Sunday, February 21, 2010

Quid Novis? What's New?

Hello, again, friends! While I was waiting to talk to someone on the phone the other night, I started wondering what was new in my life. And that's what this post is about.

On my back to Maryland after Christmas break I stopped at a Starbucks close to home and noticed a poster for a local choir, the Chesapeake Chorale. Entrance was by audition - a fact that was a little intimidating - but I decided to go for it since I have plenty of experience auditioning for (and failing to get into) chamber choir at Hillsdale. Anyway, I fit right in and have been enjoying Tuesday nights very much since then. Our next concert is "The World's Greatest Choruses" which, as you might imagine, are quite gratifying to sing. Selections include "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana and "Habanera" from Carmen.

I like having something to do at night instead of sitting around trying to get myself to grade papers or write lesson plans. I've noticed that if I can maintain a slightly higher level of busyness, then I do what I need to do more efficiently so I can get on to the fun stuff. For that reason, along with recent inspiration from the Olympics, I decided to sign up for ice skating lessons at a local ice rink. Woohoo! If I had actually had a local ice rink growing up, I would have done this a long time ago. But I guess it's never to late to start, even if I'm practicing glides with 8-year-olds (4-year-olds?) I'll let you know how they go. The first session is tomorrow.

I watched my school's performance of Oklahoma! last night. It was the first time I'd seen it all the way through. Of course I knew the songs "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" and "Oklahoma!" but that's about it. It has some pretty dark moments. And some pretty hilarious moments. And some pretty sweet moments. The kids did a great job with all of it.

I finally bought Norah Jone's first album, Come Away With Me. I've been enjoying just as much as I enjoyed her song in the Love Actually soundtrack. It's very relaxing. Any Norah Jones fans out there? Has anyone listened to her latest album?

I finally started reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Life Together, which is "the classic exploration of Christian community" according to the front cover. I'm only twenty-six pages in (eighteen of which were the introduction), but it's really good so far. The words are basic, good, and true - but definitely not simple. I usually have to think about what he's saying for a while after I read. Theological books seem to be that way a lot. The words are deceptively familiar, but the ideas are strange. Not that they're wrong or outside of what I know to be true, but that they're such a unique way of thinking about things. I think it's neat. Have any of you read Bonhoeffer?

Because of the afore-mentioned musical at school, we have tomorrow off. I love having Mondays off. It makes Sundays that much more enjoyable. Happy Sunday!

3 comments:

Emily J said...

I've had "Come Away With Me" since it first came out, but I haven't been keeping up with any of Norah's recent stuff. I don't listen to it very much because I'm not often in the mood for "mellow" music. But it's good.

Now I'm going to have her song from "Love, Actually" stuck in my head, and my mind's eye is now projecting the holiday-party scene where the song is playing. Awww.

Tiffany said...

I love Norah Jones! Have you listened to Melody Gardot?
Her style is similar but her voice is even more beautiful.

Tessa said...

I agree with what you said about theological works. Yeah, I've read a little bit of Bonhoeffer and I think he's pretty compelling. Congrats on the chorus too!

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Quid Novis? What's New?

Hello, again, friends! While I was waiting to talk to someone on the phone the other night, I started wondering what was new in my life. And that's what this post is about.

On my back to Maryland after Christmas break I stopped at a Starbucks close to home and noticed a poster for a local choir, the Chesapeake Chorale. Entrance was by audition - a fact that was a little intimidating - but I decided to go for it since I have plenty of experience auditioning for (and failing to get into) chamber choir at Hillsdale. Anyway, I fit right in and have been enjoying Tuesday nights very much since then. Our next concert is "The World's Greatest Choruses" which, as you might imagine, are quite gratifying to sing. Selections include "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana and "Habanera" from Carmen.

I like having something to do at night instead of sitting around trying to get myself to grade papers or write lesson plans. I've noticed that if I can maintain a slightly higher level of busyness, then I do what I need to do more efficiently so I can get on to the fun stuff. For that reason, along with recent inspiration from the Olympics, I decided to sign up for ice skating lessons at a local ice rink. Woohoo! If I had actually had a local ice rink growing up, I would have done this a long time ago. But I guess it's never to late to start, even if I'm practicing glides with 8-year-olds (4-year-olds?) I'll let you know how they go. The first session is tomorrow.

I watched my school's performance of Oklahoma! last night. It was the first time I'd seen it all the way through. Of course I knew the songs "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" and "Oklahoma!" but that's about it. It has some pretty dark moments. And some pretty hilarious moments. And some pretty sweet moments. The kids did a great job with all of it.

I finally bought Norah Jone's first album, Come Away With Me. I've been enjoying just as much as I enjoyed her song in the Love Actually soundtrack. It's very relaxing. Any Norah Jones fans out there? Has anyone listened to her latest album?

I finally started reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Life Together, which is "the classic exploration of Christian community" according to the front cover. I'm only twenty-six pages in (eighteen of which were the introduction), but it's really good so far. The words are basic, good, and true - but definitely not simple. I usually have to think about what he's saying for a while after I read. Theological books seem to be that way a lot. The words are deceptively familiar, but the ideas are strange. Not that they're wrong or outside of what I know to be true, but that they're such a unique way of thinking about things. I think it's neat. Have any of you read Bonhoeffer?

Because of the afore-mentioned musical at school, we have tomorrow off. I love having Mondays off. It makes Sundays that much more enjoyable. Happy Sunday!

3 comments:

Emily J said...

I've had "Come Away With Me" since it first came out, but I haven't been keeping up with any of Norah's recent stuff. I don't listen to it very much because I'm not often in the mood for "mellow" music. But it's good.

Now I'm going to have her song from "Love, Actually" stuck in my head, and my mind's eye is now projecting the holiday-party scene where the song is playing. Awww.

Tiffany said...

I love Norah Jones! Have you listened to Melody Gardot?
Her style is similar but her voice is even more beautiful.

Tessa said...

I agree with what you said about theological works. Yeah, I've read a little bit of Bonhoeffer and I think he's pretty compelling. Congrats on the chorus too!