The house is cleaned, and we're just waiting for them!

This was written Tuesday night before Bekah & Matt got here, and somehow I didn't publish it until now...haha oh well.


The house is done, we did a whole lot of work the past few days...which was perfect timing, considering the next few weeks are going to be insane for poor Madison with law school - now the office looks really nice and neat, and he got his stuff all ready for exams. He loves working at his desk. We actually have done quite a bit of re-arranging, a bit of decorating and such since I last posted pictures, so I thought I'd update y'all with some new pictures.
I am really excited to show Bekah & Matt around Oxford --- I'm anxious to see what they think of everything! It's their first trip to Mississippi! It's a good time of year to come with the weather the way it has been -- today was BEAUTIFUL! I left the door open while I was cleaning because it was so perfect out.

The beautiful curtains Madison's mom made - I love them!:


The dining room:


Our updated bedroom w/ Target curtains


The office

A word of advice

Do your Thanksgiving shopping before the week of if possible! I was shopping for a very very long time and people were going crazy and it's only Monday! I had no idea it would be that crazy.
Back to cleaning & getting ready for my family to get here! :-)

I will have to post pictures later of the gorgeous curtains my mother-in-law sewed :-)

Liz

Our first Thanksgiving

I'm so excited for Thanksgiving...there are many reasons for this excitement.
it

a. My family is visiting for the first time to Mississippi! I cannot wait to show them where I live and to show them the cool town of Oxford and the pretty campus a little bit.

b. obviously, it is my absolute favorite meal of the entire year. it is so fun to sit around and visit and pass yummy dishes around...I can not wait for the mashed potatoes, the turkey, veggies, sweet potato casserole, rolls, pies, etc, etc, etc.

c. it is the first thanksgiving Madison & I will be together for! Since our families live so far apart, we always had Thanksgiving & Christmas w/ our respective families. So yes, this Christmas will be our FIRST Christmas together too! I am very excited for that too and we will have a fun time at the Taylors. It will be fun to see Christmas done a different way, since everyone does it a little differently. I have always spent Christmas and Thanksgiving with my family -- for 22 years! So it's going to be interesting to have a different Holiday experience.

d. I get to see my family for the first time since June! The longest I have ever gone not seeing my family.

I cannot believe we have only been married for 6 months (at the end of this month it will be 6 months) and we are hosting Thanksgiving! ahh! It will be so much fun and I cannot wait. I love the Holidays.

Christmas is bittersweet for me...it does not make me love Christmas music or anything about Christmas any less, it's just a difficult time of year as well as a very happy time of year. I always cry on Christmas Eve no matter where I am, since that is the night my mom passed away. Last year was quite embarrassing because I was playing on Edman Stage to a sold out audience at the Christmas festival. It was interesting, trying to read the music through teary eyes, but I definitely got a ton of hugs afterwards. I miss having so many friends around from the conserve and such!

Enough depressing talk though - I am way excited for Thanksgiving, having a wonderful time with family, decorating for Christmas, celebrating Christmas, and playing Christmas music with my students for a few more weeks until they are done with school.

I don't know if I will have time to post before Thanksgiving again, but I will definitely take lots of pictures and post them afterwards.

It's that time of year to get sick...

On Saturday, we went to the Ole Miss vs ULM game. I was not prepared for the weather -- who knew MS could be so cold in mid-November? I figured it wouldn't be bad. I wasn't bundled up, and I got sick from being too cold. The windchill was 38*F. It was spitting cold rain for a bit, and I caught something terrible from it! We left early, since the score was 59 to 0. (we won) On Sunday after church, I was sitting on the couch arranging a Christmas tune for my students when I started sneezing 0ver & over...then a headache rushed in...then I got all achy...it was like I got hit all of the sudden! Needless to say, I woke up this morning feeling absolutely miserable, so I'm taking it easy today so I can work the rest of the week. I'm expecting a bunch of my students to be sick this week, so I'm going to be pumping the vitamin c and vitamins in.

