Friday Faves - 12/21/12

 

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

 

1. Second Chances. Still very thankful for the second chance my family got! Dad is home and doing well, tired but well. Thank you!!!

2.  Health and Happiness. Last week was a big ole's mess of the flu with 102+ temperatures, a death in the family, and a school shooting. A tough week! This week has been healthier and happier, thank goodness.

3. Vacation. As of 5pm today, I am officially on vacation until January 2nd. Yippee!!

4. Ireland!  Counting the days until Ireland. Nervous about the travel, but excited as well. Less than a month!

5.Holiday Parties. Last weekend, my parents had their annual holiday party. Everyone had a wonderful time. I just love holiday parties. They really put me into the holiday mood. I'd even go so far as to say that, now that I am an adult with no children, they are my favorite part of the holiday season!



Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas! 

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Friday Faves - 12/7/12

 

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

It's been a while, but I figured now is as good a time as any! But I've got so much to be thankful for...I'll just have to be choosy:

 
1. Second Chances. This week, my father wasn't feeling too well. A trip to the hospital and a whole slew of tests later, it was decided he should make a trip the hospital's little 'ole "Cath Lab" (for those of you who don't know, that's where they insert a catheter tube up through a groin vein into your HEART)! It was the right choice, as he had 100% blockage on one side of his heart. Long story short, not one or two but THREE stents later, he is feeling much better and hoping to return home over the weekend. THANK THE LORD that this trip was voluntary (IE - not a full blown heart attack) and that the amazing doctors have given us all a second chance at celebrating Christmas together (and hopefully many more)!

2.  Holidays. Thanksgiving was crazy, but successful (our first family hosting of the holiday) and our marriage survived! With Christmas right around the corner, we're looking at holiday parties, shopping, and the annual symphony this weekend. Fun, but exhausting!

3. Holiday Gigs. After years of very few holiday performances, perhaps because we are always too busy to book them, my a Capella group have four performances this December! One past last weekend, one this weekend, and two next weekend. This is awesome because not only do we get to learn (relearn) and sing holiday songs, but it gives us a chance to save a bit more funds for Ireland!

4. Ireland!  At a performance early this year, a man approached us and talked to us about a "friend" who runs a music festival in Ireland and said that he was going to tell him about Purely Vocals. We all smiled nicely and "yessed" him.  

Well, that will teach us! The guy was on the up and up, and he paved the way for us to perform at the Shannonside Winter Music Weekend festival in Shannon, Ireland this January. At first, everything was a bit iffy, we were promised housing and that we could sing at some small venues. The bigger shows had been booked full.  But someone pulled out and we were moved up and are set to perform Sunday afternoon as a larger show! We are blown away and thrilled to be welcomed so thoroughly and are very excited about our trip across the "pond"! I actually had to get a passport, having never been overseas!

Now, we're just counting the days...  

5. New Purely Vocals website.  Finally finished and launched the new PV website!
Check it out...


Many, many more things to be thankful for...but these are what comes to mind today. Hope everyone is as blessed as I am!

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Friday Faves - 04/27/12

 

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

1. Jumbo Days. This past week was "Jumbo Days" at Tufts. On those days the incoming first year students have the opportunity to walk around and visit different departments and see what they are all about. This is where being in physics comes in handy. Rather than give a boring old "about us" speech, we provided a playground of physics experiments. The kids had a great time and I got some fab pictures for our website. Hopefully we will have a big bunch of new majors come the fall!

2.  A to Z Challenge.  It's almost finished, three days left...but I am proud of myself!  There were a couple of days when I just couldn't force myself to turn on the pc and blog after very long, busy day at work, but because I had prewritten quite a few posts I've done a pretty great job of keeping up.  I posted late only once, I think. Yeah me!

3. Purely a cappella. My group booked once again with the Paw Sox this summer and have been contacted about another 2-3 local paying performances. Very cool!  Also, there is a possibility that we may end up traveling to Ireland next year...though very much just in the beginning phases, we're hoping it may work out!

4. Membership Drive. Going pretty good. As of today...

Total: 69
Auto-carried over (Life Members): 18
Transfer (carried over from 11-12): 7
Actual new/renewed memberships:  44 (pretty darn good for being only two months!)

5. It's Friday.  !!!!!


P.S. The kitty is doing great!

