.  My other young ones, it will depend on how soon they nail the names of the notes.  Rachel has the computer game right now and Emily will get it next week after Rachel returns it this coming week.  I am excited to see how it helps Rachel.  She knows her C Position notes, but I have since added the Middle C Position and the coming up G Position notes.  Those still give her some trouble.  Overall, I am pleased with Rachel.  She knows her songs every week and she is a joy to teach.  She always has a smile on her face and is ready to do something new.  I have the best students in the world.  this particular group of students are fun, excited to learn, and not one of them is being FORCED to play or sing!  That is a first for me as I usually have one or two or sometimes three who are being forced to play or sing.  I am so thankful that I don't have one at this time.  I would like to keep it that way.

I am heading to bed shortly as I just am so tired and I don't feel well tonight.  I hope tomorrow is better.

Wednesday 10-12

I have 2 students I don't know what to do with because they are from the online company but they haven't paid for this months lessons.  Last week was their last weeks of paid lessons.  The online company dropped them from my schedule but they were here so I am not sure what to do about this.  Benjy was so exhausted today that they are coming tomorrow so I will have to have her call the company tomorrow when she arrives at my house.  It is an awkward situation that I hope is solved easily.  I just love the two kids though, they are so cute and are doing pretty well since I don't know how much they practice.  I don't think they actually practice at home very much.  It is hard to say.  Benjy (age 6) knows the notes on the piano and his had position, the same with Joiene (age 5).  I am nervous of how they will do when they start reading notes on lines and spaces.  We shall see.  Tomorrow will be interesting.  I will also have Breanna and Laith's lessons tomorrow too.  I like Thursdays as not only do I have fun lessons, I have choir practice.  I will not be in church this Sunday because of the Class Reunion on Saturday night.  I am looking forward to the reunion.  A group of us will be meeting at my house for the parade on Friday afternoon.  I will be clearing off the dining room table and making sure the living room is in good order.  I will also clear off the kitchen counter.  It desperately needs it because I have some packages that I haven't opened yet.  I have the new pasta pot and a DVD that goes to Kathy.  I have to put in bags the DVDs and books for Kathy.

I was trying to call Emily's mom last night and somehow I dialed Julie instead.  I felt kind of silly because I meant to call Emily's Mom.  However, it was awfully nice to talk with Julie.  She is feeling better so that is good.  It was confirmed that the last hospital visit she had was indeed an asthma attack and her heart is fine.  Thank God for that!  I was so happy to hear that.  My lovely Lily will be having surgery on her one foot at the end of this month and the other foot should be done during Christmas vacation.  I haven't seen the lovely lady for a while.  She was so busy this summer with Summer Music Theatre and her summer vacation that I didn't get to see her at all.  It was a bummer but what can I say?  the older she gets the more busy she gets.  She is now a teenager and we all know how busy teenagers are.  I do hope she is doing well with school this year.  Lily is a good student so I imagine that she is.  I miss her though.  I hope to see her soon.  Julie mentioned that I would be seeing her soon so that is a good thing.

I accidentally picked up an easy piano Christmas book when I needed the regular Christmas book so I had to go and exchange it today.  I also ordered another vocal Christmas book and CD that I need.  That will be the end of what I need for the Christmas Concert this year.  So far, a little more than 1/2 have picked their music.  I have just a few that need to pick their pieces.  6 students need to pick their songs so that is good.  I also will be working on who is going to competition and what they are going to play.  October is a very busy month for me.

After this week, I should be able to take the rest of the money from lessons this month and put them directly on the property taxes.  I am so excited about that because I only have until end of February to take care of this.  Ugh!  I may be able to put more than expected down this month on the bill.  With holidays coming, that means absences.  Absences means less money.  In the last few years, I have been lucky enough to have students who have wanted lessons during Christmas vacation so I am hoping that this will happen again this year.  I am pretty sure Charlie and Bob will as they usually do.

I figure in the next few weeks I will start to work on the Christmas Ornaments for the students and my friends.  I am looking forward to start working on them.  I have pretty much everything I need for them so I just need to start cutting them out and start the sewing.

