Wednesday 11 days before Christmas 12-14

I had a decent day.  My head is the normal pain level and not too high for a change.  My fibro is the normal (for me) pain levels, in other words, dealable and I have milk and bread for the week so I can have my soup and my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch or dinner.

Oh my!  Julie was here after my blood test this morning (don't laugh too hard, I did write morning).  I had to be at the doctor's by 10:20 am.  I was in and out within 10 minutes.  It was amazing.  Also, it was the same nurse as last time and she got the blood in one try!  Talk about wonderful!  After that, I met Julie at my house.  We went through ALL the boxes of books downstairs.  Julie also took the books that were up here in the dining room downstairs on the bookshelf.  It looks so beautiful.  It really does.  We have about 10 to 12 boxes of books going to the library or the St. Vincent de Paul people, wherever Julie thinks is best.  The DVDs will be going down soon.  We have a few things to clear out first so that the furniture can be rearranged and in placed.  I really took a good look at the furniture today.  Unfortunately, it needs a lot of work.  There is so much that needs to be re-stuffed so I have decided that eventually I will be replacing it.  Right now, I don't have the money.  I will look for used, good furniture and also sales at furniture stores but not until the taxes are under control.  I don't need anything fancy.  I really don't.  I also looked at the dining room chairs and they are going to need to be replaced too, eventually, not right away, but eventually they will need to be.  It is kind of upsetting because I had my heart stuck on keeping the furniture but it isn't really good enough for that.  Oh well, time to deal with that later not now.  Right now my money is all accounted for, taxes, taxes, taxes (the property type).  I am happy with how I am doing, like I said yesterday so I know that I can keep to a budget pretty well.  Not super well all the time, but most of it.

I had to run to the music store this evening to pick up Laith's new books.  He is moving from the prep young beginners series to the basic series.  Since he really knows his notes well, this is definitely the move for him.  I am very pleased with his progress, I really am.  I have Samuel, my new little guy tomorrow too.  He had to change days just for this week only.  I didn't mind, I have the time to change since I have lots of room most every day.  I only have a few lessons every day except Sunday when I don't have any that aren't make-ups.  It is a good schedule for me because I have time to rest if I need it.  I tried to rest before Natalie's lesson, but I couldn't sleep so no nap for me.  I went on the computer and face book instead.  I also received an email from Aaiyana's Mom.  Aaiyana, indeed, had girl scouts today so she couldn't have her lesson after all.  I really like that young lady.  She is such a good girl.  Natalie is learning Schubert's "Ave Maria".  She is working very hard on her vowels and her placement.  We ran out of time to work on breathing more so that is first thing next time when we start "Ave Maria".  I think this particular song is one of those songs every singer should know.  You never know when you will be asked to sing it.  I have song it at several funerals and a wedding.  you just never know when the song  will be required, you just don't.

My fellow blogger, Christine Murray, will be releasing her book "Storm in Teacups" soon.  I have offered her to do a guest post sometime between Christmas and New Year's.  I am looking forward to that.  Her book will be released through Amazon.com and a few other places.  I am not exactly sure where the other places are.  I know she said so, but I can't remember.  When it happens, I will let you know.  It is just an exciting thing to be publishing your book.  I self published a cook book for Fibromyalgia.  My brother did the recipes and I did the introduction.  It is a bit dated now since we now know a few more things through research about Fibro but the recipes are very yummy.  They really are.  Andrew is a great cook.  Both of my brothers are great cooks.  At one point, Andrew was considering going to cooking route through school, but changed his mind.  I think he got sick of cooking and now just cooks for fun now.  I used to do this every holiday meal to Andrew, especially if we were having a turkey.  First, I would thaw the turkey like you are supposed to then I would go upstairs to Andrew's room and know on the door.  He would say, "what?"  I would ask what to do first with cooking the turkey.  He would holler through the door what to do.  I would go and do it.  Then I would go back upstairs and ask what was next.  I would do this about 3 to 4 times before he would open the door and say, "I'll be down in a minute."  At that point I would happily go down the stairs and wait for him.  Andrew would generally throw me out of the kitchen and finish the turkey himself, which was exactly what I wanted him to do in the first place.  I did this for years before he finally figured out that I do know how to cook a turkey, but his always taste much better.  This would be because he is a better cook than me.  Now he lives in London and I go somewhere else for the Turkey dinner.  Perhaps, at Easter I will make a dinner for people to come over.  My house will be in better shape at that point.

Well, this is really becoming a long post so I better end now.  I hope you are having a good day.

