Thursday, October 29, 2009

Music of My Heart

Music is pretty much totally amazing. I know that I'm a total sap when it comes to most, if not all things, but I tell ya . . . When the simple opening measures of an orchestra piece cause your heart to swell up with joy, God's definitely letting you know something. You love music. That's me. I love it. Love, love, love it.

Tonight I got to see a marvelous group perform. And this is not an attempt to make others jealous, unlike the text messages I sent to my mother and sister before the concert started (teehee). Really, it's not. I just feel so lucky and privileged to have heard them: The King's Singers. Ever since I was a young girl (i can't say "little girl" without thinking, "whatever, megan, you were never little"), this group has been a part of my life, thanks to a certain Christmas album with a certain version of "Deck the Hall" that wished you a "very merry, very merry, very merry, very merry, etc. . . . Christmas". Having heard more as I grew older, I realized that they were more than a silly-novelty-Christmas-song group. So I was pretty excited a few months ago when Esther and I saw the advertisement that they would be singing at BYU. And I (miraculously) got tickets a month ago, and have been uber-pumped ever since.


My enthusiasm was totally worth it. There were (no joke) three or four different times when I nearly cried because the music was so beautiful or because I was simply so happy to be there. What a talented group. What an awesome way to spend an evening, listening to music you love. And they must have known Esther and I would be there, because they sang songs directly relating to us ("it's lonely at the top" and "short people"). Now I need to get me some more music. (one more thing to add to the list, mom and dad!) Awesome.

-Me

"The whole problem can be stated quite simply by asking, 'Is there a meaning in music?' My answer would be, 'Yes'. And 'Can you state in so many words what the meaning is?' My answer to that would be 'no'." -Aaron Copland

Monday, October 12, 2009

It's Autumn Time, It's Autumn Time!

Big decisions coming my way. Huge. Enormous, even! Dare I say, astronomical! And the biggest question is . . . what will I be for Halloween? All right, it won't be for the 31st exactly, because that night we have stake conference and I must attend because I've already been scouted out in the stake as some kind of musical proficient. Where they get these silly ideas, I don't know, but it doesn't come from me. But the day before, which is a Friday, we will be having festivities at my office, like last year. I would be willing to repeat my witch costume, but there's a slight problem with that option. Half of what I wore belonged to Esther, and I no longer live with her. Besides, I should think outside the box. So I will take suggestions. Anything, really. Doesn't mean I'll dress up as whatever you might suggest, but I need help in thinking of something, because I am drawing a blank.

Me and my roommate Lisa

I definitely have gotten into the fall "spirit", though. A few weeks ago, I put up some happy autumn decorations and put out the ceramic skeleton that Mom got me a couple years ago. He's a happy little fella, sitting on the piano. And on Friday, I went with some pals to Thanksgiving Point, where we went through the haunted corn maze! There was also a haunted blow-up dinosaur, which was our first stop that evening, and I'm sure Chad really appreciated me grabbing onto the back of his shirt when it got really dark. The biggest hoot of the night was hearing Lisa scream in the maze. I mean, I get startled, and I was definitely startled a couple of times during the night (especially when the chainsaw guy came out and we had to scurry through the abandoned school bus), but Lisa is a total 'fraidy cat, and it was pretty entertaining. Also entertaining was the hay ride, in which we were jostled to within an inch of our lives. But fun, anyway.

Jason and Tyler, who naturally refuse to take normal pictures

Danny and Chad partaking in the joys of tetherball

So yes. Fall is here, and it's a good time of year, even if I won't be warm again for another six months . . . or more. Probably more.

Oh, good heavens. How old are we?

-Me

"Nothing on earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night." -Steve Almond

Friday, October 2, 2009

One Last Kiss

It's slightly depressing to realize that your three-year old nephew is getting more action than you are. Well, maybe not for you, but just a bit for me. Apparently, little Jack (who's never really been little) is quite the ladies' man! I mean, it's only natural that young girls would be drawn to this cute lightning bolt of energy, but jeepers! He's already gotten his first kiss?!?!? He beat me by a good fifteen years to that particular milestone. Although that wasn't for a lack of trying on my part. I distinctly remember trying to pin Brandon Webb to the trampoline when I was four, but oh, darn . . . he wriggled out of my grasp. (i think if mom ever knew i tried that, she never would have let me out on the trampoline with the neighbor kids ever again.) I wonder if Tom Powers ever would have let me kiss him any of the times we played together in kindergarten. Or Taylor Johnatakis in third grade, for that matter (probably the closest i ever came to having one of those elementary school "boyfriends"). But alas, I was already scared off because of my previously rejected attempt. Oh, the times that try little girls' souls.

But really, when do kids reach that age when you shouldn't kiss without "feelings"? There's some implicit age that I just can't pin down when you would most definitely stop being so uninhibited because you know that someone is going to read into it (that someone most likely being the girl in the "relationship"). But before they reach that awful age, they'll kiss, say they've got a boyfriend (or girlfriend), promise to marry someone and promptly forget about it over a popsicle, and we adults think it's cute, innocent, and pretty dang funny in some cases.

Personally, even though I was frustrated at the time that I had to "wait" until I was 17 to be kissed, I'm glad that it was the case, because it was that blessed kind of situation where the boy I liked also liked me. (yeah, that's actually happened to me before!) I find that far preferable to any alternative. But goodness, sometimes I wish I were as assertive as Jack's "girl next door". Just need to find me a man, I guess. Then we'll see who has the last laugh! (but it won't be me because i'll be kissing . . . someone . . . i hope!)

-Me

"To me, there is no greater act of courage than being the one who kisses first." -Janeane Garofalo