Avenue of Life

Hello, hello!

I hope this finds you all well and enjoying back-to-school season.  ☺

I promised to tell you about some of the new things going on in life here, so I'd like to share about one of them today:

A few months ago, I heard about a community center in the area called Avenue of Life.  A friend was tutoring there for the summer, and I thought it sounded like a pretty neat establishment.  It didn't occur to me till a few weeks later, however, that there might be opportunity for me to help out there, too.

Long story short, I am currently teaching piano lessons there on a volunteer basis!  I started a month or so ago, and for now, am teaching one afternoon a week, in order to continue to try to protect Bryant and my evenings together.  It was good to start in the summertime, because I was able to teach kiddos during the earlier afternoon hours.  I/we didn't know what my time there would look like once school started, but I just found out (as luck...actually, as God would have it) that the day I chose to teach lessons there happens to be the weekly district-wide early release day!

The clientele has varied a bit every week, but I've seen some students attend more and more regularly, as well as new ones coming each week.  It's a bit of a challenge to know what to be prepared for each time I'm there, but I just take as many books/resources as I can, and hope I can meet the needs of whoever shows up!  I enjoy the variety, and the "unknown" keeps it interesting and exciting.  (For example: A brother and sister who recently started lessons with me previously took lessons with a Spanish-speaking teacher and learned the notes not as letters, but as solfège syllables!  Their goal is to learn the "letter version" of the musical alphabet in addition to learning to read the actual notes on the staff, rather than intervals and patterns.)  

I'm confident this opportunity was an answer to my prayers for guidance in finding ways to use my time and share my gifts.  This season in my life is "wide open," at the moment, and I'm thankful for the ability to take advantage of this particular opportunity, especially.

I haven't shared a student story in quite a while, so here is a short one for you:
One of my adult students (who has Asperger's syndrome and suffers from other physical ailments) told me this past week that our piano lessons are the highlight of her week.  She is "obsessed" (her word, not mine) with the piano and absolutely loves to practice.  What more could a teacher ask for?  ☺

Thanks for reading!

Musically yours,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

date nights, courtesy of Groupon and my thoughtful husband

sunshine and pool time

exploring

Welp, I'm back...and back at it. ☺

Oh, hey.

My arms are a little sore, but I managed to climb back up from falling off the face of the earth - phew!

Seriously, though - who knew life could get even more crazy than it already was?!

Anyway...hello, dear friends.  I hope this finds you and yours well and enjoying what's left of summertime.

Here are a few highlights from the months I was MIA:

• June - Charlie's birthday (ha)
• July - was honored to be the Maid of Honor in a wonderful friend's (absolutely stunning) wedding; lots of trips south for special family time (one for my grandpa's beautiful memorial service); calling 200+ churches across the state to schedule the 14-15 Nebraska Brass season
• August - trip to the farm to see Grandma and Grandpa; still calling churches to schedule the Nebraska Brass season...

We started another term at the studio at the beginning of this month, and therefore, I started my fifth year of teaching there.  Crazy, right?!  I did the math about 4 times, because I really couldn't believe it's been that long, already.

In honor of my quinquennial year (don't worry - I had to look that one up), AND in honor of Harris Academy of the Arts' 10 year anniversary (wohoo!!), I have a few student stories for you:

One of my brand new students this year is a precious 4-year-old boy with dimples and melt-your-heart big blue eyes.  Not only is he adorable, but he's also doing a way-above-average job, so far!  We put tabs on the pages he's supposed to practice in his books, and when I asked him what color of tab he wanted the other day, he flippantly replied, "Eh, orange, whatever" with a shrug of his shoulder.  His mom, who was also in the room, gaped at him and gave me a shrug.  It happened again for the next page, too - I asked what color of tab, and without missing a beat, he responded, "Blue, whatever."  His mom just shook her head.  I proceeded to ask him what his favorite color was, and he said, "Orange...and blue."  No "whatever" about it.  ☺

There's a vocal instructor teaching in the room next to mine this year, so my students are getting used to ignoring all the vocal warm-ups and beautiful crooning coming from next door and focusing on their own playing, instead.  While listening to the instructor lead his student through warm-ups with the piano, one 6-year-old girl had to stop and ask what was going on over there. I told her there was a voice lesson taking place, and she proceeded to ask, "How did someone learn how to sing like a piano?!"  It took me a second to realize she didn't know there was a piano in the room, and thought the notes being played on the piano were actually coming out of someone's mouth.  She kind-of laughed to herself when I told her there was actually a piano in the room, too.

