Prayers

Please be in prayer about several things:

That Steve Godbold would be released. He is a missionary in Chad who was kidnapped in October.

That my Mom's broken hand would heal quickly.

That the problem with Ky's class would be favorably resolved.

That things will work out for the best involving my upcoming recital--or not.

Most of all, please pray that God's will is done in each situation. I guess I don't want specifics prayed for, just that God would intervene and work things out according to his plan. In each situation, I feel helpless!

Thanks!

Getting older!

Happy Birthday to Ky! I didn't want to post this on her birthday so I will now. I love you!

Ma

Fun Day

Yesterday was a lot of fun. All three of us went to Ikea! It never disappoints, but it always disappoints. It is a cool place and you'd have to go there to understand my last couple of sentences.

DDD (aka Ky) LOVES to go to Ikea, as do I, but it is located down south of the Washington DC metro area and there is no easy way to get there. Ky had received a new GPS from Santa (since she'll be driving off on her own to college soon) and we decided to try it out. We basically just ignored it as long as we knew the way and only used it at the end because it was determined to get us on I-95. Of course, it told us we had arrived about a half mile early, but by that time, I knew where we were and could guide us the rest of the way. Weird. On the way back, it took us WAAAAY out of the way. Probably because we were preoccupied ignoring it!

We found a kitchen table and chairs we like. We had to assemble them at home, but we did quite well. The table is a translucent glass with a green tint to it--the Coca-Cola bottle green tint. We had been painting the house, but stopped halfway through the kitchen. The walls used to be a pale pink and one is now a pale battleship gray. Now, the green table makes the gray look icky. Gotta rethink the gray. Maybe pink again? I don't know. We have some accent walls throughout the rest of the house. They are navy blue and maroon. I wish I had any type of gift with colors, but I definitely don't. The green and gray are driving me crazy, though.

Well, hope the end of 2007 keeps everyone safe and sound and the beginning of 2008 is peaceful.

Messiah

Hooray! It is over! The Messiah went quite well on Sunday afternoon. I felt good about my solos and although there were fewer people there this year than last, it was fun. I seldom have anyone from where I live come to hear me, but many of the people in the church choir with whom I toured in Europe in 2006 come out and it gives us a chance to keep up with each other.

My dear husband drove me downtown and that made the whole thing more special. The weather wasn't very good, but we had been projected to have snow/sleet/ice and having cold wind gusts only was not too bad in comparison.

In other singing-type news, my recital has been moved to February. This time, I'm ready, but two others are not. I guess we can always use time to practice, but it resets my practice. I'll have to change up things a little--can't do the Christmas duet I had planned to do--have to work up another one. I guess we'll have time :-l

Ramblings again

TIme is flying by! Tomorrow is the Messiah downtown. Tonight, we are supposed to get that double storm. Fortunately, the temperature has been above freezing for quite a while, so although it is cold, nothing is freezing. I hope that keeps up. I don't like to drive downtown, especially if, once I get there, I have to sing. I generally take a bus and the subway. The church I sing at is about equidistant from two Metro stops. It is about a fifteen minute walk regardless. Tomorrow it is supposed to be really raining hard, so I guess I'll wear one outfit and carry my performance outfit. Just keep praying for the weather to be above freezing!

Musical Ramblings...

Things are moving right along...

I have a recital coming up. I think it is January 12. One of the three tenors with whom I'll sing has asked me to sing a duet with him. It is actually a soprano/mezzo duet--The Flower Duet from Delibes' opera Lakme, and I'm not sure how it will sound. We'll see. I have always wanted to do that song, but he has only just ordered the music. Do you notice what I just said? I haven't seen the music, so I haven't even worked on it. Ever. I still have my other songs to work on.

I am already scheduled to do a duet with another tenor, but it is a Christmas duet, so we may have to think that through. We've never sung that duet together, either. We sang a wonderful duet together once, but I don't know if it was wonderful to hear. We had practiced the music separately, but never together. Never until we got out on the stage. I have a DVD of that performance and when I look at myself, I think, "Was I that nervous?" I guess I had good reason to be.

On another note, my lessons both this week and last, centered around Rejoice Greatly by Handel. I love the sentiment of the song, but hate singing it. I sang it for the first time just before last Christmas in a freebie sing-along with the Capitol Hill Chorale and DC Church of the Reformation. The building was packed. This song is not so special except that you need three lungs to sing it. I hated it last year and as soon as that performance was over, I deleted it from everything I had. I sang all the soprano solos, but Rejoice is the only one I despise. The others are easy. I thought I was in the clear this year until just about three weeks ago when my teacher asked if I'd sing it again for them. Ugh. It is one of those things you do when you feel like you need to, not because you want to.

I've sung all my life, but never took lessons until about four and a half years ago. My teacher is an amazing musician and is willing to put up with my quirks. Like when I sing something and then add: "I hate that!!" or when I tell him I am done and I won't ever sing again because I am so frustrated. He pushes and prods when he needs to and then strokes my ego when I need that. He has a piano concert a week from tonight that I'd like to hear. He sits behind the piano and it seems like there are no wrong notes on it. His hands fly across the keys and he laughs a little as he plays. It is obvious that he was born to play the piano. I hear him play a lot, but I could always listen to more. I think the reason I am singing Rejoice is because I had so much fun doing the sing along last year. I got there early and he was up on the stage of the sanctuary practicing the organ. I turned the pages for him and sometimes, when I'd turn a page, he'd say, "Oh, no! The next piece has to be done on the piano!" So that was my cue to move out of the way, as I was in between the organ and the piano. It was funny. Okay, I guess I enjoyed it some.

So, wish me luck. I have a lot to work on in the next two weeks.