Wasabi

I think next time I will warn them when someone attempts to eat Wasabi. Cello players are very gullible. I figured he knew it was, but apparently not, so I told him it was mustard. I am so mean! Well at least I learned something :)

Things I learned....

Things not to do when playing at a reception

1. Know people there (Especially relatives, they all want to talk to you while playing)
2. Try and thank old people who are trying to tell you a story while you are playing
3. Follow the violist...(for Bethanie)
4. Eat a lot of desert because you had no dinner
5. Get distracted by screaming
6. Get distracted by people telling you your playing well and they expect a response...

At least I got paid, and no I am not going to tell you how much. But it is really awkward when everyone knows you and your parents and was taught by your grandma, and knows all your relatives!

Am I there yet?

As you all know I am the youngest of eight and being the youngest I have always felt that I was expected to act a little more mature than my age...or maybe that is just how I was being raised with siblings that are a bit older than myself. Yeah right! I bet you all are thinking!
I think maybe I tried to grow up to fast. I think I might still be growing up to fast. sometimes it feels like I should still be twelve and going through that awkward pubescent phase. Ok maybe I don't really miss it!
Sometimes I find myself saying..."after this next phase of my life I will be happier" I should be extremely Happy right now! Why do I always think that the next phase will bring happiness? It must be my attitude! My whole life I have been trying to catch up to my brothers and sisters. I wanted to go to college when i was 13 so that I could experience the joys of living on my own. I wanted to serve a mission as soon as I graduated high school and was very upset that I had to wait. (patience is a virtue I lack) When I went away to good ol' BYUI I was brainwashed with everyone getting all get married, and whatever else they teach up here!

I figured out today that I am probably never going to catch up to my brothers and sisters...they are all at different parts of their lives. I love them all so much and thats why I have striven to be like them. but it's time for me to live my own life. I am 19 yrs old, doing what I love best, and I am going to succeed! I am happy where I am.

For once I'm gonna act my age! Whatever that means. :)

Concerts Galore

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If any loves me, or cares here are some concert dates, and repertoire stuff! Just kidding I know everyone loves me! ( if its any incentive I even get two complimentary tickets every concert)

I. SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNUAL HALLOWEEN CONCERT

October 29, 30 & 31 6:00 & 8:30 pm Barrus Concert Hall

Repertoire: Williams Superman
The Incredibles
Wagner The Ride of the Valkyries
Britten Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra

II. SINFONIETTA
Dr. Dallin Hansen, Guest Conductor
October 6, 7:30 pm Barrus Concert Hall
November 19, 7:30 pm Barrus Concert Hall

Repertoire: Mendelssohn Overture to Midsummer Night’s Dream
Rossini La Cenerentola Overture
Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings
Haydn Symphony No. 104

III. SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA SACRED MUSIC SERIES AND TOUR
November 6, 7:30 pm Hart Auditorium
November 13, 7:30 pm Auditorium, Twin Falls, Idaho
November 14, 7:30 pm Temple Square Tabernacle, Salt Lake City
November 20, 7:30 pm Barrus Concert Hall

Repertoire: Robert Cundick, Elder David Bednar God’s Everlasting Love

IV. SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
December 13, 7:30 pm Kirkham Auditorium

Repertoire: Handel Messiah

Fall 2009

Well, here's too another semester!

Not too many exciting stories, except within 24 hours of being here I already have a gig on Saturday. Good thing its old fashioned baroque stuff which isn't too worrisome.

Yesterday my friend Elise the cello (everyone here is named by their instrument) invited me to go on a picnic with her sister and her sister's husbands brother and his wife. It was sort of awkward at first but then funny things happened and all was fine. What happend. There I was calmly putting some bread on a plate for a sandwhich when my dumb dog decides to go running after another dog he sees calmly walking along. Full sprint, and no amount of hey's is going to change his mind, so then on grass I go after him. Good thing that there was another guy there who grabbed my dogs leash and walked him over to me. Why did Thorpe look so smug? I don't know. But I was embarassed, I am thinking, while slowly rolling, "dumb dog should be a better service dog. Why did I come where there are people? This is so embarassing etc." So I come back and calmly start finishing my sandwhich with the leash firmly attatched. Then Clarissa, who is Elise's sister and is also a viola player said, "Well while you were already almost there we thought about coming to help you and Michael (her husband) said we should probably do something but you were coming back by the time we decided to do anything." I don't know why but the way she said made us all really laugh. After that we went and played a three hour (no joke) game of Settlers of Catan extended version. I ALMOST won, but not quite.

