Day 5 Community Support- Radius and Ulna

I am beginning to wonder if any of the journals are ever coming home? I know it has only been a month and a half, but (sniff sniff) I miss them. I have officially hit over 100 unique viewers to this blog. YIPEE! I am so chuffed. So if any of you “unique” viewers know where any of my little journal babies are, please drop me a line. Now I know how the Old Lady Who Lived In The Shoe felt, so many babies to worry about!

So today a friend told me that another friend is following my blog and has made her own 12 day commitment. (YA YOU Lady! Waving from over here in Canada) I seem to always hear these things on the days when I am wondering what the hell I have gotten myself into. The other night I sat in bed making journals and couldn’t believe that I have only made 50 so far, it feels more like 150! To think that by the end of this experiment I will have made 350..... I must remind myself to breathe, take it one day at a time. It has become a bit of a full time job. I would make a crack about the pay being terrible, but that would only be taking monetary pay into account. The pay, instead, comes like it did today, hearing about a friend from a far off land taking actions because of my words, that is a pretty good return. Thanks Matty for telling me, I love ya brother.

Ok! So, I need to cut to the chase, no deep and meaningful word for ya’ll, just the facts! I need to do my mother in-laws taxes before going out to see Terradactagon.

“Terradactagon throws down thick doses of cultivated improvisation with a sound that is flavoured by jazz, funk, electronic, and world music. The band features Adrian Wagner on vocals, hammond organ, keyboard & samplers, piano, & percussion, Jimmy Lewis on vocals & Drums, and Cormies on Bass.

This trio has been known to ripple the walls, finding the wave of the night, and riding it with the audience into ecstasy. A complete improvisational experience, the Nelson BC based project brings decades of musicianship to the world of purely live synaptic exploration.

A sound to be experienced.”

Yes, I know, cutting and pasting from the website is just gauche! But there you have it folks. I am going to shake my booty to the music of these fine boys tonight. I am going out with my friend Kibby (HI KIBBY) and will meet many more friends there. I love that about this town. Even if I were to go out alone, I never end up alone. Wait...that came out wrong. I better get away from the keyboard before I incriminate myself.

As for today’s journal... listen up I’m gunna give it to you straight! 12 days journal #38 will be either given to someone or left at The Royal where Terradactagon is playing. Inside is the question “What role does humour play in your life?”. I have a few answers which I will write in the journal but it seems appropriate to say, before jumping into the fascinating world of tax land, that I often use humour to pull me out of a bad head space. At the beginning of this entry I was kinda bummed and now I am smiling and making jokes to my 13 year old. Whom, I just found out, forgot to deliver 12 days journal #37 to her teacher. Little sheisse! Good thing for her I am in a good mood otherwise I might have grounded her until next fall...does that seem a little extreme?

Day 4 Community Support- Who is supporting who?

I went to choir today. I haven’t been in quite a while, not since it was decided we would not be participating in the Christmas concert. Our numbers are small this year, there were too few of us to pull off a performance. I can’t really say why I stopped. I love choir. There is nothing about it I don’t love. But it is at a time I often forget, right when the kids are coming home from school. I am often away on Wednesdays. These aren’t very good reasons, they are reasons, but not good ones. I was asked this last week by two members of the choir to come back. That some “strong” voices were needed. I like that my voice is considered strong. I made a commitment to both that I would come back, to support the choir. And I did. I walked into the mandala room where choir is held, everyone was so happy to see me. They told me what changes had been made, got me music that I didn’t have, let me stand in the middle of my parts so I wouldn’t be thrown off. Wait! Who is supporting who here? Here I had flaked on them and they were welcoming me back with open arms. At the helm is the talented Bree. She is also the music teacher at the Nelson Waldorf School, the school where all three of my children spend their week days. The children at the school sing like angels. Now I know all parents are obligated to say their child sounds like a song bird, but these children really do. Ask a non affiliated, less bias parent who has had the honour of hearing them, and they will tell you the same. All the music that comes out of our school is truly amazing. I can’t tell you what it is that Bree has, how she manages to bring out the pitch perfect best in all those she teaches, but then that is what makes a truly good teacher isn’t it? They seem to be able to work some sort of magic, making wine from water. Not that those of us in the choir or our children are water. Our potential, our voices are our own. Bree just has a knack of coaxing our best out. She is a no nonsense choir leader, and I am told by my children a no nonsense teacher too. We are expected to pay attention, and follow direction, but it is all done with smiles and encouragement. She has high expectations, and so we live up to them. So much so that when people comment how good our choir is, and are then encouraged to join, they usually say something like “Oh no! I would never be allowed in!”. This is not the case, Bree includes anyone who is willing to commit to choir practice, and in my case even this seems to be overlooked. She works her magic with each member to find their inner soprano...or alto... or bass. We at the school are very lucky to have this wonderfully talented music teacher. As I left choir she asked me how I was, I almost gave her a standard “good”. But it would not have been honest. I told her that right now I was feeling like I had bitten off more than I could chew, that with everything going on I felt like I was barely keeping my head above water. She thanked me for making the time for choir. “No“ I said ”Thank you! Coming here and singing, makes everything more manageable, makes things better“. The choir supports me as much (if not more) as I support them.

I wanted to give 12 days journal #37 to Bree, but I forgot to take it to practice. I will send it with one of my daughter to school tomorrow. Inside the front cover the question ”What makes a good teacher?“ is written. Bree should know all about that.