Thanksgiving

Cliche, yes, but good for me none the less.  In keeping with the Jacqui Sheehan Happy List tradition, a special Thanksgiving Edition of Things That Make Me Happy:

• Violas!  While my violin and cello have made me happy all semester (and indeed, for as long asI 've known them), I must admit I'm quite excited to have a viola as well.  I should clarify, I suppose; yesterday Daryl agreed to play for the quartet for my recital, along with Clara and Micah.  I think it will be so much fun to rehearse with them next semester, and I'm quite excited to have people I love so much playing such a huge role in something that is so important to me.
• Though I imagine it will still change, I have music picked out for my recital and I like all of it.  The newest addition to my rep is the Handel bassoon concerto in c minor--which isn't french!  (It's the only thing I have picked right now that isn't.)  If you're as dedicated to my recital rep as I am, you can listen to decent chunks of it here, over on the left side.  It is, naturally, the concerto for bassoon--not harp, viola d'amore, or oboe.  
• I love teaching.  I'm not grouchy about going to school every morning, and that's wonderful.
• Despite not being able to go home, I do get to see a number of people I love this weekend.  I am quite excited to spend time with people who are so dear to my heart, even if we're not related.
• I'm very glad that Sarah's family is so wonderful and loving as to not only invite me over for thanksgiving but demand my presence.  They are delightful people and I am quite blessed to know them and have them looking out for me.
• I am eternally thankful for my "Houghton church."  Menno is wonderful and fantastic and filled with people I love who love God and each other like crazy.  And, they sing in harmony.  All the time!  And in different languages!  I know you shouldn't pick a church based on music, but as a musician it is pretty important to me and the worship at Menno is so honest and fulfilling that I think it's ok to say it's a pretty big factor in why I love Menno as much as I do.  It is community in a fantastic way and I love every minute of it.  My single greatest regret about college is having waited until I was a junior to start going to Menno.  I drive down--an hour and 15 minutes!--almost every weekend so I can go to church. I love it. LOVE!  
• I got to talk to Dana yesterday, which was wonderful and hadn't happened in far, far too long.  I love that girl and I'm very excited for all the fantastic things going on in her life.
• Looking ahead, I think I'll be able to visit a number of very dear friends over Christmas who I haven't been able to spend time with in a very long time--I haven't seen Jeannie since before college!  I'm very excited to hopefully spend time with her and a few others.

What are you happy about?

Twice in one week? What?! I know, you must be overjoyed.

This is the seventh weekend in a row that I've come down to Houghton. Every Wednesday, without fail, it makes me grouchy: "I'm paying rent for an apartment I'm never in!" I just want to stay home and sleep in and watch westerns. But then as the day goes on I warm up to the idea: "Tomorrow is Bagel Day and then it will be Friday and then I get to go to Houghton!" and for some reason being able to assign tasks to the days makes them go so much faster. And true, I'll be a little grouchy on the way down to Houghton, thinking about how gas is a WHOLE FRIGGING DOLLAR cheaper in Indy and how despite Speicher's gas sale on Sundays, driving the hour and fifteen minutes to Houghton and the hour and fifteen minutes back is still more expensive than staying home.
But, this is the seventh weekend in a row that I've been absolutely overjoyed to be at Houghton, at least once I got here. The first time--seven weeks ago--I told everyone quite plainly, "I won't be back for a month. I have too much to do." And then I came back the very next weekend because Bekah said she would drive. And there have been two Artist Series, and the fantastic Fall Festival, and a long weekend in between placements, and three weekends in a row of snuggling with the wonderful Laura Day (much to the frustration of Shane). There's something so wonderful about being at Houghton. I'm even happy to see the people I don't really like as much, because they're just as much a part of Houghton as the people I do like.
I just finished reading The Shack and while my feelings are mixed--I think it's maybe a little predictable and cliche, though I know it keeps getting rave reviews so I hesitate to admit it--I also admit that I tend to be very stingy with my praise and I have to admit that it did make me think and it did make me cry and I'm not sure what else I expect out of a book before I'll call it "good." Anyway, one of the themes is about God's love. The character of God keeps saying she is "especially fond" of different characters, which at one point prompts the main character to ask if there's anyone God isn't especially fond of. She replies of course not, that she is especially fond of all her children, and relates to Mack (the main character) that it's much the same as how he loves all of his children. As I finished up the book today, nestled into the overstuffed chair in the campus coffee shop with a pumpkin spice mocha, I couldn't help but look around at the other people in Java and think that I am especially fond of each of them. And as I wound my way through the music building, tucking notes into mailboxes and borrowing no less than three instruments for school, I couldn't help but think that I am especially fond of everyone in the music building--even those pesky singers who had taken over the recital hall in their funny dresses. I find that I am quite fond of just about everyone here, and it's so nice to have a place where you know you'll like everyone you bump into.

It upsets me that as soon as I've run out of things to complain about, I stop talking. It seems easier to say whiney things to the internet because no one has to deal with them, but I suppose you (whoever you are) may be interested in the nice things in my life.

I'm at my second placement now and it's FANTASTIC. I'm working with fourth and fifth grade beginning band students and they are adorable and so, so, SO well behaved! I get along a lot better with my teacher and I get to sleep in until 7 every morning and basically my life is wonderful. Isn't it disappointing to think of 7 as sleeping in? But it is and it's nice.

How are you?