I Like #13

Hi Everybody!  Once again another week has gone by where I haven't been able to get any other blog posts up, but I'm determined to get this one up.  I have so many back projects to blog about I don't even know where to start.

1. The first thing I'm liking today is being done with my professional school teaching for the year.  I love teaching, but most of my teaching is with graduate students, and is very different from teaching professional students (med students/PA students/dental students etc.).  This is the first year I've done that and it took a ton of time and energy, and in the end I didn't even give the information "they" wanted.  Yesterday I was really frustrated by that, but now it's over and I know how to improve my lectures for next year!!

2. I'm also excited because it's Holy Week (the week before Easter).  That means we're in church a lot, but I find it to be a very moving time of the year for me.  Yesterday I was so aggravated about the lectures but as soon as I got to choir rehearsal, practicing our Easter music just lifted my spirits!

3. I like spirituals!  I'm Episcopalian, so our music (which I adore) takes the form of more traditional hymns and choral music, but last weekend on Palm Sunday our church hosted the 48th annual festival of spirituals which is run by Cimarron Opera.  It featured spirituals sung by a large variety of outstanding soloists and small groups, but our choir also sung two pieces.  The last one (which wrapped up the conference) was a joint effort between our choir and a choir from Northern Oklahoma College.  It was very different to the kind of music we usually sing, but we had so much fun.  You could just feel the energy, and again lifted my spirits.  I made an audio recording (no video) of it for you with my phone.


4. I like flowers!  I hope you're not getting tired of this one.  By summer there probably won't be any left, but this time of year is perfect for flowers.  I've never noticed how many are around until this year, and I think that's part of the point of this exercise!  This week, there's an iris blooming in my front yard!  I'm terrible at outdoor flowers, I don't weed and I can't remember to water them, but a few years ago I planted a few iris that someone randomly gave me.  Most of them died, or got overtaken by our grass, or mown over, but one survived and it's blooming.  This is so awesome you guys, it makes me so happy to see the lovely purple in my yard.

Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates it, I hope you find Joy in the season.  Thanks always to LeeAnna!