Finishing Up

One more sunset picture, with me in it. I was wearing my black pjs anyways, but because the sun is so bright, it's just a shadow of me. I still love it though :)
My mom asked me to take a picture for her because I was getting up early the last day to watch the sunrise. Lynn walked with me to the ocean and I got the most gorgeous photos! This is one of them.
another person I don't know. Just a picture of the pool at our hotel, facing the ocean. The pool water was a bit warmer than the ocean water, so we swam in there a bit more :)
The waves were crazy our last day there....a storm was moving through and there were a lot of rip-currents...So, I respectfully watched without getting very deep in the water....good to have a healthy fear of nature!
I don't know these people. It's just a nice beach picture
This is what our hotel looked like from the beach...it was soooo nice :)
Murtle and Lurtle. My new pet turtles :) The only way to tell them apart is Lurtle has a tiny mark on his left side that Murtle doesn't. It looks kind of like the shape of Florida...that's the ONLY difference between the two...aren't they cute? :)
Another photo of the shuttle
Thanks to good timing, we were able to see the space shuttle that took off 2 weeks ago, from outside the back of our hotel, on the deck, facing the ocean. It happened about 50 miles from where we were standing, and only about 2.5 hours after we arrived in Daytona and settled in to our hotel. I took many pictures of this, but this one is pretty good. IT was amazing to watch, and also to see it as it went over the ocean, and got smaller and smaller. We even saw the (gaskets?) that dropped off after it reached a certain point...this experience really fueled my excitement for our trip to the Kennedy Space Center that we took a few days later.
Outside the front of our hotel (looking out our hotel room window). I miss those palm trees!
I'm not sure what happened but the last several pictures I added to my blog didn't show up when I published the page. So, now that you've seen pictures of the Kennedy Space Center, how about some of the beach?

Beach, Additions to the Family, and More

This is the thing that you always see in pictures...the part that lands on the moon...and I think the space craft lands on it or something...I don't know! But here it is :)
Girls, if you ever feel "fat" just stand in front of one of these....you'll feel wonderfully small :)
I talked about this below. All of these would have had fire blowing out of them during take-off. These are the missiles that were used for the Apollo launches. What they use now is a bit different and while probably just as powerful, not really comparable to these in that they are compared to the power of an atomic bomb!
One of the engines for one of the...umm...I think it was for one of the missiles?? (I don't think that's right...anyways...it was an engine!!! (or rather it IS an engine..just not one that's used anymore :)
The most I understood about this massive 'thing' is this. We had to drive way out past the sand track to get close enough that we could climb up a tower, and I could zoom my camera as far as it would zoom, to get a picture of this thing to turn out like it did. The actual space launches are on an island, about 3 miles from land (and we were in the building where the control panels are..and got to see them ourselves! And outside that building is the bleachers where close family/friends only were permitted to view the take-offs. This is part of many other constructions near the island, that helps power the process. That's all I know...sorry!! Interesting fact: If you are 800 feet from the actual take-off, the sound is so loud that it would kill you! When we stood inside the control room, they reenacted a simulation of a take-off so we could feel how hot and loud the room got, 3 miles from the action!!! There is a strip of solar panels at the top back of the room and they flipped open and shook violently and heated up....it was pretty neat :) Can't imagine what that was like for the families to be sitting outside and see it that close-up....also, the old apollo missions used missiles that had the power of an atomic bomb when they heated up!! Pictures of that on here too (see above)
An up-close visit with the NASA Space Center. Interesting facts: 1) See the large parallel gray things on the right side of the building (around the corner from the NASA emblem)? Those doors open up and they store the space shuttles inside of that building! They come out of those doors and are wheeled down a sand-track to the launching pad. This process of a relatively short trip takes about 8 hours....gotta be careful with billion dollar flying objects!!!! Fact #2) The blue area of the American Flag (the entire area...yes, where the stars are) is the size of an NBA Basketball court!! That's how massive this building is, in case the picture doesn't do it any justice (which it definitely does not) By the way, this is as close as we got to the building. We were taken in other buildings but this one is I'm pretty sure closed off to the public completely (doesn't that make you curious of what other projects and possessions are inside of there??? It does me!!)
The Explorer-an up close view of a real space craft that has been to space...too cool!!! (my friend's husband explained to me that the black tiles were part of the heat shield and that EVERY SINGLE SQUARE had to be checked or the craft could burn up before its return to earth)
Standing inside part of a display at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Well here it is! I finally did some new fun and exciting things this month! Ever since my parents got me a digital camera for Christmas, I've had so much fun taking more pictures than I did in the past. Here are a few of the things I've been up to in the past several weeks:

1) I went to Daytona Beach for the first time over spring break with my friend and her husband and mother. The four of us had such a wonderful time and I've got some great pictures to prove it :)

2) I adopted 2 little turtles on the trip. Their names are Murtle and Lurtle (the 2nd name was taken from a 3 year old cousin as my cousin and her children were helping me come up with good names. I'm really looking forward to telling him when he grows up that HE named the turtle Lurtle...just in case that poor little turtle gets made fun of :)

3) This weekend my parents took a trip to where we used to live in PA to visit my brother. So, I'm enjoying some much needed and appreciated time by myself. Time to think and pray about a lot of things weighing on me lately. And time to relax a little and remember that God is STILL totally in control and aware of all things.

