Happy Easter a Day Late

This has been the only weekend in a long long while where I've been home both days with nothing I *had* to do. Nowhere planned to go... no commitments. Saturday I started cleaning/re-arranging my studio/craft room... needed to be able to get to my filing cabinet which houses tax records and music. Put some of my clothes in the closet (lots of Sweet Adeline costumes etc...), and took down a 4-foot table that was just another flat surface to pile stuff on. Sometimes it got used as a workspace, but mostly it was a "hot spot." (Flylady's term for 'place where a bunch of stuff is put down, never to be put away again....')

The real reason I started the cleanse-craze is because I wanted to find the pictures of my high school production of "Oklahoma!" to post on Facebook (!) Whatever works, man. *wry smile!*

After this post I'll be finishing up some of the putting away in here... there's still some empty spaces that aren't filled with stuff ;-)

Saturday night my pal said, "let's color eggs" -- so I went over and we had yummy teryaki meatballs, veggies, m & m's - roasted peeps over the grill (can we say 'sick and wrong and VERY YUMMY'?!?!?), and were quite creative in our egg-art efforts. Oh yeah... and cake balls. Wow. Easy. Yummy. Gotta make me some.

Bake a Cake, crumble when warm. Mix in can of frosting with cake crumbles. Form into 2-inch balls. Freeze. Melt chocolate chips in microwave, use a little shortening to smooth out if you want. Dip frozen cake balls in melted chocolate. Place on wax paper and freeze again. Perfect size for sweet cravings without having the whole cake (and eating it too....!) She had done a pineapple/coconut cake with I forgot the frosting flavor... but really, any flavor would be soooo good!!

Since I can't get the photos off my camera at home, will have to wait to go to work and put them on my thumb drive and ...well, you know the drill.

Sunday I was supposed to go to church but didnt' make it. Not sure what is up exactly... still praying, still writing in my journal... still singing...

Instead, himself and I cleaned and tidied... which hasn't been done in a Very. Very. Very. Very.
Longggggggg time. Seriously. I've swept up the tufts of dog hair every couple weeks (yes, weeks), and that is about it. Yesterday we vacuumed -- moved the couches so we could sit on the opposite cushions and wear them down equally... so vacummed the entire living room floor... he hooked up the new surround sound system (the old went died) while the furniture was moved. We moved some furniture around to better house the technology/television stuff, I dusted a bit -- still some dusting to finish but it is so much better...

I did quite a few loads of laundry, and FOLDED it and AND put it AWAY. *yay me!!*

I changed the sheets on the bed and took off the electric mattress cover in preparation for warmer weather... though I have to say I had it on the night before... we've had some awesomely beautiful spring weather -- COOL. Breezy (o.k., winds up to 45 mph) and warmish days (low 80s) with nights down quite cool -- it rained pretty much all day on Saturday, and was cold (for April in Tucson)!! I'm lovin' it!!

I vacuumed our room, dusted, and did himself's laundry too... himself hooked up the former DVD player that was with the dead surround sound sytem to the tv in the bedroom and while we rarely watch anything in there, now we are DVD-capable, which is cool.

Tonight is "Friends & Family" night for chorus - we'll be doing our package for the contest weekend in a couple weeks in Pasadena... so full costume & makeup -- which is one of the reasons I had to get the clothing issue sorted and put in my closet in the craft room.

Last weekend was quartet weekend and the barbershop arranging day, which went really well, I thought!! It was fun, and as usual, I get inspired when I go.

Quartet was weird -- the other gals had just had a big performance two nights before, and were brain dead and vocally tired -- they'd driven down here, so they were done before we even started... and I was all weird too. We did some good ground-laying work on a song, and did some detail work on another -- but we did a lot of talking too, which is a good thing too.

This upcoming weekend is craft class (another motivation for organizing the craft room), and quartet again on Sunday up in Phoenix area.

