Family Visit

A little over a week ago, Glenn and Cathy came down to Louisville to visit. They walked around campus, told us stories of when they were here, saw the changes that have been made (the cafeteria has been renovated at least twice), and had some good reconnecting time. It's pretty encouraging to talk with people who have been through seminary ...especially when we don't equate them with seminary. They're just close family.

I've been meaning to take pictures to show everyone back in Oxford and beyond, but kept forgetting. I even forgot to bring it when we went walking around with Glenn and Cathy. So a couple of days later, when it started out sunny and then got dreary, I took the camera and just shot stuff that sticks out to me on a daily walk. So here they are... (click on the image to enlarge)

Look familiar?


The clock tower that usually chimes to tell me I'm just a little bit late for my 8am class.


The building that 90% of my classes are in.


Founder's Cafe: They have terrible coffee, but they have GREAT food and a real fireplace that keeps me warm while studying or meeting with people.


Little bits of Miami all in one: Study area, post office, convenient store, ATM, and copy center (like Kinko's) all in one little area... with room to spare.



Our new cafeteria




Cute little Narnian nook that Cathy said leads to the fall-out shelter




Can any of you Greek buffs tell me what this says?


sled hill


Our apartment complex

Eric Update V

ERIC IS NOW EMPLOYED!!! YAY! He will be starting this Monday in working with acquisitions and cataloging for the Seminary Library. He seems to be pretty excited about the job, both because he'll be working with books and because he's already connected with some of the people there.

We just had to be a little patient, and God gave us what we needed. He didn't even let us get all that nervous this time. yay!

sLeEp...

Have you ever been going about your day and all you can think of is sleep? Your eyes are heavy, muscles limp, and yet you still have to get through the day. The day before yesterday was like that. The only problem was, at the end of the day when I was about to get to go to bed, I woke up. It had been a dream, and my alarm was going to go off in 5 minutes. I really need good sleep. Reminds me of a Riley Armstrong song... ;-)

Eric update IV

There are three new jobs up for grabs at seminary. So, Eric has now applied for 4-5 positions there. Keep those prayers up!

from "Life Together"

(revised: 9-17-06 10:25am)

Every now and then, I come across something really cool in my readings. This is time I wanted to share...

"Only he who gives thanks for little things receives the big things. We prevent God fron giving us the great spiritual gifts He has in store for us, because we do not give thanks for daily gifts. We think we dare not be satisfied with the small measure of spiritual knowledge, experience, and love that has been given to us, and that we must constantly be looking forward eagerly for the hightest good....

...Just as the Christian should not be constantly feeling his spiritual pulse, so, too, the Christian community has not been given to us by God for us to be constantly taking its temperature. The more thankfully we daily receive what is given to us, the more surely and steadily will fellowship increase and grow from day to day as God pleases." ---Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." ---Matthew 6:34

Any thoughts?

care package

(Click on a a picture to zoom in.)

...in memory of Eric's ruined pants due to the catching disease indigenous to our church, "veritis".

Eric and I have an awesome family. Thank you, Veritas!
We love and miss you all.

Eric update III

YAY! Eric has finally updated his blog! Click here to view it.

Our new church, Sojourn (click here for their site)

We have now twice gone to Sojourn community which meets 5:o0 pm on Sunday evenings. This is odd for our schedule not because it isn't in the morning (which some at seminary aren't quite sure what to make of..) but because it isn't 6-ish! Compared to where I've made my home, it is HUGE. I go to church and I just clam up because there are so many people. This is not because of the church, but because I need to get over the fear of mingling in crowds. Sojourn is great. There is an extreme mix of people as well. There are hippies, rich student types, a lot of young couples, kids, some middle aged people, though I've yet to see anybody that could pass for a grandparent. There is a worship band that plays music that I've never heard before. It's really cool to go to a different area and get to participate in all kinds of new worship. The pastor is very honest and real. I would bet if he did a wedding, a skeptical brother of the groom would ask him if he was going to change his attire as well... We haven't really had a chance to talk to him yet. The church is so crowded, I feel a little inhibited to.

They are going to be moving to a new building in German-town sometime around October. (I have no idea where that is yet.) When they move they will be adding another service to have one in the morning.

getting settled

OK, sorry I haven't posted in a while. What the work load was in the first week is only getting bigger... and telling myself that I have more time than I think is taking a while to set in.

