MO’ Cowbell

In case you have an obsession with half marathons, or you don’t like Rock ‘n’ Roll events, there is a new race in the St Louis area on October 2.  And yes, you could totally run both.  I just might 😉

St. Charles takes a cue from SNL skit for new half marathon

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Another thing from that Terry Durbin talk earlier today was when he reminded us that you don’t enroll your child in violin lessons for them to be the best violin player in the world.  You do it because music is awesome and fun.  It’s okay to do something just for fun, and indeed, you should do stuff for fun.

I guess that’s part of why I run (fun and fitness, right?)  Last night I went for a run around campus.  The track was locked so I just chose a path around campus.  It was dark so I didn’t want to venture far.  I did three loops and figured it was about 2 miles.  I went online afterwards to check it out and realized each loop was .89 miles.  I must have been going faster than I thought. 

But who cares?  I was having FUN, most importantly.  I don’t have to worry and stress about everything.  I can relax and enjoy.  And after 5 hours of driving plus 4 hours sitting in class, I truly enjoyed moving.

I hadn’t run in the dark since one time last summer, and seriously it is pretty cool, not really being able to see where you are going!  I returned to my dorm sweaty and invigorated.  Perhaps I’ll do the same tonight.  I wouldn’t do that at home because I would worry too much about safety, but here it seemed okay, though I was still on alert. 

Do you run in the dark?  Wanna do the MO’ cowbell run with me?

By the way I am LOVING it here.  I needed my facebook break, but even more I think I needed to get away and recharge.  Even though I’m busy busy here and my brain is filling up, it’s a great change of pace.  I think I need to do a Suzuki Institute every summer forever. 

Patience is controlled frustration

That was a statement Terry Durbin made in a talk today at Suzuki Institute.  I like it!  After all, how many times have I written about my so-called patience, when I am clearly NOT a patient person.  I’m controlling and easily frustrated…aha!

I don’t have too much time because I have a little assignment to practice for class, but I wanted to give a quick update on how things are going here.  (Ottawa, Kansas for Suzuki Institute.)

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This is my home until Friday.  (Apologies for the wrinkled bed, it’s tough to make a bed that is in the corner, plus I just don’t care enough).  I have my own room, but I share a suite with two other women taking teaching training who are actually quite fun and delightful!  We’ve been chitchatting quite a bit and eating meals together.  I always have an easy time making friends at these events since we all share a common bond—our love of teaching children to play violin and a constant desire to become BETTER at it.

This morning started early with an awful breakfast (the food is pretty bad…I am trying to take advantage of it and let this be a wonderful weight-loss/detox week.) The camp is a bit (understatement) disorganized this year and we still didn’t know what classes there were to observe.  The course I am taking requires 15 hours of class time and 8 hours of student class observations.  I always like to do MORE than the required observations since I’m here, so I really wanted to take up all my morning with classes.  We finally figured out some options and headed out. 

First I hit up Scott Conklin’s Book 5 Group Class.  I went to school with Scott back in the day and I think he was a bit unnerved by my presence.  Or just cause I was sitting next to my suitemate, Holly, who literally looks like Anne Hathaway (I’ll have to get a picture later…especially after Susan told us she couldn’t concentrate since we looked like models…Holly is like 6 feet tall, oh, and probably about 23 or 24…)

I decided to be a good blogger and snap some photos!

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That’s Scott leading the class.  They were playing Bach Double when I got there (late due to the misinformation) and then Country Dance here.  The kids in the front didn’t know it yet so they were keeping an eye out for how the class was using their bows.

Next I went to Terry Durbin’s Class.  I just love Terry Durbin.  Last year he wasn’t teaching at the institute, but I know him from when I was a little girl attending Suzuki Institute.  He is a truly hilarious, crazy, inspiring teacher.  Part of my love of the violin came from classes with him.  Years ago, after institute, I told my sister Leslie I wanted to be a Suzuki violin teacher just like him.

She said, well, you aren’t funny enough.

I suppose she’s correct.

Anyhow.