After that I helped Elise move her stuff to her apartment, and then I went home.

Today I got up and got some classes rescheduled and my locker. I talked to Brother Tuellar and asked him what the theme for this year's Halloween concert would be, and he told be the theme is Superhero's. That got me thinking...what could I possibly be. Then Tueller gets this look on his face and he says you know Angela, it would be really cool if you could talk Bro. Benson of the drama department into making you a hair piece or something. I gave him a confused look and he laughed and said you make a great Professor Xavier. His phone rang then so I took my leave. I think its a pretty awesome idea personally.

I went out to eat with John who is an clarinet player because we wanted to try the new cafeteria. It is so HUGE and so nice. So anyone who comes to visit me, that would be a great place to go! John came with me and we both got our music books, which was exciting, and then I went home, and he went to do whatever.

I hung out with my old roomate Kristilyn Gelder tonight and out of habit she stuck her foot out to help the ramp, and then we had to stop and laugh for awhile. I am so glad the car is fixed.

Goodbye Trailer, Hello 5th Wheel!

This them walking around while dad explains all the connections on the outside..and all the important details. Mom and Mrs. Rich were in the trailer this whole time talking while dad made sure that Mr. Rich knew how to open and put away the awning.





They hooked up everything while dad emphasized the use of sway bars. Mr. Rich doesn't drive a Dodge!
They got in the car


And drove off, and they didn't even hit the gate! Dad said in about a year we will get a new 5th wheel, but I assured Mr. Rich it would only be about 5 months or so, because I will be coming back from school. The joys of being the influential youngest!

P.S. I am glad that I still remember which one is the gas and which way is the brake. :)

Moms & Cars

Well the car is finally fixed! YAY!!!!

But it pretty much is fixed all thanks to my mom.

How it started.

The part was ready on August 4th. It takes two weeks to ship. So on the Monday of the 3rd week Dad gets tired of calling, so I call. They call the company that makes and ships the ramps, and apparently the ramp has been sitting there for awhile, and they haven't even shipped it yet. So the car company told me that VMI, the ramp making company told them something about not having a box or whatever, and the lady is trying to make me feel better with lame excuses, but I am getting really mad at this time that I am having a hard time not saying a few choice words. More like sentences not words. So I say goodbye and tell mom all this stuff, and I can't remember what she told Dad, because we were keeping him posted of course.

My pretty much awesome Mom calls back the van people and says give me the number to the company, and the part number and the order number and she gets all this stuff. I am sure they were a little grudging but she did it. She called the company, and I offered to do the calling around but she said no. So she calls and this lady told her she'd connect her, and of course there was an answering machine. Mom is pretty I guess "worked up" at this point. You know the don't mess with mom look. Well she calls the lady back and says I want to talk to a person. So they connect her to a guy named Scott. He says he'll look into it and of course calls back and says yep I sent it by FedEx, and here is a tracking number. Scott should get a gold star and the van people a kick in the bahonkus. My mom had the ramp here in Alb. by 12:30 the next day. Way to go Mom! But I still wonder why the company doesn't check up on these things? It really shouldn't be the customer's job. Thank heavens I have such a cool Mom.

I suggested to the mechanic when I called him yesterday that while he was fixing it he should paint the ramp blue, or make my car maybe look a little cooler. He thought that was pretty funny. He also mentioned that the texture on the ramp was bumpier so I now I won't slip. I told him I never slip I only roll backwards gracefully. So then he laughed and said, "So apparently I know nothin' after 18 years of this?" My parents are thrilled that I can drive! Apparently its much easier on them when I can.

