Upon trying soda for the first time: "Mmm, it has sparkles for my mouth!... MORE!!!!"
Canned tomato soup: "It tastes like ketchup!"
Beer: Ha ha, just kidding!!!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Vocal chord stretching
I miss singing; not that I don't sing all the time (much to the chagrin of my daughter), but I miss doing formal music with a choir. So, when a couple of my friends decided to join a group that will be performing Handel's Messiah in May, I was really excited! Unfortunately, I missed the audition a couple of weeks back due to a scheduling conflict, and I was nervous that they either had enough women singers or wouldn't let me sing because I simply hadn't tried out. However, after receiving a glowing recommendation from my friend, the conductor invited me to sing in the soprano section. I'm technically more of a mezzo than a true soprano, but I figured I could do it. I've sang Unto Us a Child Is Born and (of course) the Hallelujah chorus, and I've seen Messiah performed several times, so I'm familiar with the piece.
The next hurdle was finding someone to babysit. Having to pay a babysitter occasionally so hubby and I can go out is fine, but every week would prove to be a bit costly. The rehearsals are in the evening, but on the same night my husband teaches class at the seminary, so there is about a two and a half hour gap between the time I leave and the time he gets home. I was praying about what to do when I got an e-mail from a friend who offered to watch our kids every week so that I could go to practice. What a providential gift!
Then, I printed out the PDF file that was our music score. Holy cow, there are CHORAL arrangements that go this high?! I'm used to solo parts for soprano easily going up into the stratosphere, but a choral group? Almost every song hits an A above high C, and there are a couple that even go to a B (for you non-musical people, that's at the tippy-top of my range). And I am SOOOO out of practice, it's not even funny. First I was praying that, like, five altos would get sick and David (our conductor) would be begging me to sing alto, but alas, no such luck. So, I just stood between two really good singers and mouthed the higher notes. Oh, and did I mention that the whole thing is in HEBREW??!!! It's not as bad as it sounds -- the music is written phonetically to accommodate us poor non-Hebrew speakers (of which there are quite a few), but I still find myself tripping over phrases and mispronouncing words while practicing at home. However, I was pleased to discover that the choir group is good but not great, so I'm actually in my element here.
My goal this week is to make a habit of doing vocal warm-ups every day to try to get my voice back into shape. I need to be able not only to hit the high notes, but also to make the jumps from chest voice to head voice and land on pitch, which can be rather difficult at times! Despite all this, I am really looking forward to doing this piece. If you pass by my house this week, you'll probably hear me belting out parts of Messiah!
The next hurdle was finding someone to babysit. Having to pay a babysitter occasionally so hubby and I can go out is fine, but every week would prove to be a bit costly. The rehearsals are in the evening, but on the same night my husband teaches class at the seminary, so there is about a two and a half hour gap between the time I leave and the time he gets home. I was praying about what to do when I got an e-mail from a friend who offered to watch our kids every week so that I could go to practice. What a providential gift!
Then, I printed out the PDF file that was our music score. Holy cow, there are CHORAL arrangements that go this high?! I'm used to solo parts for soprano easily going up into the stratosphere, but a choral group? Almost every song hits an A above high C, and there are a couple that even go to a B (for you non-musical people, that's at the tippy-top of my range). And I am SOOOO out of practice, it's not even funny. First I was praying that, like, five altos would get sick and David (our conductor) would be begging me to sing alto, but alas, no such luck. So, I just stood between two really good singers and mouthed the higher notes. Oh, and did I mention that the whole thing is in HEBREW??!!! It's not as bad as it sounds -- the music is written phonetically to accommodate us poor non-Hebrew speakers (of which there are quite a few), but I still find myself tripping over phrases and mispronouncing words while practicing at home. However, I was pleased to discover that the choir group is good but not great, so I'm actually in my element here.