So... since I've been kinda going non-stop until the weekend, maybe my 4 readers will forgive me. Or look on FB, where I'm still spending way too much time!!! Still love reading blogs, too, though!!!

More Movies!

So ~ last night we watched "88 Minutes" with Al Pacino -- I thought it was excellent! We then watched "Mamma Mia!" and I loved it! I really would like to see it live ~ but have to say Meryl Streep was terrific... thought Colin Firth probably should have been more featured in the singing, he has quite the nice voice... I love Pierce Brosnan, and he did an admiral job; but watching him sing made me uncomfortable because he looked so ill at ease for most of his stuff.

Had a really good conversation with my dad last night, which was something I needed. I read about people who are screwed up because their fathers are emotionally distant... my dad and I are so intune with each other it is kinda spooky ~ and he definitely is the polar opposite of emotionally distant! So ~ Love You Dad... oh so much :D.

Today I loaded up a bunch of photos onto facebook... for my two expat buddies (you know who you are) ... well, I just encourage you again -- in the light of the new year... to seriously consider being on FB. It is faster than blogging, easier... and in real time -- you can have the page up while doing other things... go away then come back and read your friend's updates and it is cool. Of course, it is a time vortex, which will suck away your time... but time-schwime, right?

I've updated my barbershop music database (yes, as exciting as it sounds *Yawn!*), and my barbershop audio database... our quartet gathering this weekend will be a music choosing and image discussion meeting, with maybe a little singing thrown in for good measure.

I have the craft class tomorrow and haven't done one. single. thing. And I'm here, bloggin like I have time (!!) It's gonna be a long night...

Crazy Busy

Hectic & Busy... but a good time.

I've not been sleeping all that well ~ too much to do and not enough time in which to do it!!

But... I'm in a new quartet - so a Big WhOO HOOoooo!!!

We sang on Sunday up in the Phoenix area, and had the 'lay your cards out on the table' talk and rang quite a few chords... and ate some Christmas cookies! They all want the recipes - which is a good sign.
* * * * *
I haven't made any cookies since the Cookies-In-A-Jar recipe - which is delicious... so I can now safely give away this as a gift, now that I've tried the recipe!

I've been home too late to be in the mood to bake -- I would have started a batch tonight at 9pm, but have to get up at way-too-early to go to way-too-far-away work Board Meeting -- and don't have any of the fru fru niceties that I wanted to have for a few of the folks -- but I'm hoping to take care of that this weekend at the CRAFT DAY on Sunday afternoon with my pal T.

Saturday I also hope to bake bake bake and get the things I want to make organized to take to her place.
* * * * *
Friday is a crop, and I'm bringing my new (I still say new, but she's been there 6 months!) office assistant, who scraps a little, but needs to be introduced to the obsession...

And I made plans to craft later on in the month with one of the moms who is a friend from work... so that will be fun too.
* * * * *
I've still not got the tree up (which makes me bummed) and not sure when it will get up -- maybe Saturday... but only if we move some furniture around -- right now we don't have the room.
* * * * *
Went to my chorus' show on Saturday afternoon - it was really good! Spent the morning with my Aunt M ~ we went to breakfast at the Good Egg (yum) and I filled her in on the drama of last year's birthday story... and then she took me shopping -- I wanted some baking supplies so we went to Target and got some good stuff.

One of the reasons I've procrastinated baking is that I don't have the room to do any rolling of any kind... so tonight I went to the dollar store and got a holiday plastic table cover, and will use it to cover the dining table and do my rolling out there.

I do need to do some serious clearing of that flat space, however, first.

After the show we went to dinner with mom and "mom 2" - another "M" -- to a restaurant I've been wanting to try for awhile, but the wait is always ridiculous... so going at 4pm on a Saturday would be a good time to avoid the crowd. Oregano's is very good, with HUGE portions at extremely reasonable prices ~ my 4-cheese pasta was a bit on the dry side, but very tasty... and it came in a baked bread bowl, which was cool!
* * * * *
Well, time to snooze -- these mornings are cold and dark!

