Snapshots of a Wedding: A great way to return to blogging!

This weekend I am enjoying visiting my cousin Cathy and her family in Ontario. Today was the highlight of the trip: Seeing her oldest daughter Sarah Newton marry Joseph Underwood. Right now is the perfect time NOT to be on vacation. You see, I am behind on accompanying and have many obligations at school. However, for that same reason, it was also the PERFECT time to go! Life passes us by and it never slows down. I wanted to enjoy this opportunity to be with family because I don't know when the next opportunity might come. I rode up from Carlisle PA with my cousin Caleb Bohon and his girlfriend Alyssa Colby. We are also going to enjoy celebrating their Grandpa's (my Uncle Clyde's) 77th birthday tomorrow and eat left-over wedding cake. On Monday we are joining everyone at the lake (including the newly-weds) for Canada's Thanksgiving. And then it will be back to reality for me. I do not have my camera's computer attachment so, you can enjoy pictures when I get back. Suffice to say, the wedding was gorgeous :)

THEY'RE COMING!!!

No, not the martians....Elizabeth's 2011 New Years Post!! Argh, I can't believe I let it go THIS long...even for me!! Just a heads up to check back here over the next few days. I have birthday, new years, Christmas, thanksgiving, recital, baby pictures galore!! CHECK BACK SOON! :)

Olga Kern!

Today I had the privilege of hearing and seeing UP CLOSE Olga Kern perform Rachmaninov's First Piano Concerto with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra at WVU. I have waited many years to hear this pianist in person. For those of you unfamiliar with this name, she was one of two pianists who tied for 1st place---the 1st tie in the history of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition which is held every 4 years in Houston, Texas (Or...Dallas?!). Anyways, she won this competition/tied way back in probably 2002 (so, I would have been about 19 years old). My best friend Sarah watched the re-run of it with me on t.v. and remembers how exciting it was even then.

She is a great inspiration to me as a pianist. After the concert, during intermission, she was doing signings and photos. A friend from my piano studio graciously took this picture for me and I will cherish it! I had no idea I was going to get to sit RIGHT UP FRONT---front row, perfect seating to watch her hands and hear every little detail so clearly. Anyone who has been in WVU's Clay Theatre knows it is quite large and the difference sitting that close to the orchestra was night and day in terms of clarity, detail, and just the inspiration of feeling the intimacy of a performance that close-up! Just wanted to share my picture with you all :)

Recitals!

I just thought of posting my recital dates here on my page for anyone who doesn't get e-mails from me and is curious and interested in coming!

Tuesday November 16th at 8:15 p.m. DMA Chamber Recital

Program:

Beethoven Sonata for Piano & Violin in C Minor (Elizabeth Etnoyer, Molly Christie)

Brahms Sonata No. 1 for Piano & Cello in E Minor (Elizabeth Etnoyer, Sara Beattie)

Piazzolla: 3 Pieces (Primavera, and most likely yet still undecided: Oblivion & La Muerte del Angel)

Saturday December 4th at 6:00 p.m. DMA Solo Recital

Program:

J. S. Bach Prelude & Fugue in G minor, Well-Tempered Clavier Book II

L. v. Beethoven Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 81a "Les Adieux" (this means 'goodbye')

F. Chopin Polonaise in F-Sharp Minor

William Bolcom "3 Ghost Rags": Graceful Ghost, Poltergeist, Dream Shadows

Claude Debussy "Images": Reflets dans l'eau, Hommage a Rameau, Mouvement

R. Korsakow "Hummelflug: Flight of the Bumblebee (arr. by Joseph Strimer)

Both recitals will be in Bloch Recital Hall in the Creative Arts Center at West Virginia University. Please RSVP if coming! :)

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

Today I found the solution to letting go of my worries.

Practice.....

Practice.....

PRACTICE.......!!!!!

I have literally spent all morning and afternoon just taking care of dogs (house-sitting) and practicing piano, and organ....and now, I don't have the brain power to worry about anything except how good my mattress feels :)

And then Wake UP and PRACTICE SOME MORE! :)

Figuring out Life

I had someone who I deeply admire tell me recently that I should consider whether God is calling me to journal my life to share with others. Now, if you read my blog, you're probably thinking "what?" Because I don't write on a blog like I would a paper or a book. The truth is, I think I've been handed down my mom's gift for writing. But, when I'm on here it's more like a page for me to 'dump' my thoughts---to put it VERY non-poetically :)

Anyways, the title is fitting here because this is what's been really occupying my time lately. Yes, I've been busy working, house-sitting, cleaning up dog pooh, balancing my daily duties of teaching piano, school, work at church, etc. But the whole time, it feels like I'm walking through clouds just trying to 'figure out life'.

I wonder how many of us feel that way so often. We like to think we have things all figured out. We say things like "God knows all things and I trust Him" or, "I've learn to expect the unexpected". But, the truth is, while God does know all things and we do need to trust Him, it really doesn't help us 'figure out' life. We gain insight. We grow deeper in our wisdom and in our faith. But, so much of it still just doesn't make sense. And, not always but, so often much of it hurts.

I heard a Christian artist say, when speaking of their many life trials they've been walking through that what they've learned in all of it is to 'sit in your trouble' and 'wait for God'. This is exactly where I'm at right now.

