Today

Christie tells me that she hopes to get her Harry Potter post up tonight or early tomorrow, so I'm reversing post days. Today you get... well, the Today post. Tomorrow, you get Harry. :D

'Course, Masha hasn't put up her linky yet over at Piękno, so I'm just stealing her meme until she does.

Update: it's up!

Today I am...

Feeling... bright and cheerful. The sky is bell-clear, and it's honest-to-goodness hot outside, about eighty degrees (go ahead and laugh, all ye who are not from the Pacific Northwest). We get heat like this so rarely that I think of it as splendid. I'm in tank tops and shorts and French braids and enjoying every bit of it. Also, I've just had two extraordinarily pleasant days, on which I shall elaborate under the later sensory headings.

Seeing... bright blue sky and summer flowers; the first buds on my sweet peas; half-grown baby tomatoes (weeks earlier than we had last year, I think); the first female flowers on the pumpkin vines.

Smelling... the light, spicy scent of a glass of holy basil (tulsi) tea.

Tasting... homemade einkorn flatbread and pico de gallo, fresh fuji apples, and "doubled" eggs, all courtesy of my little sister.

Listening... to the strange whistling roar the WTA buses and semi-trucks make going by on the street.

Grateful... for everyone's prayers about my choir directing yesterday, and for a blessedly supportive choir and musical team. I felt very prayed for and loved, able to relax for the most part, to take little mistakes and difficulties in stride, to keep track of the cues, to be decisive, and to freely enjoy myself. And I was surrounded by helpful people who knew just what they were supposed to do and when.

As it turns out, directing is so much fun. You feel the pulse and dynamics of the music all the way through you—even subtle changes you might not notice when singing, like a shift of time signature. You lean in toward the choir and widen your count, and they raise their volume and intensity; you crouch back and narrow your count, and they bring the music down to a hush. You can speed or slow the beat by tiny increments, enough to emphasize the feel and meaning of the song, and you can make the count crisper or smoother to go marcato or legato or anything between. And the ensemble follows you, gets into it with you—at least, they do if they're as superb as my little group. I could see and hear and feel the response, and it was gratifying even before Mass ended and people started coming up to me and being all sweet and encouraging. I get to work with the nicest people. :)

Also, when you're directing, you can ask the accompanist to play organ on one of the hymns. There's not enough of the king of instruments in this world. At least, not enough in our Sunday Masses. ;)

Seriously: if you prayed for me, thank you. There was a memorable moment during Mass when I thought of all of you who had offered prayers, understood how much they were helping me, and was grateful.

Reading... the last two chapters of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, in preparation for tomorrow.

Loving... my little sister-who-does-not-like-to-be-named-on-the-internet and her daughters, with whom I spent a happy late morning and early afternoon. Lots of cuddles and smiles, countless instances of "Watch me!", four small hands helping me peel and mayonnaise the eggs—and spreading both egg peel and condiments over half the kitchen in the process—and coffee and shared thoughts and the occasional movie quote with my sister.

Hoping... that I'll get asked to substitute-direct again sometime. :D Even though I never like having any of our team missing.