Obsessed -- sometimes (long)

So -- Sweet Adelines International Convention happened November 4 - 8 (I started this post on the last day of the convention, November 8th while watching the chorus finals) in Honolulu Hawaii. The organization started broadcasting live over the internet a few years ago -- so somewhere in the range of 3,000 women worldwide watched the contest...

Wednesday (November 5th) was Quartet Semi-finals
All the winning quartets from 35 regions around the world in one place to compete - plus 4 or 5 "wildcard" quartets. [Wildcard quartets have the top 5 scores worldwide -- but who didn't win their region -- some regions have some really high-scoring quartets. The Wildcard aspect came about because in some regions the same quartets (and choruses) kept winning... but that region's second place quartet score was higher than many of the winning quartet in other regions.]

Because the 15 top-scoring quartets at international contest do not have to re-compete in their regional contests the next year in order to compete at the international level again, in theory the quartet contest could be 35 + 5 + 15 quartets -- each singing no more than 6 minutes each = 55 quartets. This year there were 50 competitors. That is a minimum of 300 minutes. It takes judges between 5 and 15 minutes to score between competitors... so this is a MARATHON of singing.

The director of my chorus (Tucson Desert Harmony), Dayle Ann Cook, is the Lead (singer) of SparX quartet -- and they made the top 10 quartets -- enabling them to move on to the Finals (which was yesterday). Our region (Region 21 is S. California, Arizona, New Mexico & El Paso TX) had two quartets competing in the finals... SparX, and Affinity - the members of which are another post.

Barbershop singing has a PR problem... if you don't know firsthand, then you think singing barbershop is 4 (old) guys with waxed handlebar mustaches and striped vests with straw hats singing "Goodbye You Coney Island Baby." Singing 4-part a cappella harmony is actually quite hip today! This ain't your grandpa's barbershop, baby!!

CARA - Contemporary A cappella Recording Award (Sponsored by CASA - Contemporary a cappella Society) they have a barbershop category in the contest! CASA is hip, its funky, it has cool young people! There are colleges & universities out there that young people choose because of the a cappella extracurriculars! I'm tellin' ya it is COOL!

Sweet Adelines is one of the most dynamic, supportive and organized women's organizations that exist today. With Vocal Education as a core belief, and hundreds of amazing vocal teachers, educators, and women who exemplify that really -- we can be whoever we want to be -- it is a shame it has to fight such an old-fashioned image. It encompasses women of all ages, sizes, backgrounds and abilities... with the goal of constant "Lock and Ring" in singing -- creating an audible "fifth voice" -- a note that is heard above the highest note being actually sung. Music is such a beautiful marriage of Left and Right brained talents -- the art and science a perfect blend!

Real Women. Real Harmony. Real Fun

This Organization offers constant education regarding singing, leading, strategic planning, marketing & team management -- by women who are successful in their non-singing lives in these areas. Opportunties to develop just about any skill you can think of exist and all you have to do is sign up ... and of course, pay $!

Singing is good for your health. My personal motto is, "Everyone can sing, not everyone has to listen!" Singing in a group creates an energy that spills over into your life, and, to be simple -- just plain makes you feel better about yourself and your life. Getting to chorus after a long (and sometimes crappy) day at work is sometimes the hardest thing to do -- but wow -- afterwards I feel energized, enthusiastic, optimistic and happy.

As we age, singing helps in all sorts of ways... an excerpt from the linked article above says this about singing and seniors:

Singing, particularly in a chorus, seems to benefit the elderly particularly well. As part of a three-year study examining how singing affects the health of those 55 and older, a Senior Singers Chorale was formed by the Levine School of Music in Washington, D.C.

