A record for my children...

Following in first Grandma's then Dad's footsteps (penstrokes?), I am going to record a bit of my childhood memories as well some things that transpired last night because they reflect the family and traditions in which I grew up, and I hope that they are telling of what Joey's and my family will look like someday.

I have many memories of sitting with my class during assembly at Chesapeake Academy watching Dad signal to 1/4 of the student body to sing "hello" on one note and hold it as long as they could. After a few seconds, he would signal to the second quarter of to students to sign "hello" a third above the first group. Next he would motion to the third quarter of students to sing yet another "hello" a fifth above the first group. Finally he would motion to the last group of students to sing "hello," creating a beautiful Mm7. Then, à la the Three Stooges, the entire school would speak, "hello!" These are my first memories of practicing ear training.

These exercises, however, were not limited to my academic school day. My sister and I grew up in a very musical family and everybody played at least one instrument or sang. Our little nuclear family would frequently sing barber shop standards-- Sweet and Low-- as well as old gospel tunes in four part harmony. We sang at home, in the car, in choirs, in musicals... in restaurants over dinner (which cause my sister and I to cry from embarrassment).

Last night on the way home from dinner I was brought back to my childhood. Joey and I sang scales using solfege the entire way home from dinner. After we arrived in the parking lot, we spent another five minutes or so constructing seventh chords with our voices. Then we started imagining singing these exercises with our children ("You will sing a tritone or I am pulling this car over!")...

Lucy goes to the vet

Well, we're about to go to the vet. Yesterday afternoon, Joey and I noticed that Lucy's left eye looked a little red and just ever so slightly swollen. By 7:00 that evening, it had gotten definitively worse, but I still thought a trip to the vet was a bit much. However, by this morning, her eye looked like this:

Even Louis, who hates touching or being touched by Lucy, was licking her eye (cute and gross!). So we are headed to the vet now to see what happened. I suspect that she injured her eye while playing her favorite game, "Let's knock over the Christmas tree!"

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

This year is the first time in many that I have been extremely excited about Christmas! Joey and I went out last night to search for the perfect, live, local Christmas tree, but alas! they were all too large for our apartment. However, we did not want to leave the tree lot empty handed, so we purchased a handmade wreath made of live greens (pictures to come).

Inspired by the Selby (and Pawloski) tradition of generic stockings with silver glitter fabric paints, we also purchased four small ones. They are now hung on the ceiling with care in hopes that the patron saint of kitties soon will be there!

And of course our sweet kitties helped to decorate (Lucy helped to set up the tree) and then posed for our Christmas card!

Accepted!

At 11:00 last night I checked my email for the last time before turning in-- and this is what was in my inbox!

The Silver Streak!

I remember being a very small girl when Dad bought a really neat silver car (this was before the days of Marlin Perkins) and named it the Silver Streak. Apparently Dad really disliked this car, as we only had it for a few short months; and apparently I was enthralled with it because I have only positive memories of this car.

Anyway, to replace the Dot (though she will never be truly "replaced,") I have come in to possession of a 2004 Subaru Outback AWD, and I have christened her the Silver Streak. As Dad says, Joseph and I will now be the poster children of newlyweds everywhere, because, as everyone knows, Outback = camping! Speaking of which, there are tons of really cool Subaru Outback accessories for camping which I will probably be posting as Christmas comes closer.

In Memoriam...

The Dot

(1998-2011)

The Dot, as I like to call my VW Cabrio, will be retired this week. She had been making funny noises under the hood, and the tachometer would shoot to 5,000 rpm suddenly while accelerating. I took her to the mechanic who immediately diagnosed The Dot with a failing clutch and a bad transmission. I am sure most of you know that these, in themselves, are not usually terminal illnesses; however, in conjunction with each other, they will cost more than I can afford, and may only buy The Dot another few months.

The Dot was a true Volkswagon; that is to say, she was the very epitome of the People's Car. And truly she was a family car as well, coming from the distinguished lineage of Morgan Williams, to Claire Selby, and finally to Caroline with whom she spent her final four years. Even up to her last trip she could get up to 33 mpg-- a veritable feat for a car with 213,000 miles.

Happy Birthday!

Well, although I do think it is a bit crass to post in honor of my own birthday, I am doing it anyway. It also happens to be National Pickle Day!

So everybody celebrate for me and for pickles!!!