The concert went pretty well. The Seminary Orchestra is mostly a community orchestra which is great because we wouldn't have enough students and faculty to make a full orchestra. Last week was our Pops concert which means we did show tunes and the like. But, unlike most pops concerts, I didn't really have any idea where most of the music came from. Sure, there was the Sound of Music, and Stars and Stripes Forever, but we also played Porgy and Bess, Where Could I Go? and Midnight Cry. There were wonderful soloists; this big black guy (can't remember his name) with the deepest and richest voice I've ever heard, an 11 year old pianist who's performed in Carnegie Hall along with some other prestigious places, and a 3 year old singer with her mom. It was a lot more fun and relaxed than most concerts... which is why pops concerts save professional orchestras when it comes to ticket sales.

On another note, I'm meeting with a girl named Liz for our required accountability partners in class. (For those who aren't familiar with that term, it is a fellow Christian friend you team up with and set time aside to intentionally talk about deeper things that wouldn't be ordinarily talked about... both to hold each other accountable and to counsel.) It seems odd to have that as a requirement, but it is a class on Spiritual Discipline, and though the school looks a little stuffy with all the business suits walking around... it is a school that encourages, as much as it can, genuine relationships. Even though this girl was a random 'assignment', we are both new and in need of friends translating to a very quickly built and solid relationship. God is working, and I am seeing how disciplined she is in her life and that is helping me get over my anxieties that are keeping me from doing the same. You know... my lack of percieved time... oi. She and Eric get along really well because they are both number nerds. (Katie, she was a math major. When she talks, I think of you--especially when she's talking about those late nights studying.)

We're also meeting with our neighbors this Saturday for dinner and cards, woohoo! These connections are starting to roll... Our church is starting community groups soon and all we need is to hear back from them to start meeting with them.

Prayer Requests:

That Eric would be put in a job where God could do the most work in and through him.

That we would connect with a "community group" in church, end this loneliness, and once again close to a family in Christ.

Concert Schedule: Seminary Orchestra

Sorry I'm getting this up so late, but here it is. All concerts are here on campus unless otherwise stated.

August 29th, Tues. 7:30

September 29th, Fri. --> trip to Lindsey Wilson College. I think
the concert is at 8:00.

October 17th, Tues. 7:30

February 6th, Tues. 7:30

March 20th, Tues. 7:30

May 1st, Tues. 7:30

Trust

Ok, so I was taking a nap after yet another 8am class with Eric who was still sleeping. We were arm in arm like normal and all cozy. Eric shifted less than an inch and I felt my shoulder blade crack. Nothing huge, but I am almost certain it was bone and not muscle because it felt just like when I had broken my elbow in high school. Eric gets a cold pack and I took aleve, but the pain wouldn't subside. Eric goes to take a shower and after that we were going to go to the hospital on campus not knowing what would happen because we don't yet have our new health-insurance and we don't know if we're still covered on the old. A while later we're just about to leave. The pain felt the same as when it first came, but I thought to myself, "I hate feeling like such a baby. I want to do something by myself to get us out the door. I had been holding my arm still so my shoulder wouldn't move. When I let my arm go to reach for something, immediately all pain was gone. More confused than anything, I tested putting weight on it at all angles I could think of. Nothing. Feeling a little silly, I tell Eric. Eric said it doesn't sound strange at all. It was then he told me he'd been praying for God to heal me... not only for my pain, but because there was no way we would even be able to afford an X-ray. I could try to attribute this to things other than God, but I felt better more suddenly than any amount of anti-inflammatory could accomplish. This happened Wed morning and I haven't felt anything since then.

I've also been reading a biography of George Mueller who founded 4 orphanages and later constructed a building to hold all these children and more. He did this before "Oliver Twist" was ever written, and was the first to not discriminate the child by social class. He would only refuse children who had somebody to fund their stay who would be accepted at other orphanages. And better yet, he did all of this without asking a single person for money. He would only pray to receive funds. God provided for him, his wife, his child, his staff, and all the children on a day to day (and sometimes meal to meal) basis out of donations that people would give not because he had advertised but because he had prayed. The children were never poorly nourished or in want of any need. A man who grew up as a con-man later found God and committed himself to this so that he might help people see that God was real in the current era and not merely a God who did things in the Bible never to show his grace again.

I think God's been wanting me to trust Him more. That seems to be a common theme lately.

eric update II

Forgot to post about this. Eric did not get the job he interviewed for. He thinks they may have wanted somebody with no desire to move up. He's pretty bummed but still hopeful about another one here at seminary that he may be hearing about in 1-3 weeks. He is looking outside of the seminary as well, but he'd really like to be more a part of what is going on here on campus. Prayers are welcome.

time???