The seniors involved in the chorale (as well as seniors involved in two separate arts groups involving writing and painting) showed significant health improvements compared to those in the control groups. Specifically, the arts groups reported an average of:

• 30 fewer doctor visits

• Fewer eyesight problems

• Less incidence of depression

• Less need for medication

• Fewer falls and other injuries

Even lead researcher Dr. Gene D. Cohen, director of the Center on Aging, Health, and Humanities at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., was surprised at how big of an effect the seniors' arts participation had on their health.

"My surprise was not a factor of whether the intervention would work, but how big an effect it would have at an advanced age," said Cohen. "The average age of all the subjects was 80. This is higher than life expectancy, so, realistically, if an effect were to be achieved, one would ordinarily expect to see less decline in the intervention group compared to the control. The fact that there was so much improvement in many areas was the surprise factor."

The seniors themselves also noticed health improvements, said Jeanne Kelly, director of the Levine School of Music, Arlington Campus, who led the choral group. The seniors reported:

• Feeling better both in daily life and while singing

• Their everyday voice quality was better

• The tone of their speaking voice did not seem to age as much

• Easier breathing

• Better posture

America, Get Singing!! Belt it out and Feel Good about it!

I have more to say on the subject, but this is a LONG post!

it's been a busy week...

I sang with a quartet today -- much fun was had by all!!

I had a work strategic planning meeting on Saturday -- lots of good work, lots of plans...

I had my work evaluation on Friday -- it was what I expected but still wasn't spectacular

My knee is killing me -- stupid black slip on shoes

I finally bought Pepper Spray & a Whistle (no more excuses not walking Rascal!) -- it will help my knee to walk.

I haven't been to the gym in 3 weeks -- miss the elliptical. Really!!!

I've decided to go back to Tucson Desert Harmony Chorus (if they'll have me) and begin the journey to International Contest in Nashville next year -- need to get organized, as I hope to go back in October... maybe November since October will be BIZEEE

T. & I made some CUTE door hangers for the craft class this Saturday -- fall themed and halloween themed, and they have a little pocked for a notepad and pen in case you're not home and someone stops by and wants to leave a message! :D

I'm going to bed before 10pm!

...My name is Desert Diva

and I'm an a cappella music addict.

I try to escape it. I listen to other types and genres of music, and even enjoy them. But in my heart of hearts, my soul yearns to hear and sing harmony. Normal harmony -- hearing over 6 different notes sung and my ears crack.

I spend hours on Youtube listening and watching barbershop and a cappella performances.

I try to say I'll take a break from quartet singing, but I am powerless and will be going up to Phoenix for a fun, trial sing with some serious singin' women... one of whom is the bass from the Phoenix quartet (Hearts Afire) I love(d) so much.

If you have not heard amazing a cappella, you probably have gone through life thinking you've missed something... but not really sure what that hole in your soul longs for.

If you've heard even sort of bad a cappella (not even REALLY bad), you've gone through life being thankful you don't have to hear that again. Don't let one or two or a million horrible listening experiences lead you away from the transcendence of your spirit and soul that can come from listening to the old instrument made by God -- the human voice.



Acoustix, some of the best men's a cappella you'll ever hear!


Underage, the SAI Young Women In Harmony Champs (2005). [they're older now and they've changed the name of their quartet to "LoveNotes"] at the time they won, 3 of them were 17 and one was 20 years old!! I was going to post the Youtube video of "And So It Goes", but that song is on their myspace page and the sound quality is much-o better!!

I found Sweet Adelines when I was 22 or something like that -- and I've been off and on since then.

But I'm not addicted to just barbershop... oh no.

DaVinci's Notebook (they broke up) has a very funny song called "Liposuction" - clever lyrics, good harmony, sarcasm at its a cappella best :D

The Flight of the Bumblebee... you've never heard it like this! (The Swingle Singers)

My name is desert diva and I am absolutely okay with being an a cappella music addict.

So Far This Week

I'm having a ball on Facebook... quick snippets of catching up with some long lost friends has been pretty cool.

