Sunday Post: Happenings…..

~ This post was written on Sunday ~

Quote of the week..... “This good day, it is a gift from You. The world is turning in its place Because you made it to. I lift my voice to sing a song of praise. On this good day.”  - Fernando Ortega, This Good Day

Outside my window..... a sunny 28 degree day that feels around 19 degrees according to weather.com  I have been outside, and it is pleasant...well, it would be pleasant if not for the wind that is rather crisp and very chilling to the bones. The 14 year old, however, still managed to be just fine only wearing her hoodie as we traveled the stores.

Kid events.... Last Thursday night, Elliana’s school band held a spaghetti dinner to help raise funds. We went, out of obligation, and left feeling great about going. I had a preconceived idea that the spaghetti dinner would be blahish, but boy was I surprised. Yes, it was your average meal, nothing fancy, but the way the event was organized is what led to an enjoyable experience. Our meal was served by band student volunteers.  We ate as we enjoyed listening to various songs played by the different sections of the band.  Elliana plays trombone, her section of trombones sounded great.  Truly, all the sections were wonderful.  This was a eat, enjoy and go event. Not a sit throughout the whole night and listen to all scheduled. It was crowded so we did not stay beyond Elliana’s band, but I am sure the symphonic band members sounded wonderful too.  The video above is of Elliana and her fellow trombone players. El is progressing nicely with playing the trombone. She sits first chair in her section. We are proud of her dedication to learning of this instrument.

A Zine..... Talyawren is once again putting together a zine.  L at omphaloskepsis started a zine project last year with her daughter N which led to the creation of Talyawren. Elliana contributed, and the zine turned out beyond amazing.  For this year, they would like the edition of Talyawren to be a way to thank those who would like to help them give a monetary donation to Door to Grace.  Talyawren put the call out for collaborators, and Elliana once again jumped on the idea.  Well, jump would imply that she submitted her contribution for consideration already. That is not the case. However, she immediately took to the idea, and this weekend she wrote her piece.  I will be submitting her short story tomorrow after I see if I can edit it down from 1100 words to 600 words.  Hopefully El’s piece will be of use to the zine.   There is still time to submit, if interested then please do check out Talyawren.

Music infusing my brain..... Last night, Saturday - January 28th, I was afforded the opportunity to see David Garrett once again.  For those who do not know, David Garrett is a violinist, and one whom I have liked for several years now.  We had a great time.  I do plan on writing a post about this event as my thoughts are far to lengthy for the space provided here.

More David..... do remember, my mom is a huge fan of DG, and she has a group of friends who are huge fans too.  They are meeting up in Washington DC to attend a concert together, and to also enjoy time hanging with one another. My mom wanted me to go, but events of life dictate that I stay home - a decision made several months ago.  In my place, Elizabeth - my 14 year old daughter- will be traveling with grandma. I am very pleased that she will be able to experience DC and DG with my mom.  I hope they have  a wonderful time.  I am sure I will mention her experience here on a later post.

 

Books..... reading has taken a serious decline this month. Well, not serious, but certainly not what I hoped.  Regardless, the three books that I did read were fantastic - top rate books. 

Currently, I am reading Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov for the group read hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings. I am not officially participating due to my reading unpredictability. But, I am following along when I can. To be blunt, if not for the group read I probably would not be reading this book now. I am glad that I am therefore glad for the group read.  I also am starting The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. Yes, I had this on my current read list before, but I really did not even start it. I am very much in the mood to see how well I will like this one.

I am writing..... letters.  I was reading The Sunday Salon at Memory’s blog - Stella Matutina. She wrote about a project called A Month of Letters, hosted by Mary Robinette Kowal.  The idea is to dedicate February as the month to write a letter each weekday plus Saturday if you have mail service. This is 25 days of letters. I really like this idea, and very much want to give it a go.  
If you would like to receive mail from me - a letter, a postcard, a picture, an article clipping I found interesting, etc. then please do fill out this form. If you would like to send me mail then please indicate that on the form.  I will send a letter to all who sign up. If you receive a letter from me, feel free to write back if you want. A Month of Letters has great fun potential.

To read more about this fabulous idea, do check out Memory’s The Sunday Salon post.  You can also go on over to The Month of Letters to get the official low-down.

Recipe of the week …..  Broccoli Cauliflower Soup. Yum.Yum. Yum.  I could eat bowl after bowl.  This is definitely a keeper of a recipe - the whole family loved this one.