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After that was a class with Beth Titterington, and then the aforementioned lecture by Terry Durbin. 

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I feel a little silly whipping out the camera, but seriously, why not?  I’m loving the quality of my new camera photos, and some of these things just need to be documented, right?  Like that hands on the nose/ear picture up there!

I am pretty funny, though, right?  Probably not as funny as I think I am…but still, funny, right?

Let me just give you a few more things I wrote down today.  These are for violin teaching, parenting, and life.

If you teach your children, you can change the world.

Understand the world on the child’s level.  Come UP to their sense of wonder and awe.

Children can only hear what they are ready, emotionally and mentally, to hear.

Support your child by being there and support them by truly being there when you are there.

You should not play the violin for accolades or to impress others.

Welcome to Ottawa and have a nice day

Today I drove to Kansas.  Along the way I listened to a CD that included Chariots of Fire and Raiders March.  Then I listened to (and sang along with) the soundtrack to the movie version of The Sound of Music.  Twice.  And cried both times on a certain song.  I am now in Ottawa, Kansas at the Mid-Southwest Suzuki Institute.  Woo-hoo!

Last night Chris and I wanted to go out to dinner.  Originally we thought we’d go get something good and healthy, but ultimately we ended up at Trattoria Marcella.  Not unhealthy per se, but perhaps when you eat your entire plate of gnocchi.  To be fair I hadn’t managed to eat lunch, but that’s totally not my fault.  I played a 2 hour wedding mass and then had to run.  Two hours.  Seriously.  And before you ask, no, it wasn’t the royal wedding.  I know skipping a meal is bad, but I can’t recall the last time I did, so that’s probably a pretty good track record. 

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Chris had some fun with the water goblets.

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A beautiful series of photos of me looking creepy…as usual.  Why is that?  I look really skinny though, huh? 

Anyway, so far we’ve had three hours of class, one awful meal (ham, potatoes, iceberg lettuce—straight ahead!), and 30 minutes of waiting around for them to find my room key.  However, now I’m settled into the dorm and I just have one more hour of class tonight.  And might I impress upon you how much I love Susan Kempter?  She is seriously awesome and brilliant and all of that madness.  I rarely get this excited about people.  Only about Titanic.

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Originally I misread this sign. 

Off to see the wizard!

I’m off to Kansas today for Suzuki Camp!  I am taking Teacher Training for Book 5 with Susan Kempter at Ottawa Mid-Southwest Institute.

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Picture of the dorm last year.

What is Suzuki camp?  Well, firstly I should quickly answer the question, what is Suzuki?  The Suzuki Method is a way of teaching children (primarily) to play musical instruments.  The concept is that you learn your instrument the way you learn language—by starting early and hearing it all the time—and without pressure and with love.  That is how I learned the violin and that is how I primarily teach the violin.  I started at the age of five, and I listened to the music I was learning all the time.  Was there pressure?  Well, yes, but as you know I put pressure on myself all the time!  In ANY case I am not going into my childhood story here but simply giving you a little information as to what I am up to this week.

Here’s the link to the Suzuki Association’s page “What is the Suzuki Method?”

The camp part is the next part of the question.  Basically people come from all over and get together for the week for an intensive week of learning and camaraderie with other like minded people.  For me, it’s continuing education.  I am fully trained to teach the Suzuki method for all levels (there are 10 books), but I really wanted to take another class (here’s a link to last year) with Susan Kempter.  Taking courses makes me a better teacher (and frankly, a better person!).  I am really excited!

How many of you learned an instrument with the Suzuki Method?  How did it impact your life?

Saturday Storms

Today is the day.  I have a wedding today that I (for some reason) have been stressed out about for approximately three weeks.  I’ll be happy when it’s done.  I know it will be fine (they always are) but there is lots of score reading happening, and I am just a little nervous.

Jen and I had plans to run this morning at Forest Park, but when my alarm went off at 6:30, (yes, very early, it was to fit in the rest of the day) I was already awake.  Why?  Because of a gigantic thunder storm that was going through.  We canceled the plans.  I got two more hours of sleep instead.  I can always run after my wedding, as all I have planned for the evening is prep for my trip to Kansas bright and early tomorrow.  (Laundry and packing).