I was reminded yesterday, that Ben once said, "Your worst day in undergrad [in workload] will be like your best day in seminary." I think he was right. It's the first week and I feel like I haven't had any break from going to class, reading, practicing, and working on music theory. Less practicing that anything else, simply because I have to turn work in. I really need to get some better time management and some skimming skills for reading...

It's stressful, but I know if I keep working... as well as confiding and getting strength from God... it will work. But, WOW!

Orientation week

Before classes have even started, we had...

exams.

To be in the school of music, they need to know where we are in several different areas to make sure we're up to grad-school standards. So we spent two days taking exams in various forms of music theory, music history, voice, piano, and even conducting. And what did I pass? The thing I've never taken a class in; conducting. Everything else was too far from memory to be able to jump in graduate level courses. Which means... Every day of the week I have an 8am. So earlier this week I was stressing out a TON. My brain knows that this will help the ministry I've been called to, but the rest of me can't seem to get over how much I had learned that I just can't remember or even study to remember. I had understood some concepts so well, that I just can't put my finger on anymore. Is that what happens when you get older? I just hope I can remember what I learn here for a couple of years at least...

Aside from all of that inner-brain vs. heart vs. body thing, this week has been great. I've met most of the faculty in the music department. (Glenn, Dr. Bolton is still the Dean... and we've all been invited to his house this evening!) It is a definite change from Miami. It's a little more relaxed, though standards are still very high. And the interaction between the faculty and the students who have been here for a bit really seems like a family. All of the professors have said that their door is open for things academic as well as for listening and guiding students in personal problems. The musicology professor even invited me to work-out with her twice a week at the rec center! And on top of that, the Dean of the entire seminary has also said that his door is open if you just need to talk. I've never heard of anything like that at a school before. It is still lonely here, because we haven't had a lot of time to get to know people... But I think after a while we will be alright.

It's kind of odd feeling to be a female student here who doesn't have a husband doing a higher degree. Most of them are men, or married men who have a wife working toward an associate's degree, or just doing a couple of classes. So, to say, "I'm going for a Master's in Church Music" gets a lot of "oh, really?"s. But on the plus side... We had a worship service with just the new students and their spouses. It was AMAZING to hear all those men together singing strong. I've only heard something like that before on CD or in Hunt for Red October... I really like to sing with them! (^_^)

We are still church hunting... We've tried NorthSide Christian over in Indiana, but I don't think that will go so well with us. It's a mega-church... something I thought I liked... but it was just too big. We're going to try a few other places in the next couple of weeks. One of them sounds like a mix between Veritas and Vineyard... but we need to go and check it out. It's tougher than I thought to get an idea about a church before you go... but I guess that is for the best to keep away from bias.

We're missing everyone in Oxford, and hope to have people visit soon... as well as us going to visit people. But I think we'd better get a little more settled so we're not just running away. We hope you are all well. *HUG!*

eric update

I just wanted to let people know that Eric just got a call about a job he applied for at Seminary. He has an interview tomorrow at 10:30 for a position new to the seminary that would involve tracking information for a new student card system including meal plans and debit card information. He's really excited about this job not only for the convenience of location, but it sounds like he could really like the job itsself. Thank you for your prayers.

atmosphere

Well, we've been driving around here a bit more to find food and other daily necessities, and we're starting to get a feel for the place. I grew up near here, but it's still so strange. We are truly in a city; something I've never experienced without also staying in a hotel. It's eerie how close everything is. It's also strange to see such wealth and poverty in such close proximity. Going to the Kroger's here and observing people... I can't tell whether I'd feel safe there at night or not. But it's fine in the day time, and the mix of people is incredibly refreshing. The rich and the poor all shopping in one small grocery store, and better yet... getting along. There is a friendliness that wasn't there in the atmosphere of Miami vs. Oxford where you didn't want to let yourself have the label of "student". I'm not quite used to making eye contact, smiling at people I don't know, and having short conversations... but it'll grow on me. ;-)

from Oxford to "Lullvull"

A lot has happened in the past week. We’ve packed many boxes, said a lot of “please visit!”s instead of “good-bye”s, moved into a new place and now have many boxes to unpack and many new faces and names to get familiar with.