4) School has really been winding down for me, in large part because of my decision to take on less this semester and a lack of practicing---one of the top reasons I chose to stay home this weekend. However, this has been a very busy teaching semester for me and between students and church activities, I manage to keep busy enough. In case your looking for a reason to pray for me...on top of the many other great reasons!! (relationships, guidance, decisions with school...guidance in general) you could also pray that God would help me develop and use the communication/leadership skills to know when to put my foot down or draw the line, so to speak, when it comes to students cancelling lessons and making them up. This has been quite an issue this semester, even more-so than in the past, and it's something that really needs to be dealt with as these students are taking more and more of my time rearranging and cancelling things.

Ok, enough talking. I can't wait to show you these pictures! And unfortunately, I still haven't figured out how to get them to post BELOW my text, so you've already seen them by the time you've read this! Oh well, minor detail. Thanks for keeping up with me and God Bless!!!

March is here!

So, I'm trying to make a point this year of being more regulary with my blogging, a bit shorter and concise, and thinking of things interesting to others. I've come to learn one thing through this, I'm NOT that interesting!!! :) Hence, the blog title "March is here!" I really couldn't think of anything more exciting, sorry!

I do have one bit of exciting news, although it's not the kind that will make you jump out of your chair and yell "YIPEE!!!" But it's enough for me :) I finished my paper on Bach's Orgelbuchlein project, about 20 minutes ago! I've been working on it since Saturday and had no idea it was going to take 3 days of work to finish! Now, I still have to type the hand-out and practice GIVING my presentation, which needs to be about 25 minutes long. I'm the first one tomorrow morning, at 9:30 a.m....and aside from not being much a morning person, I don't realy like going first! But, the good news is, I get to be done first! :) I had no idea this project would take so long....oh wait, I ALREADY SAID THAT!!!

When this boring and BORED doctoral student finishes this project she's going to come up with some nice new and exciting things to talk about...promise :)

Until then, HAPPY MARCH!

Birthday, Weather and Other Happenings

It has been a while since I posted anything new so here are a few updates.

1) My birthday last weekend was great!! I've attached several pictures. We didn't do anything huge or expensive, but it was an enjoyable, and relaxing day spent with family and friends. What more could I ask for?

2) Last week I drove home from Morgantown in a 60-70 mph wind storm that almost blew my car over! I was counting my blessings when I got home that night, even though power was out and several places had wind damage.

3) Tuesday night I got a really sore throat, and finally went to the doctors this morning thinking I had strep. The good news is I don't have strep, but the dr. did give me an antibiotic because my throat was so swollen and red, and my ears had extra fluid and my sinuses were a bit swollen. Tis' the season! I am thankful though for medicine, and the excedrin which has temporarily taken all the pain away!

4) This is REALLY exciting!!!! A few weeks ago God answered my persistent prayers to get out of my apartment. It was sub-leased and the day they called I had to be out by the next day! My dad was also wonderful about driving up with me to help get my things out and staying up late on a work-night. The living situation was stressful with one roomate in particular, so I was extra-thankful to have 'Daddy' there to ward off a very disgruntled roomate. All ended well and I'm so happy and content being home again :)

5) I finally got my room organized! I had piles of pictures, letters, cards, etc. etc. ETC. all over my floor and I'm a neat freak, so this was REALLY bothering me! I was allowed to get a nice little wooden night-stand at A.C. Moore for my birthday which was extremely helpful in organizing things. Now I have more desk space, and floor space, and walking around in the middle of the night is no longer a hazard :)

6) School has been going well. It hasn't been as busy for me, intentionally because I only signed up for 1 academic class this semester. But, organ lessons are going really well and I'm getting pretty good at the pedal and finding and coupling stops, etc. :) Also, piano lessons are back into the swing after a short break away after not winning the YA competition. My teacher just had emergency surgery but he's back now too, so we're going to get the show on the road and April 28th I'm giving my first DMA chamber recital!! All of Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2

7) I am, as of today, up to 23 piano students now...yup, that's a lot. I'm so thankful though! Not all of them signed up for the full 13, so having a few extra really helps compensate for that. I'm trying so hard to get ahead on bills this year, and have not used my credit cards once, since the first week of the year! It's a good feeling to change to healthier habits, and especially in the economy we are all living in right now, I am extra thankful for the income and stability.