My goal this week is to make a habit of doing vocal warm-ups every day to try to get my voice back into shape. I need to be able not only to hit the high notes, but also to make the jumps from chest voice to head voice and land on pitch, which can be rather difficult at times! Despite all this, I am really looking forward to doing this piece. If you pass by my house this week, you'll probably hear me belting out parts of Messiah!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
The Sweetest "Selfish" Prayer
Last night our home group met for the first time this year. As all of us are in Christian ministry, we had a wonderful devotion about the extra pressures that are upon us as leaders in the church, and also what our "identity in Christ" is supposed to look like. We didn't come away with any clear-cut answers, but it was a wonderful time of reflection, as well as some praise music, which is one of the main things I miss doing in English -- corporate worship.
During our prayer request time, one of the people there (who is visiting from another country) was sharing his prayer request. He is an older man, probably in his mid to late sixties, and his was simple: "I want to live a longer life." When he expanded on that, he told us that he didn't come to know the Lord until about ten years ago, and he HADN'T HAD ENOUGH TIME TO SERVE JESUS. "I know it sounds selfish, but I love serving the Lord in any capacity, and I want Him to continue using me to bless others in the church." You could see the joy in his face as he talked about serving in the church, and it wasn't about him at all; it was about his love for his Savior.
What a beautiful "selfish" prayer.
During our prayer request time, one of the people there (who is visiting from another country) was sharing his prayer request. He is an older man, probably in his mid to late sixties, and his was simple: "I want to live a longer life." When he expanded on that, he told us that he didn't come to know the Lord until about ten years ago, and he HADN'T HAD ENOUGH TIME TO SERVE JESUS. "I know it sounds selfish, but I love serving the Lord in any capacity, and I want Him to continue using me to bless others in the church." You could see the joy in his face as he talked about serving in the church, and it wasn't about him at all; it was about his love for his Savior.
What a beautiful "selfish" prayer.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Can I just say...
...that I am TOTALLY excited that Justine Henin is out of retirement?!
She was someone from MY generation that first got me interested in watching tennis. I look forward to watching her performances in the Australian Open.
She was someone from MY generation that first got me interested in watching tennis. I look forward to watching her performances in the Australian Open.
Living at home: The "New" Norm
Today I was watching a BBC report on how children in the West are, in increasing numbers, choosing to live at home with their parents after university instead of moving out to live on their own. Many of them live at home well into their thirties or forties. Some of it is based on the economic recession, some has to do with the ease that comes with living under mom and dad's roof. Living on your own, being responsible with your money, is an acquired skill. And most kids/adults of my generation are simply unprepared for living on their own.The problem with this method of living that Westerners are adopting is not the fact that they are back at home after college. All across the world, most families would consider the idea of their children moving out to live on their own before getting married as absurd. Why is that? Children help with the family expenses, and in a poor family, a child who can go out to work, no matter how measly the pay, can make life better for the family. For a man, it gives him a chance to save up so that he can marry. In Arab culture, particularly among Muslims, the man is the one to give the "dowry" to the woman, usually gold, so that she is provided for in case anything happens to him. Traditionally, he is also required to have a home ready for her, complete with furniture. This requires a LOT of money, and some men save up for years before they are able to marry. And a woman, living on her own, unprotected by a family member like a father or uncle or brother? It's totally ridiculous! Culturally speaking, it is simply not smart for a woman to live on her own in this society because with it comes certain... stereotypes and labels about her character.
The key point I'm trying to make is that all of this leads up to something -- the man leaving his home and clinging to his wife, or the woman leaving home to start a family of her own. There is a goal present, and there is an expectation in the community that the adult-child WILL marry eventually.
Not true in the West, and herein lies the problem. There are no expectations, no clear goal, for these children coming back to the nest after they've been away at college. They live at home, continue to spend their money on themselves without regard to the rest of the family's needs, and have no intention of moving out, since marriage has been so devalued in Western society. Or they bring home their "partner" to live under their parent's roof. And many parents are allowing this?! Does anyone else see a problem with this situation, how destructive it can be to the family?
I understand there is a significant financial and economic problem in the US, and many people are without jobs right now. I think that the unemployment rate for the 20-25 age bracket is 15%, compared with 10%, which is the national average. But I also believe that the view that people have of living at home with parents needs to change dramatically. It needs to be seen as a contribution to the family, not a drain.
Did you move home (or stay at home) after you finished college? What are your views on this culture shift in our generation?