I have another potential student, which would bring the # up to 10 students (not including the 5 kids at the classical school on Fridays). 2 of them are 45 min lessons, the rest 30 minute lessons. It's building up! Victor told me he knows of 3 or 4 people who may want to start in January as well! Now my ages of students range from 3 years old to 18 years old! I also have done a ton of work this weekend looking for free ways to advertise for weddings. I already got 2 responses through one wedding planning site, and one for sure that I am playing at on the Lyceum steps in May - it's going to be pretty! I am playing in a gig this Tuesday for a concert with professors from Ole Miss and members of the Memphis Symphony. I had the rehearsal on Sun. night and I was very surprised that some of the Memphis symphony was in it! I think I'm the only one in that group without at least my master's or performers certificate...haha! It's so fun to be needed down here as a violist, since I'm the only violist around the Oxford area! I have a gig at the Tupelo Childrens' Choir concert. The cello prof at Ole Miss asked me to play in it, it's music for string quartet and Childrens' Choir. It will be fun! I'm so excited that I'm getting gigs, since sometimes they pay as much as an entire week of teaching!

I have been sick, so Madison & I have been eating eggs & bagels & frozen pizzas, and a sub from quiznos...not very healthy, but all the stuff I have in the house to make is stuff that's complicated (& Madison is really busy studying). He makes good scrambled eggs though! ;-)

Well, Madison should be on his way home fairly soon, and I am going to go make myself some hot tea. I wish I had other kids other than regular...yuck! I'm going to have to invest in some flavored tea bags next time I'm at the store.

It's not going to be long before the end of the semester!

I cannot believe how fast this semester went in a way. It seems like I was just dropping Madison off in the pouring rain on his first day of orientation. That was one hilarious, crazy day. We kind of got the days mixed up...needless to say, we ended up having to run there so fast -- we made it JUST in time and people were still milling around, but it was scary! We definitely learned our lesson and haven't missed any more things. I was picturing all the professors looking at the one nametag left...my husband's name...but he said about half were left still. Phew!

Madison is starting to get a lot busier with school. Probably the reason you won't be seeing him much until Christmas break in less you go to church with us or run into us somewhere. We will be going to the game tomorrow (unless it is pouring rain - it has been dreary here a lot lately - it reminds me of Michigan this time a year minus the snow). But most social activities will be pretty limited until the end of the semester.

Lessons are picking up, I have had 3 people interested in lessons in the last week and 2 have confirmed that they want to start lessons which is exciting! That would mean 10 students. I'm getting there! I'd be happy with 20 or so. Especially since the classical school job pays per kid per week. Financially, it's like having 4 more students a week. The kids at the classical school I teach are performing for the first time next Wed. morning at 8 am...woo hoo. haha. I am not a morning person, so we'll see how that goes. (and it's a 15-20 min drive and I obviously have to get there at least 15 minutes before 8...it's going to be an early morning!)

Thanksgiving is coming up so fast!!! I love Thanksgiving...it's going to be a blast. My family hasn't been to Mississippi before. My dad went to Jackson once for a business trip, but spent all time at either the Drury Inn or at the Nissan plant, so that doesn't exactly count. I'm really excited to show them where I live. I think I will be less homesick and unsettled when they know where I live and I "connect" those two worlds together. It's just weird to be somewhere that my family has never been - it's kind of an unsettling feeling. It will be interesting to see what they think of Oxford. I think they'll like it. It's a fun town. I'm going to have a difficult time deciding on what restaurants to take them! There are a lot of good ones here in Oxford. This is definitely the longest time I have ever gone without seeing my dad - and close to the longest time I've gone without seeing my sister & brother in law. It's hard being all spread out. I mapquested it out of curiosity and I'm 537 miles from my dad's place in Normal, and 630 miles from his place in Naperville. Bekah & Matt are 714 miles from us (11.5 hrs) and 863 miles (almost 14 hrs) from dad. So we're all very spread out. I also can't wait to have Thanksgiving food. My favorite meal of the year. I will take lots of pictures. :)

