Moving On

So as you know, I have been divorced for just over four months now.  Yes, I am still ecstatic about this change in my life, plus many of the others that I have made.  I love my apartment, I am really enjoying my Master's program, and I am learning to enjoy dating again.

The saddest event to occur in the last four months was the loss of Jenny in January.  However she was sick and in pain, and I know that it was the best choice for her.  I hope that she and Jackson are truly enjoying heaven.

Patrick is growing up too quickly and loves to play with both dogs and humans.  He walks on the leash fairly well, rarely jumps on anyone anymore, and loves to eat.  The biggest problem that we still have our cats and squirrels.  I won't even go there.  It can be ugly.

I am beginning to prepare for the 33rd birthday party.  So if you have any fun suggestions, please send them my way.

Pizza Pocket with Sweet Potato

So I needed some fresh ideas for dinner.  So I cooked up some sweet potatoes, rolled out some Pilsbury pizza dough, spread some Dove Mole Sauce on the four sections that I cut, dumped on some sweet potatoes and cheese, and folded and baked it.  The only thing I would change would be to add some butter garlic sauce after it is cooked.

After putting this in the recipe builder it come out to 10 points a piece.  You could change up the seasonings or change to tomato sauce.  Very yummy!

Sarah the Musician

So today I had an amazing moment during my counseling session.  I accepted the fact that I have buried the musician side of my life. I have put myself into my secular schooling, into my religion and into my relationships. 

I have been playing the piano since I was either six or seven (I guess I should ask my mother, cause I don't remember).  I know that I started singing early, and I remember Dad taking me to choir at the age of 10.  Then I was an Alto.  I picked up the flute at 11 and loved it for a year, until we moved and I had a crappy band instructor and dropped it.  At 14 in high school choir I got moved to the Sopranos and have never looked back. 

However come 16, life got busy and the piano lessons stopped.  High school choir stopped because it was the same time as aerobics and I had to get my body back.  I still had church choir and thought that I would play piano on my own.  Obviously that did not happen.  I kept meaning to pick up the piano again in college, but never practiced more then a few times.

Got home and life slowed down a little, but I never got back to the music other then singing in church choir.  When Keith and I finally bought our home, Mom gave me a present by moving the full upright Kimball built in 1901 to our house.  I actually started to play again, and finally decided to take acoustic guitar lessons (a long time dream).  Unfortunately the pressures of life beat me down and I eventually dropped the music again. 

As you know, this last year I dropped my marriage and since then many of my compass points in life have returned to pointing North. Though there was a point in which I almost sold the piano and guitar. 

Then I started going to the Grotto to watch Laura sing.  It was amazing!  I was sitting there at the opening concert, thinking to myself, "why am I not doing stuff like this".  I love this and the way it makes me feel.  The next Sunday, I went back to the church choir.

Then in December after watching Laura sing with her quartet, and having a conversation with Kara about Sariah wanting to learn the piano, I had another serious conversation with myself.  I know piano, I know piano theory and I know how to teach.  So why can't I teach piano?  Obviously if you have seen the apartment, you know the full upright Kimball will not be moving in (currently in storage).  I have a new to me keyboard, the guitar sits next to it in the living room and I now have three piano students. 

So this is my commitment for this year.  To keep my three students going and myself going.  What would be really fun would be to put together a recital for the end of the year with my students and my friends.  Hmm what fun ideas...