Very Random, well sorta...

Well, hopefully my new background and other changes aren't to icky. You can complain or have issues with it if you want. You can even leave a comment about it if you wish. Guess what I made?? I really really really wish I had a picture of it, but I made my first lasagna! What I learned...

Things not to do when making lasagna.
1. Do not use a lot of sauce on the bottom ( you run out on top)
2. Do not use a lot of meat on the bottom. ( you run out on top)
3. Do not put a layer of noodles on top with just cheese. (apparently it makes them crunchy..the noodles, not the cheese.)
4. Plan ahead and buy fresh french bread
5. Don't make such big messes in the kitchen, because then you have to clean it all up!

But my parents said it was excellent, but i think they were just trying to make me feel good about myself. Mom said it was a good first attempt, whatever that means. Maybe it did help that they were starving... Anywho on to the more exciting things!

First of all here are some end of the semester pictures.

This is Nora and I. Her brother came down to visit so that is who the arm belongs to.

This is us going to the temple on Sunday evening, The only person missing here is Nora. I think she had a Chinese oral exam the next day. Oh the top two are my roomates, and the other brunette is Heather. She lives with Nora, next door.

The sunflowers are for Emily. They are dark but look close

The next egment is fair. It was way fun! I think Nathan has decided that its ok for me to come anytime for the rodeo part. Something to do with seating placement. You'll have to ask him about that. My fair pictures came out very very dark, its hard to see, so I will let others post about that! But it was really great to hang out with Nathan and Neita and to watch my nieces and nephews do their stuff, and the food was fantabulous! Thank you Nathan and Neita for having us!

I did get a rather funny picture of Melina and Joel that I will post. Mom and Dad and I were watching them, and here is what happened. Dress up!


Princess Melina



Not exactly sure what he is looking for, but maybe Snow White is missing something...

Extremely Sad Story...

So there I was, taking pictures.

My camera card decided to break. You would think I was smart enough to save all these pictures after I took them. Lets just say, I leave the smart things for Melanie. Now I have to figure out where to send my camera card where they can take off the pictures for me. Any ideas?

A rather good Friday

So there I was at my house. It decided that it REALLY wanted to rain to day. Of course I am trying to do laundery, and of course I had no quarters anymore. We'll just say that I almost got struck by lightening and I was very very wet.

After that adventure, I saw some of my friends that live a couple of doors down, and we made dinner plans. Guess what I made? A pie! Thank you Bethanie! Don't worry I wrote it down. It tasted fantabulous I did awesome! It was nice having friends over at my house, I have been feeling rather antisocial this week. Weird, I know, and I am sure no one really believes me. Well, the best part of my day was while I was making said pie, I got a phone call. It was Sister Rushton!!! She was in Rexburg and she brought her kids, and I carried them around Especially little Leah! She was telling me all sorts of things and most of it I got. Her favorite thing was when I spun her around and then dumped her in the grass. I think my shoulders are still slightly sore. Now for the rest of the evening I don't know what to do with myself, but tomorrow I have a rehearsal for rhapsody in blue. I love that song! It makes me happy.

It was a fantabulous Memorial Day weekend. My parents and sister love me! They came to hang out with just me! Well...maybe thats only in my dreams. We had a great weekend, seeing where everyone was buried, and flowers and eating, and mom's cousin reunion was pretty fun. Good food! It was kind of weird having them there at church because well, its a college ward in a classroom. But whatever I enjoyed having them there. Then Monday was spend all day catching up on everything, man was that exhausting! Tuesday we slept in a little bit and then got ready to go and do more fun things!

It was a beautiful day! I am so glad that the weather is warming up.

It was way fun with just the three of us. They really enjoyed it. Especially about the part getting in for free :)

I was kind of sad and really missed Jared because there was water....and fish in said water......

There were some plans to go swimming, but floating ice chunks kinda ruined that idea. COLD!

