I have a pupil who is just 13, who has a chronic illness. She is tiny on account of her ill health and is on a horde of medication. She is always happy and positive. If I say 'Have you had a boring day at school then?' when she walks in, she says 'Actually, I like school'.
At the moment she is really quite poorly- can't eat solid food, has an endoscopy today, change of drugs on Monday- Grade 5 on Monday too. I was talking to her mum and she said that the girl had told her Mum that they were a lucky family. Her mum asked her if she thought she was lucky and she said yes. She said 'My friends don't think I'm lucky but I do'.
She had her final lesson on Wednesday- and it all sounded beautiful. She has been sick a fair amount this week- she never says anything. She looks kind of tired- but just gets on with things, with a smile.
It made me realise that getting stressed over trivia is pointless. This girl has a lot to deal with but just gets on with life, with good cheer. It's good to be educated by the younger generation!

What an honour! You must be floating on air, Cyrilla.


Yes, it is indeed good to be educated by the younger generation - they can teach us a lot in this sort of situation.

He's pleaded guilty! Just need more info from the courts now.

Thats great news Daisy. Hope the end of this horrible saga is over soon !

I'm ashamed to say that the first thing that word made me think of was this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAEA07vNz_Y

How exciting.

I hope that will be part of one of my classes, so that I can be there to cheer you on.

When my boyfriend was little he was convinced that the words to this song were "Guilty as a cockafee"

Excellent news, DC...

And thank you for the good wishes, Baz and Suepea!

Judith - gosh, yes, of course, you'll be there!!! I think it's a four-day celebration of the Institute's anniversary so I guess your usual timetable may be disrupted - would be great to have you cheering the UK contingent on!!

Still very excited...(yes, floating on air!)

Great news from DC and Cyrilla ! indeed!

Seeing my daughter in her wedding dress at her fitting today.

Aww when's the big day?

I'm putting off even looking at wedding dress shops because I don't want to go on my own

Thanks, maggie and noodle!

And oooo to the wedding dress!

Do you want some help?

Go on - go shopping together!

Ours is in May.

Must say I love the following quote:

"Marriage is a great institution, but I'm not ready for an institution yet."
(Mae West)

Only just seen this, but it sounds like you had a very special day.

Ah lovely, when is the happy day?

Hadn't got to the post where you mentioned the wedding was in May. Not long then.

Getting tickets for Wimbledon.....woo hooooooooooooo!

Oh Lucky you! that would make me happy too. Which court? My only hope of getting Wimbledon tickets this year is if I renew my tennis membership with the club and unless I manage to get my knees sorted out, there is little sense in doing that if I can't play.

What has made me happy today?

I had a lovely day with my Mum and youngest sister as a belated birthday for me and belated Mothers Day for Mum.

Made a lovely lunch and we had a glass of wine, (well I only had half a small glass as I had to drive) and my sister had a beer. Played Upwords and Mum won and I came last, but was great fun. Then I had to shoot off quick to be home for my son, so my little sister cleared up.

Think my Mum really enjoyed it and sister and I did too.

ET

Thank you, eldatom - yes, last Saturday was quite a day...and yesterday's good news is still sinking in...

Ooooooh lucky you! I'm very jealous now

I've been made happy today by the fact that my free Alton Towers tickets came in the post

Great news : I hope that's the end of it for you DC *hug*

A FAB piano lesson!! Not that I played fab but my teacher always makes me feel great about my playing :-) Played duets aswell which was a new and fun experience :-D

Piano duets are fun : even for an absolutely hopeless pianist like I am...

Think I proved tonight that they're fun for a hopeless pianist!!! Lol

That's brilliant. What a relief.

But you're not hopeless Juniper!

Haha, thanks :-) got to learn not to 'dis' myself!! Lol

Played/sightread the duet Strathspey and Reel by Shena Fraser, with my teacher; I'd bought the music decades back and never found anyone who could just sit down and play it with me. I know, sounds sad!