8) I am looking forward to spring break this year! For the first time in all my college years, I'm going to go on vacation, to a place of MY choosing (with my friends :) , where it is warm and sunny :) We're planning on going to Florida March 14-21st, God willing and finances allowing. I'm really looking forward to it.

9) The pounds have not shed yet, but I've been working out a lot the last month or so. Since my throat has been so sore too, I've had very little to eat today, and am hoping for good results by Monday morning (I refuse to weigh-in until next week because I'm thinking weighing every day is obsessive and not healthy. I'm just focusing on diet and exercise and using common sense!!!

10) I am thankful for my church job!!! I had a recent re-evaluation and with the exception of a few easy improvements, which I've already started to put in place, they want to keep me!!! This was wonderful news. I'm so blessed to have this position, and to be part of such a loving church family.

That's enough for now. Enjoy the pictures! :)

BREAKING NEWS

Or, you can re-name this the NOBODY cares Blog. But I do!! I just realized that the text-book I need for the ONLY academic course I'm taking this semester ( the rest of my credits are going to be organ and piano lessons and 2 recitals). But anyways, I already own the book! And it's a really good one that I've been wanting to read for over a year! Some friends of mine baught it a while back for this same class and they thought I was sooooo weird for buying the book just for fun. I didn't realize this was the same class...It's on Johann Sebastian Bach.

That's it! I'm happy :)

End of the beginning

The title for this blog sounds deceivingly depressing. But it's not! Even I am surprised that there are no new pictures on my camera to share yet (aside from a couple of the dog getting blow dryed last night...which I guess could be entertaining for some :). So, I just wanted to give an update at the end of my first full week of the new year on how I'm coming along with some of my new years resolutions.

First, I managed to go almost 2 weeks without chewing my nails. They were looking gorgeous. Last night I had a weak moment and was chewing away on "a few". Today I decided to count how many a "few" was...I only have 3 nails NOT chewed on. Oh well, I'll start again. I'm doing better with this, and since my dad baught my mom and I nail pedicure kits for Christmas, they've been looking much more feminine. So, I'm NOT giving up.

Practicing, which was one of my most important new years resolutions is coming along MUCH better. I've already logged about 16 1/2 hours this week, and almost 22 hours for the year. So, already much improvement from last year!

Devotions have NOT been better yet. I've been busying myself and noticing that I'm long overdue for more quiet time. I did get in 1 good day this week, but that's really pathetic considering the other 6!

Worrying less...I've been doing better in this area I think. The apartment ALMOST got sold the other day, then at the last minute this girl backed out. So, instead of getting all upset about it, I decided God needed me to wait and trust a little longer. So, that's what I'm doing. And praying more.

Working out and dieting, definitely on the right track! The scale hasn't really budged but I'm not letting that get me down. I probably go to the gym 4 or 5 days a week and get a good 30 minutes of cardio + sometimes weights and then I usually get in the hot tub and sauna to warm-up. We've also been cooking more often and eating more salads and vegis.

I've been reading a LITTLE more. One way I'm trying to improve is this. Whenever someone is being loud or watching the news, or doing something that is distracting me from practicing. Instead of getting really frustrated, I'll take a break, go to my room, and read a few pages while they do what they need to, and then I'll come back when it's calmed down. This is good for my brain too. I sometimes push myself to go longer than I really can and end up playing something a million times over that could have been easy the FIRST time.

There hasn't been too much exciting going on around here lately. I went over all my finances, and have been pinching pennies, and really geared up to pay off some large chunks of debt this year. Every time I think of something extra I want to buy I remind myself that buying it won't feel nearly as good or good for as long as saving that money to pay off debt will feel. The other thing I noticed about this too the other day was this. We accumulate all these little things throughout just one year. But, when I look at what I use day in and day out, the clothes I wear, for example, it's usually comfy clothes I've had for years.

I heard a while back a very inspiring story. Two girls got together a year or two ago and set out to not spend A PENNY all year long. They must have had assistance from parents or something. I think I remember them being around college age. So, I guess aside from living and eating and going to school, they didn't spend money on a thing. And they did it! That story was really inspiring to me as I thought, how much of all this "stuff" can we just do without? And don't you hate it when you look at your house and realize you have to "unclutter" to relieve stress and that all the stuff you're "uncluttering" is stuff you REALLY REALLY wanted in the first place? Maybe that's just me. I have heard that women tend to be "gatherers" though. So, if I can just find HEALTHY things to gather, I'll be better off. Anyone got any ideas? How about gatherin....umm....acorns? Yup, no ideas yet :)

Mom and I are going to get pizza now! It's cold outside and I'm hungry from working out...and yes, I know, pizza is NOT diet food. But, we've been pretty good this week and it's Sunday...and those are my excuses, lame as they may be :)

Hope you all are doing well and to hear from some friends and family soon. Hopefully, I'll have some nice new pics on here soon.

