Multi-tasking

Juggling tasks this week...

   Concert Prep: 
Last week of instructional teaching and the kids are sounding very good. However, we're also running into end of the year field trips, games, and other activities which are affecting attendance. We'll be missing quite a few at orchestra today, I bet.
   House Prep:
Paint estimates (not cheap!) and garden maintenance (sprinkler tune-up).
  General business:
Looking into new cell phones for overseas, navigating new laptop, cats and kid appointments (shots), selling car, packing the house estimates.
   Music business:
Cello student recital, EIMP files, $ accounting for 2010 tax year (U.S.)

Sickie at home; much work to do

I have a sick child at home today and much work to do on the music front. It's the last week of string classes before the district concerts and I have mega-details to take care of before they hit (the string concert is next week and then one for band the week after that). I'm treading water at this point, but still afloat.

Life preserver anyone?

New tech

(Hope I wouldn't have to wear one of these to class!)

I think I might need to go join the BigMac class at the senior center to learn about all the cool things my new laptop can/should do. At the moment I'm devouring as many tutorials I can find online but I still haven't managed to set up an ichat account which is one of the reasons I wanted this thing before we take off this summer! If all else fails, I'll have to ask Geoff.

Social networking

I'm getting a little gun-shy of this social networking trend when people who I have always thought of as being very reasonable and good human beings start to spout off their very strong/biased political and religious beliefs. It can get ugly and it makes me want to go away for a few days. I suppose I can just "hide" them but then that seems to defeat the whole purpose of having an open forum...sigh:~(

Laptop shopping

Huntley Bookstore

As the time for packing everything up in boxes draws closer, I realized I must have my own laptop for our sabbatical this time round.(In Germany we all shared Geoff's, which sort of worked...) I'm hoping we can carve out some time this week for Geoff to go with me to ask all the important computer-geek questions and I can doodle with the built-in mouse. He also gets a discount; not much, but every little bit helps. It might just cover the cost of an extra suitcase :~)

Fine finale

(CCO past performance)

Today was Claremont Concert Orchestra's last concert for the term, which was also our fine conductor of many years, Maestro Michael Lamkin's last concert before retiring. This afternoon's performance of Strauss, Schubert, and Brahms was a fine 'send-off' for him and the orchestra was in exceptionally good form. It's a bitter-sweet moment for all of us in that we wish him all the best in retirement, but will miss him terribly on the podium. He is truly 'one-of -a-kind' and so many of us, students and community players alike, were touched by his humble nature and extraordinary musical leadership. I'm really going to miss his composer stories ;~)

May day, May day

One of my favorite childhood memories was going with my family to watch the maypole dance at Magic Meadow in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.  There was always a group of very well prepared dancers (children) in beautiful costumes and wreaths who performed the elaborate ribbon winding around the tallest pole we could ever imagine. I always dreamed of being able to join in with them someday. . . 

Ren~Faire Maypole

meetings and end-of-the-year business

Okay, today I'm assuming that we''ll have quite a long meeting with our music staff. Much business needs to be discussed; rehearsals, concerts, programs, certificates, inventory, repairs, and on and on... Then there will be start of discussion re: summer and next year. I'm hoping to have my new (yet to be purchased because Geoff needs to do it to get the discount) laptop up and running for inventory-intake purposes and to make my year-away transition easier for all involved. I'm down counting the weeks and the end is too near!

Cubic yards

May Flowers in April : by Xandie

Spring is the time to mulch. Last week I ordered 1-1/3 cu. yds. of pea gravel to cover the spa-fill site and the bare ground under the biggest of our avocado trees. This week I ordered 1-1/2 yds. of shredded bark/wood chips to replenish the front garden mulch that after a year and a half has mostly worked its way back into the soil. I'm hoping this treatment will both simplify maintenance and conserve water for the year we're to be away. If nothing else, it sure looks a lot better than it used to :~)

A good time was had by all

(HRH the Queen / Ren Faire 2010)

photo by Xandie

We don't go to the Faire every year but Xandie really wanted to go and since we won't be here next summer we found the best online discount and made the trip. (In recent years the Ren Faire has moved to Irwindale; it's a lot closer and much more convenient for us now.) The "girls" in the family wore costumes, of course, but Geoff went as a photographer.

His photos probably came out better than ours, but then we were too busy having fun to care!

photo by Pat

unicycle run

The annual Donut Man HMC unicycle club ride took place this a.m. and I was there to witness the end of the three hour, 8.7 mile ride from Harvey Mudd College, Claremont to the Donut Man shop, Glendora. (The owner provides free, fresh strawberry donuts for riders and support team members). Here's a link to the finish footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0HvQoxpn3I

Inspired by stone

Even though I plan to do something, eventually, with the old spa site there was a big empty space looking at me where it used to be. I initially thought I might find an inexpensive kinetic sculpture to install before we leave for sabbatical. Then while browsing rock garden images I stumbled across rock stacks and "voila" that was exactly what I needed; Zen-like, minimal, fun and free!