We're a couple weeks into the semester, now, so the rust is wearing off, and now that school has started, everyone's really getting back into the swing of things.  It's always touch-and-go at the beginning of the year, as you can imagine.  When they come into their first lesson after summer break, I semi-jokingly ask my students if they've touched a piano since I saw them last.  The reactions to that inquiry range from deer-in-the-headlights to a-chuckle-followed-by-a-"no" to confusion to of-course-I-have's, and many in between.  I was very impressed by one student in particular last week, though, because not only had he practiced ALL of his assigned pieces, but he also learned the words...and sang them in an opera-style voice!  I told him we need to get him in for a lesson next door, sometime!

That's all I've got, for now.

To all you students and teachers out there, here's to an awesome school year ahead!

As usual, thanks for reading! ☺

Enjoy the weekend,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

sleeping with the windows open in the middle of August - what?!

strawberry pretzel salad

garden-fresh produce

Don't worry...I'm still here. ☺

Hello, hello!

I'm taking a short break from the nearly 50 student evaluations I need to get done (a little over halfway there!) to make sure you know I'm still alive and well.  ☺  One of my adult students told me the other day that if I think time is going by quickly now, it only gets faster...which is really hard to imagine, at this point.  I'm doing my very best to enjoy each moment before it passes, though!

The holiday season, so far, as brought lots of quality time with friends, family, and loved ones - new and old, near and far - and I wouldn't have it any other way.  You all know relationships are second only to Jesus on my "life priorities list," so building/cultivating/growing them on any level just does my heart good.

A couple kiddo stories for you:
Before starting a duet, one of my students (the one who used to refer to duets as "dudettes," in fact) stopped for a moment to figure out how to count us off saying to himself, "Wait - what's the temperature?" as he pointed to the time signature.  I asked, "Do you mean the tempo or the time signature?"  He laughed and replied, "Oh yeah - the time signature - that's what I meant."

A few weeks ago, my favorite 4-yr.-old planned a trip to the Children's Museum and lunch at Noodles & Co. for our morning together before preschool.  When I thanked her for such a fun time together, she replied, "My pleasure."

Thanks for reading!  Sorry this was so short and sweet... Let me know if there's anything you'd like to hear/read about in the "scoop" - I'm always open for questions and/or suggestions! ☺

Stay warm out there!

Productively,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

having quite a few students miss their lessons tonight (even though this was due, in part, to illness, it was a huge answer to prayer, because I had my laptop with me and was able to fill the paid time completing some evaluations)

Pumpkin Spice Almonds

(memories of) Cocoa Gravy w/ Biscuits

Caught yellow-faced...

Happy summertime (officially)!

I really can't believe June is almost over, and since I've heard many others express similar sentiments about time flying, I won't dwell on the fact that I don't know where the month went.

Instead, I'll share some great happenings from the month, so far...mostly one in particular: My best friend got married a couple weeks ago!!!!  It still hasn't hit me that she is a wife...with a new last name...and a husband!  Talk about time flying - sheesh!  Yes, lots of friends and acquaintances (older and younger than myself) have gotten engaged/married/had children in the recent past, but this one hit closest to home.  I'm so incredibly happy for them and excited to see what the Lord has in store for their lives from here on out.  It's just crazy to think how our paths were basically the same from 2nd-12th grade, then diverged a bit upon choosing different colleges, then even more when I decided to make Lincoln my home, and now she's married...yet our friendship is still the same as it's always been.  I could say the same for other people in my life, but this was just a pretty big deal, and I'm obviously still trying to wrap my mind around it.  Thanks for bearing with me.  ☺

In other news, the end of the private lesson term at the studio has brought some sweet notes and gifts from my students, among which were these beautiful flowers:

They've lasted for over a week, and Charlie has been pretty good about leaving them alone...until tonight, that is.  Apparently, he just couldn't wait till we got home to eat something, so helped himself to the lily leaves.  What he didn't count on, I'm sure, was the dusting of pollen that came with them.

It took me awhile to figure out where the yellow came from, because he didn't knock over the vase ...then, I noticed a bite out of a leaf and put two and two together.

Lastly, I have a couple shameless plugs for work:
Please contact me if you or someone you know would be interested in attending the Nebraska Jazz Camp (middle school-high school aged students).  Registration deadline is July 1, but we can get you in afterward, too, if necessary.

Also, the Lincoln Municipal Band's 2013 season is nearly in full swing!  Mark your calendars on Sunday evenings at 7 p.m. starting July 7th through August 18th for some excellent music at the Antelope Park band shell.  "Like" the band on Facebook for more information and updates...and we'll hope to see you there!  ☺

Stay cool,
Kensy

P.S. For those of you who don't already know, my brother has an internship in Pennsylvania this summer (with CNH), and my parents and I are driving out to see him soon!  So, hopefully, my next post will include some pictures and exciting stories from back east.

