Choir, Health Care, Tutoring

Hello--
What a church-y day! We have been practicing for weeks, with the church choir. Our organist is actually a professional organist, where he plays each week for the 2nd Church in Newton, United Church of Christ, in a neighboring town. He and their preacher thought it would be neat to do a "choir swap," where their choir and our choir would combine, and sing for their church services in the morning, then come to our church in the afternoon and sing for our Sacrament Meeting.

They meet in a beautiful old, cathedral-style building, with arching ceilings and fabulous acoustics! This morning we went to their church to practice together, then participate in their service. Followed by lunch downstairs, then drive to our own church for the afternoon meetings.

4th-grader Kara wanted to sing, too, so I brought her to the practices. There was not room for her in the community kids' music program, so I figured why not participate in the church choir? It's pretty basic music, usually a hymn or a different arrangement of a familiar song.

Then we got the music for today's performance: One of the pieces was in 8-part harmony... IN GERMAN...!!??! Oh, well, what do you do? We just kept practicing, and Kara was a good sport about it. We sang alto. She learned the part.

Our Bishop also spoke in their meeting: a nice message about tithing. So anyway, when we got home it really felt like it had been an all-day affair. Leave by 8:30 a.m., return at 4:30.

In other news: The Health Care bill passed, by a margin of 5 votes. In the on-line article I read, it offered a link for me to "read the bill." I clicked on it and scanned down. This bill is One Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety Pages. (Yes, you read that correctly. 1990 pages.) In case you need some light bedtime reading.

I'm feeling a little short on time these days...Frank has been gone all this week to South America. He returns Wednesday. I'm appreciating more and more how we split the driving-kids-everywhere responsibilities. And especially that he does the Seminary shift! UGH! I look at the clock and can't believe how time flies--got to go to bed, because I have to get UP and get David over to early-morning seminary!

Inspired by my sister-in-law Pam, my neighbor Carleen, and my friend in CA Susan, who all work with kids at their neighborhood schools, I have started tutoring ESL students at an elementary school in the next town over. (No, this is not one of my students--just a clipart photo!--:) )

I go in 3 days a week, the elementary kids are K-3rd. I've been doing it for about 2 weeks now. The beauty of this kind of job is that I get to work with the kids, 1-on-1 or small group, and then I go home. No staff meetings, no homework. I am "just the tutor--!" Not the teacher. So far it's been a good thing.

Well, I know this blog post jumped all over the place. That is my brain lately. Happy Monday tomorrow! Kari