Here today, gone today

We first noticed cracks in the spa last summer. Repair: expensive! Replace: more expensive!! Remove: most logical solution; especially since the heater blew out a few weeks ago. And so today, bright and early, the pool-demo-guys came and took it away. Now I have an empty slate to ponder and come up with a Zen garden, rockery planting, or other low-water solution. In the mean time, we have a new fire-bowl patio ;~)

April showers

Irises

1890 ; Oil on canvas (36 1/4 x 29 in)

Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh, Amsterdam 

We're getting a nice round of rain and the garden is responding with new growth and lots of blossoms. I'm especially enjoying the irises I see not only in my garden but all around Claremont; and the many different varieties. Even Van Gogh was captivated by their beauty; maybe I could take some time out to do a little artwork this week...

Home stretch

I'm approaching the "home stretch" in more ways than one. The first is only 4 weeks of teaching the after school string program and the final spring concert (ready or not, but I think we will be). Then of course there's the aftermath of parties, instrument intake, follow-up staff meetings and finishing up with the jr. high strings coaching assignment.

The second, and more labor intensive, is sabbatical prep; now only 3 months away! We have hung the ceiling to floor lists in the hallway marked 3, 2, 1 month(s) and the final 2 week list (everyone democratically adds to the respective list when we think of something we need to do). Other than that I must be in partial-denial because I haven't done much more than write stuff down. Now is the time for action and I'd better get started....there's that pool demolition guy I've been meaning to call about the old spa.

Everyone loves a parade

The jr. high orchestra was in a parade this morning, in a Woody Allen-ish sort of way. "noridan", a South Korean troupe of musicians/performers, won an award for eco-performance art and was invited here by the Drucker Institute at Claremont Graduate University.

Kids from the various Claremont schools convened to watch and participate in this unusual but very fun event. The El Roble Orchestra was chosen to represent their school and so 36 music kids (sans instruments) were loaded onto a bus for a very short ride to the parade assembly area. After an exciting performance demonstartion they joined in the merry-making and became part of the parade itself. Much fun was had by all, though I'm not sure who these people are and what exactly they were doing here !

12 year old in the house

"Our just-turned 12 year old"

I don't know how it happened, but we woke up yesterday morning to a 12 year old in our house! Consciously I know we moved to Claremont 11 years and some months ago with a 4-month old baby in tow, but how did 12 years fly by like that? We are so proud of this child and all her achievements to date. She is, as she calls herself, "a wanderer and a wonderer". 

Congratulations to you Xandie, on a life well travelled so far, and wishing you many more adventures to come :~)

Symphony field trip

 WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL 

When I was in grade school in San Francisco, many years ago, we would go on a field trip every year to either the symphony, ballet, opera, museum, theater or the academey of sciences. California is no longer the "golden state" and Saturday was the first time in my 12 years in Claremont that the elementary orchestra students were able to see the LA Phil in action. It was a great day for music education: the kids were a pleasure to be with and they had a great music experience. The teachers and parents could relax and enjoy the concert and before/after activities with the students which included a pre-concert drum circle, puppet-making, lunch in the outdoor amphitheater and a question-answer session with a Phil musician, dancers, and the guest conductor. It took months of planning but boy, was it worth it in the end.

(see fellow teacher review of our trip)

Rehearsal etiquette?

It seems that technology needs to come with a manners manual. At orchestra rehearsal tonight I noticed the usually talkative student bass players were very quiet in addition to not noodling (playing while director is talking). To my utter amazement, one of them had his laptop open and running so they could watch the basketball game DURING rehearsal.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing... Brahms was certainly turning in his grave. 

Either that or shooting hoops!

Easter and down time ...

Only 'day two' of nine and I am so enjoying this thing called 'down time'! We have very few scheduled plans on the calendar and it's so nice to just 'go with the flow' for once. Last night was Mahler's 5th at Disney Hall (amazing piece and glorius performance by the LA Phil). Sometime during the night the Easter bunny paid a visit and so Xandie found her basket early this morning before we got up but patiently waited for us before she went on her egg-hunt. We then had a very nice Sunday morning brunch of home-made waffles with strawberries, real maple syrup and "schlag". The only improvement would have been warmer weather so that we could eat outside; but then I guess we can't have it all, all the time.