Fall, fall, fall!

I'm so excited that fall is finally here! The weather is still sticky - humid, no cooler than 68 degrees at the lowest - but just knowing the fact that soon, I'll be able to bring out my peacoat makes me so happy!

I'm also excited to announce the births of Aeralind Grace and Bronwyn Hope, on September 11th 2009!!! Congrats to Mommy Melissa and Daddy Derek Aldrich on two beautiful baby girls! I'm hopefully going to visit and spoil babies (and Mommy!) during our fall break in October. Please visit the blogs "Bumblebee Grace" and "Derek and His Women" to find out more about these blessings and their parents!

I'm often amazed at how music affects me so emotionally & so much. There are days when I have the opportunity to sing/hear music and I'm filled with SO much joy that it comes out through tears. Today was one of those wonderful, joy-filled days. On Tuesdays & Thursdays, I have a voice lesson at 10:55AM and concert choir directly following at 11:30. I study with the PHENOMENAL Dr. Ann Benson, who I adore both on a professional and personal level. She reminds me very much of Beverly Sills - whom, consequently, has become a favorite of mine, after reading her memoir "Bubbles". Anyway, Dr. Benson helped me pick out my junior recital rep about two weeks ago. Among that rep is the ridiculous "Ah! Je veux vivre!" from Romeo et Juliette by Charles Gounod. It ranges from a D below middle C to a D above the staff, and it's going to take an inordinant amount of work to make it performance-ready. I discovered the aria when I was 14 and have been slowly but surely working on it ever since. I've always done bits and peices of it, just as scales or what have you, but I've never sung it completely through, with accompaniment.

Until today.

Today, Dr. Benson and I decided to give it a go. She played, I sang.
It was one of the most amazing three and a half minutes ever.

It was difficult to finish, seeing as how I'm still getting over the flu I had last week, and it was MUCH faster than I thought, and I wasn't exactly singing with my voice. However, it. was. amazing. I'm so excited to be able to sing it!

After my voice lesson, I went directly into concert choir. Most of our rep is alright, but there's one peice that we're doing that is my absolute FAVORITE of it's kind. It's the Biebl "Ave Maria" - one of the ONLY "Ave Maria"s that I like. I've been trying to get Dr. Sinclair to let us do it since 2005. She FINALLY decided to do it this year and I couldn't be happier! I'm also priveledged enough to be singing the soprano part in the "trio", with Samantha singing the alto and baby Laney (one of my favorites ever!) singing the tenor. It sounds phenomenal and I feel so blessed to be singing it. Today, when we worked on it in class, I was so joy-filled that I got teary-eyed. Seeing as how I was in the front of the room, singing with the trio, I quickly tried to hide my weepies and continue singing, which I did successfully.
I feel so close to God when we sing that song. I love it.

Well, it's been quite a day. I'm looking forward to sleep that is SO close!
...and enjoying another episode of "18 Kids and Counting". I adore the Duggars! they are such an inspiration to me. I'm trying to model the way I'm training myself on the way that they live their lives - completely and totally for the Lord. Right now, I'm focusing on living with a servant's heart, and always praying for guidance and strength!

That's all for now - love to all!

I have GOT to be better about blogging!!

for the first time in months, I put on a sweater when I took Lucy out this morning. I also have my bedroom window open to enjoy this cool air. I'm excited for fall!! this season always seems so full of possibility to me - I know with most people that usually happens with spring. I guess that's just a way I'm different :-) with fall comes Halloween costumes, crunchy leaves, and sweaters. the church prepares for the start of another liturgical year; Advent isn't too far away. and my excitement is already starting to build for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - the night before Thanksgiving might as well be the night before Christmas, where the parade is concerned. this is definitely my favorite time of year.

classes have started once again - and once again, I am a music major! I've come to the conclusion that I really can't NOT have music in my life. plus, I have more credits towards a BA in music than anything else, so I'm looking at about three more semesters, maybe four - praise God!! I'm incredibly excited to be studying with Dr. Ann Benson, a world renowned soprano and an AMAZING woman. I've only had a few lessons with her, and already I'm a little in love with her :-) my other classes are interesting, but alrady I'm struggling with making myself actually go. I would much rather be at home working on turning the junk room back into the guest room, or starting to prep for the holidays. I'm such a homebody. but I'm trying really hard to stay disciplined and keep up with my classes. it's difficult, but I'm at least trying.