What helps all of this was Sunday evening at Veritas. It was kinda sad to be leaving the closest of my family, but that evening was not about that. There was so much joy, it felt like an overloaded water balloon that if touched would explode. There was chill time, stories, music, prayer, and encouragement. Aside from my wedding, I don’t think there has been a better evening. We were truly sent out. They sent with us letters that we are to open, one each day, to remind us that they are still there for us. They’ve really helped a lot. Thank you.

I also want to thank all of you who helped us move. We had so many more people than we thought and we were packed and unloaded in no time. Thank you Veritasians, Taggarts, Lauren, Ben, Katie, and Matt. You are all awesome!

Our internet is now back and in tact, so I hope to post soon with more of what is going on.

happy anniversary!

Ok, so this is a day late... but happy anniversary, Eric! It has been two years. There have been good and bad times, and we are still strong. It feels like we've been together forever and yet no time at all. Thank you for sticking with me, Eric. I wouldn't change a thing.

Kim's back!

Before...

...After.

(Pictures stolen from Kim's blog)

This weekend, Jason and Andrea moved out of their apartment. They are now living two doors down from Glenn and Cathy. Sweet! The Birchfield family came down to help, which means… Kimmy came to visit! YAAAAAY!!!! We got to have lunch with her the next day and see her at Veritas too. She looks great and is doing well. I’ve missed her a lot, but she’s back with more stories and has made some really cool friends. She was the 5th(?) to finish the trail this year, and the first woman to finish this year. Woohoo!

Thanks, Mom & Dad.

rain

(image compliments of http://www.neystadt.org/john/album)

I love the summer. But, living in an apartment with an extremely loud AC unit located only in the living room has given me new perspective. I now LOVE rain. I've always loved the sound, but now I can appreciate nature's central AC. It can be blistering hot one moment, but when God decides to turn on the AC, everything calms down and allows a drop of anywhere from 5-20 degrees. I would not like to get caught in a downpour... but that's mostly because I have glasses and I would not be able to see. I don't really like to get caught in it with my cello either... that's just bad news. But it's been rainy today and yesterday and all I've wanted to do was to stick my face out the window, watch it all, and catch that ultra fresh breeze. (^_^)

In our new apartment, we have man-made central AC and windows without screens. I hope we can find a way to get screens in there so all the bugs won't try and escape into our apartment when I open the windows to enjoy the rain.

July

Well, July is just about here. This is the month we move. Just a week ago it seemed so far away, but now it feels very close. We are moving to where my grandma says we "belong" ...which is true for the time being. But I am really going to miss this place. Only four more weeks of house church, three of Bible study, about two more weeks of meeting with Katie every weekday at Koffenya... one night of cards at Ben and Melissa's, the first and last camping trip with the peeps at Veritas.

Looking back at the past five years, it seems odd that I would have such great friends. I have so many places of refuge and people I can talk through anything with. It just seems abnormal to the world I see around me. God's been looking out for me, as well as Eric. That won't stop. Louisville is only the next place He's taking us. But I sure am going to miss the people in Oxford.

update

Sorry I haven’t written in a while. I just haven’t felt too chatty.

Since I’ve written last, I’ve graduated Miami, and was accepted to Seminary. I have received notification that we can move into our new apartment on the 24th. If you are willing to help us move, please let either Eric or me know, because the date we rent the truck will be dependant on the schedule of the majority. Oh, and… WOOHOO! I’m so pumped about this. I will miss the family have in Oxford, but I’m really excited to be moving to the next step. There are also moments when I think about classes… God’s helped me through a lot… but I can’t yet imagine how I will survive. “Yes, it’s a bittersweet symphony that’s life…” But for now, I need to focus on getting things packed, practicing, and cramming in as much time with my family before I move away from them. I hope to keep this blog up as a way to keep in touch with Oxford and friends that went to Miami.







I've also stopped working at the Princess. With me working evenings and Eric working days, our sleep schedule was taking a beating. That on top of Eric needing to put more hours in before our move, and wanting to spend more time with friends on the weekends, it was just too much. I love it there. We have a new general manager which we were not excited about. I mean, losing Doug is quite a blow, and it's just difficult to think about the Princess without him and many other employees that were graduating and moving on. But this new guy, "Kurtis with a K" as Doug calls him, seems like a really good replacement. He's a good guy, a little nerdier, but he really does care about the place and wants things done right. Though he wants it done right, he's not a jerk about it. I think the Princess will be just fine.