I'm missing singing -- reading The Pitch Pipe (the quarterly magazine of Sweet Adelines Int'l) always makes me want to run back to chorus. Hanging out with C, the bass of my Phoenix quartet and just doing a tiny wee bit of singing with her in the car makes me really really miss it.... *sigh* -- and I waiver between immersing myself in music or spreading myself over the other talents and things I want to do. Focus is a hard concept for me to master.

So much fun to be had!

Himself just got word from his work yesterday that he'll be working from home -- I'm green with envy. There will be a web-cam so he will have to be dressed -- when this concept was mentioned as a possibility a few weeks ago I stipulated he'd still have to shower every day (!). So plans are being made to finish 'his' room and make it really into an office. We'll be adding Cox digital phone to our package, and his company will pay for phone and internet costs... woot!! And with what he'll be saving in gas and lunch, we think that will be around $250 a month.

Yay!!

25 minutes ellipticalling -- with 10 or 15 minutes at incline 4 and 5 -- Killing Me!! Listening to Wicked on my ipod -- I stopped when I got shaky. Yay Me!!

Italian Ice

YUM!! There's a new/old place in town - Zona Ice that has Italian Ice, Frozen Custard & Gelato (all of which are fewer calories than DQ ;-). Last night I met my friend (see "Hijacked!" post) and had a large Cappuccino Cream Ice for dinner. It was delish :D

We set our craft class schedule... we gabbed about the new management at my old workplace... we discussed me being the director/leader of the senior living community chorus...
* * * * * *
I've decided that I'm not going to be going back to barbershop for awhile -- still gonna keep my membership and I still love it blah blah blah... but too many other things that I want to do, and I just have a hard time going to just sing -- I want to get highly involved, and then I say "yes" to too many things and then nothing I am doing gets done to any kind of standard and I feel bad all the time.

I think I have found a voice teacher -- just need to give her a call and set up a time, because I do want to stay 'in voice.' And I'm planning to join a less-intense singing group of ladies in September. And, if next year I'm the director of this senior chorus, I will definitely have my hand in musical adventures!
* * * * * *
We now have a scale that works. I'm so delighted. I am really -- but it has gone up 10 lbs since I started working out ~ which I know is a normal thing when you start building muscle, but still... so in the next couple weeks I'll be getting serious about working our aerobically at my gym 5 days a week, rather than once a week, and making better eating choices. I kinda dropped the ball over the 4th of July weekend and now I'm in chocolate mode!

Tucson Desert Harmony Chorus going to International Contest 2009!!

Wahhhh-hoooooo!

I had a slight twinge of regret... not being a part of going up and getting that Region 21 blue ribbon medal... I know I'm doing the right thing, but that is something I'll never be a part of ~ that first blue ribbon...

But I have every intention of going back to chorus after the weather cools down and I'm firmly entrenched in a regular workout/exercise routine.

Today I'm in organizing mode -- I'm revved up from contest yesterday and inspired... hard to stay motivated and inspired... that is my constant challenge. (or, as Beth would say, OGAD - another "Opportunity for Growth And Development" ;-) I'm also in a clearing the crap mood -- getting rid of some clothes first. Going and getting next year's calendar second, then coming back and putting some craft stuff away. In 15 minute increments. I may stop at the fitness place and do some walking on the treadmill.

I signed up (finally) onto itunes and am switching over my music to my ipod ~ it is taking awhile... but I've already made one 1-hour walking music playlist... and will make a few. I also want to go and see about the podcasts and listen to some of those.

Oh Why Am I Not Asleeping?

Big Mama's blog post today cracked me up -- inspired me...? or just made me envious about being able to write a post that would make himself's quirks lovable. Like how he balls up his socks to wash them. you know, like you pair socks up after you've washed, dried and sorted them -- getting them ready to put them away? Well, he balls them all up before washing them, in order to prevent single sock syndrome. I have a sneaking feeling that this prevents them from getting the cleanest clean possible.

I'm sure I can come up with more ~ but it is late, I should be sleeping.