My favorite part was seeing this

I thought the people sitting behind us for Old Faithful were pretty funny. Oh its about 5 minutes late...we came 600 miles for nothing....It looks better on TV yadda yadda. Duh people its called OLD Faithful for a reason. Its slightly off its rocker timewise. And then a guy behind me said, they should hire a new geologist because this one obviously doesn't know. Dumb people. Oh well, I guess they are just people, I should be a little less critical.

Another thing I don't understand is sunscreen. You put it on everywhere and when the day is done...there is a small square on your arm, burned. You know that you put sunscreen there. Hmmmm...

I am so excited that I have two concerts this weekend! We are playing some really really fun stuff! And the choir is singing for one of them. Its going to be awesome!

Mother's and Social Skills Editorial

Mothers should actively participate in children’s lives starting at a young age. A study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council found that mothers who actively discuss their children’s feelings as well as, beliefs, wants, and other social interactions greatly affect children’s social skills. According to the ESRC report, children who discuss often with their mothers have stronger social understanding and skills.

The next generation is expected to be able to communicate effectively. Consequently, social competence is a necessary skill that should be emphasized very early in life, as we live in a world where communication is taking a dramatic turn. There are now emails, texting, and other tools of instant communication. It is no longer necessary or even expected to deal with others face to face. Therefore, communication skills must be taught to children for proper ways to communicate openly, and effectively. This skill can also teach children to understand when it is appropriate to talk about certain subjects.

Teaching children life skills helps them to become honest hardworking members of society. The person whom children go to when life is hard is their mother. Mothers have the unique knack for comforting and encouragement to help their children develop self confidence, learn more about themselves and increase their self esteem. They also provide moral support for their children. It is no wonder that with all they do, mothers are considered a force to be reckoned with. Social competency is key in the ability to function effectively in today’s society. Mothers have the unique role of being primary nurturer. This means that they have the duty to help their children achieve competency in the social world.

Teaching children is the highest calling given to parents. Mothers are the greatest influences on children. Children should be taught how to become socially adept, so they do not drown in the tumultuous big world. Mothers change and mold their children and talking and spending quality time with their children is extremely valuable. This study proves that the time parents spend with children is valuable learning for the rest of their children’s lives.








This is a short editorial I was assigned to write and post. It is based on an article found on CNN if you wish to read the ariticle, here is the link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/15/mother.children.social.skills/index.html
I would appreciate any comments or insights.

The picture is for Jamie. She said she only comments on blogs with pictures.

Cinco De Mayo

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!

I just wanted to tell you about my celebration. We had taco soup for dinner. And then I made sopapillas. They turned out fantastic. My only issue was that there was only one person out of the 8 that came, that have heard of them. Are sopapillas not normal? Anyways, I am proud of myself and just wanted to brag a little.

Long update!

I am so smart I figured out how to add music. There is a reason for the Rockapella song. I went to their concert and had a picture taken! Yay me! (There are perks to being handicapped. But there was a little girl, and she got several pictures taken with them. I seem to remember a time when...) Oh well.

So There we were, Amy and I. They sang my Shambala song, and Amy got her Folger's song. They even sang my all time favorite Zombie Jamboree and fixed that one word. It was sooo awesome.

It was pretty funny because when they finally started doing the songs we wanted there was much cheering between Amy and I, and people looked at us weird. Thanks Amy for coming with me!!!

Now if only others would visit.....hahah just kidding.

Previously, this is what was going on at my house....

This what we over here do for fun.

FYI those two are not my roomates but they live down the walk, and are nice so we like them. I didn't post the video of me going cuz that would be embarassing, and I have to keep up my...whatever it is that I have.

Then for the CES fireside it rained. We were happy to have Elder Bednar there with us, and I haven't looked yet to see if I got caught on camera, but its all good. It rained and rained! This is us very very wet, after the long trek home. There was hot chocolate made very soon after, along with some muffins.

Don't worry, we really were happy to be there. It was a great fireside.

We went to the temple that morning, which was cool except I was late for quartet practice...ooops! And then the car broke, but it was fixed so now my life can continue.

