Never Enough Time

I am looking forward at this week next couple of weeks the next month in semi-dread.

There are always weeks in the life of a music teacher where you look down the calendar from Monday and say to yourself "if I can only get through this week..."  I'm feeling "if I can only get through the next month..".  But I know, realistically, that that only gets me to April vacation and then it is crazy-time for two months after that as well.  

It's not the work that needs to get done nor the preparation.  It's the time away from home.  I love my job.  I love working with music and I love seeing the students put together their performances.  I just hate being away from Chris and Gabby.  Coming home from work and tip-toeing into her room to kiss my angel goodnight even though she's already asleep breaks my heart.  I look forward to my weekends and (too few and far between) vacations where we can be "home like a family" (in Gabby's words).  

I wish that folks could understand this side of a music teacher's life.  The side that is passionate about her job and her students, but is torn apart thinking about her family and having to choose between seeing her loved ones and offering opportunities to students.  

So, looking down this calendar week with the four days of rehearsal and show on Friday - all I see is Saturday when I can wake up with my Goo-Bear and breathe a sigh of relief that it's one week down... (umpteen to go...)

*sigh.

Time for All-State

I just returned from Day 1 of MMEA's All-State Conference at the Boston Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center.  I attended with mixed feelings this year.   (1) My school system couldn't pay for us to go - so I had to shell out the dough this year ... (2) I didn't have any students accepted into the ensembles (major bummer) ... (3) The sessions didn't really peak my interest... Needless to say, I wasn't jazzed (sorry...) about going.

But, I had to keep in my mind that it isn't about the sessions - it's about the people.  It was really lovely being able to attend sessions, have lunch, and just sit and talk with the other teachers from my school district.  I don't think we've ever been given the luxury of that much time to connect!  It was also amazing seeing everyone that I miss from URI and BoCo.  It was the first All-State, though, that I didn't have Denise and Gary to enjoy with.  It definitely wasn't the same without them! 

I went to four sessions today - "Emergency Repairs for the Band Teacher" (meh...  but did inspire me to take a trip to Home Depot), "The Heart of the Big Band: The Rhythm Section" (AMAZING student performers and snagged some Vic Firth stickers for my percussionists), the keynote speaker (where I was able to cast on and knit 1/2 a sock), and "High School Choral Reading Session" (where I further did damage to my already fried, hurting, tired, sick vocal cords...I really need to take time to get better from this cold from hell.)  Tomorrow I think I will only get to one session ("Vocal Jazz Lit") and maybe get to some shopping done at the exhibits. 

I have to say I was attempted to skip the convention when I first drove up, though.  There, almost like a beacon, from atop of the convention center was the banner:

 

http://craftboston.org/index.asp

 Wahhhh? 

Downstairs from the music ed folks and the sessions that I wasn't too crazy about is a craft show?  How did this happen?

I am happy to report that I did not wander... I did not go to the craft show... 

(only because it was closing for the day by the time I tried to... tomorrow is another day!)

In other news, here is the finished Corriedale:

Now I just need a project!

230 yds of love

Ahhh!  Spinning success!

The Corriedale has behaved beautifully!  I was able to spin about 230 yds fingering-ish weight from the 2.5oz I pulled out of the bag.  

I wanted it to be thin, so I plied it with thread instead of doubling it up.  So, here it is all plied up in its pretty-ness:

Then it was time for the bath:

Now it's in the dye-pot soaking up some light purple dye and looking very happy:

Post-dye pictures to come soon.

:)

Long Time No See

It's been awhile.  This being the first chance I've gotten to sit down and blog, I feel like I want to update on a million things.  Instead, I'll interview myself about what's been happening in hopes to link seemingly unrelated things together...  hopefully it's not too cheesy.  

First - let me start with some "THANK YOU'S!" Thank you for finding my blog! I hope all of you that stopped by come again and say "hi".   Thank you Katelain and Carol for commenting!  Made my day!  

Why are you blogging at 8:30am on a Monday?

At a crazy weekend running and co-hosting the Sr. SEMSBA festival I started coming down with a nasty cold "thing".  I got some rest yesterday - got some sunshine, some vitamin D, some running around with Gabby and Faith - but today the cold has settled into my chest and the coughing and wheezing has me thinking that I need to get myself to the Dr's.  So, before they open, I'm resting and have some time to sit and write.  I'm kicking myself for getting sick since it's also All-State week and I'm going to be out for two other days this week.  But, when your body says "rest" - you must rest.

How was your birthday?

It was,in a word, FANTASTIC.  I got those sweet messages when I got into work. Later in the day at rehearsals, my Rhythmix Gals were all late for rehearsal - just as I got frustrated, they all walked in with a cake and flowers for me and sang (as they always do) beautifully!  Then, I got to go home to my amazing family and my excited daughter.  Though Chris and Gabby hugs and kisses are gifts enough to me, they blew my mind with a Cricket Loom for me to start learning to weave!  It is FANTASTIC!  

Weaving, huh? 

