The Most Depressing Day and Visiting Ghosts

According to researchers, January 22 is the most depressing day of the entire year. When factoring in things like time since the festive Christmas season, the pressing need to get things done vs. the time that has been spent putting these things off, the time since resolutions were made and undoubtedly broken, the need to pay January bills for which the January pay has not yet arrived, and, of course, the ubiquitous Christmas debts. Add to this (for me, anyway), how dark it is in the morning and the ice on the street outside the front door. Well, ...

Anyway, I'm NOT depressed. Things are good. Mom is visiting, hubby has a new, really good job, my schedule is very light the next two weeks because the kids are between semesters and I had an awesome weekend.

Last night, my Belgian, who for those who don't know them, is a very sensitive breed of dog, was lying in the living room in his usual spot at the bottom of the stairs and all of a sudden he gets up and trots into the kitchen, all the while checking out his back end and trotting and looking behind him and this didn't stop. Obviously something spooked him. He wouldn't go back in the living room all night. Well, we are all speculating, even my husband, whose fancy doesn't run to these areas, that perhaps he sensed or saw a ghost. What do we know about what goes on around us that we can't sense?

Kristin

I have a student who just finished up with me this morning. I cried when she left. It is so hard when they leave after their last session. It only occurs with about one in a dozen students that I enjoy my time with them so much, they're such a delight to be with, that I am all at sixes and sevens when they leave. What on earth must it be like for parents who have to let go of their children? I can't even imagine. She has promised to come back to visit. I know from experience this rarely happens. But I will hold her to it.

Brrrr

It's cold in Calgary this morning. -18°C or something in that neighbourhood. I found out something new musically last week. In a piece of sheet music, if an accidental E-flat (for example) appears in a bar, that E is flat only in that pitch, in other words, unless the E an octave lower appearing in the same measure is also marked with a flat, that E is natural, so long as it is natural in the key signature. It made me feel good to find this out, because, playing it, it sounded off as a flat, not totally wrong, but not right either. I have a very dear (new) friend who happens to be a piano teacher, though is taking a year off from teaching right now, and so I asked her when I was having trouble with this. I'm taking a couple of months off regular lessons because my regular piano instructor's schedule and mine just don't mesh into something workable. My work hours will be changing at the end of this month, so then I'll start up again. I do remarkably well even when I don't go for regular lessons, though.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Birthday!

Whew. Sorry I've been gone so long. I was really sick over Christmas, though for the first time in years I had a good Christmas. Got into it. Put up a tree, we did the presents thing, though now of course Mastercard is groaning. Thanks, J.D.T. Saul for your promise of thoughts and prayers for Christmas many months ago. Perhaps God heard you.

I am struggling with something new. No doubt many of you have heard about the "reinvention of life" many are doing. I just turned 43 (Happy Birthday to me), and though I feel more like about 33, I feel that I need a change. I'm not sure what's prompted this. It might be my husband having a new job, coupled with my frequent need for change. I feel restless, though I really like my job and the thought of "reinventing" is a little daunting. It's more like I feel like doing something big, something noteworthy, some huge project, something creative, but not necessarily art. I don't know. I'll have to keep thinking about it.

I'll try to keep posts regular in future! It's nice to b back.