Happy Holy Terror Holidays

A busy weekend is fast approaching.

Today I've taken advantage of the first free weekend we've had in quite a while to get some things accomplished around the house and to relax and rest without being sick or running around sick.

I've also had alot of rehearsing to do.

For the last three plus weeks I've been fighting an extreme cold and laryngitis. During Thanksgiving, for four days I couldn't even talk - at all! Of course, my family was probably most grateful to Heaven above for a relatively quiet and unperturbed holiday. But I digress.

So just at the time I begin to get sick, my choir director asks me to sing a song with the choir for Christmas Eve services. I was also asked to sing praise team for last Sunday, of which I had to switch with someone since my voice was barely functional even then. I was also asked to do a reading again for Sunday the 19th.

Then Wednesday night at rehearsal (where I still could not sing but went anyway to listen and get down more music in my head at least), I discover that the Christmas Eve song I'm supposed to sing has been scheduled for Sunday the 19th. I've been listening to it since receiving the music but have not been able to actually sing it until today, though it is still only somewhat. What's more is that the Sunday I switched out last weekend with the fellow soprano was for the 19th.

So that means on Sunday the 19th for services I am doing a reading, praise team, and singing with the choir a song I have yet to be able to practice with them and the other soloist live and in person. We'll get to do that hopefully for the first time this coming Wednesday night at choir rehearsal.

Then Thursday morning my son informs me that his Christmas choir concert at school is scheduled for next Wednesday night. He's also doing something special for said concert so that means I have to be in two places at once.

Oh Happy Holy Terror Holidays indeed! I wish at the moment human cloning was legal.

So if next weekend isn't packed enough already, we're heading down to Oklahoma that Friday evening for a Christmas Open House for my parents' church and then our all family Christmas gathering on Saturday before heading back up here Saturday night for Sunday services. I pray my voice is fully recovered before then.

It may be a busy weekend, but as I said before I'm not turning aside any opportunities the Lord puts in my path.

There's got to be a reason for it somewhere...I hope. :-)

Riding the Roller Coaster

This past week has been quite a roller coaster - mostly up but a bit down too.

Last Sunday I had an urgent agenda after church. When my music pastor asked me to sing a solo part in the Christmas Eve services, I was pleased and excited. Then reality hit me.

I don't have a dress.

Our Christmas Eve services are huge affairs, with all the bling a girl can ask for. Rarely do I sing Christmas Eve and the few times I have it has been in the loft, where it is mainly important to have bling on the upper half. Black pants or a black skirt usually work fine otherwise.

However, as a soloist, it is imperitive that I have a dress that meets certain criteria.

1. The dress must be long
2. The dress must have plenty of sparkle
3. The dress must be modest (it is in church after all)
4. The dress must have a jacket or sleeves - no bare shoulders or arms

It was a bit daunting to realize that I was going to have to go shopping for a long dress in the midst of the season - meaning it would be highly unlikely that there'd be anything on sale and anything less than $200.

Ouch!

Checked out several stores over the weekend and then shuffled my way to Dillard's Sunday and figured I'd have to bite the bullet eventually.

Came out with a great dress.

#1 - check
#2 - check
#3 - check
#4 - check
Budget - priceless

No seriously, I came out of there spending less than $50 on a beautiful turquoise blue dress on sale in my size. How about them apples?

Then onto the remainder of the week. Previously I mentioned the Salon Fair and taking first place in the hair show. What an incredible surprise! I still can't get over that one.

Wednesday night I came home to an email from the music pastor asking me to do another reading in services this morning. Great scripture reading from Romans 8 - loved it!

Then Thursday I felt it coming on. All day I was just absolutely exhausted. Tried to chalk it up to the let down after all of the stress from the hair show and such, but deep down I knew it was about to catch up to me. Thursday night was critique and it was great seeing everyone there for the first time in awhile (and just before the season gets crazy).

Friday morning brought the worst sore throat I can remember in some time. Made it at school until about 1:30 then I had to pack it in. Spent the majority of the weekend in bed and snoozing away the time. Never do I like getting sick. Typically I always get on my own nerves after laying around the house for a day or two, watching the laundry grow and the dishes pile up on the counter.

Hey, it's hard keeping a good woman down!

Needless to say, I've tried to somewhat enjoy this down time. Read a few books and watched a movie that I haven't seen in years. Made it through services and the reading this morning but hurried home and back to bed.

Feeling a bit better this evening. Fever is down again and I'm hoping to be back in the saddle for school tomorrow. My son has an early morning for tomorrow so he's busy getting ready for it all. I can also be thankful that I'm getting the junk out of the way before Thanksgiving and Christmas this year instead of being down during one of the holidays. That's never fun.

So I'm just about to get off the roller coaster I think. Funny - I always did like the downhill rush better than the uphill clickety-clack ride.

Guess I'll appreciate whatever comes for the remainder of 2010.

Old Faithful

It hasn't even been two months since I got over the last bout, and now I'm trying to come down with a nasty cold again.

Probably related to being a bit stressed out of late. Haven't hardly been out of the house, so I really don't think it is something picked up elsewhere unless from church.

You know, this whole getting sick all the time stuff is ridiculous. Before stress got to me years before, I had an iron-clad immune system. I NEVER got sick. The only times I missed work were when I had to stay home and take care of my son because he got sick.

A friend of mine warned me about that when they start kindergarten.

So it is really hard now getting sick at the drop of a hat. There's all sorts of articles out there on stress and how it affects the body, mind, and spirit. Most of all, I'm just worried about the body part.

Did you know they even have the American Institute of Stress? Amazing!

Some days I'm almost tempted to live in a bubble. Oh yeah, like that will work. Several years ago I decided to join a gym and work out several times a week to try to improve my overall health because I was told exercise would help strengthen my immune system.

Crap!

When cold and flu season hit, I would pick up everything from those stupid machines. Then I'd be out of the gym for about a month or so to avoid spreading the love. Once well, I would return only to come down with round two. Then round three!

Did that for two years. I was paying for services I was not being rendered, plus the cost of doctor visits, missed work, and any medications needed to help me kick the junk. Decided it wasn't worth it any longer.

So I bought a treadmill instead.

Getting out and around other people was so nice and alot of fun, but the corresponding rhinovirus attacks left me in the cold. Therefore I've become a home body when it comes to working out. I've got my ten minute pilates DVD and my treadmill. Except for a couple of months after the big move last year I've been a faithful adherent.

I just wish this cold stuff wasn't so faithful. Yes, I know - this too shall pass.