I am looking forward to Friday and Saturday.  I dread Sunday, Monday, and most of all, Tuesday, however, with friends and family, I will get through this.  Thank goodness for lessons!  I have so much to do to get ready for next weeks lessons with copying music, CDs, and arranging music.  Thank goodness I have a lot to do this coming week.  I did, however, FINISH the newsletter!  Finally!!!!!  Yes, I should have had it out 2 weeks ago, but hey, it is not to late now.  I don't know when the Christmas Concert is anyways, so I couldn't put the date in the newsletter whether I did it two weeks ago or this week.  The competition music is starting to be picked out so it is still timely to have the competition info. The only info I didn't put in was how much the hotel was.  I couldn't find it on the website.  Yeah, somehow I missed that important info.  It is on the website.  I know what it is now and I can tell the parents when they sign up for competition.  Right now I only know of 3 that are going.  It is fine if only 3 go, yes it is nice to have more, but if the other students don't want to go, that is okay too.  It is more important that they keep learning more and more about their instruments than to concentrate only on competitions.  I do know of teachers that will not teach students if they won't go to competition.  That isn't me, it works for them, but it doesn't work for me.

I am watching Dance Moms.  It is the season finale and the fifteen top outrageous moments.  They are pretty funny.  I am just thankful I that I don't have to deal with parents like that.  It is very entertaining though!

I do hope you are having a good day.  I had a busy one and plan another busy one tomorrow.

Tuesday 10-11

It was exactly one year ago today that I last heard my mother speak to me.  It is kinda weird to think that though.  She was responding to questions and holding (short ones of course) conversations with me, her brother, her niece and nephew, as well as some friends that day.  While it wasn't our first day with hospice, we had been a hospice family for about 3 weeks at this point, it was the first day of her in the hospice unit in the hospital.  I am not as sad, right now, as I expected this day to be, mind you, it is only about 5 pm and there are many hours before I go to bed.  I was thinking last night about Mom.  My first memory involves her.  I was coming down the stairs to the kitchen.  I must have been about 3 or 4 years old.  I remember walking down the stairs and she looked up and smiled at me.  I then remember running to get a hug and a kiss from her.  I am grateful that my last memory of her speaking to me is a good one too.  So many people don't have that like I do.  She was lying in the hospital bed all bundled up because she was always so cold. She had several pillows around her and her little feet were propped up with a blanket so she wouldn't get a sore on her heels.  I leaned over and hugged her as best as I could, which is really hard when the person is lying in bed, but I tried.  I gave her a kiss and told her I loved her.  She said she loved me too.  Those were the last words I ever heard my mother speak.  I don't know if she was able to speak that night to the nurses, but by the next day she could no longer speak.  I can still see her in the bed.  She looked so small.  Mom only weighted about 84 pounds when she passed away.  It seems like yesterday sometimes and other times it seems like she was only a dream, yet I have pictures and some of her things, so I know she was real.  I just miss her a lot and wish she were still here.  I don't wish she were here with the Alzheimer's, I know that the last 6 months of her life were hard on the little lady, I wish she were here and healthy like she was before Alzheimer's.  Those were the good days although, even when she had Alzheimer's she was fun.  I just had to adjust what we did, that was all.

Aaiyanna had her lesson today.  We started her Christmas songs. She seems to like them so that is good. She is singing Gesu Bambino and Sleigh Song for the Christmas Concert.  We will do lots of fun Christmas Songs too but those are the ones for the concert.  She is such a cute little girl.  She loves my Mom's little bear dressed as a dog.  She really loves that.  I think she holds him or my heartsong carebear during every lesson.  McKenzie is supposed to have her lesson tonight.  I am really hoping she does.  She hasn't had a lesson in a month and that is just not good.  I know the place where she practices is under construction, so I am not sure if she is coming tonight or not.  I have not heard otherwise, so I am hopeful McKenzie will have a lesson tonight.  I am hopeful.

I emailed the local University in Kalamazoo and we have our 2nd judge for the Michigan Music Association Competition!  I am very excited.  Her name is Elizabeth and she is a vocal judge.  I am so thrilled that we have two judges.  We have the guitar and now 1 of the vocal judges.

It has been an up and down day for me.  I hope yours is better.  Here is a couple of pictures

Canadian Thanksgiving Day 10-10-11

It is Canada's Thanksgiving today.  Many of my family will be celebrating with other members of the family.  When we were small, we celebrated both Thanksgiving, the American and the Canadian except the Canadian one was on a Sunday because Mom had to work on the Monday.  I remember that by Christmas I was sick of turkey since we would have it in October, November, and December.  Now that probably wouldn't bother me.  I am not sure what is happening this American Thanksgiving yet.  As it gets closer I will have an idea of what I am doing.