Tuesday 12-13

Ah, Tuesday night, my favorite night of TV, NCIS, NCIS Los Angeles and soon Dance Moms too!  That starts again in January on Kathy's birthday.  I also see Katie and Charlie on Tuesday so that is good too.  My students often make my day better.  My student, Aaiyana didn't come today.  Apparently, her father's car broke down and he couldn't call me and her mom's phone was dead so she couldn't call me either.  We have rescheduled for tomorrow.  I am glad about that.  This way, she and I will still have her lesson since she is supposedly not going to be having lessons in January.  I guess she isn't practicing enough.  The same old store since the beginning of lessons in the world, the lack of practicing.  I hear that so often.  If I had a quarter for every time I have heard that in the last 25 years, I would be rich.  Too bad I didn't start collecting quarters then every time I heard that.  Hmm, maybe I should start now.

I can't believe that Christmas is less than 2 weeks away.  This weekend the girls are coming to decorate.  I am sort of not really that into Christmas this year.  Last year, I was in such shock but this year I am just sad.  I partly wish I could go to sleep this Saturday night and wake up January 2nd.  The other part of me doesn't want to miss anything between now and the end of the year.  I am having lessons the week between Christmas and New Year's.  I am very happy about that.  I used to have to cancel all lessons at that time because no one wanted lessons and this year they do!  So far, there are a couple of cancellations for next week, but not really any for the following week as of right now.  I will have my few lessons for both weeks!  It is a good thing!

I am so excited that my plan for paying the property taxes so far.  If I stay on track, it will be paid by the deadline!  Yes, this is true!  Then I shall start saving EVERY month for the 2011 taxes and some year down the road I will actually be on time and in the right year.  Ugh, this is just crazy.  Boy, get behind 1 year and look what happens.  It is not recommended to get behind in your property taxes.  It really isn't.  I hope to never be behind again once I am on track again.  It is such a crazy place to be.

I bought a new book for the new year.  It is a book for keeping track of bills.  This will improve my current system, by which I mean, tossing the bill and envelope on the table and eventually having to search to find it so I can pay it.  I used to use these type books all the time and I was very organized at that time.   However, I must say that once I lost the store, my organizing skills dropped big time.  It also comes with a receipt organizer too.  I am sure I could use that too since I also do the toss and hope I find it should I need it again.  I did like being organized better than being unorganized.  I am just in a daze a lot of the time from the fibro fog.  Sometimes organizing takes a lot out of me because I have to concentrate for a long time and concentrating is hard for me.  I get brain fog a lot.  I can only concentrate for short periods of time.  That is why my lessons are planned the way they are.  This way, I can rest when I need to.  So far, it is working out for me.

Well, NCIS Los Angeles is almost over and it is a nail biter one.  Sometimes i hate nail biter ones.  Suspense is not always good for me.  However, since I know they wouldn't kill off the main characters, I know it will work out and it did, just in time, naturally.  I love this show.  I can't wait for the new ones after the New Year.  From now until then, it will be re-runs.  They are good and there may even be one I haven't seen yet, since I can't say that I have seen them all, but still, new ones all the time would be a good thing.  I remember when I was young (my gosh, I sound like I am 90 or something!)  Anyways, when I was a child and a teen, shows would run for 26 episodes during the year, now they consider a good season with 13 episodes or maybe a few more.  They are shorter too.  At least they still are making new shows.

I do hope you have had a good day.  Mine was okay, better during lessons, but before and after were just okay.

It has been a few days since my last post! 12-12

Today is Hannah and Natalie's 16th birthday!!!  It is so hard to believe that they are 16, soon they will be driving!  Time has sure flown with those 2.  They were very small when i met them.  Hannah and Lydia started piano first and then about a year or 2 later, Natalie decided she wanted to learn too.  About a year ago, their younger sister, Sarah, decided she wanted to play too.  At one time, their brother, Peter, played the clarinet.  They are a very musical family.  Mary, age 3, has shown some interest in the piano too.

Last night I went to the Hubels for dinner and a movie.  We watched Monte Carlo.  It was quite cute and very funny.  I thoroughly enjoyed it along with the the family.

I got dizzy again at church during our practice.  This is the 3rd time in 2 months.  I was not really happy about that.  I had to leave the practice because I thought I was going to pass out again.  I think it may be my contacts.  I need to make sure the right prescription is in both eyes.  Right now, they don't and I think that is the problem.  I found the proper prescription so I will switch them this week before church on Sunday.  We are singing some fun music in church right now.  I love Christmas Music.  I could listen to some of it all year long, but I do try to limit myself to just between the day after Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, but sometimes it is hard.  Fortunately, we have to start Christmas music for lessons quite often before Halloween so I get my music early!  Some students play such complicated music that they have to start in September.  I don't mind at all especially this year we had the concert about 2 weeks earlier than usual.  It was a nice change from waiting right until the weekend before Christmas.