Favorites of the day:

building new relationships

the color of polish on my toenails

road trip snacks

The Scoop, lately...

Hi.  My name is Kensy.  I teach private music lessons, have a cat named Charlie, and live in a refurbished chicken coop.

For real, though - I feel like I need to reintroduce myself.  Thanks for sticking with me and reading, regardless of how often I hold up my end of the deal!

Lots of good things have been happening here:

• graduation parties for students I student taught 3 years ago
• acquiring new responsibilities and/or students at both work places 
• purchasing an iPhone 5 after going 4+ years without upgrading my non-smart phone (I'd been avoiding the switch, but was in the market for a new camera, as well as an iPod, so just went the smartphone route...got a free case and car charger out of the deal, too! You know how I feel about freebies... ☺) 
• whirlwind Memorial Day weekend, including wedding dress shopping with/for BFF from college in Norfolk, a visit from best friend from Topeka (shopping, Starbucks, painting nails, quality time with family and friends, etc.) and a visit from my super great brother (movie, iPhone orientation for both of us, day at the zoo and building Legos with the kids I nanny for, and Charlie time) 
• trips to the farmer's market
• hosting (and performing in) concerts for work 

Here's some photo evidence of some of the above happenings (all captured via the new iPhone ☺):

Sweet kiddo story:
The now-6-yr.-old I nanny for occasionally has things to share with me about various TV shows - specifically River Monsters - and always wonders if I've watched them, too.  I've had to remind him a few times that I can't watch most of the shows he talks about, because I don't have cable at my house.  The last few times I've told him this, he's said very matter-of-factly, "We have a million cables that would work on your TV - you could have one!  What's your TV look like?"  I told him, and he said, "Oh yeah, we have one that would work on that...they're pretty much new and just laying around."  I didn't have the heart to tell him it doesn't really work that way. ☺

I hope this finds you all well and you survived the recent storms and crazy weather.  Praise the Lord for the rain, but praying He blesses and comforts all who have been affected negatively by the it all.

Finally enjoying skirt and flip-flop weather,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

meeting new people

fresh asparagus from Mom's garden

these flowers from one of my students:

Out of the Mouths of Babes: Part 4

My apologies to those of you who don't find as much joy and humor in my "kiddo stories" as some do - I promise to write about other topics in future posts.  These can't go without sharing, though:

About 10 minutes after explaining to the 5-yr.-old I nanny for that the library was closed due to Veteran's Day, he asked, "What's Barbarian's Day?"  It took me a second to understand what he was asking, but then I realized that because he pronounces his "v"'s with a "b" sound, "Veteran's" got mistranslated in his head as he kept thinking about what I'd said.  It took me a second to re-translate...

After telling one of my little 4-yr.-old girl students the piece she was about to play was written by Ludwig van Beethoven, she asked, "Does he like mac-and-cheese?"

I've had a few introductory lessons with new students, lately.  During one of them, I asked the first-grader what his favorite color is.  He replied, "Blue and black."  I said, "Both?!"  He explained, "Blue is my favorite color because I like blue things, and black is my favorite color, because when I make a mistake, I can just color over it in black."

Our studio's student recital is coming up, so we've been doing lots preparing for it in lessons.  One of my kindergarten students had to sign up to perform during a time that I won't be in attendance at the recital, and he is aware of that.  After he played his pieces for me this week, I asked if he was excited for his first recital.  He said, "Yeah...but I'm not excited you're not going to be there..."  Melted my heart!  (I'll be teaching during the time he's performing...and I'll be wishing I was there to hear him!)

The same kiddo informed me that he was getting drums for Christmas (after using our legs as pretend drums in our lesson).  "Aaand I'm getting real powers...like to turn into a dog...or a cat," he said.  This was followed by a lengthy explanation of how he'll still be him and will be able to turn back into a human when he wants, but he will be getting real powers, because that's one of the things he put on his list to Santa.  I said, "Real powers, huh?"  He replied, "Yeah.  I'm using my imagination - that's what my mom says.  But I'm still going to be able to turn into a dog."

☺

I hope you all have a very blessed Thanksgiving and safe travels, if you're headed out of town.

Thankfully,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

productivity

the movie "While You Were Sleeping"

family time!!!!