The recipe of the day doesn't have a picture because the batteries were dead in the camera. But the recipe was very yummy! (I made it w/out mushrooms...it was good! Madison & I are babies...)
Madison & I are kind of picky. We hate raisins, olives, & mushrooms...he doesn't like lettuce on his sandwich, tomatoes or onions. I still put onions in stuff (shh!) ;-)

Spinach & Mushroom Manicotti
1 box (8 oz) Manicotti
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 oz. mushrooms, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bag (6 oz) FRESH spinach - it makes a huge difference (one time I didn't have fresh spinach, just the frozen kind and it was yucky - but then again, I'm picky)
2 eggs
1 container (15 oz) lowfat ricotta cheese
1/3 cup chopped basil leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1 jar Italian Baking Sauce or Marinara Sauce
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese (I use the part skim shredded Italian Blend cheese)

Preheat oven to 350*F.
Cook Manicotti 7 minutes, drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; saute 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach and continue cooking for 5 mins. (If you're not doing the mushrooms, add the spinach where they say to add the mushrooms and skip this step). Set aside to cool.
Beat eggs lightly in medium mixing bowl. Stir in ricotta, basil and salt. Stir in mushroom/spinach mixture.
Spread 3/4 cup Italian Baking Sauce/Marinara sauce over borrom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Fill Manicotti with mushroom/spinach mixture; place in dish. (I find it easiest to cheat and split the shells about halfway and paste it back together) - you can't tell after it's baked. Pour remaining sauce evenly over filled shells, sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, continue baking 5-10 mins until cheese is melted. Makes 6 servings.
Enjoy!

Gigs, Chicken Tortellini

I'm excited because I finally feel like I'm "in" as far as gigs go...I was just discouraged just a few days ago, because my friend Yan was telling me about all the weddings she has played, and how Irwin took up the viola & has been playing all of those gigs...But, I was asked by the man who sets those gigs up this morning to play in one, and I have a great gig in December lined up now! He already asked me if I was available for 2, so I feel like my hard work preparing for the concert I played with him paid off. Musicians make a lot of their money from gigs, (especially without a full studio like me!) so this will be a little boost that we will definitely appreciate and benefit from. Since Irwin is the only other person that plays viola in the area, (other than students and none of them are music majors and they never get gigs) I feel like I can get at least some of the gigs now :)

Here's my recipe of the day:

Chicken Tortellini

Yum! This recipe was given to me by my mother-in-law.
It is REALLY good. The spinach I put in is probably way more than called for, but we both love spinach, haha!

Chicken Tortellini

3 cups cooked, chopped chicken breasts
2 peeled, cubed Granny Smith apples
4 minced green onions
1/2 c mayo (I used lowfat - that's what I had in the fridge & it turned out great)
1 9 ounce package of cheese stuffed tortellini
1 bunch of fresh spinach, washed and torn
1/2 sunflower seeds
1 8 oz. bottle Italian salad dressing

Mix chicken, apples, green onions and miracle whip or mayo and let stand in fridge overnight. Cook cheese tortellini according to package directions. Combine tortellini with chicken mixture, add spinach and sunflower seeds and toss with salad dressing. Enjoy!

Cooking & Baking

As a college student, I did a tiny bit of cooking. Not until I got married did I really get into it though. I love cooking & baking and trying all sorts of yummy recipes. My sister, Bekah put a really big book of collected recipes from friends & family for one of my shower presents. I use it close to every day along with Betty Crocker, Rachael Ray and other cookbooks I have, and I thought maybe I'd share some of the recipes on my blog. I decided to keep our cheaper digital camera in the kitchen and take photos of the things I make. I will still blog about what's going on with me too, but I thought since I only have a few things to write about a week, it would add more posts and be fun to do this. :)

So here it goes...