Bob had a good lesson.  He will be out of town next week and then he will be off on a cruise until Christmas Day.  I will see him on the Wednesday that week instead of the Monday.  Rachel will be absent next week too.  She just moved into a new house and is getting used to her new room.  She was rather tired during her lesson today.  She is so cute.  Isaac had good lessons today.  He played piano nicely and sang his songs well too.  He has a good voice and well, after my girls heard him sing, they want to sing with them.  I told him he didn't have to.  I am going to ask Charlie if he will sing with Isaac in the spring concert.  I can't believe I am thinking ahead to the Spring Concert already.  We are doing movies.  My older girls will be dressed as Harry Potter Characters while Isaac will be Draco from Harry Potter.  I am rather excited about that.  Rachel isn't sure what she will dress as but I have some music from the Wizard of Oz that she may want to play.  She has a beautiful Dorothy costume that she wore at Halloween that she can wear if she wishes.  It is up to her but I think she would look so adorable as Dorothy playing "Over the Rainbow", still, it is totally up to her.

I am very exhausted this evening.  I got up early for church yesterday and I did take a nap in the afternoon, but I was still a bit tired.  I got up early today for my lovely girls but I didn't have time for a wee nap so I am rather exhausted this evening.  I have a bit of a bad headache tonight that I didn't have earlier, thank goodness for that!  My tummy has calmed down too.  It was upset a bit this afternoon but now is fine.  I don't know why, but hey, you never know with me.  Fibro is a strange beast, you know and you never know when a flare is going to show up that is for sure.  I know some of you are VERY familiar with that beast.

I have to decorate the tree still.  The lights looks so pretty on it.  Heather B-T did a great job on it.  I now have a bag big enough to put the tree in so I can store it in the garage.  I am so glad about that.  I need to decorate the pianos too.  I haven't done it at all yet.  I am seriously thinking of having the girls come and decorate with me this weekend.  I am going to ask if they have not only the time but the interest.  They are such lovely girls.  We are planning to see a movie between Christmas and New Year's.  It will be fun.

I do hope you are having a good day.

TGIF 12-9

I am glad it is Friday and that the concert was last weekend.  I really am.  My lights are on my tree and tomorrow I shall decorate it.  I am excited about decorating the tree.  The lights look so awesome that I am afraid that I will cover them too much.  It took the 3 sets of lights that I had bought and it looks simply beautiful.  Heather B-T did a great job.  Calli picked a new Christmas song to learn for the next few weeks.  It has a super hard part in it but she is doing rather well with it.  Acer had decided against learning a Christmas one.  He is going to learn Wade in the Water from my Ready to Sing Spirituals.  I just need to burn a new CD because I am not sure what happened to the CD that I had.  It is not a problem as I have it in my computer so I just have to open the toast program and then burn a new CD.  I will burn a few of them so that we have extras.  Emily is doing non-Christmas music now too.  She is doing very well with her piano.  I really thing that the computer game is helping her a lot.  Laith liked the game too.  so far, everyone who has tried the game likes it.  I think it has been a good tool for the students.  It is fun and they are learning at the same time.  I like the game myself.  I had to try it before they did.  I haven't heard anyone say they didn't like it.

Tomorrow 2 more violins will be going to my friend, Debbie for her Good Fellows Charity Event next week.  Apparently, they are very popular.  I am glad they are going to good homes and they raise money for the Good Fellows Charity.  I don't have many violins left.  I have had a lot go to charity events this year.  I have a couple of them to finish.  I will do them this winter.  I just don't have time right now, nor do I have the inspiration to do them.  I think that is the biggest thing.  I do hope Debbie brings her lovely daughter, Isabelle.  She is a beautiful little girl and she is so sweet too.  I think she is a really nice little one.  She is in 1st grade and is in the Chinese Program at school.  Acer is also in that program too only they are not in the same classroom.

I have NOT bought the new harry potter movie yet.  It will only be here until the 29th and then it will be gone.  I do hope to have it by then, but bills are needing to be paid so that is why I have not bought it yet.  I love that movie so I plan to get it next week after I pay the doctors bills I have.  I also will have some put away for the taxes.  that is the really important thing to save for.  I am doing pretty well being able to reach my goal by the end of each month so far.  Only 3 more nerve wracking months until the deadline.  So far, I am right on target after a rough beginning this summer.  I will be able to start saving right away for the 2011 taxes.  I am really excited about that.  I will have a bit more flexibility with the budget after March.  I am thankful that I am able to stay here in the house and pay the bills including the taxes.  I really am glad about that.  There isn't anywhere else I would rather be.  My friends are here, my students are here, and my family isn't too far away.