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Friday Faves - 04/06/12

 

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

1. New Bathroom Look. When we bought our house, we knew we needed to do something about the Pepto-pink and black tiled bathroom, but a redo is just not in the budget at this time. So we decided to change out the pink sink and toilet for a black one, buy black rugs/shower curtain, and call it retro.  This has yet to happen, until...  

My husband came home this week and stepped on some kitty poop that had fallen out of the litter box. It smeared on the, fairly-expensive, baby-blue bathroom rug. He proceeded to hunt down the most caustic cleaner in the house (not located in the bathroom mind you, he had to dig...in the basement I think) and found a bottle of bathroom cleaner with the word BLEACH printed across the front, IN BIG LETTERS. But he "didn't realize there was bleach in it". Apparently, the blinding fumes weren't a hint either!  He poured a heaping amount on the rug and...well, you can see where this is going.  Time to go shopping for new bathroom decor!

...see how I managed to turn that into a positive?!

2.  Kitty poop.  My kitty, who is usually fastidious and crazy-clean, has been having a bit of trouble...well, pooping, this week. She is long-haired and was always been the hairball type, but she hasn't had any in a while. Well, clearly, the hairballs have become a different issue as they are trying to leave her body the natural way (thus the bathroom issue). I've been trying to figure out how assist her in "clearing out" the issue before it presents a health emergency. Online folks say give the cat Metamucil, but I am just really against giving pets human medicines. I'm growing some cat-grass, but that will take several days.  Looking for natural and safe suggestions...

...Nothing fave here, except perhaps that I have the opportunity to help her feel better, just explaining the bathroom issue.

3. Blogging success, so far. As noted last week, I joined the A to Z Challenge this week. So far, I have been successful in blogging every day.
I actually used some of the advice I read and started writing early and that has enabled me to keep up. I attempted this Challenge last year and just failed miserably. But this year I am very proud of myself...and love welcoming all my new followers!

4. Membership Drive. My theater's membership drive is in full gear and a bunch of folks have already renewed. As well, I have seen a few new membership requests come in! I am excited to see what our numbers look like this year.


5. Easter and family. This lovely weekend brings us Easter. No one in my family is particularly religious, so we use holidays such as Easter to get together, spend time with one another, and eat embarrassing amounts of food. I look forward to this immensely.

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Friday Faves - 03/30/12

 

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

1. Daddy's Birthday My father turned 63 this past week. The family enjoyed a nice dinner out on Sunday and then I called him on his actual birthday to sing. He is such a wonderful, outgoing, kind, funny man...I have been blessed more than I can express.

2.  Painless and quick.  I had an annual doctor's appointment this week.  Not only did they get me in and out quickly, but it was essentially painless for the first time ever with this doctor. To explain why would definitely fall into that "TMI" category, so I won't. Let's just leave it at, "for that I am grateful."

3. Not walking around the lake. It just so happens that a woman was jumped for the first time EVER near the very lake that I had been walking around last week. She was walking at like 8pm (dark), alone, on an isolated stretch, walking in an unlit area, wearing headphones, and unaware of her surroundings. Of course, that by no means makes it acceptable, but come on...some common sense please! The cops are, of course, now on high alert and patrolling the area which is good. But I'm just glad I didn't push myself to walk this past week despite the colder weather.

4. Another performance. My a cappella performance this weekend was lots of fun and a total success. There was a tour going on that day for new clients, so we got to sing to a bunch of new folks too.  Now we are taking a couple of weeks off, which is lovely, and regrouping for a totally different kind of gig in May. It's a birthday party and we are free to do whatever music strikes us. We are working up some new songs and are looking forward to trying it out. Can't wait!

5. Another show, another membership drive. We are opening a new show tonight at the Footlight Club, Andrew Lippa's Wild Party. I hear it is fabulous and I am psyched to see it. I am also starting my second annual membership drive. Last year, we beat the previous year's number by a considerable amount. I hope to figure out a way to do as well, or better, this year but I don't have any great new ideas.  Suggestions?

One final thought: I have joined the A to Z Challenge...which starts this Sunday, April 1st and requires a post a day, through the alphabet letters, throughout April. I'm nervous, but excited. Having to blog every day scares me!  Please stop by to see how I actually do and to offer encouragement.

