Greetings from the South! I hope this letter finds you and yours well. Christmas time is here and where did the year go. I would not want to bore you with all the things that happened this year. With that, here are the firsts and funnies for this year:
Firsts:
• Stepped foot on Europe. In March, I was the bridesmaid and florist for my sister’s wedding in Cambridge, UK. I managed to visit the Cambridge University library (now that’s a REAL research library) and spent several days in London.
• Stuck in Chicago O’Hare overnight, after so many trips, it had to happen, right?
• Have a class size of 130 for 2 sections of music appreciation and finding out I’m the teacher, pianist, custodian, dancer and singer. Also, I’m the official unofficial tech person.
• Performed in Malaysia with Mr. James Taylor, baritone. Hoping there will be a request for a piano masterclass instead of coaching school choirs next summer.
• Pertaining to football: Learned the art of scalping … which is legal for one ticket.
• Went to the Iron Bowl (Alabama vs. Auburn) along with 92,000 screaming fans at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Roll Tide! We lost though … • Dressed up in a costume and played a recital on Halloween.
• First and last: Taking a course overload in graduate school and play a recital in a semester.
Funnies:
1. “Going to the zoo with you is like walking into a giant grocery store with you.”
2. On accompanying Mr. James Taylor.Gloria: If Mr. Taylor is James Bond, and Mrs. Taylor is M, does that make me Bond Girl?
3. On a true or false question. Student: Grieg can’t be a Czech composer! You said he’s from Norway! (Promise I held a straight face while giving this test.)4. “What are you going to do with your hands at the fermata?” If you know my quirky sense of humor, you can imagine what my answer could have been.
5. I thought I had heard it all from 5 and 6 yr olds since I’ve seen about 200 every day for 18 years of my life, and stories from my mom’s kindergarten, but this:
From 6-yr-old Gabriel: I’ll buy you a husband.
Gloria: Really? How much does it cost to buy a husband?
Gabriel: Nothing, I’ll just need to put on my knight costume and go buy you one.
Gloria: What if I don’t like him? Can I rent one so I can try him out?
Gabriel: You can’t rent a husband cos you can’t return him. You’re stuck!
May your Christmas celebration and the coming year be full of His goodness and abiding presence. We can laugh and rejoice, weep and persevere because Jesus came to give us life, joy in abundance and hope for years to come. He is Emmanuel and may His light continue to shine upon you. Maranatha!