I have had a good day despite a bad headache.  It wasn't bad enough that I needed to cancel any lessons, thank goodness for that!  However, it is still a bad one.  I hope it finally goes back to the regular one by the time I head for bed.  I only have one lesson after all tomorrow.  Brianne is absent because of a family party that is about 3 hours away so no lesson for the lovely young lady.  I will see her next week.  I do hope you are having a good day too.

Before I forget, sometime during the 12 days after Christmas, my fellow blogger, Christine Murray, will be a guest writer of this blog.  She is self publishing her book and it will be in Kindle form.  I am very excited about this!  I can't wait to get her book, although, I don't have a Kindle so I am not sure how I will get it, but somehow I will.  I hope it is the start of a long career for her.  I look forward to her being here.

Thursday 12-8

It is an anniversary of sorts today.  28 years ago, I had the surgery which straightened my spine.  I have scoliosis and while they could fix the big curve, the neck and the waist curve they could not.  It was a new type of surgery at the time with only 5 doctors in North America trained to perform it.  I had one of those doctors, in fact, I had the doctor who's son invented the new clips for the 2 steel rods fused to my spine.  I didn't have a cast (like the old surgery) nor did I have a brace (like the old surgery).  I had to be careful for about one year and then I could do whatever I wanted.  I learned how to dance after that.  That had been a dream of mine since I was a child and I finally had my first dance lesson in my junior year, in January of that year.  I was 16 at the time.  I loved dance.  I still do, but I can't do much anymore.  One of the things I regret is that when I first got sick, I threw almost all of my dance pictures out.  I couldn't handle looking at them because it hurt so much to dance.  The only reason I have one picture is because Mom had it in her room.  She was so upset when she found out what I did but she didn't yell or anything like that at me.  She just said she wished I had just put them away in a box because someday I would want them.  Mom was right, but I am very thankful that I have the one that she had in her room.  I remember how nervous Mom was about my surgery.  I wasn't nervous or scared at all.  I think partly because it didn't occur to me that it might hurt.  I had watched the video (and grossed out) of what they were going to do so I was just fine.  Mom, on the other hand, apparently was a nervous wreck who was not sure she wanted to sign the consent form.  Finally, her friend, Bev, said she didn't have a choice or I would end up in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.  Mom signed.  She told me about this after the surgery.  I remember waking up in the recovery room.  I had to go to the bathroom so they brought the portable bathroom and got me up.  That was a shock to me because I didn't expect to be moved the day of the surgery.  When I got back into my room, Mom was there (of course!) and so were my brothers.  Richard told Mom to go to our friends house and get some sleep.  He would take care of me that day and he DID.  He really did.  If I needed something, he was there.  I will never forget that about him.  He really came through to let Momma get some sleep.  I was in the hospital for 10 days and then Bev drove me home.  She put a mattress in the back of her van.  The doctor wanted me to fly home because it would be faster than the 4 to 5 hour drive but we didn't have the money so our friend, Bev came up with the plan we eventually used.  I started off sitting up in the passenger seat.  I don't think we even got out of the city before I had to lie down.  I fell asleep for most of the trip.  I also remember Christmas Eve.  Momma always had this rule (even when we were adults) that you have to go to church Christmas Eve to celebrate Jesus' birthday in order to get your Christmas presents.  Well, since I had just had surgery, I was excused from church.  (Mom would later read the Christmas Story from the Bible with me later that night so I would still have our tradition)  Richard then quickly volunteered to stay home with me incase I needed help.  Well, he got me all comfortable in my room with pillows all ready for me to sit on my bed and then he was ready to take off.  I got upset so he stayed.  Poor guy, he was forced to watch the TV show FAME.  I loved that show so much at that time.  He stayed until Mom and Andrew came home and then he left.  I remember spending much of Christmas Day in bed or lying down in the family room.  It was still a good Christmas.  Momma had finally gotten a good job (the one she retired from in 2002) about a month before the surgery.  They were so nice to her about being off for my surgery.  It was really a good, family owned company at the time.  Her new bosses even sent me a get well soon card.  During the Christmas vacation, Kathy came over and we decided we wanted to go to a movie.  Well, her mom and my mom were rather nervous about this.  I said I could stay up that long.  I proved it by watching TV and playing some games with Kathy for a few hours.  Finally, Mom said okay.  Kathy's mom would drop us off and Momma would pick us up.  Everyone was so worried I might fall with the snow and the ice.  I didn't, Kathy did.  She slipped on some ice but wasn't hurt.  We went and saw the movie and had a good time.  Of course, there is very few times when Kathy and I are together that we don't have fun.  It is just hard to believe that 28 years have passed.  The rods are fused to my back.  There is no way they can remove them.  I can't feel them.  I can break every other bone in my body except where the rods are, not that I wish to experiment with that.