Oh yeah!  It is tough to be a beginner again at something.  I decided to take Kelley Petkun's advice from her podcast on "Overcoming Mistakes" (episode 154).  One sentence that struck me was insuring that when you start, don't focus on a PROJECT.  Just go through the process and learn.  So, I've been processing with a lot of stash yarn and playing with techniques and colors to practice, practice, practice.  What has come out, I've been calling "doll scarves" and "dish cloths". :)  I'll post pictures when I'm ready to show off. :) 

How's the knitting?

Since I've been weaving, knitting took a bit of a backseat.  Since I really only have a few hours a day, the new toy got my attention. But, I got back to work this week on my two projects. 

Gabby's Garden Plot Dress 

I was VERY excited when I finished, what I thought was, the skirt of the dress last night.  Then, as I began reading the next section "with smaller cir needle, K72 front skirt panel, (pm), K72 back skirt panel" ... BACK SKIRT PANEL?  wahhhh?  Looking back to the beginning on the instructions, I see it - "SKIRT PANEL (make 2)".  UGH!  I was so ready to begin the body... and now I'm having "Second Half of Skirt Syndrome" (SHoSS)?  I even was thinking of ripping out the whole thing and saying "the hell with it".  But then I picked up the first half of the skirt, swung it around a couple of times, could picture Gabby in it spinning and dancing....  and started the second picot cast on.  

Mary Jane

This has been the easier of the two to work on.  I have finished the raglan shaping and now have begun the "snake skin" pattern on the body.  I really like this pattern and its simplicity.  

(note - white dog hair...  can never avoid it...  thanks Faith)

Any Spinning?

In fact, yes.  After the bamboo fiasco, I spun some nice, tame, undyed, Corriedale.  I'm spinning it a little thicker than usual and it's soft and lovely.    

Ahh... much better...

Anything else to add?

Gabby is super awesome.  She has enlightened us on a few things:

1. Broccoli not only makes your bones strong, "it makes your dreams come true"

2. "A whole world is in a drop of water.  You can't see it, but it's there"

3. Pea shoots are the best food on the planet.

And, there you have it. :) 

Happy Birthday to Me

It's my birthday.  I always look forward to this day with anticipation of exciting things.  This year, turning 31, I've been more "meh" about the whole thing.  Knew it would happen some day...

My students, however, were very excited to find out that today was my birthday.  As a result, I walked into my classroom and found this  on the floor as I left my office:

(My students are the ones that named me "Fern" from my last name.  It has become one of my favorite nicknames ever.)

I then turned on the lights to my classroom and saw this on my white board:

Made my morning very bright.  This continued with my chorus singing to me and the same two students popping their heads in my class at the beginning of every period to say "happy birthday".  They really are a very sweet bunch.

Now I just have some amazing rehearsals to attend to after school and then get to drive home to be with Gabby and Chris.  I'm looking forward to be being home, but it's nice to know that they like me here, too. :)  

The Weekend Update

I was afraid that when I went back to work that I would neglect this blog.  Realistically, I figured that I will only be able to post once a week.  I can live with that. 

A knitting update:

Gabby's dress (rav link) has been in hibernation this week.  It is definitely not a traveling project and by the time I get home, make and eat dinner, get Gabby to bed, and finish any lesson planning my brain just hasn't been able to focus on it.  I hope I can get it done by the summer, at least!

As for my DK project, I found the Mary Jane Top in the Twist Collective by Rachel Bishop and Sarah Johnson of Zephyr Style (rav link). So far, so good.  I've done about 75% of the raglan shaping and will be dividing for sleeves soon.  It's perfect travel knitting (for now) and I got a lot done on our journeys yesterday (more on that in a bit!) and while watching Gabby at gymnastics.

(It wanted to pose for you) 

In spinning news - there is none.  I attempted spinning the bamboo.  It spun.  It looked like poop.  I threw it out.  The end.  I have a bit of the spinning bug today, so perhaps I'll take out some nice, sane, BFL.  We'll see what the day holds.

In everything else, things are back to busy life after vacation.  Work was nutty, but it is nice to be back with the troops making music.  I really do have the best job in the world with the best students in the world. :)

We went on a journey yesterday to IKEA.  It's about a 40 minute trek - not too bad from home.  We went for a new mirror for our living room.  (I came home Monday to find our old mirror shattered on the floor with our very acrobatic and curious cat looking guilty in our bedroom. (No one was hurt in the process, just a big mess to clean.) Anyway, we trek to Stoughton and get to IKEA to buy a mirror.  Going through the marketplace we see that the bathroom set that we had pined over (Lillangen) is marked as "LAST CHANCE" and 25% off.  We had no plans of redoing the cabinets in our bathroom until the floor was fixed, but we instantly worried that this "perfect" set wouldn't be available anymore.  So, to make a long story short, the trip for a $50 mirror turned into a $700 trip with all of our furntiure for the bathroom in boxes in the attic until the floor is done.  I guess it's motivation to finish the project!