I had two lessons today, Rachel and Bob.  Bob will be absent next week as he and Maggie are going on vacation.  They need it after the last week that they have had with Maggie's Mom passing away.  I know what a rough time that is so a nice vacation where they can relax will be great for the two of them.

Rachel was excited about the new theory game that I had gotten.  I used to have several of them, but I don't know where they all disappeared to so I had to re-buy it.  I am tired of re-buying music and music related stuff.  I had to purchase a new Christmas book for my older girls, but I accidentally bought easy piano instead of regular P/V/G (piano, voice, guitar).  I called the store immediately because they do NOT have a liberal return policy.  This is due to copyright laws.  I am a frequent customer and since I called the owner right away, i can exchange the book.  I will do that tomorrow or Wednesday.  She asked that I do it during the day because the kids at night won't be able to do this.  That is not a problem. I picked up Sandra's new books except for the repertoire book, which had to be ordered.  I also picked up Sarah's lesson book that I didn't know I didn't get for her until we were at her lesson.  I have it now.  So when Rachel arrived I had her come to the dining room where my computer was.  I opened up the program and showed her which two games I want her to play.  I really do think this will help her a lot.  Most notes she knows but she still gets a few mixed up.  After Rachel plays it for a week then Emily will get it for her to play for a week.  They can load the program on their computers and then return the disc or I can pick them up a copy for them.  Then they can pay me back.  It is really up to the parents.  Rachel's grandma thought the game was really cute.  Rachel did look excited about it.  I am glad on that one!

Bob is doing very well with his Christmas music.  We always start the beginning of October because his music is so complicated now that it takes a few months to get the songs down pat for the concert.  He is playing a David Lantz arrangement of "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and he is also playing either "the Christmas Song" or "Good King Wenceslas".  The David Lantz piece is pretty hard but he is really doing quite well with it.  We did play a bit of it last year, but we didn't finish it.  All in all, I am happy with how both Rachel and Bob are doing.

I don't have anymore lessons for the evening so it is time to copy a bunch of CDs and music for tomorrow.  Aaiyanna is going to sing "Gesu Bambino" and "Sleigh Song", I think.  I also have some other fun Christmas music for her too but I am not going to copy those just yet.  I think the two new additions will be enough for the young lady.  I am not sure if McKenzie is having a lesson or not tomorrow, I sure hope so as I haven't seen her in about a month and that is a long time to go without a lesson.

By the end of the month, every student should have their Christmas music.  Then it is on to picking competition music for those interested in attending competition.  I know that Katie, Rebecca, and Aggie are going, but i am not sure about anyone else.  I have to make the newsletter tonight.  I better get right on that soon.

It has been a good day.  The bad headache I woke up with is back to its normal headache.  I woke up earlier than usual (not by a whole lot, I think an hour) and I was glad about that.  It gave me plenty of time to pick up the music I needed and eat lunch.  I do hope your day was good too!

Sleepy Sunday 10-9

I think I slept most of the day away except for my 2 lessons.  I set my alarm for 6:50 am as usual.  Unfortunately, when I woke up, my throat was sore on the left side and I had a bad headache so I didn't go to church.  I went back to sleep.  When I woke up for Katie's lesson, I still had the headache.  After Camille's lesson, I went back to bed.  I was tired and the head wasn't feel so good.  I like only having a few lessons a day because when it is a bad day, I am usually still able to teach.  Before, when I had 10 to 12 lessons a day, I had to cancel the whole day of lessons because I couldn't handle that many with the bad headaches or extra pain from Fibro.  Now, I only have 3 to 4 and sometimes only 2 lessons a day, I am able to rest either before or in between.  It is such a nice thing.  I know at this point I would not be able to have 10 to 12 lessons a day.  Maybe in the future, but not now.  Okay, I don't really see that happening in the future either.  Katie had her lesson today and we picked her 2 Christmas Songs.  Camille, as I said before, had her piano lesson but we didn't pick her Christmas music because she doesn't need to start right now.  I will be pulling the piano Christmas music either this week or next.  The older piano students who are more advanced would need to get their stuff earlier because it would be harder.  My beginners don't need to get their music until about the middle to end of the month.  I spoke to Camille about Competition today.  She will think about it.  I need to write the newsletter about the concert and the competition this week.  I keep meaning to do it, but I haven't done it yet.