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Photo of the Year
Well, for our family anyway. It captures perfectly the two year old "sass" that Mia frequently exhibits. Happy New Year, y'all!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
What I've been up to
Well, I managed to make it through another year! Glad to see that you have too. Here are some highlights of our first full year in Israel:
1. Traveling: This year has been filled with traveling plans. From hubby's PhD work in Scotland (through the Univ. of Edinburgh) to my brother's wedding, we sure have racked up the airline miles!!! Here are a some of the places we visited:
That last trip was this past weekend. My mother-in-law has some (distant) relatives that converted to Judaism and did Aliya (the immigration of Jews back to the land of Israel) two years ago, so we went down there to visit them. The coast was nice and warm, unlike up here, where it really is chilly at the beach! The kids had a blast playing in the sea.
2. Healing: Hubby's leg continues to heal from the accident in London last Thanksgiving. He is walking much better now, thanks to physiotherapy and some new shoes! He still has a very, very slight limp, but he can run around and chase the kids again.
3. Books: I read a LOT this year. Partly due to the book club, and partly due to not having cable for most of the year. The Book Thief and The Secret Scripture were two of my favorites, so check them out if you get the chance!
4. Schooling: Hubby passed his proposal review in November, so he is now OFFICIALLY a PhD candidate! Only two or three more years to go before I can call him "Dr. Miller". We continue to be thankful for his academic adviser; she has been pulling seemingly impossible strings to allow him to continue his work abroad. There were a couple of times this year where we thought that we might have to move to Scotland, but the Lord was gracious and used this amazing woman to help us stay in Israel. My son started kindergarten this year. School is completely in Arabic, and it is proving to be difficult for him, but not impossible. We have seen tremendous progress in his communication abilities. We're also working on reading and writing in English at home.
5. Plans for 2010: Personally, my goal was to finish every incomplete Beth Moore bible study that I had ever worked on. I only finished one, but I also got to start a new one with a group of English-speaking ladies from my church. So, I'm carrying over my goal from last year.
This next year might have us end up in the States, but who knows? Thanks for all of your prayers and support over the year. May God bless you richly in 2010.
1. Traveling: This year has been filled with traveling plans. From hubby's PhD work in Scotland (through the Univ. of Edinburgh) to my brother's wedding, we sure have racked up the airline miles!!! Here are a some of the places we visited:
Edinburgh
Taba, Egypt
Crete
Denver, CO
San Diego
Jerusalem
Ashdod
That last trip was this past weekend. My mother-in-law has some (distant) relatives that converted to Judaism and did Aliya (the immigration of Jews back to the land of Israel) two years ago, so we went down there to visit them. The coast was nice and warm, unlike up here, where it really is chilly at the beach! The kids had a blast playing in the sea.
2. Healing: Hubby's leg continues to heal from the accident in London last Thanksgiving. He is walking much better now, thanks to physiotherapy and some new shoes! He still has a very, very slight limp, but he can run around and chase the kids again.
3. Books: I read a LOT this year. Partly due to the book club, and partly due to not having cable for most of the year. The Book Thief and The Secret Scripture were two of my favorites, so check them out if you get the chance!
4. Schooling: Hubby passed his proposal review in November, so he is now OFFICIALLY a PhD candidate! Only two or three more years to go before I can call him "Dr. Miller". We continue to be thankful for his academic adviser; she has been pulling seemingly impossible strings to allow him to continue his work abroad. There were a couple of times this year where we thought that we might have to move to Scotland, but the Lord was gracious and used this amazing woman to help us stay in Israel. My son started kindergarten this year. School is completely in Arabic, and it is proving to be difficult for him, but not impossible. We have seen tremendous progress in his communication abilities. We're also working on reading and writing in English at home.
5. Plans for 2010: Personally, my goal was to finish every incomplete Beth Moore bible study that I had ever worked on. I only finished one, but I also got to start a new one with a group of English-speaking ladies from my church. So, I'm carrying over my goal from last year.
This next year might have us end up in the States, but who knows? Thanks for all of your prayers and support over the year. May God bless you richly in 2010.
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