Out of the mouths of babes: Part 3

These have been accumulating for a couple weeks, now.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

When introducing one of my students' new songs titled "Rodeo," I asked him if he'd ever been to a rodeo. He said, "No, those only happen out West." I don't think he believed me when I told him there are rodeos right here in Lincoln. ☺

One of my students stopped before playing a piece for me the other day, saying, "I have something I want to give you." He started pulling things out of his pocket (chapstick, lint, etc.), finally found what he was looking for, held his hand out, and gave me these:

2 nickels and a penny

I asked if he was sure he wanted to give those away, and he said, "Yeah - I want you to have them. These are the ones I don't need anymore." I said, "Well, that's very nice of you - thank you!" He said, "Well, they don't go in my piggy bank, and I found them, so I thought you should have them." The conversation then turned to whether or not pennies and dimes are the same size, and of course, why.

One of the little girls I taught this evening was telling me about games they got to make at school today.  "They're like real board games, but they're just on flat paper," she said.  "And we get to eliminate them and take them home!"  My response: "...do you mean "laminate" them?"  She laughed at herself and replied, "Oh yeah - whatever." with a flip of her hand.

When asking a student to fill out a teacher evaluation form for me, I was telling him he could list things he likes or doesn't like about what I'm doing or things I could do better. He asked if he could write his Christmas list on there (I take it he stopped listening after "List things you like..."). Before I could explain, "No, that's not what it's for," he went on to list the things he wants: "A race car, a rocket launcher, the moon, a spaceship, 162 baby kitties - no wait, my mom's cousin is allergic to those, so I probably shouldn't get them...unless I get ones so small no one could see them...but then I'd step on them...so I would probably keep them in the fish bowl with my fish." I said, "In the water?!" He said, "No...that wouldn't work, either. I'd keep them under my globe on my dresser." Good luck, Santa.

I was prepping one of my new little students about what is going to happen at the recital, because I won't be in attendance during the time he'll perform.  It will be his first recital, but he's watched his siblings perform before, so he knows what it's all about. During this discussion, I started to tell him where he'll be sitting, and he said, "Yeah - and I'll probably be wearing my beautiful shirt and probably my beautiful pants." He has such a sweet little voice, and I was just cracking up at his word choice.

Finally, two conversations with the 5-yr.-old I nanny for:

• He was eating sardines for lunch (and repeatedly exclaiming how good they tasted and how he liked them so much), and afterward said, "I need to go brush my teeth."  I asked why, and he said, "Well, these sardines sure give you a stinky breath, and I can't go to school like that!"  He made his way to the bathroom, and then I heard him groan and say, "Oh great!"  I went to see what the problem was, and he told me, "I can't get any toothpaste out of here, and now I have to go to school with such a stinky breath!"  Have no fear - I helped him squeeze a little bit of toothpaste out, and he went to school with a minty fresh breath.
• He came to me the other day saying, "Guess what?!"  As usual, I started guessing ridiculous things, "Umm...you just ate a worm...you're joining the circus...etc., etc."  He said "No!" to them all, then I guessed, "Umm....you love me a lot."  He paused and frowned, and I said, "You don't love me?!"  He replied in a very calm, reassuring voice, "Well, let's not worry about that right now." 

Thanks for letting me share these!  I know they're probably not as great second-hand, but I probably shouldn't carry around a video camera...  ☺

Youthfully,

Kensy

P.S.  I haven't ever posted about politics, and I don't plan to, but can I just say how much I dislike the extent to which some individuals and groups get so caught up in disagreement and argue about various issues, etc.?  I get annoyed by all the back-and-forth that goes on, but mostly, I am saddened to see friends and family members arguing and relationships being severed over a single issue/candidate/etc.  Don't get me wrong - I am incredibly thankful for our freedom, and I respect individuals' rights to express their opinions.  It's just sad that so often it comes with the consequence of conflict...on so many levels.

Favorites of the day:

b-day celebrations

free pie

opening the sunroof in November!

Another smile (or two), courtesy of some sweet little ones

Hey there!

I have a few kiddo quotes that can't go without sharing:

One of my students was getting ready to play a song titled "Chimes."  He read the title (silently), and said, "Aren't those the green things you put on baked potatoes?"  I wasn't sure where he was going with that, until he said, "Oh wait - those are chives.  haha - that would've been a silly thing to write a song about!"

While driving downtown on our way to the Children's Museum, we passed a man in a suit.  My 3-yr.-old friend said from the backseat, "He looks like church!"

Another "funny" from the same little girl: 
We were eating at Noodles after visiting the museum, and after our waiter asked if everything was "noodletastic" (the kids got a kick out of his word choice), she asked, "Does he have underwear on?"  I wasn't able to keep a straight face in this situation, but composed myself enough to explain that it wasn't necessarily appropriate to discuss such things, especially in public, but that yes, it was probably safe to assume that he did.

