2011 Wrap up!!!

Hello!! I just thought I jot down some memories for myself in 2011. I tried to categorize them into different segments of my life.....Happy New Year!

MUSIC
Music seemed to be everywhere in my life in 2011!! Lifestyle changes seemed to give way for more frequent jam sessions, rehearsals, and post-concert parties in our home….whether it be “Moon Rock” grade schoolers banging on drums and pianos, or a post-concert jam of seasoned musicians…you never needed to put on the radio, as live music somehow was channeled within our 4 walls. So when it came time to discuss whether to have the legendary annual music party, Bob declined citing that he was content hosting more intimate gatherings of musicians.
Other musical highlights include:

- Jam session at the Kingston Rondout with Bob and Alan and his good friends Mimi & Earle....how funny that another 5 year old spontaneously pulls out a uke and jams with Alan on stage!!

- The Old Songs festival with Bob and Alan!! Alan and I performed on the main stage as part of the Jug Band! Meeting so many new people each year!!

- Alan meeting Pete Seeger and playing on stage with him with the other children.

- Listening to Bob play music in the evenings as we relax after a busy day. Instruments come and go, but my favorite is when he plays the Martin.

- Listening to Alan compose music….whether it be something he writes for his bus driver, or when he vents on his drums about having to brush his teeth.

- The Sea Chantey rehearsals in the downstairs music room, and the joy I have in serving them homemade apple pie or chocolate cake ……I loved having Alan snuggle with me on the futon as they practiced their songs!

- The Saint Patrick’s Day!! I wish I had my camera as Alan charmed the waitstaff at the Holiday Inn with his guitar!! And then the parade with the Folkloric band!! Is there anyone as jovial as Jim?

- This Holiday was filled with music, from the Nowell We Sing concert, to the Santa Train Run, to the special night with the sea chantey folks and friends.


HERITAGE FOLK MUSIC
It was a great year for HFM!!!! We have a core group of dedicated volunteers, raised money for our 2011 concerts and we are ready to kick off 2011! For me, I am still feeling the excitement of the Hootenanny!!! I also enjoyed the after party concerts we would host at our place….most memorable…3 Rix and Joe Hickerson.


SPIRITUALITY
Though I was ambivalent at first, the consistent empathy and support of the Unitarian Universalist community embraced me in a manner that energized my spirit in a way that no other religious organization has before. Examples in 2011: Reverend Linda sharing a tender moment with Alan after he had a nightmare about “bad heaven”; The Helgers family watching Alan after school for two weeks when my regular babysitter was on vacation….. Bob playing the Hindustani slide guitar at Reverend Linda’s wedding…..Paula bonding with Alan and stopping by his “craft sale”, (his only customer)…

In addition, the membership trusted me with several new roles this year….Communications Chair, newsletter editor and Interim transitions team member….Also exciting was serving as the pulpit partner with Reverend Jan!! She is our interim minister, and I have said this before…I gravitate towards leaders who utilize the relational approach to leadership…it’s a style that takes courage and a foundation of trust. Our minister is dedicated to “shared ministry,” and that combined with finding value and meaning in all religions, my membership at the UUCC blossomed!!

Other important religious experiences this year: Experiencing the openness of the Hindu Community with Bob and Alan, starting the practice of evening prayers, hearing Alan say grace at dinner…..volunteering at a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving… and --- when you live with a five year old, even building a fairy house in the back yard can be a spiritual experience (another favorite memory of 2011)!!!


FAMILY
Bob, Alan and I started our second year living in our home. We are officially “moved in!” All of our big projects had been accomplished in our first year, and our biggest challenge is space. Instruments continue to multiply, but that is a good thing and very much encouraged here!

Our family garden flourished with tomatoes, squash, cilantro, and flowers. Also miraculous is our magical sunflower garden which appeared underneath our birdhouse a few weeks after the one I planted alongside the house perished.