I'm not really ready to blog about all of my 'stuff' but, I will say this. I'm learning to see others even more clearly. I'm learning that facades are more transparent than we like to think they are. And, I'm learning that in an odd way, all the 'stuff' we all go through is a blessing. Because, it brings us closer together. It teaches us that we are all human. We are all 'clueless' in a sense. And, we are ALL in need of a Savior. For some odd reason, I find comfort in knowing that those around me are just as 'lost' as I am. It feels like a game we all play day in and day out. We put on 'faces' for our jobs, our families, or friends. But, we all know we're just playing the 'game' together. And when things come up that challenge us in our walks, we realize that we don't have to play. We can just be ourselves, flaws and all.

Today I visited my piano :) I noticed as I started to play that my emotions were hiding in my daily 'busyness'. So, my challenge for myself this week is to achieve this goal of being a poet. But, at the piano, not on paper.

How do you express yourself? Is there something you love doing that helps you feel like you can take off your 'mask'? Whatever that is, I encourage you to do it. Because, we all need reminded of our humanness and that in that reality there is beauty too and, also a lot that we can learn from each other.

5K and Pictures!!!!

BRENDA MICHELLE: 5 weeks old, sleeping in the car : )

I'll admit it. I was TOTALLY loving this!!

Mommy's arms....the best place to be :)

Brenda, "Hm, this is a new face!"

Me holding baby Brenda right after finishing my 1st 5k!

YOU think changing diapers stinks....just try being a baby (I think there is probably a good reason we don't remember our infant days! :)

Quiet time with food and Mommy.....ahh

As you can see, yesterday was a very fun-filled day with a very beautiful little baby girl....a little girl that I know my friend has been waiting YEARS for. See, I remember a certain evening about 8 years ago. I met this very nice red-headed girl, about my age, in my college girls dorm. We immediately became fast friends. I had been praying for a close friend ( I only had one or two at the college) and she was praying for a good friend, being a new college freshman.

I have to take just a moment to brag on this friend of mine, Malorie. See, there are NOT a lot of people like her in the world. In the time that I've known her, here are just a FEW of her very note-worthy, and rather interesting accomplishments

1) She took a missions trip (2 I believe) to Bulgaria. Aside from her love for the Lord, she shared this love with the natives in a very sincere, self-sacrificing way. Not once but BOTH TIMES she returned from the country with a practically empty suit-case and the clothes on her back. Was she mugged? NO! Did her luggage get lost in air-port security? NO AGAIN! She had such compassion on these people that she couldn't go home with any of her clothes, feeling too frivolous. She gave them all way. Not only that but she gave her guitar away too! (BOTH TIMES!) The second time people told her she was crazy. She replied that God provided her with a guitar the first time and if He wanted her to have one again, He'd do it again. Sure enough, a mysterious check came in the mail one day, for just enough money to buy the guitar---and the mystery as to how she got this money was never solved....except WE knew!

2) Most girls spend hours shopping for that PERFECT dress for a college-dance. A really talented young lady might even make her own. Malorie beat them all with her amazing DUCK-TAPED dress! That's right, from the dress right down to the purse, it was ALL made of duck-tape. And, it didn't look half bad!

3) The rubber-band ball. This started out as a small project, meant to help her get her mind off some very stressful hard times in her life and occupy her mind and her fingers. It quickly turned into a MASSIVE BALL that can only be rolled around because it's too heavy to pick up. It is held together by nothing other than rubber-bands. She would like to beat the world-record but even if she doesn't, it's still VERY IMPRESSIVE.

4) She is one of the most honest, loving and accepting friends I've ever had. After I helped her through some years of college temptation, she quite literally dragged me back to church when I started to slip from my faith. Her faith in the Lord and desire to please Him and bring others to Him, is what makes her such a special person.

5) And above ALL of these crazy, admirable, interesting things, of which I could add much more (like the hot-red/orange hair-do she let the Bulgarian Gypsies give her :) her newest, tiniest most beautiful and proud accomplishment is bringing Baby Brenda Michelle Scott into the world on July 2nd. For years we have shared in our desire to become mommies and wives. It was such a joy to hold this baby yesterday, give her kisses, introduce her to her new "Aunt Lizzy" :) and see the love and pride in her mother's eyes. You've got to love this little baby---with her curious eyes, her mom and dad's head full of red hair, her sweet little lips and fingers and toes. What's NOT to love?

On a separate note, that last picture didn't really match all of the baby pictures! That was all of the winners of the DeBerry 19th Family Reunion 5K! This was my very first 5K run! I came in 2nd place in my age-group and finished at 34 minutes and 6 seconds! Half of the race was literally up-hill which definitely made things more difficult! But, it was a wonderful experience that I really enjoyed and am looking forward to doing more in the future! I'm very proud of my DeBerry Family Reunion medal that is hanging over my mirror now to remind me every morning to get out and run faster!!! :) I also should mention, for the sake of good sportsmanship, that Malorie's husband Aaron (who is in his early twenties, tall, thin and works out in the Air Force! Won the overall with a 25 minute 10 second record. Congrats Aaron but you better keep runnin' cause I'm catching up with you next year.....mooohaahaaa!!!!!!! :) :)

Hope you all enjoyed the pics and have a wonderful remainder of summer...it's too nice to stay inside!!