As I look back over the last year, it is unbelievable to see just how much God had his hand in our year. Things that we desperately longed for, but thought wouldn't ever come to pass, have, and things, beautiful things of which I never dreamed have come to pass.
In January I was given the opportunity to join the Marietta College/Community choir for their performance of "Gloria" and another work, by Vivaldi - a chance I was thrilled to receive, only to find that the day of the first recital I could barely talk. Never fear - I took an aspirin and went anyway. And got in. It was worth the bawling out I got for singing on a pain reliever. :) It really was. This was my first experience with any sort of choir performance, and a most interesting one as well. Our beloved little conductor has a very interesting habit of dancing around his music stand while screaming at us. (It was rather hilarious...)
Along the same lines, I also had my first public singing performance and first stage performance - both of which are very hard to remember - ever had memory loss when you were terribly, horribly nervous? *laughs* The first singing performance was for my great-uncle's funeral - which was a very hard occasion. That was both my dad's and my first - his first funeral sermon and public singing for me. It went very well, by the grace of God. Dad told me, afterwards, that I shook out of my shoes while singing. Like, literally came out of them and didn't notice. It's a good thing there was an alter in front of me so other people couldn't see.
Also, I was given the opportunity to participate in my voice teacher's vocal performance/ show for her students - it was marvelous fun. Afterwards, I mean. The stress was a bit - stressful. ;-) A million thanks to my teacher, Tiffany CasaSante for all her work she's done with me - I suspect I'm no easy student. :D
To finish the ‘music updates’, this November I finally had the chance to study fiddle music under Dan Kessinger - something I’d been wanting to do for years, literally. He’s definitely a bit of a hard master - but all the best teachers all. ( Just, the red pencil waved two inches from my face got old. Really. ;) ) Without a doubt one of the biggest blessings of this year is the music instructors I have - thanks be to God!
Our farm flourished this year as well - weeds included. With Tom no longer working for us, it rapidly became waaaaaaaay more then I could handle, so, *supposedly* we’re going to be cutting back this year. Remind me to hide the seed catalogs from my mother, please and thanks. ;) Hopefully we will have a more productive year with the garden.
This is also my third year of hand milking and sixth year with the sheep - all are doing very well! My esp. thanks to my father, who’s done a great job helping me haul buckets and hay bales and whatnot down to the barn. Thanks, Papa!
July was an exciting and also disappointing month. Disappointing because I was unable to visit a long-time penpal and good friend who lives in NY state - something I’d been looking forward too for a long time. But, because finances did not allow that, my parents offered to allow me to go a HSA reunion in Kent Ohio - I was thrilled. Just thrilled to death until it occurred to me that I um, well, didn’t know anyone up there. I didn’t even know the hosting family very well, beyond some slight correspondence on Homeschool Alumni’s website. But, I went - and it was so, so worth it! Esp. blessings go to the Pieplow family for making my *first* reunion a very happy one, and for being so kind and hospitable!
I could go on and on without end about how thankful I am to have met the many homeschoolers that I have this year, but a few words will have to suffice. It has been a direct answer to prayer to meet every one of you - it is a distinct memory, saying to Mother - “I just don’t think there’s anyone like us left out there.” There is - there is. And how grateful I am!
We're still moving along - still homeschooling, (Junior and 3rd grade) and this year Daddy was able to move work a little bit closer to home. It's been nice seeing more of him. ;)
Moving on - (if this gets much longer, no one will read it) November was National Novel Writing Month, and again, I had no plans of participating until a week or so before. So - yes, I now have a novel - it’s cheesy, it’s horrible, but who cares - it’s a novel! Thanks to all my novel-writing friends for their constant support.
And now I must close. There are so many other blessings I cannot go into - but I thank God for it all -
Blessings upon all of you!
<~Kate
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