Speaking of Himself ~ our first of the two wedding anniversaries was Monday, April 6th. I know I have so many people reading my blog -- anyone venture a guess... quite a few people know, I know (how many times can I write/type know??)... no prize offering, sorry.

I went to my chorus "Friends & Family Night" where they do their stuff over and over in preparation for the big contest on Saturday in Phoenix. They rocked! I think I'm going to ride up with friends to watch for the day -- I came home tonight and watched a bunch of barbershop on You Tube.

like this:



Yep, revealing a lot about me today.

I went and signed up with a personal trainer - 20 minutes on the treadmill with hills yesterday kicked my butt. But I have a goal! Thursday I go in for weights. whoo hoo.

I am excited about working out -- it is cutting back on the fat in my diet that sucks the big one. whine whine.

Labor Day Monday

So ~ Saturday I spent scrapping from 12 noon to 10:30 pm. My pal who is the hostess is going through hell -- and does not deserve it (does anyone, really?). It was good she had us friends over, because we did make her laugh, and took her mind off, and allowed her to express the anger and hate she is feeling toward the soon-to-be-but-not-soon-enough-ex.

Sunday I made it to church and that was good. I always feel rotten when I leave, though. depressed. No one to hang out with afterwards, I suppose -- to go out to eat with or whatever. My friend T is out of town, cuz usually we go out afterwards... when we are both there, which is rare.

The sermon was on The Beatitudes in Matthew 5, specifically Mercy -
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." I couldn't help but think about Jeff Walling and his incredible, moving and memorable talk on the same passage at Pepperdine in May. Is that fair? Different speakers with probably different focuses on what each was trying to communicate to very different audiences, yet I can't help but compare the presentation of the message. It brought home to me that I need to do something more than just show up.

On my way home I stopped at the craft store because, you know, they had the 50% off any regular priced item... so I dropped $90.00 on regular priced items (sigh) -- there goes the house help!! At least for a little while longer. I'm excited about a couple new stamps I got, a book on organizing your craft space (very much needed for me!!), and a new sizzix die ~ a puzzle pattern. One day I'm going to do a whole scrapbook on puzzle pieces, and something about how I'm becoming me -- the theme for the "All About Me" scrapbook -- *ha ha* as if all of them aren't already all about me.... *rolling the eyes*

Then himself and I went to Denny's for breakfast around 2:30 pm - I love that. I was in the mood for pancakes and my uncle, who knows himself's penchant for Denny's, brought up a coupon a couple weeks ago. [ which reminds me I bought the new Entertainment Book '08, so have to remember to use it!! ] We wandered around a different Big Lots! -- a different location than our usual store, and I found some scrapbook stuff at the nearby dollar store ~ so it was a nice afternoon.

Today I meant to clear off my craft table and get some organization done -- but no - I've just spent the last ... uh... like 6 hours watching barbershop uploads on YouTube. Ack.

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=hav2sing
I only signed up with an account on the site yesterday ~ but you can see what videos I saved... a little insight into the obsession some call a hobby of barbershop singing.

Here is a great speech, written and on video, on the subject of singing barbershop, and how it isn't just a hobby, it is an addiction that needs to be fed. The speech is long, it is funny, it is heartfelt, and it can be about life, not just about barbershop singing. Music is something that is universal -- and I feel today the way I felt in May at Pepperdine Lectures ~ about how much I need to be singing. Sharing the music in me with others. As Jim Henry Says, "We're only given a limited number of notes to sing -- and we need to not squander our notes, but sing every one with care." That isn't quite verbatim, but it's pretty close to what he says in his speech.

I'm feeling inspired. To sing (or live) with the fullest measure. The fullest measure of everything that is good and positive.

[funny how two weeks of every month I'm doom and gloom, and two weeks I'm pollyanna....]

So -- things are better than they were a month ago... although I'm still a lot more fearful than I used to be. About everything. Which makes me angry. But I believe everything happens for a reason and so I'm going to choose to be thankful regarding my circumstances. :D