The month of December

Earlier this week I posted about the decorations in my house for the Christmas holiday (that are still up by the way). Just as I had the same problem putting them up, I'm now having difficulty scheduling a time to take them back down.  So my white Christmas tree is now going to be a winter tree and probably a Valentine's tree to follow.

So...back to the month of December. Here is a photo review of some of the things that went down.

//I got this new piece of art off Etsy: CoCo Draws//

//I worked at WKNO many days, including over my highly coveted teacher holiday//

//A lovely package from JewelMint arrived at my doorstep.//

//December means recital season for my many music students, 

Handsome thought he needed to give a little recital himself//

//Speaking of recitals, I sang the Vivaldi Gloria with a Methodist Church here in Memphis.//

//I hadn't done any solo work like this for a year or so, so this was fun.//

//In mid December I turned in my 2nd Masters document.

I was awfully glad to check that puppy off the ol' list.//

//HANDSOME did his regular begging act for most of the month.//

//Christmas break rolled around and it was time to actually decorate the house.

This included the bar cart, which is now fashionably adorned with multi 

colored tooth picks in an appropriate Moose holder curtosy of my Dad.//

//I managed to paint my nails, something I hadn't done for a while.//

//New Year's Eve came, which allowed for some adjustments to holiday decor, 

though not a total take down, after all Christmas wasn't officially over.//

//We spent NYE with new friends and old friends in Midtown Memphis.//

//2013 arrived with a good food and laughter//

//Resolution, anyone?//

//Always nice to start off with a fresh coat (of nail polish at least) for the new year.//

And just like that, January is here.

Did ya have a good day?

I found this on a blog earlier today and thought it was worthwhile to share with others. I had a really good day today and though I didn't do all of these things, I did partake in a few. Other things that contribute to my "good day"....
1. Going to school (I think all teachers should like going to school...not just going to work)
2. Learning something new everyday. (This usually happens while I'm at school.)
3. Going to school school (our household term that means I'm going to school not teaching school.) Thank the precious Lord and GOD WILLING, I'll graduate in December with Masters degree #2.
4. Making music. (Again this usually happens at school, but sometimes it happens at home or at church.)
5. Petting my kitty. That little furry animal brings me so much joy I can hardly sit still.
6. Hugging my husband.  Our 7th wedding anniversary is coming up. I wonder how many times I've hugged him in the nearly 10 years we've been together?
7. Having something tasty to eat. Let's face it, who likes cardboard food? Not me. I try to eat things that aren't God awful, but ya know...sometimes you just need to eat a cupcake. Hip, hip, hooray!
8. Do the laundry. I sure do like having clean clothes.  Sometimes this means dropping off at the laundry and sometimes doing the laundry at home.  Either way, there's nothing like fresh clothes.
9. Saying a prayer. I had a teacher once say about public schools, "As long as there are tests in school, there will always be prayer!" Maybe others have said this too. I don't work in a public school, but in a private school where prayers are said openly. Whether the prayers is said at school or at home, in the car or at church, I LOVE to say a prayer for me, you, whoever!
10. BEDTIME. I love sleeping. I know there's that terrible saying, "You can sleep when you're dead." BUT...I like to sleep now too. I always feel better after a hearty night's sleep. If I were to ask Handsome my cat, he'd say that's 18 hours. For the rest of us, isn't 8 hours just grand?

I hope you're having a good day and on the way to a fabulous first week of September!

O, Canada you're nearly here!

By this time next week we will be in O, Canada!

Needless to say my main man friend is a little bit excited about the voyage to his homeland.

Handsome has elected NOT to go on this trip. Or...rather...we elected for him. He has a kitty sitter while we are gone to help him nap and play in his house. We boarded him once at the nicest kitty-condo in the Mid South. We payed for that little experience for months. Lesson learned...get Handsome a 24 hour, in house kitty sitter. To Handsome it's a kitty sitter, to the rest of the world, it's a house sitter.  You see how he rolls?

And as for me...Hello. 

It's hard to pack all of the things I need to do in the next week given I'll then be gone for 3 weeks! Summer School is rolling along nicely.  I'm taking 2 classes that will be finished before we depart on Saturday morning...(meaning: GOD WILLING I get all of my homework done) I'm also teaching 2 music camps at the school I work at. Week 1 was this past week and was so much fun! I had the most precious little (Early Childhood) munchkins. Week 2 shall provide to be equally fabulous, I'm sure. This time with a bit older (Elementary) munchkins. Piano and voice lessons continue as per usual.

My motto through doing this second masters degree has been:

SHORT TERM PAIN....LONG TERM GAIN!

Sometimes it's hard to believe my own words, this week in particular.

Lots to do and all in less than a week.

I would imagine that in a year or 2 I'll look back at this time capsule and think, "YOU WERE NUTS".  It's interesting to see how a blog will serve as a reminder as time and personalities change. 

ON with this particularly shady Saturday, and the mountain of homework that is piled next to me.