I’ve accepted the challenge to read the Bible in 90 days. It won’t happen in 90 days with how far behind I am, but I WILL get through. There’s a message board up for the group of us who are doing it. It’s mostly CSF people; some really good epiphanies, questions, and discussion. The site is a little clunky, but there’s good stuff in there if you’re interested. Go to Ben's Coner to check it out.




This Saturday, I got to go to my first baseball game since grade school. Andrea and Jason treated Eric and me to an awesome Reds game against the Chicago White Sox. They were battling a tie until the end, and lost 8-6. From what I’ve been hearing, it was the closest game they’ve had in a while. The energy there was AMAZING. I can now understand baseball fans a lot better. It just sucks you in. Definitely better than watching it on the TV or listening to it on the radio.



Kim has posted that she should be ending the trail around July 2nd. It will be great to see her again and catch up. That girl is amazing… and I hope she’ll get to come down to Oxford before we move. Go to her blog to see some really sweet pics.

so what do you think?

Ok, a friend of mine did this and I thought it was pretty cool. How would you describe me?

Click on the title of this blog to follow the link, and tell me what you think.

the weight room

ok... so if you have known me for any long period of time, make sure you are sitting down before you read this post. This Tuesday, I met Cathy to go to the (bum, bum, bum....) weight room at the Tri. And you know what? I liked it!!! Though my muscles are now in pain, it gave me so much energy. I think I'm going to join and go there regularly. (^_^) It will give me something to get me going on the upcoming summer days when I can give myself every excuse to sleep in. woohoo!

Koffenya Pics

Ok, so when Kim played at Koffenya, I didn't bring my camera. I left that up to my mom and sis, and they did a great job, but I only just now got the shots. Unfortunately... I'm having difficulties with the image editor, so I'll have to post them then.

update on me: My grandpa had surgery this morning, and is doing just fine. I'll still be worrying a bit about his congestive heart failure, but this should help him a bit. Going to see him and the rest of my family this weekend, so that will be cool.

Spring is finally here, and I already feel like I have a ton more energy. Winter always gets me down a bit. I just don't like cold. Although it's a good excuse to get some hot tea. ;-) So, yay, spring!

Not a whole lot else going on, but I just wanted to post something. So, hello. How are you today?

finished!

So, I've been really nervous about writing my entrance essay for Southern Seminary. As of Wednesday, I had cut my originally 7 page paper down to 4 and a half pages. It was supposed to be 2-3 pages. Thinking there wasn't much else I could do to improve it, I took it with me to CSF to ask Ben to help me out. Ben gave me some good suggestions that I worked on until CSF started. Julie, who hasn't been to CSF at all this semester, showed up because her class got out early. She sat down with me and helped me cut it down to 2 and a half pages! We had a lot of fun going through it and tearing it apart and putting it back together again. God is awesome! Julie is great too. ;-) So my application is now either in the mail or already at seminary. Woohoo! It feels good to not worry about that anymore.

Kimmy B!

My forever roomie. Excited about Friday! Gonna miss her.

More Pictures from Charter Day Ball

Katie and Brian...


This is the group I went with, except just the girls. Yes, I'm slouching. I felt way too tall in those heels, but I got used to it as the night went on.


And these are all of the CSF people that went. Apparently we didn't realize the camera's view was bigger, so we were pretty squished. Hello back there, Eric!

Oh, Look! A Humming Bird!

My mom sent me this picture. Very fitting. ;-) If you look closely you can see it sticking out its tongue.

She also sent me this picture of Howie, the dog we got after I went away to college.

matzoh

Yesterday I made bread for the first time unsupervised. And, suprisingly enough, it turned out allright! I made matzoh, a Jewish flatbread used during Passover. It's really crispy and different, but I think it came out how it's supposed to be. Of course, I've never had matzoh before, so I can't be sure. ;-) It was really cool getting to mix it with my hands and get all messy and seeing the flour and the water/oil come together to form this elastic-satin-like dough. Really cool. (^_^)

Super Bowl weekend and Charter Day Ball

This is going to be a long post. I've been meaning to post a few times this week and didn't get around to it. So, this is a post of the past week.

A week from this past Saturday, I got to go shoe shopping with Eric for the Charter Day Ball the following Saturday. Best part of the trip -- found out that Eric doesn't mind that too much. ;-) Scary part -- I was shopping for HEELS!!! The most comfortable shoes, that I ended up buying, were the highest heels I've ever worn. Because of that, they ended up cramping my feet up by the end of the dance, but if I don't wear them for too long they're very comfortable. How I got into Miami University not knowing how to walk in heels, I'll never know. There's got to be a class on that somewhere...