Tomorrow is Canadian Thanksgiving Day.  When I was small we would celebrate both, except the Canadian one would be celebrated on the Sunday instead of Monday.  I don't know when we stopped, maybe around the time I was almost out of elementary school?  I just don't remember.  I am not sure what I am doing for our Thanksgiving.  It is hard to say.

I am still super tired tonight and my head is super sore.  I think I am just going to head for bed in a few minutes.  I hope it is the normal headache tomorrow.  My hips and lower back have been bothering me for the last week too for some annoying reason.  I don't know what I did, but I must have done something.

I do hope you are having a good day.

A Beautiful Saturday!

The weather is simply gorgeous here.  It is about 78 or so degrees, sun is shining, very little wind.  It is a beautiful Indian Summer.  By Thursday we will have our regular October weather back but today and tomorrow!  It will be amazing!  I went and picked up a few things this afternoon after my one lesson.  I needed some milk, new slippers, CD sleeves, and some nighttime medicine.  I also bought some eggs for brunch.

Tomorrow I will again be getting up at the bright and early time of 6:50 am for church.  I have to be at church by 7:30 and getting up at that time gives me time to get washed and dressed plus I have a bit of time to eat something or drink an instant breakfast.  It has to be fast because it takes about 15 minutes to get to church.  I really like this new church a lot.  I like the choir director a lot.  He picks some very cool music.  Next Sunday I won't be at church because Saturday will be so late with the reunion and all.

I went to Tim Horton's for the first time in a few months today.  I tried their new panini sandwich.  It was good.  I wanted to get out of the house for a while but didn't just want to do a drive through or run my errands and come home.  I wanted to sit and read somewhere other than the dining room table so I went there.  I ran into my friend, Karlyn's little brother Teddy.  We had a brief chat and then he and his Mom went and sat down to read the newspaper and I continued on with my book.  It is a book I have read before but it is a good one.  

Last night was so fun.  At about 10:15 pm I received a phone call from my neighbor, Barbara Jean.  She wanted to know if I wanted to join her and two of her daughters for a late snack at the Outback.  I said yes.  We had such fun while we were there.  It was wonderful.  I had the kid's ribs and a potato.  Thank goodness I only ordered a kid's size because I was so stuff after that!  It was just so much fun!  We got home around 12 midnight.  This is the family that asked if I wanted to sing in the choir with their daughter Carolyn.  I am glad I have joined the choir.  I am enjoying myself with it.

My hips and lower back have been extra sore since Sunday night.  I don't know if I did something to them at church or at the hospital.  It is hard to say.  I may go and lie down for a while, I am just pretty sore and tired.  I don't understand why they are acting this way because it is nice out and they usually get bad in cold weather or in air conditioning and I don't have the a/c on.  I don't even have the heat on at this point since it is so beautiful out.  I do hope they improve for tomorrow since I have church.  i will have to remember to take some medicine before I go to church.  That should help some.

I do hope you are having a good day.

Friday 10-7

I only had 1 lesson today.  Acer is ill so he and his sister, Calli didn't have lessons so I only had Emily.  She is 8 now and in 3rd grade.  She is such a cutie.  I think she is finally getting her notes down pat.  She has had a bit of trouble with them.  Emily is in book 1B now and we are in the part of reviewing C Position.  We will be starting Christmas Songs soon.  I meant to pull them out this past weekend, but since I wasn't feeling so hot, I didn't.  I will do that this weekend.  Some of the music is out all ready and some of it just needs to have the CDs and the music copied.  Now that I have a lot more students, it will be necessary to copy the music needed.