I am increasingly amazed by the generous and talented people I am so blessed to have in my life!  This weekend, I did a small (and fun!) favor for a family whose boys I teach, and this is how they thanked me:

It's a homemade Peanut Butter Cup cheesecake with pretzel crust...and it was delivered as a surprise during a long evening of teaching.  (The other half is in my freezer.)  Though their kind words and hugs would've been thanks enough, this wasn't something I was going to turn down...  ☺

Lastly, I have a couple additions to my birthday post:
-I forgot to mention that my actual birthday started with "birthday cake" pancakes made by my roomie before she headed to work in the morning!  I'd been craving pancakes for awhile, and these were "funfetti" ones...and really yummy!
-My brother sent me a very thoughtful b-day package (that arrived after birthday week and weekend...thus prolonging the celebration ☺) that included, among other meaningful things, a capo for my guitar!

I hope this finds you all well...and gearing up for the supposed cold front!

Loving fall,
Kensy

P.S. I don't know what the highlighted background is all about...and I'm not going to retype all this to try to get rid of it.  So...enjoy it, for now!  haha  ☺  Thanks for reading!

P.P.S. I'm potentially in the market for some cowgirl boots.  Any suggestions as to where to get a fairly quality pair at a reasonable price?

Favorites of the day:

new clothes

catching up with old friends (and making new ones)

the song "After All (Holy)" by the David Crowder Band

My life this month = (synonyms for "good")

Ok...are you ready?  I have a lot of little things to share:

First of all, we just finished deep-cleaning the coop, and Charlie is bathing himself, because he just came inside from a climb in the tree...in the rain.  (Yep - RAIN!!!)  He was in the tree for probably 20 mins., then found his way down and started grazing in the lawn in the rain.  Needless to say, we have a wet kitty on our hands, but I'll bet he'll be content to stay inside the rest of the day (we let him out on purpose, so he wouldn't try so hard to help us clean)!

I don't want to echo the rest of the world, but can I just say that I LOVE this weather?!  Seriously.

I've been talking to various people quite a bit lately about my "single season," and how I've really come to appreciate the opportunities it allows for me to serve and spend quality time with others.  A friend shared an article, recently, that echos some of my own thoughts: click here to read it!

This is unrelated, but I also recently watched this very inspiring and awesome video about a mute girl finding her voice: click here to watch it, too!

The weekend before last I made a trip to Kansas to visit my brother and celebrate my grandpa's 90th birthday.  Highlights from that trip included:
-forgetting my dress for a wedding we went to, but finding one to wear (that I like!) for $10!
-a motorcycle ride
-being reminded to be patient and not take matters into my own hands
-a mini-hike to a river/sand bar and sitting in the water, letting the current go around us (at nighttime)
-piano/guitar worship/jam sessions
-seeing extended family and friends!
-hearing Grandpa's thoughts on life and our purpose in a spontaneous sermon-esque birthday speech (he's a retired Lutheran minister)
-quality bro-time

At the end of last week, I traveled with two of the new teachers at the studio to the Denver area for some Children's Music Academy (the class I teach for preschoolers and their parents) training.  It was such a great trip, and I could talk lots about it, but here are some highlights:
-catching up with a good friend from NWU over a reindeer hot dog (he had an elk one)
-quality time road-tripping with the girls...complete with Mad Libs, snacks, music, and getting-to-know-you convos
-meeting some truly amazing people (esp. the couple we stayed with - the woman who wrote the curriculum and her husband, who now co-owns and helps run the company)
-having supper and spending quality time with my cousins
-lots of great conversation - professional and otherwise
-being reminded that my mission field is my work place(s)
-beautiful weather and seeing the mountains!!
-sleeping in this super comfy bed:

We started our fall semester at the studio on August 1st (one of the reasons you haven't heard from me in a month), and we're off to a great start!  I have a couple brand new students and some who are new to me.  I always love getting to know each of them, so I give them a survey to fill out about themselves.  One of the 2nd graders brought his back with an answer that completely melted my heart:

He was completely serious - doesn't know the concept of "brown-nosing."

I'm going to an awesome progressive musical-type event tonight.  I don't really think there's any way to describe it, and there isn't anything to compare it to, but it sounds pretty sweet, so you should check it out and come, too!  Hopefully, clicking here will take you to the Facebook page.

I think that covers it all!  Thanks for reading, as usual!

I hope this finds you and yours well and you have a wonderful weekend!