Lee is no longer at Coastal, or in Myrtle Beach. that's really, really hard to deal with. we're still together, very very much together. we're just doing a long-distance relationship. I think that, in the long run, this will be good for us. we're looking at it as a test and so far, I think we're passing. we talk to each other every day, sometimes as many as ten times a day, just because we want to hear the others' voice. it's very odd to not have him here at all, as opposed to last year when he was here almost constantly. but it makes the times that we're together so much sweeter. he came and visited from last Friday to yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon, and it was almost perfect. it just feels right for him to be here, and for us to be together. I really think I'm gonna marry that boy.

enjoy this first taste of fall, everyone! and pray for my friend Missa - or Melissa Ann, of the blog Bumblebee Grace-, who is 36 weeks pregnant with twin girls - Baby A is feet-first and needs to flip around so Missa can have the natural birthing process that she wants.

lots to think about.

grades came in today.
I am less than impressed with myself.
in fact, I am incredibly disappointed.


however.
I don't really know what to do. it seems that I'll get through half the school year doing great, keeping up with everything...and then I just lose steam. I get exhausted and bored and I just want to give up.
I honestly - HONESTly - don't want to go to school anymore. I don't want to have to put up with classes or parking or worrying where the money is going to come from. I haven't been happy. I've changed majors fifteen times, I've changed the people I hang out with, I've tried to change myself - but nothing at all makes me happy. I'm sick of school. I'm so, so sick of it. I don't want to do it anymore. at all.

therein lies the problem.
what does one do when one has attended college for however many years, has however many credits (but nowhere near getting a degree in any of the three majors one has tried), and cannot FATHOM having to go back to the same stupid routine in August?

there's the full-time job route. I could find a marginally challenging job or (possibly) get my job back at Picture People and work until...until what? until I get bored with it? until I get married? until my singing career takes off?

I could look for a teaching job somewhere outside the public school system, one that doesn't require a degree. but in this economy, I'm sure those jobs are very few and far-between.

I could become the quintessential housewife (let's say "daughter at home") that I've actually WANTED to be. obviously, I'd be in training, seeing as how this isn't really "my" household - it's my dad's. and I have a LOT to learn - sewing, cooking, cleaning, gardening, keeping a home in general. but I'm sure that Dad (and Nick) would have plenty to say about it. plus I'd probably be expected to contribute some sort of income. and even if I COULD be a "daughter at home", how long would that last? would Dad ask me to get my own place after a certain amount of time?

so what's a girl to do?

pray, obviously. and trust that God will, in time, show me what to do.

recipe time!

we're in the "home stretch" right now, meaning we're having to be creative with the groceries we have left. thank the Lord that payday is Friday - for everybody!! anyway, Dad thawed out some chicken breasts to grill, and that was the plan for dinner, but I wanted to come up with something to go with it. I was thinking pasta...something...haha, and this is what I came up with:

you need:
- boneless chicken breasts - we used three, I think
- pasta - we used spaghetti, but you can use whatever you like
- one can of corn
- one can of peas - you can also use fresh veggies if they're handy.
- bacon - we used five strips. again, use what you like
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- one cup of parmesan cheese
- spice for the chicken - we used McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Chicken, it seems to blend really well with the rest of the flavors

coat the chicken in the spices and grill it. when it's finished, let it rest & then chop into bite-size pieces.
fry the bacon. set it aside.
boil the pasta in salted water with olive oil. drain when finished.
salt & pepper the pasta. add about a third of a cup of olive oil.
add the peas and corn. drain first if you're using canned veggies.
crumble the bacon and add it.
add the parm.
add the chicken and mix everything really well.
you can serve it either warm or chilled.

it's delicious!! I hope you enjoy it!

Lucy Mae

we have a new member in our family!!