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Friday Faves - 03/23/12

 

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

1. Spring Break. It's spring break at Tufts. The campus is quieter and calmer than normal. You would think that would reduce my stress, but its still busy.

2.  Summer weather.  I am very much enjoying the little hint of summer we are being given. This weekend, it's supposed to go back to the 50's with just plain sucks. But, summer really is just around the corner!

3. Walking around the lake. One of the best parts of our move is being less than two blocks from a big, gorgeous lake! The surrounding towns are really, really into this lake and keep it well lit and clean. Several days this week, the hubby and I got out and walked (our first walks, since I broke my foot last summer and he would never go alone). It was really nice together time (which we don't tend to get). And though neither one of us is great shape, at least it was a start. The first step is always the hardest, they say.

4. Physics fitness. I used to live a short walk from a beach and could walk five miles up/down the beach every day. And I did!  It's been...maybe six or so years since I lived that near water. Though I lived in the country, the walking choices were down a highway off-ramp and down some fairly dark and desolate country roads, around the condo parking lot, or down the highway by shopping plazas...not much!  But just walking around the lake a couple of days this week was wonderful exercise! I love walking around water and there were tons of folks out and it wasn't at all lonely at all.  It felt great mentally and physically.

5. Another performance. Here we go again, singing this weekend for an assisted living facility. They love us there and we get paid a small stipend, which is really nice!

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Friday Faves - 03/16/12

 

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

It was a very ROUGH WEEK last week, so it was hard to focus on the good things, but that makes it even more important to be thankful for what I have...

1. My kitty. Always makes my life a little more sunny, even when the chips are down. She is the oxygen in my breath.

2.  Taxes done.  Nice to get this off my to do list (even though it was the cause of the most stressful part of my week...).

3. Free credit reports... I misplaced my thumb/jump drive which I usually carry in a holder on my keys. I've got a Velcro pouch and have doing it for years, and no problems.  This week though, it has gone M.I.A. And, stupidly, I've got all kinds of personal info on there. I am kicking myself over and over!  We have scoured the house, many times, to no avail. Then I admitted defeat and changed all my passcodes at home and work.  And now I am monitoring all my credit cards and bank accounts. It is all very stressful and made even worse by the fact of my own stupidity! Grr.... If you have an extra one, please send a prayer my way!

4. No shooting. At work I had to be part of the firing of someone, and though I didn't do it myself (and it was overdue and much earned), it's still very hard. Then I had to spend multiple days with the guy cleaning out his old office.  Talk about uncomfortable! Firing someone, even someone for cause, just plain sucks! That being said, I've got to be thankful that the guy didn't go mental and come in shooting the next day. I know how horrible that sounds...but these days, you gotta admit, you never know. So, thank you!

That's 'bout it for now...

Hopefully next week is better.

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Friday Faves - 03/09/13

 

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

1. Kitty snores. One of the best parts of my day is when I get into bed and settle in for the night. My kitty climbs onto her extra pillow, or into her kitty bed, and falls asleep. I love laying there listening to her snore her little kitty snores...its so heavenly. It makes my little kitty-loving-heart smile!


2. It's done! There are parts of my job that I like and parts I don't. This morning presented me with the need to do one of the parts I HATE! But, its done. And now I can move forward with the rest of the day and the upcoming weekend.

3. Lindt candy!  One of the perks of my job is meeting nice people. One particular incoming student's mom has gone out of her way to be super nice (not sure if she thought it would get her daughter accepted, but since I have nothing to do with that part of Tufts her kindness to me was wasted, though appreciated). Anyway, she yet again dropped off amazing candy treats, this time a Lindt Easter basket. All I can say is "O.M.G.!"

...

...I know there are many more things to be thankful for, but for now this will have to do.

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Friday Faves - 03/1/12

 

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

1. Back to healthy. Spent this week fighting some sort of throat thing. Glad to finally be feeling a little bit better.


2. Watching cheesy TV. There isn't much better than sitting around on a sick day and watching television that you never get to watch - think Rosanne re-runs and 1980's movies.

3.  Extra sleep.  Another great thing about being sick, sleeping until ten a.m.!  Hell, sleeping more than six hours a night, being sick is worth that alone!

4. Lean On Me. One of the best movies out there! Man comes in and cleans up inner-city school, makes the students love and appreciate him, makes students love and appreciate themselves! You can't go wrong!

