Magical Moment 362, "Nearly Lost Piano Treasures"

I vowed today that since work got cancelled due to the crazy ice storm, I would sort every piece of sheet music that is stashed on my cluttered bookshelf. For years, I've let it accumulate into madness, dreading the day when I would have to face the consequences of my disorganization and put it into some kind of order. There is a plastic bag filled with photocopied music that I haven't even opened in years. I fought the impulse to just toss the entire thing, but as it usually goes, I'm glad now that I didn't.

The first lost piano treasure in this mess, was a practice schedule from 1992 (I just turned 9). My teacher made me write down how many minutes I practiced per day and then a parent had to initial the bottom. This particular week, I practiced pretty diligently considering it happened to be my birthday! My dad was the parental initialer whose handwriting looks strikingly similar to that of a nine-year-old's...fishy, but I was a very honest child. He just has that bad of handwriting.

The second little piano treasure, and I was so happy to see this, was handwritten song "This is the Day." My teacher wrote out the words for me, and then wrote out the chords, no notes. And this was the very first song ever that I remember making my own "arrangement" of. I played it for a special in children's church and was amazed and excited at this new idea of "arranging" music. It soon became one of my most favorite things to do and still is to this day.

My first "lead sheet"

The last little treasure I found, didn't belong to me, but my older sister. She claims that she doesn't know how to play the piano, but here is proof that she once played "Claire de Lune" for a school competition. If you doubt it, just look at her signature at the top of the page. The "i" is dotted with a heart.

I loved coming across these tangible memories. So many years ago they were a very important building block in who I would become. Who would have thought these delicate, wrinkled sheets of paper would follow me all the way to New Jersey after 18 years and make me smile today?!

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Ode to the Piano Teachers

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My Student

The Boys I Love

Magical Moment 625, "Thailand - the Elephants"

Needless to say, my favorite part of our Thailand vacation, was our week long volunteering at Elephant Nature Park ! The logging industry was banned in Thailand in 1989, leaving thousands of elephants unemployed. These elephants are now used for tourism. You may have heard of elephant shows featuring the animals playing soccer or painting pictures with their trunks. They are no doubt amazing to watch, but the sad truth is that these elephants have gone through a series of torture and abuse to "break their spirit" by their trainers. This short clip is very hard to watch, but it will give you an idea of what the elephants in captivity in the country of Thailand go through. The only elephants in Thailand who do not endure this, are the very few baby elephants who are first generation born in "safe captivity" at places like Elephant Nature Park. Every other elephant at this park has been brutally abused. Some have been blinded by their owners, le

Magical Moment 620, "Lilac Garden"

Eddie and I visited the Lilac Gardens at Ringwood Manor in New Jersey, a pristine and beautiful state park with 8 species of lilacs and several varieties within. We went on a rainy afternoon, which turned out perfect because the rain stopped for us when we got there, and began again as soon as we left. It also decorated the plants with gorgeous rain drops, adding to their beauty. And now for a quick game of "Where's Elizabeth?" And "Where's Eddie?" ~~Have a great weekend! ~~

Magical Moment 280, "The Eleventh Hour"

The Veterans Day Parade, NYC On July 29, 2001 , five exceptional men were honored by the President of the United States for their remarkable military service. They were involved in a top secret mission that required unfathomable intelligence and as a result, literally won a battle which was instrumental in winning the war. Not the war that was happening in 2001, not even the Gulf War. It was World War II, and they were the Navajo Code Talkers who were largely responsible for winning the bloody battle of Okinawa. The only problem with the ceremony was that just 5 remained of the original 29. Our country was too late in thanking the other 24, and nearly too late in thanking those 5 men. On March 10, 2010, three hundred women won the Congressional Gold medal for their outstanding war service. Unfortunately, 800 received the award posthumously. These were the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II, who devoted themselves to flying military aircraft like the B-26 and B-

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