On my way home from the gym yesterday, I noticed the trees are really starting to turn. It has been pretty warm still-I found it amusing that the trees were falling down yet I was wearing shorts and a tank top! At a few lights/stop signs, I snapped a few pictures because I thought the colors were really beautiful.
From Arsenal Road, the entrance to Tower Grove Park on the left side.Corner of Arsenal and South Grand, also looks stormy! My neighborhood
Tower Grove Park is nearby for me (location of this Saturday’s race as well), and I am able to run there occasionally (often I can’t work out until night though). I’ll have to take my camera with me next time to get more pictures of the trees. The older I get, the more interested in landscapes I become.
I’m testing out a new program to help me blog easier. Yes, dear reader, now I can blog MORE and MORE!
Let’s see how this works—how about some pictures of my cat?
Aww…look at that cutie!
This is not my cat. A friend found this photograph on the web. I consider it to be the cutest photo in the world. Occasionally my friend and I will email the photo to one another just to be overcome by conflicting emotions of cute and sad.
On a fun note: I’ve recently been doing some internet research about running and gear and such, and came across a blog I really enjoy called SkinnyRunner. I had commented on a recent post–there was a sign that said something about Run Fast Aunt Ham. Well, I occasionally refer to my cat as “the Ham” or “Fat Ham” (because her tummy resembles a ham… 😉 ). So I just had to comment! And now I am internet famous (ha!) in that the blog author answered my question in a later post. Okay, well I was tickled by it! Really I’m just jealous because that author has many more readers than I do (and awesome legs, I want legs like hers but long like mine!) Then again, she puts much more effort into it, so that is fine.
I’m feeling very sleepy today. I taught all morning at Child of God, came home for lunch, and will shortly be headed off to the St. Louis School for Ballet to teach four students (one new, one viola 🙂 ).
The students at Child of God are excited because we will have an opportunity to perform for the school at the beginning of December for “Grandparent’s Day.” I love getting ready for performances–it gives the kids a goal and really encourages them to work hard. I try to make performance as low stress as possibly by planning far in advance, doing lots of “practice” performances, and talking through every step of the performance, starting with walking onstage, to bowing and walking offstage. Obviously some of the students will still freak out a bit, but if they know their music really well that helps so much! I cannot emphasize that enough–as adults we often perform pieces we do not know that well, but for students, they MUST know it forward and backward. Otherwise you are just setting them up for disappointment, and performance at that age should be about success and fun.
I thought it would be fun to include a few pictures of the space where I teach. I really like the room I get to use at Child of God. It is for art and music.
The piano I play onSpace to set up in front of the piano, plus tables to unpack onWhite boards to write music or assignments on
As you can see, the room is fresh and new looking, and is a great place to teach. In case you are wondering, the tennis balls under the chair legs are to keep the floor from scuffing.
Just wanted to post this link about Friday’s concert. It’s free for high school and college students (with valid ID, I guess?) on Friday night at 7 pm. Powell Hall, Friday night, October 15, 7 pm, FREE FREE FREE.
Program is:
Copland Clarinet Concert (with principal clarinetist Scott Andrews)
Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements
Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings (with Andrew Kennedy, tenor, and principal horn Roger Kaza)
Shostakovich Symphony no. 9
It’s the same program as Saturday night will be (which I might attend if I’m not too tired).
I just love getting presents in the mail. However, I’m pretty terrible about MAILING presents. In fact, I have a small pile of gifts from my cruise (yes…almost two months ago) that I keep meaning to mail. Or maybe I’ll just wait and deliver them in person. In any case…not the point.
The point: Today I received a small package in the mail from my sister Leslie. Now, she could have waited to give me this in person, but lucky for me she didn’t! She was in Luzerne, Switzerland for a few weeks over the summer.
It's a cowbell and a luggage (violin case) tag!
The package was ringing when I got it, so I knew it was a bell of sorts, but WOW! It’s a fantastic bell.
Tonight we went to Pi in the Central West End for some (long awaited) pizza. Chris and I split a deep dish pizza…I love the crust there. It’s corn meal based, and is just uniquely delicious and crunchy. When we go we usually split a pizza and a salad–the salads come in a large size, perfect for sharing. Tonight we had the Bada Bing, and the pizza was a mix of the South Side Classico and the Western Addition (half and half, not some odd combination). We left feeling completely stuffed and happy!
The rest of the week should be okay, especially with such an easy Monday (thanks again Columbus Day!). I’m most excited about my first 5k race on Saturday and my chamber music rehearsals (for the Chamber Project Concert) on Sunday. I’ve been working hard for both–I ran 2 miles STRAIGHT today (NO walk breaks), and of course I’ve been practicing. We are playing three pieces: Beethoven Trio for Flute, Violin, and Viola; Ravel Introduction and Allegro; and Mozart Clarinet Quintet. (I feel like there is just too much punctuation in that sentence, but I’m currently quite tired and don’t feel like looking it up. The Beethoven is the only one I haven’t played before and is therefore most difficult. There is a really neat variation movement I am looking forward to, among other parts. I just love Beethoven variation movements (I’m sure my readers can think of many–Eroica, Op 18 #5 for starters).