5. Snow. Honestly, I hate snow.  I hate winter. I hate cold. But considering the winter we've had: 40-50's, very little snow...I really can't complain. We started the season with a Halloween night storm, and here are (hopefully) ending the season with one more bang. March coming in like a lion, as they say!  Here comes spring!

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Friday Faves - 2/17/12

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

1. Alone-time. The hubby had to travel to California for work this week. Though I missed him, and can't wait for his return today, it was really nice to have the house to myself all week. I cleaned Sunday...and it stayed clean all week! Heavenly!

2. Facebook. One of the cooler aspects of my "be-all-do-all" job is public relations. When I began at Tufts I started creating an annual newsletter, upgraded/updated the website, and generally have tried to expand the department's presence.  This week, I finally convinced my boss to let me start using Facebook tools as well. The communications folks at Tufts were concerned that we wouldn't have a good response (to few "likes/friends"). We went live this week, though we have not even announced it to anyone, and already we have a following of 10+. I know its only ten but we are a physics department! Ten is a great start! Hopefully once we actually announce our Facebook existence to our alumni, students, parents, etc. we will get a larger group. 

3.More performing. This past weekend my a cappella group did not one, but two performances.  Saturday we had a Gourmet Chocolate and Love Songs event. We sang for over an hour and entertained a sell-put crowd of almost 100. Very nice!  Sunday, we performed at a local Assisted-Living Community. The audience was slow to react, but once they got into it they loved it. Both have already asked about booking us again. Now that's success!

4. Building websites. I really enjoy building/maintaining websites. I have been doing so for several years just for fun. I did the site for my chorus for years, built and maintain my a capella group's site, and was even paid for several years to rebuild and maintain a site for another local chorus. Pretty good for a no-education-learn-it-as-you-go gal!  Recently, the local chorus decided they wanted to look towards some skills I don't have. I told them honestly that perhaps they should find someone with more experience. They did, but that's ok.  It motivated me to learn more. I have been reading up and feel confident that I can build a newer and exciting site for Purely Vocals with these new skills.  And, I'm putting this is in writing so that I have no excuses for putting it off!  It will happen soon!

5.Belated Valentine's. Though it was stinky to be alone for my first Valentine's Day as a married woman, it is cool that we still have this to look forward too. We plan on going out to dinner this weekend, or possibly lighting a fire and having dinner home. Either way, I am happy to have a "day of love" to look forward too!

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Friday Faves - 02/03/12

 

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

1. Back to normal. The past week has been...restful. Don't get me wrong, I was busy but I didn't have to deal with any major events (other than finishing up my a cappella show). It has been a nice rest. Calm before next week's storm of two shows in two days!


2. Dentist appointment.  The best kind of dentist appointment is when they bring you in, take a look and say, "Everything looks fine." I do need some work, but my Monday night appointment didn't require the dreaded (IE expensive) "super-cleaning", so I was out in less than fifteen minutes. Very nice.

3.Spring.  Yes, it's only February but the past week has been really nice here, in the 50's. I am definitely a spring/summer girl and not a winter person. I love even the slightest hint of early spring!

4. Groundhog Day. Punxsutawney Phil says six more weeks of winter... Personally, I think he just keeps saying that because he's angry those obnoxious jerks keep waking him up from his winter nap!

5. It's Friday! Thanks goodness the work week is just about over!  The weekend holds a formal gathering (I had to go buy a dress, I had literally nothing to wear), another Cabaret show (watching this one, not performing) and a rehearsal for next week. Oh...and if I happen to catch of few minutes of that little sporting event, so be it.

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Friday Faves - 01/27/12

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

1. Last minute weddings. Big, overdone weddings are lovely...for other people. Both my fiance (ooops, my husband) and I are low-key people.   

2. Yup, we did it!  After 5+ years of engagement the fiance and I finally got hitched. We both keep saying, "It doesn't feel any different..." and it really isn't, given that we financially wedded last year when we bought the house together. But now, its legal. We executed this puppy in less than two weeks and Saturday at 2pm about thirty friends and family arrived. By 3:15pm it was done. We had a nice party afterwards and look forward to a big Jack 'n Jill cookout this summer.