Speaking of Kathy, I have very sad news.  Her Grandmother (92) passed away this afternoon.  Apparently, her grandmother had a stroke a couple of days ago but she didn't wake up.  Kathy was able to see her in the hospital.  This will be a tough Christmas for her and her family.  This grandmother was her Mother's mom.  It is just very sad.  I spoke to her a bit after she received the news.  I knew immediately when she called me right back that she had bad news.  Please, if you can, say some prayers for her and her family.  Even if you expect it, it is something you can't ever be prepared for, or at least I don't think you can.

this has been a sad day for Kathy.  It will be hard for her, but we will be together for Christmas so that is good.  I hope your day was good.

Wednesday 12-7

I have a couple lessons tonight that I am looking forward too.  I have Natalie and Beth.  I hope Beth is feeling much better because last week she was really sick so I do hope she is much better.  We are working on the music she needs for the musical she is in, Jekyll and Hyde.  Beth has come so far in her voice since she began lessons last spring.  I won't see her at all in January, but I hope she is back in February.  Natalie is also a voice student.  She is doing very well too.

I really slept in today.  I was so exhausted from not sleeping too well the night before that I slept a lot last night.  I did my usual waking up a lot, but that was normal.  I am not too surprised that I slept in as much as i did, but a little bit surprised.  I rescheduled my doctor's appointment for the blood test to Friday.  I am not sure what I was thinking, but I am glad that I did as I would have slept through the whole thing and that would have been bad.

On the radio, the host was talking to some guests about getting through the holidays when you are in a rough spot.  It made me think of last Christmas when I think I was a total zombie through the whole thing.  I don't remember too much about the season except that I slept a lot and cried a lot.  In some ways I am sadder this year at times because the shock has worn off and other times I am okay.  I think I am doing pretty well but I still have my rough spots and days.  It is hard to be happy all the time, I think, whether or not you are in mourning because things happen.  They were talking about all sorts of hardships, death, divorce, financial, and things like that.  I am thankful to be living in a house and the fact i am not homeless.  I was very worried about that last year.  I really was because when Momma passed away I didn't have very many students and my disability wouldn't cover all the bills.  Now, I am not worried at all.  I work part-time and I have my disability, which pays the bills.  I like the lessons I have, I know there is no way I could work full time right now, in the future, maybe, but not right now, today.  I have enough to keep busy but also not too many where I can't rest when I need too and resting is very important.  I am thankful that a few weeks ago when I felt a crash and burn beginning to happen (also known as a flare) that I rested enough to not go into it.  I do wish Mom was here with me.  I will wish that for the rest of my life.  I miss her.  I miss both the woman she was without Alzheimer's and the woman she became with Alzheimer's.  she was so scared all the time and so dependent on me.  It was nice to feel important to someone.  I knew she needed me and once I got over myself, I didn't mind.  Yes, when she first was diagnosed I was a bit resentful that she wanted to be with me all the time, however, that didn't last too long because she needed me.  As she got sicker, I just took over more duties for her that 's all.  At first, when she was first diagnosed, I thought she would need a nursing home and I did look into them.  They are very expensive and I don't see how the care was any better (in our case, other people have no choice, they need that type of care) than what I was doing.  She didn't need the 24/7 care that many people needed so I was very lucky.  I was able to keep her home and she liked being at home.  Yes, at times it was scary.  There are times now that I am scared but I don't think the fear is all consuming like it was last year at this time.  I was so afraid all the time last year for months after Mom went to Heaven.  I thought I would end up homeless and starving.  There were year long or more waiting lists for housing.  I had food stamps for a bit, but not anymore, I don't need them now.  That was helpful.  I no longer have Medicaid either, just Medicare and this works for me.  I don't particularly think I am lonely, except for Mom, I see my friends, family, students quite frequently.  I meet up with various friends at different times of the month.  I thought I would be alone for the Holidays, I am not.  I went to Jennie's Mom's house with her and her family for Thanksgiving, and will spend Christmas with Kathy and her family same with most likely Easter or I will have Easter here.

My hips are pretty sore today for some reason.  Every so often I get a flare in them and today seems to be the day.  Silly hips, don't they know they aren't supposed to hurt?  I had a bad headache this morning, but now it is the regular headache so I will be fine for lessons.  I have been very lucky these last few years because rare have I had to cancel a lesson due to illness on my part.  My lessons are scheduled so nicely that I can rest when I need to and I don't have too many in one day.  I have had several colds over the last year but none so bad I had to cancel and on the worst days, I had no lessons or just one.  I have been really blessed that way.  Even my flares have not caused me to cancel!  I hope the New Year is the same way.