My previous duet mutual sightreading attempts were again some time ago - slow movement of the Shostakovich Piano Concerto and earlier still, Schubert's F minor Fantasie. All lovely pieces.

Indeed

You've heard me on the piano. It sounds sort of vaguely piano-ish...

Off to London today to meet one of my friends that I met through this forum. We are having a piano and theory day. It is quite exciting as the last time we met was October.

Needless to say that a wimp like me has had to ask her to meet me at London Bridge.

Well best get on, don't want to miss the train!

ET

Have fun eldatom and friend!

They sound great. Now I'm addicted I may have to keep my eyes out for those, but probably not quite ready yet

It made me happy today to wake up to the sound of rain.

A new pupil who was bright and on-the-ball.

Actually having the time and clear enough head to do 4 hours practice

So, did you get through the Minute Waltz 240 times, or just part-way through Sorabji's Clavicembalisticum?

I spent that time making some headway in my composition for two flutes & harpsichord.

LOL!

I've played through these several times:

Chopin - Waltz 15 Posthumous
Field - Nocturne in Bb
Grieg - Arietta from Lyric Pieces Op.12
Schumann Kinderszenen Nos 1 & 12
Einaudi - Primavera, Indaco, Crane Dance

Working hard on:

Tchaikovsy - The Seasons - June first 2 pages

Not bad going, I avoided scales though, oops!

I first became acquainted with the Field Nocturnes when a girlfriend recognised No.8 in Eb as a piece to which she had danced in ballet classes.

In addition to my initial enquiry, I could have added Satie's Vexations, a single page of music to be repeated 840 times! I believe there was a performance of it, possibly in the Barbican, a couple of years back with the performers playing in relay. Yet 4 hours would not have been sufficient!

Fab fab FAB day at dancing

Managing to get through the day!

5.30am start, parents watching all the classes at Guildhall, teaching an adult student straight away afterwards, then a 2-hour meeting, deciding which children we are going to take into Year 2 - and all while suffering from a horrible chest infection (antibiotics haven't kicked in yet) - dreadful cough, sore throat and ears, no breath and NO VOICE.

Don't know how I got through it, to be honest...but am SOOOO happy to have done and to now be in my own home!

I'vejust realised-the concert my two best friends and I have been eagerly anticipating since September is one WEDNESDAY! Sooo excited!!

Riding out on my horse while listening to mp3s of some interesting Vaughan Williams which I'm trying to learn and seeing that spring is arriving at last - pussy willow and lots of catkins, daffodils finally getting ready to burst open (which will no doubt scare the bejeezes out of the horses in a few days - the verge was green, why has it turned YELLOW?!?!?! ), and grass actually starting to grow And realising that the clocks go forward next weekend

Getting into the garden and weeding 2 beds.
Planning what to plant.
Feeling the sun on my face.
Laughing that I made everyone go to bed early last night, and I put the clocks forward because it's 21st March..................then finding out it's next week and having an extra hour to play flute, and garden.
Bev..............who can be VERY scatty at times.

Ooooh what's the concert???

I forgot to post why I was happy YESTERDAY, so I'll say it now - I WENT TO SEE VAREKAI! It's one the Cirque du Soleil's shows. Today's their last day in Manchester, I think. They were INCREDIBLE. I was on the verge of tears half the time because I was so amazed (yes, I tend to get all emotional when something exciting is happening... ). Amazing stuff.

I saw that in London not long ago! I couldn't figure out for the life of me what the story was supposed to be but it was impressive. Loved the clowns!

Apparently, it's loosely based on the myth of Icarus - the dude who fell to Earth when the sun melted his wings. Only here, he lands in Varekai! Instead of the sea. Which would have been bad luck.

I loved the clowns too! They were brilliant

Don't think this is quite the show for me then

A lovely dog walk/bike ride (dog and I were walking and junior was on his wee bike - or walking) in the countryside with a stop for his mid-afternoon snack on a bench by the peaceful river......... and the weather was lovely.......

William Byrd

Glamour Of The Kill with Yashin
That sounds like fab stuff Stephie, glad you enjoyed it