My Major Project

Well, perhaps I'll reveal my major project a little early - since the subject matter is already on another public blog. My daughter, Lauren, is now in Japan. She and fifteen other American piano students were chosen to play in the Suzuki Talent Institute's 10 Piano Concert. (For each song, 10 students will play the same song on 10 grand pianos at the same time.) She will be there much of April, staying with a Japanese family there. She was happy to find that they have a grand piano! You can read about her adventures on her blog.

My part in the project was getting her ready. "Are you sure you need all those shoes" (upon finding that her suitcase was four pounds over). I was sewing to get her recital dress a bit shorter. At the last recital, she tripped a bit on it going on-stage, and also found people stepped on the back. so I hemmed all seven layers yet again. We also were making a scrapbook for her to take showing the characters in her life and photos of our animals and house. I kept telling her that it was a measure of my love that I was willling to both sew and scrapbook at all, much less in the same week.

We were very happy to hear her lovely voice this morning, and a few details of life in Japan. She described the toilet as having many buttons she was afraid to use. When I asked what they did, she said one sprayed water on you, one was to dry (huh, a blow dryer for your bottom, who'd have thought?), and that the seat raised and lowered itself as you walk towards and away. I could see William, saying "Watch this!" and walking forward and backwards, making the lid go up and down and up and down. No, that wouldn't work here! I will leave Lauren to blog other details of her trip, but that one was too good to wait.

And speaking of her blog, the girl can WRITE!!! Over the years, I've been asked many times how to get a child to write. My answer was usually that I didn't. Lauren didn't like to write, didn't unless she had to, and I didn't try to make her. There is no curriculum that can make a child want to write, and writing, to be good, must come from a desire to do so. She has other talents, I thought. She read and does read continuously, which was enough. And then one day, she had to learn to write an essay for a college class. And she did. In one day. And then, a desire to share her trip with us. I was impressed with her word choice and imagery. And she can write.

Notes of all sorts:
I make wine from kits. I bottled the Sauvingon Blanc and started the Cabernet.

It is cold and overcast.

I am reading the Thirteenth Tale.

Dh is sharpening the blades on the lawnmower, optimistic that we might be able to get a break in the weather to cut the fluorescent grass.

Today is the airshow and Thunder over Louisville (fireworks) to celebrate the coming Kentucky Derby. Big jets are flying over my house as we are on the show's flight pattern.