I would post more pictures of smoothie parties, as well as some chocolate war paint, but that will have to wait until I have some more time which is...pretty much non existant, but hopefully soon.

And, I seem to be on a good ol' Shosty kick. For Symphony we get to play a quartet of his, that according to historians was like his suicide note....makes for very happy listening. The cool thing about him is that he signs his name in all his pieces because he can phonetically turn his initials into song. Too bad there isn't a chord or key with H in it.

I like it!

So I guess pictures speak a thousand words. So here goes.















And the end result is.








Sorry if you can't tell but it is way darker. It probably would be more noticeable if I had kept is longer but I didn't. Anyways, I think its awesome! Just in case anyone really cares what I do with my hair haha.

Manipulation

There are definitely perks for being the youngest, because one can figure out how to manipulate the world around you and get you what you "need" aka want. Thank heavens I have some wonderful siblings who sorta kinda rubbed it slightly out of me. It is a good thing that I still have some of these skills left as I deal with other people's children all by myself. The secret is manipulation, and a great glare! I know a few of the parents of these kids, older siblings, other people etc., and the rest don't know that maybe I don't know who their parents are. (mwahhaha) I told them at the beginning that if they were talking when I was talking they owe me money. Hmmm...it worked rather well, and I get about 20 dollars for my troubles. They even liked me enough to bless me with a nice tattoo. Don't worry I scrubbed it off before church! Anyways I kinda like them cause they are smart and know whats going on. The teacher left a note that during the creative writing part I might not be able to get them to write, but little did he know. I just suggest a few ideas, do you have a favorite food? And the kid says..no. I said I went to this really nice resteraunt once...and then he interjects. Oh, there's this one and... And I said don't tell me about it, write it. Another one I told to write how wonderful I am. That went well too (hee hee hee). Anywho, on to more exciting things.

First of all, thank you to my wonderful family who calls and wishes me happy birthday. I went to a basketball game and got my nails done. And then stayed up really late helping mom make key lime pie which was very very tasty. Good job Mom!! Next morning we went to the Bosque, and it was way fun! I took pictures of things saw some wing-flappers and wing-doodles, and of course the rubber ducks, and the heavy-lift cranes. At the fly-in part, the birds didn't really cooperate so poor Aaron was very disappointed, but thank you to him for being a good sport. It was nice being embarrassed by your family singing happy birthday where there's random people around and no candles, but I like having this birthday stretched out. And of course the food was awesome! Anyways, that's about as exciting as it gets!

Handicappedness

Sometimes I notice that in my beautiful family, there is an excessive amount of  jokes.  I love it.  Sometimes, even my father gets in on the fun.  

So there I was, at the end of ward choir.  Somehow the conversation turns to Mothers' necklaces and rings.  My mother tells the story of how her wonderful children bought her the ring.  Then Sister Skidmore asks which one is which stone.   Mom's ring is upside down, so of course being helpful me, I put it right, and point out that I am the prettiest one and what makes the ring so pretty.  Dad says, "No, actually your stone is the flawed one."  Me, unknowingly ask "really? How come?"  He says, "well, its because your handicapped."   

When the jokes come, I just have to share them.  I hope you all find this extremely amusing.  (Jenny)  Sometimes, I think its funny to watch people's faces.  But our in our ward they all think its funny.  I guess thats a good thing.  

Pi, or Pie

I thought the title was catchy so I figured I had better say something about Pi. Pi is a great number, those that can recite it for more than 8 digits have no life. Personally, I prefer the other kind. I have discovered a certain fondness and fascination for this culinary delight. I was home with Grandma, and needed to keep her busy so I thought of a great plan. Here is what happened.

I think part of Grandma's fell off, because it sure seemed longer!

I have no idea whose was longer, but it sure was fun hanging with Grandma. We had good conversation

All the fun turned into..... I went to get my camera, and then.....hmmm...

I just thought I would share this momentous occasion with you all. I just made my first pie. It sure is great having a well stocked kitchen, where you didn't have to buy it all.

Bethanie is amazing! If you need anything, call her!