3.Gifts.  I like gifts. Call me immature, but I like getting stuff!  We tried to mention to everyone to hold off on the gifts this round. We didn't even register or anything.  But a few folks got past us and we got a couple gifts on Saturday. It was cool. Perhaps we will get more come the summer... Not that I am expecting anything, but if we do I hope that everyone keeps in mind that we don't need even ONE more kitchen tool (Dave and I have our own supplies and then we moved into a fully supplied home. We have TOO much kitchen crap!). What we need is the wood floors to be refinished... And every room needs painting... And landscaping... And...

4. Calendars.  I love calendars. I love organization. For a while, you could sync your Outlook calendar to your Google calendar...but then someone decided that Google should charge for that service. Jerks! Its been frustrating and time consuming to keep the two calendars up to date, but I refused to pay for the service out of principle (since I am forced to use Google, due to my Droid smartphone, and not Yahoo as I prefer I refuse to give them money for the service). But I discovered today that apparently they rescinded that idea and now my Google sync is working again. My Outlook and Google will finally be back in sync. And I will only have to fill in one calendar again. Yeah!  

Good move Google...I like you a bit more today.

4. Performing. My a Capella group went into production this week for a cabaret show we've been doing for several years in Hingham, MA. After several days of tech rehearsal, we opened last night to a full-house crowd! It was crazy fun and we have two more nights left. We've got two shows on Valentine's Day weekend and more booked in March and May. I like being busy with gigs!

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Friday Faves - 01/13/12

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

1. A Loss... I learned of the death of my ex-fiance on Friday.  We have not been in touch for years. He actually died in September, but I just found out. He was only 41. I spent the weekend writing about him, as it was the only thing I could focus on for more than a few minutes, and slept little.  The apologetically long post is here.  It's events like this that make you truly grateful for what you have: family, friends, health, love, pets, a home, a job... I am blessed, least of which that I got to know this wonderful man and share some of his too short life.

2. Mrs.  As if the weekend wasn't emotional enough, the fiance and I decided now was as good a time as any and have planned our wedding for next weekend.  Uh, yes, you did hear that right... We went from "whenever" to Saturday the 21st in a heartbeat.  We've booked the Justice of the Peace, will be holding a very small ceremony for friends and family at our house, and then over the summer will have a big blowout celebration. Thankfully most everyone could be there next week.  I've got a million things to do this week...


3. Shorter Board Meetings. Anyone who has served on the Board of a committee group knows that those meetings somehow have a way of growing...and growing...and growing. I've been on the Board of my theater for years now and meetings recently were hitting 3 and 1/2 hours!  Add the hour drive home, for me, and let's just say it was getting to be too much. We enacted a 3 minute rule for reports to try to limit the discussion to a manageable length. This past week, our meeting was back down to 2 hours. And we got just as much accomplished, we just limited the extra babble to make our required points and move on!  This is good.


4. Booking gigs. My a Capella group was able to finally book the gig we were offered a few weeks back. There was some back and forth about the dates, trying to get the guests to be available on the same date we could do it, but it all worked out.  We are very much excited about 2012, as we have several performances booked (www.purelyvocals.com).


5. Long weekend ahead. 'Nuff said! 

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Friday Faves - 01/06/2012

 

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

1. Pandora Internet Radio. This week I have rediscovered Pandora. It gives you a lot more music (ie less commercials) than the local stations and you can add/subtract artists you love/hate and listen for hours. I had set up a Pandora account years ago, but hadn't used it in quite a while. It makes work much more enjoyable!

2. 'No student' calm.  These couple of weeks between New Years and Martin Luther King Jr. day are great. Most students haven't returned from vacation yet and, while we are busy getting ready for next semester, its just...calm (except for those random things that pop up...don't want to tempt fate, you know?!).


3. Performance. My a cappella group, Purely Vocals, was asked to sing this past week at the swearing in ceremony of the mayor and like city employees in Weymouth, Mass. It was a pretty typical performance and fun, as always. The event opened with a performance of a school band (Jr. High Band?). On the way home, they were all commenting how great we were (or so we were told) and that we were the best version of the national anthem that they had heard.  It's one thing to be appreciated by adults...but when even the younger generation appreciates your performance, now that's success!


4. Shortened week/Friday. Because of the New Year's holiday, Monday I was off. It's really nice to have a short work week. Course, that makes the week drag though.  But, it's finally Friday!


