Merry Christmas From The Christians

After 8 straight days of rain, it is hard to believe that last Monday it was 82 degrees at Disneyland where Bob and I posed for our Christmas picture:

May the peace that surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds and bless you richly this holiday season.

How I'm Spending My Holiday Dollars

Thanks to friend Darleene Powells at The Wedding Decorator Blog, Karen Robes-Meeks, a friend of Darleene's, included me in a piece she wrote for the Long Beach Press Telegram featuring this picture by staff photog Stephen Carr:

Bob and I have already made our Cambria reservations (see the article for details about why we're going there).

Idina Menzel

Wow. What a talent, and so nice. Love playing with her!

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Fun Work Call

Just got a work call for Idena Menzel's concert at the Orange County Performing Arts Center on Sunday, November 7 at 3:00pm.

Many of you will know her as Elphaba, the green witch in Wicked:



I loved her as the girlfriend in "Enchanted":



As always, I am so tickled to be a small part of a performance of a musical hero of mine, and very, very grateful for the work.

Overcoming Fear

A large part of my job is facing fear and overcoming it. I've worked for years to calmly assess my flute playing in the midst of fearful circumstances and make corrections on the fly without collapsing into a quivering mass of nerves. It hasn't been until recently, however, that I started taking an inventory on the everyday things that I fear.

I fear parties, so I have forced myself to go and MINGLE (I'd prefer a quiet night at home with my husband, or a corner where I can hide sit and observe at a safe distance).

I fear math, so I forced myself to learn Sudoku and not freak out over it. I can do medium puzzles with no problem now. I don't really care to hurt myself on the hard ones.

I fear, no, LOATH shopping for clothes, so I force myself to go WITH AN OPEN MIND and try things on that I might not like at first. If I don't find something on the first try, I force myself to keep trying. I'm getting better, but I still hate shopping for clothes.

One of the biggest fears that I nursed for decades was the fear of knitting. I can crochet with no problem, and enjoy it immensely. When it came to knitting, though, I gave up after multiple attempts that ended in dismal failure.

After repeatedly turning a blind eye to the "K" word, I realized that I had ignored the elephant in the living room long enough. I was going to gird my loins and plunge into the knitting arena.

Thank God for YouTube. After just a little searching, I found numerous basic instruction videos. It was then that I discovered that I was not stupid, I was just wrapping my yarn incorrectly when I purled. After that simple correction, I was suddenly able to knit rows of the kind of even stitches that I had secretly been longing to produce for years.

Here are some of my summer projects:

Easy Lace Scarf

Ribs and Ruffles Scarf

Heaven Sent Baby Blanket

Another Easy Lace Scarf

Drop Stitch Scarf

Seeded Rib Scarf

I am still fearful of dropped stitches, have started and re-started projects, and ripped out a good number of rows. I am finding, however, that knitting simple patterns is soothing and comforting. I love the feel of the (pricey) fibers and the beautiful results. I am learning to let small imperfections remain as a hallmark of a handmade product.

Overcoming fear. I'm working on it...

Back At It

Surgery recovery has been slower than originally anticipated due to multiple incisions after the laparoscopy turned into an abdominal incision.  All is well, but 3 weeks later I'm still limited in my activities.

I lasted through the 4 hours of flute auditions at APU yesterday, and am planning on teaching Flute Choir tomorrow afternoon.  Then I'm hitting the bed until lessons start next week.

I'll keep you posted.

Muni Band Flute Section - A Different View

The Long Beach City Council met today for round two of Municipal Band budget talks. As I lay in the hospital recovering from this morning's surgery, I wondered how things were progressing. I was really tickled, then, when fellow Muni Band flutists Patti and Eileen stopped by to bring official tidings and a get well balloon. To hear tell, it was another emotionally charged scene. When I recover a bit more, I'll watch the video online. Meanwhile, I'll remember the emotion and joy my two lovely colleagues brought with them. Thank you, friends!

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