Oh, and please pray for my competition this weekend! I'm competing for the WVU Young Artist's Concerto competition on Saturday the 17th at 11:48 a.m. I'm playing the 3rd mv. (finale) of Rachmaninov's 2nd piano concerto with my accompanist and friend Khe Sin. Thanks!!!

God Bless

Off to a New Start...BRAND New

Happy New Years everyone! This is my post of new-years resolutions and, the past weeks' events. Also, hopefully, a little food for thought.

My mom and dad went to PA on New Years Eve, leaving me to the house alone (don't misunderstand..I WANTED to stay home this year...nothing against them :). I decided to spend new years with my friend and her family. It was also nice to have a few days of complete quiet solitude. It sure doesn't take long to start getting lonely when you're so used to company though! Still, I got some much needed rest, a start on the new year's practicing (and many upcoming performances) among other things that needed done (the least glamorous of which included cleaning the poo out of the kitty's litter box and spraying and cleaning out the whole thing.....the only good part of that (aside from that it doesn't stink downstairs anymore) is that tomorrow it will be one less thing to have to NOT look forward to!!

So, as anyone who knows me knows, I am a list FANATIC...making New Years resolutions one of my FAVORITE things to do!! The hard part of course for all of us is keeping them....at least a little!

Here are some of my 2009 New Years resolutions. Feel MORE than welcome to ask me about them now and then. Pray for me and help hold me accountable. We all need that.

1) Read the whole Bible. Now is the time to admit. In all my years I have NEVER read the entire Bible. I'm very ashamed of that. I'm sure I've read almost all of it at some point in my life, but to really sit down, memorize verses, be able to site scripture, that's something I've never been able to do and really WANT to be able to.

2) A more steady devotional and prayer life...as my pastor was saying today...the more you set out to pray whenever you worry, the faster the worry slips away!! And I am certainly the QUEEN of worry warts, so this would be a fantastic start for me :) (and yes I AM aware that there is a scripture passage that speaks about how worrying doesn't add any years to our lives...and how God takes care of all the other creatures..and not to worry about tomorrow...now by Jan. 4th, 2010 I'll be able to pop out the scripture that's in!

3)Stop chewing my nails...which I've actually not been doing since a day or two BEFORE New Years!! They are looking quite nice I must say :)

4) Lose about 50 pounds....yes that's right. FIFTY POUNDS.

5)Eat healthier and take more preventative steps towards healtier living (like more regular exercise...which I've also been doing much better at for about the past 2 weeks :) and taking multi-vitamins, drinking more water, stressing out less, sleeping more regularly, etc. etc.

6)Paying off a very large amount of debt this year...so, cutting back on all kinds of unnecessary spending, pinching pennies, and learning the true meaning of "necessities" vs. "wants" Yes, I will need MUCH prayer in this area.

7)Read at least 50 good books this year. God must be out to see me read more because yesterday someone gave me a book, a friend put a blog on about wanting lists of new books to read, my mom came home with a new book today for me to read, and then she told me there was another one I HAD to read before that one :) ...oh yeah, and I also had someone else mail me a book...so, yes, my reading is cut out for me :)

8)Give 3 recitals and at least 2 competitions before the year-end. 2 recitals will be this spring, and one in the Fall.

9)This is redundant to another resolution but I MUST say it...fit into ALL the pretty clothes sitting in my closet....waiting and waiting...some for YEARS to be worn!! No need for me to shop when the pounds drop...I've got about 4 different size wardrobes...yes, wardrobes, in my closet, droors, and basement storage!!!

10)Realizing this is TOTALLY in God's hands, I pray that this year will be the year I meet my future husband...and who knows...maybe even get married?! :) I would be willing to settle for at least meet and get to know though :)

I guess that's it! Ah, enlightening thought. Well, my pastor was speaking about new years resolutions today. And he was also saying out the place between our two ears (haha) is where the battle-ground lies for whether we do or don't do what we set out to. Either we PLAN to fail, or we PLAN to succeed...now that's not saying you can't try to win and still fail...which really wouldn't be failure anyways. But, what he said hit home for me. I know when I look back on certain moments in my life that I see spans of laziness, where I let the excuse of days, weeks, months, or even years passed by to weigh me down and discourage me not to change anything. Then, there are times I remember working so hard, focusing so much on the goal, and feeling so wonderful when I achieved it. The one thing that happened during those positive times was that I didn't really think too much about doing it. I just DID it....I guess Nike knew what they were talking about after all :)

God Bless each of you in the new year. Best wishes with your new years plans. Don't forget to include God, and He will help you not only meet those goals, but strengthen you as a disciple for Him...what more could we ask for than that?

Happy New YEARS!!!!!