I do hope you are having a good day and enjoying the Christmas Season.  I will decorate this weekend a bit.  I plan to go all out next year but not this year.  This year, like last year, will be only a little decorating.  I hope it doesn't snow until Christmas Eve! (After, of course, I get home for the evening!)

Tuesday! 12-6

We are 6 days into December already!  this month is going so fast.  I got me a new Christmas Season Sweatshirt last night after lessons.  It is black and says Joy.  I think it is pretty cool.  I now have 3 Christmas Sweatshirts.  I love my sweatshirts.  I have several Disney ones. (that shouldn't surprise anyone) I had a few lessons today.  Charlie stayed a bit later to help with the new batteries.  He put the new batteries in the cases for my scooter.  The scooter store said it was easy, well, I have news for them, it wasn't.  Charlie did a good job though and the new batteries are charging as we speak.  I am supposed to charge them a lot this week.  I sure hope this is the answer to my scooter issues.  I will test it out on the weekend when the batteries are very charged.

Julie is coming tomorrow again to help with the family room.  I rescheduled my blood test to Friday.  I am going to bed earlier than usual tonight since I will be getting up early.

I do hope you are having a good day!

Monday 12-5

It was back to normal for me today.  I had three lessons this afternoon, Rachel, Bob, and Isaac.  We all talked about the concert.  I think they did well and told them so.  Isaac did very well for his first concert.  This was Rachel's 2nd concert and she did really well too.  I showed Isaac what games on the computer I want him to play for his piano lesson.  He thought the game looked fun.  I loaned him the disc so he can download it on his computer.  I think this will help him a lot.  Bob also did very well at the concert too.

I slept in a bit today.  I was just so tired from standing so much yesterday.  My right side was very sore by time I came home last night after dinner.  I needed to help some of my little ones for the concert so I was standing a lot in the beginning of the concert and then again at the reception after the concert.  Many of the families stayed for the reception.  Usually, we are in the social hall for the reception, but this time we were in the library.  It worked out well.

My table looks so nice with the new Christmas Plant on my new tablecloth.  I took the other one back because I had bought a duplicate one by accident.  I didn't remember buying one, but I did.  I still don't remember buying it, but since the table cloth was on the counter and I had another one on the table, I had proof that I bought it so I returned one of them.  I also had to pick up some milk and bread.  I was almost out of both of them.

My friend, Heather B-T is putting the lights on my tree.  She does them really nicely, not just wrapped around the tree.  They are almost a part of the tree.  It is really pretty.  This weekend I will decorate for Christmas.  I am going to put some garlands at the entrance of each stairs like Lily did last year.  I also have a whole bunch of Disney ornaments to put on my tree.  I am very excited about Christmas decorating.  I have some really nice decorations.  If the lights aren't finished on Friday, I can wait until next week to decorate.  I don't mind.  So far, my students like the lights that are on the tree.  It is very pretty.  I like decorating for Christmas.  New Year's Eve I am going to the Bowman-Tomlinson house again.  I had a really good time last year when I went.  I was invited to go again.  Calli was happy about that too.  We love playing games together especially Uno.  Calli has a Brailled set of Uno cards so she can play by herself and not have to have a partner to help her.  She is a very independent young lady.  I like that about her.

My legs are not as sore today as they were last night.  I did wake up a few more times than usual because of the pain, but as morning arrived the pain lessened.  I am a bit more tired and weary today but that was to be expected.  Overall, I think I did pretty well for the concert.  I had about the amount of extra pain that I expected.  I gauged it pretty well.  I will probably sleep in again tomorrow.  I have to figure out what new songs I am giving Aaiyana tomorrow.  Her mom was very upset with her last week.  She said that this was the last month for Aaiyana for lessons.  I don't know if she really will make her quit or not.    Aaiyana apparently is not practicing like she should be.  It is hard to say.  She is only 8 years old.  She is a delightful child to work with though and I think she is doing very well.

It has been a busy couple of weeks, with the holidays and the concert.  Everything should slow down again for the rest of the month.  So far, Bob and Isaac are the only ones who will have lessons during the Christmas and New Year's week.  Rachel's grandmother isn't sure yet but that is okay.  She is scheduled right now, but we can always reschedule if we need too.

I do hope you are having a good day.

Christmas Concert Day 12-4

This afternoon was the Christmas Concert.  It got me thinking.  I have no idea how many Christmas Concerts I have had since I began teaching.  I don't remember the first one, I do remember some of them but I don't know which one was first.  I know that I used to have them at the Dance Studio when I only had a few students.  Today's went a bit longer than I thought it would.  It lasted about 2 hours.  Woops, I thought it would only be one and a half hours.  Guess I was a bit off.  I think for spring I will have to re-think how many pieces the students get to do.  I have had them doing two for the last few years because I didn't have that many students, but I guess that is over now again.  I am hoping for more duets and small groups this spring.  It all depends on what everyone wants to do, I suppose.  I won't be thinking about it for a long time right now.

