Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

[Actually, this was taken in my backyard quite some time ago.]

And so comes winter. It brings a lot of things along with it. First, it's the smell of Christmas trees and apple cider. It brings the feeling of a warm wool scarf around your neck. It's breathing deeply the sharp air of December, yet completely enjoying the adrenaline rush you get from it. It brings the sound of a crackling fire. It's laughing and scooping the pure, crisp snow fort he intent of pelting one's brother with snow balls. [Okay, I just had to put that in there :) ]

But then... it gets old kinda fast. January comes, and sunshinyness goes into hibernation until April. The formerly fresh air becomes stale very quickly. The wind that used to laugh and playfully toss one's scarf about becomes sharp and no longer so innocent. The darkness closes in long before we are ready [for which our parents often say, "Go do your algebra."].

And then... spring comes :) Life comes back into play. It's simply splendid. Everything seems eager to begin again. The trees are bright and bubbling over with new colors, and everything seems fresh and lively again :)

In case I don't get on til then... Have a very merry Christmas :)

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In a way, it's someone else's story...

My voice teacher just gave me lovely new song to work on, and I thought I'd share it with you :)

It's called "Someone Else's Story," from Chess (the musical). Really, the context is saddening, but the song sounds pretty. It's very easily sung (I think my teacher gave it to me as a break from all the more extensive songs I'm working on.), but it's fun because I get to show off some of my lower notes :) Anywho, enjoy!

Someone Else's Story

Long ago
In someone else's lifetime
Someone with my name
Who looked a lot like me
Came to know
A man and made a promise
He only had to say
And that's where she would be
Lately
Although the feelings run just as deep
The promise she made has grown impossible to keep
And yet I wish it wasn't so
Will he miss me if I go?

In a way
It's someone else's story
I don't see myself
As taking part at all
Yesterday
A girl that I was fond of
Finally could see
The writing on the wall
Sadly
She realized she'd left him behind
And sadder than that she knew he wouldn't even mind
And though there's nothing left to say
Would he listen if I stay?

It's all very well to say you fool it's now or never
I could be choosing
No choices whatsoever.
I could be
In someone else's story
In someone else's life
And he could be in mine
I don't see
A reason to be lonely
I could take my chances
Further down the line

And if
That girl I knew should ask my advice
Oh I wouldn't hesitate she needn't ask me twice
Go now!
I'd tell her that for free
Trouble is, the girl is me
The story is, the girl is me.

December is.....

• Hi Neighbor Month,


• National Stress Free Family Holiday Month,


• Bingo's Birthday Month, and


• Read A New Book Month,


• Write to a Friend Month,


• Bingo Month,


• National Tie Month,


• Rising Star,

You are You. Now, isn't that pleasant?

Dr. Seuss.
Through this and that, I've discovered that dear old Dr. Seuss has quite a few wonderful quotes that maybe I didn't fully appreciate when I was five. Here are some of my favorites:

"Laugh your heart out,
Dance in the rain.
Cherish the moment;
Ignore the pain.
Live, laugh love.
Forgive and forget.
Life is too short
to be living with regrets."

"You know you're in love
when you can't fall sleep because

reality is finally better than your dreams."

"I like nonsense; it wakes up the brain cells"

"Today you are You, that is truer than true.

There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

“Be who you are and say what you feel

because those who mind don't matter

and those who matter don't mind.”

"Don't cry because it's over;

Smile because it happened."

“How did it get so late so soon?

Its night before its afternoon.

December is here before its June.

My goodness how the time has flewn.

How did it get so late so soon?”

(This feels especially applicable to life just now)

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,

Nothing's going to get better. It's not."

"Just tell yourself, Duckie,

You're really quite lucky!"

“I have heard there are troubles

of more than one kind.

Some come from ahead

and some come from behind.

But I've bought a big bat.

I'm all ready you see.

Now my troubles are going to

have troubles with me!”

And, of course,

"A person's a person.

No matter how small."

In which the Author learns why it is important NOT to make premature judgements.

Some of you may recall my ranting post quite sometime ago about the Phantom of the Opera sequel quite some time ago. (You can read it here, if you wish)

The story has developed a bit since that time. Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess are set to play Phantom and Christine in the London premiere of Phantom: Love Never Dies, contrary to what I formerly posted. From the official website:

“LOVE NEVER DIES” continues the story of ‘The Phantom’, who has moved from his lair in the Paris Opera House to haunt the fairgrounds of Coney Island, far across the Atlantic. Set 10 years after the mysterious disappearance of ‘The Phantom’ from Paris, this show is a roller coaster ride of obsession and intrigue...in which music and memory can play cruel tricks...and ‘The Phantom’ sets out to prove that, indeed, “LOVE NEVER DIES”.

Wikipedia adds that Madame Giry and Meg Giry accompany Phantom, but I would take that with a grain of salt, considering just about anyone could put something on Wiki.

Yes, I had a very extreme bias towards this show, and I'm still not happy that this could ruin the perceptions of some of my musical theatre heroes, but just yesterday... I found this. It's a clip of a song from the musical under scrutiny. Ramin Karimloo sang it at the press launch of Phantom: Love Never Dies. I'm trying to figure out how to post videos directly to my post, but til I figure it out (Or someone tells me [hint hint!!]), here is the link to Til I Hear You Sing from Love Never Dies. Grant it, it's kind of creepy that he is still obsessing over this woman (that could be his DAUGHTER [age-wise] if you think about it), but I have to admit... I was swooning by the end of the song.