Last night I went to Coco Louco Brasil with Melissa.  We hadn’t been before and had been meaning to try it for some time.  The waiter was hilariously attentive—he appeared to be approximately 12 years old, and since the restaurant was suspiciously empty, he had some time to chitchat.  He made numerous menu suggestions and we ended up discussing his future career plans with him.  He’s thinking law school, in case you were wondering.

I ordered some sort of mixed barbecue thing that came on a skewer.  Luckily the skewer was not super hot by the time I had to deal with it.  I’ve had trouble with that in the past.

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The skewer definitely looked more like a sword than anything else.

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The lone green pepper.  Why would I take that off?  I hate peppers.  Melissa liked that the pepper sat at the golden mean of the sword.

In any case, we couldn’t resist the tres leches cake for dessert (weight loss contest be damned!  No, I’m just kidding, it’s just that occasionally one must have indulgences, right?).

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Our waiter did a delightful job decorating this.  He wanted to demonstrate that a philosophy major could have some skills.

It was delicious!

Overall the meal was good, but I think I prefer Yemanja Brasil, which is also closer to my house.  I’m glad we went though.  Oh, and the waiter apparently thought Melissa and I were together.  Like dating.  I guess we have a good rapport 🙂  Can’t two ladies go out on a Saturday night and share dessert anymore?  I am pretty sure they can.

Last thought:  I don’t know if yesterday’s fat post was harsh or not.  I hope I didn’t offend anyone.  I guess I was pretty mean to myself.

Really last thought:  I think my new camera is taking better pictures, can anyone tell?

My wedding: weight loss incentive

I’m going to talk about weight loss here.  Don’t read it if that is a trigger for you.

I wrote about body image a few weeks ago.  I wanted to continue along the same lines.

I used to look down on people who wanted to lose weight for their wedding, or for other special events.  After all, why not lose weight just to lose weight or to look great all the time?

Lately I’ve been putting together some old pictures for potential wedding stuff.  And I’ve realized how FAT I used to look.  This is partly because I am incredibly judgmental of myself.  And partly because I WAS fat.

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I am not as fat anymore.  But I still want to lose more weight, as regular blog-readers know.  But I’ve gotten lazy with my diet (not with my workouts though) and it’s harder to be as strict with myself without true incentive.

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(Yes, that’s a garden gnome.)

And gosh darn it, wouldn’t you know that incentive comes from my darned wedding?  I keep seeing pictures of women in wedding dresses…and my eyes go STRAIGHT to their fat.  Is this fair?  No.  Frankly, I’m probably an awful person for it.  But to be a little fair, these aren’t women I know in real life.  I do NOT look at my friends like that of course, in fact, I always find my friends attractive.  We all do, right?  The more you like somebody the more attractive they seem.

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But I don’t want people to see my fat in my wedding pictures.  I want people to see long limbs and muscles.  Well, long muscular arms, and a lovely back, and perhaps a thin face with fairly prominent cheekbones.  Is that too much to ask?  And then, ideally I would stay that way for years and years…

Not that people would think that I looked fat in my wedding pictures.  But I would.  And why not look my best?

But let’s not let my best be my best ever! Always evolving, always improving, right?

I’m winning Mike’s weight loss comp.  Five pounds down since weigh-in day May 31.  Six to go.  I can do this.  But I’ll want more.  (He was perhaps more surprised than I was…but I have actually been doing pretty well.  I’m just really critical.)

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These are all me.  Different years, different hair, different weights.  I can’t throw away the fat pictures of me.

But I can keep there from being any more fat pictures.  And whether that is because of my wedding or because I know I look a lot better now.  And more importantly, feel a lot better.  Nothing brings out confidence like being in great shape.

So here’s the deal:  I’ll lose some weight for my wedding.  But it won’t be JUST for my wedding.  Is that still hypocritical of me?

thoughts about violin, teaching, running, life.