Saturday, December 03, 2005

Things I thought of blogging about but never did...(a month's worth of blogs)


...a really fun Thanksgiving with my family. I was going to post more pictures, but I like my brother's better anyways.

...one of my very favorite stories by my beloved Jane Austen was made once again into a beautiful film. Every year for Thanksgiving, the Rudds have begun a tradition of seeing a movie together at the theater (something we NEVER did growing up... In fact, the first movie we ever saw together as a family may have been one of the "Lord of the Rings" movies). This year, we saw Pride and Prejudice. The story was fresh in my mind since I just re-read it this summer. I loved it. I thought the characters, especially the Bennet family, were perfectly true to the book. However, my husband, who never really liked the idea of seeing a Jane Austen movie as our big family Movie, was not so impressed. Brother Andrew captures his sentiments quite well..."Ryan was the firm dissenter -- with a somewhat valid analysis that fully half of the movie had been shots of Mirrors and Long-Shots-of-Walking-Through-Fields. It was cinematic! I argued. Watch this! he countered, and slowly pretended to walk through a pretend field. Look at me! I'm cinematic! I'm artsy! I'm full of longing and despair and breadth of spirit!"

...Christmas tree lights and 'couch night.' Once the tree is up, we spend the first night of the new 'season' together on the couches (pushed together). We fall asleep admiring the glowing yellow light and we imagine all the strangers driving by commenting on how happy and warm our house looks. They must be filled with envy.


...December 1st. Four years ago, Ryan talked me (and Mandy) into leaving our school work and my RA responsibilities at Cedarville and driving home with him for the weekend. We had a perfect date that ended in a life changing question. On the boardwalk in Grand Haven, we shivered, and Ryan got down on his knee and asked me to be his wife. I knew then, that I would love being married to him. But I couldn't have known then, how deeply I would love him. This December 1st, we sat in a blue doctor's office and listened to our baby's heart beating.

...my afternoon Strings concert at the Art Museum. This week, I brought all forty of my strings students to the Muskegon Museum of Art to perform a special Christmas Concert for the annual "Festival of Trees."
After a terrible rehearsal on Wednesday, I was not looking forward to our public performance on Thursday. I was missing half of my advanced class for our final rehearsal, and because of Thanksgiving, we hadn't had class since the middle of November!
But despite my doubt and fear, on the stage, they were amazing. They performed with more maturity and musicianship than ever before. I've never heard them produce such a full, and truly beautiful sound. I was more than a little proud. Watching them grow and become more independent and skilled is so rewarding. This season filled with performances (7 during December, 16 if you count each performing group seperately) fills me with anxiety and stress, causes me to lose nights of sleep, but mostly, it reminds me of why I love teaching music. At the end of each concert, I am so proud and thankful for my kids...

....like last night. Five of my oldest string players provided dinner entertainment at our School Staff Christmas Party. Knowing they would need to be independent of me at the dinner, I told them they were on their own for practices too. More than a few dinner guests mistook them for professional, hired musicians. As I ate my whitefish, I listened intently, and smiled again with pride.

...our new 'family vehicle.' Ryan is violently opposed to becoming a minivan owner, but we needed a more dependable car and with a baby coming, we decided on a station wagon. I've been feeling really spoiled in the warm heated, leather seats of our Passat wagon.

...today, I am enjoying a peaceful Saturday, watching the snow fall. Ryan is enjoying drugged slumber, lightly snoring on the couch. Benedryl sends him immediately to sleep...the only place where he can find respite from his itching skin. Marianne diagnosed him with hives last night...an allergic reaction to the Amoxicillin he has been taking for a sinus infection. He looks truly pathetic. His eyes are swollen and his face is covered with a bumpy red rash. In fact there are painful looking red bumps all over his body. I'm miserable just watching his pain. My poor baby.

5 comments:

Daniel Rudd said...

ang. thanks for posting. the 412 times I've checked in the last week have finally paid off!

Sorry I missed your strings.

Sorry Ryan's sick.

Isaac and Will are on Amox too (no hives yet)

Redbaerd said...

So I have to admit being slightly confused about reading a months worth of blogs in one posting.

Not that I'm complaining! I'm sitting in here in the light of our christmas tree, just as pleased as punch (whatever that means) to be reading a post that includes the light of your Christmas tree.

why confused? you may ask?

well, I'm just trying to decide whether or not Ryan JUST asked you to marry him or whether you're sitting in a blue doctors office? Or if your violin students are really playing as you eat a dinner there in your doctors' office!? and what doctor has a blue office in the Muskegon Museum of Art!?!

That may be the hardest one to believe of all. Blue doctors offices are a dime a dozen, but when you can find them IN an art museum....

Anyway, great post-- if you don't post your pictures (btw, your autumn collage was clearly the most beautiful post on the web.), you NEED to flickr them so I can borrow them more easily.

Hope Ryan gets better!

Unless he was actually covered with hives five years ago on the Grand Haven pier...?...in which case, I'm glad he's better now!

Anonymous said...

ooooooooh nooooooooooooooooo a passat?????!!!!! i hope that yours is much better to you than mine was to me! when i got rid of mine it needed 2500 dollars in repairs. i'll pray for you.

Erica said...

We love our Passat. It has been a very reliable car for Jason. He once thought about getting the Passat wagon. Great choice!

Kristy O. said...

Ang,

Thank you so much for your comment so very long ago on my blog. I followed your link, and read a bit-- and I can say an affirmative ditto in response to your comment. Although I have sadly not remained in contact with Andrew as much as I'd like to since moving away from Canton, I cherish his friendship and teaching, as I am sure I would cherish yours had you been my teacher instead (not to take away any of Andrew's thunder). I hope you enjoy your holiday season, and that your pregnancy goes smoothly. ~Blessings.