30th Birthday

What a blessing to spend my 30th birthday (yes THIRTY - AGHHHHH) with these people - and the fun continues next weekend!!! :))))))))))))

A short posting.
I'm back online!
My new computer came yesterday!
I'll post more soon. :-)

Choir Camp 2007

The gang at home

I'm back from the land of the Buckeye! It was a whirlwind of excitement and absolute exhaustion but full of lots of happy moments. I apologize to those you I didn't get to see while I was at home. I was in Columbus for only a week before I went up to my parents and during the day I was at choir camp and in the evenings I was either sleeping or trying to catch up with as many people as I could.
This year's choir camp was brillant! It was disappointing in the fact that our numbers were very much down this year due to family vacations and unexpected family members coming to visit - but the kids we did have were so much fun, excited about singing, and learning about God. This year's theme was Children Go Where I Send Thee: The Great Commission. All music (choir anthems and hymns), projects and presentations had to do with spreading the Gospel. Brian also wrote an anthem for our choristers to learn and they loved it! They also loved getting to work with him at the end of the week. I'll try and post video from their dress rehearsal of them singing the piece.
Saturday evening I got to spend some time almost the entire gang (minus the Chizmars and Helmuths). The kids are all growing so big and it was really great to spend time with all these people who I hold dear to my heart all year long, but rarely get to see. It's good to know that some things never change. :-)
I'm back now and relaxing this weekend before I officially start at Longy on Monday morning. And the singing and rehearsing never stops. I have a concert on Wednesday, the 29th at Boston College so I have several rehearsals this week for that. Michelle and Shadi and I are trying to form a trio as well and have got some rehearsing to do in the upcoming weeks too. Oh, and George (guitar) wants to do some pieces for soprano and guitar. So yeh, it never ends!!!! :)
Earlier today and I got to meet up with a blast from the past. Paul Tipton was singing at Trinity in Copley Square and afterwards we had lunch together. It was great to catch up. To those of you who remember Paul (raptor man!), he sounds amazing!

Tonight we went and saw the movie Once. It's one of the best movies I've seen in a very long time. Hurry and go see it before it's out of theatres!!!

In other news, I was running a long run yesterday and ran into a Turkey. Yes. A turkey. In downtown Cambridge, right by MIT and right before the Longfellow Bridge. Not a normal place for a turkey to be AT ALL. I was in runner's zone when I passed by it and at first I thought "Was that a turkey? No. It had to be a very large goose." I stopped and turned around and indeed it was a turkey. I was so baffled by this wild animal being where it was that all I could do was stand there. I looked around looking at all the people that were in the area and no one else seemed to be in amazement nor did they seem to think it was out of place - at least they didn't act like it. I kept waiting for someone to say "Oh... don't worry that's my PET turkey." or even better some camera crew to come out and say "You're on Candid Camera!" Finally this guy was walkig towards me and had the same reaction I did. Then a couple walking behind him stopped and said "That's not normal!" To which I said "Thank you!!" I was just relieved that someone else also thought it was strange to see a big ol' turkey in the heart of the city. That's all I wanted.

Mid-summer musings, visitors, and a new job

I don't even know where to begin. I feel like the past 3 weeks have a been a blur. A blur and mix of emotions, having loads of fun, self-examination, transition, and more fun. (fun is a very important thing!) It's also already almost the end of July which I cannot believe and I keep thinking how it is that the summer can go so fast!

