YOUR DAILY JOURNAL (page 53)

compound complex

Great hearing from you!

Gluten-free meals, career choices, kids, school activities, gardening, hot flashes! It's all part of our lives. Thanks, too, for suggestions [ESTEE].

Till later,

CoCo

ex-nj-jw

I wish someone else could do my push ups for me.

Solider girl - I'm sorry but I hate push ups too, so no help from me. But good luck and I know you'll do fine

Estee - You'd think after going through pregnancy and childbirth there would be nothing else for us women to go through .

I hope everyone had a good weekend. My son's high school marching ban competed in a National High Stepping band competetion this weekend. There were a total of (I think) 32 bands, each are put into a division A, AA, AAA, AAAA according to size of band. My son's band is in the AA division. (1 A is the smallest - 4 A is largest)

On Saturday day 1 each band competed against other bands in their division, my son's band placed first place in their division so we moved onto Sunday the finals where all divisions competed against one another no matter what the size of the band.

On Sunday my son's band won the 2007 National Grand Champion trophy! This gave them the bragging rights of being the best of the best for the year 2007. They were so excited, they have worked so hard and done so well for the past several years and they deserved this win (the parents were just as excited). So just when all the chaperone's felt they had enough (it's hard being a chaperone to 80+ kids for a weekend) they win the big one and it was suddenly all worth while to see our kids so happy and proud of their accomplishments.

Just one more positive step in helping these kids to become productive, well adjusted, well rounded, strong and confident young men and women. I'm so proud of this band and these kids, they can pluck your very last nerve and make you wanna scream but in the end they usually end up giving you a hug and thanking you for being there for them. One of the girls that is graduating this year stood up on the bus and thanked the parents because if we didn't volunteer to chaperone they would not have been able to have this experience, yeah I cried

I hope all had a great weekend, I'm off today to recoop from the weekend, still need to clean my house do laundry go grocery shopping, I think I'l take a nap first.

nj

compound complex

Dear nj et al,

Congrats to you, ex, and your son and his winning band! I can identify with your joy and the entire group's sense of accomplishment, though on the other side as a music teacher. I just now returned from instructing a talented young student in matters of composition; it was exhilarating for both of us [maybe mostly for me!]. I encourage all my students - including JWs - to reach for the sky.

I like my new perspective ...

CoCo

ex-nj-jw

Hey coco,

Thanks for your congrats! I had no idea you were a music teacher. My son's band is made up of 90 members, we have a flag squad, dance squad, drum line, feature twirlers (2), and a huge brass section. My son plays the trumpet, he's been playing it since 6th grade (I can almost ignore his constant playing) , he also reads and writes music this skill he learned almost on his own.

The band is a high stepping marching band. They march at a 45 degree angle (I think it's 45), toes pointed and knees up. Their routine is made up of a dance feature, flag feature and a "dance mix". The show will be up on a website and as soon as I get it I'll PM you so you can check them out.

The kids are very talented, they all read music and a few write music. Last year at Nationals in Alabama we came in 3rd place, this year we took home the big one!

nj

compound complex

Dear ex-nj,

Thank you so much for the post and PM. I can hardly wait to see the video; I love those dance routines and all the high-stepping. You're correct about the time and difficulties involved, but then, we take our children through the school journey only once, and then they're gone. My continual joy is being with earnest and talented kids AND adults who want to learn and excel. I'm already at the point where I'll be teaching former students' own children.

How cool can it get?

With gratitude,

CoCo

Bumble Bee

Congrats nj on your son's accomplishments!! All those bus trips and weekends really paid off!

Here's an article I found about having music in your childs life.

Music lessons pay off in higher earnings: poll

Wed Nov 14, 11:15 AM ET

Those hours practicing piano scales or singing with a choral group weren't for nothing because people with a background in music tend to have a higher education and earn more, according to a new survey.

The poll by Harris Interactive, an independent research company, showed that 88 percent of people with a post-graduate education were involved in music while in school, and 83 percent of people earning $150,000 or more had a music education.

"Part of it is the discipline itself in learning music, it's a rigorous discipline, and in an ensemble situation, there's a great deal of working with others. Those types of skills stand you well in careers later in life," said John Mahlmann, of the National Association for Music Education in Reston, Virginia, which assisted in the survey.

In addition to the practical skills gained from studying music, people questioned in the online poll said it also gave them a sense of personal fulfillment.

Students who found music to be extremely or very influential to their fulfillment were those who had vocal lessons and who played in a garage band. Nearly 80 percent of the 2,565 people who took part in the survey last month who were still involved in music felt the same way.

"That's the beauty of music, that they can bring both hard work and enjoyment together, which doesn't always happen elsewhere," Mahlmann added in and interview.

ex-nj-jw

Hey BB - it definately takes team work. To see 89 teenagers marching, doing routines and knowing where to be and when all while playing an instrument, twirling a baton or flag and dancing is amazing. I know this experience will benefit him for the rest of his life. The only payback I ask is that when he (my children) have kids that they devote the same time, energy and patience that their father and I have. As I said before I can almost totally block out the sound of a trumpet being played very loudly while I'm trying to watch a movie, talk on the phone or just relax Imagine having two kids both practicing the trumpet every night for 7 years straight But I'd rather have them doing that then being out in the streets getting in trouble!

I'm having a crazy day I've only had 2 patients show up, it's raining and I'm starving. I overslept this morning, was late for work, got stuck in traffic and left my breakfast and lunch home and I don't have any cash on me for the snack machine. Boy I hope my day gets better

Hope everyone has a great day!

nj

compound complex

Thank you, BB and nj!

I love hearing these stories about education and the arts; I spoke this morning on said subjects and received a very favorable response from members of the community.

Vive l'education!

CoCo

Sad emo

Just dropping in to say hi because it's been a few days.

It's been, I dunno, a turbulent couple of weeks with trying to work out what I believe and trying to do an essay at the same time. I was 'dead on my feet' by yesterday evening.

I have another essay to get done now - due in 3 weeks, but that's an exegesis of some verses in the book of Job. I love doing exegesis because I can say more what I think instead of spouting a load of other theologians' musings!

It's turned very cold here in the past few days - not geting much above freezing even though the sun is blazing down, and its dark by 4.30pm. I hate leaving work in the dark :-(

... ah well, spring is just around the corner!

Have a great day everyone.

compound complex

Dear Emo,

Stay well and out of the "dark": I, too, hate going home in the dark. Don't allow great learning drive you to madness. Spring will be soon ... it's near ... it IS around the corner ... it's based on God's dates ... thinking and reasonable persons will agree....

Have a great day, everyone!

CoCo

YOUR DAILY JOURNAL

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