The next few weeks are going to hard to get through.  I will need help.  The one year anniversary of Momma going to Heaven.  October 18th is the day she passed away but she started dying on October 9, when she aspirated on her ensure drink.  Those 10 days were some of the worst of my life and to live through the anniversary will be hard too.  I miss her as much as I did then.  I know some relatives have said it is time to get over it, but I listen to my friends who are or were in the position I am in, and they say, it takes a long time.  I believe it.  this past year has been filled with so much emotion that I can't even imagine.  Last year at this time, I believed Momma would last to at least Christmas, or at least I hoped she would.  I wanted to give her a great Christmas, not so much with presents, but with the decorations and doing what she did when we were young.  She made Christmas so magical when I was a small child.  I remember coming home from school and Momma saying that the Christmas Elves came to decorate the house, inside and out.  My brothers and I thought that was just amazing.  The Christmas Elves even had placed all the ornaments that we were able to put on the inside patio room tree.  That was the tree we were allowed to decorate.  Momma, well, we thought the Elves, decorated the living room tree and we three did the big tree.  Momma would have Christmas Records playing and since we had an intercom, it would go through the entire house.  It was just magical and so exciting.  These are the things I remember most about her.  How, even after my dad left us with almost, and I mean almost nothing, she would still make things fun and magical.  She didn't want us to feel sorry for ourselves or be too upset so she kept us busy.  When we got older Christmas got harder because of family strife.  Everyone goes through family strife sometimes in their lives.  Mine was when we were teenagers.  My brothers were making some really bad decisions and going down the wrong road, while Mom was so worried that I would follow in their footsteps and was very hard on me.  I began to hate the holidays, not the time to get ready for them, only the actually holiday itself.  Once I was in my 20s, I began to love the holidays again.  Mom and I moved past our disagreements, we apologized for some of our behaviors.  She apologized for me and I apologized to her.  We became friends, not just Mother and Daughter.  Momma didn't even get to have one more Halloween.  I don't particularly like Halloween, but she loved it.  She loved the costumes the smaller children wore and was so excited to pass out candy for trick or treating.  I hid in the dining room last Halloween.  I shall do that again too.  Memories of Momma dying in the hospice unit are in my head tonight.  I hope the next 12 days won't be so hard for me and I hope I will be able to remember the good times and not the end.  Although, I will say, I was very lucky on the way she died in the way her last words to me were "I love you" and I was able to tell her how much I loved her and goodbye.  So many people don't get that chance and I did.  I am so grateful for that.  I really am.  That was a gift from God Himself.



Monday is the Canadian Thanksgiving.  I have been invited to Tillie's.  I guess much of the family will be going to her house for dinner.  I am not able to attend as next week is a busy week for my Monday students.  I also really don't have the gas and tunnel fare to go so I won't be going.  I am not sure what is going on for Thanksgiving here because I have invited my cousin, Cathy to come like she did last year.  She isn't sure if she can come or not.  As it gets closer we will both know what is going on.  If she doesn't come then I most likely will be going to Kathy's parents with her family.  It is a very fun time when I am there.  I love spending the time with her family.  Since Kathy and I have been friends for 40 years now, I know her parents well too as well as her brother.  I met Dan's, Kathy's younger brother, wife, Tracy last Christmas.  She is a lovely woman and I really liked her a lot.

I am rather tired tonight so I am hoping to get a good night's sleep.  We shall see!  I do hope you are having a good day too!

