The Storm is Coming

Caramel Corn is a great gluten free vehicle for butter, sugar and vanilla

This little one is already an appreciative audience

Hold your horses, girls!

Yes, that would be a lit steering wheel heat icon

Each loop is a perfect repetition! 

A sample of duets and trios

The reality. 

The storm is coming! That would be literally and figuratively. It's our big weekend. The children have been working so hard. This year, along with our classical repertoire we are featuring holiday duets and trios. I love Catherine McMichael's arrangements because they are intended for different levels so you can pair elementary and intermediate students. We are also doing a few of Jennifer Eklund's duets and the standard Alfred and Faber.  Each pianist will play one classical piece and one holiday selection. I've been lifting weights so that I can handle the stage managing--I'm borrowing extra adjustable chairs!

A couple weeks ago I started paying Mary a buck a day to be sitting in the chair with her hands on the piano at 6:45 a.m. Calvin says if I'm gonna go there I owe him $4272 in back pay. Note to parents and children everywhere, fair does not always mean equal. Some of us are not morning people. There go I but for the grace of an auto start coffee maker.

A glance at the weather is a little off putting. In light of Saturday's recital and Sunday's open house, I made Bill call the plow guy 13 times. Tell him I'm not psycho but we really need plowed out by 10:00 a.m. or I'm gonna blow a gasket. Tell him again.  Leave him another message. Tell him again--the part about how I'm not crazy but it's really important. DID YOU TELL HIM?!?!?!?!?

I'm guessing if it's really a high of eight below sledding will not be very much fun at the open house on Sunday. Except maybe Solomon and Nehemiah. They will probably ice fish. Minnesota boys.

Joyful haste is in the air. There are glass plates to bring up from the basement and chairs and drum sets and marimbas to move. Candles to light and programs to print. I have an extra printer in the trunk of the car sshhhh, not really. It's a good idea this time of year--it lets the printer under the desk know just where he stands.

Sand and salt.  DID YOU GET SAND AND SALT?  Honey, when are you gonna get the sand and salt?

Kris and I made all manner of fussy little Christmas cookies last weekend--chocolate thumbprints and wafer sandwiches--you know the kind--that take ten minutes each?  I whisked them away to the freezer. They are so special that no one can eat them. Ever. OK, maybe one on Christmas Eve.

To counter that I made three batches of caramel corn that we can stuff ourselves with.
I'm off the sugar free thing. In case you didn't notice.

God bless us everyone. Keep us safe on the roads and warm and toasty in our homes and hopefully at recitals and parties!

Merry Christmas.