Let's start with the big news. I officially have a job for the year starting August 20. I'm already currently working part-time in the job as the person I took over for has moved into her new position - but the full time status will begin when I return from Ohio. My new job is the Operation's Manager of Institutional Advancement at Longy. My job will be to oversee "effective functioning of the Advancement office" (scheduling meetings, keeping department calendar, ordering supplies... etc.), oversee events that include the Board of Trustees, Board of Visitors and any major donors, monitor the department budget, coordinate the yearly budgeting process, coordinate donor stewardship, assist with production of special presentations and projects, supervise the administrative assistant, student office and events workers. Whew. If you didn't follow any of that that's ok because I'm still not sure I do. In other words - I'm going to be very busy and how on earth am I going to find time to practice???? As my co-worker, Chris, said: "Rachael, you're the new puppet master of the IA Department!" No pressure, right??
My last day at Harvard is next Wednesday and I'm a little sad. I've been here for 3 years now and I've made some teriffic friends, was a job out of the music scene (which I think provided some sanity during the past 3 years), and is a place where I'm just so comfortable.

This summer has been great! I'm still increasingly overwhelmed with the gift and blessings of friendships. Late night chats, playing tennis, running, games, cooking, beach fun, movies, general craziness. Friends that give so much value to life.

Two weeks ago my brother and his buddy Tige came for a 4 day visit and then last week Jason, Aubrey, Aria, and Liam came to visit for a few days as well. Both weeks were awesome and so much fun. I've included pictures below. Now the house is quiet and I'm not sure what to do with myself. I think Michelle and I are FINALLY going to see Harry Potter this evening! WHOOT WHOOT!!!!!!

Choir Camp starts in less than two weeks and we are almost ready. Thank God for Chris who has been doing so much work on her end. The music is ordered, Brian's composing away for our commissioned anthem, and we've got some new kids this year. I can't wait to see my old kiddos - it's always a great reunion and they make me smile. The things they remember from summer to summer amazes me.

Just down the street from me (literally) at Sanders Theatre Denzel Washington has been filming his new movie, "The Great Debators". It's set in 1935 so there have been all these extras wandering around in 1930's costumes etc. There are several tents set up in that part of campus where they are doing all the make-up and hair. It's very surreal to walk through because I feel a bit out of place with my hair down, my bare legs in flip flops, and a cute little skirt - it's like I'm in the 1930's but visiting from the future. It's also weird to walk past these people dressed up in costume wandering around outside talking on the cell phone. It just doesn't belong! lol

I travel to Columbus on the 4th. Anyone want to make the drive with me? Pretty please? :-)

Ashley and I made a DELICIOUS post-tennis meail the other night. The burgers are a variation on a Cooking Light recipe and the Watermelon-Cucumber salad comes from Ashley.

Southwestern Turkey-Cheddar Burgers

1 - 1.5 lb ground turkey
1/3 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 tsps. chile powder
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Mix together, form into burger patties, and grill!

We also added a slice of sharp cheddar cheese and slices of avocado to the burger. MMMMMMMM

Watermelon-Cucumber Salad

Watermelon
Cucumber
Crumbled feta cheese
Balsamic Vinegar

Cut up the Watermelon and Cucumber - put in bowl. Add feta cheese. Mix.
Individuals may sprinkle desired amount of the Balsamic Vinegar on own servings.
It sounds like a strange combination - but it's SO good and surprisingly refreshing.

Harvard Square turns into Hogwart's Square

Harry Potter Gals



With Harry Potter. Check out the scar - Aunt Rachael did that!



We're going to cast a spell on you!



Aria took the following pics:





Aubrey, Jason, Aria and Liam



Aubrey and Aria



Sooooooooooooooooo hungry!

Day at the Beach

Playing tag with Michelle



Airplane!



Burying Aria



It's Liam's turn!





DADDY!

Views from Ashley's Rooftop





A gelato/pastry break from Modern Pastry in the North End





I'm not related to him - nope, don't even look like him!



Michelle's so goofy



Legal Seafood-ing it; except I Legal Poultry-d it!



The airplanes were so close!



Jonathan and Tige - ocean fun!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAREN AND BRIAN!!!!!!