This weekend I made an apple pie. Our family is big into making pies. My mom and grandpa used to compete with each other. It's a fun tradition to keep on going. The crust is an old family recipe. The filling is from Betty Crocker...it is SO good and I highly recommend it!

Apple pie filling:

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 cups peeled & sliced tart apples (8 medium sized apples)
2 T butter (I don't use it, but that's what the recipe calls for)

In large bowl, mix sugar, 1/4 cup flour, the cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir in apples until well mixed. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Cut butter into small pieces; sprinkle over filling.

Then follow directions on whatever pie crust you are using.
Here's pictures from the pie I made:

My friend's book

One of my best friends, Kristin, wrote a book. She has a lot of good things to say, even if you are not a middle school or high school girl. It was a lot like sitting down with her for coffee. I'm so proud of her for accomplishing this and I wanted to give my small effort of support to her by writing a little about her book and giving the link where to find it if you may want to buy a copy or two. It was encouraging to read about some of the same struggles I face and how she deals with them, and understanding where she comes from on things I don't struggle with. I have some girls in my violin studio, and it's nice to have a reminder of some of the issues younger girls deal with.

Here's the description of the book:
In Confessions of a Free Spirit: A Girls Guide to Finding Herself in an Image-Obsessed Culture, Kristin Garrett tells sincerely of her experience as a self-declared free spirit trying to find her place as a Christian and as her own person in a society that makes girls feel like they must fit a certain type to be worth knowing and loving. Garrett discusses pertinent issues to middle- and high-school girls, speaking honestly about self-confidence, the media, guys, and community. Perhaps most importantly, she moves away from legalism and formulaic answers in favor of the importance of the presence and movement of the Holy Spirit through surrender. Through her unique writing style, she addresses her reader personally, like an older sister or good friend, scattering journal entries throughout and connecting closely with the reader. Teenage girls will connect emotionally and practically with the experiences and insights in Confessions of a Free Spirit, and in doing so, they will come to see themselves and their relationships with Christ as beautiful, active, and healing.

Kristin's book on Amazon.com

6 things about me

My friend Kelly tagged me in the Kreativ Blogger award to write 6 "interesting" things about me...here it goes...

1. Music has been a part of my whole life -- I wanted to be like my big sis who played Suzuki violin, so I started when I was 3 1/2 or 4 (I always forget when exactly it was). When I was 12, I decided that I wanted to drop violin lessons and pick up the viola. When I was in HS, I was in the choir, the Dayspring chorale, the HS orchestra, and the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony. When I was in college, I majored in viola performance, and took violin lessons in addition to viola lessons my senior year. I play guitar, I love singing, and I love playing the piano. It's a stress reliever for me. I play the piano a lot. I sing when I am by myself at the house...is that weird? haha.

2. Moving around has also been a big part of my whole life -- I was born in Lansing, Michigan. Then we moved to Whitinsville, MA. I don't remember living in MI (the 1st time). Then we moved to Cary, NC. After that, we moved to Grand Rapids (Ada/Cannonsburg), MI. Then we moved to Bardstown, KY and then back to Michigan to Rockford, MI. We moved to Grand Rapids, MI (only 15 mins away) and then I went to college. The summer before college, my dad transfered jobs to Keane, NH -- I only was "home" for maybe 3 times before they moved back to Grand Rapids, MI. Then to Naperville, IL. And then I moved with Madison to MS!

3. As a child, I had an outtie...so pictures when I'm wearing a thin shirt look awkward when I was little...and it's embarrassing! (I had to put something silly!)

