Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from May 13, 2011

Magical Moment 469, "A Special Flower"

Lilacs are my favorite flower. Last week when I was home, we drove past a blooming bush in someone's yard and I swooned to my dad in the driver's seat, "Oooooooo. Lilacs!"  I haven't seen many this season and since they only bloom for a few, short weeks out of the year, every one is precious to me.  Later that evening, I heard my dad come in the back door. I peeked my head around the corner to see him coming upstairs with something in his hand. I immediately knew I wasn't supposed to see it yet. When he came into the living room, he handed me a freshly clipped bouquet of fragrant lilacs from a near by bush. "These are for you." He said. I pretended to be surprised, but I didn't have to pretend that I felt as special and precious to my dad, as a beautiful, rare flower.

Magical Moment 468, "Adagio"

I love playing piano for ballet rehearsals. It was something that intimidated me at first and took me a few months to understand and get used to, but now I feel pretty confident every time I go into work that I know just what the instructor is looking for out the pianist. I let the tiniest things get to me however, and when someone mentioned that I may want to try and learn more "classics" to play, I began to doubt myself. I like to take the songs I already know and put a new spin on them, like  Hotel California , music from Disney movies, and other out of the box songs. I've gotten positive feedback doing this too. (Though I have also forced myself to learn Coppelia, Esmerelda,  Giselle , and Raymonda Ballet music. Never thought I'd ever play anything like that!)  I'm one of the few non-Russian pianists on staff and when I hear the others play Chopin, or Rachmaninoff from a studio down the hall I shrink down to about 2 inches. So, this week, bound and determine

Magical Moment 467, "Tough Guy"

We sat in the living room when all of the sudden, 2-year old Zach, decided to get tough with his Papaw. Out of the blue, we hear his squeaky, little kid voice say, "You wanna piece a me?!" And then charge at his grandpa with all his might. It was so hilarious, we spent the next few minutes coaxing him into saying it again, which he did and I got on tape.  Zach  actually is the sweetest little boy in the world, which makes this clip all the more hilarious. And after all Zach's macho, tough-guy display, he screeches, "OUCH!" when he gets a little pinch in the ribs. Enjoy.

Magical Moment 466, "Beer-Covered Corn Husks and Other Miracles"

I will now tell you a remarkable story, which at the end, you will believe to be a written script from "I Love Lucy," "Three's Company," or another TV sitcom in which the most absurd, unlikely, series of events take place, yet everything works out in the end. It's a true story of believing in the impossible, never giving up, helping someone in need, and it all takes place in the City Landfill, up to my knees in a mountain of garbage.  It all began one innocent, hot afternoon when I couldn't find my bag of toiletries I kept in a plastic grocery sack. I was in town, staying with my parents. After searching high and low for the stupid thing, I finally woke my mom up from her nap because I was so irritated, and thought that in her neurotic (but lovable) cleanliness, she tucked it away somewhere I would never find.  "I haven't seen it," she said in a voice surprisingly concerned for someone who was just abruptly awaken from her slumber. "G

Magical Moment 465, "Piano Gringa"

Last night, I sat alone in my apartment, feeling melancholy after just returning from a week long visit with my family in Nebraska, and saying goodbye to my husband again as he left to finish his month long Army Reserve Psychological Operations Training. For a private person, who rather enjoys her alone time, I was in a rare moment of wishing I had someone to visit with.  I sat on my couch watching the news when I suddenly heard the most glorious noise coming through my 2nd floor apartment window. I immediately muted the TV and listened intently. Drifting in through my filthy window screen,  was the sound of music that made me grin from ear to ear. There were about 3 male voices bellowing in unison Spanish words I could not understand. But it didn't matter, I loved it. And then, like the buttermilk icing on a rich, chocolate cake...an accordion accompanying them.  My Columbian neighbors were having a family get-together, which involved every brother, sister, cousin, and child all

Magical Moment 464, "Grandpa Hamster"

I was able to spend a few glorious days with my 2 nephews, Ethan and Zach. Each visit is just like we've never been apart, but every goodbye seems so sad. And after only a few days together, I have more "magical moments" stored up than I can count! This one made me laugh. Ethan (4 years old) asked me to draw him a family of hamsters. And since the boys know that whenever Aunt Beth visits, she'll do whatever they want, I got the crayons out. I wasn't sure how to begin drawing a family of hamsters, but I gave it my best shot. After a few minutes, there was a mommy hamster, a daddy hamster, and a baby hamster. I thought we were finished until he asked me to draw the grandpa and grandma hamster. Of course! His Granny and Papaw are such a big part of his little life, he couldn't imagine a world without them. So, off I drew. I held up my final masterpiece for Ethan's approval, when he made it clear that something was horribly wrong.  "The grandpa hamster

Magical Moment 463, "Booyah!"

I love this video! It's a "Booyah!" moment. And it reminded me of my own booyah moment... Years ago, back when I was an eager, young ROTC cadet, I competed in an event called the German Armed Forces Badge of Merit Proficiency. The competition consisted of 7 physical challenges over the course of 3 days. At the end, depending on your score, you qualified for either the Gold, Silver, Bronze, or  no  badge. There were over 60 soldiers competing and only a handful of them were females. I was the only female from my school to attend. On the first day, I came across 2 active duty Army captains. Like most young, females in the military, they found me to be an easy and visible target. And like most young, naive females, I said nothing as they took their shots.  They made light of the challenging physical activities and teased, "Why did we bother to prepare if they have  females  competing? This should be the easiest thing we've ever done. What a joke." Etc. Si