a bouquet of sharpened pencils...

There is something about a new school year that causes me to long for Staples or Office Depot. However, when you keep taking one class at a time, you can't really justify a "school supplies" shopping spree. Maybe a new pen or notebook. Definitely the required textbooks. After that, you're done. Put the organizational materials back on the shelf. And the box of highlighters.
Go home and look on your shelf of such things from years gone by. Pens, highlighters, underliners, post-its, etc. No pencils as they seem to disappear during the teaching of piano lessons and the rehearsing of choral music. Aha! Add pencils to the allowable list.

Anyway. This is that week of life when I have to constantly check my schedule as to where I'm supposed to be. This is that week during which I have a suspense-like curiosity as to whether I've double-booked any students, made an impossible transition, or just made a thoughtless commitment that will turn my life upside down.

I think I'm safe on all three counts, but ask me in a week.

I like the new beginning part of weeks like this. New class: Exegesis. New community: Regent...still Regent, but new because the old people have gone and the new people have come. New student schedule: Thursday from noon to 9:30 and just an hour and a half on Fridays. New music: Abendmusik AND CCC.

(sidebar: Did I mention that I get to sing another project with the Canadian Chamber Choir?!?! Oh my. I think this passed without mention. Yes. October 13-21 I will be in Manitoba with 17 others from across Canada to sing and sing and sing. We'll be in residence in Gretna for a few days and then have concerts in Winkler, Brandon, Steinbach and Winnipeg. I'm VERY excited to sing with them again. The three projects I've done with them have been fantastic and have always left me exhausted but very enthusiastic about music-making. More to come on that later!)

So yes. A 'new' year is beginning.

Happy new year!