About 6 weeks ago Ashley and I started a tradition of going to Ben and Jerry's once a week for an ice cream/sundae/shake or whatever. Ashley has a Ben and Jerry's booklet of coupons that are mostly all "Buy One, Get One Free" and several with a discount off of certain purchases. The booklet expires at the end of July so we made a pact that we were going to use as many coupons as we could (but only going once a week and always after a tennis match). One of the coupons is a discount off of an ice cream cake and we were trying to think of people we knew who had a birthday in July. The only two people we could think of were Karen and Brian - but they are both out of town until August. We decided that we would use the coupon and get an ice cream cake and celebrate with them in absentia!
So tonight (we had to celebrate a night early) we made our way to Ben and Jerry's in Harvard Square only to discover that they don't sell ice cream cakes!!! We came back to the apartment and went online to see what Ben & Jerry's in the area did sell ice cream cakes. Newbury Street. Out the door we bounded and into the car for a field trip to Newbury Street. We bought a 1/2 cookie dough 1/2 fudge brownie ice cream cake - unfortunetely we did not have enough room on the cake for them to write "Happy Birthday Karen and Brian" so we just had their names put on it.
I love summer!!!
Thanks Karen and Brian for having a birthday before the end of July!!! :)It's possible that there will still be some cake left by the time you come back!
Can't wait to see you both very soon in OH-IO!! xxxx



It's not the best singing in the world - but sometimes it's a little bit fun to not sing pretty!!

I just read and highly recommend the book Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren F. Winner. It was an insightful and enriching book on the Christian faith and how it can possibly be enriched with eleven spiritual practices from Judaism.
The author converted from Orthodox Judaism to Christianity many years ago, but misses a lot of the traditions and spiritual practices within the Jewish faith. In this book she chooses 11 of these practices and traditions which she feels can crossover into Christianity and help Christians enrich our own faith and practice. Chapters range from topics such as the Sabbath, mourning, prayer, aging, fasting, hospitality, and weddings.
One of my favorite chapters (although, I loved them all and had several 'ah-hah' moments) was the one on Hospitality in which Winner states:

"Christians and Jews hold in common one theological basis for hospitality: Creation. Creation is the ultimate expression of God's hospitality to His creatures. In the words of one rabbi, everything God created is a "manifestation of His kindness. [The] world is one big hospitality inn." As church historian Amy Oden has put it, "God offers hospitality to all humanity... by establishing a home...for all." To invite people into our homes is to respond with gratitude to the God who made a home for us."

"In the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, we find another resource for hospitality. The Trinity shows God in relationship with Himself. Our Three-in-One God has welcomed us into Himself and invited us to participate in divine life. And so the invitation that we as Christians extend to one another is not simply an invitation into our homes or to our tables; what we ask of other people is that they enter our lives."

and

"God's creation gives us a model for making and sharing homes with people, but the reality of God's Trinitarian life suggests that Christian hospitality goes further than that. We are not meant simply to invite people into our homes, but also to invite them into our lives. Having guests and visitors, if we do it right, is not an imposition, because we are not meant to rearrange our lives for our guests - we are meant to invite our guests to enter our lives as they are. It is this forging of relationships that transforms entertaining into hospitality."

So - I just plagarized a whole lot (however, I have stated who the author is, what book it comes from and put everything in quotations - does this count?). Something about these passages within in this chapter really struck me. How God's hospitality to us is His creation - the land and landscape. Sky and sea. Trees, flowers and creatures. I've always known and believed that we are called to preserve and conserve the earth and all of his creation and that it is a gift to us but never as hospitality.
In addition, how many times do we invite people over because we enjoy entertaining, or because we're bored, or because it's just nice to have people over and have fun or quality time. These are all good and valid reasons to "hang out" with our friends and loved ones and even newcomers. But to think of it as being about hospitality and the sharing of our lives together puts a slightly new spin on it.It calls for thinking of these gatherings of friends and family more deeply and more meaningfully - even if it is just a game night or movie night - and because we are inviting them into our lives and not just our physical home! Don't mind me - I'm just chatting away here...
So that's just an example of a topic in this book - but there's so much more. Go out and get a copy today! (so cheesey I know!)