Blessedly,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

OPEN WINDOWS!!!

friends

fresh produce and pesto (My adult student has been bringing me lots of goodies from her garden, including a TON of basil!)

Impulse...wild hair...call it what you will.

Hey there!

Really quick - a couple stories before I get to the real reason for this post:

Charlie's latest "thing" - jumping up and hanging onto door frames.  Yep - he leaps almost 5 feet into the air and hugs door frames...for no apparent reason.

Also, one of my teenage boy students drew this (to earn a "motivation system" point):

And now, drumroll, please....

I bought this today!
For those of you who care, it's an Alvarez from the '80s.

Here's the explanation:

Since so many families take vacations, have baseball games, etc. during the month of June, I have quite a bit of downtime at the studio due to them missing lessons.  So, while teaching in the room with lots of guitars in it, I decided to pick one up, and with the help of a book, try to learn a bit.  I enjoyed learning something new so much that I wanted to be able to continue the learning at home!  I talked to one of the guitar teachers about it, and he pointed me to a local guitar shop (where he also works and which happens to be right across the street from the studio), and I went on over there during a break today...and walked out with a guitar!  I'm looking forward to the challenge and potential it presents!  Any suggestions or tips are welcome!  ☺

That's all, for now.

Happy Friday (almost)!

Strummingly,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

"Appletini" Crystal Light

teacher discounts

fresh pineapple

[clever title]

Hey strangers,


Not much new going on here, but thought I'd drop you a line or two!


Easter weekend was great - hope it was for you, too!  My family joined me here, since I was asked to play for a church service.  Having them here and playing for church were both wonderful, and I'm so glad I was able to do both, since they came here - the best of both worlds!


I don't remember whether I shared this, or not, but I read the Hunger Games trilogy a few weeks ago (read them in less than a week!) and enjoyed them soooo much.  They'd been on my summer reading list for awhile, but friends just kept telling me I need to read them NOW, so I did.  Then, last night I went to see the movie and loved it, too!  I would highly recommend both to all of you.


A student story:
I teach two brothers and one of their sisters.  The brothers are going to play a duet on our upcoming recital - the Star Wars Main Theme.  Last week at one of their lessons, the kiddo walked in and said, "Miss Kensy, I have something I need to talk to you about."  He proceeded to propose the idea that they bring their light sabers to the recital and "fight" their way to the piano after introducing their piece.  I totally ok-ed the idea and am so looking forward to the "show!"  (Also - their little sister and I are playing "The Rose" as a duet...and she's singing while we play.)  Needless to say, you might want to come to the recital on May 12th!


I'm hoping to see Titanic in 3-D sometime soon!  That movie/story fascinates me.  So does the Steamboat Arabia!  Have you ever been to that museum in Kansas City?  I went on a few field trips there and it's so interesting!  Check it out: http://www.1856.com/


Now, I'm in for a weekend of student evaluations, another photo shoot for the studio, a field trip for Sunday school, and playing on a friend's recital!


Hope you all enjoy the weekend and survive the impending storm(s)!


Thanks for reading,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

PB and banana

Friends (the TV show)

Charlie ☺

Show and Tell

Hello!


So, there have been a few things in the past few weeks I've been wanting to share, but none really warranted their own post, so I'm sharing them all at once.  Enjoy! ☺


First of all, here are some pictures of the icicles (I don't know if I've ever spelled that word...) after our big snow storm a couple weeks ago:

The left side of this picture is north, as is made obvious by the blown-in icicles.   Gotta love that north wind...

Too bad the coop is white - these were really cool (and intense) ones!

Cute little guys.  It got warm before they grew up.

Here's a link to a video of the solo I played on our HAA faculty recital a couple weeks ago.  (It's part of a concerto I played on my senior recital at NWU, and one of my favorite pieces I've ever played.  It's on E-flat trumpet, by the way.)  Click here to watch!

This is from a 5th grade student.  She is doing a persuasive essay in school about "why kids should play at least one instrument at a young age."  AND she made me this picture/doodle page/?.  Love it.  ☺

The cats at Arts Inc. used to get in the file cabinets all the time when they were kittens.  Haven't had them open much when they were there lately, so they were excited to relive their childhood this week.

