Officially winter

Snow and everything. Windows are all plasticked, scarf/mittens/hat are part of the daily ensemble, hot beverages always sound good.

This life as a music teacher is going pretty well. I'm making enough money and have a healthy amount of free time. I wish I was better at working on my own stuff in my own time but I'm learning. I end up being fairly productive, in a blogging/cleaning/homemaking kind of way, but I got a call from my friend Liz yesterday who was asking for some contact info regarding a grant she was applying for. For an art installation she wanted to put together. A grant that I told her about, at a venue I told her about. I'm in awe of her self-motivation.

Stuff I keep meaning to work on:
-practicing guitar/piano
-writing songs
-making lesson plans
-checking out piano books/curriculums
-finding new songs for WW and especially Lullabies
-the elusive recording of a children's album

Somehow these things always end up at the bottom of my priority list. Today, for example, I bet I'll get around to a load of laundry and browsing recipes for Thanksgiving and shopping for boots on the internet, but we'll see if my guitar or keyboard make it out of their cases.

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I just stepped away from the computer and during that break read this in an article with Judy Blume: "I used to have to clean out all my closets and drawers before I could begin a new book. I'd think up excuse after excuse because beginning is the hardest part for me. I still think up excuses but they have less to do with cleaning out closets." I guess I'm not the only one. Thanks, Judy Blume. You still know how to make me feel better about my insecurities.

I read that in the introduction to this book which Ben bought me recently. Ben has been doing some great stuff for me lately, like surprising me with a turtle sundae from Scooters after I mentioned a craving for a hot fudge sundae after dinner, and taking me out to a super fancy and delicious restaurant for our 9 year (gulp) anniversary. That meal was incredible, which I fortunately still remember despite the fact that we were both TRASHED by the time we got home. The blessing and the curse of a BYOB restaurant. 10 courses. 4 blocks from home. 3 and a half hours. 3 bottles of wine. 2 people. D'OH.

I guess you just gotta celebrate a few months of high school dating + 3 summers at home + 4 college years long distance + 5 years of shacking up in style.

And now.... FALL PHOTO SPECTACULAR!!


She's taken to coming to snuggle on weekend mornings with her body under the covers. Did I ever tell you that she is the greatest flippin' cat ever.


It's A Girl AKA The Freddies at the Tonic Room

And the many faces of Halloween 2008:














Yeee-haw.