Making a Mom's Heart Proud

I'm pretty not cool. I listen to classical music in the car. My heart sings and wells with pride when a cello concerto, string quartet, or sweeping symphony airs on the radio and El yells from her car seat, "Cello!" So proud. In a nerdy way.

She is a little musician. She loves playing the "pan-o" (piano) with me, sat nicely and changed stops and pressed keys this morning while I practiced the organ, and loves singing with me. These are things she does with me, and though she does love me and playing with me, I think she genuinely loves music.

Unfortunately for her, she doesn't get to play the cello with me.

Organ Concerto---Jazz Style

Check out this very fun piece!

Richard Elliott performs "Hot Pipes," the fourth movement of Victor Davies's Jazz Concerto for Organ and Orchestra with the Orchestra at Temple Square.

Of course, I knew there were organ concertos. I never even thought of a jazz concerto, especially for an organ! I need to get my head, fingers, and feet out of the hymn book and branch out a bit in organ repertoire.

Workouts, July 7 - July 20

Monday
30 minute swim
2.85 mile walk

Tuesday
30 minutes strength

Wednesday
40 minute swim, 24 laps
2 mile walk

Thursday
Yoga, 1 hour
2 mile walk

Friday
4 mile walk which wiped me out for the weekend

Saturday
Rest

Sunday
Rest

Monday
30 minutes strength

Tuesday
45 minute swim, 28 laps
30 minutes yoga

Wednesday
Water aerobics

Thursday
60 minutes yoga

Friday
2.5 mile hike to the Big Four Ice Caves

Saturday
3.5 mile walk

Sunday
Rest

You Go Girl Ninja Warrior

You've probably seen it all over your Facebook newsfeed. You've probably watched it, too. If not, you can watch Katie Catanzaro complete the American Ninja Warrior finals course here.

This is not a show I usually tune in to, I'll watch it if there isn't anything on. Watching Catanzaro and her amazing athleticism is truly inspiring. She is the first woman to complete the course.

The thing people are talking about is her size. She's 5 feet tall and less than 100 lbs, which I guess is a bit of a disadvantage because of her wingspan. I think her lightweight is an advantage, because she has less to haul, toss, and carry. As a gymnast, she's already an incredible athlete and knows her body and how to maneuver it well.

I loved this article, a conversation with Catanzaro. I loved her attitude going into it, that is was not 'no woman has done it, so I can't,' but 'no woman has done it, so I'm going to be the woman who does.'

I think this attitude can carry to everyone, each person, each woman, each athlete, each musician, each student, each whatever---however you define yourself. I've never done that before, but that doesn't mean it is impossible. Each person has potential. We each can accomplish more than we think, we just have to try.

I had never been a runner, but I went for a half marathon and I ran the dang thing (need to try again)!
I had never been a swimmer, but lap swimming made me feel like an athlete, an identity I has never given myself.
I am not a musical prodigy or a special talent, but I'm an accomplished and amateur cellist, pianist, singer, and organist.

Who are you? Who are you going to be?

Brand New Organ

We just got a new church building. It is prettying exciting. Yesterday was my first time playing the organ there. I do not have keys to the building and couldn't make it in the evening last week, so right before church was the first time I touched the new organ.

And?

I really like the keyboard. I need to figure out the stops. It is much easier to see the chorister. The foot rest is too far back for my short little legs. I haven't tried out the foot pedals yet but I am excited to. I like the stops, but I'm not exactly sure how they are arranged, it seemed like they sounded a lot alike. Tank goodness there was a note about a webpage for the full manual of the the organ. I will be reading that this week. It is fun to play a new instrument!

El really wanted to play with me at the organ. We play the piano together almost every day. Maybe I'll bring her to the church some time in the evening and she can play/hit random notes.

Three Weeks of Workouts, June 9-July 6

Monday, June 9
3 mile walk
45 minutes yoga

Tuesday, June 10
30 minutes strength, weight machines

Wednesday
30 minute swim

Thursday
45 minutes strength
25 minutes exercise bike
2 mile walk

Friday
20 minutes pilates

Saturday
30 minute swim
1 mile walk of doom

Sunday
Rest

Monday
40 minutes swim


Pretty much nothing for a week.

Tuesday
35 minutes strength
2 mile walk

Wednesday
40 minute swim

Thursday
Yoga 60 minutes

Friday
3 mile walk

Saturday
45 minute swim

Sunday
Rest

Monday
30 minute swim

Tuesday
30 minutes strength

Wednesday
35 minute swim

Thursday
2 mile walk

Friday
20 minutes strength
3 mile walk

Saturday
Rest

Sunday
rest

A Little Race

On Saturday, Drew ran in the Tesoro March Point Run in Anacortes. He ran the 10k and finished at about 50 minutes! He had a tough training week, just decided to run the race last minute, and planned to take it easy. He was pleased that he'd run it at an 8-minute pace, finishing in 50 minutes, and placing 4th in his age group. El and I had fun cheering for him one mile from the finish and then hurrying across a field to cheer him into the finish. We all enjoyed hot dogs and then won a cooler in the raffle. It was a fun way to spend a Saturday morning.

Then he surprised me by painting our bathroom, starting while El napped and I swam! What a guy!

I swam later than usual this morning and left El at day care. The water aerobics class kicked me out of the pool 10 minutes before their class started. Turns out the clock is horribly slow in there. At least I just had my cool down left.

I'm leading discussion on Lianne Moriarty's What Alice Forgot at book club tonight. I don't think the questions at the end of the book are very good, so I guess I have to make up my own. Effort.

That's all for now!