A music joke a friend recently shared:

C, E-flat, and G go into a bar. ...The bartender says, "Sorry, but we don't serve minors." So E-flat leaves, and C and G have an open fifth between them. After a few drinks, the fifth is diminished, and G is out flat. F comes in and tries to augment the situation, but is not sharp enough. D comes in and heads for the bathroom, saying, "Excuse me; I'll just be a second." Then A comes in, but the bartender is not convinced that this relative of C is not a minor. Then the bartender notices B-flat hiding at the end of the bar and says, "Get out! You're the seventh minor I've found in this bar tonight." E-flat comes back the next night in a three-piece suit with nicely shined shoes. The bartender says, "You're looking sharp tonight. Come on in, this could be a major development." Sure enough, E-flat soon takes off his suit and everything else, and is au natural. Eventually C sobers up and realizes in horror that he's under a rest. C is brought to trial, found guilty of contributing to the diminution of a minor, and is sentenced to 10 years of D.S. without Coda at an upscale correctional facility.

Finally, I received two things from students on Friday: some fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies (yum!) and this:

At first, I thought she was just showing it to me, but when I asked what she put in it, she replied, "Well, I wanted to give it to you to put all your little stuffs in - I don't want you to loose all your little stuffs."  I have no idea what "little stuffs" she's referring to, but I graciously accepted the gift. ☺ (This from the same 5-yr.-old girl who made me a paper bouquet of flowers and the princess tiara.)

Hope you all have a wonderful week...and a happy leap day!

Thanks for reading,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

Paint Yourself Silly

Raspberry Squishy from MoJava

Birthday Cake Oreos (yep...limited edition - get them before they're gone!)

this quote from the movie "How Do You Know?" - "Of every thought I had about you, and there were millions, the one that never occurred to me is that my mind wasn't exaggerating."

Resolutions...kind-of.

Hey, strangers!  I know I said once upon a time I'd stop apologizing for lack of or tardiness in posting, but I would like to this time.  So, sorry for the lack of posts so far this year!


This week was the first week of lessons after break.  I've gained a few more students and a couple group classes (CMA - Children's Music Academy), so even though I said my schedule was full last semester, it's really full this semester.  No complaints here, though - they're all wonderful students and I love seeing/helping them grow, musically and otherwise!


Speaking of my students, I asked a few of them if they made any New Year's resolutions/goals (in order to create a segue into piano/trumpet/practicing/etc. goals for the new semester).  Some of them had some fairly generic ones, but one really impressed me.  I asked my 13-yr.-old trumpet student if he'd made any, and the first resolution out of his mouth was, "Grow closer to God."  This was followed by, "Get straight A's." and eventually, "Practice trumpet more."  I was pleasantly surprised by his willingness and shamelessness in sharing this (the first resolution) with me.


I believe I told you last year that I'm not one to make resolutions, myself, but due to a few falls off the "good habits" wagon in December and the holiday season, I have one main goal for the new year: to be "up and around" at a decent time (before my teacher roommie leaves the coop) each morning.  This will also mean I need to be in bed at a decent time...I'd become somewhat of a night owl before the break started and realized this would be a real hard habit to break if/when I had to, so decided to break it before that time came.  As a result of being up in the morning long before my obligations for the day begin, I will be able to accomplish other daily life goals, such as: reading a few Bible chapters and prayer journaling, working out at the Y, practicing trumpet, misc. housework, blogging, etc.  I'll also have time to eat a healthy breakfast and pack a smart lunch and snacks for the day.


It's all been going well, so far!  Feel free to hold me accountable to any/all of it.


Now, to ask a favor of you all:
I've asked this a few times before, but I'd really love any questions/topics of conversations/post requests you might have!  Having some "starters" would make it a little easier to keep this scoop fresh!  ; )


Enjoy the rest of your weekend!


Graciously,
Kensy


P.S. Mark your calendars for a FREE lunchtime recital on January 27th - lunch and music provided for free starting at 12:10!  More to come on that later...but for now, know that this is one of the reasons I'm practicing more lately.  : )

Favorites of the day:

free cupcakes for giving blood (or trying to)

Sleepless in Seattle

stamping weekend

Announcements, announcements, announcements!

Once again, if you're like me, you just sang the title of this post in your head.  I only ever knew the "announcements" part of that camp song, and I'm not even sure where I first heard it.  There's way more to it, though - check out this video.  Kinda strange, actually, but I'm still ok with the chorus.


Anyway, I'm here to reveal the reason I've been practicing French horn lately.  I know you've all been waiting on pins and needles to know...  : )  So...without further ado:
I'm going on tour with my alma mater's band!  Wohoo for college trips and hanging out with great friends again AND for playing in a large ensemble.  I miss it more than I realize, sometimes, and am so thankful to have been asked to come along on this trip!