Bob’s music career in his retirement continued to grow. He had regular gigs at Tastebuds and Inquiring Minds. I am also proud that he was hired by a cruise company this fall, and had several new gigs including Mohonk.

We had a family trip to Arizona (and one with just me and Alan at Xmas)…..and also enjoyed a vacation at Old Songs.

Alan started Kindergarten!! It was a toss up between Saugerties and Rhinebeck, and just like we did with preschool, we toured classrooms, had meetings with school officials, as if we were seeking a college!!! We chose Rhinebeck!!! Very happy with this!! Alan continues to grow and grow, and is the tallest Kindergartner in the Hudson Valley!!! He participated in T-Ball this summer, then had swimming lessons at the YMCA, and just started Karate (already has a red stripe on his belt).

Suzanne moved to NYC! We are proud that she completed a master training program at Dharma!! This year, she is teaching 2nd grade instead of 4th and seems to really enjoy it.

CAREER - As for me, I love working for Dutchess!!! Had a great year!! College Night was a success!!! I taught Into into the Liberal Arts, and continue to enjoy working with students from such a diverse background! Love making road trips to the schools and interacting with parents!!! While the commute is long, I am not opposed to moving across the river. It's still a few years away, but I can see that coming!

Thursday, July 15 - evening update

AFTER WORK: Raced over to Karen and crew (that fab uucc fam), and Alan was swimming with the 17 year-old son. Boy what an interesting kid!!! Such a great combination of creativity, approachability...he is oozing with sweetness (as is his sister!) Actually the whole family!!! Not only do they let him swim and play all of their instruments, but today they did a craft with him and presented it to me!!! HOW SWEET!!! God they are definitely special and I will always be grateful!!

THEN.....

Raced over to the YMCA for Alan's swimming lessons - actually kept Alan in his bathing suit from Karen's and we made it with 5 minutes to spare!!! He jumped off the deep end of the pool 2 times, and did an awesome job "scooping ice cream" and "making circles!!!

THEN.....Alan left with his Dad, and I approached my second job (Library) on an empty stomach. LUCKILY, it was only a 90 minute meeting, and I am home now with some pasta boiling in the water!!!! It was a LONG DAY!!!

Feeling grounded and focused, but a little on the tired side. Looking forward to wrapping up the week! Hopefully a family trip to ZOOM FLUME!

Too Early!! (with updates)

A great afternoon off with a planting spree must have tired me out. Crashed early - had to be REAL EARLY as I awoke at 3am!!!! This is not good!! I need the rest as today will be a busy day....work, swimming lessons, then a Kingston Library board meeting....I'll be on the go pretty much all day. But I'll enjoy it. Just need to pace myself. I'll come home and crash!!!

Things to do this morning:
- Gather the library things including that recorder which I currently missplaced!!
- Bathing suit/towel for Alan
- Alan's lunch
- I'll be eating all meals on the road today...breakfast and lunch are already at work. I may need to pack a dinner...
-Check plants and garden.....

My weekend is also pretty booked, so the next hour may be my only quiet time :)

UPDATE: 6:26AM - Fell back to sleep around 4:45, and was awakened by obnoxious alarm - I am usually awake before that peircing sound!!!! Anyway, still out of sorts, I botched the coffee this morning. First I forgot to put water in it, Duh! Then, something happened and it all clogged up. Had to start over, but there is no more caffienated coffee!!! :( GRRRRR ALso add to the list: Feed fish and birds :) That will make me smile! Maybe more updates later too!!! :)

UPDATE: 6:57AM - Just came back from feeding birds! Ended up weeding (without gloves, since this was spontanteous!!! Veggie garden is THRIVING!! Lots of tomatoes, 2 peppers, 2 cukes....squash still flowering...basil, cilantro, lettuce....And we have about 3 carrots still working it. Nice to spend time there (albiet 5 minutes....and now at 7AM, officially time to get ready!!! Oh, shooed a black cat out of the garage just now and had to investigate a beeping sound in the laundry room.....so much!!! Smile :)

Treated myself to new garden flowers!!!

love a lazy night

Indulged in a much needed lazy night where I did not cook or clean. Out to eat with my boy which I very much enjoyed!