4. I am older than Madison - I tease him about it but we're only 3 months apart so it doesn't really count...

5. Madison & I have a "band" on Rock Band 1 (wii video game)...we have fun playing that on weekends sometimes when he isn't completely swamped with law school stuff (which is not that often). He plays drums and I play guitar, and sometimes when people are over, they play guitar and I sing. We love jamming w/ guitar & fiddle together and do it quite often. Madison has a good voice but won't admit to it. We are nerds but that's okay with me :)

6. Even though I may seem really social, I actually don't like getting out and doing things. Once I do get out and do things, I'm happy I did and wouldn't trade it for sitting at home...but sometimes it takes a lot of willpower to get myself out and about. Sometimes I can be a little anti social (gasp!) and I do enjoy a bit of time at home. I get nervous before I go to a party or an event, but people say they don't notice...it's weird! I love being with people, don't get me wrong...I can just be a little nervous at first! It takes a while for me to open up, but then once I do, obviously I'm pretty social haha.

Now I tag:
Kristin
Katy
Marley
Laura

I needed to post a new one

*note - I am just adding stuff to this post at 3:30pm, so it's a little longer than before :-)

After Madison jokingly told me he was sick of looking at the poison ivy post, I thought it was about time I posted again. There's not a whole lot to report, my life is starting to sink into a good routine, and things have been going well. I got rid of my poison ivy, thanks to benadryl...and that was a happy day. I had it all up my arms and some on my legs. Thankfully Madison doesn't get poison ivy, but I stayed my distance just in case.

This week was good and unusually busy. Monday is my day to get work done, errands run & try to advertise for more students. I make it a goal to try at least 1 thing every Monday to get more students, whether it is calling someone in Tupelo or mailing a letter or printing a flyer and hanging it somewhere.

Lessons all went well this week. I really do enjoy the students I have. Some are so excited and prepared, and others are very frustrating to teach. We are starting Christmas music and the students are very excited. I teach Tuesdays through Fridays now. On Wednesday night, we had orchestra rehearsal for the L-O-U Orchestra. That has been a good experience for me, although I don't always feel like going! I'm always glad to be done afterwards though.

On Thurs. night, I helped a friend out named Charlza (she's in her 60's and the orchestra teacher for the public schools). She's having a hard time with the orchestra program this year and it was fun to be able to help her out. When she asked if I wanted to play with the kids or just meet them, I said I'd rather just meet them (I thought it may be weird for me to play with middle schoolers). Then she explained that community members play for this first concert with them and that they didn't have a violist from the community (I'm the only one other than Irwin who just plays viola for gigs...). The 4 violists all just started a year ago at the most. Local adult musicians come in to encourage the kids and sit in the back and play for their concert, so I brought my viola and played with them. The kids were so excited about it, and Charlza introduced the 4 community members & I (who I know from the Ole Miss music faculty/staff) to the orchestra and to the parents who came to hear the orchestra. She explained that I had just moved here and opened a violin & viola studio which was so exciting to me. I had a few parents ask for my number for lessons which is exciting, and Charlza took a huge stack of my business cards to hand out.

Friday I had my group at the classical school here in town. They were SO HYPER because not only was it Friday, but it was Halloween! My kids range from 4th to 9th grade in this particular group. They are all very gifted students and we have a lot of fun together. They are a mix of Suzuki and traditional students who all take lessons currently from teachers in Memphis or from Irwin Bell. We have a lot of fun together, but it's a challenge for me to control a bigger group of students. (it is now 7 kids). They want it to become a string orchestra next year! Good thing I enjoyed conducting class & did well in that class...
One of the moms gave me a little box with candy & chocolate & yogurt covered pretzels...the people are so excited and sweet to me, I love my Friday job. It's a challenge, it's tiring being in charge of a group of very active, excited kids with instruments...but it is rewarding and a nice change.

Tully (the oldest of Madison's 2 sisters) visited us this weekend (she just left a while ago). She's a freshman in college at Samford. Friday night she came and I made dinner, then we went to hang out in the Square for a little while. Saturday we got up and went to the game and visited in the tailgate tents in the grove for a while. Then we came back and played games. Later we went to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner, Rooster's Blues House. It's a new place on the square that is in our price range. This weekend really flew by and I had a lot of fun. We love when people visit -- it's so much fun! We had a blast with Tully.

Here's some pictures from the game: