Saturday, August 26, 2006
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Monday, August 21, 2006
Back to normal!! I think anyhow. I just spent the last two weeks (well, I arrived back in Boston on Thursday) in Ohio spending time with family, friends, and spending the marjority of my time home at Choir Camp. I apologize to those of you who are reading this and didn't even know I was back out west for a time. It was a very short and very busy trip with most all of my attention on Choir Camp. I'll be back again at Christmas!
So, about Choir Camp.... I don't think anything brings me as much joy as these children do every summer. Not only do they work hard and are enthusiastic about their music making, but they amaze me with their knowledge of the Lord working in their lives and how they can serve others with his love and all the gifts and talents they have been given. This year's theme was "All Creatures of Our God and King". The kids go through 6 days (Monday-Saturday, 9-2:30) of two 45 minute rehearsals, and craft/activity time which is all based on the theme. On Sunday they lead the later service with all of the hymns, anthems, and service music they learned during the week as well their prayers and a sermon that is given by 3 of the choristers concerning the lessons of the day and how those lessons might have fit in with our theme. Whew! This year the children worked daily on a mosaic of St. Francis with all the animals and creatures of land and sea as well as the sun, moon, and stars. They presented this to the congregation on Sunday morning as a gift that will be hung somewhere in the church. In addition, they made the communion bread that was given at the Eucharist on Sunday. Other activities included presentations by Pilot Dogs of Ohio (seeing eye dogs), Cat Welfare, and the kids also did some gardening (weed pulling and planting). All this and singing too! They sounded WONDERFUL!!! I wish I could put up pics of all our fun, but the internet being what it is these days I probably shouldn't post anything without their parent's permission. You'll just have imagine what it all looked like. BIG BIG Thanks to Chris who is my partner in crime for these camps! Without her... well - it just wouldn't happen!
Now I'm back in Boston. Karen Camp drove back with me to bring some of her belongings and to also look for an apartment! She found one (!!!) and it's just one block from my place! Woo-hoo!
That being said, classes begin in 2 weeks and New Student Orientation begins NEXT week. Yes, yes yes yes yes... I have to attend Orientation. BOOOOOOOO!! I guess I'm considered a new student even though I just graduated. However, I don't have to take any of those silly little exams this time around - THANK GOODNESS!
Last night Karen and I saw The Illusionist. I highly recommend it! Tonight is the Live Finale of Treasure Hunters on NBC for which Bree and I are having our own little private party.
Igh - I need to start practicing again.....
So, about Choir Camp.... I don't think anything brings me as much joy as these children do every summer. Not only do they work hard and are enthusiastic about their music making, but they amaze me with their knowledge of the Lord working in their lives and how they can serve others with his love and all the gifts and talents they have been given. This year's theme was "All Creatures of Our God and King". The kids go through 6 days (Monday-Saturday, 9-2:30) of two 45 minute rehearsals, and craft/activity time which is all based on the theme. On Sunday they lead the later service with all of the hymns, anthems, and service music they learned during the week as well their prayers and a sermon that is given by 3 of the choristers concerning the lessons of the day and how those lessons might have fit in with our theme. Whew! This year the children worked daily on a mosaic of St. Francis with all the animals and creatures of land and sea as well as the sun, moon, and stars. They presented this to the congregation on Sunday morning as a gift that will be hung somewhere in the church. In addition, they made the communion bread that was given at the Eucharist on Sunday. Other activities included presentations by Pilot Dogs of Ohio (seeing eye dogs), Cat Welfare, and the kids also did some gardening (weed pulling and planting). All this and singing too! They sounded WONDERFUL!!! I wish I could put up pics of all our fun, but the internet being what it is these days I probably shouldn't post anything without their parent's permission. You'll just have imagine what it all looked like. BIG BIG Thanks to Chris who is my partner in crime for these camps! Without her... well - it just wouldn't happen!
Now I'm back in Boston. Karen Camp drove back with me to bring some of her belongings and to also look for an apartment! She found one (!!!) and it's just one block from my place! Woo-hoo!
That being said, classes begin in 2 weeks and New Student Orientation begins NEXT week. Yes, yes yes yes yes... I have to attend Orientation. BOOOOOOOO!! I guess I'm considered a new student even though I just graduated. However, I don't have to take any of those silly little exams this time around - THANK GOODNESS!
Last night Karen and I saw The Illusionist. I highly recommend it! Tonight is the Live Finale of Treasure Hunters on NBC for which Bree and I are having our own little private party.
Igh - I need to start practicing again.....
Monday, July 31, 2006
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Rachael is sleeeeeeepy... Rachael needs a coffeeeeeeeee...
Having a 4 day weekend can be very very dangerous because I DID NOT want to get up this morning. IGH! The following short videos and pictures paint a tiny picture of my adventurous holiday weekend. Monday evening Rachel, Ashley and Angie and myself went to the Boston Pops rehearsal "concert" that's held at the Esplanade. The only difference between the rehearsal concert and the actual 4th nationally televised concert is that there are no fireworks and they don't shoot the canons during the 1812 Overture. We had reasonably good seats for the event and we even had enough time before the concert began for me to teach the girls Euchre!!! woo-hoo!
Yesterday Rachel, Ashley and I went to Castle Island to watch the USS Constitution do the 21-gun salute. It was so hot and muggy but the breeze coming off of the ocean made it a bit better. Afterwards we headed to Fanuiel Hall and Quincy Market where we ate lunch and visited with some of the cows that are residing in that part of the city (see pictures).
Then of course in the evening Rachel and I met up down on Memorial drive and got a really great spot to watch the fireworks which, I have to say, were the best fireworks I have ever seen. Last year's were great - comparable to Red, White and Boom really... but for some reason this years were fantastic! There were 3 dimensional objects and fireworks that seemed to spill over in slow motion and even fireworks that seemed to have some kind of parachute apparatus so that they just floated down into the water while still sparkling. Very cool.
Other news.... well Germany lost to Italy in World Cup action so that makes two teams (England lost on Sunday) I wanted to see get to the finals lost. Boo! I don't know if I mentioned it but some of us girls have entered a World Cup tipping "contest" and instead of wagering money we are wagering margaritas. I was doing really well - actually in 1st the whole time until last week when I thought I had tipped on two games and as it turned out the computer must not have saved my wagers. This was all very sad because both teams I had slated to win - WON. So this bumped me down in the standings. For some reason it seems to me that the World Cup is really big this year in the United States. It could be that I'm paying more attention so therefore I'm more aware of it or it could be where I'm living as well. Perhaps it is both. In any case, today I was on my break and I walked up to Harvard Square and past Grafton Street Grill where there was a slew of people standing outside the open windows staring in as well as a large group standing and gathered on the inside as well. All were staring at a widescreen teli mounted on the wall - Portugal vs. France. I don't know how much time went past before I suddenly thought "WORK! I have to get back to Work!!" so I made my way through the crowd consisting of young and old and even the parking meter man who had been standing there watching even before I arrived and who was taking his own break.
Having a 4 day weekend can be very very dangerous because I DID NOT want to get up this morning. IGH! The following short videos and pictures paint a tiny picture of my adventurous holiday weekend. Monday evening Rachel, Ashley and Angie and myself went to the Boston Pops rehearsal "concert" that's held at the Esplanade. The only difference between the rehearsal concert and the actual 4th nationally televised concert is that there are no fireworks and they don't shoot the canons during the 1812 Overture. We had reasonably good seats for the event and we even had enough time before the concert began for me to teach the girls Euchre!!! woo-hoo!
Yesterday Rachel, Ashley and I went to Castle Island to watch the USS Constitution do the 21-gun salute. It was so hot and muggy but the breeze coming off of the ocean made it a bit better. Afterwards we headed to Fanuiel Hall and Quincy Market where we ate lunch and visited with some of the cows that are residing in that part of the city (see pictures).
Then of course in the evening Rachel and I met up down on Memorial drive and got a really great spot to watch the fireworks which, I have to say, were the best fireworks I have ever seen. Last year's were great - comparable to Red, White and Boom really... but for some reason this years were fantastic! There were 3 dimensional objects and fireworks that seemed to spill over in slow motion and even fireworks that seemed to have some kind of parachute apparatus so that they just floated down into the water while still sparkling. Very cool.
Other news.... well Germany lost to Italy in World Cup action so that makes two teams (England lost on Sunday) I wanted to see get to the finals lost. Boo! I don't know if I mentioned it but some of us girls have entered a World Cup tipping "contest" and instead of wagering money we are wagering margaritas. I was doing really well - actually in 1st the whole time until last week when I thought I had tipped on two games and as it turned out the computer must not have saved my wagers. This was all very sad because both teams I had slated to win - WON. So this bumped me down in the standings. For some reason it seems to me that the World Cup is really big this year in the United States. It could be that I'm paying more attention so therefore I'm more aware of it or it could be where I'm living as well. Perhaps it is both. In any case, today I was on my break and I walked up to Harvard Square and past Grafton Street Grill where there was a slew of people standing outside the open windows staring in as well as a large group standing and gathered on the inside as well. All were staring at a widescreen teli mounted on the wall - Portugal vs. France. I don't know how much time went past before I suddenly thought "WORK! I have to get back to Work!!"
Boston Pops July 4- 1812 Overture
| A bit dark but you can slightly see across the river at the Esplanade where they are setting off the canons. The fireworks were unexpected. | |
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Monday, July 03, 2006
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Au bord de l'eau
S'asseoir tous deux au bord du flot qui passe,
Le voir passer,
Tous deux s'il glisse un nuage en l'espace,
Le voir glisser,
À l'horizon s'il fume un toit de chaume
Le voir fumer,
Aux alentours si quelque fleur embaume
S'en embaumer,
Entendre au pied du saule où l'eau murmure
L'eau murmurer,
Ne pas sentir tant que ce rêve dure
Le temps durer.
Mais n'apportant de passion profonde
Qu'à s'adorer,
Sans nul souci des querelles du monde
Les ignorer;
Et seuls tous deux devant tout ce qui lasse
Sans se lasser,
Sentir l'amour devant tout ce qui passe
Ne point passer!
~Sully Prudhomme~
At the Water's Edge
To sit together beside the passing stream
and watch it pass;
Together, when a cloud glides by in the sky,
to watch it glide;
When a thatched house sends up smoke on the horizon,
to watch it smoke;
If a flower spreads fragrance nearby,
to absorb its fragrance;
Under the willow where the water murmurs,
to listen to it murmuring;
Not to notice, while this dream lasts,
the passage of time;
Only to adore each other;
Not to care at all about the world's quarrels,
to ignore them;
And alone together, in the face of all that grows weary,
not to grow weary;
To be in love while all passes away,
not passing away!
S'asseoir tous deux au bord du flot qui passe,
Le voir passer,
Tous deux s'il glisse un nuage en l'espace,
Le voir glisser,
À l'horizon s'il fume un toit de chaume
Le voir fumer,
Aux alentours si quelque fleur embaume
S'en embaumer,
Entendre au pied du saule où l'eau murmure
L'eau murmurer,
Ne pas sentir tant que ce rêve dure
Le temps durer.
Mais n'apportant de passion profonde
Qu'à s'adorer,
Sans nul souci des querelles du monde
Les ignorer;
Et seuls tous deux devant tout ce qui lasse
Sans se lasser,
Sentir l'amour devant tout ce qui passe
Ne point passer!
~Sully Prudhomme~
At the Water's Edge
To sit together beside the passing stream
and watch it pass;
Together, when a cloud glides by in the sky,
to watch it glide;
When a thatched house sends up smoke on the horizon,
to watch it smoke;
If a flower spreads fragrance nearby,
to absorb its fragrance;
Under the willow where the water murmurs,
to listen to it murmuring;
Not to notice, while this dream lasts,
the passage of time;
Only to adore each other;
Not to care at all about the world's quarrels,
to ignore them;
And alone together, in the face of all that grows weary,
not to grow weary;
To be in love while all passes away,
not passing away!
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
What a wonderful and exhilerating feeling it is to come home from work in the evening and not have any work to get done that is due the following day or any time in the weeks to come!!! Yay for Summer breaks!! Lots of events and happenings have occured in the past week or so. It rained ALL last week. Wednesday it rained so hard and there was so much wind that the rain was blowing sideways for about an hour - no joke! Within that one day I had gone through about 3 outfits. Using an umbrella was simply futile as what I really needed was an "umbrella-bubble"!
Everyone give out a big cheer and congrats to Angela who graduated from Harvard Law last Thursday - and if you think of it send an encouraging word her way as she continues to study for the Ohio Bar exam in July. Also in July, my Angela will be moving back to our native land of the Buckeyes where she has accepted a job at a legal aid office in Lorain County. It's the end of an era!!! Well... ok, maybe not an era - but close enough. I was talking to Stefan this morning and he said he was sad for us but I told him not to worry because we can never be separated - we will again be roommates someday!!!!
Which brings me to a new topic - as of August 1 I will welcome a new roommate into my life - BREE!!!!!!! Kudos to Bree and her choice of a roommate (he he he). All will be welcome to 4:00 tea-time, Pride and Prejudice movie nights, Bridget Jones Marathons, and the list could go on and on and on. Bree is also going to be preparing for her Master's Recital this semester so good wishes go out to her as well!
Ok... back on track with this past week's happenings. The admissions and advancement offices at Longy are working on some cool projects for Longy's website, among them putting up a podcast where visitors to the site can listen to students talk about Longy. On Friday, 5 of us sat around a table in the recording booth and were "interrogated" for 2.5 hours on why we chose music, longy, our best and worst days at the school, life in Cambridge/Boston and so on and so forth. It was a really great time and we are going to record several more sessions throughout the summer. I'll let all know when the podcast link is up. Hey, if I don't become famous for my instrument, perhaps I'll become famous for my funny stories!!!
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner and baby are our new neighbors!!! Ok... I lie - BUT they are renting a house in Cambridge just around the corner from Harvard Square. Saturday we were celebrating Angela's birthday and later, at a shop next to the cafe we had just left, Michelle came running down the stairs saying "I just saw Ben and Jen and baby!!" I was sadly 30 seconds too late because by the time I made it outside they had either turned the corner or gone inside a store. However, it has been said that it will not be unlikely to see them frequently in Harvard Square.
Last night was the Longy Gala at Symphony Hall. I didn't perform this year - but I did work. It was a lot of fun - and a lot of work. However, dressing up in a cocktail dress and being *charming* is worth a long evening. I even made my debut as a page turner in Boston's Symphony Hall! Brian Moll (chair of the Collaborative Piano Departmant) and Ashley Hall (trumpet - Artist Diploma) performed an incredible (and incredibly FAST) piece. Man - she's so good. Look for her in a year or two or NOW - Ashley Hall, trumpet. In any case - I hope Brian doesn't read this but there were acouple times I was like "OH MY GOSH WHERE IN THE HELL ARE THEY???!!!". I wasn't able to make the rehearsal so I was going into this "page turning debut" quite blindly. Luckily, and by the grace of God, I turned the pages when they needed to be turned and in time. I only had a couple moments of panic attacks... whew...
So, now my life is back to a bit normal. It did not seem like a Monday yesterday because of the gala which means that this week is going to be super super long.
To close out - go see A Prairie Home Companion. It's super cute. The best part of the entire evening was when they made some joke about mid-westerners and the whole lot of us that went burst out laughing to which we realized we were the only row laughing and had just marked ourselves as THE mid-westerners in a nearly packed theatre!
Ciao!
Everyone give out a big cheer and congrats to Angela who graduated from Harvard Law last Thursday - and if you think of it send an encouraging word her way as she continues to study for the Ohio Bar exam in July. Also in July, my Angela will be moving back to our native land of the Buckeyes where she has accepted a job at a legal aid office in Lorain County. It's the end of an era!!! Well... ok, maybe not an era - but close enough. I was talking to Stefan this morning and he said he was sad for us but I told him not to worry because we can never be separated - we will again be roommates someday!!!!
Which brings me to a new topic - as of August 1 I will welcome a new roommate into my life - BREE!!!!!!! Kudos to Bree and her choice of a roommate (he he he). All will be welcome to 4:00 tea-time, Pride and Prejudice movie nights, Bridget Jones Marathons, and the list could go on and on and on. Bree is also going to be preparing for her Master's Recital this semester so good wishes go out to her as well!
Ok... back on track with this past week's happenings. The admissions and advancement offices at Longy are working on some cool projects for Longy's website, among them putting up a podcast where visitors to the site can listen to students talk about Longy. On Friday, 5 of us sat around a table in the recording booth and were "interrogated" for 2.5 hours on why we chose music, longy, our best and worst days at the school, life in Cambridge/Boston and so on and so forth. It was a really great time and we are going to record several more sessions throughout the summer. I'll let all know when the podcast link is up. Hey, if I don't become famous for my instrument, perhaps I'll become famous for my funny stories!!!
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner and baby are our new neighbors!!! Ok... I lie - BUT they are renting a house in Cambridge just around the corner from Harvard Square. Saturday we were celebrating Angela's birthday and later, at a shop next to the cafe we had just left, Michelle came running down the stairs saying "I just saw Ben and Jen and baby!!" I was sadly 30 seconds too late because by the time I made it outside they had either turned the corner or gone inside a store. However, it has been said that it will not be unlikely to see them frequently in Harvard Square.
Last night was the Longy Gala at Symphony Hall. I didn't perform this year - but I did work. It was a lot of fun - and a lot of work. However, dressing up in a cocktail dress and being *charming* is worth a long evening. I even made my debut as a page turner in Boston's Symphony Hall! Brian Moll (chair of the Collaborative Piano Departmant) and Ashley Hall (trumpet - Artist Diploma) performed an incredible (and incredibly FAST) piece. Man - she's so good. Look for her in a year or two or NOW - Ashley Hall, trumpet. In any case - I hope Brian doesn't read this but there were acouple times I was like "OH MY GOSH WHERE IN THE HELL ARE THEY???!!!". I wasn't able to make the rehearsal so I was going into this "page turning debut" quite blindly. Luckily, and by the grace of God, I turned the pages when they needed to be turned and in time. I only had a couple moments of panic attacks... whew...
So, now my life is back to a bit normal. It did not seem like a Monday yesterday because of the gala which means that this week is going to be super super long.
To close out - go see A Prairie Home Companion. It's super cute. The best part of the entire evening was when they made some joke about mid-westerners and the whole lot of us that went burst out laughing to which we realized we were the only row laughing and had just marked ourselves as THE mid-westerners in a nearly packed theatre!
Ciao!
Monday, June 05, 2006
Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths
Enwrought with golden and silver light
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
~William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)
Enwrought with golden and silver light
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
~William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Monday the girls and I (Angela, Michelle, Bree, and Naoko) took a road trip up to Amesbury to Jayne's house for a studio party/cookout. We spent the later afternoon playing croquet, eating, playing Kubb, more eating, and then a rousing game of Pounce and Apples to Apples. The weather was gorgeous and the company fantastic. Jayne definetely needs to host more parties! :-P
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
God is gone up with a triumphant shout!
The Lord with sounding trumpets melodies:
sing praise, sing praises out unto our King,
sing praise seraphic-wise!
Lift up your heads, ye lasting doors, they sing,
and let the King of Glory enter in.
Methinks I see Heaven's sparkling courtiers fly
in flakes of glory down him to attend,
and hear heart-cramping notes of melody
surrounding his chariot as it did ascend;
mixing their music and making ev'ry string
more to enravish as they this tune sing.
- Text by Edward Taylor (1647-1729)
from "Sacramental Meditations"
The Lord with sounding trumpets melodies:
sing praise, sing praises out unto our King,
sing praise seraphic-wise!
Lift up your heads, ye lasting doors, they sing,
and let the King of Glory enter in.
Methinks I see Heaven's sparkling courtiers fly
in flakes of glory down him to attend,
and hear heart-cramping notes of melody
surrounding his chariot as it did ascend;
mixing their music and making ev'ry string
more to enravish as they this tune sing.
- Text by Edward Taylor (1647-1729)
from "Sacramental Meditations"
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
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