Uncle John and Michelle came with Jayson, my cousin to the concert.  It is the first one they have ever seen of my students.  Tillie and Don were here too.  After the concert we went out to dinner at Red Lobster.  It was so yummy!  I ended up bringing home 1/2 of my salad and the bread bowl.  I love their soup and salad combination.  It is what I usually get although I do like their bake potatoes too.  I love shrimp the most out of the sea food choices.  Then we came back to my house.  Tillie and Don left right away because they wanted to stop and get some groceries from the grocery store on the way home.  Uncle John and Michelle stayed a while longer.  Jayson was playing with the legos and the cars.  He knows where the good toys are.  He is such a cutie.  He is 4 and goes to Junior Kindergarten.  He goes to a French school so he is learning French along with Michelle.  I am so glad that they all seemed to enjoy themselves and had a good time.  It is nice for me to show them what I do and see how well the kids are doing.  Several of them have been with been with me for a very long and it is nice to see Tillie recognized them.  She has watched the Muglia girls grow up and same with Charlie.  Bob had to miss a few concerts in the last year so she hasn't seem him lately.  Many of my new students are brand new so they are new to everyone.  I am thankful for the new and the old students.  Without them, it would be difficult to get through the day and pay my bills.  When I only had very few students and a lot of days free, it was hard to get through the days.  Fortunately, I had Mom at that time and she helped a lot.  Now it is just me but I have all the memories of her.  There is a particular picture of my Uncle John and Momma from when he was young.  I am going to have the picture enlarged and put it in a frame for him and then one for me as I love this picture of them together.  It was taken in 1955 so Mom would have been 21 and Uncle John would be 7 as he is 14 years younger than Mom.  Here is the picture:

Don't they look cute?  I just love the picture.  I don't know where they are but they look like they are having a good time.

I do hope you are having a good day.  I am exhausted and have a bit more of a headache than usual tonight.  My legs are so sore from standing so much this afternoon especially the right hip and leg.

busy Saturday 12-3

It has been so busy today with getting ready for the concert.  I am printing the program now on really pretty paper.  It is a different program style than usual since I used some really neat paper.  It is just one page not the usual booklet.  I really like the paper and I totally forgot I even had it.  That is definitely something I would do.  I know I have some other pretty paper, I just am not sure where it is.  Boy, last week at this time I was with Kathy and we had just finished watching Breaking Dawn at the movies.  It was a good movie.  I really enjoyed it.  Surprisingly, it was pretty close to the book for the most part.  A few scenes were added but they made the movie more enjoyable instead of distracting.  I got up a bit earlier than usual for a Saturday so that Brianne could have her lesson.  She is pretty ready for the concert.  Sandra and Camille are definitely ready for the concert.  I have to put the presents together and then that is it for the concert.  I have the plates and cups in the car already so that is good!  I am very tired now after running around a bit this afternoon and evening.  I had to go and get ink because I thought the ink was going out.  So far, it is doing well.  Then earlier, I had to get gas because I was at a 1/4 tank and I don't like to be below that in the winter.  I know my car sits in the garage, but still if it is super cold out, it might not start so I have to keep it at at least 1/2 tank all winter.  It just makes me feel better if I do.  It is something Mom taught me when I started driving.  Never leave the car below 1/4 tank in the coldest of winter, your gas lines could freeze and that would be bad!  (Not to mention expensive to fix!)

I sure hope I print enough programs this time.  I used to have this down to a science, but not anymore!  The years of not having a lot of students has thrown me off my track.  So far I have printed 45.  I want to print 15 more.  I used the entire pack of paper so how ever many it prints is it for me.  I hope it will be enough.  I think so.  There aren't that many students, only 23 so I should have enough.  I did realize earlier today that I don't have enough mugs for Christmas gifts.  I have enough for the concert, but not for the ones who are not in the concert.  My printer is printing very slowly right now.  I don't know why.  Maybe it always does and I just have not ever noticed.  I have to copy the music for Jingle Bells tonight for tomorrow too.  Everyone is singing Jingle Bells at the end of the concert.  The programs are almost finished printing.  Then on to the mugs, stockings, pencils, and candy for the treat bags.  I was really unsure how to wrap the mugs but these treat bags should work wonderfully, I hope anyway.