I'll be partaking in a somewhat unusual event when I get back next week.  I'll tell you more about it afterward.  : )


In other news, my adult trumpet student came to his lesson tonight excited to tell me that he'd not only practiced what I asked him to, but he also learned "What A Wonderful World" on his own and wanted to play it for me!  I'm so proud of him!  


Ok - that's all I've got.  If anyone else wants to share their spring break plans, feel free to do so in a comment!


TTFN,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

unexpected compliments

fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies

spring weather

Subbing Stories

Whew!  That week sure flew by, even though it was the first full one we've had in awhile (those of us in the education world, at least...or maybe just me?  haha).


Anyway, it was a good one here - hope yours was fantastic, as well!


I got to sub for three different teachers/classrooms this week, and they were all music classes - hooray!  Thought I'd share a few things from these experiences:

• "Are we discouraging you from being a teacher?" -high school choir kids  (Of course, I said "No!")
• Jr. High lunch room duty: nothing about jr. high has changed...drama, drama, DRAMA!!!  Yikes...
• A jr. high girl who I student taught last year came into the room where I was supervising a study hall to ask me a question.  There were other students around, so she decided to write down the question.  It was, "Do you have a boyfriend?"  I answered out loud with a "Not right now," to which she replied, "What?!  But you're so pretty!" I laughed and said, "Well, thanks.  If you know someone you think I should meet, you can let him know."  She said, "Yeah - I'll tell him I know this really awesome girl who's awesome at the trumpet.  If you're interested in that, you should be interested in her!"  I made sure to tell her, "It would be ok if he were interested in other things, too."  

: )  Getting back in the classroom on occasion is such a blessing.  It's especially nice when I get to be surrounded by such great kiddos (and staff)!

Also - I don't think I've shared about this, yet (forgive me if I have):
As of the beginning of this semester, I have an adult beginning trumpet student at the studio (Harris Music Studio)!  We meet once a week, and it's been soooo fun to teach someone who is excited, self-motivated, eager to learn, and who understands concepts younger beginners can't.  Don't get me wrong - I love teaching the younger ones, but it has just been a great (and new!) experience to teach someone older.


Sorry if you're not a music or education person and were bored by this post.  Your day will come!    (If anyone ever has any requests for posts or topics of discussion, be sure to let me know!)


Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
-Kens

Favorites of the day:

the 9-yr.-old trumpet prodigy whose solo I'm accompanying (She's amazing!)

Date Delights (a.k.a. Date Balls) - here's my mom's recipe:

1 c. sugar

1 egg

1/2 c. margarine/butter

3/4 c. chopped dates

3/4 c. chopped pecans

Combine and bring to a boil.  Cook 5 min.  Remove from heat and stir in 2 c. Rice Krispies.  Cool slightly.  With buttered hands, roll in 1-in. balls and roll in powdered sugar.

Yields 4 dozen

Adventure: Oil Change

Get excited!  I just got back from meeting my mom half-way to get my box of Christmas things (thanks, mom)!!  I'm thankful for her willingness to do that, and for my car being in working condition.  Had I not been planning on getting my oil changed this week, that may have not been the case...here's the story:

Usually, I get my oil changed at Jiffy Lube (unless I'm home to have Dad do it), but this time I had a coupon to get it changed and tires rotated at Midas.  So, I went in, they lifted the car up, and discovered the whole undercarriage covered in oil.  Uh-oh!!  Turns out, the hair-band sized piece of rubber that seals the adapter on the oil filter was severed (it had happened recently).  Though I couldn't have diagnosed the problem, I understood it, and gave them permission to fix it.  This meant, however, that I would be there for 2+ hours...with nothing to do.  SO, I called my coworker/former professor/fellow cat lover who hadn't gone into the office, yet.  She graciously agreed to pick me up, and gave me a ride back when we were done working!  (It's so nice to know there are people like her I can call on in times like this!)  I'd planned to pay a pretty penny for all the work, even with the coupon, but the total came to less than the original bill.  I guess I got the "helpless single girl" discount, too.

Someday, I hope to marry a mechanically-minded man (hello, alliteration), like my dad, who can buy the $8 part and replace it himself, so I don't have to pay labor fees the rest of my life.  : )


ALSO:  I have to share this quote from one of my piano students.  While he was playing, I covered his hands with a book so he'd keep his eyes on the music.  When the song was over, he said, “(sigh!) My fingers were getting tired of not getting looked at.”  (By the way, it took a lot for me to be able to type that grammatically incorrect sentence and leave it as is.)

Time to dig into the box of decorations!!  Pictures soon to follow...

Go Huskers!!
-Kensy

Favorites of the day:

Season 3 of "Friends" (keeping me company while I decorate)

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