Good day all around!!

Just more....

Not sure when it is age appropriate to start using math-addition flashcards, but with my five-year-old, we started this "math story" last night. I am actually surprised at this, since he seems to have a deeper preference for the creative, but he does have this intense curiosity to know things, and it clicked with me recently to start this "number story". The last month, he really was into counting his "stickers", counting numbers of strings on his instruments, counting the number of songs on his CD, and most recently he wants to know how deep the various pools and lakes are (so he can know if he can touch). He also told me a week ago that his favorite number is "12".

So all this numbers talk was my lead in last night with the flashcards (which I found when cleaning his room buried under unused car toys). I took out the first flash card, and said, "if the Saugerties beach starts out at 6 feet, and you go a little further and it's 2 feet deeper, then what is 6 + 2. The kid caught on right away. He even got 9 +7 !!! (He used his fingers and toes to count, but some of them you can see his rote memory at work for the easier ones like 6 + 6, etc.) I am so amazed at this, and I am thinking that something really was learned last night as he made connections with numbers in real life situations. Left Brained AND Right Brained. Maybe he'll INVENT an instrument!!! I think that this stage however is normal for children to start counting, etc. I know most children at this age are starting to read too. I have had some challenges with Alan with wanting to read books, or have me read to him. He would rather write them (which we did over the weekend to "Billy and Apple"). This child is exhausting!!!

All positive reports from the school. I didn't talk with the teacher today, but the book indicated that he invented two games that he played with two new friends. The UUCC family began their caretaking of Alan after school, and he LOVED IT, and THEY LOVED HIM!! When I picked him up, he was playing their piano, and wanted to stay longer. The family adored him!

Then we came home, and I admit to just making a simple dinner tonight. Bob was coming home late, so we did a quick dinner, and made it to the beach in time for a pre-bedtime swim. I am posting this pretty early on Tuesday!!! Have a busy day!!!

Oh, and a quick word about my sunflower garden. NOW ALL OF THE LEAVES are eaten. On Wednesday after work, I will purchase some already grown ones as a gift to myself and will plant them!!!

ONE MORE THING, my friend just posted this on facebook, and I like it. She posts daily quotes......

"The value of compassion cannot be over-emphasized. Anyone can criticize. It takes a true believer to be compassionate. No greater burden can be borne by an individual than to know no one cares or understands." Arthur H. Stainback

Caio Bella

Social Sunday

My favorite thing to do in life is to entertain at my home and cook for my friends...whether it be a child-friendly playdate, or special gathering...(remember my dream of a B&B!) Anyway, tonight, we just hosted the sea chantey group starting with a great BBQ including coconut shrimp, steak, corn on the cob, salad and pasta....I made my specialty drink...lemonade with selzer with fresh mint from the garden....homemade blueberry/peach crisp for dessert....I always think its fun to make dessert in the presence of company as a special way to bond with people, sharing the love....good thing I did this, because I received some good advice....cook the crisp with the peach skins ON!!! Oh, was it delicious!!!

After dinner/dessert....the music started, and we played lots of great tunes. Love having live music in my home, especially the sea chantey folks. They are such a dedicated group who meets regularly to rehearse....such interesting folks. It was great to get to know them better!!!

Food, friends, family, music...what else? How about spirituality...One of the best sermon's ever by Rev. Linda. Because it was her last one before she moves on to the next phase of her life, the place was packed!!! What an impressive person and she will be missed!

I should have made double the amount of sandwiches!!! (Yes it was my turn to make sandwiches for after service). I made turkey, monteray jack cheese sandwiches with cranberry sauce, lettuce...and WALNUTS!! They were gone in a matter of 5 minutes!!!

ANYWAY, have a big week planned!!! Need to get ready for tomorrow!! All is good tonight, and I am grateful!