The Holiday Season Begins

The Christmas tree went up on Thanksgiving, but I only decorated it today. It's been an emotional time for me this year. Last week wasn't only the holiday, but also the 2nd year anniversary since Mom passed away, as well as her birthday. This week, I have my uncle's birthday on Saturday. I'll have to call or text him. My aunt (his wife) passed a month before Mom did, so we've gone through some things together. Sunday (December 8) is my brother's birthday and we've been trying to think of something in remembrance of him. I think we've got homemade peppermint ice cream in the plans. Ice cream was often what we gave him for dessert, because there were several flavors that were smooth, didn't require chewing, and were easy to swallow. I might have to do some sort of brownies or chocolate cake to go with that, because he liked his pureed chocolate cake. I think we'll skip the puree step, though.

As for the choir program, I was asked again about the flute playing. My director told me she'd get me the music, but I had a feeling she was going to forget, so I located it online and found the part. If she really wants me to play it, she's going to lose a second soprano in that part, but at least one other person singing it is a strong singer, so I think it will still work out. I looked at the part, and it's simple enough that I don't think it should be a problem. There's a little bit of fingering I have to get used to, and a key change to remember, but a lot of it is repetitive, so if I can learn the basic pattern, it'll be no problem whatsoever. So, nope, I'm not off the hook!

It has been an emotional time, but in a good way. Yes, thinking about my missing people is making me cry, but I saw a meme recently that reminded me that missing someone is a good thing, because it means I was lucky enough to have someone in my life that meant something to me, and that reminded me something that I've always said in times past, that I feel fortunate to have so many people that left such a powerful influence for good in my life.

Enjoy the holiday season!

The following is a video of me singing Good Company from Oliver & Company and mixing it with a couple of audio recordings of my brother (starting with his child voice and mixing into his adult one).