AH, what's a girl to do?? I don't like the fact that this is associated with one of my favorite musicals in the entirety of the universe (why couldn't they just leave that out of it and make it with totally new characters??), but I loved this song and the man's voice! Have you ever heard anything more phenomenal?!?!

.:.:.:.

This is why we shouldn't judge. Most of the time, we are wrong anyways. And then admitting it is a big mess when we proud people want to hang on to our original bias. *siiiiiigh* (Goes to watch song again)

{Insert Clever Title}

On a cloudy day... when it's cold outside,

I've got the month of May.

Because... weather here is so weird. It was down in the 30s the other day, and just this afternoon-- it was in the 60s-70s. I don't think I'll get used to this; I wear my scarf and fuzzy socks one day, and break out the shorts and t-shirts the next!! Ahhh, ridiculousness!

But I love it :)

Speaking of socks...

We all happened to be wearing bright sock that day...

For the inspirational, novel writing drummers who put peanut butter on their roasted sweet potatoes :)

[[Man, I tried to schedule this post so that it would come out on time, but it didn't work!]]

November :)

• International Drum Month,
• Peanut Butter Lover's Month,
• National Novel Writing Month,
• National Fun with Fondue,
• Family Stories Month,
• Sweet Potato Awareness Month,
• National I am So Thankful Month (Wonder where they got that idea..)
• National Inspirational Role Models month,
• National Roasting Month,
• And several medical-related-things-awareness/appreciation month.

The second to last one... Roasting Month, does this make anyone else think, "THANKSGIVING!?!?!" Ah, I am SO excited! I can't believe the year has gone my so fast! It seems as if the year just started... and then WHAM, it's almost over! It really makes one think about things... appreciating the moment, I guess. Not living superficially, but realizing we can't do anything but learn from the past, and we are incapable of doing anything but pray and prepare for our future. It's a bit like that old cliche, "The past is history, the future is a mystery, but today is a gift- that's why it's called 'the present.'"

Tell me if anyone else sees some irony in this. In sports practice today, I bashed my toe when I collided with another player. I was lucky; I only got a [[very painful, albeit]] bruised and swollen toe. I'm not sure what the other player is going through- we crashed pretty hard. The thing is... we were playing volleyball!!! Isn't that supposed to be a no contact sport?! I mean, that's one of the reasons I picked it- minimal running and little-to-no contact. Just goes to show... something.

As for the rest of life... right now, it's lovely. I love life.

{I have to add this: November 4, 2004 - National Chicken Lady Day.

I'm sorry... what??}

[{( And looking back at my first paragraph (about the time flying?), A Dr. Seuss quote comes to mind: "How did it get late so soon?")}]

For Beautiful Eyes...

I found this Audrey Hepburn quote, and thought you might enjoy it :)

If you're wondering about that amazing graphics job... haha, no, I just have a lot of time one my hands. Well, okay, not really, but I have discovered picnik, and I make time for it!! I've done sooo many pictures... it's addicting [to the point where it's not even funny].

Goodness, Slacking off again! But hey, Fall is here!!

The lovely month of October is:

• Adopt-A-Dog Month,


• Computer Learning Month,


• National Apple Jack Month,


• National Car Care Month,


• National Clock Month,


• National Cosmetology Month,


• National Dessert Month,


• National Pickled Pepper Month,


• National Popcorn Poppin' Month,


• National Pretzel Month,


• National Sarcastic Month,


• National Seafood Month,


• National Kitchen and Bath Month, and


• Vegetarian Awareness Month

In addition... FALL IS COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![etc.] Words cannot express how happy this makes me! Autumn is by far my favorite season! I mean, you cannot deny the beauty of this:

(Yes, I stole this from flickr. I'm a bad girl. I can't claim to have taken this, but the person who did has amazing artistic ability. And, of course, GOD, who created it in the first place! Isn't he a genius??)

I can smell the cinnamon and cloves now... well, actually, not really, because our kitchen has been torn apart this last week; we're getting new counter tops! There is dust everywhere!! But, the kitchen looks fantastic!

Does anyone else find Autumn one of those seasons that inspires feelings of nostalgia and warmth? Something about the crisp October air, the vigorous wind whipping the fire-colored trees about, your hair across your face, yet something about it fills your soul, and your very being laughs with sheer joy at being alive. Then stepping across the threshold, greeted by the warm sensations of cloves, vanilla, and crackling fires, with orange-clove tea cozy in our hands, makes some cheesy part of my being well up, and sends a zest for life coursing through my veins... dang, I'm being poetic! I've got to remember this! Ha, but anyway, Fall is indeed my favorite season! What about you?

You never know what it could mean to someone...

**Disclaimer: I didn't write this (Sadly) I wish I did! It was written by a brilliant person named Barbara Hauck (Sadly, I don't know her either).**


Smile

She smiled at a sorrowful stranger.
The smile made him feel better.
He remembered past kindnesses of a friend
and wrote him a thank you letter.
The friend was so pleased with the thank-you
that he left a large tip after lunch.
The waitress, surprised by the size of the tip,
bet the whole thing on a hunch.
The next day she picked up her winnings,
and gave part to a man on the street.
The man on the street was grateful;
for two days he'd had nothing to eat.
After he finished his dinner,
he left for his small dingy room.
(He didn't know at that moment
that he might be facing his doom.)
On the way he picked up a shivering puppy
and took him home to get warm.
The puppy was very grateful
to be in out of the storm.
That night the house caught on fire.
The puppy barked the alarm.
He barked til he woke the whole household
and saved everybody from harm.
One of the boys that he rescued
grew up to be President.
All this because of a smile
that hadn't cost a cent.