Later that day we had dinner and shot some pool with some of Eric's co-workers. Odd mix of people... all talking business... I felt really out of place with them at first but, as long as I just ignored the technical stuff they were talking about, it was fun. I even learned a bit of how to play pool.

The next day I braved Kroger's on Super Bowl Sunday for a big grocery run. I had to get normal stuff and stuff to make a cake from scratch for church at 6:00. I got all these new cook books for Christmas, and it was Lydia's birthday and I used that as an excuse to try out a recipe. When I went to leave Kroger's I couldn't start the van. That's the first time the van has ever done that. The guy parked across from me was a mechanic and he helped me out. He really liked the jumper cables Dad had bought for the van. (Thanks, Dad!) And he suggested that I go to AutoZone down the way and get the battery checked for free. Well, the battery was dead. So... I had to wait for them to change it and all that. Whoever had put the old battery in screwed it down tight, 'cause all the guys there were working to get it lose. So... I rush back home to work on this cake. The recipe looked simple enough. By the end of the day I learned why everyone just uses a box! Ohmygosh... That was the most frustrating thing to bake... especially with there being a time crunch. The end result looked nothing like the picture. What was supposed to be a chocolate cake ended up being a white cake with chocolate chips and the icing had too much flour in it... but other than that, it tasted really good. Eric helped with what I consider the worst part of the cooking and him the best... the baking, putting the layers together, and icing. It was a group effort, and if I had allowed more time, I know it would have been a lot more fun. So, next time... I'm leaving all day aside for it and shopping before that day!

I rehearsed with Kimmy again this week. Yay! I brought my electric cello this time, and I forgot my bow! So, I used her old violin bow... which made things interesting. But we still had fun and got the necessary work done. I'm so excited about the 24th!!! She'll be gone a week later, but I'm excited about getting to play with her! (^_^)

On Friday, Jen Specht and John Grubb had a joint Junior recital. They both did very well. And Jen was amazingly calm. She's really come a long way.

And finally... the Charter Day Ball! I don't have all the pictures yet from everybody, but I have these from Kim.

Eric and Me:


Kim and Jared:


I'll post more when I get them.

Last time, we went out to eat before hand, but this time we decided to get whatever food was there. Good decision. They had so much wonderfull food there. Salmon, beef, mini-pizzas, stuffed mushrooms, veggies, chocolate FOUNTAINS (one white, one dark, one hazelnut)... absolutely amazing. The decorations were very nice. They had a really good jazz band for the dancing, at least while we were there till around midnight. And there were so many people. Dancing at first was fine on the floor, but after a while it was so crowded we were just bumping into everybody. We should have gone somewhere other than the floor to dance like others were doing. But this way we still got to dance with Ben & Melissa, Lauren & Scott (?), Katie & Brian & 2 other girls I don't know as well. We were trying to get Brian 5 dates... maybe one from the Misfits too 'cause CSF needs more singers.... ;-) So it was a lot of fun.

Out of the Woods

Once again, it's been a while since posting. I'm going to try posting more often this time. So, I'm back!

Last night Kim, Glenn, and I had our first 'rehearsal' together in a looooong time. We've had some recent jam time, but this was a down and out rehearsal... fixing our wavering intonation, phrasing, and all... complete with the much neglected Veritas sound system. Playing/singing, though I've had a good amount of experience with early Veritas and CCC, still feels very odd. It is just out of my comfort zone. But streching out like that is also exciting. And with help from people like Glenn who has been trained vocally and has a different musical perspective, I know it's possible. And what felt like an hour and a half was in reality nearly 3 hours. Amazing what music and no clock can do. I think it was only the cold of the basement and general sleepieness that made me want to stop.

So many memories were there, and the sad thing is we know we won't be together for much longer. Kim will be on the AT and I'll probably be in Louisville come next semester. Maybe I'll crack my shell a bit and ask to play some more music with Glenn after Kim is gone. Maybe Kim and I hook up and do some more music once she's back. Not only do I miss playing with these two and getting a different sort of fellowship... I had forgotten how musically charging it can be! We were working on the same things that one would work on in an orchestra rehearsal... even in a private lesson. It was just awesome. And though I have been very afraid that I won't be able to pull off the difficulty of this song, after last night I think it could be possible to pull off -- as long as I practice. ;-)