5. Talking marriage. Not sure what's going to come of it...but my fiance and I are now looking into get married sooner than later. I'll keep everyone updated.

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Friday Faves - 12/30/11

 

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

1. Vacation! 'Nuff said.

2. Christmas! XMas eve party, lots of fun. Two families of presents and good food. Little bit of travel in between, but home by midnight. Very nice!

3. Cleaning.  I like a clean house. My fiance doesn't so much care... We bought a house that was owned by a 96 year old woman which was, needless to say, filthy.  Then, I broke my foot and was off my feet for months.  So, I spent this past Monday literally on my hands and knees scrubbing floors and using my fingernails to get God-knows-what out of the corners.  

Ok, I didn't so much love the cleaning...but LOVED the smell of Pine-sol and clean about the house! Still plenty more to be done, but at least I can use the bathroom without gagging quite so much.

4. Christmas Shopping.  For yourself!  I went out Tuesday and shopped, literally, until I dropped. Now I admittedly hate shopping and do so rarely (particularly for clothes), so it didn't take so long. But every once in a while its fun to go all-out crazy and splurge on yourself...and even more fun when you're spending gift certificates! I got some new sweaters (all mine are coming apart at the seams) and pants for work, as well as a beautiful flowery button-down shirt (these rarely fit me). I also got some curtains which I hope will go in the living room... Of course, everything was on sale. I am somewhat..."frugal"...and rarely buy anything that isn't.

5. New Years.  The fiance and I were discussing earlier today how we often try to have friends over, have tried to set a precedent for parties, that type of thing...and yet we had no plans for the New Year's holiday. Not one friend had invited us to get together. But, while I was at the library today, apparently someone called and we now have plans to hang out with friends (who conveniently live 10 minutes away)! Very cool!

Hoping you all have wonderful New Years plans with friends, family and fun! Be safe!

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Friday Faves - 12/23/11

 

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

1. 4:59pm. I love that last minute before you are officially on vacation! It's like...well, like Christmas! And my present is eleven days off! Yipee!

2. Christmas Carols. Usually by Christmas, I am burnt out on Christmas carols. This year, I've been listening to the country station at work and therefore am not over Andy Williamsed or Burl Ived. I have not, however, heard my favorite...the one where the kid asks "Mommasita, donde esta Santa Clause?!" I love that one!

3. Holiday Parties.  Both of my parties last week went very well! 

4. Christmas Shopping.  I don't honestly enjoy Christmas shopping...but I like it on that last day, when all you need to do is pick up a few last minute stocking stuffers from Walgreen's. That feeling of success and completion is AWESOME!

5. Giving.  I am looking forward to seeing my family this weekend and can't wait to give them their gifts. I am at that age that, while I like getting presents, giving them is truly the best part of the season.


I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas, a Happy Chanukah and a very Happy Kwanzaa!!

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Sunday Salon - 12/19/11

12/19/11

Must.make.it.through.week...must!

Goodness I am tired. And grouchy. Sorry co-workers. Sorry students. Sorry family. I am nearing the end of my proverbial rope and there are still three more days of work to make it through before I am finally on vacation. 


Work and family

The past couple weeks have been crazy-busy due to a death in my staff assistant's family. She's been out and I've been covering her work, as well as mine.  Typically, a weekend would rest me up and I'd be ready to keep going. But this past weekend was packed full with holiday responsibilities and here I am Monday morning (late for Sunday Salon, missed my Friday Faves) exhausted.  Barely making it through the day. And did I mention grouchy?!

I attended my parent's holiday party on Saturday. It was a great time as always...though I always come away from those things feeling old (seeing the next door neighbor's daughter who is in her mid-twenties, though the last time I saw her she was like seven). Oh well.

The fiance has been sick for a few days and opted to stay home...despite wanting to go really badly.

Arts

I spent both weekend days at the theater, selling membership at our holiday fair. It was a nice time and I sold a couple, so it was worth the time.

My a cappella group is gearing up for 2012. We have an audition on New Year's Day for a cabaret thing we've done for a few years. More about that later, assuming they make a place for us.  

Also, we have a Chocolate Lover's Night event the weekend before Valentine's Day. We did it last year and it was really great. Besides the tons of chocolate desserts that are available, the event is a full Purely Vocals performance.  We often do gigs where we share the stage, but this is a chance to perform a full set list (1-2 hours). Tiring, but fun!  And we get paid, which is very nice as that means I get reimbursed for the website costs! 