Thursday 10-6

I had a blood test again today.  It is my monthly protime test to check the thickness or thinness of my blood.  I have to keep it in what is called Therapeutic range.  This is because of my lovely blood disorder can cause blood clots and I don't really one again.  I nearly died the first time.  I truly think it was because my mom went to the nursing station complaining I hadn't seen the doctor and I had been there for 4 hours.  The ER was really busy that night but I was in so much pain and they weren't thinking I would have a blood clot.  When the doctor finally came in about 20 minutes after Mom complained, he thought it was just a pleurisy thing.  I have had pleurisy type things before and this felt different.  I had the X-ray and then about 5 am I had the CT-Scan.  When the nurse came back in she said it would take about 2 to 2 1/2 hours before I get the results.  I sent Mom home because she needed to drive my brother to an appointment that morning.  Well, 15 minutes after she left the doctor and a few nurses came in and all of a sudden my room was super busy with people hanging things and talking amongst themselves.  The doctor was floored and looked it.  He said I had a blood clot and he had no idea why I should have one.  It was in my lung.  Because Mom complained, I was able to get some pain medication when the nurse had come in around 3 ish.  I vaguely remember asking if they were going to give me medicine and send me home.  The doctor looked at my and was like, you don't get to go home with this.  You get admitted into the hospital.  I don't remember too much at that point because I was so tired.  When I woke up again, I was in a hospital room and Momma and Andrew were sitting in the room.  Mom had driven right to the hospital after Andrew's appointment.  I didn't have a key to the house because Mom had driven me so she had been waiting to hear that either I am ready to come home or I am at home.  She didn't hear from me so she thought maybe I was still at the hospital.  Momma sent Andrew in to the info desk and he was surprised that I was admitted.  He told Mom and she parked the car.  He thought Mom would take him home and then go to the hospital to see me.  He was wrong.  It was a good thing too because Mom said shortly after they arrived in my room, the doctor came in.  He asked what happened in the ER last night and Mom told him.  The doctor said that had the ER people waited a couple more hours, I would have died.  Mom was floored.  He also said it was very serious and life threatening.  Andrew had to sit down after that one.  I remember the doctor asking me all these questions that my brain wouldn't let me think.  I remember saying ask my mother.  He did.  She filled him in on as much of my medical history as she could.  I just remember being in so much pain and not being able to walk with it very well.  I never want one of these again so I am very diligent with my blood medicine.  Anyways, that is a short version of discovering the lovely genetic blood disorder.  This is why I cannot have children.  Because of the blood problem, I was told I would never be able to carry a baby to full term.  Now this upset me and blew me away.  However, I never wanted to have my own children.  I always planned on adopting children.  It was kind of weird to be upset by this, but I got over it.  The one benefit of not having children is that I was able to devote my time to Mom and her care.  I was very lucky to have a sweet, good natured, nonviolent Alzheimer's patient.  Many Alzheimer's patients can become very angry, violent, and/or belligerent.  Thankfully, Mom was rarely any of these things!  boy was I blessed in that way because I could keep her here at home and I didn't have to place her somewhere!  Talk about awesomeness!  I will forever be grateful to God for allowing me to be able to take care of my mother.  I just wish he allowed me to have her for a much longer time before he called her home.  I just miss her a lot as I say frequently.

I am watching Project Runway right now.  It is an interesting show.  I learned how to sew at 8 years old.  I was very ill for about 3 to 4 weeks in 3rd grade so I missed school.  Personally, I remember not feeling that bad but of course, when you have several naps a day, a child would feel better.  My younger brother was very ill at that time too so I had my playmate.  At the time, my mother made all my school and church clothes.  I was very happy about that and even felt bad for girls whose Moms didn't make their clothes.  Anyways, Mom was working on an outfit for one of us, I don't remember who, and I kept asking her what was she doing, why was she doing that.  I asked question after question.  She patiently answered each question and had me do some of the work (like pinning) with her.  For my birthday that year, I got my first sewing box with sewing tools in it.  Momma also took me to the store to pick out some fabric and she picked the pattern.  I remember having a choice of a couple, but she picked the style that would be easy for me to do.  Every time I sew, I think of her.  I make my students a Christmas Tree Ornament most years.  I can't say every year because last year and a couple of years ago, I didn't make the presents but I am planning to make them this year.  I have the material already.  I found it a few years ago in the fabric store and I simply love it.  It has a score of a Christmas song with other Christmas elements like the holly and the berries all over it.  It sparkles too!  Anyways, I will post a picture when I get them finished.  I plan to start them at the end of the month.

I had my Breanna this afternoon for her lessons.  Bree takes both piano and voice lessons.  She is going to play her guitar and sing her Christmas songs.  She has picked "Silent Night" and "Jingle Bell Rock".  I can't wait for her to start working on it.  She said she should know the guitar part in a week or two so she can start bringing her guitar to her lesson.  Breanna is a fun student to work with.  Then again, I enjoy working with all my students.

I have to make a CD of the Christmas Songs Calli has chosen.  We both think that this will help her learn her pieces since she will have what they should sound like with both hands.  Calli is a very serious young lady who loves the piano.  She is doing so well, truly, she is such an amazing musician.  She works hard at everything she needs to do.  I give her the tools and she takes off with them.  Acer has chosen his songs too.  We will be starting his Christmas Vocal piece tomorrow.  He is a very neat young man to work with.  You can tell when he likes a piece and when he doesn't.  When he doesn't he likes to pretend he can't remember it.  I know better.  He does know it, he just doesn't want to play it.  He will be 7 in December.  I will also put Acer's piano Christmas pieces on the same CD as his sister, Calli.  Calli was happy with what she needed to learn for this week.  We only got to the right hand of the first page.  She was like, woohoo!  However, tomorrow we will add the left hand.