Lee & I decided to add to our "family" back in February. We were sure that we wanted a puppy, but that's about it. I wanted something small that I could carry around with me, but he vetoed the "ankle-biter" idea. Then he said wanted something big and scary (think pitt or German shep), but I told him I wanted something cuddly. So one day in February we headed to the shelter, completely open to almost any kind of dog. It's a funny story, actually. We were heading into the puppy room to look around, and a woman handed us a leash and asked us to "put this back" for her. On the other end of the leash was a rambunctious little girl - black lab with white markings underneath - that was tugging and wiggling around wanting to go outside. So we decided to take her out for just a little while and then start looking around. We stayed outside with her for about twenty minutes, playing and jumping and cuddling. I thought she was a little too rambunctious, but Lee said it was probably just because she wasn't used to being outside. Still, we were both pretty sure that she was "the one." Just to be sure, we took her back in, put her in her cage and looked around a little bit more. The other puppies were adorable, and the big dogs in the back were sweet too, but we kept coming back to the little black lab. We left that day and decided to talk to Dad and Nick about it, and of course pray about it. We talked about it for about a week, and we decided to go ahead and start the paperwork to adopt her. We were told that we could pick her up the following Thursday, and she'd be all caught up with her shots, and be spayed and all ready to be a puppy at our house. We got so excited! Her name was decided (Lucy Mae), puppy supplies were bought at PetSmart, and the search began for a crate big inexpensive enough and big enough to train her. Well, we showed up at the appointed time on Thursday and were met with a locked door and a dark shelter. We wondered what was going on, and finally got the attention of one of the workers. She came out and explained to us that there had been a distemper outbreak in the puppy room - the room that contained our baby girl. Of course we started freaking out, but she said that Lucy was fine, and that they'd call us when they had news, and sent us home. Days went by. We called and called, leaving messages that got more and more irritated, but heard nothing. After TWO WEEKS, we heard from them. Lucy was fine, but still quarantined, and that's all they could tell us. It was a very trying time for us.
To make a long story short, we adopted Lucy on February 9th and brought her home March 27. She is adorable and amazing and we're all absolutely in love with her. She sleeps up in my bed, cuddles with her daddy and wakes up "Grampa" when it's time for him to go to work - on a "sleeping" note; the other night, I woke up and started laughing, because we were all smushed together: Lee, Lucy, me and Puck all in a row! She LOVES to play outside - the Bark Park is her favorite so far. She is ALREADY potty trained - praise the Lord!! The cats are still getting used to her, but she's pretty much made friends with Puck and knows to leave Miss Em alone. It's so much fun to have a rambunctious, happy little puppy around the house!! We are so thankful that God led us to her - or more like her to us. As I'm writing this, she's playing with her favorite "cuddly", a used-to-be squeaky pig (she has since torn out the "squeaky" part) and playing fetch with "Grampa." I am so completely happy to be a "mommy" to this beautiful little girl!!

fever.

I haven't written a blog since 2007. good gracious.
not that anyone reads this.
but just in case anyone does...

things have changed drastically since I last wrote.
I changed my major to early childhood education. I felt God was leading my heart in that direction, and I'm very glad that He did. that puts my graduation date at June 2012, after I've already been in school for about two years (officially - unofficially, I should be graduating in May - long story). I'm a little discouraged by this, but I know that God has a reason for everything He does. I'm not too worried.
I moved back into my dad's house in January of '08. things weren't very good - Dad was incredibly depressed & stopped taking his meds. he's diabetic and ended up passing out one night before work because he just wasn't taking care of himself. he almost went into a severe diabetic coma & died - thank God we got him to the hospital in enough time. after that, I moved back into the house. I had very sad summer - no job, doing nothing, very very unhappy. then in August I had the opportunity to move into a BEAUTIFUL apartment with my best friend from high school. we lived together until December, when she married her Marine. I moved back into Dad's, but this time the atmosphere is much healthier and happier. currently, my brother Nick is on tour with his Christian rock band until about the middle of March. we miss him, but we are SO proud and thankful that God is giving him this amazing opportunity. and something even MORE exciting - at this very moment, my daddy is out on his first date since the divorce was finalized. he finally got over Mother enough to join Match.com, and he's also talking to old friends/girlfriends that find him on Facebook. he's starting to get some of his old sparkle back - Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!!!
now for the change of major. I was incredibly unhappy being a musical theater major. I felt my talents were not being utilized and that I was being taken advantage of on many levels. so I started thinking about changing my major - I did over the summer, to music. for the most part I was happy, but still felt something missing. during this time, I had the opportunity to begin teaching the children's choir at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, where I am also a part of the adult choir. after a few weeks of teaching, I was hooked! then in December, I felt God calling me to early childhood education, so before classes started in January I got all the paperwork done and am now planning on being a preK or kindergarten teacher. I am SO excited. I plan on incorporating lots of music and movement into my teaching, which I've learned is the best thing for early development.
another very big, very important, very HAPPY change in my life - I am currently in a very wonderful relationship with someone incredibly amazing. he & I have been dating for almost four months (on the 26th) and I couldn't be happier. I am so thankful that the Lord has brought him into my life, and I pray (and feel) that we are meant to be together forever. he is such a positive energy in my life and always makes my day brighter. I'm very much in love with him.
right at this very moment, I am thankful for the many blessings I've been given. I'm thankful for the clean bathroom that I worked so hard on this evening. I'm thankful for the big sale at Goody's that Daddy & I went to this afternoon - lots of great stuff for very very cheap. I'm thankful for the AMAZING dinner at Rioz last evening, another lovely treat from Daddy. I'm thankful for my kittehs, and my warm bed, and my daddy being happy again. my God is such a great God!!

God is great and His praise fills the earth fills the heavens
And Your name will be praised through all the world
God is great, sing His praise all the earth all the heavens
cause we’re living for the glory of Your name
The glory of Your name...