For my spiritual needs..... I have started my reading the entire Bible in a year journey. I am using a fabulous app - YouVersion - and following the Eat This Book reading plan.  This is working out great. I am loving the simplicity, and the capability to read other reader thoughts and to write my own. However, reading the Bible via my iPad defeats my ultimate goal of reading my physical Bible, having it looked worn from reading with notes in margins and note cards of thoughts shoved inside....for my children, grandchildren to have an appreciation of my Bible....of reading the Bible through and through.

Links.....
Tar Heel Reader is an online “collection of free, easy-to-read, and accessible books on a wide range of topics”. Isaiah really enjoys these books at school, and we are starting use them with him at home on his ipad.

Fyrefly’s Book Blog posted TSS: Track your reading!  I found the post to be informative and interesting. And, frankly, right up my keeping book stats alley. A book geek, I am.

Becoming Minimalist is a blog I stumbled upon. I like it and suits me well at this moment as I strive to keep stuff in proper perspective - minimal is good.

You have made it this far, congrats!

The following part is a far more personal side of this post. You will not hurt my feelings if you choose to skip reading this last section which is lengthy. I thought about creating its own post - decided against that because while I am filled with need to post these following thoughts, I also somewhat want to bury them with intent that a lurker who otherwise does not really read my posts will not then read this.

 

Me and my blog….. you may have noticed that I have been somewhat out of the loop as of late. Very little in way of posting on my blog and almost non- existent blog reading and commenting. Or, maybe you have not noticed. Regardless, there are several things heavy on my heart. The last four months have been witness to several lows, and troubling issues for which I am not going to go into all here. This last month - January - has been a very trying month. And the issue at hand, I will speak of briefly.

As some of you may be aware, my 8 year old son (IJ, Isaiah) has special needs. Apraxia, PDD- NOS, ADHD are his diagnoses. While you may have an idea of what those diagnoses entail, let me tell you frankly, a diagnose description does not tell all. The description is the starting point. Isaiah is complex. Always has been and most likely will always be. He brightens a room, but he could also darken it too. He has much to offer this world. While he is an expensive child to educate, he is worth every single penny. He challenges understanding and patience on a daily basis, but even so, I cannot imagine my world without this child in it.

January has been a month of troubles with Isaiah in school. The school is surprised, we are not. For us, it was only a matter of time before his "family life" crossed over into is "education life".  The two are not exclusive because Isaiah's troubles are a part of Isaiah's disorders. Now that the school sees these issues, I am greatly puzzled by their response. I feel that we...that Isaiah...has been pushed into a corner to a certain degree due to policy and procedures. I feel the intensity for which we are dealing with could have been avoided, or for certainly decreased IF Isaiah was afforded the proper therapy. While I am a rational person, and I look for sound, and evidenced based ideas - I recognize that I am emotional about this issue at hand. I doubt I will ever let go of the feeling that Isaiah has been hurt by the lack of resource available to him. Right now I am very much consumed by this troubling month. I woke up this morning with the full realization that was starting to enter my mind this past Friday - I think I am literally becoming sick due to the troubles with Isaiah. Mind you, not all day nor every day, but enough. He is not making me sick...it is the troubles. I have woken several times over the last week very sick to my stomach. I can cry at the drop of a pin. I am living with a ball of anxiety in my gut. I have headaches that come and go. All of this is nothing really huge, BUT it is the first time that a situation is causing me to physically feel off. Not since gestating each child have I felt nausea in direct relation to a child.

Anyway, I write all this to let my blogging friends know where I have been...why I have "dropped off the scene" so- to- speak. For those who are my family and in-person friends, you already know my troubles. Thank you for the Isaiah help you give to us (me), even with listening.

My presence with blogging, reading blogs, commenting, and even emailing will be hit or miss for a bit of time. My mood and attention fluctuates for blogging. My energy, time and thought process is pouring into what options are available for Isaiah - what are his needs - what can we do for him. I do, however, have a few drafted posts needing finishing touches, and a few unwritten ones in my head, I hope to get those up.  Posting is certainly on the slow boat.

For those close blogging friends - you have my email address. If you would like to be pulled out of the vagueness of this last part of the post, then please do email me. Otherwise, let it be known, I am exhausted with the troubles already and have no desire to go any further with public writing on the matter...at least, not right now. This part has served its purpose for me - therapy of sorts.