I have to make the information newsletter about competition that is coming up in February.  At this point, I am not sure outside of Katie who is going to competition.  I will be figuring that out soon before the end of the month.

I am not feeling so good today, I was a bit lightheaded again this afternoon.  I am hoping for a better day tomorrow.  I do hope your day will be good tomorrow too.

Wednesday 10-5

It was another good day.  I got up a bit early because my uncle's girlfriend, Michelle, was coming over.  She had ordered some stuff and it came in.  She took me out to lunch.  It was so much fun.  We went to Olive Garden.  I love that restaurant.  We had a good time chatting.  After she left I had 4 students today.  I had Allison, Benjy, Joiene, and Beth.  They all did very well.

I am rather tired tonight.  I don't have to be up early tomorrow so that is good.  My first lesson is at 2:15 with the lovely Breanna.  She is actually the only lesson I have tomorrow.  I do have a blood test but I need to reschedule because when I made the appointment, I didn't have Breanna at that time, she was earlier in the day.  Laith is absent this week.  His Mom is out of town for work, so no Laith this week.  He is such a cutie and is playing very well.  I really don't want the blood test but I do have to get it.  It has been a month since I last went.

On Extreme Couponing tonight, this woman has 21, yes I said 21 transactions!  That would so piss me off if I was behind them.  I am rather glad I haven't ever gotten behind someone with lots of transactions.  It is an insane show.  Every so often i do think about getting a newspaper to get the coupons inserts.  I don't need a stockpile, that is for sure.  I don't understand the need for 200 bottles of laundry detergent or 89 bottles of BBQ sauce.  I don't need any laundry detergent right now but it would be nice to get it for less than regular price.  I generally forget on Sunday to get newspapers.  Maybe someday I will remember.  So far, I have been getting all the cereal on sale, so that is good.

Dance Moms tonight is about an audition for a music video.  I remember auditions and these judges are much nicer than anyone I ever audition for.  They actually clapped for the dancers at the end.  Yeah, like that ever happened at any audition I ever went on.  I remember sometimes I wouldn't even get to sing or dance and I was done.  I didn't have the look they wanted.  It can be such a nerve wracking thing because you never know what they are truly looking for.  I don't miss auditioning at all.  Not one bit.

I have had a fun filled day.  I hope your day was good too.

Tuesday 10-4

It was a good day today.  I had 3 lessons, Aaiyanna, Charlie, and Natalie.  Natalie normally has lessons tomorrow but this week her mother needed a make up.  I love that I am able to have time available for make ups.  It is such a nice thing to have students think about instead of just missing lessons.  I really like that a lot.  This way both the student and I don't miss out.  My 2 new girls will start not next week but the week after.  The oldest, Brooke, is very involved getting things ready for Homecoming and Spirit Week which is next week.  My class reunion is also next weekend to be inline with Homecoming.  I do remember the Homecoming parade my Senior year.  It downpoured all day including the parade and the game.  We band members were absolutely drenched at some points of the uniform.  We did have ponchos on but your arms and legs were wet as well as your face.  The dance was fun too.  It was different in those days because you couldn't just go as a group.  You had to have a date.  I asked a friend of mine to take me and we had a really good time.

I also had a homeowner association meeting tonight too.  It was very nice to see the neighbors.  I will be writing the monthly newsletter.  I am aiming for November 1 but if I can get one out earlier, I shall.

I met with Katie today for lunch.  She turns 24 tomorrow.  I just love that young woman (I almost said child!)  We visited for 4 hours.  It was spectacular!  i really had a good time catching up on her.  I even got a picture of her blowing out her candle on her ice cream.  She has a very cute look on her face.  I love that picture.  I have known Katie for most of her life now.  I met her when she was 8.  She was in my homeschool choir.  I am so proud of her.  She is now a paramedic!  She is also working on her bachelor's degree in something to do with health management.  Katie is just a very lovely girl.  She also has a new boyfriend from this summer.  He seems like a very nice young man.  I hope he realizes what a treasure he has and cherishes her!  Precious cargo!  That is my Katie!

I am tired now.  I got up a bit early so I could have the extra time with Katie.  I so enjoyed visiting with her.  It was a really a lovely day.  I have 4 wonderful lessons tomorrow, so I expect another good day.  The weather is even a bit warmer so I love that!  I do hope you had a good day too!