I was able to talk to Kathy this evening.  Her parents are moving in a few months to a retirement community.  It has assisted living and a nursing home within the community if one of them should need it.  While I am glad that they are looking ahead (they are in their mid 70s), I am sad that it is so far away from me.  However, Kathy and I will do just fine when she comes to visit.  It is about 45 to 60 minutes away.  I have a general idea of where it is so that is good.  I don't plan to let something like this stop Kathy and I from visiting.  I am also hopeful that Kathy will be coming to visit me some time in the new year by herself.  We had a good time when she came last year.  It was so sweet, her daughter wished her to have a good time.  She has very sweet little girls.  All four of her children are just very nice children.  Matthew, her oldest is getting very tall (he is 13), Jacob is also growing like a weed (he is 10 or 11), and the twins are still sweet little girls (they are 5).  Kathy and family will be coming for Christmas as usual.  I am excited about seeing her.  I have no lessons on Christmas Eve as the online company is closed that day.  I figured that most people would be busy that day anyways so I didn't expect any lessons.  I do hope to have a lot during the week between Christmas and New Years.  I am not going anywhere so if students are available so am I!

Well, my printing is almost done printing and it is time to work on the treat bags!  I do hope you are having a good day.  I have had a bit of a bad headache most of the day, but I was able to teach so that was good.  I wasn't sure first thing in the morning, but it turned out okay!  Tomorrow will be crazy with the concert but it will be a good time.

It's Friday! 12-2

I thought I picked up everything I need for the concert.  Except, I forgot the ink for the printer.  Woops!  I will go tomorrow after lessons to pick it up.  I have the treat bags that all of the presents will go in.  It shall be awfully cute I think.  I also got the cookies for the concert reception.  I am going to work on the program in a few minutes after I finish this post.  I will print the program tomorrow after lessons too.  I can't believe the concert is here already.  It is just amazing how fast November went.  Now it is December and the Christmas Season again.  It is still rather weird to me to be celebrating the Christmas Season without my mother.  She loved the season so much.  She would get all excited about decorating and planning our gifts and surprises.  Mom was so good at surprises.  Mom and I also would usually see a show during the season or we would get the tickets for a show after Christmas.  The last show we saw was the Broadway Version of "White Christmas".  It was wonderful and we both had a really good time.  Since money was super tight at that point, (I had no income at this time because we had just lost the store) it was our Christmas present to and from each other.  It worked for me.  I didn't expect anything else but Mom bought me the music carebear.  I really love it.  It makes me think of Mom and smile when I see it.  It is one of many stuffed animals Mom had bought me.  She bought me many Winnie the Pooh and friends too.  I also got her a couple of other things for that Christmas.  We had a good time on Christmas.  We went to church Christmas Eve as usual and she did very well.  We had stopped going to church because Momma just couldn't sit through the service but that one she did really well.  I was happy about that.  We sat with Kathy and her family.

I was wondering how I was going to wrap the mugs for the students.  Well, I got some treat bags and that will work perfect.  I just didn't get the ornaments done.  I couldn't sew.  Sewing was something I did with my mother and right now, without her, I can't really do it.  Maybe later I can, but not right now.  It just hurts too much to do.  Some much still hurts so much to do without her.  Most of the time I am okay but some things are still super hard for me.  I also have the cutest little stockings for the students.  i will fill them with candy kisses and Christmas pencils.  Maybe next year I will be able to go back to my sewing ornaments for the kids.  I will have to wait and see.

Calli and Katie practiced their duet again tonight.  They will do very well.  We tried to have maracas during the song but it really distracted them so no maracas, just voices.  We tried it and they didn't like it so that is okay.  Acer is ready for both his vocal piece and his piano piece.  Calli has been ready for about a week now.  I don't know why I worried about her piano piece.  She plays it beautifully.  Calli has been ready for a couple of weeks for her vocal pieces.  Emily is very ready too.  I think at this point everyone is very ready for the concert.  I am glad we are having the concert earlier in the season this year.  It frees up the rest of the season for everyone to do whatever they want to do.  I hope we have it this early again next year.  I have discovered I like it earlier in the season rather than later like I used to do.  For some of the students, next week means choosing what they want to perform at competition.  Katie is going and she needs to figure out what all she wants to sing.  I think I know what classical piece she wants, it is the rest of her songs I am not sure about.  Rebecca has already decided.  She is singing a classical piece, an inspiration piece, and a Broadway piece.  We have been working on them already.  Aggie hasn't totally decided everything yet.  They are really the only ones who are attending.  It is a low number for me, but that is okay.  I have a lot of new students who are really not ready to compete.  It is okay though.  Maybe some of them will want to compete next year.

It has been a productive type day, although I was so exhausted this morning.  I do hope your day was good too.  I have a bit of a bad headache now, I hope it goes down to the normal headache by bedtime, otherwise, it will be hard to sleep and I have to get up a bit early for a lesson.