Books and Reading

Downtime at the holiday fair allowed some good reading time... Reviews are coming, though I may have to wait until after the holidays to fit them in.  Once again no trip to the library, but hopefully this Friday before I finish my holiday shopping.

Hope your holiday plans are coming together!
 

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Fridays Fave Five - 12/9/11

 

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

1. Updating files. I finally took the time this week to update my address book. No easy task, this involved combining my work calendar/address book, my gmail account (which links to my phone), my yahoo account, my facebook account, and emails from folks with updates. It was well overdue and organization always makes me feel better about life.

2. Holiday Cards In... I got my first holiday card this week. Its nice to receive a piece of actual snail mail sometimes!

3. Holiday Cards Out...  I was a good-doobie and buckled down and sent out our holiday cards. I wish I'd have done a bit more pre-planning and had the cards made with a "before" picture of the house...with a follow-up "after" card next year. But, one can only move so many mountains on one's on!

4. Holiday events.  Two weekends ago was my theater's holiday show. Every year its so much fun and it really is my holiday season kick-off!  This past weekend, we attended the symphony orchestra's (in a local town) holiday show. My fiance's parents purchase a table each year and its become a wonderful tradition!  This coming weekend I've got an arts/craft fair at the theater both days and then my parents sort-of annual Christmas party. I am so looking forward to it!

5. Precious gifts.  I am thankful for the precious gifts I have in my family, my dear finance, and my most perfect kitty. I am gifted every day I wake up and know they are part of my life!

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Friday's Fave Five - 12/2/11

 

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

1. They're done! We finally sent the last of the November grants at work this past week.  As previously noted, November alone has been busier than my complete two years with Tufts!  I am exhausted, but I'm glad they are sent. Now we just hope that some of them are funded!

2. The calm between the storms.Thanksgiving was crazy and I expect Christmas to be similarly busy, so this week's relative calm (particularly at work) was very welcomed.

3. Direct Deposit. As you may remember, I mentioned changing all my bank accounts over recently. I was thrilled to finally see my direct deposit from work finally go in successfully. My last check was mailed, and I had forgotten to change my address when I moved in April, so I had to do a bit of chasing. But everything seems to be in line now.

4. Holiday Parties.  I am looking forward to holiday celebrations this week. Extended family will be visiting and it will be nice to see them. Also, we've decided to do our first holiday party at work in a couple weeks. Now I've just got to get planning!

5. Holiday entertainment. I'm excited that tonight is my theater's annual holiday show, entitled A Carol Christmas, which is always a funny and joyful celebration of the holidays.  And, its two-day run is already 100% sold out!  What a fabulous way to open the Christmas season!

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Fridays Fave Five - 11/25/11

 

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. It's Friday so that makes it time to look back over our week and look for those things we are grateful for. It may be big or it may be small and you have to dig for it, but there are always things we can be thankful for. Please join us as we share our favorite five. If you need the guidelines they are here. 

1. Jazz! Last Friday night's outing to see Spyro Gyra was totally intended to make Dave happy.  But wow!  I had the best time. Of course, the company was great (Dave and a couple of friends), but the music was really fabulous.  Being a singer, I tend towards vocal music not instrumental, but this group is just truly amazing (and the drummer is hilariously funny).

2.Thanksgiving. Always wonderful, especially great to get to love on my family a bit.  Can't wait for Christmas celebrations!

3. Fixing up the house. Our vacation days have, mostly, been used wisely. We were finally able to complete some major efforts, like: unpacking ten boxes of books and videos/DVDs (making the house look lived in), clearing out the boxes (after 8 months) from the living room and setting it up like a real living space, and moving the desk around to make it useable...among others.  Its finally nice to come home.

4. Closing out my Citizen's Bank accounts.  Long story short, they have been well less than customer supportive and after months of holding on I finally called it done and moved all my accounts to another bank. They are smaller, more personal. Hopefully they will be around for many wonderful years. 

5. Brainlessness...or lack of work-focus. It has been wonderful to just forget the non-ending list of duties and worries and problems to be remembered and fixed....and just "vacate".  I am planning an extended rest between X-Mas and New Years. I'm already looking forward to it!

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